Former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024—shortly after two women accused him of assault—has been revealed to have acted against Israel after being bribed by Qatar, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The article says that Khan issued the arrest warrants after a Qatari intelligence agent promised to “take care” of him if he acted against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Evidence of Qatar’s attempt to influence Khan was submitted to the FBI and members of Congress, including a witness statement and documentary materials.

The article corroborates a report by The Guardian in November 2025 that the first woman who accused Khan of assault was later targeted by private intelligence firms hired by Qatar in a covert operation to discredit her credibility and her claims against Khan.

The intelligence operation, which a high-level Qatari government office commissioned, also unsuccessfully sought to establish ties between the woman and Israel.

Khan was also accused of taking revenge on staff who supported his first accuser.

Earlier this month, the ICC voted to advance disciplinary proceedings against Khan for the assault allegations. Khan has been on leave from his position since May 2025.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry referred to the article on Tuesday, stating: “Buying off the ICC Prosecutor. Qatar launched an intelligence operation and promised to ‘look after’ Karim Khan over targeting Israel. When the operation’s manager was asked if backing came from a sheikh or the state, he said: ‘The state.’

“A crooked prosecutor. A corrupted court.”

In December 2025, the judges of the ICC rejected Israel’s request to revoke the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant and to disqualify Khan from any involvement in proceedings regarding Israel in the wake of the harassment accusations.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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​​For more info, email [email protected].

Lakewood, NJ (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)The story has been spreading across WhatsApp groups and frum news sites for the past several days. The details vary depending on which version one encountered. A family in the Lakewood area was without parents at home one evening. Dinner was ordered through Uber Eats. The intended restaurant was Smash House Burgers — a kosher establishment with locations in several cities, well known to many. The actual restaurant the order went to was Smashburger, the national chain that serves bacon, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes.

In one version, the family caught the mistake when the packaging looked unfamiliar and the food was not eaten. In another, three children sat down and ate before anyone realized what had happened. The differences matters, and should not be glossed over, but for what needs to be said now, the discrepancy is almost beside the point. Because in either version of the story, the same critical safeguard was missing.

There was no kosher seal – or rather: there was no checking for one.

Other conversations abound:   

“Kosher restaurant shouldn’t use a confusing name!”  

“Why do we need to follow goyisha names for restaurants?”

“Uber Eats should label kosher establishments more clearly!”

“Hashgachos shouldn’t permit menu items that resemble cheeseburgers!”

 And more.

But maybe, in this modern era, we should retool our Chinuch.  Maybe we should create a curriculum that addresses the underlying issue – something that Chazal had addressed long, long ago – The concept of Chosamos.

The Two-Seal Requirement

The Gemara in Avodah Zarah (31a, 39a) and the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah (siman 118) lay down a principle that should be familiar to every kosher consumer but, in practice, is familiar to almost none of us. When kosher food is placed in the hands of a non-Jew for transport, storage, or any period during which the food is outside the supervision of a Jew who can vouch for it, the food requires chosam b’soch chosam — a seal within a seal. Two independent seals.

The reason is intuitive once stated. A single seal can be tampered with. A determined person — or, more commonly, a careless one — can open a container, do something to the contents, and reseal it in a way that an inattentive recipient would not notice. Two independent seals raise the bar substantially. The likelihood that both have been compromised in a way that escapes detection is low enough that halacha permits it.

There are categories where a single seal suffices. Wine that is mevushal, certain processed foods, and items – for these, chosem echad is enough. There are also categories where even two seals are insufficient, and the food requires direct supervision. This is all laid out in Shulchan Aruch and standard works on hilchos kashrus.

Every contemporary kashrus organization has translated these halachos into practical protocols for the delivery era. The OU, the Star-K, the cRc, the KOF-K, the OK, and the major regional vaadim all publish guidance on how their certified establishments must seal food for off-premises transport. The standard is essentially uniform: tamper-evident packaging on each individual item, plus a kosher-certified outer seal on the bag itself, typically in the form of a sticker bearing the agency’s logo that breaks or distorts when the bag is opened. In the language of the Gemara, the inner container is one seal and the outer bag is a second.

This is the baseline. It is what every certified kosher restaurant doing delivery is supposed to be doing on every order, every time.

The Question No One Is Asking

So here is the question that the conversation around the Smash House incident has not asked but needs to be asked plainly:

If the family had actually received their intended order from the kosher Smash House — and if everything else about the story had unfolded the way it did — would they have noticed the seals? Would they have looked for them? Would they have known what they were looking for?

The short and honest answer,  is just plain “no.”

This is because the seal requirement, despite being a foundational halacha codified in Yoreh Deah is simply not part of the average frum consumer’s mental checklist when food arrives at the door.

In one published account, the family realized the food was from the wrong restaurant only because the packaging looked unfamiliar. That is a remarkable detail. It means the family was paying attention to the look of the packaging — but it also means that, before that moment, no one had thought to verify whether what arrived was sealed kosher food in the first place. Had Smashburger’s packaging happened to resemble Smash House’s, the entire story might have ended differently.

A Chinuch Gap, Not a Smashburger Problem

We teach kashrus concepts, but we haven’t adapted to a number of contemporary problems. The reality is that an entire generation has grown up ordering food on apps without ever being taught the most basic halachic safeguard against exactly the kind of problem these apps create.

A child today is far more likely to encounter a halachic question involving a delivery driver and a sealed bag than one involving a chicken and a knife. The yeshiva system has not yet caught up to this. We need to.

A Proposed Seal Curriculum for Jewish Schools

What follows is a proposal for a practical curriculum on the laws and practices of kosher seals — chosamos — designed to be implemented in any frum school, from the elementary grades through high school.

Grades 3 through 5: Recognition and Habit Formation

The youngest learners do not need to learn the underlying halachic categories. What they need is to develop the habit of looking. The goal at this stage is that no child in this age band would ever open a delivery bag, take food out of a hot-food carrier at a simcha, or accept a wrapped item from a non-Jewish hand without first checking for a kosher seal.

The content should perhaps include:

• What a kosher seal looks like. Hashgachos in our area; what their stickers and tapes look like; what colors and logos to recognize.
• Where seals are placed. The outer bag. The individual containers inside. The fact that there are usually two — and why.
• What a broken seal looks like. Stickers that have been peeled and reapplied. Tape that has been cut. Bags that have been opened and re-stapled.
• The simple rule: if it is not sealed, do not eat it without asking an adult who knows.

Practical exercises at this level work better than lectures. A morah or teacher can bring in actual sealed and unsealed delivery bags and let students examine them. The rebbi or morah can model the verification process out loud while unpacking food in front of the class

Grades 6 through 8: A Halachic Framework

By the middle school years, students are capable of understanding the underlying halacha. The unit at this level should cover the actual sugya of chosam b’soch chosam. A suggested sequence:

1. The sugya in Avodah Zarah 31a and 39a in summary. The principle that food in the hands of a non-Jew requires sealing.
2. The two categories: chosam echad and chosam b’soch chosam. Which foods fall into which category and why.
3. The codification in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah siman 118. Reading the relevant se’ifim with the Rema.
4. Modern application part one: how restaurants seal food for delivery, what the standard hashgacha protocols look like, and what people should expect to see.
5. Modern application part two: edge cases. What if the seal is broken? What if there is only one seal? What if the customer was the one who opened it?
6. Maris ayin and chashad – Why even an apparently reliable delivery should still be verified.
7. A practical workshop. Students examine actual delivery packaging from local kosher establishments and identify whether each example would meet the halachic standard.
8. Review and a practical assessment that asks students to walk through the verification process aloud.

The reason it is not currently being taught is that no one has yet decided to teach it.

Grades 9 through 12: Application, Edge Cases, and Personal Responsibility

By the high school years, students are independent consumers. They order their own food. They go to friends’ houses, dormitories, summer camps and programs, and pizza shops without parental supervision. At this level, we can perhaps focus on the harder cases and on the chinuch that takes the consumer from being a passive recipient to active verifier.

Topics to include:

• Delivery apps in detail. The structural problems with platforms that mix kosher and non-kosher establishments without distinguishing them. How to verify a hashgacha in real time before placing an order. The current limits of platform labeling and what to do when the listing is ambiguous.
• The driver issue. The halachic status of food carried by a non-Jewish driver, even from a kosher establishment, and why the seal is what bridges the gap. The further question of what happens when a hungry and tired driver opens the outer bag.
• Catering and simcha hall situations. Food that travels in larger quantities, in shared vehicles, sometimes overnight. The seal protocols that apply, and the practical responsibility of the family hosting the simcha.
• Travel and out-of-town eating. Hotel deliveries, airport food, kosher meals on flights. The halachic questions that arise when one is far from a familiar hashgacha and how the seal serves as the consumer’s main source of confidence.
• The consumer’s duty. The principle that the achrayus rests on the person putting the food in his or her mouth.

Maybe we should also have a practical exercise that mirrors real life: students place a hypothetical order, receive a hypothetical delivery (or a real one, if the yeshiva or school is willing to coordinate it), and walk through the verification process from the moment of ordering to the moment of eating. This exercise becomes the kind of Chinuch moment that talmidim remember for decades.

What Schools Should Do Now

The curriculum proposed should be developed properly. Coordination with local hashgachos to provide real materials may be valuable.

In the meantime, every school can do something this week. A single assembly. A short unit during a halacha period. A letter home to parents. The minimum content, deliverable in thirty minutes, is this: every kosher delivery should arrive in a sealed outer bag with a hechsher sticker. The individual containers inside should also be sealed or otherwise tamper-evident. If both seals are intact, the food would be okay. If either is missing or broken, the food’s kashrus status is in question, and a sh’eilah is required before anyone eats.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

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A yeshiva bochur, Nehorai Becher, a talmid of the Chazon Mordechai yeshiva in Herzliya, was arrested in an unusual and unprecedented manner on Monday afternoon by the military police.

His arrest came hours after a previous arrest of a yeshivah bochur in Jerusalem, the first such arrest since the start of Operating Roaring Lion.

According to reports by organizations that assist Chareidi “deserters,” Becher was in the yeshiva’s Beis Medrash learning when he received a phone call, purportedly from a delivery company, and was asked to step outside to “collect a package.” When he went outside, military police officers pounced on him. After arresting him, they transferred him to the Tel HaShomer military detention facility.

The Nosnim Gav organization stated that “this is an unprecedented event of an arrest within the walls of a yeshiva, and a continuation of the declaration of war on Chareidi Judaism and lomdei Torah, in addition to the arrest that was carried out last night at a home in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem.”

One of the Peleg Yerushalmi factions announced that it will take to the streets on Tuesday in mass protests.

The Keren For Combating the Draft Decree stated: “The persecution of the Olam HaTorah is intensifying, against the backdrop of yesterday’s High Court ruling and its order to the police to carry out arrests, alongside the imposition of harsh sanctions, with the goal of severely harming the Olam HaTorah. In this situation, we cannot sit idly by—we will go out and raise the cry of the entire Chareidi sector.”

Meanwhile, the bochur who was arrested in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem has been identified as Yair Vashdi, a 20-year-old talmid of the Shalom Banecha yeshiva in Gilo.

The Am Kadosh organization reported that the arrest occurred after officers banged on his parents’ door in the middle of the night and threatened the family that they would break down the door. The family opened the door, and Yair was arrested.

Am Kadosh emphasized that there is no legal obligation to open the door to the military police, and they are not permitted to forcibly enter without a special warrant.

A top attorney published a troubling legal analysis on Monday, stating that the High Court has turned Chareidim into “draft dodgers” via a legal fabrication.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

test schedule

An IDF soldier was severely wounded and another lightly injured in an explosive drone attack carried out by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Monday, the military announced.

According to the IDF, the incident occurred during operational activity in the area, when an explosive-laden drone struck Israeli forces on the ground. One soldier sustained serious injuries, while a second soldier was lightly hurt.

Both were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, and their families have been notified.

The military stressed that the attack constitutes a “violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror group.”

Hezbollah has increasingly relied on small FPV (first-person view) drones in recent weeks, using them to target Israeli troops along the northern front.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In the middle of panic and confusion at the White House Correspondents Dinner, one unexpected image is capturing the internet’s attention.

Michael Glantz, a JBN follower, was caught on camera calmly eating his salad as chaos unfolded around him, while others rushed for cover during the shooting incident.

Glantz, a talent agent with Creative Artists Agency who represents CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, later explained that he chose to stay put and observe. “It’s not every day you see something like that,” he said, adding that he understood why people found humor in the moment despite the seriousness of what was happening.

Authorities say the incident began shortly after the event started, when 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen of California attempted to push past a security barricade while armed with a shotgun and a handgun.

The suspect was injured during the confrontation but not shot. A Secret Service officer was hit but survived due to wearing a bullet resistant vest.

Allen is now facing multiple charges, including the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, and remains behind bars pending further court proceedings. If convicted on the top charge, he could face life in prison.

President Donald Trump is dissatisfied with a new proposal from Iran, with U.S. officials pointing to its failure to directly confront concerns over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“He doesn’t love the proposal,” a U.S. official told Reuters, describing the president’s reaction.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump and key members of his national security team have expressed doubts about the Iranian offer, which was submitted Sunday. The proposal suggests reopening the Strait of Hormuz while delaying any negotiations related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump met with advisers Monday morning to review the plan, the report said. While he has not dismissed it entirely, officials indicated he is troubled by what he sees as Iran’s unwillingness to negotiate sincerely, particularly its reluctance to agree to Washington’s core demand: ending uranium enrichment altogether and pledging never to develop nuclear weapons.

Iranian sources said their proposal calls for putting nuclear discussions on hold until the current hostilities subside and issues involving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf are addressed. U.S. officials, however, continue to insist that nuclear concerns must be part of any agreement from the beginning.

Even with those differences, sources involved in mediation efforts through Pakistan said communication between the two sides remains ongoing.

Still, prospects for renewed talks appear to have dimmed following Trump’s decision over the weekend to cancel a planned trip to Islamabad by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner.

The canceled visit had been viewed as a step toward advancing negotiations.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the administration is “discussing” the Iranian proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz, but did not indicate that it is actively being weighed for acceptance.

Speaking to reporters, Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump held a meeting with his national security team to review the proposal, which includes mutual steps to ease restrictions on the crucial maritime passage. She emphasized that no final decision has been reached.

She “reiterated” that President Trump’s “red lines” with respect to Iran’s nuclear weapons program are well-known to all sides.

Leavitt “wouldn’t say that they are considering” the Iranian proposal, just that “there was a discussion this morning that I don’t want to get ahead of,” and that President Trump would likely make an announcement on the issue shortly.

{Matzav.com}

CONCORD, N.H. (VINnews) — A New Hampshire legislative committee heard testimony Monday over whether a state representative should face punishment, including possible censure or expulsion, after using a phrase associated with the Holocaust in a social media post directed at a fellow lawmaker.

State Rep. Travis Corcoran, a Republican from Weare, came under criticism for writing on X that there should be a “final solution for theater kids in politics” while responding to an invitation from Democratic Rep. Jessica Grill of Manchester to join a “karaoke caucus.”

The phrase, widely associated with Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust, drew condemnation from Jewish leaders and several lawmakers who urged the committee to impose consequences.

Rabbi Daniel Aronson of Keene told lawmakers the comment offended not only Jews but anyone committed to civil discourse.

Grill, who is Jewish, called the remark deeply troubling and urged the committee to recommend expulsion, saying the phrase carries unmistakable historical meaning.

Corcoran told the panel the post was intended as sarcasm, not antisemitism, and said he was unaware of Grill’s Jewish background when he made the comment. He criticized the proceedings as politically motivated and defended the post as a joke being mischaracterized as hate speech.

After addressing the committee, Corcoran left the hearing before testimony concluded.

Several speakers pressed the panel to hold Corcoran accountable, arguing the Legislature must draw a clear line against rhetoric invoking genocide, regardless of intent. At least one fellow lawmaker spoke in his defense.

The committee is considering whether to recommend disciplinary action to the full House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit is aimed at restoring U.K.-U.S. ties and celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary.

This is Charles’ first trip to the U.S. since he became king in 2022. The British royal couple visited the White House on Monday afternoon, followed by a garden party at the British Embassy.

The White House is seen from the Washington Monument, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the U.S. today for a four-day state visit aimed at celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary, including a White House state dinner and a speech to Congress. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A flight carrying King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump along with Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk on the South Lawn to visit the White House garden and bee hive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

King Charles III shakes hands with CNN news anchor Kaitlan Collins during a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Britain’s Queen Camilla speaks with guests during a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they arrive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

President Donald Trump and Britain’s King Charles III talk at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they arrive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they arrive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A staff member places tags for Britain’s King Charles III and President Donald Trump on the red carpet before the arrival of the Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand for a photo with Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the White House bee hive on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

First lady Melania Trump and Britain’s King Charles III talk during a tour of the White House garden and bee hive on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for a photo outside of the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Britain’s King Charles III and British Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Turner exit the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Britain’s King Charles III and British Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Turner, right, attend a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Britain’s King Charles III departs the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

WhatsApp announced that beginning September 8, 2026, it will stop supporting older Android operating systems, a move expected to block access to the app for millions of users worldwide.

The change will affect devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop and Android 5.1 Lollipop. In contrast, iPhone users operating on iOS 15.1 or later will not be impacted. The company said the decision is intended to allow continued development of advanced features that require more modern and capable technology.

Those most affected are expected to be users in developing countries such as India and Brazil, where older devices remain common. However, the impact is also relevant in Israel, particularly for individuals using secondary phones, children’s devices, or older smartphones that have not been updated.

Apple users will not see any change, as support for iOS remains intact. Anyone using iOS 15.1 or newer—including iPad users—will continue to receive updates and features as usual. Android users running version 6.0 or higher are also not affected.

WhatsApp cited security and performance concerns as the primary reasons for the shift, noting that older operating systems do not support modern security protocols and struggle to handle the demands of current applications.

Users are strongly advised to back up their chats before the cutoff date. This can be done through the app’s settings by saving data to Google Drive, allowing for easy restoration on a new device. For those without sufficient cloud storage, a local backup to the device’s memory can be created and manually transferred to another phone or computer.

After the September deadline, users with unsupported devices will have only one viable option: upgrading to a newer phone. Even entry-level models today typically run Android 13 or higher, well above WhatsApp’s new minimum requirements.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Irving Goodman zt”l, Rav Emeritus of the Woodridge Shul, who devoted more than six decades of unwavering service to his kehillah and to the broader Sullivan County community.

For over 63 years, Rabbi Goodman stood at the helm of the Woodridge Shul with quiet strength, steadfast leadership, and a deep sense of responsibility to every individual who walked through its doors. His presence defined the shul. His voice, whether delivering a drasha, offering eitzah, or simply greeting a fellow Yid, carried warmth, clarity, and conviction.

Rabbi Goodman’s impact extended far beyond the walls of the shul. In Sullivan County, he was a unifying force, someone to whom people turned in times of simcha and, lehavdil, in times of sorrow. He gave of himself endlessly, whether officiating at countless chasunos, comforting aveilim, or helping families navigate life’s most difficult moments with dignity and faith. His mesirus nefesh for the tzibbur was evident in every aspect of his life.

Even in his later years, as Rav Emeritus, Rabbi Goodman remained a guiding presence. His counsel was sought, his wisdom treasured, and his very being a source of comfort and stability.

The levaya will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Woodridge Shul. Kevurah will take place in Eretz Yisroel.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Like cities across the world that host Jewish communities, Toronto has suffered its share of antisemitic attacks since the Oct. 7 massacre. In 2024, gunfire pockmarked the same girls’ school three times. In March, three synagogues were attacked with gunfire. And over the course of the last few months, two restaurants belonging to the same chain were also shot at.

What all these cases had in common was the timing of the attacks: They all took place at night.

Two attacks over the weekend in Toronto marked a new height in the brazenness of attacks against Jewish institutions.

Saturday, in broad daylight, a man tried to force his way through a window of the Sephardic Kehilah Centre in Vaughan, a suburb of Toronto. Turned away by security, the man reportedly punched a father in the face while he was walking to the synagogue with his son. The man did not sustain any injuries.

🇨🇦 Vaughan, Ontario, April 26, 2026: A male suspect attempted to force his way into the Sephardic Kehila Centre synagogue on Bathurst Street and assaulted a victim before fleeing the scene.

Source: @YRP pic.twitter.com/tLsbP5Dgzl

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) April 26, 2026

A rock was hurled at Aleph Bet Judaica on Bathurst Street, a heavily Jewish area in Toronto, and it smashed through a window — also in broad daylight.

Both attacks occurred at around 9:30 a.m. So far, no arrests have been made.

The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto issued a statement about the synagogue attack, decrying the normalization of antisemitic attacks in Canada.

“We are relieved our community member was not seriously injured,” the statement read. “That does not lessen the seriousness of the attack, which reflects a continued pattern of antisemitic violence targeting our community.”

A rock smashed through the window of Aleph Bet Judaica, leaving a jagged hole.

“As these incidents become more normalized, they erode public safety and our way of life as Canadians,” the UJA added. “This cannot be tolerated.”

B’nai B’rith Canada denounced “people in positions of authority” who have “responded with hesitation, weak enforcement, and political platitudes while Jewish communities continue to pay the price.”

The group released its statistics on antisemitic attacks in Canada in 2025: 18.6 incidents per day across the country, up 9 percent from last year.

While Canada is not alone in witnessing a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks, the surge and its attendant boldness is a grave cause for concern.

Lawmakers from Degel HaTorah have begun exploring the possibility of running independently from Agudas Yisroel in the next elections, a move that could significantly reshape the chareidi political landscape and affect the balance within the right-wing bloc.

During an initial internal discussion held last week, participants examined the feasibility of a split, with sources present at the meeting saying party officials believe Degel HaTorah could cross the electoral threshold on its own and even do so “with ease.” According to those sources, this confidence is based on internal assessments and perceived support trends on the ground.

Despite that optimism, senior figures in the party are also weighing the potential consequences of such a decision. They note that if Degel HaTorah were to run separately, Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is expected to exert heavy pressure against the move, out of concern that a division within the chareidi parties could result in “wasted votes” from Agudas Yisroel, potentially weakening the broader right-wing bloc.

For now, the discussion is viewed as a preliminary step, and any final decision regarding whether to split or remain united will ultimately be determined by the Gedolei Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – The Trump administration is exploring the use of Palantir Technologies’ artificial intelligence to modernize the nation’s struggling air traffic control infrastructure as legacy systems show signs of failure, Bloomberg reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration outlined plans for a major upgrade, shifting to a centralized, cloud-based system that leverages AI to predict air traffic flows and adjust departure times to head off conflicts.

“We are going to revolutionize our air traffic management by modernizing our software, moving to a centralized, cloud-based system that will use artificial intelligence to predict air traffic flows and adjust departure times to resolve conflicts,” the FAA said in a statement.

Palantir is competing against Thales SA and Airspace Intelligence Inc. for a contract to develop SMART — Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories — an AI platform designed to extend conflict prediction from the current 15 minutes to as long as two hours.

The Colorado-based Palantir confirmed in a statement to investors that it has secured a contract with the FAA to supply a data analytics tool supporting the agency’s aviation safety modernization goals.

Congress has already allocated $12.5 billion to begin the overhaul of the air traffic control system, but the FAA says it will need an additional $20 billion to finish the project.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that the department is seeking additional funding to complete the work.

“They’re going to have to find a pathway to get us the rest of that money,” Duffy told Roll Call at Department of Transportation headquarters.

Duffy added that the new system will require time to develop, deploy, debug and train personnel on, but starting now would position the software to be ready in about 2½ years, coinciding with infrastructure upgrades.

“If we start now, by the time infrastructure upgrades are complete, the software should be ready within 2½ years, giving America a brand-new system,” he said.

Duffy also told CBS News that the AI integration could identify potential congestion weeks in advance and make minor adjustments to flight schedules to prevent widespread delays.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election has energized a communist political movement in New York City that now wants him to take a dramatic step: abandon the Democratic Party and lead a new workers’ party dedicated to overthrowing capitalism.

The Revolutionary Communists of America, a newly formed offshoot of the Communist Party, has held more than a dozen public events across the five boroughs in recent weeks, according to reporting first by the New York Post. The group’s message to Mamdani is unambiguous: working within the Democratic structure is insufficient.

“Building a mass workers’ party would be an important step toward forming a workers’ government,” a group spokesperson told the Post. “We believe that the working class needs its own party, separate from the capitalist parties, the Democrats and Republicans.”

The RCA’s manifesto calls on younger generations to “step forward and fight for the overthrow of capitalism.” The group envisions a workers’ government that would provide free universal healthcare, free public transit, housing with rent capped at 10 percent of income, free education, full employment, and a shorter workweek with no loss in pay.

Mamdani, who has emerged as one of the nation’s most prominent democratic socialists alongside Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, does not appear to have responded to the overture. His team declined to comment on the RCA’s campaign.

The RCA acknowledged Mamdani’s policy agenda: hiking taxes on the wealthy, providing publicly funded universal childcare, and offering free bus service. But the group contends that such reforms cannot be achieved through the existing two-party system.

“However, we do not think Mamdani will be able to achieve major reforms and a fundamental change in the lives of the working-class majority unless he starts a campaign to unite the working class of New York City with workers throughout the state and across the country,” the group said in written statements to the Post.

Mamdani’s decision to run as a Democrat disqualified him from RCA support, even though his electoral victory demonstrated broad openness to socialist ideas. The group said it would have “critically supported” his campaign had he run as an independent candidate.

“His volunteer base could have been the beginning of a workers’ party,” the RCA said. “We did not advocate voting for him as a Democrat.”

The RCA claims to have increased membership by 83 percent since July, operating 43 branches across the United States. The New York City branch has conducted organizing meetings at venues in Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Astoria, and Park Slope.

The tension highlights a potential rift between democratic socialists and more radical communist factions within New York’s left-leaning political ecosystem. A DSA activist downplayed any rivalry, telling the Post: “I never think about them.”

The RCA attributes its growth to deteriorating economic conditions and disillusionment with mainstream politics. The group points to a March 2025 Cato Institute/YouGov poll finding that 34 percent of young people in the United States and 14 percent of the overall population view communism favorably.

“The decline of American capitalism, and the growing instability and difficulty of life for ordinary workers, has pushed many people toward socialist and communist ideas,” the group said. “We are confident that the hatred of the U.S. population towards the Epstein class, which includes both the Democrats and the Republicans, will continue to fuel our growth.”

The RCA operates under the direction of an elected Central Committee but declined to publicly identify its New York City leadership.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, saying the country’s proposal amounts to extortion rather than a genuine opening of the critical waterway.

“What they mean by opening the straits is, yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and you pay us,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News. “That’s not opening the straits. Those are international waterways.”

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The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz intensified Tuesday as Western powers pursued conflicting strategies. While the United States maintains a blockade on Iranian ports, Britain distanced itself from the policy even as it supported efforts to reopen the waterway, and France launched diplomatic overtures toward Tehran.

Rubio said the United States would not accept any Iranian terms that granted Tehran control over passage through the strait, which handles roughly 20 percent of global crude oil trade.

“They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use them,” Rubio said.

Britain’s position on the blockade created an opening for potential negotiation. Stephen Doughty, Britain’s minister of state for Europe and North America, told UN reporters that while London does not support the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, it shares Washington’s commitment to reopening the strait.

“Maritime traffic must flow safely and unimpeded through the strait,” Doughty said ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on navigation safety in the waterway. “That includes no tolls, no security risk and, of course, adherence to the international laws on freedom of navigation.”

Doughty characterized Iran’s position as a form of coercion. “Iran is holding the rest of the world to ransom,” he said, adding that diplomacy remained essential to resolving the crisis.

France signaled an independent diplomatic track. President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Andorra after a two-day visit, said he would contact Iranian authorities to push for the strait’s reopening.

“We have established a coalition whose purpose is precisely to ensure security, to secure and stabilize, to demonstrate that the international community supports an opening,” Macron told reporters. “I hope that we will be able to convince the stakeholders in the coming days.”

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, delivered a sharper message at the UN Security Council, saying Iran must make substantial concessions to end the crisis.

“There can be no lasting solution to this crisis unless the Iranian regime agrees to major concessions and a radical shift in its stance,” Barrot said.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled openness to talks with the Trump administration, saying Tehran was examining a U.S. request for negotiations. In remarks made during a visit to Russia, Araghchi said Trump had sought talks because American objectives had not been achieved.

“The United States has not achieved any of its objectives,” Araghchi told reporters in Saint Petersburg, where he met with President Vladimir Putin.

Araghchi framed the standoff as evidence of Iranian strength. “Due to the war with the United States and Israel, the world has now realized Iran’s true power,” he said, describing the Islamic Republic as “a stable, solid and powerful system.”

The Iranian foreign minister reaffirmed Russia’s backing and pledged continued strategic cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, positioning the partnership as central to Iran’s position in the crisis.

Doughty stressed that deescalation and a ceasefire were necessary conditions for any resolution, but emphasized that Iran could not be permitted to maintain control over the strait, continue attacks on Gulf neighbors and civilian infrastructure, or advance its nuclear program.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Pizza Hut shone a light into the darkness Monday with its statement to continue paying the salary of a slain employee to his family for as long as the restaurant exists. The company said it would also establish a fund for the bereaved family.

Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, a 21-year-old former IDF soldier, had just completed his shift at the restaurant on Independence Day last week when he was stabbed by a group of teenagers as he left the establishment. He had asked them to stop spraying foam inside the restaurant, and they waited for him to come out to exact their revenge. He succumbed to his wounds Thursday.

Zalka worked at the Kfar Ganim location in Petah Tikva, starting as a delivery person and working his way up to shift supervisor.

This video captured the attack on Zalka that eventually cost him his life.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Pizza Hut Saturday to demand action, joined by politicians from the opposition who exploited the opportunity to score points against Itamar Ben-Gvir, minister of national security, who they said bears ultimate responsibility due to what they describe as his lax attitude toward law enforcement. Nine suspects were arrested in connection with the murder.

The mayor of Petah Tikva expressed shock and grief over the murder.

“There are no words to describe the intensity of the shock and pain of losing young lives in such harsh and cruel circumstances,” Mayor Rami Greenberg said.

“This is an incomprehensible event that illustrates how violence can escalate in an instant and exact the heaviest price. The teens who attacked and murdered him will be caught by the police and brought to justice,” he added.

A coworker of Zalka’s at the pizzeria also expressed his devastation.

“I’m shocked this has happened here,” he said. “I can’t calm down from it. He was such a good person. How could someone be murdered over something so stupid? He had his whole life ahead of him. We are in complete shock.”

While there is no compensation for the loss of a life, Pizza Hut’s act of kindness will brighten the lives of Zalka’s family and serve as a shining example in a world that desperately needs it.

A 51-year-old Belzer chossid from Boro Park, Reb Nochum Yisroel Eber z”l, was murdered in Colombia after being robbed while traveling, leaving his family and community in shock.

The tragic news emerged after Nochum Yisroel had been reported missing for several days. His body was located in recent hours, prompting coordination between local authorities, members of the Jewish community in Colombia, and community representatives from the United States to ensure proper handling of the remains and arrangements for burial back in the U.S.

Nochum Yisroel was the son of Reb Menachem Mendel Eber of Montreal, a member of the Belzer community who passed away in Iyar 5781. This past Shabbos marked his yahrzeit. His mother is the daughter of Reb Yitzchok Shlomo Greenwald, among the elder and prominent Belzer chassidim in Montreal.

He is survived by his immediate family and 16 siblings spread across Belzer communities worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, and Eretz Yisroel.

Friends and acquaintances expressed deep sorrow upon hearing the news, describing him as a warm and kind individual, known for his generous spirit and welcoming demeanor.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President J.D. Vance has repeatedly pressed the Defense Department in closed-door meetings to justify its portrayal of the Iran war, expressing concern that the Pentagon may be understating the severity of U.S. missile stockpile depletion, according to accounts reported by The Atlantic.

Vance has questioned whether Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine have provided accurate assessments of both battlefield damage inflicted on Iranian forces and the availability of critical weapons systems, according to two senior administration officials. The vice president has raised these concerns directly with President Trump.

The stakes are substantial. Military analysts warn that severe munitions depletion in the Iran campaign could compromise U.S. ability to defend Taiwan against China, South Korea against North Korea, or Europe against Russian aggression—conflicts for which the same stockpiles would be essential.

Publicly, Hegseth and Caine have characterized U.S. weapons supplies as robust and portrayed Iran’s military losses as drastic. But Pentagon leaders’ accounts “present an incomplete picture at best,” according to people familiar with intelligence assessments cited by The Atlantic.

Internal estimates suggest Iran retains roughly two-thirds of its air force, the majority of its missile-launching capability, and most of its fast boats capable of mining the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting maritime commerce. In March, Hegseth claimed “complete control” of Iranian skies—a claim undermined in April when Iranian forces downed an American fighter jet, triggering an intensive rescue operation.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. may have already expended more than half its prewar supply of four key munitions types. Even before the Iran conflict, stockpiles had been drained by slow manufacturing and weapons donations to Ukraine and Israel.

Vance’s advisers told The Atlantic that the vice president has framed his concerns as independent assessments rather than accusations against Hegseth or Caine, seeking to avoid personal conflict or divisions within Trump’s war cabinet. A White House official characterized Vance as asking “probing questions about our strategic planning.”

Trump has echoed Hegseth and Caine’s optimistic assessments, declaring weeks ago that U.S. forces had already achieved victory and that weapons stockpiles are “virtually unlimited.”

The Atlantic reported that some Trump advisers believe Hegseth’s consistently positive portrayals may be calibrated to appeal to the president. Pentagon press briefings occur at 8 a.m., when Trump typically watches Fox News. “Pete’s TV experience has made him really skilled at knowing how to talk to Trump, how Trump thinks,” one former Trump official told The Atlantic.

Vance opposed the Iran war before it began, which Trump has acknowledged. But both Vance and Hegseth now have significant political stakes in the conflict’s outcome. The Atlantic reported that Vance views his political future—potentially including a 2028 presidential run—as tied to the war’s success. Hegseth, for his part, has been positioning himself politically, recently addressing the National Religious Broadcasters Network and the National Rifle Association on divisive social issues in ways previous defense secretaries typically avoided.

Hegseth’s career depends entirely on maintaining Trump’s favor, particularly after a contentious confirmation process. Since his appointment, he has overseen operations against Iran’s nuclear program and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, while also implementing controversial military reforms. The Atlantic reported that he “strives to tell the president exactly what he wants to hear,” a dynamic one former official described as “dangerous.”

In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson told The Atlantic that Hegseth and other Pentagon leaders “consistently provide the president with the complete, unvarnored picture.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A lively discussion has been unfolding in the comments section on TLS over the last 24 hours, as many residents voice concerns about the direction of Lakewood’s continued growth and the kinds of establishments now becoming part of the township’s landscape.

At the heart of the conversation is a broader question about identity: whether Lakewood today reflects the vision that Rav Ahron Kotler ZT”L had for the town, or whether the rapid expansion and rise in material conveniences have shifted its character in ways that some find troubling.

For longtime residents, the comparison to Lakewood of 25 years ago is unavoidable. Back then, the town was smaller, simpler, and far less commercialized. There were fewer businesses, fewer luxuries, and a slower pace of life. Many remember that era as one in which the focus was more singular, centered on Torah, family, and community, without as many distractions.

At the same time, others argue that growth has brought undeniable benefits. Today’s Lakewood offers conveniences that make daily living easier for thousands of families. Access to services, shopping, dining, healthcare, and infrastructure has expanded dramatically, helping support one of the fastest-growing Orthodox communities in the country.

Still, with that growth has come tension. Questions are being raised about whether increased gashmius and the changing business environment have come at too high a cost. Some feel the town is drifting from its roots, while others see these developments as a natural and necessary part of a flourishing community.

As Lakewood continues to evolve, many are asking: was the town better off a quarter-century ago with fewer establishments and less emphasis on gashmius, or is it stronger today because of the conveniences and opportunities that growth has provided?

What do you think? Has Lakewood gained more than it has lost, or does the community need to reconsider the path it is on?

MK Simcha Rothman, the chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution Committee, spoke with Kol Chai on Monday morning about the dramatic announcement by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday about their joint run in the elections.

Rothman said that the alliance is not surprising and clarifies once and for all that Bennett has chosen the left side of the map. “The only way the left can come to power is through vote thieves like Bennett,” he emphasized.

“It’s good for Israel that no one will make the mistake of thinking he is on the right,” Rothman added, while sharply criticizing the former Yesha Council director’s shift toward supporting public transportation on Shabbat and civil marriage.

Rothman also addressed the Chareidi draft law issue and the High Court’s ruling on Sunday, demanding that the government impose sanctions on Bnei Torah and their families. Rothman slammed the Court’s intervention, which he says only prevents a real solution. “Will the ruling lead to more Chareidim enlisting? Anyone who responds yes is not familiar with the IDF or the Chareidi public,” he asserted.

Rothman added that the High Court judges are not really interested in finding a solution to draft Chareidim, but in creating chaos and harming lomdei Torah and their families. “For the High Court, it’s less important to draft Chareidim, and more important that there be Chareidi draft evaders,” he concluded.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Amid the escalating debate over Israel’s draft law and proposed economic penalties targeting the Torah community, constitutional attorney David Peter has issued a forceful critique of the High Court’s recent ruling, arguing that it undermines fundamental democratic principles while masking itself in the language of equality.

The latest High Court decision marked a significant escalation in the battle over the conscription of chareidim, with justices invoking their authority to act “for the sake of justice” and ordering government ministries to quickly formulate concrete steps to impose broad financial sanctions.

The measures under consideration strike directly at what many describe as the economic backbone of chareidi families, including canceling daycare and after-school subsidies, eliminating discounts on municipal taxes and public transportation, and even denying benefits tied to government housing programs. The judges acknowledged they were acting “with a very heavy heart” but argued that such steps were necessary due to the state’s failure to enforce the law.

Rejecting the court’s underlying assumptions, Peter asserted in a sharply worded statement that “there is no and never has been a general conscription obligation in Israel.” He explained that, under Israeli law, the draft requirement applies only to individuals who receive a personal order from a military officer, and that for years, authorities have exercised discretion not to draft certain minority groups, including Arabs and chareidim.

According to Peter, the High Court created a “legal fiction” by determining that chareidim require specific legislation to be exempt from service, while other minority groups are effectively excluded through administrative discretion. He described the ruling as one that singles out the Jewish minority sector for unequal treatment under the banner of equality.

Peter further argued that the decision reflects a broader breakdown in the legal system’s adherence to its own principles.

He contended that the court effectively invented new sanctions without any explicit legislative basis.

He also accused the judiciary of overstepping its authority by intervening directly in military and law enforcement matters, asserting that by instructing draft officials to issue conscription orders and directing police actions, the court has assumed powers reserved for the executive branch.

In addition, Peter raised concerns about the implications for minority rights, questioning who will defend the Jewish minority’s ability to achieve protections through parliamentary means if such efforts are routinely struck down as violations of majority equality.

In his concluding remarks, Peter also directed criticism at right-wing figures who support the court’s actions because they favor increased chareidi enlistment. He warned that backing what he views as judicial overreach for short-term political gain is a serious mistake, and argued that the right must undergo a “cultural revolution” to recognize what he described as the court’s use of the draft issue as a political tool to undermine democratic norms, independent of the broader debate over military service.

Dutch authorities have uncovered a broadly coordinated extremist ecosystem that weaponized the Gaza conflict to forge alliances between Hamas cells, left-wing anarchists, and Palestinian solidarity groups, according to Thursday’s AIVD intelligence report.

The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service identified about ten people linked to a Hamas network organizing protests across the Netherlands for years while raising funds and conducting lobbying for the Palestinian terrorist organization. But the network’s real significance lies in its role as an organizational hub connecting disparate extremist movements.

The AIVD described the alleged Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine affiliate Samidoun as instrumental in “cross-pollination of different species of extremism,” noting that while its Dutch following is small, “this extremist message resonates more broadly.”

The coordination extended across Europe. German authorities arrested a suspected Hamas operative in October accused of preparing attacks on Jewish and Israeli institutions, and detained five alleged operatives in November, two from Denmark. A British citizen connected to the cell was arrested in London with weapons found in Austria.

The AIVD report identifies left-wing extremists as integral to the network’s reach. Marxist Leninist and anarchist groups discovered common cause with Palestinian and Islamic activists, providing mainstream cover for organizations glorifying violence against Israel. The report noted a “strikingly” large pattern of vandalism and graffiti attacks on companies believed to supply Israeli arms or operate in occupied territories.

Despite the apparent coordination, the AIVD assessed that protests organized by the Hamas network in 2025 did not result in violent incidents, though authorities warned they could lead to societal divisions.

Jihadist threats remained concentrated in ISIS-inspired cells. The AIVD issued nineteen threat reports related to potential jihadists, eleven indicating imminent violence. In May, two Syrian men were detained as former ISIS members, and in July, a Tajik operative was sentenced to five and a half years for financing the Islamic State Khorasan Province.

The report also flagged persistent state-level espionage threats from Iran, Russia, China, Morocco, and other nations conducting cyber operations and intelligence activities against Dutch targets.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Isaac Herzog is on an official visit to Kazakhstan. In Astana, Herzog met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Akorda Presidential Palace, where the two leaders held a private meeting followed by broader talks with senior Kazakh officials and Israeli delegation members. The focus was turning years of quiet Israel-Kazakhstan ties into a much larger partnership built around trade, technology, direct flights and the Abraham Accords.

Herzog told Tokayev he wants to “double, triple, and more” the volume of business and trade between the two countries, while saying Israel and Kazakhstan are close to approving direct flights. That would be a major practical step. Direct air links would make business travel, tourism and people-to-people ties far easier, especially after the two countries already moved toward visa-free travel for national passport holders.

The Abraham Accords were also at the center of the visit. Kazakhstan already had full diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992, meaning its decision to join the Accords was not a classic normalization breakthrough. But symbolically, it matters: a Muslim-majority Central Asian power is choosing to publicly deepen its alignment with Israel and the U.S.-backed regional framework at a time when Israel’s enemies are working to isolate it. Tokayev said the Accords created a framework for regional stability and shared prosperity, and Kazakh media reported that he proposed holding Kazakhstan’s formal accession ceremony in Astana in the near future.

The economic lane is where this visit could become concrete. Kazakhstan says bilateral trade with Israel reached $193.5 million in 2025, while noting that official figures may undercount the real volume because some major shipments move through third countries. Israeli and Kazakh officials have pointed to room for growth in AI, digitalization, agriculture, water management, cybersecurity, healthcare, energy and investment. Tokayev also highlighted Kazakhstan’s claim of religious tolerance, telling Herzog that there is “no antisemitism in Kazakhstan” and noting Judaism’s recognized place in the country’s religious landscape.

For Israel, the message is clear, the Abraham Accords are not frozen, and Israeli diplomacy is still expanding eastward. For Kazakhstan, the visit strengthens ties with Jerusalem and Washington while giving Astana a bigger role in a framework built around stability, trade and regional cooperation. The test now is whether direct flights, business deals and formal Accords ceremonies follow the warm words.

(AP) – United Airlines’ CEO confirmed Monday that he approached rival American Airlines about a potential merger — his first public acknowledgment of his proposal — saying it would benefit travelers despite American’s refusal to engage in talks.

“I was confident that this combination, which would have been about adding and not subtracting, creating a truly great airline that customers love, could get regulatory approval,” Scott Kirby wrote in a statement released Monday. “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door.”

Kirby’s confirmation comes after weeks of public speculation about a potential merger between two of the biggest U.S. airlines, amid rising jet fuel prices tied to the Iran war and reports that he had approached the White House about the idea. Kirby said Monday that he had approached American directly about a tie-up, but it’s unclear whether that was before or after his White House meeting.

American publicly shot down the idea of a merger, saying in an April 17 statement that it “is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines.” Additionally, a combination of the two carriers “would be negative for competition and for consumers” and possibly raise antitrust concerns, the company said.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines is itself the product of a 2013 merger with US Airways Group.

President Donald Trump also said last week that he was against a merger of the airlines.

In his statement Monday, Kirby, who previously served as president of American Airlines, argued that merging the carriers would expand service, create a more globally competitive airline and boost the U.S. economy by creating jobs and strengthening the aircraft manufacturing sector.

The rivalry between United and American has played out for years in pricing battles and disputes over gate access at major hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where both airlines have fought to expand their footprint.

Amid that competition, the Federal Aviation Administration this month ordered about 300 daily flights cut from peak summer schedules at O’Hare, saying planned increases by both carriers risked overwhelming an airport already plagued by severe delays.

The order will take effect June 2, later than initially planned, after the FAA said last week it wanted to give airlines additional time to adjust their schedules.

Shares of Chicago-based United fell 1.2% on Monday, to $91.90. They are down about 18% this year amid the Iran war, which began in late February and has driven fuel prices sharply higher. American shares were down about 3.5% on Monday, to $11.68. American is down nearly 24% for the year.

Jet fuel is typically one of the largest expenses for airlines, leaving them especially vulnerable to price spikes and supply shocks.

In some markets, the price of jet fuel has more than doubled as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz squeezes global supplies, raising operating costs for airlines. In response, carriers around the world have raised fares and fees, with both United and American among the major U.S. airlines that have raised checked baggage fees.

The Yerushalayim community is mourning the passing of Rav Avrohom Moshe Dov Mendelson zt”l, a longtime resident of the Gush Shemonim neighborhood, who was niftar this morning at the age of 82. He was widely known for his daily early-morning tefillos at the Kosel and for his lifelong dedication to children with special needs.

Rav Mendelson was born on 11 Kislev 5704 to his father, Rav Chaim Pinchos Tzvi Mendelson of Pagi–Sanhedria, a respected figure among Yerushalayim’s rabbanim and a close talmid of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. His mother was Mrs. Leah Mendelson a”h.

His father, Rav Pinchos, maintained a deep and enduring connection with Rav Elyashiv for decades, regularly sitting near him in the beis medrash and among the earliest to arrive for his shiurim.

Upon reaching marriageable age, Rav Mendelson married his wife, the daughter of Rav Moshe Aryeh Saks, and together they established a home rooted in Torah and yiras Shamayim.

He was known as one of the earliest to rise each day to serve the Ribbono Shel Olam, making his way to the Kosel on a daily basis. He maintained consistent learning schedules and devoted himself wholeheartedly to helping children with special needs, investing his personal resources and energy on their behalf. Those who knew him describe a life marked by ahavas habriyos and quiet acceptance of hardship, always accompanied by a warm and welcoming countenance.

The levaya was held at his home at 7 Grossberg Street in Gush shemonim, proceeding through the Tel Arza avreichim minyan, and continuing to Har Hamenuchos for kevurah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

A clip featuring Ilhan Omar pronouncing World War II as “World War 11” quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across social media platforms. In the 13-second video, Omar can be heard referencing the Alien Enemies Act and stating it was last used during “World War 11,” a remark widely interpreted as a mistake.

“The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked, it was used to detain and deport German, Japanese, and Italian immigrants during World War 11,” Omar said.

Online reaction was swift and intense. Avi Glaserman questioned, “How the hell was she elected into office if she thinks (II) in Roman numerals equals 11?”

Others piled on. A commenter identified as Melissa Rubin from Pennsylvania wrote, “How can she think there have been 11 world wars? She obviously misread Roman numeral II from a speech a staffer wrote for her: Perhaps because she graduated from Quality Learning Center.”

Another user, Michael Sternstein, posted: “I am embarrassed she is my congresswoman but then again what can I expect? She graduated from Quality Learing Center and her family tree is a circle since she married her own brother.”

Screenshot

The moment also revived past criticism from Donald Trump, who previously referred to Omar as a “low IQ individual” countless times.

JBN has verified the authenticity of the clip, with C-SPAN footage confirming Omar’s remarks.

As the Trump administration launches a federal civil rights investigation this week into an extremist New York City teachers’ group for allegedly indoctrinating students with antisemitic content, a Queens-based askan is raising pointed questions about whether senior Department of Education officials were long aware of the group’s activities – and deliberately looked the other way.

Moshe Spern of United Jewish Teachers tells Belaaz that the DOE’s repeated insistence that it has no connection to NYC Educators for Palestine rings hollow in light of a documented episode from early 2024 in which a sitting principal used her DOE position to email blast colleagues promoting one of the group’s inflammatory events – with no objection from district or departmental leadership.

“There is a very clear connection between the NYCPS and NYC Educators for Palestine,” Spern alleged. “I’m hoping the Trump administration identifies all evil parties that have spent the last two and a half years indoctrinating our students. The Jewish parents, students, and teachers just want to feel safe at school. We must have politically neutral schools and everyone should be consistent in these regulations.”

The episode Spern describes began in January 2024 with a professional workshop hosted by Tania Romero, a Supervisor of Social Workers at the NYC Department of Education. The workshop was built around a Vox article titled “Everything You Need to Know About Israel-Palestine” – a piece critics say is heavily skewed toward a Palestinian narrative. Among the presenters was Josh Heisler, a New York City public school teacher who is a member of both the United Federation of Teachers and Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist organization. While the workshop was more restrained in tone than the Educators for Palestine events that would follow, Spern says its slant was unmistakable.

A month earlier, in December 2023, Romero had organized a “healing” session restricted exclusively to “those who are currently holding space in support of the liberation of Palestine, as well as for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim kin” — language that explicitly excluded Jewish and pro-Israel educators. Romero, who publicly describes herself as a practitioner of tarot card readings, reiki “energy healing,” and herbology, appeared to encounter no pushback from DOE supervisors for that event.

A few weeks after Romero’s workshop, one of its attendees – Terri Grey, principal of the Virtual Innovators Academy, a remote public school serving first-year ninth and tenth graders with locations in the Bronx and Brooklyn – replied to all attendees of Romero’s workshop, inviting them to an Educators for Palestine virtual “curriculum share” event. That event was billed as an opportunity for teachers to exchange lessons on how to “get around censorship” and teach students about what the group described as “the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

According to Spern, Grey’s email was sent to all principals and district leadership who had attended Romero’s workshop. Not a single one protested or raised any objection.

That silence, Spern contends, is telling.

Among those in a position to have been aware of the episode was Alan Cheng, who now serves as Supervising Superintendent of High Schools and D79 – one of the most senior positions in the DOE – in a role he assumed under Chancellor Kamar Samuels, who was appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Romero served under Cheng’s authority, and Spern notes that Cheng himself attended a workshop in which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was discussed – one that Spern describes as virulently anti-Israel in content – without objecting to a word of it.
“It’s upsetting that someone in such a high position of power as a Superintendent wouldn’t realize themselves how inappropriate the training and emails were back then. Not enough leaders call these issues out and they become normalized,” Spern said.

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a major development reported last week: the Trump administration has launched a formal civil rights investigation into NYC Educators for Palestine. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced the probe following complaints that the group has pushed anti-Israel lessons on young students that discriminate against Jewish children. Among the group’s activities cited by federal officials was a “Teach-In for Palestine” held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for students as young as six.

The DOE responded to the federal probe by reiterating that the group “is not connected to New York City Public Schools” – the same formulation it has used in the past. The group’s own mission statement, according to federal officials, declares that education “should be a tool for liberation NOT occupation.”

Spern said the DOE’s denials do not square with what he witnessed firsthand. “I’m hoping the Trump administration identifies all evil parties that have spent the last two and a half years indoctrinating our students.”

In a related development, the United Federation of Teachers’ delegate assembly this week voted to advance an anti-Israel resolution to its May agenda for a full vote – a first in the union’s history. Fifty-eight percent of delegates voted in favor of advancing the measure, which critics describe as riddled with factual inaccuracies, makes no mention of Hamas, and contains no reference whatsoever to the October 7, 2023, massacre that triggered the Gaza war.

Observers say the resolution marks a troubling inflection point in which the city’s largest teachers’ union is embracing partisan political advocacy against Israel at the expense of the many Jewish educators it is charged with representing.

The Trump administration is exploring an extraordinary rescue of Spirit Airlines, including possible use of the Defense Production Act, as the bankrupt budget carrier races to avoid liquidation. CBS News reports officials are discussing a $500 million government loan that would put Washington at the front of the bankruptcy line and give taxpayers warrants for up to 90% of the airline after it exits court protection.

The proposed legal hook is national defense. Under the plan being discussed, the Pentagon could tap Spirit’s excess capacity for troop transport, cargo movement or other missions, giving the administration a defense-based rationale for stepping into a failing airline. The White House says it is still exploring options and warned that any claimed structure of a deal should be treated as speculative until formally announced.

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 19: U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during speeches at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. Assembled to raise money for the rebuilding and stabilization of Gaza, Trump’s Board of Peace was formally established on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in January of 2026. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Spirit’s crisis has been building for years, but soaring jet fuel prices tied to the Iran war have pushed the company closer to the edge. The airline filed for Chapter 11 again in August after already restructuring once, and its latest plan aimed to slash debt and lease obligations from $7.4 billion to about $2 billion while shrinking the fleet and focusing on stronger routes.

The immediate pressure is cash. CBS reported Spirit missed an interest payment, triggering a possible default window with creditors, while Reuters reported the airline needs new financing or access to cash by the end of next week. If Washington moves ahead, it would be one of the most aggressive federal interventions in a U.S. airline in years, with Spirit kept alive long enough to emerge from bankruptcy and potentially be sold to another carrier.

Israel’s Fire and Rescue Commissioner has issued a nationwide order prohibiting the lighting of bonfires and open flames in the days leading up to Lag BaOmer, citing concerns over wildfire danger and current safety conditions.

The restriction, signed Monday, will go into effect on Sunday and remain in place through Tuesday, as authorities seek to reduce the risk of large-scale fires amid extreme weather and heightened security concerns in forests and open areas.

According to the directive, fires will be allowed only in sites that have been specifically approved in advance by local municipalities, the Nature and Parks Authority, or KKL-JNF.

Any fires lit outside of those designated locations will be considered illegal.

Fire and Rescue Services officials said they are preparing for widespread enforcement, with hundreds of firefighters set to be deployed across the country to monitor compliance and respond rapidly to any incidents that may arise.

{Matzav.com}

A man convicted in the 2024 shooting death of a New York City police officer during a traffic stop will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a judge sentenced him Monday to 115 years to life in prison.

During an emotional hearing in a Queens courtroom packed by uniformed police officers and Officer Jonathan Diller’s family, the judge said Guy Rivera “most certainly will” die in a prison cell.

“Your sentence to me was determined the second you pulled that trigger,” Judge Michael Aloise told Rivera. “It took me five minutes to calculate the numbers. It’s going to take you a lifetime to calculate the damage you caused.”

A jury found Rivera guilty earlier this month of aggravated manslaughter and other charges in Diller’s killing, but acquitted the 36-year-old Queens resident of murder.

The shooting happened on March 25, 2024, when Diller and other officers were on patrol in the Far Rockaway section of Queens. Authorities say one of the officers spotted a suspicious object bulging from Rivera’s hoodie as he and another man walked to a parked car and got in.

Police say the officers were questioning the driver when Rivera, who was in the passenger’s seat, suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Diller. The bullet struck the officer below his bulletproof vest, mortally wounding him. Another officer then shot and wounded Rivera.

At the time, Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years. The 31-year-old’s wake and funeral in his hometown on Long Island drew thousands of people, including President Donald Trump, and the case briefly became a focal point during his 2024 campaign to reclaim the White House on a message of “law and order.”

The Republican president hailed Diller an “unbelievably wonderful person and a great officer” in a March 2025 speech to a joint session of Congress.

Prosecutors had argued that Rivera was deserving of life behind bars because he was a “persistent felon” with prior criminal convictions who had made a “calculated, deliberate and evil choice” to inflict violence.

“This was not an accident,” Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Zawistowski said. “We ask that you honor Jonathan’s life. We ask that you honor his sacrifice.”

Rivera’s lawyer, Jamal Johnson, argued, as he did during the three-week trial, that Rivera was “not a murderer” because he did not intend to kill Diller.

He maintained the gun accidentally discharged as officers pulled the firearm from Rivera’s pocket. He pleaded with the judge not to issue a “sensational” sentence and complained that Rivera did not receive a fair trial.

Johnson, in a statement after the court hearing, said he intended to appeal his client’s conviction.

“The fact that the court stated it had already made up its mind about sentencing well before the trial was conducted reveals the bias and uphill battle the defense faced throughout this case,” he said.

The second suspect, Lindy Jones, is due back in court Tuesday as he awaits trial on weapons charges.

On Monday, Rivera declined to address the court but members of Diller’s family delivered tearful remarks.

Stephanie Diller, the officer’s wife, said she and the couple’s young son had been given a life sentence without their husband and father, so Rivera should also be given one.

“You took my husband and the life we were building,” she said speaking directly to Rivera through tears. “In a single moment, everything that was my life was gone.”

Fran Diller, the officer’s mother, said she is haunted by her son’s death every day.

“He had a future so incredibly bright,” she said. “My world has been completely shattered. Everything feels empty without him. All I feel is unbearable ache.”

Patrick Hendry, president of the police officers’ union, said after the hearing that the manslaughter verdict “did not send the right message” to police officers but that the sentence had.

“He should never ever walk the streets again, and he won’t,” Hendry said of Rivera.

(AP)

Israel’s Home Front Command announced that current civilian restrictions in the north will remain in place through Tuesday evening, as tensions continue to rise along the Lebanese border and officials warn of further escalation.

Following a situational assessment, authorities confirmed that the existing defense guidelines will stay in effect until 8:00 p.m. on April 28, 2026. The measures primarily impact northern communities, while no additional restrictions have been imposed elsewhere in the country.

Under the updated directives, gatherings in frontline areas are limited to a maximum of 1,500 people. The same cap applies to the communities of Meron, Bar Yochai, Or HaGanuz, and Safsufa. Officials emphasized that all other aspects of the current safety policy remain unchanged and urged residents to stay informed through official channels.

The continued restrictions come amid renewed escalation with Hezbollah, following expanded IDF strikes in the Beqaa Valley and multiple areas in southern Lebanon. At the same time, figures associated with Hezbollah have issued threats to broaden the range of attacks targeting Israel.

Against this backdrop, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz met with the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, delivering a pointed message to both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. Senior defense and military officials also took part in the meeting.

Katz warned that “Naim Qassem is playing with fire, and Aoun is gambling with Lebanon’s future. There will not be a situation of a ceasefire in Lebanon alongside gunfire on our forces and on the communities of the Galilee.” He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he had instructed the IDF “to respond with force against Hezbollah for every violation and attack, and any threat to our forces and to Israeli communities.”

He further cautioned that “Naim Qassem is playing with fire, and the fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon, just like in the parable of the thornbush.” He continued, “If the Lebanese government continues to shelter under the shadow of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, fire will go out and burn the cedars of Lebanon.”

During the meeting, Katz stressed that the Lebanese government must ensure Hezbollah is disarmed, beginning in areas south of the Litani River up to the so-called “Blue Line,” and eventually throughout all of Lebanon. He added that the IDF stands ready to act and assist if necessary.

The message from Israel remains firm: Israel will not accept a situation in which a ceasefire exists in name only while Hezbollah continues to threaten IDF forces and northern communities. The extension of civilian restrictions, combined with the defense minister’s warnings, reflects a security environment that remains tense, with the possibility of further escalation still very real.

{Matzav.com}

New data from the global betting platform Polymarket suggests a rapid shift at the top of Israel’s political outlook, with Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu overtaking Naftali Bennett just one day after Bennett announced a joint political alliance with Yair Lapid.

According to the latest figures, Netanyahu has climbed to 42 percent, while Bennett has dropped to 39 percent. The numbers indicate that the political move, which was expected to strengthen Bennett’s position, may have had the opposite effect in the eyes of market participants.

The most striking figure in the data relates to Bennett’s new partner. Polymarket currently gives Lapid just a 1.4 percent chance of forming the next government. Gadi Eisenkot is listed in third place, with approximately 14 percent.

The trend marks a notable reversal. Bennett, who had previously approached levels near 60 percent, has seen his standing decline following the formalization of the alliance. Netanyahu, by contrast, has regained the top spot and reestablished a lead.

From a political standpoint, the figures may suggest that Bennett’s partnership with Lapid is not being viewed as a clear advantage. Bennett had spent considerable time cultivating an image as an independent, right-leaning but broadly acceptable alternative capable of attracting both right-wing and centrist voters who were reluctant to back Netanyahu. The alliance with Lapid, based on current Polymarket pricing, may be blurring that distinct positioning.

Supporters of the move continue to frame it as a strategic effort to consolidate forces and prevent fragmentation within the bloc opposed to Netanyahu. Critics, however, see the data as highlighting a deeper concern: while Bennett has gained a prominent political partner, he may have sacrificed part of the unique appeal that initially positioned him as a viable challenger.

It is important to note that Polymarket is not an election poll, but rather a betting market that reflects real-time sentiment among traders. It does not measure seats or determine coalition outcomes. Still, as an indicator of how political developments are being interpreted, the early reaction to the Bennett-Lapid alliance appears far from enthusiastic.

{Matzav.com}

Canadian antisemitism has reached a critical inflection point, with Jewish advocacy organizations warning that Jew-hatred has become so embedded in public discourse that the word “Jew” itself now functions as a slur, according to B’nai Brith Canada’s annual audit released Monday.

The organization documented 6,800 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and violence in 2025—a 9.4 percent increase from 6,219 the previous year and the largest number recorded since B’nai Brith began tracking incidents in 1982. The figure represents a 145.6 percent surge since 2022, suggesting an accelerating rather than stabilizing crisis.

“Antisemitism has become so ubiquitous in our society that the word ‘Jew’ is now commonly used as a slur to disparage and malign non-Jews,” Richard Robertson, the organization’s director of research and advocacy, said at a Parliament Hill press conference Monday. “Jewishness itself has become derogatory in contemporary Canada.”

The incidents ranged from Holocaust denial amplified through artificial intelligence to direct threats of extermination and expulsion. Robertson cited examples including a Jewish person told they “should have been gassed along with their ancestors at Auschwitz,” a man assaulted in front of his children at a park, and Nazi imagery scrawled at schoolyards.

Of the 6,800 incidents, 6,491 were classified as harassment, 299 as vandalism, and 10 as violent assaults—though B’nai Brith warned that the violence category likely understates actual physical attacks on Jewish Canadians.

B’nai Brith attributed the escalation to government failures at all levels. “This is what happens when elected leaders at all levels fail to heed the warning signs, decline to act and enable a permissive environment,” Robertson said, adding that “anti-Zionists” are increasingly deploying classical antisemitic tropes traditionally used to dehumanize Jewish people.

The organization proposed a three-tier enforcement response. The federal government should establish a national emergency task force on Jew-hatred, designate violent attacks on Jewish institutions as domestic terrorism, and deploy enhanced security resources to synagogues, schools, and Jewish-owned businesses. Provincial and territorial governments should fund immediate security protection and establish dedicated hate-crime prosecution units. Municipalities should ban events inciting hate or glorifying terrorism, enforce existing hate laws in public spaces, and prioritize policing in Jewish neighborhoods.

The B’nai Brith audit has become Canada’s most authoritative and independent survey of antisemitic incidents, regularly cited by policymakers, journalists, academics, and law enforcement agencies.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

“Whoever donates to Merkaz HaTorah Teshuvos V’Hanhagos will merit great miracles in parnassah and abundant prosperity.”

-Maran Hagaon Rav Moshe Shternbuch, shlita.

Kollel Teshuvos V’Hanhagos is the network of kollelim under the leadership of Rav Moshe Shternbuch, shlita, cultivating the next generation’s gedolai hador.

As the yahrzeit of the great Reb Meir Baal Hanes approaches, it ushers in the most auspicious time for great yeshuos.

The Posek Hador shlita, made an unprecedented promise:

Anyone who supports Merkaz Hatorah Teshuvos V’Hanhagos with a donation of $1266 – the gematriya of Kupas Reb Meir Baal Hanes – will receive a contract signed and personally guaranteed by Maran Hagaon Rav Moshe Shternbuch shlitah. A clear and direct promise for Parnassa beyond measure, in abundance and prosperity, for every generation to come.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

House Speaker Mike Johnson said President Donald Trump requires heightened security following the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, pointing to what he described as shortcomings in the event’s security measures.

Speaking Monday on “America’s Newsroom,” Johnson shared his observations of the setup, saying that from what he could tell, security procedures did not appear sufficiently strict.

“I can tell you from a layman’s perspective, it did look a little lax in terms of, as everyone’s now noted, getting into the building,” Johnson said. “Now, we all came in — Cabinet secretaries of government officials with their own details — we come in the back, so I didn’t see the magnetometers and all that, but it doesn’t sound like it was sufficient.”

Johnson noted that the incident follows multiple prior threats against Trump and said the current situation is unacceptable. He stressed that after three unsuccessful assassination attempts, “this can’t go on.”

“He’s the most attacked, maligned political figure in history,” Johnson said. “He’s very resilient, but he needs greater protection. And I think there’s going to be a reevaluation, a very close reevaluation of how we handle these large events.”

He also said that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has already initiated a review of the incident and plans to hold a hearing with the Secret Service to examine what changes may be needed, including potential funding or other measures.

When asked about the timeline for the review, Johnson said it would happen “soon,” later clarifying that he expects it to take place “within the next couple of weeks.”

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews) — The New York City Emergency Management Department conducted a full-scale Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) exercise at the New York City Fire Department Training Academy on Randall’s Island on Sunday, preparing volunteers for a busy summer of large-scale events.

The drill, supported by the New York City Police Department, tested participants in fire suppression, search and rescue, medical operations and emergency management. Volunteers also trained in transit safety using the FDNY’s subway simulator.

Officials said the exercise is part of broader preparations for major upcoming gatherings, including FIFA World Cup 2026 fan festivals, annual parades and America250 celebrations.

“CERT members have been an integral part of New York City’s readiness and response,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said. “These volunteers come from all walks of life, ready to answer the call whenever their community is in need.”

FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn emphasized the importance of coordination between agencies, saying the joint training ensures volunteers are prepared to respond and support their communities during emergencies.

Behind the scenes at the FDNY Fire Academy: Preparing New York City for what's ahead. 🚨

In partnership with NYC Emergency Management (@nycemergencymgt), the FDNY brought together Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers for a full-scale training on Sunday at… pic.twitter.com/RQSwGnKZHQ

— FDNY (@FDNY) April 27, 2026

During the exercise, 99 volunteers from across the city participated in simulated disaster scenarios, including extinguishing live fires, conducting basic triage and assisting with the removal of trapped victims.

The CERT program, launched in 2003 with just over 100 volunteers, has expanded to 24 divisions covering all 59 community boards. Members complete an 11-session training program led by instructors from FDNY, FDNY-EMS, NYPD and NYC Emergency Management.

Deputy Commissioner Herman Schaffer said the program remains central to the city’s community-based approach to preparedness, adding that volunteers gain practical tools to strengthen response efforts and neighborhood resilience.

CERT teams assist during emergencies such as severe weather and localized incidents, and also support planned events and public safety efforts throughout the year.

Residents interested in joining the program can call 311 or visit the city’s website for more information.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered sharp criticism of Iran’s conduct in ongoing negotiations, accusing Tehran of humiliating the United States and expressing concern over Washington’s broader strategy in the Middle East, including in remarks directed at President Donald Trump.

Speaking Monday to students in the German city of Merseburg, Merz said Iran’s leadership is “humiliating the United States” by drawing American officials into talks that yield no results.

He elaborated on Iran’s approach, saying, “The Iranians are, of course, very skilled in negotiations—or more precisely, very skilled at not negotiating, by allowing the Americans to travel to Islamabad and then return again without any result.” He added, “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by what are known as the Revolutionary Guards, and I hope this ends as quickly as possible.”

Merz also voiced skepticism about the direction of U.S. policy, stating that he does not see a clear exit strategy in Washington’s confrontation with Iran. His comments underscore reported tensions between the United States and its European NATO allies, which have also surfaced on other issues such as the war in Ukraine.

Addressing the regional situation, Merz said there is a sense that European powers were not included in consultations prior to the U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran at the end of February. He noted that he conveyed his concerns directly to President Trump afterward, saying, “If I had known this would last five or six weeks and gradually escalate, I would have said it even more forcefully.”

Drawing comparisons to past American military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, Merz warned that the current situation is having economic consequences for Germany. “It is costing Germany a lot of money, a lot of taxpayers’ money and a lot of economic strength,” he said.

He also addressed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, saying there are indications that parts of the area have been mined, and noted that Germany has offered to send naval vessels to assist in mine-clearing operations.

{Matzav.com}

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday introduced a proposed congressional redistricting plan that could hand Republicans as many as four additional seats in the U.S. House, potentially offsetting recent changes in Virginia that favored Democrats.

The draft map would reshape several districts across central and southern Florida, eliminating four areas that have traditionally leaned Democratic and leaving cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and West Palm Beach as solidly Democratic strongholds.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, which first reported on the proposal, DeSantis argued the changes are necessary to correct what he described as an imbalance following the last census. “Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,” DeSantis said. “Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage. Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited.”

To advance the proposal, DeSantis has called lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special legislative session set to begin Tuesday, where the new district lines will be taken up for consideration.

{Matzav.com}

A Utah man has admitted to unlawfully practicing law and defrauding multiple victims in Ocean County after falsely presenting himself as a licensed attorney and collecting tens of thousands of dollars for legal services he was not authorized to provide.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on April 27, 2026, David T. Schlendorf, 54, of Holladay, pled guilty before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan to five counts of Theft by Deception and one count of Unauthorized Practice of Law.

At sentencing on July 17, 2026, the State will seek probation, with the condition that Schlendorf have no contact with any of his victims. He will also be required to pay restitution totaling $70,755.

Authorities said an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and the Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau began after a victim in Toms River hired Schlendorf in March 2025 for legal representation and paid him approximately $10,000.

Investigators later discovered that Schlendorf had falsely claimed to be a licensed attorney. In reality, he had been disbarred in the State of New Jersey in December 2022.

Schlendorf was taken into custody in Toms River on October 7, 2025, by detectives from both agencies. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.

A continuing investigation uncovered that between January 2023 and September 2025, five additional victims retained Schlendorf for legal matters, paying him roughly $60,000 in total. Those additional charges were served via summons as the case proceeded through Ocean County Superior Court.

The 31-year-old man accused of opening fire near the White House Correspondents Dinner has been formally charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump, appearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., where he spoke assertively as the case against him was outlined.

The suspect, identified as Cole Allen, responded clearly and audibly to the judge during his initial appearance, where prosecutors charged him with attempted assassination of the president, transporting a firearm across state lines to carry out a felony, and discharging a weapon.

If convicted of the most serious charge, Allen could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Dressed in a blue jail-issued jumpsuit and not restrained, Allen entered the courtroom with a subdued expression. When asked to identify himself, he replied loudly, “Cole Tomas Allen.”

The defendant, described as a graduate of CalTech, also confirmed his age and stated that he holds a “master’s degree.”

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the judge Allen “attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”

She added that Allen traveled across state boundaries “carrying a 12-gauge pump-action shot gun,” along with a “.38-caliber semi automatic pistol and three knives.”

The court ordered that Allen remain in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday. The most serious charge carries a potential life sentence.

Authorities say Allen, who had worked as a teacher and studied at CalTech, targeted the high-profile gathering attended by President Trump and senior administration officials alongside members of the press on Motzoei Shabbos.

According to investigators, Allen discharged a shotgun and attempted to force his way through a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom approximately 20 minutes after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump had entered the event.

During the incident, a Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire before other agents were able to overpower and detain the suspect.

Officials said the injured agent survived due to wearing a protective vest.

President Trump, the first lady, and other senior officials were quickly removed from the venue. The dinner, an annual event honoring members of the Washington press, was canceled and is expected to be rescheduled about a month later.

Investigators revealed that Allen sent a disturbing message to family members roughly 10 minutes before the shooting began. The contents were serious enough that his brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut.

In the message, Allen referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and indicated that he intended to target senior figures within the Republican administration, while noting he did not plan to harm FBI Director Kash Patel or other law enforcement officials.

“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” Allen wrote, in an apparent reference to Trump.

The message also included criticism of what Allen described as weak security measures at the hotel, claiming he was able to enter the building without detection despite carrying weapons.

“Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance. I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat,” he wrote.

Authorities also noted references in his writings to “the Wide Awakes,” a Civil War-era youth movement aligned with the Republican Party that supported anti-slavery positions.

Allen, who holds an engineering degree from Caltech along with a master’s in computer science, had been employed by the tutoring firm C2 Education, where he was recognized as “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024.

As I sit over a gemora with the new zman starting and Shavuos on the horizon, a myriad of thoughts are on my mind. But one stands above them all: Why am I doing this? When I learn this line of gemora, am I not one of the thousands learning it at the same time? Of the tens of thousands who have learned it in the past? Do I have something to offer, or am I lost, faceless among the masses like some kind of Where’s Waldo?

The question isn’t just something out of the blue. It can be traced back to words I’ve heard echo time and time again from peers and teachers, in one iteration or another. “Do you think you’ll understand the Tosafos, Reb Chaim, pasuk, any more than the thousands of great rabbis before you?”

And isn’t that a good point? What do I have to offer that they didn’t? Is it heretical to even entertain that I can do something they couldn’t? Is there a point to me?

If I’m honest, much of my younger years were spent trying to outrun this feeling—to feel like I mattered. As such, my barometer of success (and seemingly that of my friends as well) was how much of a chaburah was created each sugya and how many new questions or ideas I could come up with. And if the gemora was merely understood clearly, even with the Ketzos and the Nesivos, that just wasn’t enough. And I hate to say it, but being mechaven to a Tosafos’s kasha was worthless. In my mind, without gaining something to call my own, I had failed. A person’s worth was determined by his uniqueness.

Yet there is a famous gemora that directly contradicts this outlook. Rav Yosef says about the day the Torah was given, “אי לאו האי יומא כמה יוסף איכא בשוקא.” “If not for today, the day we were given the Torah,” says Rav Yosef, “I would not have an individual identity. I would be like (no pun intended) your average Joe.”

Now, couldn’t Rav Yosef have said the same things I have been saying? Who am I compared to Rebbi Akiva, to David Hamelech, to Moshe Rabbeinu? How did Rav Yosef see Torah as the greatest expression of individuality, and not see himself as lost and insignificant—a mere cog in an endless chain to Har Sinai?

For me, that says that the logic of my question is built on a flawed premise. Yes, in our younger years our rank—our top bachur status—was measured by what we produced. How good of a shtickel Torah we could say. Could we ask that piercing question?

But in reality, that’s not how it works at all.

The Yalkut says in Yisro that every Jew at Har Sinai said, “Hashem is talking to me.” I believe the explanation is based on the concept many meforshim explain: that at Har Sinai, all the Jews from all generations were there, and every Jew got a unique connection to the Torah—a connection and perspective that he alone has. With his unique neshama, kochos, and circumstances, he has a unique relationship to the Torah, just as we know each Yid has a unique tafkid and relationship with Hashem.

And that tells us something so powerful.

That each person’s learning is unique. Even if two people are learning the same thing—and yes, maybe even with the same translation—in this world it appears the same. But in reality, each learning is totally unique, with its own revelation of Torah. Because each person learning it has his own unique neshama, with its own connection, its own world.

So when I learn a gemora, I certainly don’t have the clarity of the gedolim of yesteryear. And yes, a thousand other people could be learning it at the same time. But none of them are me, and no one else can learn my Torah. We may be saying the exact same words, but it is worlds apart. My connection to these words is mine and mine alone.

So it’s not that surprising that Rav Yosef would look at the Torah as the pinnacle of individuality. After all, in everything else in life, even if I’m good at something, there is always someone better. But in Torah, I am unique. I am the only one who can learn this.

Perhaps that is why, leading up to Shavuos, we perform the mitzvah of sefira. Sefira is unique in that it is the only mitzvah that everyone does with the exact same action: counting. For lulav, everyone has a different one; for shofar, tefillin—each can be performed in a unique way.

Perhaps sefirah is this way because Hashem wants to teach us this lesson: that even though everyone is doing the exact same thing, Hashem wants each individual to keep it.

Because even though it appears we are doing the exact same thing, to Hashem every mitzvah is unique.

To tell us that we each do matter, and what we are doing truly makes a difference.

So as a new zman begins and Shavuos approaches, let’s reframe the question.

Not: What do I have to offer that they didn’t?

But: Can I show up as myself?

Because that’s the only thing no one else can do.

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

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City will hold a series of free events for soccer fans who hope to experience the excitement of the World Cup but can’t the hefty prices for tickets to the matches, officials announced Monday.

The events — one in each of the city’s five boroughs — will include watch parties for the matches and other festivities. They will be staged at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, a shopping center near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and a minor league baseball stadium in Staten Island.

A separate fan event planned for Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, where the New York Red Bulls play, will cost $10.

World Cup matches will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where just getting to and from the matches on public transit could cost $150.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a noted soccer devotee, announced the free events alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat.

“Every fan should be able to watch the greatest tournament on earth without dipping into their savings,” Mamdani said.

Similar fan events are being planned for other U.S. host cities.

Backers of a proposed California tax targeting billionaires say they have collected enough signatures to place the measure on the November ballot, setting the stage for a high-stakes debate over whether the state should impose a one-time 5% tax on its wealthiest residents.

According to individuals familiar with the effort who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, more than 1.5 million signatures have been gathered. While county officials must still validate the petitions, supporters are confident they will surpass the approximately 875,000 signatures required to qualify.

The proposal was spearheaded by the Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers West, a labor group representing over 120,000 healthcare employees. The union says the tax is intended to offset anticipated funding shortfalls in healthcare tied to President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation.

“When our growing coalition files these signatures, David will have won the first round against Goliath,” Suzanne Jimenez, a spokeswoman for the Billionaire Tax Now coalition, said in a statement Sunday.

Under the plan, the tax would apply to individuals who resided in California as of January 1 and whose net worth reaches at least $1 billion by the end of the year. SEIU-UHW estimates that roughly 200 people would be affected.

Before appearing on the ballot, the measure must still receive official certification and then secure majority support from voters. Critics are expected to argue that the proposal would penalize financial success, encourage wealthy individuals to relocate, and worsen existing economic challenges in a state already dealing with high taxes, elevated living costs, and population outflows.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes the measure, warning that it could drive high-net-worth residents out of the state. Prominent business leaders and billionaires have also voiced concerns, describing the proposal as harmful to innovation and economically risky.

Opposition groups, including efforts backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, have invested tens of millions of dollars into competing ballot initiatives designed to block key aspects of the tax. One such proposal seeks to prohibit retroactive taxation and prevent new taxes on personal assets such as retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, and intellectual property.

Despite the criticism, the plan has gained backing from progressive Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Ro Khanna of California. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also expressed support, stating he is “perfectly fine” with the proposal.

SEIU-UHW President Dave Regan argued that looming Medicaid reductions could have serious consequences unless new funding sources are found, including job losses in healthcare, declining public health outcomes, and rising insurance costs.

“This did not start as a political statement about rising inequality — we are simply trying to solve a huge and immediate and practical problem,” Regan said in a statement.

A recent poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Government Studies found that 52% of likely California voters are inclined to support the measure, while 33% oppose it and 15% remain undecided.

Supporters estimate the tax could generate approximately $100 billion in revenue, asserting that California’s economy will continue to produce new wealth even if some billionaires choose to leave.

Opponents dispute those projections. An analysis by the California Tax Foundation estimated that the measure could actually reduce annual state revenue by between $3.53 billion and $4.49 billion “due to billionaire departures and their economic spillover effects.”

The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has offered a more cautious outlook, saying the tax would likely generate “tens of billions” in one-time revenue, while potentially leading to ongoing losses of “hundreds of millions of dollars or more” each year if some billionaires relocate.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews) – A prototype electric air taxi completed a demonstration flight Monday at John F. Kennedy International Airport, as officials and industry leaders explore new options for urban air mobility.

The aircraft, developed by Joby Aviation, is built to take off and land vertically and is designed to operate far more quietly than conventional helicopters. It can carry a small number of passengers along with a pilot and limited baggage.

On Monday, a first-of-its-kind electric air taxi took off from JFK Airport. More: https://t.co/I0CGfAEPWT pic.twitter.com/VmjLPi2jTE

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) April 27, 2026

The company is working toward certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, with plans to eventually offer short flights linking JFK to destinations around New York City in significantly reduced travel times.

The demonstration included routes connecting the airport with existing Manhattan heliports, highlighting how the service could integrate with current infrastructure if approved.

$JOBY completed its first point-to-point electric air taxi flights in New York City.

The flights connected JFK and Manhattan heliports in under 10 minutes as part of a White House-backed pilot program. https://t.co/Dfom0djq5v pic.twitter.com/SvyBbj5oO7

— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) April 27, 2026

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the test is part of a broader effort to examine emerging aviation technologies and prepare for future transportation needs while prioritizing safety and environmental impact.

Company officials have indicated they hope to begin operations in the New York area within the coming year, pending regulatory clearance.

Israel’s High Court of Justice has granted the government an additional period of approximately two months to formulate a framework for investigating the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks, instructing officials to provide an update by July 1, 2026, just months before upcoming elections.

The decision reflects the court’s continued reluctance to issue a definitive ruling on the matter, following a contentious hearing last week during which the justices suggested that the question might ultimately be left to voters.

In their ruling, the judges emphasized that “there is no dispute” regarding the need for a thorough and comprehensive investigation, pointing out that more than two and a half years after the events, no suitable investigative mechanism has been established. “This state of affairs is unacceptable and raises significant legal concerns,” they wrote.

Petitioners argued that the court should immediately order the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, which they say is the only legally recognized body capable of examining a failure of this magnitude. The attorney general supported that position.

The government, for its part, stated that it also sees a clear need to investigate the events and present findings to the public as soon as possible, but believes the process should be conducted under a framework established through special legislation and broad agreement. According to its position, neither a government-appointed review panel nor a formal state commission would enjoy sufficient public trust.

The justices made clear that the court does have the authority to hear petitions related to the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, based on longstanding legal precedent under Section 15(d)(2) of the Basic Law: The Judiciary, but noted that this is an area where the government is granted particularly broad discretion.

In light of that, the court decided to allow the government additional time to develop an agreed-upon plan, “in the hope that an appropriate framework will soon be found… one that will receive broad public support.”

The judges also stressed that their decision does not take a position on any potential legislation or its contents, and that further consideration of the petitions will follow once the government provides its update.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Monday told senior commanders that unethical behavior and eroding discipline amid Israel’s multi-front war cannot be tolerated, stressing that such issues pose a danger comparable to operational threats.

“The unethical incidents we have seen are the product of a long and complex period, but that does not justify them,” Zamir said at a conference of the Israel Defense Forces’ senior command staff. “We must not compromise on our values. The erosion of norms could be no less dangerous than operational threats.”

Zamir specifically addressed reports of looting by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, calling the phenomenon “disgraceful” if proven true.

“The phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is disgraceful and could stain the entire IDF,” he said, following a Haaretz report last week detailing widespread looting. “If such incidents occurred, we will investigate them.”

The chief of staff also drew a firm line on soldiers’ use of social media.

“Soldiers, both in the standing army and reserves, must not use social media as a tool to spread controversial messages or for self-promotion,” Zamir said. “This is a red line that must not be crossed, and those who do so will be dealt with disciplinarily.”

He acknowledged that troops are rarely punished for online posts.

On the role of women in the military, Zamir affirmed their importance.

“Women are an inseparable part of the IDF and its operational strength,” he said. “There will be no exclusion of women in the IDF.”

Regarding efforts to integrate ultra-Orthodox troops while addressing diverse populations, Zamir said the IDF would continue to expand service opportunities “without harming others or at their expense” and while “preserving the identity and values of the IDF.”

Zamir’s remarks come as the IDF continues operations on multiple fronts, including against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, with concerns mounting over discipline and ethical standards during prolonged conflict.

Prior to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to order the cancellation of the Lag BaOmer celebrations in Meron next week, he held numerous discussions with defense establishment officials.

Belaaz has obtained exclusive quotes from the situational assessment held with the Prime Minister before the decision was made.

Head of the Home Front Command: “The issue here isn’t Iran, but Lebanon, as the warning time from Lebanon is very short. Even if there were only a few thousand people on the mountain in Meron, if a rocket or UAV is launched, it would be a disaster.”

Minister Ben-Gvir: “Elaborate so everyone here understands.”

Security Official: “It could mean over a hundred dead…”

UTJ MK Porush: “Why are you canceling now? Everyone here agrees that if there’s a ceasefire in Iran, there will be a celebration. Why specifically against the Charedi community?”

Prime Minister: “We are talking about fire from Lebanon, not Iran…”

Minister Ben-Gvir: “It’s the exact opposite, Rabbi Porush. We are ensuring the Charedim aren’t harmed, just as we ensure secular or national-religious people aren’t harmed. I completely understand and it pains me that the event must be canceled, but I am not willing to take any risk, not even for the life of a single person coming to daven in Meron. What rabbi would grant permission when it comes to actual Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life)?”

MK Porush pressed again: “Then why did they open Teddy [Stadium] in Jerusalem?”

Prime Minister: “It’s not the same thing. That is in Jerusalem; in the north, the warning time is completely different.”

Minister Ben-Gvir: “We cannot take a risk and endanger people’s lives.”

Minister Regev: “It’s enough for one missile to hit a single bus. I am also against taking a risk.”

Prime Minister: “The situation is dangerous, the ceasefire is fragile, and we cannot take this risk.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt used her Monday briefing to directly attribute the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to a “left-wing cult of hatred” fueled by Democratic officials and media commentators who have systematically demonized President Trump and his supporters for over a decade.

“This political violence stems from a systemic demonization of him and his supporters by commentators, yes, by elected members of the Democrat Party, and even some in the media,” Leavitt said, adding that “hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump day after day after day for 11 years has helped to legitimize this violence.”

The press secretary drew a direct line between anti-Trump rhetoric and the shooter’s stated motivations. “When you read the manifesto of this shooter, ask yourselves, how different is the rhetoric from this almost-assassin than what you read on social media and hear in various forums every single day?” she said. “The answer, if you’re being honest with yourself, is that there is no difference at all.”

While acknowledging that “fierce disagreement” is appropriate in a democracy, Leavitt argued that the line between debate and incitement had been deliberately erased by Trump’s opponents.

“Those who constantly, falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to democracy, and compare him to Hitler to score political points are fueling this kind of violence,” she said, singling out “commentators” and “elected members of the Democrat Party” as primary culprits.

Leavitt cited the human toll of what she described as systematic demonization. “The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend,” she said.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Yossi Deitch, the government-appointed coordinator of the Lag BaOmer hilula at Meron, has announced that he is stepping down from his role following new restrictions ordered by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that significantly scale back this year’s celebration.

In an interview with Bechadrei Chareidim, Deitch explained that he cannot oversee an event under such limitations, saying, “I don’t know how to manage a closed and sad Meron. I know how to manage a joyful and open Meron. When people leave their homes with simcha, come to celebrate by Rabi Shimon, and return home with simcha — I don’t know how to run a partial event.”

He added that the logistical and operational limitations make the event unmanageable from his perspective: “When you don’t have Compound 89, you don’t have hadlakos, you have restrictions — I don’t know how to do this. You can’t decide who is allowed up and who isn’t. I cannot limit it to 1,500 people.”

Asked to explain his decision to resign, Deitch said the entire planning process had been based on expectations of a fully open event. “We worked the entire time with the police on an open Meron, and I said this in every meeting: I will not be part of a closed Meron. Last Sunday there was a meeting with the police commissioner — Home Front Command said there were no restrictions. Plans were approved, everything was in place, there were no limitations for the weekend — and suddenly everything flipped.”

When asked who would take over management of the event, Deitch said he does not know, suggesting that authorities may be operating with information not shared with the public. “I don’t know who will manage it. Maybe they know things we don’t know. But the public doesn’t understand — just like they didn’t understand on Pesach why the Kosel was closed, and now they don’t understand why Meron will be closed. I’m not in a position to explain or justify to the public why they shouldn’t come. I have no way to explain it. Maybe they know things we don’t know?”

He also questioned the consistency of the restrictions, pointing to recent large gatherings. “Look, just this past Shabbos there were 10,000 people in Meron, and suddenly on Lag BaOmer you limit it to 1,000? People will walk tens of kilometers to get to Meron at any cost.”

Deitch compared the situation to events elsewhere in the country, noting, “In Haifa, missiles fell no less than in the Meron area, and this past Shabbos there was a game there with 25,000 people. It could be that Meron is dangerous, but I cannot run a closed event — I don’t know how to handle it. Rav Porush also told this to the Prime Minister.”

Referring to previous years, he recalled that even under more severe conditions, attempts to limit access had failed. “Take, for example, the year 5784, when the situation was worse — they thought that if they closed Meron, no one would come, and we failed. The situation was more dangerous then — missiles fell in 89, they fell in Burma, there was greater danger in all the forests around Meron — and despite everything, people went with mesirus nefesh through all the forests. Of course, I’m not saying to do that — we must follow instructions.”

Looking ahead, Deitch struck a reflective tone. “I’m in a time of personal soul-searching — why during times of simcha do they shut things down for us? Why does this happen to us? Both on Pesach and in Meron, our celebrations were stopped. I’m not in a place of fighting or shutting down simchos. May it be the will that the zechus of Rashbi protect us.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Defense Ministry released footage of a major controlled detonation in the Golan Heights, where more than 700 landmines were blown up near Kibbutz Ein Zivan, close to the Syrian border. The operation was carried out by the Israel National Mine Action Authority, the IMOD body responsible for clearing minefields and unexploded ordnance across Israel.

The Golan still contains minefields left from decades of war and border defense, including mines placed by Israel and neighboring armies; the Defense Ministry says erosion has caused some mines to shift over time, turning old military obstacles into an ongoing danger to civilians.

The clearance is part of a multi-year national program meant to return contaminated land to civilian life. According to the Defense Ministry, INMAA has cleared more than 6,700 dunams of land suspected of containing mines or unexploded ordnance over the past year alone, including thousands of dunams in the Golan Heights. The goal is practical: open land for agriculture, housing, tourism, commerce and industry.

INMAA was established in 2011 after Israel made mine-clearance a national security and civilian-safety priority. Since then, the authority has cleared tens of thousands of mines across thousands of acres, including areas near the Dead Sea, the Arava, Eilat, the Beit She’an Valley, Majdal Shams and Had Nes.

President Donald Trump called on ABC and its parent company, Disney, to dismiss late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after the comedian made a controversial comment about Melania Trump during a recent monologue ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticized the host, writing, “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”

The president also took issue with content aired on Kimmel’s show, adding, “Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be.”

The controversy stems from a segment on Thursday night, when Kimmel offered a satirical take on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and delivered remarks about the first lady, saying: “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

Earlier Monday, Melania Trump also issued a strong response, condemning Kimmel’s comments and calling for action by the network. She described him as a “coward” who “hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.”

She continued her criticism in a post on X, writing, “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?”

At least seven vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours — a fraction of the 140 daily transits that characterized the waterway before the Iran war began on February 28, as negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain deadlocked.

The vessels, primarily dry bulk carriers, included ships departing Iraqi ports and one cargo vessel from an Iranian port, according to shipping data from Kpler and satellite analysis from SynMax. The modest traffic reflects the subdued maritime activity that has persisted throughout the uneasy ceasefire between the two sides.

The Strait of Hormuz, the critical chokepoint at the entrance to the Persian Gulf through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes in normal times, has become a flashpoint in the broader conflict. The U.S. Central Command said it has redirected 37 vessels since imposing a blockade on Iran on April 13 — a measure aimed at choking off Iranian oil exports and economic lifelines.

Yet Iranian tankers continue to move crude through the waterway. Six Iranian oil tankers returned to Iranian ports and transited Hormuz in recent days carrying approximately 10.5 million barrels, according to satellite data from TankerTrackers.com. On April 24 alone, around four million barrels of Iranian crude aboard tankers slipped through the American blockade, the same satellite analysis showed.

The persistence of Iranian oil shipments despite American interdiction efforts underscores the limits of the blockade’s effectiveness. While overall shipping traffic through Hormuz has collapsed to roughly 5 percent of pre-war levels, Iran continues to move significant quantities of crude to market — a fact that complicates American efforts to economically isolate Tehran while negotiations remain stalled.

The standoff has left global energy markets in a state of uncertainty, with shipping companies wary of transiting the waterway and insurance costs elevated due to the ongoing conflict. The resumption of meaningful diplomacy appears distant, and with it, any prospect of normalizing the flow of commerce through one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK (VINnews) – The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is testing a new tracking system designed to help deputies monitor fleeing suspects without relying on prolonged high-speed chases.

Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. said specially equipped patrol vehicles can deploy a GPS tracking tag onto a suspect’s vehicle, allowing officers to follow its movements remotely and make an arrest under safer circumstances.

Officials said the pilot program is currently being used by a specialized enforcement unit and is intended to reduce dangers often associated with vehicle pursuits, while improving public and officer safety.

Authorities said the technology may eventually be expanded for broader law enforcement use if the program proves effective. The initiative reflects a growing interest among police agencies in alternatives to traditional pursuit tactics.

An art exhibition scheduled to open this month in southwest London has been canceled following concerns raised by UK Lawyers for Israel over antisemitic imagery and narratives in the work.

Delta House Gallery in Wandsworth withdrew “Drawings Against Genocide,” a planned exhibition by artist Matthew Collings that was set to run from May 16 to 24, after UKLFI sent a letter to the gallery’s owners detailing problematic content in the pieces.

According to UKLFI, the works featured antisemitic imagery and narratives, including depictions that demonized Jews and Israelis, invoked antisemitic conspiracy theories, and drew comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. British media reviews of the exhibition called its antisemitic themes “grotesque” and said the work “was dripping with Jew-hate,” UKLFI said.

In its letter to the gallery, UKLFI warned that the material could potentially violate the Public Order Act 1986 and expose the venue to legal liability and reputational damage.

Following receipt of the letter, the gallery announced it would not proceed with the exhibition, stating that the event had been arranged without the owners’ consultation or knowledge.

“There is a real danger in normalizing antisemitic imagery and narratives in cultural spaces,” UKLFI said in a statement welcoming the cancellation. “When material that demonizes Jews or recycles classic antisemitic tropes is presented as legitimate artistic expression, it risks lowering the threshold for what is considered acceptable in public discourse.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

YSR.

New York City residents and organizations submitted more than 1,000 submissions to Governor Kathy Hochul’s EXPRESS NY initiative, a statewide effort inviting the public to suggest which regulations should be reduced or eliminated to make it easier to run businesses and access services.

The initiative, launched in February, drew nearly 2,000 participants across all 62 counties, who submitted over 3,700 recommendations focused on improving how government operates. Areas such as small business, housing, and child care were the top priorities in the submissions.

State officials are now reviewing the submissions to determine which proposals can move forward, with an initial round of regulatory changes expected later this spring and additional updates planned through the summer.

Other regions with strong participation included the Capital Region, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, with similar concerns raised across the state.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is not expected to make a near-term decision on Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s request for a pardon, and is instead exploring the possibility of initiating mediation aimed at reaching a plea agreement in the long-running corruption case against the prime minister, according to two senior Israeli officials cited by The New York Times.

In a statement, the president’s office indicated that Herzog views an “amicable solution between the parties” as serving the broader public good, adding that any eventual decision on the pardon request will be made in accordance with Israeli law and “the best interests of the state of Israel.”

Although the presidency in Israel is largely ceremonial, it includes the authority to grant pardons. Officials said Herzog sees his position as one that can help bridge divisions, and believes that mediation may be the most viable route to reducing tensions surrounding the ongoing trial.

Under the approach being considered, informal negotiations would take place under the auspices of the president’s office, with representatives from the state prosecution and the attorney general participating on one side, and Netanyahu’s legal team on the other. A similar effort previously broke down in late 2021 and early 2022.

The legal situation surrounding a potential pardon remains unclear.

An opinion issued last month by the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department concluded that there is no legal justification for granting a pardon unless Netanyahu admits guilt, steps down from office, or is convicted. The department also noted that broader considerations, such as national security, fall outside its purview.

At the same time, Herzog is reviewing a separate legal opinion submitted on behalf of the government by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu of the Otzma Yehudit party, which contends that the president has the authority to take wider historical and national factors into account.

The president’s office is also awaiting guidance from its own legal advisers before moving forward.

Netanyahu, 76, submitted his formal request for a preemptive pardon in November while his trial was ongoing, arguing that bringing the case to an end would help ease divisions within the country and allow him to focus on governing.

He has not indicated any willingness to acknowledge wrongdoing or withdraw from public life—steps that many legal experts and political opponents say would be necessary for any plea deal to materialize.

The trial, which began on May 24, 2020, encompasses three interconnected cases involving allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, including claims related to gifts from wealthy individuals and regulatory actions in exchange for favorable media coverage.

Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations, describing the proceedings as a “witch hunt.” Under Israeli law, a bribery conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while fraud and breach of trust each carry potential penalties of up to three years.

Calls for a pardon have largely come from Washington. During an address to the Knesset in October, President Donald Trump directed remarks to Herzog, saying, “Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon?”

He later reiterated that position in a letter sent in November and has since referred to Herzog as “disgraceful” and a “weak and pathetic guy.”

Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, told the Times that “Netanyahu knows the option of a plea bargain is always available to him,” and that an “admission of guilt, expressing remorse and agreeing to leave or not to run for office would be the essence of any plea bargain.”

National elections in Israel are expected to take place within the next six months.

According to individuals close to Herzog, he does have the authority to grant a pardon, but any such move would likely face scrutiny and potential review by the Israeli Supreme Court.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — Preservationists are pressing ahead with their lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom, declining a request by the Department of Justice to withdraw the complaint following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday.

Trump and other conservatives have made a renewed push for the ballroom in the wake of Saturday’s media dinner shooting, arguing it exposed the difficulties in ensuring presidential security at large events outside the White House grounds, and urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit.

Top Justice officials said the government would ask a court to dismiss the lawsuit “in light of last night’s extraordinary events” if the Trust did not voluntarily drop it.

Trust attorney Gregory Craig declined that request, writing to the Justice Department that the legal issues at the heart of the lawsuit are unchanged.

“What Saturday’s awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorize construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so,” Craig wrote.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The preservation group sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for a below-ground bunker and security upgrades.

In its lawsuit, the Trust argued that Trump had overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without first getting approval from key federal agencies and Congress.

A federal appeals court has allowed Trump to continue the project, ruling a day after a lower court judge continued to block above-ground construction on the site and scheduling a June 5 hearing to review the case.

NYS Assemblyman Aron Wieder and Senator Sam Sutton have introduced legislation to ensure that New Yorkers of Jewish and Muslim descent receive burials consistent with their religious traditions when they die without next of kin.

The measure, filed as A11146 in the Assembly and S9930 in the Senate, requires hospitals, morgues, and other facilities to notify designated religious burial organizations before disposing of unclaimed remains. The bill is modeled after a successful Kentucky statute and empowers specific organizations—including Misaskim, Chesed Shel Emes, the Hebrew Free Burial Association, and Janazah Community Funeral Services—to assume responsibility for burial arrangements and associated costs.

“This bill ensures that New York does right by those who pass away without family, honoring their heritage and providing a compassionate solution when it’s needed most,” said Assemblyman Aron Wieder. “I am deeply grateful to Senator Sam Sutton for his partnership. By working together across chambers, we are taking a meaningful step to uphold the dignity of every individual, regardless of their circumstances.”

“This is about basic human dignity and compassion,” added Senator Sam Sutton. “No one should be overlooked simply because they have no family to claim them. By including both Jewish and Muslim organizations, we are ensuring that New York respects the religious practices and cultural traditions that define our diverse state.”

The legislation is currently under review in both the Assembly and Senate. Supporters say the policy offers a seamless, cost-effective way for the state to handle these sensitive cases while honoring the faith backgrounds of its residents.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Elon Musk is advancing plans to roll out X Money, a built-in payments and banking system for his social media platform, as part of a broader effort to transform X into a hub for both communication and everyday financial activity, according to Bloomberg.

The initiative, which has been under development since Musk acquired Twitter—now rebranded as X—in October 2022, represents a major shift from the platform’s original role as a social network into a more expansive digital ecosystem.

Users who have tested early versions of the service report features such as roughly 3% cash back on select purchases, a savings yield approaching 6%, and free peer-to-peer transfers. That interest rate stands far above standard U.S. bank offerings—about 15 times higher than what most banks provide—though X has not clarified whether those rates will remain in place long term.

The platform is also expected to roll out a debit card connected to user accounts, along with an artificial intelligence-based system designed to monitor spending, categorize transactions, and provide personalized financial insights, functioning much like a digital financial assistant.

Musk’s aim is to keep users engaged within the app not only for social interaction, but also for handling their financial lives.

If successful, the platform would merge social networking and financial services in a way no major U.S. company has yet accomplished on a large scale.

Musk has repeatedly emphasized that payments are central to his long-term vision for X, telling employees he wants the platform to play a key role in how users send, spend, and store money in their daily lives.

Despite that ambition, industry analysts and payments experts remain cautious.

Some highlight gaps in the current system, particularly the absence of a seamless one-click checkout feature, which is widely viewed as essential for building a competitive e-commerce platform.

Without that capability, critics say X may struggle to convert user engagement into significant transaction volume.

As Richard Crone, founder of Crone Consulting LLC and longtime payment sector analyst, put it: “He [Musk] doeson’t have a one-click buy — and he needs that or e-commerce on his site will lag.”

Others point to trust as an even greater hurdle.

While users may quickly adopt simple peer-to-peer transfers, persuading them to rely on X as a primary financial account presents a far more difficult challenge, requiring strong regulatory compliance, reliability, and confidence in how funds are managed.

The rollout has already encountered regulatory obstacles.

Launching a nationwide payments system requires licensing across all 50 states, and although X has secured approvals in 44 states so far, it is still working to obtain authorization in several key areas. In some states, lawmakers have raised concerns related to oversight and consumer protections.

Even with those challenges, Musk enters the space with a significant advantage: a massive user base.

X already serves hundreds of millions of users, including content creators who receive payments through the platform, many of whom are expected to transition to X Money and help establish initial usage.

Early testers have already used the system to send payments through profiles and direct messages, indicating that the core infrastructure is already functioning.

Important details—including pricing, the full scope of services, and the timeline for a full national rollout—have yet to be finalized.

Still, the direction is clear: Musk is betting that integrating financial tools into a social platform will drive deeper user engagement and unlock new revenue opportunities.

If adoption grows, X Money could quickly evolve from a supplementary feature into a central component of both the platform and how many Americans manage their finances.

{Matzav.com}

I have sat across the table from many business owners who were genuinely confused — and sometimes devastated — when they discovered that a profitable year left them with almost nothing in the bank. It is one of the most common and painful misunderstandings in business finance, and it happens to smart, hardworking people every day.

Let me set the record straight: profit and cash flow are not the same thing. Understanding the difference is not just an accounting lesson — it is a survival skill.

What Is Profit?

Profit is what remains after you subtract your expenses from your revenue. It lives on your income statement. It is the number your CPA uses to calculate your tax bill. It tells you whether your business model is working in theory.

But here is the critical distinction: profit is recorded when it is earned, not necessarily when you receive the money.

If you invoice a client $50,000 in December and they pay you in February, that revenue shows up on this year’s income statement — but the cash does not arrive until next year. Your books say you are profitable. Your bank account tells a very different story.

What Is Cash Flow?

Cash flow is the actual movement of money in and out of your business. It tells you whether you can make payroll on Friday, pay your vendors on time, and cover your overhead without reaching for a line of credit.

Cash flow lives on your cash flow statement — a report that many small business owners either do not have or never look at. That is a costly oversight.

Where the Gap Gets Dangerous

The disconnect between profit and cash can widen quickly in a few common situations:

Slow-paying clients: If your receivables are stretching from 30 to 60 to 90 days, you are essentially financing your customers’ operations with your own cash.

Rapid growth: Counter-intuitively, growing too fast can create a cash crisis. You are spending money to fulfill orders — buying inventory, hiring staff, paying suppliers — before the revenue from those orders arrives.

Seasonal businesses: A strong Q4 does not always mean a comfortable Q1. If your income spikes but your expenses are consistent year-round, you can find yourself in a very tight spot between seasons.

Large capital purchases: Buying equipment or investing heavily in infrastructure depletes cash immediately, even if the expense is spread across years on your income statement.

What You Should Do About It

First, make sure you are actually reviewing your cash flow statement each month — not just your P&L. If you do not have one, ask your bookkeeper or controller to produce one. It should be a standard part of your monthly financial package.

Second, build a simple cash flow forecast. A 13-week rolling forecast — tracking expected inflows and outflows week by week — gives you early warning when a crunch is coming. It is far better to identify a problem six weeks in advance than to discover it the morning payroll is due.

Third, tighten your receivables process. Send invoices promptly, follow up on overdue accounts consistently, and consider offering a small discount for early payment. Every day you shorten your collection cycle is a day more cash sitting in your account.

Finally, talk to your financial advisor before making large investments. Understanding how a purchase will affect your cash position — not just your profitability — can mean the difference between a smart strategic move and a self-inflicted crisis.

The Bottom Line

A profitable business with poor cash management can fail just as surely as an unprofitable one. The good news is that once you understand the difference — and start monitoring both — you gain an enormous amount of control over the financial health of your business.

Numbers should not be a mystery. They should be your most reliable management tool.

—

About the Author:

Joe Herskowitz, EA, is the President and CEO of Lionstone Bookkeeping+, where he helps small and medium-sized businesses take control of their finances with expert bookkeeping and financial insights. With years of experience in business finance, Joe is passionate about making numbers work for business owners—not against them.

Have a bookkeeping or business finance question?

Reach out to Joe at [email protected] or call/text 732-803-7793 (no WhatsApp).

A 41-year-old man wearing a shirt bearing the Iranian flag assaulted three Jewish men in Brooklyn on Friday evening, police said, attacking them separately while screaming antisemitic slurs in what authorities are investigating as a hate crime.

Andrzej Wnuk allegedly targeted the men near Throop Avenue and Gerry Street in Williamsburg around 6:45 p.m., according to police and sources familiar with the incident. The three victims—ages 48, 38, and 21—were walking in the area when Wnuk attacked them.

The assaults were unprovoked and vicious. Wnuk punched one man in the back, struck another in the shoulder, and hit a third in the side of the head, sources said. Throughout the attack, he screamed antisemitic epithets at his victims.

The three men were walking separately when Wnuk unleashed on them — punching one man in the back, another man in the shoulder, and another in the side of the head – all while screaming ‘[expletive] Jews.’

All three victims reported pain to their faces but refused medical attention.

Video footage captured in the immediate aftermath shows police officers removing Wnuk from the scene. In the footage, Wnuk is visibly wearing a black T-shirt with an image of the Iranian flag displayed prominently across the front.

Wnuk was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court the same day. He was remanded and bail was set at $5,000 cash, according to court records.

He is being charged with multiple crimes, including hate crime assault.  Wnuk is scheduled to return to court on April 30. The investigation into the attack remains ongoing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s new security zone in southern Lebanon was meant to push Hezbollah terrorists away from northern Israeli communities. Hezbollah’s answer is not only rockets or anti-tank fire. It is a cheaper, smaller and harder-to-stop weapon, Ukraine-style FPV explosive drones, including models guided by fiber-optic cable that can cut through Israel’s electronic warfare defenses.

The threat became painfully clear when Sgt. Idan Fooks, 19, from Petah Tikva, a fighter in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, was killed in southern Lebanon. The IDF said he fell in battle, and Israeli reporting said six other soldiers were wounded in the Hezbollah drone strike. The incident took place near Taybeh, where a 77th Battalion tank was stuck and troops were working to repair it when an explosive drone hit nearby. During the evacuation, Hezbollah launched two more drones toward the force; one was intercepted, while another exploded near the soldiers and the rescue helicopter without causing additional injuries.

Hezbollah is moving from broader, less accurate fire to small drones that can be flown manually into weak points, vehicles, buildings and exposed troops. N12 reported that Hezbollah has increasingly turned explosive drones into a central weapon, in part because some are controlled by fiber optics, making them immune to standard electronic warfare. According to the report, certain models can be controlled from up to 15 kilometers away and carry up to 6 kilograms of explosives.

The technology is simple in concept and dangerous in practice. Instead of relying on radio signals or GPS links that can be jammed, the drone trails a thin fiber-optic cable back to the operator. That physical connection allows a real-time video feed and manual control almost until impact. In Ukraine, these drones have been used to fly low, weave through trees and reach areas once considered safer from FPV attacks. The same battlefield lesson is now appearing on Israel’s northern front.

That matters because Israel’s problem is no longer just interception. It is detection, timing and terrain. A small drone flying low and controlled through a cable can appear with little warning, especially around hills, villages, orchards and destroyed built-up areas in southern Lebanon. Ynet reported that similar Hezbollah fiber-optic drones can quietly slip toward IDF positions carrying charges of up to 10 kilograms, and that their guidance makes them resistant to electronic warfare, jamming and satellite-navigation disruption.

Hezbollah is also adapting out of pressure. Israel has spent months targeting its launchers, Radwan infrastructure, drone sites, weapons depots and smuggling routes. The old model of stockpiling large rocket arsenals through Iran and Syria is harder to sustain, especially as the Syrian route is no longer the same open highway it once was. Small FPV systems are cheaper, easier to modify locally and more expendable. That makes them attractive for a terrorist army trying to harass Israeli armor and troops without exposing large launch teams.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire has reduced the pace of full-scale fighting, but it has not stopped the war. President Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire by three weeks after White House talks, while Reuters reported that Israel has continued striking Hezbollah infrastructure and Hezbollah has kept firing rockets and drones at Israeli troops and northern Israel.

On the Lebanese side, the drone war is colliding with politics. President Joseph Aoun is pushing talks with Israel while Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem rejects direct negotiations and says any outcome “does not concern” the terror group. Aoun’s response was unusually blunt: taking Lebanon to war for “external interests,” he said, is the real treason. That is the internal Lebanese fight behind the military one: a state trying to negotiate while Hezbollah keeps dragging the country into Iran’s war.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on September 25, 2024. Lebanon said at least 23 people were killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon September 25, the third day of major Israeli raids in the country as fighting with Hezbollah has intensified. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP) (Photo by RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)

For Israel, the drone threat does not make the security zone irrelevant. It makes it more complicated. Distance still matters. Clearing Hezbollah positions, launch teams and weapons caches still matters. But fiber-optic FPV drones are designed to compress distance, slip past jamming and punish routine movement. A disabled tank, a rescue helicopter, an evacuation team or soldiers repairing equipment can become a target within minutes.

The likely Israeli response will be layered, better short-range detection, more kinetic interception, vehicle-mounted counter-drone systems, tighter movement discipline, camouflage, netting, rapid fire procedures and more aggressive strikes on Hezbollah operators before launch. Israel is already experimenting with systems that do not rely only on electronic warfare. But there is no clean solution yet as this is a clear live arms race.

The United Arab Emirates demanded that Pakistan repay billions in outstanding loans, a move widely seen as linked to Islamabad’s efforts to mediate in the Iran conflict and one that placed significant strain on Pakistan’s already fragile financial position.

According to a report by the Financial Times, the UAE issued what was described as a “shock request” for repayment of $3.5 billion at a time when Pakistan was grappling with severe economic challenges and depending on a $7 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund.

Pakistan went on to return approximately $3.45 billion, a step that threatened to deplete nearly 20 percent of its foreign currency reserves, which stood at about $16 billion, based on various reports.

Although Pakistani officials publicly characterized the move as a “routine financial transaction,” analysts and regional experts argue that the timing suggests a political motive rather than a standard financial procedure.

Officials in Abu Dhabi are believed to have been displeased with Pakistan’s attempt to position itself as a neutral intermediary in the U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran, an approach the UAE reportedly viewed unfavorably.

“There’s no neutrality in this,” said Neil Quilliam of Chatham House, noting the UAE sees the conflict in stark terms, with little room for middle-ground diplomacy, Financial Times reported.

From the Emirati perspective, efforts at mediation may be interpreted as a lack of clear alignment.

The Times of India noted that the repayment highlights how closely Pakistan’s financial stability is tied to shifting geopolitical dynamics.

The loans in question were first extended in 2019 and had routinely been rolled over, making the sudden demand for repayment particularly destabilizing.

The repayment also risked complicating Pakistan’s commitments under its IMF agreement, which requires the country to raise its reserves beyond $18 billion.

Economic analysts caution that without new inflows of capital, the move could weaken the Pakistani rupee and further exacerbate the country’s financial instability.

At the same time, broader tensions within the Gulf region may have played a role in the development.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have cooled in recent years, including disagreements over the conflict in Yemen.

Pakistan’s increasing alignment with Saudi Arabia, including a mutual defense agreement signed last year, has reportedly added another layer of tension with the UAE.

In response to the financial pressure, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to support Pakistan, depositing $3 billion and offering an additional $5 billion facility.

While this assistance allowed Pakistan to meet immediate obligations, it also underscores a growing reliance on Saudi backing—one that experts warn could become problematic if Riyadh faces economic constraints of its own.

Meanwhile, The South China Morning Post reported that public opinion in the UAE shifted sharply against Pakistan during the Iran conflict.

Social media criticism questioned Islamabad’s stance, with users asking, “Where do you stand?”

Such reactions are widely viewed as reflecting deeper dissatisfaction at official levels.

Despite the tensions, both governments have attempted to minimize the perception of a lasting dispute.

Pakistani officials have insisted there is “no gap” in ties, while commentators in the UAE have suggested that relations could stabilize over time.

Still, the episode serves as a clear reminder that Pakistan’s economic stability remains heavily dependent on external partners, leaving it exposed to geopolitical pressures during times of crisis.

{Matzav.com}

By BoroPark24 Staff

Among the many distinguished people who uplift the Torah landscape of Boro Park, the Viener Rebbe stands out for his unique ability to captivate and inspire through his Torah, shmuzen, and shiurim.

Well known for his depth, clarity, and warmth, the Rebbe has earned a reputation for delivering powerful divrei Torah that resonate with a wide range of listeners. His words combine profound insight with practical relevance, leaving a lasting impression on those who attend.

Twice each week, the Viener Rebbe travels to Boro Park, where he delivers shiurim in halacha as well as in the teachings of the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh. These shiurim have become a highlight for many in the community, drawing participants who seek both clarity in halachic understanding and inspiration in their avodas Hashem.

Attendees describe the experience as more than just a shiur. The Rebbe’s ability to weave together deep Torah concepts with heartfelt messages creates an atmosphere that is both intellectually engaging and spiritually uplifting. His renowned shmuzen further enhance the experience, offering chizuk and guidance that listeners carry with them well beyond the shiur itself.

Look out for next week’s Shiur Scene feature. If you have a shiur you’d like us to highlight, email [email protected]

NOTE: As in the past, TLS is the official media sponsor of this event, and the Hopsital sent out the flyer the way it appears here.

It has come to our attention that an individual had apparently removed our logo, altering the hospital’s flyer without authorization.

Acts of altering and reproducing others’ work are against Halacha and against the law.

MK Yoav Ben Tzur launched a sharp attack Monday on Naftali Bennett, arguing that Bennett’s newly formed political partnership with Yesh Atid leader MK Yair Lapid is unlikely to succeed and will ultimately lose significant support at the polls.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Berama Radio, Ben Tzur dismissed Bennett’s political standing, saying, “Bennett has no voter base – he’s neither right nor left, has no stance on core issues, is not security-minded, and does not understand economics or welfare,” Ben Tzur said in an interview with Kol Berama Radio.

He went on to argue that Bennett’s early momentum in surveys has historically faded, adding, “Throughout the years, Bennett starts with a big bang in the polls, with around twenty seats, and then drops to below double digits. Throughout his entire political career, he crossed into double digits only once, and that was when he was first starting out. He is not a gifted or talented politician, and he has not a single achievement to his name.”

Reviewing Bennett’s political trajectory, Ben Tzur pointed to what he described as a pattern of inconsistency, stating, “He hasn’t stopped zigzagging. In 2013 he ran with Jewish Home. In 2015 he got 8 seats. In 2019 he led the New Right, which didn’t pass the threshold. Then he ran with Yamina and got seven [seats]. In the 25th Knesset elections he fled in shame and didn’t run. Now, in this ‘Beyachad’ list, polls give him over twenty seats?”

He further accused Bennett of repeatedly shifting allegiances and abandoning his principles, concluding, “He didn’t just change his positions over the years – he switched [between] five parties, replaced all his partners, and sold all his values. I don’t want to attack him personally, but would you make a deal with someone like that? Can an unstable person run a country?”

{Matzav.com}

By Y.M. Lowy

A new program is starting in Boro Park to help make sure every home has working smoke detectors.

The initiative is being led by Chaveirim, in partnership with the American Red Cross, with coordination support from BPJCC. The goal is simple but critical: prevent tragedies by ensuring that every home is properly equipped with functioning smoke alarms.

As part of the rollout, a training session was recently held for members of Chaveirim who will be responsible for teaching others how to install the devices.

During the training, a professional instructor from the Red Cross walked participants through proper installation techniques and placement. The plan is to install smoke detectors in every bedroom, along with combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors near kitchen areas. Volunteers were also trained on general fire safety, including safe use of extension cords, basic prevention tips, and how families can plan escape routes in case of a fire.

Residents are able to sign up through BPJCC, which will handle applications and coordination. Once requests are submitted, Chaveirim volunteers will schedule visits and install the detectors free of charge.

photos: Dovid Jaroslawicz

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law enforcement officials are evaluating how to proceed with a number of high-profile public events featuring President Donald Trump after the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The third violent assault in the vicinity of Trump in less than two years is renewing the central tension confronting the Republican president’s defenders: how to accommodate the public-facing demands of the presidency while minimizing the risk of an attack.

Saturday’s episode, in which a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the Washington hotel ballroom where the president was set to address the White House Correspondents’ Association, comes ahead of Trump’s expected participation in an unusual stretch of large, high-profile events indoors and outdoors in the months ahead. Among them, he’s set to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, oversee the U.S. co-hosting the World Cup and lead rallies meant to galvanize support for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

A person familiar with the matter said the U.S. Secret Service was already reevaluating its security footing for the upcoming events. The agency’s posture was already elevated due the extraordinary number of threats facing Trump — including two back-to-back assassination attempts in 2024 — and the realities of recent events such as the U.S.-Iran war.

“I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that is more dangerous,” Trump said of the presidency Saturday night from the White House.

Inside the Secret Service, agents on protective intelligence and threat assessment teams are also reexamining threats made against Trump in recent months. Copycat violence can follow high-profile attacks, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security planning.

The White House and Buckingham Palace said King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit Monday is going ahead as planned. Still, organizing around large-scale events deeper in the future — including the UFC bout on the White House lawn marking Trump’s 80th birthday in June, World Cup matches and the IndyCar race past the White House — could get more complicated.

An inherent tension in presidential protection is exposed
Lawmakers, event attendees and some allies of the president saw fault in the correspondents’ dinner security planning, questioning why someone like the shooter could reserve a room at the hotel to sneak in weapons around the outermost layer of security.

Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee, said security protocols for Trump and Vice President JD Vance may need altering.

“I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together at something like that,” McCaul told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Kari Lake, a former unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona and Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, complained about not having to show a photo ID to match her ticket to the event when entering the hotel for the correspondents’ dinner. “I can’t believe how lax the security was,” Lake wrote on X.

The Secret Service is charged only with the safety of its protectees, not of the event itself, and the agency immediately celebrated its response, drawing a high-profile endorsement from Trump himself.

“Our multilayered protection works,” director Sean Curran said Saturday.

“Those guys did a good job last night. They did a really good job,” echoed Trump on Sunday in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

Garrett Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die,” wrote in an analysis of the multiple layers of security around Trump during the dinner, “Seems like the system basically working as designed, amid the always necessary trade-offs of security in a free society.”

Retired Secret Service Agent Thomas D. Quinn, who helped pioneer Secret Service counterassault teams, posted on X that “the Secret Service security plan for the WHCD worked and the assailant was stopped.” He continued, “As long as we are a free people in a freedom loving Nation, the Secret Service responsibilities will continue to be immense.”

More security changes ahead
Ronald Kessler, author of “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect,” said authorities are likely to consider placing bulletproof glass around where Trump speaks outside and inside — not unlike after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt during the heat of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear. An example of what might happen came last fall, when Trump attended the men’s final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and triggered massive security lines.

Such events underscore the complicated security questions surrounding presidential protection in a country where citizens expect their leaders to move through public spaces, hold rallies, attend events and appear before crowds.

“Presidents don’t like to have too much protection,” Kessler said. “I think, by their nature, they’re very outgoing. They want to meet people. They don’t want to be accused of being prisoners of the White House. And so, they’ll try to get around some of these improvements.”

Presidents can have love-hate relationships with security details
The Secret Service took over full-time responsibility for protecting the president during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, who came to office after an assassin killed William McKinley in 1901. Roosevelt found the constant security presence tiresome, however, and would sometimes slip away for unprotected hikes or horseback rides in Washington’s Rock Creek Park, according to the White House Historical Association.

Security personnel wanted President Ronald Reagan to exit the building where Saturday night’s shooting occurred, the Washington Hilton, through a covered garage in 1981, Kessler said. Reagan’s staff worried the optics would be bad, however, and the president was shot as he left an open-air exit, ultimately surviving.

After shots were fired Saturday, Secret Service agents surrounded Trump, who appeared to slip slightly as he was whisked away. Another team moved Vance so quickly it seemed as if it might haul him out while still seated in a banquet chair.

Trump told “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he “wasn’t making it easy” for the Secret Service by being “a little bit me.”

“I wanted to see what was happening,” the president said Sunday. “And by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem — different kind of a problem — bad one.”

“I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said: ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Lemme see. Wait a minute,’” Trump said. He said he started walking out but: “They said, ‘Please go down. Please go down on the floor.′ So I went down, and the first lady went down also.”

Trump repeatedly praised the Secret Service and his detail, and he has pushed the correspondents’ association to reschedule the dinner. He said it would have “even more security.”

“And they’ll have bigger perimeter security,” he said. “It’ll be fine.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met Monday afternoon in Yerushalayim with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert, pressing for immediate international steps to address Hezbollah’s ongoing operations conducted in close proximity to UN forces stationed in Lebanon.

During the meeting, Sa’ar stressed that Hezbollah has continued to breach the ceasefire in a consistent and deliberate manner, arguing that these actions advance Iranian objectives rather than serving the interests of Lebanon itself.

The foreign minister also presented figures outlining the extent of recent hostilities, noting that since March 2—when Hezbollah entered the conflict under pressure from Tehran—roughly 10,000 missiles, rockets, and drones have been launched toward Israel.

He further pointed out that many of these attacks originated from areas located near UNIFIL positions and installations.

“We are seeing an increasingly dangerous pattern: Hezbollah systematically deploys its terrorists and assets next to UNIFIL stations, taking advantage of UNIFIL’s presence for its hostile actions. Hezbollah is using these positions for surveillance against IDF forces and is moving its terrorists in vehicles identical to those of UNIFIL,” Sa’ar stated. “The Government of Lebanon must act decisively against Hezbollah and its terrorists, including through financial measures targeting its sources of funding.”

{Matzav.com}

Yesterday’s incident involving a local family who mistakenly placed an order with the wrong restaurant has generated significant discussion throughout the TLS community, where the matter has been widely debated since yesterday – when the father shared the receipts and incident exclusively with TLS.

The family believed they were ordering from a kosher establishment, only to later discover that the order had been placed with a non-kosher restaurant bearing a similar-sounding name. As a result, the situation has sparked a much broader conversation about the standards and judgment exercised by kosher certification agencies.

At the heart of the discussion is whether hechsherim should be granting certification to establishments whose names closely resemble those of non-kosher businesses, creating the possibility for confusion among consumers. Community members have also questioned whether certification should be extended to restaurants that intentionally market products designed to imitate clearly non-kosher or treif-style foods.

Those calling for stricter oversight argue that while such practices may meet the technical requirements of kashrus, they can still undermine the spirit of what kosher certification is meant to represent. In their view, a hechsher should reflect not only halachic compliance, but also a responsibility toward community sensitivities.

Others maintain that the role of a certifying agency is limited to ensuring that food preparation and ingredients meet kosher standards. They argue that branding decisions and menu concepts should not fall under the scope of kashrus supervision, and that consumers bear the responsibility of carefully confirming where they are ordering from.

The incident has now evolved into a wider discussion about modern restaurant culture, consumer awareness, and whether current certification practices should be reevaluated in light of changing trends.

What are your thoughts? Should hechsherim consider factors such as business naming and treif-style marketing before granting a hecsher, or should their role remain strictly focused on the actual kashrus of the items? Let us know where you stand.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred the bickering billionaires’ once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence.

The trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

The trial’s outcome could sway the balance of power in AI — breakthrough technology that is increasingly being feared as a potential job killer and an existential threat to humanity’s survival.

Those perceived risks are among the reasons that Musk, the world’s richest person, cites for filing an August 2024 lawsuit that will now be decided by a jury and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California.

The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes that’s aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.

Trial promises clashing testimony from two tech titans
Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, initially was seeking more than $100 billion in damages.

But any damages now are likely to be much smaller after a series of pre-trial rulings that went against Musk. Musk has since abandoned a bid for damages for himself and instead is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm. The money would be paid primarily by OpenAI’s for-profit operations, and Microsoft, which became the company’s biggest investor after Musk cut off his funding.

Musk’s lawsuit also seeks Altman’s ouster from OpenAI’s board. Musk’s decision to stop funding the company contributed to a bitter falling out between the former allies. Musk says he was responding to deceptive conduct that OpenAI’s board picked up on when it fired Altman as CEO in 2023 before he got his job back days later.

But the trial also carries risks for Musk, who last month was held liable by another jury for defrauding investors during his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022. Any damaging details about Musk and his business tactics could be particularly hurtful now because his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, plans to go public this summer in an initial public offering that could make him the world’s first trillionaire.

However it turns out, the trial is expected to provide riveting theater, with contrasting testimony from two of technology’s most influential and polarizing figures in the 54-year-old Musk and the 41-year-old Altman.

“Part of this is about whether a jury believes the people who will testify and whether they are credible,” Gonzalez Rogers said during a court hearing earlier this year while explaining why she believe the case merited a trial. The judge will make the final decision on the case, with the jury serving in an advisory role.

Evidence has included glimpses of the AI race’s early days
Musk, whose estimated fortune stands at about $780 billion, has long been hailed as a visionary for his roles creating digital payment pioneer PayPal, electric automaker Tesla and rocket ship maker SpaceX. But he has also provoked backlashes with his social media commentary, unfulfilled promises about Tesla’s self-driving technology and his cost-cutting role last year in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Some of Musk’s erratic behavior has been tied to allegations of taking hallucinogenic drugs, but Gonzalez Rogers ruled that he can’t be asked during the trial about his suspected use of ketamine. But the judge is allowing Musk to be questioned about his attendance at the 2017 Burning Man festival in Nevada, a free-wheeling celebration known for widespread drug use. The judge is also allowing Musk to be questioned about his relationship with former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, the mother of several of his children.

Altman, currently sitting on a roughly $3 billion fortune, didn’t emerge in the public consciousness until the late 2022 release of ChatGPT. The tech boom triggered by that conversational chatbot has led some to liken Altman to a 21st-century version of the nuclear bomb inventor, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Although Altman was initially hailed as trailblazer he is now facing blowback amid worries about AI’s potential dangers. Earlier this month, the New Yorker magazine published a profile that painted him as an unscrupulous executive. Days later, a 20-year-old man worried about AI’s effect on humanity was arrested on attempted murder charges after throwing a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s San Francisco home.

The dueling testimonies of Altman and Musk are expected to open a window into some of the thinking that helped trigger the AI race, as well as the unraveling of their friendship. The kinship was forged in 2015 when they agreed to build AI in a more responsible and safer way than the profit-driven companies controlled by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to evidence submitted ahead of the trial.

Details of the bitter break between the two men were captured in a February 2023 email exchange that surfaced as part of the evidence leading up to the trial.

After letting Musk know “you’re my hero,” Altman tells him: “I am tremendously thankful for everything you’ve done to help —I don’t think OpenAI would have happened without you — and it really (expletive) hurts when you publicly attack OpenAI.”

Musk’s response: “I hear you and it is certainly not my intention to be hurtful, for which I apologize, but the fate of civilization is at stake.”

TORONTO (AP) — Canada is developing a government-owned investment fund, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday.

Carney said the fund will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. It will begin at 25 billion Canadian dollars ($18 billion).

The prime minister said the federal government will put up funds alongside private investors. The money will help fund projects Carney’s government is focused on building as Canada seeks to diversify away from the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with tariffs, most offensively by claiming Canada could be “the 51st state.”

Carney is former two-time central banker in England and Canada as well as chair of the board of directors for Bloomberg.

“We take a lesson from other jurisdictions that had the foresight many decades ago to start sovereign wealth funds,” Carney said, “In some cases they began with a domestic focus then outgrew the scale of the domestic focus.”

Sovereign wealth funds invest in assets such as stocks, bonds and real estate. They are typically funded by a country’s budgetary surplus, which Canada currently does not have. The announcement comes a day before the Carney government announces its spring economic update.

There are over 90 sovereign wealth funds around the world that manage over $8 trillion in assets, according to The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds, a London-based organization made up of roughly 50 of these entities.

Trump ordered the creation of U.S. sovereign wealth fund last year. In the U.S., more than 20 sovereign wealth funds exist at the state level, according to an analysis by the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank.

Rabbi Eyal Zionov, who recently drew widespread attention after appearing in public dressed in clothing closely resembling the traditional garments of the Rishon Letzion, has agreed to discontinue that style of dress following discussions with community leadership.

The decision came after a phone conversation between Rabbi Zionov and Avraham Doron, head of the Council of Sephardi and Oriental Communities in Yerushalayim, during which the matter was addressed and a resolution reached.

In that discussion, Zionov explained his perspective and proposed a middle ground that would allow him to continue wearing dignified rabbinic clothing while avoiding confusion or any perceived disrespect toward the Chief Rabbinate. As part of the understanding, he agreed to stop wearing the ornate cloak adorned with gold and silver embroidery, a distinctive feature historically associated with the Rishon Letzion dating back to the Ottoman period in Eretz Yisroel.

He also agreed to modify his headwear by removing the diagonal stripe that identifies the serving Sephardic Chief Rabbi, further ensuring that his appearance would not be mistaken for that of the official position.

Doron stated that there is neither a halachic nor legal issue with wearing standard rabbinic garments that do not include official insignia, and he praised the agreement as a responsible step that brings the matter to a close.

Zionov, who maintains a strong following on TikTok, first became the subject of national attention last week when he attended Israel’s Independence Day state ceremony. His appearance there led to confusion among attendees and viewers, some of whom assumed he was the Chief Rabbi, including the event’s broadcast director, who repeatedly focused the camera on him.

Days earlier, Zionov’s visit to the Har Habayis—an area the Chief Rabbinate has ruled off-limits—caused additional confusion, even prompting Shin Bet officials to contact the Chief Rabbi’s office after mistakenly believing the visit had not been properly coordinated.

In the days since the story broke, Zionov has also been seen in places not typically associated with rabbinic figures, including a Tel Aviv nightclub and a soccer game, further fueling public attention around his activities.

{Matzav.com}

BERLIN (AP) — The German government suspects Russia is behind a series of phishing attacks on Signal targeting high-ranking politicians, including two government ministers, military personnel and journalists, a government spokesperson said.

Federal prosecutors have been conducting a preliminary investigation since mid-February 2026 into alleged cyberattacks on Signal accounts, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutors confirmed on Saturday.

Among other things, the investigation involves an initial suspicion of espionage, she added, without specifying which country might be involved.

The German government has still not officially attributed the attacks to Russia.

Germany and other European countries have been under increased pressure from cyberattacks and other malign activity linked to Russia by Western officials since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Around 300 Signal accounts belonging to individuals within the political sphere were compromised in the attacks, German magazine Der Spiegel reported, quoting governmental sources.

There is no official confirmation of the names of the victims.

According to Der Spiegel, the targeted users received messages from a fake Signal security chatbot that informed them of suspicious activity on their accounts and asked them to take immediate action. If the user followed the instructions, including entering a PIN or scanning a QR code, their Signal accounts were linked to an external device controlled by the hackers.

This allowed the attackers to read past chats, follow ongoing conversations and even see address books and other data stored by the users.

In February, Germany’s domestic intelligence service BfV and the federal cybersecurity authority BSI had issued a public warning about such a phishing campaign, saying it was “likely being carried out by a state-controlled cyber actor.” According to the German press agency dpa, German authorities also contacted several politicians personally to warn them such attacks may have happened.

In March, Dutch intelligence and security services also warned that “Russian state hackers are engaged in a large-scale global cyber campaign to gain access to Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to dignitaries, military personnel and civil servants.”

Targets include Dutch government employees, the Dutch authorities warned at the time, and journalists may also have been targeted.

The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to an AP request for comment. Moscow has repeatedly denied it is spying on other countries.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, the German ambassador to Russia, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday morning, dpa reported, regarding alleged contacts between German politicians and terrorist organizations. No connection has been made between the summons and the German media revelations about the Signal phishing attacks.

“I will, of course, comply with the summons. I consider it unlikely that the Russian side will be able to substantiate its accusations,” Lambsdorff said in advance. Relations between the two countries have been tense for years.