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Religious Zionist activists demonstrated near the entrance to Yerushalayim on Monday evening after 16 Givati Brigade soldiers were sentenced to military jail for refusing to participate in an operational mission in Gaza because a female paramedic was assigned to accompany them.

The demonstration was held near the Chords Bridge, where protesters intermittently blocked roads leading into Yerushalayim. Police officers were deployed to clear the roadways, restore public order and keep traffic moving through the heavily traveled area.

The controversy began last week when a group of soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion refused orders to report for an operational mission in the Gaza Strip after learning that a female paramedic would be riding with them in their Namer armored personnel carrier. The mission was subsequently canceled, and commanders launched an investigation into the incident.

Throughout Monday evening, police reported repeated disturbances near the Chords Bridge as protesters periodically entered and blocked traffic lanes, including roads leading into Yerushalayim. Authorities said the disruptions interfered with traffic and the daily routine of motorists in the area.

At one point, according to police, demonstrators surrounded the vehicle of an elderly man and prevented him from continuing on his way. Officers moved in to disperse the protesters around the vehicle and enabled the driver to proceed.

Police forces remained at the scene as the demonstration continued, working to remove protesters from the roadways, maintain public order and ensure that traffic could continue flowing through the entrance to Yerushalayim.

The protest followed disciplinary proceedings against the 16 Givati soldiers involved in the refusal. Five soldiers identified as having led the incident were sentenced to 10 days in military jail, while another 11 soldiers received five-day sentences.

The IDF said the punishments were determined according to each soldier’s level of involvement in the incident. The battalion commander personally conducted the disciplinary proceedings against the soldiers.

In addition, two of the five soldiers who received 10-day sentences will be required to undergo an evaluation committee before being permitted to return to combat duty.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz has approved IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir’s recommendation to appoint Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next commander of the IDF Central Command, part of a sweeping round of senior military appointments announced Monday.

Bar Kalifa is expected to replace Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and assume command sometime in 2027. The precise date of the transition will be determined based on the operational situation at the time.

The appointment was finalized during a broad personnel meeting chaired Monday by Zamir, during which numerous changes were approved across the IDF’s senior and field-command ranks. Bar Kalifa’s selection had been anticipated after Katz said during an August interview with Channel 14’s “The Patriots” that he intended to appoint him to lead Central Command. Following Zamir’s recommendation, Katz has now formally approved the appointment.

The IDF’s maneuvering brigades will see extensive leadership changes. Col. Yonatan Meir will take command of the 7th Armored Brigade, Col. Tal Elkobi will command the 188th Armored Brigade, Col. Bar Bashan will take over the Givati Brigade, Col. Eitan Gilad will command the Nahal Brigade, and Col. Ran Friedman will become commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.

Col. Shimon Siso will be appointed commander of the Commando Brigade, while Col. Nir Ifergan will take command of the Kfir Brigade. Col. Efrat Kikuv will be appointed commander of the 282nd Artillery Brigade, and Col. Niv Daube will take command of the Bnei Or Formation.

A number of new appointments were also approved for the IDF’s special operations units and Israeli Navy. Brig. Gen. R. will be appointed commander of the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Special Operations Division. In the Navy, Col. O. will take command of Shayetet 13, Col. B. will become commander of the submarine flotilla, and Col. V. will command the missile boat flotilla. Col. Aviel Balhassan will become head of the Ground Forces Training Department.

The military also announced several senior appointments involving logistics and strategic planning. Brig. Gen. Chai Kfir Magnazi will become chief of staff of the Technology and Logistics Directorate. Col. Elad Benano Zion will be promoted to brigadier general and appointed head of the Logistics Division, while Col. Avi Malka will also be promoted to brigadier general and take command of the IDF’s central supply center.

Col. Yonatan Schneider will similarly be promoted and appointed head of the Tevel Division in the Planning Directorate.

Changes were also approved within the IDF’s regional commands. Col. Anan Fares will become operations officer for Southern Command, while Col. Dvir Avraham Diamond will assume the corresponding position in Northern Command.

At General Staff headquarters, Col. O. will be appointed head of the Operational Planning Department in the Operations Directorate, Col. Y. will head the Planning Department in the Planning Directorate, and Col. Regina Azulai will become head of the Organization Department in the Planning Directorate.

Col. Meir Azulai will be appointed head of the Logistics and Operations Department in the Technology and Logistics Directorate. Col. Roi Nadler will become head of the Medical Department and deputy chief medical officer, while Col. Assaf Shlomo Gabai will take command of the IDF’s Afek Command and Staff Course.

The latest appointments also include Col. Adniram Sharabi as commander of the School of Military Engineering and Col. Daniel Kreuzman in a command position within the IDF’s training system.

The personnel meeting additionally approved several officers for academic studies in Israel and abroad, along with further promotions and appointments in the Israeli Air Force, Navy and General Staff directorates. The remaining appointments agreed upon during the meeting still require final approval from the defense minister.

A woman armed with two knives fatally stabbed another woman and critically wounded a man in Times Square Monday afternoon before she was shot and killed by police after allegedly refusing officers’ commands to drop the weapons, according to the NYPD.

The stabbing victim and the suspected attacker both later died from their injuries, police sources said.

A male victim who was also stabbed during the attack remained hospitalized in critical condition, according to police.

Authorities said the incident unfolded at approximately 4:26 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square. Police described the suspect as a woman who appeared to be emotionally disturbed and said she was threatening people while carrying two knives.

The woman allegedly attacked the male and female victims before running north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, authorities said.

Officers confronted the armed woman near the substation and ordered her to put down the knives, but police said she refused to comply.

Approximately one minute after the stabbing was reported, at 4:27 p.m., officers opened fire, striking the woman.

Emergency personnel rushed to treat those injured in the violence. The female stabbing victim and the woman shot by police were subsequently pronounced dead, while the wounded man was listed in critical condition.

The incident was initially reported to authorities as a robbery involving a knife. Investigators, however, later said they did not believe robbery was the motive.

Police now believe the woman was emotionally disturbed and said investigators have not identified any clear motive for the attack.

The violence prompted a major police response in one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist districts as investigators worked to secure the scene and determine exactly what led to the deadly confrontation.

Authorities closed traffic between West 42nd Street and West 47th Street while the investigation remained underway.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is expected to welcome a high-level delegation of American rebbes and a rosh yeshiva to the Oval Office on Thursday for a pre-Rosh Hashanah meeting focused on religious liberty, the independence of yeshivos, antisemitism and other issues affecting Orthodox Jewish communities, sources involved in arranging the visit told Matzav.com.

The meeting is expected to take place around midday Thursday, Sept. 3, placing some of the most prominent rabbinic leaders in the country directly inside the Oval Office for a personal audience with the president.

The delegation is expected to include the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, who has now confirmed that he will personally make the trip to Washington; the Bobover Rebbe; the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Kiryas Yoel; and Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, a son of the Skverer Rebbe, is expected to attend as his father’s representative.

The precise makeup of the delegation has shifted during the planning process, and published reports have offered differing accounts of which leaders were initially invited and which ultimately intend to attend. One report said that both Satmar Rebbes had received invitations, while earlier plans also called for the Skverer Rebbe himself to participate. The Skverer Rebbe is now expected to be represented by his son.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, who had been traveling in Eretz Yisroel, has decided to travel to Washington and personally participate in the meeting, according to sources.

The gathering is being arranged as a pre-Rosh Hashanah visit and an opportunity for the rabbinic leaders to personally express their appreciation to Trump for policies they view as supportive of religious Americans and the Orthodox community in particular.

Sources involved in the planning say that the rabbonim are looking forward to extending their brachos to Trump ahead of Rosh Hashanah and thanking him for his administration’s approach toward religious liberty.

The delegation is also expected to use the rare Oval Office access to raise substantive communal concerns, chief among them the continuing battle over government interference in yeshiva education.

The leaders are expected to ask Trump to help protect the independence and integrity of yeshivos in New York and elsewhere, amid longstanding battles over attempts by state and local authorities to regulate curricula and impose secular-education requirements on private religious schools.

That issue has emerged in multiple reports as perhaps the principal domestic policy matter likely to be discussed. One source reported that people familiar with the planning described preserving the autonomy of chareidi education from New York State intervention as the central substantive concern behind the meeting.

The delegation is also expected to discuss the danger posed by antisemitism and ask the administration to continue using federal authority to protect Jewish communities and institutions from antisemitic violence.

The meeting has ostensibly been in development for months rather than being hastily arranged. White House Jewish liaison Martin Marks has been working on the gathering for several months and personally contacted invitees.

The format itself has undergone considerable discussion. Initial plans reportedly contemplated very brief individual encounters between Trump and each rabbinic leader, potentially lasting only a few minutes, while organizers have also been working on arranging a roundtable that would provide more time for a substantive conversation.

The White House has not yet publicly announced the gathering, and reports indicate that some logistical details remain subject to change.

The upcoming visit also comes amid intense attention surrounding the participation of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, who has publicly indicated that he intends to raise the plight of yeshiva bochurim in Eretz Yisroel facing the military draft.

According to sources, the Satmar Rebbe said over the weekend that he initially considered declining the White House invitation because of the timing in Elul, but decided that the opportunity to advocate on behalf of Jews facing difficulties warranted making the trip.

People familiar with the broader planning, however, have pushed back against portrayals of the Israeli draft controversy as the central purpose of the meeting. One source said that the official purpose is a Rosh Hashanah greeting and that other matters could arise during the conversation, while another account said the main domestic concern is protecting frum schools from government interference.

The visit also reflects a relationship between Trump and the American frum community that predates the current meeting.

In April, Trump hosted frum communal representatives at the White House for a Pesach gathering. Among those participating were representatives of Satmar and Skver, Agudath Israel of America executive vice president Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaploun and Tzedek Association founder Reb Moshe Margaretten. New Square Mayor Yisroel Meir Spitzer attended and conveyed greetings to Trump from the Skverer Rebbe.

Trump also sent a personal letter to the Skverer Rebbe in August 2025 in honor of the wedding of one of the rebbe’s great-grandchildren. The letter was delivered by Spitzer and other frum activists with ties to the administration.

The relationship stretches back further. In 2020, an array of leading American rebbes and roshei yeshiva signed a letter thanking Trump for his efforts on behalf of religious liberty. The signatories included both Satmar Rebbes, the Skverer Rebbe, the Bobover Rebbe and the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey.

Thursday’s gathering would bring that relationship into the Oval Office at a particularly significant moment, just days before Rosh Hashanah and as American Orthodox communities confront concerns ranging from the future of independent religious education to the continuing threat of antisemitism.

For the participants, sources say, the objective will be twofold: to convey their appreciation and brachos directly to the president and to use the extraordinary access to the nation’s highest office to advocate for the ability of American Jews to educate their children according to their religious traditions and to live openly and safely as Jews.

A man approximately 70 years old was found deceased in an apartment on Jabotinsky Street in Bnei Brak on Monday afternoon after neighbors noticed a strong odor coming from the residence and summoned emergency personnel.

ZAKA volunteers were dispatched to the apartment, where they discovered the man’s body in an advanced state of decomposition.

Avraham Stigel, a ZAKA team leader, and ZAKA volunteer Moti Deri, who worked at the difficult scene, described how the discovery was made.

“This was a man about 70 years old who was found in a state of decomposition by neighbors who smelled a strong odor and called emergency services,” they said.

“With the assistance of additional volunteers, we worked to preserve the dignity of the deceased and collect the findings, and we assisted the forensic investigators who were operating at the scene,” they added.

The body was subsequently transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for further examination and handling.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yigal Levinstein, head of the pre-military academy in Eli, sharply criticized the IDF’s integration policies following the controversy involving 16 religious soldiers in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion who objected to traveling in a confined armored vehicle together with a female paramedic.

In an interview on the “Central Edition” program, Rav Levinstein argued that the dispute is far broader than the circumstances surrounding the individual soldiers and is the result of years of IDF policies that have failed to adequately accommodate the religious requirements of observant troops.

“The damage they have done over the past fifteen years, without taking anyone into consideration, keeps creating more and more and more problems,” he said.

Rav Levinstein focused particularly on the IDF’s paramedic system, arguing that the military’s training structure has resulted in a shortage of male paramedics available to combat units. As a result, he said, religious soldiers can find themselves in situations during combat in which no alternative is available.

During the war, Rav Levinstein explained, such circumstances sometimes had to be accepted because of life-and-death considerations. However, he argued that the IDF failed to use the intervening period to develop a viable long-term solution.

“We said that this was inconceivable, but it could not be stopped,” he said.

Rav Levinstein maintained that such disputes should not be allowed to reach the IDF chief rabbi only after a direct conflict has already emerged between operational requirements and Jewish law. Instead, he said, the military should establish systems in advance that allow religious soldiers to carry out their missions without confronting religious dilemmas that could have been prevented.

“And what is even worse, they turn to the chief military rabbi, and they put him in an impossible situation,” Rav Levinstein said.

He also rejected the notion that the military belongs to any particular ideological group or sector.

“The army is not theirs; it is the army of the Jewish people, which protects the entire Jewish people,” he said.

Rav Levinstein warned that controversies of this kind also have repercussions for Chareidim who are considering joining the IDF. Potential Chareidi recruits, he said, may look at the disputes involving religious soldiers and question whether assurances given to them when they enlist will continue to be honored once they are serving.

“The Chareidi community, which was offered the opportunity to join the Hasmonean Brigade, looks at all these sagas, and its motivation definitely declines,” he said.

Rav Levinstein concluded by pointing to what he described as a significant change among the younger generation of religious soldiers. In previous years, he said, observant troops were often hesitant to stand up to the military establishment over their religious requirements, while today’s soldiers are increasingly willing to insist that those standards be respected.

“Thank God, a generation has grown here for whom Judaism is precious, and it knows that the source of its motivation is Judaism and the Torah,” Rav Levinstein said.

“So today they are not afraid to fight for Judaism,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Likud MK Tally Gotliv said Monday that she would seriously consider leaving the party if she received an attractive offer from another political faction, accusing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s circle of working to weaken her and sideline her within the Likud.

Gotliv said she has not received an offer from another party at this point, but made clear that she would be prepared to consider one under the right circumstances.

“Unfortunately, the prime minister, as is his right, excluded me from the Likud campaign, and the campaign staff decided not to address our obligation to restrain the power of the High Court. The campaign staff continues to brief against me and portray me as a weakening force within Likud,” Gotliv wrote. “I was elected to advance right-wing governance and to put an end to the reckless conduct of the High Court, which assumed authority it does not possess and, in its own eyes, transformed itself into a superior branch of government.”

Gotliv also accused Netanyahu of effectively blocking her path to senior positions where she believes she could advance her judicial agenda.

“The prime minister made up his mind not to allow me to be justice minister or even chairwoman of the Constitution Committee, and decided to push me to a hidden corner in the back,” she added.

Gotliv said her loyalty to Netanyahu and the right-wing government has come at considerable political cost, arguing that she deserves a position reflecting what she views as her electoral strength.

“I threw myself on the fence for the prime minister and the right-wing government,” she wrote. “If I were to receive a realistic offer from a party that would respect my electoral strength and my clear ability to serve as a minister in a highly important position, on behalf of my voters I would seriously consider it. I will not agree to be a doormat.”

Her remarks follow her disappointment with finishing 12th in the recent Likud primaries, an outcome she attributed in large part to efforts by people surrounding Netanyahu to prevent her from finishing higher on the party list.

After most of the primary votes had been counted, Gotliv publicly accused Netanyahu’s associates and organized voting blocs within Likud of attempting to undermine her candidacy.

“Even if the prime minister’s circle really worked hard to thwart and weaken me, even if all the organized votes in deals were instructed not to mark me, even if I am the only one for whom no message was sent from the prime minister urging support, the right-wing Likud voters fought for me with tremendous strength,” she wrote.

Political reporter Amit Segal subsequently reported that Gotliv had delivered an ultimatum to Netanyahu, warning that she could consider leaving Likud unless she was guaranteed the No. 12 position on the party’s electoral slate.

Likud officials responded that the ultimatum had been rejected outright.

{Matzav.com}

A sweeping new initiative is transforming financial support for Skverer avreichim, with hundreds of the community’s philanthropists joining together to directly double the monthly stipends of approximately 1,000 bnei Torah who devote themselves to full-time learning.

The program is structured around a large-scale Yissachar-Zevulun partnership. Under the arrangement, each participating supporter personally partners with a ben Torah and provides funding that effectively doubles the avreich’s regular monthly kollel stipend.

The makeup of the Skverer community has helped make the ambitious program possible. Approximately one-third of the residents are described as bnei Torah, while another third are financially capable of supporting the initiative, creating a structure through which organizers believe every participating avreich can ultimately be matched with a sponsor.

The initiative has received strong backing from the Skverer Rebbe. After returning from a period of rest in Malibu, California, the Rebbe delivered a rare “holy proclamation” on Friday night before thousands of Chassidim, strongly encouraging participation in the program.

During his remarks, the Rebbe invoked the legacy of his father, the previous Skverer Rebbe, who frequently emphasized the tremendous significance of a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership. The Rebbe also cited the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch that the merit received by the supporter is considered “as if he himself is learning.”

The initiative has gained considerable momentum in recent weeks. At the “Amudei Olam” dinners held throughout Skver, wealthy supporters responded enthusiastically, with numerous negidim seeking to participate personally in the partnerships.

In recognition of those who have already joined, a massive sign was hung this past Shabbos inside the main bais medrash in Skver listing the names of approximately 1,000 supporters who have committed themselves to the initiative.

Alongside each donor’s name, the sign identifies the particular kollel in which he is effectively “learning” through his partnership with an avreich.

One particularly notable participant is philanthropist Reb Nochum Zalman Rokeach of Lakewood, who established partnerships with 19 avreichim. Through those partnerships, he has effectively become a “learner” across all of the Skverer kollel branches and numerous areas of Torah study, ranging from iyun and bekius to hora’ah and Choshen Mishpat.

The unprecedented initiative is already attracting attention beyond Skver. Other Chassidishe communities in the United States and Europe are reportedly following its progress closely, with the possibility that the model could eventually be replicated throughout the Chassidish world and later introduced in Eretz Yisroel as well.

Meanwhile, a significant new development has emerged in Skver’s massive construction project. At the direction of the Skverer Rebbe, a large new building will be erected on the site of the old bais medrash, containing both a “Heichal HaShulchanos” and a “Heichal HaTorah.” The expansion will push back completion of the new main bais medrash complex by approximately one year.

The decision followed an engineering assessment conducted last week after part of the roof over the ezras noshim in the old bais medrash collapsed. Engineers determined that the existing structure could no longer safely remain standing and would have to be demolished in its entirety.

Following that determination, members of the committee overseeing construction considered several possibilities for the newly available property. After the plans were presented and received the Rebbe’s bracha, the decision was made to use the site for another major building serving the Chassidus, featuring the two primary spaces — the “Heichal HaShulchanos” and the “Heichal HaTorah.”

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Breslover Chassidim could spend Rosh Hashanah in Meron this year instead of traveling to Uman, as the ongoing crackdown on Chareidi draft-status violations threatens to prevent large numbers of men from leaving Eretz Yisroel for the annual kibbutz at the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

Organizers are therefore making extensive preparations for a significantly expanded Rosh Hashanah gathering at the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, providing an alternative for those who are unable to make the trip to Uman.

The preparations come amid the continuing controversy surrounding the IDF draft and the arrests of Chareidim classified by the military as draft evaders. Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim could face difficulties leaving Eretz Yisroel because of their draft status, potentially preventing them from traveling to Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah.

In previous years, groups of Breslover Chassidim who were unable to reach Uman spent Rosh Hashanah in Meron instead. This year, however, Breslov officials believe the number could increase dramatically because of restrictions on leaving the country and concerns among Chassidim about encountering difficulties at the airport or border.

A special committee has been established in recent days to oversee preparations for the central Rosh Hashanah gathering in Meron. Organizers have also opened an orderly registration system for accommodations so that the necessary infrastructure can be prepared according to the expected turnout.

Plans include setting up large lodging areas for the Chassidim as well as an expansive tent where the Rosh Hashanah seudah will be served. Organizers are also preparing large areas for tefillos capable of accommodating the potentially substantial number of mispallelim expected in Meron.

Those overseeing the operation are preparing for the possibility that thousands of Breslover Chassidim will ultimately spend Rosh Hashanah in Meron. Early registration is intended to allow organizers to properly arrange food, accommodations, tefillos and other necessities for those who cannot travel to Uman and instead choose Meron for Yom Tov.

Despite the preparations in Meron, organizers stressed that the longstanding aspiration of Breslover Chassidim remains to spend Rosh Hashanah at the kever of Rav Nachman in Uman.

According to organizers, there is “a constant expectation and prayer among the public to be able to physically arrive in Uman,” and they “hope for all obstacles to be removed.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the upcoming 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 terror attacks at Ground Zero, arguing that their presence would cause additional pain for members of the 9/11 community.

Blakeman, the Republican candidate running against Hochul in November, told Newsmax’s “National Report” that he sympathizes with current and retired Port Authority police officers and other first responders who have asked the two Democratic officials not to attend the ceremony. Should Hochul and Mamdani appear despite those objections, Blakeman said attendees should respond with a peaceful demonstration.

“Hopefully they won’t go, but if they do, turn your back on them,” Blakeman said.

The Port Authority Retired Police Association, which represents approximately 600 members, sent letters dated Aug. 14 urging both Hochul and Mamdani to stay away from the Ground Zero commemoration. The organization pointed to Mamdani’s history of statements and positions regarding law enforcement, as well as Hochul’s decision to illuminate One World Trade Center in recognition of Muslim American Heritage Month. The group suggested that Mamdani commemorate the anniversary through a written statement, public message or separate event instead.

Hochul and Mamdani have both indicated that they intend to attend. Hochul’s office said the governor respects the 9/11 families and noted that Muslim New Yorkers were among the first responders on Sept. 11, maintaining that combating anti-Muslim bigotry does not conflict with honoring those murdered in the attacks. Mamdani has said he intends to pay tribute to the victims, survivors and first responders during the ceremony.

For Blakeman, the controversy carries a deeply personal dimension. He was serving as a Port Authority commissioner when the attacks occurred and lost his nephew, New York state court officer Thomas Jurgens, in the collapse of the South Tower.

“On that day, we lost 37 police officers. We’ve lost more since then with 9/11-related illnesses,” Blakeman said. “And I lost my nephew on 9/11. He was one of the court officers evacuating the South Tower, giving first aid to a woman who was severely burned. When my nephew was killed, he was murdered by the perpetrators of the attack on 9/11. So this is personal to me. I lost a lot of friends and colleagues from the Port Authority.”

Blakeman also attacked Mamdani’s record on law enforcement, accusing the mayor of failing to stand behind police officers and criticizing his handling of controversy surrounding the phrase “global intifada.”

“He doesn’t respond to the issues that are important to law enforcement. He doesn’t back the blue. He’s someone who wants to defund our police,” Blakeman said.

A total of 2,977 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, including 441 first responders, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Among those killed were 37 Port Authority police officers, representing the greatest single-day loss ever suffered by an American police department.

Blakeman argued that the wishes of relatives of those killed in the attacks should be given priority when determining who attends the annual Ground Zero ceremony.

“If the families of those who were murdered on that day don’t want you to attend, it’s like a wake,” he said. “If you’re asked not to attend a wake, you shouldn’t attend a wake. If the family doesn’t want you there, you shouldn’t go.”

Hochul is campaigning for a second full term as governor in the Nov. 3 election. Blakeman, who has led Nassau County as county executive since 2022, has made crime, public safety and his opposition to Mamdani’s policies major issues in his campaign to unseat her.

President Trump scored a victory at the Supreme Court on Monday as the justices ruled that construction of his planned White House ballroom may continue, rejecting an effort to halt the massive project.

In a 5-4 decision, the court turned aside a challenge brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had sought to stop work on the ballroom, a project expected to cost at least $400 million.

The court’s unsigned majority opinion concluded that the National Trust likely lacks the legal standing necessary to pursue its challenge in federal court.

The ruling allows construction on the ballroom to proceed after work on the project had already been underway at the White House.

The justices, however, did not decide the broader question at the heart of the dispute: whether President Trump has the legal authority to undertake the construction project without first obtaining approval from Congress. The National Trust had argued that the absence of congressional authorization made the project unlawful and warranted stopping construction.

“Today, we do not pass upon the legality of the government’s East Wing project. We conclude only that, based on the submissions before us, the government is likely to prevail in showing that the Trust lacks … standing to challenge the project in federal court,” the court said.

Chief Justice John Roberts broke with the court’s other conservatives and joined the three liberal justices in dissent, going further than the majority by asserting that the ongoing construction is likely illegal.

“Construction of the ballroom has proceeded apace for the better part of a year. That construction is likely unlawful,” Roberts wrote.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump was sending a pointed warning to Tehran when he posted on social media about Iran’s vital Kharg Island energy hub being destroyed, Vice President JD Vance said Monday, even as U.S. officials confirmed that American forces had not attacked the island.

“The president likes to switch it up on social ⁠media a little bit. He would be the first to say he doesn’t make announcements about ⁠military actions on social media, but I think that he’s sending a message to the Iranians,” Vance said when questioned about Trump’s post.

Trump published the brief message Sunday along with an AI-generated video depicting the destruction of Kharg Island. A U.S. official said Monday that the island had not been targeted during American military strikes overnight, while an Iranian official characterized Trump’s post as “laughable.”

Kharg Island is a critical component of Iran’s oil infrastructure and handled roughly 90% of the country’s oil exports before the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. An attack on the facility could severely cripple Iran’s ability to export oil and place enormous additional strain on the country’s economy.

The U.S. did, however, carry out military strikes against Iranian targets in what an American official described as the first known U.S. attacks since late July. According to the official, American forces struck two Iranian launchers located on Larak Island.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Health Ministry announced Monday evening that it is investigating a new suspected case of Ebola involving an individual who recently returned to the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The person arrived back in Israel several days ago and subsequently developed a fever along with other symptoms, prompting the individual to seek medical attention. Health officials stressed that Ebola has not been confirmed and that laboratory testing is now underway.

“The individual, who returned to Israel several days ago, sought medical treatment after developing a fever and additional symptoms. At this stage, this is only a suspected case, and the necessary tests are currently being conducted. The test results are expected to be received in the coming days. The individual will be treated under isolation conditions in accordance with the professional protocols established for dealing with high-risk infectious diseases and will be transferred to Ichilov Medical Center, which has been designated as one of the centers equipped to receive suspected cases of this kind,” the Ministry said.

While awaiting the test results, the patient will remain under strict isolation protocols intended for suspected cases involving highly dangerous infectious diseases.

The Health Ministry is also conducting an epidemiological investigation in accordance with its established procedures to determine who may have come into relevant contact with the individual and identify any additional measures that may be necessary.

Israeli authorities carried out a large-scale enforcement campaign across Judea and Samaria over the past two days, demolishing illegal structures in Area C that officials said posed security and environmental concerns, including construction near the security fence and an important archaeological site.

The first operation took place Sunday in the village of Shuweika, north of Tulkarm, where forces from the Efraim District Coordination and Liaison office entered the area together with the Civil Administration’s Supervision Unit. IDF soldiers from the regional brigade provided security for the operation.

Authorities targeted unauthorized structures that had been erected immediately adjacent to the security fence near the Israeli communities of Bahan and Bat Hefer.

According to defense officials, the construction was carried out in Area C despite an existing order prohibiting building at the location. Officials said the unauthorized structures created an immediate security and safety concern because of their proximity to the fence and nearby Israeli communities.

Enforcement operations shifted to the Binyamin region the following day, with personnel from the Binyamin District Coordination and Liaison office joining the Supervision Unit and regional brigade forces for an operation near Birzeit.

During that operation, authorities demolished illegally constructed infrastructure in the Wadi Zeytun, also known as Ein Obeid, archaeological area in Area C.

The construction had been erected near the ancient road leading to Jerusalem and beneath the historic Khirbit Tarfon site, an archaeological location dating back to the First and Second Bais Hamikdash periods.

The IDF, Civil Administration and other security agencies said enforcement actions against unauthorized construction would continue throughout the region as part of an ongoing effort to uphold law and order.

Officials said authorities would particularly focus on illegal construction deemed to pose threats to security, public safety or stability in Judea and Samaria.

Election officials are raising concerns about the growing number of mail-in ballots reaching election offices after state deadlines, with recent primary results showing a sharp increase in late-ballot rejections as the November midterm elections approach.

Data obtained by The New York Times from 12 states found that ballots arriving too late to be counted represented an increasing portion of rejected mail votes during recent primary elections.

Several of the states included in the data are home to closely contested congressional and statewide races that could play a role in determining which party controls Congress following the November elections.

In Wisconsin, approximately 5,000 mail ballots arrived too late to be counted during the state’s spring primary. Those ballots represented 78% of all rejected mail-in votes.

The numbers marked a significant increase from the comparable 2023 election, when approximately 2,300 late-arriving ballots were rejected, accounting for 47% of discarded mail votes.

Michigan experienced a similar increase during its August primary. More than 10,000 mail ballots arrived after the state’s 8 p.m. Election Day cutoff and were rejected, nearly double the number discarded for arriving late in 2024.

Washington state, meanwhile, recorded more than 20,000 ballots that arrived after the applicable deadline, compared with approximately 16,000 during the comparable previous period.

The U.S. Postal Service says it generally delivers more than 95% of mail ballots on time. Nevertheless, concerns about ballot delivery have increased amid financial pressures, operational changes and reports of slower service in certain parts of the country. The issue is particularly significant in states requiring election officials to receive ballots by Election Day.

“There are any number of factors that may impact the timeliness of a returned ballot,” the Postal Service said in a statement. “As such, our consistent message to voters who choose to vote by mail is to mail early.”

Adding to the concerns is a USPS policy that went into effect in December clarifying how postmarks are assigned. Under the policy, a postmark may indicate the date a piece of mail reaches a processing facility rather than the date a voter actually deposited it in a mailbox.

Election specialists have warned that the difference could become important for ballots sent shortly before Election Day, particularly for voters in rural areas located far from regional postal processing facilities.

Fourteen states currently permit ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and counted after Election Day. In June, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that federal law does not bar states from providing those post-election grace periods, leaving the policies in place ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

Another legal battle centers on an executive order issued by President Donald Trump and a Postal Service regulation requiring states to turn over certain voter information and comply with federal standards governing ballot envelopes.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani temporarily halted the rule Thursday, concluding that states were likely to suffer irreparable harm from requirements that would be practically impossible to put into effect before the midterm elections. A hearing on the dispute is scheduled for Sept. 3, while the administration is appealing the ruling.

Election officials in several states are taking additional steps aimed at reducing the likelihood that mail ballots will arrive too late. Colorado, for example, has expanded the number of ballot drop boxes in the state by 78% since 2018.

Wisconsin officials are similarly advising voters who are concerned about postal delivery times to use ballot drop boxes where available, cast their ballots early or place mail ballots into the postal system well ahead of Election Day.

Washington elections director Stuart Holmes said the concerns are not directed at individual postal workers, but at the reliability of the broader delivery system.

“The Postal Service, these are great people, hard-working people,” Holmes said. “But their operation has become unreliable.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

It was a beautiful summer afternoon several weeks ago when I took a walk with my children through southern Crown Heights. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and the neighborhood was peaceful.

Then, as we approached the intersection of Clarkson Avenue and Albany Avenue, that tranquility was suddenly shattered by the deafening sounds of heavy construction. The noise was impossible to ignore. I looked toward the construction site and was stunned by the sheer scale of what was being built.

I later began researching the project at 681 Clarkson Avenue and was deeply troubled by what I learned. The massive development is slated to contain 1,081 units, including supportive housing intended to serve people struggling with mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness.

Whatever one’s views on the need to provide services and housing for vulnerable New Yorkers, a project of this extraordinary size raises serious questions for the surrounding community. What will be the impact of concentrating such a large supportive-housing population in one location? What safeguards will be put in place? What additional policing, sanitation, medical services and other resources will be provided? And what has been done to ensure that the surrounding families and residents will not bear the consequences of decisions made without adequate community input?

As a parent raising children here, these questions concern me deeply.

Crown Heights is our home. Families have invested their lives in this neighborhood. Children walk these streets to school and shul. Residents deserve to know what such an enormous project will mean for public safety, quality of life and the future character of the community.

And 681 Clarkson Avenue does not exist in a vacuum. Residents are already watching additional homeless and supportive-housing facilities expand in and around the neighborhood. At the same time, new bike lanes and other street changes are eliminating badly needed parking, while the anticipated Albany Avenue MTA bus route threatens to place still more pressure on streets already struggling to accommodate residents, businesses and traffic.

At some point, residents have a right to ask: How much can one neighborhood reasonably be expected to absorb?

Perhaps most disturbing has been the relative silence surrounding these changes. Where is the public discussion? Where are the community meetings? Where are our elected officials and local leaders demanding answers about the cumulative effect these projects will have on Crown Heights?

This is not an argument that people struggling with homelessness, addiction or mental illness should be abandoned. They need help, treatment and appropriate housing. But compassion does not require concentrating enormous numbers of vulnerable individuals in one neighborhood without addressing the legitimate concerns of the families already living there.

The construction is moving forward. The changes to our streets are moving forward. Once these decisions are implemented, reversing them may be exceedingly difficult.

Crown Heights residents therefore need to start asking questions now — loudly, respectfully and persistently. Our elected officials and community leaders should tell us exactly what is planned, what protections are being put into place, and why so much is being concentrated in this particular area.

Silence is not a plan for the future of Crown Heights.

A Concerned Resident

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With Tishrei approaching, thousands of travelers will be making their way to and from Israel for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos. Chaim V’Chessed offers the following important reminders to help ensure a smooth journey.

Travelers Insurance

Every holiday season,  Chaim V’Chessed  is contacted by travelers to or from Israel, who encounter a medical crisis and discover that they do not have sufficient medical insurance.

It cannot be emphasized enough that both Israelis traveling abroad and visitors to Israel must obtain appropriate travelers insurance before traveling.

Customs

Travelers entering Israel should be aware of customs regulations. The duty-free allowance for gifts is $200 per person. Items exceeding the allowance should be declared.

Jewelry and other valuables should never be brought into Israel in their original store packaging. New jewelry in boxes, especially multiple pieces, may appear to Customs officials to be newly purchased merchandise intended for resale, potentially resulting in customs charges and even suspicion of smuggling. Jewelry intended for personal use should be removed from its packaging and brought as a personal item.

Travelers leaving Israel with expensive jewelry, watches, electronics or other valuables that they intend to bring back should consider declaring these items to Customs before departure.

Bringing Food into Israel

Food imports are subject to restrictions. As a general rule, travelers may bring up to 3 kg of food, with no more than 1 kg of any one type. Raw meat may not be brought into Israel.

Arba Minim

Those traveling to Israel for Sukkos with Arba Minim should be aware of Israel’s agricultural import regulations.

As in previous years, one esrog may be brought into Israel for personal use. Lulavim, hadassim and aravos may not be brought into Israel and may be confiscated at the airport.

Travelers whose lulav, hadassim or aravos are confiscated will be provided with replacement Arba Minim through arrangements made by the Ministry of Agriculture.

ETA-IL

Passengers en route to Israel must obtain an ETA-IL before traveling. Travelers should apply only through the official government website, at this link. Beware of unofficial sites which charge additional fees.

Israeli citizens traveling on an Israeli passport do not require an ETA-IL. Additionally, Israeli citizens are currently permitted to enter Israel using a foreign passport, if they hold one. While technically they are exempt from the ETA-IL requirement, Chaim V’Chessed that they obtain one regardless. The same applies to student visa holders.

Check Your Passport

Before heading to the airport, check the validity of every passport in the family and make sure all travelers meet the entry requirements for their destination.

Foreigners traveling to Israel must have at least three months of validity on their passports to enter the country.

Safe Travels!

Whether you are traveling for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or Sukkos, a few minutes of preparation can prevent significant problems during your trip. Ksiva v’Chasima Tova!

{Matzav.com}

A collection of suitcases still bearing flight tags, barcodes and Israeli security-screening markings from Ben Gurion Airport has mysteriously surfaced for sale at a flea market in Paphos, Cyprus, raising questions about how the luggage made its way from Israel to the market.

The unusual discovery was made by Liri Bork-Shavit, an Israeli who frequently travels between Israel and Cyprus. She spotted the apparently well-preserved suitcases at Paphos’ weekly flea market and immediately recalled piles of unclaimed luggage she had documented at Ben Gurion Airport several months earlier.

Bork-Shavit, who is known as a social activist, told Walla that the sight brought her back to photographs she took during July and August, when disruptions and heavy congestion plagued Ben Gurion Airport. At the time, she saw large quantities of luggage sitting without apparent owners both inside the airport and outside the terminal.

According to Bork-Shavit, the suitcases being offered for sale in Paphos still displayed tags and markings associated with Israeli security screening, making them stand out from the other merchandise.

“It doesn’t look like regular flea market inventory,” she said.

Bork-Shavit initially believed the luggage might have belonged to El Al, but she later determined that the markings primarily indicated that the bags had passed through security screening at Ben Gurion Airport rather than establishing that they had belonged to passengers on a particular airline.

Despite the photographs and the unusual circumstances surrounding the discovery, there is currently no official evidence establishing that the suitcases are among those that went missing at Ben Gurion Airport during the period of travel disruptions.

It also remains unclear who originally owned the bags or how luggage carrying Israeli airport markings ultimately ended up for sale at a flea market in Cyprus.

“Someone might still recognize their suitcase there,” Bork-Shavit told Walla, while stressing that she does not yet have a complete explanation for how the luggage reached Paphos.

A veteran prosecutor in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has accused his superiors of directing him to investigate President Trump and his political allies without legitimate grounds, alleging that the state’s top law enforcement office was being used to pursue James’ political opponents.

Daniel Wiesenfeld, who previously worked as a Brooklyn prosecutor and is now assigned to James’ Investor Protection Bureau, made the explosive allegations in an email sent to thousands of employees in the attorney general’s office. According to the Times Union, Wiesenfeld said his supervisor ordered him “to find and pursue crimes” involving people and organizations connected to Trump. The email was subsequently deleted.

In the message, Wiesenfeld alleged that Investor Protection Bureau Chief Shamiso Maswoswe specifically told him to investigate “Trump himself, Truth Social, Hewlett Packard (DOJ approved merger)… without having a credible reason for targeting the organizations and individuals,” according to the report.

Federal regulators recently gave approval to Hewlett-Packard’s $14 billion merger with Juniper Networks.

Wiesenfeld argued that prosecutors should be equally concerned about political interference in law enforcement regardless of which side is accused of engaging in it.

“If you believe Trump is using the [Department of Justice] attorneys to prosecute his enemies and further his political interests, you should find it equally troubling that Tish [James] is doing exactly the same thing,” Wiesenfeld allegedly wrote in the message, which was reportedly distributed to approximately 2,000 employees before being removed.

Wiesenfeld went on to urge his fellow prosecutors to resist any effort to use their positions to go after individuals based on their political affiliations.

“I ask you that you not serve as Tish’s personal attorneys by targeting her political enemies,” he allegedly wrote. “Instead, I hope you choose to prosecute crimes and find the individuals accountable, rather than targeting individuals and then finding crimes.”

Wiesenfeld said prosecutors should instead devote their resources to problems including “rampant nonprofit homeless shelter fraud and antisemitic crimes in and around synagogues,” while accusing James of spending “significant public taxpayer dollars to target convenient public enemies,” according to the Times Union.

The allegations come against the backdrop of years of bitter political and legal conflict between Trump and James.

While campaigning for attorney general in 2018, James pledged to “prosecute the president for crimes committed in New York state” if voters put her in office. She subsequently launched legal action against Trump after becoming attorney general.

James’ office secured a judgment against Trump, his sons and his company in 2024 in a civil fraud case involving allegations that property values and Trump’s wealth had been overstated. An appeals court later upheld the finding against Trump while eliminating the massive financial penalty that had been imposed.

Trump has repeatedly pointed to James’ case against him as evidence that the attorney general has pursued him for political reasons.

Wiesenfeld, meanwhile, was placed on paid administrative leave following the controversy. A spokesperson for James described the situation to the Times Union as “a personnel matter.”

“The office of the attorney general is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs,” the statement said. “We strongly reject any assertion to the contrary.”

Republican officials in New York seized on Wiesenfeld’s accusations, arguing that the email supported their longstanding claims that James has politicized her office.

“Letitia James weaponized the attorney general’s office into a political hit squad and then tried to cover up her tracks,” state Republican Chairman Ed Cox told The Post on Sunday. “She is utterly unfit to serve.

“New Yorkers deserve an attorney general who prosecutes criminals, preserves public records and enforces the law without fear or favor,” Cox added.

The controversy also drew a response from the campaign of Republican attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy, whose spokesperson, Nicole Kiprilov, said Komatireddy would pursue a different set of priorities if elected.

“When Saritha is attorney general, she will instruct her attorneys to lock up repeat offenders, build residential treatment for the homeless, and root out fraud — not target people because of their politics,” Kiprilov said.

“It’s good to see that even the rank-and-file in the AG’s office agree that this is the right way forward. Let’s work together — across partisan lines — and create a safer, more affordable New York.”

Komatireddy previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, where she held several senior positions, including chief of International Narcotics and Money Laundering, deputy chief of Appeals and deputy chief of General Crimes.

She also previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Melissa DeRosa, a former top aide to ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also weighed in on the allegations Sunday, criticizing James in a post on X.

“@TishJames has been abusing her office for political gain for years.

“Don’t criticize Trump’s use of DOJ if you’re not going to call out hers -/ it’s wrong when either side does it.”

{Matzav.com}

Nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the health catastrophe linked to the toxic aftermath of the World Trade Center’s destruction continues to grow, with the number of certified 9/11-related cancer cases surging nearly 1,700% over the past decade and civilians now accounting for more cases than first responders.

Figures compiled by the World Trade Center Health Program show that cancer certifications among first responders, survivors, downtown Manhattan residents, workers and others exposed to conditions around Ground Zero have climbed from 3,204 in 2015 to 57,044 this year — an increase of approximately 1,680%.

“Sadly, we lose roughly two clients a day and see a new cancer certification every 50 minutes,” said lawyer Michael Barasch, whose firm represents thousands of people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.

The latest numbers also mark a significant and sobering shift in the long-term impact of the attacks. For the first time, cancer cases among civilians who lived, worked or went to school in the vicinity of Ground Zero have exceeded those recorded among firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel who spent extended periods at the site.

Survivors now account for 28,913 cancer cases, compared with just 694 in 2015 — an increase of 4,066%. Responders account for another 28,131 cases.

Health officials are also seeing growing numbers of uncommon forms of cancer among both survivors and responders exposed to the toxic dust and debris unleashed when the Twin Towers collapsed.

Among those diagnoses are 82 cases of thymus cancer, which affects the thymus gland located behind the breastbone in the upper chest. Tumors of the thymus are extremely rare and make up less than 1% of cancer cases overall.

Another 591 people have been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancers, rare tumors that can develop in areas including the pancreas, bowels, lungs and adrenal glands. Among 9/11 survivors, the number of neuroendocrine cancer cases rose 6% between March and June alone.

Male breast cancer has also emerged among those exposed to Ground Zero contaminants. There are currently 188 certified cases involving men, an unusually high figure for a disease that is rare among males.

Brain cancer has affected another 163 people in the 9/11 population. That figure increased by 14 cases, or 9%, during the most recent quarter.

Part of the continuing rise in cancer diagnoses is believed to be connected to the aging of those who were exposed following the attacks. Many Ground Zero survivors and responders are now in their late 50s, 60s and early 70s, when the likelihood of developing cancer generally increases.

But the statistics among World Trade Center Health Program members remain striking. CDC data through June show that 67% of the program’s 145,275 current members have been certified with at least one of 69 cancers associated with 9/11 toxic exposure. By comparison, the lifetime risk of developing cancer among Americans overall is approximately 40%, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The mounting death toll from illnesses associated with the aftermath of 9/11 has also far surpassed the number killed on the day of the attacks. At least 9,425 people have now died from post-9/11-related illnesses — more than three times the 2,977 victims killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

“9/11 did not end on 9/11. The cancer clock is ticking 24/7,” Barasch said.

Among those living with the consequences is Leslie Lane, now 76, who worked for Merrill Lynch in the World Financial Center across from the World Trade Center. She was inside her office when hijacked planes struck the towers.

As Lane made her way out of the area that morning, she remembered encountering the massive cloud of debris that engulfed lower Manhattan.

“You could taste the dust. You could taste the fuel, greasy gas,” she told The Post.

Two days after the attacks, Lane reported to another Merrill Lynch office at 222 Broadway to help arrange the relocation of the company’s lawyers. By November, she had returned to working downtown.

Nearly two decades later, during a routine medical examination in 2020, doctors discovered that Lane had thymus cancer.

“I was lucky. The cancer was caught early,” she said.

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering subsequently removed the tumor surgically, and Lane has remained free of a recurrence.

Lane believes the cancer resulted from the contaminants she breathed in following the destruction of the World Trade Center.

“Thymus cancer is a very rare form of cancer. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke,” she said.

She also recalled how the air continued to carry the unmistakable residue of the disaster long after officials assured people that conditions were safe.

“For months afterward, you could taste the fuel in the air in the back of your throat and mouth. They kept telling us the air was safe. I don’t think it was,” she said.

Electrician James Ryan, 65, also spent extensive time at Ground Zero following the attacks. His work included providing lighting at locations throughout the disaster site, including areas in and around the Pile, as well as rewiring portions of the World Trade Center PATH train facilities.

Years later, Ryan went for a routine medical checkup and doctors detected blood in his urine. An MRI followed, leading physicians to discover pancreatic cancer while it was still at an early stage.

Ryan underwent surgery in 2019 in which doctors removed part of his pancreas.

“I got very lucky,” Ryan said.

Despite the enormous number of people already being treated or monitored, Barasch said thousands more who were exposed to the toxic environment surrounding Ground Zero may still be outside the system.

He estimates that only about 15% of civilians exposed to 9/11-related toxins have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.

Among the people represented by his law firm are individuals who were students at schools and colleges near the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks and who later developed serious illnesses at relatively young ages. Students at Stuyvesant High School, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Pace University and nearby elementary and middle schools were among those potentially exposed.

Barasch is urging anyone who was in the affected area and may have been exposed to enroll in the World Trade Center Health Program and undergo appropriate medical screening.

“Early detection is the difference between life and death,” Barasch said.

{Matzav.com}