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NEW YORK (AP) — It’s officially Tax Day in the U.S. And if you’ve waited till the last minute to file your 2025 return, don’t panic. You still have time to get it done.

If you’re worried that you still might not be able to finish your taxes in time, you also can file for an extension, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

Here’s what you need to know about Wednesday’s deadline — and a few tips to keep in mind.

What do I need to file my tax return?
Generally, every tax-filer needs the following at hand

— your Social Security number

— W-2 forms, if you’re employed

— 1099-G forms, if you’re unemployed

— 1099 forms, if you’re self-employed

— Savings and investment records

— A sense of any eligible deductions, such as education expenses, medical bills or charitable donations.

— A sense of relevant tax credits, such as the child tax credit or a retirement savings contributions credit.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

Tax professionals recommend gathering all your documents in one place before you start your tax return — as well as having documents from the year prior, if your financial situation has changed drastically. Experts also suggest creating an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

How do I file for an extension?
If you run out of time to file your tax return, you can file for an extension to take more time by using your preferred tax software, with the IRS Free File tool, or via mail.

However, it’s important to remember that the extension is only to file your tax return, not to pay owed taxes. If you owe taxes, you should pay an estimated amount before the deadline to avoid paying penalties and interest. If you expect to receive a refund, you’ll still receive your money when you file your taxes.

The deadline to file for an extension is Wednesday, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

The IRS notes some taxpayers — including members of the military and people who live and work outside of the U.S. — get an automatic, two-month extension to file until June 15. But again, most payments are still due April 15.

How can I avoid mistakes filing my taxes?
Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. To avoid common errors:

— Double check your name on your Social Security card.

You’ll want to make sure the name on your tax return matches what’s on your Social Security card. Some people may have taken a new last name after marriage, for example, but if that hasn’t been updated with the Social Security Administration yet, the IRS notes you’ll need to use your former name to avoid delays.

And if you get a W-2 from an employer with a name that no longer matches your Social Security card, the IRS says you should contact your employer to fix it.

— Search for tax statements if you’ve opted out of paper mail.

While many important tax documents are still sent out on physical paper, people increasingly are opting out of snail mail these days. If you’re not seeing it in your mailbox, check your online accounts.

“If you didn’t get anything in the mail doesn’t mean that there isn’t an information document out there that you need to be aware of and report accordingly,” Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, previously told The Associated Press.

— Report all of your income.

If you had more than one job in 2025, you need the W-2 forms for each.

What resources are available?
For those who made $89,000 or less last year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you. And if you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool.

Beyond TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE). People who earn $69,000 or less a year, those who have a disability, and those who speak limited English all qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations that host VITA and TCE clinics.

If you have a tax problem, there are also clinics around the country that can help you resolve these issues. Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

A Jackson Township Council meeting turned combative Tuesday night when a mayoral candidate attempted to put a council member on defense over a social media post — and walked away looking worse for the effort.

Elliot Shemtov, who is running for mayor later this year, used the public comment session to confront Council President Mordy Burnstein over a post in which Burnstein had criticized Shemtov for dining with Rania Hesham, a Jackson resident with a public record of praising Hamas, expressing admiration for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and posting Iranian regime propaganda.

“Would you go out to eat with someone who supports the biggest sponsor of terrorism and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans?” Burnstein had written on social media. “Someone who would sell out the safety of his own family for a few votes — shame on them.”

Shemtov’s response was to accuse Burnstein of calling Hesham herself responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans — an obviously deliberate misreading of what Burnstein had actually written. He wrote that he wouldn’t go out to eat with someone who supports terrorists – not “someone who is a terrorist.”

Burnstein did not back down.

“Anyone who is going to say that Ayatollah Khamenei is a hero, and posts videos of American jets exploding — I would never go out to eat with them,” Burnstein said from the dais. “I don’t care how many votes that person would give me. There have to be red lines in politics, and I’m happy to say that there are certain red lines I would never cross.”

He continued: “To go ahead and praise Ayatollah Khamenei, who has thousands — forget about Israelis — thousands of Americans dead on his hands, that is something I would never stand for.”

Hesham had praised Khamenei as “such a wise, peaceful man” following his death in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on February 28 — the opening strike of Operation Epic Fury. She had also publicly praised Hamas, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization and which carried out the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostage.

Burnstein’s reference to Khamenei’s American body count is grounded in a well-documented record spanning four decades. Iranian-backed Hezbollah operatives carried out the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American servicemen in the deadliest single-day loss of American military life since Iwo Jima. The 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, carried out by Iranian-linked operatives, killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel. During the Iraq War, Iranian-supplied explosively formed penetrators — specialty roadside bombs — were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers. More recently, Iranian-backed militias carried out dozens of attacks on American troops stationed in Iraq and Syria, killing and wounding U.S. service members as recently as 2024.

“There have to be red lines in politics,” Burnstein repeated. “I’m happy to say there are certain red lines I would never cross.”

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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An attack has taken place in a synagogue in North London, and the police are on the hunt for two suspects believed to be behind the incident.

The attack took place shortly after midnight at a Reform synagogue in the Finchley area, when two people dressed in dark clothing and wearing face masks approached the building and threw two bottles believed to contain gas, along with a brick. Miraculously, neither of the bottles ignited, preventing what could have been a devastating tragedy. No major injuries or structural damage were reported either.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 15: Police officers are seen outside Finchley Reform Synagogue on April 15, 2026 in London, England. Police are treating the attempted arson attack on the Finchley Reform Synagogue as an antisemitic hate crime, after two suspects threw a brick and two bottles containing what is believed to have been petrol at the building in the early hours of Wednesday. No damage or injuries were reported. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

British police confirmed that the incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and that counterterrorism units are now involved in the investigation due to its seriousness. The police are appealing to the public for any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage that could help identify those responsible.

I’m grateful to the Met Police for their swift response to the appalling attempted arson attack at Finchley Reform Synagogue overnight.

The incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, and there is an increased police presence in place in the local area.

While…

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 15, 2026

Community leaders have condemned the attack, warning that it is part of a recent horrendous chain of attacks, which are an attempt to intimidate Jewish residents and disrupt normal life. The community emphasized that it will not be intimidated and will continue normal activities with increased security.

Joe Biden drew attention during a portrait unveiling ceremony at Syracuse University School of Law when he singled out a man in the audience he said reminded him of President Barack Obama, leading to an awkward but widely discussed moment.

While speaking at the event held at his alma mater, Biden noticed Jeffrey Scruggs, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, and joked about the resemblance. “I always want to turn around to one guy and say … ‘Barack, what are you doing?’” Biden said.

The remark referred to Scruggs, who was seated in the audience. Biden then called him forward to the stage, repeatedly urging him to come up despite initial hesitation.

“Come here, come here, come here, come here … come here,” Biden said, motioning him forward.

After Scruggs eventually joined him at the podium, Biden continued the comparison, joking about their positions on stage. “I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left,” he said, as the audience laughed.

Biden then turned to those in attendance and asked, “Doesn’t he look like Barack?” Scruggs responded with a shake of his head, appearing to disagree with the comparison.

Wrapping up the exchange, Biden added, “As they say, you’ve done good, fella,” prompting Scruggs to reply, “Well, you know, I try.”

According to reports, Scruggs had earlier mentioned backstage that his daughter wanted him to ask Biden whether he resembled Obama. The moment on stage was intended, at least in part, to relay that message.

The exchange sparked debate online, with some social media users agreeing with Biden’s observation while others criticized the remark.

“He does look like Barack though,” one X user argued. “The hair, the face shape, the suit.”

“Low key he does look like him!” another user chimed in.

“That dude does genuinely look like Obama,” read another X comment.

WOODMERE, N.Y. (VINnews) – A Jewish man who was critically injured in a crash that occurred March 19 has died, authorities said.

R’ Moshe (Moe) Kreindler, a father from North Woodmere and a member of Chaverim in Woodmere, succumbed to his injuries following the collision, according to Nassau County police.

Police said Kreindler was driving a 2023 Tesla on University Street when he attempted to make a left turn onto Branch Boulevard at about 7:53 a.m. and collided with a 2019 Honda Accord driven by a 24-year-old man.

Both drivers were taken to a hospital following the crash, with Kreindler listed in critical condition at the time. The other driver was treated for injuries.

The funeral was held today at Bais Tefilah of Inwood.

Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing forward a new proposal to tax wealthy property owners in New York City, specifically those who own luxury second homes.

The plan, known as a “pied-a-terre tax,” would apply to second homes valued at $5 million or more, including condos, co-ops, and private houses owned by individuals whose primary residence is outside the city. The tax is designed to target wealthy individuals who maintain expensive properties in the city but do not contribute proportionally to local taxes.

The proposal is expected to generate $500 million annually, as New York scrambles to close a multibillion-dollar budget gap. Governor Hochul framed the move as a fairness issue, arguing that those who can afford multimillion-dollar second homes should contribute more to the city’s financial stability.

Unsurprisingly, the plan is being advanced alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has constantly pushed for tax increases on the wealthy and corporations as part of his efforts to address the city’s growing fiscal crisis, which in many ways is his own fault.

TROY, NY – APRIL 14: Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a news conference during a tour of the new Sol Apartments building on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, on 5th Ave. in Troy, N.Y. Sol Apartments is a mixed-income housing project that the governor highlighted as part of her Let Them Build agenda, a series of state legal reforms aimed at speeding up housing and infrastructure development and lowering costs. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

The proposal will further damage the already hurting real estate industry, since the tax will drive away investment, lower property values, and wreak havoc on the housing market. Another interesting consequence is that second home owners will be discouraged from being part time residents and will reduce overall economic activity in the city.

NEW YORK (AP) — When Tiffany Davis has a question about a symptom from the weight-loss injections she’s taking, she doesn’t call her doctor. She pulls out her phone and consults ChatGPT.

“I’ll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I’m feeling,” said the 42-year-old in Mesquite, Texas. “I use it for anything that I’m experiencing.”

Turning to artificial intelligence tools for health advice has become a habit for Davis and many other Americans, according to a West Health–Gallup Center on Healthcare in America poll published Wednesday. The poll, conducted in late 2025 and backed up by at least three other recent surveys with similar findings, found that roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults had used an AI tool for health information or advice in the past 30 days.

Dr. Karandeep Singh, chief health AI officer at the University of California San Diego Health, said AI tools, many of which now incorporate web search, are an upgraded version of Google health searches that Americans have been doing for decades.

“I almost view it like a better entry portal into web search,” he said. “Instead of someone having to comb through the top, you know, 10, 20, 30 links in a web search, they can now have an executive summary.”

Most recent AI health users are looking for quick answers
Most Americans using AI tools for health purposes say they want immediate answers. In some cases, it helps them evaluate what kind of medical attention they need.

“It’ll let me know if something’s serious or not,” Davis said of ChatGPT, which she typically consults before scheduling medical appointments.

The Gallup survey found about 7 in 10 U.S. adults who have used AI for health research in the past 30 days say they wanted quick answers, additional information or were simply curious. Majorities used it for research before seeing a doctor or after an appointment.

Rakesia Wilson, 39, in Theodore, Alabama, said she recently used AI to better understand her lab results after an endocrinologist visit. She also regularly uses ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to decide whether she needs to take time off for a doctor’s appointment or can simply monitor an ailment.

“I just don’t necessarily have the time if it’s something that I feel is minor,” said Wilson, who said she sometimes works up to 70-hour weeks as an assistant principal.

Younger adults and lower-income users have used AI to bridge care gaps
On the whole, the findings suggest that the rise of AI tools hasn’t stopped people from seeking professional medical care. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say they have sought out a doctor or other health care professional for health information in the past year, while about 3 in 10 say that about AI tools and chatbots, according to a KFF poll conducted in late February.

Similarly, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October found that about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they get health information at least sometimes from AI chatbots, while about 85% said the same about health care providers.

But there are indications that some Americans are using AI for health advice because they are struggling to obtain professional medical care, at a time when federal policy and market factors are worsening health costs and creating obstacles to access around the country.

A small but significant share of respondents in the Gallup study say they used AI because accessing health care was too expensive or inconvenient. About 4 in 10 wanted help outside of normal business hours, while about 3 in 10 did not want to pay for a doctor’s visit. Roughly 2 in 10 did not have time to make an appointment, had felt ignored or dismissed by a provider in the past or were too embarrassed to talk to a person.

The KFF survey found that younger adults and lower-income people were more likely to say they used an AI tool or chatbot for health information because they could not afford the cost of seeing a provider or were having trouble accessing health care.

Americans are divided on whether AI medical advice can be trusted
Tech experts often warn that AI chatbots don’t think for themselves — and therefore can sometimes spout false information. Those concerns have trickled down even to frequent AI users.

About one-third of adults who had recently used AI for health information said they “strongly” or “somewhat” trust the accuracy of health information and advice generated by AI tools, according to the Gallup poll. About the same share, 34%, distrusted it, and another 33% neither trusted it nor distrusted it.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, an ear, nose and throat doctor and the president of the American Medical Association, said he loves when patients come in and have “more evolved questions than they used to have” because they used AI for research. But he said AI should be considered a tool and not a stand-in for medical care.

“It is an assistant but not an expert, and that’s why physicians need to be involved in that care,” he said.

There are also concerns about privacy, according to KFF. About three-quarters of U.S. adults said they are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about the privacy of personal medical or health information that people provide to AI tools or chatbots.

Singh, of UC San Diego Health, said most AI tools have settings users can toggle to prevent their data from being used to train future models. But that requires user vigilance — and not being careful can have consequences.

Last summer, for example, internet sleuths on Google discovered private ChatGPT conversations that had been indexed on a public website without the users realizing it.

Tamara Ruppart, a 47-year-old director in Los Angeles, said she is lucky enough to have doctors in her husband’s family that she contacts instead of turning to AI. With her family history of breast cancer, using a chatbot for health advice feels too risky.

“Health care is something that’s pretty serious,” she said. “And if it’s wrong, you could really hurt yourself.”

Iranian authorities on Wednesday announced a broad crackdown targeting what they described as a network of “separatist terror groups” allegedly linked to Israeli and U.S. intelligence services, with arrests spanning multiple provinces and involving dozens of suspects.

The country’s Intelligence Ministry said security forces detained at least 35 individuals accused of involvement in terrorism, separatism and arms smuggling, according to Tasnim News Agency. Officials claimed the suspects were tied to “American-Zionist enemy services,” including Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.

Among those arrested was an individual identified as the founder and leader of what authorities claimed was a “Zionist-associated terror group” seeking to break away from Khuzestan Province, a strategically important and oil-rich region in southwestern Iran. The suspect was apprehended in Isfahan Province, according to the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency.

Iranian officials alleged that the group was behind a series of attacks in Khuzestan, including assassinations of intelligence officers and members of the Basij paramilitary, which operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Authorities said additional members of the network had been killed or captured in recent weeks, with 11 arrests and five deaths reported over the past two months.

The crackdown extended beyond Khuzestan, with authorities reporting the dismantling of multiple additional cells. In Hormozgan, Hamedan and Kerman provinces, officials said they arrested a total of 20 individuals allegedly tied to what they described as a “Zionist regime media headquarters,” accusing them of attempting to influence public opinion and recruit collaborators.

Security forces also said they uncovered and detained a three-member cell in Gilan Province linked to prior explosive operations, as well as a four-member cell in Kerman Province, where homemade bombs, bomb-making materials and a handgun were seized. Additional arrests were reported in Hamedan and Hormozgan.

Separately, Iranian authorities said they intercepted two arms smuggling networks attempting to transport weapons from Iraq’s Kurdistan region into Iran. Four individuals were arrested in connection with those operations, and a total of 42 weapons were seized, including 30 pistols allegedly destined for distribution in Khuzestan and another cache intended for Kermanshah Province.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

ALBANY, N.Y. (VINnews) — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced up to $70 million in new funding to help nonprofit and community organizations strengthen security against hate crimes and potential attacks, as dozens of community leaders — including many Jewish elders from across New York — attended the event.

The funding is part of the state’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program and combines $35 million proposed in the fiscal 2027 budget with $35 million already allocated. Officials said the investment comes amid heightened global tensions and continued concerns about threats targeting religious and cultural institutions.

Organizations can apply for grants of up to $250,000 to support security upgrades such as surveillance systems, access controls, reinforced infrastructure and cybersecurity improvements. The program is expected to fund hundreds of projects statewide.

Rabbi Niederman @UnitedJewish joined today @GovKathyHochul and leaders announcing the opening of applications for 70 Million dollars of Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes applications for shuls, Yeshivas and other institutions. pic.twitter.com/H06AArdOcG

— WILLIAMSBURG NEWS (@WMSBG) April 15, 2026

State data shows reported hate crimes declined across much of 2025 compared with the prior year, though New York City reported an increase early in 2026. Anti-Jewish incidents made up the largest share of reported cases.

Since taking office, Hochul has directed more than $131 million toward similar efforts to protect nonprofit institutions and houses of worship. Applications for the latest round are due in July, with awards expected later in the year.

New nonprofit organizations and those that previously have received funding through the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program are eligible to apply for this round of funding. Eligible organizations include community and civic centers, cultural museums, daycare centers and other nonprofit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attack because of their ideology, beliefs or mission, applicants must provide vulnerability assessments that show they are at risk and how the proposed security project will help safeguard their facility or facilities and protect the people who use them.

The deadline for applications is noon Wednesday, July 8. Information about funding eligibility requirements, instructions and guidelines is available on the DCJS website. Grant awards are expected to be announced in the fall.

It doesn’t get more outrageous than flashing a swastika in parliament on the very day Israelis are commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day — but that’s exactly what Polish MP Konrad Berkowicz did Tuesday.

The antisemitic politician took the floor to unfurl an Israeli flag and display it to his audience. But this was no ordinary flag. The iconic Star of David had been swapped out for a blue swastika.

“Israel is committing genocide before our eyes with particular cruelty,” he told the members of Parliament, repeating the international community’s favorite blood libel.

“Israel is the new Third Reich, and its flag should look exactly like this,” he added as he held up the flag.

Polish MP Konrad Berkowicz displays the swastika flag in parliament. (From a post on X)

Berkowicz also said that Poland should shift its focus from the Russia-Ukraine war — which is against its own self-interest — to focus on Gaza, where he claimed many more children had been killed than in Ukraine. He forgot to mention the inconvenient fact that Russia abducted at least 20,570 Ukrainian children in verified cases — and possibly as many as 300,000. Russia claims it has abducted 700,000 children.

To add insult to injury, the MP repeated the discredited claim that Israel used the “banned” phosphorus bomb. Phosphorus is not banned; it’s legal to use in certain applications, and Israel has said its use of phosphorus complies with international law.

But Sejm (lower house) Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty pushed back hard, standing up immediately to blast Berkowicz with a full-throated repudiation. He said there simply is no justification for the use of Nazi imagery in Parliament.

Undaunted and unrepentant, Berkowicz later posted a video of his despicable act online with the statement, “The world is silent, and Israel is committing genocide before our very eyes with particular cruelty. It is expelling Christians from Lebanon, carrying out ethnic cleansings.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted a blistering condemnation on X, calling it “a repulsive act” and saying it condemns it “in the strongest terms.”

“It is hard to imagine a lower depth of contempt towards the Holocaust than this revolting act,” the ministry added, thanking those in parliament who had spoken out against it and urging “every Polish leader to condemn this appalling act in the strongest possible terms.”

As he angrily and proudly displays his altered Israeli flag, Berkowicz would do well to remember Poland’s fine tradition of antisemitism — and where that dark path ended.

Maritime monitoring firms say vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz are increasingly using deceptive tracking methods following a U.S.-led blockade targeting ships connected to Iranian ports, raising concerns about enforcement and the continued movement of energy supplies through the strategic waterway, according to a report by The New York Times.

Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence company Windward, said that over the past day, ships in the region have begun altering their behavior, with more vessels either disabling their tracking systems or transmitting misleading identification data after initially continuing operations normally following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

“Now, we are starting to see vessels going dark or using ‘zombie’ or random identification,” Daniel said, referring to a growing pattern in which ships interfere with their automatic identification systems, or AIS, which are required under international maritime regulations.

The AIS network provides real-time data on a vessel’s identity, position, and route through a unique nine-digit number, effectively acting as a digital identifier for ships at sea.

Experts say operators are now exploiting weaknesses in the system by turning off their transmitters, falsifying voyage details, or adopting the identities of other vessels — a tactic known as “spoofing.”

According to analysts, these maneuvers resemble those used by Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” to bypass sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine, when ships altered identifying information or operated under unclear or stateless registrations to continue exporting oil.

“What the Russians have been doing is altering the numbers,” said John C.K. Daly, adding that similar methods are now being observed among vessels tied to Iran.

A Windward report published Tuesday found that some ships associated with Iran have already stopped transmitting tracking data, while others under sanctions or using false flags continue to transit the region, suggesting that operators are testing how far they can push enforcement boundaries.

“The continued movement of similar vessel profiles indicates that operators are testing the practical limits of enforcement in real time,” the report said.

Analysts caution that the growing use of so-called “ghost” vessels is creating what Erik Bethel described as a “contested information environment,” where incomplete or manipulated data makes it harder to track ships and enforce restrictions.

“A blockade is only as strong as the intelligence behind the interdictions,” Bethel said.

The situation is further complicated by the nature of international shipping, where vessels are often registered, owned, and managed across different countries, making it difficult to determine responsibility even under normal circumstances.

Despite these evasive tactics, U.S. officials maintain that enforcement remains effective. More than a dozen U.S. Navy ships are currently deployed in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, and U.S. Central Command reported Tuesday that six commercial vessels had already complied with directives to turn back toward Iranian ports.

Daniel noted that geography may ultimately limit the success of such evasion efforts, pointing out that the narrow passage of the strait makes it difficult for ships to avoid detection entirely.

“My expectation is that the U.S. Navy can sit out in the Gulf of Oman,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a way to breach the blockade.”

{Matzav.com}

FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA (VINnews) -Disgraced degenerate Dan Bilzerian is now running for Congress in Florida against America First patriot Randy Fine, simply because Fine is Jewish,Bilzerian has filed paperwork to run as a Republican for Congress in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

Bilzerian, 45, submitted his candidacy documents with the Federal Election Commission in early April 2026 to challenge incumbent Rep. Randy Fine in the Aug. 18 Republican primary. The district covers parts of Volusia and Flagler counties near Daytona Beach.

The self-described “King of Instagram,” who has more than 30 million followers, has repeatedly posted antisemitic content. He has promoted conspiracy theories about Jews, called Judaism a “terrible” religion that promotes supremacy, and questioned the Holocaust death toll. In one livestream, he said he would “sign up tomorrow and go fucking put boots on the ground and go fucking kill Israelis,” while claiming most of the country is evil. He has referred to Fine as a “fat Jew” and dismissed the term antisemitism as fabricated.

Bilzerian has framed his campaign around “America First” policies, strong opposition to U.S. foreign aid, and criticism of American support for Israel, which he has called “treason” and a “disaster.” He currently lives in Las Vegas and has said he intends to move to Florida to meet residency requirements.

Campaign finance filings show his effort has raised no contributions so far.

Jewish organizations and critics have condemned Bilzerian’s rhetoric as extreme hate speech. Supporters view him as an anti-establishment voice against foreign wars and aid.

Other Republicans in the primary include Ernest Audino, Charles Gambaro and Alexandra van Cleef. The general election is scheduled for November 2026.

The race remains in its early stages. Bilzerian’s large online following could increase his visibility, though he faces an established incumbent in a competitive primary.

Several media outlets, including Bloomberg, are reporting that the U.S. and Iran are close to reaching a deal to extend the ceasefire for another two week.

• A Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief has arrived in Tehran to deliver messages from Washington.

• Axios reports that Washington and Tehran made progress in talks today, moving closer to a framework agreement to end the war, per two U.S. officials – “ran has no money. They’re broke. We know it. And they know we know it”, one official said.

• HORMUZ: The US military says that during the first 48 hours of the Straight of Hormuz blockade, no ships passed through.

• IN LEBANON: A senior Lebanese official says there are “positive indications” regarding the ceasefire, but they haven’t received an update yet.

• N12 reports that a ceasefire with Lebanon is very near, possibly in the next 2 days.

(AP) – The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether facilities that recycle plastic chemically should be held to the same strict air pollution standards as incinerators.

The possible change is alarming environmental advocates who say it would lead to more dangerous pollution spewing into communities, with fewer or no checks at the federal level. The plastics industry disputes that, saying it would clear up confusion while still controlling emissions.

The world is pumping millions of tons of plastic pollution into the environment every year. While dozens of countries and many environmental groups have urged caps on production, industry and several big oil-producing countries have resisted, arguing instead for improvements in reuse and recycling.

Chemical recycling uses heat or chemicals to break down plastics. The main method, a process known as pyrolysis, has long been regulated as incineration by the Clean Air Act. The EPA limits emissions from incinerators of nine air pollutants, including toxic particulates, heavy metals and dioxins.

The agency says a potential new rule could instead recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, has long argued for such a change.

“The definition of incineration is to destroy it, right? You’re literally trying to make it go away,” said Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, who leads ACC’s plastics advocacy. “That’s not what they’re doing here. They are trying to preserve it and recover the materials, which is recycling, which is manufacturing.”

Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator who now heads up Beyond Plastics, opposes what she said would be a “much weaker level of environmental protection.”

“Chemical recycling companies know that if they want to operate, they need to get this essential Clean Air Act permit and they don’t like it,” she said. “They have spent decades trying to convince EPA to change the rules of the game. Republication and Democratic administrations have declined to do this. But they have hit the jackpot with the Trump administration.”

Alarm over changing how pyrolysis is regulated
The EPA regulates pyrolysis under section 129 of the act, which reduces air pollution from four categories of solid waste incineration units. The agency told The Associated Press that a final rule in 2005 that included “pyrolysis/combustion units” under that section was vague and caused confusion for the industry.

EPA said it’s taking public comment for a potential rule that could recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing under a different section, 111, of the Clean Air Act.

John Walke, who leads the Natural Resources Defense Council’s national clean air advocacy, said Section 111 doesn’t regulate as many pollutants as 129. He also argued that EPA’s plan is skipping crucial steps in a lengthy, required rulemaking process.

Walke also said the EPA move would amount to the immediate deregulation of these facilities under the act. He said it would take several years to follow the legal process to regulate the industry under another section, leaving a gap where no federal emissions standards would apply.

“You could have a facility that was controlled on a Monday, preventing those hazardous air pollutants from being emitted into the atmosphere, and on Tuesday, the facility would have legal permission to turn off installed pollution controls to allow the unlimited release of hazardous air pollution into the same community that was better protected on Monday,” he said. “Why would they do that? Why would they turn off an installed pollution control device? Because it costs money to operate them.”

Eisenberg disputed that. He said other sections of the Clean Air Act would still apply, and facilities get state permits, so the emissions would still be controlled and surrounding communities would be safe. They are “so heavily regulated,” Eisenberg said.

Recycling rates for plastic waste are tiny
More than 90% of plastics aren’t recycled, according to the American Chemistry Council. It promises that chemical, or advanced, recycling can change that. As a complement to traditional mechanical recycling, chemical recycling can help dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while generating a diverse range of products, the ACC says.

The process breaks plastics down into liquid and gas to produce an oil-like mixture or basic chemicals, that can be used to make new plastics or fuels. It’s like “unbaking a cake,” Eisenberg said.

Environmental groups say advanced recycling is waste disposal, not recycling, and a distraction from real solutions like producing and using less plastic.

There are six pyrolysis plants, operating in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Georgia, plus one under construction in Arizona and another in West Virginia, and a small test project in Maryland, according to the American Chemistry Council. The ACC has been lobbying states and Congress to pass laws to regulate chemical recycling as manufacturing. Twenty-five states now do, and legislation is pending in Congress.

Despite that legislative success, Eisenberg said the number of proposals to build these plants has dwindled in recent years, in part because of the permitting process.

“I often ask people to take a step back,” he said. “Do you want more recycling? If the answer is yes, then we should do what we can to make sure that you can bring more recycling online.”

Eisenberg said they’ve made clear to the Trump administration that revising the Clean Air Act is a priority. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin toured ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas, facility to see chemical recycling in person last year.

Critic says notice of possible change was buried
In March, the EPA published a notice requesting comment on a proposed rule to consolidate regulations for another type of incinerator, with a small section soliciting comment on removing the reference to pyrolysis. The EPA mentioned it at the end of its press release on air curtain incinerators, too.

Enck said it was a bombshell paragraph, buried in a rulemaking notice. The EPA dismissed the criticism, highlighting the press release.

At a public hearing last week, many people urged the EPA to keep pyrolysis units regulated as incinerators, including about a dozen speakers from the nonprofit Moms Clean Air Force. Kiya Stanford, the group’s Georgia state organizer, said in her testimony that changing it “feels like a move to prioritize polluters over people,” offering the plastics industry a cheap way to make waste disappear from sight by spewing it into the air as toxic pollution.

The agency proposed a similar change in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term. The Biden administration withdrew the proposed modification.

Walke said that if the EPA finalizes the rollback now, the NRDC would plan to challenge it in court.

The Pesach Yom Tov is now behind us and summer plans are beginning to occupy our minds in earnest.

Many parents have already been put on notice that their child’s Yeshiva elementary school year will, for the first time in history, end approximately 2 weeks earlier than usual and begin the coming year 2 weeks early as well. We are told that this is to rectify a “problem” of the Elul Zman beginning in the middle of August. Since the Yeshivos begin Rosh Chodesh Elul, and the Mesivtah Bochrim will have to head back to Yeshiva in mid August, it was deemed necessary for all Talmidim to start and end the summer season 2 weeks in advance.

The question that many are asking is, how did this suddenly become a problem that now requires a solution? Why wasn’t this an issue for the Frum New York community for the past three quarters of a century or more? For years, all the camps followed the schedule of a July- August summer season and no one seemed to have any difficulty. What changed over the last decade and a half that created an “Elul crisis” that has now upset our school year and summer calendar?

Before we discuss the factors that contributed to this “Elul problem”, and the havoc it is wreaking upon our communities, a brief overview of the operational history of our Yeshivos and boys camps is in order.

The leading Mesivtos here in New York where the majority of Heimeshe Bochrim once attended such as; Torah V’daas, Mir, Chaim Berlin, Chasan Sofer, Be’er Shmuel, MTJ, Kaminetz and others, were founded around a century ago by selfless Rabonim and Baalei Batim with the purpose of providing a sound Chinuch for the children of the Jewish community that would produce Erlicheh Yidden Shomrei Torah U’Mitzvos. I believe we can all agree that they largely succeeded in their goal.
At the same time, summer camps for children and Mesivtah Bochrim were being set up as well. They too were founded and operated by clear thinking Askanim, individuals who understood the importance of keeping Yeshiva kids in camps during the summer, and as far away as possible from the sweltering pritzusdika city streets.

The dedicated founders of those great Yeshivos and Camps were not pretending to emulate Brisk, Slabodka, Kletsk, Mir or Pressburg. They were not fooling themselves or others. They, who originated precisely from the old country, understood the environment they were currently living in, and worked accordingly, and thus the
Yeshivos and camps scheduled their calendar to coincide with the end of the secular school year, and to accommodate the regent exam schedule and Bungalow Colony seasons. The official summer season began around July 4th and ended around Labor Day.

When Elul would come in August, the camps continued as usual. Some camps added a daily Mussar Seder and the Rabbeim often included in their learning group lessons about the Yomim Noroim and its time for Teshuva. Some camps based their color war themes on the Yamim Tovim of Tishrei. One camp even published beautiful booklets compiling the Halachos of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos, with contests and prizes for campers who memorized them. It was out of the question however to bring Yeshiva kids back to the steamy hot city for an “Elul Zman”.

The exception to this was Lakewood and Bais Hatalmud that did begin in Elul. Both of these Yeshivos were for Bais Medresh age Bochrim. Mesivtah boys remained in camp. This enabled many of the older Mesivtah Bochrim to be counselors for the younger campers. Those choshiveh budding Yeshivaleit often had a positive and long lasting influence on their campers.

Beginning around twenty years ago, several new small Mesivtahs opened in the small towns of New Jersey. Their new and young Roshei Yeshiva, wishing their Yeshiva to be recognized as a real and better Makom Torah than the existing ones, decided to begin their Zman on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Unlike the founders of the original Yeshivos, they did not have the foresight to realize how this new schedule would eventually negatively impact the Chinuch of thousands of children throughout the summer months.

Imitating the pre-war Yeshivos of Europe that began in Elul, served as an attractive novelty to the newly emerging young parent body that wanted only the best for their children.

Initially this did not pose much of a problem. The amount of Bochrim enrolled in these Mesivtahs was minimal and their absence from camp was hardly felt. These new Yeshivos were out of town and the boys would dorm there. This then did not disrupt the family’s summer plans either, as they could continue to remain in the mountains or wherever, while their Bochrim were dorming and being taken care of.

However when more and more Mesivtahs began springing up that were competing for the same exclusive student body, they too felt compelled to begin Rosh Chodesh Elul. Should they begin on Labor Day, they would be considered inferior to those prestigious Yeshivos, and would not get the enrollment they truly desired. Thus in a few short years, the boys camps began losing their finest Bochrim in the middle of August and were basically left without counselors or staff. Desperate head counselors would scramble to find counselors from here and there (often from the “weaker” non Elul Yeshivas) and, at times, would have to combine or divide bunks as necessary.

The problem became compounded when even some Brooklyn and Queens Mesivtahs, not to be outdone by their out of town competitors, recently began their new Zman on Rosh Chodesh Elul as well. This now created a fresh crisis. Since they had no dormitory, those Bochrim would have to be alone in their homes during the evening hours. This was obviously unacceptable and parents found themselves forced to cut their stay in the country and come home to “babysit” their Mesivtah son.

This whole new development began to erode the camp structure, and parents soon sought other venues for their Bochrim and Yeshiva kids to spend their now limited summer vacation. One month hiking camps, Eretz Yisroel trips and groups of boys organizing their own road trips across the United States were being initiated, and a new trend had begun. Removing so many Bochrim from the boys camps however, resulted in calling into question the entire viability of the boys camp as it had been known until now.

None of this posed any problem for the Roshei Yeshivos. As implied above, as long as the Bochrim would be back for the Psichas Hazman on Rosh Chodesh Elul, all was well and good, and parents influenced in no small way by “brand names” and herd mentality, were still clamoring to get their Bochrim into these newer “distinguished” Yeshivos.

The ones who had much to fear from these new and fragmented summers were obviously the camp owners.

With most of their quality staff abandoning camp 2 weeks into the second half or earlier, and others now rethinking the entire camp participation in lieu of more interesting short vacations, the camp summers were being chiseled down, and so were their revenues. Those in the know will confirm that it is almost not worthwhile to open and operate a smaller camp for just six weeks (and with a mediocre staff at that).

But besides for the camp owner’s profits, the real victims here are the children.
Truth be told, who like Mechanchim, camp owners and head counselors know what a life saver the camps are for quite a lot of children and teenagers. Kids from broken or dysfunctional homes (even from homes that appear regular but actually aren’t) found themselves safely distracted and cared for in a healthy and fun environment for 8 solid weeks. To get away from a troubling home situation or for an academically challenged child to enjoy a break from a miserable school year is a priceless gift that only a camp can give. Unlike the Roshei Yeshivos of the better Mesivtahs who deal mostly with the “cream of the crop”, camp head counselors and learning directors are intimately involved with the nitty gritty of painful home and / or child situations of K’lal Yisrael and have indeed worked wonders with the children entrusted in their care. The benefits of them being in a summer camp environment cannot be overstated and has enduring positive effects. This is an undisputed, but often overlooked fact.

Desperate to save their camps, the camp owners tried negotiating with the Mesivtahs to perhaps somewhat delay the Elul Zman. Some learning directors even proposed adding another 45 minute learning Seder and a mandatory 20 minute Mussar Seder to the camp’s daily learning program. This they claimed would help simulate an Elul atmosphere within the camps and prepare their Talmidim for the upcoming Zman. But the Roshei Mesivtahs were adamant. No matter what, Yeshiva must begin on Rosh Chodesh. They were either unaware or unconcerned, that as a result, hundreds of Yeshiva kids would now be without counselors Yirei Shomayim and fine role models.

The camp directors then initiated meetings with the Gedolim to see how they could possibly help salvage the camps. The Gedolim were sympathetic, and several of them who themselves had experienced the benefits of camp, more than validated the argument that a Torah oriented summer camp can have a terrific effect on a child. Nevertheless, and despite their opinion that (in contrast to Eastern Europe) the hot summers of America with its treifineh streets are not equatable with an Elul Zman of yesteryear, they were reluctant to take on the Roshei Yeshivos to revert back to the original school / summer schedule. The reason being, their understanding all too well that no Rosh Yeshiva could begin Seder only on the week of Labor Day and still have his Yeshiva considered a “Shtarkeh Makom Torah”.

It was then that the camp owners came up with a brainstorm, the novel idea of ending the school year early and starting camp mid June, then ending camp mid August and beginning the next school year early as well. This would grant the camps the full 8 weeks for the children and the Bochrim, and then allow for the Elul Zman to begin promptly on Rosh Chodesh.

When this proposal was initially floated, it was understandably met with opposition from several important parties.

The elementary Yeshivos, for a number of reasons, but primarily due to staff and maintenance logistics, were not enthusiastic about altering their school calendar. Neither were they interested in forcing their Rebbes (some of them great Talmidei Chachamim themselves) to change their summer arrangements just so that some Yeshiva High Schools could have a “Choshiveh name” because they officially began Rosh Chodesh Elul. Getting secular studies teachers to come in mid August is practically impossible, and giving off English because of that, and allowing the children to be unoccupied in the afternoons would be a disaster as well.

The parents had their own problems with this new schedule. It would throw a wrench into any and all of their summer plans that necessarily must occur during July and August.

Also, If they have girls in the Bais Yaakov, they would now be in limbo since those schools were operating on the regular calendar. Parents would not be able to go up to the mountains or vacation early since the girls would still be in school and even be taking regents. Then they would also have to return to the city in mid August while the girls are still participating in the day camps of the country.

It is also questionable whether Bungalow colonies and estates were willing to accommodate and open two weeks earlier for a handful of people, something that would involve additional planning and expense. The idea of having Yeshiva boys hanging around the city during the mid August long afternoons while public school kids are off and roaming the streets was not something most parents were looking forward to either. All in all, this new idea was simply not feasible.

Nevertheless, a few, perhaps well meaning influential leaders in our community, decided to go ahead and implement this absurd plan. Using various methods of persuasion including the claim (in a circulated letter) that this is what the “Gedolim ordered”, they began promoting their agenda, and coercing the more timid principals in various schools to change over to this new schedule. Few were able to withstand the pressure and reluctantly consented.

The bandwagon effect will predictably cause other schools to follow suit. Parents are being forced into compliance despite the immense impracticality of this new arrangement. And, as we can expect, when the multitude of problems enumerated above come crashing down on us as a result of this upheaval, we will surely be left alone to cope with its consequences.

To conclude: The traditional summer structure was not broken. It balanced Chinuch, family life, and the well-being of children in a way that served generations successfully. Camps were not just a convenience; they were, and remain, a critical component of raising healthy, grounded Yiddishe children.

The so-called “summer calendar problems” we now face were self-inflicted due to the interference of individuals who have (unknowingly perhaps) placed personal ambitions over responsibility for the Klall. And the new ridiculous “solution” is now being championed by other individuals, some of them with similar personal interests as well.

While this new arrangement is officially being put into place only for the summers that clash with Elul, it is hard to believe that once such severe alterations are enforced and become tolerated, will we ever be able to revert to the original secure and predictable calendar schedule.

In today’s volatile world where stability is increasingly challenged, and with so many children and parents living on edge due to the nature of the times we live in, it would be wise for the sake of everyone’s mental wellbeing, to try and preserve whatever is left of consistency and permanence.

Therefore it should be obvious to any truly objective and caring person that before we rush to overhaul an entire system, we must ask ourselves: why exactly are we doing this? Are we truly improving things or are we sacrificing something essential in the process? Perhaps the time has come not for adjustment, but for honest and deep reflection.

And finally, let us all Daven that our leaders and educators are granted the wisdom and vision to guide us with honesty, foresight, compassion and sensitivity.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Elchonon Weinberg

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

MILAN (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was supposed to be Europe’s bridge to U.S. President Donald Trump. It may be burning.

After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside “unacceptable” and not backing the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

“I thought she had courage,’’ Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “I was wrong.”

Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.

“I actually think this is a godsend for her,’’ said Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and the director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.”

Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had frayed. “She’s been negative,” Trump told Fox News. “Anybody that turned us down to helping with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship.”

The Meloni-Trump arc
The only European Union leader invited to Trump’s second inauguration, Meloni was expected to leverage her strong ties with him once he returned to office 15 months ago. The two had a perceived natural alliance, with nationalistic tendencies and similarly hard-line stances on immigration.

But Italy was not spared the pain of Trump’s tariffs, and some may argue she has gotten little out of the relationship. When asked if they had spoken this month, Trump told Corriere, “No, not in a long time.”

After an uncomfortable appearance in the Oval Office a year ago when she avoided directly confronting Trump on tariffs, the distance grew over the Iran war. Meloni has stated Italy will not participate in the war and the country last month refused U.S. bombers the authorization to land at a pivotal air base in Sicily.

Meloni’s statement this week calling Trump’s attack on the pope “unacceptable” was the most direct criticism of the president yet.

“It’s been building up over time, not so much because she is moving away from him but because he has become increasingly unhinged,’’ Tocci said.

Alliance strained but standing
Cabinet minister Adolfo Urso, a member of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy, said U.S.-Italy relations would not be shaken by the flap.

“Italy and the United States are allied countries and maintain their relationship and alliance within international institutions, starting obviously with the Atlantic Alliance,’’ he told Radio 24, adding that the church’s moral teachings “cannot crack relationships consecrated in alliances signed a few decades ago.”

Mariangela Zappia, president of the ISPI think tank and a former Italian ambassador to the U.S., said Trump’s “hot-blooded” reaction could be attributed to his frustration with Europe, not just Italy. Besides not getting support for the Iran war, Trump lost a strong ally with Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat in the Hungarian elections this weekend.

Still, she said Trump’s personal outburst aimed at Meloni should not be construed as damaging the alliance as a whole.

“Europe absolutely considers the United States its historic ally, but in some way wants to be involved in the decisions that are taken,’’ Zappia said.

Trump, on the other hand, is realizing “this European Union is not easy to dismantle,” she said. “We are different, we react differently. Some are clearly anti-Trump, some are pro-Trump but in the end, destroying the European project, separating us on the things on which we see as our future, that is very difficult.’’

Meloni focused on Italy
Meloni has sought to shore up support after the referendum loss, which became a de facto confidence test of her leadership. She made a two-day whirlwind solo tour of three Gulf states to shore up Italy’s gas and oil supply from the region during a growing energy crisis but returned home without any formal deals.

On Tuesday, she announced Italy would not automatically renew a defense agreement with Israel, after warning shots hit an Italian convoy that is part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, a move that analysts say is driven more by domestic politics than a strategic shift.

“The Gulf tour was a way to show public opinion that she was being proactive. The fact it didn’t actually lead to anything is beside the point,’’ Tocci said. The Israel move “substantively is rather meaningless because there is not much in this agreement but symbolically it helps because Israel has become just so unpopular in Italian public opinion.”

No matter what damage control she has done after the referendum loss, Roberto D’Alimonte, a professor at the LUISS school of government, predicts a difficult last year and a half of her mandate before elections due in 2027, largely due to the economic impact of the Iran war.

“People want to see their gas bills go down, not just see Meloni talk about gas. What matters are the bills you get every month,’’ he said.

Israel has approved two new diplomatic postings, including the country’s first-ever ambassador to Somaliland, following a decision by the Foreign Ministry’s appointments committee.

The panel, headed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, signed off Wednesday on the nominations of Yahel Vilan and Michael Lotem for key overseas roles.

Vilan has been selected to serve as Israel’s ambassador to Singapore and East Timor. He brings prior experience from his previous postings as ambassador to Kenya and Serbia.

Lotem, who currently serves as a non-resident economic ambassador to Africa, has been chosen as Israel’s inaugural ambassador to Somaliland. His past roles include diplomatic assignments in Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. At the outset, he will carry out the position as a non-resident ambassador.

Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025, becoming the first—and so far only—nation to grant official recognition to the self-declared republic, which Somalia continues to regard as part of its sovereign territory.

Shortly after that move, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to Somaliland for an official visit.

In January, President Isaac Herzog met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Following that meeting, Herzog wrote on social media, “I welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two nations and look forward to deepening our bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples.”

Abdullahi echoed the sentiment in his own post, writing, “Our discussions focused on strengthening and advancing bilateral relations between the Republic of Somaliland and the State of Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (JNS/Shuki Friedman) – The question of whether a second Holocaust is plausible in the foreseeable future may sound like an intellectual provocation. But a cold-eyed look at today’s geopolitical and social reality shows that it is a real danger. Unless we are proactive in preventing this risk from materializing, we may find ourselves facing such a reality far sooner than anyone would have imagined just a few years ago.

Contemporary antisemitism is no longer a marginal phenomenon perpetrated by a small lunatic fringe of inciters. It mainly festers in two dangerous forms: as open, brutal hatred of Jews as individuals in Diaspora communities; and as a radical echo chamber calling for the destruction of the State of Israel—for its elimination as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Only determined action by Israel and Jews around the world can remedy this.

The risk of a second Holocaust is growing for several reasons.

The concentration of Jews in Israel is unprecedented in history. Never before have so many Jews lived in such a small geographic space, a fact that makes Israel a vulnerable strategic target for those who aspire to a modern final solution. Iran, a string of Islamist terror organizations and other states make no secret of their intention to destroy Israel. For some of them, the threat to annihilate the “Zionist entity” is not confined to rhetorical bluster. Operational plans are on the table.

In a world where technology is ever more accessible, unless they are stopped, it is only a matter of time before totalitarian regimes acquire the instruments of mass destruction. The moment the leadership in Tehran and its proxies possess the operational capability to destroy Israel, the likelihood that they will attempt to do so rises dramatically.

Alongside the military threat in the Middle East, we are witnessing dangerous ideological and political trends in the West. In the United States and Europe, growing groups on the far left and far right are no longer content to criticize Israeli policy. They call for the complete abolition of Israel as a Jewish state.

The practical meaning of that demand is to expose millions of Jews to immediate mortal danger, stripped of sovereign protection. In the digital world, social media serves as an accelerant for the wildfire of antisemitic ideas, which now enjoy a degree of social legitimacy not seen since the 1930s.

Most alarming of all is the feebleness of Western countries, which may invoke the Holocaust in official ceremonies, but often shy away from taking serious and determined action against antisemitic threats and other hate crimes on their own soil. The danger is that this antisemitism will become institutionalized. With the rise of extremist forces, right-wing and left-wing alike, to positions of power in Europe, we may see unleashed state-sponsored antisemitism once again.

This possibility cannot be written off as paranoia or hyperbole.

The common assumption that the world will never allow another Holocaust to happen is dangerously naive. First, as is well known, the Allied powers made no real effort to disrupt Germany’s well-oiled machinery of Jewish extermination. Beyond that, more recent decades show that the international community responds with tepid indifference to genocide in places like Rwanda, Darfur and Syria, or to the persecution of the Uyghur minority in China.

The world does not intervene effectively to prevent mass destruction when the narrow interests of the great powers aren’t at stake. To rely on the hope that this time, unlike in the past, the world would mobilize to save the Jews is to misread reality. Even the memory of the Holocaust itself is eroding—becoming an abstraction, severed from the concrete task of protecting Jews in the present.

Millions actively work to deny or efface the Holocaust, while others turn it into a bludgeon against Israel, reversing the roles of victim and aggressor.

What will prevent a second Holocaust is neither historical memory nor international goodwill. It is one thing only: Jewish-Israeli power. The Jews of the 21st century possess a strength they never had before. The military, economic and technological power of the State of Israel, alongside the political influence of world Jewry, is the only guarantee of our survival.

Education, Holocaust remembrance and advocacy against antisemitism all matter. But only the preservation of that power—together with the understanding that we can rely on no one but ourselves and our shared strength—can ensure that history does not repeat itself. We must understand, down deep, that our security does not rest on the mercy of the nations, but on our ability to defend ourselves with our own hands.

Shuki Friedman, Ph.D., is director-general of JPPI, the Jewish People Policy Institute, and a senior lecturer in law at the Peres Academic Center.

The United Kingdom recorded the highest per capita rate of violent antisemitic assaults of any country with a large Jewish community in 2025, according to a new report published by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.

The report documented 121 violent antisemitic incidents in the U.K., a country with a Jewish population of roughly 292,000 to 313,000, putting it at the top of the per capita chart ahead of Australia, France, and Canada. The United States recorded the highest absolute number of violent incidents at 273, but given its Jewish population estimated at between 6.3 million and 7.6 million, it had the lowest per capita rate of any country with a large Jewish community outside Israel.

The report described “high and sustained levels of antisemitic activity” concentrated in six countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Canada, and Germany.

Twenty people were killed in antisemitic attacks outside Israel in 2025, the report found. Fifteen died on December 14 when two jihadists carried out an attack on a Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. Two more were killed in an October 2 jihadist attack on a shul in Manchester, England. The remaining three fatalities occurred in the United States: two Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington, D.C. in May, and a woman in Boulder, Colorado, killed when a man deployed a flamethrower and firebombs against pro-Israel demonstrators in June.

The report also catalogued the scale of online antisemitism, finding that X alone hosted approximately 124 million antisemitic posts in 2025. Roughly 4,000 anti-Israel rallies were held worldwide, with about 360 classified by the ministry as involving a “high risk factor.”

Despite the grim findings, the report identified ten governments that had made meaningful efforts to combat antisemitism, led by the United States. The report credited the Trump administration specifically for increasing “enforcement of antisemitism protections by using funding mechanisms, visa restrictions, and immigration measures,” alongside efforts by Argentina, Austria, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Australia, and France.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer announced today that he is introducing new legislation aimed at eliminating what he called a “marriage penalty” in the federal tax code, a move he said would provide meaningful relief to families in high-taxed states such as New Jersey.

The proposal, titled the Tax Cuts, Not Penalties, for Married Couples Act, would double the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction for married couples filing jointly. Under current law, both single filers and married couples face roughly the same cap — about $40,400 — despite many households having dual incomes and higher overall tax burdens.

Gottheimer said the disparity “defies common sense,” arguing that couples who file jointly should not be treated the same as individuals.

“My bill comes back to a simple idea: if you file jointly, you should receive a joint deduction,” Gottheimer said during a press conference this afternoon.

If enacted, the legislation would raise the SALT deduction cap for married couples to $80,800 for tax year 2026, effectively allowing each spouse to claim the full deduction. The change could be particularly impactful in places like Lakewood, where rising property taxes set a new record high last year.

Lakewood, which has seen rapid population growth in recent years, is home to thousands of property tax paying households with multiple earners. Local families frequently face steep property tax bills, making the SALT deduction a critical tool for offsetting costs. Advocates say the current cap disproportionately affects such communities, where married couples may pay far more in combined state and local taxes than single filers.

In Lakewood, the average property tax bill in 2025 was $8,974, a 6.2% increase from last year. In Jackson the average bill was $9,047 (+6.4%), and in Toms River the average property tax due was $8,526 (+7.9%).

The issue dates back to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which imposed a $10,000 limit on SALT deductions. Although subsequent changes have increased the cap for many taxpayers to about $40,400, Gottheimer said the current structure still penalizes married couples.

“Why would two people who happen to be married get the same SALT deduction as one person?” he said.

Gottheimer, a co-chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus, has been a leading voice in efforts to roll back the cap. He noted that approximately 25% of New Jersey taxpayers are still paying more in federal taxes than they did before 2016, even with recent adjustments.

He described eliminating the marriage penalty as a “commonsense” step that could gain bipartisan support and be included in upcoming federal tax legislation.

BEIT LIF, LEBANON (VINnews) – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday he has approved updated battle plans for operations in both Lebanon and Iran as he visited troops in southern Lebanon.

Zamir, speaking during a tour of the 162nd Division in the Beit Lif area, said the military continues to conduct ongoing assessments and prepare for potential action on multiple fronts.

“Yesterday I approved plans for the future, together with the General Staff Forum. We continue to conduct ongoing situation assessments and approve plans both in Lebanon and in Iran,” he said, according to the IDF.

Zamir noted that more than 1,700 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since hostilities escalated last month.

“Hezbollah has more than 1,700 killed since the start of the campaign. This is a severe blow to the terror organization,” he said.

The chief of staff also addressed recent strikes on Iran, saying a joint operation with the U.S. military significantly damaged the Iranian regime’s capabilities.

“In the joint operation with the US military, we struck the Iranian terror regime severely, stripped them of their defensive capabilities, and weakened them,” Zamir said. “Now we must not allow them achievements in the nuclear issue, in [the Strait of] Hormuz, and in the other issues on the agenda.”

He emphasized the IDF’s high state of readiness.

“Air Force aircraft are armed and ready, and the targets are loaded on the systems, we know how to launch them for a powerful strike immediately,” he added.

Zamir said he has instructed forces to treat the entire area of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River as a “killing zone” for Hezbollah terrorists.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (VINnews) — A new Kentucky law requires coroners to first contact religious organizations before cremating unclaimed remains, aiming to ensure burial options consistent with a person’s faith.

The measure, backed by state Sen. Greg Elkins, was influenced by discussions with Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, who raised concerns that some individuals could be cremated against their religious traditions.

While early drafts referenced Chabad-Lubavitch, the final version applies broadly to any religious group willing to handle burial arrangements.

Jewish law requires burial and prohibits cremation. Litvin said his organization has committed to covering costs for unclaimed Jewish individuals to ensure proper burial.

State officials say the law is part of a broader update to policies on unclaimed bodies, balancing cost considerations with respect for religious practices. Supporters hope it could influence similar efforts in other states.

(JNS) – Dave Yost, the Ohio attorney general, filed another lawsuit against the main Reform Judaism training center to force its Cincinnati campus to remain open, the state prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The suit, filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, alleges that Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s plan to close its rabbinical program by the end of this academic year runs afoul of state charitable laws. It also accuses the college of shifting donations designated for its Cincinnati campus to other locations.

“Hebrew Union accepted millions of dollars in donations based on a 76-year-old promise it now would like to break,” Yost stated. “We’re suing to keep these assets in Cincinnati where they belong.”

Hebrew Union College was founded in Cincinnati more than 150 years ago. It has U.S. branches in New York City and Los Angeles, and its Jerusalem campus is the only seminary that trains Reform clergy in Israel.

The suit centers on a 2022 decision by the college’s board to remove a line from a 1950 agreement, which combined Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College with New York’s Jewish Institute of Religion. It said that it would “permanently maintain rabbinical schools” in both locations.

That same year, the Hebrew Union board of governors in New York voted to wind down rabbinical ordinations in Cincinnati. Only four rabbinical students remain there, and their ordinations are scheduled for next month.

The college announced plans to consolidate its three U.S. campuses into a national school, operating on two residential campuses “while also reimagining our historic Cincinnati campus to ensure our world-class library, archives and museum serve students, scholars and community learners in new and innovative ways.”

The Cincinnati campus is home to the Klau Library, the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives and the Skirball Museum.

Gary Zola, executive director emeritus of the American Jewish Archives and professor emeritus at Hebrew Union College, told WVXU radio that the announced plans to keep a Cincinnati campus in place without a school is suspicious.

“You don’t need any education to know that if there are no students, if there are no academic programs, if nothing exists here and people have given money over 75 years for the purpose of sustaining rabbinic education—scholarship money, funding for the campus, all this—and nothing exists, well, I certainly can understand the attorney general’s point of view,” he told the station.

Yost is asking the court to prevent any sale of the campus and to keep donations intended for Cincinnati in Ohio. He also wants the court to order an accounting of the school’s state-based assets and to support a permanent rabbinical campus in the city.

This is the second time he is suing the school. In 2024, he took HUC to court after media reports suggested the school might sell off rare books from its Klau Library collections.

That suit resulted in a 2025 settlement, including an accounting of rare books and manuscripts and other special collections in the library, and an order to provide Yost’s office with notice 45 days before the sale or removal of items from those collections.

“It is nauseating to consider that where the Cincinnati community sees the sacred vessels of the Jewish people, others see dollar signs,” Matthew Kraus, associate professor and head of the Judaic studies department at University of Cincinnati, and director of the public school’s Hebrew program, told JNS in 2025.

“While I am grateful that the attorney general of Ohio has taken steps to prevent this tragedy, it is shameful that he has to defend the destruction of an irreplaceable Jewish library from an HUC administration that has lost sight of its mission and purpose and has commodified Jewish tradition,” Kraus said at the time.

Andrew Rehfeld, president of Hebrew Union College, stated at the time that “although we had no intent to sell the collection and took no steps to initiate the sale of any part of it, we periodically assess our assets as an aspect of our responsible management of these precious resources.”

Zola is now the founding president of the College for Contemporary Judaism, a new rabbinical seminary being formed in Cincinnati.

“We believe it is imperative that there be a strong, vibrant rabbinical school in Cincinnati to serve the liberal American Jewish community, especially between the coasts where access to congregational rabbis and rabbinical education is severely limited,” the new seminary stated, of the lawsuit.

“It is vitally important that assets subject to the lawsuit are used as originally intended: to support a strong, thriving rabbinical school in Cincinnati,” the new seminary said.

President Donald Trump said that China has committed to refraining from supplying weapons to Iran, even as recent reports have suggested Beijing may be preparing to send military equipment to Tehran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.”

He continued, “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”

The statement comes days after CNN reported that China is expected to deliver weapons shipments to Iran in the near future.

According to that report, the shipments are believed to include advanced air defense systems, particularly shoulder-fired missiles, which could enhance Iran’s ability to defend against potential airstrikes by Israeli and American forces should tensions escalate again. Sources also indicated that China might attempt to conceal the final destination of the shipments by routing them through an intermediary country. Beijing has recently taken part in diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan and is expected to remain involved in mediation efforts.

China has rejected those claims. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said that Beijing has not provided weapons to either party in the conflict, dismissing the report as inaccurate and urging the United States to avoid what it described as baseless accusations while instead focusing on de-escalation.

Separate reporting has pointed to other forms of cooperation between China and Iran. Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that four Chinese vessels have docked in Iran since the war began, carrying precursor materials used in the production of solid fuel for missile engines.

The report stated that the ships departed from Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, a major center for liquid chemical storage in China.

Experts cited in the report assessed that the shipments may have included sufficient quantities of sodium perchlorate to support the production of hundreds of ballistic missiles. However, it remains uncertain whether Iran currently retains the ability to manufacture such weapons following recent strikes by the United States and Israel on its facilities.

In a related development, Reuters reported in February that Iran was nearing completion of a deal with China to acquire CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles. These supersonic weapons, designed to travel at high speed and low altitude to avoid detection, have an estimated range of about 290 kilometers and could significantly enhance Iran’s naval strike capabilities.

The negotiations, which have been underway for at least two years, reportedly intensified following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025. According to sources, Iranian officials, including Deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei, have traveled to China as part of efforts to move the talks forward.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America has filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard the right of Americans to hold religious gatherings inside their own homes.

The case involves an old dispute in Ohio, where local officials ordered a resident to stop hosting a limited minyan in his home, which started a legal battle over the limits of zoning laws and religious liberty.

Daniel Grand, a homeowner who regularly hosted small minyanim in his house. What began as a quiet minyan among friends quickly escalated into a full blown legal battle after local officials claimed the gatherings violated zoning regulations. City authorities argued that Grand’s home was effectively functioning as a place of public assembly rather than a private residence, despite the gatherings being relatively small and consistent with normal religious practice.

But the story took a more troubling turn when Daniel alleged that the city’s mayor and local officials actively sought to build a case against him by encouraging enforcement efforts and closely monitoring his activities. Grand and others familiar with the story reported that complaints were not organic but that individuals were encouraged to report on the gatherings, creating a “snitching environment” aimed at documenting supposed violations. Inspectors and officials reportedly tracked attendance, frequency, and activity at the home in an effort to justify enforcement action.

Grand pushed back, arguing that his gatherings were modest, private, and an essential part of his religious life. He explains there were no minyanim within walking distance on Shabbos and that being forced to stop hosting prayers in his own home was a direct violation of his constitutional rights and a dangerous precedent for religious Americans nationwide.

In its filing, Agudah echoed those concerns, warning that allowing such enforcement tactics would strike at the very core of the First Amendment, and that religious practice in the home is among the most fundamental and protected forms of worship.

“The City’s order to cease and desist a small prayer gathering in a private home is a direct intrusion on religious exercise,” the Agudah wrote, warning that allowing such enforcement would set a dangerous precedent.

The case also raises questions under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law designed to prevent governments from imposing burdens on religious exercise through zoning and land-use regulations.

Agudah repeated that for many faith communities, including Jews, home based gatherings are not optional, but an essential part of religious life. Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to take the case could have heavy consequences, shaping how far local governments can go in regulating religious activity within private residences.

WASHINGTON — Trump accounts, a new tax-deferred investment program for children, have signed up 5 million participants, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday on CNBC.

Of those, about 1.2 million children qualify for a $1,000 pilot contribution from the U.S. Treasury, Bessent said during an appearance at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum.

The accounts, created under legislation backed by President Donald Trump, are set to officially launch on July 4. They are available to all U.S. children under 18 with a Social Security number.

The $1,000 government-funded deposit applies to babies born between 2025 and 2028.

“The $1,000 is just the starting point,” Bessent said.

Parents or guardians can open accounts through their 2025 tax return using IRS Form 4547 or online via a federal website.

Officials say the accounts are designed to encourage long-term investing and financial literacy from an early age. Contributions can come from multiple sources, including families, charitable organizations and state or local governments.

At the same event, Michael Dell said companies and philanthropists have pledged billions of dollars to support the program, with additional commitments expected.

Financial firms are also involved. Bank of New York Mellon will manage the accounts, with a partnership involving Robinhood to develop a related mobile app.

Supporters say the program could help introduce children to investing and wealth-building, while critics have raised questions about cost and long-term impact.

In a deeply emotional and symbolic moment, a baby boy born in Israel has been named after a fallen hero who sacrificed his life to save others during the October 7 massacre.

The newborn, the son of Harel Freilich, was given the name Matan Chaim, honoring IDF soldier Matan Abergil, who also served in the same unit with Matan on Oct. 7th.

Matan Abergil HY”D

Abergil served in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion and was killed in Nir Am after jumping on a grenade to protect six of his fellow soldiers. His actions are being remembered as one of extraordinary bravery during one of Israel’s darkest days.

Matan Abergil HY”D

“We were with Matan in the vehicle, we were surrounded, and we had no way of getting out,” one of his co-fighters, Daniel Varach, said. “There were seven men in the APC. Suddenly, one of the terrorists hurled a grenade into it.”

“Matan saw the grenade and jumped on it. I tried to stop him, but he was too determined. After a minute, I opened my eyes, he was on top of me, and he said, ‘I tried to do everything to protect the people of Israel,’” Varach recounted.

The medic continued, “I tried to save him, but I saw there was no pulse and I said he was no longer with us.”

Harel Freilich, the baby’s father, served alongside Abergil in the same battalion and was the last person to speak with him before communication systems collapsed. The two coordinated operations via Freilich’s personal phone as the attacks unfolded.

Matan Abergil HY”D

According to Freilich, Abergil had been ordered to prevent terrorists from infiltrating Nir Am. He acknowledged the command and remained at his post until the very end, ensuring the position was not overrun while others in the area fell.

Tragically, the loss struck the family even deeper. Matan’s cousin, Avraham Cohen, an off-duty Golani soldier, was among at least 360 revelers murdered at the Supernova music festival near the Gaza border on October 7.

Avraham Cohen HY”D

Speaking at the naming ceremony, Freilich said the name Matan Chaim carries a “double and deep meaning” representing both gratitude for his son’s birth and a lasting tribute to his close friend. He described Abergil as a man who “gave his life with tremendous bravery for the continued existence of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.”

Freilich added that the traditional phrase recited during circumcision ceremonies, “live in exchange for your blood,” has taken on profound meaning for his family, symbolizing that such sacrifice was not in vain.

Matan Abergil HY”D

In a powerful moment, the baby was held by Arik Abergil, Matan’s father, who expressed hope that the child would grow to embody some of his son’s character and strength. He also offered prayers for IDF soldiers currently fighting, wishing them success, victory over their enemies, and a full recovery for the wounded.

Matan Abergil HY”D

A story of loss, heroism, and new life, the naming of Matan Chaim stands as a moving reminder of sacrifice and the enduring spirit of the Jewish people.

At the Wednesday levaya of Yissachar Dov Spiegel z”l, 21, his father mourned the loss of one son and pleaded for news of another still missing after the brothers entered the sea off Netanya on Friday.

Thousands gathered in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Yerushalayim to give kovod acharon to Yissachar Dov, a yeshiva Bochur who passed away after drowning days earlier off the coast of Netanya. During the hesped, his father cried out, “Where is Avi? Where is he? Why both of them?”

The brothers had entered the water at Tzanz Beach on Friday afternoon. Emergency responders pulled Yissachar Dov from the sea in critical condition and rushed him to Laniado Hospital, where he later died overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. His younger brother, Avraham Yeshayahu “Avi” Spiegel, remains missing, with search efforts ongoing for several days.

In his hesped, Rabbi Shlomo Spiegel described his son as deeply devoted, saying, “He was always drawn to daven, to learn, and to be good.” Framing the loss through faith, he added, “We are returning the deposit pure and complete,” before concluding with the anguished line, “Why should I be bereaved of both of you in one day?” (למה אשכל גם שניכם ביום אחד)? (A reference to Rivka’s statement about losing her two sons on the same day.)

Prominent rabbanim who spoke at the funeral echoed the sense of collective grief. One of the maspidim exclaimed “This is Torah and this is its reward?” (a reference to what the Malaachim expressed to Hashem during the tragedy of the Asarah Harugei Malchus, to which Hashem replied that he’d have to overturn creation to explain His reasoning to them) while others urged the public to strengthen unity and interpersonal conduct in the wake of the tragedy.

Rescue teams, including police and volunteer units, have continued searching the waters and shoreline near Netanya for Avi, leaving the family and community confronting an ongoing and unresolved loss.

Standing at the site of the Nazi death camp where more than a million Jews were murdered, a senior Jewish leader told an international gathering of law enforcement officials Tuesday that the post-Holocaust promise of “Never Again” had failed, warning that the forces driving modern antisemitism were organized, well-funded, and accelerating.

“I believed that the post-Holocaust slogan of ‘Never Again’ truly meant never again,” Sylvan Adams, President of the World Jewish Congress – Israel Region, told a delegation of more than 130 senior law enforcement leaders from the United States, Europe, and beyond. “Well, I was wrong.”

Adams addressed the gathering on Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz, drawing on the latest ADL figures to frame the scope of the crisis. Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached 9,354 in 2024 — the highest number ever recorded, nearly nine times higher than a decade ago. In Canada, 6,219 incidents were reported last year, roughly 17 every single day. Globally, 46% of adults — approximately 2.2 billion people — hold antisemitic views, according to ADL data.

“Standing here, in Auschwitz,” Adams said, “we can all learn what happens when we ignore the early warning signs of hatred and how it can erode, and eventually break down, the norms of democratic societies.”

Adams argued that the current wave of antisemitism was not spontaneous but driven by coordinated external forces. He pointed to Iran’s longstanding genocidal rhetoric against Jews and its use of proxy networks, decades of Qatari investment in Islamist infrastructure and academic influence across Europe and the United States, and digital platforms linked to Chinese influence that he said were amplifying antisemitic narratives and accelerating their spread among younger audiences. These forces, he said, operate across mosques, university campuses, and social media ecosystems, creating what he described as a sustained environment of incitement that lowers the threshold for radicalization and violence.

He drew a stark historical parallel in addressing the Iranian nuclear threat. “With the push of a button, Ayatollah Khamenei could have done what it took Hitler many years to accomplish,” Adams said.

In his closing appeal, Adams directed the assembled law enforcement leaders to the Holocaust survivors seated among them.

“Look them in the eyes,” he said. “See what was taken from them when hatred was ignored, when it was rationalized, when it was allowed to grow. We stand here in Auschwitz, where the unthinkable became reality… because too many people saw the signs and did not act.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A public notice issued by Sephardic rabbonim Rav Leeor Dahan and Rav Meir Gavriel Elbaz states that Sephardic Jews should not take haircuts or shave this coming Friday, even though it coincides with Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Shabbos.

The clarification follows widespread discussion regarding a commonly cited leniency. According to many poskim, including the Peri Chadash, Bach, Magen Avraham, and the Ba’al HaTanya, when Rosh Chodesh Iyar falls on Shabbos—as it does this year—it is permissible to take a haircut and shave on Friday in honor of the combined kedushah of Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. This approach is also referenced in the Mishnah Berurah (493:5) and is accepted practice among many Ashkenazim, even for those observing the restrictions of the first days of Sefirah.

However, in a letter, Rav Dahan and Rav Elbaz emphasized that this leniency does not extend to Sephardic communities. Citing the clear ruling of the Mechaber in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 493:3), as well as the position of the Yalkut Yosef (Sefiras HaOmer, p. 463), they stressed that Sephardic custom remains unchanged and the heter does not apply.

In light of numerous inquiries received in recent days, the rabbonim felt it necessary to issue a firm and public clarification to prevent misunderstanding. Despite the unique calendar alignment and the existence of lenient opinions in other traditions, Sephardic Jews are instructed to maintain the standard minhag and refrain from shaving or taking haircuts this Friday.

{Matzav.com}

In a country where school shootings are rare, two shootings in 24 hours shook the populace to the core. Terrifying footage from Wednesday in southeastern Turkey shows students fleeing for their lives before panning to the school windows, where students leap from the second story to safety below. In one heart-stopping moment, a terrified student clings to the window pane, afraid to jump, as frantic students crowd behind him.

Students flee the shooting and jump out of a second-story school window in Turkey’s second school shooting in 24 hours.

The eighth-grade shooter brought his father’s police weapons to a middle school in Turkey’s ​Kahramanmaras Province, entered a fifth-grade classroom, and started shooting indiscriminately, killing nine — eight students and one teacher — and wounding 13 others before killing himself. Of the wounded, four are in critical condition.

“An eighth-grade student came ​with 5 weapons and 7 magazines — which we believe to be ​his former police officer father’s — in his bag, entered two classrooms where fifth grade students were, causing deaths and injuries indiscriminately,” Governor Mukerrem Unluer said.

Warning: GRAPHIC CONTENT. (From a post on X)

Tuesday’s shooting at a high school in Sanliurfa, another province in southeastern Turkey, injured at least 16 teachers and students. The shooter, a 19-year-old former student, began the shooting spree in the school yard before entering the building and continuing to shoot. He shot and killed himself when police attempted to detain him.

“He started shooting at anyone ‌who ⁠came in front of him, and then with the students’ screams, the teachers’ screams, everyone immediately scattered,” said an unnamed witness.

What was particularly surprising was the shooter’s lack of a criminal record — and previous police confirmation that the school was safe.

But with school shootings on the rise around the world, it looks like Turkey has joined this tragic club.

(JNS) – The Israeli shekel broke through what many see as a symbolic three-NIS-per-dollar barrier on Wednesday, reaching its strongest level against the U.S. currency in more than three decades.

The rate of 2.99 shekels to the dollar, a level last seen in October 1995, is thought to reflect investor optimism tied in part to recent diplomatic developments in the region, including a ceasefire with Iran and meetings between the Jewish state and Lebanon. The dollar has lost much of the value it gained since the war against Iran began.

Leo Lederman, chief economic adviser at Bank Hapoalim and former head of the research division at the Bank of Israel, told the Globes business daily that “one event could bring the shekel to a level of about two shekels to the dollar—the fall of the regime in Iran.”

In the interview with the Globes, Lederman cited the potential for increased capital flows, reduced risk premiums and expanded regional investment.

For months, the shekel has been consolidating its position as one of the strongest-performing currencies against the U.S. dollar this year, gaining more than 20%. Until recently, dipping below the three-shekel threshold was widely viewed as unlikely, but in recent months, particularly after the end of the war in Gaza, analysts projected the possibility increasingly.

A strong shekel reduces the prices of imported goods and airline flights while moderating inflation, which has returned to within the Bank of Israel’s annual target range of 1%–3%. Bank of Israel data also reflect increased foreign investment, with net inflows reaching $39 billion in 2025, compared with $25 billion in 2024.

Economists are watching whether the Bank of Israel will intervene in foreign exchange markets, either by purchasing foreign currency or adjusting interest rates, as it has done during previous periods of volatility.

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is redesigning the packaging of its Great Value store brand to help customers instantly spot whether that bag of spicy chips is gluten free or how much protein is packed in its chicken nuggets.

Great Value is Walmart’s biggest private label food brand and one of the largest food and consumer packaged goods labels in the U.S. The redesign of the brand, which spans 10,000 different products, also reflects how shoppers are looking at its store brands in food not as a stepdown from national labels but more as an equivalent.

Among the changes are better images of its food. For example, new packaging for Great Value lasagna shows the meal garnished with a basil leaf served on a full plate displayed on a red checkered table cloth against a red background instead of the lasagna against a white background, to better tempt shoppers to pick up the item, according to Walmart executives.

The changes, announced Wednesday, mark the first full redesign in more than 10 years for the 33-year-old brand. The new packaging will start to appear on shelves next month, according to Scott Morris, senior vice president of Walmart’s U.S. private brands division. He emphasized the redesign doesn’t include any changes to the products themselves.

The changes are happening as challenging economic times are pushing shoppers to buy more store label brands instead of national labels, which tend to be more expensive. Private brands accounted for 23.9% of the overall market share in the number of units in the food and beverage category sold last year, up slightly from 23.7% during the previous year, according to market research firm Circana. That compares with 76.1% for national name brands last year, down from 76.3% in 2024.

Walmart said that overall store label brands account for about a quarter of Walmart U.S. merchandise sales but declined to give out sales figures for Great Value. The company has repeatedly said that shoppers are increasingly gravitating toward its store label brands.

Moreover, customers are increasingly picky about the ingredients in their food, looking for protein-packed meals or items without gluten, for example. In addition, Walmart said that its shoppers along with its gig workers, who have to quickly pick items off the shelves to assemble online orders, are looking to speed up their shopping so they need to be able to spot the key ingredient elements quickly.

“We’re offering this great product at a very affordable price, but there was always this kind of lagging feeling that a customer was buying this product that felt like they had to compromise,” said Dave Hartman, vice president of creative design for Walmart. “So that was one of the key impetuses in terms of redesigning the brand.”

Other food companies are also redesigning their packaging. PepsiCo. announced earlier this month a refreshed package design for its Tostitos to better call out claims such as no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Great Value’s new design will relocate nutritional information to the upper right hand corner of packaging, Hartman said. In the past, there was no consistent location, he said.

For example, the newly redesigned package of Great Value Chicken Nuggets calls out 11 grams of protein per serving at the upper right hand corner. The photo shows the nuggets on a plate with a container of red sauce in the middle. The previous package doesn’t offer the protein count, and the photo doesn’t show the entire plate.

The move to redesign Great Value packaging is the latest investment Walmart is making in its store label brands. Walmart announced last fall its goal to remove synthetic dyes from its food private brands.

In an unusual event today (Wednesday) in Netivot, southern Israel. residents and business owners were surprised when a very large swarm — described as tens of thousands of bees, suddenly appeared in the commercial center during the afternoon hours.

Videos and photos taken by locals show a cloud of bees flying through the air, covering parked cars including completely blanketing a car’s driver-side window and mirror like a “carpet”, landing on buildings, and even reaching nearby residential balconies.

Frightened shop owners quickly locked their doors and closed windows to keep the bees out. No injuries have been reported so far.

The Netivot municipality urged residents to stay away from the area and avoid approaching the bees until professional beekeepers or pest control experts arrive to handle the rare situation safely.

Speaking with N12 news, one local beekeeper said he received dozens of calls about bees appearing not only at the shopping center but also in homes and other businesses across the city.

It is unclear what trigered this cloud, but bee swarms like this can occur naturally when a colony splits and looks for a new home, especially in spring.

Experts often advise people not to panic honeybees are generally not aggressive when swarming unless provoked, but it’s still wise to keep a safe distance.

A Manhattan man who screamed antisemitic slurs at a Jewish couple, sucker-punched a social media influencer, and attacked two other women in a months-long pattern of racially motivated violence was sentenced Tuesday to 3-to-9 years in prison.

Skiboky Stora, 42, received the sentence from Justice Josh Hanshaft in Manhattan Supreme Court after being convicted in February of assault, hate crime, stalking, and harassment charges. The jury needed just 30 minutes to find him guilty following a four-week trial.

Among the most disturbing incidents in the case was a November 2023 confrontation in Union Square, where Stora approached a Jewish couple and screamed “Die, Jew! Die.”

Prosecutors said all of his victims were either white or Jewish, and that his self-recorded videos showed him shouting slurs against white people — footage he tried to dismiss at sentencing as artificial intelligence fabrications.

“It’s an AI video, artificial intelligence generated video,” Stora ranted before the judge Tuesday. “The people are being framed throughout New York state.”

He also told the court he was “not an ignorant person,” claimed to be a descendant of Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey, and announced he is currently registered to run for governor of New York. He has previously mounted long-shot campaigns for city mayor.

The antisemitic confrontation was one of at least four attacks prosecutors tied to Stora. In September 2023, he elbowed a 17-year-old student in Chelsea. The following month, he elbowed a 37-year-old woman near West 17th Street. And on March 25, 2024, he walked up behind a social media influencer on West 17th Street and punched her without warning, sending her to the ground. The influencer, who has 1.6 million followers on TikTok, was on her way to record a podcast when the unprovoked attack occurred. She was so shaken that she apologized to her attacker in the moment.

Stora was arrested two days later, and investigators then linked him to the earlier crimes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Modzitzer chassidus in Eretz Yisroel and around the world was plunged into mourning with the passing of the veteran meshamesh bakodesh, Rav Shmuel Yitzchok Penigstein z”l, who served the Modzitzer Rebbes with unmatched dedication for three generations.

R’ Shmuel Yitzchok was a living embodiment of what it means to be a meshamesh bakodesh, zocheh to a rare and extraordinary zechus to serve in the inner sanctum of three successive Admorim of the Modzitzer shalsheles. He was not merely a gabbai in the technical sense; he was a living link between doros and a central address for chassidim seeking an eitza or access to the rebbes.

His avodas hakodesh began in the era of the Modzitzer Rebbe the Imrei Eish.

Throughout the years of the hanhogah of the Nachalas Dan, R’ Shmuel Yitzchok stood faithfully at his side with mesirus nefesh. He managed the Rebbe’s home with quiet authority and refinement, while safeguarding the kavod of Beis Modzitz with utmost care.

Even in the current dor, R’ Shmuel Yitzchok remained the familiar and beloved figure at the entrance to the Rebbe’s home, carrying with him the taam of earlier generations and the vast experience he had accumulated from the previous admorim, until his strength waned in recent years.

R’ Shmuel Yitzchok was renowned for his absolute ne’emanus. His entire metzius was batel to the ratzon of his Rebbes, viewing his role as a lofty shlichus ruchniyus. Despite the constant demands and pressures of serving in the homes of gedolei Yisroel, he received every person b’sever panim yafos, with patience and a genuine smile, always seeking to assist each chossid in whatever way he could.

As a true Modzitzer chossid, he was deeply connected to the unique olam haniggun of the chassidus, and was a participant in the elevated moments of niggun and shirah at the tishen and other exalted occasions.

With his petirah, the Modzitzer chassidus has lost one of the last sh’eiris hapleitah of a previous dor, a Yid who saw with his own eyes the rebuilding and flourishing of the chassidus in Eretz Yisroel.

The levayah took place this morning, departing from his home on Rechov Ganei Gad in Bnei Brak, passing the Modzitzer beis medrash at 20 Rechov Chavakuk, and continuing to the beis hachaim in Yarkon, Petach Tikvah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

In a dramatic standoff between police and a suspected dealer in Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon, the suspect barricaded himself in his home and threatened to harm himself.

But Israeli police were having none of it. A Special Patrol Unit arriving on the scene broke inside despite the threats of self-harm and arrested the man.

The story got stranger when they recovered a knife and — of all things — a toy gun at the scene.

A suspected drug dealer is led away by police. (Credit: Police Spokesperson’s Unit)

Wednesday was apparently the day for drug arrests. Police announced today the arrest of nine suspected drug dealers across the country, the successful culmination of three months’ undercover work.

The undercover agent pretended to be a client seeking to buy drugs, and in the course of the “purchases,” collected information on each unsuspecting suspect, which he then passed to the police.

As the police conducted the arrests, they seized piles of cash, drugs, and even vehicles.

American public support for Israel has fallen across nearly every political and demographic group, with the steepest declines coming from within the Republican Party itself, according to a new CNN analysis that paints a striking picture of how dramatically attitudes have shifted since 2022.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten found that among Republicans under 50, net favorability toward Israel has swung more than 40 points in four years — from +28 points in 2022 to -2 in 2025 and further down to -16 in 2026. Among moderate and liberal Republicans, who make up roughly a third of the party’s base, net favorability dropped from +26 in 2022 to -9 in 2026.

The numbers are even more pronounced among younger male voters — a demographic that was central to Donald Trump’s 2024 coalition. Favorability toward Israel among men under 50 collapsed from -3 points in 2022 to -47 in 2026, a 44-point decline.

On the Democratic side, opposition to Israel — long concentrated among the party’s progressive wing — has now spread to moderates and conservatives. Among non-liberal Democrats, net support for Israel dropped from +3 in 2022 to -55 in 2026, a nearly 60-point swing in four years.

Enten attributed the shift largely to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, particularly Israel’s military campaign following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and pointed specifically to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a contributing factor in eroding American support.

The political consequences are already visible. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of Congress’s most outspoken critics of U.S. support for Israel, is currently favored to win his Republican primary despite opposition from both Trump and major pro-Israel groups, with forecasters giving him roughly a 71% chance of securing the nomination in Kentucky’s 4th District.

Public interest in pro-Israel lobbying has also surged alongside the declining favorability numbers. Google searches for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known as AIPAC, rose 363% in 2026, reflecting heightened scrutiny of the organization’s political influence.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

photos: Achim Lanchevsky, Issac Y.

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday doubled down as U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism showed no sign of letting up, insisting that the message “the world needs to hear today” is one of peace and dialogue.

Leo spoke to journalists aboard the papal plane en route to Cameroon as he continued his Africa visit. He made no mention of Trump’s latest social media post or the suggestion by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, that he should “be careful” when speaking about theology.

Leo took no questions. Rather, he focused on his just-concluded visit to Algeria and the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of his religious order and his own spirituality.

But Leo spoke in terms that suggested the Trump administration’s criticism of the pope’s calls for peace in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran had not gone unnoticed.

Trump has issued repeated broadsides this week against history’s first U.S.-born pope, accusing him of being weak on crime and a captive to the left, and asserting that Leo owed his papacy to Trump. Trump also posted, then took down, an AI-generated, Christ-like image of himself that drew widespread condemnation, even from many supporters.

Overnight, Trump posted “Not good!!!” in response to a post citing social media posts by Leo before he was pope that were critical of Trump. And he wrote: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.”

Leo drew attention to his visit Tuesday to Annaba, the ancient city of Hippo where St. Augustine, the theological and philosophical giant of the early church, lived as a bishop for more than 30 years.

“His writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today, a message that is very real for all of us today as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people,” Leo said.

By going to Hippo, Leo said he wanted to offer the church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers in terms of seeking “unity among all peoples and respect for all people in spite of the differences.”

He recalled that the vast majority of Algerians are Muslim, but that they respect and honor St. Augustine as “one of the great sons of their land.” Such an attitude, he said, helps to build bridges between Christians and Muslims and promote dialogue.

He recalled that the vast majority of Algerians are Muslim, and they respect and honor St. Augustine as “one of the great sons of their land.” He said that attitude helps to build bridges between Christians and Muslims.

And he recalled his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, where he stood in silent prayer.

“I think the visit to the mosque was significant to say that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshiping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” he said.

“And so I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”

Trump’s attacks on Leo began after the pope amplified criticism of war and asserted that God doesn’t bless those who drop bombs. Leo also called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is seeking to halt a major U.S. arms transfer to Israel, announcing plans to force a Senate vote aimed at stopping the sale of bombs and bulldozers valued at nearly $500 million.

“This week, I will be forcing a vote on legislation to block the sale of nearly half a billion dollars worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military,” he said in a post on X.

The senator sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government, accusing it of carrying out “genocide.”

“The extremist Netanyahu government that has committed genocide in Gaza does not need more military support from American taxpayers,” Sanders said in the post.

In a separate message posted Tuesday on another X account, Sanders reiterated his position, calling for immediate action to prevent the transfer.

“This week, I will be forcing a vote to block nearly $500 million in bombs and bulldozers to Israel. Enough is enough.”

He continued by arguing that American funding should not support Israel’s military operations across the region.

“U.S. taxpayers must not keep funding the Netanyahu government’s mass killing and displacement of civilians in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon,” he added.

Sanders had already taken steps last month to advance this effort, introducing joint resolutions designed to stop the proposed sales of both bulldozers and munitions to Israel.

The push comes in the wake of recent coordinated military operations in which the United States and Israel carried out extended strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran over the course of more than a month.

{Matzav.com}

At Tuesday’s historic meeting, in which the United States mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon for the first time in more than 30 years, neither side got what they wanted — but the talks are still being touted as a resounding success.

A joint statement by all three parties laid out what each one brought to the table.

Israel said it wanted to see all terror groups and their infrastructure in Lebanon dismantled. It said it would work with Lebanon’s government to achieve that goal — and thereby security for both their peoples. And it expressed its commitment to continue direct, open negotiations with Lebanon toward that end.

Parties to the talks pose for a quick photo. (From a post on X)

Lebanon demanded a cessation of all hostilities. It laid out “the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty” and called for a ceasefire and aid to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country since the war started.

The United States expressed its support of the Lebanese government’s “plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran’s overbearing influence” and its hope for a full-fledged peace deal. It affirmed its complete backing for Israel’s right to defend itself and insisted that any deal must be “brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track.”

So why is everyone praising the talks?

Israel’s ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, expresses optimism after the talks. (From a post on X)

In the statement, the U.S. congratulated both sides, who have officially been at war since 1948 and hold no diplomatic ties, for agreeing to the talks in the first place. It praised the two countries for committing to future talks and said that such talks can unlock massive potential to create business investments and aid in the reconstruction of Lebanon and its economic recovery.

Speaking to reporters after the talks, Israel’s ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, said, “We discovered today that we are on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with.”

So neither side got what they demanded — but all sides believe these talks signal a historic shift toward peace between Lebanon and Israel.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Tax Day on Wednesday, the deadline for most Americans to file taxes, and the Trump administration says millions of people have already used new breaks such as no tax on tips and overtime, exemptions for interest on certain car loans, deductions for some seniors, and Trump Accounts for children’s savings.

More than 53 million filers claimed a deduction under one of those provisions from Republicans’ massive tax and spending law, a Treasury official told reporters Tuesday ahead of the deadline, with 6 million people claiming no tax on tips, 21 million claiming the overtime deduction and 30 million older Americans claiming the enhanced deduction.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the numbers, said the 2026 filing season was a success from the administration’s perspective.

Still, the latest data comes as most Americans, or 7 in 10, still think their taxes are too high, according to recent polling, despite the passage of the Republican tax law which promised big savings for taxpayers.

As the tax season kicked off in January, the White House boasted that average returns were projected to rise by at least $1,000. But currently, the average refund amount is $3,462, according to the latest IRS data, which is up 11% or about $350 from last tax year’s $3,116 average refund payment.

Treasury has shifted its messaging to tout that tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office.

The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s tax cuts as a way to get voters more enthusiastic about the way he’s handling the economy ahead of November’s midterm elections, but the message has been overshadowed for weeks by higher gas prices caused by the war in Iran.

The 2026 season comes as the IRS has gone through a leadership turnover and reduced its workforce by 27% over the past year through cuts brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency.

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano is set to testify in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

In his public testimony to lawmakers, Bisignano planned to tout the IRS’ implementation of the Republican tax law.

However, Democratic lawmakers zeroed in on IRS disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.

MK Yoav Ben Tzur said he believes legislation regulating military exemptions for yeshiva students will be approved before the end of the current Knesset term, while launching a sharp attack on the judiciary and the attorney general.

Speaking against the backdrop of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Ben Tzur referenced remarks made during High Court proceedings about what he described as the potential “destruction of the Torah world,” drawing a comparison between the Jewish people’s past suffering and current tensions in Israel. “More than six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust… and even in the darkest period our people faced, we survived as a nation in order to continue the chain of generations through Jewish tradition,” he said, adding that today, “specifically here, in the Jewish state… they want to dismantle the Torah world.”

According to Ben Tzur, many in the chareidi public feel they are under sustained pressure from elements within the legal system. “The atmosphere is that both the attorney general and the Supreme Court are looking for every possible way to restrict us,” he claimed, warning that the public discourse is spilling over into incitement. “They are trying at any cost to incite… and that incitement is slowly filtering into the public.”

At the same time, he called for greater unity, invoking the days of Sefiras HaOmer and the lesson from Rabi Akiva’s talmidim. He argued that the divisions within Israeli society stem not only from ideological disagreements but from a lack of mutual respect. “They did not treat one another with respect,” he said, expressing regret over the deep internal strife.

The debate also centered on the proposed draft law, which Ben Tzur described as an urgent necessity. “I think it is important to pass this law. We have no other choice,” he said, explaining that the goal is to formalize the status of Torah learners and remove the constant uncertainty they face. Still, he acknowledged the unknowns ahead: “What will happen afterward? We do not know, but we are making our efforts,” particularly in light of the possibility of High Court intervention.

He concluded on a cautiously optimistic note, saying efforts are ongoing to reach agreements and that the outcome will also depend on rabbinic leadership. “We hope and are working to regulate the status of Torah learners,” he said, expressing confidence that despite the challenges, the law will pass before the end of the current term.

{Matzav.com}

Naftali Bennett announced on Wednesday that his Bennett 2026 party is integrating the anti-Chareidi “Shoulder to Shoulder” organization into its ranks, and its founder, Yonatan Shalev, will be placed near the top of the party’s list and will join its leadership.

The organization, founded in 2024, became known for its campaign against the Chareidi public on issues related to the draft law, which they called the “evasion law,” claiming to be working to ease the burden on those who serve.

Following the announcement, Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, slammed Shalev, calling him a “draft law fraud” and accusing him of exploiting the war for personal political gain.

“Someone who pretended to lead a grassroots struggle against the draft law was exposed this morning as just another political player who exploited the army and the war for his personal advancement,” Bismuth wrote.

“The one who called the draft law ‘Yisra-bluff’ has been revealed as the real bluff himself, after joining someone who has already proven he has no problem breaking promises and stealing votes.”

Journalist Shirit Avitan wrote: “I don’t remember who told me that Yonatan Shalev was working for Bennett while appearing in news studios. So, anonymous person—turns out you were right.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

ATHENS, Georgia (AP) — Fresh from a marathon trip to Pakistan that failed to reach a deal for ending the war with Iran, Vice President JD Vance jetted to this Georgia college town for a campus tour organized by the conservative powerhouse Turning Point USA.

But instead of showcasing the youthful energy that the organization harnessed to return President Donald Trump to the White House less than two years ago, there was a mostly empty arena, awkward questions and unusually sharp criticism.

The event affirmed Trump’s difficulty selling the war and how much he’s complicated his own political fortunes by assailing Pope Leo XIV and posting a social media meme that depicted himself as Jesus.

“I did vote for Trump. I am not a Trump supporter anymore,” said Joseph Bercher, a Catholic who said he was glad that Leo has expressed opposition to the war with Iran.

Bercher said the Jesus meme, which the president took down Monday after a rare conservative backlash, was a “red flag” indicating Trump’s true character.

“He sees himself as like a demagogue or someone to be worshipped,” Bercher said.

C.J. Santini, a recent graduate of Liberty University, an evangelical school in Virginia, said he didn’t have an opinion on whether Iran was truly close to manufacturing a nuclear weapon and thus needed to be attacked. But he laughed and shook his head when asked about Trump attacking Leo.

“It’s just stupid. Stupid,” he said, calling it a “distraction” from Trump’s agenda in Iran and at home.

Mostly empty arena contrasts with 2024 rallies
Many of the college-age attendees donned Turning Point attire, Trump hats and red-white-and-blue paraphernalia for the event. Yet they were outnumbered more than 2-to-1 by empty seats in what is not even the largest arena on this sprawling campus that sits about a 90-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.

A Marine veteran who served in Iraq, Vance acknowledged that not all young conservatives are enamored with another U.S. war in the Middle East.

“I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,” Vance told the young crowd. “What I’m saying,” he added, “is don’t get disengaged.”

The vice president took questions from Turning Point executive Andrew Kolvet instead of Erika Kirk, who began leading the organization after the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk. Kolvet said Erika Kirk canceled her plans to be on stage because of unspecified threats she had received.

Vance, whose presence ensured significant Secret Service and other law enforcement protection around the venue, said he’d been worried that the event would be canceled altogether.

Kolvet asked Vance directly about the war and Trump’s back-and-forth with Leo. Audience questions were more aggressive. Vance jousted with at least one heckler over the war in Gaza, and he was pressed by another person over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

In the audience, even some of Vance’s sympathetic listeners offered caveats and critiques.

“The pope needs to stay out of politics,” said Jessie Williams, a Methodist. But he noted his mother is Catholic, and he said he understands why Catholics recoil at Trump calling the pope “weak” and suggesting that the first U.S.-born pontiff was chosen only as a counter to Trump.

Williams called Trump’s meme distasteful.

“I don’t like it, but it’s — what can we do?” Williams said. “He’s a grown man, he’s gonna do what he wants.”

Blake McCluggage, a Baptist, said he did not approve of the meme or Trump’s profane Easter Sunday message that threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure.

The threat, plus Trump’s follow up message that a “whole civilization” would die, prompted escalating criticism from Leo, with the pope calling the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”

However, McCluggage said, “you can still be a Republican” despite disagreeing with Trump.

Vance adjusts his comments about the pope
A day before coming to Georgia, Vance tried to laugh off the meme as a joke that “a lot of people weren’t understanding.” The vice president also seemed to echo Trump’s assertion that Leo should concentrate less on global affairs.

“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said in a Fox News interview.

On stage in Athens, he shifted his arguments, saying he welcomes Leo’s comments even if he disagrees with them.

“At the very least, it invites conversation,” said Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult.

Still, Vance questioned Leo anew, pushing back specifically at the pope’s Palm Sunday assertion that God does not hear the prayers of those who make war. Leo was quoting scripture from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Vance asked whether God was on the side of Allied forces in World War II as they liberated Jewish survivors of Nazi extermination camps.

“I certainly think the answer is yes,” Vance said. When Leo mixes global affairs and complex theology, Vance said, “it’s very important for the pope to be careful.”

PARIS (AP) — The rapper formerly known as Kanye West postponed his upcoming show in the city of Marseille after French authorities said they would seek to ban the concert.

The decision by Ye came a week after he was banned from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, following a backlash over the artist’s history of antisemitic remarks.

“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” Ye wrote Wednesday on the social network X. “I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends.”

The rapper, who changed his name in 2021, had been expected to play at Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome on June 11.

French Interior minister Laurent Nuñez had pledged to explore “all possibilities” to make sure the show would not go on as planned, according to his office.

Earlier this year, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan opposed the rapper’s visit to one of France’s most multicultural cities, which has a history of immigration stretching back centuries.

“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan said. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of community and home to all Marseillais.”

Ye has drawn widespread condemnation for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Ye released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website last year. Officials in Australia canceled the musician’s visa in July after the release of the single.

The 48-year-old apologized in January with a letter published as a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”

Ye said in his latest message on X, “I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows. See you at the top of the globe.”

What if you could learn Hilchos Shabbos really well and gain a mastery of it? Enter Machon Smicha’s highly anticipated Hilchos Shabbos Certification, a program offering a structured path to mastering core areas of Hilchos Shabbos, and receiving a Teudas Bekius upon completion.

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President Donald Trump has again threatened to fire Jerome Powell if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank’s governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump told Fox Business in an interview that aired Wednesday when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed’s independence to set rates. A federal prosecutor last month admitted that the investigation into the renovations had turned up no evidence of a crime.

Powell’s term as Fed governor expires May 15, but his term as a Fed board member lasts until January 2028.

Trump has nominated former Fed official Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. Yet Warsh’s confirmation has been delayed. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he won’t vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the investigation is dropped.

(AP)

A 99-year-old Holocaust survivor who endured Auschwitz and Nazi medical experiments has become a powerful symbol of resilience and faith after returning to religious observance at the age of 97 and beginning to learn in kollel.

Shimon Rothschild, who was featured on Kol Chai radio’s “Shtayim B’tzaharayim” program hosted by Pesach BaGad on Holocaust Remembrance Day, shared harrowing memories from his childhood in Poland near Auschwitz, offering a firsthand account of terror, survival, and spiritual renewal.

Recalling one of his earliest traumatic experiences, Rothschild described how, at just 11 years old, he watched Jews being hanged outside his window. “They are hiding, and you’re afraid that maybe someone will see you when you’re looking,” he said, recounting the fear that gripped him even as he tried to process what he was witnessing.

He went on to describe life in the ghetto, where he was forced into labor at the age of 12 under constant threat of starvation. He also recalled being herded with his community into a soccer field for three days without food or basic necessities. “You can imagine what went on there… no bathrooms, no sleep,” he said.

Rothschild’s survival story is marked by a series of moments that he describes as open miracles. One of the most dramatic occurred upon arrival at Auschwitz, when he attempted to save his younger sister. “Father was in shock… I said I have nothing to lose, I’m stepping out of line,” he recounted, describing how he placed her in the care of a woman in the women’s barracks.

In a split-second decision that ultimately saved his life, Rothschild managed to slip into a group of boys selected for medical experiments conducted by a Wehrmacht doctor. “He said ‘he belongs here’ in German… thanks to that I stayed alive, otherwise our entire family was destroyed,” he said.

After surviving the infamous Death March, during which he saw fellow prisoners murdered along the way, Rothschild returned to Poland, only to encounter continued antisemitism and hostility. “They were happy that they were killing the Jews, and they took all the property,” he said bitterly.

Following a period in Czechoslovakia, he eventually immigrated to Israel, where he built his life.

In recent years, at the age of 97, Rothschild underwent a profound spiritual transformation, returning to religious observance. He now sets aside time daily for Torah study and even dedicated a Sefer Torah in memory of his father, a Gerer chossid.

Today, his story inspire others with his message of faith and perseverance — that even at an advanced age, “kol zeman sheaner doleik – as long as the candle is burning, it is still possible to repair.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that “very detailed” measures to verify Iran’s nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for the thorough verification regime for Iran’s nuclear program, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks with Iran could happen over the next two days.

The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn’t developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear program.

Last weekend in Pakistan, an initial round of talks between the two countries failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a central sticking point. But an Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran has a very ambitious, wide nuclear program so all of that will require the presence of IAEA inspectors,” Grossi told reporters in Seoul. “Otherwise, you will not have an agreement. You will have an illusion of an agreement.”

He said that any agreement on nuclear technology “requires very detailed verification mechanisms.”

Iran has not allowed the IAEA access to its nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential IAEA report circulated to member states and seen by The Associated Press in February.

The report stressed that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities,” or the “size of Iran’s uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.”

Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western nations say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003.

The IAEA has maintained Iran has a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, Grossi said earlier.

Such highly enriched nuclear material should normally be verified every month, according to the IAEA’s guidelines.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Grossi also said his agency has confirmed “a rapid increase” in activities at nuclear facilities in North Korea. His comments echoed a view by many foreign observers that North Korea has taken steps to expand its main Yongbyon nuclear complex and build additional uranium-enrichment sites since its diplomacy with the U.S. collapsed in 2019.

Last September, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said that North Korea was operating four uranium enrichment facilities and that they were running everyday.

Dear Dr. Roberts,

There are thank-yous that are easy to write, and then there are those that are harder, because what’s being given is not just an event, but something much deeper.

Your Chol HaMoed carnival has become a highlight of Yom Tov for so many families. On the surface, it’s a day of rides, laughter, and excitement.

What stands out just as much is what goes into it. This is not something you simply put together and move on from. It is clear that you go back after each one, reviewing, refining, and thinking through every detail to make it even greater the next time. That level of care is felt in the experience itself.

But behind the scenes, there’s another story.

In my role working closely with families who are struggling financially, I see firsthand what Yom Tov can look like for them. The expenses are overwhelming, and even the basics require real sacrifice. Outings and extras are often simply not an option.

And then comes your carnival.

For those families, it’s not just something nice. It’s everything. It’s the rare moment a parent can say yes without hesitation. Where children can experience pure simcha, without limits, without reminders of what isn’t possible.

That kind of relief, that kind of dignity, it matters more than most people realize.

You’re not just creating a carnival. You’re creating space for families to breathe, for children to feel included, and for Yom Tov to feel whole.

Thank you for seeing that need, and for meeting it in such a powerful way.

With deep admiration,

Elimelech Weinreb
Executive Director
Dating Resources Network

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the global Jewish population stands at 15.8 million, according to data released on Sunday by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), a figure that remains below pre-World War II levels.

Of the total, about 7.2 million Jews, roughly 45% of the global Jewish population, live in Israel, while approximately 6.3 million, about 40%, reside in the United States. Together, the two countries are home to about 85% of Jews worldwide.

By comparison, in 1939, on the eve of World War II, the global Jewish population was estimated at 16.6 million, with only 449,000, about 3%, living in what would later become the State of Israel.

Beyond Israel and the United States, Jewish communities are spread across several countries, though in significantly smaller numbers. France has about 436,000 Jews, Canada 407,000, the United Kingdom 315,000, Argentina 168,000, Germany 126,000, Russia 120,000 and Australia 117,000.

Compared with data published two years ago, the Jewish population has declined in several countries. France saw a slight drop from 440,000 to 436,000, while Russia experienced a sharper decline from 132,000 to 120,000, nearly 10% over two years. Argentina also recorded a decrease, from 171,000 to 168,000.

In contrast, Canada saw an increase despite a rise in reported antisemitic incidents, growing from 398,000 in 2023 to 407,000 in the latest report.

According to the CBS, about 111,000 Holocaust survivors and victims of antisemitic persecution during the Holocaust era are currently living in Israel. Women make up 63% of survivors, while men account for 37%.

Approximately 6% of survivors immigrated to Israel before the establishment of the state. About 30.2% arrived during the major immigration wave between 1948 and 1951, another 30.2% between 1952 and 1989, and roughly one-third, 33.6%, immigrated since the 1990s, mainly from former Soviet Union countries.

About 37% were born between 1939 and 1945 and are now between 80 and 85 years old. Around 35% are aged 86 to 89, while approximately 28% are aged 90 or older.
Nearly half, 49.3%, are widowed, while 38.2% are married, 10.6% divorced and about 2% single. Of the married survivors, 18,700 are married to another survivor, meaning there are currently about 9,300 households in Israel where both partners are Holocaust survivors.

Around 95% of Holocaust survivors in Israel live in urban areas, with only about 5% residing in rural communities, a distribution similar to the general population.

About 42% live in large cities with populations exceeding 200,000. Approximately 7,500 reside in Haifa, 7,100 in Jerusalem, 6,000 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 5,500 in Ashdod, 5,400 in Netanya, 4,700 in Petah Tikva, and about 4,600 each in Beersheba and Rishon Lezion.

The data, compiled using information from the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, underscores both the global distribution of Jewish communities and the aging population of survivors, as the world marks Holocaust Remembrance Day.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Dozens of boats carrying activists and aid for Palestinians in Gaza set sail from the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona on Wednesday.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world will participate, with campaigners saying it’s the biggest civilian-led mobilization of its kind against Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territory.

Nearly 40 boats were leaving Barcelona while the rest will join the fleet from other ports along the Mediterranean as they sail eastward, according to Thiago Ávila, one of the flotilla’s leaders who spoke at a news conference in Barcelona on Sunday during a symbolic send-off event. Bad weather had forced organizers to delay their departure, which was originally planned for April 12.

As attention has turned to the Iran war, activists hope that their latest mission will revive attention to the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza.

photos: Avrumi Berger

Four israeli Border Police soldiers stationed at the Beit Horon base have been sentenced to time in a military prison after lighting a barbecue on Shabbos, an act deemed a violation of both orders and religious observance regulations.

The incident came to light after a non-commissioned officer noticed the activity while passing through the base. According to a report by Kan News, the officer confronted the soldiers over the breach, prompting them to immediately put out the fire. The NCO subsequently reported the matter to the base commander.

Following a disciplinary hearing, the soldiers were originally handed 20-day prison sentences. However, after filing an appeal challenging the severity of the punishment, the sentence was cut in half to 10 days, which they are now serving.

Border Police officials supported the ruling by the commanders, stating that “this constitutes a serious violation of orders.”

Family members of the soldiers strongly criticized the decision, maintaining that the penalty was excessive given the circumstances. “These are soldiers with no prior complaints, and there should be a scale in sentencing,” they said.

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not alter his stance to stay out of the war in Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to tear up a trade deal with the U.K.

Trump told Sky News on Tuesday night that the U.K. had not been there when the U.S. needed their help. Trump said the so-called special relationship between the allies had been better.

“It’s been better, but it’s sad,” Trump said. “And we gave them a good trade deal. Better than I had to. Which can always be changed.”

Starmer said a lot of pressure had been put on him to change course, including Trump’s latest remarks.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Starmer said. “I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.”

🚨 WATCH: Keir Starmer says he will not "yield" to Donald Trump after he threatened to rip up the UK-US trade deal over Iran

"I am not going to change my mind. I am not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war" pic.twitter.com/ewlwD010FA

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 15, 2026

NEW YORK (VINnews) — More than a year before Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion, Iran secretly bought a Chinese surveillance satellite that was later used to help target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, according to a Financial Times report on Wednesday.

Citing leaked Iranian military documents, the newspaper said that the TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by the Chinese company Earth Eye Co., was purchased by the air force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in late 2024.

According to the report, Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor key U.S. military sites. The Financial Times said the leaked material included lists of coordinates with time stamps, satellite imagery and orbital analysis.

The images were taken in March, before and after missile and drone strikes on those locations, the report said. Among the sites photographed was Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14 and 15, the same days President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. aircraft had been hit there.

The satellite also tracked U.S. bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq, the report said, with particular attention to the times when attacks took place at those sites.

As part of the deal with the Chinese company, the Revolutionary Guards also received access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based provider of satellite control and data services whose network extends across Asia, Latin America and other regions, according to the report.

CAIRO (AP) — Mediators moved closer Wednesday to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations to salvage the fragile truce before it expires next week. A senior Iranian military official threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade, underscoring tensions that are overshadowing the diplomacy.

The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats have imperiled the week-old agreement, but regional officials said Wednesday they were making progress, telling The Associated Press that the United States and Iran had given an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy.

The commander of Iran’s joint military command warned Wednesday that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the U.S. military does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.

“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” said Ali Abdollahi, calling the blockade “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.” His comments were reported by Iranian state media.

Before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22, mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages — according to one of the regional officials who is involved in mediation efforts.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

World leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday that revived talks in the upcoming days were likely.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

See more about the event here.

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, pushed back against the Pope’s criticism of the administration’s policies, calling on the Vatican to refrain from involvement in U.S. immigration matters as tensions between the two sides intensify.

Speaking Tuesday outside the White House, Homan said he was offering his personal view as a lifelong Catholic, emphasizing that church leadership should not intervene in decisions related to American border enforcement, according to a report by The Hill.

He argued that those opposing the administration’s stricter immigration measures might change their perspective if they witnessed conditions firsthand at the southern border, pointing to cases involving human trafficking and migrant fatalities as justification for the current approach, The Hill reported.

Homan also commented on a now-removed Truth Social post that showed Trump in what appeared to be a religious setting, saying the president rejected any religious interpretation and instead viewed the image as portraying him as a doctor “healing” people, according to The Hill’s account.

His remarks come as tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV have become more public, with disagreements spanning immigration policy and broader international issues, The Hill noted.

Trump has also publicly criticized the Pope, describing him as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” according to remarks captured on video and circulated by C-SPAN.

The Pope, in turn, has responded that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and that his comments are rooted in his religious mission, saying he is simply preaching the gospel, according to the same coverage.

{Matzav.com}

In what may be one of the most dramatic legal confrontations in Israel’s history, the Supreme Court convened a panel of judges to discuss the removal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The hearing, held under extremely tight restrictions and closed to the public, is based on claims that Ben-Gvir overstepped his authority by interfering in police operations and politicizing law enforcement. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara argues that his conduct undermines the independence of the police and warrants an immediate dismissal.

However, many in the coalition pushed back, calling the entire ordeal “unconstitutional,” arguing that only an elected government and not the courts has the authority to remove a minister.

Ben-Gvir himself, in his usual manner, was defiant ahead of the hearing, effectively embracing the accusations. “They say I changed the police? They’re right,” he said, arguing that voters elected him specifically to implement such policies.

אזרחי ישראל, גלי בהרב מיארה אומרת שאני קובע מדיניות ומשנה את המשטרה. היא צודקת.

גלי בהרב מיארה אומרת שאני מתערב במינויים, שמיניתי כבר יותר מאלף ומאה קצינים כדי ליישם את המדיניות שלי. היא צודקת גם בזה.

גלי בהרב מיארה אומרת שאני נותן גיבוי ללוחמים שלנו, כשזרקו על מגבניקים… pic.twitter.com/HFCJefccTG

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) April 15, 2026

The stakes are enormous. If the Supreme Court orders the dismissal of Ben Gvir, it could trigger another direct clash between the Knesset and the high court, plunging Israel into a constitutional crisis, similar to the one that took place when Bibi was pushing for a judicial reform. The case is unfolding against the backdrop of years of these tensions over judicial power in Israel, including battles over court authority, government control, and the balance between democracy and judicial oversight.

The good news in all of this is that, according to many analysts, an order to dismiss Ben Gvir will cause an uproar on the right, which can give them the momentum they need to secure a win in the looming elections. Either way, it will be interesting to watch.

JERUSALEM — Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, a former commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ 52nd Battalion, will temporarily return to lead the unit after its current commander was wounded in southern Lebanon, the military said Wednesday.

Ella previously commanded the 52nd Battalion, part of the 401st Armored Brigade, and was moderately wounded during fighting in Gaza in July 2024. He was succeeded by Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev, who was severely wounded in October 2024. Ella then briefly served as acting commander until the latest battalion commander assumed the role. That officer was seriously wounded in combat in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

The IDF confirmed Ella will again serve as acting commander of the battalion.

The 52nd Battalion has seen intense combat in both the Gaza Strip and along the Lebanon border since the outbreak of the current wars. Israeli forces continue operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

You can download and print it here.

לג בעומר - אנגלית

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that while recent negotiations with Iran did not yield an agreement, he remains hopeful that a deal can still be reached, pointing to progress made and continued diplomatic engagement.

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, Vance reflected on the unprecedented nature of the weekend talks in Pakistan, where senior U.S. and Iranian officials met face-to-face.

“It’s a meeting that had never before happened. We had never had a meeting like that where you have the person who’s effectively running the country in Iran sitting across from the Vice President of the United States,” Vance said of the meetings in Islamabad.

JD Vance:

The person who is effectively running Iran sat across from the Vice President of the U.S.—that had never happened.

I think those people wanted to make a deal… you never know, though. pic.twitter.com/F8f0XYjfLW

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 14, 2026

He acknowledged the deep distrust that has defined relations between the two countries for decades but suggested that both sides showed a willingness to move forward.

“Look, honestly, after 49 years, there’s a lot of mistrust between Iran and the United States of America. You’re not going to solve that problem overnight. But yeah, I think the people we’re sitting across from wanted to make a deal. And I know the President of the United States told us to go out there and negotiate in good faith. That’s what we did. That’s what we’re going to keep on doing. You never know though,” he added.

Vance also outlined President Donald Trump’s broader vision for a potential agreement, describing it as a sweeping arrangement that could reshape Iran’s future if it abandons its nuclear ambitions.

“[Trump] said, ‘If you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive, we’re going to make it economically prosperous’, and we’re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven’t been in my entire life. And that’s the kind of Trumpian grand bargain that the president has put on the table. We’re going to keep on negotiating and try to make it happen because it would be great for the world, it’d be great for our country, it’d be great for everybody,” said the Vice President.

Although Vance had indicated early Sunday that the Pakistan talks ended without a deal, discussions appear to be ongoing behind the scenes. According to a CNN report Monday, administration officials are considering plans for a follow-up, in-person meeting with Iranian representatives.

In a separate interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday, Vance reiterated that while no final agreement was reached, the discussions were not without progress.

He emphasized that the next phase depends largely on Tehran’s response.

“the ball really is in [the Iranians’] court. We’ve made clear where we’re willing, again, to be accommodating, and we’ve made clear where we absolutely need to see the nuclear material come out of the country of Iran.”

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Dr. Eddy Cohen is an Arabist and senior researcher specializing in analyzing media and political discourse in Arab countries. Cohen, born in Lebanon, is an expert in the history of Jews in Arab lands and in minorities in the Middle East. He shared his views on the direct negotiations currently taking place between Israel and Lebanon.

The Lebanese government, led by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has recently made repeated requests to conduct direct negotiations with Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially announced this: “In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I have instructed the cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” he said less than a week ago. Netanyahu also addressed residents of northern Israel, clarifying that there is no ceasefire in Lebanon, while in Lebanon they are relying on direct negotiations to achieve a ceasefire.

In any case, the talks were held on Tuesday for the first time in the United States between Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yehiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S., Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, with American mediation. This marks the first open direct negotiation between the two countries since the 1980s, aside from the indirect maritime agreement of 2022. An atmosphere of optimism emerged from the meeting. The Israeli ambassador conveyed strong optimism: “The talks were excellent, in a great atmosphere. We are united in the need to free Lebanon from Hezbollah.”

The question now being asked is: why now? Why are the Lebanese, who until recently boycotted Israel, declared us enemies, refused to be photographed with Israelis at international events, and stigmatized anyone supporting normalization, now seeking, even pleading for, direct negotiations? The simple answer is: they want a ceasefire and fear that the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah will expand and damage the country’s interests to the point of collapse.

It is important to note that the Lebanese government and much of the Lebanese public are not particularly concerned about Hezbollah, except for the Shiite community. Any harm to Hezbollah serves the interests of the Lebanese establishment and most of the population. Southern Lebanon is already largely devastated. The south, long neglected by successive Lebanese governments, is of little interest to the Lebanese elite.

However, now that Israel has begun striking buildings in Beirut, alongside warnings of attacks on strategic sites throughout Lebanon, and not just in the south, Lebanese leaders understand they must achieve an immediate ceasefire. Not out of love for Israel or concern for northern Israeli residents, but out of fear of a broader escalation that would severely damage what remains of Lebanon.

We should remember that the country is in a severe economic and social crisis, and the war with Israel, triggered by Hezbollah joining the “Swords of Iron” war in October 2023, has caused widespread destruction in southern Lebanon, heavy casualties, and mass displacement from the south toward Beirut and further north. The Lebanese leadership-Aoun, Salam, and Parliament Speaker and Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri- hopes to restore state sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah or at least weaken it, stop the fighting, and secure international aid. They see direct negotiations as an opportunity to separate “the State of Lebanon” from “the State of Hezbollah” and save the country from collapse. In contrast, Hezbollah, led by Naim Qassem, strongly opposes this, calling it a “humiliating surrender.”

From Israel’s perspective, Netanyahu emphasizes that the negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and achieving a historic peace arrangement, and Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in advance. In Lebanon, however, officials clarify that the purpose of direct negotiations is solely to achieve a ceasefire and nothing more. No one on the Lebanese side is talking about normalization.

A preliminary security agreement with Lebanon may be achievable. The points of dispute are not numerous. Lebanon demands a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and arrangements for existing border disputes. There are still 13–14 disputed points along the land border, including Rosh HaNikra, the Shebaa Farms, Mount Dov, and the village of Ghajar. These are not currently the top priority but may arise later.

As someone who was born and raised in Lebanon and knows the country well, I can say with certainty that a significant portion of the population wants normalization with Israel. Another segment wants to be saved from Hezbollah, as they believe they were saved from the Palestinians in 1982 during the 1982 Lebanon War, which led to the election of Bachir Gemayel as president. However, we all know what happened after his election and assassination.

Israel must think outside the box and conduct a different kind of negotiation. Even if Hezbollah is involved, the Lebanese establishment is responsible for it, and this has been the consistent claim of Israeli leaders. In my view, the first clause in the negotiations must focus on the Lebanese side. Israel should demand that Lebanon pay compensation for all damages caused by Hezbollah. After all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization, and Lebanon initiated the last two wars against Israel, not the other way around. Demanding compensation would also serve as a deterrent in the near future.

Additionally and most importantly, Israel must demand that the Lebanese government designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. While it may be difficult for Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, it should not be difficult to pass a government resolution to this effect. Without such a designation, there is no point in continuing negotiations. Such a definition would prevent Lebanon and its leaders from playing a double game, a tactic our enemies excel at.

Perhaps it is time to learn from the Iranians how to conduct negotiations. From the Jibril deal to the Gilad Shalit deal, Israel has not exactly excelled in negotiating with its enemies.

An attempted arson attack on the Beth Yaakov synagogue and Jewish community building in Skopje has sent a jolt through one of Europe’s smallest Jewish communities. According to local reporting, community officials, and North Macedonian authorities cited in public statements, two suspects were seen approaching the site before the entrance was doused with accelerant and set ablaze. The fire damaged the door and courtyard area. No injuries were reported, and police say an investigation is underway.

Beth Yaakov is the only functioning Jewish house of worship in North Macedonia and serves as the center of organized Jewish life in the country. Community leaders described the incident as the first attack of its kind in the country’s modern history, a stunning breach in a place long seen as relatively stable for Jewish life in the Balkans.

The attack took place during Passover and on Orthodox Easter morning, turning what should have been a period of faith and continuity into a moment of fear. North Macedonia’s foreign minister publicly condemned the attack as “utterly unacceptable,” while Jewish organizations said the assault was not just against a building, but against coexistence itself. European Jewish leaders also warned that the incident reflects the vulnerability of Jewish sites across the continent, even in countries where open antisemitic violence has historically been rare.

For Skopje’s Jews, the story carries a deeper historical weight. In 1943, 7,144 Macedonian Jews were deported to Treblinka, and about 98% of the community was murdered in the Holocaust. The current community is only a fraction of what once existed, and Beth Yaakov is more than a synagogue. It is a symbol of survival, continuity, and the rebuilding of Jewish life after near-annihilation. That is why even limited physical damage lands as something far bigger: a direct strike at memory, identity, and the sense that this small remnant community could live without looking over its shoulder.

Police are reviewing surveillance footage, witnesses are being interviewed, and additional security measures have reportedly been put in place around Jewish sites. But the larger test goes beyond arrests. It is whether a country that has long presented itself as a model of multiethnic coexistence can stop imported hatred, political radicalization, and anti-Jewish incitement before they harden into something worse.

King Charles is scheduled to hold a private meeting and tea with President Donald Trump during his upcoming state visit to the United States, as British officials look to leverage the monarchy’s influence to help mend strained relations following the Iran war.

The king and Queen Camilla will travel to the U.S. beginning April 27 for a four-day visit, officially marking 250 years since American independence from Britain. However, the trip carries added weight as tensions have grown between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the aftermath of the conflict.

“The visit … recognizes the challenges the United Kingdom, the United States, and our allies face across the world,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Tuesday. “This visit is a moment to reaffirm and renew our bilateral ties as we address those challenges together, in the UK’s national interest.”

According to details released by the palace, Trump and first lady Melania Trump will welcome the royal couple in Washington with a private tea, followed by formal ceremonies at the White House, including an official greeting, a state dinner, and a one-on-one meeting between the president and the monarch.

As previously announced, King Charles will also speak before Congress, becoming only the second British monarch to do so, following Queen Elizabeth’s address in 1991. The royal visit will then continue to New York, where Charles and Camilla plan to meet with families affected by the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The U.S. portion of the trip will conclude with a stop in Virginia, after which the king will continue on to Bermuda, where he serves as head of state.

Beyond the ceremonial elements, British officials are hoping the visit underscores what a Foreign Office spokesperson described as “the closest of friendships.”

That relationship has faced increasing strain since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, with Trump repeatedly criticizing Britain and Starmer for what he sees as insufficient support for the military effort.

He has dismissed Starmer as “not Winston Churchill” and Britain’s aircraft carriers as “toys,” although the president’s affection for Charles and the British royals has remained unwavering.

Public sentiment in Britain toward Trump remains largely negative, according to recent polling, and some political figures have called for the visit to be canceled altogether.

“(Trump) is a dangerous and corrupt ⁠gangster, and that is how we must treat him,” Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrat party, said in parliament ⁠on Monday.

“I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side. We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”

Starmer, for his part, has attempted to navigate a careful line—keeping distance from the conflict while avoiding direct confrontation with Trump—while emphasizing the enduring importance of U.S.-UK ties.

“The monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades on a situation like this,” Starmer said.

{Matzav.com}

Shas MK Yinon Azulai submitted an official complaint on Wednesday morning to the Ombudsman for Complaints Against Judges, retired judge Asher Kula, against three Supreme Court justices, Yitzchak Amit, Khaled Kabub, and Yechiel Kasher.

Last Shabbos, in the middle of the war, the judges violated the religious status quo in Israel for an “urgent” ruling allowing hundreds of leftists to gather at anti-war protests, at a time when only 50 mispallelim were allowed to gather at the Kosel for tefillos.

In the complaint, MK Azulai wrote that the justices blatantly violated the Hours of Work and Rest Law and the long‑standing status quo preserved in Israel for decades. “This conduct constitutes a real violation of the rule of law and of public trust and sentiment,” he stated.

Azulai strongly rejected the claim that the situation justified Chillul Shabbos, saying that there was no real urgency, certainly not one rising to the level of pikuach nefesh, as the judges claimed.

Azulai emphasized that the justices not only harmed the feelings of the religious and Chareidi public, but also violated the rights of state employees, police officers, and respondents to the petition, who were forced to work on the day of rest without legal authorization and in violation of the Hours of Work and Rest Law.

“Shabbos is a national and religious treasure of the Jewish people,” Azulai concluded, demanding that the Ombudsman thoroughly examine the conduct of the judicial panel and establish clear norms to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The complaint followed a sharply worded statement of protest against the Shabbos ruling by the Rabbanut, which convened this past Sunday for a special session to address the issue.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East in the coming days, with over 10,000 expected to arrive this month, U.S. officials told The Washington Post.

The forces on the way to the region include about 6,000 troops aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and several accompanying warships, officials told the Post,  speaking on condition of anonymity. Another 4,200 troops from other units are expected to arrive toward the end of the month.

The troops will join approximately 50,000 army personnel who are already in the region, and the USS George H.W. Bush will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald Ford—just as the two-week ceasefire is set to expire on April 22.

Two US officials said that the Pentagon is continuing plans for possible ground operations in Iran, including a special forces operation to nab Iran’s enriched uranium and seizures of islands or coastal areas related to the Strait of Hormuz.

The arrival of additional U.S. warships will further increase pressure on Iran and provide Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, and other senior military leaders with more options if negotiations fail, said James Foggo, a retired Navy admiral and dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy in Northern Virginia.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the expanding military presence and said in a statement that Trump “has wisely kept all options on the table in case the Iranians do not abandon their nuclear ambitions and reach an agreement acceptable to the United States.”

She added that Trump, along with Vance, “has made the U.S. red lines very clear,” and predicted that “Iran’s desperation for a deal will only increase” as the blockade remains in place.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

WATCH:

A Nazareth mother of four was arrested in March for allegedly spying for Iran in exchange for hundreds of dollars, the Shin Bet and Israel Police revealed on Wednesday.

The suspect, Shuma Abu Aabed, was in contact with a foreign agent and carried out numerous security-related tasks in exchange for payment. Prosecutors say that she photographed the oil refineries in Haifa, a Home Front Command base in Nazareth, the Golani Brigade memorial, and other sensitive security sites in Israel, and even sent live location data for the sites. She also transferred information about an Israeli citizen who is a former security official and photographed commercial centers, buildings, and military locations in Nazareth and sent coordinates and visual documentation.

According to the indictment, Abu Aabed exploited her access to Transportation Ministry databases through her job at a company that provided services to the ministry to carry out some of the missions. She provided details about her workplace, how the systems operate, and provided visual documentation.

Investigators said that she continued carrying out the missions despite suspecting early on that she was being directed by Iranian agents.

In addition, she sent a link to the Home Front Command recruitment website and wrote: “In my opinion, a simple and quick plan, an attack on the next generation. Destroying it is destroying the future. A filthy people, there is no need for training or recruiting children the size of adults, defeating an entire generation, just as they have always acted in their oppression.” In the same conversation, she sent links to the Golani Brigade Facebook page and website. The foreign agent instructed her not to search for information about sensitive military bases online due to the sensitive situation in the country and the fear that their activity would be exposed.

Abu Abed admitted to the charges, and there is extensive supporting evidence, including documentation from her cellphone.

Staff Sergeant Rasha Khalil, a senior investigator in the Northern District Central Unit who investigated the espionage case, said: “This is a defendant with no prior criminal record, a mother of four, who worked at a service center providing support to the Ministry of Transportation. She extracted information from the database and transferred it to a hostile entity — and received a thousand dollars for it. In her interrogation, she expressed remorse and said she knew she had made a mistake and should not have done it. She claimed she acted out of financial motives, receiving about 4,500 shekels for her actions.

“The defendant was arrested at her home. She did not share her serious actions with any family member. She understands that her life has been ruined because of this affair. In one of the recordings we found, she cursed Jews. I asked her, ‘What did the Jews do to you? Why do you hate Jews and the state?’ She claimed that the state is responsible for her difficult economic situation. We also found messages expressing hatred toward Arab Israelis who work for the state. She began her contact with the foreign operative about six months ago, and it continued for about five months. Anyone who assists the enemies of the state should expect us to show up at their door at night. This is a mission with zero tolerance for us, and we will reach every Israeli who cooperates with our enemies.”

An indictment was filed against her at the Nazareth District Court on Wednesday, along with a request to detain her until the end of legal proceedings.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara asked former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to provide her with materials concerning National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s involvement in police operations, i24News revealed on Tuesday evening.

According to the report, she made the request in order to use the information as part of the state’s response to petitions by left-wing organizations to the Supreme Court calling for Ben-Gvir’s dismissal.

The current revelation sheds new light on a report published about a year ago by Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal, who disclosed that Ronen Bar had instructed Shin Bet personnel to collect information on Minister Ben Gvir’s conduct in relation to the police.

It now emerges that the move began, at least in part, following a direct request from Baharav-Miara, who sought to build a factual basis against the minister for legal proceedings.

Despite these efforts, the initial findings gathered by the Shin Bet reportedly failed to substantiate the suspicions Ronen Bar had sought to verify. However, Bar did not close the trumped-up case and instead instructed his staff to expand and deepen the investigation into the alleged “infiltration of Kahanism” into the police order to produce more significant findings. To the disappointment of Baharav-Miara and Bar, no findings were found that would justify a criminal case against Ben Gvir.

The Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on the report.

Amit Segal responded to the report: “The secret security service is searching for and collecting material against the political leadership, under instructions from the Attorney General and the head of the prosecution, for the purpose of a petition seeking to dismiss that same political leadership.”

Likud MK Moshe Saada stated: “Gali Baharav-Miara is joining forces with the head of the secret service in order to remove a sitting minister, all out of a desire to carry out a governmental coup by criminal means.

“This is what it looks like when the deep state tries to bring down a government. I call on the Justice Minister to act and appoint an external prosecutor who will order a criminal investigation against Gali Baharav-Miara and her partners in this alleged criminal conspiracy. We’re done staying silent. We will dismantle the deep state and return the power to the people.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israel Defense Forces soldiers operating in southern Lebanon located an anti-tank missile launcher directed toward northern Israel along with additional weapons and munitions, the IDF said Tuesday.

Troops from the 8th Brigade, under the command of the 91st Division, discovered the launcher and a cache that included anti-tank missiles, technological equipment, personal weapons, explosive devices, grenades and ammunition during targeted ground operations, according to the military.

The operations are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Israel’s forward defense in the area and protect civilians in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.

In coordinated strikes over the past several days, 91st Division forces working with the Israeli Air Force hit Hezbollah military infrastructure, including a command center where a terrorist was present, the IDF said. Several terrorists were eliminated in the operations.

“The IDF will continue to operate against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and will not allow any harm to Israeli civilians,” the military stated.

The activity comes amid continued cross-border tensions, with Hezbollah maintaining a presence in southern Lebanon despite Israeli efforts to degrade its capabilities near the border.

A discussion in the Knesset Finance Committee on damage caused by a cluster missile strike near the home of MK Moshe Gafni quickly turned into a mix of humor and political tension, as lawmakers traded barbs over the incident.

The matter, dubbed the “shutter incident,” was raised Tuesday during a committee session, referring to damage sustained at Gafni’s residence following an Iranian cluster missile strike on a nearby building on Rechov Rav Yitzchak Nissim in Bnei Brak.

During the discussion, Gafni praised officials from the Israel Tax Authority, noting that they promptly dispatched two representatives to assess the damage caused near his home.

The tone in the room shifted as lawmakers began joking about the situation. MK Yinon Azulai of Shas drew laughter when he quipped, “The prime minister received 1.7 million shekels for a drone hitting the window of his home in Caesarea. Huch did you get?”

MK Yitzchak Pindrus added to the humor, saying, “There will probably be a classified discussion about it.”

Not all remarks were lighthearted. MK Naor Shiri of Yesh Atid struck a sharper tone, stating, “If the prime minister had called me like he called Gafni, I would have hung up on him.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli officials are increasingly concerned that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen could open a new front by blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping route, in response to the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

While international attention remains fixed on developments around Hormuz, Israeli defense and diplomatic circles are closely monitoring the southern maritime corridor. According to a report aired Tuesday evening on Kan News, Jerusalem fears the Houthis may act on Iran’s behalf and disrupt traffic through Bab el-Mandeb, a chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

Such a move would effectively serve as a “price tag” imposed by Iran’s Yemeni proxy, potentially in retaliation for American actions in the Gulf.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical artery for global commerce, particularly for vessels traveling to and from the Suez Canal. Any disruption there could have far-reaching economic and strategic consequences.

In response to the growing concern, Israeli officials are maintaining ongoing coordination with a wide range of countries, including regional partners, the United States, and nations in Europe and Africa. The goal, officials say, is to ensure that the Houthis do not move to interfere with freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waters.

Until now, the Houthis have largely refrained from playing a major role in the broader confrontation tied to Iran. They entered the fray only after roughly a month, launching five ballistic missiles and ten drones toward Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Another act of antisemitism has taken place after a historic Jewish cemetery in Romania was vandalized, with at least 14 gravestones deliberately knocked over.

The incident took place in the city of Reghin, located in the Transylvania region, where unknown violators entered the cemetery overnight and desecrated multiple kevarim. Authorities confirmed that while the gravestones were not smashed, they were intentionally overturned.

Among those buried at the site is Rabbi Hillel Pollak, a Talmid of the Chasam Sofer and author of Kodesh Hillulim, adding an additional layer of historical and spiritual significance to this antisemitic attack.

The attack drew a response from Benny Gantz, whose own great-grandfather is buried in the cemetery.

Romanian Ambassador to Israel @Radu_Ioanid called me this evening, on Holocaust Memorial Day of all days, about the disturbing desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Northern Romania, where none other than my great grandfather is buried.

The desecration of a Jewish cemetery is a… pic.twitter.com/3FxD7jAzHl

— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) April 14, 2026

“Romanian Ambassador to Israel Radu Ioanid called me this evening, on Holocaust Memorial Day of all days, about the disturbing desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Northern Romania, where none other than my great grandfather is buried,” Gantz said.

He continued: “The desecration of a Jewish cemetery is a stark reminder that even when it comes to Holocaust Memorial Day, antisemitism knows no bounds nor has faded with time.”

Gantz concluded with a broader warning: “This Holocaust Memorial Day, particularly with growing antisemitism in Europe, I call on the international community to be uncompromising in its crackdown on Holocaust denial and modern-day antisemitism.”

Romanian authorities have launched an investigation under the supervision of local prosecutors, though no suspects have been identified yet. The timing of the attack, coinciding with Holocaust Memorial Day, only intensifies the outrage.

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