( JNS) Air-raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and Israel’s central region on Sunday afternoon, warning of incoming Hamas rocket fire from the Gaza Strip for the first time in four months.
The Israel Defense Forces’ Iron Dome aerial-defense system intercepted several projectiles, with blasts being reported across Tel Aviv, Petach Tikvah, Herzliya and Ramat Hasharon.
Sunday’s rocket fire reached as far north as the Sharon region, sending residents in the city of Kfar Saba running for shelter for the first time since the war started on Oct. 7.
At least two people were lightly wounded while running to a protected space, according to the Magen David Adom emergency response service. Both were evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack minutes after it happened, saying it had fired a “large barrage” towards Tel Aviv.
The IDF announced that “following the alerts that were activated a short time ago in the center of the country, eight launches were detected that crossed from the Rafah region into [Israeli] territory.”
According to a report by the Kan News public broadcaster, the rockets were fired from a Hamas position located “hundreds of meters” away from Israeli troops.
On Jan. 29, Hamas last fired rockets towards the Tel Aviv area, sending millions racing for shelter. The launches came shortly after the IDF expressed optimism in the wake of a decrease in the number of attacks.
Israel’s War Cabinet on May 6 decided to “continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas to promote the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war.”
The Rafah operation, which Israel estimates will last around two months, is being carried out in stages as opposed to a full-scale invasion. The phased nature of the operation allows for it to be paused should a hostage release deal be reached with Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated repeatedly that conquering Rafah is essential to winning the war against Hamas. Israel says Hamas’s final four battalions, comprising some 3,000 terrorists, are holed up in the city, as well as the terrorist group’s senior leadership.
U.S. President Joe Biden has frequently made clear that his administration does not support a major offensive in Rafah. Instead, the White House favors a limited operation aimed at attacking high-value Hamas targets and securing the Gaza-Egypt border.
Travelers move through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of Memorial Day, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
(AP) — A record was broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekend for the number of airline travelers screened at U.S. airports, the Transportation Security Administration said Saturday.
More than 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, surpassing a previous record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the transportation security agency.
“Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA tweeted. “We recommend arriving early.”
The third busiest day on record was set on Thursday when just under 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports.
In Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport had its busiest day ever. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport broke a traffic record on Thursday when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened at security checkpoints. The second busiest day followed on Friday when 109,960 people were screened, according to the TSA.
With 104.6 million passengers, the Atlanta airport was the busiest in the world last year, according to Airports Council International.
U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set last summer.
AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — 38 million of them taking vehicles.
The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.
In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May.
Jason Redman, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Associated Press last year that he honors the friends he’s lost. Thirty names are tattooed on his arm “for every guy that I personally knew that died.”
(A7) Violent clashes broke out over the course of Lag Ba’omer, which began Saturday night and lasted until nightfall on Sunday, after hundreds of visitors to Meron insisted on being admitted to the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, despite the legislation and military orders otherwise.
התיעוד הקשה שמגיע כעת ממירון בו נראה אדם מבוגר נדחף באלימות (נפצע כשהוא מדמם בראשו ופונה במצב לא טוב ע”י מד”א) קרה מסיבה אחת ברורה – שכל העיתונאים החרדים נקנו בכסף!!!!
ואין מי שידווח ממירון שום כלום. pic.twitter.com/1tWnKJf8Tx
Due to the security situation and the frequent rocket fire from Lebanon towards Meron, the Knesset approved legislation limiting the celebrations in Meron this year to thirty people, and the IDF declared the area a closed military zone.
Ignoring these, hundreds of people still attempted to breach the mountain, leading to violent clashes at the scene.
Footage released Sunday night shows police officers pushing an elderly haredi man who wished to pray at the site, and throwing him to the ground. Sources in Meron said that the elderly man suffered injuries to his face. The National Security Ministry said that the report is being investigated.
(A7) Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced that he will run for president following the unexpected death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this month, Iran International reported.
The Dolat Bahar Telegram channel, run by Ahmadinejad supporters, posted a video of him addressing followers on Saturday, saying, “There are rapid changes taking place, not just in Iran but in the world, and I am hopeful that we will soon see the sweet changes.”
Ahmad Alireza Beigi, a member of the Iranian parliament, told ILNA, “If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad runs for president, he will win.”
“Ahmadinejad must be assured that the Guardian Council will approve him for candidacy because if he signs up and is disqualified, it will have dire consequences,” Alireza Beigi added.
Ahmadinejad served as Iran’s President between 2005-2013, and is considered a religious conservative and extremist.
A total of 20 candidates, including Iran’s former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have announced that they will compete in the elections, but before they can do so, they must receive approval from the Guardian Council.
Iran will hold elections to replace Raisi on June 28.
(A7) A group of 33 travelers, including orphaned children and their guardians, was stranded at Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday after their flight was cancelled due to a missile barrage on central Israel, Israel Hayom reported.
All of the children were orphaned during the October 7 massacre, and some of them lost siblings and other relatives in addition to both parents.
The Iberia flight was supposed to take off for the first lap of a trip to Mexico, where the children were scheduled to enjoy a trip under the auspirces of the OneFamily organization for terror victims and paid for by donations, but the airline canceled the flight at the last moment, following the sirens.
Despite efforts, the organizers did not succeed in reaching the Israeli representative for the airline, and the children and their guardians have been left in limbo.
Some of the children told Israel Hayom that the representatives at Ben Gurion Airport are not responsive, and that they have been sitting in the airport waiting for an answer, not knowing if a solution will be found which would allow them to continue on their trip to Mexico. Various airlines have attempted to find solutions, but due to space limitations, there is a limit on the number of tickets available on each flight, and the group has not yet found a solution.
“We are here, the children are sad and crying, my heart hurts to see them like this,” the representatives of OneFamily said. “These are children who lost at least both of their parents, and there are those who also lost siblings and other relatives, it really hurts.”
The group is missing its connection flight from Madrid to Mexico, and the delegation is trying to find creative solutions, such as splitting up the group and taking different flights, so that they can begin the trip they waited so long for.
Rashida Tlaib in 2018. Credit: Stephanie Kenner/Shutterstock
By World Israel News Staff
Rashida Tlaib, the Democratic congresswoman representing Michigan’s 12th congressional district, and the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan took part in a radical anti-Israel conference over the weekend which honored multiple terrorists and featured an appearance by the wife of a Palestinian terrorist responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of an IDF soldier.
A Sitting-Member of Congress, Rashida Tlaib was a Speaker yesterday at the “People’s Conference for Palestine” which was Funded and Supported by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Communist-Terrorist Group which is Headquartered in the Syrian Capital of… pic.twitter.com/K5QP0FebvI
On Saturday, Tlaib made a surprise appearance at the three-day People’s Conference for Palestine, an event held in downtown Detroit from Friday through Sunday.
In addition, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud appeared at the conference via video.
How can people in the US support Palestine?
By creating a crisis for their ruling class.
At the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, Mohammed Nabulsi from @palyouthmvmt, argues that movements in the West must make continued support for Israel politically untenable. pic.twitter.com/8B0VRw0VwR
Congresswoman Tlaib made an impromptu address at the conference, taking aim at President Joe Biden while accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
“Where’s your red line, President Biden?” Tlaib asked, while accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a “murderous war criminal.”
Wife and daughter of Palestinian terrorist Walid Daqqa get heroes welcome as they arrive at The People’s Conference for Palestine in Washington D.C.
The convicted terrorist spent 38 years in an Israeli prison for commanding the PFLP terror group, that abducted and killed an… pic.twitter.com/i0iQRHCvH8
“Just imagine — war crimes,” Tlaib continued. “President Biden, I hope you hear us loud and clear.”
The conference’s Saturday session also included an appearance by Sana Daqqah, widow of Walid Daqqah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist who orchestrated the kidnapping, torture, and murder of 19-year-old IDF soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984.
Cult of Palestine:
Students draped in keffiyehs appear possessed like a cult as they chant in unison “Students United will never be defeated” as they attend The People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, Michigan.
Daqqah, an Israeli citizen, died in prison last month, after being diagnosed with cancer.
In her speech, Daqqah accused Israeli authorities of murdering her husband.
Professor Lara Kiswani teaches Race & Resistance Studies at San Francisco State University. At the People’s Conference for Palestine this weekend, she explained why defunding the police and the police abolition movement is in solidarity with Palestine.
“Walid was martyred in the Israeli Zionist prisons,” Daqqah said. “We have no doubt that there was a decision that was taken by the prison authorities to assassinate Walid.”
Aside from Walid Daqqah, speakers at the conference lauded multiple Arab terrorists, with some openly advocating for violent attacks on Israelis.
Attendees cheered references to Iran’s massive drone and ballistic missile attack on Israel on April 13th.
An Israeli tank during operational activity in the Gaza Strip, May 25, 2024. Credit: ID
(JNS) The Israel Defense Forces will continue to press its offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza in order to free the hostages held by Hamas and destroy the terrorist group, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday.
“Our goals in Gaza are emphasized here in Rafah: to destroy Hamas, return the hostages and maintain freedom of operation,” Gallant stated during a visit to troops fighting in the last remaining Hamas stronghold.T
“Regarding the hostage issue—we are making tremendous efforts and will continue to do so, via both physical activities and by reaching agreements,” added the defense minister.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to troops during an operational situation assessment in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, May 26, 2024. Photo by Ariel Hermoni/IMoD.
Gallant told troops, “Remember, your job is to eliminate Hamas, to win this war. Our job is to take it [your achievement] and take it to the next level in Gaza and across the Middle East. These issues are connected.”
Israeli officials insist that the military operations in the enclave are being conducted in conformity with Friday’s International Court of Justice ruling.
Bombardments continued on Sunday in the central and eastern sections of Gaza’s southernmost city, including the shelling of entrenched terrorist elements in the Yabna refugee camp, the Palestinian Shehab News Agency reported.
Sunday also saw a 12-rocket barrage fired by Hamas terrorists in Rafah at central Israel, triggering sirens in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas for the first time in four months and reaching further north to the Sharon region. Most of the projectiles were intercepted or hit in open areas, with at least one civilian lightly wounded by rocket shrapnel in Herzliya.
Shortly before the afternoon salvo, the IDF said that two rocket launchers in the Rafah area aimed at Kerem Shalom in southern Israel were struck overnight Saturday.
Since Friday, Israeli forces had eliminated a terror cell in Rafah that fired at troops and killed other terrorists who attempted to attack soldiers, located and destroyed several tunnel shafts and seized weapons caches, according to the IDF.
An IDF soldier during operational activity in Rafah, southern Gaza, May 21, 2024. Credit: IDF.
The ICJ, the U.N.’s principal judicial arm, ruled by 13 to 2 on Friday that the Jewish state must “immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
In her dissenting opinion, ICJ Vice President Julia Seubtinde said that South Africa, which brought the case before the court, had failed to present substantially new facts on the ground in Rafah.
The court shouldn’t attempt to “micromanage” Israel’s military operations, wrote Seubtinde, noting that the Jewish state has been increasing aid flow into Gaza and that the court hasn’t previously required a sovereign state to allow outside observers in during a war.
“Israel’s ongoing military operations in Rafah are part of the broader conflict initiated by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israeli territory, killing citizens and abducting others,” wrote Sebutinde. “To maintain its judicial integrity, the court must avoid reacting to every shift in the conflict and refrain from micromanaging the hostilities in the Gaza Strip, including Rafah.”
Speaking with Channel 12 News on Saturday, Israel’s National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi noted that the court’s ruling does not require Israel to halt its operation in Rafah.
“What they are asking us is not to commit genocide in Rafah,” said Hanegbi. “We did not commit genocide and we will not commit genocide,” he added.
Israel has a right to self-defense under international law, he continued, “And the evidence is that the court is not preventing us from continuing to defend ourselves.”
Another Israeli official was quoted by the Times of Israel as saying that the phrasing of the ruling was conditional.
“The order in regard to the Rafah operation is not a general order,” the official said.
Israel began a limited operation in the eastern part of Rafah on May 6, taking operational control of the border crossing with Egypt as well as the section of the Salah al-Din Road in the city. Israeli forces have killed terrorists, seized weapons and unearthed hundreds of tunnels in the city so far, including 50 smuggling tunnels crossing into Egypt.
The operation has recently expanded to other areas of Rafah, including Yabna, Brazil and Shaboura.
According to the IDF, nearly a million noncombatants have been evacuated from the city to humanitarian zones.
After opposing a full-scale invasion of Rafah for months, including threatening to withhold arms shipments, the Biden administration softened its stance last week after being presented with evidence that Jerusalem was addressing its humanitarian concerns.
Jerusalem insists that the Rafah operation, where four of Hamas’s six remaining battalions are entrenched, is essential to defeating the terror group, which has vowed multiple repeats of the Oct. 7 atrocities.
The four Hamas battalions in Rafah are Yabna (South), Shaboura (North), Tel Sultan (West) and East Rafah.
Israeli forces are also still active elsewhere in the Gaza Strip, with the Air Force attacking more than 50 terrorist targets across the enclave over the past 24 hours and ground forces killing terrorists in central Gaza and locating dozens of rocket parts and weapons in a munitions warehouse next to a school complex in Jabalia in northern Gaza.
פעילות כוחות צה”ל ברחבי הרצועה נמשכת; אותרו עשרות רכיבי רקטות במחסן אמצעי לחימה שמוקם בתוך מתחם בית ספר בג’באליא>> pic.twitter.com/NTEWkTEVPs
“This is further evidence of the Hamas terrorist organization’s systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure for its military activities,” the IDF said.
On Sunday afternoon, the IDF announced that a soldier of the Kfir Infantry Brigade’s Netzach Yehuda Battalion died from wounds sustained during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip last week.
Staff Sgt. Betzalel Zvi Kovach, 20, from Jerusalem, was wounded last Wednesday when a Hamas sniper opened fire at troops who were operating in the Beit Hanoun area of northeastern Gaza to root out the remaining terrorists entrenched there.
New York Mayor Eric Adams said that NYC Public Schools has begun a full investigation into how the “vile show of anti-Semitism” took place at Hillcrest High School in Jamaica Hills, Queens. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
By Ian Hatchett(Breitbart)
During an interview with RUSA Radio on Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) stated that “we have normalized antisemitism” in a way that wouldn’t be tolerated if it was directed towards another group and there’s been “acceptance even in some of our major media” and an attempt to downplay campus antisemitism.
Adams said, “We’re witnessing a rise in hate across the globe in general, but specifically, after October 7, we witnessed a sharp increase in antisemitism, and we’re clear that New York City has no room for hate. If there’s antisemitism, anti-Sikhism, Islamophobia, anti-African Americans, no matter what the group, we must remain consistent.”
He continued, “What troubles me the most is that we have normalized antisemitism. We would not tolerate any other group being called for the destruction of that group or using very hateful terminologies [for] that group. We would not stand for that. And I’m seeing a normalization of antisemitism in New York, as well as across the globe, particularly through social media, and I think there’s a level of tolerance. [There] has been acceptance even in some of our major media to attempt not to point out that what happened on our college campuses is not antisemitism. I don’t know how you could define it as not. And I think that’s really a precursor for the anti-Americanism. There’s a radicalization of our children, where [they’re] being taught to hate America and hate those of Jewish faith as well, and we need to stop that.”
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Opens First Visitor Center in Washington: A Strategic Expansion into the US Defense Market
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a strategic move aimed at bolstering its presence in the United States, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has inaugurated its first visitor center in Washington, D.C. As was reported by The Jerusalem Post, this milestone event, announced on Thursday, marks a significant step for IAI, a state-owned Israeli defense company renowned for its cutting-edge aerospace technologies.
Israel Aerospace Industries has long been a cornerstone of Israel’s defense and aerospace sectors. The company is at the forefront of designing, developing, producing, and maintaining a broad spectrum of aerospace tools. According to the information provided in the JPost report, these range from advanced drones and civilian and military aircraft to sophisticated missile systems and space-based technologies. IAI’s contributions are integral to Israel’s national security and its technological prowess in aerospace.
IAI’s technologies have proven critical in real-world defense scenarios. Notably, two of its systems played pivotal roles in defending Israel against an Iranian attack in April. The information contained in the JPost report affirmed that the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system and IAI’s radar technologies, which are integral components of the Iron Dome defense system, were instrumental in neutralizing the threat. These systems exemplify the advanced defensive capabilities that IAI brings to the table, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in aerospace and defense innovation.
Moreover, IAI reported remarkable financial performance in 2023, with a 49% increase in profits and a 7% growth in sales, as detailed by Calcalist. This robust growth illustrates the company’s successful strategies and its strong market position. The JPost also reported that significant contracts, such as Germany’s $4 billion purchase of Arrow-3 defense systems, have played a pivotal role in bolstering IAI’s financial standing.
Despite the positive financial outcomes, IAI remains cautious about the future. The company has flagged potential challenges arising from recent changes in Israel’s political landscape. These geopolitical shifts have led to a suspension of purchases from European defense clients, impacting IAI’s export prospects, according to the JPost report. Additionally, foreign insurance companies have started raising rates for IAI, reflecting heightened security concerns and the associated risks.
The new visitor center in Washington, D.C., is a testament to IAI’s commitment to deepening its relationships with US-based clients and expanding its footprint in the US defense market. As per the JPost report, the choice of location is strategic, providing direct access to key government officials, the US military, and local defense contractors. This proximity is expected to facilitate stronger collaborations and partnerships, enhancing IAI’s influence and operational capacity within the US.
The visitor center is designed to offer a comprehensive showcase of IAI’s state-of-the-art technologies. Among the highlights are virtual reality simulators, which allow visitors to experience IAI’s products and their capabilities firsthand. Indicated in the JPost report was that this immersive experience is intended to provide a deeper understanding of the technological innovations that underpin IAI’s offerings and their practical applications in both civilian and military contexts.
The opening of the visitor center was a high-profile event, attended by a host of distinguished Israeli and American officials. The JPost report said that among the attendees were Michael Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the US; Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN; and General Hedi Zilberman, the IDF Defense Attaché to the US. Their presence called attention to the importance of this initiative and the strong bilateral ties between the United States and Israel.
Also in attendance was Amir Peretz, Chairman of IAI’s Board of Directors and Israel’s Former Minister of Defense. As was noted in the JPost report, he told the gathering, “I announce the establishment of two new facilities. The first is the Visitors’ Center that we officially open here, today. The second is an innovation center that we plan to launch this coming at the end of July. Both facilities will serve as a bridge between IAI, the public at large and decision-makers here in Washington, DC.”
The Innovation Center will be a hub for cutting-edge research and development. It is expected to drive forward IAI’s technological advancements and position the company at the forefront of innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors. The JPost report also indicated that this center will not only enhance IAI’s R&D capabilities but also act as a bridge, facilitating collaboration with key partners and stakeholders in the United States.
Whistleblower Lawsuit Exposes Alleged Anti-Semitic Practices in Linden, NJ School Hiring
Edited by: TJVNews.com
In a startling revelation, a recorded conversation has come to light exposing discriminatory hiring practices within the Linden school district, as was reported on Friday on the Matzav.com web site. The dialogue, involving the mayor of Linden, New Jersey and two school officials, has sparked controversy and legal action, as outlined in recent court documents.
The recorded conversation that took place on January 22m 2024 captures a discussion between Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, School Board President Marlene Berghammer, and Superintendent Atiya Y. Perkins. According to the court documents, the officials expressed their preferences for school hires in a manner that highlights deeply ingrained discriminatory attitudes, according to the information provided in the Matzav.com report.
“If it’s in a neighborhood school district,” Berghammer stated, “we don’t mind if it is a Black person or a Haitian-speaking person.” Matzav.com reported that this statement was followed by a more explicit response from Mayor Armstead, who said, “That’s what has to happen in order to keep our community being taken over by guys with big hats and curls,” a clear reference to the Orthodox Jewish community in Linden.
On Thursday, Paul Oliveira, Linden’s former assistant school superintendent, filed a whistleblower lawsuit in state Superior Court in Union County. Revealed in the shocking Matzav.com report was that Oliveira accused Mayor Armstead, Berghammer, Superintendent Perkins, and other officials of blatant anti-Semitism and deliberate exclusion of Jewish individuals from school employment opportunities.
Oliveira’s lawsuit details systematic efforts to exclude Jewish candidates from consideration for school positions, specifically targeting job candidates of African-American or Haitian descent while excluding Jewish individuals, as was noted in the information contained in the Matzav.com report.
The lawsuit also alleges retaliation against Oliveira for his attempts to address and expose these discriminatory practices. With a 20-year career in the Newark school system, Oliveira claims that his objections to the discriminatory hiring practices led to actions against him that violated New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination and the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, according to the information contained in the Matzav.com report.
In response to the lawsuit, Mayor Armstead dismissed the allegations as “hogwash.” He has categorically denied any wrongdoing and suggested that the accusations are baseless. However, Matzav.com noted that the recorded conversation and the detailed claims in Oliveira’s lawsuit present a compelling case that has already drawn significant public and legal attention.
This case arises at a time of heightened awareness and sensitivity to issues of discrimination and diversity in education and employment. The allegations of anti-Semitism and targeted exclusion are particularly troubling in a community that prides itself on inclusivity and diversity. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for how similar cases are handled and the measures taken to ensure fair and equitable hiring practices.
Armen McOmber, Oliveira’s attorney, has called the accusations “deeply concerning.” According to McOmber, the complaint alleges that Mayor Armstead and members of the school district “engaged in illegal and anti-Semitic hiring practices” and that the Linden Board of Education “unlawfully allowed Mayor Armstead to handpick candidates for open positions, as was detailed in the Matzav.com report. This practice, as the lawsuit contends, was part of a broader agenda to prevent the hiring of Jewish individuals in an effort to control the demographic makeup of the community.
In this recording, Armstead expressed his concerns about the demographic changes in Linden, suggesting that the community could “go the same way as Roselle, Irvington, Newark” if hiring practices were not tightly controlled.
“It’s a … over there from top to bottom,” Armstead said in the recording of the phone conversation, according to Matzav.com. “Because it’s been mismanaged for years, you know, and nobody, nobody’s taking the time to try to figure out how to fix it.”
Much of the discussion in the meeting centered around prioritizing local candidates for school positions. Indicated in the Matzav.com report was that Armstead emphasized that hiring local candidates was essential to maintaining control over the community’s demographic composition.
McOmber’s statements highlight the gravity of the accusations, suggesting that the Linden Board of Education’s complicity in allowing the mayor to influence hiring decisions is a critical aspect of the lawsuit. The legal action seeks to address these alleged illegal practices and hold the involved parties accountable.
Armstead also expressed frustration over a prospective maintenance worker who missed training and subsequently sold his house to a member of the Jewish community, the Matzav.com report said. “Moved out of town,” Armstead said. “He sold his house to the guys with the big hats and the curls too. So, you know, everybody’s undermining the progress we’re trying to make here in town.”
Armstead emphasized Linden’s inclusive community spirit, stating, “Everyone is welcome here in Linden. It’s our strength. I don’t care if you’re Jewish, Black, white, or Latino. We get along well in Linden.”
Armstead also suggested that school employment data would refute Oliveira’s claims, although the lawsuit does not specify if any hiring decisions were directly influenced by the January discussion. Matzav.com also reported that he further criticized Oliveira, saying, “Paul is off his rocker. I can’t fathom why he would take this approach. It’s disheartening. Paul can go to hell with gasoline drawers as far as I’m concerned.”
Regarding the recordings, Armstead acknowledged their existence but dismissed their significance. “I’m glad he has me on tape. We are a good community, and we all get along with everyone in this town,” he said. “Nobody respects someone who comes into a room and starts tape recording people.”
The lawsuit, represented by Joseph Garcia of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs in Oakland, asserts that Mayor Armstead’s involvement in school hiring was not only improper but also illegal. It claims that by directing Oliveira to hire specific candidates, the Linden school district effectively relinquished its responsibility to make independent hiring decisions to the mayor, the Matzav.com report noted. This action is described in the lawsuit as “the illegal practice of abrogating its responsibility to hire its own employees.”
“Of course, (Armstead), in his capacity as mayor, could not and should not have been directing (Linden) as to who should be hired for certain positions in the Linden School District,” the lawsuit states, highlighting that his directives “went well beyond the scope” of his authority.
Mayor Armstead has defended his actions, citing a “close relationship” between his administration and the Board of Education. Also mentioned in the Matzav.com report was that he noted that he supported Oliveira’s hiring based on a councilman’s recommendation. However, the lawsuit challenges the legitimacy of this relationship, suggesting it led to undue influence over the school district’s hiring processes.
Central to the lawsuit are allegations that the directives from Armstead and other officials marginalized Jewish candidates, allowing selective hiring based on unlawful criteria. The complaint argues that these practices were part of a broader strategy to exclude Jewish individuals from employment opportunities within the school district.
Oliveira claimed that he voiced his objections to these practices, expressing his discomfort to Superintendent Atiya Y. Perkins. “I don’t feel comfortable doing this,” he told Perkins, according to the lawsuit. Matzav.com also reported that in a subsequent discussion, Oliveira recounted an instance where Berghammer was asked if the district could face legal action over the hiring plan. Perkins reportedly responded, “Yes,” and when asked why, another official allegedly said, “because technically that is discrimination.”
Despite his objections, Oliveira alleged that he faced retaliation, including negative performance reviews and the creation of a hostile work environment. The report on the Matzav.com web site also said that this environment, he claims, led to severe stress and anxiety, ultimately causing him to take medical leave. Oliveira resigned from his position, citing “constructive dismissal” due to the intolerable working conditions.
Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman’s Blackstone is among investors who picked a few duds in the IPO market. Photo Credit: AP
By Jack Phillips(Epoch Times)
Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO and co-founder of real estate giant Blackstone, said Friday that he is planning to support former President Donald Trump’s campaign as a “vote for change.”
Mr. Schwarzman cited what he called a “dramatic rise of antisemitism” in the United States that has led him to “focus on the consequences of upcoming elections with greater urgency.”
While he did not go into specifics, the Blackstone CEO is likely referring to a number of left-wing protests across U.S. college campuses and elsewhere against Israeli activity in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks led by Hamas.
“I share the concern of most Americans that our economic, immigration and foreign policies are taking the country in the wrong direction. For these reasons, I am planning to vote for change and support Donald Trump for President. In addition, I will be supporting Republican Senate candidates and other Republicans up and down the ticket,” he told multiple news outlets Friday.
Mr. Schwarzman, a billionaire, had been a supporter of the former president while he was in the White House. But after the 2022 midterm elections, he suggested that Republicans look for a “new generation of leaders” and didn’t back a GOP primary candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
He also said at the time that wouldn’t back President Trump’s reelection bid. Before that, he was critical of the former president after the breach at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Mr. Schwarzman, however, was among the top 10 donors during the 2022 elections, according to records filed with the Federal Elections Commission. He and his wife gave some $35 million to preferred candidates during that election cycle, with much of it going toward Republican candidates.
The vast bulk of President Trump’s fundraising historically has come from small donors. Since he left office, about 90 percent of the people donating to his political groups have given less than $650 per calendar year, according to a Reuters analysis of disclosures filed by WinRed, the dominant Republican donation portal, in early 2024.
Mr. Schwarzman’s vow to back the former president comes two days after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who unsuccessfully ran against President Trump in the 2024 primary, backed the former president’s White House bid.
Trump Holds Rally in South Bronx, New York
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On Wednesday, during her first public event since she left the race, Ms. Haley said that the former president is a better candidate than his counterpart, President Joe Biden.
“I’ve made that clear many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So I will be voting for Trump,” Ms. Haley said at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
In response, President Trump on Thursday told News 12 in Long Island, New York, that he “appreciated” Ms. Haley said and that she could join his “team,” describing her as a “capable person.” He added, “I think she’s gonna be on our team because we have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts.”
“We had a nasty campaign; it was pretty nasty. But she’s a very capable person, and I’m sure she’s going to be on our team in some form. Absolutely,” he continued.
Blackstone is one of the world’s largest real estate companies and is one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades. It’s not the same as Blackrock, the world’s largest asset management company that has sought to position itself as a leader in the controversial environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) policies.
Mr. Schwarzman is worth about $38 billion as of May 2024, according to an estimate from Forbes magazine. It places him squarely within the top 50 billionaires worldwide.
Other top donors who have said they would back President Trump include professional wrestling entrepreneur Linda McMahon, a longtime Trump donor who headed the Small Business Administration during the Trump administration, as well as Nevada budget hotel tycoon Robert Bigelow, former Marvel Entertainment Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, Mellon banking family heir Timothy Mellon, hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, hotel magnate Steve Wynn, hedge fund manager John Paulson, and more.
“I am pleased to support President Trump in his re-election efforts,” Mr. Paulson told CNN in March. “His policies on the economy, energy, immigration and foreign policy will be very beneficial for the country.”
“We are receiving an overwhelming amount of support from donors,” he told the channel. “This support, along with the landslide victory he achieved in the primaries, shows his strong support amongst Americans.”
President Trump’s campaign has not yet publicly responded to Mr. Schwarzman’s comment on Friday. The Epoch Times contacted Mr. Schwarzman for comment on Friday through email.
Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer count—this year, May 26, 2024—is a festive day on the Jewish calendar that honors Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar. It is celebrated with outings (on which children traditionally play with bows and arrows), bonfires, parades and other joyous events. Many visit the resting place (in Meron, northern Israel) of Rabbi Shimon, the anniversary of whose passing is on this day.
Lag BaOmer is always on the 18th day of the month of Iyar. So what’s up with the name? The word “Lag” is made of of the Hebrew letters lamed (ל) and gimel (ג), which together have the numerical value of 33. “BaOmer” means “of the Omer.” The Omer is the counting period that begins on the second day of Passover and culminates with the holiday of Shavuot, following day 49.
Hence Lag BaOmer is the 33rd day of the Omer count, which coincides with 18 Iyar. What happened on 18 Iyar that’s worth celebrating?
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who lived in the second century of the Common Era, was the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the Kabbalah, and is the author of the classic text of Kabbalah, the Zohar. On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon instructed his disciples to mark the date as “the day of my joy.”
The chassidic masters explain that the final day of a righteous person’s earthly life marks the point at which all their deeds, teachings and work achieve their culminating perfection and the zenith of their impact upon our lives. So each Lag BaOmer, we celebrate Rabbi Shimon’s life and the revelation of the esoteric soul of Torah.
Lag BaOmer also commemorates another joyous event. The Talmud relates that in the weeks between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot, a plague raged among the disciples of the great sage Rabbi Akiva (teacher of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai), “because they did not act respectfully towards each other.” These weeks are therefore observed as a period of mourning, with various joyous activities proscribed by law and custom. On Lag BaOmer the deaths ceased. Thus, Lag BaOmer also carries the theme of loving and respecting one’s fellow(ahavat Yisrael).
How Is Lag BaOmer Celebrated
Since this is the day of joy of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, there are major festivities in Meron, the mountain village in northern Israel where he is buried, with tens of thousands of pilgrims pouring in from all corners of the world to rejoice together in unity. Read more about Meron.
All over the world, it is customary to spend the day outside, enjoying the natural beauty of G‑d’s world. During these outings, it is customary to play with bows and arrows.
The mourning practices of the Omer period (see above) are lifted for this day. As a result:
music is playing and people are singing and dancing with abandon.
little boys who turned three during the Omer period but did not have their first haircut (upsheren) due to the mourning laws, have them today, often at Meron.
weddings are held.
Recognizing the fiery spirit of the mystical teachings that are celebrated today, bonfires are kindled. Get some friends (and a guitar) together, and it becomes a wonderful opportunity for singing, sharing and enjoying each other’s camaraderie.
Beginning in the 1950s, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, encouraged Jewish children to join together in grand Lag BaOmer parades as a show of Jewish unity and pride. Held in front of the Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, the parades attracted—and still attract—thousands of children from all walks of life.
In 1980 the Rebbe gave instructions that Lag BaOmer parades and children’s rallies should take place not only in New York, but across the world, especially in Israel. Thousands of children participated in the tens of rallies that took place that year, and to this day, Chabad organizes hundreds of Lag BaOmer parades around the world every year.
A 1992 Lag BaOmer parade outside the iconic portico of the Moscow Choral Synagogue in the center of the city. Chabad‘s Jewish day school was housed at the Moscow Choral Synagogue until space ran out in 1993.
On Lag BaOmer we celebrate the life and teachings of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who authored the Zohar, the foundational text of Jewish mysticism. Forced into hiding to escape the Roman oppressors of his time, Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar hid in a cave for 13 years, where they subsisted on carobs from a tree which miraculously sprouted at the entrance of their cave (and water from a spring that popped up). It’s a long held tradition to eat carob on Lag BaOmer but instad of gnawing on the rock-hard pods (unless you get them soft and fresh), find out how to prepare it properly.
A relatively unknown Lag BaOmer custom, which has deep roots in Chabad history, is to eat eggs that have been hard-boiled with onion peels. Try it, and you’ll see that they turn a pretty shade of reddish brown. It has been suggested that the reason for this custom is that eggs are a sign of mourning. During this holiday, when the traditional mourning of the Omer period has been partially lifted, we still eat eggs, but brighten them up with a splash of color.
Some of the Lag BaOmer customs involve spending time outdoors—such as lighting bonfires and playing with bows and arrows—which often leads to picnics and barbecues (especially when the weather is beautiful!).
Here are some delicious outdoorsy, barbecue-friendly recipes for you to enjoy:
End off with this refreshing and fun fruit dessert. Or turn it into an activity for the kids. Set up a table with bowls of fruit and skewers and let people build their own kebabs.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague in 2021. Credit: oliverdelahaye/Shutterstock.
(JNS) A U.S. Senate resolution that condemns the decision of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to apply for warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant drew signatures from 24 senators of both parties.
The resolution, led by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), resolves that the Senate “stands with Israel and fully rejects the action by the International Criminal Court against senior Israeli officials.”
“Congress and the executive branch should impose financial sanctions and visa bans on officials of the International Criminal Court for an abuse of power that threatens United States interests and weakens United States allies,” the senators resolved.
“The United States should urge its allies and partners, who largely fund the International Criminal Court, to use their leverage to halt the politicized proceedings,” they added.
“The International Criminal Court’s decision to charge Israeli leadership with war crimes is shocking and disgraceful,” Manchin said. “Israel is facing an existential threat in Hamas’s brutal terrorist agenda, and I have continued to support the country’s right to defend itself in a manner expected of a nation that abides by the law of armed conflict.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo Credit: AP
Reuters and Washington Free Beacon Staff
Israel has vowed to defy a ruling from the top United Nations court that called on the Jewish state to halt its military assault on the Hamas-controlled southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Reading out the ruling by the International Court of Justice or World Court, the body’s president, Nawaf Salam, said the situation in the Palestinian enclave had deteriorated since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to improve it.
“The state of Israel shall … immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” Salam said.
Israel has repeatedly dismissed the case’s accusations of genocide as baseless, arguing in court that its operations in Gaza are self-defense and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
An Israeli government spokesman said on the eve of Friday’s decision that “no power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza.”
The ICJ, the highest U.N. body for hearing disputes between states, has no enforcement powers.
The court also ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid and said the country must provide access to the enclave for investigators and report back on its progress within one month.
The order was adopted by the panel of 15 judges from around the world in a 13-2 vote, opposed only by judges from Uganda and from Israel itself.
It was handed down a week after it was requested by South Africa as part of a case accusing Israel of genocide.
Outside, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and played a rap on a boom box calling for a Palestinian state.
Israel launched its assault on the southern city of Rafah this month, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee a city that had become a refuge to around half of the population’s 2.3 million people.
Rafah, on Gaza’s southern edge, has also been the main route in for aid, and international organisations say the Israeli operation has cut off the enclave and raised the risk of famine.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
South Africa’s lawyers asked the ICJ last week to impose emergency measures, saying Israel’s attacks on Rafah must be stopped to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.
A decision against Israel could heap more diplomatic pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court—a separate court also based in The Hague—announced on Monday he had filed an application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as leaders of Hamas.
Prosecutor Karim Khan accused Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes including extermination, using hunger as a weapon, and deliberately attacking civilians. Israel strongly denied those charges and called on allies to repudiate the court.
South Africa’s wider case at the ICJ accuses Israel of orchestrating a state-led genocide against the Palestinian people. The ICJ has not ruled on the substance of that accusation—this could take years—but has rejected Israel’s demand to throw the case out.
In previous rulings, the court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and allow aid to flow into Gaza, while stopping short of ordering a halt to Israeli military operations.
Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 35,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the offensive, Gaza’s health ministry says.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Anthony Deutsch; additional reporting by Mayaan Lubell in Jerusalem; writing by Peter Graff; editing by Andrew Heavens and Mark Heinrich.)
Ilhan Omar and her colleagues in “The Squad” – Photo Credit: AP
Matthew Xiao-Free Beacon
Democratic representatives Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) praised the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s call for the court to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The far-left “Squad” members commended the prosecutor, Karim Khan, for seeking to charge Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Netanyahu on Monday called the ICC’s move a “moral outrage of historic proportions” and described Khan as one of the “great antisemites in modern times.”
Israel is “waging a just war against Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that perpetrated the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said.
The “Squad” members, meanwhile, used Khan’s request as justification for their anti-Israel views.
“The ICC has their process of determining what’s a war crime and what isn’t,” Bowman, who is trailing his pro-Israel opponent in a tough primary race, said on Thursday. “Obviously, the warrants for the Hamas fighters who did what they did on October 7 are warranted, and it seems like they are warranted for Netanyahu as well.”
Bush in a video released Friday said the arrest warrants are an “important” step and slammed her congressional colleagues and the Biden administration for “sending billions of dollars to enable Netanyahu’s war crimes.”
Omar, meanwhile, described Khan’s allegations against Netanyahu as “significant” and said the ICC “must be allowed to conduct its work independently and without interference.” The Minnesota congresswoman has faced widespread criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for her long history of anti-Semitic comments.
Tlaib earlier this month called for the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing the leader and senior Israeli officials of committing a “genocide” against Palestinians. Like Omar, Tlaib has faced extensive backlash from her Democratic colleagues, notably after she last year defended the phrase “from the river to the sea.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.) noted that the phrase “means eradicating Israel and Jews,” NBC reported in November.
