A senior defense official stated on Thursday that Israel is currently closer than it has been in a year to finalizing an agreement with Hamas.
The official described the potential agreement as a “humanitarian” arrangement that would involve the release of hostages, a 42-day ceasefire, the release of imprisoned terrorists, and other significant concessions from Israel.
“There will be a price to the deal, but we are convinced that after 42 days we’ll know how to go back to fighting,” the official emphasized, acknowledging the challenges ahead.

The Clarkstown Police Department is investigating a deeply troubling act of vandalism that occurred at a shul on Tor Terrace early Thursday morning. Mispalllim arrived to find siddurim and chumashim discarded in a garbage can, three bookshelves destroyed, and seforim scattered across the floor, Monsey Scoop reported. This shocking act was promptly reported to the Clarkstown Police Department, and a police report has been filed. Additionally, Chaverim of Rockland has been enlisted to assist in the investigation. The shul, which currently operates out of a backyard tent, is in the process of obtaining the necessary permits from the Town of Clarkstown.

Sources in Washington report that the Trump administration-in-waiting is preparing a decisive response to the International Criminal Court’s recent issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, according to Kan news.
Unnamed officials have reportedly informed Kan that the incoming administration is considering imposing targeted sanctions on ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, as well as the judges responsible for the arrest warrants.
On social media yesterday, Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, wrote, “You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January.”
{Matzav.com}

HONG KONG (AP) — Higher tariffs on Chinese exports will back

We are privileged to have Gedolei Torah in our midst.  What follows is an easier to follow presentation of Rav Yeruch

We are privileged to have Gedolei Torah in our midst.  What follows is an easier to follow presentation of Rav Yeruchem Olshin Shlita’s  Vaad on the parsha Rav Yeruchem Olshin Shlita on Parshas Chayei Saarah 5785 Restated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman Why did Avrohom Avinu’s servant Eliezer test potential matches through their demonstration of chessed – kindness? Why only Chessed and not other things? The Shach’s Analysis of Avrohom’s Dialogue with Hashem The Shach on Torah examines the conversation in last week’s portion where Hashem tells Avrohom “Do not fear, Abram. I will protect you.

A Manhattan judge has decided to delay Donald Trump’s sentencing in the hush-money case and indicated he may consider dismissing the case altogether, following Trump’s victory in the presidential election.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan announced that he would review arguments from Trump’s legal team, who assert that continuing with a case against a president-elect could disrupt the “orderly transition of executive power” and create significant instability for the nation.
This postponement significantly increases the likelihood that Trump will return to the White House with minimal repercussions from the four criminal cases that once posed a serious threat to his campaign and personal freedom.


Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) stated during an appearance on MSNBC’s Deadline on Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not been weaponized against President-elect Donald Trump.
Host Nicolle Wallace raised the issue, saying, “I guess the problem with that is men like Bill Barr had a hard time stopping Donald Trump’s desire to use the IRS and use the Department of Justice against Trump’s enemies. Trump was relentless in this request. Do you think that it is a prerequisite for whoever replaces Matt Gaetz that they be willing to do retribution?”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his past negotiations with t

President-elect Donald Trump revealed on Thursday night that Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General and a dedicated Trump ally, is now his updated pick for U.S. Attorney General.
Earlier this year, during an interview with news host Chris Salcedo, Bondi shared her thoughts on pro-Palestinian demonstrations occurring on U.S. college campuses. “The students who protest against our Jewish friends and support Hamas – they should be deported from our country, they are ignorant children,” she said.
Bondi has consistently expressed strong support for Israel. Back in 2018, while serving as Florida’s Attorney General, she spoke on Fox News about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making her stance unmistakably clear.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday d

An arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu concerning the Gaza conflict does not restrict UN representatives from engaging with him as part of their duties, according to the United Nations, AFP reports.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Netanyahu have not had direct communication since the outbreak of the war following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. However, other UN officials operating in the region have maintained interactions with Netanyahu.

NEW YORK – Dana White, CEO of the UFC, has vowed to leave politics behind after campaigning for his longtime friend Donald Trump, who recently secured victory in the November presidential election. Speaking to The New Yorker during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, White made it clear he’s done with the political scene. “I’m […]

While visiting Gaza on Tuesday, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu unveiled a $5 million reward for anyone who can assist in securing the release of Israeli hostages currently held by Hamas or other terrorist groups. In addition to the financial incentive, the offer includes a promise of safe passage out of Gaza.
“Whoever brings us a hostage will find an open door for himself and his family to leave, and we will also give a $5 million reward for each hostage,” Netanyahu stated. This follows earlier remarks in which he indicated Israel was willing to pay “several millions” for information or actions leading to their release.
To support this effort, Israel launched an Arabic-language website called Machtoffin (“captives” in Arabic), aimed at collecting intelligence.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday refused to comment on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, saying that the court’s rulings are “insignificant” for Russia, which doesn’t recognizes the court’s jurisdiction. The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number […]

Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Turkey expressed approval of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) recent issuance of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of committing war crimes in Gaza.
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s politburo, called the ICC’s move “an important step toward justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday denounced the International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he would defy it by inviting him to Hungary. In comments to state radio, Orbán accused the ICC, the world’s top war crimes court based in The Hague, of “interfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes,” saying the decision to issue the warrant for Netanyahu over his conduct of the war in Gaza undermined international law and escalated tensions. Member countries of the ICC, such as Hungary, are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that.

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