🚨🚨 BREAKING : Chuck Schumer is now officially under investigation by the Department of Justice for making threats against conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justices. pic.twitter.com/8nEkIVI9l8
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) February 1, 2025
Recent developments have heightened tensions between Israel and Egypt, as Israel has formally requested explanations from Egypt regarding a substantial increase in Egyptian military activity within the Sinai Peninsula. In early January of this year, All Israel News reported that according to Channel 14, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified significant breaches of the 1979 peace treaty, including the construction of anti-tank barriers, extensive logistical preparations, and the deployment of entire armored divisions in central Sinai.
The 1979 peace agreement between Israel and Egypt mandated the demilitarization of the Sinai Peninsula, a region that Israel returned to Egypt as part of the treaty’s terms. However, the emergence of ISIS as a significant threat in the area led Israel to permit Egypt to amass considerable military forces near their shared border to combat the jihadist insurgency, as was reported by AllIsrael.com in early January. This cooperation was intended to address mutual security concerns without undermining the foundational principles of their peace accord.
The Zachor Legal Institute, in conjunction with Judicial Watch, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the US Department of Education a couple of weeks ago, seeking records related to Doha’s funding and operations at five prestigious American universities: Georgetown, Northwestern, Cornell, Harvard, and the University of Michigan.
The legal action comes in the wake of Texas A&M University's February 2024 decision to shut its Qatar campus, following revelations from a previous lawsuit that uncovered nearly half a billion dollars in funding from the Gulf nation hosting the Hamas leadership to the university.
According to a February 2024 report, Qatar has provided or contracted approximately $6 billion to American universities since 2007.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Caroline Glick, 46, as his new public relations advisor. Glick, a journalist and publicist, is a senior editor at the Jerusalem Post and the founder of the right-wing satire website Latma. She also worked as an assistant to Netanyahu’s political advisor during his first term in office.
On January 30, Glick posted the final episode of her podcast, “In Focus:”
Glick was born in Houston, and her family relocated to Chicago when she was an infant, where she grew up in the Jewish neighborhood of Hyde Park. She graduated from Columbia College at Columbia University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
During her teenage years, she traveled with her parents and siblings, and it was on one of these trips that she first visited Israel, coinciding with the start of the First Lebanon War. Later that same year, in 1991, Glick made Aliyah and enlisted in the IDF.
In its Israeli Independence Day supplement in 2003, the newspaper Maariv named Glick the most prominent woman in Israel.
In 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Glick was embedded with the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and filed frontline reports for both The Jerusalem Post and the Chicago Sun-Times. She also reported daily from the front lines for Israel’s Channel 1 news. Glick was on the ground when US forces captured the Baghdad International Airport. For her battlefield reporting, she was honored with the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the US Secretary of the Army.
In 2011, Glick harshly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu in the aftermath of the Gilad Shalit prisoners’ exchange deal. The piece, which appeared on the News12 website, accused Netanyahu of being a weak leader who gave in to the manipulations of Israel’s extremist and defeatist media. Glick went on to describe Netanyahu as, at best, someone who lacked resolve, and at worst, as an immoral, strategically irresponsible, foolish, and opportunistic politician.
In January 2019, Glick joined Naftali Bennett’s New Right party. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Knesset in the April 2019 elections, securing the sixth spot on the party’s electoral list. None of them made it past the threshold vote in that round.
“Today, I tell my grandchildren not to go down the path of attacks and resistance,” the 69-year-old ex-detainee said in a Friday interview with the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya outlet. “We don’t want our freedom to come at the expense of our children’s’ lives.”
Al-Tous is the oldest terrorist freed so far as part of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.
A member of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah movement, he was arrested in 1985 for organizing attacks on Israelis in and around Jerusalem. He went on to spend 40 years in prison.
Israeli authorities deported al-Tous to Egypt upon his release in the second round of the exchange, which saw 200 terrorists traded for four female Israeli hostages. He was one of 121 prisoners serving life sentences freed that day.
He was one of the few prisoners detained before the 1993 Oslo Accords not released as part of those agreements.
On Wednesday, al-Tous gave an interview to the Emirati al-Mashhad news outlet, in which he criticized Hamas leadership when asked about the October 7 attack that ultimately led to his release.
“If I had known the cost of my freedom, I would have stayed in prison… A leader who is thinking of carrying out a large attack must be aware of the cost. It is unacceptable that the cost of our release from prison is a drop of blood from a Palestinian child,” he said.
Al-Tous added that he encountered jailed Second Intifada leader Marwan Barghouti multiple times while in prison.
“I met Marwan Barghouti more than once, the last of which was two years ago. He was in good condition,” he told the outlet.
Barghouti, a top figure in Fatah serving five life sentences for planning attacks during the Second Intifada, is envisioned by many Palestinians as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
In another Friday interview with The Independent, al-Tous spoke in favor of political negotiations toward a two-state solution in order to “prevent bloodshed on both sides.”
He urged unity within the Palestinian national movement, calling on Hamas to reconcile with Fatah and accept the leadership of Abbas, now 89 years old.
Lawmakers from both the state Assembly and Senate met Friday to discuss changes to the state’s election law that would allow the governor to delay special elections and push off any pending ones until the June primaries — or even the general election in November.
The dead-of-night discussions ostensibly were about how to save time and money by consolidating elections into a single day — but in actual fact appear targeted at the soon-to-be vacated seat of GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik — who Trump tapped to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations — is expected to resign her seat to take up the post in the coming days. The vacancy will create headaches for House Republicans who are already struggling to manage a razor-thin majority stocked with frequently unwieldy members.
Stefanik’s district is in deep red north country and she would almost certainly be replaced by another Republican in a special election.
Under the current law, when Stefanik officially resigns, Gov. Hochul must declare a special election within 10 days and the election must take place 80 to 90 days after that declaration.
The Democratic-dominated state legislature, however, could rewrite the rules.
Minority Republicans have little power in either chamber.
Such a measure could come as soon as Monday.
A Hochul spokesman told Gothamist that she “believes it’s critical to increase voter turnout and reduce the cost of election administration and she would support legislation that achieves that goal.”
The proposed election change has Republicans — who control the House with a 218-215 majority, the smallest margin in a century — frothing.
“This is corruption, the corruption of absolute power,” western New York GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy told The Post.
Added Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Rockland County): “This would be an outrageous abuse of power and expose Democrats hypocrisy when it comes to ‘protecting democracy.’ Kathy Hochul should make clear this will not happen.”
Rep. Stefanik did not respond to request for comment from The Post.
Following a court settlement, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, grandson of former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef for whom he is named after and son of immediate past Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, has issued a formal apology to the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization retracting past statements he made against the group. In addition to acknowledging that his remarks were incorrect, he pledged to donate NIS 10,000 NIS to the Noar Kahalacha association.
The apology follows a legal dispute between Rabbi Yosef, head of the Tiferet Ohel Moshe Kollel in Beit Shemesh, and the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization.
Approximately six months ago, Tzohar filed a lawsuit against Rabbi Yosef through attorney Assaf Benmalach following allegations he made during a weekly class at the Nazar Aharon synagogue.
In his sermon, Rabbi Yosef accused claiming, "Everything is a professional trade. Everyone goes to Tzohar; they convert them for NIS 25,000. It doesn’t matter if they have [agreed to follow mitzvot, the commandments of Judaism, which is an essential step of the conversion process] or not—they say it’s not necessary."
A settlement was recently reached in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, requiring Rabbi Yosef to issue a public apology both in writing and during his weekly class.In a letter addressed to Tzohar, he stated:
"In a sermon I delivered and published online, I spoke of the Tzohar organization as one that performs conversions and raised allegations against them. I hereby declare that my statements were misleading and incorrect. I retract, renounce, and apologize for them. The Tzohar organization does not engage in conversions, and certainly not for money."
Rabbi Yosef also opened his latest YouTube lesson with a verbal apology, further emphasizing his regret. Alongside the apology, he committed to donating NIS 10,000 to Noar Kahalacha, an organization dedicated to preventing sectarian discrimination in haredi education.
In response, the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization stated: "Rabbi Yosef’s apology is important and necessary. Tzohar is an organization that meticulously maintains integrity and absolute loyalty to Halacha. The erroneous statements not only harmed our good name but also misrepresented us as operating in violation of Halacha and the law.
"We hope this apology will correct the misunderstanding and help prevent similar false statements in the future. We remain committed to full transparency and the values of Torah and Halacha."
28-year-old hostage Emily Damari was held in an @UNRWA hospital.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 1, 2025
19-year-old Noa Marciano was killed in an UNRWA hospital.
84-year-old Ditza Herman was held by an UNRWA teacher.
21-year-old Jonathan Samerano’s body was taken by UNRWA staff.
For those still wondering why… https://t.co/gy9zvyNBYC
What is the point in even having payment officers at the Treasury if they were directed to literally pay anyone and everyone no matter what?!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 1, 2025
Even terrorists!
The outright rot that is being uncovered and ripped out of our government right now is shocking.
Thank God! https://t.co/CK6JVU4oI2
President Trump’s the Deep State BLOODBATH in the past 24 hours:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 1, 2025
- All federal prosecutors handling January 6th cases fired, computers locked and marched out of their offices by security.
- David Sundberg, the FBI Assistant Director at the helm of the January 6th…
"You can't keep funding both the arsonists and the firefighters at the same time. This must stop."
NBC News just called terrorists—many of whom personally butchered Israelis—“Palestinian hostages.”
— Jews Fight Back 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@JewsFightBack) February 1, 2025
What would you call this? Because it sure as hell isn’t journalism. pic.twitter.com/IU0daEztM1
Terrorist Freed in First Gaza Ceasefire Deal Eliminated in IDF Airstrike
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 1, 2025
Abdul Issam Alawneh, a terrorist released over a year ago in the first Gaza ceasefire deal, was killed tonight in an airstrike during an IDF counterterrorism operation in Qabatiya, northern Judea and… pic.twitter.com/GUilYvOWz6
🔥Panic is starting to set in!🔥
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) February 1, 2025
Psaki, on MSNBC, is crying about the ongoing “Trump purge” at the FBI.
We have been waiting many years to see a headline like this.
Trump is draining the swamp as we speak. It’s happening!
pic.twitter.com/Im10dSEbX0
🚨EXCLUSIVE: FBI Employees who were involved in the inappropriate actions against @realDonaldTrump have received this notice.
— Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) February 1, 2025
"You played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump... Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the… pic.twitter.com/JemRjc2Y4s
All future Palestinian rallies will be videotaped for @ICEgov
— Betar US (@Betar_USA) January 31, 2025
Nationwide. We’ve had enough. https://t.co/0EwhSI7JlL
NEW: The Red Cross reprimanded Israel for taking photos of the release of Hamas prisoners from Israeli prisons.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) February 1, 2025
Meanwhile in Gaza… they have yet to condemn Hamas’s spectacle and actively participated in a staged hostage release photoshoot.
The hypocrisy is obscene. pic.twitter.com/IWyNxFUtfb
On Saturday, a confrontation erupted between the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and the Red Cross during the release of terrorist prisoners as part of the hostage deal. According to Kan 11, the Red Cross attempted to prevent the IPS from photographing the prisoners as they exited the service’s vehicles and approached the organization’s buses, which were set to transport them to Khan Younes.
The IPS told the Red Cross this was an operational photo shoot aimed at preventing claims from the released security prisoners or from other parties regarding their condition or the manner of their release. Despite this, the Red Cross continued to insist on its position banning the shots.
The IPS criticized the Red Cross, stating: “In Gaza, you go on stage and take pictures, and here you prohibit photography.” Ultimately, the IPS was allowed to take photos.
The Red Cross responded: “We do not address the claims of anonymous parties or the dialogue we are having with the authorities.”
According to the PA Prisoners’ Office, security prisoners were released from Israeli prisons on Saturday as part of the fourth phase of the deal. Among them, 14 were serving life sentences, with seven being deported to the Gaza Strip and the rest to Judea and Samaria. Additionally, 111 residents of Gaza who were arrested after October 7 but deemed uninvolved in the fighting were also released.
PA reports indicate that Yarden Bibas was classified as a humanitarian case, with Gazan detainees released in exchange for him along with 12 security prisoners, while another 60 security prisoners were freed in exchange for Keith Siegel and Ofer Calderon.
A security source said that the Red Cross expressed resentment over the way the Prison Service led the prisoners from Ktziot prison – handcuffed, hands above their heads, with a bracelet on it that read “The people of eternity do not forget.”
Prison Service spokesman Zivan Freidin responded by saying that “the prisoners are dealing with the worst of Israel’s enemies, and until the last moment on Israeli soil they will be treated under prison rules. We will not compromise on the security of our people.”
Of course, the bracelets were placed on the prisoners’ wrists in response to the Hamas paraphernalia that has been routinely tagged on the released Israeli hostages.
Never forget what Adam Schiff did to this country with his lies about Russian collusion. The damage he caused is immeasurable.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 31, 2025
It's to America's great shame that he is still in office. pic.twitter.com/MiSfzjdwkk
I endorse this post mortem analysis and encourage my democratic friends to double or even triple down. https://t.co/mPZ0veVuyZ
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) January 31, 2025
Hamas monsters sought to express the overarching goal of Hamas ideology – to wipe off the face of the earth the State of Israel, the product of Zionism, and to turn all of its territory into the State of Palestine (HILAT). There is no higher goal in Hamas' eyes than this.
And shockingly, this exact slogan, but with precise precision, .......stands – "lehavdil" between our own enemies and our stray brothers, between the impure and the pure – in its essence – of the ultra-Orthodox evasion.
"Zionism will not win" is the engine that drives the ultra-Orthodox opposition to a series of disgusting behaviors:
The lack of recognition of the miracle of miracles (which some compare to the miracle of the exodus from Egypt!) of the very establishment of the state, and the despicable refusal to take part in the festival:
No praise and thanksgiving on the day of its founding; not standing still on Memorial Day (with the imaginary false claim that it is a non-Jewish custom – and it is not!); not to fly its flag
And there are even the "stringent" who scornfully trample on the flag and set it on fire, in order to express their disgust with the Zionist idea.
Many still make sure to recite the Tachanun prayer on the day of the festival (and the zealots even fast when Independence Day falls on the days of the second day after Pesach). No recognition. Not even symbolic. Not even gratitude.
Far-left, pro-Hamas Councilmember Shahana Hanif is suddenly bending over backwards to show support for the Chosen People — now that she’s in a tight challenge against a Jewish primary opponent.
Until just four months ago, Hanif, 33, who reps the 39th district — which includes parts of Brownstone Brooklyn, including liberal bastion Park Slope, but also heavily Orthodox Jewish Borough Park — has almost never bashed Hamas or spoken up for Israel.
But when the Israeli restaurant Miriam was vandalized last week in Park Slope, the councilwoman fired off a statement to condemn the vandalism
“This hateful act threatens the safety of our community,” she wrote on X.
On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, Hanif released a statement of support calling out the terrorist bloodbath — something she rarely does.
Hanif was singing a far different tune before a primary threat emerged in August from Maya Kornberg, a Jewish Democrat who works at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice.
In April 2023, Hanif was one of just two council members to vote against an ‘End Jew Hatred Day’ resolution — calling it a “far right” idea.
In the days after Hamas’ attack Hanif insisted in a since-deleted post on X “the root cause of this war is the illegal, immoral, and unjust occupation of the Palestinian people,” and that “no peace” should be expected.
At a “Cease Fire Now Rally for Gaza” in Bryant Park where Hanif was arrested, hundreds of protestors shouted the anti-Israel chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Another since-deleted X post from Hanif demanded a “ceasefire” just five days after the slaughter in an effort to shut down any military response from Israel.
So far, Hanif, elected in 2022, has raised about $68,000 for the June 24 primary contest, while Kornberg is nipping at her heels with almost $63,000 in the bank, according to campaign finance data.
Rabbi Andy Bachman, a former senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, said Hanif called him to offer support in August after a bookstore in her district canceled a talk from him because he was a “Zionist” — but described her recent outreach “too little and too late.”
“My perspective is as a lifelong proud Democrat, any politician who is unwilling to . . . condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization is simply not fit to lead,” he said.
In a statement Team Hanif said she would “always work to keep all New Yorkers safe by addressing the root causes of violence” and insisted that she had “repeatedly and categorically condemned Hamas.”
They refused to send any past example of her doing so.
*Let's not forget the perfidy of Ezra Friedlander who is a supporter of this Muslim antisemite
In May 2021 Ezra endorsed her saying:
Ezra Friedlander, a Hasidic lobbyist who lives in the district, said he is voting for Hanif because she signaled to him an understanding of the nuances of Orthodox Jewish life, which Friedlander attributed to her being raised as a religious Muslim.
“She understood the financial hardship that entails, she understands kosher food,” he said. “You’re talking about someone who doesn't need a textbook to understand the lifestyle challenges for an Orthodox Jewish family.”
The revelations come as questions plague the Pentagon over why the Army would allow its pilots to train in an area home to the most densely trafficked air path convergences in the country — and as the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited most helicopter traffic in the area as the deadly midair collision continues to be investigated.
The Black Hawk chopper was flying more than 300 feet above the Potomac River Wednesday night when it smashed into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport-bound Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan., as the plane was landing, killing 67 people aboard both aircraft.
Aviation guidelines require helicopters on that route to stay below 200 feet.
President Trump on Friday blasted critics for casting blame on his administration’s recent firing of aviation officials since taking office, pointing out that the issue clearly rested with the Army helicopter’s fatal deviation from the required altitude.
“The Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit,” an exasperated Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”
The collision may have been avoided if the Army had outfitted the Black Hawk with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast device, a relatively new technology that allows air traffic control operators to see an aircraft’s altitude, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Friday’s episode of his podcast, “The Verdict.”
In addition to NBC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio and Politico must vacate their dedicated workspaces. The news organizations found out in a memo sent to the press corps without being individually notified, and an accompanying email included a message that read, in part, “no additional information will be provided at this time.”
“For over a half-century, the Pentagon Press Corps has benefited from working out of individual office spaces that provide coveted and open access to some of the Department’s top military and civilian leaders,” read the memo Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot sent to the Pentagon Press Association.
Two hours later, Keith Siegel was released from Gaza Port. He ascended a stage for a short time, wearing a hat and waving to the crowd. At the transfer point, Hamas gave him two bags. Reports said that one of them was for his wife, Avivah, who was freed in a November 2023 prisoner swap deal.
He was later transferred to the IDF and crossed into Israel, where he met his wife.
Ofer Calderon landed on a helipad at Sheba Medical Center, and when he noticed his friends, he ran to them and waved, to the sound of applause.
The Prime Minister's Office said: "The Government of Israel embraces the returnee Keith Siegel. His family has been updated by the responsible authorities that he is with our forces. The Government, together with all of the security officials, will accompany him and his family. The Government of Israel is committed to returning all of the hostages and the missing."
Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing in the Prime Minister's Office, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch said, "Today, three of our hostages were returned to Israel: Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel. We welcome them with a big embrace. We have made arrangements for receiving them and will assist in their rehabilitation after a long period of captivity."
In exchange for the three civilians, Israel will release nine terrorists with life sentences, and 81 other terrorists who are serving lengthy sentences. However, Hamas' Prisoners Office published a list of 183 names, 18 of whom are serving life sentences, 54 of whom are serving extended sentences, and 111 Gaza residents who were arrested following the October 7 massacre.
In the darkest moments of Jewish history, Hashem sends beacons of light that illuminate the path forward for all of Klal Yisroel. Agam Berger has emerged as such a beacon – a young woman whose story transcends our modern understanding of faith and devotion, embodying the deepest truths of Jewish survival and divine providence.
Raised in secular Israeli society, Agam discovered within herself what Judaism has always known: that the burning flame of Torah lies dormant in every Jewish Neshama. When faced with unimaginable terror, surrounded by resha’im gmurim who sought to destroy not just her guf but her neshama, she made an extraordinary choice. Without any formal Torah education, without the warmth of Shabbos candles in her childhood home, she chose to observe Shabbos in captivity.
This choice reflects the fundamental Jewish understanding that the Borei Olam is not merely the Creator, but the source of all goodness and ethical behavior. When Agam wrote “דרך אמונה בחרתי” (“I have chosen the path of faith”), she wasn’t just making a personal statement – she was connecting to an unbroken chain of Jewish conviction stretching back to Har Sinai itself.
Klal Yisroel’s survival defies historical precedent. While mighty civilizations like the Carthaginians, Incas, and Aztecs have vanished into the melting pot of history, the Jewish people have maintained their distinct identity through two millennia of exile. Agam’s story provides a living testament to this miraculous survival.
Just as the land of Israel lay uncultivated until its people returned – a historical anomaly that points to divine providence – so too did the seed of faith lie dormant in Agam’s soul until the moment of greatest need. The divine synchronicity of her mother simultaneously being drawn to Shabbos observance, miles away and unaware, echoes the words of our Sages: “More than the Jews have kept Shabbos, Shabbos has kept the Jews.”
When Agam’s mother declared she would wait until after Shabbos to reunite with her daughter, she stood in the tradition of countless mothers throughout history who understood that our covenant with Hashem supersedes even the strongest human bonds. Her decision recalls a previous Prime Minister, Menachem Begin’s passionate defense of Shabbos observance: “Shabbos is one of the loftiest values in all of humanity, it originated with us. It is all ours.”
Together with her fellow captives, Agam maintained Jewish dignity through faith under the most trying circumstances. They fasted on Yom Kippur despite their weakness. They refused non-kosher food despite their hunger. In doing so, they joined the ranks of Jewish women throughout history – from Sarah Imeinu to the heroines of the Holocaust – who maintained their faith in the face of overwhelming adversity.
The power of their message lies not just in the acts themselves, but in their source. Here were no scholars or rabbis, but young women who discovered within themselves the eternal truth that Judaism has always taught: that ethical monotheism isn’t just a philosophical concept, but a living reality that demands action. Through their choices, they transformed private suffering into public kiddush Hashem.
Agam’s story reminds us that Judaism’s mission – to declare the concept of God and the obligation to emulate Him in all we do – continues in every generation. In an age of confusion and spiritual darkness, her crystal-clear choice of faith over fear, tradition over trauma, serves as a modern-day illustration of an ancient truth: that within every Jewish soul, no matter how distant they may seem from tradition, lies a divine spark waiting to illuminate the world.
When mother and daughter finally reunited, their first words were not of personal relief but of gratitude to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. In that moment, they exemplified Judaism’s eternal understanding that concepts and ideas are not enough – they must be accompanied by action. Their story has become a living mussar sefer, teaching us that even in our modern world, the path of faith remains as vibrant and relevant as ever.
