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Iran is reportedly seeking to generate tens of billions of dollars annually by imposing new charges on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal that has drawn swift opposition from the Trump administration and regional allies who insist the vital international waterway must remain free of transit fees.

According to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, Iranian officials believe a new framework involving charges for security, safety, and environmental services in the Strait of Hormuz could produce as much as $40 billion a year for participating countries while significantly expanding Tehran’s influence over one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.

The report says Iranian officials have presented the concept to neighboring Gulf states and to China, arguing that the strategic waterway has entered a new era following the recent U.S.-Iran conflict and that management of the strait “will never return to the way it was before.”

If implemented, the proposal would represent a major departure from decades of international maritime practice, under which commercial vessels have enjoyed toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio firmly rejected the idea while visiting Bahrain on Thursday, warning that permitting Iran to charge ships for passage through an international waterway would establish an unacceptable precedent, according to CBS News.

“The reality is that no country on Earth has the right to charge for the use of international waterways,” Rubio said. “That will never be an acceptable condition of any deal.”

Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, echoed Rubio’s position following meetings with the secretary of state and fellow Gulf leaders, stating that any future agreement governing the Strait of Hormuz “will not involve imposing any transit fees.”

President Donald Trump also sought to reassure markets on Wednesday, saying on Truth Social that Iranian officials had informed the United States they intended to impose “no tolls, no insurance costs & no other charges of any kind” on vessels passing through the strait.

Trump added that if reports of planned fees prove accurate, negotiations with Tehran would end “immediately.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, carrying approximately 20 percent of global oil supplies. While commercial shipping has gradually resumed following the recent conflict, some shipping companies continue to exercise caution.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Iran has already established an insurance company that it says vessels should utilize when transiting the strait and has introduced new registration requirements directing ships to notify Iranian authorities two days before entering the waterway.

Legal experts told the newspaper that Iran would face formidable legal obstacles in implementing such a system.

Unlike Turkey, which possesses treaty-based authority under a 1936 international agreement to collect certain fees in the Dardanelles, any comparable arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz would almost certainly require broad international approval through the International Maritime Organization.

As negotiations with Tehran continue, the Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains a non-negotiable principle of U.S. policy.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said the latest round of negotiations with Iranian officials in Switzerland produced an agreement in principle to establish a new direct communication channel between the United States and Iran, describing the move as an important step toward easing regional tensions and resolving future disputes.

In an interview with UnHerd Magazine, Vance explained that one of Washington’s primary objectives during the talks was to establish “a channel on the Iranian side” through which both governments could manage conflicts more effectively.

“Which we did,” Vance stated. He said the arrangement calls for representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to maintain direct contact in Doha. “That’s how we’re going to settle a lot of these disputes,” he said.

Vance cautioned that the initiative’s success will ultimately depend on whether Tehran follows through on the commitments it has made.

“They’re certainly talking differently than they have in the past,” he said. “But whether the action will follow, whether the final deal actually meets some of what they’re promising in general terms – that’s what we have to figure out.”

The vice president also described how discussions with Iranian negotiators have evolved over time, saying the atmosphere has changed considerably since the first direct meeting.

“The first time we ever sat down with them was in Istanbul, and it almost felt like a performance,” Vance said. He added that after initial exchanges, “it got to a good place where we were able to actually have a conversation.”

Discussing the proposed memorandum of understanding currently being negotiated between Washington and Tehran, Vance dismissed suggestions that it resembles the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“There are many things I don’t like about the comparison to the JCPOA,” he said, adding that the current memorandum is “a much more generic document” and serves as “a foundational document.”

According to Vance, the proposed framework is intended to reopen maritime shipping lanes, end military hostilities, and create a foundation for negotiating a broader agreement over Iran’s nuclear program.

“Let’s open the Strait, let’s stop shooting at each other, and let’s see if we can make a nuclear deal,” he said, describing the US position.

Vance also asserted that Iran has put forward proposals that go beyond the terms of the JCPOA, including a more stringent inspection system and the complete “elimination” of its existing stockpile of enriched uranium.

“The flip side,” he said, “is that they really want a fundamentally transformed relationship with the United States and the world – and I don’t know where we’re going to be able to land in the middle.”

The vice president said America’s diplomatic efforts have been welcomed by several Gulf nations, highlighting what he described as unprecedented dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

“The Emiratis – by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the GCC – they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before,” he said, adding that discussions have included economic incentives and conditions for investment.

Addressing broader regional security concerns, Vance said negotiators also made progress on issues involving Lebanon, including discussions about mechanisms to prevent military escalation.

“Israel, and every other nation in the region, has the right of self-defence,” he said. “But we want to make sure everyone has that right of self-defence in a background where we’re talking about how to de-escalate.”

Vance expressed guarded optimism about recent developments in Lebanon, saying the ceasefire appeared to be holding despite lingering concerns.

“I think we’re now at 48 hours where the ceasefire in Lebanon has effectively held,” he said, adding that while challenges remain, the situation had improved compared to previous weeks.

Concluding his remarks, Vance emphasized that the ultimate test of the diplomatic process will be whether Iran follows its recent rhetoric with meaningful action.

“Whether the action will follow, whether the final deal actually meets some of what they’re promising in general terms – that’s what we have to figure out,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu declared Thursday that Israel has emerged from the war in a position of historic strength, dismissing critics who claim the campaign failed to produce meaningful results while insisting that major challenges still remain, particularly regarding Iran and Hamas.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the IDF Officers’ Training Course at Training Base 1, Netanyahu praised Israel’s military accomplishments and asserted that the country’s strategic position has never been stronger.

“The State of Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu said, rejecting assertions that the war yielded few tangible gains.

Responding to those who have downplayed the success of Israel’s military operations, the prime minister stated, “You have to be blind to say there were ‘no achievements.'” He pointed to Operations Rising Lion and Roaring Lion as examples of what he described as landmark victories, calling them “a great achievement.”

At the same time, Netanyahu cautioned that Israel’s work is far from finished, emphasizing that significant threats remain despite the military successes.

“There are more things to do, to do with Iran and Hamas,” he stated.

Netanyahu also argued that the war has transformed not only Israel’s security situation but the nation’s mindset as well. He said the conflict fundamentally altered Israel’s approach to confronting its enemies and reshaped the strategic balance throughout the region.

“We changed the rules of the game in our region from the ground up, but above all, we changed ourselves.” He claimed that Israel “managed to break through the barrier of fear with initiative and aggression.”

Turning to the situation in southern Israel, Netanyahu said the country has reestablished security around Gaza and pointed to what he described as the revival of communities that were devastated by the October 7 Hamas massacre.

“We are surrounding the Gaza Strip, we restored security to the Gaza envelope, the western Negev is once again blooming and thriving.”

{Matzav.com}

Following the massive vehicle protest, the Sephardic olam haTorah is preparing for a major atzeres ze’akah to be led by the former Rishon LeZion, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, together with leading roshei yeshivah and rabbanim. The gathering marks a significant escalation in the Sephardic chareidi community’s response to the ongoing gezeiras haGiyus and the recent arrests of bnei yeshivah.

The planned rally comes amid mounting public outrage over the detention of bnei Torah who did not report to the military draft offices, as well as violent confrontations that have taken place on major roadways. Organizers view the event as a public cry on behalf of the olam haTorah in the face of what they see as an unprecedented assault on Torah learning.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Barama Radio, Rav Shabtai Levi, mara d’asra of the Ramat Aharon neighborhood in Bnei Brak and rosh mosdos of Halichos Moshe, described the deep concern with which Rav Yitzchak Yosef regards the current situation.

“The rally will take place in the city streets in order to raise an outcry over the harm being done to Torah learners,” Rav Levi said. He emphasized the extraordinary nature of the event, noting: “Rav Yosef has committed himself to this mission with all his strength and was prepared to cancel his regular and traditional weekly lesson at the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim for this purpose – a historic institution dating back to the days of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, which has almost never been canceled.”

“The rav will send a replacement there and will come physically to Bnei Brak out of the understanding that we can no longer remain silent in the face of the scenes we have witnessed in recent days.”

Rav Levi went on to describe the anguish being felt throughout the chareidi community over the arrests of bnei yeshivah and demonstrators, likening the treatment of lomdei Torah to the desecration of precious Sifrei Torah.

“The budget cuts and the closure of daycare centers – we could still have managed with that,” Rav Levi said. “But we have reached the stage of harming yeshiva students and avrechim, who are the ones carrying the burden of Torah study. Taking young men and dragging them on the ground? How did we reach such a situation?”

The atzeres is expected to be held near the Halichos Moshe institutions in Bnei Brak’s Ramat Aharon neighborhood. Rav Levi stressed that, despite the heightened emotions, organizers are committed to ensuring that the gathering remains entirely peaceful, without confrontations or road blockages, and serves solely as an expression of grief and protest.

“This will be an event completely without violence and without any provocations,” he promised. “This rally is entirely about mourning, pain, and lamentation. It is going to be an occasion that will truly feel like Tisha B’Av, and everyone who feels the pain of the situation is obligated to attend.”

{Matzav.com}

The United Nations’ hostility toward Israel has intensified dramatically since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, according to Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, who says the tone has been driven largely by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reflected throughout the organization’s agencies.

Speaking with Arutz Sheva on the sidelines of the JNS International Policy Conference in Jerusalem, Neuer looked back on more than 20 years of monitoring the United Nations and said the organization’s treatment of Israel has deteriorated even further in the aftermath of the Hamas attack.

When asked whether the fight against anti-Israel bias at the UN has become more difficult, Neuer responded, “It’s hard to imagine, but the pathological UN, which obsesses over Israel, got even so much worse after October 7th, in particular because of Antonio Guterres.”

Neuer pointed to comments Guterres made shortly after the Hamas massacre, noting that although the secretary-general condemned the terrorist attack, he also remarked that “the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.”

“He effectively went on to justify what happened because he enumerated numerous alleged grievances by the Palestinians, basically justifying what they did,” Neuer said.

Asked whether his criticism was aimed solely at Guterres’ rhetoric or also at the UN’s conduct, Neuer said both have contributed to what he described as an increasingly hostile environment.

“It’s statements and actions. He set a tone. UN agencies all around the world have been attacking Israel like never before since October 7th,” he said.

Turning to the recent conflict involving Iran, Neuer argued that UN officials directed their criticism toward Israel and the United States while failing to hold the Iranian regime responsible.

“It was shameless propaganda coming out of Guterres’ office,” he said.

Neuer also commented on a recent confrontation involving Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon during a discussion on sexual violence in armed conflicts.

According to Neuer, Danon was objecting after “the secretary general shamelessly placed Israel on the same list as Hamas.”

He said senior UN official Vanessa Frazier improperly interrupted Danon’s remarks during the meeting in violation of established UN procedures.

“She interrupted him. She started shouting. And she has no right to do that,” Neuer said, arguing that officials would never behave similarly toward representatives of other countries.

“The fact that she had the audacity, the chutzpah, to do that is something they would only do against Israel, and it reflects the message that Guterres is sending around the UN.”

Despite his criticism of the international body, Neuer insisted that engaging at the UN remains essential and dismissed the notion that the diplomatic battle is unwinnable.

“What happened with Iran illustrates the importance of fighting on the political battlefield and the global diplomatic political battlefield,” he said.

“You can win great military victories, but if you’re not winning at the political diplomatic level, in the end, maybe you’re losing.”

Neuer acknowledged that Israel often faces an uphill battle in international institutions, but argued that abandoning those forums would only strengthen its opponents.

“It is a global podium. We do have friends. We need to enable and empower them. You have to fight and make the case,” he said.

As evidence that sustained diplomatic efforts can produce results, Neuer cited several recent developments, including the United States ending funding for UNRWA, Sweden’s decision to cut financial support for the agency, Switzerland’s lower house voting to do the same, U.S. sanctions imposed on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and public condemnation of Albanese by 15 countries.

“We need to be there and fight,” Neuer concluded.

Florida has begun dismantling the controversial migrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” signaling the end of a high-profile immigration facility in the Everglades that housed more than 22,000 migrants and cost taxpayers over $1.2 billion during its operation.

According to reports from CBS News Miami and other media outlets, contractors responsible for running the facility have been directed to begin a “full demobilization” of the site. Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie informed vendors that the state expects the removal of the facility’s infrastructure to move forward quickly. The detention center was constructed at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport deep in the Everglades.

The decision comes just days after the final detainees were transferred to other detention centers because of safety concerns associated with the Atlantic hurricane season. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that no migrants remain at the facility.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday that the detention center had accomplished exactly what it was intended to do.

“I think Alligator Alcatraz actually stayed open longer than it was intentionally planned when it was first conceptualized,” Uthmeier told reporters.

“Now that the federal government is resourced and standing up its own mission, using its own authorities, it is no longer necessary, and the plan has always been to protect the Everglades and take it back to a protected area where it’s not a commercial business, an airport,” he said.

The facility first opened in July 2025 after being built in less than a week on a remote Everglades airstrip. It rapidly became one of the most recognizable symbols of Florida’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy and was championed by President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and other Republican leaders as a blueprint for large-scale migrant detention.

Designed to assist federal immigration authorities, the center had the capacity to hold thousands of migrants awaiting deportation proceedings. State officials say that more than 22,000 migrants passed through the facility during its time in operation.

DeSantis has repeatedly defended the project, arguing that it played a “huge, huge” role in preventing migrants from being released into communities across Florida. He also emphasized that the detention center was always envisioned as a temporary operation.

Despite support from state leaders, the project faced continuous opposition from environmental organizations, immigrant advocacy groups, and civil rights activists. Critics challenged the facility in court, raising concerns about both detention conditions and the impact of the operation on the environmentally sensitive Everglades.

Although the detainees have been relocated and demolition has begun, environmental advocates say their legal fight is not over. They insist litigation will continue until the site is completely restored to its original condition.

Attorney Paul Schwiep, who represents several organizations opposing the project, said the removal of the migrants is an important first step but stressed that full restoration of the property remains the ultimate goal.

“The goal is to have them do what the governor said they’d do from the outset: Use [the land] temporarily, and that’s apparently run its course now and return the site to the condition it was in before they began to use it for this purpose,” Schwiep said.

Florida officials said the dismantling effort will involve removing fencing, trailers, and other temporary structures that were installed during construction. Once the work is finished, the property is expected to resume its previous role as a training airport.

A new federal lawsuit alleges that some of California’s largest gas station operators illegally worked together through artificial intelligence software to inflate gasoline prices, accusing major fuel retailers of using a shared pricing platform to suppress competition and force motorists to pay more at the pump.

Filed Monday as a proposed class-action lawsuit, the complaint claims that several prominent gas station chains—including Marathon and Circle K—violated California antitrust laws by relying on Kalibrate, a global AI-driven fuel pricing system that allegedly coordinated pricing strategies among competitors.

According to the lawsuit, Kalibrate served as the “central nervous system for a conspiracy to extinguish retail price competition among gas stations,” allowing participating retailers to avoid genuine price competition.

The complaint alleges that Kalibrate’s software actively encouraged stations to keep prices elevated while discouraging operators from lowering them. According to the filing, the program warned that cutting prices could trigger a “downward spiral,” effectively steering users away from competitive pricing.

Rather than independently determining what consumers should pay, the lawsuit claims participating gas stations turned over sensitive pricing, cost, and fuel-volume information to Kalibrate Fuel Pricing. The software then allegedly used that information to recommend pricing strategies that minimized competition among nearby stations and resulted in higher prices for drivers.

The lawsuit comes as Californians continue to pay some of the nation’s highest gasoline prices, with fuel costs climbing even further amid global market disruptions following the outbreak of the Iran war.

Plaintiffs argue that Kalibrate enabled an illegal form of cartel behavior, contending that modern price-fixing no longer requires secret meetings because sophisticated AI software can accomplish the same objective electronically.

One feature highlighted in the complaint, known as “restoration,” allegedly allowed gas stations within a given area to simultaneously increase fuel prices by significant amounts, making coordinated price hikes easier to implement.

The lawsuit cites research indicating that algorithm-based fuel pricing systems raised gasoline prices by an average of approximately six cents per gallon and by as much as 30 cents per gallon in markets where the technology was widely adopted. According to the complaint, even a one-cent increase statewide costs California motorists roughly $134 million every year.

Among the companies named as defendants are BP, Speedway, EG America, Walmart, and Albertsons, which together operate more than 1,700 gas stations throughout California.

The proposed class-action seeks to represent California consumers who purchased gasoline at stations using Kalibrate’s software beginning in June 2022.

The case is the latest in a growing wave of legal challenges targeting software platforms accused of using algorithms to increase prices for consumers across multiple industries.

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice has pursued similar antitrust cases against RealPage, which was accused of helping landlords coordinate rent increases, and Agri Stats, which allegedly assisted meatpacking companies in raising grocery prices. Although both federal cases have since been settled, several state attorneys general continue to pursue litigation involving RealPage and various property management firms.

Concern over algorithm-driven pricing has also prompted legislative action. Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation explicitly confirming that the state’s antitrust laws apply to pricing algorithms, a legal change that plaintiffs say helped pave the way for the newly filed lawsuit.

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[COMMUNICATED]

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

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

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

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

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

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

YES! YOU CAN MAKE

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

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

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

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

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

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

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

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

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

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

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact –

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

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

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

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

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

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

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

Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

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

ShasYiden.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}