The Israeli government’s draft law, which began advancing today in a Knesset committee with the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and a green light from chareidi leaders, is already facing sharp criticism from within the coalition. Members of Likud and the Religious Zionism party have announced their opposition to the legislation in its current form, raising new questions about its ability to pass.
Finance Minister and Religious Zionism chairman Betzalel Smotrich convened an emergency faction meeting for Monday night and stated that the draft as written cannot be supported. His comment marks a significant escalation, as he had not publicly expressed such a firm position until now.
Earlier in the day, the party held a special internal discussion in which all of its members reaffirmed their commitment to unified voting. They will not support any draft legislation that fails to meet the operational needs of the IDF or ease the heavy burden placed on combat soldiers, reservists, and their families.
Party officials said that intense consultations are currently underway to prepare detailed comments and demands for changes to the bill. These recommendations will be submitted as the legislative process continues. They stressed that decisions will be made collectively, and no faction member will take an independent position.
According to Kan News, Smotrich is expected to face real difficulty persuading his faction to vote in favor of the bill. The party is scheduled to meet at 8:30 p.m. to receive a full assessment of the urgent amendments they would require before lending their support.
Internal resistance continued to grow throughout the day. Minister Ofir Sofer delivered a scathing public statement declaring, “This is a disgraceful law, lacking courage – I will vote against it even if the prime minister fires me.” MK Moshe Solomon also announced that he cannot support the bill in its present form.
In addition, reporter Daphna Liel revealed that associates of MK Avi Maoz say his support is not guaranteed, contrary to assumptions within coalition leadership. They said Maoz will vote strictly according to his ideological principles and in accordance with the guidance of his rabbinic authorities.
A senior coalition official told Kan News that while most Likud lawmakers are expected to fall in line, the bill cannot pass without reaching an understanding with Smotrich.
In a detailed interview last week, Smotrich emphasized that only a genuine and significant draft plan that brings the chareidi public into what he described as the mitzvah of defending Israel could earn his backing. “Only a law that leads to a real process in which the chareidi community participates in the great mitzvah of protecting Israel’s security and our eternal future. This cannot stay the way it is,” he said.
He added, “Anyone who thinks I am a rubber stamp does not understand. In my worldview, there is no exemption from this mitzvah. Let’s see what law they bring. I understand that there’s a process and I’m patient, but I insist that it be real and fast.”
Smotrich continued, “I demand a genuine process that will bring thousands of chareidim each year into the IDF, into combat service, into areas where they are needed.”
He concluded by saying, “I keep telling the prime minister that the chareidim will vote for it. We will not be the ‘Shabbos goy,’ and I demand that this law be real.”
{Matzav.com}
A dramatic overnight chase erupted in the Bnei Brak yeshiva district of Beis Matisyahu and Slabodka after a suspected thief was spotted near the dormitory areas, prompting dozens of bochurim to pour into the streets in pursuit.
The incident occurred late Sunday night in the Givat Rokach area, near the two major yeshivos, where thefts have been plaguing students for an extended period. According to bochurim, tens of thousands of shekels have been stolen in recent weeks from dorm rooms and adjacent areas, leaving many students feeling violated and deeply unsettled by the repeated breaches of their privacy.
In response to the ongoing wave of thefts, bochurim recently launched an unusual internal initiative: a designated “hotline” for reporting suspicious activity. The private phone line was established as a discreet and immediate tool for students to alert others about anyone or anything deemed suspicious around the yeshiva hill.
The initiative reached its peak late Sunday night when the hotline received a fresh report that the suspected thief had been spotted near the yeshiva premises. Within moments, dozens of bochurim mobilized and began a coordinated chase through the hilltop and surrounding streets, determined to put an end to what they describe as a pattern of ongoing thefts.
It remains unclear what ultimately happened to the suspect and whether he was apprehended or escaped. As of now, the outcome of the chase has not been confirmed.
{Matzav.com}In an unexpected development in the long-running dispute over control of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, the faction led by Rav Shmuel Markowitz has received the consent of Yeshiva nosi Rav Eliezer Kahaneman to extend the deadline for filing a motion to annul the dramatic arbitration ruling issued two weeks ago.
The extension was granted after the Markowitz camp brought in a new legal team and requested additional time to thoroughly review the extensive arbitration decision. Leaders of the Vaad HaHatzalah, which has been supporting Rav Markowitz’s yeshiva, said Monday night that they are still “examining the implications of the ruling.”
The request for an extension was submitted Monday to the Tel Aviv–Jaffa District Court, before Judge Yechezkel Eliyahu. The petition seeks to push the deadline for filing a motion to overturn the arbitration ruling to next month, allowing the Markovitz faction to make full use of the 45-day period provided by law from the time the arbitration decision was issued.
A notable detail in Monday’s filing was that the request came with the agreement of both sides. Attorney Ehud Arzi, representing the Rav Kahaneman side, gave what was described as his “friendly consent” to the extension.
The ruling in question, issued by retired judge Dovid Cheshin about two weeks ago, determined the Ponevezh dispute in favor of Rav Kahaneman. It ordered the Rav Markowitz-led yeshiva to vacate the yeshiva hill and pay millions of shekels in damages.
The Rav Markowitz camp recently added prominent attorneys Eyal Rozovsky and Yossi Ettinger to its legal team. According to the motion, the new attorneys only assumed representation on Sunday, and given the complexity of the case and the volume of material, they require additional time to prepare a proper petition.
The legal maneuver indicates that the Rav Markowitz faction is seriously weighing the option of asking the court to overturn the arbitration ruling. Still, the Vaad HaHatzalah — which organized Sunday’s massive VaHakimosi gathering in support of Rav Markowitz’s yeshiva — clarified that, “As of this moment, no decision has been made regarding filing a motion to annul the arbitration ruling. The parties mutually agreed to grant an additional 45 days solely to examine the ruling’s implications.”
{Matzav.com}
A political storm erupted inside Degel HaTorah on Monday night after recordings surfaced of Rav Aviezer Piltz, rosh yeshiva of Tifrach and a senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, rejecting the new draft bill being advanced in the Knesset with the backing of Degel HaTorah and Shas.
The leaked audio, aired by journalist Yoeli Brim on Channel 13, follows a dramatic day in the party. Earlier, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the senior member of the Moetzes, delivered a denunciation of the proposed conscription law. His
The controversy resurfaced as the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee launched its first round of deliberations on MK Boaz Bismuth’s draft bill. The discussion immediately revived long-standing fears that chareidi lawmakers may ultimately give active support to a law whose stated objective is increased enlistment of yeshiva students.
Amid these tensions, the newly revealed recording of Rav Piltz has intensified the uproar. Rav Piltz is heard expressing deep, unequivocal skepticism toward the legislation.
The discussions among senior Litvishe rabbanim today centered on the far-reaching implications of the bill, which includes unprecedented oversight mechanisms for yeshivos as well as a shift toward direct support for the law.
The recording comes on the heels of footage showing Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch visiting Rav Bergman.
In the newly exposed audio, Rav Piltz speaks candidly about the debate:
Transcript of the leaked conversation:
Question: “Are there any roshei yeshiva who support the law at all, or is it all just…?”
Rav Piltz: “There are those who are unsure. Among those who are unsure, some lean that way.”
Question: “What’s the justification for supporting it? Even with the oversight on the yeshivos and all the other things?”
Rav Piltz: “I don’t understand it. I myself don’t understand it. People who want to argue didn’t really listen to me.”
Question: “You’re saying that even they are hard to understand?”
Rav Piltz: “I can’t answer that over the phone.”
Question: “Based on everything they said over the years — that they would never agree to targets in a law, never accept criminal consequences or harsh sanctions, and now there are huge additions here on oversight in the yeshivos, and restrictions on roshei yeshiva speaking against the army…”
Rav Piltz: “Yes. You understand everything yourself, so what are you asking?”
Question: “We’re trying to identify someone who supports it, or at least understand the logic. We want to discuss it seriously.”
Rav Piltz: “I don’t know the reasoning for supporting the law…”
{Matzav.com}
The USDA announced a sweeping initiative this week aimed at scrutinizing every program under its umbrella, with Secretary Brooke Rollins stressing that the agency will be evaluating “ALL” of its operations to confirm that only eligible U.S. citizens are receiving federal assistance.
Rollins noted that this renewed push began long before Monday’s statement. On December 1, she reiterated that states had already been “put on notice reminding them illegal immigrants and certain non-citizens CAN NOT receive SNAP benefits,” underscoring that compliance is not optional.
According to the secretary, the USDA is now pressing states to submit detailed recipient information so the agency can identify fraud and improper use of federal funds. “Right now, we are requiring states turn over recipient data to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. Even though 22 blue states have refused to provide the data, we are using every tool to compel their compliance,” she stated, questioning what those states might be concealing and acknowledging President Trump for “his commitment to truly putting Americans first.”
Rollins’ announcement amplified a message President Trump shared just a few days earlier, immediately following Thanksgiving, in which he argued that America must stop masking the realities of immigration policy behind political correctness.
“The official United States Foreign population stands at 53 million people (Census), most of which are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels. They and their children are supported through massive payments from Patriotic American Citizens who, because of their beautiful hearts, do not want to openly complain or cause trouble in any way, shape, or form,” Trump wrote, referencing the horrific attack in Washington, D.C. last week when an Afghan national ambushed two National Guard members — leaving one dead and the second critically injured.
In that same message, the president vowed sweeping immigration policy changes, stating that he intends to halt migration from “all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
The USDA emphasized that its current posture aligns with objectives laid out months ago. Back in April, under Rollins’ direction, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk issued instructions to state agencies “directing them to enhance identity and immigration verification practices when determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),” according to an earlier agency release.
Rollins reaffirmed the administration’s stance at the time, saying, “President Trump has made it clear that American taxpayers will no longer subsidize illegal aliens. We are stewards of taxpayer dollars, and it is our duty to ensure states confirm the identity and verify the immigration status of SNAP applicants. USDA’s nutrition programs are intended to support the most vulnerable Americans.”
She sharpened the point even further, declaring, “To allow those who broke our laws by entering the United States illegally to receive these benefits is outrageous.”
This summer, the USDA continued advancing this policy objective by issuing a July notice “making clear its interpretation of the term ‘Federal public benefit’ as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).”
{Matzav.com}
The White House issued a sharply worded statement on Monday asserting that President Donald Trump was entirely justified when he described Minnesota as “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and claimed that “refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great state.”
According to the statement, no example better demonstrates this than “the fraud scandal that took place under the incompetence” of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Of the 86 individuals charged to date, the White House noted that 78 are of Somali background, underscoring the scale of the corruption.
Officials detailed that more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds — money designated for feeding needy children during the pandemic — was siphoned off in what has become the largest COVID-era aid theft in the United States. The statement said that the scam involved nonprofits tied to the Somali community that allegedly fabricated entire operations, claiming to serve tens of thousands of hungry children who never existed.
Beyond the fake meal programs, the statement said these groups also asserted that they cared for nonexistent homeless people and provided therapy to imaginary Somali children with autism, all while kickbacks flowed freely and extravagant lifestyles were bankrolled. Some of the stolen funds, the White House added, were even suspected of having been routed to a terror organization.
The administration stressed that all of this unfolded while Walz was in charge — and that he took no meaningful action to stop it. Every investigation and prosecution so far, the statement emphasized, has been handled by federal authorities rather than the state.
Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, the White House said, was “reluctant” to intervene, “tolerating if not tacitly allowing, the fraud” out of fear of blowback from within the Somali community. Whistleblower complaints, according to the statement, were brushed aside to avoid accusations of bigotry or political insensitivity.
In outlining its response, the White House announced sweeping immigration measures. It said the Trump administration is terminating temporary protected status for Somali nationals, freezing migration from developing nations, reviewing green cards for all individuals from high-risk countries, and halting asylum determinations while the system is reassessed. All of these steps, the statement said, are part of a broader campaign to ensure that migrants who remain in the United States are “a net positive on our society.”
{Matzav.com}
At Monday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mounted a vigorous defense of the administration’s recent military operations against groups it has formally labeled as “narco-terrorist” organizations. She opened with a direct assertion that both President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth acted fully within the legal boundaries granted to them.
Leavitt began her remarks with a prepared statement, stressing that under U.S. and international law, organizations designated as narco-terrorist networks can be targeted with lethal force. She said that both Trump and Hegseth have repeatedly stated that when drug-smuggling operations threaten Americans or U.S. interests, the government not only has the authority but the obligation to respond decisively.
A significant portion of the briefing centered on the September 2 operation that destroyed a vessel operating in international waters. Leavitt explained that Hegseth had delegated tactical control to Adm. Mitch Bradley, the commander of Special Operations Command, who executed the strike in line with legal and military protocols. “Adm. Bradley worked well within his authority and the law,” she said, noting that the attack neutralized the target and “eliminated the threat to the United States of America.”
She argued that the administration’s approach is a direct answer to unprecedented levels of illicit drugs streaming toward the country. Pointing to what she described as disastrous fentanyl trafficking during the previous administration, Leavitt framed the current strategy — involving rapid and forceful military intervention — as both lawful and necessary.
Leavitt said Americans broadly back the administration’s tough stance on narcotics and national security. “It’s one of the many reasons the American public reelected this president,” she told reporters, linking public support to Trump’s uncompromising posture against cartels and smugglers.
During the question-and-answer session, Leavitt pushed back against media claims that Hegseth had issued an indiscriminate directive that “everyone be killed.” She dismissed the report but reiterated the administration’s core policy: lethal force remains authorized against individuals actively engaged in drug-trafficking activities that endanger Americans. “The president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists are trafficking drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them,” she said.
{Matzav.com}
