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At least 63 people were killed and several others injured in a multi-vehicle crash on the Kampala-Gulu Highway near Kitaleba village in Uganda.

Vice President Vance and Ambassador Huckabee meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz, Foreign Minister Sa’ar, and Strategic Affairs Minister Dermer in the Prime Minister’s office.

The IDF says an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon earlier today killed Issa Ahmad Karbala, a platoon commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, who was allegedly involved in transporting weapons and planning attacks against Israel.

The Knesset’s State Control Committee voted down a proposal to create a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023, effectively halting the opposition’s push for an independent and comprehensive investigation into the failures that preceded and accompanied the massacre.

Lawmakers from the ruling coalition—including members of Likud, Shas, and United Torah Judaism—voted against the measure, while representatives from opposition factions Yesh Atid, Blue and White, and Ra’am supported it.

Had it passed, the initiative would have empowered an official panel, operating under the State Comptroller Law, to examine the chain of events surrounding the Hamas-led atrocities that left approximately 1,200 dead and 251 kidnapped—Israel’s most devastating security and intelligence breakdown in decades—along with the government’s conduct during the ensuing war.

Opposition Knesset members blasted the decision as a moral abdication of responsibility. Democratic Union MK Efrat Rayten Marom said that accountability “lies squarely with Netanyahu,” adding that the Prime Minister’s Office’s failure to send a representative to the hearing was “a disgrace.”

Committee chairman Mickey Levy of Yesh Atid cautioned that without a formal inquiry, “public trust will continue to erode.”

The move sparked outrage among families of the victims and hostages. Reut Edri, whose son Ido was killed at the Nova music festival, said, “There can be no revival [of the country] without responsibility and a real investigation.”

The October Council, a group representing more than 200 bereaved families, accused the government of “burying the truth,” declaring that “the grace period for the Knesset is over,” and pledging to maintain public pressure until a full state inquiry is established.

The government, meanwhile, is reportedly weighing the option of forming its own internal committee to examine the events of October 7 and the ensuing war, rather than appointing an independent state commission. Recent surveys indicate that a clear majority of Israelis support the establishment of a formal state commission of inquiry.

{Matzav.com}

Tucker Carlson is facing widespread backlash after he gave airtime to a baseless and antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Jewish people were genetically immune to COVID-19. “There was a finding in a scientific publication that two different populations … of people of Jewish ancestry — depending on which line they’re from — one was more heavily impacted than the others,” Huff said. Carlson replied, “You mean Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews.”

NETANYAH: ‘One week they say that Israel controls the United States. A week later they say the United States controls Israel’ ‘This is hogwash. We have a partnership’

WATCH: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in joint statements with U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office releases footage of him and his wife Sara greeting US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance at his office in Jerusalem.

President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Arabella Kushner, personally wrote heartfelt letters to the recently released Israeli hostages, according to a report by the Kan public broadcaster. The notes were hand-delivered in Tel Aviv by her father, White House adviser Jared Kushner.

Kushner, joined by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, met with several of the freed captives during their visit on Tuesday. During these meetings, he presented the letters that Arabella had penned to offer comfort and encouragement.

A photograph released by the U.S. embassy showed Kushner standing beside freed hostage Nimrod Cohen, holding an envelope marked with his name and signed “from Arabella.”

In another image, Kushner was seen carrying a bundle of the letters while posing with freed twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, who were among those rescued after months in captivity.

One of the letters, addressed to Segev Kalfon, read: “Your strength gives hope to so many people around the world. I admire your bravery and the light you bring to others. Thank you, Arabella Kushner.”

{Matzav.com}

After meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Israeli rime Minister Bibi Netanyahu dismissed the notion that Israel operates as a client state of the United States, calling such claims “hogwash.”

“I want to put it very clearly,” he said when asked about the matter. “One week they say that Israel controls the United States. A week later they say the United States controls Israel. This is hogwash.”

Netanyahu described the relationship between the two countries as a balanced partnership built on mutual respect. “We have a partnership, an alliance of partners,” said Netanyahu, “who share common values and common goals. We can have discussions, we can have disagreements here and there, but on the whole, I have to say that in the past year we’ve had agreement — agreement not only on goals but how to reach them.”

Reflecting on Israel’s military campaign, Netanyahu said the country had succeeded in “putting the knife at Hamas’s throat,” a mission directed by Israel itself. He added that the United States had played a key diplomatic role, saying, “the other effort was to isolate Hamas in the Arab and Muslim world, which I think the [US] president did brilliantly with his team.”

Vance echoed Netanyahu’s view of the bilateral relationship, emphasizing that the U.S. saw Israel as a peer rather than a subordinate. “We don’t want a vassal state, and that’s not what Israel is,” said Vance. “We don’t want a client state, and that’s not what Israel is. We want a partnership. We want an ally here.”

Vance went on to describe a vision of the Middle East where America’s regional allies take a greater leadership role. “The president believes that Israel, with our Gulf Arab allies, can play a very positive leadership role in this region — to where frankly the United States can care less about the Middle East because our allies in the region are stepping up, and taking control and taking ownership of their area of the world.”

He clarified that America’s interests in the region remain, but that the goal was to empower local partners to lead. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have interests here,” Vance continued. “That doesn’t mean we don’t care about what happens here. But we actually see this as an opportunity to build on the Abraham Accords, I think this Gaza deal is a critical piece of unlocking the Abraham Accords, but what it could allow is an alliance structure in the Middle East that perseveres, that endures, that allows the good people in this region of the world to step up and take ownership of their own backyard. That’s in the United States’ best interests. I happen to think that’s in Israel’s best interests, too.”

Netanyahu concluded by underscoring Israel’s sovereignty and cooperation with its allies. “We make the decisions for the security of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “But we make common decisions for the region which I think can serve us both.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate revealed Wednesday that a surge of Iranian cyberattacks has recently targeted multiple Israeli organizations and companies.

One of the victims was Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), which suffered an attack on Yom Kippur. Although responsibility was first claimed by a group identifying itself as Eastern European, investigators determined that the source of the assault was actually in Iran.

The hackers managed to leak confidential medical information during the breach.

Investigators found that in many of the recent incidents, cybercriminals gained access by exploiting stolen or leaked login credentials. While most of the attacks did not cause operational shutdowns, several resulted in significant data exposure from affected entities.

Yossi Caradi, who heads the National Cyber Directorate, told Kan News: “Thanks to cooperation, swift information sharing, and targeted responses, the incidents were quickly and effectively contained, preventing wider damage to the economy. The attack on Shamir Medical Center, beyond the data breach, the very fact that there was an attempt to harm an Israeli hospital crosses a red line, which could have also endangered human lives.”

{Matzav.com}

Tucker Carlson is facing widespread backlash after he gave airtime to a baseless and antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Jewish people were genetically immune to COVID-19. During Monday’s episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, the former Fox News host echoed and expanded on an earlier claim by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that COVID-19 was “tailored” to harm certain ethnic groups more than others. Carlson’s guest, author and self-styled whistleblower Andrew Huff, told Carlson the claim was “scientifically true,” referencing a “finding” that people of Jewish ancestry were affected differently by the virus. “There was a finding in a scientific publication that two different populations … of people of Jewish ancestry — depending on which line they’re from — one was more heavily impacted than the others,” Huff said. Carlson replied, “You mean Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews.” The claim that Jewish people were immune to COVID-19 — a theory first spread by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2023 and discredited by scientists worldwide — has its roots in a long history of antisemitic myths that falsely cast Jews as both the cause and the cure for global calamities. Historians note that similar rumors fueled deadly pogroms in medieval Europe, where Jews were accused of poisoning wells during outbreaks of plague. Public health experts have repeatedly emphasized that no scientific evidence supports the idea of COVID-19 being genetically “targeted” toward or against any ethnic group. The exchange triggered immediate outrage across the political spectrum, with Jewish groups accusing Carlson of legitimizing age-old antisemitic tropes — and even conservative commentators blasting him for reviving conspiracy theories once used to justify persecution and violence against Jews. The Anti-Defamation League called Carlson’s remarks “dangerous and disgraceful,” warning that framing Jews as genetically distinct or biologically protected from disease “feeds directly into centuries-old antisemitic myths that fueled massacres and pogroms.” Arynne Wexler, a right-wing commentator, drew the historical parallel even more sharply. “Europeans blamed the Jews for the Black Death,” she wrote on X. “That led to massacres. We’re talking thousands of Jews slaughtered, burned alive, entire communities annihilated. Tucker isn’t creative — he’s recycling blood libel.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) mocked the notion that “the Jews were running the Wuhan Institute for Virology,” calling it absurd. RedState columnist Bonchie dismissed Carlson’s segment as “clownish,” writing that “anyone still peddling the idea that COVID was engineered to spare Jews should be laughed out of public life.” The controversy marks the latest in a string of incidents in which Carlson has been accused of promoting antisemitic or extremist ideas. Just last month, Israeli outlets and U.S. Jewish groups condemned Carlson for promoting conspiracies surrounding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An Israeli military official said Tuesday that Hamas retains between 10,000 and 20,000 trained fighters, despite losing roughly 20,000 during the war, according to a report by NBC News. The official added that Israel has destroyed as much as 90 percent of the terrorist group’s rocket arsenal and crippled its ability to rebuild heavy weapons. “The manufacturing sites and smuggling routes that Israel struck are extremely important,” the official said. “It’s not just taking away the fish — it’s taking away the rod.” Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, a former head of Israel’s National Security Council, told NBC that while Hamas has absorbed heavy losses, the group remains capable of reasserting control in the Gaza Strip. “It is easy for Hamas to regain power and very easy for them to recruit more and more people to replace those who were killed,” Eiland said. “Although they’re younger and have less military experience, there’s no doubt Hamas still has a lot of capability and enough personal weapons like small arms and RPGs.” Eiland estimated that between 70 and 80 percent of Hamas’s tunnel network in Gaza remains intact, including many tunnels still undiscovered by the Israel Defense Forces. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that following the ceasefire, Israeli forces are focusing operations on dismantling the remaining tunnels as part of efforts to disarm Hamas. In one such operation, Maj. Yaniv Kola and Sgt. Itay Yavetz were killed by Hamas anti-tank fire. Since the IDF’s partial withdrawal to the so-called “yellow line,” Hamas operatives have begun to reemerge in parts of Gaza, attempting to signal a return to normal life. Israeli intelligence assessments also indicate that Hamas has publicly executed several Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11 reported Tuesday that Hamas is quietly participating — with the awareness of Arab mediators — in forming a technocratic government that would administer Gaza once the war ends. According to the report, Hamas handpicked about half of the proposed cabinet members, choosing individuals aligned with its ideology, while the Palestinian Authority selected the remainder under an informal arrangement allowing Hamas to influence the process. Egyptian mediators reportedly shared the full list of candidates with Hamas before final approval, a move that analysts say could help the group retain indirect control over Gaza even after a new governing framework is in place. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Good morning. A few days ago we had a historic visit by President Trump that will be etched in the annals of our nation’s history. We’re fortunate today to have a visit by the Vice President, JD Vance. And I want to tell you a few things about that. First, in the last year we’ve had an unmatched alliance and a partnership with the United States. That is changing the Middle East, and it’s also changing the world. It creates opportunities not only for security, but for the expansion of peace, which we’re working on very, very diligently. And it’s just unmatched. I’ve been here a few years. I’ve been through several administrations. I welcome the partnership and the assistance we’ve had. But there’s never been anything like it. When President Trump said that, it’s a partnership that’s never happened before. Well, that includes a close circle, both on our side and on the American side. And President Trump knows who he picks for that circle. One of the members, to put it mildly, is the Vice President. And we’ve had the opportunity to make decisions jointly in a very tight-knit and trusting partnership. And I was impressed. I was impressed with your clarity, with your incisiveness, with your solidarity for our common cause, and just a genuine friendship that I saw both in conference meetings and also in our private meetings. And it’s in that spirit that I very much welcome you to Jerusalem in these days of destiny. We’re changing the face of the Middle East. And I have to say, I was going to say, bring your family ‘next year in Jerusalem,’ but welcome this year in Jerusalem, our great friend, JD Vance”. US Vice President JD Vance: “Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, and thanks to your entire team for your hospitality and for having us. As the Prime Minister said, these are days of destiny, and we’re very excited to sit down and work together on the Gaza peace plan. We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel. That’s not easy. I think the Prime Minister knows that as well as anybody, but it’s something that we’re committed to in the Trump administration. And I think we’ve, even in the past 24 hours, had a lot of good conversations with our friends in the Israeli government but also, frankly, with our friends in the Arab world who are stepping up and volunteering to play a very positive role in this. So we’re going to keep working at it. I didn’t know what to expect, honestly. The President was here a week ago to welcome the hostages home and actually sign a deal. A week into it, there’s a lot of work to do, but I feel very optimistic about where we are. So thank you for the partnership. Thanks for your willingness to continue to work on this, and I think we’re going to do great things here. It’s not going to be easy. I know that there are some folks in the media who […]

Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner is facing intensifying backlash after a video surfaced showing what appears to be a Nazi-era SS symbol tattooed on his chest — the latest in a string of disturbing revelations that have thrown his campaign into crisis and raised questions about his fitness for public office. Platner, a self-styled anti-establishment Marine veteran backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has already come under fire for past online posts containing racist and misogynistic remarks. But the newly surfaced video — which appears to depict the Nazi Totenkopf, or “death’s head” skull worn by Hitler’s SS units — has pushed the controversy into new territory, fueling bipartisan outrage and eroding confidence among Democratic operatives. The footage, which Platner’s own campaign provided to Pod Save America in what appears to have been a preemptive damage-control attempt, shows the candidate shirtless and singing while a dark skull tattoo is clearly visible. The Republican National Senatorial Committee immediately labeled it a “Nazi tattoo,” accusing Platner of “trying to whitewash hate.” In an interview released Monday, Platner insisted the tattoo was a “drunken mistake” from his time overseas. “I am not a secret Nazi,” he told host Tommy Vietor. “I got the tattoo in Croatia while very inebriated. We just picked a terrifying-looking skull.” His explanation has done little to calm the storm. Extremism experts note that ignorance is no excuse for wearing a symbol so closely tied to one of history’s most violent regimes. The Anti-Defamation League said the tattoo “appears” to depict the Totenkopf and called it “troubling if true,” while reminding that the image is “synonymous with the Nazi SS and genocide.” The Army bans tattoos deemed extremist or racist — a rule that makes Platner’s past military service under such a mark even more controversial. Pentagon officials have not commented on whether the tattoo was ever flagged during his enlistment. The tattoo controversy follows another scandal over Platner’s resurfaced Reddit posts in which he wrote that Black people “don’t tip” and that assault victims should “take some responsibility for themselves.” Platner has apologized for the comments, attributing them to “a period of personal turmoil” after his deployment. Yet his explanations have not quelled the backlash. EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler blasted Platner’s remarks as “unacceptable and disqualifying,” while other Democrats privately questioned why Sanders continues to stand by him. “This isn’t opposition research — it’s who he is,” one Democratic strategist said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

During a hearing held Sunday at the Petach Tikva Magistrate’s Court on the arrest of one of the settlers who participated in a protest outside a Shin Bet facility, Judge Zohar Dibon-Segal sharply rebuked representatives of the Shin Bet after they made an especially unusual request—to bar attorneys from the right-wing Honenu legal aid organization from representing more than one suspect in the same case. Judge Dibon-Segal did not mince words. She described the Shin Bet’s request as a step that severely undermines the integrity of due process, stating, “This could compromise the fairness of the legal proceedings and, at best, is an attempt to obtain a contradictory judicial ruling. When such a drastic measure is requested—namely, to prevent a person from being represented by an attorney—the investigating authority must provide substantial justifications for it, and that must come before any other discussion takes place.” “The court expressed deep astonishment at the request in itself, which is, by all accounts, extraordinary. To the best of my knowledge—and I say this with all due caution—I am unaware of any similar request ever being made, even in far more serious cases that have come before this court, including cases involving terrorists who harmed Israeli civilians after October 7.” About two months ago, around 20 settlers were arrested after demonstrating outside a Shin Bet facility to protest what they described as “the organization’s persecution of the settler community.” The detainees were held under harsh conditions, and some were even denied access to legal counsel for several days. Following legal action by the Honenu organization, all the detainees were eventually released without indictments being filed. At the same time, a gag order was issued on the details of the incident in which the settlers were suspected, and the Shin Bet took the extraordinary step of issuing an order barring Honenu lawyers from representing more than one suspect. That order was ultimately rejected by the Petach Tikva Magistrate’s Court. Attorney Avichai Hajbi of the Honenu organization, who represented one of the detainees at the hearing, welcomed the judge’s remarks, saying, “The court has said out loud what we have all known for a long time—that when it comes to Jewish detainees, the Shin Bet plays by its own rules. It’s time someone reminded the Shin Bet that no organization is above the law—not even one that claims to act in the law’s name.” This is not the first time that the Shin Bet has targeted the Honenu organization. Last month, Shmuel Meidad, the head of the Honenu legal aid organization, revealed that he was warned by a senior official that the Shin Bet had collected personal information about him after a senior official in the agency decided to “take Honenu down.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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The Trump administration’s new “Make America Healthy Again” plan could soon rewrite decades of nutrition advice — encouraging more butter, cheese, milk, and red meat. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says fats have been “unfairly demonized” and blames refined carbs and processed foods for obesity instead. Critics, including the American Heart Association, warn the move could raise heart disease risks.

Trump special counsel nominee Paul Ingrassia withdraws after racist texts flap • Paul Ingrassia withdrew his name for consideration by the Senate to lead the Office of the Special Counsel after acknowledging he did not have votes of enough senators to be confirmed. • President Donald Trump had nominated Ingrassia to that job, which investigates retaliation against federal government whistleblowers and alleged violations of the Hatch Act. • Politico reported on Monday that Ingrassia in texts to other Republicans had written that “every single one” of several holidays related to Black people “needs to be eviscerated.”