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A groundbreaking Israeli Health Ministry report on smoking in Israel has revealed alarming statistics about the prevalence of smoking among young men in the chareidi sector, with dramatically higher rates than in the general population. The study, the first of its kind, found that over half of students in chareidi high schools and nearly 80% of dropouts had tried smoking—many starting at a shockingly young age.

The survey, conducted by the Public Health Division in cooperation with the Institute for Chareidi Research, polled 618 boys aged 12–24 in both yeshiva ketanos (high school age) and yeshivos gedolos (post-high school). The results point to a deep public health concern:

• 80% of dropouts from chareidi high schools reported trying smoking

• 54% of students in yeshiva ketanos had also experimented with smoking

• 77% of young men in yeshivos gedolos had smoked

• 56% of the latter group reported being regular or occasional smokers

The average age for first-time smoking among chareidi boys was 12.4 years, highlighting how early the behavior begins. A dramatic jump in experimentation was recorded starting from age 15, emphasizing the need for preventive efforts before that age.

The study also shed light on differences among sectors within the chareidi community:

• Chassidishe yeshivos reported a 63% rate of regular or occasional smokers

• Sephardic yeshivos followed with 59%

• Litvishe yeshivos had a relatively lower rate of 52%

Chassidishe institutions had a higher tendency toward traditional cigarettes, while students in Litvishe yeshivos were more likely to use electronic cigarettes or vapes.

A strong correlation was found between family smoking habits and student behavior:

• When the father smoked, 55% of students smoked

• When siblings also smoked, the rate jumped to 70%

• When both father and siblings smoked, an overwhelming 81% of students were smokers

Despite 94% of surveyed students acknowledging that smoking is harmful to health, awareness about the dangers of alternative tobacco products was significantly lower:

• Only 78% believed electronic cigarettes are harmful

• Just 70% saw hookah as dangerous

• Merely 43% thought passive vaping could harm others

Access to tobacco products was found to be alarmingly easy:

• 55% of students purchased cigarettes or vapes on their own

• 56% said they were not asked their age

• 58% were not asked to show ID

The report also raised concerns over targeted advertising: tobacco and nicotine companies were found to advertise in chareidi print media at disproportionately high rates, exploiting regulatory loopholes to reach a vulnerable audience.

Despite the high numbers of users, many expressed a desire to quit:

• 50% of smokers in yeshiva ketanos and 31% of high school dropouts said they wanted to stop smoking

• Among yeshivos gedolos students, 55% hoped to quit, though most admitted it would be very difficult

• Alarmingly, 40% of young smokers were unaware of the Health Ministry’s cessation hotlines, and only a few had ever reached out for help

The Health Ministry emphasized the urgent need for culturally sensitive intervention programs, including:

• Stricter enforcement of sales bans to minors

• Public awareness campaigns tailored for chareidi communities

• Increased access to smoking cessation resources

• Involvement of rabbonim and educators to shift norms

The report calls for a coordinated effort with religious leaders and policymakers to transform smoking from a normalized behavior into a socially rejected one—muktzah machmas mi’us in their words.

Smoking Epidemic Beyond the Chareidi Sector

The findings regarding the chareidi community are part of a broader national concern. According to the report:

• 20.5% of Israeli adults smoke—roughly 30% above the global average

• Among Arab men, the rate soars to 40.3%

• About one-quarter of non-smokers reported being exposed to secondhand smoke, with significantly higher exposure in the Arab sector

Among youth nationally, 53% of those who tried smoking began with electronic cigarettes. Flavored tobacco products are highly popular:

• 88% use flavored hookah

• 82% use flavored electronic cigarettes

• 45% use flavored traditional cigarettes or rolling tobacco

Health Minister MK Uriel Buso stated in the report’s introduction: “Fighting the damage caused by smoking is an urgent national mission—especially among youth. Smoking kills about 8,000 men and women in Israel every year.”

Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov added: “The prevention of smoking and its harmful consequences remains one of our top priorities. Unfortunately, the use of e-cigarettes among young people is accelerating.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Moshe (Morris) Talansky, a well-known businessman and philanthropist who rose to public prominence due to his central role in the legal case involving former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, passed away over Yom Tov at the age of 92.

Talansky gained international attention during the high-profile “cash envelopes” case, where he served as a key witness against Olmert in the corruption scandal that shook Israel’s political landscape.

Born in 1933 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, he was the son of Rabbi David Talansky z”l and Rebbetzin Rivka a”h, who immigrated to America from Russia. In his youth, Talansky studied at Yeshiva University and received semichah.

Throughout his life, he divided his time between Long Island, New York, and his residence in Yerushalayim.

Talansky founded and led Global Resource Group Ltd. in New York in 1998, a company through which he conducted much of his business activity. He also served as chairman of the American Friends of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, among other charitable endeavors.

He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The levayah was held last night at the Eretz HaChaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Bill Gates has outlined how he plans to distribute the $200 billion he’s committed to giving away, announcing that a significant portion of those funds will be directed toward Africa.

Speaking at the African Union’s Nelson Mandela Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Gates shared that his long-term philanthropic focus would be Africa. He had already spoken earlier this month on “CBS Mornings” about his pledge to donate most of his wealth, emphasizing that his goal is to back initiatives that save lives and enhance living conditions around the world.

“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,” Gates said Monday, according to a statement from the Gates Foundation.

He explained that his decision to part with the bulk of his fortune was deeply influenced by Andrew Carnegie’s 1889 essay The Gospel of Wealth, particularly the line: “the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” Gates, whose net worth is currently estimated at $108 billion, expects that amount to diminish by 99% over the next two decades as he follows through on his philanthropic plans.

During his remarks on Monday, Gates highlighted that much of the financial support would be directed to collaborative efforts with governments that place importance on public health and quality of life.

“By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity — and that path is an exciting thing to be part of,” Gates said. His speech reached a wide audience, including over 12,000 attendees ranging from diplomats and government officials to healthcare workers and young leaders, both virtually and on-site.

Gates’ announcement comes at a time when American financial support abroad has declined. The Trump administration has significantly downsized funding and staff for the U.S. Agency for International Development, leading to notable cutbacks in foreign aid and humanitarian support.

{Matzav.com}

Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron slammed the court’s increasing intervention in controversial issues in his speech last week at the Bar Association conference. “In recent years, we have witnessed a trend of expanding the authority of the Supreme Court and its increasing intervention in constitutional and even extra-constitutional review,” Elron said. “This expansion, which I have consistently opposed, poses a real challenge to the principle of separation of powers. It leads to a discourse of extremes in which the court has become a public battleground, even in non-legal issues.” “In my opinion, we must walk a middle path: a path that recognizes the authority of the Supreme Court but seeks to use it in a restrained, limited, and moderate manner.” Elron warned that constitutional law in Israel has been developing for several decades without a complete constitution, based on key Basic Laws such as ‘Human Dignity and Liberty’ and ‘Freedom of Occupation,’ as well as on precedent-setting rulings of the Supreme Court. He emphasized that in recent years the trend has reached a peak, especially with the Supreme Court’s unprecedented verdict that it has the authority to repeal even Basic Laws—as happened in Amendment 3 to the Basic Law: The Judiciary (revocation of the reasonableness clause). Elron also decried the fact that any Israeli civilian can appeal against the government’s laws to the Supreme Court, even those who will not be personally affected by the law. “At times, the moment a controversial law is passed, petitions are filed against it—even without waiting for its practical effects,” Elron said. “Thus, public issues immediately move from the legislature to the halls of the Supreme Court. The discourse focuses on the result—victory or defeat—instead of the substance, and every decision becomes a power struggle. This is a power-based discourse that also permeates constitutional law—and the damage from it is immense. The law, and especially constitutional law, is not black and white. It has many shades.” Elron warned that “the most dramatic remedy—the annulment of a law or a basic law—is a conventional weapon that should be used only as a last resort.” He noted that in many cases, such as in the ruling on Amendment 3 to the Basic Law: The Judiciary, he argued that there was no justification for disqualifying a basic law at an early stage: “In the opinion of many, no significant change would have occurred if the amendment had remained in effect—and no damage would have been caused to the citizens of Israel.” Elron emphasized that the judiciary’s authority “must be exercised responsibly and proportionally.” “I say this as a Supreme Court Justice for eight years and after another 13 years in other courts,” he said. “I have always kept in mind the importance of public trust in the judicial system—because without it, the court has no validity.” Last week, an Israeli district court judge left his position in the judicial system after expressing harsh criticism regarding the conduct of the President of the Supreme Court, Yitzchak Amit. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Sources in the Chareidi parties claim that Yuli Edelstein, the chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, wants to drag Israel to elections, Arutz Sheva reported on Wednesday. The report comes after the Rosh Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, instructed the Degel HaTorah MKs on Wednesday morning to act to dissolve the Knesset after the negotiations on a Chareidi draft law with Edelstein on Tuesday evening failed. “It cannot be said that Yuli Edelstein does not speak with a lot of logic to the average secular voter in that he demands a draconian law, but along the way he’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater, leading to the exit of the Chareidim from the coalition, elections, and a left-wing government,” a senior Shas official told Arutz Sheva. Edelstein is insisting that the law include harsh sanctions on bnei yeshivos if the recruitment targets aren’t reached, even if there is an increase in Chareidi recruitment, and is also not willing to include civilian service [such as service in Israel Police or MDA] in the recruitment goals. “What exactly does Edelstein want?” the senior official questioned. “If he wants to recruit Chareidim, no one will enlist because there will be no law and there will be no Chareidi agreement around a formula of the kind he is proposing. If he wants to oust Binyamin Netanyahu, he should say it out loud.” “At the end of the day, he knows very well that there is no world in which all yeshiva bochurim will leave their Gemaras and go to the battlefield. There is not one Chareidi Rav – even those who support Chareidi employment – who supports this.” “The proposals he is offering are detached and unrealistic. What he’s doing is pushing the entire Chareidi leadership into a corner, uniting them into one position, and dismantling the government. That way there will be no law, there will be no Chareidi recruitment, there will be no government, and a left-wing government will be elected. And maybe that’s what he wants.” Edelstein’s fellow Likud members are also angry at Edelstein’s refusal to compromise, Ynet reported. However, despite calls to oust him from his position as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, such a move is not on the table because it “would sully the legislative process” and would make the law more likely to be struck down by the Supreme Court. However, according to the report, the Likud party is exploring other options to appease the Chareidim. A senior coalition official said that “despite the fact that the Chareidim are compromising again and again, Edelstein has decided to dismantle the government. He won’t pass the conscription law, and not a single Chareidi will be drafted, and he will also endanger us with the rise of a left-wing government in such a complex security period.” A source close to Edelstein responded to the allegations against him, saying that “he has stuck to the same view for a year and a half and we have not changed anything in the principles of the law. He is determined to formulate a law that meets security needs. What is happening now is an attempt to introduce loopholes in our law, which really leads to recruitment. Edelstein’s law is logical, effective, and fair. It […]

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the US nuclear deal proposal was “against Tehran’s national interests” and that Iran will not abandon uranium enrichment. Speaking at an event marking 36 years since the death of his predecessor, Ruholla Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Khamenei said in a speech that uranium enrichment is key to the country’s nuclear program and that the US proposal to end it violates Iranian independence. “Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America,” Khamenei says, adding that the proposal is “100 percent against the idea of ‘we can,’ which is an important principle in our country’s independence.” “If we had 100 nuclear power plants while not having enrichment, they are not usable for us,” Khamenei said. “If we do not have enrichment, then we should extend our hand (begging) to the U.S.” Khamenei also addressed US President Donald Trump, saying, “Who are you to tell us whether we can have a nuclear program or not? We will not give up the ability to enrich uranium.” An Iranian diplomat told Reuters on Monday that Tehran was set to reject the US nuclear deal, calling it a “non-starter.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The leader of Degel HaTorah, Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, instructed the Degel HaTorah MKs to act to dissolve the Knesset after the negotiations on the draft law with the chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein, failed, Kikar H’Shabbat reported on Wednesday morning. A charged meeting on Tuesday night between Edelstein and the Chareidi MKs ended without any progress, with the main issue being Edelstein’s insistence on the law including severe personal sanctions if recruitment targets aren’t reached. Additionally, Edelstein continues to insist that Chareidi recruitment targets include only recruitment for combat and combat support roles, while the Chareidi MKs insist that the recruitment targets also include national/civil service so that they can meet the recruitment targets. It should be noted that the agreed-upon recruitment targets at this stage is 50% of eligible Chareidim within only five years, contrary to the principles of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, who spoke of a similar target but within seven years. Senior Chareidi sources told Kikar on Wednesday morning, “The heads of the Chareidi parties are frustrated with the conduct of Prime Minister Netanyahu. The feeling is that Netanyahu believes that this is a personal crisis of the Chareidim with Edelstein and not something that threatens his position. Our hope is that by next week he will come to his senses and use his weight to resolve the points of contention; otherwise, we will indeed go to elections.” Following the reports, the heads of the opposition parties said they will submit a bill to dissolve the Knesset next Wednesday. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)