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Leading gedolim, headed by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have issued a strongly worded letter opposing the growing practice of holding musical Selichos events, calling on the public not to attend such gatherings and urging municipal and government authorities not to fund or support them.

The letter, released ahead of the Yemei Hadin, is addressed broadly to the yirei Hashem and carries the heading “Zochalim v’ro’adim miyom bo’echa” — “Trembling and quaking at the day of Your arrival.”

The gedolim say that musical Selichos gatherings, which have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, undermine the fundamental purpose and atmosphere of the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

“On the eve of the Days of Judgment 5786,” the letter begins, before addressing what the gedolim describe as a troubling development: “Recently, an inappropriate phenomenon has begun in which ‘Selichos events’ are held with musical instruments. These Selichos events are contrary to the entire elevated nature of the days of Selichos established by Chazal for repentance, regret and self-examination, to purify and sanctify oneself in preparation for the coming Days of Judgment, and to merit being inscribed and sealed for a good life and peace.”

The letter warns against transforming the solemn institution of Selichos into a form of entertainment and says that such gatherings can also lead to serious problems involving standards of kedushah and tznius.

“G-d forbid that an exalted and sacred concept established by Chazal should be transformed into an entertainment event and musical performance, aside from the serious breaches of sanctity and modesty that accompany these events.”

The gedolim then issue a clear directive to the public, invoking earlier warnings issued by leading Torah authorities.

“Therefore, we hereby join and strengthen that which the Gedolei Yisrael, zt”l and shlit”a, have warned, that one should, G-d forbid, not participate in such events.”

The letter also directs an explicit appeal to government and municipal officials, urging them “not to support or fund these events through the authorities or in any manner whatsoever.”

Particular emphasis is placed on protecting the sanctity of shuls and batei medrash. The letter states: “And certainly such events should not be held in the sanctuaries of Hashem, the miniature sanctuary, synagogues and study halls. Likewise, prayers and Hallel should not be held accompanied by musical instruments.”

Concluding with a bracha that the Jewish people remain faithful to the traditions handed down through the generations, the gedolim write: “And may Hashem elevate us higher and higher to adhere to the tradition of our fathers, and inscribe us and seal us for a good life.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Israel’s Prison 10 on Monday evening to protest the arrest of Chareidi Givati soldiers who refused to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic, with senior reserve officers, rabbonim, roshei yeshiva, public figures and relatives of the soldiers joining the demonstration.

MK Avi Maoz, chairman of the Noam L’Yisrael party, addressed the crowd and called for the soldiers to be honored for standing by their religious convictions rather than punished.

“You should receive a medal, not a punishment. You should be an example for every soldier in the IDF. You are the pillar of fire at the forefront of the struggle for Jewish identity and the spirit of the IDF,” Maoz said.

Maoz also praised the soldiers for leaving the bais medrash to serve in the military and for their performance during combat operations.

“Fortunate are you, Givati soldiers, who left the study hall for a mitzvah war. Fortunate are you that you were selected as an outstanding platoon, that you fought against our enemies in Lebanon and Gaza, and that you do not bend the Torah and your values in the face of all the pressure, threats and punishments.”

During his remarks, Maoz cited the posuk, “For Hashem, your G-d, walks in the midst of your camp to save you, and your camp shall be holy,” before declaring, “This is the supreme value that should guide the army of the Jewish state.”

Several other speakers addressed the demonstration, including Rav Rafael Jahami, head of the Shaarei Hadaas teshuvah movement; Rav Dror Aryeh, one of the rabbonim of the Sderot Hesder Yeshiva; Rav Aviad Gadot, chairman of the Torat Lechima organization; Noam L’Yisrael candidate Yiska Chaimov; and Efrat Lupo of the Women for the Sanctity of the Camp organization.

{Matzav.com}

Leaders of approximately 10 small right-wing parties and political movements are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss joining forces in a single electoral framework that would challenge the current government from the right, a development that could complicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans ahead of the coming election.

According to a report by Kan News on Reshet Bet, the gathering is scheduled to take place at the home of Nissim Louk, the father of Shani Louk Hy”d, who was murdered at the Nova music festival during the October 7 massacre. Participants are expected to explore the possibility of creating a unified political slate.

The meeting, which organizers reportedly sought to keep under wraps, could present a new concern for Netanyahu. The prime minister has been wary of smaller parties running independently and failing to cross the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc crucial votes.

Among those invited are Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin, Economic Party chairman Yaron Zelekha, Dedi Simchi, Yair Ansbacher, Gilad Ach, chairman of the reservists’ movement Dor Hanitzachon, Matan Yaffe of El Hadegel, and former Knesset member Gadi Yevarkan, who heads the Beit Yisrael party representing Israelis of Ethiopian descent. Several other small-party leaders have also reportedly been invited.

The discussions come amid a broader flurry of political maneuvering ahead of the election. Benny Gantz and Gilad Erdan are reportedly engaged in advanced negotiations over a technical electoral alliance in which Gantz would head the slate and Erdan would take the No. 2 position.

Those talks have also included the possibility of bringing Zelekha into the alliance in the third slot, although Gantz is reportedly opposed to that proposal.

Separately, negotiations are underway with Ayelet Shaked, who is demanding the No. 2 position as well as spots for her political allies. As part of those discussions, however, Shaked is reportedly being asked to commit that she would not participate in the formation of a narrow government.

{Matzav.com}

Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, was urgently evacuated from the United States after Israeli security officials identified what they described as a serious threat against him, just days after his father revealed that Iran had sought to assassinate one of his sons.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service confirmed that authorities had identified a “significant threat” against the 35-year-old Yair, though the agency did not disclose the nature of the danger or provide details surrounding his evacuation.

The development follows remarks made by Netanyahu during an appearance on Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday, August 24, when he disclosed that Iran had attempted to “murder” one of his children.

“Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu told Channel 14 as he argued for increased security measures.

Netanyahu did not say whether the alleged Iranian plot had targeted Yair or his younger son, Avner.

Yair has been living in Miami since 2023 and has spent much of the period encompassing Israel’s wars and military confrontations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran in the United States.

Beginning in July, the Shin Bet expanded security protection for Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, as well as the couple’s two sons, Yair and Avner.

Yair has long been a prominent public defender of his father and has at times acted as an unofficial adviser to the prime minister. His outspoken activity on social media has also repeatedly drawn controversy.

In 2025, Yair attacked podcaster Joe Rogan, accusing him of providing a platform for antisemitism while declining to interview the Israeli prime minister on his highly popular program.

“He gave platform to every single neo Nazi antisemite on this plant (sic), but he refuse to have my father on his show, because he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance against him, and all those years of antisemitic propaganda will go to waste,” he wrote on X.

Yair’s criticism came after Rogan spoke glowingly about Hunter Biden and suggested that he had the qualities to potentially serve as president.

“Great wake up call for conservatives to remember Joe Rogan is not a conservative,” he lamented.

Yair has faced controversies over his social media activity before. In 2018, Facebook temporarily suspended his account for 24 hours following a series of posts directed against Muslims and Palestinians.

“Do you know where there are no attacks, in Iceland and Japan. That’s because there are no Muslims,” he wrote in one post.

In another, he wrote: “There will never be peace with the monsters in human form known since 1964 as ‘Palestinians.’”

President Donald Trump announced agreements Monday with nine additional pharmaceutical companies aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for Americans, expanding an initiative the White House says now covers nearly 90 percent of the branded drug market.

Trump unveiled the new agreements in the Oval Office alongside pharmaceutical industry executives. The companies joining the administration’s most favored nation, or MFN, pricing initiative are Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB.

“I’m thrilled to announce a major expansion of one of our signature affordability initiatives, something that people have been trying to get for years, for decades, and I’m not even sure that other presidents tried,” Trump said of his most favored nation (MFN) drug pricing initiative.

“Nine new pharmaceutical companies are committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients,” he added.

.@POTUS announces a major expansion of his Most Favored Nation drug pricing initiative — with nine new pharmaceutical companies committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients. pic.twitter.com/hNoPACjnVk

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 31, 2026

Under the agreements, Medicaid programs in all 50 states will be able to obtain MFN pricing on products manufactured by the nine companies. The White House estimates that the arrangements will ultimately save Americans billions of dollars.

The administration said the agreements will reduce prices “on drugs that treat numerous costly, chronic, and even rare diseases, including hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer.”

The nine companies have also agreed that newly launched innovative medicines will be offered at MFN prices.

Beyond the prescription drug provisions, the pharmaceutical manufacturers have collectively pledged $19.6 billion toward manufacturing operations in the United States. Several companies have also agreed to provide large quantities of pharmaceutical ingredients to the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve, known as SAPIR.

UCB will supply the reserve with 163 tons of levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant medication used to prevent and control certain seizures.

Sun Pharma has pledged 71.4 tons of clindamycin and 6.75 tons of doxycycline, two antibiotics used in treating bacterial infections.

Teva Pharmaceuticals will provide 45 metric tons of metronidazole, which is used against certain bacterial and parasitic infections, along with 4.8 tons of amlodipine, a medication used to treat high blood pressure.

Astellas, meanwhile, will contribute 25 kilograms of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug used to help prevent rejection following organ transplants.

According to the White House, Monday’s announcements represent the 18th through 26th MFN pharmaceutical agreements secured by Trump since last fall. The administration says the companies now participating in the program account for nearly 90 percent of the branded prescription drug market.

Other major drugmakers that previously reached MFN agreements with the Trump administration include AstraZeneca, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF launched an intense wave of airstrikes and shelling across parts of Gaza City on Tuesday as an Israel-backed Palestinian armed group reportedly carried out an operation to capture a senior Hamas official. Defense Minister Israel Katz later confirmed that a high-ranking Hamas member had been taken into custody.

Katz did not identify the Hamas figure or disclose who was responsible for apprehending him. It was also not immediately clear where the captured official was being held.

Palestinian reports claimed that a “special Israeli unit” entered western Gaza City and was subsequently detected by Hamas operatives. According to those accounts, the IDF responded with artillery fire and airstrikes to protect the force and enable it to withdraw. Palestinian media reported that at least three people were killed and eight others wounded in the strikes.

Palestinian outlets have previously described Israel-backed Palestinian groups fighting Hamas inside Gaza as “Israeli forces.” Israel has acknowledged providing support to anti-Hamas factions in the Strip, including aerial assistance during some of their operations.

The IDF confirmed that it had attacked “a number of targets” in Gaza, explaining that the strikes were intended to “remove threats to security forces.” The military did not clarify whether the security forces it was referring to were IDF troops or members of an allied Palestinian militia.

Bechasdei Hashem, no Israeli soldiers were wounded during the incident.

Speaking in the Gaza-border community of Netiv Ha’asara, Katz addressed the ongoing operation, saying that “even as we stand here, the activity of our forces in Gaza City continues at all times.”

“A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested. This is our policy: We do not wait for threats, we pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terror infrastructure,” Katz said.

Katz offered no additional information about the arrest. An Israeli security source, however, said the man captured in the operation was the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus.

Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath reported that Palestinian militias supported by Israel had attempted to abduct an unidentified person in Gaza City. Qatar-based Al-Araby TV similarly reported that an armed Palestinian group had sought to seize a senior member of Hamas’s internal security establishment.

A Hamas-linked website, Al-Majd al-Amni, presented a different version of events, reporting that “an Israeli special force attempted to carry out a security operation aimed at targeting a figure from the ‘resistance’ [a term used for terror groups in Gaza], but [Hamas’s] security forces thwarted the mission.”

“The failure is an embarrassment for the occupation army,” the report added.

Another Hamas-affiliated outlet, Al-Quds al-Ikhbariya, claimed that Hamas fighters tried to capture members of the “Israeli special force” during the confrontation but were prevented from doing so when Israeli aircraft intervened.

Hamas itself did not immediately issue an official statement addressing either the operation or Israel’s assertion that one of the terror group’s senior figures had been captured.

Israel has spent more than a year supporting several armed Palestinian factions opposed to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip. That assistance has reportedly included weapons, intelligence, food, cigarettes and air support, while wounded members of the militias have been flown into Israel for medical treatment. Israel has also supplied the groups with light arms, primarily rifles.

Videos and public statements issued by the various factions suggest that their combined forces consist of no more than several hundred armed men. Their activities have continued intermittently, including armed confrontations with Hamas and efforts to cultivate greater support among Gazans. Earlier this year, one faction operating from IDF-controlled territory in southern Gaza said it was destroying Hamas tunnels on Israel’s behalf.

The latest operation came one day after the IDF announced that it had killed a Hamas commander responsible for helping supply weapons to the terror organization.

According to the military, Omar Mohammed Roshdy Saraj was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. The IDF identified Saraj as a commander in Hamas’s “supply and maintenance company” in Gaza City.

“As part of his role, the terrorist managed the supply of weapons to Hamas terrorists in Gaza City,” the military said.

{Matzav.com}

A 20-year-old Guatemalan woman who entered the United States illegally and was released into the country by the Biden administration has been charged in connection with the Jackson, New Jersey, crash that killed 9-month-old Yitzchok Rosenberg z”l and seriously injured his mother and 5-year-old sister.

Maria Cobon-Guzman was arrested and charged with “manslaughter, operating a vehicle without ever having a valid driver’s license while involved in a fatal crash, and two counts of assault by auto.”

Authorities said the tragedy occurred at approximately noon on August 28 as Mrs. Rosenberg walked through a grocery store parking lot with her 5-year-old daughter and 9-month-old son. Police say Cobon-Guzman struck all three with the vehicle she was driving.

The mother and her two children were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Yitzchok was pronounced dead. His mother and sister remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Police also arrested 22-year-old Ariadana Lazaro-Flores, a Mexican national who is in the United States illegally, and charged her with knowingly engaging in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or injury.

Authorities allege that Lazaro-Flores acknowledged knowing Cobon-Guzman had no driver’s license “but still allowed her to drive the vehicle.”

According to Border Hawk News, Cobon-Guzman illegally entered the United States through the southern border in 2023 and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration. Less than a month before the fatal Jackson crash, a federal immigration judge reportedly ordered her deported.

Lazaro-Flores, meanwhile, reportedly attempted to enter the United States illegally across the southern border five times in October 2023. She was returned to Mexico after each of those crossings before later successfully entering the country on an unknown date.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged detainers against both women.

A Department of Homeland Security official blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for the circumstances that allowed Cobon-Guzman to remain in the United States and urged Ocean County authorities to turn both women over to federal immigration officials.

“An innocent baby would still be alive today had it not been for Joe Biden’s disastrous open border and reckless immigration policy that released countless illegal aliens into our country,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Border Hawk News. “We are urging the Ocean County Jail to honor ICE’s detainers on these two criminal illegal aliens to take them out of American communities once and for all.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom Monday, calling the project “insulting” to working Americans after the Supreme Court cleared the way for construction to continue.

The New York Democrat argued that Americans are struggling with health care and other expenses while money is instead being directed toward the president’s ballroom project.

“You have everyday Americans, working-class Americans, they’re not getting a refund on the tariffs that they were illegally charged,” the congresswoman from New York sounded off during a gaggle with press in Washington, D.C. “Their health care subsidies have run out, so small businesses and everyday Americans are paying more for health care and their prescriptions than they ever have.”

Ocasio-Cortez went on to argue that available funds should be used to provide financial relief to Americans rather than for the White House project.

“And we are sitting on money to be able to help everyday Americans, and instead the President is using it on his ballroom. And so I could not think of something more insensitive and insulting to everyday working people than this choice of an expenditure.”

Her criticism came just hours after the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, allowed work on the ballroom to proceed, finding that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed suit seeking to halt the project, likely lacked standing to pursue its challenge in federal court.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissent. Roberts argued that the project was “likely unlawful” because Congress had not authorized it.

“Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Roberts wrote on Monday.

Trump, meanwhile, hailed the Supreme Court decision in a Truth Social post Monday afternoon, celebrating the ruling as a major victory for the project.

“I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of the Ballroom/Military Complex being built without any further contingency, doubt or threat. We are living in the Golden Age of America, and this Building will be one of the Greatest ever constructed in Washington, D.C.”

The president said the ballroom and military complex is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2028 and emphasized that private donors, rather than taxpayers, are financing the project.

“When completed in the Summer of 2028, the magnificent Ballroom and Military Complex will be something that the entire Country is very proud of,” he continued. “The Project, despite the baseless lawsuit brought by the so-called National Trust for Historic Preservation of the United States, which is not in any way affiliated with the United States Government, is under budget and ahead of schedule. The Ballroom is totally funded by Great Patriots and Corporations and, therefore, is a Gift — At no cost to the American Taxpayer. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Israeli police questioned a 36-year-old Tesla driver after video footage circulated online appearing to show him asleep behind the wheel while his vehicle continued traveling along the road.

The video, which spread widely across social media over the past day, drew considerable attention and renewed concerns about drivers relying too heavily on advanced driver-assistance technology.

According to Channel 12 News, police summoned the driver for questioning on suspicion of careless driving and failing to maintain proper control of the steering wheel. He was released after the questioning was completed.

In the footage, the driver, a resident of Migdal HaEmek, can apparently be seen with his eyes closed and his head leaning forward even as the Tesla continues moving.

The incident has once again prompted discussion about Tesla’s sophisticated driver-assistance features and the important distinction between technology designed to assist a motorist and a vehicle capable of operating fully autonomously.

Police emphasized that regardless of the technology installed in a vehicle, responsibility for safely operating it remains with the person behind the wheel.

“Israeli law requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, maintain control of the vehicle and remain alert at all times,” police said.

Authorities further stressed that driver-assistance technology does not transform a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and does not give motorists permission to sleep, stop paying attention or otherwise surrender control while traveling.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that Iran’s leaders have behaved with little apparent strategic logic during the ongoing conflict, accusing Tehran of being willing to disrupt energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz even when doing so harms countries friendly to Iran.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Vance discussed what the war has revealed about Iran’s leadership and the steps being taken by the United States to protect commercial shipping and the movement of oil and gas through the critical waterway.

“I think that what I’ve learned is these guys are really, really, meaning the leadership of the country, they’re really crazy, and they’re willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil and gas as possible. Now, we expected they would do that, we know that they don’t like us, but what’s odd to me is they will sometimes fire at their own allies, just to prevent the free flow of oil and gas.”

Q: What have you learned about going to war against Iran?

Vance: I think what I've learned is, these guys are really, really crazy. And they are willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil… pic.twitter.com/uZdjbYylgp

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 31, 2026

Vance also discussed the latest American military operations in the region, saying US forces recently took action after Iran prepared to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“There were strikes last night, of course, and we were responding to the Iranians who were about to lay some mines. And now we’re at a phase where a lot of what we’re doing is actually ensuring the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.”

His remarks followed US strikes Sunday against Iranian military targets on Larak Island. The operation reportedly left two people dead and two others wounded and represented the first known American attack inside Iran since late July, when President Donald Trump halted a two-week US military campaign focused on the strategic waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded to the Larak Island attack by threatening retaliation. The IRGC subsequently fired missiles in the direction of American bases in Jordan.

Trump said Monday that the resumption of US military action against Iranian targets should not automatically be interpreted as the beginning of another full-scale war.

“They are a failed nation… That doesn’t mean we won’t smack them. We will see what happens.”

The president also maintained that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is functioning well despite the continuing hostilities, pointing to the number of vessels moving through the waterway.

“We have the Strait of Hormuz in extremely good shape. We’ve been averaging 30 ships a night. That’s a lot.”

Trump also touted the results of the renewed American campaign against Tehran.

“We went into Iran, and we are beating the …. out of them.”

Asked who is currently in charge of Iran amid the upheaval inside the country’s leadership, Trump said there appeared to be considerable uncertainty.

“They don’t really know. In my opinion, they don’t know who their leader is.”

Meanwhile, Axios reported that Trump and other senior administration officials are considering additional limited military strikes against Iranian positions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Such operations would reportedly be aimed at stopping Tehran from restoring military capabilities that could once again be used to interfere with commercial vessels and threaten shipping through the strategically vital waterway.

{Matzav.com}

Sara Netanyahu raised pointed questions Monday evening about how Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan was able to reach the battlefront early on the morning of the October 7 massacre while her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had yet to be informed that the massive attack was underway.

During an interview with Channel 14, the prime minister’s wife responded sarcastically to criticism surrounding Netanyahu’s response time on October 7, contrasting the timing of his notification with Golan’s actions that morning.

“You claim you were a fighter on October 7, you were already there early in the morning, already dressed and ready. At a very early hour, when others didn’t know, such as the Prime Minister. After all, who is the Prime Minister that he needs to know that a war has broken out? Why inform him?” she said sarcastically.

Sara Netanyahu was also asked whether she believes the so-called “betrayal theory,” which alleges that individuals inside Israel provided assistance connected to the deadly Hamas assault.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t know. Let there be a real commission of inquiry.”

The Democrats Party reacted forcefully to her remarks, accusing Sara Netanyahu of promoting conspiracy theories about Golan and attacking his conduct during the October 7 assault.

“The Democrats Party strongly condemns the slanderous and false remarks made by Sara Netanyahu this evening on Channel 14. Spreading conspiracy theories against Major General Yair Golan and tarnishing his heroism on October 7 is crossing a red line bordering on madness.”

The party went on to contrast Golan’s actions that morning with those of the prime minister, accusing the Netanyahu family and Channel 14 of attempting to alter the historical record.

“While Netanyahu rushed to put on makeup and look for excuses, Yair Golan charged into action and saved lives. The facts will not change, no matter how hard the Netanyahu family and Channel 14 try to rewrite them,” the party said.

{Matzav.com}

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But for hundreds of families, financial hardship threatens to overshadow that experience.

A new suit becomes a question. Gifts for the kallah become a worry. And the excitement of preparing for a chasunah becomes clouded by expenses and concern.

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WATCH:

A new petition filed with Israel’s High Court of Justice is demanding that the government apply the same registration requirements and economic sanctions imposed on Chareidim who fail to report to IDF recruitment offices to Arab Israelis and other minorities whom the petitioners contend are subject to the same legal obligation.

The petition was filed Monday by the Emet L’Yaakov B’Yisrael organization through attorney Yehuda Abeles. The group argues that enforcement measures related to failure to report for the draft are currently being applied selectively, with Chareidim facing potentially significant consequences while similar measures are not imposed on members of the Arab population and other minority groups who do not appear at recruitment offices.

At the heart of the petition is the argument that the legal obligation to report does not necessarily depend on an individual receiving a personal draft notice. According to the petitioners, publication of a “general call-up order” in Israel’s official records creates an obligation for anyone of the relevant age who has not received an exemption to present himself to military authorities, even if he never received an individual summons at his home.

Based on that interpretation, the petition asks the state to classify all individuals who fail to report under the general order with what is known as “Order 12 status,” or an equivalent administrative designation.

The petitioners contend that the current system constitutes unequal enforcement. Since the expiration of the legal framework that previously allowed yeshiva students to defer military service, various financial and civil restrictions have been imposed or advanced against Chareidi men considered obligated to enlist. Arab Israelis and members of other minority populations who do not report to recruitment offices, the petition argues, are generally not classified as draft evaders and therefore do not face comparable consequences.

The petition further argues that even someone who believes he will ultimately qualify for an exemption cannot independently decide that he does not need to appear at a recruitment office. According to the petitioners, the initial obligation is to report to the appropriate military authorities, after which the state can determine whether the individual qualifies for a medical, religious or other exemption.

The organization stresses that it is not asking the High Court to change Israel’s overall military recruitment policy or to require additional populations to actually serve in the IDF. Instead, the petition focuses on the requirement to appear at recruitment offices and the administrative consequences for those who fail to do so.

According to the petitioners, if the government considers failure to report sufficient grounds for stripping individuals of rights or government benefits, those rules must be enforced equally against everyone whom they contend is subject to the same legal obligation.

Among the sanctions the petitioners want applied equally are the loss of eligibility for municipal property-tax discounts, daycare subsidies, public transportation benefits and government housing programs such as “Target Price.” Similar restrictions affecting Chareidi men subject to the draft have been at the center of several legal proceedings in recent years.

Emet L’Yaakov has previously petitioned the High Court over daycare benefits. A petition filed by the organization in 2025 concerning priority in daycare registration was dismissed on procedural grounds because of delay in filing and the absence of a specific petitioner directly affected by the policy. The court did not rule on the merits of the organization’s broader legal arguments.

Following the filing of the new petition, Emet L’Yaakov said: “There cannot be a situation in which the law is enforced selectively and discriminatorily. If the judicial system and the state determine that failure to report under a general call-up order results in economic sanctions and classification as a draft evader, this rule must apply universally and equally to every citizen of the State of Israel who reaches draft age, without distinction based on religion, nationality or sector. One law for everyone.”

The petition must now clear the High Court’s initial procedural and legal hurdles. At this stage, the claims regarding Arab Israelis and other minorities represent the petitioners’ interpretation of the law, and the court has not ruled that those populations are legally subject to the reporting requirements or sanctions in the manner asserted by the organization.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri came to the defense of former Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef on Sunday after the Movement for Quality Government called on police and prosecutors to consider opening a criminal investigation into remarks the Rav made about Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The organization’s request followed sharp comments by Rav Yosef over the attorney general’s position regarding government funding for an event commemorating his father, Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef.

Deri directed his response at Elad Ben Gigi of the Movement for Quality Government, saying: “As a member of the Moroccan community, you would have been expected to be among the first to petition against the attorney general, who ordered the cancellation of the memorial gathering for Maran, Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, whom so many members of the Sephardic communities revere and whose legacy they seek to perpetuate.”

Deri accused Ben Gigi of instead “brazenly attacking” Rav Ovadia Yosef’s son and successor.

“How low can you go, trampling your own dignity and the dignity of your community?” Deri said.

The controversy began following Rav Yosef’s weekly shiur, during which he sharply criticized the attorney general’s position regarding funding for the memorial event honoring his father. Rav Yosef characterized the decision as “persecution” and contrasted it with the treatment of memorial rallies for slain Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.

“Rabin was murdered close to elections, and they don’t prohibit events for him. It belongs to the left, so it’s perfectly fine for them to hold a rally. But Maran, the greatest of the generation, who was not a political figure — Maran was a Torah figure,” Rav Yosef said.

Rav Yosef then escalated his criticism of Baharav-Miara, saying: “Don’t listen to her! Who is she anyway? He will give her what she deserves. She’s messing with Maran? This will not pass quietly.”

Following those remarks, the Movement for Quality Government contacted law enforcement authorities, arguing that the statements, in its view, could raise concerns of incitement to violence.

At this stage, however, the organization has only requested that authorities consider opening an investigation. Law enforcement officials have not determined that Rav Yosef committed any offense.

The underlying dispute concerns restrictions that apply during an election period to the government-sponsored event commemorating Rav Ovadia Yosef. Officials at the Religious Services Ministry have also criticized the legal position, arguing that the state is required by law to hold an official event commemorating Rav Ovadia Yosef’s legacy.

The ministry’s director general similarly compared the dispute to state-sponsored commemorations of Yitzchak Rabin, arguing that the two memorial events are being treated differently.

Shas has also turned the controversy into an election issue, describing the attorney general’s demand as “a grave affront to Maran’s memory and a blatant trampling of the law.”

“This is what the election is about,” Deri declared. “Either the rule of the attorney general, who is trying to erase every trace of Torah and Judaism, or the legacy of Maran, of blessed memory, and Jewish tradition. There is no third way.”

{Matzav.com}

Otzma Yehudit chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Har Habayis again Monday, davening at the site even as he seeks to broaden his political support on the right, including among Chareidi voters.

The visit has renewed a longstanding halachic debate surrounding Jewish entry to Har Habayis and raises a political question for Ben Gvir as he attempts to present himself as a national leader representing a broad segment of the Jewish public.

In recent years, Ben Gvir has worked to expand his electoral base and has increasingly sought support beyond Otzma Yehudit’s traditional constituency. That effort potentially places him at odds with Chareidi voters over Har Habayis, where his position differs sharply from that of leading rabbinic authorities whose rulings Chareidi voters follow.

For decades, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has prohibited Jews from ascending Har Habayis because of the serious halachic concerns associated with entering areas of the site where entry may be forbidden.

Among the prominent rabbinic authorities who upheld that prohibition was Rishon LeTzion Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. His son, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, has likewise stated that he personally does not ascend Har Habayis, in accordance with the position of the Chief Rabbinate.

The issue has also affected another member of Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a grandson of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. Eliyahu’s ministry previously promoted tours of Har Habayis despite his grandfather’s position, prompting criticism from rabbis within the Religious Zionist community.

Against that backdrop, Ben Gvir’s continued visits to the site present a broader question as he seeks additional support from Chareidi voters: How will those voters weigh his positions on security and other national issues against his willingness to publicly follow a course on Har Habayis that conflicts with the rulings of major rabbinic authorities?

The question surrounding Ben Gvir, therefore, extends beyond the immediate controversy over his decision to ascend Har Habayis. As he seeks to expand his political influence and attract voters from communities deeply committed to rabbinic authority, his position on one of the most sensitive halachic issues in Israel could become an important consideration.

For Chareidi voters, the debate over Har Habayis is ultimately more than an electoral or political issue. It touches on questions of leadership, responsibility and adherence to the rulings of leading Torah authorities.

{Matzav.com}

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has weighed into the uproar surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s latest comments on Chareidi military service, blasting those who portrayed Netanyahu’s remarks as a threat to punish people for failing to study Torah while also declaring his own opposition to the longstanding Chareidi draft exemption.

Netanyahu reignited Israel’s fiercely contested draft debate when he said that those who are not learning Torah should serve in the IDF and that those refusing to do so should face imprisonment. His comments come amid an ongoing political and legal battle over the status of yeshiva students and military service, with tens of thousands of Chareidi men currently subject to conscription following the expiration of the previous legal framework for exemptions.

Shapiro responded on X after Netanyahu’s remarks generated criticism and what he claimed were wildly inaccurate interpretations online.

“Okay, you illiterate… Netanyahu is not arguing, contra RetardoX, that you will be punished for not studying Torah in Israel or elsewhere. He’s specifically addressing the #1 public issue in Israel: the draft exemption for Haredim (the ultra-Orthodox).”

Shapiro then offered his own sharply critical description of the origins of the arrangement that allowed yeshiva students to avoid military service.

“The yeshiva exemption is an vestigial structure, an evolutionary hangover from a deal cut at the foundation of the state between the Haredim and the government.”

The exemption has, in fact, been at the center of a years-long legal and political confrontation in Israel. In June 2024, Israel’s High Court ruled that there was no longer a legal basis for the longstanding blanket exemption, setting off efforts by Chareidi parties and Netanyahu’s government to establish a new statutory framework protecting yeshiva students from conscription.

Shapiro made clear that he does not merely believe Netanyahu’s remarks were misunderstood. He also personally sides with those who believe the broader Chareidi exemption should be abolished.

“Today, many Haredi leaders argue that no Haredi should EVER serve in the army, whether they’re learning Torah or not. Most people who aren’t Haredi think that exemption should disappear entirely (for the record, I think that position is correct).”

Shapiro characterized Netanyahu’s position as more limited, saying that the prime minister is seeking to distinguish between those genuinely engaged in full-time Torah study and those using yeshiva status to avoid military service without actually learning.

“Netanyahu is proposing a compromise position. Under current law, in Israel, you can apply for exemption from the military draft as a yeshiva student. Many of those who do so are not in fact learning Torah. They are welfare queens avoiding service. He’s proposing that if you are not even studying Torah, there’s certainly no excuse for the yeshiva exemption for you.”

Netanyahu has recently signaled that he still supports preserving exemptions for genuine full-time yeshiva students while taking a harder line toward those who are not learning. His government’s efforts to legislate the issue have repeatedly run into political and judicial obstacles, while Chareidi parties have continued demanding legal protection for yeshiva students.

Shapiro concluded his post by insisting that Netanyahu’s remarks concerned Israel’s unique military-service dispute and had no connection whatsoever to American politics or any supposed effort to compel Torah study.

“This has literally nothing to do with American politics. It is certainly NOT a mandate that you MUST learn Torah or you’ll be punished with the draft or jail. You have to be a complete moron to believe any of that. But then again, RetardoX is filled with complete morons.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said Monday that senior Israeli security officials detected signs that Hamas could be preparing an attack in the hours before the Oct. 7 massacre but deliberately chose not to wake him, fearing that the military response he would order could spark an escalation.

According to Netanyahu, several warning indicators emerged ahead of the attack pointing to unusual Hamas activity. He identified then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, then-Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and then-Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva as among the senior officials who were aware of the information.

Despite those indications, Netanyahu said he was neither awakened nor briefed about the developing situation. He said the reasoning behind that decision later became apparent in a protocol containing statements by Bar that was submitted to Israel’s High Court of Justice during a dispute between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet chief.

Netanyahu cited statements attributed to Bar outlining the security establishment’s approach at the time: “First of all, to be in covert medium readiness so as not to create a miscalculation,” followed later by: “Readiness to respond, for now to avoid broad activity in order to avoid miscalculation.”

Netanyahu said the thinking reflected the security establishment’s longstanding belief that Hamas had been deterred and was therefore unlikely to launch a major assault against Israel.

The prime minister maintained that the security chiefs understood exactly how he would have reacted had they awakened him and informed him of the warning signs.

“They knew exactly what I would do. They knew I would activate the air force there and I would wake up all of the IDF and I wouldn’t let anyone approach the fences, we would kill them immediately.”

Netanyahu argued that senior officials feared such an aggressive response could itself lead to an exchange of fire or provoke an attack by Hamas, and therefore opted against taking broader military action or alerting him.

“If they had woken me, everything would have looked different. And that’s the story of October 7,” Netanyahu concluded.

Lakewood, NJ’s girls’ elementary schools could face a delayed start to the new academic year as the community’s rabbonim weigh reinstating a longstanding policy under which no school would open its doors until every girl had secured a placement.

The possible move comes with just 21 girls still without schools — a dramatic improvement from the approximately 60 unresolved cases that remained only weeks ago.

Considerable work by local askanim, together with extensive cooperation from the schools themselves, has succeeded in finding places for dozens of children despite an acute shortage of available classroom space.

Yet the final 21 cases have proved particularly difficult. With many schools already operating at or near capacity, finding appropriate places for the remaining girls has become increasingly challenging as the opening of the school year approaches.

Against that backdrop, Lakewood’s rabbonim are understood to be giving serious consideration to a step that would immediately change the equation: girls’ schools would be instructed not to begin the new year until the placement crisis has been resolved in its entirety.

The idea is hardly new to Lakewood.

For many years, during the lifetime of Rav Matisyahu Solomon zt”l, the mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoah, the community operated under precisely such an understanding. Schools could not simply begin the year while children elsewhere in Lakewood remained without classrooms to enter.

The arrangement placed a collective responsibility upon the community’s mosdos. An unresolved placement was consequently not regarded merely as the problem of one family or one school; the schools were expected to work together before the academic year could get under way.

That policy was eventually discontinued, but with the new school year now imminent and 21 girls still awaiting placements, its return is once again under serious discussion.

Reinstating the policy would place considerable pressure on schools already struggling with severe space constraints. At the same time, those advocating its return hope that the prospect of a community-wide delay could produce the additional cooperation necessary to resolve the remaining cases.

Should the rabbonim decide to proceed, the message would be unmistakable: Lakewood’s girls’ schools will begin the new year together — but only once every girl has a school to attend.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli police are investigating a possible kidnapping after a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from Petach Tikvah was found overnight in Bnei Brak together with a 20-year-old man from Yerushalayim.

Officers from the Petach Tikvah police station launched an extensive search after receiving a report that the child, a resident of the city, had been missing since the evening hours.

Police conducted searches in several areas and employed technological means in an effort to determine the boy’s whereabouts.

During the night, acting on information provided by Petach Tikvah police, officers from the Bnei Brak police station located the child in Bnei Brak. He was found together with a man approximately 20 years old who is a resident of Yerushalayim.

The two were taken to the Petach Tikvah police station, where investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the nature of the relationship between the child and the man.

Police are investigating, among other possibilities, whether the incident involved a kidnapping. Authorities have not yet released additional details explaining how the boy reached Bnei Brak or what occurred during the hours that he was missing.

Following questioning, the 20-year-old was arrested and taken into custody.

Police are expected to bring the suspect before a court Monday and request an extension of his detention as the investigation continues.

{Matzav.com}