Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of hostages’ families groups on Sunday that the fall of the Assad regime, weakened by Israel’s determined stand against Hezbollah and Hamas, could help advance a deal for the return of the hostages.
Netanyahu held two separate meetings in Jerusalem, one with the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum and the other with the Tikva Forum.
The two groups differ on the best way to free the hostages, with the right-leaning Tikva Forum opposing the former’s call for a deal at any cost, arguing there are collective national interests to be considered.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is reportedly planning to travel to Washington for the inauguration of the US President-elect on January 20, according to Channel 13 news.
The network cites an official from the Prime Minister’s Office, who confirmed that the visit is being considered, though “no final decision has yet been made on the matter.”
The report also mentions that Netanyahu is scheduled to begin testifying in his criminal trial on Tuesday, and arrangements would need to be made for a break in proceedings to accommodate the trip.
{Matzav.com}

On Sunday, President Joe Biden addressed the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He began by acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding Assad’s current location, stating, “there is word that he’s in Moscow.”
Biden declared, “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized, tortured, and killed nearly hundreds and thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice, it’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a future for their country.”
The President affirmed that the United States will collaborate with regional allies and Syrian stakeholders to navigate the challenges posed by the new developments in the country.

President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that under his mass-deportation strategy, he would consider deporting both American citizens and their undocumented relatives to keep families united.
“I don’t want to be breaking up families,” Trump said during a pre-recorded interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “So the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.”
When pressed about the status of children who are in the country illegally—or even legally—Trump suggested that he would be inclined to deport both the children and their parents in order to keep the family together.

Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has expressed confidence that the upcoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump will bring an end to the rise of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses. He believes that the new leadership in the Justice Department, with the appointment of a new attorney general and FBI director, will address this issue head-on.
“Next year with a new Department of Justice, a new attorney general, and a new director of the FBI, you’re going to see the federal government going after antisemitism on college campuses,” Cruz said during an appearance on “The Cats Roundtable” on 77 WABC FM-N.Y.

To the victors go the spoils.
When Islamist rebel forces in Syria entered Damascus and overran Bashar al-Assad’s palace on Sunday, they were greeted by an array of luxury vehicles, including models from Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, and Ferrari.
Social media videos quickly surfaced showing jubilant looters exploring a vast garage inside the presidential residence, filled with elite cars from the fallen dictator’s personal collection.
One observant commenter highlighted a particularly prized Mercedes-Benz, with its iconic gullwing doors.

NYPD divers resumed their search at the Central Park Boathouse pond on Sunday, focusing on finding possible evidence, including the firearm used in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as law enforcement officials continued their pursuit of the perpetrator.
Authorities suspect the fugitive may have discarded vital evidence in the pond within the vast park, according to sources. The murder weapon has yet to be located, the sources confirmed.
Video footage captured two divers preparing to enter the water on Sunday, marking the second consecutive day of efforts at the well-known site, which came five days after the shocking, filmed shooting death of Thompson outside a luxury Manhattan hotel.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has left for Russia after Islamist forces captured Damascus, bringing an end to his family’s five decades of authoritarian rule.
Assad, who succeeded his father as president in 2000, reportedly fled Syria early Sunday morning as rebel forces approached his palace. According to Russian state news agency Tass, he landed in Moscow later that day.
Russia, a steadfast ally of the Assad regime, has reportedly offered asylum to the 59-year-old leader and his family. The journey to Moscow was reportedly completed via private jet, according to news reports.

ZAKA, the world famous Charedi Israeli organization that cares for the treatment and burial Al Pi Halacha of Israelis and Jews around the world, posted a joke reacting to the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
After reports spread that the longtime Syrian dictator and Soneh Yisroel Assad left the country on a private plane, ZAKA wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Sorry we didn’t get to help with the packing. Hope to meet you soon.”
While initially reports suggested that Assad’s plane left Syria, and the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that he had left the country, some have Syrian reports have speculated that Assad’s aircraft was shot down while attempting the flea the country.  The plane disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff.

Dozens of volunteers are heading north, following the implementation of Israel’s ceasefire with Iranian proxy Hezbollah that ended 14 months of war, to assist local farmers in their recovery efforts.
“We are currently developing a plan with the aim of bringing at least 100,000 volunteers in the coming months to support farmers in the north,” said Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of the HaShomer HaChadash (“The New Watchman”) agricultural volunteer organization, who is leading the effort.
“During the war, we mobilized over 300,000 volunteers to assist farmers. Initially, our focus was, of course, on the south. Later, we shifted our efforts to the northern region,” he added.