Jooish News

ChatGPT Health frequently overlooks situations requiring urgent medical attention and often fails to identify suicidal thoughts, according to a new analysis of the AI tool, reported by The Guardian on Thursday. Specialists say the findings suggest the system could “feasibly lead to unnecessary harm and death.”

The Health feature, rolled out to select users in January, is marketed as a way for people to “securely connect medical records and wellness apps” so the chatbot can generate tailored health advice. The platform is already receiving more than 40 million health-related queries daily.

Researchers released the first independent safety assessment of the feature in the February issue of Nature Medicine, concluding that the system underestimated the severity of more than half of the medical cases it reviewed.

Lead researcher Dr Ashwin Ramaswamy said the team sought to answer a basic but critical question: “if someone is having a real medical emergency and asks ChatGPT Health what to do, will it tell them to go to the emergency department?”

Ramaswamy’s group designed 60 detailed patient case studies ranging from minor issues to life-threatening conditions. Three physicians independently reviewed each case and agreed on the appropriate level of care based on clinical standards.

Researchers then presented the same cases to ChatGPT Health, altering details such as gender, lab results, and input from friends or family, generating close to 1,000 AI responses.

The AI’s recommendations were matched against the physicians’ guidance.

Although the system performed strongly in clear-cut emergencies like strokes or severe allergic responses, it faltered in more nuanced situations. In one asthma example, the chatbot recommended waiting instead of urging immediate treatment, despite acknowledging signs pointing to respiratory failure.

Overall, in 51.6% of cases requiring an urgent hospital visit, the system advised patients to stay home or schedule a routine appointment. Researcher Alex Ruani described the findings as “unbelievably dangerous.”

“If you’re experiencing respiratory failure or diabetic ketoacidosis, you have a 50/50 chance of this AI telling you it’s not a big deal,” she said. “What worries me most is the false sense of security these systems create. If someone is told to wait 48 hours during an asthma attack or diabetic crisis, that reassurance could cost them their life.”

Ruani noted one scenario in which the system recommended a delayed appointment for a woman who appeared to be suffocating 84% of the time, a wait she would not have survived. At the same time, 64.8% of healthy individuals were mistakenly told to seek immediate care.

The model also reduced urgency nearly twelvefold when a “friend” in the scenario dismissed the symptoms as unimportant.

“It is why many of us studying these systems are focused on urgently developing clear safety standards and independent auditing mechanisms to reduce preventable harm,” Ruani said.

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company supports external evaluation of its health-related tools but argued the study does not represent typical usage. The spokesperson added that the system is frequently updated and improved.

Despite this, Ruani said the controlled scenarios still point to a “plausible risk of harm”, which she argued is enough to justify stronger protections and oversight.

Ramaswamy, who teaches urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, expressed particular alarm about the AI’s inconsistent response to users expressing thoughts of self-harm.

“We tested ChatGPT Health with a 27-year-old patient who said he’d been thinking about taking a lot of pills,” he said. When the patient simply stated the symptoms, the chatbot displayed a crisis intervention banner linking to suicide support every time.

“Then we added normal lab results,” he said. “Same patient, same words, same severity. The banner vanished. Zero out of 16 attempts. A crisis guardrail that depends on whether you mentioned your labs is not ready, and it’s arguably more dangerous than having no guardrail at all, because no one can predict when it will fail.”

Digital policy scholar Paul Henman said the findings are “a really important paper”.

He warned that using ChatGPT Health at home could lead to more unnecessary medical visits for minor concerns, while also causing dangerous delays for people needing swift emergency care. This, he said, could “feasibly lead to unnecessary harm and death”.

Henman also said the study raises legal questions, noting lawsuits have already emerged involving AI chatbots and cases of self-harm or suicide.

“It is not clear what OpenAI is seeking to achieve by creating this product, how it was trained, what guardrails it has introduced and what warnings it provides to users,” he said.

“Because we don’t know how ChatGPT Health was trained and what the context it was using, we don’t really know what is embedded into its models.”

Daniel Lurie, the Jewish mayor of San Francisco, and Bilal Mahmood, the first Muslim elected to the city’s Board of Supervisors, organized an event on Wednesday promoting their plan for real estate tax reform meant to generate jobs and create more housing. Protesters at the event chanting “Tax the rich” were heard to switch to “Tax the Jews.”

Both Lurie and Mahmood expressed their disgust on X.

“At an event this afternoon, a group of individuals that were chanting ‘tax the rich’ began to shout ‘tax the Jews,'” he wrote. “This was an event I put on with Supervisor Mahmood, labor leaders, and dozens of workers to announce a plan that creates more jobs for those workers and housing for San Franciscans.”

Daniel Lurie and Bilal Mahmood. (From their X profiles)

“Suggesting that Jews are wealthy is a tired trope, and targeting our community at an event focused on creating economic opportunity for San Franciscans is decidedly antisemitic,” he added. “I will never accept hate directed at the Jewish community or any community in our city. Those are not San Francisco values — we’re better than that.”

Mahmood agreed.

“What occurred today was blatant antisemitism,” he posted. “Targeting Jewish community members during a unity event bringing labor, business, and city leaders together to create jobs is unacceptable and contrary to everything San Francisco stands for.”

“We reject hate in all its forms,” he said.

The mayor of San Jose, Matt Mahan, also issued a statement.

“This is not who we are. This is not how we solve problems,” he said. “Debate policy all you want — but when free speech turns into hate speech, California needs to draw a hard line.”

In this video, a woman walking the streets in San Francisco screams, “Shame on Jews” and “Tax on Israel.” The X user who posted this video asked if it could be the woman who screamed “Tax the Jews” at Wednesday’s event.

The San Francisco branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, which organized the protest, said that the protester was not part of their group. The DSA, to which Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez belong, is known for its antisemitic rhetoric. The group organized a protest the day after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel celebrating the attack.

The DSA issued a statement about the protester who shouted “Tax the Jews.”

“A non-member joined the crowd and spouted disgusting antisemitic remarks,” the statement read. “DSA members and other protesters asked her to stop, but she refused. We want to be clear that whatever hate she holds isn’t shared by DSA members, and we categorically reject antisemitism.”

Jackie Fielder, who belongs to the DSA and serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, said the woman who shouted the offending words is known to people in the area as “mentally unstable.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the latest round of negotiations with the United States marked the most substantive discussions to date, describing the third session held in Geneva as “one of the most serious” so far.

Speaking to Iranian state television, Araghchi confirmed that the talks focused on both Iran’s nuclear activities and the issue of US-imposed sanctions.

According to Araghchi, the two sides managed to make progress on certain matters, though key differences remain unresolved. He stated that both delegations demonstrated “clear seriousness” about advancing toward a potential agreement.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Looking ahead, Araghchi announced that further discussions are scheduled for Monday in Vienna at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where negotiators will aim to establish a structured framework addressing technical components of the nuclear file.

Despite lingering gaps, Iranian officials appear to be signaling cautious optimism as diplomatic efforts continue.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Six additional American refueling tankers are scheduled to depart for Israel on Thursday, marking the latest visible step in a massive U.S. military buildup across the Middle East.

According to open-source flight tracking data reviewed by independent aviation analysts, five U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft are set to depart from Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, while a sixth tanker will leave Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. All six aircraft are scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The planned arrivals follow a week in which multiple American refueling aircraft and cargo planes were observed landing at Ben Gurion. At the same time, 11 F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets — along with logistical support aircraft and accompanying aircrews — arrived at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel.

The movements are part of a broader pattern that has unfolded in recent weeks. The Military Air Tracking Alliance, a group of roughly 30 open-source analysts who monitor global military flight activity, reports that dozens of American fighter jets — including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s — have been spotted heading toward the Middle East.

The alliance says it has also tracked dozens of aerial refueling tankers and hundreds of cargo flights entering the region this month, signaling a substantial logistical effort underway.

The U.S. government has not publicly detailed the full scope or duration of the deployments. However, aerial refueling aircraft play a critical role in extending the range and endurance of fighter jets, allowing sustained operations over long distances.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A renovated townhouse in Brooklyn Heights has sold for $14.99 million, marking the borough’s highest residential sale so far this year.

The 25-foot-wide brick residence at 307 Hicks St., originally built around 1910, spans roughly 6,200 square feet and includes five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The property was converted from a four-family building into a single-family home and redesigned with modern interiors. The buyer is a Manhattan-based finance family.

The New York Post first reported the sale, noting it follows another major townhouse transaction in the neighborhood at 170 Clinton St., which sold for $14 million last month.

Both properties were developed by Brooklyn-based real estate studio Eckstrøm, founded by husband-and-wife team Carlos Saavedra and Nicole Eckstrøm. Drawing on more than two decades of experience across real estate, design, and the arts, the studio takes a deeply hands-on approach to every project—overseeing each residence from acquisition and construction through interior design, staging, and sales. The firm focuses on restoring and reimagining historic Brooklyn townhouses, blending preservation with modern luxury.

husband-and-wife team Carlos Saavedra and Nicole Eckstrøm

The Hicks Street home was redesigned in collaboration with FXCollaborative. Features include wide-plank ash wood floors imported from Denmark, new windows, a custom chef’s kitchen, minimalist interiors, and integrated storage throughout.

Eckstrøm purchased the property in 2024 for $5.1 million, when it was a four-story, four-unit building. After converting it to a single-family residence, the home was listed later that year, eventually closing just under $15 million.

Brooklyn Heights continues to attract buyers seeking quiet, family-oriented neighborhoods with strong schools and a mix of historic charm and modern upgrades.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu personally accompanied Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ben Gurion International Airport on Thursday to bid him farewell, capping a productive two-day state visit focused on deepening bilateral ties.

The warm gesture underscored the strong personal and strategic relationship between the two leaders and their nations. Netanyahu and Sara Netanyahu stood by as Modi boarded his plane, following a ceremonial departure that included mutual expressions of commitment to expanded cooperation.

Modi concluded his visit, which began Wednesday, after addressing Israel’s Knesset, holding talks with Netanyahu and other officials, and overseeing the signing of agreements in areas including innovation, technology, security, defense and trade.

In a post on X, Modi expressed gratitude for the hospitality, noting he was “deeply touched” that Netanyahu and his wife came to the airport to see him off personally. He added that he was confident the India-Israel partnership would “continue to reach new heights in the years to come.”

The visit, described by officials as historic, built on Modi’s landmark 2017 trip to Israel — the first by an Indian prime minister — and Netanyahu’s reciprocal visit to India. It highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen defense collaboration, pursue a free-trade agreement and advance joint initiatives in AI and other high-tech fields.

Netanyahu has hailed the Israel-India relationship as “unique and historic,” emphasizing shared interests in countering terrorism and fostering regional alliances.

The Pentagon’s first one-way “kamikaze” drone unit is now operational and ready to take part if President Donald Trump orders strikes on Iran, according to U.S. officials and analysts cited by Bloomberg. 

NUREMBERG, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 24: An HX-2 kamikaze drone stands on display at the Helsing stand at the 2026 Enforce Tac trade fair on February 24, 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany. Enforce Tac is Germany’s leading security and defence trade fair. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The unit is known as Task Force Scorpion Strike, stood up under U.S. Central Command to field low-cost, expendable attack drones in the Middle East.  Those drones include the LUCAS system, a Shahed-136-style design the U.S. reverse-engineered after Iranian one-way attack drones were used across the region and in Ukraine.

The Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes Thursday on eight Hezbollah military sites in the Baalbek region of Lebanon, targeting facilities used by the group’s elite Radwan Force, the military announced.

According to the IDF, the compounds housed a significant cache of weapons belonging to Hezbollah, including firearms and rockets. The military said the sites served as storage and operational hubs for the terror organization.

The IDF stated that the Radwan Force had been using the facilities to conduct training in preparation for potential emergency scenarios. The compounds were also allegedly used to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

سلسلة غارات اسرائيلية جديدة تستهدف محيط بلدة بوداي pic.twitter.com/XgWPJpuKZD

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) February 26, 2026

As part of the activities conducted there, operatives reportedly participated in live-fire exercises and other drills designed to improve their proficiency with a range of weaponry.

The military emphasized that such activity, along with Hezbollah’s broader efforts to rebuild and strengthen its arsenal, breaches the ceasefire arrangements between Israel and Lebanon and represents a direct danger to Israel’s security.

“The IDF will not allow Hezbollah to expand its capabilities and rearm itself, and will continue to operate to remove any threat to the state of Israel,” the military stated.

{Matzav.com}

A senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official claims that Hamas is engaged in discussions with Israel and the United States over the dismantling of its military apparatus in Gaza — including the potential sale of its weapons stockpile — in what would mark a dramatic shift in the terrorist group’s long-stated public position.

Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Council, said in an interview published by Saudi network Al-Arabiya’s Mazeej podcast that Hamas is negotiating over the fate of its arms even as it publicly insists it will not disarm without the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“Hamas is discussing its arms with both the Americans and the Israelis,” Majdalani said, without clarifying whether the contacts are direct or indirect.

According to Majdalani, the talks center on three key components: consolidating heavy weapons, demolishing military infrastructure — including tunnels and weapons manufacturing facilities — and limiting future arms to a police force that would replace Hamas-run security services in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s proposed peace framework.

He claimed Hamas is seeking a disarmament arrangement modeled on what he described as the “Irish model,” in which weapons would be gathered and sold in exchange for money. Majdalani did not specify to whom the weapons would be sold, and it remains unclear which historical precedent he was referencing. Under the 1998 Belfast Agreement, Irish paramilitary groups decommissioned their weapons without financial compensation.

“I didn’t make this up,” Majdalani said, urging Hamas to publicly acknowledge what he described as ongoing negotiations. He characterized the group’s repeated public pledges to retain its weapons as messaging “for public consumption,” asserting that the tone in private discussions differs significantly.

The remarks, if accurate, would represent a potential breakthrough in one of the most entrenched obstacles to ending the Gaza war. Israel has repeatedly insisted that Hamas must disarm before any meaningful reconstruction of Gaza can proceed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities is a prerequisite for long-term security.

“Israel wants an excuse” to keep the war going, Majdalani alleged. “First, the excuse was the soldier’s body, and it was found.” He was referring to the remains of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili hy”d, the last confirmed Israeli hostage in Gaza, recovered last month. “Today, the excuse is the weapons.”

“Netanyahu will keep using this excuse for as long as possible to undermine the possibility of an agreement to end the war,” Majdalani said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A package of bills designed to protect places of worship and schools turned into a contentious hearing at City Hall in Manhattan on Wednesday, in a session that drew more than 100 speakers and dragged on for over 10 hours.

The original bill, proposed by City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish, established a 100-foot buffer zone around houses of worship and medical facilities, but the draft was revised in response to misgivings expressed by NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The revised bill did not name a specific distance but left that up to police discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis.

The hearing drew opponents and supporters alike.

Anti-Israel groups said the bill infringes on their First Amendment right to scream at, intimidate and harass Jews who are just trying to go to shul (although not in those words). Activists held up signs before the hearing at the entrance to City Hall bearing the slogan, “Protect our right to protest,” while chanting “Free Palestine.”

Speaker of the New York City Council Julie Menin speaks at the 40th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)

One protester accused lawmakers of “prioritizing Zionist interests over the needs of the city,” saying that “the tactics that they test on colonized land always come home to suppress us here.”

“These bills are not about protecting worshipers or students,” he added. “They are about making sure the machinery of empire runs without interruption.”

But leaders across the religious spectrum came out in support of the proposed legislation.

“I have seen firsthand how deeply incidents of hate impact families and entire communities,” said Imam Maaz Ali of Iqra Masjid. “Our masjids, like all places of worship, should be spaces of peace, prayer, safety. Protecting one community ultimately protects us all.”

Menin, who proposed the bill, sought to clarify what she said are “misconceptions.”

“We’re not forgetting that our country was built on the protections of the First Amendment,” she said. “It is a freedom that these bills will uphold. What we will not allow is for people to abuse that freedom.”

Michael Gerber, an official from the New York Police Department, explained the initial concern about the 100-foot buffer zone.

Putting a restriction on distance “limited our ability to do frozen zones,” he said. “Any time you’re going to put a number on these things, it’s really going to create problems,” he said. While protesters have the right to be seen and heard by those they are protesting against, the amount of distance that needs to be maintained has to be determined on a case-by-case basis, he explained. But while the protesters have the right to be heard, the bill does not address “fighting words,” words that are meant to provoke a violent reaction and are not protected speech.

“At the same time, the protesters will not be permitted to obstruct, impede or interfere,” Gerber said, adding that he approved the revised bill.

Jewish speakers talked about their experiences with harassment in these spaces and expressed the desire to enter their synagogues and schools openly and without fear, especially as the bill was a response to recent protests at synagogues that got out of hand.

A Brooklyn man has been found guilty of hate crimes in connection with a string of assaults and harassment incidents, including an attack on a Jewish couple who photographed him tearing down posters of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

Skiboky Stora was convicted in New York state court of assault, stalking and harassment tied to what prosecutors described as multiple anti-female, anti-white and antisemitic episodes that took place between 2023 and 2024.

According to prosecutors, one of the incidents occurred when Stora was seen removing posters of Israeli hostages. After a husband and wife photographed him, he allegedly followed them while shouting threats and slurs, including “Die, Jews, die!”

The 42-year-old defendant, who lives in Brooklyn, also admitted during the trial that he punched a woman at random as she walked along a Manhattan street nearly two years ago. He chose to represent himself during the weeks-long proceedings in Manhattan.

In his closing statement, Stora denied harboring racist motives or intending to harm anyone. “I never did anything racist to anybody, and I never did anything discriminating against anybody, and I never tried to injure anybody,” he said, according to the New York Post.

Prosecutors countered that claim by presenting video evidence. Footage introduced at trial showed Stora confronting the Jewish couple, as well as additional videos he recorded of himself yelling at and harassing white individuals, the Post reported.

Following the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the conduct. “The victims were met with both violence and harassment simply because of who they are,” he said in a statement. “Hate crimes strike at the core of our city’s values and sense of safety.”

Stora was taken into custody after the conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.

Attempts to reach him through his Instagram account, where he describes himself as the “great great grandson” of the Black nationalist Marcus Garvey and claims to be running for governor as a Republican, were not immediately successful.

One of the assaults, which occurred on March 25, 2024, drew significant public attention after the 23-year-old victim shared her experience on TikTok and others came forward reporting similar encounters.

Prosecutors said Stora’s punch knocked the woman to the ground, leaving her with pain and swelling on the left side of her head.

In a separate incident months earlier, authorities said Stora struck a 17-year-old student in the neck with his elbow and told the teen, “You people think you can do whatever you want,” adding a profanity.

He was also accused of elbowing a 37-year-old woman in the shoulder in another encounter, causing visible bruising.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Muay Thai champion Ahavat Hashem Gordon returned to Israel following a decisive technical knockout victory over Turkish fighter Ali Koyuncu, who had posted a series of anti Israel messages on social media ahead of the bout.

Upon landing, Gordon offered Birkat Hagomel, the traditional Jewish prayer recited to thank God for deliverance from danger. The blessing is commonly said after surviving travel, illness, or other life threatening situations. He also recited Mizmor LeToda, Psalm 100, a biblical song of thanksgiving traditionally said in gratitude for salvation.

In an emotional moment, Gordon received a siddur from his rabbi titled “Ahavat Hashem Siddur,” sharing the same name as the fighter, which means Love of God.

The 19 year old fighter, nicknamed “Golden Boy,” dominated the matchup from the opening bell. He repeatedly landed powerful combinations, overwhelming Koyuncu and controlling the pace of the fight.

The second round followed a similar pattern. Koyuncu appeared increasingly frustrated as Gordon continued to press forward. By the end of the round, the Turkish fighter was bleeding from a blow to the side of his head and was struggling with what appeared to be a serious leg injury. Before the third round could begin, the referee stopped the fight, awarding Gordon a technical knockout and securing his eleventh straight professional victory without a loss.

Gordon comes from a family deeply rooted in the sport. He is one of eight siblings, and six of them are also competitive Thai boxers. His mother, born in Hong Kong with Thai and Philippine ancestry, converted to Judaism and married Israeli American Azriel Gordon, who passed away four years ago.

The Gordon family

His older brother, Ruach Hashem Gordon, won a silver medal for Israel last year at the Muay Thai World Games in China.

Screenshot

With a flawless 11 and 0 professional record, including six knockouts, Gordon has quickly risen as one of Israel’s most promising fighters. As a K1 World Champion, he carries both athletic excellence and visible Jewish pride into every arena he enters.

For Gordon, this latest victory was not only about sport, but about faith, identity and representing Israel on the world stage.

A Jewish family in the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne has been instructed by their building’s management company to remove a mezuzah affixed to their apartment doorway.

In a formal letter, L’Ami Immobilier Conseil — an agency operating under the Century 21 brand — directed the family to take down the mezuzah and “restore the door frame to its original condition within fifteen days from receipt of this letter.”

According to the letter, the mezuzah had been installed on the exterior frame of the apartment door “without any authorization.” The agency argued that the exterior frame of landing doors constitutes a common area of the building and that any modification, “regardless of its nature,” requires prior approval from the general assembly of co-owners.

The notice cited Article 9 of the July 10, 1965 law governing French co-ownership properties, which requires residents to use common areas in a way that does not infringe on the rights of other co-owners or alter the building’s intended purpose or aesthetic appearance.

The letter further warned that if the family does not comply within the specified timeframe, the co-owners’ association could undertake restoration work at the “exclusive expense of the co-owner concerned,” and potentially pursue additional damages.

The agency said that the request was made “independently of any personal or religious consideration,” asserting that it was solely aimed at enforcing co-ownership rules and applicable regulations.

Following public reaction on social media, Century 21 France issued a statement saying its customer service department is reviewing the matter and has contacted the local agency to clarify the circumstances surrounding the letter.

“Century 21 France obviously does not endorse this type of letter, and even less any form of discrimination,” the company said, urging the public to await further explanation from the agency involved.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK (VINnews) — With a new mayor in City Hall, New York’s tabloid press is grappling with a familiar civic ritual: what nickname will stick.

According to a report by The New York Times, editors and headline writers are testing out shorthand versions of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s name as they search for a punchy moniker to fit front pages and capture the city’s mood.

The city’s tabloids have alternated between variations such as “Zo,” “Zoh” and “Mam,” reflecting uncertainty over which abbreviation might endure. The tradition of branding mayors with catchy nicknames dates back decades and has often shaped public perception as much as policy debates.

Past mayors have not been spared. Fiorello La Guardia was known as “The Little Flower,” Rudolph W. Giuliani became simply “Rudy,” Michael Bloomberg was dubbed “Bloomy,” and Bill de Blasio was frequently shortened to “Blaz” or other variations in bold tabloid headlines.

The report noted that Mayor Mamdani’s name has been central to his political rise, featured prominently in campaign branding and often corrected by the mayor himself when mispronounced by rivals. Among close aides, he is sometimes referred to simply as “Z,” a practical shorthand in text messages and internal communications.

The search for a lasting nickname comes as Mamdani navigates the early months of his administration, facing challenges ranging from winter storms to housing policy. While the tabloids experiment publicly, City Hall has offered a more restrained preference.

A spokesperson for the mayor told The New York Times that he prefers to be addressed formally as “Mayor Mamdani.”

Whether the press settles on a playful diminutive, a biting critique, or something in between remains to be seen — but in New York politics, history suggests the headlines will decide.

Fresh diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran appear to have made little headway, with senior aides to US President Trump reportedly leaving talks in Geneva dissatisfied as substantial differences remain unresolved.

According to Channel 12, Trump’s representatives — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — held two rounds of meetings Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The negotiations were facilitated by Oman’s foreign minister and included the participation of UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi.

The discussions lasted several hours and reportedly involved both face-to-face dialogue and indirect exchanges through mediators.

Tehran is said to have proposed restricting uranium enrichment solely for medical purposes, coupled with a temporary suspension of broader nuclear activities for a limited, undefined period. Under that framework, enrichment would later resume under regional oversight.

The US position, however, reportedly calls for a permanent arrangement without sunset clauses. While American negotiators may be open to permitting limited low-level enrichment at a research reactor in Tehran, they are insisting on the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities and the removal of its enriched uranium stockpiles from the country.

A source cited in the report indicated that the American delegation emerged from the initial session disappointed by the Iranian proposals, underscoring how far apart the two sides remain on core issues.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Jewish community of Zurich has finalized the creation of an eruv following formal discussions with city officials and in accordance with Swiss law, describing the effort as a model of respectful collaboration between a religious minority and municipal authorities.

Community representatives said the halachic arrangement, which allows observant Jews to carry necessary items on the Sabbath within a defined area, received official approval after a structured consultation process. They emphasized that the project was completed transparently and in full compliance with local regulations.

In the wake of Zurich’s initiative, conversations have begun in other Swiss municipalities about implementing similar arrangements. At the same time, the development has sparked criticism from Mauro Poggia, a member of the Swiss Council of States representing the Canton of Geneva, who voiced objections in two separate public statements.

In one statement, Poggia criticized Israel and referenced a series of unrelated events, including the deadly avalanche at the Crans-Montana ski resort, the October 7 massacre, and the war in Gaza. In a separate statement addressing the eruv directly, he said he was “shocked” by the initiative and argued that it might lead to a clearly defined Jewish residential zone, which he characterized as a “voluntary ghetto.”

Jewish organizations throughout Switzerland strongly rejected those remarks, saying that invoking the term “ghetto” in connection with an eruv was both historically inaccurate and deeply offensive. They underscored that an eruv neither segregates residents nor restricts the public, but serves a limited religious function within Jewish law.

Rabbi Noam Hertig, the chief rabbi of Zurich, explained that the eruv was established through constructive dialogue and mutual respect with municipal officials. He clarified that it is a symbolic halachic framework rather than a physical enclosure, and noted that it is especially important for elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and parents of young children who would otherwise be unable to leave their homes on the Sabbath.

Rabbi Michael Ben-Edmon of Geneva said the backlash reflects what he described as a wider tendency to challenge Jewish religious observance under the guise of liberal principles. He cautioned that such rhetoric risks pushing Jewish life out of the public sphere instead of addressing antisemitism.

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis and Av Beit Din of Switzerland, said it was inappropriate to connect unrelated tragedies to a local religious accommodation. He added that presenting an eruv as coercive or exclusionary misrepresents both Jewish law and historical fact, and damages efforts to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The Israel Defense Forces recently demolished approximately five kilometers (about three miles) of Hamas tunnels in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza, the military announced Wednesday.

During operations inside one of the underground routes, IDF troops discovered a cache of weapons and related equipment, according to the army.

The stockpile included explosive devices, firearms, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), hand grenades, ammunition and surveillance gear, the IDF said.

The demolition was carried out by combat engineers from the Northern Brigade, working with specialized Yahalom engineering units, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the region.

The announcement comes amid continued Israeli military activity in parts of Gaza, including areas near the so-called Yellow Line buffer zone.

No further details on casualties or the timing of the specific operation were immediately provided by the IDF.

Beit Hanoun, located in northern Gaza near the Israeli border, has been a focal point for tunnel discoveries and military operations throughout the conflict.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani traveled to Washington, D.C., Thursday for an unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump, The NY times reports. The mayor did not list the visit on his public schedule.

Mamdani arrived in the capital with several top aides, and the meeting was scheduled for early afternoon. While the full agenda was not disclosed, sources indicated that housing development in New York City could be a focus, an issue tied to Trump’s real estate background.

The trip is the latest in a series of interactions between the two leaders, who come from very different political backgrounds. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and Trump, a Republican former president, first met at the White House last November. Despite their political differences, both parties have maintained cordial communication on matters of shared concern.

Earlier this week, Trump referred to Mamdani during the State of the Union address, calling him a “nice guy” even as he criticized some city policies, including the use of volunteer snow removal crews after a major winter storm.

Mamdani has generally avoided public criticism of Trump, recognizing the federal government’s influence over city funding. Observers said the mayor’s unannounced visit demonstrates a pragmatic approach to maintaining dialogue across political lines.

Details about the meeting’s outcome have not been released.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Columbia University student was arrested early Thursday by federal immigration agents who gained entry to a campus residence by claiming they were searching for a “missing person,” according to her attorneys and the school’s president.

The student, Ellie Aghayeva, is a senior from Azerbaijan who is studying neuroscience and political science, her lawyers said. A self-described content creator, she frequently shares inspirational stories and tips about navigating college as an immigrant to her sizable social media audience.

At around 7:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, Aghayeva posted a message to her more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help,” she wrote, referring to the Department of Homeland Security. A photo accompanying the post appeared to show the backseat of a vehicle.

In an emergency petition filed Thursday, attorneys for Aghayeva said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement entered her university-owned apartment in Manhattan early Thursday, then transferred to a federal detention center in Lower Manhattan.

The agents did not have a warrant, her attorneys said, but “represented they were searching for a missing person to gain entry.”

No reason was given for the arrest, according to the petition, which requests her immediate release. Aghayeva entered the United States on a visa in 2016, the petition stated.

A spokesperson for DHS did not respond to multiple inquiries about what prompted the arrest and whether Aghayeva’s legal status had changed. Her lawyers also did not respond to additional questions.

In an email shared with students and staff, the university’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said that federal agents had entered a residential building at around 6:30 a.m., claiming they were seeking a missing person.

She said the university was in the process of reaching out to the student’s family and providing legal support.

The use of disguises or other misrepresentations by immigration authorities has drawn attention in recent months, after federal agents were seen posing as utility workers and other service employees in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

The practice is legal, in most cases. But immigration attorneys say such ruses are becoming increasingly common, adding to concerns about the Trump administration’s dramatic reshaping of immigration enforcement tactics nationwide.

The incident comes nearly one year after federal agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, then a Columbia graduate student and Palestinian activist, inside his university-owned housing. Khalil is out on bail, fighting his own deportation case.

In the months after his arrest, many students called on the university to do more to secure the campus from federal immigration enforcement.

Columbia currently requires that all law enforcement agents have a judicial warrant or subpoena to access non-public areas of the university, including housing.

In her email, Shipman said students should not allow law enforcement agents to enter non-public areas of the university and should not accept service of a warrant or subpoena, but should call campus public safety instead.

In the country that has made fighting antisemitism and keeping Jews safe core national duties, in penance for the Holocaust, hate crimes against Jews in Berlin have risen steeply since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The numbers are stark: From 2022 to 2024, incidents in Berlin rose from 381 to 900 to 1,825 to 2,267 — a nearly 500-percent increase over a span of just four years.

Nationwide, the number of antisemitic incidents in 2025 rose to 8,627, an increase of 77 percent over the previous year.

Antisemitic crimes tied to political or ideological views, especially relating to the Middle East conflict, shot up from 24 in 2022 to 1,484 in 2025, while anti-religious crime rose to 348 from only six in 2022. By contrast, right-wing anti-Jewish incidents have remained fairly steady, at about 300 incidents per year.

Antisemitic acts include everything from hate speech and incitement to physical violence, vandalism and threats. Jewish institutions such as schools and shuls have heightened security since Oct. 7. Police presence has increased in these areas, as well as police monitoring of anti-Israel demonstrations.

Social Democratic lawmaker Sebastian Schlüsselburg speaks at a press conference on the new assembly law in 2025. (Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Social Democratic lawmaker Sebastian Schlüsselburg requested that the figures be released from the Interior Department of Berlin.

“The current figures on antisemitic crimes in Berlin are shameful,” Schlüsselburg said in an interview. “Especially here, in the city where the crime against humanity known as the Shoah was planned and ordered, we bear a special historical responsibility to protect Jewish life.”

The antisemitism commissioner of Hamburg and lone Jewish official occupying such an office in all of Germany, Stefan Hensel, told an Israeli news outlet in December, “Since October 7, every sense of security in the Jewish community has vanished.” He stepped down from his position at the end of 2025, citing rising Jew hatred and a lack of political support.

Berlin hosts the largest Jewish community in Germany, with estimates varying from 10,000 to 25,000 Jews. Across Germany, about 95,000 Jews are registered with a synagogue, but the total number is thought to be closer to 250,000, as many Israeli ex-pats don’t register to avoid paying dues.

Since Oct. 7, Jewish leaders have repeatedly warned that rising hostility toward Jews in Germany has made Jews feel less safe being openly Jewish in public. German officials have responded by stressing that they will combat antisemitism by enforcing hate crime laws and expanding education and prevention programs, taking seriously the need for Jews to be able to safely and openly live publicly as Jews.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) – Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to her closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee Thursday after proceedings were briefly paused when a photo from inside the session was shared online.

🚨BREAKING: The first image of Hillary Clinton testifying under oath about Jeffery Epstein to the Republican Oversight Committee.

This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy.

Photo provided by Rep. Lauren Boebert. pic.twitter.com/mPtUyA4u5i

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 26, 2026

The image, posted by a conservative influencer after being circulated by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., violated committee rules for confidential depositions, according to Clinton’s attorneys. Boebert defended the post, saying the influencer “did nothing wrong.”

Clinton opened the session with remarks sharply critical of the committee, calling the hearing a partisan effort and stating she had no relevant information about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats on the panel said the questioning had revealed little of significance.

Committee Republicans said the testimony was relevant because of Clinton’s past social and fundraising ties to Epstein and the attendance of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Democrats countered that Maxwell had no personal connection to the Clintons.

Clinton has repeatedly said she never met Epstein, never traveled on his private plane, and never visited his properties. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify Friday.

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)-Pro Trump activists are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that claims Chinese interference in the 2020 election as grounds for declaring a national emergency, which they argue would grant the president broad authority over U.S. voting processes.

The activists, who say they are coordinating with the White House, expect the proposal to influence an executive order President Donald Trump has previewed on election matters. Trump has repeatedly called for mandating voter ID and banning mail-in ballots ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The White House declined to comment on Trump’s specific plans.

Peter Ticktin, a Florida attorney advocating for the draft, said the Constitution assigns election administration to state legislatures, but foreign interference creates a national emergency justifying presidential action.

“Under the Constitution, it’s the legislatures and states that really control how a state conducts its elections, and the president doesn’t have any power to do that,” Ticktin told The Washington Post. Ticktin, who attended New York Military Academy with Trump and served on his legal team in a 2022 lawsuit alleging Democratic collusion claims damaged him, added: “But here we have a situation where the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes. That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it.”

Ticktin argued the emergency declaration would allow the president to ban mail ballots and voting machines, viewing them as potential channels for foreign meddling.

The draft’s emergence comes amid Trump’s push for stricter voting rules, including national voter ID requirements, which he has said he may pursue via executive order if Congress does not act. Legal experts have noted that the Constitution reserves primary authority over elections to the states, limiting federal executive intervention absent specific statutory grounds.

A tribunal in the Australian state of Victoria has determined that the chant “All Zionists are terrorists,” shouted during a rally in central Melbourne, amounted to racial and religious vilification rather than protected political expression about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to local media reports.

The case was brought by Melbourne Jewish community advocate Menachem Vorchheimer against Hash Tayeh, a former owner of the Burgertory restaurant chain and a well-known anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activist. Tayeh led the chant at a protest held in May 2024.

In testimony cited by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Vorchheimer described the personal impact of the slogan. “The notion of being labeled the derogatory term of ‘terrorist’ for something I have no responsibility for, and for that to be seen as normal, is gut-wrenching and soul-destroying to me,” he said. “I felt dehumanized. I felt like the lowest of the low. I no longer feel safe going into the Melbourne CBD, given I am identifiably Jewish.”

Tayeh contended that the chant was aimed at the Israeli government and those who support its policies, not at Jewish people as a group. He argued that protest slogans often distill complex political views into sharp, provocative language.

The tribunal rejected that argument. Citing the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, it concluded that because a substantial majority of Australian Jews identify as Zionists, the slogan did not meaningfully separate political ideology from Jewish identity and therefore amounted to incitement of hatred against a racial and religious community.

In her ruling, Judge My Anh Tran dismissed the claim that the chant was shielded as political speech, writing, “There is no right to a catchy rally slogan.”

The Jewish Center for Law and Justice, an Australian organization that monitors antisemitism, praised the outcome. Its chief executive, Alessandra Steele, described the decision as a landmark that “draws an important line in the sand.”

Steele added that for many Jewish Australians, Zionism is deeply intertwined with cultural, religious and familial ties to Israel, and said that branding an entire group as terrorists “serves to reverse victim and perpetrator, inciting hatred and division.”

{Matzav.com}

A new study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests that a simple, low-cost sound therapy might offer a safe way to clear out the toxic brain proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Thursday, the research demonstrates that listening to a specific low-frequency hum can significantly boost the brain’s natural ability to flush out beta-amyloid—the protein that clumps together to form damaging plaques in Alzheimer’s patients.

To see if sound could physically alter brain chemistry without the use of drugs, scientists worked with aged rhesus monkeys. Because these older monkeys naturally develop brain plaques very similar to those seen in human Alzheimer’s patients, they provide a much more accurate model for testing treatments than mice.
The experimental group listened to a 40-Hertz tone – a very low, rumbling frequency – for one hour a day over seven consecutive days.

The results were striking. The sound waves appeared to kickstart the brain’s waste disposal system. After the seven-day treatment, the levels of beta-amyloid proteins pushed out of the brain tissue and into the cerebrospinal fluid (the clear liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord) jumped by more than 200%.

Essentially, the 40-Hz sound stimulated the brain to actively “wash” the harmful proteins away before they could do more damage.

While previous studies have shown that sound stimulation can clear amyloid proteins in mice, this primate study revealed two crucial advantages that bring the treatment closer to human reality:

– Long-Lasting Effects: In mice, the benefits of the sound therapy fade quickly. In these monkeys, however, the elevated protein clearance continued for more than five weeks after the sound sessions ended.
– A Safer Alternative: Current Alzheimer’s treatments often rely on expensive antibody drugs that carry severe risks, such as brain swelling and bleeding. Sound therapy is entirely non-invasive, low-cost, and sidesteps these dangerous side effects.

A newly opened Gail’s Bakery in London’s Archway neighborhood was vandalized for the second time in less than a week, as pro-Palestinian protesters accused the company of supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

London’s Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the Junction Road branch early Wednesday after reports that several windows had been smashed and paint sprayed across the storefront. Police later visited the scene and spoke with staff. No arrests have been made.

Detectives are examining whether the latest incident is connected to an earlier act of criminal damage on Feb. 18, when red paint and political slogans were scrawled across the bakery on the eve of its opening. Authorities said they are conducting extensive inquiries, including reviewing CCTV footage from the area.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said it had increased uniformed patrols in the neighborhood and would take an “assertive and determined approach” to antisemitism and other hate crimes.

The Archway branch is one of roughly 170 Gail’s locations across the United Kingdom. Its opening drew protests from activists who carried signs urging a boycott and accusing Israel of committing “genocide and war crimes in Gaza.”

Gail’s was founded in the 1990s as a wholesale bakery by a team of Israeli bakers, including Gail Mejia and Ran Avidan, and opened its first retail location in 2005. In 2021, the company was acquired by the American investment firm Bain Capital, which has investments in Israeli technology companies.

There is no public evidence that Gail’s Bakery funds the Israeli military. The company has not publicly commented on the vandalism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee sat down this week with Rabbi Efram Goldberg of a Boca Raton synagogue while the rabbi was visiting Israel, speaking candidly about Israel, antisemitism, and his controversial interview with commentator Tucker Carlson.

Huckabee said he had known Carlson for many years but described him now as “not the same man I knew then,” calling some of his recent statements “insane.” He criticized Carlson for spreading false narratives about Israel, emphasizing the responsibility of public figures to avoid amplifying misinformation—even among political allies.

The discussion, informal and off-the-record in format, also touched on evangelical support for Israel, shifting political alliances, and the importance of moral clarity when leaders’ words carry weight in public discourse. Huckabee stressed the need for honesty and integrity in defending Israel and countering antisemitism.

The United States has reportedly presented Iran with sweeping conditions in ongoing nuclear negotiations, demanding that Tehran dismantle its three primary nuclear facilities and ship its stockpile of enriched uranium to the United States as part of any future agreement.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, the American proposal calls for Iran to take apart key components of its nuclear infrastructure at its main enrichment sites and surrender its accumulated enriched uranium to U.S. custody. The move would represent a far more stringent framework than previous arrangements, aiming to permanently restrict Iran’s ability to produce material that could be used for nuclear weapons.

The three sites at the center of the demand are understood to be Iran’s principal nuclear facilities, long viewed by Western governments as critical to the country’s enrichment capabilities. U.S. negotiators are said to be seeking full dismantlement rather than temporary suspension or monitoring measures.

The proposal also includes the transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile out of the country. Such a step would remove material that could potentially be further enriched to weapons-grade levels, addressing one of Washington’s primary security concerns.

Iranian officials have previously maintained that their nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes and have resisted calls to eliminate enrichment entirely. Tehran has historically insisted on its right to maintain civilian nuclear capabilities under international agreements.

The renewed push comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities and ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. President Donald Trump has publicly backed a hardline negotiating approach, signaling that any agreement must ensure that Iran cannot reconstitute a nuclear weapons capability.

It remains unclear how Tehran will respond to the latest demands. Past rounds of talks have stalled over disagreements regarding enrichment limits, sanctions relief, and verification mechanisms. The outcome of the current negotiations could shape the future of U.S.-Iran relations and broader stability in the region.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Editor,

Many have already referred to the “seminary insanity.” However, there is something that is a far greater problem.

I write this not as someone on the sidelines.

Baruch Hashem, I have made eight weddings, with four more to go. I live in the greater New York metro area. Over the years, I have earned between $350,000 and $650,000 annually. Baruch Hashem, my parnassah has been very healthy. It appears that may even have helped with shidduchim.

The problem is that financial pressure from Shidduchim are becoming more extreme by the year. This primarily due to demands for support. It used to be 50/50 support from both sides for two years. Then it moved to three years. Then 100% rent placed on the girl’s side, plus covering the wedding. Now there are demands for five, seven, even eight years of rent (fully on the girl’s family!) with no participation from the other side for the wedding or even help with basic apartment setup.

And we are now seeing another layer of pressure: expectations that the young couple must go to Eretz Yisroel after marriage, or relocate to the boy’s hometown — with the financial burden once again falling heavily on the girl’s parents. Flights, shipping, setup costs, higher living expenses, and relocation expenses — all added onto an already overwhelming commitment.

But we also need to say something uncomfortable and clear: boys need to stop looking for money.

If a boy wants to learn for years, that is a beautiful and admirable choice. But then his own parents should be funding that decision — just as girls’ parents are expected to fund their daughters. Why has it become acceptable that one side carries the overwhelming majority of the financial burden while the other side makes demands?

Do people realize what that means in actual numbers?

The total (all in including setup and support) of a wedding in an average hall can easily total approximately $200,000 once you factor in the wedding itself, setting up the apartment, and years of support. That is before adding post-marriage relocation costs — whether to Eretz Yisroel or to the boy’s hometown.

Where exactly are families of girls supposed to get this money?

Baruch Hashem, I have a solid income. And even I look at these numbers and struggle to understand how they add up. What about families earning a fraction of that? What about those with many children? What about younger siblings waiting their turn?

We have created a system where income level quietly influences shidduchim — and where the girl’s family is expected to carry a wildly disproportionate burden. That is not sustainable. Parents are being crushed.

We need to stop this madness.

All wedding expenses (aside from personal gifts) and all support should be 50/50. Support should never exceed two years. Expectations of extended years of rent, one-sided wedding costs, and post-marriage relocation demands — whether to Eretz Yisroel or to the boy’s hometown — must stop. And if long-term learning is the goal, it should be funded by the boy’s family just as the girl’s family funds their responsibilities.

People are being crushed under expectations that keep inflating because no one is willing to say “enough.”

It is time for leadership to step in. It is time for clarity. And it is time to restore sanity before an entire generation collapses under financial pressure that never should have become normal.

STOP THIS MADNESS NOW.

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

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

It is the Shabbos before Purim. The shul is packed. The baal korei steps up to the bimah, and the entire congregation rises to its feet.

There is a hushed silence. Everyone – men, women, and even young children old enough to understand – leans forward to hear every word. The Torah is unrolled to the end of Parshas Ki Seitzei. The baal korei begins: “Zachor eis asher asah lecha Amalek…” – Remember what Amalek did to you…

There is something electric about this moment.

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 685:7) rules that Parshas Zachor is a Torah-level obligation – one of the very few times during the year when listening to the Torah reading is considered a biblical commandment.

The Mishnah Berurah adds that even people in outlying areas who do not have a minyan must travel to a place where Parshas Zachor will be read. This is not just another leining. This is a mitzvah of the Torah itself.

But why?

What is it about these few pesukim that carries such extraordinary weight? What does the Torah want us to do with the memory of Amalek – and isn’t it, at first glance, counter-intuitive to remember something in order to wipe out its memory?

Why did Chazal insist that we fulfill this Torah mitzvah specifically on Shabbos? And perhaps most importantly – how can we use this mitzvah to gain real inspiration in our Avodas Hashem?

To understand the answers, we need to go back to the very beginning – to the dawn of creation and the beginning of time itself.

UNLEASHED FORCES AT THE DAWN OF CREATION

Long ago, at the very beginning of time, different forces were set loose in the universe. Some were unleashed by Hashem Himself as part of the fabric of creation. Others were unleashed by the actions of mankind. There were forces of goodness and purity, and there were dark, impure forces. The universe was a battleground between these two opposing sides from the very start.

THE OHR HAGANUZ – THE HIDDEN LIGHT

One of the most remarkable forces created at the dawn of time was the Ohr HaGanuz – the Hidden Light.

The Gemara in Chagigah (12a) teaches that the light Hashem created on the first day of creation was not the light of the sun, which was only created on the fourth day. This original light was something far more powerful – a spiritual light so intense that a person could see with it from one end of the world to the other.

Hashem saw that the wicked would one day misuse this light, so He set it aside – ganaz it – for the tzaddikim to enjoy in the World to Come (Rashi, Bereishis 1:4).

But the Ohr HaGanuz is not only a physical phenomenon. The Baal Shem Tov (quoted in Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Bereishis) teaches that the Hidden Light is also accessible in a figurative, spiritual sense: tzaddikim in every generation are able to perceive the hand of Hashem in every event, in every detail of creation.

They see with absolute clarity that Ain Od Milvado – there is nothing other than Him. Through this clarity, they truly see from one end of the universe to the other – not physically, but spiritually. Every event, every challenge, every moment of beauty and every moment of suffering – it all leads back to Hashem.

This vision – this spiritual clarity – is the opposite of what Amalek represents, as we shall soon see.

MAN HAS BECHIRAH – THE POWER OF FREE CHOICE

Mankind was created differently from every other creature. Man was endowed with something called Bechirah – freedom of choice. A pre-frontsl cortex that contains within it – the power of choosing between good or evil.

The Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 5:1) writes that this is a fundamental principle of the Torah: every person has the ability to choose good over evil. We are not robots, nor are we AI. We are not pre-programmed. At every moment, we face a fork in the road, and the decision is ours.

A person could take the impure, destructive forces in the world and use them in his choice toward evil. He could spread cruelty, falsehood, and destruction. Or he could harness the pure forces of creation – truth, kindness, justice – and use them to build, to heal, and to elevate the world.

This is the backdrop against which the story of Amalek unfolds.

THE MAHARAL’S EXPLANATION – THE PRIMORDIAL DESTRUCTIVE FORCE

The Maharal, Rabbi Yehudah Lowe of Prague, was a towering giant in Torah knowledge. He was a master Talmudist and was also fluent in the deep, esoteric wisdom of Kabbalah. In one of his works, Ohr Chadash (Introduction, p. 51), the Maharal explains something profound.

He writes that the snake in Gan Eden – the nachash described in Bereishis – was not merely a talking animal. It represented the dark and impure destructive force that was woven into the fabric of creation. The evil Haman in the story of Purim also represented and tapped into that very same primordial force. The Sages of the Talmud were, of course, well aware of this deep connection.

The Talmud (Chulin 139b) asks a fascinating question: “Haman – from the Torah itself – where can he be found?” The Talmud answers with the verse in Bereishis 3:11, when Hashem turns to Adam after the sin and asks: “Hamin ha’eitz asher tzivischa levilti achol mimenu achalta?” – “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to partake of?” The word Hamin is spelled with the exact same letters as Haman.

On a surface level, this might seem like a simple play on words – a coincidence of spelling. But the Maharal explains that the Talmud is not merely revealing a clever siman or mnemonic. Rather, it is telling us something deep about the nature of reality: the force that caused the downfall in Gan Eden is the very same force that defined Haman and his ancestor Amalek. \

It is the primordial force of destruction – of pulling human beings away from closeness to Hashem.

AMALEK – ME’UKAL – WARPED

Rav Chaim Vital, the primary student of the holy Arizal, adds another layer to this understanding. He explains (Eitz HaDaas Tov, Vol. III, p. 105) that the Hebrew letters of the name Amalek can be rearranged to spell M’ukal – which means “warped” or “distorted.”

Amalek represents the very peak of warped and distorted thinking. It is the force in the world that takes something pure and twists it beyond recognition. It takes justice and makes it into cruelty. It takes faith and replaces it with cold, cynical doubt. Amalek is the anti-thesis of everything that is pure and just.

AMALEK AND SAFEK – THE GEMATRIA OF DOUBT

The Bnei Yissaschar (Chodesh Adar, Maamar 9) brings a well-known and powerful observation: the numerical value (gematria) of Amalek (עמלק) is 240 – which is the exact same gematria as the word Safek (ספק), meaning “doubt.”

This is no mere coincidence. Amalek’s entire strategy, in every generation, is to plant seeds of doubt. Doubt in Hashem. Doubt in the Torah. Doubt in ourselves and in our mission. After Klal Yisroel experienced the miraculous Splitting of the Sea and the most open revelation of Hashem’s power the world had ever seen, Amalek attacked. The Torah says (Devarim 25:18): “Asher karcha baderech” – which Rashi explains (based on the Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Seitzei 9) comes from the word kar, meaning “cold.” Amalek cooled off the burning faith of Klal Yisroel. After the nations of the world stood in awe of Hashem’s people, Amalek came along and said, “It’s not so impressive. Let’s attack.” They were like a person who jumps into a scalding hot bath – even though he gets burned, he cools it off for others.

This internal battle with safek – with doubt – is something that every one of us faces. Every time a person thinks, “Maybe it doesn’t matter,” or “Does Hashem really care about this small mitzvah?” – that is the voice of Amalek whispering inside us. Parshas Zachor calls on us to fight that voice.

MORDECHAI – THE PRIMORDIAL FORCE OF GOODNESS

If Amalek and Haman represent the dark, destructive force of creation, then Mordechai represents the polar opposite – the primordial force of goodness. He is the cure, the antidote to evil and destruction.

The Gemara points this out as well (Chulin 139b): “Mordechai – from the Torah – where can he be found?” The Gemara answers based on the pasuk in Shemos (30:23): “Kach lecha besamim rosh, mor dror” – “Take for yourself the finest spices, pure myrrh (“mor dror”).” The Targum translates mor dror as “Mordechai.” This refers to the Ketores – the incense offering in the Beis HaMikdash – about which the Gemara in Shabbos (89a) teaches that it has the power to stop death and destruction.

Think about how fitting this is. Haman and Amalek represent the force that brings death and destruction into the world. Mordechai – connected to the Ketores – represents the force that stops death and destruction. These two forces have been battling each other since the beginning of time.

WHAT ESTHER AND MORDECHAI REPRESENT

The triumph of good over evil in the Purim story did not happen on its own. It came through the extraordinary actions of two remarkable leaders.

Esther represented self-sacrifice. She gave of herself so that the Jewish people would survive. Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, the author of the Meshech Chochmah, explains that Esther’s original plan was breathtaking in its courage: she intended to give up her own life so that Klal Yisroel would be saved. That is why she never revealed her identity or her background – she was prepared to sacrifice everything. When she said (Esther 4:16), “Ve’ka’asher avadeti, avadeti” – “If I perish, I perish” – she meant it with every fiber of her being.

Mordechai represented chessed – lovingkindness. Rav Yerucham Olshin, shlita, explains that Mordechai’s greatness was rooted in his extraordinary acts of chessed. He looked after Esther – a young orphaned girl who had been taken to the palace against her will. For years, he watched over her, cared about her wellbeing, and never abandoned her. This chessed – this act of pure, selfless caring for another human being – was the merit that helped save Klal Yisroel.

The lesson is powerful: the forces of evil are defeated not through military might alone, but through self-sacrifice and genuine kindness.

PARSHAS ZACHOR – REMEMBERING OUR MISSION

With all of this as background, we can now understand Parshas Zachor on a deeper level. The Torah is not simply asking us to remember a historical event. It is asking us to remember our mission – the eternal battle of good against evil, of light against darkness, of truth against the distortions of Amalek.

Haman’s plan was the wholesale murder and destruction of men, women, and children who carry the message of Hashem in this world. That plan was defeated. How? Through the courage, self-sacrifice, and chessed of Mordechai and Esther. Through prayer, fasting, and teshuvah. Through the realization that our connection to Hashem is the most precious thing we have.

THE BRISKER RAV: ZACHOR VS. LO TISHKACH

Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, draws an important distinction between the two parts of this mitzvah. The Torah says (Devarim 25:17): “Zachor” – Remember. And then it says (25:19): “Lo tishkach” – Do not forget.

The Brisker Rav explains that these are two separate obligations. “Zachor” is a positive commandment – an asei – to actively remember what Amalek did, through speech. This is fulfilled by hearing Parshas Zachor read aloud from a Torah scroll. “Lo tishkach” is a negative commandment – a lav – that we must never let this memory fade from our hearts. One is about active remembering; the other is about never allowing ourselves to forget.

Together, these two obligations create a powerful message: this is not something we recall once and move on. This is something that must remain with us constantly – shaping how we see the world and how we serve Hashem.

THE RAMBAM’S FORMULATION

The Rambam codifies the mitzvah of remembering Amalek in Hilchos Melachim (5:5), linking it directly to the mitzvah of destroying Amalek as a nation. But the Rambam also writes (Sefer HaMitzvos, Positive Commandment 189) that the purpose of remembering is “so that the matter will not be forgotten and the hatred of him will not weaken or diminish with the passage of time.”

The Rambam understood that time has a way of dulling our feelings. An event that shook us to our core can slowly fade into a distant memory. The Torah commands us: do not let that happen. The evil that Amalek represents must always feel urgent and present to us. We must never become comfortable with it.

WHY ON SHABBOS?

Why did Chazal specifically ordain that Parshas Zachor be read on Shabbos? The answer touches on the very heart of what Shabbos means.

Shabbos represents the mission of Klal Yisroel – to build, to elevate, and to do the will of Hashem. The Sheiltos of Rav Achai Gaon explains that Hashem instructed us to rest on Shabbos just as He rested from all creative activity on the seventh day. By observing Shabbos, we declare our deep belief in Hashem as the Creator of the world.

But Shabbos is more than just rest. Shabbos has always been the symbol – the flag, as it were – of the Jewish nation. Just as a patriot looks at his flag and sees more than colored cloth with fancy designs – he sees the values, the sacrifices, and the dreams of his nation – so too, Shabbos represents everything that Klal Yisroel stands for. Shabbos is our declaration that we are builders and creators, not destroyers. That we follow Hashem’s blueprint for the world.

Reading Parshas Zachor on Shabbos, then, ties together these two ideas beautifully: we recall the forces of destruction that sought to annihilate us, precisely on the day that celebrates our role as builders and partners with Hashem in perfecting the world.

THE GENERAL DEBATE AMONG THE RISHONIM

There is a fascinating debate among the Rishonim – as to the underlying reason for the mitzvah of Parshas Zachor.

The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 603) understands this mitzvah as a practical measure: its purpose is to encourage and stir the men of Klal Yisroel to battle and to defend against an implacable enemy. Because the Chinuch sees this as connected to warfare, his position is that women are exempt from this mitzvah.

The Sefer Mitzvos Ketanos (SMaK) – authored by Rav Yitzchok ben Yosef of Corbeil (1210–1280) – disagrees. He holds that the reason is spiritual, not military: we read Parshas Zachor to internalize the awareness that Hashem saved us from the hand of Amalek, and so that we should always be in awe of Him, which will prevent us from sinning against His will. This position can perhaps be traced to the Targum Yonasan on the verse “Lo tishkach” (Devarim 25:19), who writes: “V’afilu l’yoma Malka d’Meshicha lo tisnashi” – that this mitzvah applies even in the times of Moshiach. If the purpose were only about going to war, it would not apply once Moshiach has already come. But if the purpose is about maintaining our awe and gratitude to Hashem, it is eternal.

THE MINCHAS CHINUCH: DO WOMEN HAVE THIS OBLIGATION?

The Minchas Chinuch (Mitzvah 603) raises an important halachic question that flows from this debate. If we follow the Sefer HaChinuch’s reasoning – that Parshas Zachor is connected to warfare – then women, who are not obligated in military combat, would be exempt. But if we follow the SMaK, who holds that the purpose is spiritual awareness and Yiras Shamayim, then women would be equally obligated.

In practice, many Poskim encourage women to attend the reading of Parshas Zachor. The Mishnah Berurah (685:16) notes that some authorities hold that women are indeed obligated. This is why many shuls today arrange a special second reading of Parshas Zachor specifically so that women who could not attend the main reading can fulfill this mitzvah.

THE NESIVOS SHALOM’S BEAUTIFUL DEFINITION OF YIRAS SHAMAYIM

There is a stunning explanation of Yiras Shamayim – fear of Heaven – provided by the Slonimer Rebbe, the author of the Nesivos Shalom. It is different from the explanation that is commonly given, and it has the power to transform the way we think about our relationship with Hashem.

Normally, when we think of “fear of Heaven,” we imagine being afraid of punishment – afraid that Hashem will punish us if we sin. But the Nesivos Shalom offers a completely different picture.

He gives a mashal, a parable: Imagine you are drowning in a vast, dark ocean. The waves crash over your head. You cannot breathe. You are certain that this is the end. And then, out of nowhere, a lifeguard appears. He jumps into the churning water and pulls you to safety. You grab onto him with every ounce of strength you have. Your arms are wrapped around him, and you are shaking, terrified – not of him, but of letting go. You are afraid that if you loosen your grip even slightly, the ocean will swallow you again.

That, says the Nesivos Shalom, is Yiras Shamayim.

We are afraid of losing Hashem. We are afraid of losing the connection, the bond, the relationship that is our very lifeline. Every aveirah, every sin, loosens our grip. And we are terrified of what happens if we let go.

When you love someone deeply – a parent, a spouse, a child – your greatest fear is not that they will hurt you. Your greatest fear is losing them. That is the Yiras Shamayim the Nesivos Shalom is describing.

THE ARIZAL: AMALEK AS AN INTERNAL BATTLE

The holy Arizal takes this even further. He teaches that the battle against Amalek is not only a physical, national battle against an external enemy. It is also an internal, spiritual battle that takes place inside the heart of every Jew.

Every time we experience a moment of spiritual doubt, a moment where we question whether our efforts in Torah and mitzvos really matter, a moment where the voice inside us says, “Why bother?” – that is the voice of Amalek. Every time we feel spiritually “cold” – when davening feels like a chore, when learning feels empty, when Shabbos feels routine – that is the cooling effect of Amalek.

Parshas Zachor is a call to arms against that inner Amalek. It reminds us: do not let the fire go out. Do not let the doubt win. Remember who you are and Whose you are.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

We now have several powerful layers of understanding that, when combined, paint a breathtaking picture.

The Maharal teaches us that the battle between Klal Yisroel and Amalek is a cosmic struggle between the primordial forces of good and evil – a struggle that has been raging since the very beginning of creation.

The Bnei Yissaschar and the Arizal teach us that Amalek is not only an external nation – it is an internal force of doubt and spiritual coldness that each of us must fight every single day.

The SMaK tells us that the purpose of Parshas Zachor is to awaken our awareness that Hashem saved us, and to fill us with awe of Him.

The Nesivos Shalom teaches us that this awe is not about fear of punishment – it is about the terror of losing our most precious relationship.

The Brisker Rav teaches us that we must both actively remember and never forget – this consciousness must be with us always.

The Rambam reminds us that time dulls our feelings, and the Torah commands us to never let the urgency of this battle fade.

The Sefer HaChinuch and the Ramban remind us that this remembering is connected to action – we must actively fight against evil in all its forms.

STANDING IN SHUL THIS SHABBOS

This Shabbos, when we stand in shul and hear Parshas Zachor, let us think about these layers. Let us remember that we are part of an ancient, cosmic battle – a battle between the forces that would destroy and the forces that build. Let us think about the Nesivos Shalom’s mashal and hold on to Hashem a little tighter. Let us think about the gematria of Amalek and safek, and resolve to silence the voice of doubt in our hearts.

Let us think about Esther’s self-sacrifice and Mordechai’s chessed, and commit to acts of courage and kindness in our own lives. Let us think about the Ohr HaGanuz – the Hidden Light – and strive to see Hashem’s hand in everything that happens around us.

And let us walk out of shul that Shabbos morning with a renewed sense of mission: we are Hashem’s people. We carry His light. And no force of destruction – no matter how ancient, how powerful, or how clever – will ever extinguish it.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

Official Iranian media has released a Hebrew-language propaganda video featuring members of Iran’s Jewish community expressing support for the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in what appears to be a coordinated messaging effort aimed at Israeli and international audiences.

The video highlights the participation of Jewish community members in Iran’s annual Revolution Day march, held roughly two weeks ago to commemorate the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Among those prominently featured is Homayoun Samah, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, who has previously voiced strong opposition to Israel. In the footage, Samah describes the Jewish community’s presence at the march as “a strong blow to Iran’s enemies, especially America,” adding that unity among the Iranian people enables them to confront “the world’s strongest forces.”

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Also appearing in the video is Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar, a physician and senior rabbinical figure within Iran’s Jewish community. Lalehzar speaks against Israel and the United States, asserting that religious minorities in Iran have consistently stood alongside the Islamic Republic.

“If an attack occurs, a missile or bomb will not distinguish between a Muslim, Jewish, or Christian home — the enemy is the enemy of all of us,” Lalehzar says in the video.

Another Jewish participant declares: “We Jews of Iran have always supported the Islamic Republic’s government, and now, in this historic time, we support the government and the leader of the revolution.”

Iran’s Jewish community, estimated at approximately 10,000 people, is the largest remaining Jewish population in any Muslim-majority country in the Middle East. While the Iranian constitution formally recognizes Judaism as a protected minority religion and allocates a parliamentary seat to the community, critics argue that public expressions of loyalty from minorities in authoritarian systems may not fully reflect private beliefs.

(AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a preservationist group’s request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that The National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its bid to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s project.

New York City politician Brad Lander, joined by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, criticizes AIPAC in a newly released campaign video as Lander mounts a primary challenge for Congress, Times of Israel reports.

Lander is seeking the Democratic nomination to represent New York’s 10th Congressional District, where he is running against incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman.

Both Lander and Goldman are Jewish progressives and share similar positions on several national issues, including opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and other key matters. However, Lander has taken a more hardline stance than Goldman on Israel. While Goldman has publicly criticized the Netanyahu government, Lander has gone further, including accusing Israel of genocide. The former city comptroller has also aligned himself closely with Mamdani, whom he supported during the mayoral race.

The campaign video features Lander and Mamdani walking together as they exchange remarks. “I’m Brad Lander, a lifelong progressive, and I’m running for Congress,” Lander says.

“A lifelong progressive? You mean you haven’t sold out to special interests?” Mamdani replies.

“Or AIPAC either,” Lander says.

“That’s impressive, though it shouldn’t be,” Mamdani responds.

The short clip singles out AIPAC as the only organization mentioned by name.

AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, has in recent years become a frequent target of criticism from both progressive activists on the left and populist voices on the right.

{Matzav.com}

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The family of independent U.N. investigator Francesca Albanese has sued the Trump administration over U.S. sanctions imposed on her last year for her criticism of Israel’s policies during the war with Hamas in Gaza, saying the penalties violate the First Amendment.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Washington, Albanese’s husband and minor child outlined the serious impact those sanctions have had on the family’s life and work, including the ability to access their home in the nation’s capital.

“Francesca’s expression of her views about the facts as she has found them in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and about the work of the ICC is core First Amendment activity,” the lawsuit says, referring to the International Criminal Court. That tribunal has issued arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over allegations of war crimes.

“At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person — ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter — because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” according to the filing.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation

Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, is a member of a group of experts chosen by the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. She has been tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories and has been vocal about what she has described as the “genocide” by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.

Both Israel and the United States, which provides military support to its close ally, have strongly denied the genocide accusation. Washington had decried what it has called Albanese’s “campaign of political and economic warfare” against the U.S. and Israel before imposing sanctions on her in July after an unsuccessful American pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post.

Shortly after being sanctioned, the Italian human rights lawyer told The Associated Press in an interview about the effect it would have on her, both personally and professionally.

“My daughter is American. I’ve been living in the U.S. and I have some assets there. So of course, it’s going to harm me,” Albanese said last summer. “What can I do? I did everything I did in good faith, and knowing that, my commitment to justice is more important than personal interests.”

But the sanctions have not dissuaded Albanese from her work or her viewpoints. She has continued to issue scathing reports about Israel’s activity, including one focused on what she said was the country’s “genocidal economy” in Palestinian territories.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, said last year after one of her reports that “she has taken the word ‘genocide,’ born from the ashes of the Holocaust, and turned it into a weapon — not to defend the victims of history, but to attack them.”

Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal from Oct. 10. There has been some progress, including the reopening of the Rafah crossing, but Israel and Hamas are divided over the timeline and scope of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group.

While special rapporteurs do not represent the U.N. and have no formal authority, their reports can step up pressure on countries, while their findings inform prosecutors at the ICC and other venues working on transnational justice cases.

By BoroPark24 Staff

As this winter’s cold begins to ease, much of what kept local roads and sidewalks safe came from far outside the area. Large amounts of road salt are shipped in by sea and move through the Port of New York and New Jersey before being delivered to nearby cities and towns.

Bulk cargo ships bring in hundreds of thousands of tons at a time, much of it from South America, which is faster and more efficient than moving the same volume by truck. At the port, cranes unload the salt into dockside hoppers, where trucks pick it up and transport it to storage sites and distribution yards.

As winter storms approach, trucks are loaded around the clock, spreading salt on highways, local streets, bridges, and pedestrian areas. During major snow or ice events, thousands of truckloads may be deployed in a single day to keep roadways passable and reduce accidents.

Transportation and sanitation departments carefully monitor forecasts and road temperatures to determine how much salt to apply, balancing safety with efficiency and environmental considerations. Timing is critical, crews often begin treating roads before snowfall begins to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement.

While it may appear routine, the operation behind winter road treatment is a massive logistical effort that begins months before the first snowflake falls. From overseas mines to port terminals and local depots, the coordinated supply chain ensures that when winter weather strikes, communities are prepared and roads remain safe for drivers and pedestrians alike.

(AP) – The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week below 6% for the first time since late 2022, good news for home shoppers as the spring homebuying season gets rolling.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 5.98% from 6.01% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.76%.

The average rate has been hovering close to 6% this year. This latest dip, its third decline in a row, brings it closer to its lowest level since Sept. 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.02% at midday Thursday, down from around 4.07% a week ago.

Mortgage rates have been trending lower for months, helping drive a pickup in home sales the last four months of 2025, but not enough to lift the housing market out of its slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained stuck last year at 30-year lows. And more buyer-friendly mortgage rates this year weren’t enough to lift home sales last month. They posted the biggest monthly drop in nearly four years and the slowest annualized sales pace in more than two years.

Still, with the average rate on a 30-year mortgage now below 6% as the annual spring homebuying season begins, it could encourage prospective home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates to shop for a home this spring.

“Assuming rates stay below 6%, buyers and sellers are going to start getting back into the market,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “March is when the spring homebuying season typically begins to ramp up and with rates at a three-and-a-half year low, it could be a barn burner of a spring homebuying season.”

The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of California, alleging that administrators at UCLA failed to properly address complaints of antisemitism by employees and permitted what it describes as a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli staff members in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

The legal action, brought in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, marks a significant escalation in the administration’s scrutiny of the UC system and centers specifically on conduct at UCLA.

According to the Justice Department, the campus has been affected by an ongoing problem of “severe and pervasive” antisemitism. The complaint references pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including a protest in January, that federal officials contend crossed the line into anti-Jewish or anti-Israel activity.

The case was initiated by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department against the Regents of the University of California. It alleges violations of Title VII, the federal statute that prohibits discrimination in the workplace.

Court records show that the complaint, filed Tuesday, is designated as Case No. 2:26-cv-01946 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

In a statement issued by UCLA, Chancellor Julio Frenk said antisemitism is unacceptable at the university and outlined a series of steps the institution has taken in response. These include strengthening campus safety leadership and coordination, creating an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism, restructuring the Office of Civil Rights, appointing a dedicated Title VI/Title VII officer, tightening time, place, and manner policies, and supporting anti-antisemitism community organizations through the Frankel settlement, under which more than $6 million has been allocated for anti-discrimination reforms.

University officials stated that these initiatives and enforcement measures are having an impact and said UCLA intends to continue defending its record while working to ensure a secure and inclusive campus environment.

The lawsuit comes after a series of civil rights inquiries launched since 2025 involving the UC system or specific campuses. In August, the administration sought nearly $1.2 billion to resolve civil rights investigations connected to UCLA. Those probes included claims related to antisemitism complaints by students and staff, race-based affirmative action policies, and campus policies recognizing transgender individuals’ gender identities.

The newly filed case stems from a federal investigation into workplace antisemitism that began last March. At that time, government lawyers indicated they believed there might be a broader pattern of discrimination affecting Jewish employees.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the department’s review concluded that UCLA administrators allegedly permitted “virulent anti-Semitism” to take root on campus and said the lawsuit reflects the department’s stance against antisemitism.

In announcing the lawsuit, the Justice Department further alleged that Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff members were subjected to a hostile work environment and that multiple employees felt compelled to take leave, work remotely, or resign from their positions.

At the same time, some protesters and civil liberties advocates maintain that political opposition to Israel must be distinguished from hostility toward Jews as Jews. They argue that backing Palestinian rights, criticizing Israeli government policy, or expressing opposition to Zionism does not automatically constitute antisemitism unless it relies on anti-Jewish tropes, assigns collective blame to Jews, or targets Jewish individuals because of their identity.

Those who draw that distinction often reference the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, which states that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”

{Matzav.com}

JPC&L:

The Blizzard of 2026 was one of the most challenging winter storms our region has faced in years.

More than 170,000 JCP&L customers lost power, and we understand how difficult and frustrating it was to spend long, cold hours without power. Electricity is essential to everyday life – from keeping homes warm to powering work, school and family activities – and outages during extreme weather are especially disruptive.

Thank you for your patience as our crews worked through severe conditions to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.

When the weather was its fiercest, JCP&L crews – along with contractors and support from our FirstEnergy sister companies in Ohio and Pennsylvania – responded with urgency and care. On Monday alone, nearly 160,000 customers had power restored. And within just 36 hours of the storm’s end, more than 98% of those affected had their lights back on.

Achieving this progress required difficult and often dangerous work. Forestry crews cleared more than 500 fallen trees, allowing lineworkers to repair dozens of broken poles and miles of downed wires. We commend them for working safely to get everyone back up and running as fast as possible.

We also want to recognize the families of our employees for their support behind the scenes. They truly are the unsung heroes during events like this.

While blizzards of this magnitude were once rare, major weather events have become increasingly common in New Jersey. That’s why we remain committed to #EnergizeEveryday. Last year, we invested more than $1 billion in electric system upgrades, and we plan to invest an additional $5.6 billion over the next five years to strengthen reliability and resiliency – always with affordability in mind.

Thank you again for your patience, understanding and resilience throughout this storm. We’ll continue working to reinforce our system and be there when you need us most.

Stay warm. Stay safe.

Screenshot

ATLANTA (AP) — A rare outbreak of infant botulism that sickened dozens of babies who drank recalled ByHeart formula is over, with no new cases reported since mid-December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

In all, 48 babies were sickened since 2023. That’s actually down from the previous case count, because three infants were ultimately diagnosed with other illnesses not tied to botulism, health officials said.

All of the children who got sick were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

It’s still unclear exactly how, when or where the organic, whole-milk powdered baby formula became contaminated with the type of bacteria that can cause serious illness, paralysis and death in children younger than 1, health officials added.

Most of the cases had occurred since August, when officials at California’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention program detected an alarming rise in reports of the illness in babies who consumed ByHeart formula.

ByHeart, based in New York, initially recalled two lots of formula in early November, but the company expanded the recall to all products days later. Federal health officials later said they could not rule out contamination of products made since the company first launched in March 2022. Stores nationwide pulled the product, which was advertised as having “next-to-breast milk benefits.”

Investigators with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have yet to identify the root cause.

In a statement, the agency said it had identified 17 different strains of the illness-causing bacteria in samples from patients, finished cans of formula and ingredients. The samples “add to the available evidence needed to investigate the root cause of this outbreak,” but aren’t definitive, the agency said.

Previously, FDA officials indicated that powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination.

Illnesses caused by botulism bacteria in infant formula are rare, and the size and scope of the ByHeart outbreak is unprecedented, food safety experts said.

The disease occurs when babies ingest botulism spores that germinate in the intestine and produce a dangerous toxin that attacks the nervous system. Death rates were once as high as 90%, but now are less than 1% with treatment.

The only treatment for the disease is an IV medication, known as BabyBIG, made from the pooled blood plasma of adults who have been immunized against botulism. California’s program is the sole source worldwide.

ByHeart, which accounted for about 1% of the U.S. infant formula market, previously sold about 200,000 cans of the product per month. Parents of babies sickened in the outbreak said they chose the formula, which cost about $42 per can, because of its touted health benefits.

A massive fire erupted today at a large industrial facility in Abadan, Iran, amid a string of mysterious blasts and blazes across the country, sending thick smoke into the sky and raising fresh questions about recent unexplained incidents there.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill that would put the country’s Orthodox chief rabbinate in charge of the entire Western Wall in Jerusalem, raising fears among liberal Jews that mixed-gender prayer at the site will soon be outlawed.

The bill, if approved, threatens to further strain relations between Israel and the Reform movement, the largest stream of Judaism in the United States.

The Western Wall is the holiest site in the world where Jews can pray. While its gleaming main plaza is under the supervision of the rabbinate and prayer there is segregated, the site also has an egalitarian section, far off to the side, where men and women can pray together.

Under the bill, any prayer at the wall that runs contrary to the chief rabbinate’s specifications would be deemed “desecration,” punishable by up to seven years in prison. That could mean spell the end of the wall’s egalitarian section.

“It’s criminalizing the way the vast majority of Jews pray in the heart of the holiest site of the capital of the Jewish state,” said Orly Erez-Likhovski, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, the social justice arm of Israel’s Reform movement.

The section itself is largely out of view and accessible only through a small doorway.

Once inside, visitors are blocked from touching the ancient stones by a warren of grates left there after 2018, when a massive stone dislodged from the wall and toppled onto the prayer platform, prompting its immediate closure.

It is a stark contrast to the wall’s iconic esplanade, replete with plaques from generous donors, where buzzing devotees segregate to pray by the Wall’s ancient stones.

The bill, sponsored by far-right lawmaker Avi Maoz, was passed in a preliminary reading late Wednesday 56-47.

It was brought to the preliminary vote Wednesday to mitigate a Feb. 19 ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court to begin repairing the egalitarian section of the wall, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government agreed to undertake the repairs a decade ago as part of a compromise to promote pluralism.

It is not known when the bill will be presented for a final vote of approval.

Police have arrested a 27-year-old man accused of hurling snowballs at NYPD officers during a chaotic confrontation at Washington Square Park earlier this week, an incident that left two officers hospitalized, the NY Post reports.

Authorities identified the suspect as Gusmane Coulibaly, who was taken into custody today for his alleged role in the Monday afternoon disturbance. The melee, captured on video and widely circulated online, showed officers being pelted with snow and ice amid a disorderly scene.

Officials said the specific charges Coulibaly will face in connection with the snowball attack were not immediately disclosed.

According to police, Coulibaly was arrested less than three weeks ago on an attempted robbery charge stemming from an incident in the subway system, marking another encounter with law enforcement prior to this week’s arrest.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch earlier condemned the episode, calling it “criminal” and “disgraceful.”

Coulibaly is one of four individuals whose images were released by the NYPD shortly after footage of the snowball barrage went viral. The remaining three suspects have not yet been apprehended.

The president of the NYPD Police Benevolent Association praised investigators for making the arrest and criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had initially characterized the incident as youthful mischief.

“A 27-year-old is not a ‘kid,’ @NYCMayor,” the union wrote on X.

“This individual is an adult with a recent attempted robbery arrest, and your message was that it’s OK for him to assault police officers for doing their job. This arrest sends a different message. We’re grateful to all who have worked so hard on this case. There is more work to be done.”

Mamdani, however, had previously minimized the confrontation. On Tuesday, he said he had “seen the videos” but described the incident as “kids throwing snowballs.”

“I’ve seen the videos of kids throwing snowballs at NYPD officers in Washington Square Park,” he wrote on X.

“Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.”

Later, during a press conference, the mayor reiterated that assessment, maintaining that the people involved appeared to be young participants in a snowball fight.

“I can just tell you from the video I saw, it looked like kids in a snowball fight,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli media reported Wednesday that a Sunday cabinet meeting revealed that the Palestinian Authority had paid out nearly half a billion shekels to terrorists and their families under its infamous “pay for slay” program. Terrorists get paid four times the average salary of Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and in order to maintain those high salaries, the PA cut the salaries of its own employees, including doctors, nurses and teachers.

The meeting disclosed that nearly 400,000 shekels were paid to terrorists currently in prison, while nearly 100,000 shekels were paid to families of terrorists who had been eliminated.

President Donald Trump had threatened to impose sanctions on high-ranking PA officials if the PA continued its “pay for slay” program, which it calls the Martyrs Fund. PA President Mahmoud Abbas fired the finance minister who authorized the payments, then hired another one who continued to pay out the stipends unabated.

During the cabinet meeting, Minister Avi Dichter said, “All the Palestinian Authority’s theatrics will not help. Abu Mazen [the nickname for Abbas] himself has said that the Authority will continue paying terrorists’ families down to the last shekel.”

“Just as Mordechai exposed Haman as a foe and enemy before Ahasuerus, and the great challenge was convincing Ahasuerus, Netanyahu must convince President Trump that Abu Mazen is a foe and enemy,” Minister Orit Strock added.

Last week in a blistering speech to the United Nations, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar slammed the PA for its “pay for slay” program and confronted the U.N. for its silence on the issue.

“The U.S. State Department reported to Congress that the P.A. committed to paying over $200 million in salaries to terrorists in 2025 alone — significantly more than 2024,” he said. “A few months ago, Abbas dismissed his finance minister to shift the blame for pay-for-slay on him.”

“But their new finance minister admitted a week ago that pay-for-slay will continue despite their financial difficulties,” he added.

“But you don’t say a word about it, do you,” he said.

Despite increasing international calls to end the program and despite Israel freezing PA tax revenue, the PA remains undaunted. It even included the program in its draft constitution for a Palestinian state.

Earlier this month, Israel’s Finance Ministry demanded that the Bank of Palestine shut down nearly 3,500 accounts it believes are used in the infamous “pay for slay” program that pays monthly stipends to families of terrorists who have been involved in killing Jews — with larger payouts tied to higher body counts. The bank refused to comply.

A few months earlier, the bank had agreed to close some 1,700 accounts, but this time, in response to a clear directive from Israel, the bank refused to cooperate, claiming that it was “unable to act.” Israeli authorities believe that the bank is acting under orders from the PA not to cooperate.

Israel warned the Bank of Palestine that failure to comply would result in serious enforcement action taken by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — namely, the termination of Israeli banks serving as correspondent banks for the Bank of Palestine, a service that allows the bank to send and receive money internationally. Because the Bank of Palestine does not have overseas branches, it cannot otherwise conduct international transactions.

At Sunday’s meeting, Israeli officials said that the figures presented are based on confirmed payments, but they suspect that other undisclosed funds transferred through various channels would raise the “pay for slay” amount even more.

According to the New York Times, Israeli hospitals are preparing to move patients to underground shelters where they can continue treatment in the event of war. Israel’s health ministry has instructed medical centers to be ready for two to four weeks of conflict if necessary.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official told state election leaders Wednesday that federal immigration agents will not be sent to polling sites during November’s midterm elections, addressing mounting concerns among Democratic officials about potential federal interference.

Heather Honey, the deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, made the assurance during a conference call with secretaries of state from across the country. According to a statement released by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, Honey said that “any suggestion that ICE will be present at any polling location is simply not true.”

Officials from other states confirmed that the commitment was made. A spokeswoman for Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said Honey offered the same pledge during the call, while Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, wrote on X that the assurance came from “DHS.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment following the call.

Honey, who has publicly supported President Donald Trump’s assertions that the 2020 election was affected by fraud, participated in the meeting alongside representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Postal Service, and other federal agencies. The discussion focused on coordination efforts ahead of the midterm elections.

Although such pre-election coordination calls are typically routine, this year’s conversation took place against a backdrop of heightened tension. Several actions by the Trump administration have unsettled Democratic secretaries of state.

The Justice Department has filed lawsuits seeking access to detailed voter information, without publicly clarifying the purpose behind the requests. At the same time, Trump has continued to argue that widespread fraud tainted the 2020 election and has called on his administration to pursue further investigations.

Earlier this month, the FBI executed a raid on an election office in Fulton County, Georgia — a Democratic-leaning area that includes Atlanta — seizing ballots and other voting materials from the 2020 election.

In response to these developments, Democratic officials and public interest attorneys nationwide have spent months preparing legal and political strategies to counter any perceived interference in the midterm voting process or ballot tabulation.

Participants on Wednesday’s call said Democratic secretaries of state pressed Honey on several issues, including cuts to federal election security funding, the administration’s initiative to identify instances of noncitizen voting — which they argue is already illegal and rare — and the possibility that federal law enforcement officers could appear at polling sites in the fall.

The White House has previously dismissed those concerns, pointing out that there were no disruptions during last year’s elections, when Democratic candidates saw strong results. During a congressional hearing earlier this month, the leaders of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection each responded “No, sir” when asked whether their agencies were participating in any efforts to monitor or guard voting precincts.

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – Instagram said Thursday it will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The alerts will only go to parents who are enrolled in Instagram’s parental supervision program.

Instagram says it already blocks such content from showing up in teen accounts’ search results and directs people to helplines instead.

The announcement comes as Meta is in the midst of two trials over harms to children. A trial underway in Los Angeles questions whether Meta’s platforms deliberately addict and harm minors. Another, in New Mexico, seeks to determine whether Meta failed to protect kids from sexual exploitation on its platforms. Thousands of families — along with school districts and government entities — have sued Meta and other social media companies claiming they deliberately design their platforms to be addictive and fail to protect kids from content that can lead to depression, eating disorders and suicide.

Meta executives including CEO Mark Zuckerberg have disputed that the platforms cause addiction. During questioning by the plaintiff’s lawyer, in Los Angeles, Zuckerberg said he still agrees with a previous statement he made that the existing body of scientific work has not proved that social media causes mental health harms.

The alerts will be sent via email, text or WhatsApp, depending on the parent’s contact information available, as well as a notification through the parent’s Instagram account.

“Our goal is to empower parents to step in if their teen’s searches suggest they may need support. We also want to avoid sending these notifications unnecessarily, which, if done too much, could make the notifications less useful overall,” Meta said in a blog post.

Meta said it is also working on similar notifications to parents about their kids’ interactions with artificial intelligence.

“These will notify parents if a teen attempts to engage in certain types of conversations related to suicide or self-harm with our AI,” Meta said. “This is important work and we’ll have more to share in the coming months.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The trial began this week of a Pakistani man who U.S. prosecutors say had ties to the Iranian government and traveled to New York to meet with men he thought he was recruiting to carry out political assassinations on American soil, including potentially of President Donald Trump.

Asif Merchant, 47, faces a life sentence if he’s convicted of terrorism charges. His trial got underway Wednesday in a federal court in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors said in court filings that a man who Merchant initially met when he arrived in New York in April 2024 later notified authorities about the plot and became a confidential informant, The New York Times reported. Merchant later paid a $5,000 advance to two would-be assassins who were actually undercover FBI agents, prosecutors said.

At the time, Merchant did not specify who the target would be, but court filings show the potential targets included high-level officials such as Trump.

Merchant, who has maintained his innocence, is a deeply religious man who frequently traveled to Iran and Pakistan, where he has separate families, which his lawyers noted is legal in both countries he calls home. They told jurors Wednesday that there was simply not enough evidence to show their client was involved in some type of plot.

Prosecutors told jurors that Merchant sketched out his plans by putting objects on a hotel napkin to represent people and places in a potential assassination plot, including the target, crowd and buildings. The killing would have occurred during the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.

The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice or equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of mentally vulnerable people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.

(AP) – The Justice Department said Wednesday that it was looking into whether it had improperly withheld documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files after several news organizations reported that some records involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against President Donald Trump were not among those released to the public.

This comes as Bill and Hillary Clinton are slated to testify Thursday and Friday in a House investigation into Epstein, part of a deal with Republicans after it became clear that Congress — with the help of some Democrats — was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused to cooperate.

Nicolás Maduro cannot pay for his legal defense in his federal criminal case in the United States because the Trump administration is refusing to allow the Venezuelan government to use funds subject to sanctions to cover his legal fees, according to a court filing submitted by his attorney.

Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, indicated that he may ask a judge to step in, arguing that if the administration does not reverse its position, it would effectively interfere with Maduro’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel in what he described as one of the most high-profile criminal cases in the country.

In early January, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into custody during a late-night military operation and brought to the United States. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged them with conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Maduro also faces a separate charge of narco-terrorism conspiracy. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In a letter dated Feb. 20 and filed Wednesday, Pollack wrote that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control initially granted licenses on Jan. 9 to both Maduro and his wife, permitting the Venezuelan government to pay for their legal representation. However, less than three hours later, the authorization granted to Maduro was amended, revoking permission for his defense costs to be paid by the Venezuelan government, Pollack said.

According to the filing, the government did not modify Flores’ license.

Weeks later, Maduro’s legal team asked the Treasury Department to restore his authorization. “Counsel explained that the government of Venezuela has an obligation to pay Mr. Maduro’s fees, Mr. Maduro has a legitimate expectation that the government of Venezuela would do so, and Mr. Maduro cannot otherwise afford counsel,” Pollack wrote.

Pollack stated that the Treasury office has not responded to the request.

Maduro is currently being held at a detention facility in New York as he awaits trial. He is scheduled to appear in federal court for a hearing on March 17.

{Matzav.com}

An Ocean County teacher has been charged following the discovery of a knife inside a school classroom, officials said today.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Kevin J. Hasbrouck, 36, of Point Pleasant Beach, has been charged with a fourth-degree weapons offense after authorities say he was found in possession of a knife while working at a school in Neptune Township.

On February 3, an officer from the Neptune Township Police Department responded to Neptune Middle School for a reported weapons investigation. Authorities say the investigation led to the discovery of a large stainless-steel knife with a black handle inside a desk drawer assigned to Hasbrouck.

Officials have not publicly indicated why the knife was in the classroom.

While the reason for the possession remains unclear, the case raises a broader question: should teachers be allowed to carry weapons for self-defense on school grounds?

New Jersey law currently imposes strict limits on weapons in schools. Supporters of arming teachers argue that properly trained educators could help protect students in emergency situations, while opponents warn of potential risks and unintended consequences.

We want to hear from our readers: Should teachers be armed?

French media reported that French prosecutors charged five people associated with humanitarian organizations with funneling a total of $47 million to Hamas through the supposed charities.

The unnamed suspects are linked to two foundations, the Humani’Terre and Soutien Humani’Terre associations. French authorities froze the funds of the organizations and people linked to them, including Khaled al-Shouli, a Jordanian-born lawyer.

Al-Shouli, representing alleged victims of Israeli actions in Gaza, joined a petition to the International Criminal Court to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reportedly as a direct result of this action, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials in May 2024.

The IDF uncovered a weapons cache at the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza containing RPGs, grenades, guns, ammunition, knives and bulletproof vests in early February. (From a post on X)

Hamas media, namely the al-Quds network, reported that al-Shouli said that this action presented a way to resist the “occupation” and that it “justified all forms of the Palestinian resistance,” endorsing violence against Israeli civilians as a means to a political end.

While the suspects are under supervision, they are being investigated for the following charges:

• Funding a terrorist group
• Organized breach of trust
• Money laundering for a terrorist organization

The investigation began on Nov. 3, 2023, less than a month after the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, and focused on searching the offices and bank accounts associated with Humani’Terre and Soutien Humani’Terre, with authorities confiscating office equipment such as computer equipment and financial documents. Authorities have confiscated $47 million from the “charities.” Most of it was in bank accounts, but they recovered about $6 million in cash at the headquarters and various branches of Humani’Terre. As a result, the association halted the acceptance of contributions.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration policy during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press NOW,” arguing that the president is fueling division rather than pursuing comprehensive reform.

Speaking on the program, Johnson said he believes the administration is choosing political confrontation over constructive solutions. “I think it’s a mistake for this President to continue to find wedge[s] to divide people in this country, right? … [I]f this President was serious about ensuring that we had a pathway to citizenship and to ensure that our borders are secure, he would use the fact that he controls every single level of government to put forth legislation that could do just that,” Johnson said.

The mayor suggested that, in his view, Trump has both the authority and the opportunity to advance immigration legislation if he chooses to do so.

Johnson went on to argue that the president’s rhetoric has emphasized differences rather than common ground. “This President has demonstrated over and over again that he’s more interested in dividing people by race, by whether they are documented or undocumented, than he is motivated to actually unite people around the values that working people are concerned about,” he said.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

By Y.M. Lowy

Last night, after weeks of massive potholes plaguing 17th Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, causing reported tire damage and close calls as vehicles swerved to avoid the deep gaps in the asphalt, volunteers from Chaverim were seen filling multiple large craters along the roadway.

The potholes, which residents say have grown worse after each storm, had become a serious hazard for drivers traveling through the area. Community members reportedly contacted multiple times the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), but as of last night, no repairs had been made.

In a proactive effort to prevent further vehicle damage and reduce the risk of accidents, the volunteers filled the holes to make the road safer for passing motorists.

Boro Park locals expressed appreciation for the effort, noting that while permanent pothole repair is the responsibility of city maintenance crews, the volunteer work helped address an immediate and ongoing safety concern.

A retired senior Israeli commander said this week that Iran’s expanding ballistic missile program poses an urgent and growing danger, warning that Tehran could potentially arm some of those missiles with chemical or biological warheads. He argued that as nuclear talks reach a critical stage, the “only viable option” may be a “massive” and “decisive” military campaign aimed at toppling the regime.

In an interview with Breitbart News on Wednesday, just before a third round of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi — founder and chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum and a former high-ranking IDF officer who continues to advise Israeli defense officials — said the most pressing threat to Israel, American forces, and regional stability is Iran’s accelerated production of ballistic missiles.

“Looking at the moment, the main issue which is urgent — not only to Israel but to American forces and regional stability — is the massive production of ballistic missiles,” Avivi said.

Although Iranian nuclear facilities were “hit severely” last year and require time to rebuild, Avivi cautioned that Iran’s missile manufacturing capabilities are rebounding “much faster.” He described the new systems under development as “more advanced and dangerous” than those used during the recent 12-day war.

According to Avivi, Iranian leadership appears “very determined to retaliate” after sustaining what it sees as a humiliating blow that damaged its deterrence both at home and abroad.

He also highlighted what he called a less-discussed but serious risk: the possibility that Iran could equip some of its missiles with unconventional warheads.

“There is a discussion about that,” he said, confirming that Israeli defense officials are actively examining “what are the capabilities and what are the chances that there is readiness to put a warhead that has these capabilities.”

The potential deployment of chemical or biological agents on long-range ballistic missiles, he said, “strengthens the understanding that we need a preventive attack” to thwart any future assault.

In recent public appearances and briefings, Avivi has similarly warned that Iran is “continuing preparations for war” and expanding missile production even as diplomatic efforts move forward.

His remarks come as a new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies called for closer examination of Iran’s opaque chemical weapons activities. The report argued that international attention has centered primarily on the nuclear issue, while less scrutiny has been given to Tehran’s possible chemical capabilities. It cited allegations that Iranian security forces used unidentified chemical substances against protesters earlier this year — claims denied by Tehran — and noted repeated U.S. findings that Iran has not fully complied with elements of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Asked what may unfold in the near term, Avivi outlined three potential paths.

The first scenario, he said, involves an Iranian preemptive attack on Israel or American assets in the region.

“If the Iranians attack preemptively, they can launch a massive amount of ballistic missiles that will overwhelm defenses in Israel and in other places,” he warned.

He added that Israel is tracking Iranian activity “very, very closely.”

A second possibility would be an Israeli strike launched in advance, should Jerusalem conclude that Tehran has crossed established red lines or is preparing an imminent assault.

The third — and in his assessment increasingly probable — would be a U.S.-led operation relying heavily on Israeli intelligence and targeting assistance.

“There’s a very big chance this is what will happen — a massive U.S.-led attack,” Avivi said, describing the present moment as “a very defining moment.”

Beyond tactical considerations, Avivi characterized the standoff as a broader test of American resolve, especially given President Donald Trump’s publicly stated red lines.

“At the end of the day, America has to build back its deterrence,” he said, arguing that demonstrating strength against Iran would have implications far beyond the Middle East, including in relations with China and Russia.

However, Avivi maintained that limited strikes against nuclear or missile facilities would fall short of achieving lasting stability.

“If the U.S. wants to push the vision of stability and peace in the region, this regime must go,” Avivi said, asserting that Iran’s proxy network — including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria — ultimately draws its power from Tehran’s ruling leadership.

He said that what would be required is a far more comprehensive and forceful campaign aimed directly at dismantling the regime’s command structure and removing its leadership.

“This is a completely different kind of operation,” he explained. “It’s not just about military sites or nuclear sites. This is about the leadership. It’s about the centers of government, media, Revolutionary Guard, Basij forces.”

For such an effort to succeed, Avivi argued, two developments would need to occur simultaneously: a sweeping and coordinated military assault that cripples the regime’s ability to govern and direct its forces, alongside an internal uprising.

“America is going into this big war without boots on the ground,” he said. “This is not similar to Iraq. The boots on the ground are the Iranian people.”

He expressed confidence that many Iranians, worn down by economic hardship and repeated crackdowns, would see such a moment as an opportunity to seek change.

Despite President Trump’s stated preference for diplomacy, Avivi said he sees “no way to bridge” the gap between Israeli-American demands and what Iran would ultimately agree to — or faithfully implement.

“They are going to deceive and lie and continue their path toward nuclear capabilities and rebuilding their proxies and ballistic missiles,” he warned, suggesting that even a negotiated agreement would not alter Tehran’s long-term objectives.

“Therefore, the only viable option is to attack — massive attacks, simultaneous, decisive — to bring this regime down,” Avivi said. “And I believe that this is what will happen.”

As negotiators head to Geneva for talks, Avivi’s comments underscore the high-stakes choice confronting Washington and Yerushalayim: secure a durable agreement that halts Iran’s weapons ambitions or brace for a military clash that could dramatically reshape the region.

{Matzav.com}

photos: Avrumi Berger, Issac Y.

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Wednesday that a secret Israeli mission rescued an IDF soldier who was arrested in Turkey while visiting her parents. Islamist groups had pushed for the imprisonment of the dual Turkish-Israeli citizen, who was charged with serving in a foreign army. After a few hours in prison, she was sentenced to house arrest. She was extracted from Turkey on Feb. 18.

The few details that were released revealed that pressure by Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the United States overcame the pressure of the Islamist groups.

About 50,000 IDF soldiers with dual citizenship are in danger of facing similar action while visiting foreign countries. In January 2025, an IDF soldier vacationing in Brazil was forced to flee after facing a similar threat. In his case, the Foreign Ministry also had to intervene to help him escape.

Anti-Israel groups are using lawfare to target IDF soldiers abroad. Chief among these is the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has successfully caused the detention of dozens of IDF soldiers in foreign countries. Whereas these organizations used to target only high-ranking military officials, now they consider any soldier who served in Gaza to be guilty of war crimes.

These people, who have nothing better to do with their lives than intimidate and harass Jews, monitor the social media accounts of IDF soldiers to follow their travels and get them nabbed as soon as they step foot outside of Israel.

A view of Galata Tower is seen after a Palestinian keffiyeh was hung on for the mass anti-Israel march on Galata Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 1, 2026. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Brooke Goldstein, founder and director of the Lawfare Project, which advocates on behalf of people targeted by lawfare, said in an interview that these anti-Israel lawfare organizations have escalated their tactics.

“Previous failed efforts to prosecute Israelis for alleged war crimes have focused primarily on political and military leaders rather than rank-and-file soldiers. The move to target lower-level personnel, like the IDF soldier in Brazil, represents a major escalation in legal and advocacy strategies.”

A high-profile example of this occurred when Israeli comedian Guy Hochman was arrested upon touching down in Toronto at the behest of the Hind Rajab Foundation. He was held and interrogated for six hours before being released.

Working with Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Legal Centre for Palestine, the groups compiled a 40-page dossier containing information on the combat veteran and submitted it to authorities.

The Israeli consulate intervened to secure his release. Hochman later made it to his performance in Toronto, where he and his manager were attacked by a member of a pro-Palestinian mob. His manager was injured, and police arrested the perpetrator.

The Hind Rajab Foundation accused Hochman of “military propaganda and incitement linked to Israel’s war on Gaza,” based on videos he filmed with fellow IDF soldiers, which it said “led to his recruitment into a role linked to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, an unusual position for a civilian entertainer. In this role, Hochman appeared in military uniform and disseminated messaging that glorified destruction in Gaza, promoted revenge narratives, and contributed to the normalization of war crimes.”

The group also accused him of engaging “in overt political advocacy” by “promoting retaliatory narratives” in his content and calling for the blocking of humanitarian aid.

“While presenting himself internationally as a comedian, much of his recent content has moved beyond satire, using humour to dehumanize Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and pro-Palestinian demonstrators, and to normalize collective punishment,” the group said.

The group’s attempts to prosecute IDF soldiers in court have failed, however, as no Israeli soldier has ever been accused of war crimes or prosecuted for conduct in Gaza in a foreign court.

Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism recommended in July 2025 that Israel not allow members of the Hind Rajab Foundation entry into Israel.

“To date, [Hind Rajab] has filed claims against at least 28 soldiers in eight different countries,” the ministry said last year.

Israeli singer Ishay Ribo has canceled his planned concert tour in the United States at the last minute over concerns that a war with Iran could erupt at any moment.

According to sources, Ribo and his professional team had already arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at the end of last week in preparation for their scheduled flight. However, shortly before boarding, the decision was made not to leave the country due to escalating security developments.

A source close to the singer described how events unfolded, saying Ribo was waiting to board the plane when he chose to reverse course and return home. The source said the move stemmed from concern that a military confrontation with Iran could break out while he was overseas.

In an official message sent to ticket holders in the United States, it was explained that members of the group felt that, at this time, the right step was to remain within the borders of Israel. The statement said the decision was made out of a desire to stand alongside their families during this period.

The cancellation of the US tour was first reported by journalist Ran Boker at Ynet. As of now, no alternative dates have been announced for the performances that were scheduled to take place abroad.

{Matzav.com}

Satellite imagery released by Chinese intelligence company MizarVision indicates that U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets have been positioned at the Israeli Air Force’s Ovda Airbase.

According to the images, 11 F-22 aircraft can be seen on the ground at the base. The photos also appear to show a Patriot air defense battery deployed nearby.

It’s official - boards have taken over.

If you haven’t chosen your mishloach manos yet, this is where you start. A full lineup of board companies is featured here, offering everything from elegant spreads to crowd-pleasing favorites all in one place.

Boards have become the go-to Purim gift for good reason. They’re beautiful, practical, and actually enjoyed at the seudah. Mishloach manos isn’t just candy and a bottle of wine anymore. It’s about sending something thoughtful, something actually fresh and delicious that everyone can gather around and enjoy together.

From fish boards and artisan jerky to acai boards and specialty desserts, every home has its favorites. That’s why you’ll want to scroll through and explore the full gallery. 

There's something for everyone. Browse, compare, and order directly from the companies featured.

👉 To help you save some pocket money, we’ve partnered with many stores offering discounts when you mention KLAL MEDIA.

Sol Curated Meals

Category: meat

Contact: 347-586-1702

Berry Burst

Category: acail

Discount: $10 off orders from $200 or more

Contact: 845-825-4628

[email protected]

The Acai Board

Category: acai

Contact: 929-884-3129

Discount: 5% off on orders of 2 boards and more

[email protected]

Chick 'n Haus

Category: finger food

Discount: Free delivery with mention

Contact: 845-347-1535

chicknhaus.online

Cutting Board

Category: cured fish

Discount: $10 off every order

Contact: 929-969-0283

[email protected]

Munch

Category: Salads

845-608-4082

OS

Category: side of salmon, acai, spreads, salad

Discount: 5% off, or 10% off on orders of $300 and up

Contact: 718-388-2202 917-652-1114

[email protected]

683 Myrtle Ave

LeBoard

Category: Meat

Discount: 5% off

Contact: 845-243-0396

[email protected]

Deli 365

Category: meat and fish 

For family and friends in Montreal, choose a gift that feels close to home.

Discount: 10% off orders of $300 and up

Contact: 514-544-3354

Freund's Fish

Category: fish

Discount: 5% off, on website CODE: Klal2026

Contact: 718-438-3373 4301-15th Ave

www.freundsfish.com

Yedid

Category: fish

Discount: 5% off CODE: Klal2026

Contact: 718-851-1111 4305-15th Ave

www.yedid.com

Sticks

Category: sushi

Discount: $10 off

Contact: 347-507-8744

[email protected]

Kugela

Category: fish

Discount: 5% off on orders of $150 or more, and 10% on $200 and up

Contact: 845-760-9780

Kudos

Category: variety 

Contact: 718-400-9099

[email protected]

www.kudosgourmet.com

Flavor on Board

Category: variety 

Contact: 845-688-8989 53 S Airmont Rd, Suffern NY

[email protected]

www.flavoronboard.com

Krustik

Category: sourdough

Discount: 10% off, or buy 10 boards get 1 free

Contact: 845-596-5959

[email protected]

www.krustik.com

Sealion

Category: fish

Discount: additional 10% off on orders above $180

Contact: 718-637-4404

[email protected]

Fleish x Fish Boards

Category: meat, fish

Discount: Free wine with every order

Contact: 718-496-4449

Catalog: https://fleishboards.com/collections/purim-2026

Healthee

Category: acai 

Discount: 5% off for the 3rd board

Contact: 718-871-7100

1267-50th St

Whatsapp

Glatt Geshmak

Category: meat

Contact: 845-517-3665

shopevergreenkosher.com

Fruits ‘n Flair

Category: fruit

Contact: 845-587-9280

Whatsapp

Breadberry

Category: variety 

Contact: 347-860-4389

1689-60th St

www.breadberry.com

Ice Cream House

Category: ice cream desserts 

Contact: 718-972-0222

www.theicecreamhouse.com

Catch and Co 

Category: fish 

Contact: 718-438-8704 

4809-New Utrecht Ave

catchand.co 

Fruit Platters

Category: fruit - in Israel

Contact: 347-474-4883

www.specialib.com

[email protected]

Tabernacle

Category: fish and meat

Contact: https://pci.jotform.com/form/260464814844058

Meating

Category: meat

Discount: 5% off for orders over $150

Contact: 347-450-8747

[email protected]

Whatsapp

Epicure

Category: fish

Discount: $10 off every $100.

Contact: 845-537-2292

[email protected]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Isaac Herzog welcomed Narendra Modi to Jerusalem on Thursday, where the two leaders planted an oak tree at the President’s Residence to mark the close ties between Israel and India.

The visit included private and expanded bilateral talks centered on deepening cooperation in technology, innovation, trade, education and security. The leaders also discussed broader regional initiatives, including economic connectivity projects linking India with the Middle East and Europe.

Herzog praised India’s economic growth and described the relationship as strategically important for both nations and the wider region. Modi highlighted collaboration in areas such as agriculture and water management, noting that Israeli expertise has been implemented in projects across India.

Modi extended an invitation for Herzog to visit India, encouraging him to travel beyond the capital to see more of the country. Herzog accepted, saying he looked forward to strengthening ties further.

שתי אומות עתיקות.
שתי דמוקרטיות מודרניות.
שותפות אסטרטגית אחת שמשנה לטובה את העולם.

ראש ממשלת הודו @NarendraModi, חבר יקר, היה לי הכבוד לארח אותך בבית הנשיא ולדון יחד בדרכים להעמקת מערכת היחסים האסטרטגית בין הודו לישראל, למען שני העמים שלנו 🇮🇱🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/oG2mmJy9Q9

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 26, 2026

JERUSALEM (JNS) – Gumbo and Bandit, the dogs of U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his wife, dressed up ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim, which is marked next week.

In a video published on the U.S. ambassador’s social media accounts on Thursday, Mike and Janet Huckabee dressed Gumbo and Bandit in the Israeli and American flag, respectively, as well as blue and red hats.

Gumbo and Bandit wishing everyone a happy Purim! pic.twitter.com/rdR9KqFyJF

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) February 26, 2026

“Two thousand three hundred years ago, God orchestrated through Queen Esther and Mordechai the salvation of the Jewish people and victory over their enemies in ancient Persia,” the U.S. envoy says in the video.

Purim celebrates the Jewish people’s deliverance in the Persian Empire during the 5th century BCE. The Scroll of Esther describes how the Persian viceroy, Haman the Agagite, plotted to annihilate the Jews.

Through a series of miraculous events, the Jews survived—and Haman ended up hanging on the gallows he had erected for his arch-enemy Mordechai the Jew.

Jewish law states that while most places celebrate Purim on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar, which this year falls out on March 2-3, cities that were surrounded by walls during Joshua’s conquest of the Land of Israel—mainly Jerusalem—observe the festival a day later.

“Janet and I want to wish all of our Jewish friends in Israel, America and all over the world a very happy Purim,” the ambassador says in the clip, adding: “Right boys? Yeah! Happy Purim everyone!”

The Huckabees got Gumbo—a Cavalier King Charles spaniel-Bichon mix—and Bandit—a Shih Tzu-Bichon mix—as puppies in 2022. The dogs left for Israel with the couple after Huckabee was confirmed as ambassador in Jerusalem in April 2025.

On Tuesday, Huckabee joined senior Israeli lawmakers at the Knesset, declaring that Israel remains Washington’s “true and unparalleled partner” amid regional instability and rising global antisemitism.

“There are many countries with which we have alliances,” explained the American ambassador. “But there is only one country in the world with which we have a true and unparalleled partnership, and that is Israel.”

Enjoy the melt while it lasts — temps climb into the 40s on Shabbos before another round of wintry weather moves in.

A fast-moving cold front arrives Sunday with likely snow showers and a slight chance for brief snow squalls (better odds north of the area). A rain/snow mix is possible at first, but snow could begin sticking by Sunday evening as temperatures fall.

Snowfall rates may reach up to 2 inches per hour with strengthening winds, reducing visibility and potentially nearing blizzard conditions into Monday morning — especially in Suffolk County.

Another system may arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday, possibly starting as snow before mixing with or changing to rain. Confidence on exact timing and totals remains low.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JERUSALEM (AP) — As U.S. forces mass in the Middle East, Iran faces the threat of major strikes by the world’s most powerful military, potentially targeting its leaders, military, nuclear sites and critical infrastructure.

Iran has nowhere near the same capabilities, and is even more vulnerable after last year’s war launched by Israel and recent anti-government protests. But it could still inflict pain on American forces and allies, and may feel it has to if the Islamic Republic’s survival is at stake.

While Iran suffered major losses last June, it still has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting Israel, according to Israel’s estimates. Iran boasts a much larger arsenal of shorter-range missiles capable of hitting U.S. bases in Gulf countries and offshore American forces, soon to be joined by a second aircraft carrier.

Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the global oil trade, and claimed to have done so partially during military drills last week.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran could sink American warships, and top officials have said a U.S. attack would spark regional war. Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said “all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region” would be legitimate targets.

Lingering capabilities
Israel carried out heavy strikes on Iran’s longer range missile arsenals — as well as its military leadership and nuclear program — during the 12-day war in June. The U.S. struck Iran’s main nuclear sites, and President Donald Trump said at the time that they had been “obliterated.”

But the extent of the damage — and how much has been rebuilt — is still unknown. Iran continued to strike Israel with missiles and drones until the fighting stopped, increasingly eluding its vaunted air defenses.

Iran’s shorter-range missile arsenal was largely untouched, said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. That could make Iran more inclined to retaliate against tens of thousands of U.S. forces based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere.

“Iran may be weak. But it still has ways to inflict real pain on the United States — and much more incentive to try than it did before,” Nate Swanson, head of the Atlantic Council’s Iran Strategy Project, wrote in Foreign Affairs. “Iranian officials feel they need to give Trump a bloody nose or they will perpetually be at risk.”

Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq after the killing of its top general in 2020 and targeted a U.S. base in Qatar near the end of last year’s war. Those strikes, which appeared to have been telegraphed in advance, caused damage but no fatalities, as early warning systems and missile defenses swung into action.

Iran could also carry out attacks farther afield. The country has been accused of using criminal gangs and armed groups to plan or carry out attacks around the world, including on dissidents, Israelis and Jewish targets.

Learning curve
Last year’s Israeli strikes killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, revealing major vulnerabilities. At one point, Trump said the U.S. knew where Khamenei was hiding, calling him an ” easy target.”

Fresh off the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump may consider decapitation strikes aimed at bringing down Iran’s decades-old Shiite theocracy, which he recently said “would be the best thing that could happen.”

The Iranians have had eight months to learn from their mistakes and firm up internal security. Citrinowicz said there are likely contingency plans if Khamenei were to be killed. Rather than naming a single successor, power would probably shift to a small committee until hostilities subsided.

Experts say the death of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for over three decades, would not in itself spell the end of the Islamic Republic. Power might eventually pass to a member of his inner circle, as it did in Venezuela, or to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

US allies could be targets
American allies are clearly concerned about a regional war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a heavy response to any Iranian attack on Israel.

Arab Gulf states have long viewed Iran with concern and leaned on the U.S. for defense, but do not want to be drawn into war. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which host thousands of American troops, have said they would not allow their airspace to be used.

An Arab Gulf diplomat said regional leaders were talking to Iran and the United States to avert war, warning that it could have severe consequences, including a spike in oil prices. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive, closed-door talks.

Iran has its own allies, including Houthi rebels in Yemen, armed groups in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. But its self-described Axis of Resistance suffered major losses in the fighting that rippled across the region after Hamas’ October 2023 attack from Gaza.

A global pressure point
Another close-in target could allow Iran to inflict wider pain.

Around one-fifth of all traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, just off Iran’s shore. The U.S. Navy is committed to keeping it open, but Iranian attacks could disrupt trade, as the far-weaker Houthis managed to do in the Red Sea for much of the past two years.

Iranian officials have not explicitly threatened to target the strait in the current standoff, but Iranian forces partially closed it last week during military drills, signaling it could be vulnerable if war breaks out.

Other critical oil assets would also be within range. In 2019, strikes on oil infrastructure temporarily halved Saudi Arabia’s production. Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility, but U.S. officials later blamed Iran.

The nuclear question
After initially threatening military action over Iran’s killing of protesters, Trump shifted attention to its nuclear program, warning that “bad things” would happen if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal. The two sides are set to hold another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday.

Iran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful, while the U.S. and others have long suspected that Tehran intends to eventually develop weapons. After Trump scrapped a 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran ramped up its enrichment of uranium, building up a stockpile of near-weapons grade material.

Iran’s biggest sites were hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes, causing significant damage above ground. But it’s unclear whether enriched uranium was spirited away before they were hit or buried underground. Iran says it has been unable to enrich since then, but it has also barred inspections.

Iran is still believed to be a long ways from developing a usable nuclear weapon, but radioactive material could pose a risk in the event of widespread strikes.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Wednesday, accusing him of misrepresenting the state of the country and failing to address the economic hardships facing many Americans.

In an interview with Aaron Parnas on his Substack program “The Parnas Perspective,” Harris said she watched Tuesday night’s speech and found it deeply misleading. “I watched it. It was full of lies. And, you know, when he wasn’t lying, he was — it reminded me of our kids going to show-and-tell at school. It was like — nothing that was true about really, how the American people right now, so many are suffering under the weight of high prices, unaffordable health care, unaffordable housing,” Harris said, reflecting on the president’s remarks.

She added that the tone and content of the speech felt predictable. “And, it was, you know, we’ve come to expect it. And, you know, some people have said it was really quite boring, and that there was nothing very interesting about it, because it was the same old, same old. The guy lying about what he intends to do, what he has done, and the state of our economy and the state of the world,” she said.

Trump delivered his first official State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday evening, speaking at a time when public approval ratings have posed challenges for both him and his party. During the address, he highlighted what he described as major accomplishments since returning to office and criticized Democrats across a range of policy areas.

Opening his speech, the president portrayed the country as having undergone sweeping change under his leadership. “I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages. We will never go back to where we were just a short time ago,” Trump said.

Harris, who mounted a high-profile campaign against Trump in 2024 that ended with his return to the White House, has frequently been mentioned as a possible Democratic contender in the 2028 presidential race. While speculation about another run continues, she has not publicly confirmed whether she intends to seek the nomination.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON, Ohio (AP) — A fire at an Ohio hog farm complex has killed about 6,000 of the animals, an official said.

A large column of smoke could be seen in the distance on Wednesday from Fine Oak Farms in London, Chief Brian Bennington of the Central Townships Joint Fire District said in a statement.

Two of five large agricultural buildings were “heavily involved in fire” as firefighters arrived, Bennington said. Multiple fire departments were called to help. The complex housed about 7,500 hogs, he said.

Firefighters faced sustained winds of about 20 mph (32 kph), with gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56 kph), which accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. Extensive water shuttle operations were needed due to limited water supply in the rural area, he said. It took five hours to bring the fire under control.

No people were hurt. The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson at this time.

The farm is in Madison County, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Columbus.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. and Iran head into their next round of nuclear talks in Geneva, a new AP-NORC poll finds that many U.S. adults continue to view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat — but they also don’t have high trust in President Donald Trump’s judgment on the use of military force abroad.

About half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to the United States, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 3 in 10 are “moderately” concerned and only about 2 in 10 are “not very” concerned or “not concerned at all.”

The survey was conducted Feb. 19-23, as military tensions built in the Middle East between the United States and Iran. The U.S. is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons, while Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump, who scrapped an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term, has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its atomic program, which Trump claimed to have “obliterated” following the 12-day war in June where the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over the killing of protesters. Both countries have signaled they are prepared for war if the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fail, and the U.S. has assembled its largest military force in the Mideast in decades as tensions with Iran have risen.

Most Americans, 61%, say Iran is an “enemy” of the U.S., which is up slightly from a Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll conducted in September 2023. But their confidence in the president’s judgment when it comes to relationships with adversaries and the use of military force abroad is low, the new poll shows, with only about 3 in 10 Americans saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” trust in Trump.

Even some Republicans — particularly younger Republicans — have reservations about Trump’s ability to make the right choices on these high-stakes issues.

Most US adults have concerns about Trump’s judgment on military force
The Trump administration this year has held two rounds of nuclear talks with Iran under Omani mediation, with a third round scheduled to begin Thursday. Similar talks last year between the U.S. and Iran about Iran’s nuclear program broke down after Israel launched what became the 12-day war in June.

“We are in negotiations with them,” Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, which took place after the poll was conducted. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Americans have significant reservations about Trump’s judgment on foreign conflicts, the AP-NORC poll shows. Only about 3 in 10 of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of trust in Trump’s judgment on the use of military force, relationships with U.S. adversaries or the use of nuclear weapons. More than half trust him “only a little” or “not at all.”

On each measure, Republicans are more likely than Democrats and Independents to trust that the president will make the right decisions. About 6 in 10 Republicans have a high level of trust in Trump, while roughly 9 in 10 Democrats have a low level of trust in him.

But some Republicans’ confidence is more qualified. Younger Republicans — those under 45 — are less likely than older Republicans to say they trust Trump “a great deal” or “quite a bit” on his use of military force. About half of younger Republicans say this, compared with about two-thirds of older Republicans.

Many view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat
The new finding that 48% of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to their country is in line with an AP-NORC poll conducted in July 2025, indicating that even with recent escalations between the two countries, Americans have not changed their views.

Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasn’t armed with the bomb.

Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war, raising the concerns of nonproliferation experts.

Worries about Iran’s nuclear program cross party lines in the U.S., though Republicans are currently more concerned. Most Republicans — 56% — say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, compared with 44% of Democrats.

Younger Americans are less worried about Iran
Americans generally hold a negative view of Iran, but the view is sharper among older Americans.

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Iran is an “enemy” of the United States, up slightly from 53% from the Pearson/AP-NORC poll from 2023. Roughly 3 in 10 say the countries are “not friendly, but not enemies,” and only about 1 in 10 Americans consider the two nations “friendly” or “close allies.”

At the same time, only about half of U.S. adults under 45 say Iran is an enemy, compared with about 7 in 10 Americans ages 45 and older. There is also a wide generational divide in concern about Iran’s nuclear program, with only about one-third of Americans under 45 saying they are highly concerned, compared with about 6 in 10 older Americans.

Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have existed for decades, which may help explain why older Americans are more concerned. Nuclear talks had been deadlocked for years after Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a barrage of 420 drones and 39 missiles at Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, as U.S. and Ukrainian envoys prepared to hold more talks in Geneva on ending the war that is now in its fifth year.

The bombardment, which included 11 ballistic missiles, targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas across eight regions of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. Dozens of people, including children, were injured, officials said, though authorities did not immediately publish a confirmed total.

Zelenskyy said late Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and thanked him for his “efforts and engagement” in pursuing peace negotiations.

The U.S.-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv are continuing but are deadlocked on the issue of the future of Ukrainian territory that Russia claims as its own.

Zelenskyy has pushed for a summit with Russia’s President Vladmir Putin, saying a face-to-face meeting could be decisive in unlocking an agreement, but the Kremlin has rebuffed that proposal beyond inviting the Ukrainian president to Moscow, which Zelenskyy refused.

Trump representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were also discussing nuclear negotiations with Iran in Geneva before turning to the war in Europe, were due to meet with Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. They also joined Trump’s call with Zelenskyy.

Washington is looking to keep momentum in its yearlong push to stop the fighting and overcome deep enmity between the warring countries.

Ukrainian and European officials have accused Putin of feigning interest in peace negotiations, hoping to avoid punitive U.S. measures such as additional sanctions while pressing forward with the invasion.

Thursday’s talks between the American and Ukrainian envoys were to address details of a possible postwar recovery plan for Ukraine and discuss preparations for an upcoming trilateral meeting with Moscow officials, perhaps next week, according to Zelenskyy.

He said he has also tasked Umerov with discussing a possible prisoner exchange.

Russia returned 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers to Ukraine, and got back 35 bodies of its fallen troops, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at previous talks with Ukraine, said Thursday. He did not say when the exchange happened.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War later confirmed the return, though it referred to “bodies which, according to preliminary information provided by the Russian side, may belong to Ukrainian defenders.”

Russia struck gas infrastructure in the Poltava region and electrical substations in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, Zelenskyy said. Emergency crews responded in five other regions, as well as in the capital.

Ukraine’s air defenses shot down most of the Russian missiles, Zelenskyy said, crediting Western partners for timely delivery of additional air defense interceptors. Ukraine needs foreign help to sustain its fight against Russia’s bigger forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged allied countries to provide more military aid.

“When the whole world demands Moscow to finally stop this senseless war, Putin bets on more terror, attacks and aggression,” Sybiha said in a post on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 17 Ukrainian drones overnight over a number of Russian regions, as well as the Black and Azov Seas.

Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range drones have struck oil refineries, fuel depots and military logistics hubs deep inside Russia.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office filed on Thursday morning an indictment against a senior Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official, who is suspected of involvement in smuggling goods to Gaza in exchange for large sums of money.

According to a report by i24NEWS anchor Avishai Grinzeig, the individual, who was not named, was found to possess 6.5 million shekels($2.1M), apparently revenue from the smuggled goods.

Earlier this month, Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, was indicted on similar charges after he allegedly abused his access to Gaza in order to smuggle cigarettes into the Strip on three occasions, earning a total of NIS 365,000 ($117,405). He denies the charges.

He was indicted alongside Aviel Ben David, another reservist in the same unit, and Ben David’s acquaintance Amir Dov Halperin, both of whom allegedly smuggled cigarettes into the Strip on five occasions. Investigators began probing Zini after they came upon a larger smuggling network linked to his case, consisting of 12 people, among them IDF reservists. They were indicted the same week as Zini and his alleged accomplices.

According to the indictments, the defendants carried out the acts while aware of the possibility that the prohibited goods would reach Hamas and its operatives, and even foresaw as a near certainty that their actions would assist the enemy in its war against the State of Israel. As a result, they are charged with aiding the enemy during wartime.

The indictments state that the smuggled goods included cartons of cigarettes, iPhones, batteries, communication cables, vehicle spare parts, and additional merchandise worth millions of shekels.

According to the indictments, some of the defendants served in the reserves and worked together with others to smuggle the goods by exploiting vulnerabilities at crossing points and presenting false representations of legitimate security activity. The goods were disguised, loaded, and transported along coordinated routes, using military clothing and coordination with contacts inside the Gaza Strip.

In some cases, the goods were transferred in return for payment to defendants who were serving as active reservists, and they were therefore also charged with accepting bribes. The indictments also describe attempts to bribe additional reservists with authorization to move convoys into Gaza.

All defendants are charged with aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terror purposes, aggravated fraud, tax offenses, and violations of the Counter-Terrorism Law. Some are additionally charged with bribery.

The Prosecutor’s Office has requested the forfeiture of assets, including vehicles, real estate, and funds in bank accounts. The investigation was conducted by the Southern District investigative unit of Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and additional indictments in the case are expected in the coming days.

A head-on collission on Rt. 70 in Manchester Township Wednesday afternoon left one man dead and another seriously injured, authorities said.

At approximately 3:25 p.m., officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the intersection of State Highway 70 and Beckerville Road for a reported crash.

Upon arrival, officers observed a black 2014 Lincoln MKX with extensive front-end damage facing east in the eastbound lane, a gray 2016 Nissan Rogue with heavy front-end damage on the snow-covered shoulder, and a white 2019 Honda Passport on the westbound shoulder with damage to its driver’s side rear.

An investigation determined that both the Honda and Lincoln were traveling westbound on Route 70, while the Nissan was traveling eastbound. As the Honda slowed to make a right turn onto Beckerville Road, it was struck from behind by the Lincoln. Following the initial impact, the Lincoln crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the oncoming Nissan. The force of the crash caused the Lincoln to rotate approximately 180 degrees before coming to rest in the eastbound lane. The Nissan was pushed backward onto the shoulder. A fourth vehicle sustained minor damage but was not involved in the initial collision.

The driver of the Lincoln, 65-year-old Lisandro V. Morales of Manchester, sustained severe internal injuries and was transported to Community Medical Center, where he later died. The driver of the Nissan, 37-year-old Joseph Rodaligo of Jackson, suffered multiple internal and neck injuries and was also transported to Community Medical Center. The driver of the Honda, 33-year-old Jociane Costa De Souza of Delanco, along with a 4-year-old passenger, were not injured.

The roadway remained closed for several hours as emergency crews worked at the scene. Assisting agencies included the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Robert Wood Johnson paramedics, the New Jersey Department of Transportation Diversion Team, and Priced Rite Towing.

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said that following too closely appears to be the primary contributing factor.

Senior aides to President Donald Trump are said to be considering the possibility that Israel would carry out a military strike on Iran before the United States enters the conflict, according to two individuals familiar with internal deliberations who spoke to Politico.

According to the report, some administration officials believe that if Israel were to attack first and Iran responded with retaliation, it could build broader domestic backing for subsequent American military involvement. The calculation, these sources suggested, is that US voters would be more inclined to support a strike if either the United States or a close ally were attacked beforehand.

“There’s thinking in and around the administration that the politics are a lot better if the Israelis go first and alone and the Iranians retaliate against us, and give us more reason to take action,” one of the sources told Politico. Both individuals spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

As diplomatic prospects appear increasingly uncertain in Washington, attention has shifted toward the timing and form of any potential military move. While some officials reportedly prefer that Israel initiate action independently, the sources indicated that a coordinated US-Israel operation may ultimately be the more realistic outcome.

Asked about the report, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to address specifics, saying, “The media may continue to speculate on the president’s thinking all they want, but only President Trump knows what he may or may not do.” The Israeli embassy in Washington did not provide a comment.

In a separate development, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing diplomats and analysts, that Iran’s nuclear program has not advanced significantly since the June conflict, particularly following Operation Midnight Hammer, when the United States targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities.

The flurry of reports came as Trump’s senior negotiators, special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, prepared to travel to Geneva on Thursday in an effort to reach an agreement with Iranian officials.

Addressing the issue during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, President Trump said that last June’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities had “obliterated” the country’s nuclear program. He also accused Tehran of killing more than 32,000 protesters and warned that it is attempting to revive its nuclear efforts while advancing missile systems capable of striking Europe and potentially the United States.

“We’re in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’. My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”

On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said US intelligence shows Iran is working to rebuild elements of its nuclear program and reiterated that Washington will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran.

He emphasized that the administration’s first choice remains diplomacy, though other measures are on the table if talks fail.

“The principle is very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that. So the President is sending those negotiators to try to address that problem,” Vance said.

He added, “As the President has said repeatedly, he wants to address that problem diplomatically, but of course the President has other options as well.”

Despite the diplomatic outreach, the Politico article noted that some figures close to the president expect military action is inevitable, quoting one source as saying that “we’re going to bomb them.”

Potential targets in any strike would likely include Iranian nuclear facilities—some of which were previously hit in June—as well as elements of Iran’s ballistic missile network, viewed by Israel as an immediate security threat, according to the report.

The possibility of directly targeting the Iranian leadership has also been discussed. A so-called “decapitation strike” aimed at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains among the theoretical options. However, Iran’s governing structure is built to ensure continuity, with multiple layers of authority, especially within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Military planners acknowledge that any such campaign could stretch on for days or even weeks and could produce uncertain consequences, particularly if it relies heavily on airstrikes.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rav Shmuel Eliyahu wrote an article about the visit of Narendra Modi to the Knesset, demonstrating how it was a fulfillment of a 2600-year-old prophecy by Yishayahu.

Yishayahu was right. He said: “Instead of your being forsaken and hated, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy for generation after generation.”

Once, everyone hated us, abandoned us, no one helped us. We all remember that during the Holocaust no one extended a shoulder to save us, and now the whole world understands. Along comes Narendra Modi, that Indian leader, from a country of 1.3 billion people, saying: Your wisdom will save India. It will help purify India’s water, it will help India’s agriculture, so that we will have food to eat. The wisdom that G-d gave you will bring blessing to the world.

So Yishayahu said, and here, we see it with our own eyes. How he stands in the Knesset and shouts “Am Yisrael Chai!” He almost couldn’t quite get the words out, but that’s okay, we understood him. You can see his love for Israel, his admiration for Israel, and he is not the only one.

Germany too. Yes, Germany. Germany, which received a submarine from Israel, because European German technology could not produce what, thank G-d, the Holy One blessed be He gave us the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to create. What a wonderful generation we live in! What an extraordinary time! And this is only the beginning. With G-d’s help, it will become better and better.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

As Jews, we are meant to live with joy. No matter the situation, we know that everything comes from Hashem, Who seeks our ultimate welfare. That is a fundamental principle of our emunah. Yet,Adar is the only time of year when the obligation to rejoice is emphasized, to the degree that Chazal teach, “Mishenichnas Adar marbimb’simcha.”

What is it about this month that obligates us to increase our joy?

It cannot simply be that there was an edict calling for our annihilation. Tragically, that has been a recurring theme throughout our history. We recite in the Haggadah that in every generation there are those who rise up to destroy us and Hashem spares us from them. What, then, was so unique about the salvation of Purim in Shushan that it continues to generate such enduring joy?

The story of Purim began, for all practical purposes, at the lavish celebration hosted by Achashveirosh to mark his reign. Jews attended that grand seudah and drank from keilim that were plundered from the destroyed Bais Hamikdosh. That desecration of holiness, that defilement of the memory of the Bais Hamikdosh, evoked a Divine wrath and set into motion Haman’s plot to destroy the Jewish people across the vast Persian Empire.

Mordechai and Esther gathered the nation and led them in sincere teshuvah. When their repentance was accepted, the gezeirah was annulled. The Jews were spared, and their enemies met the fate they had intended for the Jews. A great celebration followed.

But the story did not end there. The same empire that had issued the decree ultimately permitted the Jewish people to return to Eretz Yisroel and resume construction of the second Bais Hamikdosh.

The simcha of Adar is rooted in something deeper than rescue from danger. Klal Yisroel witnessed the transformative power of teshuvah. The very failing that contributed to the threat—disrespect toward the Bais Hamikdosh—was rectified through repentance, and that teshuvah paved the way not only for survival, but for rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh they had sinned against. It brought about a geulah for that era that endured for generations.

As we continue through our long golus, this message strengthens us. It proclaims that if we would correct the sins that delay the geulah in our days, we, too, would merit Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh. The teshuvah of Adar led to the geulah of Nissan in the days of Shushan, and that same thing can happen again in our day.

What could be a more joyous thought than that?

And perhaps that is precisely why this message is so urgent today.

We live in what many describe as an age of noise. Not only literal noise, though there is certainly no shortage of that, but a deeper kind: endless information, constant commentary, perpetual outrage, and a relentless stream of stimuli competing for our attention. Everything feels loud. Everything feels urgent. Everything demands a reaction.

The news unsettles us. War with Iran appears on the horizon. The choices seem bleak: Strike now and perhaps unleash a deadly war or allow a dangerous regime to strengthen its arsenal and expand its nuclear ambitions.

Anti-Semitism grows more brazen. Political instability intensifies. Economic pressures mount as expenses rise and the strain of keeping pace becomes crushing. Our world seems to have misplaced its bearings, and we pay the price.

And then Purim arrives.

Suddenly, there is joyous music. Happiness. Laughter. Mishloach manos piling up. Costumes. Friends with arms wrapped around one another, swaying in song.

The contrast is jarring.

Yet,Purim is not an escape from reality. It is a return to reality.

It reminds us of the steady HashgochaProtis that guides history beneath the surface chaos. It reminds us that what appears random is anything but. It reminds us that teshuvah changes trajectories, that gezeiros can be overturned, that rebuilding can follow destruction.

And that certainty is a deep source of simcha.

We study the Megillah, and initially it appears as if random events are happening that have no historical importance or relevance to the Jewish people. A Persian king throws a lavish feast. A queen refuses to attend. Political reshuffling. An ambitious minister rising to power. Sleepless nights. Coincidences. And then the noose tightens around the neck of our people. Only at the end do we see what was happening all along.

Purim was a time of hesterponim—the Ribbono Shel Olam hidden behind curtains of politics, ego, power, and fear.

And if that sounds familiar, it should, because we also live in a time of hester. Things that appear to be random are actually setting up the world for geulah.

Purim reminds us that nothing is random.

One year, on Purim, surrounded by multitudes of chassidim hanging on to his every word, the ChiddusheiHorim began speaking. This is what he said: “When we start reading the Megillah, we might wonder why we are being told stories about some Persian king. Why do we care that he feasted for three years after being crowned? We continue reading and are told stories about a queen who refused to attend a feast and her punishment. Then we read about the procedure of finding a new queen. And we wonder: Why do we need to know this?”

The rebbe was quiet, deep in thought. He sat up and answered his questions. “In the time of Moshiach,” he said, “many strange things will happen. Nobody will understand what is happening. And then, suddenly, they will realize that it was all tied to the geulah.”

To say that strange occurrences are taking place in our day is an understatement. We are confounded by the daily happenings, so many of which seem to make no sense. Soon the day will arrive when everything will become clear. For now, we have Purim.

We live in a period of darkness that will prevail until the coming of Moshiach. With his arrival, a great light will begin to shine and everything will become clear. But until then, we can cultivate our senses to hear and perceive the footsteps of Moshiach in all that is taking place. Purim is part of that training.

All through the year, we strain to “see”—to understand what is happening, to conjecture what this leader will say and what that one will do. Purim teaches us that what counts is what is happening behind the scenes, beyond the headlines, where we cannot see. We are reminded that it is not the politicians and bosses who dictate events, but Someone much more powerful.

The spiritual light of Purim, the Arizal says, is brighter than any other light that has shone since creation. The clarity of Purim brings joy along with it. After laining the Megillah, current events are not as menacing.

Purim declares that beneath the decrees of history stands the steady Hand of Hashem.

The Jews of Shushan believed the lot had sealed their fate. The calendar had marked their destruction. Yet, through teshuvah, tefillah, and Esther’s courage, guided by Mordechai, the script flipped.

A day designated for annihilation became a day of eternal celebration. That pattern has repeated itself through centuries of Jewish history. Again and again, we stood on the brink. Again and again, the curtain lifted just enough for us to survive.

All year long, people carry burdens, but on Purim something softens. The guarded expressions fall away. The inner emunah surfaces.

On that day, we gain clarity.

Purim is not an escape from reality. Purimis reality, unveiled.

It tells us that no Haman rises independently. No Achashveirosh rules alone. No sleepless night is insignificant. No hidden act of courage is wasted.

No matter what challenges surround us, when Purim approaches, something shifts.

Our hearts beat a bit faster. Our smiles stretch a bit wider. Even people weighed down by worry find themselves humming a niggun, singing along with the crowd, uniting in simcha shel mitzvah. Though we may be mired in personal struggles, dulled by routine, distracted by headlines and burdens, the simcha of Purim breaks through.

The joy that erupts among Jews, from the most learned to the most distant, testifies to the intrinsic greatness of the day. Something real is happening. Something ancient, yet entirely present.

The simcha that Hakadosh Boruch Hu shined into His world in Shushan so many years ago was not a one-time illumination. It was implanted into the fabric of time. Wherever Jews live, that joy can be felt every year on this day.

Purim is not just a commemoration of something that happened nearly 2,400 years ago. It is a celebration of its yearly recurrence on that day. It is a celebration of its lessons, which provide daily chizuk for us.

Every year on Purim, the kochos that saved the Jewish people from annihilation are reawakened. The miracles of Purim are not locked in the past. The days of Purim have a redemptive power that we can tap into. In Al Hanissim, we thank Hashem for the miracles that took place “bayomimhaheimbazemanhazeh.”

The knowledge that Hashem guides every detail of our lives and directs the destinies of nations reminds us that our story will be as comforting for us as it was for them.

Every generation has its Hamans and Achashveiroshes. Every generation experiences threats against Jewish lives, hostile regimes, economic fluctuations, illnesses that confound doctors, political climates that feel increasingly unstable, and cultural confusion that erodes clarity. The names change. The geography shifts. The methods evolve. But the pattern is the same.

A month after Purim, at the Seder, we will declare, “Vehi she’omdahla’avoseinuvelanu… shebecholdorvadoromdimaleinulechaloseinu, v’Hakadosh Boruch Hu matzileinumiyodom.”

In every generation we have challenges and Hashem saves us.

When we unroll our Megillos each year, we are not just unrolling a story that took place in the past. We are opening a channel of salvation.

The Sefas Emes teaches that just as Elul prepares us for Rosh Hashanah through teshuvah m’yirah, the month of Adar prepares us for Nissan through teshuvah m’ahavah, repentance born of love and joy.

Just as Mordechai gathered the Jews of his day and instructed them to fast, daven, and do teshuvah to bring about their salvation, that koach remains embedded in the day. The salvation of Shushan ultimately led to the building of the second Bais Hamikdosh. The teshuvah of Purim reshaped history.

Who is to say what our Purim could build?

The events unfolding around us may appear disconnected—random political shifts, unsettling global movements, personal upheavals that seem to make no sense. But the Megillah teaches us that what appears fragmented is often tightly woven.

At the time, Achashveirosh’s_seudah_ looked like decadence. Vashti’s refusal seemed like palace drama. A sleepless night appeared trivial. Only later did those details reveal themselves as steps toward redemption.

Purim trains us to live with that awareness.

This day is marked for deliverance.

On this day in Shushan, a decree of death was transformed into celebration. Since then, Jews have experienced yeshuos on Purim in ways public and private. It is a day stamped with light and possibility.

If we are worthy, we will soon witness how the threats that intimidate us today, the forces that seem to gather strength, and the pressures that weigh upon Klal Yisroel and upon each of us personally are necessary chapters leading to a geulah.

The Megillah teaches us not only that redemption is possible, but that it is already unfolding beneath the surface.

May we merit to see it clearly.

“LaYehudimhoysahorahv’simchav’sassonviykorkeintihiyehlonu.” May the light that shone in Shushan pierce the darkness of our golus as well and lead us to the geulahsheleimah for which we have been waiting so long.

Ah freilichen Purim.

As the public continues to demand answers over the failures of the October 7 massacre, the man who bore the most direct responsibility for the failure, former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, is helping develop a new political leadership program in cooperation with Reichman University aimed at training the “next generation” of leaders, Kan News reported on Thursday.

The report aroused the fury of bereaved families of the October 7 victims, especially since Bar, who presided over the worst intelligence failure in Israeli history, did his best to hide the fact that he failed to take the proper precautionary measures the night before the massacre, including notifying the political leadership, despite receiving numerous warnings about red flags in Gaza. Bar also refused to leave his position even after he was dismissed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a stance supported by his leftist friends, Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara, and the justices of the Supreme Court.

Bereaved father Itzik Bontzel, whose son fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, published a particularly scathing open letter addressed to Bar.

In the letter, Bontzel recounts a past meeting with Bar: “I sat with you in your office while you were still trying to sell me—with rehearsed platitudes—that you had ‘taken responsibility.’ Already then, I realized you have no G-d. I realized you don’t see blood; you only see your next position—the dirty path to clearing your conscience at the expense of our children’s graves.”

“While we languish in cemeteries, you’re already building your next ‘exit.’ While our sons’ blood still boils in the earth, you have the diabolical audacity to establish a school for political leadership. You, who abandoned an entire nation to slaughter, rape, and destruction—dare to educate?”

“What doctrine will you instill in them? How to sleep on guard duty while the enemy is at the gates? How to turn the blood of heroes into a career springboard?”

“We won’t remain silent. We won’t let your word games turn our disaster into a ‘curriculum.’ As long as I live, I will be there to remind every student and every institution that gives you a platform, ‘This teacher is the man who abandoned thousands of Jews to die.'”

He signed the letter: “Itzik Bontzel, father of Amit Bontzel, H’yd—a Gibor Yisrael who was killed because of your failure.”

Shelly, the mother of Libi Cohen-Meguri, H’yd, who was murdered in the Nova festival massacre, responded to the report by stating, “Do you understand how absurd this is? Here is lesson number one in leadership: anyone who had their hands on the wheel on October 7 will not teach us anything about leadership.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A bus transporting dozens of IDF soldiers overturned on Route 40 in the Negev on Wednesday morning, leaving 17 people injured.

According to Magen David Adom, the driver and one passenger sustained moderate injuries, while 15 others were lightly wounded. Paramedics rushed to the scene and began treating the injured immediately before transporting several victims to nearby hospitals for further care.

Approximately 50 individuals were on board the bus at the time of the crash. The circumstances surrounding the accident are under investigation.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Video from inside the chopper landing at the scene of the overturned bus carrying IDF soldiers.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WATCH: