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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) launched a sharp attack against Israel yesterday, alleging that the country is using U.S. military assistance “to pay for genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

In an extended statement posted on X, Greene wrote, “If America was being bombed day and night because of something horrific our government did, and many innocent Americans and American children were being killed and traumatically injured, and we begged for mercy, but the rest of the world said, ‘Americans voted for their government so they deserve it, their government is bad so all Americans are bad, therefore this is what they get and must be done…’ how would you feel? What would you think? What would you do?”

She continued, “This is what is happening to Gaza where in spite of what we have all been told, many innocent people and children are being killed and they are not Hamas.”

Greene stated, “Does Hamas deserve it? Yes. Do innocent people and children deserve it? No,” while questioning why the international community does not express the same “compassion for the masses of innocent people and children in Gaza” as it does for the victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack in Israel.

She also wrote, “America funds Israel $3.8 billion annually for military aid. Actually correction. US taxpayers fund Israel $3.8 billion annually for military aid,” asserting, “That means every US tax payer is contributing to Israel’s military actions.”

In another part of her post, Greene stated, “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pay for genocide in a foreign country against a foreign people for a foreign war that I had nothing to do with. And I will not be silent about it.”

This is not the first time Greene has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. At the end of July, she made a similar claim, writing, “It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct. 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down an amendment introduced by Greene that sought to reduce American financial assistance to Israel by $500 million.

Greene has made controversial statements involving Jews and Israel in the past. In 2018, she shared a Facebook post blaming the Rothschild family for starting California wildfires by using a “space laser.”

In 2021, she sparked outrage after comparing a supermarket’s policy of adding logos to employee badges for vaccinated workers to the yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe. Following backlash over the comparison, Greene visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and later issued an apology for her remarks.

{Matzav.com}

The Nachala movement is continuing to advance its efforts as part of its broader campaign to restore Israeli civilian life in the Gaza region. Over Shabbos, the organization hosted its 14th field-based Shabbos event approximately two kilometers from the Gaza border, held in coordination with security officials.

During the weekend, participants joined a guided tour that brought them close to the northern edge of the Gaza Strip, highlighting the proximity of areas that organizers believe could eventually become residential communities. Roughly 200 activists were in attendance, including many families, teenagers, and supporters of the initiative.

One of the most powerful moments of the gathering came when dozens of young women who had just completed Nachala’s “Hisoreru” field camp stood together and proclaimed: “We are returning to the Gaza area.”

Tchiya Chaim, one of the Nachala coordinators, spoke about the movement’s growing strength: “Each Shabbos we hold in the field brings more families. This is another step toward returning to the Gaza area. Already, a thousand families have signed on, calling on the government to begin rebuilding the Israeli population in Gaza at the northern boundary. It’s possible.”

The Shabbos gathering is part of a larger series of field-based events organized by Nachala in recent months. The group has also marked several Yomim Tovim with similar activities in the field. According to the organizers, these events represent both a symbolic commitment and a practical demonstration of their belief that a renewed Jewish presence in Gaza is within reach.

{Matzav.com Israel}

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Jewish activists hanging photos of hostages in a park in Frankfurt, Germany, were attacked by a mob of pro-Hamas rioters on Friday. Dozens of rioters, wearing hoods and masks, shoved them, sprayed them with paint, and shouted antisemitic epithets at them. Sacha Stawski, the head of the Honestly Concerned antisemitism watchdog, told Bild. “We were called ‘child killers’ and heard shouts of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘genocide.’ Afterward, a woman attacked us with paint.” The police told Bild that they are aware of the incident and have increased patrols in the area. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A storm of outrage arose on Sunday morning following the report that the Tel Aviv municipality is requiring shuls in the city to sign a commitment to provide religious services “without distinction of gender or belief” or face eviction, with some shuls already fighting in the court for their right to operate in adherence with halacha. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded, “The Tel Aviv municipality and its head are forcibly trying to bring back the sights of Dizengoff Square from Yom Kippur of 2023. While Arab prayers are held in the Dolphinarium with complete gender separation without interference, and while mosques are not required to sign any declaration, shuls and mispallelim in the first Hebrew city feel like a persecuted minority. Tel Aviv municipality—are you sure you’re part of Israel?” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi sent an urgent letter to acting Minister of Interior and Religious Services Yariv Levin and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs demanding that “immediate, forceful and uncompromising action be taken against the Tel Aviv municipality and the issue brought to an urgent discussion at the next cabinet meeting.” “What’s the next stage?” Karhi asked. “To force shuls to serve pork at Kiddush?To use microphones on Shabbat? How far will the persecution of Jewish identity in Tel Aviv go? How is it that a similar shocking directive has not been issued to mosques in the city?” Noam party chairman MK Avi Maoz responded, “What a huge gap between the first mayor, Dizengoff, who fought for the Jewish character of Tel Aviv, and Huldai, who fights against every Jewish symbol in the public space of the city. I call on the Israeli government to act against Huldai’s hate and exclusion of Judaism in the city of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “The Tel Aviv Municipality has declared war on Judaism. To harm shuls, the heart of the Jewish people’s identity and tradition, is a disgrace that crosses every red line.” “Shuls are the backbone of the Jewish people, and they will endure here long after everyone who tries to erase Judaism is forgotten. Anyone who thinks they can uproot the Torah and the identity of our people is very wrong.” “I demand that the Tel Aviv Municipality immediately stop this dangerous and despicable move. We will not lower our heads, we will not be silent, and we will not allow the State of the Jews to be turned into a ‘state of all its citizens’ on the backs of shuls.” The Chotam organization stated, “Antisemitic persecution by the Tel Aviv municipality against Judaism. After unsuccessfully trying to uproot Yom Kippur tefillos from the city’s streets, [Tel Aviv Mayor Ron] Huldai seeks to impose the ‘religion of progressiveness’ and close hundreds of shuls. Am Yisrael will not stand idly by in the face of this persecution. The State of Israel is a Jewish state, Tel Aviv is a Jewish city, and we in the Chotam organization will fight for this.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Shortly before the October 7 massacre in 2023, unprecedented clashes between Jews took  place on the holiest day of the year due to the actions of the Tel Aviv municipality, which banned gender-segregated tefillos on the streets of the city (despite allowing Arabs to hold gender-segregated prayers on the street.) Two years later, the Tel Aviv Municipality is carrying out a new clandestine operation targeting over 100 shuls in the city, demanding that they operate in violation of halacha or face eviction, a Ynet report revealed on Sunday. Some shuls signed the agreement, and others that refused to sign are in court fighting eviction orders. There are hundreds of active shuls in Tel Aviv, with some built on land allocated for that purpose by the city and others on privately purchased land. However, 130 shuls are not officially registered, or their registration is incomplete, and their land is listed in Israel’s Land Registry (Tabu) as owned by the municipality. These are the shuls being targeted in the operation—with the municipality demanding that they adhere to “equality” principles—”without distinctions of gender or faith”—and their “nusach tefillah be set by its management committee accordingly.” Municipality officials declared that “no activities deviating from these principles will be allowed, or the shuls will be evicted.” In one case, the Beis Din declared the Tiferet Tzvi shul as a religious endowment and prevented the municipality from taking it over. In response, the municipality filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the Beis Din, which is still pending. It should be noted that the municipality is not requiring mosques in Tel Aviv to sign the agreement. Shul leaders warn of far-reaching consequences: “If this demand passes, it will mean one thing—the systematic silencing of Jewish mesorah in the name of ‘equality.’ Shuls will be forced to choose between faithfulness to halacha or basic survival.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will turn 92 next month and was first elected in 1980, has reportedly not ruled out seeking a ninth Senate term.

The Danish and French navies have launched maritime exercises off the coast of Greenland

WILD SCENE: A driver stops for gas in the middle of a high speed police chase and still manages to get away.

Washington, D.C. has now gone nine consecutive days without a single murder

Zohran Mamdani fails at bench press while trying to show-off at Men’s Day in Brooklyn

An emotional scene unfolded tonight at the Skopps bungalow colony in Fallsburg, NY as residents gathered in song and dance to welcome back a young boy who miraculously survived a near-drowning incident on Erev Shabbos.

The frightening incident took place Friday around noon.

Menachem Tessler of Tessler Catering, who arrived with his family at the Skopps colony, had reached out earlier in the week to a bungalow owner, requesting permission to stay in a unit that had already been winterized for the season. The owner kindly agreed, allowing the family to settle in. Shortly after their arrival, the Tessler family headed to the pool area, where Menachem’s son suddenly noticed the horrifying sight — a young boy lying motionless at the bottom of the pool. The child had removed his puddle jumper and silently slipped beneath the water’s surface without anyone realizing it.

Acting instantly, Menachem’s son jumped into the pool and pulled the boy out, but it became immediately clear that the situation was dire. The child had gone into full cardiac arrest.

In a moment of incredible Hashgacha Pratis, an EMT who had completed his training just a few months ago happened to be nearby at the pool. Though newly certified, he had already faced emergencies before and, once again, sprang into action. He immediately began performing lifesaving CPR on the boy, working tirelessly as others quickly called Hatzolah.

Within moments, Hatzolah members arrived and joined the effort. After tense and desperate attempts to revive him, the boy’s pulse finally returned and he was taken to the hospital.

Tonight, the entire Skopps community came together to celebrate the boy’s miraculous recovery. Residents gathered in the center of the colony, dancing and singing in joyous gratitude to Hashem. Tears flowed freely as families embraced, overwhelmed by the realization of how close they had come to catastrophe and how profoundly they had witnessed Hashem’s kindness.

One resident summed up the mood simply: “Tonight we didn’t just dance because a boy came home. We danced because we saw Hashem’s hand openly.”

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Yisroel Meir Shain zt”l, a beloved rebbi, talmid chochom, and humble oveid Hashem, who was niftar in his nineties.

Rav Shain was born into greatness, the son of Rav Moshe and Rebbetzin Ruchoma Shain, and the grandson of the legendary Rav Yaakov Yosef Herman zt”l of “All For The Boss” fame.

From a young age, he absorbed a deep passion for Torah, a love of avodas Hashem, and a relentless dedication to the emes. His family’s legacy of steadfastness and sacrifice in the service of Hashem shaped every aspect of his life.

For more than sixty years, Rav Shain served as a maggid shiur par excellence in the mesivta of Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, devoting himself entirely to his talmidim. Thousands passed through his shiurim, each one touched by his ahavas haTorah, patience and warmth. His mastery of Torah was vast, but what defined him most was his care for every single talmid — their shteiging, their growth, and their connection to Hashem. For Rav Shain, teaching was not a profession; it was his essence. His shiurim were delivered with clarity and passion, and his heart was invested fully in helping each talmid reach his potential.

Beyond the walls of the yeshiva, Rav Shain was a man of extraordinary yiras Shomayim and remarkable humility. He lived his life quietly, without seeking recognition. A true masmid, his days and nights were filled with learning; his devotion to Torah was unshakable. His presence radiated sincerity, and his personal example inspired countless talmidim and others to strive for greatness in their own avodas Hashem.

Rav Shain is survived by his family, who continue to follow the path of Torah and avodah that he embodied, as well as by countless talmidim whose lives were forever transformed by his ahavas haTorah, hadracha, and ahavas talmidim.

The levayah will take place Sunday at 12:00 PM at Mirrer Yeshiva, located at 1791 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, NY.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Former Israeli defense minister and National Unity chairman Benny Gantz is calling for the formation of a temporary emergency government, demanding that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opposition leaders put aside politics to tackle two of Israel’s most urgent crises: securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and advancing long-stalled legislation on the military draft of chareidim. Speaking in a primetime press conference, Gantz warned that “the hostages are in mortal danger” and that IDF reservists “are collapsing under the burden” after nearly two years of war. Evoking Holocaust imagery, he pressed for the creation of what he termed a “government of hostage redemption and equality in the [military] burden,” with a six-month mandate to resolve these issues before sending the country back to elections—shortening the timeline from the scheduled October 2026 vote. Gantz accused Netanyahu of avoiding a deal with Hamas due to pressure from far-right coalition partners rather than genuine security considerations. “In Hamas’s tunnels, there are 50 hostages… Every hostage whose life is at risk could be our son, your son,” he said, urging the prime minister to break from his right-wing allies and prioritize national responsibility. “I don’t want to save Netanyahu, but to save the hostages,” he said, pushing back against critics who accused him of repeating past mistakes. The proposal was met with skepticism. Within an hour, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party issued a statement demanding the hostages’ immediate release “without conditions” and dismissing Gantz’s call as political maneuvering. “The only government that we will be part of is a wall-to-wall Zionist government, and we won’t take part in any spin,” the party said. Gantz’s call marks the third time he has floated joining Netanyahu in a unity arrangement, following his controversial entry into an emergency government during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, and again after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in 2023. Both efforts collapsed amid acrimony and accusations that Netanyahu had betrayed agreements. The political cost for Gantz was steep, with his poll numbers plummeting and his party fractured. Beyond the hostages, Gantz spotlighted one of Israel’s most explosive political issues: the decades-old exemption of chareidim from military service. With tens of thousands of reservists serving extended tours since October 2023, public frustration has mounted over what chilonim see as an unfair system. Gantz framed the six-month emergency government as an opportunity to legislate a more equitable framework while addressing the strain on the IDF. It remained unclear whether Netanyahu or opposition leader Yair Lapid would respond favorably. Lapid has supported broad unity in principle but has repeatedly ruled out joining any government under Netanyahu. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

MK Benny Gantz issued a call this evening to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and other key political leaders to form a temporary emergency government focused on two pressing national priorities: securing the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza and passing new legislation on the chareidi military draft.

The Blue and White-National Unity chairman made his appeal during a primetime press conference, directly addressing Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman.

Drawing on stark Holocaust imagery, Gantz warned that “the hostages are in mortal danger” and said that Israeli military reservists “are collapsing under the burden” after nearly two years of ongoing conflict following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault.

He proposed establishing what he called a “government of hostage redemption and equality in the [military] burden,” which would operate under a six-month mandate before calling new elections, moving the timeline up from the scheduled October 2026 date.

Gantz accused Netanyahu of avoiding a Gaza deal due to pressure from his far-right coalition partners rather than legitimate security concerns. He urged the prime minister to “ditch them” and prioritize the country’s interests above political considerations.

“In Hamas’s tunnels, there are 50 hostages… Every hostage whose life is at risk could be our son, your son,” Gantz said, stressing the urgent need for a political framework that could enable an agreement with Hamas.

The former defense minister insisted that his proposal was not intended to strengthen Netanyahu politically but rather to address two critical national crises. To critics who accused him of aiding the prime minister, Gantz responded, “I don’t want to save Netanyahu, but to save the hostages.”

Just last week, after reports surfaced that Gantz might work with Netanyahu to advance a Gaza deal, his party pushed back strongly. Responding to a Walla article that labeled Gantz a “useful idiot,” his faction released a statement saying: “An idiot, and not too useful, is someone who hates Bibi more than they want to bring back the hostages.”

Less than an hour after Gantz’s remarks, Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party released a carefully worded statement. “Yisrael Beytenu calls for all the hostages to be returned now, without conditions,” the party said. “The only government that we will be part of is a wall-to-wall Zionist government, and we won’t take part in any spin.”

Liberman has had repeated public clashes with Netanyahu in recent years over security policies, the ultra-Orthodox draft, and ongoing corruption allegations.

This proposal marks the third time in recent years that Gantz has considered joining forces with Netanyahu in a unity arrangement. Back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gantz agreed to join an emergency government, but the coalition collapsed within a year after Netanyahu was widely seen as having reneged on a power-sharing deal.

That decision dealt a heavy blow to Gantz politically, as many of his supporters felt betrayed. The Blue and White alliance quickly splintered, with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid and Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem breaking away, leaving Gantz with a smaller faction and declining poll numbers.

Gantz later joined Netanyahu again in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, when his National Unity party entered a wartime emergency government. However, by June 2024, he withdrew, citing deep frustrations with Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict and the absence of a clear strategy for the war.

Today, Gantz’s Blue and White-National Unity party has been struggling in the polls, especially since the resignation of key ally Gadi Eisenkot nearly two months ago. Some recent surveys suggest the party might fail to secure any seats if elections were held now.

Central to Gantz’s latest proposal, in addition to securing the release of hostages, is resolving the contentious issue of mandatory military service for yeshiva students. Israel’s current coalition, which relies heavily on the support of chareidi parties, has long resisted significant changes to the longstanding exemption system.

Gantz presented his plan as an opportunity to create a fairer system while also easing the pressure on Israel’s reservists, who have borne a disproportionate share of the military burden. He emphasized that the emergency government would operate under a limited six-month mandate focused solely on these urgent issues, after which power would return to the public.

It is not yet clear how Netanyahu or Lapid will respond to Gantz’s proposal. While Lapid has previously called for broad national unity, he has consistently avoided joining a government under Netanyahu.

Gantz’s initiative comes at a time of mounting pressure on the government to reach an agreement for the hostages in Gaza and growing concern over the sustainability of the IDF’s reserve system as the war drags on.

{Matzav.com}

Far-right Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) escalated her criticism of Israel on Saturday, accusing the U.S. ally of using American taxpayer dollars “to pay for genocide” in the Gaza Strip. In a lengthy post on her official X account, Greene urged Americans to picture themselves in the position of Gaza’s civilians, nearly two years into Israel’s war against Hamas. “If America was being bombed day and night because of something horrific our government did… and the rest of the world said, ‘Americans voted for their government so they deserve it…’ how would you feel? What would you do?” she wrote. The Georgia Republican argued that while Hamas is culpable, ordinary Gazans are not. “Does Hamas deserve it? Yes. Do innocent people and children deserve it? No,” she continued. “Many innocent people and children are being killed and they are not Hamas.” Greene contrasted global sympathy for victims of Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel with what she called indifference toward Palestinians. “Why can’t people have the same compassion for the masses of innocent people and children in Gaza?” she asked. Turning to U.S. policy, Greene blasted the $3.8 billion in annual military assistance Washington provides to Israel. “That means every U.S. taxpayer is contributing to Israel’s military actions. I don’t want to pay for genocide in a foreign country against a foreign people for a foreign war that I had nothing to do with. And I will not be silent about it.” Her remarks come just weeks after Greene became the first Republican lawmaker to describe Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide”—a term that had previously been used by leftist Democrats but rarely within the Republican Party. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel believes that “at least one or two” hostages being held in Gaza are currently in critical condition, according to a Hebrew-language media report released today. The update comes just a day after President Donald Trump stated that fewer than 20 hostages remain alive, a claim that contradicts Israel’s official numbers and has left many families of the captives in distress.

Channel 12 reported that Israeli officials fear several of the surviving hostages are in immediate danger and are in desperate need of medical assistance.

“Releasing the hostages is an urgent need,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12.

The network noted, however, that officials remain uncertain about what led Trump to conclude during Friday’s press conference that “a couple of them are not around any longer.”

Following Trump’s statements, Israel’s hostage affairs coordinator, Gal Hirsch, reassured the families in a written message: “According to the information we have, there is no change in the number of living hostages.”

Hirsch clarified the figures in his note to the families: “Twenty of the hostages are alive, two [others] are in grave danger for their lives, 28 are no longer alive and have been declared deceased.”

Despite these assurances, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has demanded that the government provide them with all available information about the condition of their loved ones.

Israel has consistently maintained that terror groups in Gaza are holding a total of 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023. The IDF has confirmed that the remains of at least 28 captives are in Gaza. Twenty are believed to still be alive, and Israeli officials have expressed significant concern for the well-being of two others. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in Gaza during 2014.

The increased alarm over the hostages comes as Israel prepares to carry out a major military operation to seize control of Gaza City, even as international mediators work urgently to resume negotiations in hopes of averting the planned assault.

According to Channel 13, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu agreed on Saturday to send an Israeli delegation to participate in talks with mediators aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza. This decision came nearly a week after Hamas said it had accepted a proposal for a partial deal that Israel had previously approved.

The report said Netanyahu’s move followed warnings presented in a high-level meeting that the hostages could face execution by Hamas or risk being killed by Israeli strikes if the army proceeds with its planned ground offensive on Gaza City.

{Matzav.com}

Former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon has accused Defense Minister Yisroel Katz of effectively admitting to “committing a war crime” with his recent remarks about the military’s plans for Gaza City. Katz warned on Friday that Gaza City could face the same fate as “Rafah and Beit Hanoun” — two cities devastated by extensive Israeli operations — as the IDF prepares for a full takeover.

Katz declared on Friday that “the gates of hell will soon open over Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza — unless they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament.”

Ya’alon responded by saying the statement amounted to “an admission to committing a war crime — the evacuation of the residents and the destruction of their homes.”

“The intention to carry this out in Gaza City is clearly an illegal order,” Ya’alon said, urging Israel’s legal authorities to intervene and block the planned military action. He stressed that only legal oversight could prevent soldiers from being forced to follow “a clearly illegal order.”

“It is in your power to stop the moral and ethical deterioration of our country, which pledged ‘never again!’” Ya’alon pleaded in his statement.

He went on to sharply criticize the government’s leadership, adding, “It is already clear to anyone with eyes in their heads that the Messianic, evasive and corrupt government does not serve the country, but rather its grip on power, while neglecting the hostages, sacrificing soldiers, and destroying the country and its future.”

Ya’alon, once a senior figure in the Likud party, has been an outspoken opponent of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu since being removed as defense minister in 2016.

This is not the first time Ya’alon has issued dire warnings about the government’s Gaza strategy. Back in November, he cautioned that Israel was steering down a dangerous path that could lead to ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

{Matzav.com Israel}