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Israel has denied involvement in the massive explosion ripped through Iran’s largest port on Saturday, killing at least 28 people and injuring over 1,000 others. The blast shook the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, a critical hub on the Strait of Hormuz. Thick plumes of smoke towered over the strategic facility after the blast, which initial reports suggested may have involved chemical materials linked to ballistic missile production. Iranian officials have remained tight-lipped about the true cause, saying only that the explosion had no connection to the country’s oil industry. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management agency, told local media that “chemicals inside the shipping containers” were to blame. However, Western security analysts and ship-tracking data point to a more alarming possibility: that the chemicals involved included sodium perchlorate rocket fuel, part of a shipment previously offloaded at the port in March, according to private security firm Ambrey. The Financial Times had earlier reported that China sent Iran two shipments of rocket fuel to replenish Tehran’s missile arsenal following unprecedented attacks on Israel in October 2024. The orange-tinted smoke seen billowing over the port—a signature marker of burning nitrogen compounds, a key ingredient in rocket propellants—has only fueled further speculation. The Shahid Rajaee Port is no ordinary facility. Handling 85% of Iran’s maritime cargo and serving as a critical channel for arms transfers to the Houthis in Yemen, it represents a major artery of Iran’s regional power projection. The explosion’s disruption to operations could have significant ripple effects. Iranian media reported Sunday that fresh fires reignited at the scene after additional containers detonated, even as authorities claimed the initial blaze had been brought under control. Some of the injured were rushed over 650 miles to Tehran for emergency care, as the full scale of the disaster continues to unfold. The devastation in Bandar Abbas has drawn comparisons to the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and was similarly linked to the improper storage of explosive materials—reportedly by Hezbollah operatives. While Iran has not publicly acknowledged receiving the recent rocket fuel shipments, the incident comes at a time of heightened strain on Tehran’s military capabilities. According to Cmdr. (res.) Eyal Pinko, a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center, Iran’s missile stockpile has been severely depleted following two massive missile barrages against Israel over the past year. On Oct. 1 and again on April 13, Iran unleashed hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, including its most advanced projectiles such as the Emad, Khorramshahr 2, and the suspected Fatah 1 hypersonic missile. In both attacks, Israel’s Arrow 3 system, bolstered by U.S. and allied assistance, successfully intercepted the majority of threats. Israel struck back forcefully on Oct. 26, carrying out broad retaliatory raids on Iranian air defenses, missile production facilities, and nuclear-linked sites, including the Parchin complex. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Many Americans do not agree with President Trump’s aggressive efforts to quickly enact his agenda, a new poll finds, and even Republicans are not overwhelmingly convinced that his attention has been in the right place. Americans are nearly twice as likely to say Trump has been mostly focusing on the wrong priorities as to say he has been focusing on the right ones, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Further, about 4 in 10 Americans say Trump has been a “terrible” president in his second term, and about 1 in 10 say he has been “poor.” In contrast, about 3 in 10 say he has been “great or ”good,” while just under 2 in 10 say he has been “average.” Most haven’t been shocked by the drama of Trump’s first 100 days. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say the first few months of Trump’s second term have been mostly what they expected, and only about 3 in 10 say the Republican president’s actions have been mostly unexpected. But that does not mean they are pleased with how those opening months have gone. In fact, Democrats seem even unhappier with the reality of the second Trump term than before he was sworn in on Jan. 20. About three-quarters of Democrats say Trump is focused on the wrong topics and about 7 in 10 think he has been a “terrible” president so far. That is an increase from January, when about 6 in 10 anticipated that he would be “terrible.” Rahsaan Henderson, a Democrat from California, said “it has been one of the longest 100 days I’ve ever had to sit through.” “I think the next four years will be a test of seeing who can resist the most and continue defying whatever he’s trying to do, since he defies everything, including the Supreme Court,” said Henderson, 40. Republicans are largely standing behind the president, but are ambivalent about what he has chosen to emphasize. About 7 in 10 say he has been at least a “good” president. But only about half say he has mostly had the right priorities so far, while about one-quarter say it has been about an even mix and about 1 in 10 said Trump has mostly had the wrong priorities. “He’s really doing the stuff that he said he was going to do,” said Tanner Bergstrom, 29, a Republican from Minnesota. He is “not making a bunch of promises and getting into office and nothing happens. … I really like that. Even if it’s some stuff I don’t agree with, it’s still doing what he said he was going to do.” Those who were surprised by Trump’s first few months seem to have had a rude awakening. The people who say Trump’s actions were not what they expected — who are mostly Democrats and independents — are more likely to say Trump has had mostly the wrong priorities and that he has been a poor or terrible president, compared with the people who mostly expected his actions. About 4 in 10 in the survey approve of how Trump is handling the presidency overall. The issue of immigration is a relative strength. According to the poll, 46% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the issue, which is […]

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When we’re divided, we lose. 

The Liberal Left knows this, and played us. 

Now, because they successfully inhibited our votes by masterminding a smear campaign, we are lagging behind. 

To win this election, and really save the future of Kedushas Eretz Yisroel, we need to vote IN BIG NUMBERS. 

Please vote! 

You, your family, your friends. 

We must not let the Left win this! 

Elections close in just one week! 

Sunday May 4th. 

Vote Slate 11 at EretzHakodesh.org

A man who described himself as a Hamas operative and once bragged he had “been a terrorist since he’s been a kid” now faces a slew of new federal charges, along with two women from Pittsburgh, after authorities disrupted what appeared to be a terror scheme involving homemade explosives.

Mohamad Hamad, 23, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Lebanon, was already under indictment for vandalizing a synagogue. On Tuesday, he was hit with a nine-count superseding indictment alongside Talya Lubit, 24, and Micaiah Collins, 22.

“Mohamad Hamad lied about his loyalty to the United States, among other false statements, in an attempt to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance,” Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti said.

“During that time, he openly expressed support for Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. In addition to his previously charged role in defacing Jewish religious property, he also conspired with others named in this Superseding Indictment to manufacture and detonate destructive devices.”

Previously, Hamad and Lubit had been charged with spray-painting anti-Zionist slogans in red at the Chabad of Squirrel Hill synagogue and defacing the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

The new indictment centers around accusations that Hamad deceived federal investigators while seeking a top-secret clearance and engaged in constructing explosive devices.

Shortly after joining the Pennsylvania Air National Guard — part of the Air Force Reserve — in June 2023, Hamad, living in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, allegedly messaged a contact in Ohio saying, “[i]t’s still Palestine on top though make no mistake,” prosecutors said.

While undergoing Air Force training, Hamad shared graphic footage of Hamas attacks against Israel with an associate, adding that “Us Muslims never surrender or back down,” according to the indictment.

Prosecutors say Hamad filled out paperwork to obtain a top-secret clearance in December 2023 and later sat for three interviews and a background check with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, during which he allegedly made false claims about his allegiance.

“Been a terrorist since I was a kid in Lebanon, real ….,” Hamad allegedly said in a Signal message sent to Collins in June 2024, alongside a childhood photo of himself holding a firearm.

Around that same time, Hamad and Collins are accused of conspiring to build a “destructive device” and testing it, exchanging messages about the strength of the blast.

“That …. was a blast,” Hamad wrote to Collins on July 7, 2024, according to prosecutors.

Authorities allege that Hamad went on to assemble two pipe bombs and other explosive devices, testing them following the initial detonation.

After the explosions, Hamad allegedly celebrated in private chats, calling himself a “Hamas operative” and joking about the fear he could cause by ripping down Israeli flags while masked in suburban neighborhoods, the indictment claims.

Hamad also posted tributes to Hamas leaders on Instagram, stating, “Without these men our resistance would be 100 years behind.”

Officials have not disclosed any concrete terror plot tied to the devices Hamad built.

Later that month, prosecutors say Hamad and Lubit vandalized Jewish institutions, scrawling “Jews 4 Palestine” in red graffiti on the Chabad of Squirrel Hill and “Funds Genocide Jews, Hate Zionists” on the Jewish Federation’s building.

“I can literally feel myself starting to see Jews as my enemies,” Lubit allegedly wrote to Hamad that July.

“Like, I’m ANGRY. I’m so tired of feeling like being Jewish means I have to second guess being anti oppression,” she said in another message. “I will not survive being Jewish if I don’t learn to get past that. I’ll just end up abandoning it.”

Lubit is further accused of helping Hamad identify Jewish-owned properties for targeting.

Investigators linked the vandalism to Hamad and, while building their case, uncovered evidence of his involvement with homemade explosive devices, according to the FBI.

“We always rely on tips from the public,” an FBI spokesperson told The NY Post. “This really started with the vandalism to the religious institutions here … determining the suspects in that and determining what their motivations were for the fairly strict criteria for a federal hate crime.”

Both Hamad and Lubit have previously shown political support for certain progressive lawmakers known as members of the “Squad.”

In 2023, Hamad donated $10 to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) after she called for a ceasefire following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel.

That same year, Hamad gave $5 to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) after she was censured by Congress for labeling Israel an “apartheid government” and defending Palestinian “resistance.”

Meanwhile, Lubit joined more than 130 Jewish signatories on a letter supporting Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) when she advocated for a ceasefire less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks.

Hamad now faces charges of making false statements, conspiracy, possession of destructive devices, and vandalizing religious property, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and fines totaling $250,000.

Collins is charged with conspiracy and faces a potential five-year prison sentence along with a $250,000 fine.

Lubit is charged with conspiracy and vandalism of religious property, which could result in up to one year behind bars and a fine of up to $100,000.

“The FBI and our partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who reportedly choose to lie about being loyal to this country and instead engage in dangerous, menacing, and illegal activities,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is considering a major policy shift that could have serious repercussions for Israeli yeshivos and kollelim that rely heavily on donations from abroad.

According to reports previously disclosed here on Matzav.com, President Donald Trump is reviewing a proposed executive order that would prohibit American nonprofit organizations from transferring charitable funds to causes outside of the United States. If enacted, this measure would eliminate tax deductions for donations directed to foreign-based activities — a move expected to dramatically affect financial support for Torah institutions in Israel.

Similar to Section 46 of Israel’s Income Tax Ordinance, which provides a 35% tax credit for contributions to local nonprofits, the United States currently offers tax incentives for charitable giving, even when the funds are ultimately used abroad. Under the Trump administration’s new proposal, donors would only be able to claim deductions if their contributions stayed within U.S. borders.

Yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisroel have long depended on overseas donations, particularly from the United States. Since April 2024, when Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that students subject to military draft obligations could no longer be included in government yeshiva funding, the chareidi community has worked to raise an estimated $100 million from American donors to offset the resulting shortfall.

Should the Trump administration move forward with this executive order, a sharp decline in American donations to Israeli Torah institutions is anticipated. Foreign donations — especially from the U.S. — have been a lifeline for yeshivos, kollelim, orphanages, hospitals, and needy families throughout Israel, particularly after state funding was curtailed for draft-age bochurim and yungeleit.

The potential impact could be far-reaching. Thousands of American nonprofit organizations, including many chareidi-run entities, provide critical support for religious and humanitarian causes in Israel. A change in tax policy would effectively sever this crucial lifeline, unless alternative funding channels can be established.

While the Trump administration is framing the proposed change as part of a broader effort to “prioritize American interests,” sources close to the White House told the New York Post that an additional motivation is to curb the flow of funds to high-profile liberal organizations that have poured billions into progressive causes worldwide.

“There is definitely an effort to restrict and review the use of federal tax benefits for funds sent abroad, and to intensify scrutiny over foreign investments. We are seeing this approach across various departments,” a source familiar with the internal discussions told the newspaper.

Such a policy shift could deal a heavy blow to Israeli nonprofits, particularly smaller organizations that do not receive direct government support.

Although the plan is still under internal review, Israeli nonprofit leaders are already bracing for the possibility of steep declines in foreign funding. According to estimates, approximately 7% of nonprofit income in Israel comes from donations abroad — a figure that is significantly higher among smaller organizations.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Agudath Israel of America blasted Harvard University’s decision to sue the Trump administration rather than cooperate with federal efforts to address the “endemic antisemitism” festering on its campuses. The standoff comes at a time of crisis for Jewish students nationwide, as antisemitic incidents on college campuses skyrocket in the wake of the October 7th Hamas massacre. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s newly released Audit of Antisemitic Incidents: 2024, campus-related incidents rose by a staggering 84%—the steepest increase of any category. Agudath Israel says it has received an alarming volume of reports from students who describe elite campuses spiraling into “anarchic cesspools of Jew-hatred.” And Harvard, long regarded as a symbol of academic prestige, has become a focal point in the national reckoning. Several lawsuits and active federal Title VI investigations have been filed against the university by Jewish students alleging harassment and discrimination. Yet instead of joining peer institutions like Columbia University in working with the Department of Education to implement reforms, Harvard has taken the combative route—filing a lawsuit to block federal oversight altogether. “This approach benefits no one,” Agudath Israel said in a statement. “Federal funding will be tied up, research will be halted, and Jewish students will remain less protected.” While Harvard claims to be taking steps to address the problem and preserve its institutional independence, Agudath Israel questioned the sincerity of those efforts. “Such claims would be more credible,” the organization said, “if Harvard had shown the same urgency and initiative in confronting the antisemitism it allowed to fester as it now does in battling the federal government.” The group thanked the Trump administration for its “moral clarity and principled stance” in demanding real accountability from academic institutions and called on universities nationwide to show the humility required to fix what has become a systemic failure. “In a moment that calls for bold leadership and introspection,” the statement concluded, “Harvard has chosen defiance. The Jewish community—and the nation—deserves better.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th-century wartime law. In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. The high court acted in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The Supreme Court had said earlier in April that deportations could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given “a reasonable time” to contest their pending removals. “We are deeply relieved that the Court has temporarily blocked the removals. These individuals were in imminent danger of spending the rest of their lives in a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having had any due process,” ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email. The Trump administration later Saturday filed paperwork urging the high court to reconsider its hold. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday in a post on X: “We are confident we will ultimately prevail against the onslaught of meritless litigation brought by radical activists.” On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation, even as one judge said the case raised legitimate concerns. Early Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to issue an order protecting the detainees from being deported. The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act. In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to President Donald Trump’s use of the act. The act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status. Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court. But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported. He also balked at issuing a broader order prohibiting removal of all Venezuelans in the area under the act because he said removals hadn’t started yet. But the ACLU’s Friday filing included sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet were […]

President Donald Trump reiterated that he is genuinely considering the idea of making Canada the 51st state, insisting in a new interview that he is not joking about the possibility.

Speaking to Time magazine in a piece published Friday, Trump was questioned about several territorial ambitions, including the acquisition of Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal, and potentially incorporating Canada into the United States. When the interviewer suggested he might be “trolling” with the Canada idea, Trump pushed back.

“I think Canada, what you said that, ‘Well, that one, I might be trolling,’ but I’m really not trolling,” Trump said. “Canada is an interesting case. We lose $200 [billion] to $250 billion a year supporting Canada.”

Trump described a conversation he claimed to have had with Justin Trudeau, whom he referred to as “Gov. Trudeau,” questioning the Canadian leader about the economic burden. “And I asked a man who I called Gov. Trudeau [former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau]. I said, ‘Why? Why do you think we’re losing so much money supporting you? Do you think that’s right? Do you think that’s appropriate for another country to make it possible, for a country to sustain?’ And he was unable to give me an answer, but it costs us over $200 billion a year to take care of Canada,” he said.

The president went on to elaborate that the U.S. was heavily subsidizing Canada’s military and other sectors, which he views as unnecessary. “We’re taking care of their military. We’re taking care of every aspect of their lives, and we don’t need them to make cars for us. In fact, we don’t want them to make cars for us. We want to make our own cars.”

Highlighting natural resources and other commodities, Trump continued, “We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state.”

Meanwhile, Trudeau, who announced his resignation earlier this year amid declining approval ratings ahead of parliamentary elections, reportedly acknowledged Trump’s ambitions in a private gathering with business leaders and executives in Toronto this past February.

“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau further warned that America’s interest in Canadian resources is serious and strategic. “They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those. But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome yesterday, with a White House official describing the conversation as “very productive” as both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement to pool reporters early Shabbos morning from the Vatican, “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow.”

The meeting marked the first time the two leaders have sat down together since a tense exchange in the Oval Office back in February and comes at a pivotal moment in efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Trump, who has been advocating for a negotiated end to the war, said Friday that recent discussions between his envoy and Russian officials were encouraging and called for Kyiv and Moscow to convene at the leadership level to finalize a peace agreement.

He also cautioned that if progress is not made swiftly, his administration might abandon its efforts to broker peace altogether.

Documents obtained by Reuters from this week’s diplomatic efforts indicate that differences are emerging between the Trump administration’s peace plan and the positions held by Ukraine and its European partners.

One major sticking point is Washington’s proposal to formally recognize Crimea — seized by Russia in 2014 — as Russian territory, an idea Kyiv and European governments have flatly rejected as non-negotiable.

Other areas of disagreement include the timing for lifting sanctions on Russia after a potential deal, the scope of security assurances for Ukraine, and the level of financial compensation Ukraine would receive.

Their last meeting in February at the Oval Office was marked by tensions when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly scolded Zelenskyy for what they described as a lack of appreciation for American support, while a reporter from a conservative U.S. media outlet criticized the Ukrainian leader for not wearing formal attire.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy has consistently opted for military-style clothing as a symbol of unity with Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, foregoing suits as a deliberate statement.

At Saturday’s ceremony in Rome, Zelenskyy continued his signature style, wearing a dark shirt buttoned to the collar without a tie, topped by a dark military-style jacket.

{Matzav.com}

More than half of American voters view President Trump’s second term as both “chaotic” and “scary,” according to a new poll.

The latest New York Times/Siena College survey revealed that 66% of registered voters felt “chaotic” was an accurate way to describe Trump’s current presidency, while 59% believed that “scary” was an appropriate characterization.

Among Republicans, 47% said the president’s return to office has been “chaotic” during his first three months, a sentiment echoed by a striking 75% of Independents.

Meanwhile, a smaller share of Republicans and Independents — 36% and 61% respectively — agreed that “scary” accurately depicted Trump’s second term.

Despite the concerns, the poll also found that 42% of voters described Trump’s return to office as “exciting.”

On policy matters, Trump’s approval ratings fell short across the board in the New York Times/Siena College polling.

His highest approval score came on immigration, where 47% of respondents said they approved of his handling of the issue, compared to 51% who disapproved.

However, voters were least impressed with Trump’s performance on international issues, particularly his approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine and the deportation of alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Only 35% of voters approved of the president’s management of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and just 31% approved of how he handled the Abrego Garcia deportation case, leaving Trump with a net approval rating of -21 points for both issues.

Approval ratings for Trump’s performance on broader topics were also underwhelming, with only 44% approving of his management of the federal government, 43% supporting his handling of the economy, 42% approving his approach to trade, and 40% approving of his handling of foreign conflicts.

Overall, 42% of voters gave Trump positive marks for his work in the White House so far, while 54% expressed disapproval.

The survey questioned 913 registered voters across the United States between April 21 and 24, with a reported margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge issued a stern warning Friday, expressing serious concern that the Trump administration had deported a two-year-old American citizen to Honduras without granting her proper legal protections, even as her father was desperately trying to keep her in the country through the courts.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, appointed by President Trump, said that the child — identified in filings only as “V.M.L.” — appeared to have been released in Honduras earlier that day along with her Honduran-born mother and sister. The family had been detained by immigration officials earlier in the week.

Doughty set a court hearing for May 16, stating it was necessary “in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.”

The girl, born in New Orleans in 2023 according to a redacted birth certificate submitted to the court, had been attending a routine check-in with her mother and sister at the New Orleans office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement when the three were detained and prepared for deportation.

Government attorneys argued in court that the child’s mother had requested to take V.M.L. with her to Honduras. They submitted a handwritten Spanish note they said confirmed the mother’s wishes. However, Doughty indicated that he had hoped to personally verify those claims.

“The Government contends that this is all okay because the mother wishes that the child be deported with her,” Doughty wrote. “But the Court doesn’t know that.”

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the administration’s approach, saying, “This parent made the decision to take the child with them to Honduras. It is common that parents want to be removed with their children. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with someone the parent designates. In this case, the parent stated they wanted to be removed with the children.” She added, “We take our responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected.”

The legal confrontation escalated on Thursday when attorneys representing the family filed an emergency motion in federal court in Louisiana, demanding that ICE immediately release V.M.L. and formally recognize that her detention had been unlawful. The filing named Trish Mack as the petitioner, noting that she had been asked by the girl’s father to assume custody and retrieve the child from ICE.

According to filings, the father had been trying to communicate with the child’s mother to finalize plans for their daughter but was given almost no opportunity to do so. ICE allegedly permitted only a brief, one-minute call between the parents while the mother was in custody, during which they were unable to reach any decisions about V.M.L.’s future.

Unlike many deportation cases that have made headlines in recent weeks — including the highly publicized situation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to a Salvadoran prison despite a 2019 court ruling — V.M.L. holds U.S. citizenship and should have a clear legal path to return to the United States. Nonetheless, this incident has amplified growing concerns that the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation practices are undermining due process, even for American citizens.

Judge Doughty said he had taken steps on Friday to try to verify the government’s claims by contacting the mother directly. However, he learned independently that the flight believed to be carrying the family was already “above the Gulf of America.”

Later Friday afternoon, Trump administration attorneys notified Doughty that a phone call with the mother would not be possible, writing that she and V.M.L. had already been released in Honduras. Doughty subsequently set the next hearing date for mid-May.

The judge, who presides in Monroe, Louisiana, is located roughly 100 miles north of the Alexandria facility where the family was believed to have been held before deportation proceedings began.

Doughty’s unusually harsh criticism of the Trump administration stands out, especially given his history of siding with conservative litigants in several major cases. Among his most notable rulings were those challenging the Biden administration’s actions aimed at regulating what officials deemed misinformation on topics like vaccines and politically sensitive issues.

In fact, Doughty’s reputation as a conservative-leaning jurist was so strong that some legal activists intentionally filed cases in his jurisdiction, seeking favorable outcomes.

Yet despite voicing significant concerns over how the government handled this case, Doughty’s Friday order appeared to subtly acknowledge Trump’s language preferences, referring to the body of water traditionally known as the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

{Matzav.com}

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Roughly 400,000 mourners gathered in Rome today for the funeral of Pope Francis, but Israel notably refrained from sending an official delegation, choosing instead to be represented solely by its ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Sideman.

The decision came amid controversy surrounding the Foreign Ministry’s removal of condolence messages that Israeli embassies worldwide had initially posted after the pope’s passing. Pope Francis had been a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Former Israeli ambassador to the Vatican Raphael Schutz harshly criticized Israel’s approach in an interview with Ynet. “When a leader of this magnitude passes away, you don’t deviate from diplomatic protocols,” Schutz said.

“We should discuss our disagreements with the Vatican directly with the Vatican, not by boycotting the funeral. A funeral that the whole world is attending, from Trump downwards, our absence creates a negative front for us with the entire Catholic Christian world – 1.3 billion people,” he warned.

Schutz emphasized, “These are two different matters: you can continue to express your dissatisfaction with the deceased pope and detail why he was wrong, and at the same time, you attend the funeral. This is how the diplomatic world behaves. Beyond the fact that the funeral was an opportunity to meet other world leaders, as always happens at such funerals, Israel, through its absence, beyond the antagonism it created with the Christian world, also created yet another display of political isolation – and this is not a good image for us, certainly not in these times.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Relations Forum, composed of former ambassadors and senior Foreign Ministry officials, also issued a scathing statement condemning the choice to forgo sending senior representation.

“The world is watching the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis. Dozens of kings, princes and heads of state, many of whom are not Catholic, have arrived at the Vatican to pay their last respects to the head of the Catholic Church,” the forum wrote.

“The absence of a senior representative of the State of Israel, the Jewish state, a proud member of the family of nations, especially during these days between Holocaust Remembrance Day and the revival of our independence, is a serious diplomatic error vis-à-vis the countries of the world in general and the Christian world in particular, and it is a badge of shame for the government of Israel and its head,” they charged.

Rabbi Yosef Garmon, the former Chief Rabbi of Guatemala and current president of the International Humanitarian Coalition, also spoke to Ynet, expressing frustration over Israel’s diplomatic misstep.

“I have been working around the world for years, particularly within the Christian world, investing time and resources, and in recent days I have been receiving many calls from various leaders who are angry, and rightly so, at Israel,” he stated.

“‘Has Israel gone mad?’ they ask me. ‘We supported Israel throughout the war, and suddenly we receive this severe blow to our feelings.’ I like to explain, but here I am left speechless, and I truly have no way to explain this bizarre, not to say delusional, behavior. I think Israel has made a serious mistake here, and we will pay the price for it,” he warned.

Rabbi Garmon continued, “One can oppose the pope, one can even be angry at him, anything is possible, but we must not simply hurt the feelings of more than 1.3 billion people who believe in him and see that Israel published condolence messages on official networks – and shortly after deleted everything, and of course, screenshots remained and were published everywhere in the world.”

“It would have been appropriate to send even a slightly more respectable delegation to his funeral and not ignore it almost completely. The pope is not the issue here, and his opinions no longer matter so much. Israel may even be right, but it is certainly not wise in this matter,” Rabbi Garmon stressed.

Reflecting on his personal encounters with Pope Francis, Rabbi Garmon said, “I personally cannot forget that he always received us with love and attention, and he personally told me that whenever a delegation from Israel wished to meet with him, he would make time.”

“I was attacked when I went to meet with the pope during the war, but I went to explain the situation to him from the heart and to show him how absurd it is to accuse Israel. When Israel endangers the lives of its soldiers, and I showed him how many of my friends died because of it, it is solely to harm terrorists. Israel could have ended the war in a single day with enough bombs to wipe out Gaza completely, and it did not do so to protect innocent people and for the benefit of the Palestinians who need to be freed from Hamas.”

Rabbi Garmon also recalled, “He personally retracted his accusation against Israel of genocide, both to me and to the media, and this was published on his official page. He said he saw so much material from Gaza because there are people close to him there who are very anti-Israel, and Israel did not bother to show him anything, so he said it needed to be investigated. One doesn’t have to believe him, but at least it was important to make that effort. It is clearly easiest to make peace with the prince of Monaco and with Zionists, but in the complex world we live in – we must talk to everyone.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Jewish community in Damascus and rabbinic leaders from Islamic countries issued a statement of deep shock and protest after the desecration of the kever of the famed mekubal Rav Chaim Vital zt”l at the ancient Jewish cemetery in Syria’s capital.

According to Bechor Simantov, head of Damascus’ small Jewish community, a formal complaint has been filed with Syrian authorities, demanding a full investigation into the incident.

Unidentified vandals reportedly broke into the historic cemetery, severely damaging the kever of Rav Chaim Vital, the talmid muvhak of the Arizal.

Simantov shared photos showing a gaping hole dug near Rav Vital’s grave, illustrating the extensive damage caused by the trespassers.

Rav Vital passed away in 1620 and has been buried in this cemetery for over 400 years.

In a post on his Facebook page, Simantov wrote, “On Wednesday, unidentified individuals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus. They smashed the main gate and entered the room where Rav Chaim Vital alav hashalom is buried. They dug into the earth alongside the kever, apparently in search of relics, as shown in the photo.”

The Union of Rabbis in Islamic Countries issued a statement tonight condemning the desecration and urging the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the desecration of the sacred grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital. Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an inseparable part of its history. We urgently call upon the Syrian government to immediately secure all Jewish holy sites, synagogues, and cemeteries, and to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Jews,” the statement read.

Hidden within the narrow alleys of Damascus’ Old City lies a thousand-year-old treasure, the ancient Jewish cemetery. In recent years, amid Syria’s political upheaval and the weakening of the Assad regime, there has been a renewed interest in preserving and visiting these sacred sites, where many tzaddikim and Torah giants are buried.

Throughout generations, the cemetery served as the final resting place for Syria’s greatest tzaddikim. The most prominent among them is Rav Vital. There is a mesorah that his burial was intended to nullify the spiritual influence of a nearby church — which, according to legend, subsequently disappeared entirely.

The cemetery was carefully divided into distinct sections reflecting the composition of Damascus’ Jewish community: separate plots for the Musta’arabim (Arabic-speaking Jews), Sephardim, and Karaites. A special section known as the Midrash housed the graves of leading rabbinic figures, including Rav Yeshayahu Pinto (d. 1648), Rav Ezra HaKohen of the Salton Trab family (d. 1920), Rav Yaakov Harari Alna’am (d. 1937), and Rav Nissim Nadvo HaKohen (d. 1972).

{Matzav.com}

A month ago I wrote a letter to Yeshiva World trying to give some context and support to the new Shidduch initiative. I wrote it as a complete outsider to any and all efforts to help with the Shidduch crisis, with my only connection being a witness to the suffering it causes to so many. I wrote the letter simply frustrated with the criticism of people who, before even hearing what the plan is, rush to criticize an effort that Rabbonim have collectively given thousands of hours to formulate and develop to help with such a real and painful problem. Through Hashgacha Pratis I was connected with a Rav involved in the initiative, and I learned that beyond the earlier OU study, Rabbonim recently directed a more comprehensive project tracking thousands of 8th grade graduates from numerous Yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs over the past twenty years. This data collection—categorized by age, year, school, and community—provides conclusive evidence that intervention is necessary. While the Rabbonim have guided against public release of the statistics for now to prevent unhelpful anxiety and hurt, they’re preparing the data to share privately with interested parties (you can request to receive the data when it’s anonymized for the public by emailing info@adeiad). That said, having had a window into the incredible effort by Gedolei Torah, Roshei Yeshiva, and Rabbonim to do for Klal Yisrael and Bnos Yisrael in this extremely busy time of the year—giving away hours upon hours to work on various plans that will unfold in the coming months to introduce and launch the initiative to the community—I feel compelled to do my part as a random member of the tzibur, not a Rav, askan or anything – just a Yid that cares. The reality is that this issue affects people differently. For some, it’s merely an academic discussion—an actuarial debate that can be researched gradually over decades. But for many of us—perhaps the silent majority – who have lived through this parsha ourselves, as singles, as parents, or as witnesses to family and friends struggles—we know this is not merely a theoretical discussion. It’s a painful reality causing real, raw and ongoing human suffering that often goes unrecognized. Because not everyone understands the depth of this pain, they may not grasp the urgency of this initiative. Therefore, we all need to speak up why coming together as a Tzibur is so crucial now. So I turn to you, the reader, and ask: If you go to sleep with a lump in your throat seeing your daughter come back from yet another younger friend’s chasuna, while she has been waiting for years and hasn’t dated in 10 months – please speak up and tell your Rav about the pain. Tell him you’re ready to do things differently. If you bite your lip seeing your daughter davening so intensely for her shidduch for so many years, and wish you could somehow help – please speak up and tell your son’s Rosh Yeshiva about the pain. Tell him you’re ready to do things differently. If your heart aches for the thousands of singles dreading spending a three-day Yom Tov either alone or surrounded by their younger married siblings and their children – please speak up and tell your daughter’s seminary principal about the pain. Tell her you’re ready to […]

The Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau, successfully underwent surgery on Friday to repair a fracture at Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.

As previously reported on Matzav.com, Rav Landau had suffered a fall at his home and was subsequently transported to the hospital.

Following medical consultation and a series of tests overseen by the renowned medical advisor Rav Elimelech Firer, the decision was made to proceed with surgery to address the fracture.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Itay Holzer, director of the hospital’s Orthopedic Department. Boruch Hashem, the Rosh Yeshiva emerged from surgery and was transferred to the recovery room, where he remained over Shabbos.

All are asked to continue davening for Rav Efraim Dov ben Devorah.

{Matzav.com Israel}

GOOD RIDDANCE: Robert Josman, longtime president of the 24th Precinct Community Council, which collaborates with the NYPD, resigned last week after The Post exposed his repeated removal of Israeli hostage posters near Upper West Side synagogues, prompting widespread calls for action.

Footage from the cockpit of a Il-76 with the IRGC’s Aerospace Force flying at extremely low altitude to drop water as well as fire retardant on the still ongoing chemical fire at the port of Bandar Abbas in Southern Iran.