The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday night that it was sending out tens of thousands of call-up orders to reservists, as the military was set to significantly expand its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The tens of thousands of reservists being called up would begin to show up in the military in the coming week, according to the IDF. The reservists have likely been called up multiple times already during the war.
On Friday, during a security consultation, the military presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with its planned staged offensive in Gaza, which will require substantial mobilization.
Israel’s security cabinet was slated to convene on Sunday so ministers could vote to approve the military plans authorized by Netanyahu.
Currently, three IDF divisions are ...
U.S. President Donald Trump decided to dismiss his National Security Advisor Mike Waltz partly because he discovered that Waltz had conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the possibility of military action in Iran.
According to the Washington Post, Waltz and Netanyahu had several conversations before the Prime Minister's visit to the White House in February, which angered the American president.
The Prime Minister's Office denied the claims: "Contrary to the Washington Post report, PM Netanyahu did not have intensive contact with Mike Waltz on Iran. PM Netanyahu had a warm meeting with Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff at Blair House in February prior to the Prime Minister's meeting with President Trump at the White House. Mike Waltz also joined VP ...
Qatar fired back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, after Netanyahu published scathing retorts against Qatar.
Netanyahu, responding to Qatari criticism of Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), wrote, "Israel is fighting a just war with just means. After the October 7 atrocities, Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the War of Redemption as a war between civilization and barbarism."
"The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it's on the side of civilization or if it's on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means," the Prime Minister added.
In response, Dr. Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, published a lengthy statement on X in wh...
Prime Minister Netanyahu has published scathing retorts against recent Qatari criticism of Israel in the ICJ.
"Israel is fighting a just war with just means. After the October 7 atrocities, Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the War of Redemption as a war between civilization and barbarism," the Prime Minister's account tweeted.
"The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it's on the side of civilization or if it's on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means."
Previously, Qatari diplomat Mutlaq Al-Qahtani told The Hague that "We are witnessing new trails of tears in the West Bank, mirroring Gaza's fate. In Gaza, Palestinians face famine-like conditions, as Israel has completely blocked lif...
Baltimore, MD - May 1, 2025 - Explore the latest issue of Baltimore Jewish Home.Click on the graphic below:
At a security discussion held on Friday evening led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a decision was made to expand IDF operations in the Gaza Strip.
During the discussion, senior IDF officials presented the political echelon with a plan to increase the military pressure on Hamas, which includes seizing territories similar to what was done in Rafah. The plans also involve isolating areas in the Strip, locating and eliminating terrorists above and below ground, and ultimately maintaining an IDF presence in those areas, effectively conquering them in order to pressure Hamas into softening its stance in the negotiations on a hostage release deal.
As part of the plans to intensify combat in the Strip, the mobilization of reservists will also be expanded. According to a Ynet rep...
Baltimore, MD – May 2, 2025 – Yesterday morning, BJL was contacted by a community member regarding a suspicious meshulach collecting in a local shul. According to the report:
“There was a meshulach in shul this morning who didn’t seem right. I asked if he was looking for Mincha or Maariv, and he replied, ‘in an hour.’ When I asked him what month it was, he had no idea. He also couldn’t read the aleph-beis code to get back into the building. When I tried taking a picture, he started yelling at me, saying ‘Come on, bro.’ Based on the interaction, I don’t believe he is Jewish and feel others should be aware.”
BJL followed up with Shomrim, who confirmed that they are aware of this individual and have determined that he is not ...
Baltimore, MD - May 2, 2025 - Zelle, the popular peer-to-peer payment platform, is experiencing an outage that is causing payment problems for customers at some banks.
DownDetector, which lets users track outages, shows a spike in customers reporting payment problems starting Friday morning.
A Zelle spokesperson confirmed the outage in a statement to CNN.
“We are aware that certain Zelle users at some financial institutions are not able to use Zelle at this time,” Zelle said . “We are working diligently with our partners to resolve this matter as soon as we can. Zelle users may see transactions marked as ‘payment pending’ in the meantime.”
The Zelle spokesperson told CNN that the problem involves payments giant Fiserv, which provides servic...
Jerusalem, Israel - May 1, 2025 - Thursday afternoon, President Isaac Herzog hosted ambassadors, diplomats, and representatives of nations, faith communities, and international multilateral organizations for a special reception marking Israel’s 77th Independence Day.
The annual holiday reception hosted at the President’s Residence with the participation of Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was attended by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, as well as representatives of the Abraham Accords nations, including the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates and representatives of Bahrain.
Addressing the event, President Herzog began by thanking those nations that offered assistance to Israel as its firefighters and rescue services battled the fires acros...
US President Donald Trump said all purchases of Iranian oil or petrochemical products must stop and any country or person buying any from the country would be immediately subject to secondary sanctions.
“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian oil, or petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Any country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, secondary sanctions,” he continued. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.”
Trump’s comments follow the postponement of the latest US talks with Iran over its nuclear program, which had been due to take place in Rome on Saturday. A senior Iranian official told Reute...
President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Thursday to end public funding of National Public Radio and PBS to stop what he called “biased and partisan news coverage.”
The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS” to the extent allowed by law. The order could be challenged in court.
The White House said in a Friday statement that both organizations had received “tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds each year to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
“Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options,” the executive order reads. “Government f...
Job growth was stronger than expected in April despite worries over the impact of President Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs against U.S. trading partners.
Nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 177,000 for the month, slightly below the downwardly revised 185,000 in March but above the Dow Jones estimate for 133,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
The unemployment rate, however, remained at 4.2%, as expected, indicating that the labor market is holding relatively stable. The survey of households, which is used to calculate the jobless rate, showed an even stronger gain, with an increase of 436,000 in those who reported holding jobs on the month.
A broader unemployment gauge that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs f...
Washington, D.C. - May 2, 2025 - President Trump on Friday announced plans to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, escalating his feud with the Ivy League school.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The declaration comes after his administration reportedly asked the IRS to revoke Harvard’s status last month, after Trump had suggested the idea on social media.
Tax exemption is reserved for, among other categories, religious, charitable and educational organizations that meet 501(c)(3) qualifications with the IRS.
The president’s comments on the tax exemption status appear as part of an ongoing salvo with Harvard&...
Baltimore, MD – May 2, 2025 – (WJLA) Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland, a beloved destination for many Baltimore Jewish families and groups over the years, will permanently close after the 2025 season. The 500-acre property is being put up for sale, with the last day of operation set for November 2.
The announcement, made Thursday by Six Flags Entertainment, is part of a broader strategic shift as the company refocuses on properties that better align with its long-term growth goals. For Baltimoreans, especially those who spent countless Chol Hamoed outings, class trips, and summer days enjoying both Six Flags and the adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park, the news brings more than just economic implications — it strikes an emotional chord.
Prince George’s County...
In the laws dealing with the time of impurity after giving birth, the Torah instructs us that there is an initial seven day period of Tuma. The Baal Haturim points out (Tazriya, 12:2) that this parallels the seven days of mourning observed when a person dies. The same way one comes in (7 days) is the way he goes out. While there are many mysteries surrounding the concepts of Tuma and Tehara, there should not be so much obliviousness as to what is and isn’t appropriate behavior and topics of discussion when being menachem avel one who has lost a close relative. This week seems an appropriate time to discuss some of the proper protocols.
First, it is worth clearing up some of the misconceptions surrounding mourning in general. While there are a multitude ...
Baltimore, MD – May 1, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Pinchas Shulman on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
We have all been taught from a very young age that a Metzora, a person afflicted with a specific type of leprosy, is to be isolated from society. The flaw that brought this malady was that of speaking Lashon Hora — slander, a sin that creates enmity and division among people. The Metzora is thus punished with a 'measure for measure' penalty in being separated from society, until he recovers from his spiritual dysfunction.
According to some opinions, this was a very contagious disease, which would be in line with assuring that this sinner will be naturally quarantined since people will inevitably avoid him.
At first glance this disease would seem to be a form of discoloration on the skin but not necessarily one that is painful, simply a cosmetic issue.
Yet, the Sifr...
