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The U.S. Coast Guard has released footage showing the boarding and seizure of the tanker Bella I (Marinera) earlier today in the North Atlantic.

TRUMP: It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had. I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future. Arrangements are being made between Secretary of State Marco […]

In a surprising development, Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed the Israeli High Court of Justice on Wednesday that it should cancel the interim order freezing nearly NIS 1 billion earmarked for chareidi educational institutions.

In a letter submitted to the court, the attorney general wrote that “the interim order freezing the transfer of additional funds to chareidi education should be canceled,” explaining that the issue can be examined within the framework of earlier petitions that are still pending before the court.

The move comes a week after the High Court temporarily accepted a petition opposing the transfer of the funds. At that time, Justice Yael Wilner issued an interim injunction halting the disbursement, effectively freezing state funding for chareidi education.

In her decision, Wilner wrote: “After reviewing the request for an interim order, the responses, and the petitioners’ reply, an interim order is hereby issued according to which no financial transfers shall be carried out pursuant to the decisions of the Finance Committee that are the subject of the petition, until a further decision is made.”

Despite the freeze, the opposition party Yesh Atid said it intends to seek additional relief, including a demand that chareidi teachers return funds that were already transferred before the interim order took effect.

The court’s original decision sparked sharp reactions across the chareidi political spectrum. Knesset Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni, head of Degel HaTorah, accused the judiciary of waging “war on the chareidi public and Torah institutions,” claiming the court acted with unprecedented speed to disqualify funds that had been approved according to law.

The Shas party issued a blistering statement, calling the ruling “antisemitic harassment” and accusing the court of “cruelly running over the chareidi public,” from harming young children to undermining Torah education for tens of thousands of students.

Knesset member Moshe Arbel said the ruling exemplifies a system in which “a party that lost a parliamentary vote manages, within a single day, to overturn a Knesset decision through a judicial ruling that harms teachers’ salaries,” adding that such disputes should be settled at the ballot box.

United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf warned that the decision fuels societal division and deepens public mistrust in the legal system, describing the funding freeze as a direct blow to chareidi children and an extension of what he called longstanding budgetary discrimination.

MK Meir Porush also condemned the court, saying the judiciary is “at war against anything sacred” and vowed that no legal process would prevent the transmission of Torah education from one generation to the next.

The High Court has not yet ruled on the attorney general’s request to lift the interim injunction.

{Matzav.com}

Overpowering Speaker Mike Johnson, a bipartisan coalition in the House voted Wednesday to push forward a measure that would revive an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowered health insurance costs for roughly 22 million people, but that had expired last month. The tally of 221-205 was a key test before passage of the bill, which is expected Thursday. And it […]

An 11-month-old baby girl from a community near Jerusalem is in critical condition after contracting measles, amid concern about declining vaccination rates and the return of a disease once considered largely under control. The infant is being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, where hospital officials said she […]

A chilling emergency call made in the immediate aftermath of the deadly bus-ramming incident in Yerushalayim has come to light, capturing the chaos and fear at the scene just moments after the tragedy unfolded.

The recording, obtained by Matzav.com, documents the first contact between a civilian eyewitness and the emergency dispatch center of Magen David Adom, in the minutes following the incident in which 14-year-old Yosef Eisensthal z”l was killed during the protest against the draft law in Yerushalayim.

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/dbe16150-ebee-11f0-94e1-97bff286a07d__d38.mpeg.wav

In the call, the shaken caller can be heard telling the dispatcher, “There are several injured here, the bus ran over several children… I don’t know what this is — I fled.” His voice reflects panic and confusion as he struggles to provide clear details.

The MDA dispatcher attempts to assess the situation and dispatch ambulances to the scene, repeatedly asking about the condition of the injured. However, the caller explains that he is unable to get closer. “I can’t see. I’m not approaching,” he says, underscoring the fear and disorder in the immediate aftermath of the ramming.

Additional voices heard on the recording confirm that multiple teenagers were struck by the bus, though at that stage the precise number of victims and the severity of their injuries remained unclear.

{Matzav.com}

From the outside, you’d never know “From the street, it looks like any other building.” The door opens and ten voices fill the room. A table just big enough. Plates passed carefully. This is Yossele’s world. His parents don’t talk about the worries, the numbers, or the quiet choices they make late at night, choosing what the children will […]

MAYOR MAMDANI: “The news coming out of Minneapolis is horrific. This is one part of what has been a year full of cruelty. We know when ICE agents attack immigrants, they attack every single one of us across this country. We are going to uphold our sanctuary city policies.”

Rav Avrohom Schindler zt”l was niftar on Tuesday in Lakewood, NJ, just shy of his 98th birthday, bringing to a close a life devoted entirely to Torah, talmidim, and unwavering avodas hakodesh.

For decades, Rav Schindler was known as a beloved and deeply respected rebbi, first at Yeshiva of Eastern Parkway and later at Yeshiva Ohr Hameir of New Rochelle (Peekskill). Generations of talmidim remember his warmth, clarity, and steady dedication, as well as the personal care he invested in each bochur who passed through his shiur.

An early talmid of Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l, Rav Schindler carried the mesorah of his rebbi throughout his life.

Rav Schindler resided in Crown Heights for much of his life, where he was a central pillar of the well-known Minyan HaKollel of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. That minyan, sustained by a small group of dedicated bnei Torah, continued functioning faithfully for many years, up until around the time Rav Schindler moved to Lakewood some 20 years ago.

In Lakewood, Rav Schindler continued to live a life of Torah and dignity, serving as a model of lifelong learning and yiras Shamayim. Even in advanced age, he remained deeply connected to Torah.

His levayah took place on Tuesday in Lakewood.

Rav Schindler is survived by his children and grandchildren, who continue his legacy of Torah and avodas Hashem.

The family is sitting shivah until Monday morning at 1187 Idalia Avenue in Lakewood, NJ>

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Senator Lindsey Graham warned on Tuesday that if Donald Trump’s administration determines that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continues lethal repression of demonstrators, the president could order a direct strike against him. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and close ally of Trump, made the remarks on Fox News, urging Tehran’s clerical leadership to “take […]

[COMMUNICATED]

It’s midnight in the holy city of Yerushalayim, and a group of exalted and illustrious mekubalim stream in, one by one, into the Beis Medrash overlooking the Makom HaMikdash—the site of our destroyed Beis HaMikdash—where they will spend the night immersed in holiness.  

Each and every one of these carefully selected Yidden has already spent years in the study of the Zohar and the writings of the Arizal and his talmidim. Their faces radiate holiness and holy purpose, and they exude humility and piety.  

They are the Avreichim of Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos—a project of Torah-24 which is founded and led by HaGaon Rav Avrohom Eisen, shlit”a, Pozna Rov, a confidant of gedolei Yisroel.  

The night begins at midnight, when the avreichim tearfully and mournfully recite Tikkun Chatzos, along with other tefillos, lamenting what has been lost, and storming the Heavens for its restoration.  

Following this, they will delve into the deepest secrets of the hidden Torah—until the sun comes up over Yerushalayim. For the entire night, hour after hour, they chase sleep away, and remain immersed into the Kabbalah that has been handed down to us by the most exalted tzaddikim that Klal Yisroel possessed.  

Gedolei Yisroel who have become aware of the Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos phenomenon have expressed awe and admiration for these illustrious men.  

Hagaon HaMekubal Rav Abish Zenwirth, who has attested that he knows these men up close, has attested that “they are humble tzaddikim who prepare themselves for their holy nights by immersing in the mikveh, and study the secrets of Torah all night amid ahavas Hashem and deep fear of Heaven.”   

In his letter of endorsement for Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos, Rav Zenwirth writes: “Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor. They will surely merit all the Heavenly blessings and illuminations. They will be pursued by goodness and kindness all their lives, and in their merit we will soon hear the great blast of the shofar of Mashiach. Amen.”  

Partner in this incredible and holy endeavor today, and be joined with these holy mekubalim of Yerushalayim who will daven for you and your family to indeed merit the many Heavenly blessings that come to those who spend their nights immersed in Torah.

Former Jerusalem mayor and ba’al chessed Rabbi Uri Lupolianski z”l was niftar at the age of 74 on Wednesday night. He had been hospitalized approximately two weeks earlier at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem for severe breathing issues related to pneumonia. In his youth, he studied at Yeshivas Torah Ohr in Yerushalyim under the […]

A new survey suggests the public leans in favor of President Donald Trump’s decision to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, while revealing deep divisions along party lines.

The Daily Mail poll, released Tuesday, indicates that the military action is broadly viewed as effective. A majority of respondents said the operation went well, while only a small minority labeled it a failure; a sizable share remained undecided.

Support and opposition varied dramatically by political affiliation. Republicans were overwhelmingly supportive of the move, while most Democrats rejected it. Independents were closely split, with backing and opposition nearly even.

The survey also probed reactions to Trump’s remark that the United States would be “running” Venezuela for the immediate future. That comment drew strong concern from Democrats, whereas Republicans were more divided, with just over half expressing little to no worry and a significant minority voicing unease about U.S. involvement in “running” the country.

Overall toplines showed that more registered voters supported the action than opposed it, with a notable portion still unsure. Specifically, 43% favored the decision to capture Maduro, compared with 36% who opposed it.

The poll was conducted by J.L. Partners among 999 registered voters on January 5–6, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

{Matzav.com}

On the first anniversary of the most destructive wildfires in the L.A. area, the scant home construction projects stand out among the still mostly flattened landscapes. Fewer than a dozen homes have been rebuilt in Los Angeles County since the Jan. 7, 2025, Palisades and Eaton fires erupted, killing 31 people and destroying about 13,000 homes and […]

It’s midnight in the holy city of Yerushalayim, and a group of exalted and illustrious mekubalim stream in, one by one, into the Beis Medrash overlooking the Makom HaMikdash—the site of our destroyed Beis HaMikdash—where they will spend the night immersed in holiness.   Each and every one of these carefully selected Yidden has already spent years in the study of the Zohar and the writings of the Arizal and his talmidim. Their faces […]

President Trump said an ICE agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis narrowly escaped death and remains hospitalized after being struck by her vehicle during a confrontation that unfolded amid rising tensions over immigration enforcement.

In a post on Truth Social, the president described what he said led to the shooting and shared video footage of the encounter. “The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense,” he wrote.

Trump emphasized the severity of the agent’s injuries, noting how close the incident came to ending differently. “It is hard to believe he is still alive, but is not recovering in the hospital,” he said, before turning his criticism toward what he described as an increasingly hostile climate toward immigration officers.

Blaming political rhetoric for fueling violence, Trump argued that law enforcement personnel are being placed in danger nationwide. “The situation is being studied, in its entirety, but the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis,” he wrote.

He added a call for public support of officers carrying out immigration enforcement.
“They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!”

The shooting set off demonstrations across Minneapolis, with crowds gathering near the scene. The location is less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed in 2020 by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was later sentenced to 21 years in prison for murder.

{Matzav.com}

A new investigative documentary has uncovered a disturbing and unprecedented case: a young Jewish woman from Israel who ultimately found herself in Syria at the heart of the ISIS terror organization. The revelation comes from the premiere episode of “Ashraf Marwan – Alias”, which aired Tuesday night on Channel 14 and was produced with the […]

Newly released state data has revealed that Israel is currently holding 1,287 Gazan detainees in prisons and detention centers under the controversial Law for Incarcerating Illegal Combatants, months after active hostilities formally ceased. The figures were submitted this week to Israel’s High Court of Justice in response to a petition filed by the Public Committee […]

The Chassidishe Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel convened Wednesday evening in Yerushalayim to deliberate its position on the proposed draft law, amid heightened tension within the governing coalition and intense anticipation over whether a formal decision will emerge.

One by one, senior chassidic rebbes arrived at Beis Malka Hall, the Belzer venue on Brandeis Street, for the high-level meeting.

Among those present were the rebbes of Gur, Belz, Vizhnitz, Sanz, Boyan, Seret-Vizhnitz, and Modzitz.

The Slonimer Rebbe was absent, while the Biala Rebbe is currently abroad.

At the instruction of the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Pinchas Friedman also arrived and appeared before the Moetzes to present and clarify the Belzer Rebbe’s position regarding the draft law.

Behind the scenes, sources told Matzav.com that in the 24 hours preceding the meeting, messages were conveyed from Degel HaTorah to Agudas Yisroel in an effort to prevent the adoption of a decision opposing the draft law.

On Tuesday, a conversation reportedly took place between Rav Aharon Hirsch, son of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and Yaakov Veltz, secretary of Agudas Yisroel’s Moetzes. The message conveyed was a request that no decision be taken at this stage against the draft legislation.

Following that discussion, Veltz met with the Gerer Rebbe and relayed Degel HaTorah’s position. The Gerer Rebbe did not dismiss the argument and even raised a far-reaching proposal: to cancel Wednesday’s Moetzes meeting and instead convene a joint council of chassidishe and Litvishe gedolim in the coming days to reach a unified stance on the law.

The Moetzes meeting proceeded as scheduled, but it remains unclear whether a clear ruling against the law will be issued or whether the pressure from Degel HaTorah will ultimately shape the outcome. Coalition leaders are watching developments closely.

Present at the Moetzes meeting are Knesset members Yitzchak Goldknopf, Meir Porush, and Yisrael Eichler, as well as Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert. MK Yaakov Tessler is not attending, as he is currently abroad for a family simcha.

{Matzav.com}

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he plans to call a special session in April for the Republican-dominated legislature to draw new congressional districts, joining a redistricting arms race among states that have redrawn districts mid-decade. Even though Florida’s 2026 legislative session starts next week, DeSantis said he wanted to wait for a possible ruling […]