Washington’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly expressed rare public criticism of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, urging a shift toward securing a new ceasefire and hostage release deal, Channel 12 reports. In a meeting with families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Witkoff reportedly said, “The U.S. wants to return the hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.” According to attendees, he added that Washington no longer sees a clear path to further military gains and believes a diplomatic agreement is now the most viable path forward. “Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made,” Witkoff said, according to Channel 12 sources.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu pushed back on speculation of a divide between Israel and the Trump administration during a closed-door meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday.
“There are no differences between us and the Americans. (Minister Ron) Dermer goes there every few days,” Netanyahu asserted.
He went on to say that claims of a rift over policies on Iran and the Houthis were being driven by media interests. “All the talk of gaps between us and the Americans regarding Iran and the Houthis is a campaign that comes from a specific channel, guess which one? It’s all from the press.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has fired the nation’s to

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump reportedly is re

What, exactly, the Republican Party stands for in terms of economic policy in the second Trump administration is a question reaching an inflection point. Is it the party that promotes free-market prosperity or a 21st-century populism? Does it stick with the “No new taxes” pledge that has been GOP political orthodoxy for decades or do Republicans tax the rich, as President Donald Trump suggests? Roll back the Obama-era’s health care expansion and the President Joe Biden’s green energy investments or protect the federal flow of investment dollars generating jobs in the states? Slash deficit spending or spike the nation’s now $36 trillion debt load? Free trade or Trump’s tariffs?

Hamas is reportedly expected to announce the release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander tonight. Hamas sources informed Qatar’s Al-Araby channel that negotiations for the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander are nearing completion. Alexander is believed to be the only living American hostage in Gaza. This follows a report from an Arab official to the Times of Israel, stating that Hamas is under pressure to free him unconditionally as a gesture of goodwill toward US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region this week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey this Thursday, following direct encouragement from President Donald Trump to accept the proposal without hesitation.
Initially, Zelensky responded with caution to Putin’s televised late-night offer yesterday — timed to air during U.S. prime time — suggesting that both leaders meet for negotiations in Istanbul on May 15.
While Putin did not explicitly confirm that he would attend the meeting in person, Zelensky made his position clear in a public message. “I will be waiting for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelensky wrote on X.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT KVITTEL SPLITTING THE SEA  TOGETHER CLICK HERE TO JOIN This year, in the forty days leading up to the yahrtzeit of the holy Tanna Rav Yonasan ben Uziel, (starting May 13) when thousands of people converge at his kever in Amukah to daven for shidduchim and other yeshuos, Ohel Sarala representatives will daven and submit the kvittels at the four largest places of Tefillah in Eretz Yisroel, the Meoras Hamachpela, Kever Rachel, Meron and Amukah. These days of tefillah will culminate in a heartfelt Yom Tefillah on the Yahrtzeit of Harav Yonasan ben Uziel at these places together with thousands around the globe. You can submit a kvittel to be placed every day in addition to finishing sefer tehillim . CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT 

In this inspiring episode of Inside ArtScroll, we turn the spotlight on Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger, beloved writer and gifted speaker, as he introduces his latest masterpiece, Moments of Greatness.

During a private meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu expressed that Israel would back the proposal being advanced by US Envoy Steve Witkoff—provided that the terms are agreed upon. However, Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu also acknowledged the possibility of a separate arrangement that might involve fewer hostages being released in exchange for reduced concessions.
The Channel 12 report further suggested that one alternative under consideration would involve the release of only one captive—Edan Alexander, a dual American-Israeli citizen—in what would be seen as a “symbolic gesture” toward the United States.

(AP) – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy plans to red

A 24-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly harassing students outside Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes in North Miami Beach in what authorities are investigating as a hate-motivated incident. Sources tell YWN that on Wednesday, May 1st, surveillance footage captured the suspect, Jose Garrido, walking near Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes just before 11:30 a.m. He was seen picking something up off the ground and throwing it onto the school’s field where students were playing. Moments later, he returned wearing black gloves and holding what appeared to be a whip. Garrido then approached two students and made an unintelligible remark before attempting to grab one of their yarmulkes. He allegedly took an aggressive stance while continuing to  harass them with the whip in hand.

The United States and China have reached a preliminary trade agreement, according to top Trump administration officials who made the announcement on Sunday, signaling a potential de-escalation in the ongoing trade conflict between the two economic giants.
Although the full terms of the agreement, which was reached during high-level discussions held in Switzerland over the weekend, have not yet been disclosed, officials indicated that a more detailed statement would be issued on Monday.
“The U.S. has a massive $1.2 trillion trade deficit, so the President declared a national emergency,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday. “We’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us work toward resolving that national emergency.”

A Soviet-era spacecraft plunged to Earth on Saturday, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus. Its uncontrolled entry was confirmed by both the Russian Space Agency and European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking. The Russians indicated it came down over the Indian Ocean, but some experts were not so sure of the precise location. The European Space Agency’s space debris office also tracked the spacecraft’s doom after it failed to appear over a German radar station. It was not immediately known how much, if any, of the half-ton spacecraft survived the fiery descent from orbit. Experts said ahead of time that some if not all of it might come crashing down, given it was built to withstand a landing on Venus, the solar system’s hottest planet.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the biggest jewelry center in the United

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