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Just as the uproar surrounding his appearance at the state torch-lighting ceremony had begun to settle, “Rabbi” Eyal Tzionov stirred fresh controversy with a new video in which he unveiled a different appearance and delivered dramatic proclamations about the coming of Moshiach.

In footage released Thursday night, Tzionov is seen abandoning the familiar robe associated with the Rishon LeTzion and instead dressed in white garments with a matching head covering. Seated on an ornate, gold-accented chair, he appears emotional and animated as he addresses viewers with urgency. “Morai verabosai, we are at the time of the coming of Moshiach in his revelation!” he declares. He continues emphatically: “The time has come, on the 5th of Iyar, Yom Ha’atzmaut, that Moshiach is revealed. It has arrived.”

Tzionov goes on to explain the reason behind his new attire, presenting it as part of the unfolding redemption. “And when Moshiach comes, one wears such a garment. Now the time has come! We are wearing this garment, and may it be the will that all of Klal Yisroel merit to wear such a garment. Not only I wear it—everyone. It is not only my garment,” he says.

Tzionov has become one of the most widely discussed figures online in recent days following the stir he caused at the official torch-lighting ceremony on Har Herzl. During the nationally broadcast event, cameras focused on him while he was dressed in a robe and headpiece strongly identified with the Rishon LeTzion.

His presence led to significant confusion among attendees. Some participants approached him seeking a bracha, believing he was the sitting Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef. At the same time, officials within the Rabbanus sharply criticized the incident, with one source stating that “this is a clown who walks around like this, and more than once creates problems.”

Responding to the backlash, Tzionov said the outfit began as a gift. “My talmidim bought me this robe as a present,” he explained in an interview on Kol Barama radio. “I started wearing it on Purim and saw that the public very much connected to it and liked the appearance. Since then, people have been inviting me to Torah events and shiurim specifically when I am dressed this way.”

Addressing claims that the clothing could be misleading, he insisted there was no issue. “There is no legal problem with this. I am not impersonating the Chief Rabbi or the Rishon LeTzion, and I do not intend to change my clothing because of these and other reasons.”

The incident also raised questions about security at the ceremony, but the Shin Bet moved quickly to clarify that no breach had occurred. In an official statement, the agency said Tzionov was identified upon arrival as not being the Chief Rabbi and underwent standard security screening like all attendees.

Officials added that “at no stage did he enter the secured area where the Prime Minister was located, and there was no danger to any of the protected individuals at the ceremony.”

The torch-lighting controversy is not the first time Tzionov has drawn attention. In recent weeks, he reportedly ascended Har Habayis wearing the same distinctive attire. The incident prompted a Shin Bet official to contact the office of Rav Dovid Yosef—who is known for his opposition to such visits—to clarify the situation. The office confirmed that the Rav had not been present, and it was later understood that it was Tzionov.

{Matzav.com}

With just over a week to go until the hilula of Rashbi in Meron on Lag BaOmer, former Yerushalayim and Heritage Minister Meir Porush detailed the current status of preparations and addressed the possibility of a limited-attendance framework due to security concerns.

Speaking Thursday night during a Kol Chai panel at a conference held at the Tzipori Hotel in Kfar, Porush said that work at Har Meron is proceeding at full speed, in accordance with clear directives from the police, despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding the security situation.

Addressing the budget and infrastructure developments, Porush said that while the Finance Ministry is generally not generous, the situation regarding Meron has been relatively favorable. “The Finance Ministry, when it comes to budgets, is usually not generous, but when it comes to Meron, it is fairly reasonable,” he said. He noted that although not all the promises made on the night the budget was approved were fulfilled, a substantial budget was ultimately allocated for infrastructure, and discussions were held with the coalition chairman regarding additional funding. He added that bus stops that had previously been narrow sidewalks have now been doubled in width, and the parking area designated for public officials has been paved and organized. At the same time, he remarked with a touch of irony that “there still won’t be escalators or a cable car.”

Regarding the possibility that a security escalation could impact the event, Porush pointed to the uncertainty in the political and security environment. He observed that even within Israel’s leadership there is confusion over the conduct of President Donald Trump, saying that he “doesn’t even tell them anything.” Despite that uncertainty, Porush revealed that about three weeks ago the police issued explicit instructions to continue preparations without interruption. “The police told us, you do not have permission to stop all the preparations. You will continue at full pace and do everything,” he said, explaining that from a practical standpoint, the site must be fully ready, since it cannot be left unprepared.

When asked whether his office would assume responsibility for managing the event under a limited format—similar to the framework implemented at the Kosel during Chol Hamoed—Porush rejected the idea. He defended the work of the Rav of the Kosel and the holy sites, Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, noting that there are those who create obstacles and interfere with his work. He then clarified his own position regarding Meron under restrictions: “We are brought in when there is a complete plan. A limited framework does not need us. For what purpose?”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman is pushing back against members of his own party and major media outlets, accusing them of weakening the U.S. position by urging President Donald Trump to quickly halt military operations against Iran.

In an interview, Fetterman argued that the focus should remain squarely on Iran and its allied groups, rather than on criticizing the administration’s actions.

“It’s almost as if, you know, we’ve forgotten on the Democratic side that the real enemy, the real threat, the real danger is Iran and … proxies too,” Fetterman told Fox News.

He warned that persistent criticism from Democrats could embolden Tehran, suggesting that Iranian leaders may believe they only need to endure current military pressure long enough for political forces in Washington to force a U.S. retreat.

“You know, Iran must be so excited by the American media and the Democratic Party the way they, it’s like, as long as we can hang on for 60 days, more and more people continue to vote against, you know, the Trump administration to end the Iranian regime,” he said.

Fetterman also questioned why Democrats who support preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons are opposing the administration’s methods to achieve that goal.

“And so, why can we be this close and allow them to acquire nuclear bomb? So, that’s my real concern,” he said.

The criticism comes as Senate Democrats have intensified efforts to end U.S. involvement in the conflict, forcing yet another vote under the 1973 War Powers Act to compel the administration to withdraw American forces from the Iran theater.

Fetterman broke with his party on the issue, casting the lone Democratic vote against the resolution.

He has recently voiced frustration with how Democrats have responded to the conflict, saying he is troubled by rhetoric that, in his view, appears overly sympathetic to Iran due to opposition to Trump.

“It seems like people are almost rooting for Iran. It’s crazy,” Fetterman told video journalist Nicholas Ballasy in a recent interview. “So my party has been very disappointing, the way they’ve chosen to respond.”

Meanwhile, Chris Murphy faced criticism from Republicans after sharing a report on social media indicating that 26 vessels had bypassed the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, adding the comment “Awesome.”

Murphy later clarified that his remark was intended as sarcasm and criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict.

“Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome,’” he wrote in a separate social media post. “As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm.'”

{Matzav.com}

Popular podcaster Joe Rogan voiced renewed criticism of President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran, saying the current strategy is unclear and difficult to understand, even as tensions in the region remain high.

Rogan made the remarks Thursday during an episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, where he was joined by Australian comedian James McCann. The discussion focused on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the fragile ceasefire and continued hostilities at sea.

Responding to McCann’s question about whether the situation would stabilize, Rogan expressed uncertainty about what lies ahead.

“No one …. knows,” Rogan said, responding to a question from McCann about whether it was “going to be OK.”

He went on to question the current ceasefire arrangement, pointing to reports of continued attacks despite the extension.

“I mean, what’s going on with the Iran’s — the ceasefire? Supposedly, they extended, but then they’re shooting at ships,” he added, with a sigh.

Trump recently extended the ceasefire with Iran following mediation efforts, even as U.S. forces have continued enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions.

During the conversation, McCann pressed further on the purpose of the conflict, including whether it was aimed at toppling Iran’s leadership. Rogan replied that he does not fully understand the timing or reasoning behind the administration’s decision to launch strikes.

“People have wanted people of out of Iran, the people that are running Iran, for 47 years, but no one has actually gone and done it the way this administration did,” he said. “And it doesn’t make sense they choose to do it when they did.”

Rogan added that he assumes negotiations are part of the broader strategy, but said he remains doubtful about how the situation will ultimately play out.

“I think the idea is that they’re trying to negotiate about something, you know, and I don’t know how this is ever going to work out. I really don’t know,” he added a few minutes later.

At another point in the discussion, McCann referenced a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Rogan dismissed comparisons between that operation and the situation in Iran, calling it fundamentally different.

“That was a totally different experience.”

Rogan, who endorsed Trump shortly before the 2024 election, has increasingly voiced skepticism about the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict, a stance that has created tension despite his continued proximity to the president.

He also suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu may have influenced Trump’s decision to enter the conflict, adding another layer to his critique of the administration’s approach.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu released his annual medical report on Friday, disclosing that about a year and a half ago he underwent surgery followed by radiation treatment to remove a cancerous tumor that was detected at an early stage.

“On December 29th, 2024, the Prime Minister underwent surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The procedure was conducted successfully and without any complications. An MRI examination conducted as part of a regular follow-up after the surgery found a tiny area, smaller than a centimeter, with suspicious characteristics in the prostate,” the report stated.

“Further examination proved that this was indeed an accidental discovery and an early stage of prostate cancer. This was an early detection of a tiny lesion, without metastases, as all other tests proved beyond a doubt. With such lesions, it is possible to continue with close monitoring or with short and precise radiation therapy. The Prime Minister chose therapy.”

The report added that the treatment was entirely successful, with the tumor no longer detectable in imaging and lab results.

Prof. Aharon Popovtzer, who led the treatment alongside Dr. Mark Vigoda and Dr. Shraga Gross, said after the report’s release: “I head the oncology division at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. A few months ago, during a completely routine follow-up, a 0.9 cm finding was incidentally discovered in the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister underwent a comprehensive evaluation, which showed this was a disease at a very early stage. It is important to note that this is a very common condition, particularly among patients over the age of 70.

“After completing the full evaluation, the Prime Minister was presented, as is customary, with two treatment options: the first, active surveillance only; the second, radiation therapy. The Prime Minister chose the second option and underwent modern, targeted radiation treatment at Hadassah Hospital two and a half months ago. At the end of the treatment, after about two and a half months, he underwent further evaluation including imaging and blood tests. Based on these findings, we can say that the disease has disappeared. There is no evidence of disease. The Prime Minister will continue routine, standard follow-up as customary.”

Netanyahu wrote on X that he had asked to postpone the release of the report by two months: “Today my annual medical report was published. I asked to delay its release by two months so that it would not be published at the height of the war, in order not to allow the terrorist regime in Iran to spread further false propaganda against Israel.”

“I would like to share three things with you: 1 – Thank G-d, I am healthy. 2 – I am in excellent physical condition. 3 – I had a minor medical issue in the prostate that has been completely treated. Thank God, it is behind me.”

Netanyahu continued: “A year and a half ago, I underwent successful surgery for an enlarged benign prostate, and since then I have been under routine medical follow-up. In the most recent check-up, a tiny spot of less than one centimeter was found in the prostate. Tests showed it was a very early stage of a malignant tumor, with no spread or metastases.”

He explained that “the doctors told me this is very common at my age, and that there are two options: 1 – It is not necessary to treat it; one can remain under surveillance. It is possible to live with it, and many do. 2 – To undergo treatment and remove the problem. You already know me. When I receive timely information about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately. That is true at the national level and at the personal level. That is what I did. I underwent targeted treatment that removed the problem without leaving a trace. I went to a few short treatments, read a book, and continued working. The spot has completely disappeared. Thank G-d, I overcame this as well.”

“I would like to thank the wonderful doctors and medical teams at Hadassah Hospital in Yerushalayim. From you, the citizens of Israel, I have only one request: take care of your health. Get checked and follow doctors’ instructions. And from here, on the eve of Shabbos, I pray for the recovery of our wounded in body and soul, and send them a warm embrace and wishes for a full recovery on your behalf. Shabbat Shalom,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Tom Kean Jr., a Republican congressman from New Jersey, has not appeared on Capitol Hill for close to two months, with aides attributing his absence to unspecified medical concerns.

Kean, considered one of the more vulnerable Republicans in New Jersey’s congressional delegation, last cast a vote on March 5 and has since missed more than 40 roll call votes.

Despite his absence from Washington, Kean posted on social media Wednesday noting that two of his legislative proposals had advanced out of committee. However, he was not physically present in the Capitol for votes that day.

A spokesperson told Politico that the congressman is “facing unspecified health issues.” Even so, several fellow New Jersey lawmakers said they have had no direct communication with him during this period.

Concern about Kean’s status has intensified as Congress deals with a string of illnesses and deaths among members, all while operating with razor-thin partisan margins.

At present, the House consists of 217 Republicans along with one independent aligned with the GOP, 212 Democrats, and five vacant seats.

Earlier this year, David Scott, who had been seeking reelection, became the fifth sitting House member to pass away since the start of 2025.

In addition, Donald Trump recently revealed that Neal Dunn, who has a known terminal illness, was expected to be “dead by June.”

Kean’s fellow New Jersey Republicans, Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, said they have attempted to contact him to check on his condition but have received no response, describing the situation as “radio silence.”

“I know the congressman and his family appreciate all of the well wishes and support,” said Harrison Neely, a consultant for Kean. “Please know that he will be back on a regular full schedule very soon.”

Capitol Hill has seen unexplained absences before. In 2024, former Rep. Kay Granger was found living in a memory care facility after being out of public view for an extended period.

Kean’s disappearance has also raised political concerns ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, given the competitiveness of his district.

A two-term congressman, Kean maintained an almost flawless voting record until earlier this year, according to data from GovTrack.

With Republicans holding only a narrow majority, even a single prolonged absence can complicate efforts by GOP leadership to pass key legislation, including measures such as the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday that it is investigating allegations of Jew-hatred within the New York City Department of Education.
The federal agency stated that it is investigating reports that employees at the New York City department held “Palestine, Zionism and Resistance” webinars.

Dominique Ellison, associate press secretary for the New York City department, told JNS that the department is reviewing the notice.

It is also probing allegations that a group called NYC Educators for Palestine, which Ellison told JNS was not connected to New York City Public Schools, is teaching children that Zionists are “genocidal white supremacists” and that Hamas should be supported.

Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights at the department, stated that the allegations are “appalling.”

“No child should be taught by his or her teachers to hate their peers,” she said. “Neither should Jewish children be taught that being Jewish somehow makes them inherently guilty or proponents of hate and violence.”

The department is investigating whether the New York City department violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“Discrimination has no place in our schools, and, unlike the previous administration, the Trump administration will not turn a blind eye to antisemitic harassment,” Richey stated. JNS

Sharp tensions erupted within chareidi political circles after associates of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri issued a fierce response to remarks made by Degel HaTorah leader Moshe Gafni, dismissing him as irrelevant and sidelined from key decision-making.

The clash began during a radio interview Thursday night, when Gafni described what he called a division of responsibilities between himself and Deri.

“There’s a division of labor between me and Deri – he gets the jobs, and I deal with the principled issues.”

Deri’s associates quickly fired back with an unusually harsh statement, asserting that Gafni has effectively faded from the center of political activity in recent years while Deri has taken the lead on major decisions.

“In recent years, Deri has made all the decisions on the important issues, while Gafni has disappeared from public activity. MKs Yaakov Asher and Uri Maklev, along with the homes of the leading Lithuanian Torah sages, work and coordinate directly with Deri. Gafni is not in the loop. He doesn’t exist. From the perspective of the Lithuanian rabbinic leadership, Gafni is not part of the system. As far as they are concerned, he belongs to history.”

In the same interview, Gafni addressed a range of political matters, including the future alignment of chareidi parties. He indicated that the question of whether to continue partnering with the right-wing bloc could resurface in the next election cycle.

“In the next elections, the question posed to the great Torah sages will be whether to continue on this path with the right wing.”

Gafni also revealed that Naftali Bennett had approached him upon reentering political life, seeking cooperation with the chareidi parties, but ultimately shifted direction.

“When he realized that spot was already taken, he went to the other side”.

He further suggested that cooperation with opposition figures may not be off the table, noting a perceived change in tone from Avigdor Lieberman.

“You don’t hear him so much anymore today. He’s no longer really attacking. He was with us in the municipal elections; he would ask me things. It’s a different situation. He’s not Yair Lapid.”

On the contentious draft law, Gafni said the current proposal remains problematic and would ultimately require approval from senior rabbinic authorities.

“The law itself has problems and is very difficult to implement. It needs to go before the leading Torah authorities, and they will decide”.

Regarding a potential joint run with Agudas Yisrael, he confirmed that discussions are ongoing but emphasized that the final decision rests with the gedolim.

“Just today there was a meeting about it. We sat for several hours, and the leading Torah sages are the ones who will decide.”

Turning to other political rivals, Gafni criticized Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, questioning their conduct and priorities.

“The minister Smotrich made every effort to take care of himself. As for what helped us or not – we can talk about that in the next term. Ben-Gvir makes a lot of political noise. If a chareidi wants to vote for him, he should know he is going up to the Har Habayis with him.”

Asked about his party’s achievements, Gafni declined to provide details, arguing that each accomplishment is quickly challenged in court.

“On every achievement, a petition is filed against it. Just now I transferred one and a half billion to chareidi education and we fought over it in the High Court.”

{Matzav.com}

Williams College, a nearly 235-year-old private liberal arts school in Williamstown, Mass., is denying an Orthodox Jewish student proper religious accommodations, according to a complaint that the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday.

The complaint, which was shared with JNS, alleges that the college denied requests from the student, whose name is redacted, to receive a physical key to his dormitory to use on Shabbos, when he cannot use an electronic key card.

The school rejected his request, citing vague “security” concerns, per the complaint, which means he has to wait outside his dorm building until another student arrives and lets him in.

Williams College suggested that during Shabbos, the student could knock on the door of a campus office and ask for an escort to his building. The complaint described that recommendation as “equally, if not more, uncertain, inconvenient and lengthy than the untenable process he was already enduring.”

A spokesman for the college told JNS that “Williams has no tolerance for antisemitism or discrimination. We are devoted to ensuring that all students have access to appropriate living spaces, dining options and our full range of learning opportunities.”

“The college’s leaders and chaplains are strongly committed to working with students and their families to address student concerns,” the spokesman said. “We welcome the opportunity to continue that dialogue with the student and the Brandeis Center in order to ensure a welcoming and inclusive educational environment.”

In February, the student met with Maud Mandel, the president of the college and a Judaic studies scholar, about the issue. She denied his request and said that using a physical key would “trigger an alarm,” per the complaint.

“He’s locked out of his dorm in the freezing cold on a regular basis, sometimes over an hour, and made repeated requests to the college to figure out a way to rectify this,” Rachel Balaban, senior litigation counsel at the Brandeis Center, told JNS.

“Nothing was done about it, so we felt we needed to pursue this on behalf of the student and other students in his position at Williams,” Balaban said. “This student’s ability to exercise, freely, his religion should not be incompatible with his equally important right to fully participate in residential life at Williams.”

The complaint also alleges that the school denied the student’s request for proper kosher meals and gave him vegan dinners instead that “were nutritionally inadequate and often so unappealing that he found them inedible.”

Those meals were also “noticeably different” from vegan options given to non-kosher-keeping students, according to the complaint.

Pre-packaged kosher meals at the college’s Jewish Religious Center, which does not follow Orthodox standards in its kitchen, have made the student “violently ill on several occasions,” the complaint alleges.

The student has to find kosher meals that are consistent with his faith at off-campus restaurants and at a local Chabad center on Friday evenings, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, the student told the college about his need for kosher food before he accepted its admission offer. He was told that if the school’s available options didn’t meet his needs that he shouldn’t attend Williams, according to the complaint.

The college violated Title VIII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, known as the Fair Housing Act, when it comes to the student’s unmet needs for a working key and kosher food, according to the complaint.

“Being provided these services in connection with housing that are unequal and inferior to those provided to other students because of his religion is a violation of the Fair Housing Act, and is a serious concern for the Brandeis Center and the student,” Balaban told JNS. JNS

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations cautioned that the current ceasefire with Lebanon remains unstable, even as President Donald Trump revealed that the truce has been prolonged following talks at the White House.

Danny Danon said in an interview Thursday that the arrangement in southern Lebanon is far from secure, pointing to the Lebanese government’s limited ability to rein in Hezbollah, which he said continues to act with Iranian support.

“I have to be honest,” said Danon. “You know, the Lebanese government have no control of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is sending rockets trying to sabotage the ceasefire. And Israel, we have to retaliate. Every time we see a threat, we take action.”

He acknowledged that conditions have improved compared to the recent past but emphasized that the situation is still incomplete and fragile.

“It’s a significantly better situation. It’s not 100%,” he told CNN. “I hope …to see that the Lebanese military are actually able to implement and to enforce this ceasefire.”

Danon’s remarks came shortly after Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the ceasefire would be extended by three weeks, following direct discussions between Israeli and Lebanese representatives at the White House.

“The President of the United States, DONALD J. TRUMP, Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, met today with High Ranking Representatives of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office. The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump wrote.

“The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS. I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun. It was a Great Honor to be a participant at this very Historic Meeting!” he added.

Speaking afterward in the Oval Office, Trump said he is aiming to bring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington in the coming weeks for further talks.

“We had a great meeting with the very high officials of Lebanon and very high officials of Israel. And we think that the President of Lebanon and the Prime Minister of Israel over the next couple of weeks will be coming here. They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of, I guess, no firing, ceasefire, no more firing,” Trump said, adding, “It’s not going to happen between them, but they do have Hezbollah to think about.”

When asked whether a broader peace agreement could be reached this year, Trump expressed optimism, suggesting that both countries share common concerns, particularly regarding Hezbollah.

“I think it is a great chance. I mean, you know, they’re friends about the same things and they’re enemies on the same things and it has to do with, I guess you could say a couple of countries, but certainly it’s, if you look at Hezbollah, that’s where everybody seems to be united.”

{Matzav.com}

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An unusual incident in Modi’in has triggered public backlash after a local resident was detained by police over a yarmulka he was wearing, which featured both Israeli and Palestinian flags.

According to a report by N12, Dr. Alex Sinclair, who regularly wears a yarmulka, found himself in a confrontation with police due to the design of the head covering, which displayed the two flags side by side.

Sinclair said the incident began while he was sitting at a café near his home, when another individual noticed the symbols on his yarmulka and objected, telling him he intended to call the police.

Police officers arrived shortly afterward, and according to Sinclair, one of them told him that wearing such a yarmulka could constitute a violation of the law and that he needed to accompany them to the station for questioning.

During the encounter at the police station, Sinclair said officers attempted to persuade him to surrender the yarmulka. He told N12 that he was informed he could be released if he agreed to leave the item with police as evidence or as a prohibited object. Sinclair refused, explaining that he had worn the yarmulka for years and that it held personal significance. He alleges that after he declined to hand it over voluntarily, an officer took the yarmulka and later returned it to him after cutting it, physically removing the Palestinian flag.

Sinclair described the experience as deeply unsettling, saying he initially thought it might be a misunderstanding or even a joke, as he was unaware of any law prohibiting such imagery on a religious or personal garment. He added that the incident undermined his sense of security in dealing with law enforcement authorities.

Israel Police responded that, contrary to some reports, the individual was neither arrested nor formally questioned. According to the police statement, officers from the Modi’in station responded on April 20, 2026, to a report about a man sitting in a business wearing a yarmulka bearing a Palestinian flag. He was brought to the station for clarification and was released afterward. Police added that since a complaint has been filed with the department responsible for investigating police conduct, they cannot provide further details at this time.

{Matzav.com}

What began as a painful and public moment of bizayon quickly turned into an extraordinary display of achdus and chesed, as the broader tzibbur rallied in support of two bochurim who were mocked on camera while collecting for hachnosas kallah.

The widely circulated video, showing the two young bnei yeshiva being ridiculed by Inbar Twizer of Channel 12 News, sparked outrage—but also inspired one of the most remarkable grassroots fundraising efforts seen in recent memory, unfolding within less than a day.

Aryeh Ehrlich and media personality Yair Levy, who had been accompanying the bochurim—identified as A. and S.—since the story broke, visited them this evening. They brought fruit platters on behalf of Klal Yisroel, offering chizuk and solidarity in the wake of the incident.

In an emotional post, Ehrlich described the encounter and the mindset of the two young men who unexpectedly found themselves at the center of a national storm. “The conversation yesterday with the two righteous bochurim – A. and S. – who went out to help with hachnosas kallah and were forced to endure an ugly humiliation, quickly turned into a great beam of light of chesed and unity,” he wrote.

He noted that while the bochurim appeared somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden attention, their perspective remained one of emunah. “They believe that this is how Hashem arranged things from Heaven.”

The most striking revelation came when one of the bochurim shared what they had originally expected from their efforts: “We thought we would come back from the round with 200 shekels at most – in the end they told us it came out to more than 200,000 shekels.”

Ehrlich concluded by relaying their gratitude: “A. and S. thanked everyone for the support and love that was showered upon them from every direction.”

While criticism continues to mount in media circles over the conduct of the reporter, the tzibbur responded in a very different way—choosing generosity over anger. The remarkable sum raised will go entirely toward its intended purpose: the mitzvah of hachnosas kallah.

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/VIDEO-2026-04-22-14-38-33.mp4 {Matzav.com}

Growing uncertainty is surrounding the condition—and even the possible survival—of Mojtaba Khamenei, as reports and speculation intensify regarding the state of Iran’s leadership at a sensitive moment for the regime.

According to emerging reports, there are increasing signs that Iranian authorities may be deliberately concealing the true extent of Khamenei’s condition, projecting an image of stability while serious developments may be unfolding behind the scenes.

Israeli analyst Amit Segal addressed the issue Thursday on Channel 12 News, noting that the available information is both limited and questionable, particularly since most of it originates from within Iran itself.

Segal said the reports suggest Khamenei may have suffered severe injuries, including the loss of a leg and the need for complex facial reconstruction, but is reportedly refusing treatment out of concern that his condition would be exposed. According to a report in The New York Times, Iran’s president—who has medical training—is personally overseeing his care, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.

A central question now being raised is whether Khamenei is even alive, or whether the regime is maintaining an illusion of leadership to preserve internal stability. Segal said there are voices in Israel openly entertaining that possibility: “Assuming Iran’s president did not share the full information, it is worth considering another possibility — that he may no longer be with us. That is a possibility that some in Israel support. They have no proof of it, but they say: ‘Look, all the information about his existence relies on second-tier sources.'”

Further suspicion has been fueled by the conduct of Iran’s political leadership, which in some cases appears to be acting contrary to established directives attributed to the supreme leader. Segal pointed to the Iranian president’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he displayed what he described as “extreme and fundamentalist rigidity,” while at the same time deviating from Khamenei’s known position against engaging in certain negotiations.

“Do you allow yourself to act in contradiction to the leader’s position, or perhaps you believe there is a reasonable chance that the instruction never came from the leader at all — because he cannot deliver it, or because he simply does not exist?” Segal asked.

Until clear and verifiable proof of life emerges, the uncertainty is expected to persist. “It is worth keeping this possibility in mind until we see him holding today’s newspaper. And I think it will take time before that happens,” Segal concluded.

Observers note that authoritarian regimes have historically concealed the deaths of leaders for days or even weeks in order to manage succession struggles—raising the possibility that a similar scenario could now be unfolding in Tehran.

{Matzav.com}

R’ Simcha Felder, an Orthodox Jewish member of the New York City Council, stormed out of the first meeting of the council’s newly formed Task Force to Combat Antisemitism after Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said that City Hall’s policy is not to define hate, including Jew-hatred.

Eric Dinowitz, a council member and co-chair of the bipartisan task force, pressed Wisdom during the hearing on Wednesday about how her office defines antisemitism.

“The vast majority of the Jewish community values the IHRA definition,” he said, of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred.

Among the contemporary examples that are part of the working definition is singling the Jewish state out for unique criticism and denying its right to exist. One of Zohran Mamdani’s first actions as mayor in January was to revoke his predecessor’s executive order using the IHRA definition as city policy.

“Where cities have laid out that anti-Zionism is a proxy for ‘Jew,’ they saw a decrease in incidents,” Dinowitz told Wisdom, who assumed her position in February.

“The policy of this administration,” Wisdom responded, “is that we will continue to not have a codified definition of any form of hate.”

Simcha Felder, a New York City Council member, is pictured as the council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

Felder, who represents heavily Charedi neighborhoods in Brooklyn, including Borough Park and Flatbush, questioned whether Wisdom has ever experienced real Jew-hatred.

The Orthodox council member also pointed out that the state law mandating Holocaust education in public schools is widely ignored. “It would be very helpful if children at a young age got that education,” he said. “Schools throughout the state are in violation of state law.”

Felder also said that elected officials’ tendency to link Jew-hatred and Islamophobia in the same breath, even when data shows no equivalence in incidence, normalizes anti-Jewish sentiment.

After Wisdom said that city policy was not to define hate, Felder stormed out.

“The last straw was when they asked her about determining whether or not something is a hate crime, and she said that she and her assistant are going to decide case-by-case whether something is a hate crime or not,” he told JNS, of Wisdom. “That was outrageous. She is not competent to decide. I don’t think she should have been hired.”

“That was nuts, and that’s why I exploded,” he said.

“I can’t recall ever hearing something so absurd from someone in the administration,” added Felder, who has represented his area in the state Senate and in the New York City Council for a combined 21 years. “That’s unconscionable and unacceptable.”

Government of inaction’

During the newly formed task force’s inaugural hearing, which ran for five hours on Wednesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, senior New York City Police Department officials and representatives of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism testified, including about what city data confirms is a deepening crisis.

Jews, who make up about 10% of the city’s population, are targets of more than half of all hate crimes committed there. The hearing illuminated pointed disagreements about the problems of Jews being targeted by verbal attacks and slurs, which are considered protected free speech.

Michael Gerber, NYPD deputy commissioner for legal matters, testified that Jews accounted for more than 50% of confirmed hate crime victims in New York City in both 2024 and 2025—a proportion that has held steady.

In 2025, there were 566 confirmed hate crimes in the city and 327, or 58%, were antisemitic. In the first quarter of 2026, 78 of 143 confirmed hate crimes, again more than half, targeted Jewish people, he said.

Brooklyn is home to what Gonzalez described as the largest Jewish population of any county in the United States and has borne a disproportionate share of Jew-hatred. In 2025, Brooklyn recorded 239 hate crime incidents, 62% of which targeted Jews. In the first quarter of 2026, the majority of Brooklyn hate crimes continued to target Jews.

Dinowitz, a former teacher and Democrat who co-chairs the task force with Inna Vernikov, a Republican, said that about a quarter of anti-Jewish hate incidents in the city have been directed at children or at places children frequent, including schools and playgrounds. (Dinowitz and Vernikov are Jewish.)

“Throughout our history as a people, we have seen inaction leading to the persecution and eviction of Jewish people from their homes,” Dinowitz said at the hearing. “Today we will not be a government of inaction that allows Jews to be persecuted because we are looking the other way.”

New York City Council members Eric Dinowitz and Inna Vernikov are pictured as the council’s bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which they co-chair, holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

Hate crime data

One of the hearing’s most contentious issues concerned how the NYPD counts and reports hate crime data. JNS has reported that after the city recorded a 182% increase in Jew-hatred in the city in the first month of Mamdani’s mayoral administration, in January, that the city has twice changed the way it reports hate crime statistics.

Gerber said that in early March, the NYPD stopped using what he called “hodgepodge numbers,” which he described as figures that did not reflect confirmed hate crimes or the full universe of incidents flagged for investigation by the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force.

Although many have suspected that Mamdani ordered the change in data reporting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said that she made the decision on her own, and Gerber reiterated that at the hearing.

Tisch “ordered us to stop using” the earlier figures and “it was not at the directive or initiative of anyone at City Hall,” he said. “We should have done a better job explaining what we were doing, and on reflection should have made those changes in one step rather than two.”

In February, the city said it would only report “confirmed” hate crimes rather than including suspected hate crimes that are being investigated. In March, it said it would report both “confirmed” and “reported” hate crimes. JNS has reported that the city’s decisions make it difficult to compare 2026 statistics with those from prior years and that different city and police sites have varied counts of hate crimes, including anti-Jewish ones.

New York City Council members Eric Dinowitz and Inna Vernikov are pictured as the council’s bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which they co-chair, holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

“The fact that a victim is a member of a protected class is not enough,” Gerber said, of what is classified as a hate crime. “The law requires more before we can bring that charge.”

The legal threshold, which requires prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a perpetrator was motivated at least in part by bias, was a recurring source of frustration for council members.

Several pressed Gerber and Gonzalez on where the legal lines fall.

Chanting in support of Hamas outside a synagogue is protected speech, as is screaming an antisemitic slur at someone on the street, according to Gerber. He said that something would rise to the level of “hate crime” only if there is a specific threat of violence or obstruction.

Blocking the entrance to a synagogue or school is a crime, and those who do so are subject to arrest, he said. But anti-Israel graffiti on a restaurant isn’t necessarily considered a hate crime, and the NYPD would have to prove the motivation was anti-Jewish rather than political, he said.

Dinowitz, the task force co-chair, said that police officers misread the use of “Zionist” and “Zio,” which perpetrators use as stand-ins for “Jew.”

“There are people using this as a proxy,” he said. “Kosher restaurants being graffitied with the word ‘Zionist,’ there should be no question that those are hate crimes,” he said. “What you’ve delivered is the ‘out.’ If you just use the word ‘Zionist’ instead of ‘Jew,’ you may be okay.”

Gerber told the council members on the task force that his hands are tied.

“We have to follow the law, which distinguishes between religion and political viewpoints,” he said. “It is not lost on me that this may well be an anti-Jewish hate crime, but we have to prove that.”

Vernikov, the Republican co-chair of the task force, cited a recent incident which upset Jewish parents in her South Brooklyn district.

Two nights earlier, protesters marched through the heavily Jewish area carrying Palestinian flags and some covered their faces with keffiyahs. They paused outside a synagogue, where a rabbi was helping a bar mitzvah boy prepare. Parents called her office, frightened.

Gerber said that based on the video he reviewed, the protestors did not stop or block entrances, which meant that their actions were not criminal. He acknowledged that the department did not have enough uniformed officers on site, because the anti-Israel group stood previously at a commercial site to protest without marching.

“They were on the sidewalk,” Gerber said. “We can’t say the sidewalk is open to the public except for them. That would be content-based speech regulation.”

“What can I tell my constituents, so they can feel that their children will be safe?” Vernikov said.

Phylisa Wisdom, head of the New York City mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, is pictured as the New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

‘Openly, proudly and safely’

Vernikov noted that the task force invited all five district attorneys of New York City’s boroughs, but Gonzalez, of Brooklyn, was the only one to appear before the task force.

He established a Hate Crimes Bureau when he took office in 2017, and six prosecutors and four analysts and clerks staff the bureau, he said.

“Jewish life should be lived openly, proudly and safely,” Gonzalez testified. “No one should be afraid riding the subway, going to shul, visiting friends or opening a Jewish-owned business.”

While the Manhattan and Queens district attorneys offices each receive more than $1 million in dedicated hate crime funding from the city, his office, which handles the highest volume of antisemitic hate crimes, has received $50,000, he told the council.

“I asked for $1.1 million,” he said. “We received $50,000 to fight all hate crimes. The increase in incidents has not been matched by more funding.”

Gonzalez described a conviction rate of more than 90% on cases brought to trial but noted that juries sometimes convict on the underlying crime, like assault or vandalism, but acquit on the hate crime enhancement.

Phylisa Wisdom, head of the New York City mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, is pictured as the New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

Juvenile offenders and people with serious mental illness are among the most significant perpetrators, he said, and argued for more investment in prevention and education.

“When I confront young people who have been arrested, they don’t understand the history or the meaning of a lot of these symbols,” he said. “Social media plays a role. The education piece, which is not happening, is critical.”

Gale Brewer, a council member who represents the Upper West Side, said that of a dozen middle schools in her district, only four have taken students on an educational trip to a Holocaust museum in the city.

“It is a free program. I will badger the others and they will go,” she said. “We’re not doing enough. We have to focus on prevention.”

Report to come

Wisdom, who runs the Mamdani administration’s office on hate crimes, which it says it won’t define, testified that her office added another staffer and is embarking on a listening tour of Jewish community leaders.

The office plans to release a report before the High Holy Days summarizing what it heard from the Jewish community and how that will shape policy over the remaining years of the mayor’s term, Wisdom told the task force.

The public portion of the hearing included vivid personal accounts and sharp criticism.

A Queens public school educator described a student doing a Hitler salute in his classroom, but the city’s Education Department and district superintendent didn’t follow up after the principal filed a report.

The New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.

A subway rider, who wears a kippah, described his fear riding public transit after a masked group took over a subway car last year. “I am openly identifiably Jewish,” he said. “This is an unacceptable breach of public safety.”

Not all testimony supported the task force.

Leo Ferguson, who identified himself as scholar in residence at Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, called the committee “not serious” and accused Vernikov, who has faced criticism in the past for her comments about Muslims, of undermining its credibility.

He argued that Jewish community safety cannot be separated from the safety of other communities.

Dinowitz pressed officials to commit to specific next steps: more granular reporting on perpetrator demographics and enhanced training protocols for police, who too often dismiss reports of antisemitic attacks as political speech.

Gerber agreed to bring the request for disaggregated age data back to Tisch, the police commissioner.

“This work has to lead somewhere meaningful,” Dinowitz said, at the close of the hearing. “Anything that forces a Jewish person to hide their Star of David or remove their yarmulke is a problem we have to address. We have to do the work to get it done.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not issued any public audio or video statements since taking power, reportedly due to severe injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike in late February, a development that comes as President Donald Trump points to unclear leadership in Tehran as a major obstacle in ongoing peace efforts.

According to a report citing four Iranian officials, Khamenei, 56, has avoided public appearances because he “does not want to appear vulnerable or sound weak.” The officials said he has undergone multiple medical procedures, including three surgeries on one leg and an operation on his hand, and is expected to require a prosthetic.

“His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak [and] he will need plastic surgery,” the report stated.

The same report said top officials have largely stayed away from visiting him, fearing Israeli forces could track their movements. As a result, authority has shifted increasingly toward military leadership, particularly Iran’s generals, rather than civilian officials.

“Senior government officials do not visit him, fearing that Israel may trace them to him and kill him,” the report added.

Communication with Khamenei is said to be highly restricted, relying on handwritten messages delivered through a chain of couriers traveling by various routes to avoid detection.

“Messages to him are handwritten, sealed in envelopes and relayed via a human chain from one trusted courier to the next, who travel on highways and back roads, in cars and on motorcycles until they reach his hide-out. His guidance on issues snakes back the same way.”

Despite the difficulty in accessing him, the report noted that certain senior figures, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, “have both been involved in his care.”

The situation has reinforced concerns within the Trump administration that fragmented leadership and slow internal communication are hindering diplomatic progress, particularly as questions remain about whether Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have the authority to negotiate on behalf of Iran.

Earlier this week, Trump extended a temporary ceasefire with Iran indefinitely while awaiting a response to a new U.S. proposal that calls for ending nuclear enrichment and surrendering roughly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium.

“There’s obviously a lot of internal division,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.

“This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hardliners in Iran right now, and the president wants a unified response. And so, as we await that response, there’s a cease-fire.”

The report also indicated that Khamenei has transferred significant decision-making power to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the hardline military force.

“It was the Guards who came up with the strategy for Iran’s attacks on Israel and the Persian Gulf states, along with the closing of the strait to maritime traffic,” it said. “They were the ones who agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the United States and approved back-channel diplomacy and direct negotiations with the United States.

“They tapped Mr. Ghalibaf from among their own ranks to lead the talks with Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad.”

{Matzav.com}

A significant upgrade to cellular infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron officially began Thursday with the inauguration of the first state-funded communications tower in Kedumim, marking the start of a broad initiative aimed at improving connectivity and strengthening personal security across the region.

The tower was dedicated in a ceremony held in the Mitzpe Yishai neighborhood, attended by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Finance Minister and Minister within the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, and local council head Uziel Vatik.

The event, which took place just one day after Israel’s 78th Independence Day celebrations, also highlighted the launch of a major housing development project, with plans for 1,400 new residential units in the nearby Nachalat Esther neighborhood. The move is expected to further establish Kedumim as a central hub in the Shomron. This tower is the first to be activated under a broader government tender led by the Communications Authority in the Civil Administration.

The newly inaugurated site joins dozens of others constructed over the past three years, with many more planned throughout Yehuda and Shomron in the coming year.

In the first phase of the project, 22 towers are being built. The Kedumim tower is the first to become operational, while additional sites in Bruchin, Kedar, the Almog Junction area, and Mitzpe Yericho are awaiting connection to electricity. A second phase, expected to be announced soon, will include 27 additional towers, bringing the total to 49 in the initial rollout.

Communications Minister Karhi emphasized the broader significance of the project, stating: “From the heart of the Shomron in Kedumim, to all of Yehuda and Shomron. The tower we are inaugurating today as a cornerstone for Kedumim, the great city, is the opening shot for dozens of additional cellular sites that will be established here, G-d willing, over the coming year in an unprecedented national project, alongside dozens we have already built across Yehuda and Shomron. Three years ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu, at my request, declared communications infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron a national project and a security necessity. Today we are bringing that vision into reality on the ground. Sovereignty — in practice.”

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Thursday charged that China is systematically siphoning off intellectual property from American artificial intelligence labs, warning the issue could complicate relations ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders next month.

In a memo released publicly, Michael Kratsios, who leads the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the administration has evidence pointing to organized efforts tied largely to China targeting advanced U.S. AI systems. “The US government has information indicating that foreign entities, principally based in China, are engaged in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distil US frontier AI systems,” he wrote in the document, which was first reported by the Financial Times.

He further described the methods allegedly used in these operations, including the deployment of large numbers of fake accounts and technical workarounds designed to bypass safeguards. “Leveraging tens of thousands of proxy accounts to evade detection and using jailbreaking techniques to expose proprietary information, these coordinated campaigns systematically extract capabilities from American AI models, exploiting American expertise and innovation,” he added.

Responding to the accusations, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the claims, calling them unfounded. It said it opposes “the baseless allegations,” and emphasized that Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights.”

The timing of the memo is significant, coming just weeks before President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The allegations threaten to heighten friction in an already tense technological rivalry between the two countries, which had seen some easing after an agreement reached last October.

The developments also cast uncertainty over whether the U.S. will proceed with allowing advanced AI chips made by Nvidia to be exported to China. While the Trump administration approved such sales earlier this year under certain restrictions, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated on Wednesday that shipments have yet to begin.

The memo also highlights the concept of “distillation,” a technique in which smaller AI systems are trained by drawing on the outputs of larger, more advanced models, often to reduce development costs.

Addressed to federal agencies, the document states that the administration intends to brief American AI firms about the alleged activities and consider further steps in response. It adds that officials will “explore a range of measures to hold foreign actors accountable” for the campaigns.

{Matzav.com}