Friday, January 17, 2025
List of Hostages Expected to Be Released in Stage 1
List of Hostages Expected to Be Released in Stage 1 (Alphabetical Order):
1. Liri Elbag
2. Itzik Algart
3. Karina Arayev
4. Ohad Ben-Ami
5. Ariel Bibas
6. Yarden Bibas
7. Kfir Bibas
8. Shiri Bibas-Silverman
9. Agam Berger
10. Romi Gonen
11. Daniela Gilboa
12. Emily Damari
13. Sagiv Dekel-Chen
14. Yair Horn
15. Omer Vankrat
16. Alexander Trofanov
17. Arbel Yehud
18. Ohad Yahalomi
19. Elia Cohen
20. Or Levi
21. Naama Levi
22. Oded Lifshitz
23. Gad Moshe Moses
24. Avraham (Avra) Mengistu
25. Shlomo Mansour
26. Keith Samuel Sigal
27. Tzachi Idan
28. Ofer Calderon
29. Tal Shoham
30. Doron Steinbrecher
31. Omer Shemtov
32. Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed
33. Eliyahu Sharabi
Biden Uses His Final Days To Leave Behind Minefield Of Obstacles For Trump
In his final days as president, Joe Biden has made a series of moves that set the Trump administration up for a tougher transition and first 100 days in office.
From approving more student debt relief to trying to auction off part of the border wall, there has been a flurry of last-minute maneuvers.
President-elect Donald Trump first voiced his frustration with Biden and his administration while appearing on the Hugh Hewitt show Jan. 6.
“They talk about a transition, they’re always saying they want to have a smooth transition of party to party, of government. Well, they’re making it really difficult. They’re throwing everything they can in the way, they’re giving out trillions of dollars in nonsense, in Green New Deal crap, that isn’t worth a damn thing,” an irritated Trump told Hewitt.
Trump initially called out Biden’s actions during the transition as the president moved to ban future offshore oil and gas activity across 625 million acres of the outer continental shelf. That area alone is larger than the amount of land included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The action, which incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called disgraceful, will shut down future drilling along the East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, 250 million acres along the West Coast and 44 million acres of the Bering Sea along the Alaskan Coast.
Khamenei hails ceasefire deal as 'defeat' for Israel
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hailed the impending ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas as a defeat for Israel.
"It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children and women in Gaza," Khamenei wrote in a post on social media site X.
He attributed the ceasefire to "the patience of the people and the steadfastness of Palestinian resistance and the Resistance Front."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also hailed the ceasefire as a "victory" for the Palestinian Arab cause and a defeat for Israel.
"The end of the war and the imposition of a ceasefire... is a clear victory and a great triumph for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime," the IRGC said.
Iran has long been known to be one of the main benefactors of Hamas and has transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to the group and its leaders.
After years of strained ties, the relations appeared to have improved in 2017, when then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh thanked Iran for its "unlimited" support for the Al-Qassam Brigades and its contribution to the development of Hamas' military capabilities.
Former Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, who was eliminated in Lebanon last year, made several visits to Iran in recent years in which he met with senior officials, including Khamenei, another indication that the rift is over.
Major European Carriers to Resume Israel Flights in February
The Lufthansa Group of airlines will resume service to Israel next month, it announced on Thursday.
The move by the global aviation group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings, comes as an increasing number of foreign airlines are renewing flights to Ben-Gurion International Airport as regional tensions de-escalate.
British Airways and Air France are expected to follow suit.
The three major U.S. legacy carriers are still not flying to Israel.
United and American Airlines suspended flights to Israel indefinitely, while Delta is scheduled to resume flights to Tel Aviv in April. United and Delta sought to restart flights to Israel periodically over the last year, only to extend the suspension of service following flareups in the war, while American has stayed away entirely. A United spokesperson told JNS on Wednesday that the company had no news to offer yet on the renewal of flights.
Lufthansa will operate daily flights between Frankfurt and Munich, and Israel, starting on Feb. 1, Swiss will operate daily flights to Zurich, Austrian Airlines will run daily service to Vienna, Brussels Airlines will run three weekly flights, and Eurowings will fly twice weekly to Düsseldorf. The gradual resumption of flights is expected to accelerate in the spring.
Renewed service by major European airlines follows the resumption of service by popular low-cost carriers.
Hungary-based Wizzair has already resumed it flights, while Ireland’s Ryanair is due to renew service this spring, returning to a full schedule in the summer.
January and February are typically the slowest months for travel to Israel. Some 48,000 passengers passed through Ben-Gurion International Airport on Thursday on more than 300 international flights, including 25,600 departing Israel and 22,400 arriving, according to the Israel Airports Authority.
They Love Donald Trump — but Hate the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal He Demanded
The pundit on Israel’s right-wing news channel was visibly anxious.
One American president, said Yuval Malka, presented a “window of opportunity” for Israel to have free rein across the Middle East. But the other, he cautioned, was fickle, appearing to love Israel but liable to leave it in the lurch and constrain its military might.
The president he said Israelis should fear? Donald Trump.
“Remember what I’m saying: Don’t be impressed by Trump, and don’t be impressed by his taking office,” Malka, a former military police official, said on Israeli Channel 14 this week. “We needed to, and we still can, take advantage of the window of opportunity in the gaps between the outgoing administration and incoming administration to do everything we think we need to do, both in Gaza and Iran.”
He added, “We’ll be left here without the ability to execute anything. So we need to do — as fast as possible, before he takes office — everything we think needs to happen, and to create a fact on the ground.”
Mendel Roth Describes 1st Week In IDF ‘We Are Making History’
At the end of his first week of basic training in the Chashmonaim brigade, new recruit Mendel Roth summarized his first week in the army, as he left for Shabbat leave:
“Everyone asks, well, how was it in the army? I must say it was amazing, wonderful. Really, sweet guys, all of them with fire in their eyes, great determination, knowing that we are making history, doing something big for the people of Israel. It was incredible.
“And I must add: this brigade, the Chashmonaim, is not just a place to learn to be a soldier, but also a place where you don’t lose your Yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven). It’s actually a place to absorb the fear of Heaven. The unit commander is a person who was a teacher at a yeshiva for ten years, in addition to having been in the Maglan unit for many years. My sergeant is a righteous Jew, humble, with the fear of Heaven on his face. This is exactly the place to absorb the fear of Heaven. Upon my word.”
Roth, the son of the Shomrei Emunim rebbe and renowned singer, chose to enlist at the age of 33 in the new Chashmonaim charedi brigade, stating that he could not stand by and not participate while the blood of his brothers was being spilt.
סיכום שבוע ראשון בחטיבת חשמונאים. מקום לצאת לוחם יהודי נאמן לעם ישראל, ומקום שעטוף ביראת שמים גדולה 💪 pic.twitter.com/xyXxi8rIzK
— מענדל ראטה (@m_ndl89881) January 10, 2025
Ben-Gvir Resigns From Government Over ‘Reckless’ Hostage Deal
Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced at a press conference Thursday evening that if a hostage deal is approved, his party will resign from the government, although he will not actively topple the government.
“The emerging deal is a reckless deal. It includes the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists, the return of thousands of terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip, withdrawal from the Philadelphi Route, and a ceasefire, which in effect would erase the achievements of the war. Not only that, it does not lead to the release of all the hostages, it seals the fate of the remaining hostages who are not included in the deal, and it will lead to the end of the war while Hamas has not been defeated, with a significant ability to rebuild itself,” Ben-Gvir declared.
“When we see the celebrations of Hamas supporter Ayman Odeh, the dancing in Gaza, and the celebrations in the villages of Judea and Samaria – we understand who is the side that has capitulated in this deal. Therefore, if this reckless deal is approved and implemented, the Otzma Yehudit party will not be part of the government and will resign from it,” said the minister.
He added, “I also call on my colleagues in the Religious Zionist Party and on the ideological Knesset members of Likud to act similarly, and together with us, to prevent this capitulation deal from being carried out.”
According to him, “If the war against Hamas is resumed with the aim of achieving a decisive victory and implementing the war objectives that have not been achieved, we will return to the government.
Ben-Gvir emphasized, “We also are willing to pay heavy prices for the release of the hostages. We are ready to do whatever it takes to bring them home, provided that the price does not include one that is much heavier. The current deal increases Hamas’s appetite and motivation to carry out another massacre like October 7th, thereby repeatedly defeating Israel – not to mention the number of terror attacks that could spill, God forbid, much Jewish blood.
“To release the hostages, all humanitarian aid to Gaza must be stopped completely. Not ‘controlling the aid mechanisms,’ not reducing it, but stopping it entirely. Stopping the transfer of fuel, electricity, and water. Only then will Hamas release our hostages without jeopardizing the security of the State of Israel, alongside a powerful military campaign. Only then will we defeat this murderous terrorist organization.”
He stressed that his party would not topple the government. “Even at this hour, I still call on the Prime Minister to come to his senses, to avoid this terrible deal, and to take these steps that will lead to Hamas’s defeat and the release of our hostages without capitulating to it. If he does not do this, as stated, Otzma Yehudit under my leadership will not topple Netanyahu, and will not act together with the left and its goals against the government, but it will not be able to be part of a government that approves a deal that gives Hamas a huge prize, and could bring upon us the disaster of the next October 7th – and will resign from it.”
The leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, responded to the speech, saying: “I tell Benjamin Netanyahu, do not be afraid, accept whatever safety net you need to make the hostage deal happen. This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet again tonight with the head of the Religious Zionist Party, Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The two are discussing Smotrich’s demands following Israel’s potential entry into the hostage deal, which includes a ceasefire. The minister is also demanding the renewal of the war after the deal is completed, as well as a significant change in its management, including halting humanitarian aid.
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli announced this evening that he would resign from the government if Israel is required to withdraw from the Philadelphi Route as part of the deal. This demand comes in the wake of the agreement with Hamas which stipulates that Israel would withdraw from the route in the second phase of the deal.
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Hamas Leader Khalil al-Haya Praises October 7th Attacks, Vows Future Violence
Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya delivered a live speech from Qatar, broadcast by Al Jazeera, where he openly expressed pride in the October 7th attacks.
The massacre, which resulted in the deaths of civilians, was praised by al-Haya, who described the event as a significant victory for Hamas and vowed to repeat such actions in the future.
His speech, translated through subtitles generated using AI, shocked many as it highlighted the militant group’s commitment to violent resistance and attacks against Israel.
Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, has long been condemned for its brutal tactics and genocidal rhetoric.
Al-Haya’s words have intensified calls for the eradication of Hamas, as many see the group as a dangerous force driven by an extremist ideology. Critics argue that until Hamas is completely dismantled, peace in the region will remain elusive, with the group continuing to incite violence and sow instability.
The “starving and freezing Palestinian children” Scream for more war
It turns out the “starving and freezing Palestinian children” want more war https://t.co/pUXhd9LAay
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) January 16, 2025
Both Biden and Trump take credit for hostage release deal
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both taking credit for the hostage release and ceasefire deal announced on Wednesday evening.
Biden took credit for the agreement’s framework and said, “The elements of this deal are what I laid out in detail this past May, which was embraced by countries around the world and endorsed overwhelmingly by the UN Security Council.”
He added, “This was one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced. We’ve reached this point because of the pressure that Israel put on Hamas, backed by the United States.”
Among the accomplishments Biden listed was that “Hamas’s long-time leader Sinwar was killed.” However, if Biden’s plan had been implemented last spring, the IDF likely would not have had the opportunity to kill Sinwar on October 16th.
Trump, who warned that there would be “hell to pay” if a hostage release deal wasn’t in place by his inauguration on January 20th, also seemed to take a victory lap on the news of an agreement.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
Trump added that Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, would “continue “to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
Witkoff’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considered crucial in encouraging the premier to send a delegation to Qatar for further negotiations.
Two Arab officials told Times of Israel that Witkoff did more to sway Netanyahu in a single meeting than President Biden had done all year.
BOMBSHELL UNDERCOVER VIDEO: ‘Keep it between us’: Watch as Deep Stater plots resistance to President Trump, and then GETS FIRED!
A Deep Stater in the Washington federal government complex who boasted about secret meetings with retired military members to “protect” the American people from President-elect Donald Trump, in fact, orchestrating a resistance, has been fired.
Confirmation comes from O’Keefe Media Group with had released an undercover video of Jamie Mannina, an “adviser” to the Department of Defense, who revealed the skullduggery that was going on.
The CFR published a general bio of Mannina:
Jamie Mannina is an experienced national security expert who has worked on many of the most challenging national security policy issues facing the U.S, government. Mannina served as a staffer to Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate, as a diplomat in the U.S. Department of State, and as a manager in the U.S. intelligence community. Currently, he serves at the Joint Staff at the Department of Defense. Areas of expertise include China and Russia, cybersecurity and counterintelligence, nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, and the full range of strategic stability issues affecting national security. Most notably, his work directly supported the negotiation, ratification, and implementation of the U.S.-Russia New START Treaty under President Obama. He has studied at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, Harvard University, and National Taiwan University. Mannina earned a BA in political science from Le Moyne College and an MA in international relations from George Washington University
Mannina explained he works, now worked, at a “top consulting firm” for the Pentagon, after time in the FBI.
“During the meeting with an undercover journalist, Mannina revealed that he had a ‘huge, huge meeting with military leaders in a very secure room called the Tank,’” reported the Gateway Pundit.
“So we have a Tank meeting with all of the top, top leaders of the United States’ Military tomorrow on my topic that I prepared,” he said, explaining he’s “a little worried,” and he’ll try to do what he can with retired generals to “stop the Trump administration.”
Mannina was recorded explaining the information was “sensitive” and would have to be kept “between us.”
See the video:
Pam Bondi takes down DemonRats One by One!
WOW. Pam Bondi EVISERATES Adam Schiff (D) over California’s record-breaking crime rates.
Pam Bondi absolutely OBLITERATED Senator Blumenthal.3
Pam Bondi : "Senator Hirono, I wish you had met with me... you were the only one who refused to meet with me."
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Rabbi Geldzhaler in Antwerp supports a Get Refuser!
OUTRAGE IN ANTWERP
Outrage over Rabbi Geldtzhaler who supports a recalcitrant get
The ultra-Orthodox community in Antwerp is in turmoil following the actions of Rabbi Leiser Galadzler, who provided support to a notorious divorce refusenik.
After fleeing to Mexico to avoid facing the court, the objector returned to Antwerp and needed a registered residential address to file lawsuits against his wife, while refusing to give her a divorce.
Rabbi Galadzler gave him an apartment, despite the continued abuse of the Get Refuser and the fact that he does not financially support his wife and children.
The rabbi bizarrely explained his support saying that his actions would make the Get Refuser cooperate with a fair agreement and give the get, but weeks have passed since then, and the refusal continues to stand by his refusal and disrespect and mock the court.
According to many in the community, Rabbi Galadzler is motivated by economic motives, since the objector paid rent for the apartment. Critics claim that the rabbi harmed his values for the sake of financial gain, while empowering an abuser at the expense of an innocent woman and her children.
This is not the first time that Rabbi Galadzler has provoked outrage in Antwerp. He is already notorious for stealing money from unsuspecting people through questionable investments, which intensifies the criticism against him now.
The community demands accountability, while the aguna Tzvia bat Tova continues to suffer abuse and manipulation by her husband. The prayers for her liberation and for justice are increasing day by day.
On His Way Out of Office Blinken Blames Israel for Undermining the PA, Threatens UNSC Resolution
The only truly dangerous part in Blinken’s scheme which he elaborated on Tuesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., came when he said, “These arrangements would be enshrined in a UN Security Council Resolution.”
He was talking about arrangements to impose PA rule over the Gaza Strip after the war.
Trump’s Envoy Who Squeezed Netanyahu for Hamas Concessions Involved in Qatari Business
According to a Saturday, January 11 press release, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “held a discussion to assess the situation regarding the hostages and the missing with the defense minister, the heads of the security establishment, and with the American negotiators of both the incoming and outgoing administrations. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Prime Minister directed the Mossad Director, the Shin Bet Director, Maj.-Gen. (Res) Nitzan Alon, and his Foreign Policy Adviser, Dr. Ophir Falk, to depart for Doha in order to continue advancing a deal to release our hostages.”
The incoming administration was represented by President-elect Donald J. Trump’s golfing buddy Steve Witkoff, who had just been appointed special envoy to the Middle East.
Two Arab officials told The Times of Israel that during the meeting, Witkoff pressed Netanyahu to agree to critical compromises needed for a deal. According to the officials, Trump’s envoy achieved more in one discussion to influence the prime minister than outgoing President Joe Biden had managed throughout the year.
Before arriving in Israel, Witkoff spent a week in Doha, Qatar, as part of the negotiations, with the aim of reaching a hostage deal before next Monday’s inauguration.
Witkoff started his career as a real estate lawyer before becoming a billionaire investor and developer in the industry. In November 2024, The Wall Street Journal described him, citing his peers in the real estate world, as “smart, personable, and a talented negotiator with a common touch.”
Last week was far from being Witkoff’s first contact with the Qataris.
In August 2023, the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, purchased from Witkoff the 610-room Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan for roughly $623 million, equating to approximately $1.02 million per room, according to public records.
Witkoff acquired the Park Lane Hotel in November 2013 for approximately $660 million. According to CoStar, the property’s transaction history shows that several foreign companies have owned stakes in the Manhattan hotel over the years.
In 2016, United Arab Emirates-based Al Waseet International FZ sold a 41% share of the hotel to Shanghai-based Greenland Group for an undisclosed amount. Later, in December 2018, Hong Kong-based Jynwel Capital Limited sold a partial stake in the property for $140 million to the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala Development Company.
Witkoff’s recent sale of the Park Lane Hotel to the Qatar Investment Authority reflects an approximate 17.5% discount compared to its 2013 purchase price, not accounting for inflation.
Last May, Witkoff participated in a panel at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, where he discussed the future of cities alongside Khalid Ahmed Al-Obaidli, president of Qatar’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority, and others.
During his remarks, Witkoff expressed optimism about investment opportunities in Qatar, citing what he described as a “solid government.” He also noted a “strong compact between government and private business” in the Gulf kingdom.
Last November, Jewish Insider noted that Witkoff’s previous financial dealings with Qatar, a country that has sought to influence him through its lobbying efforts, have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
In his statement announcing the appointment, Trump remarked that Witkoff, whom he has known for decades, “will be an unrelenting voice for peace and make us all proud.”
Jewish Insider quoted Ben Baird, the director of advocacy for the Middle East Forum, who commented on Witkoff’s appointment: “One can’t help but wonder if there aren’t some geopolitics at play here. It’s not a sure bet how people like Witkoff are going to enact policies. They’re not always going to benefit Qatar, and especially when you have competing interests involved, I still think they’ll do what’s best for American interests.”
As to Israel’s interests, this is not good news, with Netanyahu’s complete capitulation over the absurd number of terrorists with blood on their hands being released, as well as his acceptance of a partial list of hostages to be freed alongside the IDF’s withdrawal from large swaths of Gaza.
It turns out that when Trump warned there would be “hell to pay” in Gaza – he didn’t mean Hamas would be making the payment.
The "Pathetic Coward" Biden lifts Cuba terrorism designation, drawing bipartisan outrage
Retiring President Biden lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism Tuesday, less than a week before leaving office — outraging both Democrats and Republicans who believe more stringent sanctions should remain in effect.
Biden, 82, made the decision in deference to the Catholic Church’s talks with the island’s Communist authorities on releasing political prisoners, the White House said.
“We view this as an opportune moment to do so, given the important dialogue that is taking place between Cuba and the Catholic Church with respect to political prisoners,” a Biden administration official told reporters.
“We believe that the number of people to be released will be significant.”
The official added that “we determined that there is a sufficient basis for the president to certify to Congress that Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period, which is what the statutory requirement is for this decision.”
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