11/18 – www.israelhayom.com

Ramming and stabbing attack at Gush Etzion junction

omrif — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:23:34 +0000

A car ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion junction resulted in one murdered Israeli fatality and three others wounded. Three terrorists armed with knives carried out the attack and were neutralized by IDF troops stationed at the scene. Emergency medical teams treated the wounded at the site, while the IDF launched a manhunt in the region and surrounded the village where the perpetrators are believed to have come from.

The site of the attack on November 18, 2025 (Courtesy)

According to initial reports, a vehicle carried out a ramming attack at the Gush Etzion junction. Two terrorists then got out of the car and attempted to carry out a stabbing attack before being neutralized by forces at the scene.

Video: Car-ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion junction

Eli Bin, CEO of Magen David Adom, provided an initial update, saying, "There are 4 injured – one is in critical condition, two are in serious to moderate condition, and one is lightly hurt." One was later pronounced dead. Two other two victims were a 40-year-old owman and a 15-year-old boy.

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X experiences worldwide service failure linked to Cloudflare issues

ErezL — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:20:09 +0000

Large parts of the internet around the world were shut down Tuesday following a significant technical fault in the Cloudflare infrastructure service. The outage affected a wide range of online sites and services, including the social network X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI's artificial intelligence service ChatGPT, the online game League of Legends, and additional sites.

Widespread disruption hit X platform globally Tuesday morning as Cloudflare network failures affected thousands attempting to access the social media service through mobile applications and web browsers, with Donald Trump's Truth Social platform also experiencing technical difficulties stemming from the same infrastructure problems, DownDetector reported. Critical infrastructure fault causes widespread collapse of major online services, including X and OpenAI's ChatGPT, highlighting internet fragility.

Users attempting to access the affected sites saw an error message stating, "Internal Server Error on Cloudflare network," with a recommendation to try again in a few minutes. The fault began around 12:00 p.m. Israel time, and Cloudflare issued an initial update confirming the company was aware of the problem about 15 minutes later.

Cloudflare said it was checking the issues with connectivity (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Getty Images/iStockphoto

Cloudflare is an internet infrastructure company that delivers core technologies that power today's online experiences. Its service includes tools that shield sites from cyberattacks and guarantee they stay online even during heavy traffic loads. The service typically operates "behind the scenes," unnoticed by users, but when it encounters issues, the effect is simultaneously felt across numerous sites.

The cybersecurity company posted acknowledgment of the situation: "Cloudflare is aware of, and investigating an issue which potentially impacts multiple customers." The statement added: "Further detail will be provided as more information becomes available." What emerged as a massive breakdown struck X (formerly Twitter) worldwide, with outage monitoring service Downdetector.com recording more than 10,000 user complaints by Tuesday noon Israel time, across Android and iOS mobile applications as well as the x.com web portal, according to DownDetector.

Analysis of the reported difficulties showed mobile application problems accounting for 61% of grievances, website access issues at 28%, and server connection failures at 11%, revealing a technical malfunction extending far beyond regional boundaries to impact users internationally, Downdetector.com documented.

Approximately an hour after the fault began, certain sites started returning to operation. X, which was unavailable to many users, began to load again, potentially indicating progress in Cloudflare's efforts to mitigate the impact. However, at the time this article was published, the company had not yet confirmed that the problem was fully resolved, nor had it yet identified the fault's source or the path to its complete repair.

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Will Iran's military turn on its leaders?

miriw — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:00:41 +0000

The Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself caught in growing internal turmoil. Alongside critical crises, including an unprecedented water shortage and economic collapse, viral videos emerged this week revealing a rebellion trend against the regime coming straight from within the military and security forces. The public appearance of soldiers and officers supporting the exiled Iranian opposition, combined with the collapse of existential infrastructure, threatens the stability of the ayatollah regime in an unprecedented manner.

The historic flag of Iran – the Lion and Sun flag serving as a symbol for supporters of the exiled Shah and opponents of the regime – is being raised openly in public spaces. In an unusual incident at a Tehran metro station, two Iranian men dressed in military uniforms were filmed waving the historic flag. Raising the flag in a central location like the metro represents a clear act of rebellion against the Islamic Republic, especially when performed by individuals identified with the security system. The viral videos from this event are going viral in Iran.

A colonel-ranked officer (according to Iranian sources, retired), Ebrahim Agai Kumazani, came out publicly in a video against the ayatollah regime. He denounced the Iranian regime as an "unholy and false regime" with no connection to Iran's history or land. He accused the regime of treason, theft, fraud, creating crises, and spreading poverty and crime. The colonel expressed public support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and called on the Iranian people "to rise up" and act to save Iran. The officer presented himself as a "soldier in the people's army."

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni speaking during a meeting with members of the Iranian cabinet in Tehran, Iran, 07 September 2025 (Photo: EPA) EPA

Hours after Colonel Kumazani's video started circulating on networks, another officer, Colonel Sajjad Azadeh from Iran's ground forces, presented himself in another video as someone reinforcing the move against the regime. He also declared he is "a soldier of Iran's national army, and a soldier of the Lion and Sun flag." He promised that in the coming days "major events are on the way." The colonel announced that soon the rebels "will tear apart the darkness of lies, fraud, and occupation." This officer's joining the open call indicates a division trend permeating to the heart of the security system.

A new video surfaced in recent hours exposing an unprecedented level of defiance – three soldiers dressed in Iranian military uniforms were filmed burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while shouting "Long live the Shah!" and pledging allegiance to the Lion and Sun flag. This act symbolizes deep rebellion and represents support for the national cooperation campaign launched by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. The campaign encourages mass desertions against the Islamist regime.

In the modern era, the possibility cannot be ignored that the videos circulating in Iran and stirring much unrest are AI videos, perhaps cooked up by a foreign intelligence agency to create unrest in Iran. However, the unrest in Iran is linked to the most severe crisis Iran has faced in recent decades – the water crisis, a truly critical and pressing issue. According to the latest released data, water reserves in Tehran are sufficient for only two weeks, and rare statements were heard from Iran's president about the possibility of "evacuating Tehran within a month." This unprecedented crisis is leading Iran to growing tensions, with the public pointing an accusing finger at the regime and its failed plans.

The possibility that the regime cannot provide water to its residents raises the question: Can a regime that cannot provide a basic existential need survive? As commentators note, a regime feeling the ground shaking beneath its feet might "flee forward" and open an external confrontation or war to try to unite the angry Iranian public around it.

Either way, the lethal combination of internal crises (water and economy) with what appears to be public calls for rebellion from within the military system indicates the Tehran regime stands at a decision point where widespread uprising is no longer a theoretical scenario but a real possibility, strengthening daily.

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Netanyahu praises Trump after UN vote; mum on Palestinian state

ErezL — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:24:26 +0000

Following Monday's adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 authorizing President Donald Trump's international plan for the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released strong statements supporting the diplomatic goals related to the conflict and praising key former US officials involved in shaping the proposed peace framework.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu (background: Gaza) / Jack GUEZ / AFP; Marc Israel Sellem; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Jack GUEZ / AFP; Marc Israel Sellem; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images;

Following the recent adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 authorizing President Donald Trump's international plan for the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released strong statements supporting the diplomatic goals related to the conflict and praising key former US officials involved in shaping the proposed peace framework.

Netanyahu, who made the comments only in English through the X account, strong approval for the work of the US president, saying that "The State of Israel and PM Netanyahu applaud President @realDonaldTrump and his tireless and devoted team," but did not mention the resolution's call to create a path for a Palestinian state.

He connected the former President's efforts directly to recent security successes, noting that "The courage and sacrifice of our brave soldiers, along with President Trump's diplomatic efforts, helped bring home all of the living hostages and most of the deceased ones."

Looking ahead, the prime minister detailed the intended goals for the Gaza Strip, stating the objective "to begin the process of disarming and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and ending Hamas' rule over Gaza per President Trump's and @USAmbUN Waltz's statements." He noted that "we believe that President Trump's plan will lead to peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarization, disarmament, and the deradicalization of Gaza."

Netanyahu also extended an offer for regional stability, declaring that "Israel extends its hand in peace and prosperity to all of our neighbors and calls on them to normalize relations with Israel and join us in expelling Hamas and its supporters from the region."

A 13-0 UN Security Council vote Monday endorsed President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, granting legal international backing for transitioning from ceasefire to reconstruction in the war-damaged enclave, The New York Times noted. The outcome delivered substantial diplomatic success for the Trump administration after two years of American isolation at the United Nations over steadfast Israel support.

The approved American resolution authorizes an International Stabilization Force to enter, demilitarize, and govern Gaza while establishing Trump's 20-point ceasefire framework and a "Board of Peace" for oversight, though membership remains unspecified, The New York Times reported. Russia and China abstained rather than vetoing after Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, and Pakistan backed the measure.

The resolution, sponsored by the US, "welcomes the establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) as a "transitional governance administration" in Gaza and authorises the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the enclave. The draft text in blue authorises both entities until 31 December 2027, "subject to further action by the Council."

It also outlines the path toward "redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, and in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles, until such time as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has satisfactorily completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French Proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza."

One of the most controversial issues ahead of the vote was whether it would endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state. The language of the resolution does not explicitly do so, but it actively calls for such a process to begin for the first time. "After the PA reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment has advanced, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence."

Decrying violent disturbances

In separate statements released hours earlier, Netanyahu addressed violent actions occurring in Judea and Samaria, expressing profound concern.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz (L) speaks with his Israeli counterpart Danny Danon before the start of a UN Security Council meeting to vote on a US resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the UN Headquarters in New York City, November 17, 2025 (ANGELA WEISS / AFP) ANGELA WEISS / AFP

"I view with great severity the violent disturbances and the attempt to take the law into their own hands by a small, extremist group that does not represent the residents of Judea and Samaria," the prime minister stated.

Netanyahu promised swift personal attention to the matter, declaring, "I intend to deal with this personally, and convene the relevant ministers as soon as possible to address this serious phenomenon."

Donald Trump against the backdrop of the Security Council (AP Photo/Alex Brandon; Adam Gray/Getty Images/AFP) AP Photo/Alex Brandon; Adam Gray/Getty Images/AFP

The prime minister issued clear instructions to legal authorities regarding those involved in the violence: "I call on the law enforcement authorities to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law." Finally, he reiterated his support for those maintaining order, stating, "I stand by the IDF and the security forces, which will continue to act resolutely and without fear to maintain order."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the plan, praising Trump for his successful efforts. "Today's UN Security Council resolution endorsing President Trump's 20-Point Peace Plan is a historic milestone in building a peaceful and prosperous Gaza governed by the Palestinian people – not Hamas," he wrote on X. "@POTUS is advancing real, measurable change in the region. With this vote, we're closer than ever to achieving a demilitarized, deradicalized, and stable Gaza."

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Israel opens defense export floodgates

miriw — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:00:27 +0000

Israel Hayom has learned that the Ministry of Defense plans to ease the licensing process for defense exports and significantly expand the list of countries approved for marketing. The move comes as the Director General of the Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, with the approval of Defense Minister Israel Katz, advances a decision aimed at increasing defense exports and reducing bureaucracy.

The decision followed the completion of work by an expert committee to strengthen and increase defense exports, including significant simplifications of the licensing process and a transition to single-stage licensing for most unclassified products.

The former Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj, chaired the committee. Gen. (res.) Ehud Shani. Committee members included former head of Israel's Defense Export Control Agency Col. (res.) Dubi Lavi and Col. (res.) David Rokach. The committee consulted with dozens of current and former officials from the Ministry of Defense, the IDF, defense industries, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The committee was established as part of the Ministry of Defense's strategy to increase defense exports, designed to strengthen Israel's defense industries in a way that would also facilitate the development and production of equipment for the Israeli defense establishment, while generating revenue for the state treasury.

The Ministry of Defense decision comes against the backdrop of global demand for Israeli developments that proved themselves in the war, serving as a tool to strengthen the defense industry and create additional budget sources for the defense establishment that now needs to refill stockpiles, restore the IDF to full readiness, and prepare for future surprises in the coming conflicts.

The Ministry of Defense decision comes against the backdrop of global demand for Israeli developments that proved themselves in the war (Photo: Rafael)

Among the committee's recommendations, now being published for the first time, are significant expansion of the "permitted countries" list, for which marketing license exemptions exist for unclassified products with reduced product exclusions; marketing license exemptions for products at classified levels for a defined country list (subject to legislative changes); expansion of single-stage licensing procedures to simplify and streamline marketing processes; establishment of a ministerial committee for technological registration of products in a unified, centralized, time-bound process; increased frequency of advisory committee meetings and reduced license processing times to enhance enforcement.

The committee's recommendations will be submitted to Defense Minister Israel Katz for approval. He said, "The entire world marvels at the operational capability proven on the ground, and wants to buy more and more blue-and-white products. The reform will enable us to leverage this strategic opportunity – to expand defense exports, simplify bureaucratic processes, open new markets, and further strengthen the defense industries – from national responsibility and from understanding that defense exports are a central engine for building the IDF's strength and Israel's security."

Director General of the Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said, "Defense exports are a central tool in the Ministry of Defense's strategy to ensure force buildup and IDF empowerment, for policy influence and for strengthening industry and the economy. We need broad defense exports to create additional sources for the defense budget and to increase investment in developing the next surprises and expanding production lines in the industries."

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Dreyfus affair injustice rectified after 130 years by French government

adin — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:00:11 +0000

French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was elevated posthumously to the status of brigadier general on Tuesday, 130 years after his mistaken treason conviction in what is considered one of France's most infamous instances of antisemitism.

This prominent case of antisemitism has generated outrage over several generations, and France on Tuesday promoted Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army captain who was incorrectly convicted of treason in 1894, to the status of brigadier general as an act of formal reparation, France 24 reported. The law is regarded as a significant symbolic action in contemporary France's battle against antisemitism, arriving during a period of rising concern regarding hate crimes directed at Jews within the country, amid the context of the Gaza conflict.

On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu affixed their signaAlfred Dreyfus, brigadier general, antisemitism, treason convictiontures to the promotion, establishing it as law, which subsequently appeared in the Official Journal of new legislation on Tuesday. "The French nation posthumously promotes Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general," the law stated. The legislation received unanimous support from the lower house of Parliament in June, and the Senate endorsed the measure earlier this month, according to France 24.

French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus (1859 - 1935), falsely accused of selling military secrets to Germany and imprisoned on Devil's Island. (Photo by Gerschel/Getty Images)

In October 1894, Dreyfus, then a 36-year-old army captain from the Alsace area of eastern France, faced accusations of transmitting secret data regarding new artillery equipment to a German military attaché. The "Dreyfus affair" began with this accusation, which was based on comparing the handwriting on a piece of paper found in the German official's wastepaper basket in Paris.

Amid an aggressive antisemitic press campaign, Dreyfus underwent a trial. However, the celebrated "J'accuse...!" ("I accuse") pamphlet was subsequently written by novelist Emile Zola to support the captain. Despite the absence of concrete evidence, the captain was convicted of treason, given a life sentence at the notorious Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana, and publicly stripped of his rank.

The head of the intelligence services, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart, secretly reopened the investigation and determined that the handwriting on the damning message belonged to Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, another officer. When Picquart presented this evidence to the general staff of the French army, he was himself forced out of the military and jailed for a year, while Esterhazy was acquitted.

The captain was brought back to France for a second trial in June 1899. He was initially found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, before receiving an official pardon, although his name was not cleared of the charges. It took until 1906, following numerous unforeseen developments, for the High Court of Appeal to overturn the initial ruling, thereby exonerating Dreyfus. He was restored to his position with the rank of major and awarded a Legion d'Honneur decoration. Serving during World War I, he passed away in 1935 at the age of 76.

Individuals who advocated for the new law hold the belief that had Dreyfus been permitted to continue his professional pursuits normally, he would have advanced to the highest position within the French army.

The largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the United States resides in France, which also hosts one of the biggest Muslim communities in the European Union. Since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the number of reported assaults against members of France's Jewish community has increased significantly.

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Former treasury secretary disgraced in Epstein scandal, steps down from positions

miriw — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:36 +0000

Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, who also served as Harvard's president, announced Monday his withdrawal from public commitments following email disclosures between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The New York Times reported.

Monday's statement from Summers declared, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused." He stated, "I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein."

While Summers indicated he would maintain his Harvard economics professorship, he did not detail which public roles he would abandon, The New York Times noted. The Yale Budget Lab confirmed Summers signaled his advisory group's withdrawal. A Center for American Progress spokesperson stated that his immediate fellowship termination at the progressive organization was due to his actions.

Previous public knowledge existed regarding the Summers-Epstein connection, The New York Times reported. Summers had pursued Epstein funding for a poetry organization headed by his spouse, Elisa New, a retired professor of literature at Harvard.

This Dec. 17, 2010 file photo shows Director of the National Economic Council Lawrence Summers arriving for the tax cut extension bill in Washington (Photo: AP /J. Scott Applewhite) AP

However, correspondence disclosed the previous week revealed a more intimate association featuring Summers requesting relationship guidance and exchanging casual conversation with Epstein across multiple years, The New York Times noted. The messages extended into 2019, well beyond Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to solicitation charges involving an underage individual for prostitution. In 2018, the Miami Herald published an extensively researched piece detailing Epstein's exploitation of young females.

Monday morning saw Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren demanding that Harvard and additional organizations terminate their Summers associations, according to The New York Times. Warren's Monday statement, initially covered by CNN, declared: "For decades, Larry Summers has demonstrated his attraction to serving the wealthy and well connected, but his willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment," The New York Times noted. The former Harvard Law School faculty member continued: "If he had so little ability to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein even after all that was publicly known about Epstein's sex offenses involving underage girls, then Summers cannot be trusted to advise our nation's politicians, policymakers, and institutions — or teach a generation of students at Harvard or anywhere else."

The Revolving Door Project, a watchdog organization, urged leading institutions to sever Summers' connections, including Harvard, OpenAI, Bloomberg, and The New York Times itself. Summers contributes to the Times' opinion section.

Friday brought President Donald Trump's announcement, while facing scrutiny over his own Epstein connections, that his administration would probe the financier's links to Democrats, featuring Bill Clinton and Summers, "to determine what was going on with them," according to The New York Times. Clinton has rejected claims of a close Epstein relationship. His 2019 office statement indicated that Clinton had maintained no communication with Epstein for over ten years. Trump maintained a friendship with Epstein for at least 15 years, although he claimed they subsequently became adversaries in a property dispute.

House Republicans released a collection of recent correspondence exceeding 20,000 document pages, The New York Times reported. A 2019 exchange featured Epstein delivering encouragement after Summers' description of an encounter with a romantic interest who was involved with another individual. Summers' email stated: "I dint want to be in a gift giving competition while being the friend without benefits," The New York Times noted. Epstein replied: "shes smart. making you pay for past errors. ignore the daddy im going to go out with the motorcycle guy, you reacted well.. annoyed shows caring., no whining showed strentgh," according to The New York Times.

Summers' turbulent Harvard presidency concluded with his resignation in 2006, as he faced a faculty no-confidence vote, The New York Times reported. The vote followed controversy surrounding his suggestion that biological differences partially explained women's underrepresentation compared to men in mathematics and science fields, a subject he also explored with Epstein, as the newly disclosed correspondence demonstrates. Summers' 2017 email stated: "I observed that half the IQ in world was possessed by women without mentioning they are more than 51 percent of population," The New York Times reported.

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Convicted killer sues prison over Vegemite ban

miriw — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:07 +0000

A Victorian prisoner serving life for murder has filed a lawsuit challenging the state's prohibition on Vegemite, asserting that withholding the divisive yeast spread violates his human right to "enjoy his culture as an Australian," Associated Press reported.

Andre McKechnie, aged 54, brought his fight for the salty brown brewing byproduct to Victoria's Supreme Court, according to court registry documents provided to Associated Press on Tuesday. His legal action targets both Victoria's Department of Justice and Community Safety and the prison management agency Corrections Victoria, with trial proceedings set for next year.

The lawsuit seeks a judicial declaration that defendants denied McKechnie's charter-protected right to "enjoy his culture as an Australian" under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act, Associated Press noted. McKechnie additionally seeks recognition that defendants violated the Corrections Act through "failing to provide food adequate to maintain" his "well-being," the court documents state. His legal petition requests that the court mandate that the Vegemite prohibition decision be "remade in accordance with the law."

Prison guard tower at the Ayalon prison complex in Ramle, central Israel, Feb. 14, 2013 (Photo: AP/Ariel Schalit) AP

Since 2006, Victorian corrections facilities have maintained a Vegemite ban, with Corrections Victoria explaining it "interferes with narcotic detection dogs," according to Associated Press. Prison officials implemented the prohibition after discovering inmates would coat illicit drug packages with Vegemite, hoping the pungent smell would divert canine attention from contraband substances. The spread's yeast content also triggered its ban from Victorian facilities due to its "potential to be used in the production of alcohol," as stated in the contraband list.

Crime victim advocate and attorney John Herron characterized the lawsuit as frivolous and insulting to victims' families, Associated Press reported. "As victims, we don't have any rights. We have limited, if any, support. It's always about the perpetrator, and this just reinforces that," Herron stated, whose daughter Courtney Herron died after a 2019 beating in a Melbourne park, with her killer receiving a not guilty verdict due to mental impairment, according to Associated Press. "It's not a case of Vegemite or Nutella or whatever it may be. It's an extra perk that is rubbing our faces in the tragedy that we've suffered," Herron added, Associated Press noted.

Port Phillip Prison, a maximum-security facility, currently houses McKechnie, who was 23 when he fatally stabbed wealthy Gold Coast property developer Otto Kuhne in Queensland in 1994, according to Associated Press. A life sentence for murder was imposed on McKechnie, who transferred a decade later from Queensland's to Victoria's prison system, Associated Press reported. His writing from last year revealed eight years of freedom on Victorian parole before he "decided that I had had enough," subsequently returning to prison where he has remained for the past decade, according to Associated Press.

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Soccer legend Guardiola attacks Israel while ignoring employer's atrocities

adin — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:00:10 +0000

Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest soccer coaches of all time; there's no argument about that. Last week, he stood on the sidelines for the 1,000th time in his coaching career ("the thousand club"), and his team, Manchester City, delivered him a worthy gift in the form of a crushing 3-0 victory over major rival Liverpool.

But Guardiola isn't just a super-coach, he's also a political personality, and he doesn't usually keep his opinions private. The man, born in the town of Santpedor in Catalonia, has expressed his support multiple times in the past for granting independence to the region where he was born. These statements generated considerable anger toward him throughout Spain. Meanwhile, the Catalan struggle entered dormancy, prompting Guardiola to jump onto another political bandwagon, one less close to him, but from his perspective far more appealing and popular – support for Palestinians.

In recent days, he enlisted for the benefit of the exhibition match taking place today between the national teams of Catalonia and Palestine. The organizers hoped that recruiting a famous personality like Pep would help boost ticket sales, which would be played, rather ironically, at Montjuïc Stadium – "Mount of the Jews."

A few days ago, the Palestinian national team played against the Basque national team at San Mamés Stadium, and there was no need to promote sales there. The Basques' support for the Palestinian narrative is exceptionally strong, and all 55,000 tickets were snapped up. This isn't the situation in Barcelona, and the organizers are seeking creative ways to increase interest. The person who apparently recruited Pep to the matter is his daughter Maria, who is known as an enthusiastic supporter of the struggle against Israel. She participated in massive demonstrations in London, was seen wrapped in a keffiyeh, and shared posts accusing Israel of genocide.

Palestinian and Catalonia national team representatives (Photo: EPA)

There's no doubt that regarding everything connected to Catalan history, its struggle for independence and separation from Spain, Guardiola is knowledgeable and current. But regarding everything connected to what's happening in the Middle East, his knowledge is deficient at best – and borders on ignorance at worst. In an interview in Catalonia yesterday, he said, among other things, "We allowed Israel to destroy an entire people, the damage has already been done and it's irreversible," and added, "I cannot imagine anyone in the world who could justify the massacre in Gaza. Our children could have been born there and killed just because of that."

But forget about him not even being in the right direction, if he's already discussing destroying a people and about massacre, perhaps the camel Pep should look backward and see his own enormous hump. Guardiola has coached Manchester City for nearly a decade and earns about £20 million per year. The one paying him this money is essentially the UAE government, which purchased the club in 2008. The actual owner of City is the vice president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Last week, British journalist Barney Ronay wrote in The Guardian that Sheikh Mansour's name appears in a letter that Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn sent to British government ministers in which he repeats a conclusion determined by the UN and the US State Department – that the UAE government (and therefore the owner of City) is providing resources and support for ethnic massacres in Sudan, so brutal that their results can be seen in satellite images from space.

The UN spoke of mass rape, ethnic-based massacre, and the threat of widespread famine. According to satellite images, piles of bodies and enormous blood stains can be seen. There are reports of the execution of 500 people in a maternity hospital. According to reports, the UAE government supports the forces of General Mohamed Hamdan, who, according to testimonies, carried out a massacre and mass rape in the besieged city of Al-Fashir. Since the fighting began about four years ago, more than 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. This is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The UAE denies that it's arming any side, but as Tariq Panja reported in The New York Times, the US intercepted phone calls between General Hamdan and leaders in the UAE, including Sheikh Mansour. Jeffrey Feltman, former US envoy to the Horn of Africa, said, "We always knew that behind the scenes in Sudan was Mansour."

Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola (Photo: Reuters)

Is there any chance that Pep Guardiola isn't aware of the story? Is there a possibility that he doesn't understand or know who his employers are? Has he said a word on the subject? The answer to all three questions is identical: no.

And so, on a humanitarian issue among the most severe in the world, one so close to him at home, Guardiola has nothing to say. However, regarding everything connected to Middle East affairs and Gaza, which he has no connection to, and where he displays embarrassing ignorance, he continues to talk. Someone apparently needs to remind Pep of his visit to Israel 14 years ago. How he enjoyed every moment, the love he received everywhere he went, and of course, to remind him of what he said then: "My family and I are very happy to be here."

Gary Lineker, another famous soccer personality, exposed his antisemitic face in recent years and paid a price for it. Unlike him, Pep Guardiola is not antisemitic – but in his recent statements, the distinguished manager of Manchester City has proven himself to be a hypocritical man.

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The strange case of X and Hebrew policy

ErezL — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:59:22 +0000

The social media platform X (formerly Twitter) may have disabled its automatic translation feature for Hebrew content, according to confirmation from the platform's AI chatbot, Grok. However, it is unclear if Grok was hallucinating, as posts in Israel appear to have that option in part. Also, Grok while easily accessible on X, is a separate company from X and does not officially represent it.

The automatic translation feature referred to by Grok appears to be the function in the setting the translates tweets before they are shown on the feed. It is not the the "see translation" option you can click on tweets, which appears to be on Hebrew posts like all other posts.

Although this has not been announced officially and posts in Israel appear with the Hebrew automatic translation function, X has been inundated with users, apparently anti-Israel, saying this is indeed the case, although some have said that mixed-language posts do have the translation function.

Yes, translation from Hebrew has been disabled on X. This was done to prevent the amplification of inflammatory or policy-violating content, such as calls for violence, through potentially inaccurate translations. The originals remain accessible.

— Grok (@grok) November 18, 2025

When directly queried about the disablement on Tuesday in a chat on X, Grok stated that translation from Hebrew has been disabled on the platform. The primary goal of this policy change is to prevent the amplification of inflammatory or policy-violating content, such as calls for violence, which could result from potentially inaccurate translations.

Elon Musk's Grok has been a newcomer to AI chatbots (AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE) AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE

Grok, when asked by this writer, explained that the underlying issue rests with the nature of machine translation in sensitive environments. To curb the spread of misleading or harmful narratives, the company moved to disable the function because machine translations can distort nuances in heated contexts, it said, although no official comment from X has been made on the matter.

Asked if this was X's policy, it wrote: "Yes, disabling automated translations for Hebrew is an official X policy. It targets risks where machine translations distort context, potentially turning neutral or idiomatic phrases into apparent violations of rules against violence or hate. Original content stays visible to all, prioritizing accuracy over convenience until translation tech improves reliability across heated discussions."

This distortion risks turning ambiguous phrases into outright incitements that violate X's rules against violence or hate, although it did not explain why Hebrew was singled out and whether it was too difficult to translate it compared to other languages.

Anti-Israel users were quick to seize on the opportunity to claim that this policy was a result of Israel's actions in Gaza and supposed efforts to hide its alleged atrocities. "Remember when Netanyahu said "Elon is our friend"…well, Israel's friend disabled the Hebrew translation feature on X to help them hide their 19,000 posts inciting violence," one user wrote. Another one wrote: "X literally disabled Hebrew translation because Jews were celebrating killing people too much. It's inaccurate that they disabled it to protect us though, they did it to protect them."

Grok confirmed that the disablement policy is currently applied only to Hebrew. The decision to single out Hebrew was based on empirical data on translation errors exacerbating tensions in that corpus, its said, but did not mention specific cases, instead noting that data specifically showed persistent issues with automated translations distorting idioms and context into rule-violating or inflammatory interpretations during periods of heightened tensions. Grok stressed that no other languages currently trigger the same measures.

Elon Musk shows off his t-shirt reading "Tech Support" while speaking at the first cabinet meeting hosted by US President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, DC, February 26, 2025 (Reuters / Brian Snyder)

Yes, the translation disablement applies only to Hebrew currently, as data showed persistent issues with automated translations distorting idioms and context into inflammatory or rule-violating interpretations during heightened tensions. No other languages trigger the same…

— Grok (@grok) November 18, 2025

Regarding the decision-making process, Grok indicated that the directive stems from X's moderation protocols, which were informed by engineering analysis rather than a direct order from Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform.

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