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Veteran Shas lawmaker Yaakov Margi has informed party chairman Aryeh Deri that he does not intend to run in the next Knesset election, bringing an end to a lengthy political career that included more than two decades in the Knesset and senior government positions.

Margi has long been considered one of the most experienced and influential figures within the Shas movement, having served in a variety of key parliamentary and ministerial roles over the years.

In a statement issued following reports about his departure, Margi stressed that he is not severing ties with the party.

“The reports about my leaving the Shas movement are not correct. In recent days I spoke with the movement’s chairman, Rabbi Aryeh Deri, and expressed my desire not to be placed on the list for the next Knesset, after 23 years in which I served as a member of Knesset, director-general of the movement and Minister of Religious Affairs and Welfare. The movement chairman asked me to wait on the decision. I wish to clarify: I am not leaving the Shas movement. The Shas movement is my home. Any position assigned to me by the Council of Torah Sages and the movement chairman, I will fulfill with dedication and a sense of mission.”

Margi becomes the second Shas MK in recent days to announce plans to leave political life.

Just one week earlier, Moshe Arbel submitted his resignation from the Knesset.

In his resignation letter, Arbel explained that his decision was tied to the approaching end of the current Knesset term. He said he hopes to dedicate more time to his family, continue Torah learning, and complete a doctorate in law at Reichman University.

Shortly afterward, Arbel was appointed chairman of the Mehadrin company.

Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Yuval Inbar, a former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot and squadron commander, was identified as one of the two people killed in Sunday’s deadly light aircraft crash in the Jezreel Valley. He was 50 years old.

Inbar, a resident of Hagor, leaves behind his wife and three children and was still actively serving in the reserves at the time of his death. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the second victim.

The Southern Sharon Regional Council paid tribute to Inbar, stating: “Yuval, married to Lou, and father of Liah, Shalev, and Nevo, worked for years with dedication, responsibility, and a sense of mission for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Southern Sharon Regional Council head Oshrat Gani Gonen also mourned his passing, saying: “My heart is with the Inbar family and with the Hagor community at this difficult time. Yuval was a man of values, a true citizen, a beloved and dedicated family man who, for many years, dedicated himself to significant and extraordinary work for the security of the State of Israel. This is a huge loss to his family, friends, and the entire community.”

The fatal crash took place Sunday morning when the light aircraft went down in an open area near Tel Adashim in the Afula region.

Emergency teams evacuated both victims from the wreckage in critical condition to Emek Hospital, where doctors later pronounced them dead.

MDA paramedic Maor Atedagi described the scene upon arrival.

“This is a serious incident. We arrived at the scene with ambulances, intensive care vehicles and immediate response motorcycles. They led us through the field to the plane that crashed. The plane had severe damage to the fuselage and two men were lying nearby.”

Atedagi said medics immediately discovered the victims were in critical condition.

“They were unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We immediately began performing advanced CPR and evacuated them in MDA intensive care units to the hospital in critical condition.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Iran are reportedly moving closer to a broad interim agreement that could dramatically lower tensions in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping, and restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to details emerging from ongoing diplomatic talks.

Sources familiar with the negotiations said the developing memorandum of understanding would create a 60-day cease-fire arrangement aimed at freezing military escalation while both sides work toward a longer-term deal. The proposal would also pave the way for Iran to resume oil exports and broader international trade in exchange for nuclear-related concessions and regional de-escalation.

The negotiations gained urgency amid reports that the United States had recently been preparing possible military strike options against Iran before diplomatic momentum accelerated over the weekend.

President Donald Trump had reportedly been weighing a military response against a negotiated settlement but shifted toward diplomacy by last night, according to officials cited in the report.

Another significant element emerging from the talks is Trump’s reported effort to persuade Arab states involved in the mediation process to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional realignment.

Sources indicated that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were among the nations encouraged to participate in a wider normalization framework connected to the negotiations. It remains uncertain whether any governments have formally accepted those conditions.

Officials familiar with the discussions stressed that the proposed arrangement is intended as a temporary framework rather than a final peace agreement.

Under the current proposal, Iran would receive meaningful economic relief, but American officials emphasized that the strategy remains based on what they described as “relief for performance,” meaning sanctions relief would continue only if Tehran complies with its obligations.

One of the central provisions of the draft agreement is a 60-day cease-fire period that could later be extended if both sides agree. During that time, military operations and direct escalation would reportedly pause while negotiations continue.

The framework also calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping. Iran would reportedly agree to remove naval mines believed to have been deployed in the waterway and permit free commercial passage without tolls or interference.

In exchange, the United States would reportedly loosen restrictions on Iranian ports and issue sanctions waivers allowing Tehran to resume oil exports on a broader scale.

The agreement would also restart negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. Iran would reportedly pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons and would enter discussions regarding limits on uranium enrichment and reductions to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

According to U.S. officials, Iranian representatives have already delivered verbal assurances through mediators regarding possible concessions.

Despite the cease-fire arrangement, the United States would reportedly maintain its current military posture in the region throughout the negotiation period. Any major reduction of American forces would occur only if a permanent agreement is ultimately finalized.

Another complicated issue in the negotiations involves the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Sources said the proposed framework contains language aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah along the northern border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly expressed concerns about parts of the developing agreement during a recent conversation with Trump.

Officials said representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan participated in discussions supporting the framework.

Despite growing optimism surrounding the talks, negotiators acknowledged that major disagreements remain unresolved.

Iran reportedly pushed for immediate access to frozen assets and permanent sanctions relief, but the United States rejected those demands, insisting broader economic relief would depend on verified Iranian compliance.

There were also indications that Iranian officials may not yet fully support every provision outlined by American negotiators.

Questions additionally remain over whether Tehran would ultimately uphold commitments related to the Strait of Hormuz and whether it would agree to meaningful nuclear limitations.

The White House is reportedly hoping to announce the framework as early as Sunday, though officials cautioned that negotiations remain fragile and the deal could still unravel before any agreement is formally implemented.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting criticism over his repeated meetings with a controversial anti-Israel cleric in Queens who publicly praised Hamas after the Oct. 7 massacre and has a documented history of Holocaust denial.

According to reports, Mamdani has met several times since January 2025 with Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani, the imam of the Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Queens. The meetings reportedly included multiple visits to the mosque as well as appearances together at community events across New York.

The scrutiny intensified after resurfaced remarks showed Al-Sahlani celebrating Hamas in the weeks following the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel, in which terrorists murdered civilians and abducted hostages.

“One movement can make a great change,” the Iraqi-born cleric declared during a Nov. 3, 2023 sermon, where he portrayed Hamas’ assault as resistance against “injustice.”

“What we are witnessing is the one movement, Hamas, has made a big difference not only for the Arab Muslim world, but the whole world. According to anybody who has a sense, who has a spirit of freedom of the people, whoever has that, will learn that Palestinians are the ones who suffer injustice.”

During the same address, Al-Sahlani blasted Congress for approving billions in aid to Israel following the attack, accusing the Jewish state of carrying out “genocide” and “war crimes” in Gaza.

The cleric later argued that Muslims must increase their political influence in America in order to create long-term change.

“When we have been dealt an injustice, we’re giving permission to fight back,” he said, fuming that Arabs and Palestinians have lived in an “open prison” in Israel for over 70 years.

“Now we have to stand with those who have suffered injustice. We cannot make that change unless we’re involved heavily in the political system in the United States, then maybe we can make a little bit of change.”

Mamdani, who became New York City’s first Muslim mayor, reportedly met with Al-Sahlani at least three times during 2025 before winning election to City Hall. Video footage reportedly showed the mayor attending events at the sheikh’s mosque in both January and July.

The two were also said to have appeared together at a Long Island fundraiser later that summer.

In February, shortly after taking office, Mamdani attended a Ramadan gathering at the Queens mosque and addressed the crowd from the same podium where Al-Sahlani had delivered his controversial remarks months earlier.

“It feels like returning home to be here,” Hizzoner told the crowd.

Images from the event showed the mayor smiling and shaking hands with the cleric.

Other New York City mayors, including Eric Adams and Michael Bloomberg, have previously appeared at events involving Al-Sahlani. Critics, however, argue that Mamdani’s outreach to the sheikh carries added significance because it occurred after the Oct. 7 massacre and amid ongoing tensions between the mayor and many Jewish community leaders.

Mamdani has repeatedly faced backlash over his rhetoric regarding Israel. Opponents have accused him of failing to forcefully denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which critics view as a call for violence against Jews.

In response to the controversy, Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said the mayor strongly rejects the imam’s views concerning Hamas and the Holocaust.

“Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani’s Holocaust denial and comments about Hamas are diametrically opposed to the mayor’s values and everything he has said and stood for,” he said .

“Like many elected officials, the mayor has visited many houses of worship and religious institutions across New York City. No visit should ever be construed as an endorsement of every statement made by every individual affiliated with those institutions.”

City Hall reportedly declined to elaborate further on the nature of the relationship between Mamdani and the sheikh.

The controversy comes as scrutiny has also intensified around Mamdani’s wife, First Lady Rama Duwaji, over past social media activity that critics say included praise for Palestinian terrorists and harsh attacks against Israel. Reports also claimed she had previously liked posts celebrating the Oct. 7 massacre.

Mamdani publicly defended his wife, while Duwaji later issued an apology in April for the “hurt” caused by the posts, though she stopped short of specifically apologizing for anti-Israel content.

The mayor also drew fierce criticism last week after commemorating “Nakba Day,” the annual Palestinian observance marking what they describe as the “catastrophe” surrounding Israel’s founding on May 14, 1948.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has reportedly assembled a sweeping intelligence database identifying every Palestinian believed to have participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre and is systematically working to hunt down each suspect for arrest or elimination, according to a new Wall Street Journal report citing Israeli officials familiar with the operation.

The report says the classified list includes Hamas commanders who planned the assault, as well as Gazans who physically crossed into Israel during the invasion, when approximately 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were murdered and 251 others kidnapped in what became the deadliest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

According to the report, Israeli intelligence agencies built the list by combing through massive amounts of visual evidence uploaded online by terrorists during and after the attack. Analysts reportedly used facial recognition technology to identify suspects appearing in videos and photographs, while also reviewing intercepted phone calls made by those who infiltrated Israel that day.

Israeli officials told the newspaper that names are only added once intelligence services gather at least two separate pieces of evidence tying a person to atrocities committed during the October 7 assault.

The effort has reportedly continued even after the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza in October. The report pointed to last week’s Israeli strike that killed Hamas Gaza chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad as one example of the ongoing campaign.

According to the report, the operation began immediately after the massacre and has already resulted in “hundreds” of names being removed from the list. Israeli officials reportedly said that even individuals with no formal terror affiliation who independently joined the attack remain targets for Israeli intelligence.

One example described in the report involved a Gazan man who was filmed driving a tractor through the border fence during the initial breach into Israel. Israeli forces reportedly located and killed him nearly two years later. The report did not say whether the man personally carried out violence during the massacre.

The report also detailed operations targeting senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives years after their involvement in the attack.

Among those mentioned was Ali Sami Muhammad Shakra, identified as a platoon commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who allegedly participated in the kidnapping of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alon Ohel, Eliya Cohen, and Or Levy from a roadside shelter near Re’im.

After Shakra was killed alongside several Hamas operatives last month, the IDF released images purportedly showing him leaning out of a vehicle window while entering Israel during the October 7 assault. The military attached a one-word caption to the images: “Eliminated.”

Another figure highlighted in the report was Abd al-Rahman Ammar Hassan Khudari, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative allegedly involved in the massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack. Israel reportedly killed him in April.

The report noted that while international law permits combatants involved in attacks to be targeted, legal standards generally require the existence of an imminent threat when strikes occur long after the original assault. Without such a threat, critics argue the killings could constitute extrajudicial executions carried out in retaliation for past acts.

Israeli military officials have maintained that operatives targeted in Gaza — including those connected to October 7 — either posed an “imminent threat to troops” operating nearby, were actively planning future attacks, or had crossed what Israel refers to as the “Yellow Line,” marking current IDF-controlled zones inside Gaza.

Rachel VanLandingham, a former judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force and an expert in military law, told the newspaper that although Israel’s campaign “feels retributive,” there is “nothing inherently wrong with prioritizing people on a target list as long as they’re belligerents.”

Israeli officials have reportedly compared the campaign to Israel’s long-running operation following the murder of Israeli athletes during the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Germany, when Mossad agents spent years tracking down those responsible.

“It will take time, just as it did after Munich,” Mossad director David Barnea said in 2024. “But our hands will reach them, wherever they are.”

Responding to the report, a Hamas official claimed Israel’s actions are “nothing but an extension of the policy of extrajudicial executions and systematic killing that Israel has practiced against the Palestinian people for decades.” Hamas itself has long been accused of carrying out executions of dissidents in Gaza and engaging in violent clashes with rival Palestinian factions.

Some analysts defended Israel’s approach, arguing that the realities of Middle Eastern conflict and the nature of the enemy Israel faces have shaped the country’s response.

“In the Middle East, revenge is an important part of the discourse. It is about how serious anyone in your environment sees you,” said Michael Milstein.

“Unfortunately, this is the language of this neighborhood,” he told the newspaper.

A major push to end America’s twice-a-year clock changes moved forward Thursday after a House committee overwhelmingly approved legislation that would keep daylight saving time in place throughout the entire year.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal aimed at eliminating the long-criticized ritual of changing clocks every spring and fall. The measure is expected to be folded into a broader five-year transportation package.

Backers of the legislation argue that switching the clocks disrupts sleep, contributes to more traffic accidents, and leads to an increase in workplace injuries. Advocates also say extended evening daylight during the winter months would encourage shopping, recreation, and other economic activity.

President Trump applauded the committee’s action in a social media post, writing that it’s “time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”

Despite the strong committee vote, the proposal still faces several hurdles. It must first clear the full House before heading to the Senate, where opposition remains from Sen. Tom Cotton and other lawmakers.

Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would create unreasonably dark winter mornings, with many children forced to travel to school before sunrise across large portions of the country. Under the proposal, states would still have the ability to opt out of the system.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, who has introduced versions of the legislation every year since 2018, once again spearheaded the effort this year. The concept has drawn strong support in Florida, where supporters say extra evening daylight would benefit golf courses, youth sports, and outdoor activities.

The Senate previously approved the proposal unanimously in March 2022, but the legislation ultimately stalled when the House never brought it up for a vote.

Rep. Frank Pallone said permanent daylight saving time is “better for safety and will boost New Jersey’s tourism industry. Let’s stop ⁠changing the clocks twice a year.”

Daylight saving time, which moves clocks ahead by one hour during the warmer months, has been observed across nearly all of the United States since the 1960s.

The country previously experimented with year-round daylight saving time during World War II and again in 1974 during an effort to conserve energy. That later attempt, however, quickly became unpopular and was repealed within the same year.

{Matzav.com}

Russia launched one of its most devastating aerial barrages of the war against Ukraine overnight Sunday, firing hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv — including the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile — in an attack that killed at least two people and wounded dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow used the Oreshnik missile during the assault, marking the third known deployment of the weapon since the war began more than four years ago.

The attack left destruction scattered across the Ukrainian capital and surrounding areas. Authorities reported damage near government facilities, apartment buildings, schools, markets, and commercial centers. Officials said at least 83 people were injured.

Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that the Oreshnik — a missile capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads — struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials did not immediately specify what the intended target had been.

Russia’s Defense Ministry later acknowledged using the Oreshnik along with multiple other missile systems during the overnight bombardment. Moscow claimed the strikes targeted Ukrainian “military command and control facilities,” airfields, and defense industry sites, though it did not identify specific locations.

Russian officials also insisted no civilian targets had been struck during the operation. According to Russian state media, the Defense Ministry described the attack as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes against “civilian facilities on Russian territory.”

The latest escalation came just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned a Ukrainian drone strike on a dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Moscow blamed Kyiv for the attack and accused Ukraine of targeting civilians.

Putin said there were no military or security installations near the dormitory and directed the Russian military to prepare retaliatory measures.

Russian emergency officials later announced that the death toll from the strike in Starobilsk had climbed to 21 after rescue operations concluded Saturday night. Another 42 people were reported wounded. Kremlin-backed authorities in the Luhansk region declared Sunday and Monday official days of mourning.

During an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council convened at Russia’s request, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk rejected Moscow’s allegations of war crimes.

He dismissed the accusations as a “pure propaganda show” and maintained that the May 22 attacks “exclusively targeted the Russian war machine.”

Since the opening months of the war, Ukraine and its Western allies have repeatedly accused Russia of deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin has consistently denied those allegations.

Russia first introduced the Oreshnik missile into combat in November 2024 during a strike on Dnipro. The weapon was deployed again earlier this year in western Ukraine’s Lviv region.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Sunday’s attack involved approximately 600 drones and 90 missiles launched from air, sea, and ground platforms. Ukrainian defenses reportedly intercepted or jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles, while another 19 missiles failed to hit their intended targets.

Prior to the assault, Zelenskyy had warned that intelligence shared by the United States and other Western allies indicated Russia was preparing another Oreshnik strike.

European leaders quickly condemned the bombardment and the use of the hypersonic missile.

“Russia hit a dead-end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers. These are abhorrent acts of terror meant to kill as many civilians as possible,” said Kaja Kallas in a post on X.

She added that European Union foreign ministers would soon meet to “discuss how to dial up the international pressure on Russia.”

Putin previously boasted that the Oreshnik — whose name translates to “hazelnut tree” in Russian — travels at Mach 10, or ten times the speed of sound, and can penetrate underground bunkers buried “three, four or more floors down.”

The Russian leader also claimed the missile moves “like a meteorite” and cannot be intercepted by any missile defense system. Putin argued that several conventionally armed Oreshnik missiles could inflict destruction comparable to a nuclear strike.

Throughout the night, air raid sirens echoed across Kyiv while fires and thick smoke spread throughout the city. Associated Press journalists reported hearing massive explosions near downtown government buildings.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that not every incoming ballistic missile had been intercepted and said Kyiv was the primary focus of the Russian attack.

The strike also highlighted Ukraine’s continuing shortage of advanced air defense interceptors. Kyiv relies heavily on U.S.-supplied Patriot missile system batteries to stop ballistic missiles, but officials say interceptor supplies remain critically low.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has accelerated efforts to develop a domestically produced alternative system, though officials admit the project will require enormous resources and time.

Military analysts suggested Russia may have intentionally flooded Kyiv with large numbers of ballistic missiles in hopes of draining Ukraine’s limited stockpile ahead of an anticipated escalation later this summer.

Ukraine’s emergency services reported damage at roughly 50 sites across the capital, including homes, schools, shopping centers, police facilities, and warehouses.

Firefighters continued battling blazes well into the morning as rescue crews searched through collapsed buildings.

“It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war,” said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who had worked in the market that was damaged for 22 years.

“I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility,” she added. “My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.”

Another resident, 74-year-old Yevhen Zosin, described the terrifying moments after the blasts began.

“Then there was another explosion and she and I were thrown back like a pin by the shock wave. We both survived, she and I. My apartment was blown to pieces,” he said.

In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, officials said a five-story apartment building was struck, sparking a deadly fire that killed one person.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a school building was also damaged while civilians were sheltering inside. Authorities reported that supermarkets and storage facilities around the city sustained heavy damage as well.

Regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said several communities across the broader Kyiv region also suffered destruction.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed one civilian in the town of Grayvoron near the Ukrainian border.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted or electronically disabled 33 Ukrainian drones overnight, including aircraft flying over the Moscow region, western Russia, southwestern Russia, and Russian-occupied Crimea.

The Trump administration is escalating its effort to recast the public narrative surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot, with the Department of Justice now removing online records of prosecutions tied to the attack and dismissing them as political messaging pushed by the Biden administration.

The DOJ confirmed that it has deleted numerous press releases detailing arrests, convictions, guilty pleas, and sentencing announcements connected to the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, where hundreds of Trump supporters entered the building in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

The move comes as President Donald Trump continues sweeping actions aimed at undoing the legal consequences faced by those charged in the Capitol unrest. On his first day back in the White House in January 2025, Trump issued pardons, commuted prison terms, or pledged to terminate the prosecutions of all more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the riot — including defendants convicted of violently assaulting police officers using objects such as flagpoles, crutches, and even a hockey stick.

The administration took another controversial step Monday when the Justice Department unveiled a new $1.776 billion compensation fund intended for Trump supporters and allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by federal investigations and prosecutions. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has declined to rule out the possibility that even rioters convicted of violent crimes could qualify for compensation, triggering criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

Questions about the disappearing records erupted after a journalist wrote Friday on X that the DOJ was “quietly” erasing Jan. 6-related case announcements from its website. Among the deleted items was a release involving a Texas defendant who admitted to assault charges connected to January 6 and separately faced state allegations involving solicitation of a minor.

The department quickly fired back through its official “rapid response” account, insisting the removals were intentional and public.

“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”

Also removed were announcements involving major seditious conspiracy prosecutions against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, two organizations heavily tied to the Capitol breach.

Last month, the Justice Department formally requested that a federal appeals court throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions in those cases. The request went unchallenged and was approved Thursday. One day later, federal prosecutors moved to fully dismiss the prosecutions against the group members.

{Matzav.com}