President Donald Trump ratcheted up his attacks this weekend on a group of Democrats who appeared in a video urging military and intelligence personnel to reject “illegal orders,” denouncing the lawmakers as “traitors” and insisting they “should be in jail right now.”
In two messages posted on Truth Social, Trump directed particular fury at Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and five other Democrats who participated in the video that circulated earlier in the week. The clip immediately drew fire for its repeated warning to service members to refuse undefined “illegal orders.”
“The traitors that told the military to disobey my orders should be in jail right now, not roaming the fake news networks trying to explain that what they said was OK,” Trump wrote in his first post.
He continued, “It wasn’t, and never will be! It was sedition at the highest level, and sedition is a major crime. There can be no other interpretation of what they said!”
A follow-up post carried the same theme, with Trump declaring, “Many great legal scholars agree that the democrat traitors that told the military to disobey my orders, as president, have committed a crime of serious proportion!”
The video in question featured Slotkin and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with Reps. Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Christopher Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan. The lawmakers appeared on X on Tuesday, repeatedly telling service members, “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” though they did not identify any specific hypothetical commands. All six have prior military or intelligence backgrounds.
On Friday, Trump said military officials were beginning to scrutinize the matter. “I think Pete Hegseth is looking into it. I know they’re looking into it militarily,” he said, adding, “I don’t know for a fact, but I think the military is looking into it, the military courts.”
The tension escalated further when Trump wrote on Thursday that “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR” is “punishable by DEATH!”
At the White House the same day, press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the president was not demanding the execution of lawmakers but stressed the seriousness of their message. “You have sitting members of the United States Congress … encouraging them to defy the president’s lawful orders,” she said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also weighed in, rebuking the Democrats’ video as “wildly inappropriate” and warning that its message was “a very dangerous thing for so-called leaders in Congress” to promote. He added that he did not interpret Trump’s remarks as a call for physical harm.
{Matzav.com}Naftali Bennett hinted that his political plans may include cooperation with Arab factions, according to a Kan 11 News report aired Sunday night. The remarks emerged from a gathering of his backers in Yerushalayim, where he was pressed on whether he would pledge to shun both Arab parties and chareidi factions in any future government.
In response to that question, Bennett cautioned that rigid commitments could be dangerous. “If seats are lacking, we will have to compromise on a thousand things, and that would be very bad,” he said, warning that the entire political landscape could unravel without a strong voter turnout. “If the public does not turn out to vote, we will face collapse.”
Bennett used the event to cast himself as the only realistic challenger to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, arguing that a substantial bloc of right-leaning Israelis is ready to shift away from the current coalition. “There is a clear Jewish majority for change – 20 seats that voted for parties in the coalition but are dissatisfied. They are mainly Likud supporters and right-wingers,” he said, insisting that this group would only rally behind a candidate who reflects their worldview. “If you put at the top someone who advocates left-wing policies, they won’t accept it. That’s why we checked. These seats – if it is clear to them that it’s Bennett versus Netanyahu – they will vote Bennett.”
As he wrapped up his remarks, Bennett urged his base to signal public support, emphasizing that visible backing could influence other political leaders he is currently courting. “I am speaking with the players, with Gadi [Eisenkot] and Evet (Avigdor Lieberman), and you can help by writing online that you are with Bennett. That will encourage them to join as well.”
{Matzav.com}Sen. Rand Paul issued a blistering warning on Sunday, accusing the White House of attempting to sidestep Congress by labeling a prominent Venezuelan narcotics network as a foreign terrorist organization—an action he said could effectively place the United States on a wartime footing.
During an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation, the Kentucky senator argued that the administration’s move, set to take effect Monday, would hand the executive branch sweeping military latitude without the constitutionally mandated deliberation over whether the nation should enter hostilities. He cautioned that the administration’s posture suggests something far more consequential than counternarcotics enforcement.
“They are pretending as if we are at war,” Paul said. “When you have war, the rules of engagement are lessened.”
The impending designation adds “Cartel de los Soles” (“Cartel of the Suns”) to the Foreign Terrorist Organization registry, with U.S. officials asserting that the syndicate operates under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the organization as responsible for “terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere,” placing it alongside Islamist factions, separatist militias, guerrilla groups, and, increasingly, major Latin American drug cartels already listed by the State Department.
Paul pushed back forcefully, saying that invoking wartime powers in the context of drug interdiction is both reckless and illegal. He noted that maritime stops often uncover no contraband despite initial suspicions.
He pointed out that roughly a quarter of vessels intercepted near U.S. shores are found to be completely free of narcotics.
“It actually would be unlawful if the Coast Guard started blowing up boats,” he said. “But for some reason, they say we are at war off the coast of Venezuela.”
Paul, who sits on both the Homeland Security and Foreign Relations committees, said he and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia urged the administration to seek an official declaration of war if it intends to operate under wartime authorities in the region.
“The administration refused,” he said. “They want it both ways.”
The senator further complained that he has been locked out of key classified briefings, asserting that only “a few hand-selected people” have been cleared to review the underlying intelligence.
He warned that the policy’s secrecy threatens fundamental legal norms, especially because U.S. personnel have been detaining alleged traffickers without pursuing evidence or interrogating them about cartel structures.
According to Paul, several such detainees have been quietly transferred to Colombia or Ecuador without any attempt to glean information that could disrupt narcotics networks.
He also remarked that some officials have advocated military involvement in Venezuela for years, singling out Rubio, whom he said had “very much [been an] advocate of regime change” prior to joining the administration.
Paul added that aggressive action in Venezuela—or any renewed push for Ukraine funding—could strain the political coalition that helped propel Trump to power.
“A lot of people, including myself, were attracted to the president because of his desire to not get us involved in foreign wars,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
A high-ranking Hamas team headed by Khalil al-Hayya reached Cairo on Saturday night, entering negotiations with Egyptian officials as friction in Gaza intensifies. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the visit focuses on the latest security events and on whether both sides can move into the next stage of the ceasefire framework.
A senior figure within the terror group told the outlet that their meetings with Egypt’s intelligence chief are expected to delve into several unresolved issues. Among them are the status of Hamas operatives stuck underground in a Rafah tunnel, Israeli actions in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, and lingering elements of the deal that have yet to be carried out. One of Hamas’ primary demands remains the reopening of the Rafah Crossing to allow civilian travel in both directions.
The agenda, the report added, is also slated to include the search for the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages and the question of installing an international force inside Gaza as envisioned in US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative.
Hamas, meanwhile, pushed back against earlier media claims suggesting it had already informed Washington that the truce had collapsed due to Israeli military activity. Earlier reports asserted that representatives of the terror group told US envoys the ceasefire was “over” and that they were “ready to fight.”
Israel countered sharply, issuing a statement through the Prime Minister’s Office accusing Hamas of once again shattering the ceasefire. “Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists,” the statement said.
The PMO added: “Israel has fully honored the ceasefire, Hamas has not. Throughout the ceasefire, dozens of Hamas terrorists have crossed the Israeli lines to attack our troops, while they execute Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
The statement concluded with a renewed appeal to those brokering the agreement. “We again call on the mediators to insist that Hamas fulfill its side of the Ceasefire and President Trump’s 20-point plan: Hamas must immediately return the three deceased hostages it is still holding and complete its disarmament and enable the total demilitarization of Gaza.”
{Matzav.com}Months after returning home, released hostage Segev Kalfon says the fears that gripped him in captivity have not let go. Speaking with Channel 12 News, he described life after rescue as anything but calm. “My sense of security has diminished. I still don’t feel safe. I went through two very difficult years. They know all my personal details. They were always telling us over and over that they’ll yet come for us, they’ll come for me yet,” he revealed.
Kalfon explained that the psychological burden of what he endured is something he can push away only temporarily. During daylight hours he forces himself to function, but when night falls, the flashbacks surface again, pulling him back to the tunnels where he was held.
One memory still haunts him more than most. “The most humiliating thing was when they made us dig their toilets. We dug a pit nearly two meters deep over three days so they would give us food. We did it because we were starving – but even then, we didn’t get food,” he shared. He added that even when the terrorists provided something to eat, it was barely recognizable as nourishment. “They just ground up fava beans and ‘expanded’ it with water to make it seem like more.”
He admitted that the contrast between his horrific captivity and his recent appearance in Washington is almost too much to process. “In the end, I’m Segev from Dimona,” he said. “To suddenly be in the White House with my family – it’s crazy. A lot of my return is thanks to [US President Donald] Trump, but also thanks to our country and our soldiers. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
What anchored him through the darkest moments, he said, was his family. Above all, he carried constant fear for the people he loved most. “Throughout the whole two years I thought about my family a lot. My biggest fear was hearing something had happened to my father, my grandfather, or my mother. That’s what weighed on me. In the end, I was blessed to kiss my grandfather, and he kissed me.”
{Matzav.com}
In a nationally broadcast statement on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed Israelis just hours after the IDF confirmed the killing of Hezbollah senior commander Haytham Ali Tabataba’i. Netanyahu opened by citing the gravity of the moment, reminding the public that “a few hours ago, the IDF eliminated Haytham Ali Tabataba’i, the chief of staff of the Hezbollah terror organization.” He described Tabataba’i in searing terms, noting that “Tabataba’i was a mass murderer. His hands were full of the blood of many Israelis and Americans; it is not for no reason that the United States offered a five-million-dollar prize for his head.”
The Prime Minister explained that Tabataba’i had long been a key figure in Hezbollah’s offensive ambitions, serving as a high-ranking Radwan Force commander, a unit Netanyahu said “planned to conquer the Galilee and slaughter many of our citizens.” He emphasized that the terror figure had recently attempted to rebuild Hezbollah’s arsenal after the sizable setbacks it suffered during the Pager Operation, pointing out his efforts came despite “the heavy blows that Hezbollah was dealt… the damage to its missile supply, and, of course, the elimination of Nasrallah.” Netanyahu credited the IDF and security forces for what he called a “professional, precise, and successful operation” that removed Tabataba’i from the battlefield.
Reiterating Israel’s red lines, Netanyahu declared that “the policy I am leading is absolutely clear: Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to pose a threat to the State of Israel again.” He pressed the Lebanese government to uphold its obligations and disarm Hezbollah, asserting that “only in this way can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon, and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established between Israel and Lebanon.”
Before concluding, the Prime Minister turned briefly to regional policy developments, voicing appreciation for President Trump’s move to categorize the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror organization. “On this occasion, I also want to commend President Trump on his decision to outlaw and designate the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ organization as a terrorist organization,” he said, warning that the group threatens stability both in the Middle East and beyond. He underscored that Israel has already banned parts of the organization and is advancing steps to extend that designation further.
{Matzav.com}
The Satmar community in Williamsburg has launched the construction of two additional state-of-the-art wedding halls, dramatically expanding its ambitious low-cost wedding initiative aimed at easing the financial burden on young families.
The new project, announced in a large community notice this week, is part of the chassidus’ rapidly developing “Express Wedding Project,” a program designed to provide high-quality yet affordable wedding venues for families who adhere to the takanos, the wedding regulations instituted by the Satmar Rebbe to curb excessive spending.
The two halls are being built with elegant décor and a luxurious atmosphere, matching or surpassing the standards of New York’s premier event spaces, but at a fraction of the cost. The chassidus emphasized that the halls will be reserved exclusively for those following the Rebbe’s guidelines, ensuring that families can make a simchah with dignity while avoiding the crushing expenses that have become standard in the wider community.
The halls will bear the names of the Satmar Rebbe, the Vayoel Moshe, and his rebbetzin, who left no descendants.
These two new venues join the existing pair of halls previously opened under the same initiative, together forming a large, multi-hall wedding complex intended to completely transform the wedding landscape for the Satmar community.
The entire project is being financed by a prominent Satmar philanthropist whose identity has not been made public. Construction is moving at an accelerated pace to meet rising demand.
An announcement in Der Yid highlighted the goal of the project clearly: to ensure that every family making a wedding can do so “b’simchah u’b’nachas” without being weighed down by financial strain.
{Matzav.com}
