Feed aggregator

Iran and Hezbollah, once the anchors of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, abruptly withdrew from Syria just before Assad’s downfall, according to a newly published AFP account. Their hasty departure unfolded as Islamist-led rebels surged into Damascus last December, leaving Syria’s longtime ruler without the foreign backing he had relied on for more than a decade.

For years, Iran had poured personnel and resources into propping up Assad—deploying Revolutionary Guards, stationing Hezbollah fighters, and bringing in allied militias from Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the moment rebel forces tightened their encirclement of the capital, that relationship collapsed with stunning speed, the report says, leaving Syrian forces stunned at how quickly Tehran disengaged.

Syrian military personnel described the shock that rippled through Damascus’s Mazzeh district on December 5, when Iranian commander Hajj Abu Ibrahim suddenly informed about twenty Syrian officers, “From today, there will be no more Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria. We’re leaving.” He added a second blunt declaration: “It’s all over. From today, we are no longer responsible for you.”

Within hours, units were ordered to burn classified papers and wipe computer systems. Iranian-aligned soldiers received a month of pay and were dismissed outright. Two days later, Assad himself fled to Russia, and Damascus fell with virtually no resistance, the report recounts.

Diplomatic staff vanished as quickly as the fighters. AFP reports that Iran’s consulate had emptied out by the evening of December 5, with diplomats slipping across the Lebanese border. Syrian workers described long lines—up to eight hours—at the Jdeidet Yabus crossing as Iran’s personnel scrambled to get out. Employees were told not to report to work and were handed three months’ salary before operations at the embassy, consulate, and related security facilities ceased entirely on December 6.

Iran had previously built a widespread military footprint across Syria, including entrenched positions in the Damascus suburbs, near the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, at the airport, along border zones with Lebanon and Iraq, and throughout Aleppo. But once Aleppo fell, Colonel Mohammad Dibo—now in Syria’s reconstituted army—summed up the turning point tersely: “Iran stopped fighting.”

What followed was a chaotic evacuation. A former Syrian officer recounted that senior Iranian commander Hajj Jawad and others were rushed to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase and flown directly to Tehran. Dibo said that roughly 4,000 Iranian personnel were moved out through the same base, while additional groups escaped through Iraq and Lebanon. In the confusion, Iranian officers even left behind passports, identification documents, and other personal materials as they fled.

{Matzav.com}

Two Afghan men arrested in separate terror-related incidents just days apart — including the suspect accused of killing a National Guard member near the White House — served at the same elite counterterrorism base in Kandahar, the New York Post reported. The revelation comes as a third Afghan evacuee was arrested last week in a […]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the notion that he would retire from political life in exchange for a pardon in his ongoing corruption trial, telling reporters he has no intention of bargaining away his future — or his office. At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu was asked whether he […]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire is nearly complete, setting the stage for what he warned will be a more difficult second phase — and ultimately a sweeping plan to “deradicalize Gaza.” Speaking alongside visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a joint press conference in Jerusalem, […]

In a new video released Sunday, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani positioned himself as a defender of New York’s millions of immigrants, offering guidance on how those in the country illegally can respond during encounters with federal immigration officers. His message came on the heels of an ICE operation in Chinatown last weekend that was halted by demonstrators.

Mamdani opened his remarks by invoking the tense scenes from Canal Street, declaring, “Last weekend, ICE attempted to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbors,” before adding, “As mayor, I’ll protect the rights of every single New Yorker. And that includes the more than 3 million immigrants who call this city their home.”

Standing beside a flip chart reading “Know your rights,” Mamdani urged viewers to push back when confronted by immigration agents. “But we can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,” he said, stressing that ICE’s authority does not grant them automatic entry into homes, schools, or private work areas. “ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” he stated, displaying an example of such a warrant.

He continued outlining what immigrants should and should not do, noting, “You have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry,’ and the right to keep your door closed.” Mamdani then showed an example of other paperwork ICE officers sometimes present, emphasizing that it is not the same as a judicial warrant.

WATCH:

He also warned that ICE officers may mislead individuals, saying, “ICE is legally allowed to lie to you. But you have the right to remain silent. If you are being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you.” He reminded viewers that recording officers is permissible so long as it does not obstruct an arrest: “You are legally allowed to film ICE, as long as you do not interfere with an arrest.”

Mamdani closed with a broader pledge regarding civic activism: “New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and when I’m mayor, we will protect that right.”

The video immediately set off sharp criticism from conservatives, many of whom predict escalating friction between the incoming city administration and President Trump’s White House over immigration enforcement. Commentator Carmine Sabia challenged Mamdani’s message, asking, “Then you ignore laws that you do not like? We should not bother to have borders or immigration laws?” Others accused the mayor-elect of overstepping, with one user writing, “Aiding abetting and advising criminals,” while another insisted, “This man is the best gift Democrats have ever handed to GOP.”

The uproar comes just weeks after Mamdani’s unusually warm meeting with President Trump in Washington—an encounter that now appears unlikely to set the tone for their future dealings.

The controversy also follows a chaotic scene in Lower Manhattan, where nearly 200 demonstrators blocked ICE agents from leaving a parking garage during last weekend’s operation. It marked the second major raid in the area in a month and a half, following the arrest of nine illegal immigrants during similar enforcement actions in October.

{Matzav.com}

Qatar’s prime minister delivered a blunt message to the international community Sunday: Doha will not bankroll the reconstruction of Gaza, shattering widespread assumptions that the gas-rich emirate would serve as the primary financier of postwar rebuilding. “We are not the ones who are going to write the check to rebuild what others destroyed,” Prime Minister […]

New York Governor Kathy Hochul distanced herself from incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s escalating anti-Israel positions, insisting that Mamdani has no legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite repeatedly vowing to do so. Asked about Mamdani’s pledge, Hochul was unequivocal. “I disagree,” she said, according to Politico. “The New York […]

Looking for a structured program that will give you the tools and resources you need to get Smicha? Hilchos Shabbos? Dayanus? Chuppah v’Kiddushin? Join Machon Smicha, the premier halachah institute serving the English-speaking Torah community.   Machon Smicha is a unique, online, halacha-learning program that makes learning, getting tested and receiving smicha possible. We offer rigorous […]

A remarkable feel-good story unfolded in New York this past week after a black Brooklyn resident who calls himself Zeus discovered a lost shtreimel and went on a mission to return it to its rightful owner. His search, documented in several videos, ended in an emotional meeting.

In his first video, Zeus addressed “my Jewish people,” explaining that although he is not himself Jewish, he has always admired the large fur hats he sees worn in Brooklyn.

“I always wanted one of these hats, the shnitzels,” he  said, mispronouncing shtreimel as he held it up to the camera, marveling at its craftsmanship and joking that it carried “power.”

He explained that he stumbled upon the hat that morning while walking in the rain: the shtreimel, still in its case, appeared to have been discarded near a heater, soaked and covered in leaves.

Viewers immediately told him that such hats can cost thousands of dollars — information that stunned him.

“Guys, this is worth $6,000,” he exclaimed. Unsure what to do and in need of money, he briefly joked about selling it before deciding to try to find the owner.

A phone number found in the box led to Zeus calling the chassidishe man who had lost the shtreimel. “My name is Zeus… I found a shmeidel? Shtreimel, yeah, a shtreimel,” he told the surprised owner, who confirmed the loss and explained the baffling backstory: the hat disappeared weeks earlier after he briefly stepped out of an Uber to call for his wife. When he returned, the car had driven off, and Uber was unable to give him the driver’s information. The driver later denied having seen the hat, leaving the owner to assume it had been discarded.

Listening to the man tell the story, Zeus described how he couldn’t bring himself to leave the item to be destroyed by rain and garbage.

“I need good karma,” he told the owner. “I’m going to try and find the owner and give it back, ’cause I know this has a lot of religious value.”

The owner, astonished to hear the shtreimel had been found in its box on a Brooklyn street, quickly arranged to pick it up. Zeus dried and cleaned it as best as he could before sharing his location.

In his final video, waiting outside with the recovered shtreimel, Zeus grew unexpectedly moved. “I don’t know why I’m emotional — I’m happy emotional,” he said as he scanned the street for the owner. The moment the chassidishe man spotted him, he rushed over joyfully. Zeus described him warmly: “He was just so sweet… almost like a sweet elf.”

The owner arrived with a small gift — a bottle of tequila — to thank him for his good deed. As Zeus handed back the shtreimel, the man repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

The exchange, bridging cultures, communities, and backgrounds, is a touching Big Apple story.

WATCH THE VIDEOS BELOW:

{Matzav.com}

Newly released security-camera footage from the Sha’ar Hanegev junction has pulled back the curtain on one of the most dramatic — and until now, little-known — acts of heroism from October 7: Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, Israel’s incoming Mossad chief, wounded while charging Hamas terrorists in the middle of the massacre. The video shows Gofman — […]

As the Israeli government pushes forward with the proposed draft law for the chareidi community, members of the Peleg Yerushalmi faction associated with Rav Tzvi Friedman are preparing to launch a protest on Monday in central Israel.

The legislation, promoted in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee headed by MK Boaz Bismuth, is expected to come to a second and third reading soon. In response, activists from Peleg are organizing a demonstration to oppose the continued advancement of the draft bill.

The protest is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in the central region. However, organizers note that the plan is not yet final and may still be canceled.

A separate report by Channel 13’s chareidi affairs correspondent Yoely Barim indicated that the demonstration is expected to take place at 4:30 p.m. on the Geha Highway.

Meanwhile, MK Bismuth, who chairs the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, addressed the draft bill during a Likud event in Yerucham Sunday evening, praising the legislation and calling it historic. “This draft law is the most just and intelligent thing in the country and is making history,” he declared.

He continued, emphasizing the law’s guiding principle: “Whoever learns Torah, we respect him because this is a Jewish state. And whoever does not goes to the army. What’s the problem? Likud is doing this. In Likud, the public is sovereign. The Likud public is a smart public, wants what’s best for the nation, and always thinks about the future.”

{Matzav.com}

Hamas is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire with Israel, a senior official said Sunday, offering a possible formula to resolve one of the thorniest issues in the U.S.-brokered agreement. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ decision-making political bureau, spoke as the sides prepare to move […]

[COMMUNICATED]

Step Inside Kollel Cheshek Shlomo

More than 2,000 years ago, the Chashmonaim merited miracles because they didn’t stop at  “good enough.” Their dedication to serving Hashem unlocked success above and beyond the laws of nature, as symbolized by the number eight.

Today, in Lakewood, the fire of that dedication continues to burn. Kollel Cheshek Shlomo, founded 8 years ago by Harav Avrohom Yeshaya Appel, has distinguished itself through single-minded focus on its mission: allowing a top-tier group of driven yungeleit to focus exclusively on their learning, without the many distractions that plague busy young families.

Generous stipends, a customized schedule, an onsite subsidized daycare center,  and bechinos that provide accountability and motivation are just a few of the KCS trademarks. A campus providing affordable student housing is underway.

Roshei Kollel Rav Yisroel Rothstein, Rav Yehuda Friedman, Rav Refoel Bisritz, and Rav Yeshaya Perl are constantly available to support the yungeleit in their limudim or anything else they need.

The “average” KCS yungerman learns 10-12 hours a day, without going home for lunch. On taaneisim, the kol Torah continues unabated without a break for bein hasedorim, with the majority of yungeleit voluntarily learning two straight sedorim–7 hours b’retzifus–while fasting.

In KCS, “good enough” and “what everyone does” are just the starting point.

The dedicated yungeleit complete entire masechtos b’iyun, with their bechinos, including the prestigious V’shinantem program, testament to their mastery of both depth and breadth of Shas.

The mutual dedication of the hanhalah to the yungeleit, and the yungeleit to their learning, creates an atmosphere that is electric, fueling extraordinary growth.

The 90+ yungeleit in the kollel, as well as over 200 in affiliated chaburos, are supported by a budget totaling over $450,000 monthly. Celebrate their dedication, above and beyond, by partnering with Kollel Cheshek Shlomo and Mosdos Kinyan Torah today.

A dramatic gathering is expected to take place this week, as the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel plans an emergency session in response to the proposed draft framework advanced by MK Bismuth.

According to sources, the meeting is scheduled to take place at the residence of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Moshav Ora. Rabbi Yaakov Veltzer, the Moetzes secretary, has been visiting the homes of gedolim to coordinate attendance and finalize arrangements for the session.

In a rare and highly significant step, several of the most prominent Sephardi roshei yeshiva and senior rabbonim are expected to join the meeting. Among those slated to participate are Rav Moshe Tzadkah, Rav Ben Zion Mutzapi, and Rav Tzvi Baron, along with other leading Sephardi authorities.

The joint participation of Chassidic leaders and major Sephardi Torah figures highlights the gravity of the moment and the broad agreement that the new draft outline poses a serious threat to the Torah community.

This emergency session comes approximately six months after the last gathering in Ora, when the Moetzes issued a sweeping directive calling on Agudas Yisroel representatives to withdraw from the government. In that previous declaration, the gedolim stated that it was no longer appropriate to remain in a government that, in their view, facilitated pressure on the Torah world and violated prior agreements. They instructed Agudah’s elected officials to leave the coalition and resign their positions.

With the draft controversy once again reaching a boiling point, political observers say the upcoming meeting may lead to similarly far-reaching decisions. The issue of conscription and what gedolim describe as a dangerous escalation against the yeshiva world could trigger major political upheaval and force United Torah Judaism and Agudas Yisroel to reconsider their place in the coalition.

{Matzav.com}

The White House is quietly maneuvering to bring Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi together for their first public meeting in eight years, Axios reported. According to a U.S. official and an Israeli source cited in the report, the Trump administration views a Netanyahu–Sissi summit as a linchpin in a larger regional […]

Over the past Shabbos, the Modzitz Chassidus marked the yahrzeit of the Rebbe, the Amrei Shaul zt”l, who was Niftar 78 years ago on Shabbos. The Rebbe, who composed approximately 2,000 niggunim during his lifetime, was the first leader of the Modzitz dynasty following the devastation of the Holocaust. He was Niftar while visiting Eretz […]

House Speaker Mike Johnson paid a formal visit Sunday to the Skverer Rebbe in New Square, where he revealed that preparations are underway for a forthcoming meeting between the Rebbe and President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington.

The Speaker’s stop in New Square came after he and Congressman Mike Lawler attended a fundraising event in Stony Point, Rockland County earlier in the afternoon. From there, the two lawmakers traveled to the Rebbe’s residence for what participants described as a warm and meaningful encounter.

Both Johnson and Lawler informed the Rebbe that they are actively arranging a private meeting in Washington between the Rebbe and President Trump, with the sit-down expected to take place in the near future.

Community askanim expressed deep appreciation for the Speaker’s involvement and for Congressman Lawler’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of local Jewish mosdos and schools.

This latest development follows a personal gesture from President Trump just two weeks ago, when he sent the Skverer Rebbe a heartfelt congratulatory letter in honor of the wedding of the Rebbe’s granddaughter. The message, printed on official White House stationery, conveyed warm wishes from the President and First Lady Melania Trump, offering blessings for joy, peace, and a home “built on tradition and guided by purpose.”

{Matzav.com}

More than 2,000 years ago, the Chashmonaim merited miracles because they didn’t stop at  “good enough.” Their dedication to serving Hashem unlocked success above and beyond the laws of nature, as symbolized by the number eight. Today, in Lakewood, the fire of that dedication continues to burn. Kollel Cheshek Shlomo, founded 8 years ago by […]

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu signaled that meaningful movement toward the second stage of the U.S.-crafted Gaza end-game is within reach, yet he warned that several unresolved questions—chief among them the scope and makeup of any international security presence—still stand in the way.

Standing beside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, Netanyahu told reporters that he expects to engage in significant talks with President Donald Trump later this month, conversations he views as essential to securing the next phase of the proposal.

Although Trump extended an invitation to Netanyahu “in the near future” back in November, the date for that White House meeting has still not been officially released.

Netanyahu said he intends to use his discussions with Trump to address the broader objective of eliminating Hamas control in Gaza. The current ceasefire, now moving into its second month, remains fragile, with both Israel and Hamas repeatedly accusing one another of undermining the agreement.

He emphasized that the terror group must not only maintain the fragile truce but must also honor “their commitment” to relinquish its weapons and allow Gaza to be fully demilitarized.

Under the first chapter of Trump’s plan, Israel maintained authority over 53% of Gaza as hostage exchanges and reciprocal detainee releases were executed. The final unresolved handover involves the remains of an Israeli police officer who fell in battle on October 7, 2023, while confronting invading terrorists. “We’ll get him out,” Netanyahu said.

Despite the pause in fighting, Hamas has managed to reconstitute itself in areas of Gaza not controlled by Israel.

The next stage of the American blueprint envisions Israel withdrawing further as a transitional administration takes hold in Gaza, a multinational force arrives on the ground, Hamas is stripped of its arsenal, and reconstruction efforts begin.

A multinational coordination hub has already been set up inside Israel, though insiders acknowledge the plan has no binding schedule and that momentum has slowed.

“What will be the timeline? What are the forces that are coming in? Will we have international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics that are being discussed,” Netanyahu noted, calling them critical matters still in play.

Chancellor Merz said that Germany is prepared to assist with rebuilding Gaza but will wait until Netanyahu’s upcoming conversation with Trump clarifies Washington’s intentions. He added that phase two “must come now.”

Even during the ceasefire, Israel has launched numerous strikes, arguing they were aimed at preempting imminent threats or dismantling terrorist infrastructure. Gaza’s health authorities claim 373 Palestinians have died since the truce began, while three Israeli soldiers have been killed by terrorists.

Netanyahu said he also plans to speak with Trump about “opportunities for peace,” a nod to ongoing American efforts to expand Israel’s normalization with Arab and Muslim countries. “We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states, and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors,” Netanyahu said, reiterating that Israel will continue to demand security control over the West Bank.

Trump has conveyed to Muslim leaders that Israel will not annex the West Bank, even as members of Netanyahu’s coalition continue to promote settlement expansion. The “question of political annexation” remains unresolved, Netanyahu acknowledged.

{Matzav.com}

German carrier Lufthansa Cargo has imposed an immediate suspension on all military and security-related shipments to and from Israel, a move that lands squarely in the middle of intensifying German–Israeli defense cooperation and Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s high-profile visit to the country. In a statement, a Lufthansa Cargo spokesman said the halt was triggered by restrictions […]