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An extraordinary scene unfolded this past Shabbos, Parshas Chayei Sarah, at the bais medrash of the Kretchnifer Rebbe of Yerushalayim, where dozens of bochurim awaiting their shidduchim received aliyos to the Torah as part of a longstanding segulah passed down from the Rebbe’s father, the previous Kretchnifer Rebbe, Rav Tzvi Hirsch zt”l.

The special minhag, which has become an eagerly anticipated occasion among the chassidim, is rooted in the significance of Parshas Chayei Sarah, which recounts the search for a wife for Yitzchok Avinu and the eventual shidduch with Rivkah Imeinu.

The tradition was established by the previous Rebbe, affectionately known as Reb Hershele, who would arrange for older bochurim seeking their zivugim to receive aliyos during the reading of Parshas Chayei Sarah. The aliyos would extend from the beginning of the parsha until the posuk “Vatomer eileich,” in the fifth aliyah, when Rivkah Imeinu declares her willingness to accompany Eliezer and marry Yitzchok Avinu.

The minhag is based on the concept of “krias haTorah me’oreres es hazeman,” that the reading of the Torah awakens the spiritual influence associated with the events being recounted, bringing a special opportunity for yeshuos in the area of shidduchim.

The custom has a particularly meaningful history within the Kretchnifer Rebbe’s own family.

The previous Rebbe first practiced the segulah when his eldest son, the current Kretchnifer Rebbe of Yerushalayim, was himself a bochur of marriageable age. His father called him to the Torah during Parshas Chayei Sarah, with the aliyah concluding at the words “Vatomer eileich.”

A short time afterward, the young bochur became a chosson.

Approximately four years ago, in 5783, the minhag was renewed on a broader scale when six bochurim from the chassidus received aliyos in the Rebbe’s bais medrash. According to members of the chassidus, all six subsequently became chassanim during that year, an outcome regarded by the chassidim as a remarkable demonstration of the segulah.

This past Shabbos, dozens of bochurim hoping for their own yeshuah gathered to participate in the special kriyas haTorah.

During the regular leining in the main bais medrash, the Rebbe, who personally serves as the baal korei, divided the reading leading up to the fifth aliyah into two portions, allowing two of his grandsons who are of shidduch age to receive aliyos.

Following Birchas Hachodesh, the Rebbe proceeded to an adjoining shtiebel, where an additional minyan had assembled for kriyas haTorah.

There, the Rebbe once again served as baal korei, dividing the parsha into numerous aliyos so that every bochur awaiting his shidduch could be called to the Torah.

The special leining continued until all the participating bochurim had received their aliyos. The Rebbe then returned to the main bais medrash for Mussaf.

Following davening, a kiddusha rabba was held, during which the Rebbe addressed the assembled chassidim with warm words concerning the importance of shidduchim and the tremendous zechus of establishing a Jewish home.

The Rebbe bestowed heartfelt brachos upon the bochurim, wishing each of them the zechus to find his zivug hagun speedily and to establish a bayis ne’eman b’Yisroel founded upon Torah, yiras Shomayim, and the traditions of chassidus.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump acknowledged Sunday that Vice President JD Vance was largely correct in blaming the war with Iran for Republicans’ devastating midterm election losses, but insisted that preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons was more important than the political consequences of losing control of Congress.

Speaking with Ross Douthat during an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Trump addressed Vance’s unusually candid assessment of the Republican defeat, which the vice president attributed to the prolonged conflict with Iran, rising living expenses and growing dissatisfaction with America’s relationship with Israel.

“I don’t disagree with it,” Trump said during a CBS 60 Minutes interview.

The president revealed that Vance had consulted him before publishing his criticism on X, indicating that the vice president had not blindsided the White House with his remarks.

“He asked me what do I think,” Trump said.

“I said, ‘You write what you want. By the way, what are you going to write?’”

Trump said his principal disagreement concerned what Vance had left unanswered: whether the administration should have launched the military campaign against Iran in the first place, knowing the political damage that would follow.

“The only thing I wish he would’ve said there, if he felt it,” Trump said.

The president made clear that he would authorize the operation again, maintaining that the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran outweighed the electoral consequences.

“My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Trump acknowledged that the decision had damaged his party’s immediate political prospects but argued that its historical significance would ultimately outweigh the short-term backlash.

“I think, historically, this will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not,” he said.

“I have to go with what’s right for our country. If they had a nuclear weapon during my term, I would be excoriated far worse than what’s happened.”

The exchange followed a disastrous election for Republicans, who lost control of both the House and Senate as Democrats captured at least seven Senate seats and more than two dozen House districts. The defeats included races in traditionally Republican territory, raising questions about the administration’s political standing and the direction of the GOP ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Vance had offered his assessment Wednesday, arguing that Republican leaders needed to confront the central reason voters had abandoned the party rather than attribute the losses primarily to turnout or campaign strategy.

“The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone,” Vance wrote on X. “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.”

The vice president pointed to polling suggesting that many Americans who supported Trump in 2024 had switched to Democratic candidates because of frustration over the Iran conflict, inflation, the cost of living and Washington’s relationship with Israel.

He also challenged fellow Republicans to acknowledge the political price of the war, even if they believed the military campaign had been justified.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so,” Vance said. “Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost.”

The conflict, which began in late February, has continued for more than eight months despite initial expectations of a much shorter campaign. The fighting has driven up energy prices, adding pressure to American households already struggling with inflation.

Earlier in the week, Trump similarly acknowledged that the war had contributed to the Republican defeat by temporarily pushing gasoline prices higher. He nevertheless maintained that military action was necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

In his CBS interview, Trump also cited his own absence from the ballot, dissatisfaction with some Republican candidates and weaknesses in the party’s economic messaging as contributing factors in the losses.

Despite Vance’s pointed criticism of the administration’s handling of the war and its political consequences, Trump made clear that he did not regard the vice president’s assessment as a personal challenge, while remaining unwavering in his defense of the decision to attack Iran.

The New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center has hosted the gala banquet of the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries for years now, and every year the room has somehow found more space.

This year it quite nearly ran out. Some 6,500 shluchim and their guests filled the 150,000-square-foot hall to capacity on Sunday afternoon. Tables pressed to the walls, the mood in the hall was one of joy, celebration and responsibility, as the frontier keeps moving forward.

The banquet closed out the 43rd International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, the Kinnus Hashluchim, the culmination of five days of workshops and study, prayer and reunion, that drew Chabad emissaries from more than 100 countries and every U.S. state.

The following photos of the event are courtesy of COLlive.com photographers Itzik Roytman, Mendy Krief, Yossi Jerufi, Tzvi Levenhartz and Shalom Ross, providing extensive coverage of the banquet.

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[Video below.] President Donald Trump has acknowledged that his administration may have gone too far in deporting illegal immigrants who were employed and had no other criminal offenses, suggesting that the aggressive enforcement policy may have contributed to Republican losses in last week’s midterm elections.

During an interview with Ross Douthat on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday evening, Trump defended his record on border security and removing criminal illegal immigrants but conceded that deportations involving longtime workers had generated political opposition.

“I think it might be too tough, yeah,” Trump told Ross Douthat.

The admission followed a difficult election for Republicans, who lost their congressional majorities to Democrats, prompting renewed debate over the administration’s immigration policies and their impact on voters.

When asked what legislation he would be interested in pursuing with the incoming Democratic majority, Trump identified immigration as an area where he would welcome action.

“I’d love to do something on immigration,” he said.

Douthat subsequently questioned whether the administration’s enforcement measures had damaged Republican candidates at the polls. Trump said the policy had produced both political benefits and drawbacks.

“I think it both helped and hurt,” Trump responded. “I think I got an A+ for closing up the border. I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out.”

Trump then acknowledged that the removal of immigrants whose only offense was entering the United States illegally had drawn criticism, particularly when those individuals were otherwise productive members of the workforce.

“But I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation, or breaking of the law, and that was that they came into the country illegally,” Trump said.

The president said Americans remain divided over how to handle illegal immigrants who have established themselves in the country, maintained employment and, in some instances, paid taxes.

“Now, there is a large part of the country that think that they should be put out,” Trump said.

“And there’s a large part of the country that think that they should be allowed to stay if they’re good people working in a landscaping company, or workin’ in a hotel, or doing something, right? And in some cases, paying taxes.”

Trump’s comments reflected a distinction between deporting immigrants with criminal records and removing individuals who entered the country illegally but have since maintained steady employment.

When Douthat asked directly whether the administration had pursued deportations too aggressively, Trump offered a brief acknowledgment.

“Too tough,” he said.

Pressed again on whether his immigration policy had been excessively harsh, the president reiterated his assessment.

“I think it might be too tough, yeah.”

Although Trump suggested that some enforcement decisions had gone further than necessary, he did not announce any changes to deportation procedures or propose suspending removals.

His remarks nevertheless represented a notable change in emphasis from the sweeping immigration enforcement promises that helped define his 2024 presidential campaign.

In additional remarks during the interview, Trump indicated that he believed a bipartisan immigration agreement was possible, including discussions about some form of legal status for certain undocumented workers. He cited hotel employees and other workers who had spent years in the United States as examples of people whose deportations had raised concerns.

The president’s comments came amid evidence of voter dissatisfaction with his immigration crackdown. Exit polling cited by CBS News found that 58% of voters believed the administration’s immigration actions had gone too far, while Republicans suffered particularly significant losses in heavily Latino areas that had supported Trump in 2024.

Trump’s willingness to discuss a compromise comes as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, although his administration has not announced a change in immigration enforcement policy.
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{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the United States remains far from reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, accusing Tehran of making unreasonable demands that have prevented diplomatic negotiations from moving forward, even as President Donald Trump warned that American forces remain prepared to launch additional attacks if necessary.

Speaking with reporters before traveling to Paris for a G7 meeting, Rubio rejected suggestions that negotiations were nearing a breakthrough. He acknowledged that several countries were continuing efforts to broker an agreement but said those initiatives had yet to produce meaningful progress.

“I don’t have any wonder of progress to report to you. I think you see some of these things that are out there. You have a number of countries that continue to engage them with different ideas, but I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said.

Rubio emphasized that Trump continues to favor a negotiated resolution to the confrontation, provided that Iran is willing to accept terms Washington considers acceptable.

“The President would always prefer to solve every problem diplomatically. Sometimes that’s not possible.But if there’s a chance to do it, we will explore it.”

The secretary of state placed responsibility for the diplomatic impasse on Tehran, describing its negotiating demands as far beyond what the United States could reasonably consider.

“Right now it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”

Rubio also defended Trump’s decision to use military force against Iran, arguing that the president had taken decisive action against a security danger that had persisted through multiple administrations.

“The president of the United States identified a very real threat to this country that’s existed for a very long period of time,” Rubio told reporters.

“So I think the president took on something that other presidents have failed to do,” he added.

Rubio said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons should remain a shared priority for Republicans and Democrats, warning that the consequences would extend far beyond Israel and the Middle East.

“There needs to be bipartisan acknowledgment that a nuclear Iran would be completely unacceptable and dangerous for the United States, not just Israel, not just the Middle East, the whole world and the United States,” he said.

Addressing threats to American forces and commercial shipping in the region, Rubio emphasized Washington’s right to respond militarily.

“We have a right to defend ourselves,” Rubio stated.

The comments came as Qatar continued diplomatic efforts to facilitate contacts between Washington and Tehran, with the Trump administration maintaining military pressure while leaving open the possibility of an agreement.

In a separate interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump suggested that another major military confrontation could be avoided if Iran agreed to stringent nuclear restrictions and reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump said.

Trump indicated that he did not expect another large-scale military operation to become necessary, although he warned that the United States would act if circumstances demanded it.

“The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary,” Trump said. “They’re a failing nation. It just came out, you saw this year, 301% inflation. Highly unlikely it will be necessary. I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard. I hit them so hard. You don’t know how hard I hit them.”

The president maintained that Iran was already suffering severe economic consequences alongside the damage inflicted by previous American strikes.

“They’re withering away financially. We’ve hit them militarily. We could finish them off,” he warned.

“We’re ready for it. I’ve got three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They’re fully locked and loaded,” Trump continued.

Trump also disclosed that American military planners had identified dozens of Iranian bridges as potential targets should Washington authorize another round of strikes.

“We have 38 bridges in our sight that we can knock down in literally one hour,” Trump said. “They’ll all be down.”

Despite those warnings, Trump said he was reluctant to order attacks against infrastructure whose destruction would create enormous reconstruction challenges.

“ I don’t want to do that because, essentially, it’ll take 10 years to rebuild them,” he added. “I don’t like ripping down bridges. And the hardest thing to build is a bridge. It takes years, and I’m a good builder.”

Iran’s reported conditions for an agreement include lifting American sanctions, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, releasing frozen Iranian assets, securing compensation for war damage, and halting hostilities elsewhere in the region, including Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Qatar has been working to narrow the differences between the two sides, but no agreement has been announced.

Meanwhile, American military pressure remains in place. U.S. forces recently disabled a commercial vessel that Washington said was attempting to violate its blockade of Iranian ports. Trump also announced that Task Force Iron Gate was operating to restrict Iran’s movement of advanced weapons and sanctioned materials across its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump offered an unusually personal glimpse into his thoughts about death, the afterlife and his own legacy during a wide-ranging interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” acknowledging that he hopes to reach heaven but admitting that he may never be able to forgive some of his political enemies, even if his eternal fate depended on it.

The revealing exchange came at the conclusion of an interview with CBS correspondent Ross Douthat, who questioned the 80-year-old president about his mortality following several assassination attempts, including the July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which a bullet grazed Trump’s ear.

Asked what he believes will happen when he dies, Trump initially focused on how he would be remembered.

“Well, I hope I’m missed,” the president replied with a laugh.

When Douthat clarified that he was asking about Trump’s personal fate rather than his reputation, the president described himself as religious and expressed hope that he would enter heaven.

“I’m a religious person, so in theory, I go to heaven,” Trump said.

Pressed on whether he actually believed he would reach heaven, Trump responded simply, “I hope so. I don’t want to go to h….”

The conversation then took a more provocative turn when Douthat asked whether Trump could find it within himself to forgive some of his fiercest political adversaries if doing so were necessary to enter paradise.

Douthat specifically mentioned former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, two longtime targets of Trump’s criticism.

“Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I?” Trump replied, describing his adversaries as “extremely dishonest people, very bad people, very bad for our country.”

Asked directly whether he would refuse to forgive them, the president answered, “The answer is no. I want to be honest, no.”

Douthat continued pressing Trump on whether, after a lifetime of political battles and personal accomplishments, he might eventually be able to set aside his animosity toward those he considers enemies.

“Can I be honest?” Trump said. “I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.”

The exchange followed a discussion of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the public expression of forgiveness offered by his widow, Erika Kirk, toward the man accused of murdering her husband. Douthat contrasted that message with Trump’s own longstanding declarations that he despises his political opponents.

The discussion of mortality was particularly striking given Trump’s age and the threats he has faced during his political career. The assassination attempt in Butler, which came within inches of killing him, has previously prompted Trump to speak about divine intervention and his belief that his survival carried a larger purpose.

The interview, recorded at the White House on Friday and broadcast Sunday evening, also addressed the Republican Party’s major losses in the November 3 midterm elections, which handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

In a notable acknowledgment, Trump conceded that his administration’s immigration enforcement campaign may have gone too far in certain cases, particularly when authorities deported illegal immigrants who had maintained steady employment and committed no additional offenses.

“I think it might be too tough, yeah,” Trump said when asked whether his deportation policies had been excessively harsh.

The president maintained that securing the southern border and removing dangerous criminals remained major accomplishments, but recognized that the deportation of otherwise law-abiding workers had alienated some voters.

Trump also indicated that he would be interested in working with the incoming Democratic congressional majority on immigration legislation, suggesting that an agreement addressing the status of certain undocumented workers might be possible.

On the war with Iran, Trump defended his administration’s military campaign despite acknowledging its political consequences. He argued that preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons was more important than the damage the conflict had inflicted on Republican candidates.

The president also discussed the future of the Republican Party, declining to commit to endorsing a particular successor in the 2028 presidential election and suggesting that the MAGA movement could continue after his departure from office.

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Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman has pushed back against reports that he has reached preliminary understandings with the chareidi parties over a new military draft law, insisting that any legislation must first be capable of surviving scrutiny by Israel’s Supreme Court.

Lieberman issued the clarification in a post on X amid reports of negotiations aimed at bringing the chareidi parties into a prospective government led by the anti-Netanyahu bloc.

“The reports about a retreat on the draft law demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding on the part of the reporters who broadcast them,” Lieberman wrote.

He emphasized that the legal viability of any proposed draft legislation would be a nonnegotiable prerequisite.

“The precondition for any draft law is that it pass the Supreme Court test,” Lieberman declared. “Otherwise, there is no point in wasting even a single minute on a law that is not legally acceptable.”

Lieberman went further, accusing television networks of spreading false information about the negotiations and suggesting that the reports were part of a broader political effort to undermine his position.

“There is not a single word of truth in any of the reports on the television channels,” he wrote.

He described the coverage as an organized campaign intended to damage his reputation and pave the way for what he characterized as a short-lived minority government dependent on parties he accused of supporting Hamas.

According to Lieberman, such a government would ultimately collapse and enable Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to return to power for another four years with a coalition of 70 Knesset members.

His remarks followed reports that representatives of Yisrael Beiteinu and the chareidi parties had already formulated preliminary understandings regarding the conditions under which the chareidi factions might join the emerging anti-Netanyahu coalition.

According to those reports, the proposed arrangement would provide the chareidi parties with several significant concessions in exchange for their participation in the bloc.

One of the central reported commitments involves advancing legislation that would immediately halt the arrests of yeshiva students classified by military authorities as draft evaders.

Another reported element calls for establishing a committee to reconsider Israel’s military service requirements, expanding the discussion beyond the chareidi population to include Arab citizens and other sectors of Israeli society.

Sources familiar with the reported negotiations suggested that broadening the committee’s mandate would shift some of the public attention away from the chareidi community and toward the wider question of how military and national service obligations should be distributed across Israeli society.

The discussions reportedly also addressed the distribution of ministerial portfolios in a potential new government.

Under the preliminary arrangement described in the reports, United Torah Judaism would receive the Housing and Construction Ministry, with the position designated for MK Yaakov Asher.

The Interior Ministry would reportedly be assigned to a representative of Degel HaTorah who is not currently serving as a Knesset member.

Lieberman’s public rejection of the reports, however, raises questions about whether the alleged understandings represent actual agreements or merely proposals being discussed among political intermediaries.

The issue is particularly sensitive because Lieberman has long been among the most outspoken political opponents of exemptions from military service for chareidi yeshiva students. His insistence that any new law withstand Supreme Court review indicates that he is unwilling, at least publicly, to endorse an arrangement that could be struck down by the judiciary.

For the chareidi parties, meanwhile, the draft issue remains a central concern, particularly amid continued enforcement measures against yeshiva students who have not reported for military service.

Whether the reported negotiations can produce an arrangement acceptable to both Lieberman and the chareidi leadership remains uncertain, with the sharply conflicting public accounts highlighting the difficulties involved in assembling a new governing coalition.

A troubling kashrus incident has emerged from last week’s Omer Adam concerts at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where numerous Orthodox Jewish attendees reportedly purchased food from a Miznon concession stand without realizing that the location was not kosher certified.

The confusion arose because Miznon operates a popular kosher restaurant in Manhattan’s Times Square, leading some concertgoers to assume that the chain’s Barclays Center location maintained the same kashrus standards.

However, the Miznon stand at Barclays Center, situated on the arena’s main concourse near Section 22, has no kosher certification, despite sharing its name and branding with the kosher establishment in Times Square.

The issue came to light following performances by Israeli singer Omer Adam on Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 3, which attracted large crowds of Jewish attendees, including many Orthodox families.

Frum attendees observed substantial lines at the Miznon concession stand, with numerous visibly Orthodox Jews purchasing food. When a concertgoer was asked about the kashrus of the establishment, she explained that she regularly ate at a Miznon restaurant near her home in Manhattan and had assumed that the Barclays Center location was kosher as well.

The incident has raised concerns that other customers may have made the same assumption and unknowingly consumed food from a restaurant operating without kosher supervision.

Although sources describe numerous Orthodox customers purchasing food, the precise number who actually ate it without realizing the establishment was not certified has not been independently established.

Miznon, an Israeli restaurant chain known for its pita sandwiches and other Mediterranean dishes, operates numerous locations internationally. However, kosher certification is not uniform across the chain.

In New York City, the Miznon restaurant at 1410 Broadway in Times Square is the only location operating under kosher certification. That establishment has been certified since January 2024 and is under the supervision of Rabbi Aaron D. Mehlman of National Kosher Supervision. It maintains glatt kosher and pas Yisroel standards, with a mashgiach temidi on the premises.

Other Miznon establishments in Manhattan, including those at Chelsea Market, The Hugh, Hudson Yards, and Rockefeller Center, are not kosher certified.

The Barclays Center concession stand opened earlier this year as Miznon’s first location inside a major sports and entertainment arena. Its presence at a venue hosting a major Israeli performer appears to have contributed to the confusion among attendees who recognized the restaurant’s name.

Adam’s Sunday performance drew a sold-out audience of approximately 19,000 people, with demand prompting an additional concert on Tuesday. The crowds included large numbers of Orthodox Jews and Israeli families.

The matter has also reportedly been brought to the attention of the rabbi responsible for supervising Miznon’s kosher Times Square restaurant.

The incident has prompted calls for clearer labeling at restaurant chains that operate both kosher and non-kosher branches, particularly when the establishments share identical branding.

Those raising concerns have suggested that prominent notices identifying locations without kosher certification could help prevent customers from mistakenly relying on the supervision of another branch.

There is a kosher dining option inside Barclays Center. Smash House operates a dedicated kosher kitchen in the arena’s 100-level section under Tartikov supervision, offering burgers and other food during sporting events and concerts.

The Miznon chain also has a kosher-certified establishment at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey, operating under OU supervision. That certification, like the supervision of the Times Square restaurant, applies specifically to the individual location.

The episode serves as a reminder that a restaurant’s familiar name, Israeli ownership, or kosher certification at another branch does not establish the kashrus status of a particular establishment. Consumers must verify the certification of the location where they are purchasing food.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Donald Trump says growing hostility toward Israel among American voters, combined with opposition to the war against Iran and rising gasoline prices, played a major role in the Republican Party’s defeat in last week’s midterm elections. At the same time, Trump insisted that his military intervention against Iran had saved Israel from destruction and prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

In an extensive interview with Ross Douthat on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” broadcast Sunday evening, Trump offered his assessment of the November 3 election results, which saw Republicans lose control of both chambers of Congress.

Asked why his party had suffered such significant losses, Trump initially pointed to his own absence from the ballot, arguing that Republican candidates had been unable to replicate the enthusiasm he generated among voters.

“Well, number one, I was not on the ballot. But I campaigned hard for some people,” Trump said, adding that the enormous crowds attending his rallies demonstrated that his personal political appeal remained strong.

But the president acknowledged that the war with Iran had created serious political difficulties for Republicans, particularly as Americans faced higher fuel costs.

“They didn’t like the war. They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up,” Trump said.

He then identified another factor that he believes contributed to the Republican defeat: a growing negative attitude toward Israel.

“But– and there’s– a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel. There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that. You have the war itself. You have the gas prices. And I think those are the primary reasons,” Trump declared.

The president did not identify which groups of voters he believed were responsible for the growing hostility toward Israel, nor did he offer polling figures to support his assessment.

Trump was also questioned about Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of the Iran war and its political consequences. Vance had suggested that the conflict contributed significantly to Republican losses.

“I don’t disagree,” Trump responded.

According to Trump, Vance consulted him before publishing his assessment of the election results. The president said he encouraged his vice president to express his views but wished Vance had also addressed whether the decision to attack Iran had been justified.

Trump made clear that, despite the political damage, he would authorize the military operation again.

“My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump argued that the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were essential to Israel’s survival, asserting that Tehran would otherwise have obtained the ability to destroy the Jewish state.

“Without us, Israel would not exist. Israel would not exist except for Donald Trump because we went in with those beautiful B2 Bombers more than a year ago, and we hit the three sites at– at the time.”

He maintained that the American operation had devastated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and eliminated a threat that could have had catastrophic consequences for Israel and the wider Middle East.

“If I didn’t do that, there would be no Israel right now. Israel would be gone,” Trump asserted.

The president also said that countries benefiting from American military protection would be expected to reimburse Washington for the costs associated with the conflict.

“Those countries that we’ve protected are going to pay us back any and all costs that we’ve had for the war because without us, they wouldn’t exist,” he said.

Turning to the current military situation, Trump insisted that the United States had already achieved victory over Iran and that Tehran was under increasing pressure to reach a diplomatic agreement.

“That war has been won. Now they’re withering away as a country, and they’ll come and they’ll make a deal,” Trump said.

He revealed that negotiations had been approaching a breakthrough shortly before the midterm elections, but suggested that the Republican defeat had complicated the diplomatic process by encouraging Iran to believe it might secure more favorable terms.

“We would’ve had a deal, except for this election. And we’ll make a deal anyway,” he said.

Trump indicated that he was not presently seeking another major escalation against Iran, although he emphasized that American forces continued to monitor the country’s nuclear infrastructure.

The president said the United States was closely watching the three previously targeted nuclear sites, as well as an underground installation known as Pickaxe Mountain, and could launch additional strikes if circumstances required.

Despite acknowledging that the Iran campaign had hurt Republicans politically, Trump insisted that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was more important than the immediate electoral consequences.

“I think historically, this will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not. But I have to go with what’s right for our country,” Trump said.

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{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Sunday night that Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu share many of the same political positions, offering his assessment after Israeli President Isaac Herzog selected Eisenkot to attempt to form the country’s next government.

Speaking with reporters before leaving Florida, Trump suggested that the political differences between the two Israeli leaders may be less substantial than their rivalry would indicate.

Trump said that Eisenkot and Netanyahu are “very similar in terms of their policy and their view. And I guess [Eisenkot] has said very nice things about me. He says he loves Trump.”

He continued, “But I don’t know, I haven’t seen what’s happening. But it’s certainly a contest between him and Bibi Netanyahu. We’ll see what happens, whoever. They have very similar views. They’re both strong on what I do.”

Trump on Israel:

Eisenkot and Netanyahu are very similar in terms of their policy and their views.

Eisenkot says he loves Trump.

Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot are strong on what I do. pic.twitter.com/qYbg7Xxs1u

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 8, 2026

The remarks came after Trump twice publicly backed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, lending his support to the prime minister during a closely contested campaign.

Following the vote, Trump claimed that his endorsement had helped Netanyahu recover politically and avoid what might otherwise have been a significant electoral defeat.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu. It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!”

Trump’s latest comments came as Eisenkot began efforts to assemble a governing coalition following Herzog’s decision to give him the mandate, despite Netanyahu’s continued efforts to secure sufficient parliamentary support.

During the same conversation with reporters, Trump addressed the American military campaign against Iran, declaring that the United States had already prevailed militarily and was now weighing how and when to bring its operations to a close.

“We won in Iran. It’s just a question of closing it out now or later. We may wait. Some of their neighbors would prefer that we just keep it the way it is. We haven’t lost anybody. No soldiers have been lost,” he said.

Trump maintained that the United States retained the ability to inflict considerably greater damage on Iran but indicated that he was reluctant to destroy infrastructure that would be extremely difficult to replace.

“I could go in and blow them up right now. The problem with that is you will never be able to rebuild it. If I blow up the bridges and the power plants, it will take a long time to rebuild. They have big bridges.”

The president also defended his decision to launch military operations against Iran, arguing that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons represented a major accomplishment with far-reaching consequences.

“I can tell you: If I had to do it again…this historically, for history, will go down as one of the best things we ever did. Because if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world. You know why? Because they are crazy.”

Eisenkot received recommendations from parties holding 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 46 for Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats, declined to recommend either candidate.

Under Israeli law, Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with Herzog authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 days. His efforts face significant obstacles, including disagreements over cooperation with Arab parties and the possibility of bringing chareidi factions into a new government.

Despite having endorsed Netanyahu during the election campaign, Trump did not indicate Sunday that he would oppose an Eisenkot-led government.

It is with profound sadness that Matzav.com reports the tragic petirah of Mrs. Chana Murik a”h (née Rosenberg), a young mother from Lakewood, NJ who passed away at the age of just 26 following a rapidly worsening illness.

Mrs. Murik, who lived in the Martin Luther King Drive neighborhood of Lakewood, developed what initially appeared to be a relatively minor infection. The infection unexpectedly progressed into sepsis, causing her condition to deteriorate rapidly and resulting in her heartbreaking petirah.

The devastating news has brought tremendous sorrow to the Lakewood community, as a young family mourns the loss of a beloved wife and mother whose life was cut tragically short.

Mrs. Murik is survived by her husband, R’ Yaakov Murik, and their young child.

The levayah took place todayat the Lakewood Chapel. Kevurah followed in Lakewood.

Yehi zichrah baruch.

Boruch Dayan Ha’emes.

{Matzav.com}

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich delivered a scathing assessment of the Republican Party on Sunday following its midterm election losses, accusing GOP leaders of lacking the courage, urgency, and strategic direction needed to regain public confidence. He also called on President Donald Trump to improve his communication with voters, warning that Republicans could become comfortable with permanent minority status unless they fundamentally rethink their approach.

“I think the Republicans, frankly, right now don’t have the courage, they don’t have the focus, they don’t have the right level of anger,” Gingrich said in a televised interview. “Right now we are drifting towards the mid 1960s minority Republican mindset of playing tactical games, hanging out, raising money, playing golf and being the minority. That’s a very dangerous place to be.”

Gingrich argued that Republicans should stop looking for excuses and acknowledge that voters delivered a clear rejection of the party’s performance.

“We got beaten badly. We got beaten because the American people believed we had failed. This is not complicated.”

He said the responsibility for understanding the defeat rests with Republican leaders, including those in the White House, rather than with voters who chose to support other candidates.

“If you’re not prepared to say something didn’t work and we better try to learn from our customers, when your customers refuse to come to your store and your customers refuse to buy your product, it’s not their job to figure out what went wrong, it’s your job,” he said.

Gingrich, who helped engineer the Republican takeover of the House in 1994, said he continues to support Trump’s economic agenda but believes the administration has done a poor job explaining its accomplishments and persuading Americans that its policies are working.

He characterized the administration’s public messaging as having been “inarticulate for at least eight months.”

According to Gingrich, Republican strategists mistakenly assumed that campaign spending and political consultants could substitute for a compelling message and a coherent electoral strategy.

“For some reason they got in their heads that money could replace arguments and as long as you had enough consultants getting paid enough money, you didn’t have to have a strategy, you didn’t have to communicate, and you didn’t have to listen to the American people,” he said.

The former speaker maintained that Republicans cannot rebuild their political standing simply by criticizing Democrats. Instead, he urged the party to present a convincing governing agenda, including healthcare reforms that give patients and doctors greater control over medical decisions.

“We can’t be negative. We have to offer a better future with better solutions,” he said.

Gingrich, whose book “America’s Golden Age” presents an optimistic outlook for the country’s future, said technological and economic advances offer enormous opportunities, but Republicans must demonstrate how their policies would translate those possibilities into tangible improvements for ordinary Americans.

Gingrich also addressed the confrontation with Iran, taking a much harder position than those advocating a negotiated settlement with Tehran. He argued that the Iranian regime would continue seeking nuclear weapons unless its leadership was removed.

“He has two choices. He can destroy the Iranian government and enable the Iranian people to govern themselves, or he can be defeated,” Gingrich said. “There’s no middle ground.”

The former speaker called for Americans to confront the implications of allowing Iran’s current rulers to remain in power and insisted that the country needed a serious discussion about the threat.

“There is no middle ground. And, frankly, we need a big, national debate and people have got to choose,” he said.

Turning back to domestic politics, Gingrich welcomed Trump’s decision to elevate Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff, arguing that Miller could help the president develop a more disciplined message while maintaining an aggressive posture toward Democrats.

“When he slows down, and he focuses, and he’s the teacher, he is as effective as Ronald Reagan,” Gingrich said of Trump, also comparing his communication abilities to those of President Franklin Roosevelt.

“But that means he’s got to literally slow down,” he said. “And I think that Stephen Miller can play a major role in doing this because Miller really understands all this.”

Miller’s appointment has divided Republicans following the election defeat. While Gingrich sees him as an asset, other GOP lawmakers have criticized the decision, arguing that the administration’s confrontational approach contributed to the party’s losses.

Indiana Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman has publicly called for changes in Trump’s senior leadership, including Miller’s removal, while Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon has also questioned the appointment.

Gingrich, however, believes Republicans can recover if they combine a determined response to Democratic policies with a more appealing economic and political agenda.

“That package will get us back in good shape for 2028,” he said.

Parents of toddlers who attended a daycare center in Ariel are describing horrifying allegations of systematic abuse after Israeli prosecutors filed an indictment against the facility’s director and two caregivers, accusing them of more than 400 incidents of abuse and assault against defenseless young children during fewer than 40 actual operating days.

In an emotional interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Shmuel and Chaya Gever, whose young son attended the daycare, described their shock upon learning the details of the indictment and accused the facility’s staff of deliberately misleading parents about injuries and behavioral changes that might otherwise have exposed what was happening.

Chaya recalled the devastating moment when the parents obtained the indictment, which contained detailed descriptions of the alleged mistreatment.

“Until now, we only had assumptions and tried to understand the magnitude of what happened from the detention hearings,” she explained. “The moment we received the indictment, which leaked even before the hearing, all the parents were horrified. Anyone who had been in denial was confronted with detailed and horrifying descriptions of abuse. The parents couldn’t remain calm and understandably erupted.”

According to the couple, the more than 400 alleged incidents documented in the indictment were identified through security camera footage beginning September 1. Because of Shabbosos and Yomim Tovim, the daycare had operated for fewer than 40 days during that period.

The parents expressed concern that the alleged abuse might have begun long before the period covered by the indictment and called on police to examine surveillance recordings from previous years.

“We don’t want to imagine what happened there in the months and years before that, and we hope the police will also examine footage from previous years,” they said.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the case, according to Shmuel, was the elaborate system of explanations that prevented parents from recognizing a pattern of suspicious injuries.

He said caregivers routinely contacted parents with detailed accounts whenever a child suffered a scratch, bruise, or other visible injury, offering explanations that appeared entirely innocent.

“There was no way to understand what was happening inside,” Shmuel said. “They operated systematically and made sure we wouldn’t need to speak to one another about any mark or injury.”

He described how parents would receive messages claiming that a child had fallen while reaching for a book, hurt himself on a pacifier, or been scratched by another child. Every explanation was presented reassuringly, accompanied by smiles and convincing details.

As a result, parents had little reason to compare their experiences or question whether the incidents were connected.

Shmuel said even signs that children were becoming reluctant to attend daycare were easily dismissed as ordinary childhood behavior.

“When a child didn’t want to go to daycare, you told yourself that he simply enjoyed being home with his mother,” he explained.

He added that some parents had placed recording devices in the facility, but the caregivers allegedly avoided making noise and appeared aware that their conduct might be recorded.

According to Shmuel, the alleged abuse was ultimately exposed after an instructor witnessed what was taking place and reported it. Only then did parents begin connecting the injuries and behavioral changes they had previously regarded as unrelated.

Chaya described a troubling transformation in her own son’s behavior during his time at the daycare.

Initially, she said, the child eagerly attended each morning. Over time, however, he became withdrawn and exhausted, refused to return after the Yom Tov break, began eating poorly, and frequently woke up screaming during the night.

The family initially attributed the changes to teething or an ear infection.

Chaya said she had only recently begun considering placing a recording device in the daycare herself. According to the indictment, the alleged incidents involving her son occurred toward the end of the documented period.

Beyond their anguish over the alleged mistreatment, the parents sharply criticized Israel’s Education Ministry, questioning how a daycare officially designated as supervised could have experienced hundreds of alleged abuse incidents without intervention.

Chaya said she personally contacted the ministry inspector responsible for the facility and asked how frequently she had visited.

According to Chaya, the inspector responded that she had not yet visited during the current school year because “the year hasn’t started yet.”

Chaya expressed disbelief at that explanation, pointing out that more than 400 alleged incidents had already occurred during the short period covered by the indictment.

When she asked about the previous year, she said, the inspector acknowledged visiting only once or twice.

“Helpless children arrive every day at a daycare that is considered ‘supervised,’ but in practice there is no supervision,” she charged. “Someone there has to be held accountable.”

The couple said the experience had taught them the importance of recognizing behavioral changes in very young children, particularly those who cannot adequately describe what they are experiencing.

They urged parents not to dismiss sudden aggression, refusal to attend daycare, disrupted sleep, or unexplained distress as routine developmental difficulties without investigating further.

“Children at that age don’t lie,” they said. “Even when a child cannot speak, he tells you what he is experiencing through his behavior.”

They also emphasized the importance of communication among parents, explaining that the daycare staff’s individual explanations for injuries had prevented families from recognizing similarities in their children’s experiences.

Had parents compared the reports they received about scratches, bruises, and other injuries, the couple believes the recurring pattern might have become apparent much earlier.

“If we had shared information with one another in real time about every injury and every explanation we received from the caregivers, we would have identified the recurring pattern and discovered what was happening much sooner,” they said.

The allegations remain subject to criminal proceedings, and the indictment’s accusations have not yet been established by a court.

A Russian military aircraft operated by a unit of Moscow’s Defense Ministry landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, November 8, raising questions about the purpose of the unusual visit and the identities of those aboard. The Israeli military declined to provide any explanation for the flight, according to a report by Kan News.

The aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-154M bearing registration number RA-85042, reportedly departed from Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow before traveling to Israel. Flight-tracking information identified the aircraft as belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry’s 223rd Flight Unit, which is used to transport military personnel and government officials.

The plane is also subject to American sanctions. U.S. Treasury Department records identify the aircraft by its registration number as part of sanctions imposed in May 2023 in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

According to flight data available through Flightradar24, the Russian aircraft departed the Moscow area and followed a route that took it around the Black Sea region, across Turkey, and onward toward Israel.

Kan News reported that the IDF declined to respond to questions about the landing and provided no information concerning the passengers or the reason for the visit.

It remains unclear whether the aircraft was carrying senior Russian military officials, government representatives, or another delegation. There has also been no public confirmation of any scheduled diplomatic or security meetings associated with its arrival.

The aircraft’s arrival is particularly noteworthy because its registration number appears on the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions list. American authorities designated RA-85042 in May 2023 as part of measures imposed against Russian entities following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Treasury Department’s records specifically connect the aircraft to the Russian Defense Ministry’s 223rd Flight Unit, confirming its status as part of Russia’s military aviation network.

Independent aviation-tracking records also confirm the flight. AirNav Radar lists the aircraft as having arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 7:01 p.m. Israeli time on Sunday, following a flight from Chkalovsky Air Base lasting roughly four hours.

The landing comes amid complicated relations between Israel and Russia, particularly over Moscow’s involvement in the Middle East and its ties with Iran.

Despite the unusual nature of the flight, no information has emerged establishing a connection to any particular diplomatic negotiation, intelligence exchange, or military discussion. Neither the identities of the passengers nor the purpose of their visit has been publicly disclosed.

The United States ambassador to Belgium is demanding military protection for a Brussels shul after a stone shattered a third-floor window, declaring that President Donald Trump personally instructed him to visit the site and address the incident, which American and Israeli diplomats believe was a deliberate antisemitic attack.

U.S. Ambassador Bill White and Israeli Ambassador David Saranga visited the shul in Brussels’ Anderlecht district on Shabbos following the incident, which occurred late last month. The visit came just days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom of November 1938.

White said he had traveled to the shul on direct instructions from President Trump and firmly rejected suggestions that the broken window resulted from an accident. According to the ambassador, the circumstances indicated that someone had deliberately thrown a stone with considerable force to reach the third-floor window.

The American diplomat announced plans to raise money to improve security at the building and said he would press Belgium’s interior and defense ministers to deploy soldiers around the shul to protect worshippers.

Israeli Ambassador David Saranga warned that the incident should serve as a serious warning to European governments, particularly given its proximity to the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

“A shattered window in a synagogue just days before the commemoration of Kristallnacht is a warning sign that every European government must understand. Jews should not have to choose between their religion and their security,” Saranga said.

Saranga urged Belgian authorities to adopt the security arrangements already used to protect Jewish communal institutions in Antwerp, where the large chareidi community has long relied on heightened security measures around its shuls and other facilities.

Belgian police, however, have not concluded that the incident was an antisemitic attack. Local law enforcement officials said no formal hate-crime complaint had been filed and suggested that the stone might have fallen from the roof rather than having been deliberately thrown at the building.

That explanation was strongly disputed by the two ambassadors, who maintained that the damage was consistent with an intentional attack and called for stronger protection of Jewish institutions.

The shul, located on Rue de la Clinique in the Cureghem neighborhood, serves Brussels’ Orthodox Jewish community. The building opened in 1933 and has previously experienced security incidents, including an attempted firebombing in 2010, an arson attack in 2014, and vandalism targeting surveillance cameras in 2017.

Belgium has already deployed military personnel to protect certain Jewish institutions under an operation known as Green Shield, introduced earlier this year following an explosion outside a shul in Liège. White is seeking additional protection specifically for the Anderlecht building.

Police Inspector Marc Wachtelaer said investigators had not yet established how the stone reached the window. He confirmed that no formal complaint alleging antisemitism had been filed and that authorities were considering whether the stone could have fallen from the roof.

Philippe Markiewicz, president of Belgium’s Central Israelite Consistory, who attended the diplomatic visit, acknowledged the seriousness of the incident but emphasized that Belgian municipal, regional, and federal authorities already devote considerable resources to protecting Jewish communities.

White also disclosed plans for a joint community initiative involving the American, Israeli, and Moroccan ambassadors. He said he had already contacted Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Ameur about organizing a concert and neighborhood gathering promoting religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.

The American ambassador intends to seek the cooperation of Anderlecht Mayor Fabrice Cumps in arranging the event, which would bring together representatives of the three countries and local residents.

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday declined to dismiss the possibility that Democratic lawmakers could face criminal prosecution over threats to investigate and imprison members of President Donald Trump’s administration, escalating a confrontation over congressional oversight as Democrats prepare to assume control of the House of Representatives.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche was asked whether Democrats who have promised aggressive investigations of Trump administration officials could themselves end up behind bars.

“It depends on what the crime is and what they have done,” Blanche responded, without identifying a specific law that may have been violated or confirming that a criminal investigation was underway.

His comments followed a Truth Social post in which Trump accused Democratic lawmakers of attempting to intimidate administration officials, Republican supporters, and political donors by threatening impeachment proceedings and criminal prosecution.

“This is extortion at the highest level,” Trump wrote, adding: “I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!”

The president specifically criticized Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, accusing her of threatening young Americans who support Republican principles or might consider working for his administration. Trump claimed Slotkin was “going to go after all young people that believe in Republican Values,” and declared, “The imprisonment should be against these EXTORTIONISTS.”

During his interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash, Blanche accused Democrats of issuing “outright threats” against conservatives, including college students considering government service under Trump.

Although the attorney general acknowledged the constitutional authority of Congress to investigate the executive branch, he argued that oversight cannot become a vehicle for intimidation.

“I welcome oversight,” Blanche said, while cautioning that “at some point, you have to draw the line.”

Blanche directed particular criticism at California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, who is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee when Democrats take control of the chamber in January.

Garcia has warned senior Trump administration figures, including incoming White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, to “lawyer up” in anticipation of congressional investigations.

Blanche said the Justice Department would provide legal protection to Miller and other administration officials summoned before congressional committees, describing such assistance as consistent with the department’s responsibilities under previous administrations.

He then delivered a warning directed at lawmakers preparing to conduct the investigations.

“I would be very worried if I was a member on that committee,” Blanche said.

Garcia, who appeared on CNN immediately after Blanche, condemned the attorney general’s comments as “a threat” designed to discourage congressional scrutiny of the administration.

“They can come after us however they want. We’re not going to be intimidated,” Garcia declared.

The California Democrat said his committee intends to investigate allegations involving the administration, Trump’s family, and corporations with ties to the White House. He also identified Miller’s involvement in immigration enforcement as a subject deserving examination.

Garcia separately accused administration officials of being overly sensitive to criticism and insisted that Democrats would not retreat from their investigative plans.

“They’re so thin skinned,” Garcia said during his CNN appearance.

The White House defended Blanche’s remarks Sunday, arguing that Democratic threats of impeachment, investigations, and retaliation against government officials and private citizens went beyond legitimate congressional oversight.

Blanche also maintained that Justice Department representation of executive branch officials appearing before Congress is standard practice, rejecting Garcia’s suggestion that Miller would necessarily need to obtain separate legal counsel.

The dispute comes as Democrats prepare an extensive series of inquiries into the Justice Department and other federal agencies. Potential subjects include the administration’s handling of politically sensitive prosecutions, presidential pardons, immigration enforcement, and the Justice Department’s dealings with congressional investigators.

The controversy also follows an unsuccessful attempt earlier this year to bring criminal charges against Slotkin and other Democratic lawmakers over a video encouraging military personnel to refuse unlawful orders. A federal grand jury in Washington declined to issue indictments in that case.

As of Sunday, the Justice Department had not publicly confirmed whether it had launched an investigation following Trump’s directive, identified any lawmakers as criminal targets, or specified which federal statutes might apply to the statements at issue.

Architect Liran Shukrun describes one of the most important moves in Givat Hashalvah with a kind of quiet simplicity: the cars went underground. On a mountain, that decision is anything but simple. Parking, access roads, and technical systems had to be buried into the hillside. It required engineering, cost, and persistence. But once that happened, the entire ground level changed meaning. It became available for families, movement, greenery, courtyards, and community life.

That is where the “spaces between” become the point. In many residential developments, the areas between buildings are leftover space. At Givat Hashalvah, they are part of the architecture. They are where children pass one another on the way home, where parents meet without scheduling it, where a walk to shul becomes part of the neighborhood rhythm, and where the project begins to feel familiar before anyone formally defines it as a kehilla.

The master plan is built around a sequence of courtyards connected from east to west, almost like walking through an old city. You move from one pod to the next, from home toward school, shul, park, daycare, or shared space, without needing the street to do the work. That matters because the community is not only created by those who live nearby. It is created by how often people naturally cross paths, how easy it is to walk, and how much the plan invites daily life to happen outside the front door.

In Liran’s view, this is the human work of urban planning. A neighborhood has to help people use their feet, see one another, and feel part of the place around them. Givat Hashalvah was planned with that belief at its center. The buildings matter, of course. But the life between the buildings may be what turns the project into a community.

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