CNBC Panel Agrees: Trump Tariffs ‘Worse Than Worst Case Scenario’

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnbc-panel-agrees-trump-tariffs-worse-than-worst-case-scenario/

A CNBC panel sounded the alarm Wednesday after President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” and slapped sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries, sending global markets into turmoil.

“This is probably worse than the worst case scenario that was modeled,” CNBC analyst Bonawyn Eison said on Fast Money, referring to the sheer size of Trump’s tariffs—and their effect on the stock market.

Fellow panelist Steve Liesman, CNBC’s senior economics reporter, suggested Trump was operating in his own economic reality: “This just seems like the president having his own sort of school of economics that’s different from everybody else.”

Divorce – even for poor cooking?

 Devarim (24:01) When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her; then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

Gittin (90a) Beis Shammai says: a man should not divorce his wife unless he has found her guilty of some unseemly conduct, as it says, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her. Beis Hillel, however, says that he may divorce her even if she has merely spoilt his food, since it says, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her. R. Akiba says, he may divorce her even if he finds another woman more beautiful than she is, as it says, it comes to pass, if she find no favour in his eyes.

Emes L’ Yaakov (Devarim 24:01)  Question In the Mishna in Gittin (90a)  the Tanaim have a dispute regarding the minimum reason for divorce. Beis Hillel says it is sufficient if she ruins the food. While Rabbi Akiva says it is sufficient even if he has found another woman more beautiful. What is the real basis of their dispute and why does the Torah consider spoiling the food or finding a more beautiful woman sufficient reason for divorce? Answer It seems that the Torah is actually showing us the nature of marriage. In marriage a man must view his wife as the wisest and most beautiful of all women in the world. And similarly she needs to view her husband as the best of men. The fact that he considers another woman  more beautiful  indicates  that he does not consider his wife as sufficiently beautiful.  This is a sign that there is trouble in the marriage.  Similarly with ruining the food that clearly indicates they are not a unit. If they are a true unit he will not see any problem with her or what she does.  That is why he can divorce her.  Thus he is not divorving because she is a poor cook but rather because he oerceives an imperfection. 

Abarbanel(Devarim 21, 24): The 12th question is how is it possible that G‑d’s Torah agrees that marriage can be dissolved by divorce. It would seem to be wrong that a man and woman who were  united before G‑d should be able to separate from each other  and that the woman be allowed to have sexual relations with another man and that the man should marry a different woman. It would seem that those things which are done as mitzvos should not be subject to regret and reversal. And surely this would apply to divorce which can be done without significant justification. The Torah simply says, “If she does not find favor in his eyes because he found in her something unseemly (ervas davar) then he should write a document of divorce and give it to her and send her away.” This is especially problematic according to the view that divorce can result even if he doesn’t like the way she makes his meals. Concerning marriage the Torah says (Bereishis 2:24), Therefore a man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife and they should be one flesh.” This is a general lesson concerning the nature of man and how human relations change. So how is it possible that this natural process be reversed? Answer (Devarim 24) : There is no question that the actions of man in this world are in order to achieve one of five goals. 1) Acquiring wealth, 2) love of honor,  3) physical pleasures, 4) spiritual perfection or 5) welfare of one’s children. The joining together of a man and his wife in marriage can bring about all 5 of these goals. Marriage can provide good financial benefits because man is not like other creatures who obtain their clothing through nature as well as their food. In contrast man must acquire clothing and food through work which requires much preparations in order to obtain these things. A wife can be very helpful in acquiring material objects as well as food and clothing. Marriage is also inherently helpful in obtaining honor and respect since a single man finds it difficult to obtain honor because true glory goes to one who has a household. Marriage also provides physical pleasures especially since she obviates the need for prostitutes. There are also additional physical benefits in that she can help him with his tasks and work as well as taking care of his bodily needs and pleasures. Marriage also is helpful in spiritual perfection - not only by keeping him from sin and pursing his lusts - but also in fulfilling      the mitzva of having children aside from the mitzvos that are available to him as married man. In fact marriage is also beneficial for the woman in that she has children. She is the cause of their existence and she raises and educates them as our Sages said in Yevamos (63), It is sufficient for a wife if she simply raises the children and saves her husband from sin. That is why G‑d’s Torah commands us concerning marriage because G‑d saw that it was not good for man to be alone. He also commanded the woman not to commit adultery and that the man was obligated providing her with food, clothing and conjugal duties. However all these benefits of marriage do not automatically exist and come about simply by getting married. Rather these benefits are conditional on there being a compatibility between the couple regarding their natures and personality to maximum degree possible. This compatibility also causes love and tranquility between them as it says that G‑d made her an ezer kenego. In other words an ezer kenegdo means that she is an ezer (help) if she is like him (kenegdo) and agrees with him in all matters. The importance of this compatibility can be seen from the fact that G‑d brought all the animals and birds to Adam in order that he determine the name of each creature. In other words he was to observe each creature to see whether there was one which had the appropriate temperament and was compatible with his personality and his nature. That is why the Torah notes that after examining every creature Adam had not found his ezer kenedgo (his compatible mate). In other words even though he found those creatures which would be ezer (be of help) to him but none which were kenegdo (compatible and complementary to his nature). Because compatibility can not be based solely on the fact that a creature is female. Therefore it was necessary to do something different in order to create the proper compatibility and love. G‑d took one of Adam’s ribs and cloned a woman from it and then brought her to Adam - in order that she have his personality and nature. All of this was done to ensure the proper match and complementarity of the personality and attributes between a man and his wife and that it was inherent from her creation. That is because if it were the opposite then there would be no actual compatibility and thus there would be no basis for a successful household and not one of the five goals we mentioned would be accomplished. If there was no compatibility with the woman then it would be better for the man to remain alone and not join with that vile serpent – the bad wife. This is stated by Shlomo (Koheles 7), I find the woman more bitter than death...Similarly in Mishlei (25), It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a roomy house. Another source is Yevamos (63a), If he merits she is a helper (ezer) and if not she is his opponent (kenegdo). What this gemora is saying is that there is no middle neutral position regarding a man and woman. In fact the wife is either a help or an opponent since it is totally dependent upon the compatibility or incompatibility of their natures. How can there be a middle position in being compatible or incompatible? Consequently G‑d has commanded that when a man finds that his nature and personality are not compatible with that of his wife as expressed by the verse, “And if she doesn’t find favor in his eyes because he found in her ervas davar (an unseemly thing) - that their incompatible natures are the reason that he should divorce her. That is because it is better that they get divorced than have increasing hatred, fights and bickering between them.  The philosopher (Aristotle) has already mentioned this idea in relationship to the conduct of society. He has noted that because of this question of compatibility, men have agreed that there should be a period of engagement (eirusin) prior to marriage in order that they have a trial period to see how compatible they are. Only if they experience the love and tranquility that are the indicators of compatibility will they get married. That is because it is better to divorce her while she is still a virgin then a married non-virgin. This is a very solid reason for divorce besides the reason given by the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:49). However if they did get married and do not experience the indicators of compatibility in any way, the Torah says that they should get divorced which is the lesser of evils. Because perhaps he will marry a different woman who is compatible to his nature and personality and she will marry someone who is like her. This is preferable to them living their lives in suffering and torment and even worse perhaps killing or adultery and other serious evils. Therefore the Torah said, When a man takes a woman for a wife and has sexual intercourse with her. This means that even though she had intercourse with him which you might think make it wrong to get divorced since he has tormented her – nevertheless if she doesn’t find favor in his eyes or he hates her ... then he has the choice of divorcing her. Nevertheless the Torah doesn’t want her divorced by simply telling her that she is divorced or by giving her money or by sending her from his house. That is to ensure that divorce is not easy to do which would result in a woman being divorced multiple times from her husband – because he was in a bad mood. Another negative consequence of easy divorce would be that she could go and falsely tell people that she was divorced in order to commit adultery with another man. Therefore in order to remove all these pitfalls from divorce, G‑d commanded that a man can only divorce his wife with a written document which requires many conditions to be valid as well as witnesses. All of these serve the purpose of making it not so easy for the husband to get divorced. Consequently if the husband wants to divorce his wife when he is in a state of anger and outrage, this will form a difficult barrier to overcome and he will calm down. This complicated procedure also serves to prevent her from falsely declaring that she is divorced – as the Rambam says in Moreh Nevuchim....

Chinuch(#579): Divorce requires a document: The basis of this mitzva is that since a woman was created to help her husband and she is to him like an desirable utensil. A similar idea is expressed in Sanhedrin (22b), A woman does not make a covenant except with one who makes her into a utensil. Since a woman is there to serve a purpose, it is the will of G‑d that when he is disgusted with this utensil he should remove it from his house. Because of this reason there are some of our Sages who say in Gittin (90a) that even if she burns his food he is able to divorce her i.e., for a trivial matter since she is nothing but a valued utensil in his house. However others Sages say that since she is in G‑d’s form and image and G‑d prepared her for her husband’s needs and honor – with eyes to see and ears to hear and intelligence – it is not right to reject her and send out of his house except for a major reason. This is as the verse says, “Because he found in her ervas davar (something disgusting).” Nevertheless according to all the Sages, if he finds some major problem with her it is correct to divorce her. That is because of the reason I mentioned, that she was only created for his sake. And since she is causing him upset and he is disgusted with her there is no necessity for him to remain with her. The Jewish approach is not that of some of the non-Jews who make a strong binding commitment to marriage that is only ended by death. A man should not be afraid to divorce his wife if she does something repellent and destroys all that is in the house and burns down all of his possessions. However the Torah commands that when she is sent away that it shouldn’t be done by words alone because this can lead to much trouble and immorality in our society. Because a wife who is committing adultery could simply claim that she was already divorced. In addition if divorce is too easy to do then it becomes very common. Consequently the Torah requires that a divorce be based on a written document and that there be witnesses who testify and that all those who claim to be divorced can show it. An additional advantage of a complicated written procedure over an oral agreement is that the delay and effort can cause the man’s anger to dissipate sometimes and he will decide not to divorce his wife and great is peace...

Rashi (Devarim 24:1): Because he found something unseemly in her (ervas davar) – he has a mitzva to divorce her because she does not find favor in his eyes.

Meiri(Gittin 89b): Beis Shammai said that one should not divorce his wife unless he found ervas davar (something disgusting). Beis Hillel said that he can divorce her even if she just ruined the food. In other words she doesn’t make an effort to run the house properly. The general rule for Beis Hillel is that it is grounds for divorce if she is not compliant and does not conduct herself according to what he wants. Rabbi Akiva said that even if he finds someone prettier it is grounds for divorce. In other words even if there is no real reason except that he prefers someone else. The halacha is not in accord with either Rabbi Akiva or Beis Shammai but rather is in accord with Beis Hillel. Nevertheless even if he divorces his wife without any reason – the divorce is valid and it is not reversible. It is only when a woman is raped that we say that the rapist - who is forced to marry her if she wants - can never divorce her all his days. In other words it is only a rapist who is forced to stay married and a divorce that he gives is not valid – unless his wife wants it – but in all other cases the divorce is good and final.

Maimonides and Music

 https://www.asefamusic.com/maimonides-and-music/

The first responsum deals with music in the synagogue. Farmer contextualizes Maimonides’ responsum by reminding us that the view of music in the religious sphere at that time in Egypt was one that in many ways was shared by Muslims and Jews alike. He notes that religious leaders stigmatized music more often than not because they felt that the power of music could lead certain believers astray (see the works of the seminal Sufi thinker al-Ghazali for more on this subject as well). Maimonides, however, goes beyond operating from a stance of fear for degeneration, recognizing instead the power of music as an important tool for spirituality. He not only supports the use of music in religious life, but supports the incorporation of certain secular, non-Jewish influences into the synagogue liturgy.

The second responsum deals more directly with listening to secular music. After presenting what seems to be a support for the restraining and repressing of listening by the Jew, Maimonides cleverly concludes that it is not the music but the person listening to the music that must be confronted. Maimonides trusts that the sound of music is a manifestation of God — as is everything in the world — and that it is man who corrupts this sound with his impurities of context. The inference is subtle but crucial. Refine one’s self — the listener — in order that he may receive the blessing of music.

Trump Tells Inner Circle That Musk Will Leave Soon

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/04/02/trump-musk-leaving-political-liability-00265784

President Donald Trump has told his inner circle, including members of his Cabinet, that Elon Musk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role as governing partner, ubiquitous cheerleader and Washington hatchet man.

The president remains pleased with Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency initiative, but both men have decided in recent days that it will soon be time for Musk to return to his businesses and take on a supporting role, according to three Trump insiders who were granted anonymity to describe the evolving relationship.

Minyan child is counted for 10th

Igros Moshe (OC II #18) Question  Can a child be counted  as the tenth man of a minyan at a time of need when as a consequence of not having a minyan there is concern that the minyan will be disbanded G-d forbid! Answer  I agree that this constitutes  a genuine time of need even if there now exists other shuls  in the neighborhood to pray .However they are far away and therefore the people might not take the trouble of going to a different minyan. Even if the alternatives are nearby there is concern that that people will not go there tp pray since they are not accustomed to go there. Either way there is concern that if this minyan lacks the status of a minyan they will lose the merit of praying with a community as well as Torah reading and other matters of holiness. . Even if they all go to another shul, that still means the loss of the Torah lessons that were taught in the present shul. Even if there are Torah classes in the other shul but we have a clear principle that a person does not learn equally from all teachers. In addition the Magen Avraham says clearly not to nullify an existing shul even when others exist in the neighborhood.  To nullify a shul without good reason is prohibited even if there are alternatives.  Consequently if there is a possibility that by the failure to achieve a minyan a number of times the minyan will be disbanded iot is definitely considered a genuine time of need.  And thus can count a child as the tenth man according to those who permit it. Regarding the actual halacha of whether a child can count as the tenth man is a dispute among Rishonim and we are not able to clearly resolve the issue and this is also a dispute amongst Achronim.  The requirement of 10 Jewish adults is in fact a rabbinic requirement and thus this is a dispute regarding the obligation concerning a Rabbinic law. We have a general rule to follow the lenient view in disputes over Rabbinic laws. The lenient authorities are Gedolim and include Rav Hai Gaon, the Rif, Rabbeinu Tam and others. However the majority of authorities hold that a child is not counted as the 10th man. In such a situation one normally would follow the majority even for a Rabbinic law unless it is a time of need in which case it is permitted to follow a minority view. Consequently if you wish to utilize one child at a time of need you are allowed. It is best if the child is at least 12 years old and while it is not required that he hold a chumash as a rolled scroll it is a good thing. However since we don’t have such a thing today he should be given a sefer Torah even if it is posul it fulfills the requirement of the Magen Avraham. However when the child says Shma or prays the Amida it is prohibited for him to hold a Sefer Torah. During those times the Sefer Torah should be placed on the table and he should hold on to the  etz chaim This also allows for everyone else to sit. Also the shliach tzibor should not pray silently but should wait until everyone else has and then should do the repetition out loud in order to say kadish and Kedusha. 

Musk Suffers Humiliating Loss at Hands of Wisconsin Voters

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/musk-suffers-humiliating-loss-at-hands-of-wisconsin-voters/

Wisconsin voters handed Elon Musk a resounding defeat Tuesday, coming out in record numbers to cast their ballots against his wishes and maintain the state’s 4-3 liberal Supreme Court majority.

The campaign quickly became the most expensive state Supreme Court race in history, with billionaire donors like Musk, George Soros, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker flooding both candidates with cash ahead of election day. In all, more than $100 million was spent on both candidates, more than doubling the previous record and rivaling some recent Senate races.

Musk has been particularly involved in the race, making a number of hyperbolic statements about its importance during media appearances and attending a series of events in the state in the contest’s waning days. He was at a last minute tele-town hall appearance Monday night, where he claimed that the race would lead to a cascading series of events that would likely decide “whether Republicans or Democrats control the House of Representatives.”

The billionaire also gave away $1 million each to two voters Sunday at an event in Green Bay to promote Schimel. Several reports claimed that groups affiliated with the Tesla CEO have spent around $20 million in total on the race.

Forcing patient to take medicine

 Igros Moshe (CM II #73.5) Question What can be done if patient refuses to take medicine? Answer It depends on the reason. If he simply has given up hope of ever recovering or is suffering now and doesn’t want to continue suffering even though he believes the doctors who say that  he will eventually recover then he should be pressured to take the medicine. However if it is because he doesn’t believe his doctors, then a doctor that he believes should be found. If no such doctor can be found and there is not enough time given his illness to send him to a different hospital that he wants, then it is necessary for his doctors to force him to take the medicine as long as all of his doctors say this is the correct treatment.  All this is only if he will not complain about it. If he has complains even if they are nonsense than he should not be forced since this might result in harm to him or even death  and thus it would be an act of murder. This is true even if the relatives want him to be forced.  This of course needs to be thoroughly discussed by his doctors because forcing an adult is not likely to be very beneficial and if done must be done without ulterior motives. An additional consideration is whether there is any danger to take this medicine – even if it a standard practice – it should never be given against the wishes of the patient. It is also important that the doctor evaluates that the danger from the medicine is actually less for this patient than the danger of the disease. That means that only if at least 50% of other patients in this condition are cured by this dangerous medicine can it be given with the patients consent. These decisions can only be made after all the doctors have thoroughly  discussed the matter and consulted with experts because  these evaluations are very difficult even for the leading specialists. 

Serious Sanctions Time for Russia

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-sanctions-bill-lindsey-graham-senate-gop-donald-trump-7941e3a4?mod=hp_opin_pos_3#cxrecs_s

As Putin strings along Trump, the Senate can send a message to Moscow.

President Trump told a reporter over the weekend that he’s “angry” at Vladimir Putin, and the Commander in Chief’s exasperation is welcome. The Russian dictator is stringing the President along over a 30-day cease-fire that Ukraine has already accepted.

“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine,” the President told NBC News, “and if I think it was Russia’s fault—which it might not be—but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia.” Under those so-called secondary sanctions, anybody buying oil from Russia “can’t do business in the United States.”

‘He is not a gang member’: outrage as US deports makeup artist to El Salvador prison for crown tattoos

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/01/its-a-tradition-outrage-in-venezuela-as-us-deports-makeup-artist-for-religious-tattoos

“Detainee Hernandez ports [sic] tattoos ‘crowns’ that are consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member,” an agent at California’s Otay Mesa detention centre claimed, according to court documents published this week.

Those 16 words appear to have sealed the fate of the young Venezuelan stylist, who friends, family and lawyers say has never committed a crime.

On 15 March, after more than six months in custody in the US, Hernández was one of scores of Venezuelans flown from Texas to a maximum security prison in El Salvador as part of Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. To the horror of their relatives, some detainees were paraded before the cameras and filmed being manhandled by guards and having their heads shaved before being bundled into cells.

“Let my son go. Review his case file. He is not a gang member,” Hernández’s mother, Alexis Dolores Romero de Hernández, pleaded as she came to terms with her son’s disappearance into the notorious Central American “terrorism confinement centre”, known by the Spanish acronym Cecot.

“Everyone has these crowns, many people. But that doesn’t mean they’re involved in the Tren de Aragua … He’s never had problems with the law,” said Hernández, 65, who has not heard from her son since he called on the eve of his transfer to let her know – incorrectly – that he was being deported to Venezuela.

Trump administration says it mistakenly deported man to El Salvador

 https://www.axios.com

A Salvadorian national living in Maryland legally was wrongly deported to El Salvador, the Department of Justice has admitted in court papers filed Monday.

The erroneous deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, first reported by The Atlantic, is the latest stumble by the Trump administration as it seeks to deport more people using questionable methods amid a declining pace of removals compared to the Biden administration.

Vice President JD Vance on Monday posted on X, in a reply to podcaster Jon Favreau about the case, that Abrego Garcia was a gang member.

"My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didn't read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here," Vance posted.

"My further comment is that it's gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize."

 Abrego Garcia has not been convicted of gang-related crimes.

Trump administration concedes Maryland father from El Salvador was mistakenly deported and sent to mega prison

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/01/politics/maryland-father-mistakenly-deported-el-salvador-prison/index.html

 The Trump administration conceded in a court filing Monday that it mistakenly deported a Maryland father to El Salvador “because of an administrative error” and argued it could not return him because he’s now in Salvadoran custody.

he filing, first reported by The Atlantic, appears to mark the first time the administration has admitted an error related to its recent deportation flights to El Salvador, which are now at the center of a fraught legal battle.

“On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error,” the Trump administration filing states.

Abrego Garcia, who attorneys say fled gang violence in El Salvador more than a decade ago, had been identified by his wife in a photo of detainees entering intake at CECOT, the country’s notorious mega prison.

Trump administration admits it wrongly deported man to prison in El Salvador

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5225688-trump-administration-mistakenly-deports-salvadoran/

The Trump administration acknowledged late Monday that it mistakenly deported a Salvadoran man protected from removal, sending him to a facility in El Salvador where they argue they are unable to secure his return.

The filing lays bare the risks associated with the Trump administration’s removal of migrants to El Salvador without hearings or other review.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argue that he was sent “to El Salvador knowing that he would be immediately incarcerated and tortured in that country’s most notorious prison.”

Abrego Garcia is married to a U.S. citizen and is the father of a “disabled U.S.-citizen child.”

His attorney said while the government had numerous methods for raising questions about his status and seeking to deport him, “defendants found those legal procedures bothersome, so they merely ignored them and deported Plaintiff Abrego Garcia to El Salvador anyway, ripping him away.”

Trump has the world on edge as he mulls fateful tariffs decades in the making

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/01/politics/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-oval-office/index.html

He’s got the world hanging on his every word — and that’s how he loves it.

President Donald Trump held court in the Oval Office on Monday evening, ratcheting up suspense over his promised tariff war “Liberation Day” on April 2 and riffing on his 19th-century worldview that threatens to rock the 21st-century economy.

Many of the president’s allies on Capitol Hill still hope he’s bluffing — employing the familiar argument that he’s a great dealmaker who stakes out the most extreme position to extract concessions from adversaries.

But there’s a growing sense of hubris surrounding Trump and his team, some of whom falsely argue that tariffs represent a tax cut rather than a tax hike for consumers. Things rarely end well when presidents seem determined to prove their critics wrong, at any cost, in the face of inconvenient truths.

The White House is showing no signs of doubt ahead of a decision that could be fateful for Trump’s second term and the retirement savings of millions of Americans already hit by market sell-offs.

Flags in Synagogue

Igros Moshe (OC I #46) Question  There is a synagogue in which there are two flags set up one of America the other of Israel. Because of these flags there are people who refuse to pray there. Is there any genuine problem with having the flags? Answer  Assuming that this is a shul that was constructed properly to have the holiness of a shul and people have already prayed there assuming it was holy. Even if a serious sin were done there or a degrading act it is not profaned and lose its holiness because of that even at the time the sin was done.  As regards to the question of losing its holiness after the sin it depends. If it is used immediately after the sin to pray as a holy place then there is no loss of holiness. Consequently even if you want to claim that the flags are sinful it does not lose its holiness because of them. It is better to pray there  than to make a minyan in a secular place and it is treated as any other shul. However I don’t understand what sin you think is being done by these flags? There is no prohibition to bring non holy objects into a shul even if not needed for the shul. This is true even if not built as a shul and surely if it were built as a shul as ours are.  This is true even if the flags were erected as a sign of the state of Israel by wicked people. Nevertheless, the flags are not regarded as holy objectsthat might be cause to be concerned for idolatry. They are simply a sign and are clearly secular. .  .  This is true also for the American flag. The flags are merely showing appreciation of Israel and America.  Therefore while it is better not to have the flags there permanently especially not next to the aron Kodesh. There is no actual prohibition being violated as it is clearly not idolatry but only nonsense. It would be best if they could be removed in a peaceful manner. But if that would cause fights  it is clearly prohibited. Therefore a new minyan should not be made for those who object to having the flags. It simply an issue of politics brought about by the yetzer harah and Satan