Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wore “brownface” to an Arabian Nights-themed party in 2001, a moment captured in a yearbook picture published Wednesday by Time.
The photograph, taken while Trudeau was a teacher at the private West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver, shows the prime minister smiling while wearing a feathered turban, his face darkened in a practice with racist roots that has gotten other politicians in hot water.
“I attended an end-of-year gala where the theme was Arabian nights,” Trudeau said at a press conference Wednesday evening.” I dressed up in an Aladdin costume and put makeup on. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known better, but I didn’t, and I’m really sorry.”

President Donald Trump commented on Wednesday on the inconclusive results of Israel’s elections the previous day, saying he had not spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally who now faces an uncertain political future.
Trump noted, “Everybody knew it’s going to be very close. I said, we’ll see what happens.”
“Look, our relationship is with Israel,” the president added. “We’ll see what happens.”
Trump’s time in office has seen him make a number of moves hailed by Netanyahu — including, among other things, the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the move of the US embassy to there from Tel Aviv; the American withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal; and the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Rep. Ilhan Omar on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of spreading “lies that put my life at risk” after the president retweeted a post falsely claiming that the Minnesota Democrat “partied on the anniversary of 9/11.”
Omar said the video of her dancing was taken not on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks but at a Congressional Black Caucus event. Earlier Wednesday, Trump had retweeted a post by conservative actor and comedian Terrence K. Williams claiming that the video of Omar dancing was taken on the anniversary of the attacks. The original video appears to have been taken Sept. 13.

By Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss

We postpone once again our crash course on tefilah for another Elul discussion.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday named Robert O’Brien, who has served as the U.S. hostage negotiator, as his new national security adviser, replacing the ousted John Bolton.
“I am pleased to announce that I will name Robert C. O’Brien, currently serving as the very successful Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department, as our new National Security Advisor,” Trump said in a tweet. “I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!”
O’Brien, who becomes Trump’s fourth national security adviser, was boosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with whom he had worked on a number of hostage cases.

Leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party Avigdor Lieberman, who according to exit polls will play the kingmaker in the coalition negotiations following Israel’s Tuesday elections, said that he would accept only one outcome — a national unity government.
The exit polls show that Lieberman’s secular-nationalist party has won 8-10 seats in the next Knesset, with the right-wing Likud and centrist Blue and White parties essentially tied at around 30 seats and the right-religious and center-left blocs hovering around 55 seats, giving neither side a working majority without him.
Lieberman addressed his supporters Tuesday night and appeared to flex his muscles, saying, “There is only one option: a broad liberal government made up of the Likud, Blue and White and Yisrael Beiteinu.”

Hillary Clinton accused President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., of “abdicating their responsibility” on election security during a pointed speech Tuesday in which she also took aim at Trump for his repeated claims about voter fraud.
In a speech delivered at a conference in Washington, the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nominee applauded the Democratic-led House for passing legislation designed to strengthen election systems in the wake of Russian interference.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praises US President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration is upping sanctions on Iran.
“Iran’s aggression has increased of late, including in the Gulf, and this is precisely the time to increase pressure and sanctions. I am pleased that President Trump has done exactly this,” Netanyahu says in a statement.
Read more at Times of Israel.
{Matzav.com}

“And those with understanding hearts walk around and around, tasting, at all times, small droplets from
that great sweetness of the Heavenly Delight which illuminates our eternity.”
– Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook zt”l
“On the way to the bar, one also needs a drink.”
– Chabad Anthem
Perhaps the most famous and foundational anecdote in Chassidic lore describes a meeting between the Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh, in a state of aliyas Neshama, and the soul of Moshiach.
“When is the Master coming?” he asks.
“When your streams extend outward.”