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A Queens man already facing manslaughter charges in the death of a Jewish woman has been indicted on hate-crime charges for allegedly vandalizing a kosher bagel shop displaying Israeli flags on two separate occasions, with prosecutors accusing him of deliberately targeting the establishment because of its Jewish ownership and support for Israel.

Dawood Faisal, 22, of Fresh Meadows, was arraigned Monday in Queens Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime. The charges stem from incidents in May at Bagels & Co., a kosher establishment on Union Turnpike in a heavily Jewish section of Queens.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the indictment Monday, emphasizing that investigators believe Faisal’s actions were motivated by antisemitism.

“As alleged, Dawood Faisal, repeatedly targeted a Fresh Meadows business specifically because it is Jewish-owned and featured Israeli flags, and destroyed property as an expression of antisemitism. Bias crimes are an affront to our entire community and will not be tolerated.”

According to prosecutors, the first incident occurred on May 15 at approximately 6:18 p.m., when Faisal allegedly approached the shop and knocked over nine metal plant stands positioned outside the business.

The planters spilled dirt and plants across the sidewalk. Investigators allege that Faisal then gathered some of the debris and twice threw it toward the storefront, where Israeli flags and banners were prominently displayed.

Eight days later, on May 23, at approximately 1 a.m., Faisal allegedly returned to the same location and again began destroying the outdoor displays.

This time, prosecutors say, he pushed and kicked over 11 metal plant stands, spilling their contents onto the pavement. After emptying the planters, he allegedly attempted to knock over a large clay pot. When he was unable to overturn it, he pulled the plants out of the container.

The incidents prompted an investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, which worked with the Queens District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau to identify the suspect and develop the case.

Faisal was initially arrested on the vandalism allegations on July 31 and charged in Queens Criminal Court. Monday’s development represents the formal indictment by a grand jury and his subsequent arraignment in Supreme Court.

If convicted of the most serious hate-crime charge, he faces up to seven years in prison.

The case has attracted additional attention because Faisal is also accused of causing a deadly traffic collision just two days after the second alleged attack on the bagel shop.

On May 25, prosecutors say Faisal was driving at more than 75 miles per hour along Francis Lewis Boulevard, where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour.

Authorities allege that he drove through two red lights before colliding with two vehicles, setting off a chain-reaction crash that propelled one of the cars into a crosswalk.

Standing in that crosswalk were 71-year-old Cara Trager, a journalist and member of the Queens Jewish community, and her husband, Michael.

Trager sustained fatal injuries, while her husband was also injured in the collision.

Prosecutors allege that Faisal fled the scene before subsequently crashing his own vehicle. Bystanders reportedly detained him until police arrived.

He was indicted in June on manslaughter, assault and related charges stemming from the crash and has remained in custody without bail in connection with that case.

The fatal collision and the alleged antisemitic vandalism are being prosecuted separately. Authorities have not charged the crash as a hate crime, and prosecutors have not established that Trager or her husband were deliberately targeted because they were Jewish.

Nevertheless, the fact that the same defendant is accused of vandalizing a Jewish-owned business shortly before the fatal collision has caused considerable distress within the local Jewish community.

Michael Trager has previously raised questions about whether the alleged vandalism and the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death warrant closer examination.

The incidents occurred in a section of Queens with a substantial Jewish population, where residents had already expressed concern about antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish businesses and institutions.

Following the vandalism at Bagels & Co., members of the Jewish community organized a show of support for the establishment, with hundreds of customers reportedly gathering outside the shop to demonstrate solidarity with its owners.

The case has also drawn attention from elected officials representing the neighborhood.

State Assemblyman David Weprin, whose district includes the bagel shop, welcomed the indictment and condemned the alleged targeting of the Jewish-owned establishment.

“This was yet another incident of antisemitism in Queens, and this indictment further demonstrates that we will never back down to hate,” Weprin said.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered Faisal to return to court on November 12 in connection with the hate-crime indictment.

Faisal remains presumed innocent of all charges unless and until proven guilty in court.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance believes President Donald Trump would throw his support behind him if he enters the 2028 presidential race, although he says he has neither reached a decision about seeking the White House nor discussed a possible endorsement with the president.

In an interview with journalist Mark Halperin that aired Monday evening, Vance addressed speculation about his political future and the possibility of succeeding Trump as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

“I really have not made up my mind about what to do in 2028. I just haven’t focused on it. We, you and I, have talked about that. Look, I think if I run, the president will endorse me,” Vance told Halperin.

Despite his confidence that Trump would support him, Vance acknowledged that the president might prefer to remain neutral during the early stages of a Republican primary, allowing prospective candidates to compete before making an endorsement.

“I think I would get his endorsement, but I also think there’s something to be said for people actually running their own race,” he said. “Because the president’s endorsement is so dispositive, you could absolutely see a scenario where the president says, ‘You know what? We need to let this race play out,’ and not like preemptively prejudge the results.”

Vance nevertheless maintained that, should he ultimately decide to seek the nomination, he expects Trump to support his candidacy.

“But my attitude is, if I run, I think the president would endorse me. But I also haven’t talked to him about it yet,” Vance said.

The vice president made similar observations during a separate conversation with Sean Spicer, who served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first administration. In that interview, Vance suggested that Trump’s endorsement would carry such enormous influence among Republican voters that it could effectively determine the outcome of the party’s presidential primary.

“Then the primary is over. Of course, I think whoever the president endorses will ultimately win the Republican primary,” Vance told Spicer when asked what would happen if Trump publicly backed him.

At the same time, Vance emphasized that securing the Republican nomination and winning the presidency are two separate challenges. He said that regardless of Trump’s influence within the GOP, the eventual nominee would still have to campaign nationally and convince voters that the Republican agenda deserves their support.

“Look, I think there’s a lot of value. There is a lot of value to going and making the best case that we can to the American people. Because while Donald Trump will ultimately decide who’s going to be the Republican nominee, you have a general election, 330 million Americans are going to decide who the president of the United States is,” Vance said.

Trump’s political influence has already played a decisive role in Vance’s career. During the 2022 Republican Senate primary in Ohio, Vance was struggling to gain momentum and was trailing rivals Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel in polling. Trump’s endorsement shortly before the primary dramatically changed the dynamics of the contest, helping Vance secure the nomination and ultimately win election to the Senate.

The president has continued to demonstrate his ability to shape Republican primaries. Earlier this year, Trump backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate challenge against incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton went on to secure the Republican nomination, providing another example of the influence Trump’s support carries among GOP voters.

Vance’s remarks come as speculation intensifies over who will inherit leadership of the Republican Party when Trump completes his second term. Although the vice president is widely regarded as a leading potential contender, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also emerged as a possible successor, with reports indicating that some Trump advisers favor Rubio as the party’s next presidential nominee.

Trump has previously spoken favorably about both men, describing Vance and Rubio as a potential political “dream team,” but has stopped short of formally choosing a successor.

In his recent interview with Spicer, Vance also explained that family considerations would weigh heavily on any decision to pursue the presidency. The vice president, who has four young children, said he would need to determine whether a presidential campaign and the responsibilities of the office could be reconciled with his obligations at home.

For now, Vance says his immediate attention remains on the November midterm elections, where Republicans are battling to preserve their congressional majorities. He has indicated that he expects to give more serious consideration to his own political future after those elections conclude.

{Matzav.com}

Forty-two Chabad yeshiva bochurim returning to Eretz Yisroel after spending a year learning at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights were detained by Israeli military police at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning, in a major enforcement operation that has sparked outrage throughout the Chabad community and prompted intervention by senior rabbonim and government officials.

The bochurim, most of them approximately 19 or 20 years old, had just completed their year of kevutza, the longstanding Chabad program in which Israeli yeshiva students spend an extended period learning at the movement’s world headquarters in Brooklyn.

Their return home took an unexpected turn when military police, who had reportedly received advance information about the group’s arrival, were waiting at the airport to detain students whose military status had not been regularized.

Approximately 80 bochurim were aboard the flight from New York. Initial statements from Chabad representatives indicated that 25 students had been detained, but subsequent military reports placed the number at 42.

According to accounts from the scene, the bochurim were stopped at passport control, where their documents were examined and those identified as having unresolved military obligations were separated from the other passengers.

Some had their passports confiscated before being taken into military custody. Military authorities had arranged additional personnel and transportation in anticipation of the group’s arrival.

Families who had been waiting at the airport to welcome their sons home after more than a year abroad were left distressed as the bochurim were taken away without being permitted to reunite with their relatives.

The detained students were transported to the IDF induction center at Tel Hashomer for military proceedings, where they were offered the possibility of avoiding immediate imprisonment by agreeing to enlist.

According to an IDF statement issued later Tuesday, 27 of the 42 detained bochurim agreed before a military judge to enter military service. They were found fit for service, received suspended prison sentences and were permitted to return home pending the beginning of their enlistment process.

Another 13 students initially refused to agree to enlist and were sentenced to military imprisonment, according to the IDF’s account. Two additional bochurim, whose military authorities said had been evading service for more than 540 days, were transferred directly to military prison.

However, Chabad community reports subsequently indicated that intervention by askanim had secured the release of the 13 students who had initially refused enlistment, although they would still be required to appear before a military judge. According to those reports, two bochurim remained imprisoned.

The differing accounts reflect developments throughout the day as rabbonim, community representatives and government officials worked to resolve the situation.

The arrests have drawn particular attention because Chabad has historically maintained a separate understanding with Israeli military authorities regarding the enlistment of its yeshiva students.

Under the longstanding arrangement, bochurim were permitted to complete their yeshiva studies, including their year of kevutza in New York, before entering military service at a later stage.

Many Chabad chassidim subsequently enlisted in the IDF, and the arrangement was regarded within the community as an important accommodation allowing young men to complete their Torah studies before fulfilling military obligations.

However, changes to the legal framework governing yeshiva deferments disrupted the arrangement, leaving numerous Chabad bochurim without a clear mechanism for regularizing their military status.

Chabad representatives have reportedly submitted several proposals intended to restore an acceptable framework, but those efforts have not yet produced a new agreement.

In June, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz reportedly instructed military officials to develop an alternative arrangement after concerns emerged that eliminating the previous system could ultimately reduce enlistment among Chabad students.

The absence of a replacement has left returning bochurim vulnerable to detention, particularly when their unresolved military status is identified during passport inspections.

Following Tuesday’s arrests, the Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad issued a statement explaining that its members had been in contact with the relevant authorities even before the flight arrived.

“The members of the Beis Din are in direct contact with the various authorities through a special representative appointed for this purpose,” the statement said.

The rabbonim added that preparations had been made in coordination with the families and military officials in anticipation of possible difficulties when the students returned.

“The members of the Beis Din have been working in recent days, and continue working at this very hour, to ensure that the students receive humane treatment and, following the resolution of their status with the military authorities, are released as quickly as possible to their homes and families.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the arrests during an interview with Kol Barama radio Tuesday morning, describing the situation as unacceptable and warning that coercive measures could undermine efforts to resolve the chareidi draft controversy.

“We must preserve the world of Torah, because it is what preserved us,” Netanyahu declared.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu also sharply criticized the arrests, arguing that the enforcement operation would ultimately damage military recruitment rather than encourage it.

“The arrest of Chabad chassidim returning from a period of study in the United States was not intended to increase recruitment rates, but precisely the opposite,” Eliyahu said.

“Most Chabad chassidim enlist and share the burden. For years, they had a special enlistment track, until the judicial system cancelled it. Today’s arrests only harm recruitment and harm the charedim who do enlist.”

Eliyahu further alleged that senior legal officials had pressured the military to conduct arrests during the final week before Israel’s October 27 Knesset elections.

MK Meir Porush, who has been involved in efforts to resolve the status of Chabad yeshiva students, said he was working directly with military and defense officials following the detentions.

“I have worked in the past, and throughout the past year as well, to regulate the status of Chabad yeshiva bochurim. I am now in contact with officials in the IDF and Defense Ministry in an effort to assist the temimim who were arrested this morning at Ben Gurion Airport.”

The IDF defended its actions, maintaining that the bochurim were legally obligated to enlist and that military authorities were enforcing existing law.

“The Military Police routinely enforces the Defense Service Law, including at border crossings, in coordination with relevant authorities, including the Population and Immigration Authority,” the military said.

The IDF added that it would continue to enforce enlistment requirements equally and ensure compliance with the obligation to serve.

The arrests come amid an escalating confrontation over the military draft, with yeshiva bochurim increasingly facing detention when their unresolved status is discovered during encounters with police or border authorities.

The timing has intensified the controversy, coming exactly one week before Israel’s national elections and amid growing frustration within the chareidi community over the government’s failure to establish a lasting arrangement protecting full-time Torah learners.

For Chabad families, the immediate concern remains the fate of the bochurim still facing military proceedings and the possibility of further arrests as additional students return to Eretz Yisroel from their year of learning in Crown Heights.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has canceled more than 300,000 visas issued to foreign nationals since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, marking what the State Department describes as the most aggressive visa revocation campaign in American history.

State Department officials disclosed the new figures Tuesday, explaining that the administration has been systematically withdrawing visas from individuals implicated in criminal offenses, immigration fraud, public safety concerns, and activities deemed threatening to national security.

Among those affected are at least 4,000 foreign nationals whose visas were revoked over their involvement in so-called birth tourism, a practice in which individuals travel to the United States for the purpose of giving birth so their children can obtain American citizenship.

The administration says its enforcement campaign reflects a broader effort to ensure that foreign nationals who receive permission to enter the United States comply with American laws and immigration requirements.

“With over 300,000 revocations, the Trump administration has revoked more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history,” added State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

Pigott emphasized that the government intends to continue identifying visa holders whose conduct violates immigration rules or raises security concerns, warning that the administration will take additional action whenever necessary.

“Let the message be clear: we have zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud, or undermine our national security. We are taking, and will continue to take, action to keep our borders, and our nation, secure.”

The State Department did not immediately release a breakdown identifying the countries of origin of the individuals whose visas were canceled. Officials also did not specify how many of those affected were physically present in the United States when their visas were revoked.

The latest figures represent a significant increase from numbers released just weeks earlier. In September, the department reported that approximately 250,000 visas had been revoked since Trump began his second term, indicating that the total has since risen by at least 50,000.

The accelerating pace of enforcement has been particularly pronounced during 2026, as the administration has expanded its scrutiny of visa holders and applicants. By comparison, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs reviewed approximately 23,000 visa revocation cases during 2025, according to the figures cited in the report.

The department has also provided information about the types of criminal activity that contributed to visa cancellations last year.

Approximately 25% of the visas revoked in 2025 were associated with assault or related offenses, while 22% involved driving under the influence. Theft accounted for another 7%, and an additional 7% were linked to drug possession, substance abuse, or narcotics distribution.

These figures illustrate the administration’s emphasis on withdrawing immigration privileges from individuals whose conduct, according to federal officials, demonstrates that they should no longer be permitted to travel to the United States under previously issued visas.

{Matzav.com}

A group of prominent gedolei Torah has issued a joint public letter calling on the chareidi community to participate in the upcoming elections in Israel, warning that the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the future of Torah institutions, yeshivos, and chareidi families.

The letter, titled “A Call to Klal Yisroel Regarding the Upcoming Elections,” bears the signatures of leading rabbonim and roshei yeshiva from across the chareidi community. It presents voting as a matter of communal responsibility, emphasizing that the political decisions made in the coming period could affect the ability of the Torah community to preserve its institutions and way of life.

The appeal comes amid considerable political tension surrounding the future of yeshiva bochurim, military conscription, and government policies affecting the chareidi population. Against that backdrop, the rabbonim stress the importance of maintaining political representation that operates under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel.

“Throughout the generations, Klal Yisroel has stood firm in hard times by holding fast to Torah and to those who carry its banner. This responsibility falls on us,” the letter says.

The signatories describe the present political climate as one marked by developments that would previously have seemed unimaginable, and warn that the consequences of the upcoming elections will extend well beyond the immediate political contest.

“The past period has brought decisions affecting the chareidi community that none of us imagined we would see. The coming elections will shape the years ahead for our yeshivos, our mosdos, and our children,” the letter states.

The rabbonim go on to emphasize the significance of every individual vote, arguing that low turnout among chareidi voters could weaken the community’s political influence.

“This is not a time to stand on the side. Every vote adds strength to those who represent us faithfully, under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel. Every vote that stays home weakens us, and in practice strengthens the left,” the letter declares.

The statement concludes with a direct appeal to eligible voters to take an active role in the election and encourage participation among members of their households.

“We turn to every man and woman eligible to vote: this is your achrayus and your zechus. Go out, bring your household, and vote,” the rabbonim write.

The letter carries the signatures of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka; Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, rosh yeshiva of Gateshead; Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein, rosh yeshiva of Yad Aharon; Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, rosh yeshiva of Mir; Rav Elya Brudny, rosh yeshiva of Mir Brooklyn; Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Telz; Rav Yeruchem Olshin, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha; Rav Yitzchok Berkovits, rosh yeshiva of Aish HaTorah; and the two Novominsker Rebbes, Rav Yehoshua Perlow and Rav Yisroel Perlow.

The letter comes amid growing concern within United Torah Judaism over voter apathy and dissatisfaction among segments of the chareidi electorate. Some voters have expressed frustration with the party’s handling of the military draft controversy, while others have considered supporting alternative chareidi lists or abstaining altogether.

Those concerns have prompted an intensified effort by senior rabbonim and political representatives to reinforce support for the established chareidi parties ahead of the October 27 election.

Over the weekend, leading members of Degel HaTorah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah gathered in Bnei Brak for an emergency election meeting, where speakers stressed the obligation to vote and warned against allowing political frustration to undermine the community’s representation in the Knesset.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch has also spoken forcefully against abstention or voting for competing parties, emphasizing the importance of supporting the political representatives operating under the direction of Gedolei Yisroel.

Meanwhile, support for United Torah Judaism has been reinforced by developments within the chassidishe community, including public endorsements from Belz and other groups. The party is seeking to consolidate its traditional electoral base during the final days of the campaign.

United Torah Judaism and Shas have also signed a surplus-vote agreement for the election, reflecting their continued cooperation on matters affecting Torah learning, yeshiva bochurim, and chareidi educational institutions.

{Matzav.com}

The attack on the Stoliner Rebbe by extremists in Beit Shemesh has sparked widespread outrage throughout the chareidi community, with two Israeli newspapers, Hamodia and Hamevaser, issuing unusually forceful condemnations of the incident and calling for action against those responsible.

The Rebbe was targeted while leaving a family simcha in Beit Shemesh, when a group of unruly young men reportedly confronted him and threw objects in his direction. The incident has prompted sharp criticism across the chareidi community, with the newspapers describing the attack as an intolerable violation of the honor due to gedolei Yisroel.

Hamodia devoted prominent coverage to the incident on its front page, publishing a report under the headline, “Shock, Revulsion and Condemnations Throughout the Entire Chareidi Community Following a Disgraceful Attack on One of the Greatest and Most Distinguished Rebbes.”

The newspaper described the confrontation as a deeply troubling incident that had generated condemnation from across the spectrum of chareidi Jewry.

Hamevaser adopted similarly strong language, running its coverage under the headline, “Outrage and Revulsion Throughout All Segments of Torah-Observing Jewry Following the Despicable Attack on the Stoliner Rebbe.”

Its report detailed how the Rebbe had traveled to Beit Shemesh to participate in a family celebration and was subjected to harassment by a group of reckless young men as he departed the venue.

The newspaper emphasized that the incident involved an affront to a revered leader who has devoted his life to spreading Torah and guiding his community.

Beyond its news coverage, Hamevaser published a sharply worded editorial under the headline, “Alas! How Much Longer?”

The editorial condemned individuals who claim to be acting on ideological or religious principles while resorting to violence and intimidation against rabbonim and rebbes.

“Chareidi Jewry, from one end of the spectrum to the other, is horrified and shaken,” the editorial declared.

The newspaper warned that such behavior reflects a disturbing deterioration in the moral and educational standards of those involved, particularly when young people attempt to justify acts of aggression in the name of Torah.

The editorial also criticized the broader atmosphere that allows such incidents to occur, questioning how individuals who profess allegiance to Torah values could engage in conduct that humiliates and endangers respected Torah leaders.

“How much longer must we endure the fists of the ignorant and those who possess excessive strength?” the editorial asked.

The newspaper called upon communal leaders and those responsible for educating the younger generation to confront the phenomenon and take meaningful steps to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.

Both Hamodia and Hamevaser stressed that the attack must not be viewed as an internal matter involving a particular chassidus. Rather, they characterized it as an offense against the dignity of Torah leadership that demands a response from the entire chareidi community.

The newspapers also called for those responsible to be held accountable, warning that allowing such behavior to pass without consequences would risk encouraging further acts of harassment and violence against rabbonim and rebbes.

{Matzav.com}

MK Yitzchok Goldknopf revealed Monday that the Gerer Rebbe has warned that a decline in United Torah Judaism’s electoral strength would constitute a chillul Hashem, underscoring the importance the Rebbe places on maintaining the political representation of the chareidi community in the upcoming Knesset elections.

Goldknopf made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of Ger serving in local municipalities, as preparations intensify for Israel’s October 27 election.

“The Ger Rebbe told me that if United Torah Judaism loses strength, it will be a chillul Hashem,” Goldknopf told the gathering, according to the Hebrew report.

The statement comes just days after the Ger Rebbe issued a personal appeal to his chassidim to participate in the election and cast their ballots for United Torah Judaism, bringing an apparent end to weeks of uncertainty over whether Ger would mobilize its substantial voting base.

In a message published in Hamodia on Sunday, the Rebbe called upon members of the chassidus to support the party, whose ballot symbol is the Hebrew letter gimmel.

“As the elections approach, I hereby ask all members of our community to vote for the United Torah Judaism and Shabbos list, whose symbol is Gimmel, Agudas Yisroel,” the Rebbe wrote, according to a translation of the Hebrew announcement.

The Rebbe concluded his message with a bracha that the participation of his chassidim should lead to an increase in kavod Shomayim.

The public endorsement represented a significant development following a period of strained relations between Ger and other factions within United Torah Judaism, particularly Degel HaTorah.

The dispute centered largely on the ongoing battle over the military draft of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim. Ger had taken a more confrontational position toward the government over the failure to advance legislation protecting the status of bnei yeshiva, while other elements within the chareidi political leadership favored a different approach.

The disagreement had become so serious that concerns arose within United Torah Judaism that Ger might refrain from actively encouraging its chassidim to vote, potentially depriving the party of tens of thousands of ballots.

Political reports suggested that the chassidus accounts for approximately 30,000 votes, making its participation an important consideration for United Torah Judaism.

The uncertainty intensified last week amid reports of disagreements involving Goldknopf, Degel HaTorah representatives, and other senior figures within Agudas Yisroel.

Efforts to resolve the dispute included a lengthy meeting Thursday between United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher and Goldknopf, during which the two sought to address the outstanding differences and restore cooperation ahead of Election Day.

Further discussions followed, and by Motzoei Shabbos, an agreement had reportedly been reached that paved the way for the Rebbe’s public appeal.

{Matzav.com}

Federal agents descended on multiple locations across New York City on Tuesday morning, including at least two sites in Boro Park, Brooklyn, as part of a sweeping investigation into suspected healthcare fraud. The coordinated law enforcement activity comes on the same day that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are preparing to announce a new $25 million federal program offering financial rewards to individuals who help expose fraud involving taxpayer funds.

The FBI confirmed that agents, working alongside other federal and local law enforcement agencies, were carrying out operations in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and additional locations throughout New York City. Federal law enforcement sources told CBS News New York that the searches were connected to an investigation involving alleged healthcare fraud.

In Boro Park, one of the locations targeted was near the intersection of Fort Hamilton Parkway and 51st Street. Federal authorities also conducted an operation at a storefront on Eighth Avenue near 41st Street, where video footage showed at least eight law enforcement personnel at the scene.

Some of the agents were wearing jackets identifying them as members of Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative division of the Department of Homeland Security. The operation involved multiple agencies working together to execute federal search warrants.

“FBI New York, along with multiple other law enforcement agencies are conducting law enforcement activity in the area of Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and other locations around New York City in connection with ongoing federal investigations,” a spokesperson said.

Although federal sources identified healthcare fraud as the focus of the searches, authorities have not publicly identified the individuals or businesses suspected of wrongdoing, disclosed the amount of money potentially involved, or announced whether anyone has been taken into custody.

It also remains unclear whether all the locations searched Tuesday are connected to a single investigation or whether the operations involve several separate cases.

The raids unfolded against the backdrop of an intensified nationwide effort by the Trump administration to combat fraud in government-funded programs, particularly those involving healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal benefits.

In Washington, President Trump and Vice President Vance are scheduled to appear together in the Oval Office Tuesday afternoon to formally introduce the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, known as WHIP.

The new initiative will establish a $25 million fund to reward individuals who provide information leading to successful prosecutions or significant federal enforcement actions involving fraud against the government.

Under the program, whistleblowers may qualify for payments of up to $30,000 if their tips result in a fraud conviction or another major enforcement action. The Justice Department will oversee the initiative, with members of the public directed to submit information through the federal government’s fraud.gov website.

The administration says the initiative is intended to encourage ordinary Americans, independent investigators, and others with knowledge of fraudulent activity to come forward with information that could help federal authorities identify and prosecute individuals stealing taxpayer money.

White House spokesperson Lauren Bis described the program as another component of the administration’s aggressive campaign against the misuse of federal funds.

“Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve. This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans,” Bis said.

The president is also expected to recognize independent journalist and YouTube personality Nick Shirley during Tuesday’s Oval Office event, presenting him with a $10,000 check for his investigative work highlighting suspected fraud involving government-funded childcare programs in Minnesota.

Shirley attracted national attention in December 2025 after releasing a widely circulated video examining childcare facilities operated by members of Minnesota’s Somali community. His reporting raised questions about whether certain facilities were legitimately providing services while collecting substantial amounts of taxpayer funding.

Some of Shirley’s allegations were disputed, and state inspectors reported that facilities they examined were operating as expected. However, federal investigations into fraud involving Minnesota childcare and nutrition programs have also resulted in criminal charges and convictions.

Among those prosecuted was Fahima Egeh Mahamud, the former head of a Minnesota childcare facility featured in Shirley’s reporting. Mahamud pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges connected to fraudulent reimbursement claims.

According to federal prosecutors, Mahamud was involved in schemes that included millions of dollars in improper childcare assistance claims and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent federal nutrition program reimbursements.

The White House has pointed to Shirley’s work as an example of how independent reporting and information supplied by members of the public can help draw attention to suspected abuses of government programs.

The whistleblower initiative follows the creation of Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March, with Vance appointed to lead the administration-wide effort.

Since its establishment, the task force has focused on identifying improper payments, strengthening eligibility verification procedures, and investigating suspected fraud across multiple federal assistance programs.

Among the measures announced by the administration are reviews of hundreds of thousands of Affordable Care Act enrollments, restrictions on certain Medicaid reimbursements, and enforcement actions involving Medicare providers suspected of improper billing.

Last month, Vance announced that approximately 750,000 Affordable Care Act enrollments would be terminated because of suspected fraudulent or improper enrollment, with an additional 450,000 cases placed under review.

Federal authorities have also intensified scrutiny of medical equipment suppliers, hospice providers, and other healthcare businesses receiving payments through government-funded insurance programs.

The Justice Department has made healthcare fraud a major enforcement priority. According to federal figures released Tuesday, its healthcare fraud strike forces have charged more than 6,200 defendants since 2007 in cases involving over $45 billion in alleged fraudulent billings to federal healthcare programs and private insurers.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Ber, held a meeting with representatives of Mishmeres HaShabbos to discuss the halachic challenges posed by modern technology and the growing need to ensure that new electrical and electronic systems comply with the requirements of Shabbos.

The meeting focused on the work of Mishmeres HaShabbos, an organization dedicated to examining technological developments and identifying potential problems that can arise when electronic equipment and automated systems are used on Shabbos.

The delegation was headed by Rav Eliyahu Beifus, chairman of Mishmeres HaShabbos, and included Rav Shmuel Yosef Shtitzberg and Rav Eli Friedman. Rav Rafael Frank, secretary of the Chief Rabbinate Council, also participated in the meeting.

Rav Ber welcomed the delegation and praised the organization’s efforts to address technological developments that could lead to inadvertent Shabbos violations.

“This is holy work,” Rav Ber told the visitors. “And observing Shabbos will certainly protect and benefit the Jewish people and bring them many merits.”

Representatives of Mishmeres HaShabbos explained that modern construction has introduced a range of sophisticated computerized systems into residential buildings, many of which operate automatically through sensors and digital controls.

They noted that residents of newly constructed apartment buildings may unknowingly activate electronic equipment simply by performing ordinary activities, including opening a faucet, entering a lobby, walking through a stairwell, or using a building’s garbage disposal facilities.

Among the systems discussed were electronically controlled water pumps, digital water meters, motion-activated lighting, electronic entrance doors, intercom systems, and sensors installed in garbage chutes.

The representatives explained that these technologies are particularly common in high-rise residential buildings, where computerized systems are increasingly integrated into the building’s basic infrastructure.

According to the organization, growing awareness of the problem has prompted numerous construction companies, including some of Israel’s leading real estate developers, to seek halachic guidance before installing these systems.

Rav Shtitzberg described the many inquiries received from residents throughout Eretz Yisroel and discussed technological solutions developed by Mishmeres HaShabbos in cooperation with manufacturers and engineering companies.

He emphasized that the most effective approach is to address potential Shabbos problems while a building is still being designed.

When halachic supervision is incorporated into the original construction plans and included in agreements with developers, the necessary systems can be installed in a manner compatible with Shabbos observance.

Attempting to modify computerized equipment after residents have already moved into a building, he explained, is considerably more complicated and expensive.

During the discussion, Rav Ber raised an additional issue involving the use of modern technology in commercial kashrus supervision.

The chief rabbi suggested examining whether remotely controlled cooking systems could help address the halachic requirements of bishul akum, particularly in large commercial kitchens where non-Jewish employees prepare food.

Hotels, institutional kitchens, and catering facilities frequently employ non-Jewish cooking staff, creating a need for appropriate Jewish participation in the cooking process under the applicable halachic standards.

Rav Ber proposed exploring a supervised technological system that would allow a Jewish mashgiach to activate cooking equipment remotely.

Such a system, if found halachically acceptable, could potentially provide another option for kashrus agencies overseeing large kitchens.

The proposal would require a detailed examination of the technology and the relevant halachic considerations before any system could receive approval.

Following the discussion, Rav Ber requested that Mishmeres HaShabbos prepare a comprehensive memorandum for consideration by the Chief Rabbinate Council.

The proposed document would address the need for halachic oversight of computerized equipment in newly constructed high-rise buildings, as well as electronic systems installed in shuls and mikvaos.

Modern mikvaos and shuls increasingly rely on computerized heating, filtration, pumping, and monitoring equipment, raising questions about their operation on Shabbos.

The memorandum would outline the areas requiring supervision, including digital water meters, pumps, electronic sensors, and computerized control systems.

The document is expected to be submitted for review and, subject to approval, published under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Rav Ariel Cohen, director-general of Mishmeres HaShabbos, expressed appreciation for the chief rabbi’s encouragement and his interest in expanding the organization’s work.

“We had the privilege of presenting to Chief Rabbi Rav Kalman Ber the organization’s extensive activities and the new halachic questions brought about by technological development,” Rav Cohen said.

“We received substantial and practical encouragement, both in the field of construction and in developing additional solutions, such as in the field of kashrus and similar areas.”

Rav Cohen said the organization has already begun advancing the matters discussed during the meeting, with particular emphasis on increasing awareness of the importance of halachic supervision before new technologies are installed.

“We are already working to advance the issues raised at the meeting, with the aim of expanding awareness of the need for early halachic supervision and ensuring that modern systems are adapted to the requirements of halacha before they are put into use,” he said.

“With Hashem’s help, we will soon be able to bring the public additional developments that will assist in properly observing Shabbos and enhancing its observance.”

{Matzav.com}

An unusual gathering involving approximately 300 supporters of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok chassidus took place in northern Eretz Yisroel, with participants arriving from the United States for a special event attended by the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe at Kever Choni Hame’agel in Chatzor Haglilis.

The event attracted attention because of its elaborate travel arrangements, which included a private helicopter flight from Ben Gurion Airport to the northern part of the country, allowing the visiting supporters to reach the gathering without the lengthy drive from the airport.

The gathering brought together American donors and supporters of the chassidus for an occasion centered on the Rebbe and the historic kever of Choni Hame’agel, the renowned Tanna whose tefillos for rain are recorded in the Gemara.

The gathering, known as Vaharikosi, was organized as part of a major fundraising campaign to complete the construction and renovation of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok central bais medrash in Meah Shearim, Yerushalayim.

Approximately 300 chassidim and supporters who had contributed substantial sums toward the building project were invited to participate in the event, which took place on 7 Cheshvan, a date associated with the beginning of the request for rain in Eretz Yisroel.

The Rebbe personally traveled to Chatzor Haglilis despite reported health difficulties and the considerable demands of the journey. His arrival was greeted with singing and considerable excitement among the assembled chassidim.

During the gathering, the Rebbe addressed those present, offering words of chizuk and brachos to the supporters who had undertaken major commitments toward the completion of the bais medrash.

A special address was delivered by Rav Yehuda Deutsch, a prominent mashpia, who spoke about the significance of the day and the location, preparing the participants for the central portion of the gathering.

Among the leading supporters were R’ Shmili Horowitz and R’ Shemaya Reich, two major American donors to the building fund, who arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Because of the timing of their arrival, special arrangements were made for a private helicopter to transport the two men directly from the airport to Chatzor Haglilis.

The helicopter landed near the site of the gathering, where the Rebbe and hundreds of supporters were waiting.

The two donors subsequently presented the Rebbe with substantial financial commitments toward the completion of the central bais medrash.

One of the most memorable moments occurred when the Rebbe, while remaining seated, participated in a special dance with the two American supporters, holding their hands as the assembled chassidim sang.

The moment recalled a similar occasion on Rosh Hashanah, when the same two donors had participated in a special dance with the Rebbe.

At the conclusion of the gathering, the Rebbe personally distributed a special kameia to each of the approximately 300 supporters in recognition of their contributions to the building project.

The kameios were presented as a segulah for protection, health, livelihood, and success, accompanied by the Rebbe’s brachos.

The event also included an unusual development involving Rav Yehuda Deutsch, who was in the middle of the sheva brachos celebrations for his son’s wedding.

Having traveled north to participate in the gathering, Rav Deutsch needed to return to Yerushalayim in time for the main sheva brachos celebration scheduled for that evening.

The two American donors offered him a seat aboard their helicopter for the return journey, allowing him to avoid the lengthy drive south.

Rav Deutsch accompanied them on the helicopter flight back toward central Eretz Yisroel and was able to reach the sheva brachos celebration in Yerushalayim on time.

The elaborate gathering was coordinated by Impact Productions as part of the chassidus’s fundraising efforts to complete its central bais medrash in Meah Shearim.

ה הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר

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הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר

הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מתוא”י בחוני המעגלצילום: שוקי לרר

{Matzav.com}

Shas MK Michael Malkieli has issued a sharp warning to chareidi voters ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections, declaring that staying home or supporting parties unlikely to enter the Knesset could help bring to power politicians seeking to undermine Torah institutions, religious education, and the Jewish character of the state.

In an interview with Kol Chai Radio, Malkieli singled out Yair Golan, Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett, arguing that a decline in chareidi voter turnout could have far-reaching consequences.

“When Yair Golan talks about dismantling haredi society and removing religion from the public sphere, he is counting precisely on that bitter haredi voter who decides to stay home or vote for a fringe party that will not cross the electoral threshold,” Malkieli declared.

“Every wasted vote weakens the faith-based camp and actively hands power to Golan, Lapid, Liberman, and Bennett. This is not merely a political statement, but a direct struggle over the very identity of the Jewish state and the honor of Heaven.”

Malkieli argued that chareidi voters who are frustrated by the failure to resolve the military draft crisis must consider what could happen if parties hostile to the chareidi community gain control of the government.

He pointed to the previous government’s efforts to change Israel’s kashrus system and Chief Rabbinate as examples of policies that could return under a different coalition.

“Unlike us, when the left comes to power, it has no legal advisers bothering it and no petitions to the Supreme Court blocking it,” Malkieli said. “We saw what happened when there was a Religious Affairs Minister who sought to dismantle the kashrut system and the Chief Rabbinate. Those measures went through quickly.”

He also warned that the next government will have considerable influence over Israel’s judicial and legal establishment through a series of senior appointments.

“During the next term, extremely consequential appointments will be made: Supreme Court justices, the Attorney General, the State Attorney, and the State Comptroller,” Malkieli said.

“If we abandon the arena, the haredi public will suffer from appointments that will shape the country in a disconnected spirit for the next 30 years.”

The Shas lawmaker said the potential consequences extend well beyond political appointments, warning that a left-wing government could target the independence of chareidi educational institutions.

“They do not intend to stop at the large educational networks, but to reach even the exemption institutions and the most traditional Torah education,” Malkieli warned.

“Within a short time, we could find ourselves fighting for the very right to study Torah.”

Malkieli acknowledged that the chareidi parties have not succeeded in securing a comprehensive solution to the legal status of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim, a failure that has generated considerable dissatisfaction among voters.

Nevertheless, he insisted that withdrawing from the political process would only make matters worse.

“Despite the complexities and the fact that the issue of regulating the status of yeshiva students has not yet been fully resolved, our obligation now is not to sit with folded arms, but to influence traditional voters in the periphery and ensure strong Torah representation that will protect the sacred institutions of Israel,” he said.

In a separate interview Monday evening with broadcaster Avi Mimran, Malkieli reiterated that Shas intends to support a right-wing government headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while demanding that the legal status of those learning Torah be addressed as a central condition in coalition negotiations.

He also rejected claims that Shas operates without the guidance of its rabbinical leadership, pointing to the involvement of Rav Yitzchok Yosef and members of the Shas Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah in the party’s election campaign.

{Matzav.com}

A disturbing incident involving a yeshiva bochur arrested over his failure to enlist in the IDF has sparked outrage in Eretz Yisroel after he was brought to a hospital emergency room with his hands and feet shackled, despite being in custody over a military draft violation rather than a violent offense.

The incident occurred at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, where the bochur was escorted by military personnel while restrained with handcuffs and leg irons. Photographs of the young man sitting in the hospital while shackled circulated widely Monday, prompting sharp criticism of the treatment being given to yeshiva students arrested amid the ongoing confrontation over chareidi military conscription.

According to a report by Channel 14 journalist Yehuda Aharoni, the incident came to light after another person waiting in the emergency room noticed the bochur being brought inside under guard.

The witness described his astonishment at seeing a visibly chareidi young man restrained in a manner generally associated with dangerous criminal suspects.

“I see a yeshiva bochur coming in, handcuffed at his hands and feet, as though he were the worst criminal,” the witness recounted.

The man said he managed to speak briefly with the bochur while they were sitting near one another, quietly asking why he had been arrested.

According to the witness, the young man explained that his arrest was connected to his status as a yeshiva student who had not reported for military service.

“He tells me that his only crime is that he learns Torah,” the witness said.

The bochur reportedly resides in Kiryat Malachi, although the witness was unable to determine which yeshiva he attends.

The conversation was cut short when the personnel accompanying the detainee noticed the exchange and moved him to another location in the hospital.

The witness said that even an Arab individual who observed the scene appeared taken aback by the sight of the handcuffed bochur and offered him words of encouragement.

“Be strong. They’re arresting you only because you learn Torah. Kol hakavod,” the man reportedly told the detainee.

The account drew considerable attention in the chareidi community, particularly because of the contrast between the nature of the alleged offense and the extensive physical restraints used while the bochur was receiving medical attention.

According to the IDF, the bochur had been taken into custody the previous Friday at the Taba border crossing, where he allegedly attempted to leave Eretz Yisroel despite an active order prohibiting his departure from the country because of his unresolved military draft status.

Following his arrest by military police, he was transferred to a military detention facility. The army said the young man requested medical attention upon arriving at the facility and was subsequently examined. Medical personnel then determined that he should be transported to the emergency department at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.

Responding to the controversy, the IDF defended the use of restraints, maintaining that the decision had been made in accordance with established procedures and security assessments.

“The shackling was carried out in accordance with regulations, based solely on a professional decision. Security measures are determined according to the professional considerations of the detention authorities, in order to ensure the safety of the detainee and those around him,” the IDF said in a statement translated from Hebrew.

The military did not publicly identify any specific threat posed by the bochur that necessitated restraining both his hands and feet during his hospital visit.

The incident prompted the human rights organization B’Tsalmo to intervene, with its director, Shai Glick, sending an urgent letter to Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and senior military legal officials.

Glick demanded the immediate removal of the restraints and an investigation into the decision to transport and hold the bochur in the hospital while shackled.

In his letter, Glick described the incident as “cruel, humiliating and disproportionate conduct that constitutes a severe violation of the detainee’s fundamental rights and human dignity.”

He argued that the young man was being held over a military service issue and had not been accused of violence or any offense that would ordinarily warrant such extraordinary security measures.

“This is a yeshiva student who is not a criminal offender, is not accused of violent crimes, does not endanger human life, and there is no reasonable basis to fear that he would attempt to escape while lying in a hospital and requiring medical treatment,” Glick wrote.

B’Tsalmo maintained that restraining a patient with both handcuffs and leg irons should be reserved for exceptional circumstances involving serious security risks. The organization warned that the treatment of the bochur raised concerns about possible abuse of authority.

The organization called for disciplinary action against those responsible if an investigation establishes that the restraints were unjustified. It also demanded clear instructions to prevent similar incidents involving other detainees.

“If this grave injustice is not corrected immediately, we will not hesitate to act through all the legal and public means available to us,” Glick warned.

Copies of the letter were forwarded to chareidi Knesset members, the Israel Medical Association, the Knesset Health Committee, and the office of the health minister.

The Israel Medical Association’s ethical guidelines state that detainees and prisoners should ordinarily receive medical treatment without restraints and that shackling in a medical setting should be employed only when less restrictive alternatives are insufficient.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

The Twin Miracles of Flatbush Shas Yiden!

In a recent derashah—a snippet of which went viral around the world—the renowned mashpiah, Rav Meilich Biderman, shlit”a, shared a remarkable story that transpired recently in Flatbush which attests to the power of partnering with Shas Yiden in sponsoring siyumim.

Every month, Shas Yiden’s remarkable talmidei chachamim celebrate multiple siyumim on the masechtos that they mastered that month, milestones on their monumental journey of mastering Shas, Rav Biderman explained as he told the miraculous story that transpired at the Flatbush Shas Yiden Kollel over the last few months:

For years, the Rebbetzin of the Rosh Kollel had prepared the fish and challahs for the monthly siyumim. It had become her personal zechus, a quiet act of hakaras hatov and participation in the simchas haTorah taking place each month.

At one particular siyum, a yungerman approached the Rosh Kollel with a request. His sister was an older single who was desperately waiting for her shidduch. Could she acquire the zechus of preparing the fish and challos at the siyum?

The Rosh Kollel explained that this was traditionally the Rebbetzin’s zechus, but when he presented the request, she readily agreed—but then an unexpected complication arose.

This yungerman had another sister who was also waiting for a yeshuah of her own: She had been married for five years and was still waiting for children.

How could he choose between them?

They decided to divide the zechus. One sister would receive the zechus of the fish, and the other the zechus of the challos.

And then, in Rav Meilich’s words, “Rabbosai, the yeshuah came immediately!”

The very next day, a shidduch was suggested for the first sister, and within a week, she was a kallah!

And exactly nine months later, the second sister gave birth to a baby boy.

Two sisters. Two different yeshuos. Both connected to one siyum.

We cannot predict how or when Hashem will answer a person’s tefillos. But stories like this remind us of the immeasurable power of Torah and the extraordinary privilege of becoming a partner in it.

The extraordinary talmidei chachamim of Shas Yiden around the world invest their entire essence into mastering Torah. They acquire Torah one masechta at a time, celebrating siyum after siyum—bringing so much nachas to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

There is a place for each of us in that accomplishment!

Sponsoring a monthly siyum is essentially taking part in the simchas haTorah, strengthening those who devote themselves to mastering Shas, and attaching oneself and one’s family to the eternal zechus of Torah.

Perhaps that is why Rav Meilich began and ended his story with the words: “Sichu b’chol nifl’osav, speak of Hashem’s wonders!” Tell the stories. Speak about the wonders. Recognize the extraordinary zechus that Hashem gives us.

Sponsor a Shas Yidden siyum! Become a partner in Torah. And the zechus of Torah will surely bring yeshuos and berachos to you and your family.

https://shasyiden.com/donate

Israel’s Tax Authority is renewing its push to eliminate the country’s 200-shekel banknote, arguing that restricting cash transactions could generate tens of billions of shekels in additional tax revenue annually and spare Israelis from substantial tax increases in the coming years.

Speaking Monday at the annual conference of tax advisers in Eilat, Israel Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich warned that the government faces an increasingly severe financial situation, with enormous defense expenditures and continued military operations threatening to force painful economic measures in 2027 and 2028.

According to a report by Ynet, Aharonovich said that eliminating cash transactions altogether could bring the government an additional 20 billion to 30 billion shekels annually in tax collections by combating unreported income and illegal financial activity.

“I am stating here in the clearest possible terms that if we eliminate the use of cash in Israel tomorrow, it could generate an additional 20 to 30 billion shekels in annual tax revenue and prevent other painful measures,” Aharonovich declared. “But the Bank of Israel opposes it.”

The proposal to discontinue the 200-shekel note, Israel’s highest-denomination banknote, has previously generated considerable controversy. Aharonovich nevertheless maintained that reducing the availability of cash is essential to addressing widespread tax evasion and financial misconduct.

He pointed to recent police investigations, including cases involving local municipalities, as evidence of the problems associated with large cash payments.

“We will have to eliminate some cash payments, which have already been restricted recently,” he said. “The Bank of Israel opposes eliminating the 200-shekel note, but we have seen in police investigations what happens with cash payments, including very recently in local authorities.”

Aharonovich also issued a stark warning about the government’s financial outlook, predicting that the next two national budgets will be particularly difficult.

“The budgets in 2027 and 2028 will be brutal,” he said. “Unfortunately, we do not see extraordinary economic growth coming next year, and we continue to fight on seven fronts.”

He estimated that Israel’s annual defense budget could reach approximately 200 billion shekels, with the extraordinary spending levels potentially continuing through both 2027 and 2028.

The Tax Authority chief expressed skepticism about political assurances that taxes would not increase, arguing that the next government will have little choice but to introduce significant fiscal measures unless alternative revenue sources can be identified.

“We will have to demand and implement difficult measures, from eliminating the 200-shekel note to eventually eliminating all cash,” he said.

Aharonovich disclosed that a special team within the Finance Ministry is already preparing proposals for the next government aimed at increasing revenue without immediately resorting to broad tax increases.

He also criticized what he described as excessive military reserve mobilization expenditures, suggesting that defense spending has expanded without sufficient scrutiny.

“There is a complete lack of restraint when it comes to calling up reservists, and nobody challenges the defense establishment,” he said. “It is already clear that an annual defense budget of 200 billion shekels will force the next government to raise taxes.”

Rather than immediately increasing the value-added tax or personal income tax rates, Aharonovich urged policymakers to pursue more targeted measures.

Among the possibilities under consideration is tightening legislation governing retained corporate profits, a move intended to increase government revenue from funds accumulated within companies.

He argued that such measures would be preferable to across-the-board tax increases that would directly affect consumers and wage earners.

“It would be better to take intelligent steps to finance the expensive defense budget than to seek easy solutions, such as immediately raising VAT by one percentage point and increasing income tax rates by one percentage point,” he said.

Aharonovich also criticized an earlier decision to abolish Israel’s property tax, suggesting that special interests had succeeded in eliminating a valuable government revenue source.

“A group of interested parties eliminated a good tax at the time,” he said. “If we do not come up with good, creative solutions, we will find ourselves facing a dead end, and then we will have to raise VAT and income taxes, which would be a bad solution.”

The proposal to eliminate the 200-shekel banknote is not new. In 2024, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu directed officials to examine advancing the measure as part of a broader campaign against the underground economy and the extensive use of cash in unreported transactions.

Under the proposal discussed at the time, the 200-shekel note would gradually be withdrawn from circulation before eventually being discontinued altogether.

The Bank of Israel has opposed eliminating the denomination, and no final decision has been announced to remove the banknote from circulation.

Meanwhile, Yaron Gindi, president of Israel’s Chamber of Tax Consultants, agreed during the conference that tax increases appear unavoidable, but urged the government to distribute the burden more strategically.

Gindi proposed several changes to the tax system, including eliminating the existing tax exemption on residential rental income and requiring landlords to pay taxes beginning with the first shekel earned.

He also advocated taxing capital income from the first shekel while simultaneously reducing taxes on employment income, arguing that the tax burden should shift away from workers.

Another proposal would require all Israeli citizens to submit annual income reports, a change that would substantially expand the government’s ability to monitor earnings and enforce tax compliance.

{Matzav.com}

A controversial auction of a Sefer Torah parchment desecrated by Nazi soldiers during the Holocaust was stopped at the last moment in Norway after intense diplomatic pressure from Israel prompted the auction house to purchase the sacred artifact itself, preventing it from being sold to a private collector.

The extraordinary development unfolded Monday at Valkyrie Historical Auctions in Oslo, where a section of a Sefer Torah that had been looted from Jews during World War II was scheduled to go under the hammer. Just ten minutes before bidding was set to begin, the auction house submitted its own substantial bid to secure the parchment and keep it from entering the private collectibles market.

According to the Norwegian news outlet Verdinytt, the auction house ultimately acquired the item for a technical sale price of $10,625, equivalent to approximately 100,000 Norwegian kroner. That amount included the purchase price and a 25 percent auction commission.

Rather than retaining the parchment for commercial purposes, the company intends to donate it to a Holocaust remembrance organization in San Diego, California, where it can be preserved and used to educate future generations about the destruction of European Jewry.

The parchment, containing passages from Sefer Devarim, carries a particularly horrifying history. Originally part of a Sefer Torah, the sheet was stolen from Jews during the Holocaust and apparently damaged in a fire.

Its subsequent treatment by the Nazis added another layer of desecration. A German SS soldier used the holy parchment as ordinary wrapping material to package an item being mailed to Germany.

The original markings from that shipment remain visible on the parchment. Written in pen directly on the sacred text are details identifying the military field unit from which the package was sent, along with the recipient’s address.

The artifact therefore bears physical evidence of both the Nazi persecution of European Jewry and the deliberate degradation of Jewish religious objects.

In its original auction listing, the parchment was described as “a sad and powerful symbol of the destruction of European Jewry and its culture and tradition.”

The planned sale sparked outrage after Israel’s Foreign Ministry publicly condemned the decision to auction a Sefer Torah fragment that had been stolen and desecrated during the Holocaust.

On Sunday, the ministry issued a sharply worded statement on X, describing the proposed transaction as “a moral atrocity” and demanding that Norwegian authorities intervene to prevent the sacred item from being sold.

The criticism placed considerable pressure on the Oslo auction house, which said it had advertised the item for approximately six weeks without receiving objections.

Representatives of the company maintained that the Israeli intervention came only shortly before the auction was scheduled to begin, leaving insufficient time to withdraw the item through the usual procedures.

Faced with the prospect of the parchment being acquired by a private buyer, the auction house devised an unusual solution: it entered the bidding process itself and submitted an offer high enough to ensure that the artifact would remain under its control.

The last-minute purchase effectively halted the planned private sale while allowing the company to arrange for the parchment’s transfer to an institution dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance.

“We are now working with organizations in the United States that preserve objects for educational purposes. Such an institution is a much more appropriate place for this piece than a private sale,” a company spokesman said in a statement translated from Hebrew.

The controversy also brought renewed attention to Norway’s approach to Holocaust remembrance, particularly reports that the Norwegian government intends to discontinue financial assistance for educational trips by Norwegian students to former Nazi extermination camps.

Israeli officials sharply criticized the apparent contradiction between permitting the commercial sale of sacred Jewish artifacts stolen during the Holocaust and reducing support for programs intended to educate young people about Nazi atrocities.

In its public statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry summarized the situation with a pointed comparison: “Auctions of sacred texts looted by the Nazis – IN. Visits to extermination camps – OUT.”

The ministry demanded immediate intervention by the Norwegian government, describing the planned sale as a “moral disgrace.”

The auction catalog itself had offered the parchment as an unusual Holocaust-related collectible, despite its origins as part of a Sefer Torah that had apparently been stolen from a Jewish community in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Additional reporting indicated that the auction included other Holocaust-era Jewish possessions, among them tefillin reportedly stolen by the Nazis and clothing bearing the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi persecution.

The catalog also featured Nazi memorabilia, including military insignia, propaganda material, and photographs of senior Nazi officials.

The controversy prompted Gideon Taylor, president of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, to condemn the commercialization of Jewish religious property taken during the Holocaust.

Taylor argued that sacred objects stolen from Jewish communities should be returned to the Jewish people rather than treated as ordinary merchandise available to private collectors.

He called upon Norwegian authorities to establish the identities of those involved in the sale and ensure that the parchment would be restored to an appropriate Jewish institution.

The organization also pointed to international principles concerning Nazi-looted cultural property, including recommendations endorsed by Norway in 2024 calling for such objects to be returned to their original owners, successor institutions, or organizations representing the Jewish people.

Those principles recognize that religious and cultural possessions stolen during the Holocaust carry significance far beyond their financial value and should be treated as part of the historical heritage of the communities from which they were taken.

Valkyrie Historical Auctions, which specializes in World War II and Holocaust-era artifacts, is headed by historian Norbert Podlesny, whose grandfather was imprisoned in the Majdanek concentration camp.

The company has defended its work as an effort to preserve historical objects, but the sale of the Sefer Torah parchment raised serious questions about the distinction between historical preservation and the commercial trading of sacred objects looted from Holocaust victims.

With the auction house now arranging for the parchment’s transfer to a Holocaust memorial organization in the United States, the immediate danger of the sacred artifact passing into private hands appears to have been averted.

The planned donation will allow the desecrated parchment, which survived Nazi persecution only to be used as packaging material by an SS soldier, to be preserved as testimony to the destruction of European Jewry and the extraordinary suffering inflicted upon its communities.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I watched the scenes from Kiryas Yoel yesterday and I have one question: Have we completely lost our minds?

Thousands upon thousands of Satmar schoolgirls were assembled to welcome Governor Kathy Hochul as though the queen of England had arrived. There was singing, cheering, and all the pomp and ceremony that apparently accompanies the arrival of a politician whose endorsement is considered sufficiently valuable to turn an ordinary school day into a political rally.

And then there were the men. Yes, the men. At a gathering of thousands of girls, in a community that prides itself on its extraordinary standards of tznius, men were present as part of the governor’s reception. I would love to hear the explanation for that one. All year long, we hear about tznius. We hear about this and that. We hear about the dangers of compromising standards, even slightly. Every detail matters. Every precaution matters. And then the governor comes to town and suddenly the rules seem to have developed a remarkable degree of flexibility.

Apparently, tznius is very important. Unless there’s a politician to impress.

I am not suggesting that the girls themselves did anything wrong. They were brought to an event arranged by adults. My question is directed at the people who arranged it, the people who approved it, and the people who apparently saw nothing incongruous about turning a girls’ school into a campaign spectacle.

The girls were chanting. And the men were standing on stage. Really? That’s appropriate?

And Satmar was not the only stop on this extraordinary royal tour. Hochul also visited the chassidishe communities of Rockland County, including a visit to the Skverer Rebbe in New Square. The whole day seemed designed to convey one message: This governor is a great friend of our communities, deserving of honor, admiration, and public gratitude.

Really? Kathy Hochul? The same Kathy Hochul who endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City?

The same governor who has failed to forcefully confront the mayor over his outrageous rhetoric about Israel, including his disgraceful statement on the third anniversary of October 7, when he used the occasion to accuse Israel of genocide, apartheid, and war crimes?

Consider the timing. Just days before this grand reception, Mamdani issued a statement commemorating the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. He acknowledged the atrocities committed by Hamas, but then proceeded to devote much of his statement to a sweeping attack on Israel. Jewish leaders were outraged. Others publicly denounced his remarks.

And what did Hochul do? She spoke about the horror of October 7 and said the day should not be diminished. But where was the unmistakable public rebuke of Mamdani that his remarks deserved? Where was the demand that the mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside Eretz Yisroel stop using the anniversary of a Jewish massacre as an opportunity to attack Israel?

There are legitimate questions about her political embrace of Mamdani and her unwillingness to confront him as directly as many Jewish New Yorkers believe she should.

And this is the woman we are celebrating?

I would be remiss not to mention, as an aside, that Hochul strongly supports same-gender marriage and LGBTQ+ rights, calling marriage equality a “fundamental right.” Hochul has consistently championed LGBTQ+ rights, celebrating marriage equality milestones and supporting federal and state protections like the Respect for Marriage Act. She publicly condemned and pushed back against local officials or judges attempting to deny or refuse same-gender marriage services in New York, such as criticizing a Syracuse city court judge who refused to officiate a same-gender wedding in late 2024.

What a hero! Let’s parade her out in front of thousands of Bais Yaakov girls and make them chant for her. Good idea.

There is a world of difference between maintaining a working relationship with a politician and treating that politician like a conquering hero.

There is a difference between expressing appreciation for a particular policy and staging a massive demonstration of personal admiration.

And there is certainly a difference between shtadlanus and surrendering our judgment.

The governor’s visit to Kiryas Yoel was reportedly organized in part to express appreciation for her support of religious education and a federal education tax credit. Fine. Say thank you. Send a letter. Arrange a meeting. Nobody objects to gratitude.

But why must gratitude become adulation? Why must children become political props? Why must a community that is so careful about its public image and religious standards suddenly abandon all restraint when an elected official appears?

We have been taught from childhood that Torah principles are not negotiable. We have been taught that tznius is not dependent on convenience.

So what exactly are we teaching our children when the same adults who insist upon uncompromising standards appear willing to make exceptions for a politician?

What message does a girl take home from an event like this? That the rules are absolute until somebody important walks through the door? That political influence creates its own exemptions? That there is one standard for ordinary life and another for people who control government budgets?

That thousands of girls can chant in front of chassidishe men as long as the governor is present?

We constantly invoke the importance of daas Torah. We speak about the independence of our mosdos. We pride ourselves on refusing to bend to the pressures of the outside world.

Where is that independence when politicians come calling?

There is a Chazal that every child knows: Ein adam nogeia b’muchan l’chaveiro. What is meant for a person will come to him. We are also taught that a person’s parnassah is determined by the Ribbono Shel Olam. Of course, we must make a proper hishtadlus. But hishtadlus is not a license to compromise our values, and it certainly does not require us to lose our dignity.

I am not naïve. I know how the world works. I know that politicians court voting blocs and that communal leaders negotiate for the needs of their constituents. But surely there must be some line between necessary political engagement and embarrassing public flattery.

Our communities have survived far greater challenges than an unfavorable state budget. Generations of Yidden sacrificed livelihoods, comfort, and sometimes their lives rather than compromise their convictions. Are we now supposed to believe that the price of maintaining a relationship with Albany is assembling thousands of schoolgirls to chant in front of men for the governor?

Politicians are public servants. They are supposed to serve their constituents. When they do something beneficial, we can thank them. When they do something harmful, we should criticize them. We owe them neither blind loyalty nor royal receptions.

The saddest part of this entire episode is the impression it creates. It makes the standards we preach appear negotiable. It makes our political endorsements look transactional. And it makes communities that have worked so hard to preserve their dignity appear desperate for the approval of people whose primary interest, especially two weeks before an election, is obtaining their votes.

If the governor wanted to meet the leadership of Satmar or Skver, let her meet them. If she wanted to discuss educational funding, let them discuss funding. If she wanted to understand the needs of chassidishe families, let her listen to those needs.

But why the circus? Why the cheering crowds? Why the transformation of a school into a political stage?

And why the conspicuous silence about the serious concerns surrounding the governor’s political judgment?

We should be able to appreciate a politician’s assistance without canonizing the politician. We should be able to advocate for our schools without turning our children into campaign scenery. And we should be able to maintain relationships in Albany without forgetting what we claim to stand for.

If our principles are truly principles, they ought to survive a visit from the governor.

And if they cannot, then perhaps the problem is considerably bigger than Kathy Hochul.

A Disgusted Observer

Brooklyn, NY

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[Video below.] Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has launched another sharp attack on Israel, declaring that the Jewish state should not be regarded as an American ally and accusing it of exploiting U.S. financial support while drawing the United States into military conflicts.

The comments, made during an interview with ABC News on Monday, represent the latest escalation in El-Sayed’s increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Israel, which has become a central issue in his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

“An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn’t be fighting is not an ally,” he charged.

El-Sayed went on to portray the longstanding relationship between Washington and Yerushalayim as one in which the United States is being taken advantage of, using an analogy involving a child and an unreliable friend.

“If your kid has a friend who keeps bumming off their money, talks about them behind their back, and gets them into fights with other friends, what would you tell your kid? You’d probably tell them maybe it’s not actually your friend,” he added.

The remarks come amid continuing debate over American military assistance to Israel and growing divisions within the Democratic Party over its relationship with the Jewish state.

El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination in August after narrowly defeating Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a supporter of the U.S.-Israel alliance, has repeatedly made Israel a target of his campaign rhetoric.

His criticism has gone well beyond objections to particular Israeli military policies, with the Democratic nominee making sweeping accusations against Israel’s government and questioning the legitimacy of continued American support.

During a recent appearance on MS NOW, El-Sayed characterized Israeli military operations as “bloodthirsty” and accused the country’s leadership of perpetrating genocide.

In another interview, conducted by journalist Jim Acosta, El-Sayed acknowledged that Hamas had committed war crimes but continued to level accusations against Israel’s government over its conduct during the war.

He has also called for an end to unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel and has faced criticism for repeatedly avoiding a straightforward response when questioned about Israel’s right to exist.

During an earlier campaign interview, El-Sayed described Israel’s leadership as “as evil as Hamas,” drawing further attention to his positions on the Jewish state.

His statements have raised concerns among Jewish Democrats in Michigan, a state with a substantial Arab-American population where Israel has become an especially contentious political issue.

El-Sayed also encountered criticism earlier this year over his reaction to a violent attack against Temple Israel, a Jewish congregation in West Bloomfield Township outside Detroit.

In March, authorities said Ayman Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the synagogue, setting off a fire. Ghazali died during the incident.

Reports subsequently indicated that several of Ghazali’s relatives had been killed approximately one week earlier in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.

Although El-Sayed publicly condemned the attack and antisemitism, his explanation of the circumstances surrounding the incident drew objections from Jewish community members.

In discussing the attack, El-Sayed remarked that “violence is a cycle” and that “hurt people hurt people.”

Critics argued that the language risked portraying the attack on a Jewish house of worship as an understandable consequence of events in the Middle East, rather than focusing unequivocally on the responsibility of the attacker.

The controversy eventually led El-Sayed to apologize to the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus in late August.

El-Sayed’s latest comments come less than two weeks before the November 3 election, in which he faces Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests.

The candidates have already clashed repeatedly over Israel. During an October 8 debate, El-Sayed declined to identify Iran as a greater threat to the United States than Israel, instead arguing that both countries had posed dangers in different ways.

He also accused Israel of pushing the United States into war with Iran and questioned whether American involvement had improved national security.

The controversy has created divisions among Michigan’s Jewish Democrats. Some have continued to support El-Sayed despite disagreeing with his positions on Israel, while others have publicly expressed reservations about voting for him.

El-Sayed has rejected allegations that his criticism of Israel reflects hostility toward Jews, maintaining that opposition to Israeli government policies should be distinguished from antisemitism.

Nevertheless, his repeated statements about Israel, including Monday’s declaration that the Jewish state is not an American ally, have kept the issue at the forefront of a closely contested race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said that he will not endorse Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Israel’s upcoming Knesset election, distancing himself from President Donald Trump’s public backing of the Israeli leader while insisting that his decision should not be viewed as opposition to Netanyahu.

During an interview with Mark Halperin on the program “2WAY Tonight,” Vance explained that he has no intention of becoming involved in the Israeli election scheduled for October 27, saying his political attention remains focused on the American midterm elections.

“The President has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history. I endorse American candidates, and that’s what I’m focused on is the midterm. So I’m not getting involved in the Israeli election,” Vance said when asked whether he would follow Trump’s example.

When Halperin pressed him further, Vance reiterated that he was choosing to stay out of the contest altogether rather than take a position for or against the prime minister.

“I’m not anti-endorsing him. I’m not pro-endorsing him. I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”

The vice president’s decision comes against the backdrop of reported differences between Vance and Netanyahu concerning the Trump administration’s handling of Iran, particularly its diplomatic efforts and military strategy.

Those differences became public over the summer after Vance appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and alleged that elements within the Israeli government had funded efforts intended to interfere with American diplomatic initiatives aimed at reaching an agreement with Tehran and potentially securing a ceasefire.

According to a subsequent report by Axios, Netanyahu raised the allegations directly with Vance during a meeting at Blair House in Washington, D.C., while the Israeli prime minister was visiting the United States.

Vance later disputed reports portraying the encounter as a confrontation, maintaining that the discussion had been constructive despite differences between the two leaders.

“He didn’t confront me. We had a nice and frank conversation,” he said in August.

The vice president acknowledged at the time that even close allies can disagree on major policy questions, emphasizing that such disagreements do not undermine the broader relationship between Washington and Yerushalayim.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, Israel has been a great partner. They’re an ally of the United States of America. But like France or Britain or any other ally of the United States of America, we sometimes have differences of opinion,” Vance explained.

Describing the tone of his exchange with Netanyahu, Vance called it “a pleasant but direct conversation. I didn’t feel confronted.”

The question of Iran also featured prominently in Monday’s interview, as speculation continues over whether President Trump will order additional American strikes against the Iranian regime.

Vance defended the administration’s handling of the conflict, arguing that Washington cannot simply walk away from its objectives if doing so would allow Iran to gain unacceptable leverage over the international oil market.

“Look, this could be over very quickly if the President of the United States decided to give up and allow the Iranians to control the world oil supply. I don’t think any American would actually want him to do that.”

When questioned about why the confrontation had continued beyond the timetable he had previously suggested, the vice president maintained that military and diplomatic campaigns frequently develop through multiple stages.

“There are always phases to these things.”

His latest comments follow an interview with Reuters earlier this month in which Vance discussed the administration’s requirements for bringing the seven-month conflict with Iran to an end.

According to Vance, any agreement must be accompanied by verifiable Iranian steps to curtail its nuclear enrichment activities. He indicated that the administration would not accept verbal assurances from Tehran as a substitute for concrete changes to its nuclear program.

“We’re not going to trade words for actions,” he stressed.

Vance nevertheless made clear that the United States has not ruled out a diplomatic resolution. He said the administration remains prepared to pursue an agreement if Iran demonstrates a genuine willingness to make meaningful concessions regarding its nuclear activities.

The contrasting positions of Trump and Vance have attracted attention because the president’s endorsement of Netanyahu was unusually explicit. In a statement issued Sunday, Trump praised the prime minister’s leadership during the confrontation with Iran and offered his support just nine days before Israelis head to the polls.

Trump’s endorsement came after months in which he had avoided formally backing Netanyahu, despite their longstanding political relationship. The president’s eventual decision was widely viewed as an effort to strengthen Netanyahu’s position in a closely contested election.

The vice president’s explanation has also drawn scrutiny because he previously became involved in another country’s election, traveling to Hungary earlier this year to support Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who ultimately lost his reelection bid.

Vance made his latest remarks while traveling to North Carolina to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, underscoring his stated emphasis on the November 3 American midterm elections.

The Israeli election is shaping up as a major test for Netanyahu, whose governing coalition faces an uncertain future. Recent polling has suggested that his current political bloc may fall short of the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government, although opposition parties could also face difficulties assembling a majority.

{Matzav.com}

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force has launched an investigation after anti-Israel vandals smashed a window and spray-painted threatening slogans at a Capital One bank on Manhattan’s Upper East Side early Monday morning. The attack was subsequently claimed by Palestine Action, an extremist anti-Israel organization that has been designated a terrorist group in Britain.

The vandalism occurred at approximately 7:50 a.m. at the Capital One branch on East 86th Street near Second Avenue. Authorities said someone hurled a brick through one of the bank’s windows, shattering the glass, while red spray paint was used to deface the building and its entrance with the messages “Pal Action” and “Drop Elbit.”

The slogans referred to Palestine Action and Elbit Systems, the Israeli defense manufacturer that has repeatedly been targeted by anti-Israel activists. Palestine Action has accused Capital One of maintaining financial ties with Elbit and has previously singled out the bank over its alleged involvement in financing the company’s operations.

In a statement taking responsibility for the attack, the organization claimed that Capital One had extended more than $500 million in loans to Elbit Systems, which it accused of supplying weapons used by Israel.

“We will no longer allow this country, and the companies that plague it, to be involved in the genocide of the Palestinian people without answering for their crimes,” the organization said in a statement quoted by ABC New York.

The incident prompted an immediate response from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish and represents the Upper East Side district where the bank was attacked. Menin urged police to determine whether the vandalism should be prosecuted as an antisemitic hate crime.

“The vandalism and destruction at the Capital One branch on 86th Street is deeply disturbing and unacceptable. I have been in contact with the NYPD regarding this incident and have urged an immediate investigation, including whether this is a potential antisemitic hate crime. There is no place for hate, intimidation or violence in New York City,” Menin wrote on social media, accompanying her statement with a photograph showing the damage.

Other elected officials in the area also spoke out against the destruction, as the incident added to growing concerns about the increasingly aggressive tactics employed by anti-Israel groups in New York.

The vandalism occurred on the same day that Jewish communal leaders gathered elsewhere in Manhattan for a ceremony recognizing the work of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, known as JCRC.

At Second Avenue and East 47th Street, approximately two miles from the damaged bank, officials held a street-renaming ceremony honoring the organization, which has long worked to defend Jewish interests and combat antisemitism throughout New York City.

Speaking at the gathering, JCRC CEO Mark Treyger addressed the continuing threats confronting the Jewish community and emphasized the determination of New Yorkers to resist intimidation.

“Hate can shatter glass, but it will never shatter the spirit of the Jewish people and of New Yorkers. New Yorkers were built tough, were built different, and we’re going to get through this like we always have,” Treyger said.

Police reported that nobody was injured in the attack on the bank. As of Monday, no suspects had been taken into custody, and detectives were reviewing the surrounding area for security camera recordings that might help establish who carried out the vandalism.

The investigation comes against the backdrop of troubling statistics showing that Jewish New Yorkers continue to account for a disproportionately large share of reported hate-crime victims in the city.

Figures released by the NYPD earlier this month showed that 245 of the 463 confirmed hate crimes recorded citywide during the first nine months of 2026 were directed against Jews. That means antisemitic incidents represented approximately 53 percent of all confirmed hate crimes during that period.

The total was slightly higher than during the corresponding nine months of 2025, when police recorded 242 anti-Jewish hate crimes, representing an increase of approximately 1.2 percent.

The disparity is especially striking given the size of New York City’s Jewish population. According to NYPD estimates, Jews constitute approximately 10 percent of the city’s residents, yet they were the targets of more than half of all confirmed hate crimes.

Based on those proportions, Jewish residents were targeted at approximately ten times the rate that would be expected if hate crimes were distributed evenly across population groups.

The statistics have been accompanied by a series of disturbing attacks on visibly Jewish individuals and Jewish institutions across the city.

In September, police arrested a 48-year-old Bronx man following an incident in Brooklyn in which he allegedly pursued a Jewish man while brandishing a knife and shouting Nazi slogans.

During the confrontation, the suspect allegedly yelled, “Heil f—ing Hitler.” He was subsequently charged with a hate crime.

In August, an incident at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue during Shabbos services resulted in injuries to a mispallel and damage to the property, adding to concerns about security at Jewish houses of worship.

That same month, six youths were accused of assaulting a chareidi man in Boro Park and pelting him with eggs, in another incident involving a visibly Orthodox Jewish victim.

A month earlier, on Tisha B’Av, a Jewish man was stabbed outside a shul in New York City, further intensifying concerns about the safety of Jewish residents attending religious services.

The latest attack on the Upper East Side has brought renewed attention to the challenges facing law enforcement as anti-Israel activism increasingly spills over into vandalism and intimidation.

In another development announced Monday, Queens prosecutors brought hate-crime charges against a 22-year-old man accused of repeatedly vandalizing a Jewish-owned kosher bagel shop displaying Israeli flags. The charges were added to a separate criminal case involving a fatal hit-and-run collision.

Meanwhile, the NYPD’s latest citywide figures show that although major crimes, including shootings and murders, have declined considerably during 2026, antisemitic hate crimes remain a persistent concern for Jewish communities throughout the five boroughs.

Police have not yet announced whether the Capital One vandalism will formally be classified as an antisemitic hate crime. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities seeking evidence that could identify those responsible for the destruction.

{Matzav.com}

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman declared Monday that he will refuse to join any government that includes the chareidi parties, insisting that Shas and United Torah Judaism must spend at least two full Knesset terms outside the coalition. He also vowed to block the formation of any government that does not impose compulsory military service on all Jewish and Arab citizens, without exemptions for yeshiva bochurim and avreichim.

With just eight days remaining before Israel’s October 27 elections, Lieberman outlined his political demands in an extensive interview with Yishai Cohen of Kikar HaShabbat, presenting a sweeping agenda that includes major changes to the Chief Rabbinate, the introduction of public transportation on Shabbos, changes to kashrus and geirus, and the elimination of the existing system for selecting chief rabbis.

Lieberman also ruled out supporting a minority government dependent on Arab Knesset members, even if refusing such an arrangement would leave Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in office during an extended caretaker period.

Addressing the military draft controversy, Lieberman insisted that his demand for universal conscription remains an absolute condition for joining the next government.

“I stand behind that demand today even more strongly! You saw that just yesterday there were reports of truly record levels of draft evasion. You see the rampaging, and it is no longer just the fringes, no longer just the Yerushalmi faction. When a former chief rabbi of Israel says, ‘You receive a draft notice? Tear it up, throw it into the toilet!’ All the screaming of ‘We will die rather than enlist’… We will not compromise on this. There simply will be no government.”

The interviewer pointed out that chareidi party leaders, including Aryeh Deri, Yitzchok Goldknopf, Yaakov Asher, and Meir Porush, had themselves declared in previous Kikar HaShabbat interviews that they would refuse to enter any coalition without legislation protecting the status of yeshiva students.

Lieberman dismissed the possibility of reaching an accommodation with them.

“I am telling you in advance: I will not sit in a coalition with Goldknopf and Deri. Period.”

He went further, arguing that the chareidi parties should be excluded from power for an extended period.

“They simply must, just as Moshe Rabbeinu took the Jewish people into the wilderness for 40 years, they need to spend at least two terms in the wilderness!”

Lieberman’s remarks made clear that his opposition extends beyond the current dispute over the draft law. He presented a comprehensive program to restructure the relationship between religion and the state, beginning with the Chief Rabbinate.

“A dramatic change in the Rabbinate — no more two chief rabbis! There will be one chief rabbi in the State of Israel, one chief rabbi for every city, for every local authority. We do not need two rabbis.”

He also proposed abolishing the electoral body currently responsible for choosing Israel’s chief rabbis, replacing it with an appointment process resembling that used for senior government officials.

“There will no longer be an electoral body that chooses the chief rabbis… Like any government employee. You know, like the head of the Shin Bet is appointed… The prime minister will recommend a candidate, he will go to the Grunis Committee, and from there it goes back to the government.”

Under Lieberman’s proposal, military service would become a mandatory qualification for anyone seeking to serve as chief rabbi, effectively disqualifying rabbonim who had not served in the IDF.

“Only on condition… One of the criteria: military service. There simply will not be [a chief rabbi who did not serve in the IDF].”

Lieberman also reiterated his support for public transportation on Shabbos, arguing that the current situation unfairly disadvantages people who cannot afford private vehicles or taxis.

“Absolutely! This is hypocrisy: There is public transportation on Shabbos — private cars travel, taxis operate, in Haifa you have public transportation on Shabbos. So what happens is that only someone who has no money cannot travel. Someone who cannot buy a car or cannot order a taxi cannot go out.”

Turning to kashrus, Lieberman called for eliminating the Rabbinate’s exclusive control over certification, saying he would introduce a system allowing competing providers to operate.

“There is no monopoly on kashrus!… It will be free, there will be no more monopolies.”

On geirus, Lieberman said he would demand implementation of the recommendations advanced by former Justice Minister Moshe Nissim, whose proposals sought to reorganize Israel’s conversion system.

“We demand the Nissim framework, the full Nissim report on conversion. He submitted a report, and it is difficult to accuse Moshe Nissim of being an enemy of the Jewish people or of not understanding Judaism.”

Lieberman devoted another portion of the interview to explaining why he would oppose any minority government dependent on the support or abstention of Arab Knesset members.

He argued that such a government would be unacceptable both morally and politically, particularly in light of statements made by certain Arab lawmakers following the October 7 attacks.

“To rely on Knesset members who said even after October 7 that Hamas is a charitable organization, or who accuse IDF soldiers of murder and crimes against humanity — not Hamas, but IDF soldiers! From a moral standpoint, I see no possibility of relying on those Knesset members, whether in Ra’am or the Joint List, including Ofer Cassif…”

Lieberman also warned that a minority government would be vulnerable to constant political pressure from individual lawmakers and could ultimately strengthen Netanyahu and the chareidi parties in a subsequent election.

“On the practical level, a minority government is a very unstable government. Every individual Knesset member can extort, can drive everyone crazy, can threaten the coalition… After such a caretaker government, you return to elections, and then Goldknopf, Deri, and Bibi together will already reach 70 seats!… The moment you return to elections, you boost them… the draft-dodgers’ bloc.”

Despite opinion polls indicating uncertainty over whether the opposition could secure a parliamentary majority, Lieberman expressed confidence that the four parties he identifies as the “serving bloc” would win enough seats to form a government.

“I know what is happening on the ground. The four parties, the serving bloc — we will bring a solid majority. All this talk about a minority government projects weakness and defeatism.”

Lieberman also urged opposition voters to avoid supporting smaller parties that polling suggests might fail to cross the electoral threshold, warning that votes cast for such parties could ultimately benefit Netanyahu’s bloc.

“I say not to vote for any atmosphere party: not for Yoaz Hendel, not for Ofer Winter. Vote only for one of the four parties. Period.”

Asked specifically about former senior IDF officer Ofer Winter, who previously served as his military secretary, Lieberman said the two had not spoken recently and that Winter was responsible for his own political decisions.

“The last time I spoke with Ofer Winter was a year and a half ago. He is a grown man, he knows what he is doing. A person’s wishes deserve respect.”

Lieberman was similarly dismissive of Benny Gantz, who had raised allegations about internal understandings and political arrangements among the opposition parties.

“Listen, you do not judge a person in his time of distress. I look at Benny Gantz, and truly, it is pitiful, a matter of compassion for living creatures. Leave him alone, he is no longer relevant… There were no deals, no internal axes within the bloc, within the serving bloc.”

Addressing the absence of a single agreed-upon candidate for prime minister among the opposition parties, Lieberman argued that the lack of a unified candidate was an advantage rather than a weakness.

“In 2021, we ran in the elections as five parties without one candidate for prime minister, and we won! We ran in 2022 with one candidate for prime minister… and we lost… It is much better right now to run as four parties. Each has a different electorate, and each must maximize its own electorate.”

Lieberman also outlined what he said would be the first parliamentary move by a new coalition, predicting that it would be able to remove the current Knesset speaker.

“We will certainly be able to replace the speaker of the Knesset. I am already hearing from within the coalition… at least a third of the coalition will vote against him, and at that moment… that opens up all the possibilities.”

The interview also addressed President Donald Trump’s public expressions of support for Netanyahu, which have become a prominent issue in the final days of the election campaign.

Lieberman said he respects Trump but insisted that the choice of Israel’s next prime minister belongs exclusively to Israeli voters. He also suggested that Netanyahu’s relationship with the American president makes it easier for Washington to influence Israeli policy.

“I greatly appreciate and respect the president of the United States… At the same time, the decision belongs to the citizens of Israel. This is our internal matter. I can understand Donald Trump — it is very convenient for him with Bibi, a puppet, you know, it makes it easy for him to manage things here… I am certain that any future prime minister will know how to conduct a constructive dialogue with the president of the United States.”

Finally, Lieberman addressed the Iranian threat and the possibility of renewed military confrontation during the politically sensitive period surrounding the elections.

He argued that decisions about a major war involving Iran would ultimately be made in Washington rather than Yerushalayim, and warned that Israel could find itself in the middle of coalition negotiations while facing a new round of missile attacks.

“A decision on the question of war is made in the White House, not here. And everything we are hearing from the United States is that Trump has decided that there will be a war only after the midterm elections in the United States… And it could be that we will be in the middle of coalition negotiations while missiles are flying in every direction! So let us not develop delusions of grandeur. We are indeed a strong and great country, but we are still not a global superpower.”

{Matzav.com}