Colombia appoints allegedly fake anti-Zionist rabbi an antisemite as director of religious affairs

  The Colombian Jewish community is reeling after an anti-Zionist rabbi was tapped to be the country’s director of religious affairs.

Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar was appointed to the post in Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, according to an announcement Gamboa made on X last Thursday.

He thanked Petro for “the opportunity to serve excluded and marginalized religious minorities from the Directorate of Religious Affairs, in the construction of a just and peaceful Colombia for all.”

But Colombia’s Jewish community does not recognize Gamboa as a rabbi, and Jewish groups have condemned him as an antisemite. He reportedly received his ordination from a Florida institution called the Esoteric Theological Seminary that advertises rabbinical degrees for $160. Gamboa’s LinkedIn displays an ordination certificate from the seminary.

Marcos Peckel, executive director of the Confederation of Jewish Communities of Colombia, expressed outrage over the appointment. Gamboa’s appointment comes after Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel last May, accusing the country of commiting genocide in Gaza, an accusation Israel has denied.

“This man refers to Zionist Jews as heretics, apostates, and Nazis. That’s how he talks about us,” Peckel told The Media Line. “A person who speaks this way cannot be entrusted with the religious freedoms of Jewish citizens.”

Colombia’s Chief Rabbi Alfredo Goldschmidt also rejected the appointment of Gamboa, telling The Media Line, ““We’ve had very good experiences with past religious affairs directors, usually evangelical leaders who respected all faiths. Gamboa has no such support—not from Jews, evangelicals, nor Catholics. He’s had clashes with all.”

Gamboa has castigated Israel and Zionism online. In a post on X in February, he wrote that Israel is a “neo-Nazi state” and said that “Zionism is an anti-Jewish, idolatrous, and apostate heresy.”

The Anti-Defamation League joined the chorus of Jewish groups denouncing the appointment, posting on X that his appointment would “threaten religious freedom and the security of Colombia’s Jewish community.”

The ADL also accused Gamboa of having “ties to extremist groups.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a release that he and the ambassador representing Iran, Israel’s chief adversary, have had a close relationship.

Gamboa defended himself in another post on X, writing, “In the last 48 hours, my human rights have been violated in Colombia: religious freedom, right to honor and a good name, freedom of conscience… they have done so publicly and in my capacity as a HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER!”

The ADL also accused Gamboa of having “ties to extremist groups.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a release that he and the ambassador representing Iran, Israel’s chief adversary, have had a close relationship.

Gamboa defended himself in another post on X, writing, “In the last 48 hours, my human rights have been violated in Colombia: religious freedom, right to honor and a good name, freedom of conscience… they have done so publicly and in my capacity as a HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER!”

Yoel Zimmerman Who Trained His Children to Yell "Yemach Shmoi" on Gedoilim Dies at 45

 

Yoel Zimmerman, a Satmar Chusid who cursed everyone from the Lubavitcher Rebbe to Rav Shteinman has met his Maker! 

VOTE IN WZO ELECTIONS NOW ! Progressive Left-Wing groups push to take control of Israel’s national institutions

 

The battle over the World Zionist Organization is heating up, with progressive left-wing groups attempting to control national institutions in Israel. Yaakov Hagoel, one of the leaders of the World Likud–ZOA 15 coalition, says: "I call on the national camp to vote and help shape the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish people".

With elections for the World Zionist Congress set for the end of the year, a fight for control is heating up. Left-wing organizations—including the Reform Movement, Brothers in Arms, Meretz, and an affiliate of Yesh Atid—are pouring tens of millions of shekels into a campaign aimed at shifting control of Zionist institutions to the left.

One of the central institutions at stake is the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), where the ongoing political struggle has pitted right-leaning and left-leaning representatives against each other. The left has tried to block KKL’s support of the settlements beyond the Green Line. One recent example: at the start of the war, left-wing groups attempted to prevent KKL from funding emergency defense units in Jewish communities across Judea and Samaria. That attempt was ultimately blocked thanks to the persistence of current KKL chair Ifat Ovadia-Luski, a Likud representative in the national institutions.

While left-wing organizations have, even during wartime, staged protests abroad against the Prime Minister, lobbied the Biden administration to sanction Israeli citizens, and in some cases even supported protests against the war itself, the ZOA-15 coalition stands in stark contrast. Led by World Likud and represented by Yaakov Hagoel—currently serving as Chairman of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization—the ZOA-15 coalition has been rallying support in the U.S. for the State of Israel, the Israeli government, the IDF, and Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.

Recently, left-wing representatives also opposed the Israeli government’s request for help from the World Zionist Organization in supporting the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which provides aid and support for released hostages and their families. Their opposition failed due to strong pushback from the right-wing coalition.

"These elections, taking place during a time of war, are critical for Israel and the Jewish people", Yaakov Hagoel says. "They will determine the direction we take, whether it’s the national path that I and my colleagues in World Likud–ZOA 15 champion, or the path of the progressive left".

He added: "Every Jew over 18 in the U.S. is eligible to vote. The process is entirely online. You fill out a form, pay five dollars—what we call the ‘Zionist shekel’—and confirm you’re a real person. You also sign a declaration that you believe in the principles of Zionism, didn’t vote in the last Israeli election, and are a Jew over 18. We’re asking voters to support party number 15, ZOA—a respected, long-standing, experienced, and ideological organization working on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of Israel".

Evil French President Emmanuel Macron reveals plans to recognize a Palestinian state within months

 

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that France intends to formally recognize a Palestinian state in the near future, with the decision potentially being made public during an upcoming international summit in New York.

Speaking to France 5 television following his visit to Egypt, Macron stated, “We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months.”

The French leader said his country is working with Saudi Arabia to co-host a conference in June focused on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict. Macron stated that the event could serve as the platform for “finalizing this movement of mutual recognition (of a Palestinian state) by several parties.”

Explaining his motivation, Macron said, “I will do it (...) because I believe that at some point it will be right and because I also want to participate in a collective dynamic – which must also allow all those who defend Palestine to recognize Israel in turn, which many of them do not do.”

Macron emphasized that recognizing a Palestinian state would also clarify France’s opposition to groups and governments that deny Israel’s legitimacy. “Such recognition would allow France to be clear in our fight against those who deny Israel's right to exist – which is the case with Iran – and to commit ourselves to collective security in the region,” he stated.

The announcement was met with approval from the Palestinian Authority (PA). Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, the PA “minister of state for foreign affairs”, told AFP the move “would be a step in the right direction in line with safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people and the two-state solution.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Macron’s announcement, saying, “A ‘unilateral recognition’ of a fictional Palestinian state, by any country, in the reality that we all know, will be a prize for terror and a boost for Hamas.”

“These kinds of actions will not bring peace, security and stability in our region closer - but the opposite: they only push them further away,” he added.

The PA has long urged countries to recognize “Palestine” as a means of bypassing direct talks with Israel.

While several countries have recognized “Palestine” in recent years, those moves were symbolic ones that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.

More recently, Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state in May of 2024.

In June of that year, Slovenia officially recognized a Palestinian state, after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move.

Former Hostage Liri Albag responds to attacks against her: Let’s fight our enemies, not each other

 Liri Albag, who was freed from captivity in Gaza, responded on Wednesday to the attacks against her online after she blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure of October 7.

In a post she published, Albag wrote, "I read the comments, I read the threats I received, the curses. And I’m scared. I’m not scared of the comments themselves, I’m not scared to meet one of the people who wrote such things to me. I’m scared of what we’ve become."

She continued, "Wishing someone to be in captivity? I wouldn’t wish that on my enemies. Mocking my weight? It reminds me of those terrorists who laughed at me, who made sure to remind me every day that I’m fat. Promising me death and revenge? Wish that on Hamas and our enemies, not on me."

Albag stressed that her words were not politically motivated, "because I don’t understand politics!" but added, "Yes, the entire defense establishment, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the heads of the defense system, military intelligence – they’re all guilty – don’t worry, I told them that in our meetings too!"

Regarding Hamas’s responsibility, she stressed, "Of course, first and foremost, Hamas is to blame for the nightmare this country is going through. I never forget that terrorist organization for a moment, and I personally want to take revenge on it. Hamas is the enemy!"

She continued, "I didn’t think I’d get such responses from people in the nation of Israel. And you know what’s the hardest part? This division is worse than our enemies. This is not how we win! We have more important wars to fight, there are human lives at stake."

Albag sought to emphasize her support for the soldiers, writing, "You have no idea how much I appreciate the IDF soldiers and security forces. How much I admire the soldiers who have been wounded in body and soul! You have no idea how much it hurts me for every soldier or civilian who fell in this war for our country and for the hostages. I know quite a few of those who fell – they’re my friends!"

In conclusion, she wrote, "Spare yourselves. It’s a shame that this is what will be written for you on Judgment Day. It’s better to use your time for prayers and actions for the peace of the country, the peace of IDF soldiers and security forces, and the return of all the hostages. It’s better to direct this poison at Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, and the many enemies we have. As the Jewish people, who have been attacked time and again, from Egypt until today, let’s fight our enemies and not each other."

"You’ll never understand what we went through there. And I don’t wish for you to understand! I wish us all health in body and soul, happy lives, and success. Am Yisrael Chai."

Later on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Liri and her parents, Shira and Eli.

“During the conversation, the Prime Minister encouraged Liri, expressing appreciation for her resilience and bravery during her captivity under Hamas,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Liri thanked the Prime Minister for the moving conversation, for his courageous decision to secure her release and that of other hostages from captivity, and asked him to continue working to bring everyone back,” the statement said.

“The Prime Minister sought to strengthen her in the face of the attacks she has been experiencing through various media outlets in recent days. In addition, the Prime Minister told her that Mrs. Netanyahu and he had maintained continuous contact with her family, that he is working to return all the hostages, and that he would be happy to meet soon with her and her fellow lookout soldiers who returned from captivity,” it concluded.

135-year-old Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan closes for good

 According to an announcement, the hospital officially closed at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, calling the closure “part of our ongoing transformation downtown.”

Brendan Carr, Mount Sinai’s CEO, sent out a staff-wide letter on Tuesday night announcing the move, according to amNY, which stated the hospital’s emergency room — its only operational department — would finally close for good.

“To some, the closure of a building may seem like a natural part of doing business, but I know how much this building meant to so many of you,” the letter read.

The hospital system also announced the opening of a new urgent care center two blocks from the former Beth Israel.

Mount Sinai has sought to close the 700-bed hospital since 2019, saying a lack of patients has led to the facility hemorrhaging $150 million a year, and that there was no viable way to staunch the bleeding.

Following the first year of the pandemic, the plans were temporarily shelved, but were revived in 2023.

But the move faced stiff opposition from the community, which feared that yet another downtown hospital closure could imperil health outcomes for residents in the area. 

Downtown New Yorkers have seen two other major hospitals close their doors for good: Cabrini Medical Center in 2008, and St. Vincent’s in 2010.

Health policy advocate Lois Uttley said on social media that Mount Sinai was “leaving a huge swath of Lower Manhattan with no community hospital” — and called the hospital system’s suggestion that patients seek care elsewhere “unacceptable.”

It’s unclear what will happen to the building that once housed the hospital.

Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, who represents the east side of Manhattan in Albany, told NY1 that whatever replaces it needs to benefit the neighborhood, adding that “we have a lack of beds in Lower Manhattan.”

In 2023, when the hospital began diverting stroke patients to other facilities, the Democrat accused Mount Sinai of violating the law during its closure plan, claiming that the state health department never approved “a plan for closure or service reduction.”

“You’re closing a key component of the medical system in Manhattan. It will impact patient care. A stroke can’t be reversed,” Oren Barzilay, the head of the union that represents FDNY-EMS workers, said at the time.

In August, a group called the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel Hospital filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai, claiming that the real reason behind the closure was to claim billions in real estate value following the site’s sale.

“Once this hospital is closed,” the lawsuit read, “it will be impossible to reopen.”

An appeals court judge tossed the case in a Tuesday ruling, but the group plans to file a motion with the state’s highest court in another attempt to fight the closure, according to reports.

Daring! Israeli Businessman Saves Three US Citizens, Including A Jew, From Execution In Congo

 In a story more reminiscent of a spy movie than reality, three American citizens—one of them Jewish—who had been sentenced to death in Congo were released and returned to the U.S. this week, following a dramatic operation led by Israeli-American businessman Motty Kahana. Behind the scenes, there was intense and dangerous international activity that ended with an emotional landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.

The three—Marcel Malenga (21), Tyler Thompson Jr. (21), and Benjamin Reuven Zalman-Polun (36)—were arrested for their involvement in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s president, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, last year. While awaiting execution, Kahana—who has previously conducted rescue operations in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Syria—worked tirelessly to change their fate.

In March, Kahana arrived in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, together with two former U.S. State Department businessmen and members of CIA special units. The goal of the visit: to negotiate the prisoners’ release. Kahana described the trip as “three of the scariest days of my life,” after signs became clear that the Congolese hosts weren’t planning to play by the rules.

Despite what initially seemed like a warm welcome—including a meeting with Congo’s National Security Advisor—things quickly took a turn when their passports were repeatedly requested. Kahana suspected a trap, and indeed, American embassy representatives warned: “The Congolese are looking for an excuse to arrest you.” Their escape—nothing short of a thriller—happened at the last moment, as military forces attempted to stop their plane on the runway.

Although Kahana didn’t meet directly with the Congolese president, his mission wasn’t in vain. A friend of his had visited Kinshasa beforehand and delivered the message Kahana had planned to convey. Last week, the three Americans were notified: their death sentences had been commuted to life imprisonment, and they would be transferred to serve their sentences in an American prison.

Trump Honors The Lubavitcher Rebbe on Education and Sharing Day

 In a heartfelt tribute, the White House and President Donald Trump have proclaimed Education and Sharing Day USA, celebrating the enduring legacy of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the revered leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The proclamation, shared via White House and POTUS, highlights the Rebbe’s profound influence on education, compassion, and moral clarity, while also reflecting on the President’s personal visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel—the resting place of Rabbi Schneerson—on October 7, 2024, marking the first anniversary of the devastating Hamas attacks in 2023.

In his statement, President Trump recounted the emotional and spiritual significance of his visit to the Ohel, where he sought guidance from the Rebbe’s timeless teachings.

 “On the first anniversary of the brutal October 7, 2023, attacks, I visited the Ohel of Rabbi Schneerson and drew spiritual guidance and replenishment from his voice and message,” he said. Joined by family members of American hostage Edan Alexander and Auschwitz survivor Jerry Wartski, the President described the experience as a poignant reminder of the persistent threat of antisemitism. “There, praying with the family members of American hostage Edan Alexander and Auschwitz survivor Jerry Wartski, I was personally reminded of the horrors of antisemitism. My commitment to combating it is unwavering,” he affirmed.

The President also emphasized his administration’s efforts to address the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks, which he described as “murderous and criminal” acts perpetrated by Hamas. “My Administration has made great strides in bringing home all hostages captured during the murderous and criminal Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and to securing peace and stability for the Jewish people in their homeland and around the world,” Trump stated, underscoring his dedication to both the safe return of hostages and broader regional stability.

The proclamation concluded with a call for national reflection on Rabbi Schneerson’s teachings, with President Trump and the First Lady encouraging Americans to embrace the Rebbe’s values. “The First Lady and I encourage all Americans to reflect upon the Rebbe’s teachings. His inestimable dedication and unwavering example have become woven into the very fabric of our Nation and its character,” he said. “His memory remains a blessing to the world.”

This tribute not only honors the Rebbe’s contributions to education and community-building but also reaffirms the administration’s resolve to confront antisemitism and support the Jewish people, drawing inspiration from a leader whose legacy continues to resonate globally.

Kevin O'Leary calls for 400% tariffs on China

 

"Xi can only stay the Supreme Leader if people are employed."

"America is the #1 economy on earth with all the cards. We will not have that forever. It's time to squeeze Chinese heads into the wall."

Kevin O'Leary calls for 400% tariffs on China. pic.twitter.com/8bDrttjsBw

— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) April 9, 2025

Douglas Murray eloquently breaks down the absurdity of anyone defending Mahmoud Khalil.

 

Douglas Murray eloquently breaks down the absurdity of anyone defending Mahmoud Khalil. pic.twitter.com/loqNf8Dy7i

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 8, 2025

Caroline Glick wipes the floor with Tucker Carlson

 

Tucker Carlson, we in Israel have great respect for American patriots, and certainly count your audience among them.
I want to remind you that Israel has never, and will never ask for American boots on the ground.
When our nations confront our shared enemies together, we do so… pic.twitter.com/oQRZGk1VUL

— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) April 8, 2025

Trump Revokes Funding From Maine Dept of Corrections After They put "A giant, 6-foot-1, 245 pound guy in a Ladies Prison Because he identified as a woman

 

🚨 #BREAKING: Trump administration REVOKES all nonessential funding from the Maine Department of Corrections after they allowed a man in a woman's prison.

WHOA!

"A giant, 6-foot-1, 245 pound guy, who committed a double m*rder with a knife... he identified as a woman!"

"They… pic.twitter.com/D4hOGiS9Y3

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 8, 2025

Trump Wants to Know how Adam Schiff's Fat Face Can Sit on a Finger?"

 

🤣HOLY SMOKES! President Trump just demolished Adam Schiff on stage:

"We call him watermelon head. How can that big, fat face stand on a neck that looked like this finger? It is the weirdest thing. Nobody can understand it. He’s a degenerate.”
pic.twitter.com/TFiNluHMjC

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 9, 2025

SENATOR KENNEDY: IF IRAN GETS A NUKE, ISRAEL WILL SLAP THEM TO PLUTO

 

Jamaica Hospital Switched Long Island Man At Birth

 A New York man is suing a Queens hospital after a shocking DNA test revealed he was switched with another baby at birth and spent over six decades unknowingly living with the wrong family.

Kevin McMahon, of Selden, alleges that Jamaica Hospital’s negligence led to him being sent home with the wrong parents—a mix-up that went undiscovered for 60 years, according to a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court.

The revelation came in late 2020, when McMahon’s sister, Carol Vignola, submitted her DNA to Ancestry.com. The results raised red flags when they showed no genetic connection to Kevin.

Instead, they linked her to a man named Ross McMahon, who coincidentally shared Kevin’s birthday–May 26, 1960–and birthplace–Jamaica Hospital.

Further digging revealed that Ross and Kevin were born just hours apart and their birth certificate numbers were consecutive. Eventually, DNA tests confirmed what seemed unthinkable: the two men had been switched at birth.

The lawsuit, filed in November 2021, accuses Jamaica Hospital of negligence and medical malpractice. McMahon claims the hospital failed to properly monitor and identify newborns, sending them home with the wrong families — a mistake he says caused “great emotional mental anguish, distress, pain, and agony.”

Even more devastating, McMahon says he was denied the chance to meet his biological parents, who both passed away before the truth came to light. The lawsuit also notes that he was raised in an “emotionally abusive” home — a life he believes could have been avoided had the error not occurred.

McMahon is seeking damages in an amount that exceeds the jurisdictional limits of lower courts. The case remains pending in Queens.

Daily Voice has reached out to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for comment.

Click here to read the full complaint.

See Attachment

Trump’s given Iran a way out from impending war—they can do it the easy way or the hard way

 

“To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war,” Winston Churchill reportedly said. 

We will soon know if Iran agrees.

The talks scheduled for Saturday between Iran and the United States are shaping up as a crucial test of the mad mullahs’ intentions. If they are hell-bent on building nuclear weapons, war is inevitable.

It would be war with Israel and probably with America, too. For Iran, that means taking on the Little Satan and the Great Satan simultaneously. 

That’s what the crazy mullahs always said they wanted. If it hasn’t occurred to them yet, soon they will realize what a colossal mistake they have made. 

“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” President Trump said recently. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

Nothing subtle about that!

A deal or destruction

The president, who revealed the planned weekend talks while meeting Monday in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said, “I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. 

“The obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or frankly that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it,” he said. “So we’ll see if we can avoid it . . . It’s getting to be very dangerous territory.”

The talks, to be held in Oman, will be direct negotiations, the president said, but Iran later said the talks would be “indirect,” meaning with a mediator. 

Either way, Trump’s bottom line is the absolute right one: Iran must dismantle its nuclear program and not just pretend to abide by restrictions and inspections aimed at preventing it from building a nuclear weapon.

Those were the major terms of the 2015 deal Barack Obama and Europe crafted, and Trump wisely canceled it during his first White House tenure because it lacked solid verification procedures and penalties. 

Because Iran was cheating on nearly every aspect of the deal and playing hide and seek with inspectors, there was no way to know with confidence what it was really doing.

Almost as bad, Iran was using billions of dollars Obama had unfrozen to fund its nuclear program and its terror proxies. Talk about a lose-lose. Naturally, Joe Biden foolishly aimed to reverse Trump’s reversal by trying to coax Iran back into another soft deal and even withdrew or stopped enforcing oil and banking sanctions to sweeten the offer. 

He also paid a reported $6 billion for the return of five American hostages. 

In return he got bupkis, demonstrating his fecklessness on the global stage. Thanks largely to his chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, our adversaries didn’t fear him, Iran included. 

Federal agencies Spent $4.6 BILLION worth of taxpayer dollars towards furniture in the past 4 years.

 

Outraged New Yorkers tossed garbage from their windows onto pro-Hamas demonstrators below.

 

18 months into the war, just 25% of Gaza tunnels are destroyed

 

A security source on Wednesday morning said that the IDF has destroyed around 25% of Hamas' tunnels in Gaza, Channel 12 News reported.

According to the report, the defense echelon believes that there is a significant number of smuggling tunnels which cross from Gaza into Egypt.

Earlier this year, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Philadelphi Corridor will remain a buffer zone, similar to those in Lebanon and Syria.

"I saw with my own eyes more than a few tunnels which penetrate the Philadelphi," he said. "Some of them are closed and some are open. We had information that Hamas, during the ceasefire, planned to attack soldiers and towns."

Last year, The New York Times reported that that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar approved a $225,000 project to install blast doors to protect vulnerable sections of the tunnel network a year before the October 7 massacre.

According to the report, prior to the massacre, Israel focused on tunnels that were dug under the border with Gaza but largely ignored the tunnels being dug entirely within Gaza, allowing Hamas to build a vast network it has used to avoid unwanted confrontations, stage ambushes, travel in secret, and hide many of the approximately 250 hostages who were kidnapped on October 7.

Experts said that this vast tunnel network is the reason Israel has not yet succeeded in its stated goal of dismantling Hamas, as the terrorist group's forces would stand little chance against the IDF if they were forced to fight entirely aboveground.

Despite Lacking Authority On Issue: Supreme Court Freezes Shin Bet Chief’s Dismissal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday evening issued an interim order freezing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s dismissal after 11 hours of deliberations over an issue it has no authority over.

Israeli law clearly authorizes the government to dismiss the Shin Bet chief.

Meanwhile, the court granted the government an extension until April 20 for the government and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to reach an “acceptable and creative solution” – and if one is not found, the Supreme Court will issue a ruling. The court also ordered the government not to announce a replacement for Bar or interview candidates for the position until a compromise is reached or a ruling is issued.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded to the ruling by stating: “The panel of judges repeatedly stated in the hearing that there is no dispute over the government’s authority to remove the head of the Shin Bet from his position. Therefore, the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the end date of the Shin Bet head’s term by ten days is puzzling.”

“The Attorney General’s goal is to prevent Ronen Bar’s dismissal in any way possible for a long time, under the pretext that there is an active investigation [Qatargate]. It is inconceivable that the government of Israel would be prevented from removing a failing Shin Bet head from his position simply because of the opening of an investigation that is not related to any of the government ministers. On the contrary – such a result would allow any failing Shin Bet head who wants to remain in office to open an investigation against anyone connected to the office of any of the ministers, thereby preventing his dismissal.”

The office noted: “The Prime Minister will continue to interview candidates for the position of head of the Shin Bet.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi responded to the ruling by stating: “No! The government must obey the law! Duty of allegiance to the State of Israel and its laws (!) not to an unconstitutional and unauthorized order.”

“The ‘creative solution’ is very simple: Ronen Bar will end his term on April 10.”

“This is our duty: to protect democracy and the security of the state. These are the checks and balances sometimes required to balance the judicial authority. If not in such a case of harming the security of the state, where is the red line? Right of return for Palestinians? Abolishing the Jewish state and turning it into a state of all its citizens? What is democratic about the absolute rule of Yitzhak Amit???”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded by calling on the government to boycott Bar. “The Supreme Court allows itself to harm the security of the state, and we have the responsibility to prevent this. I call on the Prime Minister not to summon Bar to discussions and not to work with him, not to enter into any negotiations with the Attorney General to find an ‘acceptable compromise.’ “We have a responsibility for the continued functioning of Israel’s security, and the arrogance of the judges must not tie our hands in a time of war.”

Trump-Netanyahu Meeting Yields Little Progress on Trade Dispute

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s second meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this year, while warmly staged, appears to have fallen short of delivering concrete results especially on the pressing issue of trade tariffs.

Following their first encounter in February, members of Netanyahu’s coalition loudly celebrated the meeting’s success. This time, however, there was near-total silence. The lack of public praise is telling, particularly in an Israeli political climate where positive spin is rarely withheld.

One of the major disappointments came in the form of Trump’s refusal to reverse the newly imposed 17% tariffs on Israeli goods. When pressed on the issue, Trump casually replied, “Maybe yes, maybe no.” With Netanyahu sitting beside him, the Israeli leader was left to meekly point out that Israel does not impose tariffs on the United States a comment that, while factual, underscores Israel’s one-sided vulnerability in the new trade dynamic.

This raises broader concerns about the future of Israeli-American economic ties. Netanyahu has suggested that the trade imbalance where Israel exports more than it imports from the U.S. will somehow be corrected. But he has not clarified how this will happen. Will Israeli exports shrink, or will U.S. goods be pushed into the Israeli market? Businesses and economic leaders in Israel remain in the dark.

Equally disconcerting to many Israelis was Trump’s public announcement that he intends to open direct negotiations with Iran. This marks a dramatic pivot for a president who, during his first term, exited the Iran nuclear deal at Netanyahu’s urging. Now, Trump is proposing a new engagement strategy an ironic reversal of roles that must be unsettling for a prime minister who has spent years warning the world about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

To be sure, the Trump-Netanyahu meeting wasn’t entirely without value. Trump reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to self-defense in Gaza and issued a stern warning to Iran. Yet these gestures were largely symbolic. They may boost morale, but they do little to address Israel’s growing economic concerns or to contain Iran’s regional aggression in a meaningful way.

In the end, the meeting produced more headlines than substance. While Netanyahu sought strategic reassurance and economic relief, he left Washington without either. For Israeli leaders and citizens alike, it’s a sobering reminder that even close friendships in politics can carry sharp limits.