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“ALWAYS WRONG”: Trump Says Early G7 Exit ‘Nothing To Do’ with Macron’s Remarks on Israel-Iran Ceasefire

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Donald Trump has pushed back against claims made by French President Emmanuel Macron, insisting that his early departure from the G7 summit was unrelated to any ceasefire talks involving Israel and Iran.

Responding on Truth Social after leaving the summit in Canada, Trump wrote, “Macron ‘mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran.”

“Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” Trump continued in the same post.

Earlier in the day, Macron had claimed that Trump had put forward a ceasefire proposal between the two adversaries. “There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” Macron said to reporters during the G7 gathering.

Trump’s return to Washington from the G7 summit was reportedly connected to ongoing developments in the Middle East, though the exact reason for his early departure has not been clarified beyond his social media statement.

In a pointed remark directed at the French president, Trump accused Macron of chasing attention and added, “Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong.”

{Matzav.com}

“Am K’Lavi” and the Internet Jokes that Took Over: “We Know When a Missile Will Land Better Than When the Bus Will Arrive”

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As with last year’s missile barrage from Iran, Israelis have once again turned to humor as a coping mechanism in the face of ongoing attacks during Operation “Am K’Lavi.” Between alerts and explosions, a wave of self-deprecating jokes and biting satire has swept through Israeli social media, offering some much-needed comic relief.

Since the start of the military operation, Israelis have found creative—and often hilarious—ways to laugh in the face of danger. Here’s a sampling of some of the wittiest posts making the rounds in recent days:

One user quipped that Iran should now be called “ARN,” a dark pun in Hebrew on Eru’a Rav Nifga’im—a mass casualty incident.

Even Yemen’s Houthi leader wasn’t spared. A user declared he had gone “wireless” (al-chuti)—a wordplay on his name and a modern tech pun.

Many found gallows humor in Iran’s losses. One widely shared post asked, “How do you offer condolences in Iran? You say, ‘May you never know another IDF.’”

Another user joked, “No one in Iran knows where Khamenei is hiding—except for Israel.” A sharp pun followed: “Only the nuclear family will be invited to the funerals of Iran’s senior officials.”

Even missile landings became joke material. After a rocket hit Bnei Brak, one meme read: “We’re getting a lot of pictures from Bnei Brak—hard to tell what’s before and what’s after.”

In one particularly vivid post, a woman described the second night spent in her neighborhood bomb shelter. She went on to describe a neighbor allergic to smells, another whose omelet burned in the panic, and a soldier trying to redirect the missiles from his phone.

Reception issues in shelters also made the comedy list. “Who’s the genius who made it so there’s no cell signal in the shelter, so you have to go outside to find out if it’s safe to go outside?”

Even Israel’s attorney general came up in the jokes: “Iran is threatening to report us… to the Attorney General.”

And in a grim but honest punchline, one person summed up the national mood: “We live in a country where we know better when a missile is coming than when the bus will show up.”

The timing of the attacks—typically at night—sparked more commentary: “Dear Iranians, make a decision: Either in the middle of the night or during our afternoon nap. You can’t have both.”

Another post imagined a future high school history exam: “The trickiest question on the 2035 final will be: Why were Independence Day celebrations canceled in 2025? A) War with Iran, B) War with Hezbollah, C) War in Gaza, D) Wildfire.”

Jokes about the Home Front Command also circulated widely. “We’ve now reached the phase where they alert us when the missiles start production.” And when national alerts interrupted programming, one user responded, “Thanks—I thought Shabbos had come in early.”

One clever term for the entire military campaign? “Operation Sleep Theft”—a nod to the exhausting nighttime attacks.

Adding a layer of irony, a viral video from Kan News showed left-wing protest leader Ami Dror accusing Netanyahu of planning a hostage deal just so guests at his son Avner’s wedding wouldn’t have to run to shelters. The reality turned out to be the opposite, highlighting just how absurd the situation has become—and how Israelis, once again, find a way to laugh anyway.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Fed Expected to Keep Rates Unchanged as Inflation and Tariffs Cloud Outlook

Yeshiva World News -

The U.S. economy is mostly in good shape but that isn’t saving Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell from a spell of angst. As the Fed considers its next moves during a two-day meeting this week, most economic data looks solid: Inflation has been steadily fading, while the unemployment rate is still a historically low 4.2%. Yet President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs may push inflation higher in the coming months, while also possibly slowing growth. With the outlook uncertain, Fed policymakers are expected to keep their key interest rate unchanged on Wednesday at about 4.4%. Officials will also release a set of quarterly economic projections that are expected to show inflation will accelerate later this year, while unemployment my also tick up a bit. The projections may also signal that the Fed will cut its key rate twice later this year, economists say. The prospect of higher inflation would typically lead the Fed to keep rates unchanged or even raise them, while rising unemployment would usually lead the Fed to cut its key rate. With the economy potentially pulling in both directions, Powell and other Fed officials have underscored in recent remarks that they are prepared to wait for clearer signals on which way to move. The Fed is in “an uncomfortable purgatory,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at accounting giant KPMG. “Without the threat of tariffs, we would be seeing the Fed cut. That’s not where we’re at because of the uncertainty and the threat and the effects (of tariffs) that we don’t know yet.” The Trump White House has sharply ramped up the pressure on Powell to reduce borrowing costs, with Trump himself calling the Fed chair a “numbskull” for not cutting and other officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, also calling for a rate reduction. When the Fed reduces its key short-term rate, it often — though not always — leads to lower costs for consumer and business borrowing, including for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. Yet financial markets also influence the level of longer-term rates and can keep them elevated even if the Fed reduces the shorter-term rate it controls. For example, if investors worry that inflation will remain elevated, they can demand higher interest rates on longer-term Treasury securities, which influence other borrowing costs. Even though Trump has said the economy is doing well, he has also argued that a rate cut would cause the economy to take off “like a rocket.” But Trump has also highlighted another concern: If the Fed doesn’t cut rates, the federal government will have to pay more interest on its huge budget deficits, which are projected to grow even larger under the White House’s proposed tax and budget legislation currently being considered by the Senate. “We’re going to spend $600 billion a year, $600 billion because of one numbskull that sits here (and says), ‘I don’t see enough reason to cut the rates now,'” Trump said last week. Pushing the Fed to cut rates simply to save the government on its interest payments typically raises alarms among economists, because it would threaten the Fed’s congressional mandate to focus on stable prices and maximum employment. Yet the markets haven’t reacted much to Trump’s recent attacks on the Fed, now that the Supreme Court, in a […]

2,000 Israelis Homeless In Wake Of Iran’s Deliberate Strikes On Civilian Areas

Yeshiva World News -

Over 2,000 Israelis are homeless after Iranian missiles hit residential buildings in central Israel and Haifa in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning. One missile hit a high-rise building in Petach Tikvah, killing four and injuring hundreds. About 400 families, 1,300 people, had to evacuate their homes, Zman Yisrael reported. In Tel Aviv, where two missiles scored direct hits, about 300 people were forced to evacuate their homes. In Bnei Brak, where a missile hit the ALEH rehabilitation center in the Pardes Katz neighborhood, the force of the blast heavily damaged a shul and nearby residential buildings, killing Avraham Cohen, H’yd. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate their homes and have been provided temporary housing in hotels by the municipality. About 60 people were evacuated from their homes in Haifa, where missiles hit residential buildings along with destroying the city’s oil refinery. Dozens of people were previously evacuated from their homes in central Israel and northern Israel after missiles damaged buildings on Shabbos and Sunday in central and northern Israel, including Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Ramat Gan, and Tamra. More statistics on the war: Missiles and drones: •A little less than 400 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran. • Hundreds of drones have been launched from Iran. • Approximately 35 impact sites have been identified Casualties: • 24 people killed • More than 647 injured, including: • 10 in serious condition • 37 in moderate condition • Over 600 with minor injuries Damages: 18,766 damage claims have been submitted to the Israel Tax Authority: • 15,861 related to structural damage • 1,272 related to vehicles • 1,633 related to contents and other property (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Mamdani ‘Uniquely Unsuited’ To Be NYC Mayor, ‘Times’ Ed Board Says

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New York City voters should not “rank” Zohran Mamdani, an anti-Israel state representative, among their choices for mayor in the June 24 Democratic primary, The New York Times editorial board stated on Monday.

“Mr. Mamdani is running on an agenda uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges,” the board wrote. “He is a Democratic Socialist who too often ignores the unavoidable trade-offs of governance. He favors rent freezes that could restrict housing supply and make it harder for younger New Yorkers and new arrivals to afford housing.”

Mamdani brings less relevant experience to the race than any mayoral candidate in New York City history, the editorial board added. (It did not mention criticism of Mamdani’s Jew-hatred.)

“He has never run a government department or private organization of any size,” the Times stated. “As a state legislator, he has struggled to execute his own agenda.”

The editorial board noted that none of the 11 Democratic mayoral candidates offers the potential to become the city’s next great mayor. It did not endorse any candidate but noted that Andrew Cuomo, the former state governor, holds a slim lead over Mamdani in recent polls.

The Times editorial board noted that many New Yorkers plan to vote for the former governor despite “significant shortcomings,” including his handling of the pandemic, during which he had Covid patients put in nursing homes, and allegations of harassment. (Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021.)

“His list of accomplishments includes paid family leave, expanded health insurance, a higher minimum wage, a marriage equality law, a strict gun-control law, an ambitious clean energy program, the Second Avenue subway and renovations of John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports and Penn Station,” per the Times.

The board also pointed to a potential alternative in mayoral candidate Brad Lander, the city’s current comptroller who is Jewish.

“Mr. Lander is another Democrat who adopted dubious ideas, such as cuts to policing, during the party’s leftward shift of the late 2010s and early 2020s,” it stated. “He has since moderated, though, which demonstrates a welcome ability to learn from experience.”

Given New York City’s ranked-choice voting system—which allows voters to list multiple candidates in order of their preference, and to have their votes redistributed when lower-ranked candidates are removed—the editorial board noted that the outcome may hinge on how voters choose to rank Cuomo and Mamdani, the current front-runners.

“We do not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers’ ballots,” the editorial board wrote. “As for Mr. Cuomo, we have serious objections to his ethics and conduct, even if he would be better for New York’s future than Mr. Mamdani.”

‘Glaringly Unfit’

Mamdani has managed to bring the Jewish community in New York and the Times together, even though the two rarely agree, according to Chaskel Bennett, co-founder of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition. (Bennett endorsed Cuomo on June 9.)

“While few if anyone of influence in our community looks to the Times for their guidance or opinion, there’s no doubt that in liberal circles, the Gray Lady remains the paper of record even in its diminished state,” he told JNS.

“Clearly the paper recognizes what we have been saying for months,” he said. “Mamdani is ill equipped, misguided and actually dangerous to the city’s future.”

The Jewish community feels alienated by Mamdani’s campaign, according to Bennett.

“Mamdani’s anti-law enforcement positions, support for BDS and alignment with pro-Hamas groups have raised deep alarm and concern with Orthodox Jewish voters,” Bennett said. “That has resulted in unanimous opposition to his candidacy across the entire city.”

“The fact that the entire Orthodox community is united in opposition to Mamdani’s candidacy and that position coincides with the Times’s negative view of him is further proof of just how glaringly unfit Mamdani is for the job of New York City mayor,” he said. JNS

{Matzav.com}

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What To Know About Bunker-Buster Bombs And Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility

Yeshiva World News -

If the U.S. decides to support Israel more directly in its attack on Iran, one option for Washington would be to provide the “bunker-buster” bombs believed necessary to significantly damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, built deeply into a mountain. Such a bomb would have to be dropped from an American aircraft, which could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardizing any chance of Iran engaging in Trump’s desired talks on its nuclear program. Israeli officials have also suggested that there are other options for it to attack Fordo as it seeks to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities. But aside from a commando attack on the ground or a nuclear strike, the bunker buster bomb seems the most likely option. What is the bunker-buster bomb? “Bunker buster” is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 30,000 pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the U.S. Air Force. It’s believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. However, Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said. How tough a target is Fordo? Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility. So far, Israeli strikes aren’t known to have damaged Natanz’s underground enrichment hall, nor have the Israelis targeted tunnels the Iranians are digging nearby. Fordo is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tehran. Construction is believed to have started around 2006 and it became first operational in 2009 — the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence. In addition to being an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defenses, however, likely have already been struck in the Israeli campaign. Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordo was part of that plan. “This entire operation … really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., told Fox News on Friday. Why does the U.S. need to be involved? In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the U.S. has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force. The B-2 is only flown by the Air Force, and is […]

US Bolsters Mideast Defenses Amid Iran-Israel Escalation

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a major step in response to the growing hostilities between Iran and Israel, confirming that additional American defense systems were being dispatched to the Middle East.

“Protecting US forces is our top priority, and these deployments are intended to strengthen our defensive posture in the region,” Hegseth wrote in a message shared on X.

Although he did not reveal the specifics of the military reinforcements, two American officials told Reuters that the Pentagon had relocated a large number of aerial refueling planes to Europe. This move was described as part of a strategy to provide President Donald Trump with a range of military options as the situation in the Middle East grows more volatile.

The officials also stated that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier was on its way to the region. One source noted that this was a previously scheduled deployment. The Nimitz has the capacity to carry about 5,000 crew members along with more than 60 aircraft, including combat jets, Reuters reported.

No further information was given regarding the number or types of aircraft being used in this mission.

Hegseth’s announcement came shortly before President Trump issued a striking warning on Truth Social, in which he called for citizens of Tehran to flee the city.

“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he wrote.

Trump later posted another message, stating, “AMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

Speaking earlier in the day at the G7 summit, President Trump addressed reporters, saying that Iran had resumed negotiations and that an agreement was now within reach. “They would be foolish not to,” he said.

He added, “I’m in constant touch [with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], and as I’ve been saying, I think a deal will be signed, or something will happen, but a deal will be signed, and I think Iran is foolish not to sign one. Iran should have signed the deal.”

The President concluded his remarks by saying, “I think Iran basically is at the negotiating table. They want to make a deal, and as soon as I leave here, we’re going to be doing something.”

{Matzav.com}

Congress Urgently Reviews Security After Deadly Shooting of State Lawmaker

Yeshiva World News -

Members of Congress will attend emergency briefings this week after the killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker brought renewed fears — and stoked existing partisan tensions — over the security of federal lawmakers when in Washington and at home. The suspect in the attack had dozens of federal lawmakers listed in his writings, besides the state lawmakers and others he’s accused of targeting. The man is accused of shooting and killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs and wounding another lawmaker and his wife at their home. The shootings come after credible threats to members of Congress have more than doubled in the last decade, the troubling tally of an era that has been marked by a string of violent attacks against lawmakers and their families. In 2011, Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot and wounded at an event in her Arizona district. In 2017, Republican Rep. Steve Scalise was shot and wounded as he practiced for a congressional baseball game with other GOP lawmakers near Washington. In 2022, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked by a man who broke into their San Francisco home. And in 2024, two men separately tried to assassinate Donald Trump during his Republican presidential campaign. All four survived, some with serious injuries. But those attacks, among others and many close calls for members of both major political parties, have rattled lawmakers and raised recurring questions about whether they have enough security — and whether they can ever be truly safe in their jobs. “I don’t have a solution to this problem right now,” said Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, a friend of Hortman’s who received increased security after the attack. “I just see so clearly that this current state of play is not sustainable.” Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said lawmakers are “clearly at the point where we have to adjust the options available to us.” The U.S. Capitol Police’s threat assessment section investigated 9,474 “concerning statements and direct threats” against members of Congress last year, the highest number since 2021, the year that the Capitol was attacked by Trump’s supporters after he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. In 2017, there were 3,939 investigated threats, the Capitol Police said. While members of Congress may be high profile, they do have some resources available that might not be available to state and local lawmakers, said Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who was a member of the South Dakota state Senate for 10 years before he was the state’s governor. In the state legislature, “it just wasn’t feasible all the time” to have increased security, said Rounds, a Republican. As threats have increased, members of Congress have had access to new funding to add security at their personal homes. But it is unclear how many have used it and whether there is enough money to keep lawmakers truly safe. “Resources should not be the reason that a U.S. senator or congressman gets killed,” Murphy said. Instead of bringing lawmakers together, the Minnesota shootings have created new internal tensions. Smith on Monday confronted one of her fellow senators, Utah Republican Mike Lee, for a series of posts on X over the weekend. […]

With Shofars and Trumpets: Special Atzeres Tefillah Held at the Kosel

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As Israel continues its fight in Operation Am K’Lavi, a special atzeres tefillah was held Monday evening at the Kosel, organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. The emotionally charged event featured the sounding of shofaros and trumpets, invoking a segulah for victory against Israel’s enemies.

The gathering, held against the backdrop of the ongoing war and difficult security situation, brought together a group of rabbonim and community leaders who led heartfelt tefillos for the safety and success of IDF soldiers and security forces, for the recovery of the wounded, the safe return of the captives, and for the unity and protection of Klal Yisroel.

Among those who participated were Chief Rabbi Harav David Yosef; Chief Rabbi Harav Kalman Bar; Harav Reuven Elbaz, member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas and Rosh Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim; Harav Shmuel Rabinowitz, rov of the Kosel and mekomos hakedoshim; Harav Zamir Cohen; as well as other rabbonim and public officials.

The tefillos included Tehillim, Selichos, and special supplications for chizuk, accompanied by the stirring blasts of shofaros and trumpets.

In stirring remarks during the event, the rabbonim called on the public to strengthen themselves in tefillah, emunah, and ahavas Yisroel.

Due to current security regulations from the IDF Home Front Command and the Israel Police, the event was held in a limited format. Nevertheless, tens of thousands across the country joined the atzeres via a live broadcast transmitted by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation on radio stations and news websites.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israel Activates ‘Barak Magen’ Aerial Defenses For System’s First Ever Interception

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Israel deployed a newly developed air defense mechanism, named “Barak Magen” – Hebrew for “lightning shield” – successfully neutralizing a number of Iranian drones in its first operational use.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), eight Iranian drones were brought down by the Israeli Navy using both the “Barak Magen” and a long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor system. The interceptions were carried out from aboard a Sa’ar 6-class missile corvette.

John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and co-author of a recent report detailing Israel’s response to two major Iranian missile barrages in 2024, told Fox News Digital that the system represents a major upgrade to Israel’s naval defense capability.

“The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel’s highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture – which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world,” said Hannah.

The IDF noted that the system is capable of intercepting a wide variety of aerial threats, including drones, cruise missiles, ballistic projectiles, and anti-ship missiles launched from land.

Hannah emphasized that the system’s impact goes far beyond fleet protection. He pointed out that it plays a crucial role in safeguarding Israel’s offshore natural gas fields, essential maritime infrastructure, and the country’s densely populated coastal cities.

“It allows Israel to conduct interceptions at significant distances from the Israeli homeland, both out in the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and thereby adds critically important strategic depth when defending Israel’s tiny geographic area,” he stated.

The IDF added that since the onset of intensified hostilities with Iran, Israeli naval forces have shot down approximately 25 unmanned aerial vehicles that posed a risk to national security.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran entered its fourth consecutive day on Monday. Iranian forces launched a fresh salvo of missiles, reportedly resulting in the deaths of at least eight individuals and injuries to many others.

In response, the Israeli military asserted that it had gained control over the airspace above Tehran and issued evacuation warnings to some 330,000 residents in a central district of the Iranian capital, anticipating additional strikes.

{Matzav.com}

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