Ilhan Omar Dodges Question on Deadly D.C. Shooting of Israeli Diplomats, Refuses to Condemn Attack
By: Fern Sidman
Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing renewed backlash after refusing to comment on the targeted murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., an event that has rocked the Jewish and diplomatic communities across the globe. As The Daily Mail reported Thursday, Omar was approached by a reporter outside the U.S. Capitol and asked to offer a response to the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were gunned down Tuesday night after leaving a diplomatic reception.
“Congresswoman Omar, can I get your reaction to the shooting that happened in DC last night?” a reporter asked as she walked briskly past.
According to The Daily Mail report, Omar offered a curt reply—“I’m going to go for now”—before disappearing from view, refusing to acknowledge or condemn the heinous act of violence carried out against two Israeli government employees on U.S. soil.
Omar’s dismissal of the question, as shown in video footage published by The Daily Mail, has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, Jewish organizations, and public commentators who have long been wary of her record of inflammatory and often offensive rhetoric toward Israel and the Jewish community.
“In the wake of a targeted assassination of two Israeli diplomats in the heart of Washington, Omar couldn’t even summon a word of sympathy,” wrote one commentator in The Daily Mail’s coverage. “This isn’t political cowardice—it’s moral bankruptcy.”
The incident comes amid growing concern over escalating antisemitic rhetoric in public discourse, particularly surrounding the war between Israel and Hamas. For many observers, Omar’s refusal to comment has reinforced long-standing concerns about her alignment with pro-Palestinian extremist rhetoric and her unwillingness to denounce violence when Israelis are the victims.
As The Daily Mail noted, Omar’s history with the Jewish community and Israel has been fraught with controversy since her arrival in Congress in 2019. That same year, she ignited a firestorm by tweeting that political support for Israel was driven by financial influence, writing: “It’s all about the Benjamins,” a line widely condemned as invoking antisemitic tropes about Jews and money.
While she ultimately apologized after being pressed by Democratic leadership, Omar’s record since has done little to assure critics. She has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid,” compared Israeli military actions to those of the Taliban, and voted against resolutions condemning antisemitism—often citing free speech concerns.
“Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” Omar said in her 2019 apology, as recounted by The Daily Mail.
However, that apology did not mark a lasting shift in tone. She remains one of the most vocally anti-Israel members of Congress, and a leading figure in the so-called “Squad” of progressive lawmakers who have frequently drawn condemnation from centrist Democrats and Jewish advocacy groups alike.
The Daily Mail reported that in the hours following the Capitol Jewish Museum attack—an incident now under federal investigation as a likely antisemitic terrorist act, committed by suspect Elias Rodriguez, who reportedly shouted “Free, free Palestine” before confessing—most members of Congress issued statements of solidarity or condemnation.
Yet Omar remained silent, and her refusal to offer even a neutral comment to the press stands in sharp contrast to her rapid responses to other acts of violence, especially those she believes are related to Islamophobia or anti-immigrant hate.
Critics argue that her silence now is deafening, and point to a dangerous double standard when it comes to acknowledging Jewish suffering or antisemitic terrorism.
“This was a calculated, targeted assassination of two Israeli Jews in the U.S. capital. And Rep. Omar, who has commented on nearly every world conflict, just walks away?” one pro-Israel advocacy group told The Daily Mail. “This is the same selective empathy that fuels antisemitism today.”
As The Daily Mail report indicated, the murder of Lischinsky and Milgrim has triggered intensified discussions around the surge of antisemitism in America, especially in progressive spaces, on college campuses, and among elected officials. Many are now asking: How many more tragedies will it take for all leaders, regardless of ideology, to treat antisemitism with the same gravity as other forms of hate?
For now, Omar’s retreat from accountability has only fueled the perception that some progressive leaders refuse to apply their humanitarian values consistently—especially when the victims are Israelis or Jews.
In a dramatic escalation following the shocking murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., armed FBI agents clad in tactical gear stormed a Chicago apartment building Wednesday morning reportedly connected to suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez, The New York Post has confirmed.
The raid, which took place in Chicago’s East Albany Park neighborhood, unfolded on a quiet, tree-lined street and was captured on video by NBC Chicago. At least eight FBI agents wearing camouflage gear and carrying rifles were seen entering the front gates of a red-brick apartment building, as stunned neighbors looked on.
The high-profile operation came less than 24 hours after Rodriguez allegedly gunned down two Israeli diplomats—Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim—outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, following a diplomatic reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee.
According to The New York Post report, Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free, free Palestine!” moments before confessing to police that he had murdered the couple, whose lives were devoted to peacebuilding, diplomacy, and international engagement.
Authorities are investigating whether Rodriguez’s actions constitute a politically motivated terror attack, especially in light of a 900-word manifesto, dated just one day before the slayings, which began circulating on social media after his arrest. The document, bearing Rodriguez’s name, appears to portray the murders as an act of retaliation against Israel’s military operations in Gaza, referencing the ongoing war against Hamas.
Sources close to the investigation told The New York Post that the manifesto is now a key piece of evidence, potentially offering insight into Rodriguez’s ideology, motivations, and connections.
“This appears to be more than just a hate crime—it has the markings of a calculated, politically charged act of terrorism,” one law enforcement official told The New York Post on background. “We’re examining all possibilities, including foreign influence or domestic radicalization.”
The document reportedly references Israel’s war efforts in Gaza, calls the victims “Zionist occupiers,” and justifies the killings as a “symbolic act of resistance.” Federal investigators are working to verify the manifesto’s authenticity and trace its origins—whether it was penned solely by Rodriguez or reflects broader organizational affiliations.
As The New York Post reported, the victims were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, both staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Milgrim, an American-born dual national with advanced degrees in international relations and sustainable development, was widely respected for her commitment to peacebuilding initiatives in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Lischinsky was known for his dedication to strengthening U.S.-Israel ties.
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” the Israeli embassy said in a statement quoted by The New York Post. “The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder.”
Their deaths have sent shockwaves through the diplomatic community, with leaders around the world condemning the attack and calling for a coordinated international response to the rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel violence.
According to The New York Post, Wednesday’s FBI operation in East Albany Park was part of an effort to collect evidence, search for possible co-conspirators, and determine whether Rodriguez was acting alone or as part of a broader extremist network. No arrests were made at the scene, but agents were seen removing boxes of materials from the building.
“They went in fast, serious,” one resident told The New York Post. “We didn’t even know anything was going on until we saw the rifles.”
Federal officials declined to comment on the specifics of the raid but confirmed Rodriguez had resided in the building at various times over the past year. Investigators are reportedly analyzing digital devices and materials found in the apartment for signs of coordination or ideological indoctrination.
The murders come amid an alarming rise in antisemitic threats and politically motivated attacks in the U.S., following the October 7Hamas massacre in southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza.
According to The New York Post, Rodriguez’s alleged act is being described by some Jewish organizations as the domestic extension of the war on Israel. Ronn Torossian, chairman of Betar USA, described Washington, D.C. as “a pro-Hamas ticking time bomb,” warning of complacency in confronting radicalized domestic actors.
“There are many who will celebrate this attack on campuses nationwide,” Torossian said in a statement. “Sadly, as we mourn this loss, we remind Jews: Aliyah is the best solution. If staying in the diaspora, fight back.”
The Justice Department confirmed that Rodriguez is in custody and will face federal charges. Officials also indicated that charges may extend beyond murder, possibly including federal terrorism statutes.
The New York Post reported that President Trump has been briefed on the investigation and has demanded a full review of domestic security measures around Jewish and Israeli institutions, particularly in cities with heightened protest activity linked to Middle East conflicts.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Trump called the murders “an act of terror” and vowed that “justice will be swift, full, and unforgiving.”
As federal agents pore over Rodriguez’s digital and personal history, and as more details of his motivations and affiliations emerge, the D.C. murders are quickly becoming a touchstone moment in the broader conversation about political extremism, terrorism, and antisemitism in the United States.
The New York Post report noted that security has already been heightened around Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers nationwide, with Homeland Security issuing advisories for cities with large Jewish populations.
“Not Just Victims—Symbols of a Crisis”: Jewish Leaders Sound Alarm After D.C. Murders of Israeli Diplomats
By: Fern Sidman
In a chilling act of violence that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic and Jewish communities alike, two Israeli Embassy aides—a man and a woman—were shot and killed on Wednesday evening just steps from the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The attack occurred shortly after the pair had attended a high-profile event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), drawing immediate and widespread condemnation from American and Israeli leaders.
Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old staffer at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., was one of two Israeli victims shot and killed. As reported by World Israel News, Lischinsky was gunned down alongside his girlfriend, who also worked at the Israeli Embassy.
According to World Israel News, Yaron Lischinsky was a rising figure within Israel’s Foreign Ministry. Originally from Germany, Lischinsky immigrated to Israel at the age of 16, embracing his Jewish identity and committing himself to public service. At the time of his death, he was serving as a research assistant in the Middle East and North Africa Affairs division at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
The Times of Israel reported that also killed in the shooting was Lischinsky’s girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim who was also employed by the Israeli embassy. Milgrim held dual master’s degrees—one in International Studies from American University, and the other in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the United Nations University for Peace. These twin pillars of education, deeply rooted in both diplomacy and environmental justice, have guided her work across several continents.
Her professional path led her to Tech2Peace, a Tel Aviv-based initiative that uses technology and dialogue to foster understanding between Jewish and Arab youth in Israel and the Palestinian territories. There, Milgrim engaged in in-depth research on grassroots peacebuilding theory, delving into frameworks that seek to empower communities from the ground up.
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who spoke to the press following the incident, revealed that Lischinsky and Milgrim had been planning to get engaged—a future that was tragically cut short. “They were both deeply committed to their work and to each other,” Leiter said. “This is a devastating loss, not just for the Israeli Foreign Ministry but for everyone who knew them.”
The Israeli embassy in Washington wrote on X that “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC.”
“The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
The embassy shared a photo of the couple together that Lischinsky had posted on Twitter this month. It appeared to have been taken during an event at the embassy to mark Israel’s 77th Independence Day.
According to multiple media sources, the alleged gunman has been identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago. Citing law enforcement sources, it was reported that Rodriguez opened fire on the two Israeli diplomats shortly after the AJC’s Young Diplomats Reception had concluded.
Some commentators have noted the troubling parallels between the suspect’s behavior and chants regularly heard at recent anti-Israel demonstrations. Calls to “globalize the intifada”—a phrase widely used by pro-Hamas and anti-Zionist activists—have been increasingly echoed in protests across American cities. Wednesday’s attack may tragically represent the real-world consequences of such rhetoric.
Longtime Jewish activist, prolific author and lecturer, Phyllis Chesler told The Jewish Voice, “I began calling for an Iron Dome against the propaganda 15 years ago knowing that it would lead to this & many more such assassinations.”
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from Jewish leaders and advocacy organizations, with many linking it to the surging tide of anti-Semitism and political extremism in the United States and beyond.
“This act of terror will not drive us into the shadows,” said Ambassador Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, in a statement carried by multiple outlets. “We will not hide our faces or our symbols. We will live openly and proudly, as a courageous people.”
Lauder called on President Trump and global leaders to take urgent and concrete action to reinforce security around Jewish institutions.
At the same time, Gideon Taylor and Mark Weitzman of the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) issued a joint statement of solidarity, decrying the attack as a stark reminder of “the threats that continue to face Jewish people around the world.”
“We are heartbroken by the tragic shooting… and extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones,” they said, reaffirming their commitment to combating antisemitism and promoting justice.
For Zionist organizations active in Washington and nationwide, the murders of Milgrim and Lishinsky are not isolated tragedies—they are symptoms of an increasingly dangerous climate. Ronn Torossian, chairman of Betar USA, described D.C. as a “pro-Hamas ticking time bomb”, warning that anti-Israel rhetoric and inaction have created an environment where such attacks are no longer unthinkable.
“Earlier this week, a Code Pink jihadi was found not guilty in court after choking the leader of Betar Washington in front of a police officer,” Torossian said, referencing another incident The Times of Israel previously covered. “We call upon the Trump Administration to expedite the deportation of illegal pro-Hamas agitators nationwide.”
Torossian urged American Jews to either make Aliyah to Israel or prepare to fight back against anti-Semitic violence, noting that “there’s no one coming to save the Jews.”
Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, condemned the murders in unambiguous terms:
“This horrific attack requires complete, total, and forceful condemnation from everyone. Silence is not an option—it is complicity,” he said. “We are praying for the victims and their families. Those responsible for this heinous attack must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Brooks called the attack a “blaring warning” of how anti-Semitism continues to fester on American soil, and pointed to the “dramatic spike in lawlessness, violence, sickening anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism” seen across the country since October 7th.
Daniel Rosen, President of the American Jewish Congress, condemned the anti-Semitic incitement that has been escalating in the lead-up to this tragic event, stating that: “For those who claim ‘globalize the intifada’ is peaceful and not anti-Semitic, the horrifying shooting of two young Jewish adults is proof that you are wrong. Words matter. Just because one person pulls the trigger doesn’t mean they acted alone.”
He added: “This heinous act of terror, carried out in the heart of our capital, is a direct result of rising anti-Semitism across the United States: in our streets, on college campuses, within government institutions, and in international forums. We must stand united as a community, care for one another, and fight anti-Semitism with all our strength.”
The loss of two Israeli diplomatic personnel in the heart of the U.S. capital is not just a diplomatic tragedy—it is a searing indictment of the growing atmosphere of Jew hatred that has found a foothold in American cities. Jewish communities and their allies are demanding swift justice and enhanced security, not only for diplomatic missions but for Jewish institutions across the country.
As federal and local authorities continue to investigate, both the United States and Israel have vowed full cooperation to bring the perpetrator to justice. What remains is a grieving community, a shaken diplomatic corps, and a country grappling once again with the consequences of unchecked hate.
Washington Jewish Museum Shooter Justified Attack in Hate-Filled Manifesto; Citing Gaza and U.S. Support for Israel
By: Fern Sidman
In a disturbing development following the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening, a letter allegedly written by the gunman, Elias Rodriguez, has surfaced online, revealing the extremist ideology that motivated the fatal attack. According to a report that appeared on VIN News, Rodriguez—who gunned down two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, penned a final manifesto that framed the murder as a form of political retribution for Israeli military actions in Gaza and American support for the Jewish state.
The letter was published Thursday by American blogger Ken Klippenstein, who claims to have verified its authenticity based on the document’s timestamp and signature. Multiple experts cited in the article and other sources who reviewed the letter agree that it appears to be genuine.
The content of Rodriguez’s letter, which has since been widely circulated online, offers an emotionally charged, ideologically radical, and deeply unsettling glimpse into the mind of a far-left activist turned terrorist. In what VIN News described as a “lengthy and impassioned” message, Rodriguez justified the murder of two innocent diplomats as a response to what he labeled “genocide” by Israel in Gaza, a characterization that has been widely rejected by mainstream observers and legal experts.
“After a few months of rapidly mounting death tolls, Israel had obliterated the capacity to even continue counting the dead, which has served its genocide well,” Rodriguez wrote. He cited inflated and unverifiable casualty numbers, claiming the Gaza Health Ministry had recorded 53,000 deaths—figures that have been widely disputed and are often supplied by Hamas-controlled sources.
Rodriguez’s words suggest a calculated effort to dehumanize not only the state of Israel but also anyone who supports it—framing his victims as “perpetrators and abettors” of crimes, thus stripping them of their humanity and rationalizing their execution.
Rodriguez’s manifesto is laced with moral absolutism and revolutionary rhetoric, emblematic of a growing subset of ideological extremism on the radical left that sees physical violence as a legitimate form of protest, according to the information provided in the VIN News report. In his closing paragraph, Rodriguez chillingly rationalizes his act of murder as a response not only to current events in Gaza but to longstanding grievances stretching back over a decade.
“The action would have been morally justified taken 11 years ago during Protective Edge,” he wrote, referencing Israel’s 2014 military operation in Gaza. “I think to most Americans such an action would have been illegible, would seem insane. I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do.”
This alarming statement not only reveals the depth of Rodriguez’s radicalization but also suggests that he believed growing anti-Israel sentiment in the U.S. might normalize or even validate his actions—a dangerous reflection of how extremist narratives have taken root in certain activist circles.
This attack, and Rodriguez’s own words, raise critical concerns about the convergence of radical anti-Israel ideology and real-world violence, as was indicated in the VIN News report. The dissemination of rhetoric portraying Israel as a genocidal state and its supporters as complicit monsters has, in this case, translated into deadly action. The implications for the Jewish community, Israeli diplomats, and supporters of Israel in the United States are profound.
This incident also adds weight to ongoing calls for federal and state authorities to treat anti-Semitic violence fueled by anti-Israel activism with the same urgency as other forms of politically motivated terror. The fact that Rodriguez framed his attack not as random violence, but as a targeted, ideologically motivated act of “justice,” underscores the need for a robust response from law enforcement and civil society.
In the wake of the attack and publication of the letter, Jewish institutions across the country have increased security protocols. Israeli embassies and consulates in major cities have likewise coordinated with federal agencies to reassess potential threats. As the VIN News report noted, the clear targeting of Jewish diplomats outside a Jewish museum—after a Jewish community event—marks a dangerous escalation in the blending of political radicalism and anti-Semitic violence.
The Jewish community, both in the U.S. and abroad, continues to mourn the loss of two young lives—professionals dedicated to diplomacy and service to their country. The letter left behind by their killer, rather than offering insight or remorse, serves only as a grim warning of the ideological currents that can justify hatred in the name of activism.
The release of Elias Rodriguez’s final letter has confirmed what many feared: the fatal shooting in Washington was a premeditated act of terror inspired by a distorted worldview that equates support for Israel with moral depravity and sees murder as a form of protest. This tragedy is not merely an isolated incident—it is a stark indicator of the volatile intersection of radical ideology, political violence, and anti-Semitism.
Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the broader context of Rodriguez’s activities, including whether he acted alone or was in contact with like-minded radicals. Meanwhile, Jewish leaders and advocacy groups are calling for greater vigilance and a national reckoning with the dangerous consequences of unchecked hatred masquerading as justice.
Below is the manifesto in its entirety :
Explication
May 20, 2025
Halintar is a word that means something like thunder or lightning. In the wake of an act people look for a text to fix its meaning, so here’s an attempt. The atrocities committed by Israelis against Palestine defy description and defy quantification. Instead of reading descriptions mostly we watch them unfold on video, sometimes live. After a few months of rapidly mounting death tolls Israel had obliterated the capacity to even continue counting the dead, which has served its genocide well. At time of writing the Gaza health ministry records 53,000 killed by traumatic force, at least ten thousand lie under rubble, and who knows how many thousands more dead of preventable disease, hunger, with tens of thousands now at risk of imminent famine due to Israeli blockade, all enabled by Western and Arab government complicity. The Gaza information office includes the ten thousand under the rubble with the dead in their own count. In news reports there have been those “ten thousand” under the rubble for months now, despite the continual making of more rubble and repeated bombing of rubble again and again and the bombing of tents amid the rubble. Like the Yemen death toll which had been frozen at some few thousand for years under Saudi-UK-US bombardment before being belatedly revealed to stand at 500k dead, all of these figures are almost surely a criminal undercount. I have no trouble believing the estimates that put the toll at 100,000 or more. More have been murdered since March of this year than in “Protective Edge” and “Cast Lead” put together. What more at this point can one say about the proportion of mangled and burned and exploded human beings whom were children. We who let this happen will never deserve the Palestinians’ forgiveness. They’ve let us know as much.
An armed action is not necessarily a military action. It usually is not. Usually it is theater and spectacle, a quality it shares with many unarmed actions. Nonviolent protest in the opening weeks of the genocide seemed to signal some sort of turning point. Never before had so many tens of thousands joined the Palestinians in the streets across the West. Never before had so many American politicians been forced to concede that, rhetorically at least, the Palestinians were human beings, too. But thus far the rhetoric has not amounted to much. The Israelis themselves boast about their own shock at the free hand the Americans have given them to exterminate the Palestinians. Public opinion has shifted against the genocidal apartheid state, and the American government has simply shrugged, they’ll do without public opinion then, criminalize it where they can, suffocate it with bland reassurances that they’re doing all they can to restrain Israel where it cannot criminalize protest outright. Aaron Bushnell and others sacrificed themselves in the hopes of stopping the massacre and the state works to make us feel their sacrifice was made in vain, that there is no hope in escalating for Gaza and no point in bringing the war home. We can’t let them succeed. Their sacrifices were not made in vain.
The impunity that representatives of our government feel at abetting this slaughter should be revealed as an illusion, then. The impunity we see is the worst for those of us in immediate proximity to the genocidaires. A surgeon who treated victims of the Mayan genocide by the Guatemalan state recounts an instance in which he was operating on a patient who’d been critically injured during a massacre when, suddenly, armed gunmen entered the room and shot the patient to death on his operating table, laughing as they killed him. The physician said the worst part was seeing the killers, well known to him, openly swagger down local streets in the years after.
Elsewhere a man of conscience once attempted to throw Robert McNamara off a Martha’s Vineyard-bound ferry into the sea, incensed at the same impunity and arrogance he saw in that butcher of Vietnam as he sat in the ferry’s lounge laughing with friends. The man took issue with McNamara’s “very posture, telling you, ‘My history is fine, and I can be slumped over a bar like this with my good friend Ralph here and you’ll have to lump it.'” The man did not succeed in heaving McNamara off a catwalk into the water, the former secretary of state managed to cling to the railing and clamber back to his feet, but the assailant explicated the value of the attempt by saying “Well, I got him outside, just the two of us, and suddenly his history wasn’t so fine, was it?”
A word about the morality of armed demonstration. Those of us against the genocide take satisfaction in arguing that the perpetrators and abettors have forfeited their humanity. I sympathize with this viewpoint and understand its value in soothing the psyche which cannot bear to accept the atrocities it witnesses, even mediated through the screen. But inhumanity has long since shown itself to be shockingly common, mundane, prosaically human. A perpetrator may then be a loving parent, a filial child, a generous and charitable friend, an amiable stranger, capable of moral strength at times when it suits him and sometimes even when it does not, and yet be a monster all the same. Humanity doesn’t exempt one from accountability. The action would have been morally justified taken 11 years ago during Protective Edge, around the time I personally became acutely aware of our brutal conduct in Palestine. But I think to most Americans such an action would have been illegible, would seem insane. I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do.
I love you Mom, Dad, baby sis, the rest of my familia, including you, O*****
(AP) — Tyrese Haliburton was sure his jumper as regulation ended was going in, then wasn’t certain it had after it bounced high off the rim and hung in the air for what felt like an eternity.
He thought it was a 3-pointer to win the game, then quickly realized it was a 2 to tie. A lot to process, followed by just one thought with overtime looming.
“Then my focus just became winning it,” Haliburton said.
The Pacers did, finishing off their stunning rally by beating the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks led by 14 points with under three minutes remaining in regulation, but Aaron Nesmith brought the Pacers back with a flurry of 3-pointers.
Haliburton then hoped he had won it with another. With the Pacers down two and time running down, he started to lose control of his dribble, regained it and dribbled back out toward the 3-point line. He fired up his jumper and when it finally fell in, he raced toward the sideline and made a choke signal to the crowd, like Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller did to Spike Lee while leading an Indiana comeback in a playoff game in 1994.
Replay confirmed that Haliburton’s toe was on the line and it was a 2-pointer that tied it at 125. Andrew Nembhard eventually made the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds remaining in OT.
Haliburton had 31 points and 11 assists. Nesmith finished with 30 points, going 8 for 9 from 3-point range.
The Pacers won a game against Milwaukee in the first round when they trailed by seven points with 40 seconds left in overtime, then stole one from top-seeded Cleveland when they were behind by seven with 46 seconds remaining in regulation.
Another round, another comeback.
“It’s always special. It’s always fun,” Nesmith said. “This is what we live for.”
It was a thrilling start to the ninth playoff matchup between these fierce rivals from the 1990s — but a deflating finish for the Knicks in their first Eastern Conference finals game since 2000.
Jalen Brunson scored 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 points and 12 rebounds. But the Knicks couldn’t protect the big lead they built while Brunson was on the bench in foul trouble in the fourth quarter and had a collapse unlike any other in the postseason.
Teams leading by at least 14 points in the final 2:45 of the fourth quarter had been 994-0 since detailed play-by-play began being kept in 1997-98.
“Give them a lot of credit. They closed the game out like they’ve been doing all playoffs,” Brunson said. “Just not really good on our part.”
The Pacers beat the Knicks in Game 7 of the East semifinals at Madison Square Garden last year, routing a team that had been decimated by injuries.
This was an entirely different way to win, with the Pacers looking all but out of the game after the Knicks’ 14-0 run with Brunson on the bench pushed New York’s two-point lead to 108-92.
Even after Nesmith started to get hot, the Knicks seemed safe when Brunson’s 3-pointer made it 119-105 with 2:51 to go. But Nesmith would later hit consecutive 3s and both free throws when the Knicks fouled him intentionally so he couldn’t try to tie it with another, giving Indiana the chance to tie on Haliburton’s shot.
( JNS) The Israel Defense Forces eliminated the Palestinian terrorist who murdered Israeli mother Tzeela Gez, 30, as she was on her way to deliver her fourth son, the Samaria Regional Council announced.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan informed Gez’s widower on Wednesday after the terrorist’s identity was confirmed, the council said.
Terrorist Nael Samara was killed on Saturday during an IDF counter-terrorism operation in the Palestinian village of Bruqin. According to Israel’s Ynet, he was shot after he approached troops while carrying a suspicious bag and shouting Allahu Akbar (“God is great” in Arabic).
“We certainly do not find solace in the killing of this vile terrorist. That is only a small comfort,” said Dagan in a statement. “The true remedy is restoring deterrence and preventing the next attack.”
Bruqin “has become a breeding ground for terror,” he continued. “The entire people of Israel are united in the demand for a strong response.”
Dagan concluded: “The appropriate and true response is strengthening settlement in Samaria—establishing new communities now, in Tzeela’s path and in her memory.”
Israeli security forces apprehended several other suspects in the search for the terrorists who murdered Tzeela Gez and injured her husband in the May 14 shooting attack outside the couple’s community of Bruchin.
“As part of the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) manhunt for the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack, IDF soldiers, guided by the Shin Bet, carried out targeted searches in the village of Bruqin, near the scene of the attack,” the Israeli military stated on Saturday.
Gez’s baby was delivered after the shooting. The newborn remains in serious but stable condition. Gez’s sister told local media on Sunday that the boy was sedated at Schneider Children’s Medical Center.
“He was without oxygen for a long time—some 50 minutes—from the moment Tzeela was murdered until he was delivered,” Lotem Sasson told Arutz 7. “Some of the breathing tubes have already been removed, but he is still sedated. I am really hoping to hear better news today.”
“Tzeela has four children who will grow up without a mother, who was so amazing,” Sasson said. “I was always trying to learn from her how to be a mother. No one can take her place.”
Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria at least 6,343 times in 2024, according to figures published by the Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) NGO on Feb. 17.
Twenty-seven Israelis were murdered in Judea and Samaria in 2024, and more than 300 others were wounded, the group said in its annual report.
Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl speaks at a Jewish American Heritage Month breakfast in the U.S. Capitol, May 21, 2025. Photo by Andrew Bernard.
(JNS) Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl didn’t mince words talking about his Jewish identity and love for the United States and Israel during a Jewish American Heritage Month breakfast in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
“I’m a Jewish-American basketball coach who coaches basketball in Auburn, Ala.,” he told attendees. “Don’t tell me this isn’t the greatest country in the world.”
About 100 people attended the event, which included speeches from more than half a dozen members of Congress, including Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), and Reps. Randy Weber (R-Texas), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Randy Fine (R-Fla.), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Rick Allen (R-Ga.).
Pearl, who led the Auburn Tigers to the NCAA tournament Final Four in April, joked about another Jewish coach, Florida’s Todd Golden, and his players who were being honored on Wednesday as national champions.
“I’m in Congress eating bagels, and Todd Golden is at the White House getting recognized by President Trump,” Pearl said. (The menu included bagels, lox, white fish spread, pastries, coffee and juice.)
Golden played for Pearl as a point guard in the 2009 Maccabiah Games, which Team USA won.
“We played Israel for the gold medal game—the referees: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—we were getting screwed,” Pearl said, to laughs. “We were literally getting no calls.”`
Pearl has risen to prominence off the court since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as one of the sporting world’s most vocal supporters of Israel and its efforts to release the hostages.
He told JNS that he came to Washington out of gratitude for the opportunities that the United States has given him.
“This country saved my family’s life from the Holocaust,” Pearl told JNS. “There is a tremendous rise in antisemitism, but a lot of it is because there’s a very loud minority. The vast majority of this country has been unbelievable friends to the Jewish people.”
He particularly cited the support of evangelical Christians for Jews and Israel as worthy of praise.
“I’m married to a beautiful, Christian woman. Her name is Brandy Pearl,” he told the crowd. “She thought she’d get me in the water in two years. She hasn’t yet.”
“Do you know who my wife’s two favorite Jews are? Me and Jesus,” he said. “Those are the two most popular Jews in Alabama, by the way.”
Taking a more serious turn, Pearl called on the world’s Jews to “wake up” to the threats that they and Israel face.
“If there was a Palestinian state, how many Jews could live there? Zero. Because we’d all be killed,” Pearl said. “We’ve got to protect ourselves from those people that want to kill us.”
(JNS) Hamas terrorists “realize very well the destruction they have brought upon themselves,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday, speaking at his first press conference since the start of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” against the terror organization in Gaza.
“Gideon’s Chariots is there in order to complete this war,” he said, noting “huge blows” against Hamas in recent days, including the “probable” death of de facto Hamas leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar.
Southern Israeli cities like Sderot are now shaking “not because of Hamas missiles but the magnitude of IDF fire,” the premier charged, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Noting the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in Gaza this week, the prime minister said that “this war is making us pay heavy prices. However, it does have justified and clear goals,” including returning the hostages, fully defeating Hamas and neutralizing the Strip as a security threat.
He also said Jerusalem would carry out U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, which calls for the relocation of most of Gaza’s residents to third countries and rebuilding the Strip as a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“These goals are intertwined, and we are committed to achieving them completely and fully,” Netanyahu vowed in his remarks. “Gaza will be under Israeli security control, and Hamas will be defeated.”
The premier said that he was prepared to agree to a temporary truce to release all remaining 58 hostages from Hamas captivity after 593 days. Jerusalem is also “willing to end the war, but there should be clear conditions to ensure Israel’s security,” according to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu defended his government’s decision to allow some aid to enter Gaza without receiving hostages in return, saying the move followed warnings by some of the Jewish state’s biggest allies.
“Hamas is taking much of the aid for itself, and the rest it’s selling at exaggerated prices to fund its terrorists,” he said. “In order to prevent this, we have developed a new plan, together with the United States.”
The three-phase plan will bring in trucks with basic supplies, followed by the creation of distribution points secured by U.S. private military contractors, as well as “sterile zones” where Gazans will “receive all humanitarian aid they need,” the prime minister explained.
Turning to the other fronts of the ongoing seven-front war involving Iran’s proxies across the Middle East, Netanyahu said Jerusalem has “yet to say final word on the Houthis” terrorists in Yemen, which have again increased their aerial assaults on the Jewish state in recent days.
In Southern Lebanon, the IDF continues to enforce the formally expired ceasefire deal that largely stopped Hezbollah terrorism against northern Israeli communities, he stressed, noting the army’s actions against the Iranian-backed terror army “have led to the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria” in December.
“Iran remains a significant threat to Israel,” he said, emphasizing that Jerusalem continues to work with the Trump administration to put a halt to the Islamic Republic’s attempts to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“At any rate, the State of Israel keeps the right to protect itself from the regime that seeks to destroy it,” warned Netanyahu.
‘Taking control of strategic areas’
On Sunday, the IDF announced the official start of the ground phase of the expanded military operation to defeat Hamas fully.
“Over the past 24 hours, forces of the IDF’s Southern Command, both regular and reserve, have started a large-scale ground operation across the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of the beginning of Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” the army said in a statement.
“So far, the forces have eliminated dozens of terrorists, destroyed terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground, and are now taking control of strategic areas within the Strip,” the IDF continued.
The military noted that over the week prior, the Air Force had attacked more than 670 Hamas targets across the enclave in an attempt to “disrupt enemy preparations and support the ground operation.”
Among the targets hit were weapons depots, terrorist operatives, tunnels and anti-tank launch positions, it said.
“The IDF will continue to operate against terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip as necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” it added.
U.S. Accepts $200 Million Jet from Qatar for Potential Use as Trump’s Future Air Force One
By: Ariella Haviv
In a move that is raising both intrigue and eyebrows, the United States government has officially accepted a state-of-the-art Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the government of Qatar, intended for potential use as a future Air Force One during the second term of President Donald J. Trump. As reported by The New York Times and extensively covered by VIN News, the luxury aircraft, once used by the Qatari royal family, has been transferred to the U.S. Department of Defense and is now slated for extensive retrofitting to meet the security, communications, and operational standards required for presidential travel.
The aircraft, valued at approximately $200 million, represents a significant addition to the U.S. presidential aviation fleet—one steeped in symbolism, diplomacy, and technical precision. While the decision has sparked controversy in political and diplomatic circles, Pentagon officials and the Trump administration have insisted the acquisition is both legal and strategic.
According to the information provided in The New York Times report, the jet had previously been configured for VIP transport by the Qatari royal family, outfitted with luxury features, cutting-edge technology, and exclusive amenities designed for heads of state. It was not sold on the open market but instead offered as a diplomatic gift to the U.S. government.
VIN News reported that President Trump himself toured the aircraft earlier this year at Palm Beach International Airport. Though it is not yet in official presidential use, the jet’s potential as a future Air Force One underscores both its capabilities and its symbolic significance.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the jet’s formal acceptance, telling reporters that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had signed off on the aircraft “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.” As the VIN News report highlighted, the Department of Defense emphasized that the plane is not a personal gift to President Trump but a strategic asset accepted on behalf of the U.S. government.
“We will now work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States,” Parnell said in a public statement cited by VIN News.
However, the Pentagon has not provided a specific timeline for when—or even if—the aircraft will be fully outfitted and cleared for official presidential use. Given the complexity of the retrofitting process, including the installation of hardened communications, missile-defense systems, and classified materials storage, it may take years before the aircraft is operational.
Not surprisingly, the move has attracted criticism from various quarters. Ethics watchdogs and foreign policy analysts have raised questions about the propriety of accepting a gift of such magnitude from a foreign monarchy. Some warn that the arrangement could give the appearance of undue foreign influence or favoritism, especially given Qatar’s complex diplomatic relationships with both the West and its Gulf neighbors.
Still, administration officials insist the arrangement adheres to all relevant statutes and ethical guidelines. The VIN News report noted that the Trump administration has repeatedly stressed the plane is being handled strictly as a government property, with all decisions made under the authority of the Department of Defense.
Beyond the symbolism and controversy, the jet acquisition may also be viewed through a pragmatic lens. The Air Force One program has faced delays and ballooning costs in recent years, with the replacement of the aging VC-25A aircraft—modified Boeing 747-200Bs—already estimated at over $5 billion. As VIN News reported, integrating a preexisting long-range aircraft like the Qatar-donated 747-8 could offer a partial solution to some of these cost and timeline challenges.
The current Air Force One aircraft, commissioned in the 1990s, is due for retirement by the end of the decade. Boeing is currently working on new VC-25B aircraft as part of a modernization project begun during Trump’s first term, but those aircraft are not expected to be delivered until at least 2027, leaving a window of opportunity for supplemental aircraft to serve interim or support roles.
The political symbolism of presidential aircraft cannot be overstated. Air Force One is more than a mode of transportation—it is a flying White House, a command center, and a globally recognized emblem of American power. If the Qatar-donated 747-8 becomes operational in Trump’s second term, it could serve not only as a practical asset but also as a powerful visual marker of his administration’s priorities and global partnerships.
While the road to operational readiness may be long and technically demanding, VIN News points out that this development has already stirred discussions among defense officials and political observers about the broader implications of such diplomatic exchanges.
The acceptance of the Qatari 747-8 jetliner represents a bold and complex step in the evolution of U.S. presidential air travel. It remains clear that the aircraft’s future role—whether symbolic, practical, or both—will be shaped by political decisions, technical upgrades, and public scrutiny.
With President Trump at the helm of a new administration, the jet could eventually become one of the most iconic images of his return to power—or it may remain a backup tool of diplomacy, quietly serving behind the scenes. Either way, its journey from Doha to Washington is already reshaping the conversation around presidential mobility and the global partnerships that sustain it.
Adobe World Headquarters in San Jose, Calif., Oct. 7, 2007. Credit: Coolcaesar via Wikimedia Commons.
Adobe Recognizes Jewish Employee Network, Applauded by Brandeis Center for Championing Inclusion
By: Jerome Brookshire
In a landmark move applauded by Jewish advocacy groups, the global software giant Adobe has officially recognized a Jewish employee resource group (ERG) within its corporate structure, joining the ranks of its other identity-based ERGs. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which had supported Adobe employees in their effort to secure this recognition.
According to a report from The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), the newly recognized Jewish Employee Network represents a significant milestone for Jewish professionals within the tech sector, many of whom have long advocated for formal inclusion alongside other ethnic and affinity groups in corporate diversity frameworks.
Kenneth L. Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, commended Adobe for acknowledging the unique and multifaceted nature of Jewish identity. “The Brandeis Center applauds Adobe’s Jewish employees on the establishment of an officially recognized ERG—the Jewish Employee Network—joining Adobe’s other ethnicity-based ERGs,” Marcus stated, as quoted by JNS.
He emphasized that Adobe’s decision represents more than symbolic recognition. “Adobe is to be commended for acknowledging that Jewish identity is not limited to religious beliefs but, like other ethnic groups, is rooted in shared ancestry, culture, history, and language,” Marcus said. This broader definition, he noted, is critical to ensuring equal treatment for Jewish employees in today’s increasingly diverse workplaces.
Marcus also highlighted the dual nature of Adobe’s responsibility—both moral and legal. “We are proud to have supported Adobe employees in securing this important recognition and grateful to see a major global company do right by its Jewish workforce,” he continued. “Ensuring that all employees receive equal access to the benefits of ERG participation is both a legal obligation and the right thing to do.”
As JNS reported, ERGs are not mere symbolic entities. These groups provide tangible workplace benefits, such as community-building, resource allocation, mentorship, and collective advocacy. For historically marginalized or misunderstood communities, ERGs serve as critical platforms for identity affirmation and policy influence.
The Brandeis Center underscored this point, noting that ERGs offer “significant employment benefits in the workplace.” By including Jewish employees within this corporate structure, Adobe is acknowledging their right to the same cultural and professional support systems afforded to other groups based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Adobe’s decision arrives against the backdrop of growing scrutiny over how major corporations treat their Jewish employees, especially amid rising anti-Semitism and increased awareness around diversity and inclusion. Just last week, the Brandeis Center issued a warning to Microsoft, demanding that the company recognize a Jewish ERG—or face potential legal action. As JNS reported, this move signals a broader push for systemic change across the tech industry and beyond.
With Adobe now taking a proactive stance, it could serve as a catalyst for other corporations to follow suit. For companies that pride themselves on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the failure to accommodate Jewish identity within those frameworks may increasingly be seen as both a reputational and legal liability.
The issue of Jewish inclusion within corporate DEI initiatives has gained urgency over the past year, as Jewish employees have reported being excluded from equity-based programming or having their concerns sidelined under broader “religious accommodation” policies. Many Jewish advocates, including those at the Brandeis Center, argue that treating Jewish identity solely as a religious category fails to reflect its complex cultural, ethnic, and historical dimensions.
This recognition by Adobe represents a crucial step toward redressing that imbalance. It sends a message that Jewish professionals are entitled to the same support, dignity, and visibility as other identity groups within the corporate landscape, according to the information provided in the JNS report.
Adobe’s decision to formally recognize a Jewish ERG is more than a corporate box-checking exercise—it’s a landmark acknowledgment of Jewish identity as a legitimate and valued part of the broader DEI conversation. With the support of organizations such as the Brandeis Center and mounting public scrutiny, other tech giants and multinational firms may soon find themselves under pressure to follow Adobe’s example.
This development signals a meaningful shift in how Jewish identity is perceived and protected in the modern workplace—bringing long-overdue visibility, community, and safeguards to Jewish employees worldwide.
Amb to the UN: Rep Elise Stefanik of New York.
Credit: AP
Poll Shows Elise Stefanik Neck-and-Neck with Kathy Hochul in Potential Match-Up in NY Governor Race
By: Fern Sidman
In a stunning political development that could reshape the trajectory of New York’s 2026 gubernatorial race, a new poll reveals that Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is in a statistical dead heat with incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. According to polling data released by co/efficient and reported by VIN News, Stefanik trails Hochul by a razor-thin margin—43% to 42%—with a sizable 15% of likely voters still undecided.
The findings, based on a comprehensive survey of 1,163 likely voters statewide, underscore the growing vulnerability of Governor Hochul and the surging momentum of Stefanik, who has steadily built her national profile as one of the GOP’s rising stars and a close ally of President Trump.
Governor Hochul’s political standing appears increasingly precarious. As reported by VIN News, the poll shows her approval rating languishing at just 30%, while a staggering 57% of voters disapprove of the job she is doing. Even more troubling for the incumbent: only 23% of respondents believe she deserves to be re-elected.
By contrast, President Trump holds a 44% favorability rating among New York voters—an eyebrow-raising figure in a state that has traditionally leaned heavily Democratic. According to pollster Ryan Munce, who spoke with VIN News, this surge in Trump’s popularity—particularly among independent and male voters—may be having a “coattail effect,” lifting GOP candidates like Stefanik across the board.
“This poll shows how dramatically the political landscape is shifting in New York,” Munce noted. “Governor Hochul is suffering from deep discontent across a wide swath of voters, while Stefanik is gaining traction at precisely the right time.”
The poll also sheds light on the 2026 Republican primary landscape—and Stefanik is dominating it. As detailed in the VIN News report, the Congresswoman commands a commanding 56% of support among likely GOP voters. Her closest rivals—Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman—trail distantly at 9% and 8% respectively.
This overwhelming lead within her party indicates that Stefanik would face little resistance securing the Republican nomination should she decide to enter the race formally. Her statewide recognition, bolstered by her role as House Republican Conference Chair and vocal support for Trump, has made her a formidable contender in an increasingly competitive blue-state battlefield.
While Stefanik’s favorability rating sits at 34% (with 32% viewing her unfavorably and another 34% undecided or unfamiliar), those numbers are notably stronger than Hochul’s. The large percentage of undecided or unfamiliar voters also suggests ample room for Stefanik to expand her appeal as the election cycle progresses.
Governor Hochul’s campaign, however, was quick to dismiss the poll results, branding Stefanik as “divisive.” In comments highlighted in the VIN News report, Hochul’s team insisted they remain confident in victory should Stefanik officially challenge the governor in 2026. Still, the aggressive tone of their response may indicate concern over the incumbent’s political footing.
“It’s clear that Elise Stefanik represents an extreme MAGA agenda that New Yorkers have repeatedly rejected,” a Hochul spokesperson said. “Governor Hochul is focused on delivering results, not political games.”
But as the VIN News report pointed out, this narrative may not be resonating with voters the way it once did. With the state’s economic challenges, crime concerns, and dissatisfaction with COVID-era policies still fresh in the public’s mind, the appetite for change could prove stronger than Democratic talking points.
The poll’s most striking revelation is the extent to which a Republican—especially one aligned closely with Donald Trump—can now compete in deep-blue New York. Elise Stefanik’s strength, as reported by VIN News, lies in her ability to consolidate the GOP base while making significant inroads with moderates and independents disillusioned with the status quo.
If the trends continue, the 2026 gubernatorial race could become one of the most consequential contests in the nation, testing whether a new brand of Republicanism can break through in traditionally liberal strongholds.
For Governor Hochul, the road to re-election now appears far more uncertain. And for Elise Stefanik, the momentum is building—not only for a historic run in New York but possibly for a larger national role within the Republican Party.
This photo provided by Edmunds shows a lineup of used vehicles at a Nissan dealership in Fresno, California. Buying a used vehicle this Memorial Day weekend is one of the ways you can avoid the uncertainty of new vehicle pricing. (Brent Romans/Courtesy of Edmunds via AP)
(AP) – Memorial Day weekend has long been one of the busiest times of year for car dealerships. Many car shoppers decide to pull the trigger on that long-considered purchase because of the major sales promotions and the symbolic start of summer. But things are a little different this year.
Because of tariffs on offshore-built vehicles and components, confusion is setting in. Shoppers are rightly wondering: Will prices go up? Are the deals real? Should I buy now or wait?
Here’s some good news. With a little strategy and timing, you can score a great deal this Memorial Day weekend and avoid potential price hikes in the months ahead. Here are five tips from the experts at Edmunds that will help you decide and get the best deal.
Prioritize U.S.-assembled vehicles
Start close to home if you’re looking to insulate yourself from the effects of tariffs. The tariffs most affect vehicles that are not assembled in the United States. While many of these vehicles use components from abroad, the final assembly taking place in the U.S. means they’re not subject to the 25% import tariff.
How do you know which vehicles are assembled in the U.S? To start, you could consider vehicles from domestic automakers such as Ford, General Motors and Tesla. But you need to be careful: Not every domestic brand vehicle is assembled in the U.S. At the same time, many foreign automakers, such as BMW, Honda and Toyota, build some of their vehicles here.
You’ll want to check the window sticker of a vehicle you’re interested in. It will show where final assembly occurred as well as the percentage of U.S. and foreign parts. Keep in mind that even though a car is assembled in the U.S., it won’t escape tariffs on its foreign-made parts.
Seek out pre-tariff inventory
Many dealerships still have vehicles in stock that were imported or assembled before the April 2 effective date. Most dealers carry about 60 days of inventory, which means at least some of the cars on lots this Memorial Day weekend haven’t been affected by the new pricing yet.
So how do you find them? Simple: You ask.
Dealerships have inventory management systems that show exactly when each vehicle arrived. If you’re eyeing a specific model, request to see vehicles that landed before early April. This approach won’t work forever — by midsummer, that inventory will dwindle — but for now, it’s one of the smartest ways to shop.
Explore Memorial Day incentives and promotions
Major holidays mean major promotions, and this Memorial Day is no exception. For example, Ford is offering employee pricing to all customers through July 7 — an aggressive discount that essentially strips away dealer markups. That can mean thousands in savings on popular models like the F-150 or Explorer.
Other automakers are following suit. Expect to see 0% APR offers, cash-back bonuses, lease specials, and extended warranties advertised heavily this weekend.
But here’s the trick: These offers can vary significantly by region and dealer, so comparison shop online first. Automakers’ websites often have tools to search incentives by ZIP code.
Consider buying used
Used cars are not subject to tariffs. So if you want to avoid tariff-induced sticker shock, the used market might be your safest bet. The supply of used vehicles has been rising steadily post-pandemic. That means better selection, more competitive pricing, and a greater chance of finding a lightly used vehicle with low mileage.
Look for certified pre-owned models that come with factory warranties — they often strike a good balance between peace of mind and cost savings. And with interest rates still high, the lower principal of a used vehicle can significantly reduce your monthly payment if you finance.
Be flexible and move quickly
Finally, with the industry in flux, flexibility is your friend. That might mean settling for your second-choice color, choosing a different trim level, or opting for an in-stock configuration instead of ordering a custom build. In return, you’ll get the benefit of a better price.
And if you’ve been on the fence about buying? Don’t wait too long. Automakers and analysts agree: Prices are likely to rise later this summer if the tariffs continue.
Edmunds says
Between factory incentives, pre-tariff inventory, U.S.-built options and a growing used car market, there are plenty of ways to save this Memorial Day. Just be prepared and be informed.
In a chilling act of violence that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic and Jewish communities alike, two Israeli Embassy aides—a man and a woman—were shot and killed on Wednesday evening just steps from the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The attack occurred shortly after the pair had attended a high-profile event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), drawing immediate and widespread condemnation from American and Israeli leaders.
Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old staffer at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., was one of two Israeli victims shot and killed. As reported by World Israel News, Lischinsky was gunned down alongside his girlfriend, who also worked at the Israeli Embassy.
According to World Israel News, Yaron Lischinsky was a rising figure within Israel’s Foreign Ministry. Originally from Germany, Lischinsky immigrated to Israel at the age of 16, embracing his Jewish identity and committing himself to public service. At the time of his death, he was serving as a research assistant in the Middle East and North Africa Affairs division at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who spoke to the press following the incident, revealed that Lischinsky and his girlfriend had been planning to get engaged—a future that was tragically cut short. “They were both deeply committed to their work and to each other,” Leiter said. “This is a devastating loss, not just for the Israeli Foreign Ministry but for everyone who knew them.”
According to sources, the alleged gunman has been identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago. Citing law enforcement sources, it was reported that Rodriguez opened fire on the two Israeli diplomats shortly after the AJC’s Young Diplomats Reception had concluded.
In a harrowing account shared by Jewish Insider’s Josh Kraushaar, a witness described the aftermath: “After the shooting a guy came inside saying he saw it and needed water and a safe space, then whipped out a keffiyeh and yelled ‘Free Palestine’ a bunch before being escorted out by police.” Kraushaar also reported that the assailant shouted “Free, free Palestine” while firing at the victims.
The AJC event—an annual Young Diplomats Reception—was being held at the museum by the organization’s DC Young Professional Board. Ted Deutch, AJC’s Chief Executive, confirmed his organization hosted the event and called the attack “unspeakable.” In an official statement, he expressed deep sorrow and emphasized that AJC’s focus is “solely on supporting the families and loved ones of the victims.”
ABC News confirmed that the victims were Israeli Embassy staffers and reported that the shooting unfolded just outside the museum, located in the city’s Northwest quadrant—only blocks from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The FBI Washington Field Office quickly posted a social media update stating it was working closely with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department on the case. The agency added that there was “no ongoing threat to public safety,” a reassurance aimed at a community already on edge due to escalating anti-Semitic incidents nationwide.
The shooting reportedly occurred around 9:15 p.m. near the intersection of 3rd and F streets NW, in front of the museum, and just behind the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to information provided in a report on The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
U.S. embassy spokesperson Tal Naim Cohen wrote on X that the victims—a man and a woman—were shot “at close range.”
“We have full faith in law-enforcement authorities on both the local and federal levels to apprehend the shooter and protect Israel’s representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States,” said Cohen, as was reported by JNS.
The Israeli Embassy, which is collaborating fully with law enforcement, told CNN that the Israeli ambassador was not present at the event and was not involved in the shooting.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in comments quoted by The New York Times, called the killings “senseless” and pledged that her department was “actively investigating and working to get more information to share.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was reportedly on the scene alongside interim U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, echoed Noem’s sentiments, stating via social media, “Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” as reported by The New York Times.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted his condemnation “in the strongest possible terms” of the shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members. “Our prayers are with their loved ones,” he said. “This was a brazen act of cowardly, anti-Semitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”
President Trump issued a powerful statement on social media, calling the murders “obviously based on anti-Semitism” and demanded an immediate end to such violence. “Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA,” Trump wrote. “Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon described the attack as a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism,” according to The Associated Press. “Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line,” he posted on X. “We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world.”
JNS also reported that Israeli President Isaac Herzog posted to X: “I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C. This is a despicable act of hatred, of anti-Semitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.
“Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured,” he continued. “I send my full support to the ambassador and all the embassy staff. We stand with the Jewish community in D.C and across the U.S.
“America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us,” Herzog added.
World Israel News reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the shooting as a terrorist attack, declaring that “Israel will not surrender to terror.”
Sa’ar added, “Horrified by this morning’s terrorist attack, in which two of our Embassy staff in Washington D.C. were murdered. Israeli representatives around the world are constantly exposed to heightened risk – especially in these times. We are in close contact with American authorities. Israel will not surrender to terror.”
Although authorities have yet to confirm the motive officially, the circumstances—a shooting outside a Jewish institution during a Jewish organizational event—strongly suggest a targeted, anti-Semitic act. The alleged shooter’s “Free Palestine” rallying cry, along with his dramatic donning of a keffiyeh and anti-Israel slogans, has led many to conclude that the killings were politically and ideologically motivated.
Some commentators have noted the troubling parallels between the suspect’s behavior and chants regularly heard at recent anti-Israel demonstrations. Calls to “globalize the intifada”—a phrase widely used by pro-Hamas and anti-Zionist activists—have been increasingly echoed in protests across American cities. Wednesday’s attack may tragically represent the real-world consequences of such rhetoric.
Longtime Jewish activist, prolific author and lecturer, Phyllis Chesler told The Jewish Voice, “I began calling for an Iron Dome against the propaganda 15 years ago knowing that it would lead to this & many more such assassinations.”
The possibility that this was a calculated act of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish violence is raising urgent questions about security for Jewish institutions and foreign diplomats in the United States. It also highlights the expanding reach of anti-Semitic ideology at a time when Jewish communities around the globe are experiencing a disturbing rise in hostility and hate crimes.
The loss of two Israeli diplomatic personnel in the heart of the U.S. capital is not just a diplomatic tragedy—it is a searing indictment of the growing atmosphere of Jew hatred that has found a foothold in American cities. Jewish communities and their allies are demanding swift justice and enhanced security, not only for diplomatic missions but for Jewish institutions across the country.
As federal and local authorities continue to investigate, both the United States and Israel have vowed full cooperation to bring the perpetrator to justice. What remains is a grieving community, a shaken diplomatic corps, and a country grappling once again with the consequences of unchecked hate.
Macron’s Party Proposes Veil Ban for Young Girls, New Law to Combat Islamist Influence After Shocking Report
(TJV NEWS) French President Emmanuel Macron’s political movement is pushing for a nationwide ban on Islamic veils for girls under 15 and fresh legislation targeting Islamist influence in public life, following the release of a government-commissioned report detailing an alleged decades-long campaign by the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate French institutions and steer Muslim communities toward Sharia law.
As reported by Le Figaro, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron’s Renaissance party in the National Assembly, argued Wednesday that existing laws do not go far enough. Although France banned full-face Islamic veils in public for adults in 2011, Attal is now calling for that policy to extend to minors, citing findings from the bombshell government report.
According to Breitbart News and Le Figaro, the report accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of embedding Islamist operatives across various sectors of French society — including schools, sports clubs, retail shops, financial services, and even dating platforms — to exert control over Muslim communities and promote conservative religious practices. One of the most visible outcomes, the report claims, is a surge in young girls, some as young as five, being compelled to wear the veil — a trend authorities described as “a massive and visible increase.”
The report contends that this strategy has been cloaked in the language of social justice, leveraging campaigns against so-called “Islamophobia” to legitimize Islamist rhetoric and rally support within Muslim communities. The term itself, the report alleges, originated with the Muslim Brotherhood as part of a deliberate strategy to discredit critics and stifle secular opposition.
In response, Macron’s party is pushing for a law that would criminalize parental coercion of minors to wear the veil — a move framed as necessary for defending child welfare and gender equality. Attal also advocated for a new “law against Islamist entryism” to build upon the 2021 separatism law, which aimed to counteract religious extremism undermining national cohesion.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned of an existential threat to France’s democratic values, saying, “The ultimate objective is to tip all of French society into Sharia law.”
As Breitbart News noted, the French government’s National Defence Council is now ramping up financial scrutiny of Brotherhood-linked groups, including asset freezes and restrictions on public funding. However, the report found that several EU programs inadvertently support such organizations, raising concerns about France’s ability to tackle the issue independently without action from Brussels.
The report also criticizes the French state for prioritizing anti-terror efforts over deeper structural reforms, and for hesitating to act against Brotherhood-affiliated groups due to fear of being labeled “Islamophobic.” That fear, the authors say, has enabled Islamist networks to thrive under the protection of a victimhood narrative.
This narrative has reportedly created political alliances between Islamist groups and the far-left. The radical left-wing party La France Insoumise, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has repeatedly supported anti-Islamophobia rallies, including one held just last month. Mélenchon dismissed the government’s findings as “delusional theories” echoing far-right figures such as Marine Le Pen and Retailleau.
Meanwhile, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella condemned Mélenchon’s faction for giving “institutional cover” to Islamist movements and renewed his call to formally outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood in France.
As The New York Post and Breitbart News both highlighted, the debate has ignited fierce political backlash across the spectrum, setting the stage for a new phase in France’s ongoing struggle to balance secularism, national identity, and religious freedom.
Trump Confronts South African President Over Genocide of White Farmers in Explosive Oval Office Meeting
By: Ariella Haviv
In a highly charged and visually dramatic meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with allegations that South Africa’s black-majority government is waging a genocidal campaign against white farmers, according to an exclusive report by The New York Post. The confrontation, which unfolded in the Oval Office with the lights dimmed to project graphic video footage, was described by sources as one of the most tense and unfiltered moments of Trump’s presidency since his return to the White House.
According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Trump directed his staff to dim the lighting in the Oval Office in order to display a video compilation of alleged crimes against white farmers, many of whom belong to the 4.5 million-strong white minority community—comprising roughly 7.3% of South Africa’s population. The presentation included clips of firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), calling for the killing of whites, alongside footage of rural crime scenes and roadside memorials purportedly honoring slain white landowners.
“What you saw—the speeches that were being made—that is not government policy,” Ramaphosa reportedly responded, according to The New York Post. “Our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.”
But President Trump remained visibly unmoved by the South African leader’s reassurances. According to The New York Post, he told Ramaphosa: “My friends in South Africa say, ‘They take your land and they kill you,’ if you’re white.”
The video presentation, shown at Trump’s insistence, featured disturbing clips of Malema inciting violence, including his notorious statement: “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people—at least for now.” The montage also highlighted the controversial expropriation law recently passed in South Africa, which enables the government to confiscate unused or underutilized land without compensation—a measure which critics argue is targeted overwhelmingly at white-owned property.
The New York Post reported that Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and close Trump adviser, was present in the Oval Office during the confrontation, nodding in agreement as Trump pressed Ramaphosa on both the policy and the rising number of reported attacks on white farmers.
In a tense interview with the media, Musk did not mince words while addressing the governing body of South Africa. “I was born in South Africa but can’t get a Starlink license there — because I’m not black,” Musk stated. He then asked the following questions, “Does that seem right to you? Yes or no? Racist laws — yes or no? “Why do you like racist laws?”
“The law you passed,” Trump reportedly said to Ramaphosa, “it’s sending a message: you don’t want whites in your country anymore.”
The controversy around land expropriation without compensation in South Africa has long been a point of international scrutiny. Proponents of the law, including members of Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), argue it is a necessary corrective for centuries of colonial dispossession, while critics see it as a dangerous and racially motivated policy that has already led to economic instability and violent reprisals against white landowners.
As The New York Post has previously reported, Trump has frequently raised alarm over the treatment of white South Africans, even tweeting during his first term in office that his administration was “closely studying the South Africa land and farm seizures.” This week’s Oval Office confrontation appears to confirm that Trump has not softened his stance since retaking the presidency.
Despite the pressure, President Ramaphosa categorically denied that his administration condones or supports anti-white violence. “What you’re describing is not our policy,” he told Trump, insisting that Malema does not represent the South African government, but rather a radical fringe.
Yet Trump, drawing on both the video and private conversations with South African expatriates and farmers, remained unconvinced. According to The New York Post, Trump questioned the credibility of Ramaphosa’s denials in light of the government’s legislative actions and its failure to unequivocally condemn political figures such as Malema.
“You say it’s not policy, but you’re letting it happen. You pass laws that make it easier,” Trump is said to have told Ramaphosa.
One of the most striking elements of the meeting, as The New York Post report observed, was the presence and participation of Elon Musk, who has voiced his own concerns about South Africa’s political trajectory and the fate of minorities under the ANC-led government. Musk, whose mother is Canadian and father is South African, has expressed interest in refugee protections for white South Africans in the past, arguing that many are targets of “quiet ethnic cleansing.”
Sources close to the administration told The New York Post that Musk has advised Trump on policies related to South Africa and views the expropriation laws as a red flag for broader human rights abuses.
This episode could mark a turning point in U.S.-South Africa relations, as Trump’s administration weighs new visa restrictions and economic sanctions if violence against farmers continues. According to The New York Post, the State Department has been tasked with conducting a fresh review of farm attack data and potential human rights violations connected to land reform policy.
While Ramaphosa is expected to return to Pretoria and rally international support to push back against Trump’s claims, South Africa may now face heightened scrutiny from human rights organizations and Western governments.
“What Trump did was unprecedented,” one U.S. diplomat told The New York Post. “He took a conversation that would usually be buried in a State Department memo and brought it into the full light of day—in the literal and figurative sense.”
Wednesday’s meeting between President Trump and President Ramaphosa was anything but diplomatic niceties. As reported by The New York Post, it was a blunt, emotionally charged confrontation over race, property, and violence—one that is likely to reverberate not only through international relations but also within the global debate over land rights, minority protections, and political incitement.
With Trump showing no signs of retreating on the issue and voices like Elon Musk echoing his concerns, South Africa’s government now faces the challenge of reconciling its domestic land reform agenda with growing international pressure over what some claim is state-enabled racial violence. The lights may have dimmed in the Oval Office—but the spotlight on South Africa is now brighter than ever.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Spalding)
U.S. Scales Back COVID Vaccine Recommendations for Healthy Children and Adults
The U.S. government has officially scaled back its COVID-19 vaccination guidance, no longer recommending routine shots for healthy infants, children, and adults under 65 without risk factors. According to new guidelines released Tuesday by the Trump administration and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), updated COVID-19 vaccines will now be prioritized for seniors and individuals with underlying health conditions.
The FDA outlined the revised approach in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine and during a webcast presentation. Officials confirmed that while simplified vaccine access will continue for high-risk groups—such as adults over 65 and medically vulnerable younger people—vaccine manufacturers must now conduct more robust, longer-term studies before shots are authorized for the broader, healthier population.
This marks a significant shift from previous federal policy, which had recommended annual COVID-19 vaccinations for all Americans aged six months and older.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s new top vaccine official, described the update as a “reasonable compromise.” He emphasized that over 100 million Americans will still qualify for boosters under the revised guidance but stressed the lack of clear evidence supporting repeat doses for healthy individuals. “For many Americans we simply do not know the answer as to whether or not they should be getting the seventh or eighth or ninth or tenth COVID-19 booster,” said Prasad, who has been a longtime critic of the FDA’s past vaccine strategies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 47,000 Americans died from COVID-related causes in 2023, though the majority of those cases involved people with significant risk factors.
Health authorities continue to debate the long-term role of COVID vaccinations. The CDC’s advisory panel is expected to convene in June to determine which groups should receive updated vaccines going forward.
Trump Confronts South African President Over Genocide of White Farmers in Explosive Oval Office Meeting
Trump Confronts South African President Over Genocide of White Farmers in Explosive Oval Office Meeting
By: Ariella Haviv
In a highly charged and visually dramatic meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with allegations that South Africa’s black-majority government is waging a genocidal campaign against white farmers, according to an exclusive report by The New York Post. The confrontation, which unfolded in the Oval Office with the lights dimmed to project graphic video footage, was described by sources as one of the most tense and unfiltered moments of Trump’s presidency since his return to the White House.
According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Trump directed his staff to dim the lighting in the Oval Office in order to display a video compilation of alleged crimes against white farmers, many of whom belong to the 4.5 million-strong white minority community—comprising roughly 7.3% of South Africa’s population. The presentation included clips of firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), calling for the killing of whites, alongside footage of rural crime scenes and roadside memorials purportedly honoring slain white landowners.
“What you saw—the speeches that were being made—that is not government policy,” Ramaphosa reportedly responded, according to The New York Post. “Our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.”
But President Trump remained visibly unmoved by the South African leader’s reassurances. According to The New York Post, he told Ramaphosa: “My friends in South Africa say, ‘They take your land and they kill you,’ if you’re white.”
The video presentation, shown at Trump’s insistence, featured disturbing clips of Malema inciting violence, including his notorious statement: “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people—at least for now.” The montage also highlighted the controversial expropriation law recently passed in South Africa, which enables the government to confiscate unused or underutilized land without compensation—a measure which critics argue is targeted overwhelmingly at white-owned property.
The New York Post reported that Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and close Trump adviser, was present in the Oval Office during the confrontation, nodding in agreement as Trump pressed Ramaphosa on both the policy and the rising number of reported attacks on white farmers.
In a tense interview with the media, Musk did not mince words while addressing the governing body of South Africa. “I was born in South Africa but can’t get a Starlink license there — because I’m not black,” Musk stated. He then asked the following questions, “Does that seem right to you? Yes or no? Racist laws — yes or no? “Why do you like racist laws?”
“The law you passed,” Trump reportedly said to Ramaphosa, “it’s sending a message: you don’t want whites in your country anymore.”
The controversy around land expropriation without compensation in South Africa has long been a point of international scrutiny. Proponents of the law, including members of Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), argue it is a necessary corrective for centuries of colonial dispossession, while critics see it as a dangerous and racially motivated policy that has already led to economic instability and violent reprisals against white landowners.
As The New York Post has previously reported, Trump has frequently raised alarm over the treatment of white South Africans, even tweeting during his first term in office that his administration was “closely studying the South Africa land and farm seizures.” This week’s Oval Office confrontation appears to confirm that Trump has not softened his stance since retaking the presidency.
Despite the pressure, President Ramaphosa categorically denied that his administration condones or supports anti-white violence. “What you’re describing is not our policy,” he told Trump, insisting that Malema does not represent the South African government, but rather a radical fringe.
Yet Trump, drawing on both the video and private conversations with South African expatriates and farmers, remained unconvinced. According to The New York Post, Trump questioned the credibility of Ramaphosa’s denials in light of the government’s legislative actions and its failure to unequivocally condemn political figures such as Malema.
“You say it’s not policy, but you’re letting it happen. You pass laws that make it easier,” Trump is said to have told Ramaphosa.
One of the most striking elements of the meeting, as The New York Post report observed, was the presence and participation of Elon Musk, who has voiced his own concerns about South Africa’s political trajectory and the fate of minorities under the ANC-led government. Musk, whose mother is Canadian and father is South African, has expressed interest in refugee protections for white South Africans in the past, arguing that many are targets of “quiet ethnic cleansing.”
Sources close to the administration told The New York Post that Musk has advised Trump on policies related to South Africa and views the expropriation laws as a red flag for broader human rights abuses.
This episode could mark a turning point in U.S.-South Africa relations, as Trump’s administration weighs new visa restrictions and economic sanctions if violence against farmers continues. According to The New York Post, the State Department has been tasked with conducting a fresh review of farm attack data and potential human rights violations connected to land reform policy.
While Ramaphosa is expected to return to Pretoria and rally international support to push back against Trump’s claims, South Africa may now face heightened scrutiny from human rights organizations and Western governments.
“What Trump did was unprecedented,” one U.S. diplomat told The New York Post. “He took a conversation that would usually be buried in a State Department memo and brought it into the full light of day—in the literal and figurative sense.”
Wednesday’s meeting between President Trump and President Ramaphosa was anything but diplomatic niceties. As reported by The New York Post, it was a blunt, emotionally charged confrontation over race, property, and violence—one that is likely to reverberate not only through international relations but also within the global debate over land rights, minority protections, and political incitement.
With Trump showing no signs of retreating on the issue and voices like Elon Musk echoing his concerns, South Africa’s government now faces the challenge of reconciling its domestic land reform agenda with growing international pressure over what some claim is state-enabled racial violence. The lights may have dimmed in the Oval Office—but the spotlight on South Africa is now brighter than ever.