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Israeli security forces thwarted an attempted stabbing attack near Shaar Shechem in Yerushalayim’s Old City early Friday morning, shooting and killing a terrorist who police said tried to stab Border Police officers. No members of the Israeli security forces were injured.

According to police, the attacker was a 33-year-old resident of eastern Yerushalayim who approached security personnel stationed in the Shaar Shechem area while armed with a knife. He then attempted to stab Border Police officers at the scene.

The officers responded by opening fire at the terrorist, neutralizing him before he could injure anyone. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Yerushalayim District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Avshalom Peled subsequently arrived at the location and conducted a special situational assessment following the attempted attack.

The incident occurred only hours after more than 50,000 people gathered at the Kosel for the traditional Selichos ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

The massive turnout for the central Selichos gathering resulted in unprecedented crowding around the Kosel plaza. To accommodate the thousands who could not gain access to the plaza itself, the Selichos were broadcast live on the walls of Yerushalayim’s Old City and at Shaar Yaffo, enabling additional participants to join the tefillos from areas near the entrances to the Old City.

President Donald Trump said Iran was just weeks away from producing a nuclear weapon before U.S. forces struck its nuclear facilities, declaring that Tehran’s capabilities have since been devastated and that the regime is now facing mounting military and economic pressure.

Speaking in an interview with British journalist Bev Turner on GB News that aired Thursday, Trump said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains the central objective of the U.S. campaign. He said three known Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and indicated that Washington is closely watching activity at another location known as Pickaxe Mountain.

“Well, they had three sites and now they may have Pickaxe Mountain. But the three sites have been obliterated. But we have a thing called Space Force, which is very effective, that I started in my first term. Very effective. And we have cameras on every major area of the first three. And we also have cameras on Pickaxe Mountain. And we know everybody that walks in and walks out. We can read the name…so we know everything that’s going on. So we’re very certain.”

.@POTUS: We have to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon, and we've done that. We've defeated their navy, their air force, their leadership structure. We have control over the Hormuz Strait. Their money is valueless. They're in big trouble. pic.twitter.com/BXYgpNqsJR

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 3, 2026

Trump told Turner that the U.S. military action was also protecting Britain and other European countries, contending that an Iranian nuclear weapon could pose an even more immediate danger to Europe because Tehran possesses missiles capable of reaching European targets.

“I’m saving your country from the threat, too, because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, they’re more likely to use it in Europe, where they do have missile capability, than they are to America where they don’t. And I’m saving your country from a problem because they would use it.”

According to Trump, Iran had come within as little as two to four weeks of obtaining a nuclear weapon. He also pointed to his withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action during his first term, saying that abandoning the Obama-era nuclear agreement prevented Iran from reaching that point years earlier.

“They were two weeks, maybe four weeks away from having a nuclear weapon. And we attacked them with the bombers. I also did something else in my first term. I ended the Obama, the JCPOA – that’s the agreement, the Obama nuclear disaster, where it was basically a short road to a nuclear weapon. And they would have had a nuclear weapon five years ago if I didn’t terminate that. I terminated the deal. But then, very importantly, a year and a couple of months ago, we attacked them at those three big sites where they had lots of nuclear dust, I call it. It’s material that will could easily be turned into a nuclear weapon. It went through the whole process and it’s now buried under millions of tons of mountain, and will be very hard to get to.”

Addressing the broader conflict in the Middle East, Trump said his primary concern is ensuring that Tehran never acquires nuclear weapons. He also claimed that Iran’s conventional military capabilities and leadership have suffered enormous damage.

“The Middle East has “been a problem for 2,000 years. They’ve been fighting. Look, I’m there because we have to stop them from having a nuclear weapon. And it is the Middle East. And we’ve done that. We’ve defeated their Navy. We defeated their Air Force. We’ve defeated them. Their leaders are gone. Everything is gone.”

Trump also discussed the latest round of American strikes against Iran, saying U.S. forces had targeted Iranian radar systems while maintaining control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. He portrayed Tehran as facing severe economic deterioration alongside its battlefield losses.

“We took out their radar. They just put new radar in,” Trump said when referencing the strikes. “We control the Hormuz Strait.We have great control over the Hormuz Strait. We’re taking out 30, 40 boats a night and a lot of oil is coming out of there. So we control the Hormuz Strait and their economy is crashing. Their inflation could be 300 percent. Their money is valueless. It’s two million to one or something like that. And it’s going up every day. So they’re in big trouble.”

Trump’s comments to GB News aired one day after he told reporters that he believes the latest phase of the confrontation with Iran may be approaching its conclusion.

When asked how much longer he expected the renewed fighting to continue, Trump replied, “Not too long”.

He then questioned how much longer Tehran could withstand the intensity of the American military campaign.

“I don’t think it will be very much longer. I don’t know how much more they can take,” Trump said of Iran.

At the same time, the president made clear that Washington is prepared to continue striking Iranian targets if circumstances warrant additional military action.

“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we are prepared to do another one anytime we want,” he stressed.

Trump returned to the subject during an event in the Rose Garden later Wednesday, where he said the latest American operations had inflicted substantial losses on Iran and significantly weakened its ability to continue fighting.

The president said the U.S. campaign is intended to protect Israel, the broader Middle East and the United States from the threat posed by Iran, warning that Tehran’s ambitions would extend far beyond Israel if left unchecked.

“We’re doing it to help the Middle East, we’re doing it to help Israel, we’re doing it to help ourselves, because after they annihilate Israel, which they would’ve done very gladly, and then the Middle East, then they come after Europe and they come after some of our cities before we put them away.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Donald Trump used a White House dinner to address a question that has followed him for years, insisting that his famous hair is entirely his own and pointing to a brutally windy 2024 campaign rally as proof.

Speaking during a Rose Garden dinner, Trump recalled campaigning for Republican Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024 under extraordinarily harsh weather conditions, which he described as “the worst weather I think I’ve ever experienced outside of maybe a hurricane we had in Florida one time.”

“I went up to the speaker, and it was blowing so hard,” he said. “You know, for years, I had to suffer with people saying, ‘He wears a wig.’”

Trump said the powerful gusts that night should have put any lingering speculation about his hair to rest.

“I don’t wear a wig. But that night, they found out I did not wear a wig because if you did, it was not going to be on your head very long,” Trump continued.

The president recalled that the conditions were so severe that even the teleprompters were blown from the stage as he made his way to the podium.

Contemporary accounts of the March 2024 rally backed up Trump’s recollection of the weather. The Associated Press described the campaign event in Vandalia, Ohio, as taking place on a “wind-whipped airfield.”

The subject of Trump’s hair resurfaced recently amid his long-running feud with comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who claimed during an August appearance as a guest host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that the president wears a wig.

“You’ve got to realize it’s time to hang up your wig and let Natalie tuck you in,” she said during her third night filling in for Jimmy Kimmel.

The Natalie mentioned by O’Donnell was White House aide Natalie Harp.

O’Donnell also took another swipe at Trump’s hair while performing a song during her guest-hosting stint, which included the line, “Your wig’s a mess.”

Trump’s insistence that his hair is real stretches back more than a decade. During his 2015 presidential campaign, he publicly rejected claims that he wore a hairpiece, telling an audience, “I don’t wear a toupee; it’s my hair, I swear.”

“This is getting crazy,” he said as he pulled on his hair.

To further make his case, Trump invited a woman from the audience onto the stage to inspect his hair herself. After doing so, she confirmed the future president’s assertion that it was real.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Matzav.com has obtained photos released by the White House documenting President Donald Trump’s meeting in the Oval Office with several rabbonim representing some Jewish communities in the United States.

The delegation included the Satmar Rebbes, the Bobover Rebbe, the Vizhnitz-Monsey Rebbe, representatives of the Skverer community, and R’ Malkiel Kotler.

President Trump hosted the delegation for approximately 30 minutes in the Oval Office. During the meeting, the president conveyed warm wishes to the Jewish community ahead of Rosh Hashanah and discussed a range of matters affecting Orthodox Jewish communities across the United States.

According to sources, it was the first such joint gathering since 1979.

In addition to their Oval Office meeting with President Trump, members of the delegation met with Vice President JD Vance and Rep. Mike Lawler.

{Matzav.com}

Kamala Harris said Thursday that she supports Democratic candidates who believe keeping her away from their campaigns will improve their chances in November, responding to reports that several Democrats running in states won by President Donald Trump do not want the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee campaigning alongside them.

During an interview with MS NOW’s Peter Alexander, Harris was shown a Politico headline that read, “Kamala Harris is wading into the midterms. Red state Dems want her to stay away,” and was asked to address the apparent reluctance among some members of her own party to have her involved in their races.

“Politico reports that you are wading into some of the midterms and that red state, not blue or purple state, but red state Democrats in states that Donald Trump won are encouraging you to stay away for fear it could impact their races there. Your response to some of that reporting?”

Harris responded that winning control in the midterms was more important than whether individual candidates wanted her assistance. She pointed to her experience campaigning for local, statewide and national office and said candidates themselves are best positioned to determine what will help them politically.

“Listen, Peter, we need to win, OK? Bottom line, we need to win. I have run locally, I’ve run for statewide office and, obviously, nationally. And these candidates know what they need to do to win, and I would expect nothing less.

“I look forward to being on the trail and helping folks where I can be helpful, but we have got to put a check on this lawless administration and deliver what Americans need and deserve. Lower costs, affordable healthcare, affordable childcare, you name it. So, I support them in doing whatever they need to do to win.”

Harris was also pressed on whether her campaign appearances this year could eventually lead to another presidential bid in 2028. She declined to engage the question directly, saying, “I’m focused on ’26,” adding, “’28 doesn’t matter if we don’t win ’26.'”

Politico reported that the resistance to Harris appearing on the campaign trail extends to several closely watched races. According to the outlet, “Iowa’s two most prominent Democratic candidates have said they do not want Harris to campaign for them. Alaska’s Democratic Senate nominee rejected a fundraising solicitation Harris sent on her behalf. And a swing-district Democrat in Wisconsin and a long-shot Senate hopeful in Kansas both told Politico they would prefer Harris keep her distance.”

Among the Democrats distancing themselves from Harris is Rebecca Cooke, who is challenging Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in western Wisconsin. Cooke has sought to appeal to working-class and conservative-leaning voters and emphasized that she performed better than Harris in her district during the 2024 election.

“I received 9,000 more votes than Harris in 2024,” said Democrat Rebecca Cooke, who is running against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in western Wisconsin. “I don’t need anyone to come and campaign with me in my district. I do the work of building relationships — including across the aisle — on my own.”

The unease over Harris’ involvement in competitive races comes as Democrats continue debating the party’s direction following the 2024 election and how best to appeal to swing voters. Democratic consultant Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital that the tensions surrounding Harris reflect a broader problem within the party.

“The problem with postmodern Democrats is that they lack self-awareness, especially when it comes to swing voters needed to win most elections,” Epstein said.

Epstein argued that centrist Democrats view Harris as both politically ineffective and ideologically too liberal to help candidates competing in more conservative areas.

“Moderate Democrats don’t want Kamala because they think she’s an empty suit who can’t answer tough questions. They also think she’s way too far left. When confronted, Democrats have this reflex of deflecting, saying what’s really important is doubling down on a bloated welfare state, the same welfare state expansionism that failed us during the Biden years.”

Elizabeth Pipko, a former national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said the fact that Democratic candidates are publicly distancing themselves from Harris underscores the political difficulties surrounding her record and future role in the party.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when the former vice president is asked to remain off of the campaign trail because so many Democrats believe her record and unpopularity will hurt their chances in their own races. Harris’ answer was extremely weak and awkward considering she is now publicly both toying with the idea of running for president again and being rejected by members of her own party,” she said.

Pipko also pointed to Harris’ unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, which ended before voting began in the Democratic primaries.

“We can’t forget that when Kamala Harris did in fact run for president, and her fate was left in the hands of the voters, she ended up dropping out of the 2020 Democratic primary before a single vote was cast,” she added further.

Pipko argued that Harris’ path to national prominence came through her selection as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020 and her elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden withdrew from the 2024 race.

“Kamala Harris was never chosen by the American public to represent them nationally. She was picked by Joe Biden in 2020 after he committed to picking a woman as his vice president. And then she was handed the top of the ticket again when Biden dropped out before the 2024 election. Not only does she carry that baggage, but she knows that the American people have continuously rejected her.

“All of this also highlights the lack of leadership in the Democrat party today. Considering Biden’s age and health, she should be the obvious choice to lead the party, and yet it seems Democrats want to avoid that at all costs.”

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni charged Thursday that senior Finance Ministry officials had repeatedly threatened to withhold funding from yeshivos and the olam haTorah in an effort to pressure him into abandoning his support for Israel’s regional councils and agricultural sector.

Gafni leveled the accusation during a gathering of regional council heads and political party leaders at the Regional Government Center, where he stressed that he has consistently backed local authorities and agricultural communities, including on occasions when their interests conflicted with positions taken by Finance Ministry officials.

Addressing those gathered, Gafni rejected any suggestion that his political decisions were dictated exclusively by the interests of the Chareidi community and said he had faced direct pressure because of positions he took on behalf of other sectors.

“I have never been bought off by sectoral interests, and make no mistake about that,” Gafni declared. “There were many times when Finance Ministry officials directly threatened me that if I supported the regional councils, agriculture, and issues important to you, they would freeze funding for yeshivas and the Torah world.”

Gafni said those threats did not cause him to change course and vowed that similar pressure would not influence his decisions going forward.

“I stood up to them. I did not give in then, and no one should think I will give in in the future.”

The veteran Degel HaTorah leader went on to describe the strengthening of Israel’s peripheral communities and agricultural sector as an important national priority, pledging to continue advocating for the regional councils.

“I have always supported you and will continue to help you with all my strength. The regional councils and Israeli agriculture are a critical and central pillar of the State of Israel’s resilience.”

Looking ahead to the government that will be formed following the upcoming elections, Gafni said regional authorities should receive greater attention and resources, including reforms designed to give local councils the ability to properly carry out their responsibilities.

“The next government to be formed will need to prioritize strengthening regional government, and advance genuine reforms that provide the councils with all the tools and resources they need to function, and I will be there to make sure that happens.”

FBI Director Kash Patel has sharply expanded the bureau’s efforts to capture fugitives overseas and return them to the United States, with the agency carrying out 157 extraditions and 86 foreign transfers of custody during Patel’s first 18 months in charge.

FBI figures obtained by Fox News Digital show that Patel personally made 100 calls to international partners during that period as part of the push to strengthen cooperation with foreign governments. By comparison, his predecessor, Christopher Wray, made nine such calls during the final 18 months of the Biden administration.

The FBI said extraditions have risen 65% compared with the final 18 months of the Biden administration. Foreign transfers of custody, known as FTOCs, increased by 54%. Such transfers involve suspects or fugitives apprehended outside the United States and subsequently placed in American custody.

Patel credited the increased activity to closer relationships between the Trump administration and foreign governments, as well as cooperation between the FBI and Justice Department.

“When I became FBI Director, I made clear that we would relentlessly manhunt high-value targets from overseas, and we’ve delivered,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “It’s a direct result of President [Donald] Trump’s relationships with foreign governments, which allow us to work in spaces where we were never permitted to before — and Attorney General Todd Blanche’s leadership giving us the legal tools we need to return these subjects back to America to face charges.”

“These targets are literally the worst of the worst and we will give them no sanctuary,” Patel added.

One of the most recent high-profile cases involved Alexis Flores, a Honduran national who had previously appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Flores was extradited to Philadelphia on Monday after spending approximately 25 years on the run in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl.

Flores was arrested in Honduras in February, and authorities there subsequently approved his extradition to the United States. According to the FBI, he had been removed from the Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025 because the previous Honduran government would not extradite him for the alleged crimes, citing restrictions under the country’s laws.

Patel said at the time Flores was returned to the United States that the FBI had completed more than 70 extraditions since June alone.

Another case highlighted by the bureau involved Zobaidul Amin, a Bangladeshi national who was extradited from Malaysia in March to face federal charges stemming from what authorities have described as an extensive online child exploitation operation.

Federal prosecutors allege that Amin impersonated a teenager on Instagram and Snapchat to target hundreds of minors, including children as young as 11, and pressure them into creating explicit images and videos. Authorities allege that he then threatened to distribute the material to victims’ relatives, friends and classmates unless they provided additional images.

The FBI has also pointed to the case of Abdullah Anwar, a 28-year-old Texas resident who was returned from Qatar to face fraud charges. Authorities say Anwar fled the United States for Pakistan before being arrested in Qatar, whose government subsequently agreed to send him back to Texas.

The bureau has made overseas apprehensions and extraditions a major priority under Patel, with the director significantly increasing his direct contacts with international law enforcement and government officials.

According to FBI figures, Wray made 20 calls to foreign partners between 2022 and 2025, including nine during his final 18 months under the Biden administration. Patel, by comparison, logged 100 such calls during his first 18 months as director — 400% more than Wray made during the cited four-year period and a 1,011% increase compared with Wray’s final 18 months.

International extradition cases generally require extensive coordination between the FBI, Justice Department and foreign authorities. The FBI typically works with overseas law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend suspects who have fled the United States or are otherwise wanted on American charges.

After a fugitive is taken into custody overseas, the Justice Department can formally seek the suspect’s extradition under applicable treaties and agreements. If the foreign government approves the request, FBI personnel travel to the country, assume custody of the suspect and transport the individual back to the United States to face prosecution.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is facing sharp criticism from the right over a prerecorded television interview scheduled to air on Friday night, with Channel 14 host Boaz Golan accusing the prime minister of showing disrespect for Shabbos despite frequently invoking siyata diShmaya.

Netanyahu sat for an interview with i24NEWS journalist Naveh Dromi that is scheduled to be broadcast Friday night as part of the network’s “Friday Cabinet” program. The interview itself was recorded in advance and did not take place on Shabbos.

The Netanyahu interview is expected to serve as a centerpiece of the program, which i24NEWS has promoted with language that includes the phrase “Opening Shabbat.” Netanyahu has previously faced criticism over a similar situation involving a prerecorded interview that was broadcast on Friday night.

Following news of the planned broadcast, Golan, a prominent right-wing media personality and Channel 14 presenter, issued a blistering criticism of Netanyahu on Thursday evening, arguing that such an appearance by a sitting Israeli prime minister is highly unusual.

“From a quick search I conducted: Since the establishment of the state, no sitting prime minister has given an interview to a program broadcast on Friday night (even an interview filmed in advance). Not even to a program that would show portions of the interview and perhaps broadcast the rest after Shabbos,” Golan wrote.

Golan pointed out that Netanyahu himself had done something similar in 2010 but subsequently apologized and pledged to be more careful in the future.

“The only one who did so in 2010 was Benjamin Netanyahu, and afterward he apologized and promised to be careful about it going forward. This week he is doing it again!” Golan wrote. The assertion was based on Golan’s own review of previous prime ministers’ television appearances.

Golan concluded his criticism by invoking Netanyahu’s own references to Divine assistance during Israel’s ongoing war.

“Someone who speaks in the media about ‘siyata diShmaya’ in an existential war cannot disgrace Shabbos — the source of blessing for the Jewish people,” he wrote.

Golan then added a single word: “Disgrace.”

The latest controversy is not the first time Golan has taken Netanyahu to task over matters involving Shabbos. In February 2025, he strongly criticized the Prime Minister’s Office for issuing non-urgent statements during Shabbos.

“I’m going to say something here that is unpleasant to say: Lapid and Bennett violated Shabbos less with announcements than Netanyahu, and that needs to be said,” Golan said at the time.

Golan also urged Israel’s religious political parties to treat government activity on Shabbos as a red line, arguing that remaining in a coalition should depend upon respect for Shabbos.

“Over Shabbos, one should leave a government,” he said, adding, “Government ministries are not supposed to work on Shabbos.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice on Thursday unanimously struck down legislation that had frozen arrests and other enforcement measures against Chareidi bnei yeshivos who failed to report for military service, dealing another major blow to efforts to protect lomdei Torah from arrest amid the ongoing draft crisis.

All nine justices on the expanded panel agreed that a fundamental defect in the legislative process required the law to be invalidated. Eight of the nine went further, ruling that the measure was also unconstitutional because it severely violated the constitutional principle of equality.

The ruling came in response to five petitions challenging the validity of the legislation, including one submitted by the Israel Hofsheet organization.

Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg authored the principal opinion. The other members of the nine-justice panel were Daphne Barak-Erez, David Mintz, Yael Willner, Ofer Grosskopf, Alex Stein, Gila Canfy-Steinitz, Yechiel Kasher and Ruth Ronnen.

The court unanimously concluded that the amendment ultimately approved by the Knesset departed substantially from the subject matter of the original bill that had passed its first reading. According to the justices, that violated Section 85 of the Knesset Rules of Procedure.

Because the final measure differed so significantly from what had initially cleared the Knesset, the court determined that, for legal purposes, it was effectively legislation that had never passed a first reading. The justices characterized the procedural flaw as fundamental and sufficient on its own to require the law’s cancellation.

Eight members of the panel also concluded that the legislation was unconstitutional on substantive grounds. They found that the amendment inflicted a serious violation on the core constitutional right to equality and failed to satisfy the legal requirements necessary to justify such an infringement.

Justice David Mintz dissented from that portion of the ruling, although he joined the other eight justices in finding that the procedural defect required the law to be struck down.

The court consequently issued a final order completely invalidating the amendment, eliminating the legal protection that had halted arrest and enforcement proceedings against Chareidi draft-eligible men who do not report to the IDF.

The legislation had been advanced amid the escalating battle over the status of bnei yeshivos, who have been instructed by Gedolei Yisroel not to report for military service. It was intended to stop the arrests of those who did not appear at IDF induction offices and to freeze enforcement measures against them.

The Knesset approved the measure in July by a vote of 58-54 following an intense political and legal battle over the arrests of bnei Torah.

After the legislation passed, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni hailed the vote as an important achievement in defending the olam haTorah.

“We promised and we delivered. This is an important step in protecting the Torah world and those who study it, out of recognition of the importance of Torah study to the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” Gafni said at the time.

Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri also celebrated the legislation following its passage, portraying it as a rebuke to the government’s legal establishment over its treatment of lomdei Torah.

“The Knesset said in a clear voice to the dismissed attorney general: Enough of the persecution and enough of the hatred toward those who study Torah. The majority of the people of Israel love the Torah, respect those who study it and understand that they preserve the identity and spirit of the Jewish people. Do not allow the attorney general and the various inciters to divide us,” Deri said.

Thursday’s decision wipes away the legislation in its entirety, once again leaving bnei yeshivos who have not reported for military service exposed to arrest and other enforcement measures as the broader confrontation over the status of the olam hayeshivos remains unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

Ofer Winter, chairman of the newly established Amcha Yisrael party, unveiled a three-part proposal for bringing Chareidim into the IDF, arguing that Israel does not need a separate Chareidi draft law and instead should create a system tying state benefits to an individual’s formal status with the government.

Winter, a former senior IDF commander, outlined the proposal during an interview with Channel 12 on Thursday evening, one week after launching his new political party. In addition to the Chareidi draft controversy, Winter addressed the war in Gaza, his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, military discipline and refusal of orders, and calls from within the right-wing camp for him to abandon his political run.

Winter made clear at the outset that he has no intention of bowing to pressure to drop out of the race.

“I have truly experienced many combat situations. I am not in a hurry, and I do not give in so quickly. I understand that we are moving the cheese for a lot of people. The main consideration for me and for those who will join me here is how we bring something different to the Jewish people, how we bring hope to the Jewish people, and how we change things. Anyone who thinks that what was can remain exactly the same after three years of war, after the greatest failure that has happened to the Jewish people since the establishment of the state, in my view does not understand reality.”

At the center of Winter’s agenda is the deeply contentious question of Chareidi participation in the IDF. He said he has developed a comprehensive proposal built around three separate elements: legislation, changes within the IDF itself, and a new framework involving the Defense Ministry and Chareidi yeshivos.

“I want to explain what I said. I have a plan. We will present the plan in full, but I want to tell you its principles. The plan is built on three components. One component is legislation. I did not say a draft law. There is a draft law for everyone — there is no need for a draft law.”

Under the legislative portion of his proposal, Winter would establish a direct connection between an Israeli citizen’s status with the state and his eligibility to receive government benefits. At age 18, an individual would be required to formally resolve his status; those who do so would remain eligible for state benefits, while those who fail to do so would lose them. The system would also provide greater benefits to those who serve, with additional consideration for longer periods of service.

“The law solves several problems simultaneously. The law creates compensation for those who served and those who serve more. The idea of the law is this — you are a person in your country who has reached the age of 18. You arrange your status with the State of Israel, you receive rights from the state. You did not arrange your status, you do not receive rights from the state.”

The second component of Winter’s proposal would place responsibility on the IDF itself. He accused the military establishment of failing over many years to make the changes necessary to accommodate Chareidi soldiers, pointing to initiatives he undertook during his own military career.

“For 10 years in the army and two years outside the army, I have been working in the same direction. To do everything I can to integrate the Chareidi public into the IDF. When I was a brigade commander, I established a Chareidi company in Givati. When I was chief of staff, I established another Chareidi company in the Paratroopers. My plan was to establish companies throughout the army.”

Winter’s third component would involve the Defense Ministry and the Chareidi yeshiva world. Under his proposal, Chareidi yeshivos would formally arrange their status with the Defense Ministry and receive government funding through a framework he compared to arrangements currently used in the Religious Zionist community.

“The IDF is an essential component. It was also part of the problem for years. Under chiefs of staff who spoke one way publicly and felt differently privately, and did not do much to integrate the Chareidi public into the IDF. The final element is the Defense Ministry component. The Chareidi yeshivos will come and arrange their status with the Defense Ministry, exactly as happens in Religious Zionism, and they will receive funding. If you cheated the state, you will not receive funding.”

Winter stressed that his interest in the Chareidi draft issue did not begin with his entry into politics, saying that he has been involved in efforts to create frameworks for Chareidi military service for years.

Turning to the political pressure surrounding his new party, Winter insisted that Amcha Yisrael would operate independently and would not serve the interests of Netanyahu or any other political figure.

“I do not — neither I nor those with me — work for any person. We want to lead a change in the security outlook of the State of Israel and genuine integration of the Chareidi public into the IDF, to take care of those who serve and their family members — things that have not happened and are not happening for three years.”

Winter described himself as firmly on the political right and said he views Netanyahu as the leader of the right-wing camp. At the same time, he said he would prefer to see as broad a government as possible, including politicians who identify with the right but are currently outside Netanyahu’s coalition.

“We would be happy for the government to be as broad as possible, and for everyone who defines himself as right-wing to come back home. By the way, perhaps that way, this government will not rely on a majority of Goldknopf and Gafni, and finally it will be possible not to continue with the deadlock in which we find ourselves.”

Winter also laid out his position on the Gaza war, arguing that Hamas deliberately designed its strategy around fighting Israel from densely populated urban areas and exploiting humanitarian considerations to restrict the IDF’s freedom of action.

He said his preferred strategy would have been to move Gaza’s civilian population southward, separate civilians from Hamas terrorists and impose a siege over approximately two-thirds of the Gaza Strip. That, he argued, would have allowed the IDF to employ its military superiority more effectively rather than fighting according to the battlefield conditions Hamas had prepared.

“Therefore, I proposed, very simply, not to operate in the way Hamas planned to drag us into war, but to do the opposite to it, to push the entire population southward, to separate the population from Hamas, and to impose a siege on two-thirds of the Strip. That is how I thought it would be possible to bring the full power of the IDF to bear. In the end they would have surrendered; they did not plan, and they did not have enough energy for months.”

Winter went further in describing what he believes Israel’s long-term policy toward Gaza should be, saying the emphasis should shift away from rebuilding the enclave.

“I believe that Gaza must move from reconstruction mode to emigration mode. We are the ones rebuilding Gaza and giving them hope?”

Despite his criticism of the IDF leadership over its handling of Chareidi enlistment and the Gaza war, Winter took an unequivocal position against soldiers refusing military orders. He said the IDF’s effectiveness ultimately depends upon maintaining discipline throughout the ranks.

“My position throughout all my years as an IDF commander is that you do not refuse an order. That is how I acted during the expulsion from Gush Katif, when my family was evacuated from there. I said, ‘We will not refuse an order.’ That is what I said during every ceremony and episode of refusal. There are things you do not do; the strength of the IDF is discipline.”

Asked how he would handle soldiers who refused orders, Winter said disciplinary action should come first, followed by an examination of the circumstances that led to the incident. He added that military commanders should also exercise common sense and avoid unnecessarily creating conflicts, particularly as Israel seeks to encourage more Chareidim to serve.

“I would punish them for refusing an order, and afterward I would conduct an inquiry. A lot of things are a matter of common sense. We need to remember — we want male soldiers to be in the IDF and female soldiers to be in the IDF, and there is no need to forcibly stick a finger in someone’s eye, especially when we want to integrate Chareidim.”

Winter also weighed in on the continuing debate over what type of commission should investigate the failures surrounding the war. Rather than adopting either the conventional state commission of inquiry model or the alternative national commission proposed by some political figures, he suggested allowing the Knesset to select the commission’s leadership by secret ballot.

“I think there will not be a state commission of inquiry here and there will not be a national commission of inquiry. We will choose the head of the commission of inquiry and his deputy using the method by which the president of the State of Israel is chosen — in a secret ballot in the Knesset.”

Winter framed his new political movement as an attempt to overhaul several areas at once: Israel’s security doctrine, government treatment of soldiers and their families, the integration of Chareidim into the military, and the country’s long-term policy toward Gaza.

He concluded by predicting that the upcoming election will produce a significant protest vote from Israelis dissatisfied with the country’s political and security leadership following three years of war.

“I will say one more thing. I think that on October 27 there will be a protest vote here. Anyone who does not see that is trapped in the conception.”

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the United States will refuse to reopen negotiations with Iran as long as Tehran continues attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, laying down a clear condition for any return to diplomatic talks.

“The President’s been very clear: We are not talking to the Iranians, and we are not going to talk to them unless they stop shooting at commercial shipping. My advice to the Iranians is stop acting like crazy people,” the Vice President said at a press briefing at the White House.

Vance was also asked whether the ongoing confrontation with Iran could be over before the November 3 midterm elections. He initially pushed back on the characterization of the hostilities, saying, “I wouldn’t call it a war,” before arguing that the duration of the conflict will ultimately depend largely on Iran.

“When you ask when will this end, you’re asking me a question like when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is I don’t know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians.”

JD Vance on Iran:

We are not talking to the Iranians, and we are not going to talk to them unless they stop shooting at commercial shipping. pic.twitter.com/VQYtHuH3md

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 3, 2026

The vice president said shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has been recovering and is nearing the levels recorded before the latest fighting erupted. According to Vance, approximately 15 million barrels of oil moved through the strategic waterway during the previous night.

Vance blamed Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels for the recent increase in fuel costs, arguing that consumers elsewhere have been hit even harder than Americans.

“The reason gas prices are so high right now is because the Iranians are shooting at commercial shipping… Yes, gas prices are higher in the United States, but they’re way worse everywhere else in the world,” he stated.

Vance also addressed Iranian allegations that an American strike earlier this week struck a wedding party, expressing considerable skepticism about Tehran’s version of events.

“I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what’s happened in the conflict thus far, so I’m extremely skeptical of this,” Vance told reporters.

The vice president said the U.S. military does not intentionally target civilians, while emphasizing that the administration is nevertheless examining the report to determine what occurred.

“Unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen, but in this particular case, I don’t think that we have any information one way or the other,” Vance said. “We’re investigating it because obviously we care, we want to know.”

Vance’s comments came one day after President Donald Trump predicted that the renewed confrontation between the United States and Iran would not continue for much longer.

When asked Wednesday how long he expected the latest round of hostilities to last, Trump replied, “Not too long”. He then indicated that Iran may be approaching the limits of how much punishment it can sustain from continued U.S. military action.

“I don’t think it will be very much longer. I don’t know how much more they can take,” Trump said of Iran.

Trump also warned that the United States remained prepared to carry out additional attacks against Iranian targets whenever necessary.

“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we are prepared to do another one anytime we want,” he stressed.

Speaking later Wednesday during an event in the White House Rose Garden, Trump portrayed the American military campaign as overwhelmingly successful, asserting that Iran had lost much of its ability to conduct military operations following the latest U.S. strikes.

“We’re winning that one very big, by the way, in case you haven’t noticed. They don’t have a Navy. They don’t have an Air Force. They don’t have any aircraft. Anything having to do with aircraft or ships, they’re all at the bottom of the sea or at the bottom of a runway. Their leaders are gone. All of their technology is gone. Their weapons are largely gone. Other than that, they’re doing quite well.”

Trump pointed as well to Iran’s deteriorating economy, arguing that severe inflation and the collapse of the country’s currency have placed additional pressure on Tehran.

“Their economy is totally shot. Their economy is the worst anywhere in the world, they said this morning. They have close to 300% inflation, their money is valueless. They’re not doing well at all, so it’s just a question of time,” added the President.

The president said the American military operation against Iran was intended to defend U.S. interests while also protecting Israel and the broader Middle East from the threat posed by Tehran.

“We’re doing it to help the Middle East, we’re doing it to help Israel, we’re doing it to help ourselves, because after they annihilate Israel, which they would’ve done very gladly, and then the Middle East, then they come after Europe and they come after some of our cities before we put them away.”

{Matzav.com}

Significant progress was reported Thursday in negotiations between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel over the makeup of their joint electoral slate for Israel’s 26th Knesset, with the two Chareidi factions moving closer to an agreement that would alter the division of several key positions on the United Torah Judaism list.

Under the arrangement currently taking shape, Degel HaTorah would effectively secure the seventh position without being required to share the seat with Agudas Yisroel through a rotation agreement if the joint party wins seven mandates.

Should United Torah Judaism receive eight seats, Agudas Yisroel would likewise not be required to rotate into the ninth position, which would remain with Degel HaTorah.

Another significant component of the emerging deal concerns the tenth position on the slate. That slot, which had been expected to belong to Agudas Yisroel, would instead be transferred to Degel HaTorah under the proposed arrangement.

The developing agreement would represent a meaningful change in the balance between the two factions and, in particular, would guarantee Degel HaTorah control of the seventh seat if United Torah Judaism wins seven mandates. Degel would therefore avoid having to surrender the position for part of the Knesset term as part of a rotation with Agudas Yisroel.

With the major issues reportedly nearing resolution, negotiations are now said to be focused primarily on final technical details. The two sides are working to complete an agreement ahead of next week’s deadline for submitting the electoral lists.

The dispute over the seventh seat became particularly consequential during the previous Knesset. After United Torah Judaism left the coalition, the faction’s seven mandates ultimately left Degel HaTorah with only three Knesset members compared with four representing Agudas Yisroel, amid disagreements surrounding implementation of the rotation agreement for the seventh position.

The emerging formula is intended to prevent a repeat of that situation. If Degel HaTorah receives the seventh position following the upcoming election, the seat would remain entirely in Degel’s hands rather than being divided with Agudas Yisroel through a rotation arrangement.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump welcomed a delegation of rabbonim to the White House on Thursday for a historic pre-Rosh Hashanah gathering that brought some prominent figures in the American Torah world into the Oval Office.

The gathering, which had been organized over the course of several months, was described by those involved as an opportunity for the president and senior administration officials to meet directly with representatives of major Chassidishe and yeshiva communities, exchange New Year greetings, and hear concerns affecting the Orthodox Jewish community. Reports ahead of the meeting described an Oval Office gathering of this particular composition as exceedingly rare.

The delegation represented a small cross-section of the frum community. Participants included Rav Malkiel Kotler, the only Litvishe Rosh Yeshiva invited; the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum of Williamsburg; his brother, the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Kiryas Yoel; the Bobover Rebbe; the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey; and Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, son of the Skverer Rebbe, who attended on his father’s behalf. The Skverer Rebbe had initially been invited personally but ultimately did not make the trip.

In the Oval Office seating arrangement, Rav Malkiel was seated first, followed by the Satmar Rebbe Rav Zalman Leib and then his brother, the Satmar Rebbe Rav Aharon.

One of the most unique moments of the day occurred when the two Satmar Rebbes arrived. The brothers, who lead the two branches of Satmar and have been estranged for decades, greeted one another warmly and exchanged brachos. Rav Aharon also wished Rav Zalman Leib mazel tov on the engagement of a grandchild that had been finalized the previous night.

President Trump, apparently intrigued by the resemblance between the brothers, asked, “Are you twins?” They explained that they are brothers.

The gathering had been spearheaded by White House Jewish liaison Martin Marks, who personally contacted the rabbinic leaders and spent months working on the arrangements. The stated purpose was to provide an opportunity ahead of Rosh Hashanah to convey appreciation for the administration’s support of Orthodox Jewish institutions and to allow Trump to extend New Year greetings to major segments of the frum community.

Before meeting with Trump, members of the delegation gathered with senior administration officials. Marks opened the session, followed by remarks from White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf. Earlier reports had indicated that the delegation would first meet administration officials in the Roosevelt Room before proceeding to the Oval Office.

During the discussion, several communal representatives raised issues of particular concern to the frum community. Yoeli Rosenfeld of Bobov, Reb Gedalya Segedin of Satmar, New Square Mayor Yisroel Moshe Spitzer and others participated in presenting those concerns.

Among the matters receiving significant attention was the situation of Jewish inmates in federal and state correctional facilities around the country. The participants discussed religious and other difficulties confronting frum prisoners and efforts to ensure that their needs and rights are properly accommodated.

The independence of yeshivos and mosdos in New York was another significant concern surrounding the gathering. In recent years, the state’s attempts to impose educational requirements on private religious schools have generated a sustained battle over the ability of yeshivos to maintain their traditional derech halimud and educational structure without government interference. Reports ahead of Thursday’s meeting indicated that protecting the autonomy of Chareidi education was expected to be among the issues raised with the administration.

The inclusion of Satmar in the delegation had generated criticism in some strongly pro-Israel circles before Thursday’s meeting because of Satmar’s longstanding anti-Zionist ideology. Some Trump supporters publicly objected to giving the Satmar leadership access to the president.

Vice President JD Vance joined the gathering midway through the proceedings and personally greeted those seated around the table. Vance spoke warmly about the Orthodox community’s emphasis on family and education, saying that both subjects were particularly close to him.

The vice president also displayed curiosity about some of the differences in Chassidishe dress. At one point, Vance asked why the Rebbes were wearing different-colored bekitches. Mr. Yossi Gestetner jokingly responded that “it depends on their bank account balance,” drawing laughter from those gathered in the room.

Rep. Mike Lawler of New York was also present for the historic visit, as was Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Lawler had been seen arriving at the White House ahead of the delegation, and reports before the meeting said he had been involved in efforts surrounding the gathering.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey arrived somewhat later than the other participants and consequently was not present for the official White House group photograph.

The day also included a more private encounter between President Trump and Rav Aharon Teitelbaum. The Satmar Rebbe met privately with the president for approximately 10 minutes together with Kushner before the remaining rabbonim were brought into the Oval Office.

During the encounter, Rav Aharon gave President Trump a bracha, which Reb Gedalya Segedin translated into English for the president.

Thursday’s gathering followed a morning of complicated travel arrangements for some of the participants. Several of the Rebbes traveled to Washington aboard private aircraft, with delays affecting some of the flights. Rav Malkiel Kotler arrived at the White House while other members of the delegation were still making their way to Washington. Contemporary reports and photographs documented the arrival of Rav Malkiel and the various Chassidishe delegations at the White House throughout the afternoon.

The Skverer Rebbe, who did not attend personally, sent his son Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky in his place. The Rebbe also entrusted his son with a letter for President Trump expressing appreciation for actions taken by the administration on behalf of the Jewish community, along with a personal New Year brocha.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court on Thursday in an urgent effort to revive new restrictions on mail ballots, asking the justices to overturn a federal judge’s order blocking the rules just as states prepare to begin sending ballots for November’s midterm elections.

The emergency appeal was filed Thursday afternoon, one day before North Carolina was scheduled to begin mailing ballots to voters, marking the start of a wave of states launching their mail-voting operations. The Supreme Court filing was the latest development in a rapidly unfolding series of legal battles over President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing new requirements on ballots sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority previously permitted the administration’s plan to proceed temporarily, although the justices have yet to decide the broader question of whether the restrictions themselves are lawful.

Trump’s executive order would allow the Postal Service to decline to deliver mail ballots from states that fail to comply with standardized envelope requirements and provide lists of eligible mail voters through a federal online portal. As of Thursday, however, questions remained about whether that portal was actually operational.

During a hearing in Boston on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani repeatedly pressed Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik about whether the Postal Service was prepared to carry out the administration’s plan. The online portal is a central component of the system and would potentially be used to track tens of millions of ballots. States would have to upload lists of voters receiving mail ballots, and ballots could be withheld from delivery if information on their envelopes did not correspond with data in the system.

“I don’t even have a declaration from the Postal Service: ‘This is how it will work.’ I don’t have it. I have nothing,” Talwani said, adding later that it felt like the government was running an “experiment” to see if the system would work in the upcoming election.

“As you sit here today, you can’t tell me the government has a program ready to go?” Talwani asked.

Velchik maintained that the Postal Service would “fully implement the rule” it issued last month, while arguing that the central legal question was whether Talwani had the authority to prevent the agency from doing so.

“The $64,000 question is, is this authorized by the statute?” Velchik said.

Talwani was weighing whether to keep in place through Sept. 10 her temporary order preventing the Postal Service from requiring states to use the new system. The timing has become particularly significant because North Carolina was scheduled to begin sending all requested mail ballots Friday, with additional states expected to follow soon afterward.

The dispute was not Talwani’s first encounter with Trump’s mail-voting order. In June, she barred the administration from implementing the executive order for November’s elections, concluding that the federal government was attempting to impose significant changes too close to the start of voting.

Late last month, however, the Supreme Court concluded that Talwani had acted prematurely because the Postal Service had not yet issued regulations detailing how Trump’s directive would be implemented. The agency subsequently published those regulations, leading Democrats and voting-rights organizations to quickly renew their legal challenges.

Opponents of the administration’s policy argue that Trump lacks constitutional authority to impose election requirements of this kind. They contend that responsibility for establishing election procedures belongs primarily to the states, with Congress also possessing authority in certain circumstances.

The challengers initially prevailed when Talwani issued a 14-day restraining order against the new requirements. Administration attorneys appealed that decision to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston before taking the additional step Thursday of asking the Supreme Court to intervene quickly as election deadlines approach.

Trump has long been a critic of widespread voting by mail and has repeatedly challenged the way mail ballots are handled. He has also personally cast ballots using mail voting.

State and local election officials have warned that complying with the new Postal Service requirements at this stage could force them to substantially restructure procedures that are already underway. Before delivering a state’s mail ballots, the Postal Service would have to approve the envelopes being used and require the state to upload information about recipients into the new online system.

Some mail ballots were already in circulation by Thursday. Several Wisconsin municipalities began sending ballots earlier in the week, while North Carolina’s statewide mailing on Friday was expected to represent the first major launch of mail voting ahead of the November election.

The administration has argued that the requirements constitute relatively modest changes that fall within the Postal Service’s existing legal powers.

“While the States have primary authority to regulate the manner of elections, they cannot choose to use the federal mails to carry out their elections but then insist that their election-related mail is somehow exempt from the Postal Service’s rulemaking authority, conferred by Congress, to regulate envelope design and addressee information,” Trump’s solicitor general, John Sauer, wrote in the appeal.

Much of Thursday’s hearing before Talwani centered on whether the plan could actually be implemented in time. The online portal had apparently not yet become operational, while election officials around the country had already printed large quantities of ballots and envelopes.

Velchik told the court that states could voluntarily opt into the new system. The Postal Service, however, had not identified any state that had chosen to do so. Even the 12 states that intervened in the case in support of the administration’s authority to establish the program had not announced plans to voluntarily participate.

Talwani challenged Missouri Solicitor General Lou Capozzi over his state’s support for the administration’s plan.

“You want the voters in your states to be disenfranchised,” Talwani said. “I don’t understand the interest.”

Capozzi rejected that characterization.

“There is no risk that people would be disenfranchised.”

Adding to the controversy, a whistleblower report released this week warned that the Postal Service requirements could result in millions of mail ballots never reaching voters. Under the new rule, batches of ballots would have to be physically delivered to post offices before being mailed. According to the report, if the barcode on even a single ballot produces an error, an entire batch potentially containing tens of thousands of otherwise valid ballots could be rejected.

Following in the footsteps of Flatbush, where more than 30 shuls have joined together for an extraordinary community-wide pre-Selichos seder, Passaic is now launching its own sweeping initiative to begin the Yamim Noraim season with the zechus of Torah.

This Motzoei Shabbos, shuls throughout Passaic and Clifton will participate in a coordinated “Selichos Seder,” bringing hundreds of mispallelim together in their respective batei medrash for a seder limud immediately before the first Selichos of the year.

The initiative closely follows the program announced earlier this week in Flatbush, where dozens of shuls spanning a broad cross-section of the community will simultaneously hold a seder limud before Selichos. The Flatbush program was created around a simple but powerful concept: Before approaching Hashem with the tefillos and bakashos of Selichos, enter that moment carrying the zechus of Torah.

Now, that movement has spread across the Hudson.

Under the banner “Elevate Your Selichos! Stand before Hashem with the z’chus of Torah,” participating Passaic-area shuls will begin a seder limud b’chavrusa at approximately 12:10 a.m., followed by Selichos at approximately 12:55 a.m. Those who arrive without a chavrusa will be paired with one, and individual shul schedules may vary.

The scope of the response in Passaic is already significant, with nearly 20 shuls and Torah institutions joining the initiative and the list still in formation.

Participating shuls include Agudas Yisroel Bircas Yaacov, led by Rav Yonasan Sacks; Alumni Beis Medrash, led by Rav Yitzchok Celnik; Bais Medrash Ahavas Torah, led by Rav Eliezer Krohn; Beis Medrash L’Torah, led by Rav Chaim Davis; Beis Medrash Zichron Eliezer, led by Rav Menachem Spiraz; Beis Shmuel Tzvi, led by Rav Moshe Mordechai Grunfeld; Bais Torah Utefilla, led by Rav Menachem Zupnik; Kehillas Bais Sholom, led by Rav Avrohom Shulman; Khal Bloomfield Ave, led by Rav Mordechai Kronenberg; Kehilas Eitz Chaim, led by Rav Yonah Lazar; Khal Bnei Aliyah, led by Rav Avigdor Guthicki; Khal Bnei Hayeshivos, led by Rav Avrohom Morgenstern; Khal Bnei Torah of Clifton, led by Rav Daniel Schwab; Kollel Choshen Mishpat, led by Rav Yitzchok Sperka and Rav Gershon West; Khal Park Ave, led by Rav Yaakov Paskal; Khal Shaarei Avraham, led by Rav Asher Millman; Khal Tiferes Baruch, led by Rav Schachne Weinberger; Khal Zichron Shlomo, led by Rav Zev Wolbe; Kol Yeshurun, led by Rav Ahron Cohen; Passaic Clifton Community Kollel, led by Rav Chaim Krause; TIF, led by Rav Ahron Cohen; and Yeshiva Ner Boruch-PTI, led by Rav Baruch Bodenheim.

The Passaic initiative represents another remarkable display of communal achdus as shuls with their own rabbonim, minyanim and individual character unite around one shared idea: beginning Selichos through Torah.

In Flatbush, the initiative has brought together more than 30 shuls for the same 12:10 a.m. seder followed by Selichos at approximately 12:55 a.m., transforming what is ordinarily an individual shul experience into a community-wide movement.

Passaic will now do the same.

As Motzoei Shabbos moves toward midnight, batei medrash throughout Passaic and Clifton will fill with the sound of chavrusos learning together. Then, shortly before 1 a.m., the seforim will close and the Selichos will open.

An initiative that began by bringing Flatbush together will now be echoed in Passaic, as another community enters the Yamim Noraim with Torah on its lips and the zechus of limud haTorah accompanying its tefillos.

{Matzav.com}

In a dramatic and highly unusual moment in the Satmar world, the two Satmar Rebbes, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, spoke to one another and shook hands at the White House on Thursday, marking their first such interaction in decades.

The encounter took place during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, where both Satmar Rebbes were present.

The brothers exchanged greetings and spoke with one another during the gathering. During their conversation, the Satmar Rebbe Rav Aharon wished his brother, the Satmar Rebbe Rav Zalman Leib, mazel tov on the engagement of his grandson, which had taken place within the previous 24 hours.

At one point, President Trump asked the two Satmar Rebbes whether they were twins. The brothers responded together that they were not twins, but brothers.

{Matzav.com}

Leading Rebbes and communal activists from the frum community traveled to Washington on Thursday for an extraordinary White House gathering with President Donald Trump, following a day of private flights, unexpected delays and intensive preparations for the high-level meeting.

The gathering generated considerable excitement throughout the Torah and Chassidic communities in the United States, as prominent rabbinic leaders departed from New York and New Jersey for the nation’s capital to participate in the unprecedented meeting.

The Satmar Rebbe began his day with Shacharis at 7:15 a.m. in the beis medrash adjacent to his home in Williamsburg. Immediately afterward, his motorcade traveled to Teterboro Airport, where he boarded a private plane bound for Washington.

Joining the Satmar Rebbe on the flight were his sons, the Sigeter Rov and the Satmar Williamsburg Rov, along with members of his personal staff, the Bobover Rebbe, and communal activists Reb Moshe Dovid Niederman and Reb Gedalya Segedin of Kiryas Yoel.

The previous evening, during the Satmar Rebbe’s kabbolas kahal in Boro Park, the Serdahely Rov visited him and offered a bracha for hatzlacha and chein ahead of the White House meeting.

According to the schedule arranged by White House officials, the Rebbes and rabbinic leaders arrived at the White House complex in secured motorcades and underwent security screening before gathering in the Roosevelt Room for a special meeting with senior members of the president’s staff.

Following the Roosevelt Room session, the group proceeded to the Oval Office for their meeting with President Trump. During the gathering, the rabbonim expressed the Orthodox community’s deep hakaras hatov for the president’s support and actions on its behalf and discussed a range of issues and communal needs.

The day’s schedule was complicated by several flight delays. Private aircraft carrying the Satmar, Bobov and Vizhnitz-Monsey delegations from Teterboro Airport were briefly held up, while the Satmar Rebbe’s aircraft also encountered a delay at Stewart Airport.

Concerned that the delays could prevent the Rebbe from arriving on schedule, Reb Gedalya Segedin contacted Rep. Pat Ryan, whose congressional district includes Kiryas Yoel. Ryan then contacted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and arrangements were made to expedite the aircraft’s departure.

Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, had already arrived at the White House while other members of the delegation were still making their way to Washington.

Because of the delays, the meeting with President Trump was pushed back to after 2 p.m.

Another notable development took place earlier in the day at the home of the Skverer Rebbe. As his son, Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, prepared to leave for Washington, the Rebbe entrusted him with a detailed letter to President Trump on behalf of the Skverer community. The letter expressed the community’s appreciation for the numerous actions taken by the Trump administration on behalf of Jews in the United States. In an unusual gesture, the Skverer Rebbe personally added a handwritten brocha in English for the new year.

Rav Aharon Mendel was tasked with personally presenting the letter to President Trump during the meeting on behalf of his father, who was unable to attend the White House gathering himself.

Among others seen entering the White House were Rabbi Moshe Margareten of the Tzedek Association and journalist Aryeh Erlich, who traveled from Eretz Yisroel on a special flight to cover the historic gathering firsthand.

Vice President JD Vance defended his friendship with Tucker Carlson on Thursday, saying he has no intention of abandoning the conservative commentator simply because the two disagree over President Donald Trump, the war with Iran and Michigan’s closely watched Senate race.

Speaking during a White House press briefing, Vance acknowledged that Carlson has recently made statements he strongly opposes, but argued that political differences should not determine whether people remain friends.

Carlson has drawn attention in recent days for saying Trump should be removed from office for “actively considering” a preemptive nuclear strike. He has also declared that he would not vote “at gunpoint” for former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan.

“Everybody knows that Tucker Carlson and I are friends, and I think it’s very obvious that Tucker has said some things that I disagree with,” Vance said when asked Thursday about concerns surrounding his relationship with Carlson.

“He said some things about the president of the United States that I think are just wrong,” he added.

Vance also made clear that he rejects Carlson’s apparent preference for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate running against Rogers for the Michigan Senate seat.

“I’d like to have a non-crazy person like Mike Rogers representing Michigan in the United States Senate, rather than a crazy person like El-Sayed,” Vance said during the White House press briefing.

Despite those significant disagreements, Vance said he does not believe political disputes should dictate whom he considers a friend.

“Tucker is a friend of mine,” the vice president continued. “Tucker is a friend, despite the fact that we disagree on a number of things. And I’m not going to play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them.”

“I think that is a terrible place for the United States to go,” he added.

Carlson characterized El-Sayed’s campaign as “Trumpian” during an episode of his podcast released Wednesday.

Although Carlson has long been one of Trump’s most prominent supporters in conservative media, his criticism of the president has intensified since the war with Iran began earlier this year. Carlson and Vance have both previously championed a more isolationist and anti-war approach to foreign policy that differs from the traditionally hawkish positions held by many Republicans.

Vance has refrained from publicly criticizing the Iran war. Behind the scenes, however, he has reportedly emerged as the member of Trump’s Cabinet most skeptical of the conflict.

Carlson cited Trump’s warning of the “total destruction” of Iran while arguing that the president’s consideration of nuclear weapons should result in his removal from office.

“The second any president actively considers first-use of nuclear weapons, that person should be removed from office immediately. Immediately, because that’s gotta be the red line, destroying all of humanity with a nuclear strike,” Carlson said.

“Why isn’t there an attempt to remove him from office, like, immediately?” he added.

{Matzav.com}