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Actress Selma Blair said her dream was to make aliyah, or immigrate to Israel, and expressed regret over not sending her son to a Jewish day school during an appearance at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Washington on Monday.

Blair, who attended Hillel Day School in the Detroit area, discussed her own Jewish upbringing and the educational choices she made for her son. She also said she wished her mother were still alive.

She told the audience she was “so honored to show up for this community and so grateful that you would still have me.”

Blair briefly addressed recent headlines surrounding her arrest following an in-flight incident last month, describing the situation as awkward and upsetting. She suggested the public did not yet have a full picture of what had happened.

She said she wanted to share her perspective, adding that it was “not my time to do that.” She expressed hope that people would better understand the situation in the future.

Blair was arrested on October 11 following an alleged altercation aboard a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York. She subsequently pleaded not guilty to two state assault charges involving a police officer and a nurse. Her representatives said she had experienced a medical emergency. 

Blair spoke about Jewish identity, education

The actress has previously spoken publicly about her Jewish identity and attachment to Israel. At an Anti-Defamation League event in New York on October 1, she recalled learning to read Hebrew before English and described her connection to Israel. 

The General Assembly, running November 8–10, brings together Jewish communal leaders for discussions on antisemitism, Jewish education and the relationship between Israel and Diaspora communities. Monday’s plenary examined Jewish identity and the future of Jewish life in the West after October 7. 

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Mr. US President Donald Trump,

The United States is a superpower. For many decades, it has stood at the pinnacle of the free world. Its standing is founded not merely on its military and economic might, but first and foremost on the values and ideals upon which it was established: democracy, individual liberty, equality, and justice.

These values have made the US not simply a powerful nation, but a source of inspiration for humanity. They have fostered an extraordinary society, home to the world’s leading universities and a driving force behind groundbreaking achievements in science, technology, medicine, culture, defense, and economics. The entire world looks to America, draws inspiration from its values, and seeks its friendship and leadership.

The US enjoys an exceptional geographical and security advantage, protected by two oceans and separated from many of its adversaries. Yet, when the values of the free world faced an existential threat, America chose not to retreat behind its borders.

In both World Wars, America ultimately chose to stand alongside those fighting fascism and Nazism, even if its intervention came later than that of other nations. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood that America’s power was not merely a privilege, but also a historic responsibility. Their decisions and courage helped defeat the forces that threatened to destroy the free world and secured America’s place in history.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the world’s dominant superpower. Yet America, too, made mistakes in its foreign policy, became entangled in prolonged and unnecessary wars, and paid a heavy price. These experiences gave rise to growing calls within American society to turn inward and place domestic interests above all else, under the banner of America First.

But America First does not have to mean America Alone.

Iran presents the free world with a challenge of a fundamentally different nature.

Iran, a country of approximately 90 million people, has been ruled since the Islamic Revolution by a Shi’ite theocratic regime that has made its religious-revolutionary ideology the foundation of its regional and international policies.

For decades, the regime has invested in building a network of terrorist organizations, militias, and military proxies, seeking to expand its influence, destabilize the region, and bring about the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It shares with the US the fundamental values of liberty, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. It is not merely an American strategic ally, but a steadfast partner in the struggle over the future of the free world.

Danger of Iran’s nuclear program

The US has repeatedly declared that it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. This is not merely a commitment to Israel. Nuclear weapons in the hands of the Iranian regime could endanger the entire Middle East, undermine international security, and threaten every nation that believes in freedom and democracy.

The confrontation with Iran is not simply a struggle for geopolitical influence. It is a struggle over values, the future of the region, and the security of the free world.

Mr. President, you now stand at a historic crossroads. Domestic political pressure, public criticism, and the electoral cost of military action are challenges every American president must face. Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, too, confronted domestic opposition, public skepticism, and high political costs.

History, however, does not judge leaders solely by election results or their popularity at a given moment. It judges them by the decisions they make at defining moments, by the courage they demonstrate, and by the world they leave behind.

Even if the Iranian regime has suffered severe blows, it has not abandoned its ideological ambitions. As long as it views nuclear weapons as a guarantee of its survival, it may do everything in its power to acquire them.

We must not assume that military defeat or damage to its current capabilities will necessarily lead it to abandon these ambitions. That is precisely why the free world cannot afford to settle for temporary achievements.

A superpower is measured not only by its strength, but also by the responsibility it assumes.

Leadership of the free world does not require America to fight every war or intervene in every conflict. It does, however, require America to recognize threats of historic significance, draw clear red lines against dangerous regimes, and act decisively when the security and values of the free world are at stake.

Mr. President,

You have a historic opportunity before you. You can be remembered not merely as a president who defended America’s interests, but as a leader who used America’s extraordinary power to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening the future of humanity.

This is not a call for war for the sake of war. It is a call to ensure that the achievements of the current campaign are not temporary, and that the world is not left facing an even greater nuclear threat in the future.

The world needs political courage, long-term vision, and difficult decisions. It needs leadership that does not surrender to the pressures of short-term politics, but acts with an understanding of the historic responsibility it bears.

President Roosevelt did not know how history would ultimately remember him when he made his defining decisions. He knew only what had to be done at a time when the world needed his leadership.

Mr. President, you, too, have been given the opportunity to choose how history will remember you.

Will you be remembered as the leader who settled for a temporary military achievement, or as the leader who ensured that the Iranian regime could never fulfill its ambition of acquiring nuclear weapons and holding the world hostage?

This is America’s moment. This is the moment for leadership.

Respectfully,

Vice-Admiral ret. Eliezer (Eli) Marom

The writer was commander of the Israel Navy from 2007-2011.

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Actress Selma Blair said her dream was to make aliyah, or immigrate to Israel, and expressed regret over not sending her son to a Jewish day school during an appearance at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Washington on Monday.

Blair, who attended Hillel Day School in the Detroit area, discussed her own Jewish upbringing and the educational choices she made for her son. She also said she wished her mother were still alive.

She told the audience she was “so honored to show up for this community and so grateful that you would still have me.”

Blair briefly addressed recent headlines surrounding her arrest following an in-flight incident last month, describing the situation as awkward and upsetting. She suggested the public did not yet have a full picture of what had happened.

She said she wanted to share her perspective, adding that it was “not my time to do that.” She expressed hope that people would better understand the situation in the future.

Blair was arrested on October 11 following an alleged altercation aboard a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York. She subsequently pleaded not guilty to two state assault charges involving a police officer and a nurse. Her representatives said she had experienced a medical emergency. 

Blair spoke about Jewish identity, education

The actress has previously spoken publicly about her Jewish identity and attachment to Israel. At an Anti-Defamation League event in New York on October 1, she recalled learning to read Hebrew before English and described her connection to Israel. 

The General Assembly, running November 8–10, brings together Jewish communal leaders for discussions on antisemitism, Jewish education and the relationship between Israel and Diaspora communities. Monday’s plenary examined Jewish identity and the future of Jewish life in the West after October 7. 

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This post was originally published on here. 

Sick and injured Druze in Syria have been looking to enter Israel for medical treatment almost on a daily basis, Boaz Yosef, chairman of the Population and Immigration Authority, told KAN News on Monday, adding that he is approving their requests almost every day.

“We are demonstrating a great deal of solidarity, and enabling the Druze to live their lives properly, as much as we can do from a distance,” he explained.

Yosef also said that Israel felt it was among the groups handling the situation with the Druze in Syria, saying that “the Druze communities in the Golan are already integrating with us.”

A security source told Walla last month that Israel is concerned that operatives acting on behalf of the Syrian regime intend to renew attacks against the Druze population in the Sweida province of southern Syria.

The security source told Walla that Israel is monitoring developments in Syria around the clock and has no intention of easing the Israeli government’s policy of assisting the Druze against any attempts to carry out massacres or abductions by operatives acting on behalf of the Syrian regime, including Bedouin factions coordinated with Syrian security agencies, or by regime personnel directly.

Druze community faces online hate after Israeli election

Last week, a FakeReporter report also found that the Druze community has faced more than double the amount of violent and incendiary discourse on Israeli social media since the elections last month.

FakeReporter found that online hate speech against the Druze increased by 106% from Election Day until October 30, when activity peaked because some right-wing conspiracists began pushing claims that Arab voters stole the election.

Corinne Baum contributed to this report.

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This post was originally published on here. 

Mr. US President Donald Trump,

The United States is a superpower. For many decades, it has stood at the pinnacle of the free world. Its standing is founded not merely on its military and economic might, but first and foremost on the values and ideals upon which it was established: democracy, individual liberty, equality, and justice.

These values have made the US not simply a powerful nation, but a source of inspiration for humanity. They have fostered an extraordinary society, home to the world’s leading universities and a driving force behind groundbreaking achievements in science, technology, medicine, culture, defense, and economics. The entire world looks to America, draws inspiration from its values, and seeks its friendship and leadership.

The US enjoys an exceptional geographical and security advantage, protected by two oceans and separated from many of its adversaries. Yet, when the values of the free world faced an existential threat, America chose not to retreat behind its borders.

In both World Wars, America ultimately chose to stand alongside those fighting fascism and Nazism, even if its intervention came later than that of other nations. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood that America’s power was not merely a privilege, but also a historic responsibility. Their decisions and courage helped defeat the forces that threatened to destroy the free world and secured America’s place in history.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the world’s dominant superpower. Yet America, too, made mistakes in its foreign policy, became entangled in prolonged and unnecessary wars, and paid a heavy price. These experiences gave rise to growing calls within American society to turn inward and place domestic interests above all else, under the banner of America First.

But America First does not have to mean America Alone.

Iran presents the free world with a challenge of a fundamentally different nature.

Iran, a country of approximately 90 million people, has been ruled since the Islamic Revolution by a Shi’ite theocratic regime that has made its religious-revolutionary ideology the foundation of its regional and international policies.

For decades, the regime has invested in building a network of terrorist organizations, militias, and military proxies, seeking to expand its influence, destabilize the region, and bring about the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It shares with the US the fundamental values of liberty, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. It is not merely an American strategic ally, but a steadfast partner in the struggle over the future of the free world.

Danger of Iran’s nuclear program

The US has repeatedly declared that it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. This is not merely a commitment to Israel. Nuclear weapons in the hands of the Iranian regime could endanger the entire Middle East, undermine international security, and threaten every nation that believes in freedom and democracy.

The confrontation with Iran is not simply a struggle for geopolitical influence. It is a struggle over values, the future of the region, and the security of the free world.

Mr. President, you now stand at a historic crossroads. Domestic political pressure, public criticism, and the electoral cost of military action are challenges every American president must face. Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, too, confronted domestic opposition, public skepticism, and high political costs.

History, however, does not judge leaders solely by election results or their popularity at a given moment. It judges them by the decisions they make at defining moments, by the courage they demonstrate, and by the world they leave behind.

Even if the Iranian regime has suffered severe blows, it has not abandoned its ideological ambitions. As long as it views nuclear weapons as a guarantee of its survival, it may do everything in its power to acquire them.

We must not assume that military defeat or damage to its current capabilities will necessarily lead it to abandon these ambitions. That is precisely why the free world cannot afford to settle for temporary achievements.

A superpower is measured not only by its strength, but also by the responsibility it assumes.

Leadership of the free world does not require America to fight every war or intervene in every conflict. It does, however, require America to recognize threats of historic significance, draw clear red lines against dangerous regimes, and act decisively when the security and values of the free world are at stake.

Mr. President,

You have a historic opportunity before you. You can be remembered not merely as a president who defended America’s interests, but as a leader who used America’s extraordinary power to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening the future of humanity.

This is not a call for war for the sake of war. It is a call to ensure that the achievements of the current campaign are not temporary, and that the world is not left facing an even greater nuclear threat in the future.

The world needs political courage, long-term vision, and difficult decisions. It needs leadership that does not surrender to the pressures of short-term politics, but acts with an understanding of the historic responsibility it bears.

President Roosevelt did not know how history would ultimately remember him when he made his defining decisions. He knew only what had to be done at a time when the world needed his leadership.

Mr. President, you, too, have been given the opportunity to choose how history will remember you.

Will you be remembered as the leader who settled for a temporary military achievement, or as the leader who ensured that the Iranian regime could never fulfill its ambition of acquiring nuclear weapons and holding the world hostage?

This is America’s moment. This is the moment for leadership.

Respectfully,

Vice-Admiral ret. Eliezer (Eli) Marom

The writer was commander of the Israel Navy from 2007-2011.

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This post was originally published on here. 

The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization recently launched the “You Have a Rabbi,” a new WhatsApp service that lets anyone anonymously contact and have a personal conversation with one of the organization’s rabbis.

Operating daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., the service is intended for men and women of all ages. Its hours are also expected to expand to the morning and afternoon in the near future.

“We have recognized in recent years, and more so since October 7, a growing desire among the general public, especially among young people and teenagers, to ask, learn, research, and delve deeper into Judaism,” explained Rabbi Asher Sabag, a member of the board of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and one of the leaders of the project.

“Many of them are not just looking for a halachic answer, but an open conversation with a rabbi who will listen to them and speak to them at eye level,” Sabag said. “The goal of ‘You Have a Rabbi’ is to give them a personal and accessible address in a place where they are already accustomed to conducting their conversations.”

While it emphasizes those from the secular and traditional sectors, Tzohar said anyone with questions or seeking advice can reach out.

‘You Have a Rabbi’ application process entirely anonymous 

After submitting an anonymous application over WhatsApp, volunteer rabbis will anonymously respond to the inquiry, ensuring that neither party is identifiable unless the individual decides to share their identity.

Since the service launched a few days ago, hundreds of people have already reached out to speak with the organization’s rabbis, averaging several dozen a day.

Applicants can raise questions on matters of halacha, as well as broader issues such as faith, Jewish identity, morality, strengthening, Shabbat, conscription, and attitudes toward religion.

Unlike other halachic centers that provide a question-and-answer service for such inquiries, Tzohar explained that the goal of “You Have a Rabbi” is to tailor the rabbis’ responses to the needs of the person reaching out, delving deeper into questions and continuing conversations accordingly.

WhatsApp inquiries can be made at 0554416712. The number can also be found on the Tzohar website and on social media.

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This post was originally published on here. 

Sick and injured Druze in Syria have been looking to enter Israel for medical treatment almost on a daily basis, Boaz Yosef, chairman of the Population and Immigration Authority, told KAN News on Monday, adding that he is approving their requests almost every day.

“We are demonstrating a great deal of solidarity, and enabling the Druze to live their lives properly, as much as we can do from a distance,” he explained.

Yosef also said that Israel felt it was among the groups handling the situation with the Druze in Syria, saying that “the Druze communities in the Golan are already integrating with us.”

A security source told Walla last month that Israel is concerned that operatives acting on behalf of the Syrian regime intend to renew attacks against the Druze population in the Sweida province of southern Syria.

The security source told Walla that Israel is monitoring developments in Syria around the clock and has no intention of easing the Israeli government’s policy of assisting the Druze against any attempts to carry out massacres or abductions by operatives acting on behalf of the Syrian regime, including Bedouin factions coordinated with Syrian security agencies, or by regime personnel directly.

Druze community faces online hate after Israeli election

Last week, a FakeReporter report also found that the Druze community has faced more than double the amount of violent and incendiary discourse on Israeli social media since the elections last month.

FakeReporter found that online hate speech against the Druze increased by 106% from Election Day until October 30, when activity peaked because some right-wing conspiracists began pushing claims that Arab voters stole the election.

Corinne Baum contributed to this report.

Share this story:

This post was originally published on here. 

The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization recently launched the “You Have a Rabbi,” a new WhatsApp service that lets anyone anonymously contact and have a personal conversation with one of the organization’s rabbis.

Operating daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., the service is intended for men and women of all ages. Its hours are also expected to expand to the morning and afternoon in the near future.

“We have recognized in recent years, and more so since October 7, a growing desire among the general public, especially among young people and teenagers, to ask, learn, research, and delve deeper into Judaism,” explained Rabbi Asher Sabag, a member of the board of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and one of the leaders of the project.

“Many of them are not just looking for a halachic answer, but an open conversation with a rabbi who will listen to them and speak to them at eye level,” Sabag said. “The goal of ‘You Have a Rabbi’ is to give them a personal and accessible address in a place where they are already accustomed to conducting their conversations.”

While it emphasizes those from the secular and traditional sectors, Tzohar said anyone with questions or seeking advice can reach out.

‘You Have a Rabbi’ application process entirely anonymous 

After submitting an anonymous application over WhatsApp, volunteer rabbis will anonymously respond to the inquiry, ensuring that neither party is identifiable unless the individual decides to share their identity.

Since the service launched a few days ago, hundreds of people have already reached out to speak with the organization’s rabbis, averaging several dozen a day.

Applicants can raise questions on matters of halacha, as well as broader issues such as faith, Jewish identity, morality, strengthening, Shabbat, conscription, and attitudes toward religion.

Unlike other halachic centers that provide a question-and-answer service for such inquiries, Tzohar explained that the goal of “You Have a Rabbi” is to tailor the rabbis’ responses to the needs of the person reaching out, delving deeper into questions and continuing conversations accordingly.

WhatsApp inquiries can be made at 0554416712. The number can also be found on the Tzohar website and on social media.

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This post was originally published on here. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Monday accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being behind a recent cyberattack on French supermarket fridges, saying there would be consequences for the country.

Meanwhile, the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had requested international arrest warrants against the leader of Shahid Kaveh, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC, and his two deputies.

If the accusation is confirmed, that would make the hacks among the most disruptive cyberattacks of the war with Iran, which began in February and has been marked by scattered incidents of alleged cyber disruption. These have included disruptions to the Los Angeles transit system in March, US water treatment plants in July, and ships bound for the United States in August.

The French foreign ministry and the Paris prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not return messages seeking comment. Iran routinely denies carrying out malicious cyber operations.

The October 11 cyberattack, which overrode the temperature controls on commercial fridges in hundreds of establishments, appeared easy to pull off, cybersecurity experts previously told Reuters. The firm behind many of the stricken units said that several were obsolete or were running outdated firmware, which could have made it easy for hackers to break in.

Attacks affect refrigerators across Europe

The attack raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to as high as 50 degrees Celsius overnight, causing fires and spoiling food.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said that a “large-scale” attack was “affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France,” leading to food losses and fires.

A person in his office said Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate.

A similar attack later in November 2 hit supermarket groups Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as Swedish grocers ICA and Coop. Furniture-to-meatballs retailer IKEA also saw at least one store affected.

“Everything is destroyed,” Engla Ingwall, sales manager at an ICA franchise store in Stockholm, told Reuters during a visit to the store on Monday, adding the attack occurred at 2 a.m. (0100 GMT) but was only noticed hours later.

“There has been a cyberattack and all our freezers reached 50 degrees (Celsius).”

A spokesperson for privately held ICA said the company was aware that a “limited number of stores were affected by an incident overnight, which impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems.”

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This post was originally published on here.