“Bar & Baharav-Miara Have Turned The Shin Bet Into The Deep State’s Private Militia”

 Numerous government members responded harshly to the exposure of the shocking report on Tuesday, revealing that Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar threw a senior Shin Bet official into prison for revealing information that embarrassed them.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli stated: “‘A.’ is a hero of Israel – a whistleblower who was willing to take a risk against a pair of dangerous officials. ‘A’ revealed that amid a war, the Shin Bet chief is obsessively spying on a sitting minister; he revealed that the parts published to the public from the Shin Bet’s investigation into the circumstances of the launch of the war present a false and distorted picture – Bar wanted to tell us that the political echelon was responsible for the strengthening Hamas, but forgot to mention that he himself set the rehabilitation of Gaza and the bolstering of its economy as a central goal.”

“None of the information published by A’ meets the definition of secret material or has a speck of risk to state security. On the contrary, non-disclosure of these materials to the political echelon and the public is what harms the security of the state. Bar has already been unanimously ousted by the government, but instead of vacating his position, the man hijacked the organization and its draconian capabilities and turned them into a personal tool for revenge and political persecution, and not for the first time. Israel has never had a more failed, reckless, and arrogant Shin Bet chief in its entire history.”

“Bar and Baharav-Miara act like King Louis XIV, who said: ‘I am the state.’ Bar doesn’t see himself as subject to the government, which means that he doesn’t see himself as subject to the laws of the state that clearly define his subordination to the government and its head. On such a state of affairs, in which the head of a service chooses to ignore his subordination to the laws of the state, Judge Zamir wrote: ‘In this way, control over the service may one day fall into the hands of a person or group of people without restraint, and from here there is only a short step between him and the tyrannical rule of a police state…'”

“I will fight with all my might for the innocence of A’, a loyal servant of Am Yisrael and Israeli democracy, and against the political Stasi of the Bar and Miara duo,” Chikli concluded.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich stated: “This is what a real coup looks like. When a secret intelligence organization uses the draconian powers granted to it for security purposes against elected officials and journalists, while completely losing its checks and balances. When an elected government seeks to remove a failing Shin Bet chief who has betrayed and undermined and the Attorney General and the Supreme Court violently prevent it.”

“The State of Israel is on a slippery and dangerous slope on the way to losing democracy and a dictatorial rule of a security and legal junta. We will not let this pass. We will return the State of Israel to the people.”

“I don’t know who the Shin Bet man in question is, but as far as I am concerned, he is the next Shin Bet chief – the only one in the organization with a spine, a moral conscience, a democratic compass and civic courage to fight the corruption that Ronen Bar brought to the organization and thwart a violent coup.”

The Likud party issued a statement saying: “This morning, another shocking and dangerous affair was exposed in the Shin Bet under Ronen Bar. A Shin Bet member who felt that the organization under Ronen Bar had become a political body was arrested and interrogated in the Shin Bet’s dungeons. Ronen Bar, in full cooperation with the Attorney General, has turned parts of the Shin Bet into a private militia of the deep state that undermines the rule of law and the foundations of democracy.”

“Under the tenure of Ronen Bar and Gali Baharav-Miara, who have a long-standing friendship, the Shin Bet arrests and examines journalists, blackmails a police officer, and opens frivolous political investigations against ministers and Knesset members from the coalition – all in order to prevent Bar’s dismissal.”

“The political investigations must stop immediately. Ronen Bar, who failed terribly on October 7th and has since lost the faith of the entire government, must stop entrenching himself in his position and vacate his position immediately. The men and women of the Shin Bet who are doing sacred work deserve a different boss.”

Trump Blocked Planned Israeli Strike On Iran, Opted For Talks Instead

 

Trump has reportedly blocked Israeli plans to carry out a major strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities this May, instead opting to pursue a high-stakes diplomatic push aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

According to a detailed report by The New York Times, Israeli officials had recently finalized a plan to hit multiple Iranian nuclear sites next month, a coordinated military operation that they believed would delay Iran’s nuclear program by at least a year. The ambitious operation was to include a combination of precision airstrikes and commando raids—one that would require significant logistical and military backing from the United States.

But during an April 3 phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Trump made it clear he would not discuss Iran strategy over the phone. Instead, he invited Netanyahu for an in-person meeting at the White House. There, earlier this month, Trump firmly told the Israeli premier that the United States would not support a strike while negotiations with Iran were underway.

Sources within both governments say Netanyahu had hoped to secure Trump’s approval to move forward with the strike before U.S. Central Command head General Michael E. Kurilla concludes his tour of duty—timing that was considered crucial for operational success. American and Israeli defense officials had been quietly developing scenarios to ensure a potential mission could be carried out with Kurilla still at the helm.

But while some in the administration supported the idea of keeping the military option on the table—among them Gen. Kurilla and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz—others raised strong objections. Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, presented a fresh intelligence assessment warning that the visible U.S. military buildup could provoke a full-scale regional conflict with Iran, a risk the administration was unwilling to take.

Her warnings were echoed by several senior officials in closed-door strategy meetings, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Vice President JD Vance. They all expressed concerns about the likelihood of escalation and the limited effectiveness of the proposed operation, especially given that many of Iran’s most critical nuclear facilities are deep underground or heavily fortified, making them difficult to destroy with commandos alone.

Despite Netanyahu’s strong push—he had reportedly championed a hybrid option combining airstrikes with ground raids—Trump remained unmoved. He reiterated to Netanyahu during their White House meeting that America would not provide the necessary support, at least not while diplomatic talks with Iran were progressing.

The decision represents a calculated gamble by Trump, who is betting on his ability to extract a new deal from Tehran that would curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities without dragging the United States into another Middle Eastern conflict.

For Israel, the message is sobering: If it chooses to move forward, it may have to go it alone.

Dog Reunites With Israeli Family After Disappearing for 18 Months in Gaza

 Rachel Dancyg never thought she would see her dog again after it disappeared in the Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing war with Israel.

Her ex-husband and brother were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel and killed. She thought her beloved pet had suffered the same fate. So when a soldier called the family on Tuesday night, telling them that Billie had been found alive in Gaza, it was hard to believe.

“It’s a miracle,” Dancyg told The Associated Press on Wednesday, hours after being reunited with her now 3 1/2-year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel. “It doesn’t make sense … People didn’t survive. How did she?”

The reunion brought a rare touch of joy in Israel after 18 months of devastating war.

The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 others being kidnapped. Nearly 60 hostages remain in Gaza, more than half of whom are believed to be dead.

An Israeli offensive launched after the attack has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to local health authorities, and reduced large parts of Gaza to rubble. U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire and bring home remaining hostages appear to be at a standstill.

Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit communities, with nearly a quarter of the approximately 400 residents killed or captured in the 2023 attack. For Israelis, it stands out as the embodiment of their country’s vulnerability that day. Soldiers took hours to respond. Some families have said they saw Hamas militants killing or kidnapping animals.

It’s unclear how Billie ended up in Gaza. When Hamas entered Dancyg’s home, she hid in the safe room with her family for eight hours, holding the door shut. But she fled so quickly there was no time to find the dog. For months, the community looked everywhere for Billie, but there was no trace of her.

The family later moved to northern Israel.

Then, on Tuesday night, Dancyg’s daughter received a phone call from a soldier who had just returned from Gaza. He said he had their dog.

“I couldn’t believe it. I asked for a photo. I was really confused,” said her daughter, Lee Maor.

The soldier said he found Billie in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah — about 9 miles (15 kilometers) from the Kibbutz — days earlier, and she immediately gravitated toward his troops, not leaving their side. It might have been because Billie heard them speaking Hebrew, he told them.

Speaking to Israeli television, reserve soldier Aviad Shapira said he found Billie among the rubble and called out to her. “I said ‘shalom’ and she jumped on me,” he said.

He had a feeling that she didn’t belong in Gaza and that there was a story behind her, Shapira said. He brought the dog to a veterinarian and found the family’s contact information on a chip inside the animal.

Stroking Billie on her lap, Dancyg says it will take time to see how the odyssey has affected her. Billie appears happy to be home, but she seems disoriented and has lost weight, Dancyg said.

While Israeli media happily reported Billie’s return, the Nir Oz community reminded people not to forget what the family went through. In a Facebook post, the kibbutz called the reunion a “little light in a lot of sorrow.”

The body of Dancyg’s ex-husband, Alex, 76, was recovered by the army and returned in August. The body of her brother Itzhak Elgarat, 68, was returned earlier this year as part of a ceasefire.

For Dancyg, Billie’s return gives her some sense of closure. Yet she said it is bittersweet knowing there are hostages still in Gaza.

“I can’t get out of this trauma as long as they are there,” she said.

The big tzadik the Rebbe of Mezibuz Counting the Omar!

'Rabbi' defending campus antisemitism While A "goy" Has to Set Him Straight

 

 CNN's Scott Jennings had a tense back and forth with left-wing rabbi Jay Michaelson, who appeared intent on deflecting instances of antisemitism on college campuses last year. 

 While on a panel discussing President Donald Trump's decision Monday to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funds that had been set to go to Harvard University, Jennings said he agreed with the move. 

 Jennings referenced the letter from the government to Harvard sent out last week that in part demanded the private university prevent admitting international students hostile to the American values,' which included 'students supportive of terrorism or antisemitism.'

During the heat of the protests last year against Israel's war in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas, there was a pro-Palestine encampment on Harvard's campus that lasted for 20 days.

'I think that this is all about antisemitism,' said Jennings. 

'I believe that what has happened on these campuses in the Ivy League and in other places, mostly private institutions, has been an abomination. And someone has to stand up for these Jewish kids.'

Michaelson, who is a journalist on top of being a rabbi, said he wouldn't be the one standing up for Jewish students, some of whom were prevented from going to class by protestors at places like UCLA.

'It's not going to be the rabbi at the table and it's not going to be the entire Jewish community and it's not going to be my friends in Jewish Studies who just had their grants canceled,' Michaelson said.

'Until Donald Trump came along and his administration decided to connect federal funds to stamping out the scourge of antisemitism on these campuses, nobody was willing to stand up for [Jewish students],' said Jennings, an alum in the George W. Bush administration.

'I think the American people don't want a private university with a $53 billion endowment to get a dollar while a Jewish kid is being discriminated against on campus,' he added.

Michaelson quickly fired back by saying, 'What a joke. What a complete joke.'

He argued that the Republican party has its own problem with antisemitism, pointing to Nick Fuentes who has promoted white supremist ideologies.

Michaelson also made not-so-subtle references to Elon Musk, who donated nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump's 2024 campaign and subsequently became the head of the cost-cutting DOGE department.

He pointed out that Musk publicly supported German far-right party AfD, which has been accused of using Nazi slogans. Michaelson also reminded the panel that Musk was highly-criticized for doing a 'salute' during Trump's inauguration.

Jennings then steered the conversation back to its original topic, pressing Michaelson on whether he condoned 'what's happening to these Jewish kids' on college campuses.

Michaelson didn't give a clear answer and host Abby Phillip jumped in to reign in her guests who were now shouting over one another.

'Scott, I think the issue is not whether these universities should adjust antisemitism, the question is how is the government using government power to do it,' Phillip said. 

'There is a complete distinction between the university addressing its own problems and the government forcing them to do it in a particular way.'

Jennings hit back: 'If Harvard wants to give up the federal money, you can do all the antisemitism I guess you want at Harvard or any other school.'

The heated cable news clash comes as the Trump administration already brought down the hammer on Columbia University, which last year had to have its pro-Palestine encampment disbanded by NYPD officers in riot gear.

Trump pulled $400 million in federal funding from Columbia in the beginning of March. By March 21, university administrators caved and agreed to change their policies when it comes to student protests.

The university's interim president said in a letter that Columbia will bar protests inside academic buildings. Students will also not be permitted to wear face masks on campus 'for the purposes of concealing one's identity.'

In an effort to expand 'intellectual diversity' within the university, Columbia will also appoint new faculty members to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies department.

Craziest Conversation I ever heard!

 

Jeffrey Melnick Must be Banned From Israel

 

Jeff Melnick of U Mass is a Jew who must never again be allowed into the Jewish state. He’s a pro BDS jihadi lover and symbolic of the sick Jews at U Mass who stand with our enemies. We confirm his name was submitted to Israeli government authorities of those we’d recommend be… pic.twitter.com/d1S1bv1JWY

— Betar Worldwide (@Betar_USA) April 14, 2025

Watch Israeli Mothers Shielding Their Children With Their Bodies During Sirens

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Mehlman (@mehlmansarah)

Pro-Hamas Supporter Tabassum Wyne Calls Police When Offered a "Free Ticket" to Gaza

 

Oakville resident Tabassum Wyne attended a City Hall meeting to oppose a bylaw that would prevent Hamas rallies outside of places of worship when someone offered to get her a ticket to Gaza to help her cause.

A crying Tabassum says she then called @HaltonPolice & reported it as… pic.twitter.com/eoFzETe3so

— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) April 13, 2025

BBC is beginning their “imminent famine in Gaza” cycle again

 

The BBC is beginning their “imminent famine in Gaza” cycle again. Here is every time the BBC said that famine was imminent in Gaza:
9 Oct 2023
12 Oct 2023
13 Oct 2023
18 Oct 2023
9 Dec 2023
22 Dec 2023
10 Feb 2024
21 Feb 2024
22 Feb 2024
27 Feb 2024
3 Mar 2024
4 Mar 2024
5 Mar…

Mark Levin Warns Trump About making any Concessions to Iran!

 

Another diplomatic solution with an Islamist-Nazi Regime that has killed our troops, sought to assassinate our President, has sworn to destroy our country, that funds terrorism around the world, is attempting to conquer much of the Middle East, supplies drones to Russia to kill…

— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) April 15, 2025

A bereaved father has had enough of the "signed letters" refusing to serve and calling to free the hostages at any price,

To all those who blithely signed letters (former air force, intelligence and medical personnel, etc recently signed letters saying that the hostages must be freed even if the price is stopping the war, ed.) against the ongoing war, don’t wave your military-security past in our faces, don’t wave your professions in our faces, you are no more worthy than anyone else in Israel. Your past is irrelevant, and your profession is of no significance.

We have seen enough “emeriti” has-beens who in the name of their military record, pushed us into the blood-soaked, egregious Oslo disaster, we have seen the “intelligentsia” and the “wise experts” who led us to leave the Katif Bloc in the Gaza Strip while swearing that not one rocket would be launched from there and that tranquility would reign at our southern border. It did not quite work out that way. The time has come for a bit of humility.

To my mind, my sweet son Yonatan was killed because of the Oslo Accord adventure and the Disengagement, plans that most of you supported. The spirit of those disasters permeates every line of your letters.

Despite that, I am not accusing you of not valuing my son’s life and the lives of so many others who were victims of Oslo and the Disengagement from Gaza, nor am I accusing your for your naive eagerness to sign agreements with murderers. I am not accusing you of “personal and political interests” that made you advance the vision of the lauded “New Middle East” that collapsed on us.

Don’t you dare accuse me either.

You have opinions, and the right to express your opinions, but you do not have the right to taint me and millions of other people who think differently. You do not have the right to say that we want the war to continue because of a “desire for revenge” – that is a disgusting lie.

And on the same subject:

You do not have the right to say that we are willing to abandon the hostages because of “political and personal interests.” That, too, is an abominable lie. It is a mendacious portrayal of me, and of the government with whose policies millions agree, policies that say that in the name of the sanctity of the lives of the hostages, the citizens and the soldiers, it is incumbent upon us to continue to fight with all our might until the last terrorist is eliminated.

And don’t you dare preach to me about the “sanctity of life.” Believe me, I know what it is to lose someone. I cry for my fallen holy son every day, I want the hostages home no less than you do, but I still think differently than you. Say whatever you wish. Erase the idea of refusal to serve. And stop saying that all the truth and morality is in your hands. It is insulting to those who go out to battle the same as you, it insults others in your profession who do not agree with you. It insults me. Become accustomed to hearing disagreements with respect, even on critical issues, and learn to listen to other opinions.

Leave your echo chamber.

Translation: Rochel Sylvetsky

Haggai Luber is very well known in Israel as an actor, playwright, theater director, acting teacher, and the founder and artistic director of the Aspaklaria Theater and Acting School. He is the father of Yehonatan Hy"d, who fell in batle in Gaza in the Swords of Iron War, leaving a pregnant wife and infant son.

 

Letitia James in a Big "DOO DOO" Referred for Federal Mortgage Fraud Probe

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing a federal referral over alleged mortgage fraud tied to two property deals, according to a letter sent Tuesday by FHFA Director William Pulte.

Pulte alleges James misrepresented a Virginia home as her primary residence in 2023 to obtain a better mortgage rate, just weeks before launching her civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization. He also accuses her of repeatedly misclassifying a five-unit Brooklyn property as a four-unit in official documents to secure more favorable loan terms.

In earlier deals, James and her father were allegedly listed as “husband and wife” on mortgage applications, raising further questions.

Pulte claims these actions could constitute wire fraud, bank fraud, and other federal crimes. James’ office has not responded publicly. The referral comes as her office reviews possible insider trading linked to Trump’s recent tariff pause.

LOL!!! Bernie Sandars with his "oligarchy" Crap

 

We’re not moving toward an oligarchy all THAT rapidly, apparently. pic.twitter.com/953oGwddVd

— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) April 11, 2025

Harvard Refuses to Cave to Trump so he Freezes $2.3 billion in funding ...Obama Crawls Out of HIs cave to Back Harvard!

 

Trump admin freezes $2.3 billion in Harvard funding

US Department of Education freezes $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard University after the school pushed back on demands made by the government, including to clamp down on campus antisemitism.

The Trump administration has halted approximately $2.3 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard University following the school’s refusal to comply with directives from the White House targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, Reuters reported.

According to an announcement on Monday from the US Department of Education, the decision encompasses a freeze on $2.2 billion in grant money, as well as $60 million in federal contracts previously designated for the Ivy League institution.

“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges—that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” stated the department’s task force on combating antisemitism.

While Harvard has not issued a detailed public response to the funding suspension, the dispute marks a significant escalation in tensions between the federal government and elite universities over the direction and governance of campus policies related to diversity and civil rights compliance.

The funding cut was announced hours after Harvard University President Alan Garber announced the university would refuse to comply with the Trump administration's demands on campus protests, diversity programs, and campus antisemitism.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote.

In addition, attorneys representing Harvard claimed that the demands made of the school are illegal and that Harvard “is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”

The Trump administration recently issued a firm ultimatum to Harvard University, demanding sweeping policy changes as a condition for maintaining its access to nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts.

Harvard, like other universities in the US, has seen an uptick in anti-Israel activity since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the war in Gaza which followed. The university has come under fire over its handling of antisemitism on campus.

Just two days after the October 7 massacre, a coalition of 34 Harvard student organizations released a statement in which they blamed Israel for Hamas’ attack.

Later, then-Harvard President Claudine Gay came under fire after she, along with MIT President Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, testified before a congressional hearing on the issue of antisemitism on college campuses.

All three university presidents gave similar answers to Rep. Elise Stefanik in which they failed to unequivocally condemn antisemitism or even calls for genocide against Jews. Gay eventually resigned as President of Harvard.

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and… https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025

Leftists Spread Pitas Outside Home Of MK Idit Silman, Who Left Previous Gvt. Over Chametz Leniencies

 

 Left-wing activists placed dozens of pitas on Monday morning near the home of Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, who left the Bennett-Lapid government two years ago over the issue of allowing chametz (leavened food) into hospitals during Pesach. Silman’s action culminated in the fall of that government and the establishment of the current government of which she is also a member.

A similar incident occurred last year near Silman’s home.

Minister Silman responded to the display:
“Pesach. A street mostly made up of religious and traditional people. These despicable individuals come and scatter pitas all over the street. This isn’t for the hostages. It’s not for democracy. It’s not even for politics.”

“It’s just because they are vile people, lacking basic human values. Zero care for others, zero respect for Judaism, and zero decency. Absolute zeroes. The overwhelming majority of the people are disgusted by them. Happy holiday!”

Media personality Yinon Magal commented:
“If I understood correctly, we’re supposed to be shocked by an insult to Macron, who wants to give terrorists a state in the heart of our country, while we’re laying out pitas in the heart of a religious neighborhood during Pesach?”

Palestinian "Student" Shows Up at Immigration Office to get his US Citizenship Gets Arrested and faces Deportation

 

A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University was arrested Monday at a Vermont immigration office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his U.S. citizenship, his attorneys said.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card since 2015, was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, his lawyers said.

The attorneys said they do not know where he is. They filed a petition in federal court seeking an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian. His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional,” attorney Luna Droubi said in an email.

According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.

The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in “non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion.”

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024. He co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. and graduate student who recently was detained by ICE.

Khalil was the first person arrested under President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. On Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil can be deported as a national security risk.

Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and being led away to a car.

Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could be detained today and that his friend went forward with the appointment anyway.

“And rightfully so, he was nervous for what was going on around him. But he was very much resolute in coming to this interview and coming today because he didn’t do anything wrong and was a law-abiding citizen, or soon-to-be citizen,” Helali said.

Hamas rejects Egyptian ceasefire proposal, refuses to discuss disarming

 

Hamas refused an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire with Israel, citing the requirement that Palestinian factions disarm.

A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera on Monday that Egypt recently presented a new cease-fire proposal that includes a 45-day truce in exchange for the entry of food and shelter into the Gaza Strip.

Half of the Israeli hostages would be released in the first week, the Egyptian plan stipulated. Hamas is demanding that Israel end the war, but Cairo has made it clear in its proposal that any long-term end to the fighting depends on Hamas disarming.

On the other hand, Hamas asserted that its disarmament is not open for negotiation, and that the Israeli military must withdraw from Gaza. They responded by stressing that any agreement must begin with a cease-fire and an Israeli withdrawal, not disarmament, which they say is not up for negotiation. According to the official, the proposal conditions extending the truce and continuing humanitarian aid on the return of all Israeli hostages – both living and deceased – by the end of the 45-day period.

Could it be Possible that the "Rasha" of the Haggada is a Charedie???

 What?

Are you being serious?? 

So before we take this apart, let's ask the time-honored question!

What is really the difference between the "Chacham" and the "Rasha?' 

After all they are basically asking the same question!

?חכם: מה הוא אומר? מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה' אלוקינו אתכם

 "What are the testimonies, decrees and ordinances which Hashem, our G-d has commanded YOU!"

?רשע: מה הוא אומר? מה  העבודה הזאת לכם

"Of what purpose is this work to YOU?"

Yes the Chacham added "Hashem Elokeinu" but he like his brother the Rasha says the word  "YOU" meaning he is excluding himself!

Now, one could possibly say that the "Chacham" is no "Tzaddik" after all the Baal Haggada on purpose doesn't call him a "Tazadik" "righteous' but calls him a "Chacham" "Smart "so it is no wonder that he says "YOU", he is excluding himself as well, he is "Smart" enough to know what would trigger his father at the seder table and so to pacify him, he mentions G-D, that's why he is called "The Chachem" but he is no "Tzadik!" 

The Givonim also said to Yehoshua "Hashem Elokecha" when they were deceiving him!

There are probably a million explanations for this dilemma; every single year a hundred brand new Haggadas are published with another thousand new ideas on what the author of the Haggada meant! 

This year I walked into shul, and a little charedie boy was clutching his homemade haggada which he colored in school. When he got distracted, I picked it up and saw lo and behold 4 cartoons of the "arba banim" ... the four sons! 

The "Chacham" wore a Shtreimel" of course, and the Rasha was wearing a Kippah but was holding a smartphone in his hand! 

Now, I'm confused, because I know that his father has a smartphone. I'm wondering when the child colored the Rasha and made sure that he didn't color out of the lines, if he for one second gave thought that his own father with the Shtreimel could also be a Rasha!

Wow! A Rasha and Chachem all rolled into one!  I am certain that the father did not notice the caricatures of the 4 sons, but if he didn't, someone in the household will, and then what?

Which got me thinking, going back to the question, what is the difference between the Rasha and the Chacham, I thought that there must have been more to the statement of the Rasha that the Baal-Haggada left out! 

To find out what else he could have said, I figured out that the answer must be on how we respond to the Rasha, which would tell me the difference! 

And sure enough, the response is as clear as day!

לכם ולא לו, ולפי שהוציא את עצמו מן הכלל כפר בעקר

He says "To YOU" thereby excluding himself. By excluding himself from the community, he denies the basic principle of Yiddishkeit"

Wow! Pretty strong words "Koifer Be'ikar!" 

The hagadda talks about Paro, talks about Lavan, yet here when we are talking about a "SON" the Baal Haggada uses language that I only saw in the Vayoel Moshe vis-a-vis the Rabbanim that support the Zionists in the Knesset! 

The Baal Haggada doesn't even call Paro a "Koifer"!

So what's up with that?

It looks as if "excluding one's self from the community," which the Shulchan Aruch frames as someone being  פורץ גדר "breaking the fence," is called a Rasha!

 Shloime Hamelech says in Koheles פורץ גדר ישכנו נכש ..... "A snake should bite a poirtz geder"

The "Chacham" the smart one, though he too took himself out of the community, the tone of his question was possibly not as defiant, and by adding "Hashem our G-d" ...the father gave him the benefit of the doubt, but know that he is no "Tzadik!"

What does all this have to do with us??

Those of us who live in Israel ran to the shelters yesterday on the first day of Pesach! In fact, fragments fell in Chevron!

We are still at war with savages that want to kill us all, only because we are Jews! 

Just over the weekend, an Imam based in Jordan told the entire world that the war has "nothing to do with land," it is about killing all infidels, and he added that if the Jews gave back the entire Land of Israel, it would still incumbent on Muslims to either convert them or to murder them! The only ones that don't believe this Imam, is the Israeli Left, Satmar, Neturi Karta and BMG in Lakewood 

Last week, the week before Pesach, people on the local chats were asking families to invite the widows and orphans of this war for the seder. They were asking people to invite the "Living" widows the living "orphans" whose husbands and fathers will not be at the seder because they are at the front! All the Dati publications were asking families to not forget them and include them.

However, I perused the Hebrew Yated, the Chareidie Chadash, Hapelas, etc and couldn't find an honorable mention of the widows and orphans! In fact reading the Charedie news media, you would not even know that we are at war! They are totally disconnected! Not only won't they do anything to help the country that is so good to them, not only won't they show Hakaras Hatoiv to those on the front, they call them  "Garbage Cleaners" 

They are being "moitzeh themselves from the klaal"; they are excluding themselves from the community, they are being פורץ גדר

וכאן הבן שואל

 What is the difference between the Chacham and the Rasha?

If You are Going To Protest Don't Wear a Sheitel!

 

Dreams do come true 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/m8Hqn4ZFQN

— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) April 12, 2025