Trump weighs ban on Iranian diplomats from Costco

 The Trump administration is considering imposing travel restrictions on the Iranian delegation at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City, including bans on shopping at membership-based wholesalers popular with economically-isolated governments.

The Associated Press reported on an internal U.S. State Department memo, which details potential restrictions on delegations from Iran, Brazil, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

The report comes after the department announced last week that it was denying visas for officials from the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization, including Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who was scheduled to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level debate week, which begins on Sept. 23.

The AP reports that discussions on Iranian restrictions are ongoing.

The United States, as the U.N. host country, typically must agree to provide visas to visiting diplomats but has made exceptions based on national security.

More often, it has instead granted visas but restricted travel to the U.N. district, which is a defined area including the U.N. headquarters and the surrounding neighborhood. This provision has often been applied to visiting Iranian officials.

The internal memo indicates the Trump administration is considering banning the Iranians from shopping at stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club without obtaining permission from the State Department.

Iranian diplomats are known to shop at such wholesalers to purchase items in bulk and at discount rates that aren’t available back home due to sanctions and other economic restrictions.

The memo reportedly stated that the department was weighing broader wholesale club membership restrictions on foreign diplomats posted in the United States.

 

Jewish Leaders Cancel Meeting With Macron Ahead of UN Assembly

 

French President Emmanuel Macron had planned to meet with senior leaders of the American Jewish community on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but the meeting has been canceled, i24NEWS reported.

The cancellation was attributed to scheduling conflicts with the Jewish High Holidays and widespread opposition within the community. Groups considered for the meeting included AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, and the American Jewish Committee. Sources said community leaders were concerned that a photo opportunity with Macron could be used to bolster his image, despite disagreements over his positions on Israel, rising antisemitism in France, and France’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state.

While Macron may still meet with some individual representatives in the future, the report noted that the broader American Jewish community would not have welcomed the visit.

UNBELIEVABLE WATCH! Emily Austin, an American journalist goes deep to uncover the story of October 7th

We hope this video helps viewers understand the destruction and the causes of war.

 Sometimes it’s easy to become numb because we keep hearing about the war in Israel, but it’s incredibly important to recognize the real damage it has caused._

 

What's happening to Jews Around the World!

 

Horror Stories of How Ashkenazi Principals Treat Sfardie Girls

 

Testimonies came out this week regarding the deep discrimination faced by Sephardic-haredi girls seeking to enroll in high schools run by Ashkenazic haredim.

L., a 13-year-old student, described the difficulties she has experienced since being rejected from high school.

"I've been at home for six months, since around the exams; we're waiting for something to happen," she described to Channel 13 News.

L. also shared that during the application process, she was asked illegal questions about where her father prays and whether her brothers attend Ashkenazic or Sephardic yeshivas.

"The principal told me that I am 'a complete waste.' and that even if Rabbi Ovadia [Yosef] himself came, she would not accept me," she added. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was a former Sephardic Chief Rabbi and a revered Torah scholar and authority on Jewish law. He passed away in 2013.

According to L., the educational institution even demanded that she change her family name, which she refused to do.

In another testimony, Michal, mother of a number of children, agreed to the institutions' demand and changed her family's name to something "that would sound more like one of ours and less Sephardic."

"I tried to change it for two children, and it was accepted," she said. "I think I did the right thing for them. They're doing well, they're accepted, they're happy."

At the same time, she expressed pain over the act, saying, "It hurts me that some of my children have one family name and some have another family name. We're the same family."

Yael, mother of two girls who have no school placements, described, "The worst thing I've gone through in my life is to see my daughter sitting at home and silent."

According to Yael, her older daughter was left without a school placement for half a year, which prevented her from being able to register her younger daughter for school.

"My daughter was accepted into four good schools in Jerusalem, but the Haredi Education Department decided to say no," she said. "For what and why would they leave a girl at home for six months? She's a girl who excels in her studies, she excels socially."

Criticizing the proposed separate solutions, she accused: "Why is [Shas chief] Aryeh Deri going to open a Sephardic Seminar Yashan? Whoever wants to create Ashkenazic schools that are for Ashkenazis only can open a private school. If you live off our taxes - schools should not be by ethnicity. The creation of Sephardic-only schools will not solve the problem. Our goal is not to perpetuate the discrimination."

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Terrorist who bragged about murdering 10 Israelis to his mommy is eliminated

The face of evil

The terrorist who bragged about murdering 10 Israelis during the October 7 massacre, Mahmoud Afana, was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah on Thursday.

The chilling conversation in which he repeatedly boasted about the killings was revealed two and a half weeks after the massacre during a United Nations Security Council discussion.

Then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen released a recording of Afana speaking with his parents: “I’m talking to you from a Jewish woman’s phone. I killed her and her husband; with my own hands, I killed 10,” he told his father. Afana had called from the phone of one of the victims, whose body was later recovered during searches in the Gaza envelope area.

In the recording, he continued: “Dad, 10 with my own hands. I’m inside Mefalsim, Dad, I killed 10. Their blood is on my hands. Give me Mom.” His mother replied: “Oh my son, may God protect you.” Afana insisted: “I swear, 10 with my own hands, I killed 10 with my own hands.” His mother said: “May God bring you back safely.” Afana added: “Dad, get back on WhatsApp, I want to do a live broadcast for you from Mefalsim.”

His mother encouraged him further: “I wish I were with you.” Afana replied: “Mom, your son is a hero.” At that point, his brother joined the conversation, asking: “You killed 10?” Afana confirmed: “Yes, I killed 10, I swear.”

The brother asked if he was in Zikim; Afana responded: “I’m in Mefalsim, not in Zikim. I’m the first to enter, under the protection and with help of Allah. Raise up your head, Dad.”

His brother urged him to return to Gaza, to which Afana replied: “Return? There’s no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I return? Open WhatsApp, see how many are dead. How I killed them with my own hands.”

 

New York Supreme Court, Citing New Legislation, Rules Yeshivos Can keep their Students to be dummies ..and Cannot Be Shut Down

A New York Supreme Court granted a decisive victory today to schools that had been deemed “nonequivalent.” This development in the decade-long substantial equivalency saga — predicated on legislation advocated for by Agudath Israel and others — allows parents in these schools to exhale once more, and can have broader positive implications for yeshivas long-term.

In May 2025, all parents of six schools received a foreboding letter from New York City stating that their child’s school:

“shall no longer be deemed a school which provides compulsory education… effective June 30th, 2025, all services at the school for your child will be discontinued, including special education and related services. Given that your child will no longer be able to attend this school, a decision must be made about what school your child will attend for the 2025-2026 school year and you must notify the New York City Department of Education of where your child will be enrolled by July 1st 2025.” [emphasis added]

The letter continues by describing how parents will proceed if their child attends public school in 2025-2026.

This legislative session, new language, fundamentally redefining how nonpublic schools can satisfy “substantial equivalency,” became law.

SED had argued that all schools can opt in to the new legislation, except for schools that had already been deemed nonequivalent prior to the legislation’s enactment. The court refuted SED’s claim, calling it “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.” The court further rejected SED’s argument that the schools cannot avail themselves of the new legislation because, by being non-equivalent, they are “non-schools,” and thus are ineligible to make a selection.

This case may have long-term implications if, in the future, any school is declared non-equivalent. Based on this ruling, a school can still choose to avail itself of a pathway. The “non-school” argument was soundly defeated.

The Agudah congratulated Steven Barshov, Esq., of Barshov Law PLLC, who represented the yeshivas and parents in this case.

 

Jewish Orgs Urge Shuls And Schools To Apply For Federal Security Funding – But Crazy Leftist Jews Are Boycotting The Program

 

Six of the country’s most influential Jewish organizations are urging shuls and other Jewish institutions to apply for $274 million in federal security grants. However, a growing number of progressive groups and congregations are vowing to boycott the program, citing conditions they say betray Jewish values.

The clash centers on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), a Department of Homeland Security initiative long championed by Jewish leaders to help houses of worship and nonprofits harden defenses against rising antisemitic violence. But new terms under the Trump administration—requiring grantees to support federal immigration enforcement and avoid diversity-related programs—have prompted liberal Jews to say they don’t want to participate in the program.

In a rare joint statement issued Tuesday, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Anti-Defamation League, and three security-focused agencies—Secure Community Network, Community Security Initiative NY, and Community Security Service—urged all eligible institutions to apply.

“While we are aware that questions have arisen on the part of certain religious institutions regarding the current year’s program criteria, our organizations strongly urge all eligible institutions to apply for this critical resource,” the groups wrote. “We are in regular contact with government officials who have affirmed their continued commitment to protecting the safety of all faith-based institutions and the values they hold.”

The groups say that applying now keeps options open, noting that the conditions only take effect if funds are accepted, and that Trump administration messaging around enforcement rules has been inconsistent.

At the same time, dozens of progressive Jewish organizations—joined by pro-Palestinian advocacy groups and several synagogues—have publicly pledged to boycott the program.

“We are committed to upholding our communal values and will not comply with these repressive conditions,” reads an open letter signed by Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, IfNotNow, Jewish Voice for Peace, and others.

“Jewish safety requires inclusive democracy and inclusive democracy requires Jewish safety. We do not comply so we will not apply,” “Rabbi” Jill Maderer of Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia posted on Facebook.

Another “rabbi,” speaking anonymously, described the grant conditions as “money being given to us on condition that we violate a specific mitzvah”—welcoming the stranger. “I don’t see how we can possibly accept that money,” he said, citing fear for refugee members of his congregation.

Trump officials have made no effort to downplay the political nature of the changes. In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, DHS declared it would “no longer fund grant projects that don’t align with President Trump’s priorities,” explicitly rejecting “DEI agendas” and “illegal aliens in our country.”

Created in 2004 and dramatically expanded after the Tree of Life massacre in 2018, the NSGP is the primary federal vehicle for shoring up the security of religious institutions at risk of extremist violence. Funds cover cameras, fencing, barriers, guards, and other protective measures.

Justice Department Exploring Gun Restrictions for Transgender People as they Shoot Up America

 

Federal officials are considering whether to restrict firearm ownership for transgender individuals, according to the AP and people familiar with internal Justice Department discussions.

The talks come in the aftermath of last month’s Minneapolis Catholic school shooting, which investigators say was carried out by a transgender suspect. While no formal proposal has been made, senior officials have been weighing whether existing federal law — which bars people deemed mentally unfit from owning guns — could be applied to individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

The Justice Department said in a statement in response to questions about the firearms talks that the agency is “actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders.” But, the department said: “No specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.”

Some conservative figures have coalesced around the idea of restricting guns for people diagnosed with gender dysphoria — the unease a person may have because their assigned gender and gender identity don’t match — through a federal law that bars people from possessing firearms if they are “adjudicated as a mental defective.”

Zera Shimshon Parshat Ki Teiz´e