Knesset Member Ohad Tal led Mosab Hassan Yousef on a rare tour of restricted sections of the Kotel Tunnels beneath the Temple Mount.
Hosted and guided by Hebron spokesman Yishai Fleisher, the must-watch tour showcases archaeological evidence underscoring Jerusalem’s ancient Jewish history—areas normally closed to the public.
Afterward, Yousef said the experience left no doubt:
“The evidence is overwhelming. This is the only way to experience truth.”
Candace Owens sharply criticized Ben Shapiro in a recent podcast episode, responding to his remarks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference, where he condemned her for spreading conspiracy theories.
Owens, in profane language, dismissed Shapiro and referenced historical antisemitic tropes, including claims about the Talmud and Jewish involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. She held up a copy of “Der Talmudjude” (“The Talmud Jew”), an 1871 book by August Rohling, a 19th-century Catholic priest whose work has been widely discredited as relying on mistranslations, selective quotations and fabrications to portray Judaism as hostile toward non-Jews.
Owens alleged that the Talmud teaches Jews to hate, exploit or deceive non-Jews, view them as animals or permit their enslavement — claims long rejected by Jewish scholars as distortions of ancient texts.
She also repeated assertions that Jews dominated or bore responsibility for the Atlantic slave trade, a trope criticized by historians as overstated and rooted in antisemitic narratives.
The episode followed Shapiro’s speech at AmericaFest on Dec. 18, where he accused Owens of “vicious attacks” and “hideous” conspiracies, particularly regarding the September assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. Shapiro, who previously employed Owens at The Daily Wire until their 2024 parting amid tensions over Israel, called for accountability from figures amplifying unsubstantiated claims.
Owens’ podcast, which frequently ranks among the top in news and overall categories on platforms like Spotify and Apple, averages millions of views and downloads per episode, according to analytics reports.
The exchange has highlighted divisions within conservative circles, with some figures defending Owens’ right to question narratives and others condemning the promotion of what they call dangerous stereotypes.
Turning Point USA and representatives for Shapiro and Owens did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Israeli government is accelerating an emergency plan for Jewish immigration, known as Aliyah, in response to surging global antisemitism, heightened by the deadly terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach last week.
The plan, dubbed “Aliyat HaTekuma,” was initially requested by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before the Dec. 14 shooting that killed 15 people at the popular Australian beach. Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer presented the proposal at a government meeting Sunday, but the massacre — described by Australian authorities as an antisemitic terrorist act inspired by Islamic State ideology — has injected new urgency into its implementation.
Sofer said the ministry anticipates a significant influx of immigrants, citing the ongoing impact of the Israel-Hamas war and rising Jew-hatred worldwide on Diaspora communities.
The initiative targets absorbing 30,000 new olim (immigrants) in 2026, focusing on countries experiencing sharp increases in antisemitism, such as the United Kingdom, France and Australia.
Key measures include streamlining the approval process to 30 days by eliminating apostille certification requirements, establishing a 24/6 call center in French and English, and delegating Jewish status verification to local communities.
To facilitate rapid integration, the plan proposes monthly stipends for the first year, dedicated housing assistants, standardized rental contracts for olim, tailored Hebrew language programs, vocational training and immediate recognition of professional certifications — building on recent reforms for certain fields.
On December 7, 2025, Meaningful Minutes featured a debate on YouTube between Rabbi Michal Weichbrod and Rabbi Elchonon Shoff titled “Should Jews Leave America?” As of December 18, the video has already garnered over 45,000 views.
I feel it is my chov—my obligation—to be moiche against the tremendous Chillul Hashem caused by Rabbi Elchonon Shoff. His words, filled with distortions and half-truths, must be repudiated so they do not, chas v’sholom, become a kitrug against Klall Yisrael.
Rabbi Shoff, with his Yeshivishe background, was articulate in presenting his fabrications and lashon hara about Eretz Yisrael—more dangerous in their subtlety than even the words of the meraglim chosen by Moshe Rabbeinu himself.
Rabbi Michal Weichbrod, a true mentch, responded with sincerity and conviction, and may I add, with respect!
I intend to point out Rabbi Shoff’s absurd and heretical claims, and his misguided praise of Jews remaining in Chutz La’aretz. His arguments must be dismantled clearly and forcefully, so that the truth about Eretz Yisrael and the responsibility of our generation is heard.
I will not go into whether there is an obligation to live in Eretz Yisrael I'm just here to point out the ridiculous and sometimes heretical views of Shoff!
At the 9:21 mark, Rabbi Shoff presents an extreme and emotionally charged scenario about a child with cancer. This example has no relevance to the discussion. Pikuach nefesh overrides everything — no one disputes that. Why introduce such a case other than to manipulate the audience’s emotions?
At 11:29, he claims to “follow the majority of poskim,” citing Rav Moshe Feinstein as saying that living in Eretz Yisrael is not a mitzvah kiyumis and carries no obligation. Rabbi Michal Weichbrod correctly responds that Rav Moshe is a yachid on this matter. In fact, Rav Moshe bases his position on another yachid — Rabbeinu Chaim Kohen of the Baalei Tosafos.
One was that increasingly pervasive surveillance technology could help catch the culprits. Another was that amateur online sleuths on Reddit could not.
But the intense search this week for a suspect in a Brown University shooting that killed two students and wounded nine other people turned the tables on those expectations.
Sweeping surveillance, now found in doorbells, cars and a vast network of vehicle-tracking cameras, did eventually help track down the whereabouts of Claudio Neves Valente, the 48-year-old former Brown graduate student investigators believe was responsible for the Dec. 13 shooting and another killing two days later of an MIT professor in Brookline, Massachusetts.
A reader wants to know!
My life's been upside down because Pearl River fire department/Fire and Emergency Services seem to think this fire siren is safe.
"The biggest piece of this puzzle was Donald Trump and the fact that he passed three times on endorsing her candidacy, including in the Oval Office with the Miracle on Ice Team last week," a GOP source close to the situation told Fox News Digital. "I think [that] played the largest role in this decision,"
Stefanik’s original thought process when she jumped into the race last month, according to the source, was that she would have a "clear shot" at current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. But once Trump ally and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced his candidacy earlier this month, "it became clear that was not going to happen."
In a covert mission last year in the town of Batroun in northern Lebanon, Israeli naval commandos from Shayetet 13 arrested Imad Amhaz, a senior official in Hezbollah's secret naval unit.
The operation, named "Behind the Back," was conducted approximately 140 km from the Israel border, under the direction of the Naval Intelligence Department.
Amhaz, a member of Coastal Missile Unit 7900, underwent military training in both Lebanon and Iran. As part of his training, he also participated in courses in the Lebanese civil maritime institute Marsati, which indicates Hezbollah's operating procedure, which uses civilian institutions for terror.
During his interrogation in Israel, Amhaz revealed details of the organization's secret naval unit, the purpose of which is to establish a maritime terror infrastructure in civilian guise.
The naval unit is considered one of Hezbollah's most sensitive projects and was directly directed by the organization's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.
Together with him worked Fuad Shuqr, a senior military commander who was eliminated during the war, and Ali Abdelhassan Nur al-Din, who was considered directly responsible for the project.
The neutralization of the command echelon responsible for the file, combined with the intelligence obtained from Amhaz’s interrogation, enabled the IDF to halt the project’s progress at a critical juncture. As a result, the project’s further development and entrenchment within Hezbollah were prevented.
The announcement sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C., taking most by complete surprise. In a lengthy post on X, Stefanik cited family commitments, saying she wanted to prioritize her duty as a mother.
"While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family," she wrote.
"And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life's greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don't further focus on my young son's safety, growth, and happiness - particularly at his tender age," the congresswoman explained.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
