Trump says no exemption for iPhones and other Chinese-made electronics

 

President Trump settled the debate over the tariffs on iPhones and other Chinese-made devices — saying that there is no “exemption” and that new duties are coming.

“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook,'” Trump said on Truth Social Sunday. “There was no Tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’”

“We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.”

Late in the day on Friday, Trump’s team filed a rule that exempted a myriad of electronic devices from the president’s steep “reciprocal” tariff on Chinese imports to the US.

The ruling appeared to grant a reprieve for Apple and other consumer electronics makers, who were facing tariffs of up to 145% under Trump’s sweeping new rules.

More than 80% of Apple products are assembled in China, according to data from Evercore ISI. Apple CEO Tim Cook has courted close relations with Trump amid the tariff push.

Even before Trump upped the ante on China, experts were suggesting that top iPhone models could increase in price to $2,300 under the tariff regime.

Prior to Trump’s clarification Sunday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly explained that electronics being imported from China will soon face their own unique tariff.

“So what he’s doing is he’s saying they’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two. So these are coming soon,” Lutnick told ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.

“All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they’re going to have a special focus type of tariff to make sure that those products get restored.”

Last Wednesday, as Trump’s suite of customized “reciprocal” tariff rates were set to go into effect, the president abruptly reversed course and announced a 90-day pause while his team negotiates new deals with various countries. Trump remarked that people were “getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid” as markets cratered amid tariff fears.

Trump kept the 10% baseline tariff on virtually all imports in effect and announced a 125% tariff against goods and services coming in from China. White House officials clarified that China will still face a 20% tariff announced earlier this year due to fentanyl concerns, which brings the total rate on most Chinese imports to 145%.

Will Trump let Iran stall its way into going nuclear?

 

All the cut-a-nuke-deal-with-Iran enthusiasts are marveling that Tehran’s negotiator deigned to meet face-to-face with President Donald Trump’s envoy on Saturday, and agreed to meet again a week later.

Huh: Sure looks the Iranians still mean to drag the talks out until they’ve already gone nuclear; Trump needs to ensure Steve Witkoff doesn’t get sucked into the illusion of progress.

Tehran has already enriched enough uranium to weapons-grade to build multiple nuclear weapons; it only needs to play for time.

Yet the regime is more vulnerable than it’s been in decades, its Hamas and Hezbollah proxies eviscerated after going to war against Israel while US strikes are now defanging its Houthi paws — even as it has lost its Syrian puppet with the ouster of the Assad clan.

Meanwhile, renewed sanctions threaten to spark outright rebellion even as “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nears death with an uncertain succession.

And Tehran’s direct exchanges of strikes with Israel have eviscerated its air defenses.

Trump rightly would rather Tehran verifiably dropped its nuke-quest than act militarily to end the nuke threat, but the regime needs to move a lot faster to offering detailed hard commitments to a full squad of US experts, and not get away with empty symbolic concessions.

The Obama crew handed Tehran a full decade with the 2015 deal; all Iran’s negotiators need do now is stall a month or three and they can go nuclear on Trump’s watch.

Don’t let Witkoff get snowed.

Victims of upstate NY plane crash ID’d as family members heading for Pesach Celebration

 

Dr. Michael Groff, Karenna Groff, Dr. Joy Saini, and James Santoro (left to right) were identified as victims of the small plane crash in upstate New York on April 12, 2025.

A family of doctors and high-achieving student athletes were among six people killed when a small plane crashed in a muddy field in upstate New York over the weekend.

The Groff family – neuroscientist father Michael Groff, urologist mother Joy Saini, their MIT-grad daughter Karenna and her boyfriend James Sontoro – were all killed Saturday when the private Mitsubishi MU-2B they were travelling in smashed into the ground in Copake, not far from the Massachusetts border, Sontoro’s father confirmed.

Son Jared Groff, along with his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, also died, according to the Times Union. 

A third child of the Massachusetts doctor couple, daughter Anika, was not on the plane. 

The Groffs were headed to the Catskills aboard Michael’s private jet for a birthday and Passover celebration when the tragedy struck.

“They were a wonderful family,” John Sontoro said. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We’re all personally devastated.”

His son was also an MIT graduate and worked in finance, while Karenna was studying medicine at New York University after being named the NCAA woman of the year in 2022 for her soccer and academic achievements at MIT.

“Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women’s soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,” she said in an interview after earning the prestigious sports award.

Dr. Groff was an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and also served as the executive director of neuroscience at Rochester Regional Health, the Times Union reported. He was also an experienced pilot. 

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved family members,” a statement from the surviving family read. “We will remember them as the six brilliant, dynamic, and loving people that they were.”

The family departed from a White Plains airport Saturday morning and was due to land at the Columbia County Airport around noon.

But the plane’s pilot alerted air traffic controllers that they’d missed their approach and were requesting directions for a second attempt – when the tower indicated a “low altitude alert” and then lost all contact with the plane.

Within moments, the small plane crashed in the field, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Albert Nixon said at a press conference Sunday.

The federal agency is continuing to investigate the accident.

Slonomer Rebbe Bringing his Followers Back to the Stone Age ...calls to divest from email

 DIN: It is unclear whether the next step would be to prohibit emails altogether. Today, you cannot possibly function without emails. 

The Slonim Hasidic community announced on the eve of Passover the cessation of its weekly email service that had operated for about a decade.

The move was made under the direct instruction of the Rebbe and as part of a broader struggle against the dangers of technology.

The last email sent to hundreds of followers on the eve of the holiday contained the following message: "At the request of several individuals, from the Shabbat before the weekly Torah portion 'Vayigash' of 5774, and weekly ever since, we have provided updates every Shabbat about good news, community announcements, the 'Chayenu' organization, and charity funds; we did not hold back from emphasizing the importance of donations to the Land of Israel."

"We have received guidance from our esteemed Rebbe, and we did not refrain from executing his holy words immediately. From now on, this weekly announcement will no longer be sent," the last message stated. "As we received reward for doing it, we will be rewarded for stopping, and we will lack for nothing."

This is an unusual step even within the Haredi framework, as the email service is seen as a 'clean' communication channel that does not require internet browsing.

In many Haredi communities, dozens of public computer points provide access to email only, and it serves as a central communication tool for transmitting community information, happy events, and announcements..

Trump & Israel have Iran leaders shaking in their boots

 

Nearly 20 years ago, Henry Kissinger established the rules for decoding the push and pull of Iran’s foreign policy. Iran, Kissinger famously said, had to decide whether it is “a country or a cause.”

His challenge revolved around the question of whether the ayatollah and his government were pragmatic in dealing with other nations, or militarily fanatical in a quest to spread their Islamic revolution. 

The ensuing years of regional terrorism, threats of war against America, Israel and Arab nations and oppression at home provide mountains of evidence that Iran is not interested in normal statecraft. 

Indeed, the history is so one-sided that the current despot, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, doesn’t even pretend to be concerned about anything other than Islamic supremacy. 

Yet much of the world, including recent American presidents and the usual suspects in Europe and the United Nations, have found it convenient to assert that the answer to Kissinger’s challenge remains elusive.

Fortunately, America now has a president who is calling B.S. on claims that Iran is anything but a terror state. 

Most important, Donald Trump is prepared to end the charade once and for all. 

His public position is that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

That’s dramatic in itself, but his private bottom line is even more so. 

Revealed here for the first time, Trump’s position is that Iran’s leaders either destroy their nuclear facilities, or the US, likely with Israel’s help, will do it for them by taking military action. 

That’s his offer, and no other options are on the table, the president tells confidants. Certainly there will be no more agreements requiring international inspections that rely on Iranian honesty and compliance.

Nor will there be any tolerance for Iran’s enriching uranium at levels that have no use other than nuclear bombs.

Penn Governor Josh Shapiro’s home set on fire while his family slept

 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate the governor’s mansion after an arsonist set it on fire overnight while they were sleeping, he announced.

The blaze broke out just hours after the governor posted a picture of his family celebrating the first night of Passover on Saturday, ABC 27 reported. 

The arson attack remains under active investigation, police said. 

“Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg,” Shapiro wrote on twitter.

“The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” he added.

The fire was deemed as an “act of arson” and caused a “significant amount of damage” to the residence, according to Pennsylvania State Police.  

Fortunately, Shapiro and his family were sleeping in a different part of the home from where the fire was located, police added.  

The high profile Democratic governor is seen as a possible top contender for the White House in 2028, and was strongly considered as Kamala Harris’ running-mate in 2024.

Investigators are offering a $10,000 reward for tips that lead to the arrest of a suspect. 

The Governor’s Residence stands at 2035 North Front Street and has served as the home of eight governors and their families since 1968. 

Bye Bye Khalil! Immigration Judge ruled Friday that the U.S. can deport him!

A Louisiana immigration judge ruled Friday that the U.S. can deport Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil based on the federal government’s argument that he poses a national security risk.

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans made the determination at the end of a nearly two-hour hearing. Khalil can appeal the ruling.

Khalil, who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the school, was detained by federal immigration agents on March 8 in New York and transferred to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana.

Khalil’s lawyers have challenged the legality of his detention, saying the Trump administration is trying to crack down on free speech.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he can deport Khalil because his presence in the U.S. threatens the country’s foreign policy.

 

Why is Mahmoud Khalil being deported?

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explains it perfectly clearly! pic.twitter.com/obEjSIFLKA

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) April 12, 2025

והיא שעמדה - שוואקי ויונתן רזאל

 

Zera Shimshon Parshat Tzav & Pesach

 

Hamas Terrorist Behind Hostage Parade Eliminated

 

The IDF and Shin Bet have announced that 11 terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel were eliminated in recent airstrikes in Gaza.

In a major overnight development, the Hamas terrorist who paraded Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi and others on stage during grotesque propaganda events has been eliminated. The terrorist was a leader of Hams’s feared “Shadow Unit”—the elite division responsible for guarding and managing hostages in Gaza.

According to the IDF, nine of these terrorists were killed during the initial wave of strikes on March 18, when Israel restarted its military operations against Hamas. These individuals were directly involved in the brutal killings and kidnappings of Israeli civilians and soldiers during the October 7 attacks.

The military identified the nine terrorists killed on March 18 as:
• Hassan Naam, responsible for abducting Sgt. Shaked Dahan.
• Ismail Shakhshah, who murdered civilians, threw grenades at the Re’im Junction shelter, and launched a surface-to-air missile.
• Jalal Qaraan, who took part in the murder of hostage Inbar Haiman, attacked the Nova festival and IDF bases, and recorded himself killing two civilians.
• Mohammed Isa, who stormed Kibbutz Mefalsim and joined the massacre.
• Mohammed Sakar, who attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz during the onslaught.
• Mohammed Shabki, Fares Qarshin, Yahya Astal, and Mohammed Astal, all of whom infiltrated Israel and took part in the attack.

The IDF also reported that two additional terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 assault had been killed in earlier airstrikes:
• Mohammed Asfor, involved in desecrating the bodies of Col. Asaf Hamami, Staff Sgt. Tomer Ahimas, and Sgt. Kiril Brodski during their abduction.
• Khaled al-Din, who murdered civilians at the Nova festival and stole property belonging to Erick Peretz and his 16-year-old daughter Ruth, both of whom were killed.

Dumbest Member of Congress, says Americans can't afford housing or food due to Trump's immigration policies

 

WATCH: Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the dumbest member of Congress, says Americans can't afford housing or food due to Trump's immigration policies

"No one's entitled to a student visa it is not a birthright."

 

SEC. RUBIO:

 "No one's entitled to a student visa. The press covers student visas like they're some sort of birthright."

Cornell and Northwestern to see nearly $2 b. frozen in Trump’s antisemitism crackdown

 

Cornell and Northwestern Universities have joined five other schools in the Ivy League in facing steep funding cuts from the Trump administration, ostensibly over their handling of campus antisemitism.

Both schools have Jewish presidents. In Cornell’s case, Michael Kotlikoff, who was recently promoted from interim to permanent president, has broadcast confidence about the climate for Jewish students as the Trump administration has embarked on a routine of penalizing schools in order to force policy concessions.

Kotlikoff recently spoke to Jewish publications and penned a New York Times column about his belief that universities can stick to their values while still ensuring freedom from harassment.

“We’ve had a relatively peaceful two semesters this year,” he told JTA earlier this month as part of his media campaign.

Staples employee refuses to service a Jew because ‘Zionism is racist’

 

Ryatt, an employee at Staples in LA, openly discriminated against a Jewish woman and refused to print postcards about Jewish joy, citing his belief that Zionism is “racist.”

Meet Ryatt — an employee at Staples on Wilshire in LA who openly discriminates against Jewish women and then tries to explain to a religious Jew what Judaism “really is.”

Ryatt refused to do his job to print postcards about Jewish joy because he thinks Zionism is “racist.” He… pic.twitter.com/pYGkIe6o3y

— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) April 8, 2025

Photo of Family of 5 Moments Before Boarding Ill-Fated Hudson River Helicopter

Minutes before they were killed 

 

JUST IN: Helicopter with 4 people on boards plummets from the air and crash lands in the Hudson River.

This is bizarre. What could cause this?pic.twitter.com/cCJFGVgfbu

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 10, 2025

  New York City Mayor Eric Adams says a family of Spanish tourists, including three children, died Thursday in a helicopter crash in the Hudson River that killed six people.

Adams said all of the dead have been recovered and removed from the water.

The helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the river between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront. It was the latest high-profile aviation disaster in the U.S., following other recent accidents in Washington and Philadelphia.

A tragic helicopter crash into the Hudson River near Manhattan on Thursday afternoon has claimed the lives of six people, according to an Associated Press source. The New York City Fire Department received an emergency report at 3:17 p.m. about a helicopter down in the water, and rescue units were quickly dispatched to the scene.

Videos posted on social media showed the helicopter mostly submerged and upside down in the river. The fire department confirmed it had dispatched rescue craft to the area, with multiple boats seen circling the wreckage. Emergency crews also rushed to the location, which is near the end of a long maintenance pier for one of the ventilation towers for the nearby Holland Tunnel. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles were stationed along streets close to the scene, with their lights flashing.

The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but the incident highlights the risks associated with the dense air traffic over Manhattan, which is home to several helipads used for both commercial and private flights. The city regularly sees a mix of private helicopters, business flights, and tourist helicopters flying over the river.

This crash is the latest in a series of aviation tragedies over the years in the area. Notably, a plane and helicopter collision over the Hudson River in 2009 resulted in the deaths of nine people. In 2018, a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed into the East River, killing five.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s crash.

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.