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The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a significant immigration victory on Thursday, ruling that federal officials may turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border before they formally apply for asylum. The 6-3 decision upheld the legality of the “metering” policy, a border management practice that sparked a rare and pointed public exchange between members of the nation’s highest court.

The ruling allows the government to continue limiting the number of migrants permitted to seek asylum at ports of entry on any given day. The policy, known as metering, was implemented during both the Obama and Trump administrations as a way to manage overwhelming numbers of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border.

Groups representing immigrants argued that migrants should be considered to have “arrived” in the United States the moment they reach the border. They maintained that federal immigration law guarantees the right to apply for asylum upon arrival, regardless of whether an individual entered the country legally or illegally.

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito rejected that interpretation.

“In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person ‘arrives in’ a place—for example, a house, a city, or a country—before the person enters that place.

“The context in which the phrase ‘arrives in the United States’ is used in the immigration statutes at issue here supports an ordinary-meaning reading.”

The Trump administration argued that the policy was a practical necessity during periods of heavy migration, noting that individuals who were turned away temporarily were free to return later and attempt to apply again.

“This is a tremendous win for the Trump Administration, the rule of law, and common sense,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “President Trump remains committed to lawfully restoring integrity to our immigration system, which includes tackling the egregious abuses to our asylum system that the prior administration encouraged. We will always put the American people first.”

Under U.S. law, asylum is available only to migrants who can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Those who receive asylum protection are allowed to remain in the United States, obtain work authorization, petition to bring immediate family members, pursue permanent residency, and eventually apply for American citizenship.

The Court’s three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor took the unusual step of reading her dissent aloud from the bench and added remarks criticizing the majority’s ruling.

She said the decision “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

In her written dissent, Sotomayor warned of what she believes will be the human cost of the Court’s decision.

“The consequences of today’s decision are predictable,” Sotomayor wrote. “More people will die. More people will attempt to cross the border illegally, and some will make it while others will not. More people will be forced to walk along the U.S.-Mexico border in dangerous conditions, trying to find a port that will inspect them. More people will turn back and be subjected to violence because of something they cannot or should not have to change about themselves … Because this is neither what Congress said nor what its words permit, I respectfully dissent.”

Alito responded afterward, noting that he would have expanded his own remarks had he known Sotomayor intended to read her dissent from the bench. He also emphasized that the challenged policy had been employed by administrations from both major political parties.

“I won’t add anything more to that,” concluded Alito, who finished his opinion by reminding: “The wisdom of the policy of metering alien arrivals at the southern border is not before us. We decide only that an alien standing in Mexico does not ‘arriv[e] in the United States.’ The [law] neither entitles such an alien to apply for asylum nor requires an immigration officer to inspect him.”

Metering first appeared in 2016 under President Barack Obama after a surge of Haitian migrants reached the San Diego port of entry from Tijuana. During President Trump’s administration, the practice was expanded across all ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The policy ended in 2020 when stricter border restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden later officially rescinded the metering policy in 2021.

That same year, a federal judge in California ruled that metering violated both federal asylum law and the rights of asylum seekers. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, although nearly half of the court’s active judges voted in favor of rehearing the case, signaling deep disagreement that ultimately paved the way for Supreme Court review.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Shmuel Betzalel, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas and rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Porat Yosef, delivered an emotional message of chizuk to bnei yeshivah and avreichim being held in Military Prison 10, declaring that they are being treated as criminals solely because of their commitment to Torah study.

The remarks were broadcast through loudspeakers placed outside the entrance to the military prison, allowing the detained bnei Torah to hear words of support from the senior Torah leader while they remained behind bars.

Opening his address, Rav Betzalel spoke directly to the imprisoned students and described their incarceration as a consequence of their devotion to Torah.

“Dear young men, imprisoned because you are students engaged in Torah. Dear avreichim, more precious than gold, occupied with the holy Torah, whose only crime is involvement in the holy Torah,” he said. “In these days, when even Israel’s friends have turned their backs, turning their backs on our nation, we must feel the meaning of ‘a nation that dwells alone,’ and realize that the merit and very existence of the Jewish people rests upon the holy Torah.”

Rav Betzalel lamented what he described as a dramatic reversal from previous generations, saying Torah scholars are now being treated like lawbreakers despite their central role in sustaining the Jewish people.

“For eighty years in the Holy Land of Israel, everyone understood that Torah learners are the foundation of the Jewish people. And now we are being shaken and persecuted—persecuted—and today we are under arrest and regarded as criminals and offenders for sitting in detention. And the entire crime and offense is the study of the holy Torah.”

The rosh yeshivah stressed that Torah remains the source of life and continuity for the Jewish nation and accused those seeking to draft full-time Torah scholars of failing to appreciate that reality.

He declared that the Torah is “the house of our lives,” adding that it “sustains life for the Jewish people and their continued existence.” He also criticized those promoting the current policies, saying, “We know that those who are distant want to abolish the holy Torah. They do not understand what the Jewish people are.”

Turning once again to the detainees, Rav Betzalel encouraged them to take strength from their circumstances and view themselves as serving a higher purpose.

“And you, the prisoners—the prisoners of the holy Torah—who are imprisoned for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, Hashem is with you, mighty warriors. Bear your imprisonment proudly, and may Hashem bless all those who have come to identify with the holy Torah, to sustain the Jewish people.”

He went on to emphasize that the future of the Jewish people depends entirely on Torah, warning against efforts to weaken its central place in Jewish life.

“Without the holy Torah, the Jewish people would not exist, and they want, chas v’shalom, to erase the Torah of Yisrael Saba and the Jewish people,” he said, reflecting the widely held view in the Torah world that Torah study provides the nation’s ultimate spiritual protection.

Rav Betzalel also urged the imprisoned students to preserve their spiritual strength despite their confinement.

“I also turn to the avreichim and the bochurim who are behind bars there in the prisons: Maintain the spirit of genuine yiras Shamayim, just as you conducted yourselves within the holy yeshivah. At the same time, let your spirit and your hearts be uplifted in the ways of the holy Torah.”

He reminded the detainees that they were not alone, describing them as representatives of the entire Torah world.

“Feel, feel that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is with you. That you are prisoners and emissaries of the entire Torah world and of the Torah itself,” Rav Betzalel said. His remarks came amid ongoing visits by rabbanim and public officials to Military Prison 10 to encourage the detainees.

Concluding his address, Rav Betzalel expressed solidarity with the imprisoned students and offered a prayer for the future of the Jewish people.

“We are all proud of you, we support you, and we pray, with Hashem’s help, that all our distant brothers will have the love of Torah placed into their hearts by the Holy One, Blessed be He, because that is what defines this nation.”

He ended by reiterating what he described as the central message of his remarks: “The public must know that without Torah there is no Jewish people. With Hashem’s help, the children will return to the spirit of Torah and Yisrael Saba, and the Redeemer will come, with Hashem’s help, and remove this persecution from upon us.”

{Matzav.com}

MK Meir Porush, chairman of the Shlomei Emunim faction, launched a scathing attack on the Religious Zionist Party, accusing it of undermining efforts to protect bnei Torah through proposed draft legislation and warning that its leaders fail to recognize where the political left will ultimately turn its attention.

Speaking in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Porush sharply criticized the party’s opposition to portions of legislation intended to safeguard full-time Torah learners.

“You’d think everything is perfect over there. You’d think everyone there serves 32 months and that all the girls serve,” Porush said. “They don’t understand that once the left finishes with us, they’ll come after them. The shame of the Religious Zionist Party is that it’s a party barely scraping the electoral threshold, yet it tries to dictate positions to Bibi and everyone else.”

Porush then invoked the historical position of the Brisker Rov regarding cooperation with the Religious Front, arguing that the current political tensions reflect a long-standing ideological divide.

“We all know who they are. We’ve known this story for 60 years,” he said. “The Rabbi of Brisk would not allow joining the Religious Front because he said, ‘The Mizrachi is the worst.’ They’ll tell you, ‘We’re with you,’ and in the end they hurt you.”

Continuing his criticism, Porush questioned why Religious Zionist lawmakers oppose benefits sought by the chareidi community while, he said, the chareidim do not interfere with issues important to the settlement movement.

“You see it yourself. What’s bothering them? Are we harming anyone in the settlement movement?” he asked. “They’re upset that our mothers should receive daycare assistance. At every step they hurt us—a party that’s barely scraping past the electoral threshold.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to mark 850 days since the disappearance of 9-year-old Haimanot Kassau, whose whereabouts remain unknown after she vanished from an absorption center in Tzfat in February 2024. Her family used the event to urge authorities to intensify the investigation and mobilize all available security agencies in hopes of finally uncovering what happened.

Relatives, community activists, and family members of hostages joined the rally, calling on the government to broaden the probe, establish a dedicated investigative task force, and devote additional national resources to the case in an effort to achieve a long-awaited breakthrough.

Haimanot’s father, Tespai Kassau, addressed the crowd in Amharic through a translator, speaking emotionally about his family’s hopes when they immigrated to Israel and the anguish they have endured since their daughter disappeared.

“We came to the Land of Israel with great faith, with love, with the desire to build a home here,” he said. “We wanted our children to grow up in a country that knows how to protect its children. And today, after 850 days, I stand here and ask: Where is my Haimanot? Haimanot was kidnapped not across the border, not by our enemies, but inside the State of Israel, from the very place where she lived. The State of Israel, which knows how to reach faraway places, cannot tell us after 850 days that it has no answers.”

Haimanot’s older sister, Yeros Kassau, also spoke through tears, directing her remarks to her missing sister. She described the devastating impact the disappearance has had on the family, recalling that Haimanot was a Hebrew-speaking Israeli child who had been growing up in a loving home before she was suddenly taken away.

The rally also featured remarks from families who have personally experienced kidnappings and tragedy. Bat Sheva Yahalomi, whose son Eitan was abducted to Gaza and later freed during the first hostage exchange, said the fact that whoever was responsible for Haimanot’s disappearance remains at large should concern every Israeli.

Attorney Dror Matityahu, who represents the Kassau family and the campaign working to bring Haimanot home, criticized the handling of the investigation during its early years. He noted that the case was transferred to Lahav 433, Israel’s national major crimes unit, only about six months ago.

Matityahu said investigators continue to receive new leads and information that warrant examination, stressing that every tip should be pursued and no investigative avenue should be dismissed. He added that the passage of time has made it increasingly difficult to recover evidence and determine the truth.

The gathering concluded with a call to ensure that Haimanot’s disappearance does not fade from public attention. Her family emphasized that, for them, this is not merely an unresolved criminal investigation—it is the desperate search for a little girl whom they still hope will one day return home.

{Matzav.com}

Political analyst Amit Segal says the next Israeli election could dramatically reshape the chareidi political landscape, outlining two sharply different scenarios—one in which the chareidi parties suffer a historic decline and another in which internal realignment could ultimately strengthen their electoral standing.

Writing in his weekly column in Yisroel Hayom, Segal argues that the greatest risk facing the chareidi parties is a significant drop in voter turnout. If fewer chareidi voters head to the polls than in previous elections, he says, the parties could experience what he describes as a “historic collapse” in political representation.

According to Segal, one of the key reasons the right-wing bloc has consistently outperformed polling projections is the exceptionally high participation rate among chareidi voters. “Take a sky-high voter turnout, multiply it by the highest natural population growth in the Western world, and you’ve gained another two Knesset seats,” he wrote.

He noted that the chareidi parties won the equivalent of 17.5 seats in the last election, which ultimately became 18 seats through the Bader-Ofer surplus-vote agreement. Current polls, however, generally project the parties at around 16 seats. Under ordinary circumstances, Segal wrote, many observers would expect those numbers to rise on Election Day—”unless this time the surprise works in the opposite direction.”

Segal said politicians, journalists, and influential figures within the chareidi community have begun expressing concern that turnout could fall sharply. He attributed that possibility to widespread disappointment with the current leadership, writing that many voters are frustrated with representatives “most of whom have been around since the previous millennium.” He added that many in the community blame their elected officials for the sanctions imposed on bnei yeshivah and the arrests of draft evaders, believing they “failed badly during the outgoing term.”

He also argued that the recent legislative push by the chareidi parties has been widely misunderstood. “The legislative blitz described in the general media as chareidi greed and hubris is actually more of a frantic race by Shas and United Torah Judaism to prove to their voters that they are at least doing something,” he wrote. Segal further claimed that “this is also the reason the establishment Agudas Yisrael initiated the massive disruptions on Israel’s highways.”

At the same time, Segal presented a very different possibility. Rather than signaling political weakness, he suggested that the recent cooperation between Agudas Yisrael and the Peleg Yerushalmi could indicate that Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah may ultimately contest the next election on separate tickets.

To support that theory, Segal cited Yated Ne’eman editor Aryeh Zisman, who has suggested that recent political developments may point toward a split between the Litvishe Degel HaTorah faction and the chassidic Agudas Yisrael faction.

Segal concluded that an independent Agudas Yisrael list could potentially clear the electoral threshold if it succeeds in attracting support from Peleg Yerushalmi voters, many of whom have traditionally boycotted elections. “The mutual hatred will drive everyone to the ballot boxes, recreating the 1988 election,” he wrote, noting that when Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael ran separately that year, they collectively nearly doubled their previous vote total and established the chareidi public as a major political force for the first time.

[COMMUNICATED]

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.) 

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact. 

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own. 

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden. 

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact –

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory. 

ShasYiden.com

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) expressed deep concern over the growing popularity of socialist candidates, saying it is troubling that large numbers of voters—particularly in heavily Democratic states such as New York—are embracing socialist politics following the state’s recent primary elections.

Speaking on Breitbart News Daily after allies of New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani defeated several establishment Democrats in primary contests, Paul said the trend reflects a dangerous shift in public opinion.

When asked about the increasing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Paul offered a blunt assessment, saying it was “alarming that you can get majorities – even in a … hellhole like New York.”

He said the results reminded him of themes he explored in his book criticizing socialism, arguing that many younger Americans have developed a favorable view of the ideology without understanding its historical consequences.

“…But still alarming that a majority of people are voting for socialists. I wrote a book a few years ago, The Case Against Socialism, and in it we talked about some of the polls where, you know, majority of young people are thinking, hey, socialism sounds good, why don’t we try it,” Paul said, noting that many of these young people do not actually understand socialism and the consequences of the ideology.

Paul argued that many supporters of socialism fail to recognize what he described as the economic devastation experienced by countries that have embraced the system, contending that they instead associate it with the concept of fairness.

“They don’t understand … the disaster that is Venezuela, the disaster that is Cuba, the disaster that was China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, all these places,” the senator said. “What they understand it to be is fairness, and they’re like, well, it’s just not fair that you make twice as much money as me, and we’re just going to make it fair.”

He went on to argue that modern culture increasingly emphasizes equal outcomes over individual achievement.

“And they’ve been brought up on this fairness. Now it’s not fair that you run faster than me and that you get the trophy. Everybody should get the trophy,” Paul said.

According to Paul, schools and broader cultural institutions have helped spread this view of fairness, leading many young people to equate socialism with justice while overlooking what he believes are its economic failures. He argued that pursuing equal outcomes ultimately results in shortages, declining prosperity, and the loss of the benefits associated with capitalism.

Paul concluded by suggesting that the rise of socialist candidates reflects either widespread misunderstanding or a broader ideological shift within the political left. While he questioned whether such candidates could prevail in competitive general elections nationwide, he predicted they could continue to find success in New York.

He continued, “It’s ignorance, but it is alarming, and then the other, the other possibility, though, is [the] left goes so far left that maybe they can’t win general elections, but in New York, all these people will win.”

[Video below.] House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that once Democratic primary contests conclude, the party must come together with a single focus: defeating President Donald Trump and what he described as the MAGA movement.

During an appearance on MS NOW’s “The Briefing,” the New York Democrat highlighted several House incumbents who secured renomination while expressing confidence that Democrats are positioned to flip key Republican-held districts in the general election.

“I’m proud of the fact that several other of my colleagues, of course, decisively won reelection, whether that’s Grace Manning or Ritchie Torres, Yvette Clarke, just to name a few. For whatever the reason, those races didn’t catch a lot of attention. I’m also, thankful, for the fact that we finally have some resolution. We had at least two strong candidates in New York’s 17 congressional district currently being rented by Mike Lawler, but Kate Connelly emerged. She’s a decorated, courageous patriot combat veteran. For whatever the reason, that race hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, even though Mike Lawler right now is shaking in his boots. Because Kate Connelly is going to flip that seat in November and help us deliver a majority in the House of Representatives.”

Jeffries said the Democratic Party encompasses a broad range of viewpoints, but argued that those differences should be set aside after the primary season in order to concentrate on a common political objective.

“So, listen, I think at the end of the day, you know, individual congressional districts, the beauty of it all are made up by a diverse group of people who have a diverse set of perspectives on a wide variety of issues. I think for us as House Democrats, we’re just hopeful that everybody recognizes, once we get through this primary season, that the enemy is Donald Trump and MAGA extremism in terms of trying to bring about the type of America that we all desire, where when you work hard and play by the rules, working class folks can live a comfortable life in affordable life and a good life. That shouldn’t be too much to ask for. In the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Alan Dershowitz announced that he plans to sue a Brooklyn coffee shop after it publicly declared that Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., was unwelcome because of his support for Israel, escalating a controversy that has already prompted a federal civil rights investigation.

Speaking Wednesday on Newsmax’s “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” the longtime legal scholar sharply criticized Poetica Coffee after the business refunded Goldman’s purchase and later announced that it would not have served him had employees recognized him during his visit with his daughter.

The dispute has also attracted the attention of the federal government.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division confirmed that it has launched an investigation into whether Poetica Coffee violated federal anti-discrimination laws by publicly stating that it would have denied service to Goldman because of his pro-Israel views.

“Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote on X in announcing the probe.

Dershowitz said the episode is part of what he sees as a growing wave of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.

“I think that’s the way it has to be in New York,” Dershowitz told Van Susteren. “If Dan Goldman can’t have the coffee from the shop, nobody should.

“The Justice Department should shut it down. It should be boycotted,” he added.

The controversy erupted after Poetica Coffee published a social media post ridiculing Goldman and stating that staff members would have refused him service if they had realized who he was.

In that post, the coffee shop accused the Jewish congressman of facilitating “genocide” because of his support for Israel and implied that his financial backing came from the pro-Israel advocacy organization AIPAC.

Goldman later said his interaction with the barista had been cordial and described the entire incident as “sad.” He urged Americans to focus on finding common ground instead of allowing political differences to drive further division.

Dershowitz likened the situation to an incident he experienced last year, when a food vendor on Martha’s Vineyard refused to serve him because of his political positions and his legal representation of controversial clients.

According to Dershowitz, he ultimately succeeded in persuading officials overseeing the marketplace to adopt a rule requiring all vendors to serve customers regardless of their political beliefs.

He said he now intends to pursue similar legal action against the Brooklyn coffee shop.

“The law of New York prohibits discrimination based on invidious characteristics, including religion,” Dershowitz said. “Obviously this is based in part on religion, because Zionism is part of the Jewish religion.”

The Harvard Law School professor emeritus also faulted Democratic leaders for what he believes has been an inadequate response to rising antisemitism.

“This is a horrible situation,” Dershowitz said. “If it could happen to New York, it can happen anywhere.”

The Justice Department has not announced a timetable for completing its investigation, and Poetica Coffee has not publicly commented on the federal probe.

{Matzav.com}

Three judges currently serving on the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump, arguing that the penalties are unlawful and exceed the administration’s legal authority, according to Reuters.

The case, filed in federal court in Manhattan, was brought by ICC judges Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin.

In their complaint, the judges contend that the sanctions were not a legitimate exercise of executive power but rather an effort to intimidate members of the court and pressure them into changing their judicial conduct through measures imposed outside the normal legal process.

The White House, the Treasury Department, and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the filing of the lawsuit.

The legal dispute stems from sanctions the Trump administration imposed last year after the Hague-based court approved an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sanctions also related to the ICC’s separate investigation into allegations of war crimes involving US military personnel in Afghanistan.

According to the lawsuit, the sanctions have far-reaching financial consequences because major international banks must comply with US sanctions rules if they conduct business in US dollars or maintain operations in the United States. As a result, those targeted face severe restrictions on access to routine banking and financial services.

The judges also argue that the administration improperly relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), asserting that the ICC’s judicial decisions do not constitute the type of extraordinary national security threat required under the law to justify such sanctions.

In addition, the plaintiffs maintain that the sanctions have directly interfered with their judicial responsibilities by preventing them from receiving legal submissions and reviewing evidence in both current and future cases before the court.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons has been permanently halted, praising recent US military operations and predicting that the region is on the verge of a historic era of peace.

Addressing supporters at a rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Trump pointed to the recently announced agreement with Iran as a landmark achievement of his presidency.

“Last week we signed a historic agreement to end the conflict with Iran, fully open the Strait of Hormuz and accomplish what no president has ever been able to accomplish before: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, that’s done.”

The president also credited the US military with dismantling Iran’s military capabilities, describing the campaign as overwhelmingly successful.

“And thanks to the power and skill of the United States Armed Forces,” he continued, “today Iran has no Navy, no Air Force, no anti-aircraft capacity, no missile launchers, no manufacturing, and their leadership has been obliterated.”

Trump said he believes the developments have fundamentally changed the future of the Middle East and predicted that a long-sought peace is finally within reach.

“And for the first time in 3,000 years, we are finally going to have peace in the Middle East. We’re going to have peace in the Middle East.”

.@POTUS: Last week, we signed a historic agreement to end the conflict with Iran, fully open the Strait of Hormuz, and accomplish what no President has ever been able to accomplish before — Iran will NEVER have a nuclear weapon! pic.twitter.com/4jEEqp16CD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 25, 2026

He also argued that the agreement has already benefited American consumers, pointing to falling energy prices and forecasting further declines at the gas pump.

“Today it hit a new low, and the world is a much safer place. We had to make that little journey to Iran to do what we did. Very soon you’ll be at $2.50 a gallon for gasoline, and even lower than that, just like it was before we took the nuclear weapon away from Iran.”

Trump’s remarks followed comments he made a day earlier in Pennsylvania, where he warned that military action could quickly resume if Tehran failed to honor its commitments or abandoned what he described as a reasonable path forward.

“Iran has been great – IF Iran is reasonable, IF they’re smart. Otherwise, we’ll have to finish the job,” Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania.

He continued by emphasizing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained the central objective of the agreement.

“As you know, we just achieved a historic peace agreement with Iran to end the conflict… and most importantly, we are ensuring one thing very importantly- because this is why I did it… Iran will NEVER have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve agreed to that.”

Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the administration’s position, saying the United States expects Iran to carry out every commitment it made during negotiations in Switzerland.

“We expect them to live up to the commitments they made in Switzerland,” he told reporters. “If they don’t live up to those commitments, the President has a lot of options at his disposal, including, I’m not saying he’s going to do it, I’m saying including reversing these sanctions.”

Rubio stressed that the administration would closely monitor Tehran’s compliance and noted that President Trump has made his expectations unmistakably clear.

“They’ve made very straight-up commitments in Switzerland, and the President has been very clear they need to keep those commitments.”

The secretary of state concluded by saying the United States remains willing to pursue diplomacy, but only if Iran agrees to an agreement that is both meaningful and fully enforceable.

“If we’re going to get a deal, it has to be a real deal, and it has to be a good deal,” he said. “If Iran wants to make a good and real deal, the United States is open to that. If they’re not, then, of course, the President has options.”

{Matzav.com}

Two decades after Hamas terrorists kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in an attack that stunned Israel, the IDF Archives at the Ministry of Defense on Thursday released the Southern Brigade’s official command post operations log from the day of the abduction. Published for the first time, the records provide a detailed, minute-by-minute reconstruction of the military’s response as commanders gradually realized an Israeli soldier had been taken into Gaza.

The newly declassified documents chronicle the progression of events from the earliest reports of explosions and heavy gunfire near the Gaza border through the activation of the “Hannibal Directive”—an IDF protocol intended to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers—and finally to the moment officials confirmed that one member of the armored unit had disappeared and had been abducted by Hamas terrorists.

The attack took place on the morning of June 25, 2006, when a Hamas terrorist squad emerged from a tunnel dug beneath the border near Kerem Shalom and launched a surprise assault on an IDF tank crew. Lieutenant Hanan Barak and Staff Sergeant Pavel Slutsker were killed during the fierce fighting, while several additional soldiers sustained injuries. Amid the confusion created by the attack, the terrorists seized Gilad Shalit from the tank and rapidly transported him across the border into the Gaza Strip.

According to the operations log, the first warning reached the command center at 5:13 a.m., when multiple explosions were reported near Kerem Shalom. Commanders initially believed the blasts were caused by incoming mortar shells or rockets. One minute later, the gravity of the situation escalated when the log recorded the words, “Casualties reported.” Soon afterward, reports flooded in describing attack helicopters being dispatched, special forces mobilizing, and terrorists observed inside Israeli military positions and trenches.

More than an hour after the attack began, at 6:40 a.m., the breakthrough realization appeared in the command log: “A soldier is missing from the tank.” Four minutes later, commanders officially activated the “Hannibal” protocol in response to the suspected kidnapping.

By 7:12 a.m., troops searching the area discovered a protective vest and helmet lying near the security fence. Despite the alarming find, soldiers noted there were no visible signs that anyone had been dragged from the scene.

The military’s fears were confirmed at exactly 8:00 a.m., when the operations log identified the captive: “Name of the abducted soldier: Gilad Shalit.” Nearly two hours later, another entry reported that “inside the area, tracks belonging to both the terrorists and the abducted soldier have been identified.” Around midday, investigators added another troubling discovery: “the abducted soldier’s vest is with the chief tracker and shows bloodstains and shrapnel damage.”

Beyond documenting the sequence of events, the records also capture the uncertainty that gripped military commanders as they struggled to assess the rapidly developing crisis. A situation assessment prepared later that afternoon reflected the growing understanding that Israel was facing a major strategic challenge: “The soldier is likely alive, location unknown, possibly outside our sector, the attack was carried out by Hamas. They have been planning this attack for about three weeks and it is unrelated to current operations or recent events in the Strip… This could escalate into a major confrontation due to the hostage… There is a possibility the hostage is no longer in our sector and has been moved further north.”

Later in the day, at 4:34 p.m., the field commander reported that Shalit’s footprints had been positively identified near what troops believed was the entrance to the Hamas tunnel used in the attack. About an hour afterward, another disturbing report was entered into the log: “A rumor is circulating that the captured soldier was moved through a tunnel into Egypt to better secure him and negotiate his return. The reliability of this information is unclear.”

Colombia’s incoming president, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced Wednesday that one of his administration’s top foreign policy priorities will be rebuilding and dramatically expanding ties with Israel, signaling a sharp departure from the approach taken by the country’s outgoing government.

The conservative leader made the pledge after speaking by telephone with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, promising that relations between the two nations would reach unprecedented levels once he takes office.

“Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” he wrote on social media following the call.

Sa’ar described the conversation warmly, emphasizing his optimism about the new administration in Bogotá.

“A short time ago, I held a phone conversation with my friend Abelardo de la Espriella, the President-elect of Colombia, who is also a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

Reflecting on the election outcome, Sa’ar praised the president-elect and expressed hope for the country’s future.

“I congratulated him on his important victory in the elections, a victory that creates hope and possibility for a better future for Colombia and its citizens, and I wished him great success,” added Sa’ar.

The Israeli foreign minister said both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to forging much closer cooperation between their countries in the years ahead.

“The President-elect reiterated in our conversation his commitment, which he also expressed during his election campaign, to the alliance between Israel and Colombia that will be stronger than ever. I too emphasized our strong desire to strengthen this alliance for the benefit of both our peoples. We will do this together – Colombia and Israel – and in a big way!” concluded the Foreign Minister.

De la Espriella won Sunday’s closely contested presidential runoff, narrowly defeating left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda by less than one percentage point. Throughout his campaign, he repeatedly pledged to restore close strategic ties with both Israel and the United States.

His election represents a dramatic reversal from the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose administration repeatedly clashed with Israel. In May 2024, Petro cut diplomatic relations with the Jewish state over the war in Gaza and later instructed his government to open a Colombian embassy in Ramallah.

Petro also drew criticism after endorsing remarks by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who likened Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to the actions of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler against the Jewish people during World War II.

More recently, Petro ignited another international firestorm by posting “Heil Hitler” on X. The controversy intensified days later when, during remarks before the UN Security Council, he again compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

De la Espriella, a prominent attorney and businessman who has never before held elected office, is set to be sworn in this August. He has vowed to dismantle many of Petro’s foreign policy decisions, including pursuing a significantly closer partnership with both Jerusalem and Washington. Among his signature proposals is the creation of a joint military alliance involving Colombia, Israel, and the United States.

{Matzav.com}

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

For many people, this Shabbos marks the beginning of the “Country Season.” Tens of thousands of Yidden head for the hills, to their summer homes, to what we used to call bungalows, although, by now, most are anything but.

That got me thinking. Do you ever think about where you would go if you wanted to run away from everything?

Not a vacation. Not a weekend getaway. But a place where the noise of the world cannot reach you. A place where the pace of life is measured not by deadlines and headlines, but by the rising and setting of the sun.

I have heard people say that if they ever had to run away for some reason, chas veshalom, they would head to one of those small, picturesque towns tucked away in the hills of Vermont.

I can imagine being holed up in a modest farmhouse at the end of a winding dirt road, surrounded by acres of trees, with a stream running nearby and a porch where I could sit with a sefer and a cup of coffee as the world passes by unnoticed.

I have only been to Vermont a couple of times, but each time I was there, I thought that there was something almost mythical about the place. The rolling green mountains, the village greens, the family farms that have existed for generations, the maple trees that explode into brilliant shades of red and gold every autumn. It represents a kind of America that seems to have been frozen in time – a simpler, quieter place where neighbors know each other, children play outdoors until nightfall, and people still wave as they pass on country roads.

Of course, I am not planning on moving there anytime soon. Aside from the issue of finding kosher food and a minyan, I suspect that I would miss the noise and energy of our communities more than I realize. A Jew was never meant to live alone on a mountain, disconnected from a kehillah and the warmth of other Yidden.

In any case, the pipe dream went up in a puff of smoke when I read an article from The Free Press about an Israeli woman who moved to Bristol, Vermont, a tiny town of 3,782 residents, the kind of place where, as she described it, “you let your kids run outside barefoot and leave your doors unlocked.”

As a child of the Second Intifada, she had lived with the fear of terrorism and violence. She believed that by moving to a quiet corner of rural America, she had left those anxieties behind. Vermont was supposed to be her refuge; a place far removed from the conflicts and hatred of the Middle East.

But then she found herself sitting on a folding chair at a local gathering, hearing accusations of “land theft” and chants about the “occupied land of Palestine.” In that moment, she said, she no longer believed that she was safe.

Think about that for a moment.

If antisemitism can make its way to a tiny Vermont town hidden among forests and mountains, a place where the biggest concerns should be the coming winter or the next maple harvest, then there is no corner of the world untouched by this ancient hatred.

The Jews of Europe once thought that they had found enlightened societies where they were accepted. Jews fled from one country to another searching for peace and security. In every generation, we have searched for a place where we could finally exhale and say, “Here, we will be left alone.”

History has repeatedly shown us that our ultimate security cannot come from geography. A beautiful landscape can soothe the soul. A quiet town can offer peace of mind. A mountain retreat can provide silence. But no place on earth can guarantee safety.

The only true refuge of the Jewish people has always been our connection to Hashem, our Torah, and our communities. We can appreciate the beauty of Vermont’s mountains, but our real shelter has never been found in the shadow of any mountain. It has always been beneath the wings of the Shechinah.

When we imagine escaping, we usually imagine subtraction. Fewer people. Fewer obligations. Less noise. Less tension. A small house at the edge of a forest where the only sound in the morning is the wind rustling through the trees and birds announcing the arrival of a new day.

There is something very alluring about that image. The world has become so loud. In an era of constant connection, we yearn for some time to disconnect.

While the quiet country road may be beautiful, it cannot replace the sound of a child reciting a posuk. The solitude of a mountain sunrise is inspiring, but it cannot replace the warmth of a “Gut Shabbos” exchanged between neighbors walking home from shul. A field of maple trees changing colors in autumn is breathtaking, but it cannot replace the sight of a bais medrash filled with Yidden bent over their Gemaros.

That is why there is something almost poetic about the Vermont dream collapsing under the very reality it was trying to escape. It was not only that antisemitism followed the Jewish people there. It was that the dream itself had overlooked an essential truth: A Jew does not find safety by becoming invisible.

We have tried that throughout our long golus. We have moved from country to country, from one enlightened society to another, hoping that perhaps here we could simply be another citizen, another neighbor, another person left in peace. Yet, the story has repeated itself too many times.

And yet, we endure, not because we have found the perfect corner of the earth where trouble cannot reach us, but because wherever we have gone, we have carried our home with us. A sefer on a table. A mezuzah on a doorpost. A minyan in a shul. A mother lighting Shabbos candles. A father learning with his child.

Perhaps that is the greatest irony of all: The little Vermont farmhouse hidden among the mountains seems like a refuge because it is far away from everyone. But a Yid’s greatest refuge has never been found in isolation. It has always been found in connection – to Hashem, to Torah, and to other Yidden.

The forests of Vermont may offer silence. But the sound of Torah is what has allowed us to survive every storm.

Think about the irony of what the Israeli woman was seeking. She went to Vermont because she wanted a place where her children could run barefoot on the grass and where doors remained unlocked. She was searching for innocence, a world that felt untouched by hatred and conflict. A world that would not bother her for being Jewish.

That longing is profoundly human. After centuries of wandering, persecution, and uncertainty, who could blame a Jew for dreaming of a quiet little corner of the world where history finally leaves him alone.

But perhaps that is the great lesson of our journey through golus. We do not survive because we find a place where there are no storms. We survive because we have learned how to build homes that can withstand storms wherever they arise.

Whether it is a Jewish home in a crowded apartment building in Boro Park, a small house in Monsey, a village in Europe centuries ago, or even a remote farmhouse surrounded by Vermont mountains, the walls do not protect us. What protects us is what is behind those walls: Torah, tefillah, emunah, and the generations of mesorah that we carry with us.

Last week, I found myself in Boro Park, having gone there to be menachem avel the Rubashkin family upon the passing of their dear mother. Having grown up and lived in Monsey for most of my life, and now residing in Lakewood, walking down the streets of Boro Park felt a bit jarring.

The streets were alive with noise, traffic, and construction, with people of all ages moving in every direction, all close together, all in motion.

As I walked, I noticed a sign indicating a bais medrash and stepped inside, simply to sit for a moment and look into a sefer. The sign read “Fultichan.” I pulled the door, expecting it to be locked, but it opened immediately – no combination, no multiple locks.

Inside was a small room with two people learning.

I had never been there before, and I do not know if I will ever be there again. But I walked in and felt at home.

A Yid walks into a bais medrash and feels at home, wherever it is, whatever its size, whether it holds multitudes or just two chavrusos learning a sugya. There is a familiarity there that transcends place and circumstance.

And that reminded me that I do not need to go to Vermont or the country or anywhere else to find stillness. All I need to do is step into a bais medrash, open a sefer, and I am transported to the eternal Yiddishe place of solitude, comfort, and safety.

A person can build a house at the edge of the forest and believe that he has finally escaped the world. But a Jew has never been tasked with finding a place where he can hide from history. Our task has always been to carry eternity with us as we walk through history.

There is something about a Vermont or country summer that speaks of innocence and simplicity, where life is uncomplicated and peaceful, formed from a combination of deep green mountains, wildflowers growing along the fence lines, the old country store where everyone knows each other, the gravel road disappearing into the hills, and the old pickup truck moving slowly because there is nowhere to rush.

But even a place where time seems to move more slowly, a place that looks like it belongs in a Norman Rockwell painting, cannot promise an escape from the darker currents that run through the world.

The winds blow through the valleys of the Catskills or Vermont just as they blow through every other place on earth. The difference is not whether there is a storm outside. The difference is whether there is a flame burning inside.

And perhaps that is why, after all the centuries of exile, a small shtiebel in a noisy city can be a greater refuge than a cabin on a dusty country road.

Perhaps every person has his own Vermont.

For some, it is a bungalow in the mountains. For others, it is an apartment at the edge of Geulah, a house on a lake, or simply the dream of a different life where the burdens and anxieties of the present somehow cannot find us.

And perhaps every generation has its Vermont as well.

A time when it believes that the storms have finally passed. A moment when all the pieces appear to have fallen perfectly into place. The right people are in power. The dangerous enemies have been weakened. The future seems secure. We tell ourselves that the battles are behind us and that we can finally sit down on the porch, open a sefer, pour the coffee, and rest.

But history has a way of knocking on the door of even the quietest farmhouse.

Because no matter how far we run, we cannot run away from the world that Hashem placed us in. The purpose of a Jew is not to escape history, but to live through it with emunah. We are commanded to build homes, raise families, learn Torah, and serve Hashem not in a world free of uncertainty, but in a world where uncertainty is the stage upon which our bitachon is tested.

And that is a lesson we have been reminded of once again in recent months.

Everything was falling into place. Donald Trump won a landslide victory, doing away with Kamala Harris with historic flourish. He was Israel’s friend, the best anyone could hope for. He stood at Israel’s side during his first administration and promised to do so in his second. He was surrounded by Jewish people, conservative ones, and friends of the Jewish nation. As far as friends of Israel were concerned, he could do no wrong. He said and did all the right things. He was a welcome change and relief from the Biden and Obama years and their anti-Israel administrations.

Binyomin Netanyahu’s life mission has been to derail Iran’s push for nuclear weapons, but despite his many efforts and hard work, he found no allies in his campaign. And then Trump bought in. Following his reelection in November 2024, Netanyahu flew to the president-elect’s mansion in West Palm Beach and discussed with him how they would jointly attack Iran and its nuclear project.

Working together, last year at this time, the United States and Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump and Netanyahu were jubilant. The Iranian threat had finally been removed. After lying about their nuclear ambitions for decades, Iran would finally not be able to continue production of a bomb. Trump was proclaimed an Israeli hero, and Jews the world over were thrilled.

But by February, Iran appeared to be on the cusp of enriching its uranium to levels necessary for bomb-making, and the Trump-Netanyahu coalition went to war against Iran once again. Commencing with the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader and dozens of members of the country’s leadership, their goal was to cause regime change and spark a transition to a post-theocratic government. Trump had promised the Iranian people as much, and he was coming now to make good on that pledge.

The other goals were to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, destroy its ballistic missile capabilities, and end Iran’s ability to maintain and support its terror proxies.

Netanyahu was thrilled. He was finally achieving his life’s ambition. The American president was his best friend. They spoke every day or two and things were looking up. He was planning his reelection campaign, preparing clips of himself and Trump working together, and gathering Trump’s many complimentary quotes about his greatness, military leadership, and importance to Israel. Trump was even going to travel to Israel before the elections to campaign for his friend, Bibi.

And then, after months of bombing and achieving military victories, decimating Iran’s nuclear capability along with its navy and air force, Trump decided that he had had enough. What he thought would be a quick war was dragging on. Iran was blocking ships from transporting oil through the Strait of Hormuz, causing the price of gasoline to rise along with inflation. His threats and bravado were not cowing the Iranians, and the war was quite unpopular in the United States and elsewhere. He and his administration had done a poor job of selling it and explaining to the American people the need for the war.

The whole thing fell apart. All the words of Chazal cautioning us not to trust in governments or people came back to haunt us. All the lessons we have learned over the years once again became so real. Everything we have learned about lev melochim vesorim b’Yad Hashem is smacking us in the face. Eretz asher Hashem Elokecha doresh osah, tomid einei Hashem Elokecha bah, meireishis hashanah v’ad acharis shanah. If you follow Hashem’s directions, His chukim umishpotim, He will be there for you, protecting you, suppressing your enemies, and keeping your friends your friends.

But when you disrespect Him, when you do not follow His laws, when you mock His Torah and those who dedicate their lives to it, then things begin to crumble. And that is exactly what happened. When you take credit for military miracles, when you say, “Kochi v’otzem yodi asah li es hachayil hazeh,” then He says, “I will leave you to your own devices and see how far you will get.”

And as the world found out on October 7, that is not too far. And now that lesson has been repeated again. Your best friend, colleague, ally, and protector now mocks you, criticizes you, and curses you, and his vice president speaks with open contempt, if not outright hatred, toward you and your country.

President Trump tells you that if not for him, the State of Israel would not exist. If you do not acknowledge Hashem’s role in your state, then you leave a vacuum, and the American president is as eligible to fill that role as anyone else. He has been a good friend and dependable ally, and he deserves appreciation.

Israel is the land of the Jews, our haven in a sea of hatred, but when its leadership turns its back on Hashem, His Torah, and those faithful to Him, things begin to collapse.

Overnight, the man who fashions himself as master of the art of the deal was out-negotiated by a couple of lunatics with their backs against the wall, quickly running out of money and power. Overnight, the best friend of Israel, the commander-in-chief whose army worked shoulder to shoulder in unprecedented unity with Israel’s forces, jointly confronting the world’s pariah state, which views them as the Big Satan and the Little Satan, was convinced that Iran’s leaders wanted to turn over a new leaf and function as a rational country.

After dropping tens of thousands of bombs across Iran, and annihilating its navy and air force, most of its drones and missiles, and the capacity to manufacture more of them, and causing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage, the United States gave the regime a lifeline.

What happened? What changed? Observers wondered. Israel and its supporters scratched their collective heads. Commentators commented and pontificators pontificated. Republicans bit their tongues, and Democrats gleefully wagged theirs in a fit of “I told you sos” over the president’s seeming capitulation.

It is only a memorandum, not a deal. There is much negotiating ahead and nothing is definite. But a few things are clear: We are not in charge, nothing happens by itself, and nothing can be taken for granted.

When the war began, people the world over were fearful, and everyone immediately began davening and saying Tehillim. As time went on, they got used to the situation. Besides, Trump and Netanyahu were in charge. Their armies, the two most powerful in the world, were doing what they do best and crushing Iran. What could go wrong?

We slackened off. We lost sight of the One Who really runs everything and thought that the ruination of the Iranian regime was a done deal. Israel would be granted years of peace. Iran’s days as a terror paymaster would be ended, and its proxies would collapse. The Arab Gulf states would have nothing more to fear and would line up to make peace with Israel.

Well, it is not yet over, but the war seems to be heading toward a surprise ending. Our tefillos have the ability to change the outcome. Our devotion to Torah can bring about the change. Our mesirus nefesh for Torah has the power of the parah adumah to result in taharah and kedusha.

This week, we lain, “Zos haTorah, odom ki yomus b’ohel.” The secret of our existence, the secret of our success, is to go beyond our abilities, to stretch ourselves physically and financially for Torah. By doing so, we succeed, and our people succeed along with us.

• • • • •

Perhaps, one day, I will still make my way to that little farmhouse in Vermont.

Perhaps I will still sit on that porch as the morning mist rises from the stream, a cup of coffee warming my hands, a sefer open before me, listening to the whisper of the trees as they sway in the gentle breeze.

But the peace I imagined finding there was never hidden among the hills or waiting for me at the end of some forgotten dirt road.

A Yid can sit in the middle of a city, surrounded by noise and commotion, with enemies gathering at his borders and the nations of the world changing their loyalties overnight, and he can still possess a tranquility that no mountain retreat can provide. Much the same, a person can sit in the most beautiful corner of the world and be filled with fear if he believes that his fate rests in the hands of presidents, generals, and governments.

The lesson of these days is one our people have learned and relearned throughout thousands of years of history. We appreciate those whom Hashem sends to help us. We express gratitude to friends who stand by us. We use the tools that Hashem places in our hands – diplomacy, military strength, wisdom, and strategy.

But we must never confuse the messenger with the One Who sent him.

The same Hand that directs the flow of a quiet Vermont stream directs the currents of history. The same Creator Who paints the leaves in the forests of New England decides the fate of empires, moves the hearts of kings, and determines whether a friend remains a friend and whether an enemy loses his power.

“Zos haTorah, odom ki yomus b’ohel.” The secret of Yiddishe existence is not our ability to find a place where the world cannot touch us. It is our ability to enter the ohel of Torah, to live by it, and to sacrifice for it.

After thousands of years of wandering through every kind of landscape – deserts and ghettos, palaces and prisons, prosperity and persecution – the Jewish people are still here. We never found our Vermont.

We found something far greater.

The ohel of Torah.

The nations search for their security in treaties and alliances. Empires trust in their armies and economies. We have our own refuge.

Not a farmhouse at the end of a winding road.

Not a president in Washington.

Not a military coalition or a diplomatic victory.

Our refuge has always been, and will always be, the Ribbono Shel Olam.

He is always available to us, wherever we are. We do not have to run away anywhere. We do not need to find quaint towns and cottages. “Ki karov eilecha hadovor me’od beficha uvilvovcha.” Personal tranquility is a choice that can be achieved by stepping into the ohel haTorah, the Ohel Hashem, figuratively and literally. It is always open, always available.

The light is always on.

May we all be zoche to the ultimate tranquility and peace with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu bekarov mamash.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump secured a significant political victory Wednesday evening after the Senate reversed course on legislation aimed at limiting his authority to conduct military operations against Iran. Just one day after advancing a war powers resolution, senators voted to block an identical proposal from moving forward, following intense lobbying from the White House and pressure from Republican leadership.

The dramatic shift came after Trump publicly criticized Republican senators who had supported Tuesday’s measure, as well as those who were absent from the vote. The president argued that congressional efforts to curb his military authority weakened his hand as his administration pursued negotiations with Iran.

Trump’s campaign to rally Republican lawmakers quickly produced results. Senators Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy, both of whom had supported the earlier effort to restrict the president’s military powers, changed their positions during Wednesday’s vote.

Paul declined to vote either for or against the proposal, instead voting “present,” while Cassidy switched from supporting the measure to opposing it.

Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski continued to back the legislation by voting in favor of limiting the president’s authority. Democratic Senator John Fetterman crossed party lines to support the administration by voting against the proposal. The final vote ended 47-50-1, preventing the measure from advancing.

The Senate’s reversal came just hours after a tense closed-door Republican conference meeting, where Cassidy confronted the administration over its handling of the Iran conflict. According to CNN, the Louisiana senator questioned why a military operation initially expected to last one month had stretched to four months without accomplishing its primary objectives.

“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on. It was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved, and I want to know what’s going on,” Cassidy related to members of the press following the confrontation.

Later that day, Cassidy said his concerns had been addressed after receiving a detailed intelligence briefing from Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with an invitation to the White House for additional discussions.

“I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns,” Cassidy wrote on social media.

Paul also explained why he altered his vote, saying that although his constitutional concerns regarding executive authority remained unchanged, he believed the president should have additional flexibility as diplomatic efforts continued.

“My opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times. But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position, I will do so. My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace,” the Kentucky senator stated.

Trump celebrated the outcome shortly after the vote, praising the senators who changed their positions and thanking Republican leaders for helping secure the victory.

“Wow! The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed. Thank you to Leader John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and all. This vote puts Iran on notice! President DJT”.

The latest vote marked the 11th time since January that the Senate has considered legislation related to limiting presidential war powers concerning Iran, underscoring the ongoing debate over Congress’s role in authorizing military action.

Throughout the dispute, the White House sharply criticized Republicans willing to support restrictions on the president’s authority. Earlier this month, after the House approved a similar resolution by a 215-208 vote with support from four Republicans, Trump labeled those lawmakers “GRANDSTANDERS” and called their actions “unpatriotic.”

Following Tuesday’s initial 50-48 Senate vote, Trump intensified his criticism by calling the four Republican senators who supported the measure “losers,” adding, “These Senators have just made my job more difficult.”

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, mocking the longtime New York Democrat over his increasingly critical stance toward Israel and joking that he planned to send him a traditional Palestinian outfit as a birthday present.

Speaking during remarks following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump claimed Schumer had undergone a dramatic political transformation on Middle East issues.

“Schumer’s lost his way. He’s become, essentially, a Palestinian. I think it’s the greatest transformation of a political position I’ve ever seen,” Trump said.

The president then escalated the joke, adding, “He’s become 100 per cent Palestinian. In fact, I’ve asked for a beautiful, beautiful silk outfit to be sent in the Palestinian tradition. I’m going to send it to him as a birthday present.”

Trump has repeatedly criticized Schumer in recent years over the senator’s public disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and his calls for changes in Israel’s leadership during the war against Hamas. Trump has previously accused Schumer of abandoning his longtime pro-Israel positions, despite Schumer’s decades-long record of support for the Jewish state.

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States, has continued to describe himself as a strong supporter of Israel while also sharply criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and urging new elections in Israel.