This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The anti-Israel and pro-Hamas president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, recently made his intentions clear to speak at an upcoming Holocaust memorial event in Dublin, in spite of the vociferous objections of the small Irish-Jewish community. And insult was added to injury on Wednesday when a statement from the community's leadership highlighted how Israel's ambassador to the country had not been invited to speak.
In what seems an extraordinary move, Holocaust Education Ireland decided not to invite Israel's ambassador, Dana Erlich, who is still in situ, despite a decision by Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar,' late last year to shutter the embassy, at least partly over the Irish decision to recognize a "Palestinian" state. It is the first time in 10 years the ambassador has not been invited, since a similar incident a decade ago when the then-Irish ambassador was similarly not invited. HEI claimed all current ambassadors were invited and that Israel had recalled its emissary in May 2024, followed by its closure of the embassy in December.
Chair of the Jewish Representative Council Maurice Cohen released a statement regarding the controversy in which he conveyed the community was "deeply disappointed and troubled" by HEI's decision not to allow Israel's ambassador to speak. "The Holocaust Memorial Day observance is meant to unite us in remembrance, reflection, and resolve against anti-Semitism and hatred. Excluding the Israeli ambassador undermines both the spirit and intention of this solemn commemoration," he wrote.
"The State of Israel welcomed survivors in 1948 after they had been wandering around Europe for 3 years. Today nearly 50% of all Holocaust survivors live in Israel bearing daily witness to the horrors endured and the resilience born out of that darkest chapter in history. Furthermore, a large portion of our local Irish Jewish community today is Israeli in origin, underscoring Israel's role as a cornerstone of Jewish identity and continuity," he added.
Irish lawyer and former minister of justice, Alan Shatter, joined the condemnation, saying: "Holocaust Education Ireland is the only Holocaust Remembrance group hostile towards Israel. This is sadly an historical issue entirely disconnected from recent conflicts that has never been publicly explained by its board members," according to the Jewish Chronicle.
The current imbroglio merely heaps additional strife on already fractious relationship between Higgins and the Jewish community specifically, and also with Israel more broadly. In Sa'ar's explanation for closing the embassy he stressed the "actions, double standards, and antisemitic rhetoric of the Irish government against Israel are rooted in efforts to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state." Latterly this not only included recognizing a "Palestinian" state, it also backed South Africa's claims of the IDF committing 'genocide' in the Gaza Strip, as well as supporting the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. Higgins himself has been at the forefront of seeming to cause deep offense to the Jewish community, backed by an array of like-minded supporters on social media.
Ireland's Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder said Higgins "has neglected even to acknowledge the scourge of contemporary antisemitism in Ireland, let alone do anything to address it," reported the JC.
"I fear his address marking Holocaust Memorial Day will inevitably ring hollow for many Irish Jews," he added.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel's most senior military figure, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi released a statement he had spoken to Defense Minister Israel Katz and tended his resignation – effective March 6 – after accepting responsibility for the IDF's failings over the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and subsequent massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, as well as 251 being taken hostage.
In his statement, he said those failings would "haunt me for the rest of my life."
"I notified the defense minister today (Tuesday) that in acknowledgment of my responsibility for the IDF's failure on Oct. 7 and at this juncture when the IDF has recorded significant achievements and is implementing a hostage release agreement, I am requesting to conclude my tenure on March 6, 2025," he wrote in an official statement.
"During the remaining period, I will complete all investigations and reinforce the IDF's operational capabilities to meet security challenges," he added.
"Throughout the past four decades, protecting Israel's security has been the mission that defined my life," Halevi wrote.
"On the morning of Oct. 7, the IDF under my command failed to fulfill its fundamental mission of protecting Israeli citizens. The State of Israel has endured a devastating and painful toll – in lives lost, in hostages taken, and in both physical and psychological trauma. Despite countless acts of valor from many – our security forces, IDF soldiers and commanders, and brave civilians – these heroic efforts could not prevent the catastrophic outcome. The weight of my responsibility for this terrible failure remains with me every day, every hour, and will continue to do so for the remainder of my life," he emphasized.
Halevi assumed his current role in January 2023, replacing Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and following a career which included serving in crucial leadership positions such as director of Military Intelligence, commander of the Southern Command, and deputy chief of staff. With his resignation, Halevi will become the third-shortest serving permanent IDF chief of staff, who stepped down after some 20 months following the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Israel's Kan News public broadcaster noted Halevi requested to Katz he conclude his position after the first 42-day phase of the current hostage deal with Hamas is expected to end on March 1.
The current commander of the Southern Command, which has responsibility for the area around the Gaza Strip, Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman, who assumed office in July 2023, less than three months before the events of Oct. 7, also announced the conclusion of his tenure. He too spoke of the weight of failure that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Prior to Halevi's resignation, the most senior military personality to fall on their sword was the former head of the IDF's military intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva, who tendered his resignation in April 2024. He called for a commission of inquiry into the military and intelligence failures of Oct. 7, a position Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strenuously resisted with claims it would be inappropriate while the war is still being fought.
Families of victims of the Oct. 7 massacre called Halevi's resignation an "excellent start," saying other senior military personnel and politicians should follow suit.
Indeed, there will be increased pressure on Netanyahu to similarly resign. In the past he has artfully tried to shift the blame for the massive statewide failures on Oct. 7 solely on the military and intelligence chiefs. And now the heads of the Knesset's opposition have called on the prime minister to do as the military's top man has just done. Yair Lapid, leader of the official opposition thanked Halevi for his years of service, and in the same X post said, "Now let the prime minister and his entire disastrous government take responsibility and resign."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Hamas captors gave released hostages bizarre parting 'gift' bag
Two of the recently released Gaza hostages, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen, who were held together in captivity, were forced by Hamas to participate in a staged ceremony where they received "gifts and souvenirs" from their captivity Israeli media reported Sunday night.
According to the Jerusalem Post. all three released hostages received a 'gift bag' which included a photo of Gaza from Hamas terrorists.
In a macabre and twisted bookend, the survivors were given "certificates of release" and made to pose and smile with them before being transferred to Red Cross custody.
The survivors called the tactic a "cynical game."
Anti-Israel Wikipedia editors face lifetime bans after spreading misinformation, hate
Multiple anti-Israel Wikipedia editors are likely to be topic-banned after spreading misinformation and hate across the site, the Anti-Defamation League recently announced, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The users have been under investigation by the Wikipedia arbitration board following 'disruptive behavior' surrounding their edits on the discussion of Israel and Palestine, the Jewish Journal reported.
Two Pro-Israel editors face being topic-banned as well, the Jewish Journal noted, adding the bans have yet to be voted on, but will likely occur within the next few days.
The ADL said it welcomed this potential decision, as the multiple users also enacted a 'bad-faith' campaign against the organization, undermining their credibility by editing their page on Wikipedia and claiming they were 'generally unreliable' when it came to the Middle East topic.
'I've come back to life': Released hostage Emily Damari says 'I am the happiest in the world – just to be'
Emily Damari, the dual British-Israeli citizen who was released – along with Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher – as part of the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was said to be "doing much better than any of us could have ever anticipated," according to her mother, Mandy, who released a statement via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Monday.
"Yesterday, I finally got to hug Emily, just as I had dreamed of doing for a long time," she says, thanking the public for its unwavering support over the past 15 months. "You are all an integral part of Emily's family."
"It was a great joy to catch a glimpse – along with the rest of the world – of Emily's strength, determination and charisma when she was released," she continues. "In Emily's own words – she is the happiest woman in the world; she has her life back."
Gazans who were displaced by the war began returning home on Sunday to discover the devastation brining some to express shock and extreme frustration, reported Ynet.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said 436,000 buildings were destroyed in the Strip and 276,000 were severely or partially damaged after 90% of Gazans were displaced.
"What have we achieved? I have four houses and they are all flattned," Mohammed Abu Bilal, who returned to Rafah told CNN. "Where am I? Is this my house? Is this my live?" Another resident who returned to the city said he came to see if his house was standing but found it destroyed. "We are defeated. We have no life. We will live on the streets."
Michael Waltz: Hamas will never run Gaza
Hamas will "never govern Gaza," President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Waltz, said on Sunday, ahead of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire between the terrorist group and Israel, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.
"That is completely unacceptable," Waltz said during an interview with CBS about the prospect of a Hamas-run Gaza.
Earlier this month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire whose first phase features the release of 33 out of 97 hostages still in Gaza in return for more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners; an Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip and a 42-day ceasefire. The remaining hostages are to be released in following phases whose details are yet to be negotiated.
If Hamas violates the deal, the United States will not interfere with Israeli moves to punish Hamas, Waltz indicated. "I want the Israeli people to hear me loud and clear. If Hamas reneges on this deal and Hamas backs out, moves the goalpost, what have you, we will support Israel in doing what it has to do," he said.
Hamas orchestrated crowd at hostages' release to appear bigger than in reality
Hamas critics in Gaza have been sharing on social media a photo of today's transfer of the three Israeli hostages from the terror group's fighters to the Red Cross, revealing that the crowd present was smaller than what may have appeared in Hamas's footage of the event.
According to the Times of Israel, those posting the zoomed-out photo are arguing the terrorist group is far less popular in Gaza following 15 months of war sparked by its Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught, which has left the coastal zone and its population decimated.
Only several hundred Hamas members and supporters appear to have been present at the transfer.
U.S. partially lifts arms embargo to Israel
The United States has begun lifting key restrictions from its arms embargo on Israel, with approximately 70 D9 bulldozers now cleared for shipment, according to security sources.
The bulldozers represent a portion of a comprehensive 130-vehicle acquisition agreement signed approximately ten months ago, a deal that had remained suspended under the American arms embargo. Sources familiar with the matter told Israel Hayom the authorization for the bulldozer transfer emerged from extensive negotiations with American administration officials, integrated within the broader framework of the hostage deal discussions.
Military officials emphasize the critical battlefield significance of these engineering vehicles in Gaza Strip operations. The heavy-duty bulldozers serve multiple essential functions: establishing secure movement corridors, creating access routes for combat forces, and detecting explosive devices. Their reinforced design enables them to withstand explosive impacts while maintaining operational capability.
Senior European diplomat: 'Israel has decided to attack Iran's nuclear sites in 2025'
European diplomats are scrambling to see if there is a way to minimize the risk of a military attack on Iran's nuclear program ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
"We believe Israel has taken the decision to attack following the developments in the Middle East over the last several months," one senior European diplomat, who, like others Al Arabiya English spoke to, said on condition of anonymity.
The diplomat did not say the attack was believed to be imminent but said several European countries have opened talks with the incoming Trump team to see if there is a chance for diplomacy or another way of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Israel frees 90 terrorists in exchange for release of 3 female hostages
In accordance with the hostage release deal, Israel freed 90 terrorists early Monday morning in exchange for the three hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity on Sunday.
The Israel Prison Service said, "During the evening, 90 terrorists were transferred from various detention facilities across the country to the 'Ofer' prison, accompanied by personnel from the Nachshon unit of the Prison Service and with the assistance of the Israel Police. Upon completion of the reception procedures and receiving approval from the political authorities, all the terrorists were released from 'Ofer' prison and Jerusalem Detention Center."
U.K. police question Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Israel march
Former leader of Britain's Labor party Jeremy Corbyn was questioned under caution by police on Sunday over his participation in an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian/Hamas rally the previous day that developed into a clash with police.
Also questioned was former senior Labour party member John McDonnell, who, like Corbyn, is now an independent lawmaker in the House of Commons, reported the Times of Israel.
Both men voluntarily agreed to be questioned, the BBC reported.
Officers charged nine people with public order offenses after dozens were arrested at the protest in the British capital, the London Metropolitan Police said Sunday.
Cost of Gaza reconstruction estimated at $80 million
With the ceasefire agreement coming into effect, the world is looking ahead to the enormous economic effort that will be required to rebuild the Gaza Strip, Israeli outlet Globes reported.
The extensive destruction shrouds the horizon, and questions abound: at what stage will reconstruction work begin, and what will be the Israeli involvement compared with international efforts. Who will pay for it all, and how will the Palestinian Authority, which has no money, be involved while Hamas is still the governing body in the Gaza Strip? What mechanism will be in place to examine the quality and quantity of goods and raw materials that will enter the Gaza Strip and many more questions.
The UN estimates that reconstruction work in the Gaza Strip will cost $80 billion, 25 times more than after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The particularly high cost stems from the fact that about 69% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip (more than 170,000) have been destroyed, including about 90% of the housing units.
Even before reconstruction, 42 million tons of rubble created by the bombings have to be cleared. The process alone is expected to cost $1.2 billion, with the UN assessment last April estimating that treatment of the rubble will take 14 years.
Houthis: 'Attacks on Israeli-linked ships to continue until last phase of Gaza ceasefire
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militia has signaled that it will limit its maritime attacks in the Red Sea to only Israel-linked vessels.
The Houthis' Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center announced that the terror group was "stopping sanctions" on other vessels it has targeted since November 2023, according to the report.
For Israeli ships, the Houthis' attacks will only be stopped "upon the full implementation of all phases" of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal that went into effect on Sunday, it added, according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
"In the event of any aggression … the sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor state," the statement continued. "You will be promptly informed of such measures should they be implemented."
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea called on all countries to withdraw their citizens working as crew members on Israeli ships, avoid working with Israeli freight carriers and steer clear of Israeli vessels.
British Airways to resume Israel flights on April 5
Aviation giant British Airways has announced it will resume flying to Israel from April 5, 2025. The airline's return to Israel will be gradual. It will at first operate one daily flight on the Tel Aviv-London route, raising the frequency to two flights daily from April 20, reported Globes.
British Airways suspended its flights to Israel after the escalation in the Swords of Iron war last August, and since then has continually extended the period of suspension.
From April to August last year, British Airways maintained its service to Israel, with a stopover in Larnaca. The airline has not yet said whether the resumption of flights will be in this format, or whether it will go back to direct flights as was normal in the past.
British Airways thus joins the Lufthansa Group, which has announced the resumption of Israel flights from February 1. Industry sources are optimistic about the prospects of more airlines following suit. Air France and Air India are due to resume service within the next two weeks, while Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are due to do so on March 31.
Trump team keeps Iran policy close to the vest
The incoming administration of President Donald Trump has revealed little about their policy toward Iran, with many in Washington debating the next moves on sanctions, the nuclear issue, and Tehran's broader role in global stability, according to Iran International.
"If Iran didn't flow money to terrorist groups, there would be no sanctions," Trump's pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio, R–Fla., said, stressing his belief that the Iranian regime prioritizes its geopolitical ambitions over the welfare of its citizens. "I see no evidence that the regime spends the money they generate for the people of Iran," he added.
When pressed on what an acceptable nuclear deal with Iran would look like, Rubio said, "We will discuss that once I'm confirmed."
Rubio's comments suggest the administration may be recalibrating its approach to diplomacy with Tehran, but the specifics remain tightly guarded.
Last week, Rep. Michael Waltz, R–Fla., highlighted the broader geopolitical stakes of Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. Waltz framed Iran's influence as extending beyond the Middle East, impacting other theaters of global conflict.
"Maximum pressure, not only will it help stability in the Middle East, but it'll help stability in the Russia-Ukraine theater as well, as Iran provides ballistic missiles and literally thousands and thousands of drones that are going into that theater," he said.
U.K. teen pleads guilty to murdering three girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance party
A U.K. teen admitted Monday to killing three girls and wounding 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer – and for possessing an al-Qaida manual, the New York Post reported.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty in the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, as well as 10 counts of attempted murder for stabbing eight other children along with two adults who tried to help them at the kids' event on July 29.
Rudakubana faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday.
The stabbings, which were carried out in the English town of Southport, triggered a week of violent rioting after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A lawsuit has been filed against Idaho Gov. Brad Little and couple of the state's National Guard leaders for removing a Christian officer from command "solely due to his personal Christian expression on biblical sexuality made outside of the military environment."
The action is coming from Liberty Counsel, which has reported on facts of the situation.
"The 'No Christians in Command' policy constitutes a religious gerrymander by unconstitutionally orphaning sincerely held religious beliefs while permitting the more favored nonreligious value systems," the case charges. "On its face and as applied, [the policy] lacks any rational basis and is irrational and unjustifiable."
Mat Staver, founder and chief, said, "The U.S. Supreme Court has long held that military members do not shed their constitutional rights when they step forward to serve the nation. Nor are the military departments immune to the laws protecting their individual freedoms. By suspending and removing Major David Worley from command over his Christian beliefs, the Idaho Army National Guard informally adopted an unconstitutional 'No Christians in Command' policy.
"The Constitution simply does not allow the military to punish those with sincerely held religious beliefs or to specifically target religion for disparate and discriminatory treatment. Governor Brad Little must ensure that the Idaho Army National Guard upholds federal and state law and protects the free speech of its service members. This discrimination against Major Worley must stop and his record must be cleared and his career restored."
The dispute is over the state's attacks on Maj. David Worley, an infantry officer who ran for mayor in Pocatello, Idaho.
"During Worley's political campaign, which he conducted strictly outside his military duties, he expressed his religious convictions and moral objections to certain issues relevant to political discourse in his community. He expressed his opposition to issues involving so-called 'Drag Queen Story Hours,' pornographic material for minors in public libraries, and the medical mutilation of gender-confused children. All of Worley's protected speech occurred off-duty in his private capacity and before he took command of the Idaho Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention unit," the legal team said.
But then one enlisted man, "who claims to be homosexual and is ideologically opposed to Worley's religious beliefs," complained about discrimination because he felt "threatened and unsafe" due to Worley's beliefs.
The Idaho Army National Guard suspended Worley from command in July 2023, the pressured him to resign, a move that was rescinded within hours.
Finally, when the National Guard investigated and found the complaints were unsubstantiated, it concluded with the recommendation that "all candidates for command be scrutinized to ensure any concerning expression is discovered, reported to the Department of Defense, and investigated for extremist activity."
Liberty Counsel said the National Guard then claimed Worley's beliefs were "toxic" and removed him from command, "solely due to those protected religious views."
Other defendants are Adjutant General of the Idaho National Guard Major General Timothy J. Donnellan and the Assistant Adjutant General for the Idaho Army National Guard Brigadier General James C. Packwood.
The lawsuit charges that the punishment violates the First Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Idaho Free Exercise of Religious Protection Act.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Leftists running school districts in many places across America have adopted some extremist ideas these days, including transgenderism – especially after the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration spent four years promoting it.
And sometimes they've used their positions to select materials that indoctrinate children with such ideologies. Sometimes they let parents opt their children out of what the families consider offensive material, but not always.
And in one of those cases, the Supreme Court now will intervene.
It is Becket that confirmed the high court agreed to decide whether parents can opt their children out of such teaching in one Maryland district.
"Cramming down controversial gender ideology on three-year-olds without their parents' permission is an affront to our nation's traditions, parental rights, and basic human decency," explained Becket senior counsel Eric Baxter.
"The court must make clear: parents, not the state, should be the ones deciding how and when to introduce their children to sensitive issues about gender and sexuality."
The case being taken up by the court is Mahmoud v. Taylor, involving the Montgomery County, Md., Board of Education, which "took away parental notice and opt-outs for storybooks" that celebrate "gender transitioning, pride parades, and pronoun preferences with kids as young as three and four."
Becket's report said older students can opt out when similar topics are introduced during high school health class.
But not in the early grades, so Becket has been representing families of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths who challenged the board's edict.
The school "inclusivity" promotions were announced in 2022 for students in pre-K through fifth grade, and, Becket explained, they "champion controversial ideology around gender and sexuality."
"For example, one book tasks three and four-year-olds to search for images from a word list that includes 'intersex flag,' 'drag queen,' 'underwear,' 'leather,' and the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker," Becket explained.
Teachers are told to claim to children that physicians "guess" about a newborn's sex.
Then the board specifically revoked all notice and opt-out opportunities for parents.
"The school board has pushed inappropriate gender indoctrination on our children instead of focusing on the fundamental areas of education that they need to thrive," said Grace Morrison, of Kids First, an association of parents and teachers advocating for notice and opt-outs.
"I pray the Supreme Court will stop this injustice, allow parents to raise their children according to their faith, and restore common sense in Maryland once again."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of the agendas for Joe Biden's administration was to push gun control.
His surrogates would erupt every time some criminal used a weapon to hurt someone with charges that gun control was the answer, that there would be no reduction in violence until the American public lost access to firearms.
One part of that agenda was his decision, through Merrick Garland, his attorney general, to order an in-depth analysis of how firearms enter illegal markets and get into the wrong hands, including Mexico drug cartels.
In a four-part series, it now has been released by the Department of Justice, covering "20 years of data."
It, Garland has claimed, is "vital to helping law enforcement nationwide solve crimes and take shooters off the street."
But it entirely ignores what many would consider the most egregious, the most offensive, the most awful gun-trafficking circumstances, when the Barack Obama administration actually delivered guns into the pipeline supplying Mexican drug gangs.
It is Judicial Watch, in its "Corruption Chronicles," that explains what has happened.
"In 2021 Attorney General Merrick B. Garland directed the same agency that orchestrated that fiasco, the ATF, to lead a drawn-out comprehensive study, known as National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), aimed at curbing gun violence and illegal gun trafficking across the nation."
Those results, Garland claimed in a DOJ statement, represent "the most thorough research, analysis, and examination ever of firearms commerce and how firearms enter illegal markets and fall into the wrong hands."
Except for the fact it "conveniently omits Obama's disastrous Mexican gunrunning operation that let drug traffickers obtain U.S.-sold weapons."
That was run by the ATF and sent guns from the U.S. "to be smuggled into Mexico so they could eventually be traced to drug cartels."
What actually happened was that federal law enforcement officers lost track of hundreds of weapons "which were used in an unknown number of crimes, including the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona."
In the press release Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, "From conducting enhanced background checks to stopping firearms trafficking by cartels, the department has prioritized addressing the most significant drivers of violent crime and identifying emerging threats to our communities."
Fast and Furious isn't 'there.
It was, Judicial Watch reported, "a major scheme that illicitly sent firearms south of the border under the leadership of Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, who was cited for contempt by Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to the botched operation."
Judicial Watch reported the part of the report addressing the southwest border "only reveals that firearms originating in the U.S. and recovered in Mexico between 2017 and 2021 represented 74% of all international crime guns traced to a purchaser."
"Further analysis indicates that transnational gun traffickers exploit the same criminal channels to divert firearms from legal commerce as domestic gun traffickers," the report finds.
"Judicial Watch obtained Justice Department documents showing that Fast and Furious weapons were widely used by members of major Mexican drug cartels, including Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, head of the Sinaloa drug cartel," the report said.
Eventually, 94 of the weapons unleashed by Obama were later found in Mexico City and 12 Mexican states.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden is taking full credit for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, even though his administration was unable to break through for a deal for a year, and the movement started only after President-elect Donald Trump suggested "hell to pay" should Hamas not start releasing hostage by the time he takes office Monday.
Biden called a question about whether Trump should be credited a "joke."
The Washington Examiner pointed out the "deal" involving Israel and Hamas was 15 months in the making after the terrorists from Gaza launched a war against Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping 250 in one day's attack.
Biden conceded it was "at long last" that he was confirming a ceasefire and hostage release plan.
The U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been trying to find a deal to which Hamas and Israel could agree for months.
The Examiner reported, "The first phase of the deal includes Hamas releasing a number of hostages, including women, in addition to older and wounded hostages, as Israel starts to withdraw from Gaza. In exchange for the hostages, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners and send humanitarian aid to Gaza."
A second phase is for the war to end and more prisoners exchanged. A third involves reconstruction.
Biden took credit for the structure of the agree, proposed by the U.S. last year.
He did admit Trump will have to manage the end result of the work. But asked if Trump should be credited with helping the deal advance, he said, "Is that a joke?"
Trump had warned Hamas that there would be "hell to pay" should there be no movement on releasing the hostages by Monday.
Trump earlier had confirmed the ceasefire plans on social media.
"We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly," he said.
He added, "We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!"
WND previously reported that Vice President-elect JD Vance told "Fox News Sunday" what was his interpretation of Trump's threat there would be "hell to pay" for Hamas if the terrorist group did not release the remaining 99 hostages – both dead and alive – before his Jan. 20 inauguration.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden did a first-class job as president of the United States for the last four years, according to Joe Biden.
His comments came Monday in a foreign policy speech.
But the reality is just a little different, according to a critique of his comments published in Red State.
He first claimed that America now is much stronger than it was four years ago. And that its adversaries are weaker.
However, Red State documented, "Since Biden took office, China has grown the size of its military and expanded its political influence across the globe, from the South China Sea to Africa and even South America. As to Russia, one could argue their military resources have been depleted fighting Ukraine, but they are still currently invading Europe with no peace deal in sight."
It pointed out that only American adversary now weaker is Iran, and that's not because of Biden's policies, but despite them.
Biden also boasted of moving America out of Afghanistan, but he forgot to mention the terrorists that have come into America across his open southern border.
The critique said, "I would hardly call a Taliban-led state where men 'marry' and rape nine-year-olds while women can't go appear in public without a male escort a success. The human cost of Biden's disastrous withdrawal is unfathomable, from those who died during it to the millions who have experienced brutal oppression in the aftermath. "
Then there are the service members killed during that disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
And finally, he ignored the recent terrorism in New Orleans to claim global warming, or climate change has it's now known, is the "single greatest threat."
The critique explained, "There are far fewer deaths caused by natural disasters today than there were even a hundred years ago. The idea that 'climate change' is the 'single greatest existential threat to humanity' is simply a lie, and it becomes far more grotesque when you consider Biden is saying that to obfuscate his failures. Why take responsibility for anything when you can just blame the sky idol of 'climate change' for every policy failure?"
Biden's actual legacy? "Biden has been arguably the most destructive president in modern history, with only President Jimmy Carter giving him any competition."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A longtime adviser to President-elect Donald Trump is blaming nonsensical, "radical" policies of the Green New Deal for this week's catastrophic fires across Southern California.
Former U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the former House Intelligence Committee chairman, appeared on "Sunday Morning Futures" on the Fox News Channel, where host Maria Bartiromo asked him point blank:
"So you're saying as a result of the Green New Deal, as a result of the climate change agenda of the Democrats and the Biden administration and the Gavin Newsom administration, they stopped logging? They stopped the farmers from allowing the animals to graze, and they stopped storing water because of the climate change agenda?"
Nunes responded: "Yeah. This radical idea. I mean, this green, new economy is really a red one. It's one that a brings on death and devastation. And these policies have been going on in California for a long time. So much so. think about this. California is in population decline right now. There's people in California who actually celebrate this. As if the people and this land should not be used, which is preposterous.
"This is the No. 1 agricultural state. It's a beautiful state, and it's one that deserves common sense policies. But in order to get those common sense policies, I think it's going to depend on finally somebody like President Trump who in 2016 came out, he owns properties in Los Angeles County. He came and visited the rest of the state where we've been experiencing this since I was a young child.
We've been experiencing this nonsense where you've taken land out of production. And I think the president looked at these, this massive water infrastructure, the greatest that's ever been built in the history of the planet and said, 'Now, why aren't we moving some of this water? Why is this water going out to the Pacific Ocean?'
"I don't think President Trump, at that time he was a candidate back in 2016. We were driving down the freeway, he's talked about this many times, ask and he would ask, 'Why is one side of the field dry, one is it green?'
"Then there were catastrophic fires during the Trump administration and what happened? Basically, Trump left office and now we're left with the same policies came back. And so hopefully, I think, you'll see the Trump administration who will not partake in this nonsense again. And there's going the to be really policy changes that come out of Sacramento.
Bartiromo concluded: "Before the money goes to Sacramento, is what you're saying. This is just extraordinary."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The judicial system in the state of New York once was "considered the premier legal system in the country."
Not anymore, according to constitutional expert "Jonathan Turley, a Fox contributor and Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.
He cited the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump on Friday on wild business records claims by Juan Merchan, a sentence of no jail or probation or fines under a "discharge" standard.
"With the sentencing of Donald Trump on Friday, the final verdict on the New York criminal trial of the president-elect is in. The verdict is not the one that led to no jail or probation for the incoming president. Acting Justice Juan Merchan has brought down the gavel on the New York legal system as a whole," Turley explained.
"Once considered the premier legal system in the country, figures like New York Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Justices Arthur F. Engoron and Juan Merchan have caused the system to be weaponized for political purposes.
"Trump will walk away from this trial and into the White House in less than two weeks, but the New York system will walk into infamy after this day. The case has long been denounced by objective legal observers, including intense Trump critics, as a legal absurdity. Even CNN's senior legal analyst Elie Honig denounced the case as legally flawed and unprecedented while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., simply called it total 'b—s–t.'"
He explained the New York system was unable to "handle the truth."
It was a "case based on a non-crime. DA Bragg took a long-dead misdemeanor and zapped it back into life with a novel and unfounded theory," he explained.
In fact, Bragg, who campaigned for office on the idea of prosecuting Trump, for something, anything, claimed that a "long-dead misdemeanor" actually was a live felony "by using federal violations that were never charged, let alone tried."
Then the judge, who has been known to financially support Democrats, and whose daughter was raising money for Democrats off her father's courtroom rulings against Trump, joined in.
Merchan "not only allowed those charges to be brought to trial but then added layers of reversible errors in the effort to bag Trump at any cost," Turley explained.
In the court of public opinion, the New York agenda failed, as Trump got 3.6 million New York votes, or 42.7%, in the 2024 election.
"Many polls showed that the public saw the Manhattan criminal case for what it was: raw lawfare targeting a leading political opponent. The election itself felt like the largest verdict in history as citizens rejected the political, legal and media establishments in one of our nation's most historic elections," Turley explained.
He said the state system still has a chance to redeem itself, but few "are holding their breath."
It still could toss James's "equally absurd civil lawsuit against Trump. Despite judges expressing skepticism over Engoron's use of a law to impose a grotesque $455 million in fines and interest, we are still waiting for a decision."
He said the Merchan agenda now will end up before the Supreme Court itself, after the judge's "lack of seriousness in the case" was on display.
In the case, Bragg claimed business reporting errata by Trump's companies amounted to felonies, even though they ordinarily would have been misdemeanors for which the statute of limitations had expired.
Bragg said they were felonies because they were in pursuit of some other, unidentified, crime. In fact, jurors failed to identify that crime, and Merchan inexplicably said their verdict didn't have to be unanimous in the case that was just one prong of Democrats' multi-jurisdiction lawfare campaign, a failed effort to use various created civil and criminal cases to keep him from running for president again..
Bragg brought to court, and Merchan allowed, salacious testimony from a former porn star and a discredited lawyer in order to convince jurors in the leftist enclave of Manhattan, which repeatedly has voted by vast majorities against Trump, to convict Trump of 34 counts.
The issue was that Trump's lawyer paid the porn star for silence about an alleged affair both denied happened. The payments made to the lawyer were labeled as legal expenses.