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Both election interference probes involving Arab parties reportedly falling apart

Michael Bachner and ToI Staff

Days after midterm route, Trump replaces chief of staff Susie Wiles with her deputy Stephen Miller * IDF Central Command chief reportedly told settlers not to tip off other commanders before Jericho entry

US President Donald Trump, right, listens during a news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the State Dining Room of the White House, September 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Analyses

While some portray end of US military aid as a transition to partnership, Israelis are worried

Ending $3.8 billion in annual aid would force Israel to rethink military planning; Netanyahu and Huckabee say ties can evolve beyond grants, while officials warn of steep costs

Holocaust survivor Eva Geller, who was injured in the December 2025 Bondi Beach terror attack, then died nearly a year later, in an undated photo. (Courtesy of the Geller family)

Holocaust survivor, 90, injured in Bondi massacre dies nearly a year after attack

By Reuters and ToI Staff

Eva Geller, who fled Romania as a child, was mostly bedridden since deadly terror shooting at Hanukkah event but was able to walk again and had made it to her birthday celebration, rabbi says

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on October 28, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Analysis

Joshua Davidovich

Eisenkot bolstered by PM recommendations, but still well short of a government

Yashar leader shellacks Netanyahu with 67 MKs telling president he should get first crack at building coalition, likely taking power sharing proposal off table, but path to majority still uncertain

Promoted Content

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Theatron Hotel and Residences

An exclusive collection of luxury homes in Jerusalem

Discover Theatron Residences in Talbieh, where elegant apartments, premium amenities, and personalized service come together. Only four residences remain.

Anti-Zionist protesters outside Columbia University in New York City, October 7, 2026. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Interview

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'The new film is asking the question -- how did we get here?'

20 years after bombshell Columbia antisemitism documentary, filmmaker turns lens back on campus

Daniella Kahane co-produced 2004 film about Ivy League's Middle East bias. Her follow-up, 'Inside the Gates,' looks at the changes since then and what it means for the US

Latest Articles

Top ops

Josh Fine

What Boy George taught me about being Jewish

The man in sequins has refused to let the dominant culture push him to trade truth for acceptance over more than 40 years. No wonder he ’stands with the Jews’!

Eilon Schwartz

Is racism keeping Arab parties out of Israel’s government?

The divide between Jewish and Arab parties is rooted in national conflict and mutual distrust. Overcoming it requires more than invoking democratic rights

Leah Stern

The nasty woman in my neighborhood

It began with cleaning up after my dog. It continued when she yelled at me and my kids. It ended when I gave up the grudge I nursed until I learned how wrong I’d been

Pnina Omer

A woman’s own free will: On the sanctity of the marriage covenant

A healthy marriage means choosing each other anew every day – where turning consent into a mechanism for subjugation warps its very essence (Chayei Sarah)

Orr Leschziner

US aid to Israel costs 4 pints of Guinness a year

Americans pay a pittance. Israel pays with its strategic independence. It’s time to end the arrangement

Ido Rosenzweig

17 women murdered. We cannot accept an 18th victim

Before another woman is killed by a family member, Israel’s next government – and its men – must take responsibility for preventing violence

Shuly Babitz

What’s more powerful than a Saturday Night Live punchline?

Our Jewish identity and commitment to Israel! We don’t need Michael Che and his false definition of ’genocide’; we can watch Israeli sketch comedy instead

Yoav Ende

Rabin’s legacy: We must carve a path through our deep disagreements

He modeled the struggle for peace within, with our neighbors, and for the sake of our children’s security - and we can follow in his footsteps without falling apart

Karen Reiss Medwed

Karen Reiss Medwed

Why rabbis belong in public service

I didn’t run for school board to bring religion into politics. I ran because Judaism has taught me that caring for my neighbors is a responsibility, not a choice

Elham Golkhandan

Elham Golkhandan

The Hasidic mother, the Iranian visitor, and a Shabbat surprise

I went to Brooklyn looking for cafes and long walks. Instead, I found myself in a stranger’s kitchen

Danny Danon

A message to our enemies: Do not mistake Israeli democracy for weakness

Iran and its proxies should have no illusions about exploiting our political transition. Israel’s military is on high alert, and we will not hesitate to defend our people

Ghadir Hani

Arab voters have spoken. Will Israel listen?

Our communities voted against despair, violence and extremism. Now Jewish leaders must decide whether to extend a hand or deepen the divide

Dudu Tassa and Jonny Greenwood onstage at the Jerusalem Oud Festival on November 5, 2026 (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

Concert review

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'Music is the thing that we all love'

Dudu Tassa and Jonny Greenwood let their stirring Arabic music speak louder than politics

Jessica Steinberg

The collaborating rockers bring 'Jarak Qaribak,' their album of revived Arabic love songs, to a packed Jerusalem Oud Festival opening -- bridging divisions simply by playing a regional songbook

Lazar Focus podcast

Michael Oren: The midterms ended the US-Israel special relationship

By Lazar Berman

Israel's former US envoy says the bond with America is no longer unshakeable. Jerusalem should declare its openness to peace deals, and focus on a tech partnership with the Pentagon

Promoted Content

Education Freedom Tax Credit: A Historic First for Jewish Families

Rising Jewish day school enrollment has made tuition costs unbearable for families. Starting in 2027, the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit offers a game-changing solution.

Kristallnacht survivor George Shafi poses in front of the Neue Synagoge in Berlin on November 5, 2026, ahead of commemorations of the November 1938 Pogroms. (John MACDOUGALL/AFP)

88th anniversary of the Nazi pogrom

Kristallnacht survivor calls on German police to stand firm against hate

By Lianne Kolirin

George Shefi, 94, one of the last remaining witnesses, tells conference of law enforcement officials of 'enormous responsibility' they have to ensure history does not repeat itself

Top ops

Josh Fine

What Boy George taught me about being Jewish

The man in sequins has refused to let the dominant culture push him to trade truth for acceptance over more than 40 years. No wonder he ’stands with the Jews’!

Eilon Schwartz

Is racism keeping Arab parties out of Israel’s government?

The divide between Jewish and Arab parties is rooted in national conflict and mutual distrust. Overcoming it requires more than invoking democratic rights

Leah Stern

The nasty woman in my neighborhood

It began with cleaning up after my dog. It continued when she yelled at me and my kids. It ended when I gave up the grudge I nursed until I learned how wrong I’d been

Pnina Omer

A woman’s own free will: On the sanctity of the marriage covenant

A healthy marriage means choosing each other anew every day – where turning consent into a mechanism for subjugation warps its very essence (Chayei Sarah)

Orr Leschziner

US aid to Israel costs 4 pints of Guinness a year

Americans pay a pittance. Israel pays with its strategic independence. It’s time to end the arrangement

Ido Rosenzweig

17 women murdered. We cannot accept an 18th victim

Before another woman is killed by a family member, Israel’s next government – and its men – must take responsibility for preventing violence

Shuly Babitz

What’s more powerful than a Saturday Night Live punchline?

Our Jewish identity and commitment to Israel! We don’t need Michael Che and his false definition of ’genocide’; we can watch Israeli sketch comedy instead

Yoav Ende

Rabin’s legacy: We must carve a path through our deep disagreements

He modeled the struggle for peace within, with our neighbors, and for the sake of our children’s security - and we can follow in his footsteps without falling apart

Karen Reiss Medwed

Karen Reiss Medwed

Why rabbis belong in public service

I didn’t run for school board to bring religion into politics. I ran because Judaism has taught me that caring for my neighbors is a responsibility, not a choice

Elham Golkhandan

Elham Golkhandan

The Hasidic mother, the Iranian visitor, and a Shabbat surprise

I went to Brooklyn looking for cafes and long walks. Instead, I found myself in a stranger’s kitchen

Danny Danon

A message to our enemies: Do not mistake Israeli democracy for weakness

Iran and its proxies should have no illusions about exploiting our political transition. Israel’s military is on high alert, and we will not hesitate to defend our people

Ghadir Hani

Arab voters have spoken. Will Israel listen?

Our communities voted against despair, violence and extremism. Now Jewish leaders must decide whether to extend a hand or deepen the divide

Op-ed

Shalom Yerushalmi

Herzog’s TV show was a desperate push for a unity government most MKs bitterly oppose

Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivers a statement to the press at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem following consultations with representatives of political parties on whom to task with forming Israel’s next government, following the elections to the 26th Knesset, November 5, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The president turned an archaic electoral procedure into a political talk show, pressuring parties to partner with Netanyahu. But he hit a brick wall in the form of the pro-Eisenkot majority

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, left, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles listen during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

After midterm defeat, Trump replaces Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as chief of staff

By Seung Min Kim

Wiles had been the longest-serving chief of staff for Trump; Miller, a member of Trump’s inner circle, is a key architect of the administration’s hard-line immigration policies

Promoted Content

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Brand new $1.3 Million luxury apartment in Jerusalem

Dream Raffle is back! Purchase your tickets by Nov 11 and be entered into our bonus early bird raffle - $15,000 cash prize

Analysis

After US elections, Iran knows its strategy is working — against everyone but Israel

US Vice President JD Vance before boarding Air Force Two at Emmen Military Air Base, Emmen, Switzerland, Monday, June 22, 2026, after the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit. (Nathan Howard/Photo via AP)

Islamic Republic developed plan to end war by inflicting economic pain on world, and especially on US voters. That worked in the midterms, but Israel remains eager to fight

Shin Bet chief said to compare alleged election interference to Oct. 7, Yom Kippur War

Shin Bet director David Zini attends the funeral of an Israeli soldier at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, March 27, 2026, (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

By ToI Staff and Noam Lehmann

Report quotes David Zini claiming the allegations amount to 'the greatest strategic terror attack' in Israeli history, as sources accuse him of 'throwing a tantrum' and using 'partial and almost misleading' intel

Watch: TOI Shorts

Samah Salaime: The delegitimization of the Arab vote in Israel

Samah Salaime: The delegitimization of the Arab vote in Israel

Did the US midterms end the Iran war?

Did the US midterms end the Iran war?

Israelis rally for unity government outside of President’s Residence

Israelis rally for unity government outside of President’s Residence

Boy George performsfor 10,000 in Tel Aviv

Boy George performsfor 10,000 in Tel Aviv

Will the blue wave further isolate Israel?

Will the blue wave further isolate Israel?

Israeli pop star Omer Adam's performance — including prayers, a tribute to the IDF and some of Israe

Israeli pop star Omer Adam's performance — including prayers, a tribute to the IDF and some of Israe

Boy George at Nova site

Boy George at Nova site

Israel in Michigan’s Senate race

Israel in Michigan’s Senate race

Coping with humor in Hamas captivity

Coping with humor in Hamas captivity

Hundreds rally in Tel Aviv to demand a Jewish-Arab government

Hundreds rally in Tel Aviv to demand a Jewish-Arab government

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Sen. Jon Ossoff, walks in the audience during an election night event, November 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

60% of Jews aged 18-34 say Israel committed genocide in Gaza

US Jews continued to back Democrats in midterms amid generational chasm on Israel — poll

By Jacob Magid, JTA and ToI Staff

J Street finds 72% of Jews backed Democratic candidates, despite reports of party-switching; 49% of 18-34 year-olds sympathize with Palestinians over Israelis

An airplane seen at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport in Bulgaria, November 5, 2026, as three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, had to make emergency landings because of bomb threats on board. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

Europe hit by fresh wave of bomb threats targeting flights and media outlets

By Agencies and ToI Staff

Israel-bound KLM service among those affected; Irish radio host says staff were told to evacuate after receiving ‘a message’

Yarka Mayor Mula Mula, center, stands with a group of visiting dancers from Georgia on November 3, 2026. (Courtesy/Mayor's Office)

Reporter's notebook

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'This should be uniting the nation, but I'm very disappointed'

Week after election, Western Galilee voters agree on one thing: Lack of consensus

By Diana Bletter

Jewish, Muslim, and Druze residents urge formation of a new government after landmark election, but remain divided on how to make it happen

Blake J. Harris (L) and his Larry David biography in 2020. (Courtesy; Dey Street Books)

Analysis

A biographer tried to get Larry David to talk about his Jewishness. ‘Nothing’ doing

Blake J. Harris, 'Seinfeld' fan who dreamed of interviewing David, says comic never felt any mission regarding heritage, despite the many nods to Jewish life in his oeuvre

Participants at the First International Congress of Noahides in Jerusalem, November 3, 2026. (Bruno Sharvit)

Reporter's notebook

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'We don't become Jews, but we love Jews and the Torah'

Drawn to Judaism but not converting: Noahide confab seeks to create a new global identity

International gathering in Jerusalem brings together non-Jews who follow the seven Noahide laws to establish shared identities, institutions and communities

Rabbi Capers Funnye of the Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation stands in the sanctuary of the synagogue, September 2, 2008, in the Marquette Park neighborhood of Chicago. (AP/M. Spencer Green)

Tribute

Andrew Esensten

Rabbi Capers Funnye skillfully navigated a Jewish world wary of Hebrew Israelites

Chicago rabbi, one of US's most prominent Black Jews, died on Monday at age 74. The writer recalls a leader who approached his work on Jewish diversity with equanimity and warmth

A Mandatory Listen

Samah Salaime: The ‘Arab vote’ is an offer of trust. Why are Jews rejecting it?

By Amanda Borschel-Dan and Samah Salaime

Following the unprecedented gains by Arab parties in the Knesset, we go deep into what brought voters to the ballot box and what the parties stand for

The 120 members of the incoming Knesset, following elections on October 27, 2026. (Individual photo credits below.)

The 2026 Israeli election

Meet the 120 members of the incoming Knesset

33 women, 47 newcomers, five former IDF generals and a former Shin Bet chief: The lawmakers of the 26th Knesset, party by party

2026 Israeli elections

The Times of Israel's electoral dashboard. Parties' final seats and potential coalition alliances

Knesset seat projections over time

Possible coalitions according to the latest poll

*Joint List and Ra'am could support a coalition without formally joining

Where the parties stand on key issues

More Headlines

People take part in a parade commemorating the 51st anniversary of the Green March, a protest which led to Morocco’s takeover of Western Sahara, in the Morocco administered town of Laayoune, November 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Morocco celebrates 51st anniversary of Western Sahara takeover as UN mission ends

By AKRAM OUBACHIR

Heavy flooding in a road in the village of Abu Ghosh, outside Jerusalem, January 13, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

Heavy rain, flooding forecast across Israel over the weekend

A view of the Ayalon Highway and Tel Aviv HaShalom railway station in Tel Aviv, September 15, 2026. (Rachel Alroey/Flash90)

Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway to close for electrical work over weekend; trains also impacted

French contingent vehicles serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) cross the Qasmiyeh Bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut, Lebanon, on April 19, 2026. (MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP)

UNIFIL confirms it will start leaving south Lebanon when mandate ends on Dec. 31

By Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, meets volunteer first responders from the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club during a visit to Bondi Beach, Australia, on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

Meghan Markle’s father arrested in US over child sex abuse images

By AFP

An ambulance is seen outside a bus stop on Route 65, west of the Sea of Galilee, where a man was shot dead on November 6, 2026. (Magen David Adom)

Three Arab men shot dead within 24 hours in northern Israel

By Noam Lehmann

Police special forces are seen leaving the scene of the Risbergska School in Orebro, Sweden, on February 4, 2025, following a deadly shooting (Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Swedish teen charged with plotting Islamic State-inspired knife attack on high school

By AFP

People wait in line outside a polling station during local elections in Alexandra township, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, November 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa’s ruling ANC heads to all-time election low in local vote

By Hillary ORINDE

The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse is shown, November 20, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

3 charged in NY, including 2 Israelis, for using AI impersonations to steal $129 million

By AP

Illustrative: Portraits of slain Iranians are displayed in an area of Esplanades des Invalides in Paris on July 8, 2025, as part of a campaign by French human rights activists to stop executions in the Islamic Republic. (Delphine TOUITOU / AFP)

Iran sentences man to death over social media posts, lawyer and rights groups say

By AFP

A US flag is seen through the flag of Iran, April 8, 2026, in New York. (AP/Ryan Murphy)

US court docs show administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians amid the war

By Michael Kunzelman, Rebecca Santana and SAFIYAH RIDDLE

Attorney Michael Rabello is seen before a court hearing on the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, April 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Rabello withdraws as comptroller candidate, months after tainted election

Popular

Those we have lost

Stories of the civilians and soldiers who have fallen in the Israel-Hamas war

Menuha Chulati (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Menuha Chulati, 75: ‘Beloved teacher’ and grandmother

Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7

Barak Davidi (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Barak Davidi, 28: Huge Maccabi Tel Aviv fan was ‘one of a kind’

Murdered by Hamas terrorists while fleeing the Supernova music festival on October 7

Staff Sgt. Hallel Shmuel Saadon who was killed in Gaza on November 2, 2023. (IDF)

Those We Have Lost

Staff Sgt. Hallel Saadon, 21: Horse lover was former camp counselor

Killed battling Hamas terrorists near Sufa on October 7

Aharon Haimov (Courtesy MDA)

Those We Have Lost

Aharon Haimov, 25: Ambulance driver killed on way to treat victims

Murdered near his hometown of Ofakim, October 7

Noa Farage (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Noa Farage, 22: Surfer who was ‘the most magical person’

Murdered at the Supernova music festival on October 7

Shani Ben Ami (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Shani Ben Ami, 27: Talented singer who sewed Purim costumes

Murdered by Hamas while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7

Cpt. Kfir Itzhak Franco (IDF)

Those we have lost

Cpt. Kfir Itzhak Franco, 22: Recently engaged tank commander

Killed while battling against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip on November 15

Margarita 'Rita' Gusak (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Margarita Gusak, 21: Artist with plans to attend medical school

Murdered by Hamas terrorists while fleeing the Supernova music festival on October 7

Staff Sgt. Daniel Bezgodov (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Staff Sgt. Daniel Bezgodov, 21: Had ‘muscles as big as his heart’

Killed battling Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Sufa on October 7

Dudi Turgeman (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Dudi Turgeman, 26: Partygoer ‘didn’t waste a minute of life’

Murdered at the Supernova music festival, October 7

Tales of the Times

The quirky, improbable, infuriating and uplifting

The Revolution Orchestra opens its 2026-2027 season with an ode to North American music. (Courtesy)

Symphonic mashup

Paul Simon tunes, Leonard Cohen lyrics and ‘Psycho’ score get local reinterpretation

Revolution Orchestra opens new season with tributes to North American classics

By Jessica Steinberg

'Bread of Tears' by Sivan Roshianu and Alexander Lachnish aka Zoonder for ANU - Museum of the Jewish People's ChallahFest, November 2026 (Courtesy)

Under cover no more

Braid bonanza: Challah gets top billing in 7-city ANU event

ChallahFest culinary event hosted by Tel Aviv's Museum of the Jewish People goes global

By Jessica Steinberg

The third season of historical drama 'Beauty Queen of Jerusalem' will premiere at Jerusalem Sessions on November 17, 2026 (Osnat Rom)

Screen time

International and Israeli showrunners to talk TV at Jerusalem Sessions

Second edition of television festival returns to the National Library stage in the capital

By Jessica Steinberg

The 'Engraved Voices' monument in memory of October 7 victims and soldiers who fell in the subsequent war at the Tel Aviv University campus, designed by architect Lihi Ein Gedi Davidovich (Eyal Tager)

In remembrance

Tel Aviv U transforms memorial stickers into Oct. 7 monument

'Engraved Voices' incorporates a low steel wall etched with some 500 phrases taken from the stickers and is designed as part of campus pedestrian paths

By Jessica Steinberg

Britney Spears arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' on July 22, 2019. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Baby one more Psalm

Britney Spears posts photo of Jewish prayer books she’s reading

The longtime Kabbalah enthusiast shares image on Instagram of a Hebrew book of Psalms next to a prayer book, declaring that she's 'just bored reading Hebrew'

Circus artists take part in a new show marking the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death in Budapest, Hungary, October 30, 2026. (Marton Monus/Reuters)

Off the chain

A century after his death, Budapest circus revives Houdini’s daring escapes

Production recreates some of the most famous feats of the escapologist, who was born Erik Weisz into a Hungarian Jewish family in 1874

Noah Wyle in HBO's "The Pitt." (Warrick Page/MAX via JTA)

People's chosen

Noah Wyle, TV’s nice Jewish doctor, is People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

Wyle drew on his father’s Russian-Jewish background in helping create Robby, his ER physician character on 'The Pitt,' who wears a Star of David necklace

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

Gal Gadot posts a recording of herself as she casts a vote on Israel's election day, October 27, 2026 (Courtesy)

No place like home

Gal Gadot casts ballot, calls on Israelis to vote in ‘momentous election’

Accepting Bar-Ilan University honorary doctorate, actress speaks of 'opportunity to make a difference' at the ballot box; 'No matter how far I travel, Israel's always my home,' she says

By Jessica Steinberg

The 'Bustan' (Orchard) at the Holon Design Museum's new exhibition, The Circle, September 9, 2026. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)

In the loop

Exhibit tackles role of design in cutting waste, protecting planet

Design Museum in central Holon encourages visitors to feel part of Earth, consider their consumer choices

Frances Munning, played by Penny Downie in 'The Diplomat,' in a tribute scene to the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin in season four (Screenshot)

Streaming homage

Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ offers hidden tribute to Hersh Goldberg-Polin

World War II anecdote mentions 'Hershel Polin' in apparent reference to slain hostage, includes salute to Aner Shapira, who repelled Hamas grenades

By Jessica Steinberg