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Changes have been announced to the schedule of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, after the Rebbe experienced weakness associated with an inflammation, prompting his household to cancel his planned return to Bnei Brak for Shabbos Parshas Noach and arrange for him to remain at his residence in Moshav Ora, near Yerushalayim, to rest and regain his strength.

The decision has also resulted in changes to two upcoming family simchos, including the postponement of a grandson’s bar mitzvah celebration and the relocation of a great-grandson’s bris from Kiryas Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak to Moshav Ora.

The Rebbe had spent the month of Tishrei at his residence in Bnei Brak, where he participated in nearly all the Yom Tov tefillos and communal gatherings attended by large numbers of chassidim.

Following the conclusion of the Yomim Tovim, the Rebbe traveled to his resting residence in Moshav Ora for a period of recuperation following the demanding Tishrei schedule.

Earlier this week, Vizhnitz officials announced that the Rebbe was expected to return to his home in Kiryas Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak in time for Shabbos Parshas Noach.

However, the Rebbe’s household subsequently issued an updated announcement explaining that, because he was experiencing weakness resulting from an inflammation, he would remain in Ora for Shabbos rather than undertake the planned trip.

As a result, the bar mitzvah celebration of the Rebbe’s grandson, habochur Moshe Yehoshua Hager, which had been scheduled for Motzoei Shabbos, has been postponed to a later date.

The bar mitzvah bochur is a son of Rav Menachem Mendel Hager, a son-in-law of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe and a son of the late rav of Seret Vizhnitz in Yerushalayim.

A second change involves the bris of the Rebbe’s great-grandson, a son of Rav Yissachar Ber Hager, whose father is Rav Menachem Mendel Hager and whose father-in-law is Rav Avrohom Shimon Marilus.

The bris had originally been scheduled to take place Sunday in Kiryas Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak. Under the revised arrangements, the simcha will instead be held in Moshav Ora, near the Rebbe’s residence.

The adjustments will allow the family simcha to take place in proximity to the Rebbe without requiring him to travel back to Bnei Brak while he is recuperating.

Vizhnitzer chassidim are following the developments with concern and continue to daven for the Rebbe’s complete and speedy recovery.

The public is asked to daven for Rav Yisroel ben Leah Esther, l’refuah sheleimah b’soch she’ar cholei Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has reached a staggering projected construction cost of approximately $1 billion, nearly three times its original estimated price and making it the most expensive completed presidential center in American history.

The massive price tag was disclosed Wednesday by the Obama Foundation, nearly four months after the sprawling complex opened to the public on June 19. The announcement marks another significant increase in the cost of a project that has experienced years of delays, legal disputes, and repeated budget revisions.

Emily Bittner, the foundation’s vice president of communications, confirmed the latest estimate while emphasizing that the construction expenses have been covered through private fundraising.

“While we continue to reconcile costs and plan ahead for additional capital improvements, we anticipate our total cost for constructing the campus is approximately $1 billion — again, all raised in private contributions,” Bittner said.

“This includes investments in additional public art, insurance, scope changes in our Home Court, project management and exhibit installation, among other categories.”

The latest figure represents a dramatic departure from the project’s earliest financial projections. Initial estimates placed the cost between $300 million and $350 million, but that amount climbed to $500 million by 2017, when the architectural plans were unveiled.

By August 2021, internal Obama Foundation documents estimated construction expenses at $700 million. The figure continued rising, reaching $850 million in September 2025.

Last month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the price had increased to $909 million, with Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett attributing the additional expenses to new amenities and features incorporated into the campus.

The foundation’s newly disclosed $1 billion estimate adds approximately $91 million to that figure in a matter of weeks.

Although foundation officials maintain that the construction itself has been financed entirely through private donations, the reported total does not include another $123 million in taxpayer-funded infrastructure improvements surrounding the property.

That distinction means the overall public and private investment associated with the development exceeds $1.1 billion when the surrounding government-financed work is included.

Obama selected Jackson Park, on Chicago’s South Side, as the location for his presidential center in 2016. The project was originally expected to begin construction in 2018 and welcome visitors in 2021.

Those plans were disrupted by federal reviews and litigation challenging the use of historic public parkland for the development. Construction ultimately did not begin until 2021, several years behind the original schedule.

The completed campus covers nearly 20 acres and features a presidential museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, athletic and recreational facilities, and spaces intended for public gatherings and community activities.

The Obama Foundation has promoted the project as a major investment in Chicago’s South Side, arguing that the center will attract tourism, create employment opportunities, and stimulate economic activity in surrounding neighborhoods.

In a report released September 26 marking the center’s first 100 days, the foundation announced that 175,469 people had attended the museum and other ticketed attractions. Those visitors came from all 50 states and 39 countries, according to the organization.

The campus’s Chicago Public Library branch recorded another 206,684 visits during that period, with 3,382 new library accounts established.

The foundation also reported hosting 24 free community events, providing after-school programming for 996 neighborhood children, and welcoming 997 students through 17 organized school field trips.

Unlike traditional presidential libraries administered by the federal government, the Obama Presidential Center does not maintain custody of Obama’s original presidential records. Those materials remain under the supervision of the National Archives and Records Administration, which makes released documents available online and lends selected artifacts for exhibitions.

The cost of Obama’s center far exceeds that of other presidential facilities. The George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, for example, cost approximately $327 million to construct when adjusted to 2023 dollars, according to the Texas comptroller. That project was also financed through private contributions.

Additional reporting Thursday raised questions about the Obama Foundation’s long-term financial obligations, including its ability to fund maintenance and operations at the sprawling campus.

The foundation had previously proposed establishing a $470 million endowment to support the center’s future expenses. Financial statements indicate that the organization’s overall endowment stood at approximately $14.2 million at the end of 2025, although the portion specifically designated for the presidential center remains unclear.

Foundation officials have maintained that their agreement with Chicago required the establishment of an endowment rather than full funding before the center opened. They say additional contributions to the fund are planned.

The foundation’s financial disclosures also show that liabilities increased to approximately $103.5 million in 2025, compared with $35 million the previous year. Borrowing associated with short-term construction expenses reportedly climbed from $15 million at the end of 2025 to roughly $63.5 million by July 2026.

Despite those figures, the organization retains substantial assets, and foundation officials have defended the project’s financial position and long-term prospects.

The foundation estimated in 2020 that construction and the center’s first decade of operation would generate approximately $3.1 billion in economic activity for the Chicago region.

Further expenditures are already being considered. Jarrett disclosed last month that the foundation’s board had agreed to develop a separate capital budget to cover future maintenance and improvements, with formal approval anticipated before the end of the year.

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed an effort by former CIA Director John Brennan to compel the Justice Department to preserve investigative materials that he hoped to use in challenging any future criminal prosecution, ruling that his claims of political retaliation by the Trump administration were too speculative to justify court intervention.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb rejected Brennan’s request for a preservation order, finding that he had failed to establish that federal prosecutors were improperly destroying or neglecting evidence that might become relevant if criminal charges were eventually brought against him.

Brennan, who served as CIA director under President Barack Obama, has been under investigation by the Justice Department for months but has not been charged with a crime. His attorneys contend that the investigations are politically motivated and designed to punish him for his longstanding criticism of President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit sought to ensure that Justice Department communications and other investigative records would remain available to support a potential defense alleging vindictive or selective prosecution. Brennan’s legal team argued that the administration’s handling of records in other matters raised concerns that potentially important evidence could disappear.

During a hearing last month, Brennan’s attorney acknowledged that seeking such a court order before any indictment had been filed was an unusual legal maneuver. Nevertheless, he maintained that the circumstances warranted extraordinary intervention because of what he characterized as a pattern of retaliation by federal authorities.

Cobb, however, concluded that Brennan had not demonstrated a sufficiently concrete injury or established a direct connection between his concerns and any actual failure by the government to preserve relevant evidence.

In her ruling, the judge acknowledged the seriousness of Brennan’s accusations while emphasizing that allegations alone could not establish the legal basis for the relief he was seeking.

“Brennan’s allegations — that he is being targeted by the Trump Administration not because of his conduct, but because he has opposed the current president — are deeply concerning,” Cobb wrote.

“If he was eventually able to prove those allegations true, that would certainly suggest that his potential prosecution is vindictive. But even taking all of Brennan’s allegations to be truthful at this stage, the injury he alleges is simply too attenuated from the actions he seeks to enjoin to warrant a finding of standing here.”

The legal dispute arises from multiple investigations examining Brennan’s activities during and after his tenure at the CIA, particularly his involvement in intelligence assessments concerning Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Brennan played a prominent role in the intelligence community’s conclusion that Moscow conducted an extensive effort to influence the election in Trump’s favor. The assessment became a major source of controversy during Trump’s first administration, as federal investigators examined allegations of coordination between his presidential campaign and Russian operatives.

Trump has repeatedly challenged the intelligence community’s handling of the Russia investigation, which overshadowed much of his first term and fueled years of political and legal disputes.

More recently, federal prosecutors have examined whether Brennan provided false testimony during a 2023 appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. That investigation is separate from a broader inquiry based in Florida into allegations that Brennan and other former intelligence and law enforcement officials participated in a conspiracy intended to prevent Trump from obtaining or exercising presidential power.

Brennan has received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in connection with the broader investigation, although his scheduled testimony has been postponed. His attorneys have also said prosecutors informed them that he remains a target of the separate investigation concerning his congressional testimony.

The former CIA director has denied engaging in any criminal misconduct, and his lawyers have strongly disputed the premise of the government’s investigations.

At a court hearing last month, Brennan’s attorney, Ken Wainstein, a former senior Justice Department official, argued that the investigations were based on allegations that had no legitimate foundation.

Wainstein described the theory of a sweeping conspiracy against Trump as “fiction,” accusing federal authorities of attempting to construct a criminal case against his client for political reasons.

“I’ve spent decades in and around the Justice Department. I’ve never even conceived of a situation like this” in which the Justice Department is “blatantly trying to frame somebody for a crime that is complete fiction,” Wainstein said.

Brennan’s attorneys initiated the lawsuit in July, before any criminal charges had been filed, seeking to preserve government records that they believe could reveal improper political influence over prosecutorial decisions. They argued that such material could prove essential if Brennan were indicted and subsequently sought dismissal of the charges on constitutional grounds.

The preservation request covered records potentially documenting communications among Justice Department officials, White House personnel, and investigators involved in the inquiries. Brennan’s legal team maintained that the materials could help establish whether decisions concerning his prosecution were driven by legitimate evidence or political considerations.

Federal government attorneys opposed the request, arguing that Brennan was attempting to obtain extraordinary judicial intervention in investigations that had not resulted in an indictment. They maintained that his concerns about possible future prosecution and missing evidence did not justify the court’s involvement.

The broader Florida investigation has also experienced changes in prosecutorial leadership. Joseph diGenova, who had been overseeing the inquiry, departed the effort in September, although Justice Department officials indicated that the investigation would continue.

Thursday’s ruling represents a setback for Brennan’s attempt to secure court-ordered preservation of investigative records, but it does not resolve the underlying criminal investigations or determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to bring charges.

Cobb, who was nominated to the federal bench by President Joe Biden in 2021, confined her decision to whether Brennan had established the legal standing necessary to obtain the requested order.

The question of whether Brennan will ultimately face criminal charges remains unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

A large-scale military operation targeting yeshiva bochurim classified as draft avoiders and deserters, which had been scheduled to begin next week and continue for several days, has been canceled at the last minute following a bitter confrontation between the IDF and Israel Police over responsibility for securing the arrests.

The planned operation, which would have involved military police conducting numerous arrests, was called off after the two agencies failed to reach an agreement on how to handle the widespread protests and disturbances expected to accompany attempts to arrest yeshiva bochurim.

According to a report by Ynet, police officials informed the military on Wednesday that the operation would not be permitted to proceed under the existing arrangements, effectively forcing the IDF to abandon its plans.

At the center of the dispute is the question of which agency must provide the personnel necessary to maintain public order when military police enter chareidi neighborhoods to arrest bochurim whose military status is unresolved.

Military officials maintain that Israel Police demanded that the IDF supply approximately 300 military police officers to deal with anticipated demonstrations and disturbances during the operation.

The army rejected that demand, arguing that maintaining public order in civilian areas is the responsibility of Israel Police and falls outside the military’s jurisdiction.

Police officials, however, disputed the army’s characterization of the disagreement, insisting that the operation is fundamentally a military enforcement mission and that the IDF must provide sufficient manpower to carry out the arrests safely.

The disagreement has left the planned operation without the security arrangements necessary to proceed, with each agency maintaining that the other bears responsibility for providing the required resources.

The cancellation comes after the IDF previously acknowledged that it had refrained from carrying out major arrest operations against chareidi draft avoiders during the Yom Tov period because of the sensitivity surrounding such enforcement activities.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has repeatedly pressed the military in recent months to resume enforcement measures, including arrests, against individuals who have failed to comply with military draft requirements.

Despite those directives, the recurring disagreement over responsibility for security during arrest operations has repeatedly complicated coordination between the military and police.

The difficulties extend beyond planned operations. Newly disclosed police figures indicate that coordination has also repeatedly broken down when officers encounter individuals with unresolved military status during routine police activity.

Under the existing procedures, when civilian police officers identify someone wanted by the military for failing to report for service, military police are supposed to arrive within 30 minutes to take custody of the individual.

However, since July, there have been 144 incidents in which military police failed to arrive within the required time. In those cases, civilian officers released the individuals after issuing summonses directing them to report to the IDF induction center.

Only 14 such encounters resulted in military police arriving and completing an arrest. Most of those arrested were reportedly not from the chareidi community.

The controversy comes shortly after a failed arrest operation in Modi’in on October 6, when military police attempted to detain a yeshiva bochur but encountered a rapidly growing crowd of protesters.

An initial military investigation found that approximately 700 people gathered near the location within about ten minutes after an alert was circulated through an emergency notification network used by opponents of the arrests.

The military police team, consisting of seven investigators, was unable to complete the arrest. Civilian police were subsequently called to restore order and assist the soldiers in leaving the area.

That incident intensified concerns within the security establishment about the manpower required for future operations and the possibility that arrest attempts could trigger major disturbances.

In its response to the latest cancellation, the IDF insisted that the division of responsibilities between the two agencies had already been established.

“Under the division of responsibilities between the IDF and Israel Police regarding the arrests of deserters and draft avoiders, the IDF is responsible for carrying out the arrest, while the police are responsible for maintaining public order and dispersing disturbances. The deputy attorney general clarified during a meeting that this responsibility rests with Israel Police,” the military stated.

The IDF also maintained that enforcement activities have continued in recent weeks despite the cancellation of the larger operation.

“Over the past several weeks, dozens of draft avoiders and deserters have been arrested in planned operations and at border crossings carried out by the military police, in addition to arrests conducted together with Israel Police,” the army said.

Israel Police presented a sharply different interpretation of the arrangement, maintaining that the military must provide adequate personnel before requesting assistance from civilian police.

“This is an operation under the responsibility and leadership of the military police, with Israel Police serving as an assisting body, and the handling of the matter remains unchanged. Based on lessons learned from previous incidents and in order to accomplish the mission, the IDF is required to deploy sufficient forces for a planned operation to provide an appropriate operational response for carrying out the arrests,” police officials said.

The police added that their participation would depend on the military satisfying those operational requirements.

“If the IDF meets the operational requirements, Israel Police will join the mission and provide a response to the tasks and challenges that fall under its responsibility,” the statement said.

The dispute comes as the government faces continued legal pressure over enforcement of the draft law. The state has also requested additional time to submit its response to the High Court regarding implementation of the military service requirements.

With next week’s operation now canceled, no replacement date has been announced for the planned arrests of yeshiva bochurim.

{Matzav.com}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that his country would resume attacks on Russian oil refineries, openly rejecting President Donald Trump’s proposed suspension of strikes on energy facilities after accusing Moscow of continuing its bombardment of Ukrainian infrastructure and Washington of threatening vital military intelligence support.

“The block is out. We’re done,” Zelensky declared during an interview with the Financial Times while visiting London.

The announcement marked a dramatic escalation in tensions between Kyiv and Washington over Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Zelensky maintained that Ukraine had observed the temporary suspension of attacks for three days, while Russia continued striking Ukrainian energy installations more than 100 times over the preceding week.

The Ukrainian leader argued that his country could no longer be expected to refrain from attacking Russian oil facilities while Moscow continued targeting Ukrainian power supplies.

Shortly after Zelensky announced the resumption of strikes, Pavel Malkov, governor of Russia’s Ryazan region, reported that Ukrainian drones had struck a state-owned oil facility and ignited a fire.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian refineries and other petroleum installations, arguing that the facilities generate revenue for Moscow’s military operations and that the attacks are a legitimate response to Russia’s ongoing destruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Trump had sought to halt such attacks as part of a broader diplomatic initiative that included an agreement announced Friday for the United States to purchase more than 2.25 million barrels of Russian diesel fuel. The administration presented the arrangement as a way to ease a global fuel shortage and encourage Moscow to return to peace negotiations.

Zelensky immediately criticized the agreement, telling Axios that it “looks like a happy birthday present” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The dispute intensified when Zelensky accused American military officials of threatening to suspend intelligence assistance unless Ukraine stopped attacking Russian energy facilities.

According to the Ukrainian president, US officials warned Kyiv, “if you will not stop [the energy strikes], we will block intelligence,” a claim that the Trump administration has disputed.

White House officials offered a different account of the proposed ceasefire, saying Putin understood that the arrangement applied specifically to oil refineries and did not prohibit Russian attacks on Ukrainian electrical infrastructure.

Administration sources suggested that Zelensky was deliberately interpreting the agreement more broadly than its actual terms, allowing him to accuse Moscow of violating the understanding and justify abandoning the restrictions imposed by Trump.

Trump has denied that Washington suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but the disagreement grew more serious Tuesday when Ukrainian forces experienced a disruption in access to Starshield, the secure military satellite communications network developed by SpaceX.

Starshield, a military-focused counterpart to the company’s Starlink system, provides communications capabilities that support Ukrainian battlefield operations, including the tracking of incoming threats and the coordination of long-range strikes against Russian targets.

The interruption reportedly interfered with Ukraine’s ability to deploy interceptor drones against incoming Russian attacks, raising concerns among Ukrainian officials about the timing and possible cause of the disruption.

The precise reason for the outage remained uncertain. SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk indicated Wednesday that responsibility lay with the Pentagon and White House, although a senior American official denied Thursday that Trump had ordered any restriction on Ukrainian access. The Pentagon had not publicly addressed the allegation.

By Thursday morning, Ukrainian representatives reported that Starshield service was recovering, although questions persisted over what had caused the interruption.

“Starshield speeds have been improved, at the moment,” Denys Sienik, a senior diplomat at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington, told the New York Post. “We hope all will be resumed to the previous level.

“Speed ​​is critical for logistics, and for intercepting the jet-powered Shahed drones, especially when Russia constantly uses them to attack our cities and commit war crimes,” he added.

“Yesterday saw one of the most massive Shahed [drone] attacks, occurring precisely when our defense system’s speed was being throttled, and the circumstances behind this are deeply concerning.”

Zelensky also used his London interview to criticize Trump’s approach toward Putin, accusing the American president of showing admiration for powerful authoritarian leaders.

“He [Trump] speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people,” Zelensky told the Financial Times. “Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong.”

The Ukrainian president urged Washington to abandon efforts to expand commercial dealings with Moscow while Russian forces continued their invasion. He argued that American pressure should be directed toward compelling Putin to end the war rather than restricting Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian targets.

Nevertheless, Zelensky acknowledged that American military assistance remains essential to Ukraine’s defense, conceding that resisting Russia without US support would be “very difficult.”

The Trump administration has defended its diplomatic strategy, maintaining that economic incentives, including the Russian diesel agreement, could persuade Putin to resume serious negotiations and eventually accept a peace settlement.

Administration officials believe the fuel arrangement could also ease pressure on American consumers facing rising diesel and gasoline prices. Energy analysts, however, have warned that the conflict involving Iran has been a major factor behind the recent increase in global fuel costs.

Officials have also suggested that renewed economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow could become part of a broader postwar relationship if an agreement ending the fighting can be reached.

Skeptics of the administration’s approach argue that offering Russia economic benefits while limiting Ukrainian military operations risks strengthening Putin’s negotiating position.

“For Trump, it’s a two-fer: try to lower diesel prices to save his own skin before the midterms, and use more Ukrainian deaths to strong-arm Zelensky to accept a surrender agreement with Russia so Trump can claim to have ended the war,” a former National Security Council official told the New York Post. “Neither will work.”

Fred Fleitz, who served as chief of staff of the National Security Council during Trump’s first administration, argued that securing a lasting agreement would ultimately require convincing Putin that continued military operations could not produce victory.

“Ultimately, I believe the tipping point for a peace deal will come when Putin finally accepts that the war is unwinnable and his only chance for an honorable exit is through a deal with Trump,” Fleitz said. “This should be the central theme of any Witkoff-Kushner negotiations with Putin.”

The Kremlin, meanwhile, rejected Ukraine’s account of the ceasefire, maintaining that Kyiv had failed to observe the proposed restrictions. Putin also played down the impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil installations, saying they had caused “nothing particularly significant.”

British officials have sought to prevent the dispute from causing a lasting rupture between Washington and Kyiv. UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting said London was working to bring “friends back together again” as European governments continued pressing for sustained American involvement in Ukraine’s defense.

“We need President Trump engaged on Ukraine,” Streeting said during an appearance on Fox News.

“He has been, and the diplomatic track is as important in making sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs to see off Russian aggression.”

Ukraine’s renewed refinery campaign comes amid continuing Russian missile and drone attacks that have damaged electrical infrastructure and left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian residents without power. Zelensky has also been seeking stronger European financial and military assistance as uncertainty grows over Washington’s future role in the conflict.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he wants criminals who murder police officers or firefighters in the line of duty to face the death penalty, directing the Justice Department to pursue the harshest punishment available under federal law for those who deliberately kill first responders.

The president delivered the message during a White House Rose Garden luncheon honoring firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and other emergency responders, expanding his administration’s longstanding push for capital punishment in cases involving the murder of police officers to include firefighters as well.

“We’re bringing the death penalty back for anybody that kills a police officer, by the way, or anybody in law enforcement,” Trump declared.

Trump went on to emphasize that firefighters who place themselves in danger while responding to emergencies should receive the same protection, saying he had instructed the Justice Department to seek capital punishment for “anybody that murders a firefighter going up a ladder.”

The announcement reflects the administration’s broader effort to strengthen criminal penalties for attacks against emergency personnel, whom Trump has repeatedly praised for risking their lives to protect the public.

The president’s position on capital punishment for those who murder law enforcement officers predates Thursday’s remarks. On January 20, 2025, his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal authorities to pursue the death penalty in eligible cases involving the murder of police officers.

That directive called on the attorney general to seek federal prosecution and capital punishment whenever the circumstances of a case and applicable law permit such action.

Trump has consistently maintained that imposing the most severe penalties on violent criminals is necessary both to deliver justice to victims and their families and to discourage future attacks against law enforcement personnel.

Thursday’s White House event brought together representatives of prominent organizations representing firefighters, police officers, sheriffs, and other first responders, with the administration using the occasion to highlight its support for those serving in dangerous public safety positions.

Organizations expected to participate included the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Border Patrol Council.

Ahead of the gathering, White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis emphasized the administration’s support for first responders, contrasting Trump’s approach with Democratic calls in recent years to reduce police funding.

“Unlike Defund-the-Police Democrats, President Trump will always stand with the heroes in law enforcement, fire fighters, and first responders who put their lives on the line to deliver safer American neighborhoods and save American lives,” Bis told the Daily Caller.

The administration has also undertaken broader measures to increase the use of the federal death penalty. In April, the Justice Department revised its execution procedures, reinstating lethal injection protocols used during Trump’s first administration while expanding the available methods to include firing squads. Internal procedures for reviewing and pursuing capital cases were also streamlined.

Justice Department officials said the revisions were designed to ensure that legally imposed death sentences could be carried out, provide justice to victims’ families, and strengthen the government’s response to particularly serious violent crimes.

The president has separately pushed for more aggressive use of capital punishment in Washington, D.C. In September 2025, he instructed federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital to seek death sentences in appropriate cases and pursue federal jurisdiction whenever legally possible.

Despite Trump’s forceful language, his directives do not automatically make every killing of a police officer or firefighter a capital offense. Federal prosecutors must establish jurisdiction and proceed under statutes that authorize the death penalty. Defendants also retain their constitutional protections, and sentencing decisions remain subject to the courts and, where applicable, juries.

Trump has previously called on Congress to strengthen federal laws protecting police officers and establish a lasting statutory basis for his capital punishment priorities.

During National Police Week in 2025, the president urged lawmakers to adopt legislation reinforcing protections for law enforcement personnel and making his administration’s death penalty policy permanent.

Thursday’s announcement extends that effort by explicitly including firefighters among the emergency responders for whom Trump wants federal prosecutors to seek the maximum available punishment when they are deliberately murdered in the line of duty.

{Matzav.com}

An extraordinary scene unfolded at the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim when relatives preparing to bury a family member suddenly became convinced that the niftar was showing signs of life, prompting an emergency response from Magen David Adom.

The incident occurred during funeral proceedings after members of the family reportedly noticed what appeared to be movement from the deceased. Alarmed by the possibility that the man might still be alive, they immediately contacted emergency medical personnel and requested an urgent examination.

According to journalist Moshe Weisberg, Magen David Adom dispatched a mobile intensive care unit to the funeral home to investigate the family’s concerns and establish whether the man was indeed deceased.

The arrival of the emergency medical team brought the funeral proceedings to a temporary halt as paramedics examined the niftar to determine whether there was any indication of life.

Although the relatives maintained that they had observed movement, the medical personnel found no signs of life and confirmed that the man had indeed passed away.

Additional reporting identified the niftar as a 60-year-old man and indicated that the concern arose during the hespedim, when a relative believed he had moved and was breathing beneath the burial shrouds. The family requested that the proceedings be stopped until his condition could be checked again.

Following the medical examination, the team reconfirmed that the man had no pulse. The levayah was subsequently allowed to continue, and the niftar was brought to kevurah.

What began as a moment of extraordinary hope for the grieving relatives ultimately ended with confirmation of the original determination of death.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Civil Service Commission has ordered government ministries to prevent the hiring of individuals who have not regularized their military draft status, introducing stricter enforcement measures that could affect chareidi yeshiva bochurim and others classified by the IDF as draft avoiders.

Under the directives, candidates who successfully compete for government positions but are found to have unresolved military status will have only five days to produce the necessary military documentation or resolve their standing with the IDF. Those who fail to comply will lose the government positions they were selected to fill.

The development, first reported by Channel 12 News, comes amid an intensifying campaign by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to impose additional restrictions and penalties on those who have not reported for military service. The enforcement measures are part of the ongoing confrontation over the drafting of chareidi yeshiva bochurim and the government’s obligations to enforce military conscription laws.

According to the Civil Service Commission, the policy does not establish a new condition for government employment. Rather, officials are directing ministries to begin strictly implementing an existing provision of the Civil Service Regulations that had previously gone largely unenforced.

The instructions were distributed to human resources officials throughout government ministries, including departments operating within Israel’s defense, healthcare, and foreign affairs establishments.

The directive was signed by Nissim Mizrachi, who heads the commission’s senior staffing administration. He characterized the instructions as “a renewal and renewed enforcement of an existing provision that must be obeyed.”

A central component of the enforcement effort will be a direct connection between the government’s computerized hiring system and the IDF’s military-status database. The arrangement will enable officials to automatically verify whether applicants have settled their standing with the army before completing their appointments.

Under the new procedures, the recruitment system will prevent the finalization of appointments for candidates whose military status remains unresolved. Applicants will also be informed at the outset of the hiring process that their eligibility for government employment depends on satisfying the applicable military-status requirements.

Those who are selected through government employment tenders despite having unresolved draft status will receive written notification and an opportunity to address the matter. They will be granted five days to present official IDF clearance or otherwise regularize their status.

If the required documentation is not provided within that period, the candidate’s selection will be canceled, even if he has already won the tender for the position.

The restrictions will apply only to individuals who are subject to military conscription and have failed to legally arrange their status. Those who possess valid exemptions, deferments, or other recognized military-status arrangements will not be affected by the directive.

The measure adds another practical consequence for those classified as draft avoiders, as Israeli authorities continue tightening enforcement against chareidi bochurim and others who have not complied with military induction requirements.

{Matzav.com}

A Delta Air Lines passenger jet was forced to abandon its landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after a private aircraft took off without authorization, creating a dangerous situation in which the two planes reportedly came within approximately 1,000 feet of one another.

The incident occurred on October 7 but only became publicly known this week, prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration into how a private jet was able to depart without receiving the required clearance from air traffic controllers.

According to reports and air traffic control recordings, the incident involved a NetJets Embraer Phenom 300 business jet that had been instructed to enter Runway 13 and wait for further authorization before taking off.

Instead, the private aircraft began its takeoff while a Delta passenger jet was approaching LaGuardia for landing on a nearby runway.

The Delta pilots responded by discontinuing their approach and climbing away from the airport, a maneuver known as a go-around, to avoid a potentially dangerous conflict with the departing aircraft.

Flight-tracking information indicated that the planes were separated by approximately 300 meters, or 1,000 feet, as the Delta aircraft began climbing.

The Delta aircraft was identified as Flight 5415, a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Endeavor Air under the Delta Connection brand. The flight had departed Omaha, Nebraska, and was approaching LaGuardia shortly before 4 p.m. when the incident unfolded.

The private aircraft, a NetJets Embraer Phenom 300 operating as ExecJet Flight 398, was departing from Runway 13. Flight records indicate that the jet was headed to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.

Air traffic control recordings captured a disagreement between the private jet’s pilots and the tower over whether permission to take off had actually been issued.

“I believe you were never cleared for takeoff, sir. You were cleared to line up and wait,” the controller told the crew after the aircraft had departed.

The pilot disputed that account, responding, “No, I believe we were cleared for takeoff. We were told that the United was ahead, wake turbulence and everything.”

The controller rejected the explanation, replying, “Uh, negative. I never even said anything about wake turbulence.”

Under standard aviation procedures, an instruction to line up and wait authorizes an aircraft to enter a runway and hold its position. It does not permit the pilots to begin their takeoff roll. A separate clearance is required before an aircraft may depart.

The FAA subsequently confirmed that the private jet had departed without authorization and announced that it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The crew of Endeavor Air Flight 5415 performed a go-around at LaGuardia Airport after ExecJet Flight 398 departed on an intersecting runway without air traffic control authorization,” the agency stated.

Delta also confirmed that its pilots discontinued their landing to maintain separation from the other aircraft.

“The crew initiated a go-around to ensure safe spacing with a departing aircraft on a nearby runway,” the airline said.

The Delta flight subsequently landed safely at LaGuardia approximately 12 minutes later. No injuries were reported.

The incident has drawn renewed attention to aviation safety at LaGuardia, one of the busiest airports in the New York metropolitan area, particularly because it follows a fatal runway collision at the same airport earlier this year.

In March, an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with an airport firefighting vehicle while landing. Both pilots were killed, and dozens of passengers and crew members were injured.

Investigators determined that the emergency vehicle had been cleared to cross the runway while the aircraft was approaching, resulting in the deadly collision. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into that accident remains ongoing.

The October 7 incident raises a different set of questions, particularly regarding communication between pilots and air traffic controllers and the procedures intended to prevent aircraft from entering or departing runways without proper authorization.

Federal investigators have not yet released a final determination explaining why the NetJets crew believed it had permission to take off or whether the incident resulted from a misunderstood instruction or another communication failure.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly delivered a blunt ultimatum to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during the July 2025 massacre of Druze civilians in southern Syria, demanding that Syrian forces withdraw from the city of Sweida by 10 p.m. or face intensified Israeli military strikes. The warning came during an extraordinary telephone conversation between the two leaders, details of which emerged Thursday evening.

According to a report by Naveh Dromi on i24NEWS, the conversation occurred on July 16, 2025, at approximately 1:30 p.m., as violence against the Druze population in the Sweida region prompted Israel to intervene militarily. Netanyahu reportedly rejected a request by al-Sharaa for an additional 48 hours to bring the situation under control, insisting that Syrian forces leave the area before any further discussions could take place.

“I want to be brief. Apparently, the message conveyed through the mediators was not properly understood. A genocide is being committed against the Druze. Your forces must withdraw from Suwayda by 10:00 p.m.,” Netanyahu reportedly told the Syrian President.

The Syrian leader, apparently taken aback by the tone and substance of the demand, responded, “I had hoped the conversation would go differently.”

Netanyahu reportedly made clear that Israel was prepared to expand its military operations against Syrian government targets if Damascus failed to comply with the deadline.

Within hours of the conversation, Israeli aircraft struck prominent Syrian government and military installations in Damascus. Among the targets were the presidential palace compound and the headquarters of the Syrian military’s chief of staff, in an escalation intended to pressure the Syrian leadership to halt the violence against the Druze.

The disclosure followed remarks Netanyahu delivered earlier Thursday at an election gathering attended by members of Israel’s Druze community. During the event, the prime minister publicly acknowledged having spoken directly with al-Sharaa and described the conversation as a decisive element in Israel’s efforts to stop the killings.

“We took down the Defense Ministry in Damascus, just like that, it went. We took out a target in the palace complex. And I picked up a phone and called al-Sharaa; it was a very short call, very sharp, and the massacre stopped,” Netanyahu stated.

Netanyahu also pledged that Israel would continue acting to safeguard the Druze population in Syria, stressing that the responsibility extended beyond stopping the immediate bloodshed to ensuring that displaced residents could return to their communities.

“I will do anything I need to protect our brothers, your brothers and our brothers. We will not allow a massacre; they have to also return to their homes. There is more work to do; I can’t talk about it all. But this commitment comes from the depth of our soul,” he declared.

The reported exchange offers new insight into the direct pressure Israel exerted on the Syrian leadership during one of the most serious episodes of violence in southern Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Israeli intervention included strikes in the Syrian capital, underscoring Jerusalem’s willingness to use military force to deter further attacks against the Druze.

The unrest in Sweida began with clashes involving Druze armed groups and Bedouin fighters, before Syrian government forces entered the region and became involved in the fighting. Reports of killings, looting, and abuses against Druze civilians intensified calls from Israel’s Druze community for Jerusalem to intervene.

Israeli strikes on July 16 targeted Syria’s Defense Ministry and military headquarters in Damascus, as well as a site near the presidential palace. Syrian authorities subsequently began withdrawing forces from Sweida amid international diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.

The newly disclosed details are reportedly contained in a collection of approximately 1,000 documents held by Israel’s State Comptroller, encompassing sensitive diplomatic and security discussions conducted over the past three years.

According to i24NEWS, the full transcript of the Netanyahu–al-Sharaa conversation is expected to be presented Friday on the network’s “Friday Cabinet” program, together with additional disclosures from the documents.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, delivered a stern warning to Iran, Hezbollah, and other hostile forces on Thursday, declaring that any attempt to exploit Israel’s upcoming elections to carry out attacks or destabilize the country would be met with a devastating Israeli response.

Speaking at the United Nations, Danon addressed concerns that Israel’s enemies could view the election period as an opportunity to launch military provocations, cyberattacks, or other operations intended to undermine the country’s security.

“Do not attempt to exploit Israel’s election period,” Danon warned, directing his message at Hezbollah and Iran.

The ambassador noted that Israelis are preparing to head to the polls in less than two weeks, emphasizing that the democratic process would continue despite threats from hostile actors in the region.

“In 12 days, over seven million voters will cast their ballots in Israel’s elections. This morning, even I cast my ballot at our mission, only a few minutes ago. But today, we must address an alarming reality,” he added.

Danon said Israel was closely following reports suggesting that Iran and its regional allies were considering efforts to take advantage of the political calendar. He made clear that Israel viewed potential threats as extending beyond conventional military attacks to include cyberwarfare and attempts to manipulate public opinion.

“We have seen the reports that Iran, Hezbollah and other extremists in our region are conspiring to take advantage of the election period in Israel. It doesn’t matter if it’s a provocative ballistic missile exercise, a cyber attack or a disinformation campaign.”

The warning comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Israeli officials concerned that Tehran or its allies could attempt to test Israel’s defenses while the country is focused on its national elections, scheduled for October 27.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a similar warning on Wednesday, saying that although he did not favor launching a preemptive strike against Iran before the elections, Israel would respond forcefully to any Iranian attack. Defense Minister Yisroel Katz has also warned Hezbollah that renewed aggression could bring severe Israeli retaliation, including further territorial losses in southern Lebanon.

Danon’s remarks coincided with the start of early voting for Israeli diplomatic personnel stationed overseas. Approximately 4,800 eligible voters at 99 Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide are able to cast their ballots ahead of the general election, including diplomats, other authorized government representatives, and their spouses.

The ambassador himself voted Thursday at Israel’s mission to the United Nations in New York, using the occasion to emphasize that Israel’s democratic process would proceed regardless of threats from its adversaries.

Concluding his remarks, Danon delivered an unequivocal message to Iran, Hezbollah, and any other organization considering action against Israel during the election period.

“We are issuing a clear warning. Anyone who attempts to threaten or attack Israel will face devastating consequences,” Danon concluded.

The Israeli military has released a disturbing letter written by the young son of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in which the boy expresses his longing to reunite with his father while declaring his desire to take up an assault rifle and kill Jews.

The letter, written by Sinwar’s son Ibrahim when he was just 10 years old, was made public Thursday to mark the second anniversary of the Hamas leader’s elimination by Israeli forces. According to the IDF, soldiers discovered the document during operations in the Gaza Strip in 2024, after it had been written during the early stages of the war.

Addressed directly to his father, the handwritten message combines the ordinary emotions of a child missing a parent with expressions of violent hatred toward Jews. Ibrahim describes spending his free time constructing miniature weapons from household materials and tells his father that he hopes to join in the violence against Israel.

The boy writes that he “makes pistols, tanks, and Kalashnikovs out of paper and cardboard,” before expressing his wish “to hold a Kalashnikov and shoot Jews.”

The military also released drawings found with the letter. The illustrations reportedly show various weapons, armored vehicles positioned near the security fence separating Gaza from Israel, and rockets being fired in Israel’s direction.

Israeli military officials pointed to the documents as evidence of the extent to which Hamas’s violent ideology has influenced children growing up under the terrorist organization’s rule in Gaza.

“The letter and drawings illustrate how Sinwar’s murderous ideology is reflected in the upbringing of his children, revealing the impact of Hamas’ values of hatred and violence on the younger generation in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF stated.

The complete English translation of Ibrahim’s letter, as released by the IDF, reads:

“I, Ibrahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Beloved father, I miss you very much! I want to hug you and see you victorious, and I want to proclaim ‘Allah is the greatest,’ hold a Kalashnikov, and shoot Jews. When will you come back and sleep with your arms around me? I am constantly making pistols, tanks, and Kalashnikovs out of paper and cardboard. My Lord, I wish the war would end and that I see you well. May Allah protect you, father. I want you to pray for me. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”

The letter offers a particularly stark glimpse into the environment in which Sinwar’s own children were raised. Even as Ibrahim pleaded for his father’s return and expressed his wish for the fighting to end, he described killing Jews as something he hoped to do alongside him.

The document’s release comes almost exactly two years after Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops in Rafah on October 16, 2024. Sinwar was a principal architect of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were murdered and roughly 250 were abducted into Gaza.

The newly publicized letter and accompanying drawings provide another indication of how deeply the conflict and Hamas’s ideology had penetrated the household of the terrorist leader himself.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yitzchak Yosef delivered a blistering attack on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a Shas election gathering in Ashdod, revealing that he had personally hung up the telephone on Smotrich during his years as Israel’s chief rabbi because of the minister’s disrespectful conduct. He also accused Ben-Gvir of failing to help the Torah community, disregarding the rulings of leading rabbonim concerning Har Habayis, and allowing police to mistreat chareidi demonstrators.

Speaking ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections, Rav Yosef urged chareidi voters not to support either politician, arguing that their conduct and political records made them unworthy of the community’s backing.

Rav Yosef began by recounting a recent encounter with a man who told him that for 42 years, he had felt he had no political party to support but was now considering voting for Smotrich.

“He was chareidi, not someone who wears a knitted yarmulka,” Rav Yosef said, emphasizing that the man was a member of the chareidi community.

Rav Yosef said he was astonished by the suggestion, particularly in light of Smotrich’s recent remarks concerning Rav Dov Landau.

“Who is Smotrich? The one who said that Rav Dov Landau should do teshuvah?” he asked.

He then shared his own experiences with Smotrich, describing telephone conversations during his tenure as chief rabbi in which the minister had contacted him seeking assistance.

“When I was serving as chief rabbi, there were several times when he needed things from me,” Rav Yosef related. “He would call me and speak insolently on the telephone. More than once, more than twice, I hung up on him in the middle of the conversation.”

Rav Yosef made clear that Smotrich’s government position had not influenced his response to what he regarded as unacceptable behavior.

“He was a senior minister. I don’t know what kind of senior minister, and I don’t care,” Rav Yosef said. “He is an arrogant person who disgraces Torah scholars. How can anyone support him? How?”

Turning to Ben-Gvir, Rav Yosef challenged the national security minister’s record of assistance to chareidi educational institutions and the Sephardic Torah community.

“And Itamar Ben-Gvir? Why?” he asked. “Has he established even one Talmud Torah anywhere in the country? There are eight million Jews in Israel. Has he established one Talmud Torah? Has he established one school for girls? Has he helped the holy yeshivos? Has he said anything about the drafting of yeshiva students?”

Rav Yosef then directed his criticism toward the conduct of Israeli police during demonstrations against the military draft, arguing that Ben-Gvir bore responsibility as the minister overseeing the police.

“He is the minister in charge of the police,” Rav Yosef said. “How do the police treat chareidim at demonstrations? With such cruelty, with such deep-seated hatred. Has he ever said anything? Has he ever protested against it? He’s pleased with it.”

The remarks came amid continuing tensions over the arrests of bnei yeshivos who have not reported for military service, with demonstrations frequently resulting in confrontations between protesters and police.

Rav Yosef devoted another portion of his speech to Ben-Gvir’s visits to Har Habayis, which he condemned as a direct affront to the rulings of leading poskim.

“I spoke against ascending Har Habayis,” Rav Yosef said. “I spoke on Motzoei Shabbos, and I said that all the gedolei hador prohibited it. Rav Feinstein, Rav Elyashiv, Maran, Rav Ezra Attiya, even their own rabbonim, Rav Kook, the father and the son, all prohibited it.”

Rav Yosef recalled that despite his public remarks, Ben-Gvir visited Har Habayis the following morning.

“I spoke about it, and the next morning he goes up demonstratively, as though deliberately acting in opposition, disregarding the rabbonim, and ascending Har Habayis,” he said.

Rav Yosef also questioned the religious character of some candidates on Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit electoral list and accused the party of failing to address the needs of Sephardic families and Torah institutions.

“He has people on his list who are not sufficiently religious,” Rav Yosef said. “How can anyone support such a list, which has done nothing for Sephardim? Just guns, guns, guns. What has he done for Sephardim? Nothing.”

Addressing the activists gathered in Ashdod, Rav Yosef expressed particular concern about younger chareidi voters who have become enthusiastic supporters of Ben-Gvir.

“Unfortunately, there are young people, not you, but young people who don’t understand this and get excited,” he said. “Speak to them. Explain it to them. They will vote, and they will be punished for it.”

Rav Yosef urged those present to explain to younger voters the importance of considering a candidate’s attitude toward Torah leadership, his record of supporting Torah institutions, and his conduct toward the chareidi community.

As he concluded his remarks, Rav Yosef returned to Ben-Gvir’s visits to Har Habayis and his criticism of police conduct during chareidi demonstrations.

“All this wrongdoing of his, ascending Har Habayis, and all his wrongdoing in having the police persecute chareidim, it’s terrible,” Rav Yosef declared. “Such deep-seated hatred. All of this is because of him. He is responsible. How can anyone give power to such a person?”

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli government has approved an extension of the nationwide special home-front emergency declaration through November 3, citing intelligence and security assessments warning of a continued high likelihood of attacks against Israeli civilians amid uncertainty involving Iran and Lebanon.

The decision, adopted Thursday at the request of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, extends the emergency designation beyond the October 27 Knesset elections, underscoring the government’s concern that the country could face renewed hostilities during a politically sensitive period.

According to the recommendation submitted to ministers, Israeli defense officials believe the danger to the civilian population remains sufficiently serious to justify maintaining the extraordinary legal framework throughout the country.

The security assessment specifically pointed to uncertainty surrounding developments involving Iran and Lebanon, where the possibility of further military confrontation continues to concern Israeli authorities.

The document warned that security officials continue to assess a high probability of an attack against the civilian population.

The extension applies to the entire country and will remain in effect until November 3 unless the government subsequently changes the designation. Officials are expected to reassess the need for a further extension as that date approaches.

The nationwide emergency declaration was initially imposed on February 28, 2026, and has been extended repeatedly in response to continuing security threats.

The previous government decision, adopted October 6, had extended the declaration through October 20. Thursday’s action adds another two weeks, carrying the designation beyond Election Day.

Under Israeli law, a special home-front emergency declaration provides authorities with the legal framework to issue binding civilian protection instructions when security circumstances warrant them.

The designation allows the Home Front Command to impose restrictions or protective requirements in response to military threats, including limitations on gatherings, educational activities and other aspects of daily life when necessary.

However, the extension itself does not mean that new restrictions have been imposed or that schools, businesses or public gatherings must immediately cease operating.

Any specific changes to civilian activity would depend on separate instructions issued by the relevant security authorities.

The government’s decision must also be submitted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for approval, as required by the Civil Defense Law.

The government directed that the extension be publicized through official channels, including radio, television and the required legal publications.

The timing is particularly significant because Israel is preparing for national elections on October 27, with political parties conducting their final campaigns amid continuing uncertainty about the security situation.

A renewed military confrontation during the election period could affect campaign events, public gatherings and the logistics of voting, depending on the nature and location of any attacks and the instructions issued by the Home Front Command.

Israeli authorities have not announced that Election Day will be postponed or that voting arrangements have been changed.

The decision follows months of heightened tensions involving Iran and Hezbollah, with Israeli defense officials continuing to monitor the possibility of additional attacks against the home front.

For residents throughout Eretz Yisroel, including the large chareidi communities of Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh and other cities, the extension means that the existing emergency legal framework will remain in place during the election period.

The government said the need for maintaining the declaration will be reviewed again before its November 3 expiration, with any further extension dependent on the security situation at that time.

{Matzav.com}

The Lakewood Vaad of Lakewood, NJ has released its endorsements for the November 3 general election, backing candidates from both political parties while urging residents to vote against a school board ballot question and highlighting the mounting financial, transportation and infrastructure challenges facing the township.

In a letter to the community, the Vaad endorsed Democratic U.S. Senator Cory Booker and Republican Congressman Chris Smith, continuing its longstanding practice of supporting candidates based on their relationships with Lakewood and their willingness to address the community’s needs rather than their political affiliations.

The Vaad’s recommendations come as Lakewood residents confront a series of pressing concerns, including the ongoing school transportation crisis, rising property taxes, increasing traffic congestion and financial pressures affecting local families and mosdos.

The organization acknowledged that the township is dealing with significant fiscal difficulties, including a financial shortfall, reductions in state aid and extraordinary expenses associated with severe winter weather. It also pointed to complications arising from state oversight of the Lakewood school district.

In the U.S. Senate race, the Vaad endorsed Booker, citing his longstanding relationship with community leaders and the assistance his office has provided on matters affecting Lakewood residents.

For the U.S. House of Representatives, the Vaad backed Smith, recognizing his decades of service to the district, his advocacy on religious freedom and family values, and his responsiveness to the concerns of the Orthodox Jewish community.

The Vaad also endorsed Republican Frank Sadeghi for another term as Ocean County commissioner, pointing to his accessibility and willingness to work with community representatives on the challenges associated with Lakewood’s continued growth.

At the township level, the Vaad endorsed Democratic Mayor Ray Coles and Republican Committeewoman Deborah Fuentes for reelection.

Both officials were praised for maintaining working relationships with community leadership and for their service during a period of significant municipal challenges.

Coles and Fuentes are competing for two seats on the five-member Township Committee against Republican Moshe Raitzik and Democrat Samantha Stokes.

In the Lakewood Board of Education election, the Vaad endorsed incumbents Samuel Melnik and Harriet Goldberg, along with Abraham D. Reich, who is seeking reelection through a write-in campaign because his name will not appear on the ballot.

The Vaad separately instructed voters to cast a no vote on the school board public question.

For the Board of Fire Commissioners, the organization endorsed incumbents Dovid Bender and Harrison Pfeffer.

The letter stressed that endorsing an elected official does not necessarily indicate agreement with every decision that official has made. Rather, the recommendations reflect the importance the Vaad places on accessibility, cooperation, communication and the ability to work constructively on behalf of Lakewood residents.

The endorsements are particularly significant in a township whose electorate has demonstrated overwhelming support for Republican candidates in major statewide and national races while continuing to elect Democrats to important local offices.

Early voting is scheduled from October 24 through November 1 at the Lakewood Municipal Building, located at 231 Third Street. Voting hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polling locations open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has revealed previously undisclosed details of an emotional private meeting with Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, during which the revered Sephardic Torah leader tearfully asked him to accept the second position on the Shas Knesset list, behind Eli Yishai, who had once served as Deri’s own assistant.

In an exclusive interview with journalist Yishai Cohen of Kikar Hashabbat, Deri described the extraordinary encounter, which took place on the morning before Shas was scheduled to submit its Knesset candidate list, as he prepared to return to political life after years away from the party’s leadership.

Deri recalled that Rav Ovadia summoned him into his private bedroom, closed the door, and sat him down on his bed before making a request that would require him to surrender the leadership position he had previously held.

“I will never forget that moment,” Deri said. “You ask me about it today? I myself cannot believe that I managed to withstand it. It was the morning before the candidate lists were submitted. Maran called me into his bedroom alone, closed the door, sat me down on his bed, took my hand, and embraced me.”

According to Deri, Rav Ovadia began by expressing his deep personal affection for him and asking for a promise that he would not refuse what he was about to request.

“‘Rav Aryeh, you are like my son, more than my son. I am going to ask you for something. Do not refuse me. Do you promise me?'” Deri recalled Rav Ovadia saying.

Deri responded, “‘Rav, have I ever refused you anything until today?'”

Only then did Rav Ovadia explain what he wanted: Deri would return to the Shas Knesset list, but Eli Yishai would remain in the first position, with Deri serving beneath him.

“‘This is a very difficult test,'” Rav Ovadia told him, according to Deri. “‘I am asking you not to be number one on the list. I know that Eli Yishai was your assistant, that you are older than him, and that you were always the leader of the movement. But I am asking you: Be number two on the list.'”

The request placed Deri in an extraordinarily difficult position. Having previously led Shas and played a central role in building the party into a major force in Israeli politics, he was now being asked to return in a subordinate position to a man who had once worked under him.

Deri said that seeing Rav Ovadia’s tears immediately settled the matter for him.

“I immediately bent down and kissed his hand,” Deri recalled. “Maran had tears in his eyes as he made the request, and I had tears in my eyes as I answered him affirmatively, kissed his hand, and said: ‘Kavod Harav, whatever you say will be.'”

After Deri agreed, Rav Ovadia offered him words of encouragement, invoking the well-known account in Chazal involving Hashem and Yeravam ben Nevat, in which Yeravam’s concern over who would occupy the leading position prevented him from accepting an extraordinary opportunity.

“Maran told me the story of HaKadosh Baruch Hu and Yeravam ben Nevat — ‘Who will be first?’ He kissed me and said: ‘You passed this test. Hashem will reward you.'”

Deri said that when he emerged from the bedroom and informed his family members and close associates of the decision, they were stunned.

For those who had worked alongside him during his earlier years as Shas chairman, the idea that he would willingly accept the second position behind Eli Yishai seemed almost inconceivable.

“When I came out and told my family and friends, nobody believed me,” Deri recalled. “They said to me: ‘Are you crazy? You’re going to be number two?! This is outrageous.'”

Deri said he refused to entertain their objections, insisting that Rav Ovadia’s request had ended any discussion about his position on the list.

“I answered them firmly: Maran asked — that’s it, end of discussion. I agreed to be number two. We submitted the Knesset list with me in second place, with Eli Yishai at the top and me beneath him.”

The episode occurred during Deri’s political comeback ahead of the 2013 Knesset elections, when Shas was navigating the sensitive question of how to reintegrate its former chairman while Eli Yishai continued to lead the party.

Former President Barack Obama has sparked criticism after accusing Jews who sought refuge in the Land of Israel of taking land from its Arab inhabitants and acting excessively, remarks that critics say disregard the Jewish people’s historical connection to Eretz Yisroel and the extensive legal purchase of property by Jewish communities before the establishment of the state.

Speaking before approximately 7,000 people in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Obama acknowledged centuries of persecution suffered by Jews, particularly in Europe, before arguing that the establishment of a Jewish homeland had involved injustices against the local Arab population.

“The fact is that the Jewish people, for millennia, were oppressed, discriminated against, killed,” Obama said. “Europe was responsible for much of it. They understandably sought a refuge. That is undeniable.”

He then added: “What is also undeniable is that they took land off people and they were excessive. And those people understandably said, ‘This is injustice and I want my land back.'”

The comments came during a public discussion with journalist and author Susan McKay at Belfast’s O2 arena, part of Obama’s speaking tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Earlier that day, he had received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast.

Obama’s description of Jewish settlement drew objections from pro-Israel commentators, who argued that his account failed to distinguish between land purchased legally by Jews during the Ottoman and British Mandate periods and the displacement of Palestinian Arabs during the 1948 war.

Jewish communities had existed in Eretz Yisroel long before the modern Zionist movement, including in Yerushalayim, Tzefas, Teveria, and Chevron. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Jewish organizations and private individuals purchased substantial tracts of land, frequently from Arab landowners, including absentee owners residing outside the territory.

Critics noted that Obama’s formulation presented Jewish settlement primarily as a response to European persecution, without adequately addressing the Jewish people’s ancient religious and historical ties to the land.

The circumstances surrounding Israel’s establishment in 1948 also remain central to the dispute over the former president’s remarks. The United Nations approved a partition proposal in November 1947 calling for separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accepted the proposal, while Arab leaders rejected it.

Fighting began following the partition vote, and armies from neighboring Arab countries entered the conflict after Israel declared independence in May 1948. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes during the war, while Jewish communities also faced attacks and displacement, including the expulsion of Jews from the Old City of Yerushalayim.

Obama’s remarks did not address these historical developments in detail, prompting critics to argue that his characterization left listeners with an incomplete account of how the conflict developed.

The former president went on to criticize the current Israeli government, suggesting that Israel’s military strength had encouraged its leaders to believe they could impose their preferred outcome without making meaningful concessions.

Obama argued that if Israel’s position was that its regional superiority entitled it to take what it wanted, “you have ceded moral ground.”

He said “the current Israeli government appears to have taken that” position and maintained that Israeli leaders must recognize that “7 million Palestinians are not going anywhere.”

Obama urged Israelis to reconsider how future generations would coexist with the Arab population, questioning whether the country could rely indefinitely on military superiority and physical barriers for its security.

“The citizenry of Israel has to rethink, to reimagine,” Obama said, asking, “how are your children and grandchildren going to live in this region? Are you just going to be behind walls and wipe out everybody around you, or are you going to find some just way of defending yourself while still acting in an ethical, moral way?”

At the same time, Obama directed criticism toward Palestinian political and military strategy, arguing that Palestinian leaders must recognize the impossibility of defeating Israel through armed confrontation.

He said the Palestinian approach must be one “that is not premised on beating their military.”

Obama urged Palestinians to pursue political and nonviolent methods rather than attempting to overcome Israel’s military capabilities, saying that efforts to secure change through force had repeatedly failed.

Referring specifically to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Obama said, “you could not have designed something that was less likely to produce meaningful change.”

His remarks reflected a longstanding position that both Israelis and Palestinians must acknowledge the other’s continued presence in the region and pursue a political settlement rather than attempting to achieve their objectives through military force alone.

During his presidency, Obama frequently clashed with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over Israeli settlement policy and the prospects for a Palestinian state. His administration nevertheless maintained extensive security cooperation with Israel and signed a ten-year, $38 billion military assistance agreement in 2016.

In December of that year, the United States abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on Resolution 2334, allowing a resolution condemning Israeli settlements to pass. The decision drew sharp criticism from Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, who accused the Obama administration of abandoning Israel at the international body.

Obama’s latest statements also come as he has reentered Democratic electoral politics ahead of the November midterm elections. Days before his Belfast appearance, he recorded a campaign advertisement supporting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who has called for ending American military assistance to Israel and has accused the Jewish state of genocide in Gaza.

The Belfast appearance was part of a broader speaking tour during which Obama discussed democracy, international affairs, and political polarization. He also warned that democratic institutions cannot be taken for granted and expressed concern about the direction of American and international politics.

Maran Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, has issued his first public response to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s controversial remarks about the chareidi community, describing statements questioning the legitimacy of chareidi life in Eretz Yisroel as a deliberate and public chillul Hashem.

The remarks were delivered Wednesday evening during a meeting with rabbonim from Rechasim, who visited Rav Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch to seek their guidance and bracha ahead of the upcoming elections.

Rav Landau addressed both the importance of voting and the growing political attacks against the Torah community, invoking the longstanding instructions of the Chazon Ish regarding participation in Israeli elections.

“The Chazon Ish zt”l instructed unequivocally that there is an obligation to vote in government elections,” Rav Landau said. “The Chazon Ish’s instruction has not changed. On the contrary, today the obligation to vote is doubled and redoubled, because, rachmana litzlan, the Torah itself is being left vulnerable to attack, and those who study Torah are being treated as prey. Hashem should protect us.”

The rosh yeshiva then turned to the recent statements made by Smotrich, who had sharply criticized the chareidi community and Rav Landau himself during campaign appearances earlier in the week.

“People who are called observant Jews come along and publicly declare that, chas v’shalom, there is no justification for being chareidi in Eretz Yisroel,” Rav Landau said. “This is a deliberate chillul Hashem committed publicly.”

He added that the comments did not require a personal response, but that the broader attack on the honor of Torah demanded action.

“There is no need to answer him. But there is an obligation to act against this terrible chillul Hashem,” Rav Landau said.

In his remarks, Rav Landau identified voting for United Torah Judaism, represented by the Hebrew letter Gimmel, as a public declaration of the centrality of Torah learning.

“When we vote Gimmel, we proclaim loudly, ‘We have nothing left except this Torah.’ Only Torah! And only Torah! The Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in His world except the four amos of halacha. Only Torah! And only Torah!”

Rav Landau went on to emphasize that participation in the election must be treated as a serious personal obligation, even when voting involves inconvenience, expense, or disruption to one’s regular schedule.

“It is forbidden to evade voting,” he said. “Even someone who is occupied with various matters must make an effort beyond his usual capabilities to vote Gimmel, even if doing so involves what appears to be a loss.”

He stressed that the number of people voting in each community carries significance beyond the immediate election results, describing the turnout as a measure of public commitment to kavod Shomayim and the preservation of Torah life.

“In every place, the number of those counted among those who sanctify Hashem’s Name has tremendous significance, both for the present and for future generations,” Rav Landau said.

He further instructed that voters should cast their ballots specifically in their own communities rather than seeking alternative arrangements to avoid traveling home.

“Therefore, everyone is obligated to vote specifically in his place of residence. There is no exemption because of a long journey, and one should not look for all kinds of other solutions. In all of this, one must always be stringent.”

The rosh yeshiva’s statements followed two campaign appearances in which Smotrich sharply criticized the chareidi community, accusing it of failing to appreciate the significance of Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisroel.

During an interview conducted by Arutz Sheva, Smotrich was asked why he had declined to publicly respond to criticism directed at him by Rav Landau.

The finance minister initially explained his reluctance by referring to the obligation to show respect for talmidei chachomim.

“Let no one think, G-d forbid, that my silence means agreement, because ‘be careful of their burning coals,'” Smotrich said, invoking the warning of Chazal concerning disrespect toward Torah scholars.

“If I thought responding would accomplish something, I would respond. I do not respond to a Torah scholar,” he continued.

However, Smotrich then made a personal remark about Rav Landau that drew outrage in chareidi circles.

“By the way, it pains me, and I pray to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He bring him back in repentance as well, but there is no need to respond,” Smotrich said.

In additional comments, the finance minister accused the chareidi community of failing to recognize what he views as the religious significance of the State of Israel.

“The chareidim are ungrateful to the Holy One, blessed be He. They are completely blind. I do not understand how anyone can be chareidi today,” Smotrich declared.

The comments provoked an angry reaction among chareidi political figures and members of the Torah community, particularly because they were directed in part at one of the generation’s leading roshei yeshiva.

Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party, has repeatedly clashed with chareidi political leaders over the military draft, the role of the state, and the status of full-time Torah learning.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli police arrested two residents of Elad overnight following a pair of violent attacks targeting senior municipal officials, including the throwing of a stun grenade at the home of the city’s chief executive and the suspected arson of a vehicle belonging to the mayor’s chief of staff.

Investigators believe the attacks may have been carried out in retaliation for enforcement actions recently undertaken by the Elad municipality against the suspects, raising concerns about attempts by criminal elements to intimidate city officials.

The two suspects, men in their 20s and 30s, were taken into custody by officers from the Rosh Ha’ayin police station in Israel’s Central District following an intensive investigation into the incidents.

The violence began Wednesday evening when police received a report that a stun grenade had been thrown toward the fence surrounding a private residence in Elad. Officers rushed to the scene and began searching the surrounding area for those responsible.

Shortly afterward, authorities received another report involving a vehicle that had caught fire elsewhere in the city. Initial findings at the scene led investigators to suspect that the blaze had been deliberately set.

The targeted vehicle belonged to Shimon Suissa, who serves as chief of staff to the mayor of Elad. The stun grenade, meanwhile, had been thrown toward the residence of Amnon Maksimov, the municipality’s director-general.

The attacks, which occurred within a short period of one another, prompted police to investigate whether the two incidents were connected and whether senior city officials were being deliberately targeted.

According to preliminary findings by the Sharon District Central Investigations Unit, the suspected motive was municipal enforcement activity recently carried out against the two individuals now in custody.

Police suspect that the men responded to those enforcement measures by targeting municipal officials in an effort to frighten them and interfere with the city’s efforts to maintain public order.

Investigators have not publicly detailed the specific enforcement actions believed to have triggered the attacks.

Following several hours of investigative and operational activity, police located the two suspects during the night and placed them under arrest.

Both were transferred to the Sharon District Central Investigations Unit for questioning and were subsequently held in custody.

Police are expected to bring the suspects before a judge on Thursday and request an extension of their detention while investigators continue gathering evidence.

The Elad municipality issued a forceful statement Wednesday night condemning the violence and insisting that threats against city officials would not interfere with municipal operations.

“Following the incidents that occurred in recent hours, including threats directed at senior municipal officials, the Elad Municipality makes clear that it will not be deterred by criminal elements attempting to intimidate residents and the municipal leadership. These are unacceptable attempts to instill fear and undermine the public’s sense of security. The Elad Municipality will not allow these elements to dictate the municipal agenda,” the municipality said.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the two individuals are suspects who have not been convicted of any offense.

Federal authorities have launched an investigation after multiple letters containing unidentified suspicious substances were mailed to congressional offices, with at least one envelope bearing the initials of the Democratic Socialists of America and a return address previously associated with the socialist organization.

The FBI, U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are coordinating the investigation, according to security notifications distributed to congressional employees Thursday. Authorities are attempting to locate and intercept additional suspicious mail before it reaches lawmakers or their staff.

One of the envelopes photographed in the security alert carried the marking “DSA” and listed a return address at a building in Manhattan’s Financial District. The Democratic Socialists of America previously used an address at that same building on its membership documents. Investigators have not established whether the organization had any involvement in sending the letters, and the return address alone does not establish who mailed them.

Congressional personnel were advised that law enforcement agencies were actively working to prevent further deliveries, although officials acknowledged that some envelopes might evade detection.

“Law enforcement officials are working to intercept any additional letters before they are delivered, however, it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations,” the Senate email notice stated.

The warning indicates that the potentially hazardous correspondence may still be circulating through the postal system, raising concerns about the possibility of additional congressional offices receiving similar envelopes.

Authorities have also discovered some of the suspicious letters at locations outside congressional offices, suggesting that the mailing campaign may extend beyond Capitol Hill. The number of envelopes identified so far, the intended recipients and the nature of the substances have not been publicly disclosed.

The investigation follows a separate series of suspicious mailings reported earlier this week at election offices across the country. Officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma said their offices received envelopes containing an unidentified white powder Tuesday, prompting evacuations while emergency personnel examined the material.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose also reported that his office had been targeted, although postal authorities intercepted the suspicious envelope before delivery. No injuries were reported in those incidents.

In a statement Wednesday evening, the FBI acknowledged that suspicious correspondence had been sent to multiple locations nationwide, including state election offices and offices of secretaries of state. Federal investigators said they were working with postal inspectors and other law enforcement agencies to collect and examine the letters. Authorities have not established whether the congressional mailings are connected to those incidents.

The discovery of suspicious substances in mail addressed to government officials has historically prompted heightened security precautions, particularly following the deadly anthrax attacks of 2001, when contaminated letters were sent to congressional offices and media organizations.

As of Thursday morning, the FBI, Capitol Police and Postal Inspection Service had not issued detailed public statements about the congressional investigation. The Democratic Socialists of America had also not responded to a request for comment concerning the return address appearing on at least one envelope.

{Matzav.com}