WhatsApp said Monday that users will start seeing ads in some parts of the app, as owner Meta Platforms moves to cultivate a new revenue stream by tapping the billions of people that use the messaging service. Advertisements will be shown only in the app’s Updates tab, which is used by as many as 1.5 billion people each day. However, they won’t appear where personal chats are located, developers said. “The personal messaging experience on WhatsApp isn’t changing, and personal messages, calls and statuses are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be used to show ads,” WhatsApp said in a blog post. It’s a big change for the company, whose founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton vowed to keep the platform free of ads when they created it in 2009.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin revealed that an Israeli Air Force drone destroyed two Iranian F-14 fighter jets at a Tehran airport, with the IDF releasing footage of the strike, alongside other videos showing strikes on Iranian soldiers preparing to launch drones, containers storing drones, and Iran’s state broadcaster building in Tehran.

U.S. Travel State Department: “U.S. citizens should not travel to Iran for any reason and should depart Iran immediately if they are there. U.S. citizens who are unable to depart Iran should be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods.”

The Israel Defense Forces carried out a major overnight offensive that obliterated the central operational hub of Iran’s Quds Force, a top-tier military unit that has played a key role in coordinating terror activities by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, according to IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
“The Quds Force has been the main conduit for many of the terrorist attacks and assaults against Israel in recent decades,” he said. “Now, the command centers where these attacks were planned have been completely destroyed.”

  Remember the YWN story seven years ago that reported on how Mossad stole Iran’s nuclear archive, and Netanyahu revealed it to the world in a stunning display? Well, according to reporter Amit Segal, the IDF has destroyed its backup! One of the targets attacked in recent days was the backup of Iran’s nuclear archive, which contains the Islamic Republic’s accumulated organizational knowledge on nuclear development. This is a significant move because, after Israel eliminated all the scientists who acquired knowledge about weapon systems and enrichment through centuries of trial-and-error research, it is now destroying what was considered [the remaining knowledge base]. Right after Netanyahu had made this stunning revelation to the world in April 2018, the Iranians mocked the claims.

WhatsApp announced Monday that it will begin displaying ads in the app’s Updates tab, which is accessed by up to 1.5 billion users each day. The move marks Meta’s latest effort to generate revenue from the messaging platform. Developers emphasized that ads will not appear in personal chats.

NEW YORK – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised interview on

Roughly 24 hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a blistering assault on Iran, Israel’s opposition was scheming to bring down his government. Now, just days into the ongoing operation against Iran, the opposition has closed ranks behind the effort, suspending months of bitter criticism against Netanyahu and his handling of the war in Gaza. It’s a sharp about-face for a constellation of parties that have criticized Netanyahu throughout the war for what they have charged is his politically motivated decision-making. “It’s not the right moment to do politics,” opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid told The Associated Press on Monday in his first international media interview since the start of the operation against Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu arrived Monday at the Tel Nof Airbase, accompanied by Defense Minister Yisroel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, where he observed firsthand the ongoing air operations.
While addressing the troops, Netanyahu expressed deep appreciation for the Israeli Air Force’s efforts. “On behalf of the people and the State of Israel, you are doing amazing things. The IAF controls the skies of Tehran. That changes the entire campaign,” he declared, commending their achievements and strategic dominance.

Webinar: “One Heart, Two Homes” Offers Tools and Comfort for a Community in Crisis As the war in Israel intensifies, many in our community are living in a state of fear, heartbreak, and helplessness. Our loved ones — children, siblings, grandchildren — are facing real danger: some are under constant threat from rocket fire, others are sheltering in safe rooms, and many are serving with courage in the IDF. Back home, we are trying to function while our hearts remain in Israel. Every siren, every alert, every news update feels personal. Summer plans have unraveled, anxiety has spiked, and the emotional toll is growing. The physical and emotional safety of our families is under threat — and we are all feeling it.

A German court sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for torture and war crimes in his Syrian homeland on Monday for killing two people and torturing nine in Syria between 2011 and 2012. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court also established the particular gravity of the guilt, which in practice virtually rules out early release after 15 years — as is often the case in Germany when people are sentenced to life imprisonment. The 40-year-old Syrian, who was identified as Alaa M. in line with German privacy rules, was placed in preventive detention, German news agency dpa reported. In his verdict, presiding judge Christoph Koller described the actions of the accused in the military hospital in the Syrian city of Homs in the early stages of the civil war that began in 2011.

The IDF releases footage of the Israeli Air Force bombing trucks ferrying weapons between Tehran and Qom a short while ago.


Congressman Mark Green, Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee & Founder/Ceo Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce 
 
In a significant demonstration of faith-based diplomacy and unity, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill, with Congressman Mark Green, Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, serving as the event’s honorary host. The event brought together an impressive array of leaders from the U.S. Congress, foreign governments, religious institutions, the business sector, and civil society to engage in meaningful dialogue on today’s pressing political challenges.

As Israeli airstrikes continue to target Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran has reportedly signaled an urgent interest in returning to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear program, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The report, citing sources from both the Middle East and Europe, reveals that Iran has reached out to Israel and the United States via Arab mediators, seeking to reduce tensions and resume diplomatic discussions—so long as the United States stays out of the ongoing military operations. Iranian representatives stressed to Arab officials the time-sensitive nature of their appeal, emphasizing the need to avoid further conflict escalation.

As the war with Iran escalates and fear grips Eretz Yisroel, I am compelled to write about a disturbing trend: people desperate to leave the country are falling prey to risky and exorbitant travel schemes. While I understand the desire to escape danger or attend important events like a family chasuna, the lack of seichel in some of these decisions is alarming and dangerous. Reports are circulating of individuals exploiting the crisis for profit, offering questionable “escape” routes. People are chartering private jets from Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, while another company is operating boats from Israel to Cyprus. Others are booking flights from Egypt to Europe or the U.S. after crossing the border. Videos have surfaced showing hundreds of Jews crossing into Egypt – during a time of war!

In a powerful display of achdus and achrayus for the olam hatorah in Eretz Yisroel, Harav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, visited Baltimore on Sunday as part of a major fundraising campaign for Keren Olam Hatorah. Keren Olam Hatorah has taken upon itself the tremendous burden of filling the gap left by devastating cuts in Israeli government funding to yeshivos and kollelim, with the visit aiming at galvanizing the Baltimore kehilla to join this historic effort. The day began with Shacharis in Lakewood, followed by a short flight to Baltimore where Rav Dovid shlit”a was greeted by local askanim.

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