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Shas chairman Aryeh Deri launched a sharp attack on Monday evening, accusing activists associated with the Kaplan protest movement of financing demonstrations against Israel’s draft law within the chareidi public, as part of what he described as a coordinated effort to destabilize the government and dismantle the right-wing bloc.

Deri’s remarks came in response to the release of recorded footage featuring a Kaplan activist, the chairwoman of the group Mothers on the Frontline, who is heard admitting: “We worked to create chaos and to break up the chareidi public from within, using the draft issue.”

Speaking following the revelation, Deri said: “We knew this already, but this is clear proof. All the big money behind the campaigns against the draft law comes from Kaplan. The same funding that pays for signs and ads against the so-called ‘draft evasion law’ is also paying for the pashkevilim in chareidi neighborhoods warning about the ‘danger of the draft’ and ‘those destroying the Torah world.’ The goal is one and the same — to bring down the government and the right-wing bloc.”

Deri further claimed that the campaign was aimed at sowing internal discord within the chareidi community. “The objective of the Kaplan activists and the people of Bennett is clear,” he said, referring to former prime minister Naftali Bennett. “They are trying to infiltrate us — admittedly at the margins — through individuals with familiar faces and names. They will yet be exposed. They go to the homes of leading rabbinic figures, secretly record them, play divide-and-conquer, and cause a terrible chilul Hashem.”

According to Deri, the dual campaign — public protests against the draft law alongside targeted messaging within chareidi neighborhoods — is designed to inflame tensions, undermine communal cohesion, and inject chaos into chareidi society in order to achieve broader political aims.

{Matzav.com}

A bus driver was taken to the hospital late Sunday night after his vehicle was attacked during a protest by several dozen extremists in Yerushalayim.

According to reports, the disturbance took place at the Shmuel HaNavi–Yechezkel junction, where demonstrators damaged a bus passing through the area and assaulted its driver. The driver required medical treatment and was evacuated to a hospital.

Police forces were dispatched to the scene and acted to restore order and disperse those involved. In a statement, Israel Police said officers from the Yerushalayim District responded after rioters blocked traffic lanes, behaved violently, set trash containers on fire, and disrupted normal life in the area.

Police stressed that “violent disturbances, blocking major traffic routes, and the actions of lawbreakers constitute serious criminal offenses, endanger human life, and could lead to a major disaster.”

{Matzav.com}

An emotional reception was held Sunday night at Yeshiva Orchos Da’as in Yerushalayim for yeshiva bochur Michoel Atlan, who was unexpectedly released from military prison last Friday, earlier than his scheduled release.

The event took place at the yeshiva’s campus in the Bayit Vagan neighborhood, where talmidim and rabbeim escorted Michoel with singing and dancing, lifting him on their shoulders in a powerful display of joy and solidarity.

During the gathering, the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Shaul Gabay, delivered emotional remarks and broke down in tears as he spoke. He revealed that he had written a personal letter to Michoel while he was incarcerated, but prison authorities refused to allow it inside.

“I want to read a letter I wrote to Michoel, but the prison would not permit it to be brought in,” Rav Gabay said. “They understood very well why — because this letter speaks directly to the deep and true meaning of the Torah world.”

In the letter, Rav Gabay wrote that the reality of Torah students being imprisoned in Eretz Yisroel for learning Torah defies all logic and human understanding. “Hashem allows them to make such mistakes. They think they are acting for harm, but Hashem intends it for good, with one purpose — lehachayos am rav,” he said, invoking the concept of sustaining and giving life to the Jewish people.

Rav Gabay noted that many of those detained come from the Sephardic community, explaining that they possess a unique warmth and love for Torah and a natural ability to draw others close.

He further explained that while yeshiva bochurim are not normally sent out of the beis medrash to strengthen others — a role usually reserved for older figures — in this case, it was a clear act of Divine providence. “If Hashem sends someone against nature, against all logic, there is only one reason: lehachayos am rav. We saw his conduct in prison — learning, completing masechtos — and how it influenced others around him.”

The rosh yeshiva also described a special gift prepared for Michoel by the yeshiva: a booklet listing the personal kabbalos accepted by the bochurim over the past two weeks in his merit. According to Rav Gabay, prison officials initially refused to allow the gift inside, fearing it would strengthen the spirits of the inmates.

“They were afraid of how it would uplift the prisoners when they saw what Orchos Da’as sent him,” he said. “There is no doubt that his early release was above nature and came in the merit of your commitments and chizuk.”

Rav Gabay emphasized that the episode strengthened the inner essence of Torah learning — not learning because it is comfortable, but mesirus nefesh for Torah.

Also addressing the gathering was Rav Yitzchak Abadi, one of the yeshiva’s rabbonim who accompanied Michoel throughout his imprisonment. Rav Abadi stressed the elevated status of a ben Torah, calling him the crown of creation. “They call us draft dodgers,” he said, “but the truth is that they are the ones dodging the beis medrash.”

The evening concluded with Michoel himself making a siyum on Maseches Megillah, which he completed while behind bars.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri delivered another blunt message to his coalition partners on Monday, warning that any attempt to advance the state budget before the completion of discussions on the draft law will be blocked.

Speaking at a Shas faction meeting, Deri made it clear that budget legislation will not move forward until deliberations on the conscription bill are finalized. “The draft law is advancing in committee,” Deri said. “As you can see, it takes time, but it is moving forward.”

During the meeting, one Knesset member raised the possibility that the coalition intends to place the state budget on the Knesset agenda for a first reading as early as Thursday, with a vote planned for next week.

Deri dismissed the idea outright. “In their dreams,” he said. “There will be no vote on the budget before the discussions on the draft law are completed.”

As previously reported last month, Shas and Degel HaTorah had already conveyed a clear message to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and coalition leaders that they would not support the budget in its first reading until the draft law clears the relevant Knesset committee.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yitzchok Moshe Kook zt”l, a respected talmid chochom in Bnei Brak and the author of the sefer Siach Yitzchak, passed away suddenly on Monday night at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. He was 78.

He had been hospitalized earlier in the day after feeling unwell and was niftar shortly after his arrival.

Born in England in 1948, Rav Kook was the son of Rav Yosef Chaim z”l and Mrs. Sheindel a”h.

In his youth, he studied at Yeshivas Gateshead, where he absorbed Torah from its roshei yeshiva, Rav Leib Lopian and Rav Aryeh Zev Gurwitz.

He later continued his learning at Yeshivas Telz in Cleveland, where he learned under the roshei yeshiva Rav Chaim Stein, a close relative, and Rav Mordechai Gifter. Upon reaching marriageable age, he married his wife, from the Cohen family of Cleveland.

Following the guidance of the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, and Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach, Rav Kook moved to Eretz Yisroel in 1983. He joined Kollel Chazon Ish and developed a particularly close relationship with Rav Shach, whom he would visit frequently. He davened regularly at the beis medrash of Yeshivas Ponevezh.

After the passing of the Steipler Gaon, Rav Kook joined the regular Yerushalmi shiur of Rav Chaim Kanievsky. At the conclusion of the year of aveilus for the Steipler, he asked Rav Chaim to continue learning with him in chavrusa, a merit he was granted for many years.

During his years living on Rechov HaRav Dessler in Bnei Brak, he davened at Beis Medrash Shevet HaLevi, where he enjoyed a close bond with Rav Shmuel Wosner.

Rav Kook also maintained a longstanding and close connection with Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, whom he had known since his youth in Cleveland, when he would accompany him during visits there. After settling in Eretz Yisroel, Rav Kook would consult with him on matters large and small, and he later received an enthusiastic haskamah from Rav Bergman on his seforim.

Widely recognized as possessing deep insight into the human soul, Rav Kook devoted himself to guiding and supporting families—particularly in the United States—who remained in close telephone contact with him. He advised them on challenges in ruchniyus and shalom bayis, with many families crediting him with preserving their spiritual lives. He also served as a trusted address for American bochurim learning in Eretz Yisroel, who found in him a listening ear and steady guidance.

Over the years, he established the Shaarei Chesed – Yeshichena LaAcherim organization, which centralized the many personal and communal issues brought to him for counsel. He also published his sefer Siach Yitzchak, devoted to understanding the complexities of the human soul.

Despite his Torah stature and far-reaching influence, Rav Kook was known for his exceptional humility. He lived quietly, avoided public recognition, and did not seek honor, conducting himself with simplicity and modesty.

In recent weeks, he had been unwell. On Monday, he felt a sudden weakness and was rushed to the hospital, where he was niftar shortly thereafter.

He is survived by his sons, Rav Yehuda Kook, a rosh kollel in Bnei Brak, Rav Avraham Eliezer Kook, a rosh kollel in Petach Tikva, as well as additional sons and daughters.

The levayah took place Monday night at his home on Rechov Chevron in Bnei Brak, proceeding to the cemetery in Elad for kevurah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., criticized the Trump administration on Sunday for expanding federal law enforcement operations in Minneapolis, arguing that the effort wastes public money and instills fear in local neighborhoods even as the White House says it is intensifying actions against fraud and illegal immigration.

During an appearance on MS NOW with host Ayman Mohyeldin, Omar addressed the administration’s increased focus on immigration enforcement alongside investigations into a wide-ranging fraud case in Minnesota. She echoed Mohyeldin’s suggestion that officials were reacting to unfounded narratives and said Democrats were being unfairly portrayed.

“They are falling for this because it is a part of this PR that Democrats somehow condone this fraud and corruption,” she said.

Omar also pointed to the period when Elon Musk oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency, saying that effort failed to uncover wrongdoing while causing harm to vulnerable populations.

She further argued that the current administration has not produced new indictments tied to its fraud investigations in Minnesota, despite earlier cases that resulted in charges against dozens of defendants, many of whom were Somali.

“Again, I’m so exhausted in trying to ask, what any of this, you know, information has led to you finding any criminals that you have indicted, that explains why you are wasting so much of our taxpayer resources?” Omar said Sunday.

The Minnesota congresswoman went on to directly criticize the visible presence of federal agents in the state, saying the scale of enforcement has had a damaging effect on residents.

“And also terrorizing our communities in the amount of federal law enforcement agents that you have in the streets of our city and our state,” she said. “There needs to be some sort of justification, and every single case that they have, you know, put in front of us has been a case that has been investigated or adjudicated under the Biden administration.”

Omar’s comments came as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the federal government is deploying additional agents to Minnesota. The move follows rising tensions after last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation.

Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Noem said DHS plans to send hundreds more personnel to Minneapolis to ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents can operate safely.

“If they conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that’s a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences,” she said, referring to confrontations between protesters and federal officers outside an ICE facility and the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building over the weekend.

Demonstrations have since spread beyond Minnesota to cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and New York. The protests erupted after Good was killed in the incident, which DHS claims occurred when she “weaponized her vehicle” and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.” Supporters of Good dispute that account, saying she was trying to flee and that the ICE agent used excessive force.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. stock market hit another record high, with both the Dow and S&P 500 closing at historic peaks.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a sharp warning to the United States this week amid widening anti-government protests and escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump, choosing to deliver his message through an unusual channel — his Russian-language account on X — a move analysts say highlights Tehran’s deepening alignment with Moscow as pressure on the regime grows.

In a Jan. 11 post written in Russian, Khamenei declared, “The United States today is miscalculating in its approach toward Iran.” Several hours later, he followed up with another Russian-language message cautioning that the United States had already suffered setbacks due to past “miscalculations” and would face them again as a result of “erroneous planning.”

Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security and an associate fellow at Chatham House, said the decision to use Russian was revealing, even if the wording itself was awkward.

“This is bad Russian,” Svetlova told Fox News Digital. “It seems that it’s translated by Google Translate, not by a human being.” Nonetheless, she said the choice to communicate via Khamenei’s Russian-language platform aligns with the increasingly close relationship between Tehran and Moscow.

The comments came as unrest inside Iran continues to intensify. According to HRANA, a human rights group monitoring the demonstrations, at least 544 people have been killed during protests across the country, with dozens more cases still being examined. The opposition group NCRI has asserted that the true death toll exceeds 3,000, though confirming figures has been difficult due to sweeping internet restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities.

President Donald Trump has been vocal in condemning the violence. Asked whether Iran had crossed a red line, Trump responded, “They’re starting to, it looks like. And they seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders, or just they rule through violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously,” he said Sunday while speaking aboard Air Force One.

“We’re looking at some very strong options,” he added.

Iranian officials have rejected Washington’s criticism, accusing the United States of meddling in Iran’s internal affairs and warning that any American military action would prompt retaliation against U.S. forces and allies throughout the region.

At the same time, Tehran has indicated it does not want to sever diplomatic contacts entirely. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that lines of communication remain open between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Axios separately reported that Araghchi reached out to Witkoff over the weekend following Trump’s warnings about potential military steps.

Despite those contacts, analysts say Khamenei’s decision to address Washington in Russian underscores where Iran believes its strongest strategic backing lies.

Russia has emerged as a crucial partner for Tehran, particularly as Moscow depends on Iranian-made drones and other military hardware in its war against Ukraine. That reliance, Svetlova said, means instability inside Iran could have serious repercussions for the Kremlin.

“I think that could be a dramatic effect, because they do depend on Iran — specifically military production, the drones and ballistic missiles,” she said. “They need them to continue their war against Ukraine.”

The relationship has not been without tension inside Iran. Svetlova noted that after the 12-day war with Israel, many Iranians voiced anger at Moscow for failing to offer meaningful support.

“There was a lot of criticism in Iran against Russia that it did not come to help,” she said. “It didn’t reach out. It didn’t do anything, basically.”

Even so, she said Russia’s narrowing list of allies leaves it with few alternatives. With longtime partners weakened or removed, including Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Moscow has grown increasingly dependent on Tehran, even as it has largely avoided commenting on the protests shaking Iran.

In that context, Svetlova said, Khamenei’s Russian-language warning appears intended as a message both to Washington and to Moscow — signaling that Iran views its standoff with the United States as part of a shared front with President Vladimir Putin.

{Matzav.com}

On the final day of voting in the New Jersey Legislature’s current two-year session, Assemblyman Avi Schnall successfully secured $750,000 in critical state funding for two vital organizations serving Lakewood and surrounding communities. The supplemental funding bill approved by the Legislature includes $500,000 for Tomchei Shabbos of Lakewood and $250,000 for Bridges. Tomchei Shabbos has […]

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Monday that his administration is not in talks with the U.S. government, a day after President Donald Trump threatened the Caribbean island in the wake of the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Díaz-Canel posted a flurry of brief statements on X after Trump suggested that Cuba “make a deal, BEFORE IT […]

A Republican lawmaker is moving to formally back President Donald Trump’s long-standing push to bring Greenland under U.S. control, introducing legislation that would begin the process toward making the Arctic territory the nation’s 51st state.

Rep. Randy Fine of Florida is unveiling a bill Monday that would give Trump authority “to take such steps as may be necessary” to acquire Greenland and advance it toward incorporation into the United States.

“I think it is in the world’s interest for the United States to exert sovereignty over Greenland,” Fine said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

He stressed that the measure would not bypass Congress’ constitutional role in statehood decisions. “Congress would still have to choose to make it a state, but this would simply authorize the president to do what he’s doing and say the Congress stands behind him. And then it would expedite it into becoming a state, but it would still be up to Congress about whether to do that.”

The renewed discussion comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he plans to meet with officials from Denmark this week to address issues related to Greenland.

Trump has openly promoted the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland dating back to his first term in the White House. He and other Republicans have repeatedly cited the island’s strategic military value, its location near Russia, and the presence of critical mineral resources as reasons the U.S. should seek control.

Fine echoed those strategic arguments while also asserting that U.S. governance would improve conditions for Greenland’s residents.

“Their poverty rate is high. Denmark hasn’t treated them well,” Fine said. “When war came to town, Denmark couldn’t protect them. Guess who protected Greenland during World War II? We did.”

Although many Republicans say they understand Trump’s rationale for pursuing Greenland, some in the party expressed unease earlier this month after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to rule out the potential use of military force to obtain the island.

When asked whether he would support military action, Fine emphasized a non-coercive approach. “I think the best way to acquire Greenland is voluntarily.”

He further argued that Greenland’s internal governance and economic conditions make U.S. involvement preferable. “The poverty rate in Greenland is much, much higher than it is in Denmark. The country is run by socialists, and it is not in America’s interests to have a territory that large between the United States and Russia run by socialists,” Fine said.

Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the authority to admit new states. The process generally involves lawmakers first approving legislation to establish a territory, followed by the drafting of a state constitution that must be ratified by local residents.

After that step, Congress must pass another vote to formally admit the new state, with the process completed only once the legislation is signed by the president.

{Matzav.com}

Concrete barriers going up outside the Minneapolis federal building that houses ICE headquarters amid ongoing confrontations between federal agents and protesters.

Spanish police have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure on the high seas, intercepting a vessel carrying around 11 US tons of the drug concealed in a shipment of salt en route from Brazil to Europe, police said

Former Republican strategist Stuart Stevens slammed Vice President JD Vance on Sunday, claiming Vance believes he must take extreme and controversial positions in order to advance within today’s Republican Party. Appearing on Alex Witt Reports on MSNBC, Stevens — who served as chief strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign — was asked whether he […]

Israeli police in recent weeks have begun advancing an internal process to examine alternatives to the controversial “skunk water” liquid used to disperse Hafganos, amid sustained public criticism and claims of harm to protesters and local residents, according to a report by Ynet. Police officials have reportedly been presented with a range of alternative crowd-control […]

Sec. of War Pete Hegseth said the reason they haven’t sunk any narco-terrorist boats recently is because they cant find any boats to sink.

Police on Monday afternoon arrested three Palestinians who attacked a shepherd in the Mikneh Avraham hill area in Gush Etzion. The shepherd sustained light injuries. IDF forces, together with officers from the Etzion police station and Yassam riot police from the Chetz unit, arrived at the scene. Shortly later, the three suspects—Palestinian residents of the […]

A man accused of driving a U-Haul truck into a crowd demonstrating in support of the Iranian people in Los Angeles over the weekend was in police custody and potentially facing assault charges, authorities said Monday. The driver has not been identified and was in the process of being arrested and booked early Monday, said […]

Secretary Burgum: “The price of energy is baked into everything… and this administration’s committed to winning this war on inflation that was ignited by the Biden administration. President Trump is winning that war, and we want to keep winning that war—and the one way we do that is make sure that we’ve got affordable, reliable, […]