Former President Donald Trump made an unscheduled campaign stop at Tony and Nick's Steaks in South Philadelphia on Saturday, prior to a rally at Temple University in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. The visit, which came as a surprise to the restaurant's owner, left a lasting impression on both staff and patrons.

Trump left a $500 tip and wrote "no taxes on tips" on the receipt, aligning with his recent campaign stance to end taxation on tips for service industry workers. This gesture highlighted a key issue facing many small business owners and their employees across the country.

Donald Trump writes 'Vote Trump for No Tax on Tips' on his receipt while getting cheesesteaks in Philly pic.twitter.com/XoNMFYEr5V

— SNOW TV® RC 3662284 (@OfficialSnowtv) June 23, 2024

Nicky Lucidonio, owner of Tony and Nick's Steaks, expressed his excitement about the unexpected visit to Fox News Digital. "It was just unbelievable," Lucidonio said. "He was talking to people, you know, they're asking questions. He's answering them. He's signing hats. He signed and everything."

The visit was not pre-announced, with Lucidonio only aware of a large, mysterious order placed the day before by an unidentified woman for "some special people." The order comprised approximately 200 sandwiches.

The former president's stop at the cheesesteak shop brought attention to the challenges faced by small business owners, particularly regarding the taxation of tips. Lucidonio voiced his frustration with the current system, stating, "People put tips in our jar, you know, and then to tax those tips that these poor people live day-by-day is a joke. I mean, what else do you want to tax? It's crazy."

He further emphasized the impact on workers, noting, "People have to wonder. They're working in 100-degree weather in there." Lucidonio added, "The middle class is getting killed. We got to do something about it."

NEW: Young Trump supporter who is seen wearing a wig and a suit to look like Trump starts crying while meeting the former president.

Trump then pulled out a $20 bill and signed it to give to the kid before taking a photo.

The meeting happened in Philadelphia where Trump is… pic.twitter.com/fXDcM7Jniy

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 22, 2024

 During his visit, Trump engaged with the crowd, even polling them on their preferences for a potential vice presidential candidate. When one bystander suggested J.D. Vance, Trump responded, "You like JD?"

The post Trump gives $500 tip in Philly cheesesteak shop appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The discovery of the ruins of old Roman baths during the construction of a major drainage system in the heart of Jordan's capital has posed a dilemma: how to preserve the country's ancient past while providing for its modern future?

A government committee set up two weeks ago is expected to decide soon on whether to expand excavations at the site or go ahead with an underground canal that would divert flood water that descends on Amman from the surrounding hills.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Remnants of furnaces are a sign of an elaborate heating system which archaeologists believe is the first such discovery among the remains of the ancient city of Philadelphia on which Amman was built.

"We will balance the needs of the city – to protect it from flooding – to preserving antiquities under the streets," said Yazid Elayan, head of Jordan's Department of Antiquities.

"Amman was one of the biggest Roman cities and it has one of the largest baths ... Wherever one excavates in Amman, antiquities can be found," he told Reuters.

The work on the drainage system has been suspended while the decision is made.

Amman is an old city where many symbols of Roman civilization are still visible, from the amphitheater that seated 6,000 spectators to the Nymphaeum fountains and the Hercules temple on one of Amman's highest hills.

Worsening infrastructure and haphazard urban planning have plagued the sprawling city of four million people built on layers of ancient civilizations spanning the Ammonites, Moabites, Romans, Greeks and the Islamic period.

Municipality officials have already expressed concern that delaying the drainage project could raise water levels in central Amman and again flood it during the winter.

Amman has seen rapid growth in the last few decades as a result of an influx of refugees from regional turmoil that transformed it from a sleepy city to one of the Middle East's largest urban centers.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Baths from ancient Philadelphia dug up in modern-day Amman appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Muslim American Society's Philadelphia chapter and the Leaders Academy, a gathering place for homeschooled children that rents space at the site, issued a joint statement on Wednesday that sought to explain how the questionable material found its way into an annual event meant to celebrate diversity in Muslim communities.

A video uploaded to the group's Facebook page showed children dancing to a revolutionary anthem often used by Islamist groups, and two young girls reading from a prepared text. One said, "We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate ... Al-Aqsa Mosque."

The contested site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The compound is the holiest site for Jews and the third-holiest site in Islam. It has been a flashpoint of violence in the past.

The Facebook video, which has since been taken down, sparked outrage and an ongoing investigation by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.

"Over the last decade our members have poured their soul and resources to create a harmonious, peaceful and engaged community," the statement said. "We are very sad that within minutes all of this work was tarnished and we realize the mistake is ours to own. ... We are deeply saddened to have hurt our partners in the Jewish community and beyond."

The April 17 "Umma Day" event was intended to showcase diversity, with 18 countries represented and children singing songs from various Muslim cultures and wearing customary dress, according to the statement. Officials said that a volunteer aide who selected the songs out of a desire to represent Palestinian people "feels terrible she made a mistake" and has since stepped down. A large number of Palestinian immigrants attend Al-Hidaya mosque.

"The children did not understand this song as their command of Arabic is not advanced," the statement said. The speech, it said, "was likewise a selection that primarily sought to highlight the children's capacity to read and project Arabic rhetoric; however, they have not yet mastered enough grammar to comprehend the words."

The Muslim American Society's lawyer, Timothy Welbeck, said Wednesday that he didn't know who chose the speech or why it was selected.

The Leaders Academy does not consider itself a school – a designation that would require it to register with the state Department of Education – but a gathering place for children following a state-approved cyber school curriculum. The Academy supplies tutors to keep the students on task and answer questions, according to Welbeck and also offers Arabic language and religious instruction.

The Leaders Academy and the Muslim American Society said that they have taken steps to prevent a repeat of what they called a "grave mistake," including new operating procedures, a new advisory council and sensitivity training.

"We appreciate the very detailed and thorough statement and apology that was released today," said Nancy Baron-Baer, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Philadelphia. "We understand that people make mistakes. With that said ... it's incumbent on the adults in the room to understand what was being said and recognize that words like that are absolutely unacceptable at any time, in any language."

The statement from the Muslim groups also said it has been targeted with abusive phone calls in the wake of the video and two protests at the building in which crowds shouted "hateful messages." It said it has increased its security.

The post Muslim groups apologize for video of children singing about decapitation appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations launched a probe into the April 17 gathering at the Muslim American Society's Philadelphia chapter. A video uploaded to the chapter's Facebook page shows children moving to a revolutionary anthem often used by Islamist groups and two young girls reading from a prepared text. One says, "We will chop off their heads and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque."

The Muslim American Society took the video down – calling the video "disturbing" and condemning the words used in it – and said a school that rented space in the building was responsible for the program. It said the person in charge of the event had been dismissed.

The society also called the school, which it did not name, a "separate entity." But old Facebook posts that have since been taken down show that a school called MAS Leaders Academy operates at the Muslim American Society's Philadelphia location. Muslim American Society officials did not return phone calls and email messages seeking comment Monday on the relationship between the Philadelphia chapter and the school.

"Unfortunately, the video from the school was uploaded to the chapter's Facebook page without verifying the content of the video for appropriateness and making sure it conforms to our hate-free policy and values. The chapter will take further steps in assuring strict adherence to publishing and posting policies," according to a weekend statement from the society's national headquarters.

The Muslim American Society also shares space with Al-Hidaya Mosque, which serves a large number of Palestinian immigrants, according to Jacob Bender, executive director of the Council on Islamic American Relations' Philadelphia chapter.

He said Monday that the mosque has asked the council to hold a "workshop on diversity and religious tolerance" to help "members of the immigrant Muslim community have a better understanding of Jewish sensitivities and anti-Semitism so that events like this don't repeat themselves."

Bender, who is Jewish, also said the incident "was not an example of radicalization," noting the mosque has good relations with Philadelphia city officials.

"This was a stupid decision by an untrained pedagogue and volunteer teacher," he said.

The city's human relations commission, meanwhile, said it is gathering information about the April 17 "Ummah Day" event at the center of the controversy. The commission works to mediate conflict among groups, among other things.

"The city of Philadelphia condemns bigotry in all its forms," Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement Monday. "Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. For this moniker to ring true, all our brothers and sisters – regardless of their background – must feel safe and welcome. We are committed to working together with partners representing all our communities to make this happen."

The post Philadelphia commission probing 'disturbing' video of Muslim children appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Executive Director Ayman Hammous said the Muslim American Society learned of the content of the video after the Middle East Media Research Institute posted a translation Friday. The society issued a statement calling the video "disturbing" and condemning the words used in it, noting that the event was held at a school that is separate from the organization and only rented space at its facilities.

"Unfortunately, the video from the school was uploaded to the chapter's Facebook page without verifying the content of the video for appropriateness and making sure it conforms to our hate-free policy and values. The chapter will take further steps in assuring strict adherence to publishing and posting policies," the statement read.

Hammous said in an interview Sunday that the video "does not represent our understanding of Islam, nor the understanding of the mainstream Muslim community."

In the two-minute video from an April event, two young girls are shown reading. One says, "We will sacrifice our souls without hesitation, we will chop off their heads" and liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The video also shows children gesticulating to a song known as the "revolutionaries' anthem," often played by Islamist groups. The song says "those who do not accept oppression should assert themselves" and "the path to Al-Aqsa calls us."

The Philadelphia chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Anti-Defamation League also condemned the words used in the video. Iftekhar Hussain, chairman of the council chapter, said Islamic tradition "categorically rejects either speech or actions that harm in any way our Jewish brothers and sisters." The ADL says that children should not be indoctrinated to hate because "the only chance for a peaceful future is to teach our children to pursue peace."

The post Muslim society: 'Disturbing' video of children was not vetted appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.