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The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Daniel Grand, an Orthodox Jewish resident of University Heights, Ohio, who is challenging city officials after they ordered him to stop hosting tefillah gatherings in his home without first obtaining a permit. The case could have far-reaching consequences for home minyanim, home shiurim, and other private religious gatherings across the country.

“Every American has the right to host a prayer gathering in his home, and he certainly doesn’t need a city permit to do so,” Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch said in a news release. “When government officials forbid that, courts must hold those individuals accountable, immediately. The city’s actions underscore a troubling trend of weaponizing zoning laws against people of faith while allowing other gatherings of the same size, like book clubs or poker nights, to meet without issue. We’re pleased the Supreme Court will hear this case.”

The Supreme Court has not yet announced when it will hear oral arguments. The Court’s annual term begins on the first Monday in October and generally concludes in late June or early July.

Grand is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom together with the San Francisco law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. The legal team filed its petition urging the Supreme Court to take up the case on May 28.

A broad coalition of religious and legal organizations has also thrown its support behind Grand by filing amicus curiae briefs. Those organizations include the National Jewish Advocacy Center, the Manhattan Institute, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, the Orthodox Union, the National Council of Young Israel, and the American Center for Law and Justice.

Grand has repeatedly emphasized that the case extends well beyond the Orthodox Jewish community and could affect the religious freedoms of Americans of all faiths.

“This is not just a Jewish thing,” Grand previously told Cleveland Kesher. “Would it impact the Jewish people in a good way if we prevail in the Supreme Court? Yes. Would it impact the Christian prayer groups? Yes. Bible study? Yes. It’ll have a major impact for anyone who wants to do what they’re allowed to do by the Constitution, but really by their creator, which is talk to God. This is just about talking to God. We have to bring God back into the home. So, I simply want to have God in my home with a few of my friends. And I was stopped from doing that. That in itself is unconstitutional.”

Grand, who moved to University Heights in 2017, filed suit against the city and then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan on September 9, 2022, alleging violations of his constitutional rights. The lawsuit names Brennan in both his official and personal capacities.

Also named as defendants are Luke McConville, who served as the city’s law director, and Paul Siemborski, a member of the University Heights Planning Commission, both in their individual capacities.

The dispute centers on the city’s zoning regulations. As an Orthodox Jew, Grand is obligated to daven three times each day with a minyan. Rather than walking to a shul for every tefillah, he sought to hold a minyan in his own home.

According to court filings, Grand emailed approximately a dozen neighbors on January 19, 2021, inviting them to join him for a minyan at his home on Miramar Boulevard and encouraging them to bring others if they wished. Grand’s complaint states that later that month, Brennan confronted him about the gatherings.

According to the lawsuit, Brennan telephoned Grand on January 21, 2021, and informed him that he could not hold religious gatherings in his home unless he first obtained a special-use permit under Chapter 1274 of the University Heights Zoning Code.

Although Grand initially applied for a special-use permit in 2021 to classify his home as “a place of religious assembly,” he later withdrew the application.

The federal district court ruled against Grand on September 30, 2024. That decision was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals on November 13, 2025, leaving the city’s restrictions in place.

The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case now places the dispute before the nation’s highest court. Its eventual ruling could establish an important precedent not only for home minyanim, but also for home shiurim, tefillah gatherings, and private religious assemblies of many different faiths throughout the United States.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Moshe Maya, senior member of Shas’ Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, on Tuesday sharply distanced himself from inflammatory remarks directed at IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir during Monday night’s protest rally in Bnei Brak, saying such language is inconsistent with the values of the Torah.

In a special public statement issued following the controversy, Rav Maya stressed that while the rally’s purpose—to protest the treatment of lomdei Torah and opposition to enforcement of the draft law—was important, the language used by one of the speakers was inappropriate.

Opening his letter with the words, “Deracheha darchei noam v’chol nesivoseha shalom,” Rav Maya wrote, “I was deeply pained to hear the remarks that were made against the chief of staff during last night’s important rally protesting the humiliation of lomdei Torah.”

His statement marked a clear rebuke of the comments, which sparked widespread political and public criticism.

Rav Maya went on to emphasize that such rhetoric has no place in authentic Torah conduct, writing unequivocally, “This is not the way of the Torah to speak in such a manner.”

He concluded his statement by expressing appreciation for Israel’s soldiers, writing, “We customarily pray at every hotzaas Sefer Torah, on Shabbos and weekdays alike, for the success of the soldiers who sacrifice themselves for the safety of Am Yisroel.”

Rav Maya signed the letter with the words, “Written and signed for the honor of the Torah and those who toil in it, and with great appreciation for the soldiers.”

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance outlined the Trump administration’s objectives in its negotiations with Iran while defending President Donald Trump’s strategy of combining diplomacy with the credible threat of military action during an interview on The Michael Knowles Show.

Vance said the administration’s central goal is to secure a comprehensive agreement that permanently eliminates Iran’s nuclear program through enforceable commitments and rigorous international oversight.

“There are a few things that we want,” the Vice President explained. “We want durable commitments that are verifiable and backed up by inspections that Iran will denuclearize their entire country.”

He also expressed frustration with what he described as Iran’s contradictory messaging regarding the negotiations. Although Iranian officials have publicly denied holding peace talks with the United States, technical discussions are nonetheless scheduled to take place in Qatar.

“One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is they’ll say, no, no, no, there aren’t peace talks ongoing, but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal,” said Vance.

“It’s like, okay. So it’s a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don’t understand, but that is the way that the Iranians have done this,” he added.

JD Vance on Iran:

One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is they'll say, "No, no, there aren't peace talks ongoing," but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal.

It's a Persian negotiating tactic… pic.twitter.com/eNd8t15TTl

— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 30, 2026

Addressing critics who favor an expanded military campaign against Iran, Vance argued that simply calling for additional airstrikes without a defined objective is not a sound strategy. He said Trump’s approach is to employ military force only when it advances a specific goal.

The Vice President also responded to critics who advocate for continued strikes on Iran, saying their “attitude is just drop bombs and drop bombs and drop bombs, and they can’t really articulate to what end.”

“What the President is saying, ‘I’m willing to drop bombs’, and he’s clearly shown that he’s willing to drop bombs, but only if it serves an objective,” explained Vance.

Iran insisted on Monday that its representatives would not be meeting with American officials in Qatar. Tehran maintained that while a delegation of technical experts would travel to Doha to discuss implementation of the memorandum of understanding with the United States, there would be no direct talks between the two sides.

Later that day, however, President Trump told reporters that the anticipated meetings with Iranian officials in Qatar would be “perhaps important, perhaps not”.

Subsequent reports indicated that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was traveling to Doha to participate in the discussions with Iranian representatives.

The diplomatic efforts follow heightened military tensions over the weekend, when U.S. forces launched two strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran allegedly violated the ceasefire.

On Saturday night, Trump warned that continued violations could trigger a much broader American military response.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!” Trump wrote.

He added, “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF has detected growing evidence that Hamas is rebuilding its military infrastructure and preparing for another confrontation with Israel, according to an internal military presentation disclosed Tuesday evening by Channel 13 News.

The presentation outlines a series of developments observed in the Gaza Strip in recent months, detailing what Israeli officials believe are significant efforts by the Hamas terrorist organization to restore and strengthen its military capabilities.

According to the report, Hamas has placed renewed emphasis on training members of its elite Nukhba force while simultaneously stepping up recruitment efforts. The document states that the organization is actively recruiting young men between the ages of 18 and 22 to replenish its ranks.

The intelligence assessment also indicates that Hamas has resumed producing military equipment on a large scale. According to the presentation, the group is manufacturing hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rockets each month. At the same time, it is working to increase the flow of smuggled materials into Gaza, including drone components and other military hardware brought in through various channels.

The report further states that Hamas has begun circulating operational plans in anticipation of renewed fighting. Israeli officials reportedly believe the terrorist organization is making substantial progress in restoring capabilities that were degraded during the war and is taking concrete steps to prepare for future combat.

As Hamas rebuilds, IDF forces continue operating along the Gaza security buffer, known as the “Yellow Line.” The zone is intended to keep terrorist threats away from Israeli communities near the border and prevent Hamas and other terrorist groups from reestablishing positions close to Israeli territory.

Channel 13 also reported that Israel’s political and military leadership has not held any special high-level discussions on the situation in Gaza in recent days. According to the report, the United States has also informed Israel that, for now, there is no international backing for launching another large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.

{Matzav.com}

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Tuesday for member nations to provide an additional $100 million to keep the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) operating, warning that the organization is facing a severe financial crisis that threatens its ability to continue functioning, Reuters reported.

Speaking before a special UN General Assembly pledging conference, Guterres said UNRWA is confronting mounting financial shortfalls while also operating under significant restrictions, creating what he described as an increasingly dire situation for the agency.

For years, the United States was UNRWA’s largest contributor. That changed in January 2024, when Washington suspended funding after Israel presented evidence alleging that approximately a dozen UNRWA employees took part in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre.

Several other major donor countries also temporarily paused their contributions while the United Nations conducted a review of the allegations. Most of those governments have since resumed funding the agency.

Guterres said the agency’s financial condition now poses a serious threat to its ability to carry out the mission that the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly renewed just six months ago.

“They cannot keep going like this without urgent backing and financial support from member states,” Guterres said, according to Reuters, claiming that the agency had taken decisive steps to implement reforms and update its policy on outside and political activities following Israel’s revelations.

Defending the organization, Guterres described UNRWA as an essential source of regional stability and dismissed ongoing criticism of the agency.

“UNRWA is a stabilizing force in an age of instability,” he said, rejecting what he called continued efforts to undermine the agency through “disinformation, smear campaigns, legislative actions, operational restrictions, diplomatic roadblocks and more.”

According to Reuters, UNRWA has already reduced its operating hours by 20 percent this year, cut salaries for locally hired employees, and left approximately 15 percent of its international administrative positions vacant as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures. Guterres cautioned that > “Any further cuts could push conditions past the breaking point.”

After Israel accused UNRWA employees of involvement in the October 7 attack, the United Nations appointed an independent review panel led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to examine the allegations. The panel concluded that it had identified “neutrality-related issues” within the agency but stated that Israel had not provided evidence supporting claims that large numbers of UNRWA staff belonged to terrorist organizations.

Despite extensive evidence presented by Israel alleging deep connections between UNRWA and Hamas, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel must permit humanitarian assistance to enter the Gaza Strip through UN agencies, including UNRWA. Israel and the United States both sharply criticized that decision.

{Matzav.com}

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A well-known rav in Netanya was murdered early Wednesday morning after an assailant entered his bais medrash and stabbed him multiple times. Large numbers of police officers and emergency personnel rushed to the scene as the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.

The attack occurred on Rechov Shimon Bar Yochai in Netanya. Authorities have launched a homicide investigation and are searching for the suspect, whose identity and motive have not yet been disclosed.

Magen David Adom received the initial emergency call at approximately 5:45 a.m. reporting a man who had suffered serious stab wounds.

MDA paramedics and EMTs arrived at the scene and found the rav suffering from multiple penetrating injuries. While performing prolonged resuscitation efforts, they transported him to Laniado Hospital in critical condition. Despite the doctors’ efforts, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Senior MDA motorcycle unit EMT Maor Brantz and MDA EMT Yonatan Yankelvitz described the harrowing scene.

“We found the victim unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, suffering from severe penetrating injuries to his body. We immediately began lifesaving medical treatment, including prolonged resuscitation efforts, and evacuated him to the hospital in critical condition while fighting to save his life.”

Police remained at the scene throughout the morning, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses as the investigation into the shocking murder continued. Authorities have not yet released additional details regarding the suspect or a possible motive.

{Matzav.com}

The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted down a second effort by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to direct U.S. military operations in Lebanon, rejecting the measure by a vote of 235-189 as negotiations involving Israel, Lebanon, and Iran continue.

The resolution, H.Con.Res. 108, invoked Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution and sought to require the president to withdraw U.S. armed forces “from any hostilities in Lebanon” within seven days. The proposal, however, preserved ongoing security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and allowed continued protection of U.S. diplomatic facilities.

Tlaib’s first attempt to pass similar legislation, H.Con.Res. 84, was overwhelmingly defeated on June 4 by a vote of 324-92. Democratic leaders opposed that version, arguing its broader requirement to remove U.S. forces “from Lebanon” could inadvertently force the withdrawal of American troops assigned to protect the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

The revised resolution won the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks of New York. Even so, 22 Democrats voted against the measure, while two Republicans broke with their party to support it.

Speaking to fellow lawmakers on Monday, Tlaib argued that the legislation was intended to halt American involvement in Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.

She said the vote was about “immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli government’s violent assault against the people of Lebanon,” accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing and territory expansion” through its bombing campaign in the south.

Meeks defended the updated resolution, saying it addressed the concerns that doomed the earlier proposal and would help prevent the United States from becoming entangled in another prolonged conflict. He also said that, to his knowledge, American forces are not currently participating in combat alongside Israeli troops in Lebanon.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., sharply criticized the measure, arguing that it would undermine efforts to achieve peace by benefiting Hezbollah.

Calling the resolution “a win for terrorists,” Mast said it protected the one group continuing to obstruct a diplomatic resolution.

“Hezbollah is the one holdout that is standing in the way of peace between Israel and Lebanon,” Mast said. “The Lebanese government wants the fighting to stop. Israel wants the fighting to stop.”

The vote came amid intensified diplomatic efforts following last week’s agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which links an Israeli military withdrawal to Hezbollah’s disarmament. The Iran-backed terrorist organization has thus far rejected that condition. At the same time, Iran and Hezbollah have insisted that a complete Israeli withdrawal is a prerequisite for finalizing the broader U.S.-Iran framework aimed at ending the conflict.

Because H.Con.Res. 108 is a concurrent resolution, it is nonbinding and would not have required President Trump’s signature even if it had been approved by Congress.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump recently considered the possibility of launching a renewed large-scale military campaign against Iran but has, for now, decided to continue pursuing diplomacy, according to U.S. officials familiar with internal discussions who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, Trump held multiple meetings with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine to examine potential military options. While those conversations included plans for possible new operations, the president ultimately opted to continue giving negotiations a chance.

Officials familiar with the deliberations said the discussions included whether the United States should abandon the current diplomatic process in favor of a broad military offensive. Some within the administration characterized such an approach as “finishing the job.”

Despite keeping military action on the table, Trump reportedly told senior advisers that launching a major bombing campaign now could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts and undermine the broader goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The president has also signaled that he is prepared to allow negotiations to continue beyond the August 18 deadline that had been set for reaching a nuclear agreement, believing that additional time could improve the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough.

In the meantime, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is comfortable authorizing limited, targeted strikes against Iranian assets if Tehran breaches the existing agreements. That approach was put to the test over the weekend, when a series of confrontations threatened the fragile ceasefire reached just two weeks earlier.

Although military contingency planning is a routine part of Pentagon operations under any administration, the newspaper reported that these recent discussions underscore Trump’s effort to balance diplomacy with the credible threat of force. Administration officials acknowledged that a return to full-scale conflict would effectively amount to an admission that the administration’s widely promoted peace initiative had failed.

One administration official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump’s preference remains focused on diplomacy, adding that Iranian leaders would be well served by reaching an agreement with the United States. Neither Hegseth nor Caine commented on the private meetings.

The report comes on the heels of weekend clashes in which U.S. forces twice struck Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran allegedly violated the ceasefire.

On Saturday night, Trump cautioned that the United States could be compelled to “militarily complete the job” if Iran continued violating the ceasefire.

By Monday, however, the president announced that American and Iranian officials would meet in Qatar, despite earlier statements from Iran denying that such talks would take place.

Later reports indicated that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was traveling to Doha to participate in the meetings with Iranian representatives.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Tuesday night that he intends to form a broad national coalition after the upcoming election, making clear that the chareidi parties would be welcome partners and declaring that he has “zero boycotts” against any legitimate political allies.

Speaking in an interview on Channel 14’s The Patriots with Yinon Magal, Netanyahu discussed his vision for Israel’s next government, his ongoing criminal trial, the toll public life has taken on his family, and the country’s political future.

Asked whether his next coalition would include the chareidi parties and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, Netanyahu responded unequivocally.

“Of course. I want a broad national government. It’s not a spin. I want to bring about a broad national government, and in these elections it will either be a broad national government led by me, or a narrow left-wing government led by Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan.”

He added, “I accept everyone who is relevant. Zero boycotts.”

Netanyahu also addressed the corruption trial against him, arguing that the prosecution’s case has steadily unraveled.

“This case collapsed years ago when the judges said there was no bribery,” he said. “This will also collapse—you’ll see. There’s nothing there. The judges tried to push for a plea bargain, but I didn’t give in. I’m on a mission.”

He noted that he has already testified 98 times and maintained that the proceedings have failed to substantiate the allegations against him.

Explaining why he previously sought to end the trial, Netanyahu argued that the legal proceedings have deepened divisions within Israeli society.

“The trial tore the nation apart,” he said, claiming it fueled political boycotts, intensified the country’s political instability, and contributed to Israel’s repeated election cycles.

The prime minister also spoke about the personal burden his family has borne throughout his years in office.

He described an incident involving his wife, Sarah Netanyahu, who works as a psychologist in Jerusalem’s religious school system. According to Netanyahu, she spent hours supporting the family of a critically ill woman at Ichilov Hospital, helping them through their final moments with their mother and later assisting the children after the woman’s passing.

At the very same time, he said, demonstrators were gathered outside their home, carrying balloons and issuing threats.

“There were balloons and threats to murder her, and sometimes me as well,” he said.

When Magal asked whether the intense public hostility directed toward him affects him personally, Netanyahu acknowledged that attacks on his family have been especially painful.

“It affects me very much when Sarah, my sons, and everyone around me are hurt. It leaves emotional scars,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said his sense of purpose enables him to continue.

“I’m flesh and blood, but I’m on a mission, and that is stronger than everything. It does affect me, but the mission is stronger than anything else.”

Concluding the interview, Netanyahu said Israel faces critical national challenges that require unity and focus, while reiterating his belief that the legal proceedings against him should come to an end.

“We are facing much greater missions. We need to unite the people. The divisions are deep, and I know what missions and opportunities lie before us. I want to move the country forward. The trial needs to end,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The family of Rav Aryeh Yazdi says he has no intention of apologizing for or retracting the controversial remarks he made about IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir during Monday night’s protest rally in Bnei Brak, despite widespread condemnation from political and rabbinic leaders.

In comments to Israeli media, the rav’s wife and family defended his statements while acknowledging the public backlash. According to his wife, “The rav does not intend to apologize.”

The controversy erupted after Rav Yazdi referred to Zamir during the rally as, “Cursed, may his name and memory be erased.” The remarks drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, including from Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, the Shas party, and senior Shas leader Rav Moshe Maya.

Rav Yazdi’s eldest son, Rav Yehuda Yazdi, said his father’s words stemmed from deep personal anguish rather than hostility.

“My father lives entirely within the four cubits of halachah. He has no interest in the media. When he heard about a chareidi soldier who was placed in solitary confinement because of a ‘Moshiach’ patch, his heart simply broke.”

He insisted that the comments were motivated by concern over the treatment of bnei Torah and chareidi soldiers rather than politics or personal animosity.

“He cannot stand by when he hears what is happening to lomdei Torah and chareidi soldiers. My father has brought dozens of people closer to their Father in Heaven. He does not act out of hatred.”

Rav Yazdi himself said that his remarks had been a “slip of the tongue.” However, responding to the condemnations issued by the prime minister and Shas, he added, “They have done nothing for the bnei Torah.”

Seeking to ease tensions with Shas, Rav Yehuda Yazdi emphasized the family’s respect for the party’s leadership.

“We respect the representatives of Shas. If they have objections, they are welcome to speak with my father. The appearance that has been created is terrible.”

He also expressed confidence that his father’s longstanding friendship with the former Rishon LeTzion, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, would endure despite the controversy. Meanwhile, Rav Moshe Maya issued a public statement stressing, “This is not the way of the Torah to speak in such a manner.”

Sources close to Rav Yazdi said that he does not grant media interviews and said his speech at the rally had been delivered only after consultation with, and with the approval of, rabbanim.

“The remarks delivered at the rally were made after consultation and with the agreement of rabbanim. As a talmid of Maran Rav Shalom Cohen zt”l and Rav Shimon Baadani zt”l, he was asked to convey the message.”

Addressing reports about government funding received by his institutions, Rav Yehuda Yazdi rejected claims that his father personally benefits from significant public support.

“Contrary to the misleading reports, my father receives only about 600 shekels from the state for the kollel. The budgets that were publicized belong to the entire nonprofit organization, which operates many institutions, and not to my father’s institution.”

He concluded with a message of unity, saying, “The Jewish people need to love one another.”

His mother, however, made the family’s position unmistakably clear, declaring, “The rav will never retract the things he said.”

As previously reported, Shas issued an official statement condemning the remarks, saying the extreme comments “do not reflect the views of our rabbanim of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah” and are “contrary to the path of the Shas movement, which was bequeathed to us by Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zy”a.”

{Matzav.com}

The massive protest gathering held Monday night in Bnei Brak continues to generate public debate, as one of its principal organizers, Rav Shabtai Levi, explained the thinking behind the event, rejected attempts to turn it into a political demonstration, addressed the controversy over inflammatory remarks made during the rally, and spoke about what he described as the dangers facing bnei Torah who enter the military system.

In an interview with Yaakov Grodka on Kol Barama’s HaMahadura HaMerkazit, Rav Shabtai Levi, the rav of the Ramat Aharon neighborhood and head of the Halichos Moshe institutions, said the demonstration was organized to express solidarity with bnei Torah who have been arrested over military draft issues.

“We organized this entire protest because the public, and the entire Am Yisroel throughout the country, feels the pain of the bnei Torah,” Rav Levi said. “It is unbelievable that in the Holy Land young men are being arrested, and people cannot walk down the street without fearing that a police vehicle will stop them and hand them over. And for what offense? For learning Torah.”

Rav Levi argued that the military neither needs nor is suited for the chareidi community.

“The framework of the army is not suitable for us, and even the army personnel themselves say this—they do not want us and they have no need for us. After all, of everyone in the army, only about 20 percent are outstanding combat soldiers, while the rest wander around idle in the Kirya. So why do they insist? They intentionally want to assimilate us with them so that the bochur chareidi will ultimately become secular. It will never happen. The Torah of Israel sustains the world. Everyone must know that the true master of this country is not its political leaders but those who learn Torah, because without Torah the world cannot exist.”

Addressing reports that some participants tried to display signs criticizing Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, Rav Levi said he personally ordered the signs removed in order to preserve the gathering’s nonpolitical character.

“We announced from the outset that this rally was completely apolitical,” he said. “It began with mourning over the arrests and the humiliation of Torah. Imagine someone sitting on the floor on Tishah B’Av crying, and another person suddenly starts shouting against the prime minister—is that relevant? Two bochurim met me at one o’clock in the morning and asked why I ordered the signs against Deri removed. I told them, ‘Those signs have nothing to do with this event.’ This place is kodesh kodashim, and you do not bring the mundane into the holy.”

He also defended chareidi elected officials, saying they are working on behalf of the community even if they do not always succeed.

“I do not believe there is a single shaliach tzibbur representing the chareidi public who is not working and fighting for the community. Even if they do not succeed one hundred percent, success comes from Heaven. The fact is that all the members of Knesset and former ministers came personally to support the rally, because in our chareidi world we need only one thing—unity. The secular media behaves like a metzora—it sees a huge white wall and searches only for the tiny black spot. Someone held up a sticker, and we removed it immediately before it developed into something bigger.”

Rav Levi also addressed the controversy surrounding remarks delivered by another speaker during the rally, who used an inflammatory expression directed at the IDF chief of staff. The comments were later condemned by senior Shas leader Rav Moshe Maya.

“That is not a sentence I would have said, and had I known beforehand I would have told him not to say it, because that is not our way,” Rav Levi said. “But out of this enormous rally, to seize on one or two words spoken in the heat of the moment? After all, Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav Shteinman also spoke very sharply in their time against Lapid because of the decrees. The speaker did not, chas v’shalom, intend to harm the chief of staff personally or call for harm against him. He was protesting the concept of the General Staff—the idea that the military establishment becomes the ultimate authority instead of following Torah and religion. A word like that slipped out, but there is no need to make it into a major story. It is completely insignificant compared to the unity and the Kiddush Hashem that took place there.”

Later in the interview, Rav Levi described what he said are troubling conditions faced by chareidi recruits and detainees in the military system, explaining why, in his view, the traditional approach under which those not learning Torah entered military service is no longer viable.

“Fifty years ago there were not many yeshivos. Someone who was not suited for learning would enlist, and the greatest concern was that he might come out smoking cigarettes,” he said. “Today the situation is completely different. Today, if a bochur goes into the army, he comes out desecrating Shabbos. Why? Because everywhere, including the chareidi units, they forcibly bring in women soldiers. A bochur told me that while serving in a chareidi unit, he refused to look at a female soldier because of tznius, and they punished him with a full day in military detention without food because he ‘refused an order.’ Where has anyone ever heard of such a thing?”

Rav Levi also leveled serious allegations regarding the treatment of chareidi detainees in military prisons.

“A prominent rav told me that, systematically, inside the prison, female guards walk around without proper uniforms and half-dressed in violation of the regulations—and all for one purpose: to secularize the bochurim and make them abandon their beliefs. They place them in situations where they have no choice. That is why I say this: Someone who truly is not learning would be prepared to enlist, but on one condition—that there be a framework established according to the guidance of rabbanim, with the rabbanim responsible for preserving taharas hakodesh, and the army signing on to that arrangement. No rav would oppose such a framework. But the army simply is not willing, because their goal is not recruitment—their goal is to secularize us.”

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Republicans will gather in Dallas this September for what he described as the party’s first-ever midterm convention, a two-day event designed to showcase the accomplishments of his administration while rallying supporters ahead of the 2026 congressional elections.

The convention is scheduled for September 9 and 10, and Trump revealed the plans in a post on Truth Social, calling the gathering unprecedented in Republican Party history.

“For the first time ever, the Republican Party will hold a MIDTERM CONVENTION,” Trump wrote. “It will be in Dallas, Texas — One of my favorite places in the World. It will be fantastic! It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event.”

According to Trump, the convention will serve as a celebration of what he called the “Great American Comeback,” highlighting what he views as the achievements of both his administration and the American people under the America First agenda. He pointed to initiatives including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, strengthening border security, reducing costs, expanding domestic energy production, and creating jobs.

“We are going to celebrate the GREAT AMERICAN COMEBACK, and the incredible successes of the American People who transformed our Country through the America First Agenda,” Trump wrote before pointing to policies including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, stronger border security, lower costs, increased domestic energy production and more jobs.

Trump also pointed to falling energy prices while highlighting his administration’s efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“Oil Prices are dropping sharply, even as we Denuclearize Iran,” Trump wrote.

The president said attendees will include people from across the nation’s workforce and economy, including innovators, business leaders, manufacturers, first responders, and entrepreneurs. He also promised entertainment and said the gathering would culminate in what he described as “a RALLY like none other.”

The announcement comes as Republicans gear up for the 2026 midterm elections, when the party will seek to maintain control of its congressional majorities. Historically, the party occupying the White House often faces significant headwinds in midterm contests, placing added importance on voter enthusiasm and turnout.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said the Dallas event will highlight Trump’s record while energizing Republicans ahead of the election season.

“This historic Midterm Convention will highlight President Trump’s many accomplishments and unwavering commitment to restoring America,” Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters said in a statement. “This convention will be a Trumpapalooza, where we will showcase the America First agenda, which has delivered the largest tax cut in history and made communities safer. President Trump will unite Republicans around our shared vision, build momentum, and deliver an incredible convention for our Party.”

Trump concluded by connecting the convention to the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence, saying the event would help launch the country’s next chapter.

“America’s 250th Birthday is approaching, and together, we are building the foundation for the NEXT 250 YEARS of American Greatness,” he wrote. “Dallas will take center stage on September 9th and 10th as we celebrate our Nation, our achievements, and our bright future. THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!”

Israeli police on Tuesday night prevented a planned chareidi protest outside the home of Police Commissioner Danny Levy in Zichron Yaakov by setting up roadblocks at the entrances to the town. Some of the demonstrators subsequently changed course and gathered outside the home of a military judge in nearby Or Akiva.

According to reports, police established checkpoints at every entrance to Zichron Yaakov, stopping and inspecting vehicles in an effort to prevent protesters from reaching the commissioner’s residence. A minibus carrying demonstrators was identified and denied entry to the town. Police Commissioner Danny Levy was reportedly seen visiting officers stationed at the checkpoints during the operation.

Protest organizers said that one of the minibuses diverted to Or Akiva, where demonstrators assembled near the home of a military judge.

Earlier in the evening, the “Black Alert” hotline reported what it described as an attempt to hand over a chareidi draft evader to military authorities on the access road leading to Yerushalayim’s Biblical Zoo. The hotline urged supporters to rush to the scene. According to organizers, after large numbers of demonstrators arrived, the draft evader was released and was not transferred to the military police.

Meanwhile, as Matzav reported earlier, Vizhnitz is planning to hold a quiet protest Wednesday in the form of an atzeres tefillah outside the home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Organizers are reportedly seeking official police approval for the gathering.

{Matzav.com}

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has instructed Israel’s Education Ministry to prepare to revoke after-school program discounts for individuals subject to military conscription who fail to report for service, as part of the government’s expanding civil sanctions tied to draft enforcement.

In an update submitted to the High Court of Justice, Baharav-Miara said the new policy is expected to take effect beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. Because of the limited time remaining before the summer session begins, however, the change will not apply to this year’s School of the Great Vacation program.

The attorney general also reported that additional sanctions have yet to be implemented. According to the filing, Transportation Minister Miri Regev has delayed the cancellation of public transportation discounts for those subject to the draft, while the government’s failure to transfer authority over municipal property tax benefits to the Prime Minister’s Office has prevented the revocation of arnona discounts.

The update was filed as part of ongoing High Court proceedings concerning enforcement of Israel’s military conscription requirements. Baharav-Miara noted that in November 2025, the High Court ordered the government to adopt effective enforcement measures against individuals who failed to report for military service, including both criminal penalties and civil and economic sanctions, while ensuring that enforcement is applied fairly and proportionately. After petitioners argued that the government had failed to implement the ruling, they filed a motion seeking to hold the government in contempt of court.

The attorney general also noted that, following the High Court’s decisions, individuals subject to the draft have already been barred from participating in Israel’s subsidized housing lottery program, Dira B’Hanacha. The government is also examining whether to revoke the benefit from applicants currently on waiting lists from previous lottery rounds.

In addition, the Labor Ministry has announced plans to expand the denial of discounts for government-subsidized day care centers and after-school programs under its authority. The Education Ministry has now been instructed to prepare to implement the same policy for the Nitzanim after-school program, which operates primarily in communities with large chareidi populations.

The filing also included updated military recruitment figures. According to the government, approximately 80,000 draft notices were issued to chareidi candidates for military service during the 2024 and 2025 recruitment cycles. Of those who received notices, about 8,000 reported for induction procedures, while roughly 2,900 ultimately enlisted.

The attorney general’s office further stated that there are currently approximately 92,000 individuals who are either subject to military service or are in the process of being officially designated as having failed to report for duty. About 80 percent of them belong to the chareidi community.

Baharav-Miara argued that draft evasion among the general population is “a very limited phenomenon,” adding that most non-chareidi draft evasion cases represent an accumulation of individual cases spanning many years rather than a widespread current trend.

According to the filing, from the beginning of 2026 through June 14, prosecutors filed 294 indictments against individuals officially designated as having failed to report for military service, including 32 involving members of the chareidi community. In addition, between August 2025 and May 2026, 1,136 draft-eligible individuals were tried in military disciplinary proceedings, of whom 424 were chareidim.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli singer and composer Yonatan Razel celebrated a deeply emotional family simchah Monday night, as his daughter Rivki became engaged to Avraham Ben David in Givat Ze’ev just weeks after Razel made a remarkable recovery from a life-threatening stroke.

Razel had been hospitalized in serious condition several weeks ago after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. B’chasdei Shamayim, he recovered and was able to participate in the engagement celebration alongside his family and friends.

Those attending the joyous occasion described his presence as extraordinary, calling Razel “a walking miracle” in light of the dramatic recovery that allowed him to take part in his daughter’s special day.

About a week and a half ago, Razel was discharged from Yerushalayim’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center after spending several weeks hospitalized following the brain hemorrhage.

At the time of his release, the hospital said, “Thanks to the rapid and professional diagnosis and treatment Razel received immediately upon arriving at Shaare Zedek, together with the comprehensive care he received throughout his hospitalization, he has returned to normal, full functioning.”

The hospital added, “We congratulate Yonatan and his family on his discharge from the medical center and wish him complete health and continued creativity and contribution to our cultural world.”

Following his recovery, the Razel family issued a heartfelt statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support they received during the ordeal.

“We are filled with gratitude to Hashem for the open miracles He has performed for us. Thank you to the wonderful people of Israel for your prayers and concern for Yonatan’s well-being. And last, but certainly not least, our deepest thanks to the entire staff of Shaare Zedek Medical Center—the doctors and nurses—for their devoted care,” the family said.

{Matzav.com}

A heated Knesset committee session on the arrest of yeshivah bochurim erupted Tuesday when Shas MK Yinon Azoulay launched a blistering attack on Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon, accusing him and the attorney general of pushing Israel toward internal conflict.

Addressing Limon during the discussion, Azoulay charged that the legal establishment was deliberately targeting the chareidi community.

“If you could stop air and oxygen from reaching the chareidim and suffocate them—you would do it. That’s what you’re doing. You don’t care about anything,” Azoulay said.

The confrontation quickly escalated, with Azoulay warning that the policies being advanced by the Attorney General’s Office could have devastating consequences.

“You and your attorney general will bring about a civil war and bloodshed. The blood will be on your hands. Why are you smiling? You should be ashamed of yourselves!” he shouted at Limon.

The clash came amid ongoing political and legal battles over the arrest of yeshivah bochurim in connection with Israel’s military draft policies.

Earlier this month, Azoulay also singled out Limon as the driving force behind legal measures directed at the chareidi community.

“She is carrying out his agenda. He is the brain behind everything,” Azoulay said. “The only thing running through his backbone is hatred—hatred for chareidim, the right, and Netanyahu.”

Azoulay also criticized what he described as the Attorney General’s Office’s unwillingness to engage with lawmakers.

“When we confronted the attorney general, she got up and left,” he said. “They are incapable of dealing with these issues face to face. When they come to the Knesset, the home of the people of Israel, they need to understand that they will not feel comfortable. The goal is for them to understand that there is a legislature, and the legislature has spoken.”

The disruption to genizah collection services in Bnei Brak came to an end Tuesday after the financial dispute that had halted operations was resolved, allowing collection crews to return to work and preventing what officials feared could have become both a serious sanitation problem and a ruchniyus concern.

Collection teams from the city’s Vaad HaGenizah resumed removing genizah bags and emptying collection stations throughout Bnei Brak with reinforced crews, restoring the system to normal operation after several days of inactivity.

The shutdown began after municipal inspectors issued substantial parking fines to the collection trucks. According to reports, the penalties led to liens being placed on the operating organization’s bank accounts, forcing it to suspend collection services.

According to information obtained by Matzav.com, the outstanding debt stemming from the parking tickets was ultimately paid in full. Once payment was received, the lien on the Vaad HaGenizah‘s account was lifted, enabling the trucks to resume their regular routes.

Representatives of the Vaad HaGenizah, however, continue to maintain that the matter had been handled through direct understandings with the mayor’s office in an effort to prevent the collapse of the city’s genizah collection system.

Whatever the precise resolution, the immediate impact for Bnei Brak residents is that the crisis has been resolved. Collection trucks are now working to clear the backlog that accumulated during the shutdown, restoring proper disposal of genizah materials and helping preserve both the cleanliness of the city and the kavod due to sifrei kodesh.

{Matzav.com}