Trump discloses identity of Iran contact

 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump revealed on Monday the answer to the question he raised about whom he was speaking with inside Iran: Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the New York Post reported.

The Post’s national security correspondent Caitlin Doornbos reported that Trump “confirmed to me today that the U.S. is negotiating with Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, saying we’ll ‘find out in about a week’ whether he is someone America can truly work with.”

Earlier in the week, Trump raised speculation about the identity of the person or people he was speaking with in Iran. On Truth Social, he said that “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS” were underway with Iran while declining to identify the counterpart.

At the time, he told reporters, “A top person. Don’t forget, we wiped out the leadership, phase one, and phase two and largely phase three. But we’re dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader. It is a little tough. We’ve wiped out everybody.”

He denied it was Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and wrote, “No, not the supreme leader. Nobody has heard of the second supreme leader, the son. We have not heard from the son,” and raised doubts about whether he is still alive.

Ghalibaf rejected Trump’s claim and wrote on X, “Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. All Iranian officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved.”

He added, “No negotiations have been held with the U.S., and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped.”

The Jerusalem Post had earlier reported that Ghalibaf was the figure in question.

Trump later reiterated that a decision on whether progress is possible would come soon, saying, “We’re gonna find out. I’ll let you know that in about a week,” and adding, “You’ll see shortly” when asked about a potential U.S. response to Iranian strikes on energy facilities in Israel and Kuwait.

16 Year old Carries his Grandmother up & Down 4 Flights During Sirens

 

*Heart Of Gold: 16-Year-Old Carries His Grandmother Up and Down Four Flights of Stairs to Shelter During Sirens After She Lost Grandson on October 7*

Amid relentless sirens and fear, a 16-year-old boy is showing extraordinary strength and devotion by carrying his grandmother, Rosa,  up and down four flights of stairs to safety every time a siren sounds.

The situation is even more heartbreaking: Rosa, fell into a deep depression after her grandson was murdered in Nova and has struggled to function since. Now her other grandson has taken on the role of protector, stepping up in the face of trauma and responsibility far beyond his years.

Despite the physical strain and emotional weight of losing a family member in Oct. 7th , he never hesitates. For him, it’s not a burden, it’s a duty rooted in love, gratitude, and resilience.

“Look there’s a lot of pressure that if there’s a siren I need to carry my grandmother to the shelter and because of that I don’t really sleep but life goes on there nothing else to do. My grandmother did so much for me and I’m glad to have the Zchut (privilege) to give back to her and give back for all the years she gave me.”

Israel revealed its true colors after ugly Palm Sunday screw-up

 

Holy Week in the Holy Land began with online hysteria.

After Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and three prelates were wrongly denied access to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre at a police barrier, internet outrage spiraled into an international incident.

But what could have been a diplomatic catastrophe showed the opposite: Israel apologized, kept its word — and demonstrated what makes it America’s model ally.

Israeli police set events in motion by erecting a wooden barrier outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the faith’s most revered site, as a safety measure.

On Palm Sunday, one of Christianity’s holiest days, it inadvertently became a symbol of ill intent.

Official restrictions amid the war with Iran, whose regime has launched more than 400 missiles at the Jewish state in the last month, limit the size of all religious gatherings in Jerusalem’s Old City to fewer than 50 people.

It’s a prudent, life-saving precaution: Just two weeks ago, debris from an intercepted Iranian missile landed in the basilica’s close vicinity.

The tomb of Christ and the ancient structure atop it were not built to be bomb shelters.

Importantly, the cardinal and his fellow priests were not leading a public Palm Sunday procession; they only intended to celebrate a private mass, as has been done for millennia.

Yet overzealous officers from the David Precinct wrongly turned Pizzaballa away — and the social-media outrage went into overdrive.

French President Emmanuel Macron instantly condemned the “violation,” while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it an “unjustified attack” on religious freedom itself.

Strong words from Macron, an infrequent churchgoer, and Sánchez, an avowed atheist.

While both leaders found time to condemn Israel on Palm Sunday, they were entirely silent about a real attack: the shocking slaughter of at least 12 Christians in Nigeria that same day.

On X, the performative firestorm was even more hysterical, as influencers like Jack Posobiec framed the procedural screw-up as a civilizational betrayal.

MK blasts opponents of death penalty for terrorists ..."the bill doesn't have to be perfect to be effective"

Limor Son Har-Melech

MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), who led the legislative process of the Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill, on Tuesday evening commented on the attacks on the initiative and made it clear that she will not be deterred by legal opinions or petitions to the Supreme Court.

Son Har-Melech rejected the criticism from former senior defense officials and left-wing organizations, who claimed that the law does not provide a retroactive solution for the Nukhba terrorists or for Arab Israelis.

“These are empty claims coming from Yair Lapid and the left," she said. “Their tactic is to demand a 101% perfect law just to sabotage any real deterrence. We are not waiting - we are taking action."

Son Har-Melech further stated that this is a historic moment and a moral correction: “We have touched a point that no one dared touch out of fear. This law is deterrent and excellent, and with God’s help, we will see it implemented and result in the hanging of despicable terrorists."

She concluded her remarks by stating that the alliance between left-wing organizations and former senior officials against the bill is “the best proof of the justice of our path and the restoration of national pride."

 

A million Jews in Judea and Samaria

 For decades, Israelis have debated the future of Judea and Samaria. Some speak about borders, others about diplomacy, and still others about security arrangements. But after the trauma of the October 7 attacks, one truth has become unmistakably clear: 

Israel cannot afford illusions about geography, sovereignty, or demography.

The next two years present a rare and historic window of opportunity. With Donald Trump serving as President of the United States, Israel has an administration in Washington that has previously demonstrated unprecedented understanding of Israel’s historical rights and security needs. During his previous term, the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. These moves broke decades of diplomatic stagnation and affirmed a simple truth: reality on the ground matters.

Today, Israel must apply that lesson to Judea and Samaria.

The Land of the Jewish People

First and foremost, Judea and Samaria are not foreign lands. They are the cradle of Jewish civilization. Hebron, Shiloh, Beit El, and countless other places in this region are where the Bible unfolded and where the Jewish nation first took root. For the Jewish people, these hills are not merely strategic terrain-they are sacred inheritance.

For thousands of years, Jews prayed to return to the land promised to our forefathers. The connection between the Jewish people and this land is recorded in Scripture, reaffirmed through centuries of exile, and realized in the rebirth of the State of Israel. Building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is therefore not an act of expansion-it is an act of return.

The Security Lesson of October 7

But history alone is not the only reason. Security demands it.

The horrors of October 7-when terrorists from Hamas invaded Israeli communities near Gaza-exposed the dangers of leaving strategic territory vulnerable to hostile forces. For years, many believed deterrence, fences, and intelligence would be enough. October 7 proved otherwise.

If Israel withdraws from territory or leaves it sparsely populated, enemies will fill the vacuum.

The narrow coastal plain-where the majority of Israel’s population lives-lies only a few kilometers from the highlands of Judea and Samaria. Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, and Israel’s economic heartland are all within easy range from those hills. Whoever controls the high ground controls the security reality of the entire country.

A dense, thriving Jewish population across Judea and Samaria is therefore not merely ideological-it is a strategic shield.

The Million-Jew Plan

Israel should adopt a clear national goal: bring one million Jews to Judea and Samaria within the next two years.

This is ambitious-but entirely achievable.

Israel has done it before. In the 1990s, the country absorbed nearly a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Entire cities were built in a decade. Infrastructure expanded rapidly. The same determination can transform Judea and Samaria.

Such a plan would include:

Accelerated housing construction

New cities alongside expanded existing communities

Major investment in roads, transportation, and industry

Incentives for young families and new immigrants

Relocation of government institutions and economic centers

Within a short time, the region could become home to a vibrant population approaching one million Jews.

Creating Irreversible Reality

Diplomacy often follows demographics.

A million Jews living across Judea and Samaria would create an irreversible reality. The question of “withdrawal" would become as implausible as abandoning Haifa or Be’er Sheva. The international debate would gradually shift from hypothetical borders to acknowledging the permanence of Jewish life in the heartland of Israel.

History shows that facts on the ground shape the future.

A Generation’s Responsibility

Every generation of Jews has faced defining moments. Our grandparents rebuilt the Jewish state. Our parents defended it in war and built its economy.

Our generation faces a different challenge: securing the heartland and ensuring that the horrors of October 7 can never be repeated.

Populating Judea and Samaria with a million Jews would not only fulfill the historic bond between the Jewish people and their land. It would also ensure strategic depth, strengthen Israel’s security, and protect the nation’s future.

The opportunity exists now. The question is whether we have the vision-and the courage-to seize it.

Rabbi Yonaton Behar is originally from Queens, NY, and lives in Har Bracha, where he is a marketing and public relations expert. He also translates many of the writings of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Melamed into English.

Baby Bnei-Brak dies after circumcision, mohel arrested

 

A mohel from Bnei Brak was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of negligent homicide after an infant died two weeks after undergoing circumcision.

The police stated that investigators from the Bnei Brak-Ramat Gan station opened an investigation upon receiving a report of the infant's death due to alleged complications of the circumcision performed by the mohel.

The investigation found that the infant underwent circumcision earlier this month. After an infection developed at the site of the incision, the infant was brought to a physician who referred him immediately to the emergency room. The hospital then pronounced the infant dead.

The police stated that the mohel was taken for questioning on suspicion of negligent homicide of a minor. Following his interrogation, he was jailed, and tomorrow he will be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court for a hearing.

Woman seriously injured by cluster warhead in Bnei Brak area

 

A cluster warhead missile fired from Iran toward the Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Gush Dan) this morning (Wednesday) hit multiple sites in Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan.

MDA director Eli Bin reported that an approximately 11-year-old girl was seriously injured in Bnei Brak, along with two others lightly injured. In the city, a building was also damaged, causing a gas leak, which fire crews handled.

In Holon, a fire broke out in an open area due to debris, and in Petah Tikva, interceptor missile fragments fell in an open area.

So Far Iran Launched 1,350 Missiles, Lebanon 3,900 at Israel! .... 82,708 Sirens

 

Israel stops all defense deals with France

 

Israel’s Defense Ministry has halted all defense procurement from France due to what it views as Paris’s hostile stance toward Jerusalem in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.

Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram decided to end all contracts with France and instead rely on Israeli-made equipment and purchases from friendly countries, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.

The move follows French restrictions on Israeli participation in defense exhibitions and its support for a UN resolution calling for an arms embargo on Israel.

In the middle of the June 12-day war with Iran, Israel accused the French government of blocking parts of the Israeli pavilion at the Paris Air Show, breaking understandings reached on Israel’s participation and the principles of equality.

Baram at the time called the move “absolutely, bluntly antisemitic” and accused France of “commercial exclusion to prevent successful Israeli industries from competing with French ones.”

In a statement then, the Defense Ministry said the French government’s action “comes at a time when Israel is fighting a necessary and just war to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic threat facing the Middle East, Europe and the entire world.”

In 2024, a Paris court struck down restrictions on Israeli companies requested by the French Defense Ministry regarding the Eurosatory 2024 defense show, ruling they violated the principles of equality.

Egypt strongly condemns Israel’s death penalty law for terrorists ...This year Egypt Executed 83

 Egypt strongly condemned Israel’s approval of the death penalty law  for terrorists.

It should be noted that the death penalty is anchored in Egyptian law. 

According to Amnesty data, Egypt carried out at least 83 executions in 2021, and in 2024 Egyptian courts issued 504 death sentences, though not all were carried out.