Mercaz USA, a branch of Mercaz Olami in the World Zionist Congress, must issue an apology for what the U.S. Area Election Committee, which oversees the American parts of the World Zionist Congress elections, called “uncontested” charges that it improperly sought to influence voters and smeared the reputation of rival slate Eretz Hakodesh, the committee’s chairs Abraham Gafni and David Butler stated on May 16.
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, founder and chairman of Eretz Hakodesh, wrote in an appeal to the American Zionist Movement Tribunal three days later that the committee’s decision is “grossly inadequate punishment.”

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, cautioning him against provoking the United States as discussions intensify around potential additional sanctions on Russia.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He’s playing with fire!”
Trump’s remarks coincided with growing media speculation, including a report by CNN, that his administration may be weighing a fresh round of penalties targeting Moscow.
In recent weeks, various proposals for new sanctions have been circulated, and lawmakers from both parties have urged the president to give them the green light.

Amid mounting pressure over the contentious draft law, Rav Nechemia Alter, son of the Gerrer Rebbe, met today with the Slabodka rosh yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau, at his home on Rechov Harav Sher in Bnei Brak. The meeting comes just days before the government’s self-imposed deadline of Shavuos to finalize legislation on the draft deferment for yeshiva students.
The visit follows a previous meeting held months ago between the Gerrer Rebbe himself and Rav Landau, accompanied by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, during which the gedolim agreed to push for the law’s passage before Shavuos.

Welcome to the party, Fake Jake.
During a recent interview with Piers Morgan, CNN anchor Jake Tapper admitted, when pressed, that the Biden Admin’s cover-up of Joe’s decline may be worse than Watergate.
“‘Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon, and the hiding and cover-up of his deterioration is not Watergate.’ I am not entirely sure I agree, Jake with that conclusion,” Morgan said, quoting the book, during his show, “Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Israel’s top-level security cabinet reportedly held a confidential vote last week, approving the creation of 22 new communities in the West Bank, as first revealed by various Hebrew-language outlets.
According to the reports, the proposal was jointly introduced by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have been vocal supporters of expanding Israeli infrastructure and presence in the region.
Yisroel Hayom reported that the primary objective behind the move is to reinforce Israeli control along Route 443—a critical thoroughfare linking Yerushalayim with Tel Aviv via Modiin. Parts of the highway cut through territory within the West Bank.

Kingsley Wilson, a Defense Department official who has come under scrutiny for sharing antisemitic content on social media, has been appointed as the Pentagon’s new press secretary, according to a formal announcement.
“Kingsley’s leadership has been integral to the DoD’s success & we look forward to her continued service to President Trump!” wrote Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson and a senior aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a post on X Friday.
Wilson shared the news on her own X account, stating that she was “Honored to serve President Trump and our warfighters.”
{Matzav.com}

President Trump made waves Tuesday with a bold claim that Canada might soon join the United States as its 51st state in return for inclusion in the American “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative.
The announcement came not long after King Charles III made subtle remarks during a speech to Canada’s parliament that appeared to push back against Trump’s ambitions to absorb the country into the U.S.
“I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” Trump, 78, wrote on Truth Social.
“They are considering the offer!”

The Trump administration has decided to temporarily freeze the issuance of student visas to foreign nationals and is weighing new guidelines that would include evaluating applicants’ social media history.
An internal cable obtained by Politico revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed all American embassies and consulates around the world to halt scheduling any further interviews for student or exchange visitor visas, pending new directives.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor … visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued [separate telegram], which we anticipate in the coming days,” the cable read.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Yitzchok Meir Brim z”l, one of the elder and most respected members of the Boyan-Ruzhin chassidus in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Yerushalayim. He was 84 years old.
Born in Eretz Yisroel, Rav Yitzchok Meir was the son of Rav Yehoshua Heschel Brim, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Tiferes Yisroel—Ruzhin-Boyan, and Rebbetzin Rivkah.
Rav Yitzchok Meir was a staunch chossid of Boyan, deeply connected with the Rebbe as well as his brothers-in-law, the Rebbes of Bohush and Vasloi, with whom he shared a close kesher.
After marrying a daughter of Rav Chaim Uri Rosenberg, he built a home firmly rooted in Torah and chassidus.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu took the stage at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Conference, hosted at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to deliver a sobering address about the persistence and intensification of antisemitism. His remarks emphasized that this age-old hatred endangers not only Jews but all of humanity.