Speaking at the Jewish News Syndicate policy conference in Yerushalayim, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu emphasized that any agreement with Iran must eliminate its ability to enrich uranium, as the United States continues direct nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
“A real deal that works is one that removes Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons,” he stated.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear that the United States aims for an agreement that completely bars Iran from enriching uranium. Meanwhile, Iranian negotiator Abbas Araghchi insisted that uranium enrichment remains “non-negotiable.”
“Dismantle all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program,” Netanyahu declared. “That is a deal we can live with.”
Netanyahu warned that if Washington agrees to a watered-down deal, Iran will simply bide its time and wait for the conclusion of Donald Trump’s presidency.
He further stressed that Iran’s development of ballistic missiles must also be addressed during the talks.
However, after the latest round of negotiations on Shabbos, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman insisted, “The question of defense capacities and the country’s missiles is not [on the agenda] and has not been raised in the indirect talks.”
Netanyahu said he had clearly conveyed his concerns to Trump and that he maintains close communication with the United States on these issues.
“A bad deal is worse than no deal,” he argued, repeating his long-standing position that the “only good deal” would resemble the model Libya accepted in 2003.
The prime minister also credited Israel’s intelligence operations with having delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by approximately ten years.
Switching to the situation in Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that when the war concludes, “Hamas will not be there. And we’re not going to put the Palestinian Authority there.”
“Why replace one regime that is sworn to our destruction with another regime that is sworn to our destruction?” he challenged.
Expanding on this theme, Netanyahu said, “Hamas says we will destroy Israel by terror and military conquest right away, and the PA says, ‘No, you destroy it politically and driving it through propaganda and lawfare to the ’67 boundaries, and then you can do the military thrust because you’re a few kilometers from the sea.’”
Calling the notion of establishing a Palestinian state to promote peace “folly,” Netanyahu dismissed the idea outright.
The prime minister also expressed mistrust toward the Biden administration when it comes to safeguarding Israeli military secrets.
He noted that he deliberately withheld information from Washington regarding the September 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah’s communication networks, saying, “I don’t read the New York Times that often, but why give them the advance? It would be on the net.”
Netanyahu disclosed that Israel destroyed a scanning device Iran had sent to Lebanon after Hezbollah grew suspicious that its communication devices were compromised. Once three devices had been dispatched to Iran for inspection, he decided to strike.
He also revealed that Israeli forces prevented Iranian paratroopers from arriving in Syria to bolster Bashar al-Assad’s regime as rebels were on the verge of overtaking Damascus.
Besides its military efforts in Gaza, Lebanon, and against Iran, Israel is battling another adversary at home, Netanyahu said — the “deep state.” He charged that entrenched leftist elements within Israel’s bureaucracy are endangering the country’s democracy, echoing similar warnings made by Trump since his return to office. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
Nechama Grossman, Israel’s oldest Holocaust survivor, passed away at the age of 109 on Thursday—Yom Hashoah, Israel’s national day of remembrance for Holocaust victim. Her granddaughter, Luba, shared her grief with Kan News, saying, “I am in shock—I have no words. Honestly, we thought she’d make it to 110. Yesterday… she wasn’t feeling well. She was lucid until the end and died peacefully. On Holocaust Remembrance Day of all days.” In her final days, Grossman reportedly dreamed of Nazis returning to harm her, waking up fearful that the horrors of her youth were resurfacing. “She was afraid of the Nazis—that it was coming back,” Luba said. “She always said that we need to live in peace and without wars. All the grandchildren served in the army so it wouldn’t happen again.” The trauma of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks weighed heavily on Grossman in her final months, with her great-grandchildren serving in the IDF. “She cried that it’s happening again, and that antisemitism is rising,” her family recalled. Her son, Vladimir Shvetz, told reporters, “My mother lived through the worst of humanity and survived. She raised her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with the mission to teach that unchecked hatred cannot win. We must remember her story, remember the Holocaust, remember all the survivors; learn from it so that her past does not become our future.” Grossman’s levaya was held Friday afternoon in Arad, her longtime hometown, located east of Beersheva. Grossman was not the only Holocaust survivor to pass away on Yom Hashoah this year. Eve Kugler, a 94-year-old survivor from the United Kingdom who had survived Kristallnacht, also died on Thursday, just as she had been scheduled to take part in the March of the Living in Poland. According to Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, approximately 120,000 Holocaust survivors remain in Israel today. In the past year alone, around 13,000 survivors passed away—roughly 10% of Israel’s survivor population. Globally, of the estimated 220,800 Holocaust survivors living across 90 countries, only about 1,400 are centenarians, according to a recent report by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. The report projects a stark decline in the coming years: by 2035, only 66,250 survivors are expected to remain, and by 2040, that number will dwindle to just 22,080. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A remarkable milestone unfolded in Derbent, a historic city in the Islamic Russian republic of Dagestan, as a cornerstone was laid for a brand-new shul.
What set this moment apart was that the funding for the entire project came from a Muslim philanthropist.
Suleyman Kerimov, a billionaire and influential figure in the area, generously contributed a significant donation toward the creation of the Jewish complex, which will bear the name “Yerushalayim of Darbent.”
Kerimov explained that his motivation was to foster peace and mutual understanding between the religious communities in the region.
Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar was among those who took part in the ceremony, which occurred just a few days before Pesach. Numerous Muslim religious leaders and local officials also participated in the special event.
“This is proof that it is possible to live together with mutual respect despite the difference in religion and faith,” Rabbi Lazar declared during his speech. “The new shul will be a symbol of coexistence and peace.”
The significance of Kerimov’s contribution is even greater considering recent history. Less than a year earlier, radicals set fire to a synagogue in Derbent, destroying nine Sifrei Torah. Fortunately, there were no injuries in the attack.
Derbent holds the distinction of being one of Russia’s most ancient cities, and its Jewish community is among the oldest anywhere in the world. During his stay, Rabbi Lazar, together with the city’s rabbi, Rabbi Ovadiah Issakov, and community leader Baruch Eliyashiv, toured the historic shul , which is currently undergoing restoration.
As part of the celebration, letters were placed into a time capsule, intended to be opened a century from now. In his message, Rabbi Lazar wrote of his confidence that the tradition of baking matzos would endure and expressed his hope that by the time the capsule is opened, the third Bais Hamikdash would already stand in Yerushalayim.
Throughout the development of the project, Kerimov maintained close contact with Rabbi Lazar, seeking his guidance on various aspects, both practical and halachic. After the ceremony, the businessman also proudly showed Rabbi Lazar the city’s impressive new multimedia fountain—reportedly the largest in Russia—and a modern tourism center featuring exhibits about Derbent’s rich history.
{Matzav.com}
Nearly 36,000 Gazans—close to 2% of the coastal enclave’s population—have left the Gaza Strip since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Channel 12 News reported Friday. Most of the departing residents have relocated to Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Western European nations, and Romania, according to the report. Approximately 2,000 Gazans were able to exit through Israeli territory, traveling via Ramon Airport near Eilat or the Allenby Crossing into Jordan. The vast majority, however, crossed through Gaza’s Rafah Crossing with Egypt, which reopened briefly on January 31 during a now-expired ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The crossing closed again on March 18 when fighting resumed. Currently, only limited groups are legally permitted to leave Gaza: the sick and wounded seeking medical treatment abroad and their family members, Gazans with dual citizenship, and individuals granted visas to third countries. Nevertheless, numerous Gazans have reportedly paid as much as $10,000 to smugglers with alleged ties to Egyptian intelligence to cross the southern border illegally. A survey published last month by Britain’s Telegraph revealed that more than half of Gaza’s residents—about 1.1 million people—would leave the Strip temporarily or permanently if given the opportunity. Interest was especially high among residents under 34 and those living in heavily damaged areas such as Gaza City and Khan Yunis. On April 1, Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel visited Ramon Airport to observe what officials described as the “voluntary departure process” for Palestinians leaving Gaza. That same day, the Population and Immigration Authority announced that dozens of Gazans were flown to Leipzig, Germany, on a designated flight organized with German diplomatic assistance. The agency said that, to date, hundreds of Gazans have been relocated to Germany, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates under this initiative. Meanwhile, on March 22, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Defense Minister Yisrael Katz’s proposal to establish a directorate within the Defense Ministry dedicated to facilitating voluntary emigration from Gaza. Katz emphasized that the effort aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision of transforming Gaza’s coastline into a real estate development zone while relocating much of the enclave’s population. “We are working with all means to implement the U.S. president’s vision, and we will allow any Gaza resident who wants to move to a third country to do so,” Katz said last month. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
State lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to use more taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuitions and homeschooling expenses even as they try to figure out how to budget in a time of economic uncertainty. A $1 billion-per-year voucher program the Texas Legislature sent to the governor last week and a longshot push in Congress to expand vouchers nationally, including to states that have rejected them, are focusing attention on the issue. In states that already have programs to pay private education costs for most students, the expense has quickly gobbled up more of their budgets as revenue growth has slowed or stalled. Besides Texas, Tennessee adopted a program this year, and North Dakota gave serious consideration to one before a veto last week likely ended its prospects this year. States are required to produce annual spending plans that don’t exceed what they bring in. With pandemic-era federal money mostly phased out, voucher opponents fear the programs will come at the expense of other priorities, including public schools. “Even if they’re being funded by separate revenue sources, it can feel like school choice programs and public schools are competing for the same slice of an increasingly smaller pie,” said Page Forrest, who analyzes state finances at the nonpartisan think tank Pew. Scholarship and savings account costs have risen quickly Until five years ago, the boldest school choice programs were limited to lower-income and special-needs students. More recently, scholarships and state-funded savings accounts open to most or all families have been catching on, especially in Republican-controlled states. This approach costs far more, at least in the short term. That is partly because studies of the efforts in several states have found most of the first students to enroll were already attending private schools, and not receiving taxpayer subsidies at all before the choice programs’ launch. In the coming school year, voucher programs are expected to cost Florida taxpayers almost $3.9 billion, or about $1 in every $13 from the state’s general revenue fund. In Arizona, it’s nearly 5% of the general budget. An analysis by The Associated Press found the costs in Iowa, Ohio and Oklahoma are over 3% of state general spending this year, or are projected to be in the coming budget year. Spending is a smaller portion of the budget in states where the scholarship programs are still ramping up. Those include Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. Scholarships are catching on in more states A flood of campaign money from voucher proponents has been a key factor in convincing previously resistant Republican lawmakers to endorse school choice plans, particularly as advocates have called for more school options coming out of the COVID pandemic. Programs were approved last year in Alabama and Louisiana and this year in Tennessee, where Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said the $447 million program will be available for the upcoming school year. A New Hampshire bill raising income limits on an existing program has been moving through the legislature. In Texas on Thursday, lawmakers sent the governor a bill that would allot more than $10,000 per year for students in accredited private schools. The cost would be capped at $1 billion in the 2026-27 school year, which is a little over 1% of the annual state general funding. But by 2030, a legislative analysis found, it could cost $4.5 billion a year. That […]
“Telling your wife your needs and wants” is a complete waste of time for married men who want happiness and I’ll tell you why. So many marriage experts claim they have the secret to a happy marriage and that it all comes down to communication, boundaries and bringing in more money. They tell you to help out more at home, talk about the past, go together to a marriage professional but never stop to take inventory of whether ANY of these methods are actually WORKING in creating happiness and joy! I am not saying those strategies don’t work at all, but they are the long… slow… painful way of having a happy home. And for the few that make it with these strategies, they’ve done it while he doesn’t get what he needs, and she doesn’t get what she needs. Meanwhile, we’re helping our clients connect with their wives on the highest level, living lives full of happiness and excitement and it gets more and more joyful by the day where both husband and wife feel happiness and excitement… … all without needing their wife to meet them halfway! To check out how they do this, click below to watch my free presentation where I share all the details … you’re going to thank me for it! 5 Steps Married Men Use to Get Rid of Friction and Create Happiness and Excitement… Without Needing Their Wife to Meet Them Halfway!
Failed Former Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan: “What I’ve seen, in 100 days, is terrible damage to America’s credibility & trust with our allies and to America’s appeal.”
US CENTCOM fighter jets operating off the coast of Yemen from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
President Trump calls on those who operated Joe Biden’s Autopen to be thrown in jail.
According to Iranian media, the number of deaths in the explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas has risen to 40 and the number of injured has risen to 1205.
Chinese manufacturers have been pushing forward in the electric vehicle sector, unveiling innovations like a battery that claims it can deliver a 320-mile charge in just five minutes. This week, KCBS Radio’s Holly Quan interviewed Bloomberg’s David Welch about this breakthrough and whether such technology might eventually reach the United States.
“They have a licensing deal with Ford in Michigan,” Welch said, referring to CATL, the China-based electric vehicle battery maker.
Despite the buzz surrounding the announcement at the Shanghai auto show, Welch pointed out that U.S. drivers shouldn’t expect to see these ultra-rapid charging batteries on American roads anytime soon.
“That technology, they say works, but it’s not being built industrialized and commercialized yet,” Welch explained. “But that’s coming. And when the Chinese want to get stuff out, they don’t have a lot of barriers domestically to getting it done. And they tend to move pretty quickly.”
Welch mentioned that the timing of when Chinese EV technology might arrive in the U.S. is tied closely to the ongoing tariff battles that began under President Donald Trump. He noted that CATL’s collaboration with Ford is drawing plenty of attention.
“All that’s going on with tariffs, trade talks, trade wars… does kind of throw some of this Chinese EV technology up in the air in terms of getting it to U.S. shores,” said Welch.
During his conversation with Quan, Welch also explained that Chinese firms primarily produce lithium iron phosphate batteries, unlike the lithium ion batteries more commonly used in American EVs. While they may not deliver as much mileage per charge, they are significantly cheaper to produce.
“BYD, which is the biggest EV maker in the world, and CATL, which has the biggest battery maker in that world – both Chinese companies – have been working on these technologies,” Welch said, noting that improvements continue to be made, especially in enhancing the batteries’ energy density to allow for faster charging.
At present, the United States lacks the necessary infrastructure to efficiently fast charge vehicles using these Chinese battery types, Welch said. Nonetheless, General Motors plans to introduce a refreshed version of the Chevy Bolt later this year, which will reportedly feature a lithium iron phosphate battery.
“They are keeping the range and charge time a secret,” said Welch. “So we’ll see what that comes with and whether or not it’s CATL’s technology. I suspect it is.”
Another important distinction, Welch added, is that vehicles equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries tend to be smaller than the typical American car and offer more limited driving ranges.
“I know somebody personally a friend who bought a BYD EV in Mexico… it’s a $29,000 car, slightly smaller than the old Chevy Bolt which means it’s subcompact and he gets I think 220 or 230 miles of range,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu shared details surrounding the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, while reiterating that Israel would only back a nuclear agreement that guarantees Iran never obtains nuclear arms.
Describing the current military situation, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is engaged in a conflict across seven different fronts, though he clarified that it is essentially a single war being waged against Iran and its network of proxies. He made it clear that much work remains ahead. “We have to finish the war in Gaza, get our hostages back and destroy Hamas,” he declared. “Hamas will not be there and we’re not going to put the PA (Palestinian Authority – ed.) there. Why replace one regime that is sworn to our destruction with another regime that is sworn to our destruction?”
Looking beyond the war’s end, Netanyahu was adamant that Israel would maintain security control over Gaza. Israel will “in any case” control Gaza militarily, according to Netanyahu.
Turning to the death of Hassan Nasrallah, Netanyahu explained that his elimination was a critical blow to Iran’s strategic reach. “It was a terrific blow. Some people are irreplaceable. And so far, he’s been irreplaceable. And so having delivered that blow to Hezbollah, we also delivered a blow to [former Syrian dictator Bashar] Assad, because Assad was relying heavily on Nasrallah.”
Netanyahu also took the opportunity to express gratitude toward the United States for its military efforts against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. “We appreciate the fact that the United States is taking action against the Houthis,” he said. “We appreciate the help that we’re getting from the United States. Arms are flowing in. It’s important we share the same goals, but we have to make sure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons.”
While Israel does not seek foreign troops to fight on its behalf, Netanyahu emphasized that international backing remains vital, particularly to prevent hostile moves at the United Nations. Israel must ensure that “the UN Security Council does not make binding resolutions against Israel,” so that “Israel is not sanctioned, is not choked by the international community, and that support is being threatened by the systemic public opinion campaign.”
He also called for a concerted effort to push back against distorted narratives in the media. “So I ask you to continue to fight for the truth.”
Addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions directly, Netanyahu asserted that the only effective agreement would be one that fully dismantles Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. “All the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program. That is the deal.”
He concluded with a stern warning that anything less would be disastrous. “We cannot live with anything short of that—anything short of that could bring you the opposite result, because Iran will say, all right, I won’t enrich, wait, run out the clock, wait for another president, do it again. That’s unacceptable.”
{Matzav.com}
Michael Montgomery used to check the balance on his retirement account once a week and smile. But lately, not wanting to get upset and question if he could retire in a few years, there was only one solution. “I’m not looking,” says the 66-year-old professor from Huntington Woods, Michigan. As the White House simultaneously injects turmoil into financial markets with its trade war and dismisses fears of a downturn, retired and near-retired Americans are anxiously looking on, worried about outliving their savings or having to put off entries on their bucket lists. Keeping logged off his account has made Montgomery’s days less worrisome. He and his wife adjusted their portfolio after Election Day, including moving more money into bonds. But he’s not sure what more he can do if the entire world economy can be affected by Washington’s decisions. “I hope like hell I don’t lose all my retirement savings,” he says. “But where else could you put the money that these people could not disorder? They can’t get into your mattress but that’s about it.” Many experts warned U.S. stocks were overpriced and due for a correction even before President Donald Trump reclaimed the Oval Office. But a historic blanket of tariffs have injected new uncertainty into the market. Though stocks rallied this week, the S&P 500 is down 10% from an all-time high reached in February. Losses in the Nasdaq and among small-cap stocks are steeper. Even bonds and the U.S. dollar have been volatile. Many economists are warning of a possible recession. It has 71-year-old Jeanne Oats Estridge feeling so “paranoid” she called her financial planner with an idea. “How about we put it all in cash?” Oats Estridge asked. “I just don’t advise it,” she heard back. Oats Estridge, who lives in Dayton, Ohio, retired from a job in software engineering and now writes books, including her latest, on four octogenarian women kidnapped by sex-trafficking aliens. Her account is down more than $40,000 and she gets angry thinking about how some in Washington have reacted to the market volatility, including Trump’s recent market assessment that it was “a great time to buy.” “Where am I supposed to come up with the money to buy? My underwear drawer?” Oats Estridge asks. Earlier this month, the Cboe Volatility Index, considered a “fear gauge” of investor pessimism, reached its highest level in five years. The index, known as VIX, has since retreated but is still in territory reflecting fearful investors. Another measure of market sentiment, the Cboe S&P 500 Left Tail Volatility Index, which tracks investor worry about so-called “black swan” events such as the 2008 housing crash that spurred the Great Recession, likewise has backed off from highs but remains elevated. Trump has urged people to “be cool” in assessing the impact of tariffs on their investments. Asked about his own savings earlier this month, he chuckled and replied: “I haven’t checked my 401(k).” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meantime, brushed off the possibility that some might need to delay retiring, saying people “don’t look at the day-to-day fluctuations of what’s happening.” That seeming nonchalance isn’t sitting well with some older investors. Peter Rost, 72, retired from his software development job last year and planned to start tapping his retirement savings to supplement Social Security. But he doesn’t want […]
President Trump declared that he plans to revive Columbus Day, promising to restore it to its former prominence in a passionate message shared on social media. In his post, he took direct aim at those who have criticized the holiday and the European explorer it celebrates.
“I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much. They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but ‘WOKE,’ or even worse, nothing at all! Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback.”
Trump went on to add, “I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!”
In recent years, progressive activists have pushed to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, arguing that it is more appropriate to honor the experiences of native communities who suffered during colonization.
{Matzav.com}
House Republicans are preparing a sweeping budget package that will allocate $68.8 billion toward border security efforts, including funding for new border and immigration agents as well as construction of the border wall.
The package details extensive spending initiatives aimed at strengthening the U.S. border — fulfilling one of President Trump’s major campaign promises — while also focusing on removing millions of illegal migrants who were permitted entry under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Security funding is particularly critical in advance of major international events that the U.S. will host in the coming years, including the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The plan calls for $1 billion in security spending for the Olympics and $625 million for the World Cup.
According to a report first published by Fox News Digital, the $68.8 billion in border-related spending will include:
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$46.5 billion for a comprehensive “border barrier system.”
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$5 billion to bolster facilities and staffing for Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
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$4.1 billion to strengthen frontline personnel, with $2 billion designated for retention and recruitment bonuses.
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$813 million toward upgrading CBP vehicles.
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$2.7 billion for advanced technology such as sensors, drones, radar, and remote surveillance systems.
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$673 million to expand biometric systems for tracking illegal migrants inside the U.S.
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Over $1 billion for enhanced air and maritime surveillance capabilities.
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$500 million to target and dismantle drug-smuggling operations by Mexican cartels.
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$1 million in support for American citizens victimized by crimes committed by illegal migrants.
The Trump team has touted its success in reducing illegal immigration without relying on large border security funding bills, noting that the biggest change needed was “just a new president.”
Nevertheless, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan warned that without new funding, the hard-earned progress could be jeopardized.
“Failure to pass the above spending will undo all the Trump administration’s massive successes,” the DHS stated in a memo circulated to House and Senate Republicans earlier this month.
Thanks to budget reconciliation rules in the Senate, Republicans — despite holding only a slim majority — can pass spending, tax, and debt-related legislation with just 51 votes.
The first major budget bill promised by President Trump will not only focus on border security, but will also aim to make the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. Originally set to expire during this term, the tax cuts are central to Trump’s economic agenda, along with new measures to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime wages, and Social Security benefits — key promises from his re-election campaign.
{Matzav.com}
Elon Musk spent years building cachet as a business titan and tech visionary, brushing aside critics and skeptics to become the richest person on the planet. But as Musk gained power in Washington in recent months, his popularity has waned, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Just 33% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Musk, the chain-saw-wielding, late-night-posting, campaign-hat-wearing public face of President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize and overhaul the federal government. That share is down from 41% in December. “It was a shame that he crashed and burned his reputation,” said Ernest Pereira, 27, a Democrat who works as a lab technician in North Carolina. “He bought into his own hype.” The poll found that about two-thirds of adults believe Musk has held too much influence over the federal government during the past few months — although that influence may be coming to an end. The billionaire entrepreneur is expected to leave his administration job in the coming weeks. Musk is noticeably less popular than the overall effort to pare back the government workforce, which Trump has described as bloated and corrupt. About half of U.S. adults believe the Republican president has gone too far on reducing the size of the federal workforce, while roughly 3 in 10 think he is on target and 14% want him to go even further. Retiree Susan Wolf, 75, of Pennsylvania, believes the federal government is too big but Musk has “made a mess of everything.” “I don’t trust him,” she said. “I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.” Wolf, who is not registered with a political party, said Musk’s private sector success does not translate to Washington. “He thinks you run a government like you run a business. And you don’t do that,” she said. “One is for the benefit of the people, and the other is for the benefit of the corporation.” Much of the downsizing has been done through so-called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was Musk’s brainchild during last year’s campaign. Thousands of federal employees have been fired or pushed to quit, contracts have been canceled and entire agencies have been brought to a standstill. Musk has succeeded in providing a dose of shock therapy to the federal government, but he has fallen short of other goals. After talking about cutting spending by $1 trillion, he has set a much lower target of $150 billion. Even reaching that amount could prove challenging, and DOGE has regularly overstated its progress. He is expected to start dedicating more time to Tesla, his electric automaker that has suffered plummeting revenue while he was working for Trump. Musk told investors on a recent conference call that “now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” he expects to spend just “a day or two per week on government matters.” Musk, in his work for the administration, has continued a political evolution toward the right. Although the South African-born entrepreneur was never easy to categorize ideologically, he championed the fight against climate change and often supported Democratic candidates. Now he criticizes “the woke mind virus” and warns of the collapse of Western civilization from the threats of illegal migration and excess government spending. Musk’s increasingly […]
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court today in response to petitions surrounding the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet, claiming that Ronen Bar’s remarks about having issued a war warning were untrue. Netanyahu referred to the intelligence breakdown that preceded the October 7th massacre as “the greatest failure in the history of the State of Israel.”
According to Netanyahu, during a security assessment conducted by Ronen Bar at 5:15 AM on October 7 — roughly an hour and a quarter before Hamas launched its brutal attack — there was no indication of an imminent war. “Bar bears direct and immense responsibility for the failure to prevent the massacre. He did not awaken other security forces, but rather deluded them,” Netanyahu stated in his affidavit.
The affidavit continues, alleging that “Bar’s insecurity in maintaining calm in Gaza at all costs led him to hold on to his misconceptions out of fear that Hamas would interpret these actions as intentions of war on the part of Israel and thus go to war against us. While Ronen Bar talked about ‘miscalculation,’ Hamas had already attacked.”
Netanyahu further asserted that if Bar had ordered the IDF to a state of “high readiness” rather than keeping them at a “medium and secret” alert level, and had instructed immediate broad military action, the tragedy could have been averted. “If Bar had called the IDF to prepare in ‘high readiness’ and not ‘medium and secret,’ and instructed the IDF to initiate broad action immediately, the massacre would have been avoided,” the affidavit stated.
Addressing Bar’s version of events, Netanyahu rejected the claim that Bar successfully activated the security apparatus during the night of the massacre. Netanyahu wrote, “He did not awaken the Minister of Defense. He did not awaken the Prime Minister. He did not awaken the head of the National Security Council and IDF forces. He did not awaken the civilian emergency squads in the Gaza region communities. He did not warn those partying at the Supernova festival. He did not fulfill his main role that night.”
The affidavit also disputes the assertion that Ronen Bar had issued serious warnings about Gaza. Netanyahu argued that throughout 2023, Bar actually advocated for policies that would bolster Gaza’s economy and opposed targeted killings, all to preserve a sense of quiet. “Ronen Bar said that Sinwar is a reasonable leader,” the affidavit notes, adding that Bar also said in cabinet discussions before October 7 that “the Gaza Strip is deterred.”
In connection with the effort to postpone his trial, Netanyahu addressed accusations against him, insisting that “contrary to Bar’s false statement, the Prime Minister never requested to delay his trial or cancel it, but on the contrary. The Prime Minister asked not to postpone the trial even for a day.”
Netanyahu’s affidavit also levels accusations of political bias against Bar, claiming that he engaged in improper political conduct. Netanyahu stated that “while operating agents at right-wing demonstrations, Bar fabricated lies about a demand to activate the ISA at left-wing demonstrations.”
Along with the public affidavit, the court also received classified annexes containing sensitive information.
Click here to read the full affidavit.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused the Netanyahu-led government of intentionally stalling the enlistment of bnei hayeshivos, claiming that this policy is directly responsible for the stalemate in Gaza. “The paralysis in Gaza stems from a conscious decision to deprive the IDF of its most vital resource: soldiers ready to fight,” Bennett wrote in a lengthy post on X. The former prime minister, who is rumored to be positioning himself for a political comeback, asserted that the IDF’s shortage of manpower is preventing a victory against Hamas. According to official figures, there are approximately 70,000 yeshivaleit between the ages of 18 and 24 who are legally eligible for military service but are currently not enlisted. Although the IDF sent out 18,915 initial draft notices to Charedim since July 2024 — in response to a High Court ruling mandating enforcement — only 232 have enlisted, with just 57 joining combat units. Meanwhile, Bennett noted, reservists across Israel — including businessmen, talmidim, engineers, and other professionals — have been pulled from their homes and workplaces, serving extended tours of duty. Even soldiers drafted since the war began are already on the frontlines, facing mortal danger in Gaza. Bennett pointed to the death of Police Officer Sgt. Neta Yitzhak Kahane Hy”d, who fell in battle this past Friday in Gaza. “Hundreds of thousands of families live in dread, terrified for their sons’ safety,” Bennett wrote, “while an entire sector of the population rests comfortably.” He decried ministers who, despite having little or no combat experience themselves, issue proclamations demanding a full takeover of Gaza — even as they fail to provide the manpower needed to achieve such goals. Since the attacks of October 7th, the IDF has been stretched dangerously thin, with soldiers deployed not only in Gaza but also across Yehudah and Shomron in massive counterterrorism operations, as well as facing threats on the Lebanese and Syrian borders. “Never have we needed soldiers more than we do now,” Bennett said, claiming that the army currently lacks approximately 20,000 troops, including 7,000 combat soldiers. Emergency mobilizations of reservists — many serving hundreds of consecutive days — cannot be a long-term solution, Bennett argued. Instead, he proposed drafting even a modest proportion — one-fifth — of eligible Charedi men, which would allow reservists to return home and rebuild their strength for future large-scale conflicts. Nevertheless, Bennett charged, the government has failed to take meaningful action. He described the recent draft notices sent to Charedim as “a bluff,” accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of putting “political survival” ahead of national security. The stability of the coalition — which heavily relies on the support of Shas and UTJ, the two Charedi parties, who together hold 18 seats — has caused major obstacles to implementing such change. Despite the High Court’s ruling last year that long-standing draft exemptions are unlawful, the government is currently advancing a bill that would formally enshrine broad exemptions for bnei hayeshivos, which critics like Bennett have labeled the “evasion law.” IDF officials themselves admit the gap remains. Lt. Col. Avigdor Dickstein, head of the IDF’s Charedi recruitment office, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this week that the army had hoped to recruit 4,800 Charedim during this draft cycle, but so far, only 1,721 have enlisted. […]
Why not tax the millionaires? As Congress begins drafting a massive package for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” with trillions of dollars in tax breaks and federal program cuts, it’s a question that won’t seem to go away. Trump himself has mused he’d “love” to tax wealthier Americans a little bit more, but the Republican president has also repeatedly walked it back. This week, the president dismissed a tax hike as “disruptive” when asked about it at the White House. But still it swirls. And it’s setting up a potential showdown between the old guard of the Republican Party, which sees almost any tax hike as contrary to the GOP goal of slashing government, and its rising populist-nationalists, who view a millionaire’s tax as championing working-class voters who helped deliver the White House. “Bring it, baby,” said former Trump strategist Stephen Bannon on his podcast. Think of it as Bannon on the one side, versus Newt Gingrich, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist and others on the other — a debate that once seemed unfathomable for Republicans who have spent generations working to lower taxes and reduce the scope of the federal government. “I don’t think we’re raising taxes on anybody,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this week on Fox News Channel. Johnson said there have been lots of ideas thrown out but the Republicans are working against the idea of a tax on millionaires. “I’m not in favor of raising the tax rates because our party is the group that stands against that, traditionally,” he said. This spring and summer, the Republican-led Congress is determined to make progress on the package, which is central to the party’s domestic policy agenda. It revolves around extending many of the GOP tax cuts that Congress approved in 2017, during Trump’s first term, but are expiring later this year. As it stands, the top individual tax rate is now 37%, on annual incomes above $611,000 for single filers and $767,000 for married couples. If Congress fails to act, that rate is set to revert to what it was before the 2017 tax law, 39.6%, on top filers. It seems impossible that Republicans in Congress will purposefully wade into the debate. They are striving to keep all the existing tax brackets in place, while adding new tax breaks the president campaigned on during the 2024 election — including no taxes on tips, Social Security income, overtime pay and others. It’s a potentially $5 trillion-plus package. But the Bannon wing is working to force the issue, saying it’s time to raise that top rate on the wealthier households, at least $1 million and above. Sounding at times more like progressive Democrats, Bannon’s flank sees a tax hike as a way not only to ensure wealthy Americans pay their fair share but to generate federal revenue. With federal debt at $36 trillion, they say it can help counter annual deficits that cannot be offset by budget cuts alone. “The current system we have is not sustainable,” Bannon said at Semafor’s World Economy Summit on Wednesday in Washington. “You have to go to an alternative. I think the alternative is budget cuts. And … it has to be tax increases on the wealthy.” That’s drawing fierce blowback from the traditional tax-cutters, who have gone into overdrive, warning […]
Fire Chief Eyal Caspi ordered the establishment of a special investigative team to examine the circumstances of last week’s fire in the Beit Shemesh area that reached the outskirts of Jerusalem. The special investigative team was established at the beginning of the fire, and one of the main conclusions was that the fire was the result of arson. “Evidence was found at the scene, supported by testimonies, which reinforce the suspicions that the fire was started by a person who was at the scene at the beginning of the fire,” the Fire and Rescue Authority spokesperson stated. The fire’s epicenter was located at the entrance to Moshav Tarom, near the access road to the chicken coops. The fire spread rapidly due to the harsh weather conditions. At the end of the investigation, the findings will be transferred to Capsi and the commander of the Jerusalem District, Fire Officer Shmulik Friedman, and from there for further handling by the Israel Police. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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