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From Jan. 1 to June 30, Jews were the targets of 178 confirmed hate crimes in New York City—more than 55% of all hate crimes that the city recorded, and a 2.3% increase over the 174 in 2025. In the same span, there were about 8.5 times fewer anti-Muslim confirmed hate crimes (21) and about 5.4 times fewer such incidents targeting people based on sexual orientation (33).

Still, when Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, discussed the crime data to date during a press conference at New York City Police Department headquarters on Thursday, he led with the percentage increases of the latter two. “We are still contending with an elevated rise of hate crimes, with hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation climbing by 57%, anti-Muslim hate crimes rising by 50% and antisemitic hate crimes rising by 2%,” the mayor said.

“While Jewish New Yorkers comprise only 10% of our city’s population, antisemitic hate crimes account for 55% of all confirmed hate crimes,” he added. “There is no room for hatred of any kind in our city.”

The 57% increase was from 21 to 33, and the 50% increase was from 14 to 21 from the first half of 2025 to the first half of 2026.

From April 1 to June 30 this year, some 57% of the 172 confirmed hate crimes in the Big Apple targeted Jews (99), and about 4.6% (8) targeted Muslims. Of the 237 reported hate crimes in the city in that span, 138 (58%) targeted Jews while 12 (5%) targeted Muslims.

The city didn’t announce crime statistics for June.

On June 3, the city said that there had been 265 confirmed hate crimes in the city from Jan. 1 to May 31, with 152 targeting Jews and 17 targeting Muslims. Based on the statistics released on Thursday, that would mean that in June, there were 57 confirmed hate crimes, with 26 (45.6%) targeting Jews and 4 (7%) targeting Muslims.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (right) joins New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch for a quarterly crime statistics briefing at One Police Plaza, Manhattan, July 2, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

A comparison of NYPD statistics for April, May and June—237 reported hate crimes, with 138 targeting Jews and 12 against Muslims—with reports that the department released in early May and June, suggests that in June, there were 74 reported hate crimes, with 40 (54%) targeting Jews and 6 (8%) targeting Muslims.

On July 1, 2025, the city said that there were 59 hate crimes in June 2025, with 31 (52.5%) targeting Jews.

Mamdani said at the press conference that “over the past six months, New York City has experienced the safest start to any year on record.”

“The data reflects what New Yorkers are feeling on our subways, our streets and across the five boroughs,” he said. “Our whole-of-government approach to public safety is working.”

After recording a 182% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes in the Big Apple in January, in Zohran Mamdani’s first month as mayor, the city began publishing only “confirmed” hate crimes and not “reported” ones in February. That suggested a decline, although it was hard to compare 2026 statistics with those from 2025.

In March, the city said that it would publish both “confirmed” and “reported” statistics separately each month. The city provides a comparison between “confirmed” 2026 statistics and the prior year, but not of “reported” hate crimes.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (right) joins New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch for a quarterly crime statistics briefing at One Police Plaza, Manhattan, July 2, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The city said that its Hate Crime Task Force investigates alleged hate crimes and determines with the legal bureau of the NYPD “whether it constitutes a hate crime under New York State law.”

“If an incident is deemed a hate crime under the law, it will be categorized as a confirmed hate crime,” the city said. “The NYPD provides data on confirmed hate crimes along with the universe of reported hate crimes—whether or not they are ultimately confirmed as hate crimes by the HCTF. The disclosure of both sets of numbers enhances transparency and reflects best practices in connection with hate crime reporting.”

“New York City’s public safety progress is the result of precision policing and the extraordinary work of the men and women of the NYPD,” stated Jessica Tisch, NYPD commissioner. “They are going after the guns, taking down violent gangs, building the cases, making the arrests and working foot posts that help keep neighborhoods safe.”

“The result is the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders for the first half of any year in recorded history, along with major crime reductions across the city,” Tisch said. “These numbers reflect focused enforcement, targeted deployments and noble police work. New Yorkers owe their NYPD officers a debt of gratitude for their extraordinary service to our city.”

A department data tool called CompStat 2.0 suggested a drop in hate crimes last month. From June 1 to 28, there were 29 hate crimes—a 42% drop from the 50 in that span in 2025—and hate crimes from Jan. 1 to June 28 were 5.4% higher this year (310) compared to last year (294), per the department. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The FBI has significantly intensified its investigation into the handling of the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, deploying personnel from field offices across the country to assist with an extensive review of evidence tied to the case.

According to multiple sources familiar with the effort, the bureau has instructed FBI offices nationwide to send intelligence analysts to Atlanta as part of a large-scale operation. An internal memo obtained by CBS News shows that the FBI’s Directorate of Intelligence requested the additional manpower to support what it identified as FBI Director Kash Patel’s “priority” investigation. Although the memo does not specifically identify the case, sources confirmed it pertains to the ongoing Fulton County 2020 election investigation.

The directive requires every FBI field office to contribute analysts, with the bureau aiming to assemble a team of 260 personnel. Under the plan, larger offices are expected to provide eight analysts, while medium and smaller offices must assign between three and five. Each analyst has been tasked with reviewing 708 records, with the entire project scheduled for completion by July 17.

The analysts being assigned are part of the FBI’s tactical intelligence teams, whose responsibilities generally include investigative support such as conducting database searches, reviewing phone records, analyzing subpoena responses, performing open-source research, running license plate checks, and assisting agents with other routine investigative tasks.

MS Now was the first news outlet to report on the nationwide deployment of analysts.

President Trump has long maintained that serious irregularities occurred during the 2020 election in Fulton County, alleging that ballot totals were manipulated and claiming that votes were cast by deceased individuals, nonresidents, and other people who were not legally eligible to vote. He has not publicly presented evidence substantiating those claims.

After losing Georgia by 11,799 votes, President Trump repeatedly asserted that the election had been “rigged.” However, the state’s results were reaffirmed through both a machine recount and a statewide audit that included a hand recount of ballots in every Georgia county, with both processes confirming Joe Biden’s victory.

Earlier this year, FBI agents executed a search warrant in Fulton County, taking possession of all physical ballots from the 2020 election, along with ballot images, voter rolls, and data tapes from vote-counting machines. Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, played a decisive role in Biden’s narrow statewide victory.

The investigation originated from a referral by attorney Kurt Olsen, who previously worked on legal efforts challenging the outcome of the 2020 election. Olsen now serves with the Justice Department in Miami, where he is involved in investigating what has been described as the “grand conspiracy” examining whether officials from the Obama and Biden administrations coordinated efforts to prevent President Trump from returning to office.

In May, a judge rejected Fulton County’s request to have the seized ballots returned while the investigation remains underway.

The FBI declined to comment on the investigation.

{Matzav.com}

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued a blistering response on Thursday to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after the senior Turkish official launched a harsh verbal attack against Israel during an interview with CNN Turk, accusing him of using rhetoric that amounted to incitement against the Jewish state.

During the interview, Fidan declared, “Israel is not just Turkey’s problem, nor is it solely President Erdogan’s issue. The only difference is that President Erdogan is the one openly saying that what is wrong is wrong. That is a separate matter, and it is something humanity itself should reflect on.”

He continued by asserting, “But everyone knows it and feels it. People whisper it behind closed doors, and from time to time they say it openly. This is a problem for all of humanity. That’s what we should call it.”

Escalating his criticism even further, Fidan said, “These people have become a burden that humanity can no longer bear. With these policies and this mindset, humanity cannot carry this burden. The human conscience cannot bear it. Political systems cannot sustain it, and economic systems cannot sustain it. No matter which framework you use, there is no parameter under which these people can be sustained.”

Calling for international action against Israel, the Turkish foreign minister added, “If you expect me to solve your problem on your behalf all by myself, then everyone must step up, take a diplomatic stance, and impose the necessary sanctions on those people.”

Fidan also alleged that “Israel is currently searching for a new enemy” and warned, “As long as Israel – or any other actor – acts in ways that conflict with our national and regional interests, we have no reason to fear anyone, hesitate, or back down.”

He further suggested that Turkey would not shy away from a military confrontation, stating, “We have no problem with confrontation. If it comes to that, it is not an issue for us.”

Sa’ar swiftly fired back, sharply condemning the comments. “Turkish FM Hakan Fidan’s sickening words are textbook incitement to genocide.”

He added, “Dehumanizing the Jewish people as an ‘unbearable burden’ is the classic, horrific language of history’s worst eliminationist regimes.”

Sa’ar concluded by urging the international community to respond, saying, “The civilized world and Turkey’s NATO allies must unequivocally condemn this explicit call for the erasure of Israel.”

Fidan’s latest remarks add to a growing pattern of increasingly hostile statements by senior Turkish officials. Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Israeli military operations in Syria and Lebanon had reached a stage where they posed a threat to Turkey as well.

Just days before that, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi asserted that Turkey would eventually regain control of Jerusalem.

Relations between Israel and Turkey had been moving toward normalization before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. Since then, however, Turkish leaders—led by Erdogan—have repeatedly intensified their criticism of Israel and its military operations.

In March of last year, Erdogan denounced Israel as a “terror state” after it carried out surprise strikes against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.

Several months later, the Turkish president claimed that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posed the greatest danger to stability in the Middle East.

More recently, in April, prosecutors in Istanbul filed a sweeping indictment against 35 senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, over the Israeli navy’s interception of the “Sumud” flotilla that attempted to reach Gaza in October of last year.

{Matzav.com}

A Monsey woman is celebrating an extraordinary stroke of Hashgocha after claiming one of the New York Lottery’s biggest scratch-off prizes, turning a ticket purchased in Spring Valley into a multimillion-dollar windfall.

Henya Fried recently came forward to claim the grand prize in the New York Lottery’s “Set for Life” scratch-off game. The jackpot gives winners the option of collecting $5,000 every week for the rest of their lives or taking a single lump-sum payment of roughly $3.46 million before taxes.

According to information released by the New York State Lottery, the annuity option provides annual payments of $260,000 before taxes for the first 20 years. If the winner is still alive after that period, the weekly payments continue for the remainder of his or her lifetime.

Official paperwork from the New York State Gaming Commission’s Prize Payments Unit, dated June 25, 2026, outlined both payout choices and included the necessary forms for Fried to select the option she prefers. The documents also detailed the applicable tax information.

Mrs. Fried is the wife of Meir Fried, who serves as Customer Service Manager at Rockland Kosher Supermarket and is widely recognized throughout the Monsey community for his dedication to helping others.

{Matzav.com}

[Photos below.] After nearly five years without a city rov, the famed Torah city of Gateshead welcomed its new mara d’asra, Rav Yisroel Mantel, who officially arrived from New York to assume the city’s rabbinic leadership. Led by the Gateshead rosh yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, thousands of residents lined the streets to greet him, while many of Europe’s leading roshei yeshiva participated in a historic installation ceremony marking the beginning of a new chapter for the storied kehillah.

The atmosphere throughout Gateshead was one of extraordinary excitement and celebration as residents gathered to welcome Rav Mantel, who until now served as rav of Congregation Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) in Washington Heights. With his arrival, the city once again has a spiritual leader after almost five years without a mara d’asra.

For weeks, the community had been preparing for the long-awaited occasion, anticipating the arrival of the distinguished rav whose Torah scholarship and leadership they hope will guide the city for years to come.

The rabbinic position had remained vacant since 2020, when the previous rov, Rav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman, left Gateshead to become gaavad of the Federation community in London. During the intervening years, community leaders conducted an extensive international search for a Torah giant with the halachic stature and leadership qualities necessary to shepherd one of Europe’s foremost centers of Torah learning.

The turning point came about a year ago when Rav Mantel, who had served with great distinction for many years as rov of the historic KAJ community in Washington Heights, announced that he intended to relocate to England in order to live closer to his children, who reside in Gateshead.

The day’s events began as Rav Mantel made his way down Gateshead’s main thoroughfare, Bewick Road. Crowds of residents, avreichim, and baalei batim filled the streets to welcome their new mara d’asra. Accompanying him was an impressive delegation of Torah leaders, headed by Europe’s senior rosh yeshiva and one of the gedolei hador, Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, rosh yeshiva of Gateshead Yeshiva, together with Rav Yaakov Erentreu, rosh yeshiva of Sunderland Yeshiva, and the Sunderland mashgiach.

Later in the day, the official installation ceremony took place as the entire Gateshead Torah community gathered for what many described as a historic celebration honoring the Torah and formally installing Rav Mantel as the city’s rav and spiritual shepherd.

The event was held in the city’s Bewick Hall, which had been specially decorated in honor of the occasion. Musical selections were performed by the Gateshead Chapel choir, accompanied by a children’s chorus.

The program was skillfully emceed by Rav Yehuda Leib Wittler, rosh yeshiva of Shaarei Chaim in Manchester. Opening remarks were delivered by community chairman Rabbi Meir Menashe Badner, who welcomed the attendees and expressed the community’s joy at reaching this milestone.

The Sunderland mashgiach, Rav Mordechai Yosef Karnovsky, then recited chapters of Tehillim, followed by a special Mi Shebeirach for the recovery of the Brisker rosh yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua ben Ettil.

Messages of brocha from leading Torah authorities around the world were read during the ceremony. Among those sending letters were Rav Moshe Sternbuch; Slabodka roshei yeshiva Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch; Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman; Rav Berel Povarsky; numerous rabbonim from across Europe; the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of London; and the beis din of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.

The emotional high point came when Rav Yaakov Erentreu, rosh yeshiva of Sunderland Yeshiva, read the formal document of appointment, bearing the signatures of the city’s rabbonim and roshei yeshiva. He then presented it to Rav Mantel, prompting the assembled crowd to erupt in cries of “Mazel Tov” accompanied by spirited singing and dancing.

Rav Avrohom Gurwicz then addressed the gathering. He was followed by the guest speaker, Rav Aharon Schiff, gaavad of Antwerp, who spoke about the unique role of a rav in guiding Klal Yisroel with siyata diShmaya and emphasized that unity is the foundation of every thriving Torah community.

Rav Chaim Moshe Levy, rav of Zurich’s German-Jewish community, also addressed the audience and conveyed greetings from Rav Hirsch Elimelech Padwa, rav of Zurich’s chassidic community.

Before delivering his inaugural address, Rav Mantel participated in the local custom of formally acquiring a new tallis. The garment had been purchased by one of the community’s longest-standing members, Reb Yossel Schleider. Rav Mantel donned the tallis after reciting Shehecheyanu and the berachah of Lehisatef BaTzitzis.

Rav Mantel then delivered his first address as mara d’asra, captivating the audience with words of Torah and inspiration emphasizing the centrality of Torah study and praising the invaluable role of baalei batim who faithfully support Torah institutions.

Among those in attendance were many of Europe’s leading rabbonim and roshei yeshiva, including the city’s former rav, Rav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman of London’s Federation community; Rav Paltiel Schwartz of the KDAT Beis Din in London; Rav Chaim Heimlich, av beis din of Manchester’s Machzikei Hadass community; Rav Avrohom Arentreu, rosh yeshiva of Netzach Yisroel; members of the city’s rabbinical council; Rav Yitzchok Tzvi Strau, rav of the city’s chassidic beis medrash; and numerous other distinguished Torah leaders from across Europe.

{Matzav.com}

American officials reportedly became increasingly concerned this spring that Israel might target Iran’s most senior diplomatic representatives during sensitive backchannel peace negotiations, fearing such an attack could destroy ongoing efforts to end the conflict, according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times.

The report said those fears intensified in April, even though Israel had made the elimination of key Iranian leaders a cornerstone of its military campaign after fighting erupted on February 28, following an airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Among the officials believed to be at greatest risk were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. According to the Times, the Trump administration worried that killing either man would shatter the delicate negotiations and spark another round of large-scale fighting. To prevent that scenario, U.S. officials reportedly asked regional allies to quietly warn Tehran about the perceived danger.

The episode underscored the differing priorities between Washington and Israel. While the Trump administration was focused on securing a negotiated settlement, Israeli leaders remained deeply skeptical of diplomacy and opposed making significant concessions to Iran.

The dangers facing Iran’s negotiating team were far from theoretical. Ghalibaf had already escaped death twice after being rescued from collapsed buildings—first during the 12-day war in June 2025 and again this year following a strike on a bunker.

According to The New York Times, one of the most dramatic incidents unfolded as Ghalibaf was returning from talks with Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad. After Pakistani fighter jets escorted his aircraft toward the Iranian border, intelligence reportedly indicated that two Israeli fighter jets had crossed into western Iranian airspace from the direction of Iraq in an apparent attempt to intercept the flight.

Faced with the potential threat, the aircraft diverted to Mashhad instead of continuing to Tehran. From there, the delegation completed the journey by road, enduring an eight-hour drive to the capital. Despite the close call, Iranian negotiators reportedly continued traveling abroad for additional diplomatic meetings in Qatar and Switzerland.

{Matzav.com}

Marking 1,000 days since the October 7 attack that launched the war, Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz convened a high-level security assessment Thursday with Israel’s senior defense leadership to review developments across multiple fronts. The meeting included Eyal Zamir, Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram, senior IDF commanders, and representatives of the Shin Bet and Mossad.

During the briefing, military officials reported that Israeli forces have destroyed 83 percent of the tunnel network located within Gaza’s so-called “yellow line” zone, as operations to dismantle Hamas’ underground infrastructure continue.

Opening the meeting, Katz reflected on the milestone reached since the war began.

“1,000 days after the murderous terrorist attack of October 7, the State of Israel stands stronger, more determined, and more powerful. We emerged from the greatest tragedy we have known into the ‘war of revival’ of the State of Israel. We paid heavy prices and lost our best sons and daughters, and out of the pain a more united people and a stronger, more resolute state have grown.”

Katz argued that Israel’s military campaign has fundamentally reshaped the regional balance of power.

“In the past 1,000 days, Israel has changed the face of the Middle East. Under the leadership of the political echelon headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and thanks to the heroism of IDF commanders and soldiers in both regular service and reserves, we struck at the heart of the Iranian axis of evil, thwarted Iran’s nuclear program and removed an existential threat from Israel’s citizens. We eliminated Iran’s leader Khamenei and most of the Iranian leadership, and severely damaged its strategic capabilities – and the IDF must prepare for independent Israeli ‘blue-and-white’ strikes in Iran whenever required in order to remove any threat.”

He also highlighted what he described as major achievements against Israel’s regional adversaries.

“We eliminated the entire Hamas leadership involved in the October 7 massacre, eliminated Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah leadership, destroyed Assad’s army in Syria, decapitated most of the Houthi leadership in Yemen, and severely damaged all the terror arms that sought to encircle Israel in a ring of fire.”

Turning to Israel’s current military posture, Katz said Israeli forces intend to maintain their presence in key security zones while continuing operations against terrorist infrastructure.

“The IDF is currently in security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and will not withdraw from them – and must prepare for a long-term presence in the field. Our forces are operating deep inside terror camps in Judea and Samaria. In Gaza, efforts to destroy the tunnel infrastructure continue, and 83% of the tunnels in the ‘yellow line’ area have already been destroyed. In Lebanon we are continuing to destroy terror infrastructure in the first line of villages at full strength.”

Concluding his remarks, Katz said Israel would not permit hostile forces to regain a foothold along its borders and pledged that military operations would continue until the country’s security objectives are achieved.

“We will not return to a reality in which our enemies establish themselves on our borders and threaten our communities. The IDF will continue to stand as a barrier between our communities and jihadist enemies. The campaign is not yet over. 1,000 days after October 7 – and our enemies understand well that the attempt to destroy the State of Israel has failed.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forcefully defended Israel during a television interview, rejecting accusations that the Jewish state is carrying out genocide in Gaza and contending that the true destruction of religious communities has occurred elsewhere throughout the Middle East.

Speaking with Jesse Watters on Fox News, Kennedy argued that demographic realities undermine claims that Israel is attempting to eradicate the Palestinian population.

“If Israel wanted to commit a genocide against Palestinians, they could do it in a minute,” Kennedy said. “It’s doing the opposite. Palestinian population is growing enormously around Israel. In Israel, there were 150,000 Palestinians in 1948. Today, there’s almost two million; 20% of the population.”

Kennedy also pointed to the disappearance of Jewish communities from neighboring countries and the shrinking Christian population in Gaza as evidence that persecution has been directed elsewhere in the region.

He noted that there are “no Jews in Jordan” and “no Jews in Gaza,” while arguing that Gaza’s Christian community has also diminished significantly over time.

“If you want to see where a real genocide is happening, it’s not in Israel,” Kennedy said. “It’s happening in all the nations around it.”

His remarks come as international debate continues over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and as discussions proceed regarding the Board of Peace’s reconstruction initiative and efforts aimed at deradicalization in the territory.

The interview represented one of Kennedy’s strongest public endorsements of Israel since joining President Donald Trump’s administration.

US Secretary of Health RFK Jr.:

If Israel wanted to commit a genocide against Palestinians, they could do it in a minute. That's doing the opposite. The Palestinian population is growing enormously around Israel.

If you want to see what a real genocide is, it's not happening in… pic.twitter.com/i4tAUgsNoU

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 30, 2026

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is rapidly transforming security along the U.S.-Mexico border through an ambitious “smart wall” initiative that combines towering steel barriers with advanced surveillance technology, even as illegal border crossings have fallen to their lowest levels in decades. The project, backed by tens of billions of dollars from Congress, has drawn praise from supporters who say it strengthens border security while prompting criticism from opponents concerned about cost, privacy, and its impact on border communities.

For many years, long stretches of the southern border were marked by little more than barbed-wire fencing. Today, however, the administration is replacing those areas with 30-foot steel barriers integrated with sophisticated monitoring systems, including surveillance towers, motion sensors, cameras, and other technologies designed to give Border Patrol agents continuous awareness of activity along the frontier.

Despite the sharp decline in illegal crossings, the project remains under intense debate because of the enormous federal investment required to complete it. Critics argue the effort is further militarizing the border through the widespread deployment of surveillance systems that extend well beyond the physical fence itself.

“We are seeing a massive expansion of surveillance and surveillance technology across the borderlands,” said Ricky Garza, border policy counsel at the Southern Border Communities Coalition. “The wall in all its forms is harmful to communities.”

Federal officials maintain that the technology is intended to enhance—not replace—the physical barrier by allowing agents to focus on enforcement rather than constant monitoring.

“It’s a smart wall. It’s not just a barrier,” Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said during congressional testimony. “It maximizes the use of our most valuable resource, which is our agents.”

Border security has remained one of President Donald Trump’s signature priorities since his first presidential campaign.

During President Joe Biden’s administration, illegal migration surged, with thousands of migrants arriving at the border daily. Those numbers began falling before President Trump returned to office last year and have since dropped dramatically, with administration officials attributing much of the decline to tougher immigration enforcement policies that have discouraged attempted crossings.

Congress has allocated approximately $46 billion to complete the border barrier and related enforcement measures, enabling Customs and Border Protection to award major construction contracts aimed at finishing one of the administration’s highest-profile initiatives.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently said an initial phase of the project should be completed by this time next year. Scott told lawmakers that construction crews are currently installing roughly six miles of new wall each week.

Although hundreds of miles of border fencing had already been completed before President Trump returned to office, CBP has added another 74 miles as of mid-June 2026 and plans to construct hundreds more. Officials have no plans to build fencing across approximately 535 miles of the nearly 2,000-mile border, relying instead on difficult terrain supplemented by surveillance towers and underground detection systems.

In addition to new construction, CBP is upgrading existing sections of wall with improved lighting, patrol roads, and additional monitoring equipment. Along portions of the Rio Grande in Texas, authorities are also deploying large cylindrical floating barriers measuring 12 to 15 feet in length to deter migrants and smugglers from crossing the river.

Technology has become an increasingly central component of the administration’s border strategy. The effort reflects the broader evolution of Customs and Border Protection since the September 11 attacks into an intelligence-driven agency operating an extensive surveillance network reaching well beyond the border itself.

Opponents argue that this growing technological footprint creates new problems.

The Southern Border Communities Coalition contends that heightened surveillance forces migrants onto more dangerous routes while also raising privacy concerns for residents living near the border.

Garza said local landowners have discovered motion sensors installed on private property without their permission, arguing that the practice infringes upon their property and privacy rights.

Nayda Alvarez, whose family owns land along the Rio Grande approximately 125 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, said surveillance equipment has repeatedly appeared on their property. She recently noticed a new surveillance tower positioned roughly a quarter mile from her home.

“Are we expecting a war or something?” she said. “It doesn’t make me feel safer.”

Dave Maass of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the expanding surveillance network has fundamentally changed life along the border for both residents and migrants.

According to Maass, the organization has even produced a guide identifying the various surveillance towers currently operating throughout the southern border region to help local residents understand the technologies surrounding them.

Those systems include permanent towers equipped with video cameras, infrared sensors, and radar capable of monitoring activity across roughly eight miles, as well as mobile surveillance units mounted on trucks that can be relocated wherever needed. Some units combine cameras with powerful spotlights to monitor remote areas.

Many of the newest towers operate autonomously, scanning surrounding terrain and using artificial intelligence to analyze activity before alerting Border Patrol agents to potential threats. Supporters say the systems allow agents to remain in the field rather than spending hours watching camera feeds. Critics, however, caution that increasing reliance on AI raises concerns about algorithmic bias and other potential errors.

Legislation approved by Congress last summer requires Customs and Border Protection to purchase only autonomous surveillance towers, and the agency is now deploying an additional 95 units.

The surveillance network also extends underground. Fiber-optic cables buried beneath the surface detect movement and transmit data for artificial intelligence systems to evaluate.

“We follow the contour of the land. We go through trees. We go down into the river banks. We can go absolutely everywhere,” said Magnus McEwen-King, CEO of Sintela, whose company is installing the fiber-optic systems under contract with CBP. He spoke during a recent border security exposition in Phoenix showcasing the technology.

Border agents also continue using traditional ground sensors and remote trail cameras to identify smuggling corridors and illegal crossing routes.

The nonprofit watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense has questioned whether the massive expenditures on both physical barriers and surveillance technology provide sufficient value for taxpayers.

The group points to a previous effort abandoned in 2011, when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano terminated an earlier “virtual wall” initiative after it exceeded its budget, experienced technical failures, and fell significantly behind schedule.

Josh Sewell, the organization’s research and policy director, said additional scrutiny is needed before committing such vast sums to emerging technologies. He also criticized what he described as insufficient oversight of the administration’s spending, an allegation that Customs and Border Protection rejects, saying appropriate oversight mechanisms are already in place.

In Texas’ Big Bend region, the administration’s construction plans have drawn bipartisan resistance, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas encompassing state parks, national parks, and wildlife preserves.

CBP has since announced it no longer intends to build a 30-foot steel bollard wall through those protected locations. Instead, current plans call for patrol roads, vehicle barriers, and technological detection systems.

Clara Benson, a founder of the No Big Bend Wall coalition, said residents remain worried that powerful border lighting could diminish one of the area’s defining features—its famously dark night skies.

“There’s still a lot of fear and dread that the plan is still going to be quite damaging,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal immigration authorities arrested more than 10,000 people over a five-day period this week as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched one of its most aggressive enforcement drives yet. Internal records reviewed by The New York Times indicate that the agency nearly doubled its daily arrest goals to about 2,000, with arrests topping 2,400 on Saturday alone.

The intensified campaign has driven the number of migrants being held in ICE custody to more than 63,000. At the same time, field offices have reportedly been directed to dedicate roughly 80% of their officers to arrest operations every day of the week.

According to a source familiar with the agency’s operations, ICE is broadening its enforcement efforts with financial support provided through the One Big Beautiful Bill as that legislation nears its one-year anniversary.

Rather than relying on the high-profile workplace raids that drew widespread attention earlier in President Donald Trump’s administration, officials have increasingly carried out arrests away from the spotlight. Immigration lawyers say many detentions are now taking place during routine check-ins, traffic stops, and other everyday encounters.

Immigration advocacy organizations contend that the expanded enforcement is capturing growing numbers of migrants who have no criminal records, despite repeated statements from the administration that deportation efforts are aimed primarily at dangerous offenders.

The American Immigration Council and other organizations monitoring ICE activity say a significant number of those recently detained have no criminal history.

In South Florida, immigration attorney Cindy Blandon said ICE agents arrested one of her clients—a Nicaraguan father of two who is not scheduled to appear in immigration court until 2027—during a routine check-in on Monday.

The lower-profile enforcement campaign comes after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin vowed to shift away from the large-scale raids that generated intense criticism last year following an operation in Minnesota during which two U.S. citizens were killed.

The Department of Homeland Security defended the expanded enforcement effort, with a spokeswoman declaring: “If you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you and we will deport you.”

The surge in arrests has also drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle in certain cases.

Protesters have held demonstrations across the country over detention conditions and ICE enforcement tactics, while some Republican lawmakers have voiced concern over arrests involving people with humanitarian protections.

“Our immigration enforcement should target violent criminals,” Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on Facebook following the detention of a Catholic nun in Texas.

“A Catholic nun on her way to church is not a threat to our community.”

De La Cruz later said Sister Letty “will be coming home” and that officials were working to resolve the matter.

The enforcement push comes only days after the Supreme Court rejected President Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, reaffirming that “children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.”

{Matzav.com}

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council announced Thursday that it does not currently approve the license issued to Tzohar authorizing the organization to function as a kosher certification agency under the Chief Rabbinate’s standards.

In a formal resolution signed by council members, the rabbis said they had learned that the Chief Rabbinate’s director-general informed Tzohar that it had been granted permission to issue kosher certificates in accordance with the kashrus standards established by the Chief Rabbinate Council.

The council pointed to Section 2(17)(a)(6) of Israel’s Kashrut Fraud Prevention Law, explaining that one of the legal prerequisites for licensing an outside organization to certify kashrus under the Chief Rabbinate’s standards is that the Chief Rabbinate Council itself must not object to the license.

According to the council, the director-general never notified its members that he intended to approve Tzohar’s application. Furthermore, the matter was never presented to either the full council or its kashrus committee for discussion before the license was issued. The council said this procedure violated both the requirements of the law and accepted standards of administrative governance.

As a result, the council issued a clear ruling stating that it “does not, at this stage, approve the granting of a license to the Tzohar organization.”

The announcement follows weeks of growing criticism surrounding decisions made by the outgoing director-general of the Chief Rabbinate. Critics within the rabbinate contend that he moved ahead with the licensing process on his own initiative, without the legal authority to do so and without obtaining the required approval of the Chief Rabbinate Council. Some officials have characterized the move as an attempt to create a “fait accompli” by bypassing the council’s oversight.

{Matzav.com}

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session as renewed friction between the United States and Iran threatened the fragile ceasefire reached just days earlier. During the meeting, US Ambassador Mike Waltz cautioned that while Washington remains committed to diplomacy, “President Trump’s patience is not unlimited.”

Addressing the Council, Waltz accused Tehran of disrupting global commerce by interfering with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. He said, “Iran cannot, and we cannot allow it to, hold the world’s economy hostage,” while emphasizing that “a real transformative positive opportunity for the nation and people of Iran is on the table.” Even so, he warned that “President Trump’s patience is not unlimited.”

Opening the meeting, Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Peace Support, cautioned that the current ceasefire remains highly unstable.

“Each new strike, each new interception, each new maritime incident increases the risk of miscalculation,” Spehar said. “A return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences – for the peoples of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy.”

Spehar reviewed the events that have unfolded since June 25, including attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, retaliatory US strikes on Iranian military sites along the coast, Iranian attacks targeting American military installations in the Gulf, and the June 28 agreement by both sides to suspend further attacks.

Calling for continued diplomatic engagement, she said, “Sustained political will and continued engagement will be critical to overcoming the current challenges and achieving a mutually acceptable and lasting agreement,” while urging all parties to avoid actions that could reignite the conflict.

Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani told Council members that Bahrain has endured 808 attacks since February 28, including 203 ballistic missiles and 605 armed drones.

“These attacks deliberately targeted civilian facilities, critical infrastructure and residential areas,” he said, noting that the strikes killed three people and wounded hundreds.

Rejecting Iran’s claim that it targeted only military sites, Al Zayani pointed to an April 5 drone strike that hit an ammonia storage tank located in a residential neighborhood.

“Bahrain is an independent sovereign nation that is not a party to any conflict,” he said, while urging the Security Council to establish a mechanism to oversee implementation of the recent memorandum of understanding and hold violators accountable.

Kuwait likewise condemned what it described as repeated Iranian attacks against its territory.

“Kuwait condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian unwarranted, repeated attacks against the territory and airspace of Kuwait as well as its critical infrastructure,” said Faisal Alenezi.

Alenezi said Kuwait has been struck by 893 drone attacks and 873 ballistic missile attacks during the latest escalation, causing casualties and damaging critical facilities, including the country’s international airport.

Responding to the accusations, Amir Saeid Iravani blamed both the United States and Israel for triggering the current crisis.

“The facts are clear,” he said. “The United States betrayed diplomacy twice” by attacking Iran while negotiations were still in progress.

“Iran is the main victim of the wars of aggression launched by the United States and the Israeli regime. The role of the victim and the aggressor must not be reversed,” Iravani added.

He also criticized Bahrain and several Western members of the Security Council, accusing them of making “unfounded accusations” while ignoring what he characterized as illegal military actions against Iran.

According to Iravani, Tehran remains committed to diplomacy, saying Iran’s priority is “the full implementation of the MoU and the continuation of negotiations towards a comprehensive deal.” He urged Council members to support the negotiating process and refrain from steps that could jeopardize it.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad praised the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, calling it “a victory for diplomacy.” He said Pakistani and Qatari officials have facilitated meetings in Doha between American and Iranian negotiators.

“The fact that the talks are continuing and the parties are at the negotiating table is a significant positive outcome,” Ahmad said.

Representatives of the United Kingdom reaffirmed their backing for continued negotiations and implementation of the memorandum while stressing the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Panama condemned the June 27 attack on a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait, calling the incident “absolutely unacceptable” and warning that it posed a serious threat to international maritime security.

A number of other Security Council members echoed calls for all parties to preserve the ceasefire, restore the safe flow of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and continue negotiations aimed at reaching a lasting agreement.

{Matzav.com}

Transportation Security Administration officers at Indianapolis International Airport uncovered an unusual and potentially dangerous attempt to transport live smoke grenades after discovering one concealed inside a jar of peanut butter packed in a passenger’s checked luggage.

According to the TSA, the passenger’s suitcase was selected for additional screening after imaging equipment detected suspicious contents. During the inspection, officers recovered two live smoke grenades, one of which had been hidden inside a full jar of peanut butter. The agency emphasized that attempting to disguise prohibited items only makes matters worse and warned that such concealment “will only result in more severe consequences.”

Michael Dunphy, a TSA explosives specialist, said the discovery came as a surprise even after the initial inspection.

“After all contents were removed from the bag, I thought, ‘Weren’t there two grenades in this bag?’ After additional inspection of all the contents in the bag, it became obvious the second grenade was in the peanut butter jar, so I was surprised,” Dunphy said.

After being summoned back to the airline’s ticket counter, the traveler reportedly explained that a friend had suggested hiding the grenades inside a peanut butter jar as a way to get them through airport security.

Despite the alarming discovery, TSA officials said the incident did not disrupt airport operations because officers responded quickly and followed established safety procedures.

Aaron Batt, the TSA’s Federal Security Director for Indiana, said the unusual method of concealment prompted authorities to treat the situation with heightened caution.

“With the concealment method used, we had concern about the intentions and, as a result, quickly incorporated the airport police and airline station manager to ensure we approached the traveler in a cautious and safe manner,” Batt said.

He also credited the airport’s screening technology with identifying the threat before the bag reached the aircraft.

“The technology in place for checked baggage performed well and gave our officers a chance to review an image that resulted in the need for physical inspection of the targeted area highlighted by the equipment.”

Authorities have not announced whether the passenger will face criminal charges or other penalties. Additional information had not been released.

Dunphy, who has spent nearly two decades as a TSA explosives specialist, said he had never before encountered a traveler attempting to transport live smoke grenades.

“Usually, alarms turn out to be unusual items versus an actual threat, so this was my most memorable call over the last few years,” he said.

Batt cautioned that transporting prohibited items aboard an aircraft can create serious dangers, even if there is no malicious intent.

“Carrying banned items onto planes always has the potential for unintentionally causing harm,” Batt warned, explaining that changes in cabin pressure could have caused the smoke grenades to “accidentally release smoke filling the cabin and aircraft while in flight.”

He concluded by praising the vigilance of TSA personnel.

“Our TSA officers see thousands of images daily with most instances resolved without deadly and dangerous items, but when that instance does occur, we need to be ready, and we demonstrated that vigilance and capability here,” Batt said.

{Matzav.com}

A Chabad family from New York tells Matzav.com that they were subjected to more than an hour of screaming, humiliation, and mistreatment by border control agents at Ben Gurion Airport in what they describe as an entirely unwarranted ordeal motivated by anti-chareidi bias.

The family, which included three young children as well as a married son, his wife, and their three-month-old baby, had just arrived from New York and was waiting in line at passport control. At one point, the married son, identified here only as M, realized that the family’s passports had been left with an older relative waiting in a different line. He briefly stepped away to retrieve them and then returned to his place in line.

According to the family’s conversation with Matzav.com, that was when a border control agent began screaming at M, accusing him of cutting the line.

“At first I didn’t even realize the guy was yelling at me, because why in the world would he even be?” M recalled to Matzav.com.

The family immediately tried to explain what had happened, but they say the agent refused to listen. Other passengers also attempted to tell the agent that M had merely retrieved the passports and returned to his family’s place in line, but the agent continued shouting, ordered M out of the line, and told him to sit down. He confiscated M’s passport and refused to discuss the matter until he complied.

“Can I just explain what happened?” M asked, but the agent would not allow him to speak.

M says he was then left waiting for approximately 20 minutes without explanation.

When the agent finally returned, M again tried calmly to explain the situation, but says he was repeatedly interrupted by more shouting. Eventually, simply hoping to retrieve his passport and rejoin his family, M stopped trying to defend himself. Instead, he agreed with everything the agent said and assured him that he would not skip lines again.

He then asked the agent, as a personal favor, if he could simply rejoin his family, who had already reached the front of the line. Instead, the agent allegedly began yelling again, refused the request, and ordered him to return to the very end of the line.

As M walked away, he quietly told the agent that he believed the treatment had been unfair and that his family had not deserved it. He also remarked that he would remember the agent’s face.

According to M, those comments triggered another outburst.

“What did you say?” the agent demanded, accusing M of threatening him.

The confrontation then began all over again, with the family forced to wait even longer. This time, the rest of the family left their place in line so they could remain together with M.

When the agent eventually returned and invited M to explain himself, the family says he again interrupted him after only a few words before storming away. According to the family, this cycle repeated itself several times.

“It seemed as if he kept coming and waiting to hear a word that would anger him, so he could let out all his venting,” the family said.

At one point, the agent also claimed he was withholding M’s passport because it required a security review.

The family says they remained respectful and calm throughout the encounter but were unable to de-escalate the situation. Hoping someone else would intervene, they appealed to other border control agents.

Most declined to get involved. One who did, however, allegedly joined in the confrontation.

According to the family, the second agent made comments they viewed as blatant anti-chareidi stereotyping, telling them, “I know who you guys are, I’m sick of you guys, I know your shtick,” which they understood as a reference to their visibly chareidi appearance.

By this point, the family’s young children had begun crying.

The family says the agents then accused them of yelling, even though they insist they never raised their voices and that only the agents had been shouting.

Eventually, believing there was no point continuing the argument, the family apologized in hopes of ending the ordeal.

However, the situation escalated once again after the agent noticed that one family member had been recording the interaction on a cellphone, apparently because the agent had repeatedly changed his explanations for withholding the passport.

According to the family, the agent erupted again, insisting that recording him was illegal. He allegedly demanded the phone so he could delete the video himself.

The family disputes that claim, saying they later learned that recording was entirely lawful and that demanding possession of the phone was itself improper. Nevertheless, they complied, hoping only to bring the confrontation to an end.

The agents then instructed the rest of the family to proceed through passport control without M, but they refused, insisting they would remain together.

The agents responded by threatening to call the police.

Ironically, the family says they welcomed that development, believing it would finally bring an impartial person into the situation.

When police officers arrived, the family says they immediately approached the matter professionally. After listening to both sides for several minutes, the officers allowed the family to continue without incident.

According to the family, the officers also confirmed that recording the interaction had been permitted and that the border control agent had no legal basis for demanding deletion of the video.

The family further claims that throughout the entire incident they observed numerous other travelers entering the line out of order without drawing any response from the same agent.

The only other person they saw the agent confront, they said, was another visibly chareidi man. According to the family, that traveler was not subjected to the same prolonged ordeal, apparently because the agent was already occupied with M.

“Many of the people in line shared with us that it’s quite obvious he’s looking to start up with a chareidi-looking person because of all the tension in Israel,” M said.

M’s mother said the experience stood in stark contrast to what the family encountered during previous stops on their journey.

“We went through many countries on our way from New York to here, and in all of them, without exception, when they see a family with kids, especially with strollers, they immediately let you bypass the line,” she said. “Here, not only did they not let us bypass, they actually made us wait behind, and tortured us for over an hour, for absolutely nothing. Welcome to Israel.”

WATCH:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VIDEO-2026-07-02-12-45-02.mp4

{Matzav.com}

Amid the continuing arrests of bnei yeshivah and yungeleit over Israel’s military draft, Mir Yeshiva Rosh Yeshiva Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel has issued a letter instructing talmidim not to report to military induction offices or cross border checkpoints without prior authorization from a special yeshivah committee established to guide them.

The letter, distributed following a recent emergency gathering at the yeshivah, outlines detailed instructions for students regarding interactions with military authorities and provides guidance on how to respond in the event of an arrest.

Opening the letter, Rav Finkel describes the difficult circumstances facing the Torah world.

“Because of the terrible situation prevailing in Eretz Yisroel, in which precious bnei Torah are facing severe persecution and the danger of arrest, we wish to announce publicly that the yeshivah will make every effort to assist each and every individual with all the means at our disposal.”

The rosh yeshivah explained that the yeshivah has established a dedicated committee consisting of rabbonim, mechanchim, and professional advisers to provide individualized assistance to every bochur and avreich dealing with issues involving the military authorities.

Rav Finkel also warned students against attempting to resolve their status independently or through unofficial intermediaries.

“There are those who act on their own initiative, or through various activists, seeking different ways to obtain an exemption from military service. In doing so, they are placing themselves into the lion’s den, exposing themselves to the danger of immediate enlistment or arrest.”

The letter then sets forth a series of binding directives for all talmidim.

“Under no circumstances should anyone report to the draft office without the committee’s approval, even if he believes he qualifies for an exemption.”

It further instructs students, “Under no circumstances should anyone cross any border crossing without prior approval from the committee.”

Rav Finkel cautioned that any talmid who disregards the yeshivah’s directives will do so at his own risk.

“A student who acts contrary to the instructions of the yeshivah removes himself from the community and may have to bear the consequences of his actions himself.”

The letter also contains explicit instructions for students who are arrested. Rav Finkel directs them to contact a committee representative immediately and to exercise their legal rights.

“You should maintain your right to remain silent and provide no information other than your name and identification number. To every question, the response should be: ‘My attorney will answer you.’”

Rav Finkel concluded his message by urging talmidim to strengthen themselves spiritually during this difficult period.

“Members of the yeshivah are called upon to increase their tefillos and heartfelt cries for the redemption of Klal Yisroel and for the elevation of the glory of Torah. ‘Whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah is relieved of the yoke of worldly obligations.’”

The letter follows an emergency gathering held several days earlier for hundreds of Mir bochurim and avreichim, attended by the roshei yeshivah, the mashgiach, and senior rabbonim. During the gathering, Rav Shimon Shisha presented practical guidance on dealing with the ongoing draft crisis.

The meeting was convened after the yeshivah canceled a planned protest rally in Yerushalayim following the swift release of a Mir talmid who had been arrested and incarcerated in military prison. According to previous reports, the decision to hold the emergency assembly was made after Rav Finkel consulted with Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in light of the rapidly developing situation surrounding the draft of bnei yeshivah.

{Matzav.com}

A heated debate over the military draft of bnei yeshivah erupted Thursday in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, as MK Yaakov Asher sharply criticized the committee’s legal advisers, accusing them of creating a legal crisis that has effectively turned tens of thousands of law-abiding Torah students into criminals.

The United Torah Judaism lawmaker focused his remarks on the dramatic increase in the number of bnei yeshivah now classified as draft evaders, arguing that the situation is the direct result of legal decisions rather than legislative action.

“Until two years ago, there were 15,000 draft evaders across the entire country. Today there are already 90,000, and your heavy hand continues,” Asher charged, blaming the committee’s legal advisers. He argued that instead of supporting temporary legislation while lawmakers worked toward a permanent solution, legal authorities chose a path that criminalized thousands of bnei yeshivah.

Expressing outrage over the new legal reality, Asher said, “How can you treat them as though they are ordinary draft evaders? These are law-abiding citizens whose only ‘offense’ is studying Torah. In a single day, you turned 90,000 people into lawbreakers.”

His comments came as Israel’s defense establishment and legal authorities continue pressing for full enforcement of the draft laws against bnei yeshivah. The committee’s legal advisers recently issued a strongly worded opinion opposing proposed legislation that would temporarily suspend arrests of those obligated to enlist, arguing that the bill, in its current form, “goes beyond its original purpose” and effectively amounts to “an amnesty provision for draft evaders.”

Asher also drew a historical comparison, arguing that earlier constitutional legislation was passed without the level of specificity now being demanded regarding Torah study.

“At the time, Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty and the Freedom of Occupation Law were enacted. Those laws were drafted in broad language without spelling out exactly what they covered or how they applied,” he said. He noted that the legislation passed by a vote of just 34 to 24 near the close of a Knesset session, “literally at the last moment.”

The confrontation highlighted the widening divide between the chareidi parties and Israel’s legal establishment. While legal advisers contend that the proposed legislation would encourage future draft-age yeshivah students to ignore military service requirements, chareidi lawmakers argue that the current approach undermines the right to Torah study and overturns the longstanding status quo.

The dispute comes amid the continuing war and growing public pressure to increase military enlistment. At the same time, some defense officials have cautioned that arresting bnei yeshivah could ultimately prove counterproductive by discouraging voluntary enlistment among members of the chareidi community.

As lawmakers continue debating possible legislation, thousands of bnei yeshivah remain in legal limbo. They continue learning Torah as generations before them have done, yet many are now officially classified as draft evaders or deserters under existing law.

As previously reported by Matzav.com, roshei yeshivah and roshei kollelim have issued special guidance in recent months instructing bochurim and avreichim to carefully maintain their status as yeshivah students so they will qualify under any future draft legislation. The directives also warned that, absent new legislation, most students would be unable to leave Israel.

{Matzav.com}

As Bein HaMetzarim begins amid ongoing tensions surrounding the military draft of bnei yeshivah, Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon is urging the Torah community to remain steadfast in Torah learning while avoiding the trap of sinas chinam, warning that division among Jews must not be allowed to deepen during this sensitive period.

In a special interview with Kol Chai Radio’s “Tzav Ma’atzar” program, conducted by Gudi Silman, the veteran Bnei Brak gaon addressed the draft crisis, the status of bnei yeshivah, and the need to strengthen the Torah world.

Asked whether he could recall another period when the chareidi community faced circumstances similar to those of today, Chacham Ben Shimon replied that he could not.

“Honestly, I don’t remember a situation like this,” he said. “There has never been a time when people who sit and learn Torah were taken and treated this way. It’s difficult even to speak about such a situation.”

He noted that the current developments are especially painful during Bein HaMetzarim, when Jews reflect on the causes of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash.

“We are in the days when we speak about sinas chinam, and דווקא now we must be careful not to add more hatred.”

The gaon also offered words of encouragement to yeshivah bochurim and avreichim who are anxious about the current situation.

“There is no need to be afraid,” he said. “We believe that HaKadosh Baruch Hu guides the world. We must continue learning Torah and never diminish its value. On the contrary, the more we are afflicted, the more we must strengthen ourselves.”

He added that faith in hashgachah pratis should give Jews confidence even during difficult times.

“In the end, everything comes from HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and one who learns Torah merits siyata diShmaya.”

When asked how the chareidi public should respond to the strong emotions surrounding the draft controversy, Chacham Ben Shimon stressed that disagreements must never become personal hostility.

Even in the midst of profound disputes, he said, there is no place for inflammatory rhetoric or angry confrontation.

“If you want to influence people, you don’t do it through anger and shouting,” he said. “You have to speak pleasantly, to bring people close rather than push them away. When you speak with respect and appreciation, people listen.”

He also used the interview to call for greater internal chizuk within the Torah community, particularly with regard to maintaining the sanctity of batei knesses.

He urged worshippers to refrain from engaging in idle conversation during tefillah.

“Talking in shul causes tremendous harm. The more we reduce conversation and increase our respect for the holiness of the place, the greater our genuine chizuk will be.”

Chacham Ben Shimon added that while it is important to explain the value of Torah to the broader public, the Torah world must first strengthen itself from within.

Later in the interview, he related a story from his experience on the Bais Din involving a man who had once been completely distant from Torah observance but gradually returned to Judaism because a rav chose to guide him patiently rather than rebuke or frighten him.

According to Chacham Ben Shimon, the story illustrates that Jews are brought closer through love, patience, and gradual spiritual growth—not through accusations or intimidation.

“There are many stories like that,” he said. “When you bring someone close with love and allow him to advance step by step, you can see how he changes.”

Concluding the interview, Chacham Ben Shimon was asked what message he wished to deliver to bnei yeshivah during this challenging period.

“They should not be afraid,” he said. “They should continue learning Torah. Fear itself creates more fear, but one who occupies himself with Torah merits siyata diShmaya. Even when there are things we do not understand in the calculations of Heaven, our responsibility is to continue learning and strengthening ourselves, and with Hashem’s help, He will assist all bnei Torah.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has found himself at the center of a social media firestorm after urging residents to conserve electricity by setting their air conditioners to 78 degrees during a dangerous heat wave that could push temperatures to 100 degrees for the first time in more than a decade.

With soaring temperatures placing heavy demand on the electrical grid, Mamdani took to X to encourage New Yorkers to reduce their energy usage.

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” the Muslim socialist mayor wrote in a post on X. “Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.”

The suggestion quickly sparked widespread ridicule, with many users insisting that 78 degrees was far too warm to provide meaningful relief during extreme summer heat.

Among the most prominent critics was Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who has previously floated the idea of challenging Mamdani in a future mayoral election.

“78 degrees??? Welcome to communism people! Hope you enjoy!” Portnoy wrote.

Conservative commentator Bonchie also mocked the mayor’s recommendation, posting, “Do you feel the warmth of collectivism yet?”

Many everyday New Yorkers joined the criticism, with some pledging to do exactly the opposite of what the mayor had requested.

“As a New Yorker I’ll be setting my AC to 62 degrees for the foreseeable future as a direct retaliation to your authority,” one user responded.

Another wrote, “I have texted all my coworkers who voted for Zohran to send me a photo of their A/C set to 78.”

Others questioned why residents should be expected to keep their homes uncomfortably warm while brightly lit landmarks such as Times Square continue consuming enormous amounts of electricity around the clock.

Moshe Spern, president of the United Jewish Teachers, also weighed in with a tongue-in-cheek response.

“My Mayor is Muslim. My Bagel is Jewish. My Christian Dior. Thermostat set to 74. Or lower,” he wrote, parodying the popular “Knicks in four” slogan. “Only a Communist believes distribution of wealth also means distribution of air conditioning. Send thermostat pics at Gracie and City hall please!!”

In his post, Mamdani said city government would also be reducing electricity consumption by following the same thermostat guidelines and limiting unnecessary energy use in municipal buildings.

“Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment,” he wrote.

He argued that reducing electricity demand would help prevent outages during the heat emergency.

“A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together.”

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends thermostat settings between 75 and 78 degrees during the summer months and advises homeowners to raise the temperature further when no one is home.

Mamdani is not the first New York City mayor to make such a recommendation. During a heat advisory in July 2023, then-Mayor Eric Adams similarly encouraged residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees to reduce strain on the electrical grid.

Forecasters say the most dangerous conditions are expected today and Friday, when AccuWeather predicts temperatures across New York City’s five boroughs could reach 100 degrees.

{Matzav.com}

By Rabbi Shraga Freedman A third-grade rebbe shared the following incredible story with me.

It was the last day of school, and the rebbe had heard that the non-Jewish teacher who served as his co-teacher for third grade would not be returning the following year.

Before the day ended, he encouraged his students to thank her and wish her success.

As he was leaving the classroom, he took out a sticky note and wrote her a short message:

Dear …,
Thank you for a wonderful year. It was a pleasure teaching alongside you. Wishing you much success wherever you go.
Signed, Rabbi …

The rebbe left the room.

A little while later, a few third graders approached him and said, “Rebbe, we want to show you something. Can you come back to the classroom?”

When he walked back in, he was stunned.

The teacher’s desk was entirely covered with sticky notes—one from each of the third graders—each note expressing appreciation and gratitude to their English teacher.

He was completely blown away.

He never found out how the teacher reacted when she saw the notes. But he walked away with a powerful realization:

Perhaps the greatest Kiddush Hashem in that moment was not what reached the teacher, but what entered the hearts of his students.

They learned far more from his actions than from his words.

This is one of the deepest truths about Kiddush Hashem—it is conveyed far more through authentic behavior than through preaching.

And often, its greatest impact is not on distant observers, but on those closest to us—our students, our children, and all those within our circle of influence.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun). 

Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

Endorsements & Letters

Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman.

Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss.

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022