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The United States has come out forcefully in defense of three mohalim in Antwerp who are facing criminal proceedings, with the U.S. ambassador to Belgium denouncing the case as “absurd and antisemitic” and urging immediate action to safeguard religious freedom.

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White sharply criticized the ongoing legal case in Antwerp against the three mohalim, who allegedly performed brisos without official state certification.

The case centers on three mohalim who were arrested and later released in May 2024 after a complaint was filed accusing them of conducting circumcisions without formal government authorization. Their circumcision instruments were confiscated, and they were barred from continuing their work pending a final ruling.

Writing on X, White declared that “antisemitism is unacceptable in any form and must be rooted out of our society,” and called on Belgium “to do a far better job on this issue.” He went on to describe the proceedings as “the absurd and antisemitic prosecution of three Jewish religious figures in Antwerp,” stressing that the men are clergy performing an ancient religious tradition.

The ambassador addressed Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke directly, demanding that legal provisions be established to allow Jewish mohalim to carry out circumcisions in accordance with the law. “This is done in all civilized countries,” White stated, adding that Belgium must ensure religious freedom for Jewish families in the country.

In a separate post, White personally criticized the minister, claiming that during their first meeting Vandenbroucke refused to shake his hand or pose for a photograph with him. The ambassador also referenced America’s role in liberating Belgium during the World Wars and called for the proceedings to be brought to an immediate end. He announced that he plans to travel to Antwerp next week to meet with the mohalim and their families.

The case has stirred strong reactions among Antwerp’s Jewish residents and revived memories of previous European disputes over circumcision, sometimes framed as matters of “the best interest of the child,” but often accompanied by concerns about infringements on religious freedom.

At this stage, however, community leaders — acting on legal advice — have chosen not to launch a public campaign against the individual who filed the complaint. Their stated goal is to resolve the matter without unnecessary damage and to ensure the continued practice of bris milah for generations to come.

{Matzav.com}

Coded emoji messages sent through WhatsApp were used by Hamas to quietly mobilize terrorists in the hours before the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to new findings from an IDF investigation. Israeli media reported Monday that the symbols, part of a prearranged signal system, were sent overnight to fighters’ phones, instructing them to […]

California was walloped Monday by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas. Millions of Los Angeles County residents faced flash flood warnings as rain pounded the region and people in some areas scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Tuesday because of […]

Israel has quietly expanded the reach and potential punch of its most advanced fighter jets, with new modifications that could reshape its long-range strike capabilities, according to comments by the country’s ambassador to Washington. In an interview with Yisrael Hayom, Yechiel Leiter said Israel has developed new fuel systems for its F-35I stealth fighters that […]

BREAKING IN LAKEWOOD: Firefighters are at a home on MLK in Lakewood, where a vehicle has erupted in flames in the driveway. No injuries have been reported.

Israeli Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth responded to the violent incidents in Bnei Brak, urging decisive progress on the long-stalled enlistment law. He described the events as a “wake-up call” and cautioned that prolonged failure to resolve a major national issue exacts a public price.

“This is a wake-up call. Today we received yet another troubling reminder of the price a country pays when a deep national issue remains unresolved for many long years. Many have spoken about it. Few have truly tried to take responsibility and regulate it,” Bismuth said.

He added that the current reality requires firm decision-making and responsible leadership.

“The gravity of the moment requires resolution. There are times when a multitude of reservations is not a guarantee of responsibility, and professional judgment is measured not only by its caution, but also by its ability to allow for a decision.”

Although Bismuth did not explicitly name any legal or political actors, his remarks appeared directed at all parties involved — both elected officials and professional authorities — to enable movement toward agreed-upon legislation.

He concluded with a symbolic message: “Until white smoke emerges.”

New findings from the scene appear to contradict the IDF’s initial denial regarding the activities of two female soldiers who were attacked in Bnei Brak, with reports indicating that recruitment flyers were in fact distributed at several addresses in the city.

A disturbance broke out Sunday afternoon in Bnei Brak after two female soldiers arrived at multiple locations in the city. According to a report on Army Radio, despite an earlier statement from the IDF Spokesperson denying any flyer distribution, detailed recruitment leaflets were left at at least four addresses. The materials were directed at candidates for military service ahead of their upcoming enlistment at the Chavat HaShomer base.

In a response, the IDF Spokesperson firmly rejected the claims, stating: “The claim that the commanders who were attacked in Bnei Brak arrived in order to distribute recruitment flyers is incorrect. The commanders arrived for a home visit to a candidate for service prior to his enlistment.”

However, documentation from the scene indicates that the flyers addressed prospective recruits scheduled to enlist in March and included extensive information about training conditions, the base’s location, and a list of required equipment — ranging from personal hygiene items to instructions on arranging a bank account and redeeming purchase credits.

The flyer left at the homes also contained detailed social and financial information intended to ease the enlistment process, including guidance related to personal status and eligibility for assistance. Among other things, the young men were asked to prepare medical documentation for family members, proof of financial status, and bank statements from the previous three months.

The unrest began after rumors spread that the soldiers had arrived to distribute draft orders to chareidi youths. The incident escalated on Chaggai Street during the afternoon hours.

Subsequently, the IDF updated its version of events, stating that three female non-commissioned officers serving at the Chavat HaShomer base had come to Bnei Brak to visit a candidate who is expected to enlist soon and serve at the facility. According to the military, the visit was intended as a preliminary meeting to establish familiarity and assess any potential need for social support.

{Matzav.com}

Gen. Jack Keane: The window to topple the Iranian regime is now.

Reports from Iran indicate minor anti-regime protests in Abdanan, Ilam province, marking 40 days since the deaths of demonstrators during earlier unrest. Eyewitness accounts describe a heightened security presence and internet restrictions, with chants against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei heard in circulating footage.

A new group of third-country nationals was deported by the United States to Cameroon on Monday, lawyers told The Associated Press, days after it came to light that the Trump administration sent nine people to the Central African nation last month as part of its secretive program to remove immigrants to countries they have no ties with. Lawyer Alma David […]

Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs on Monday outlined a firm diplomatic and security position regarding Gaza, declaring that Israel will not tolerate continued Hamas rearmament and setting a 60-day deadline for the terror group to fully disarm.

Speaking at the Besheva Conference, Fuchs said Hamas must dismantle “all” of its weapons within two months. If it fails to do so, he warned, Israel will take military action.

“Hamas must disarm from all its weapons — everything. If that does not happen, the IDF will be required to ensure that it does,” Fuchs stated. He made clear that absent full disarmament, Israel would resume large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Addressing the recent unrest in Bnei Brak connected to the ongoing draft law crisis, Fuchs sought to lower the public rhetoric. He argued that the current tensions stem from the expiration of previous legal arrangements and emphasized that for years there had been an agreed-upon framework regulating the status of yeshiva students.

“If we label a ציבור of one and a half million people as criminals, we will push it toward extremism,” he said, adding that in his view the situation reflects a legal vacuum rather than a failure of governance.

Fuchs also commented on negotiations surrounding the draft law, noting that efforts are underway to formulate a version that will receive the backing of the Knesset’s legal advisers, in order to prevent an interim injunction that could freeze the legislation upon passage.

He indicated that from the coalition’s standpoint, a central objective is for the chareidi factions to actively support the bill, as part of a broad agreement that would ensure both its legal durability and political stability.

When asked whether Israel might one day return to reestablish Jewish communities in Gush Katif, which were evacuated under the 2005 Disengagement Plan, Fuchs responded briefly: “With Hashem’s help.”

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah terrorist in the southern Lebanon town of Tallouseh this evening, the IDF said, adding that he was involved in efforts to restore Hezbollah infrastructure and seized private property for terror purposes.

An Israeli man from central Israel was found dead in his hotel room in Paris late Sunday, prompting a rapid response from international rescue officials and Israeli authorities. ZAKA’s International Division said in a statement Monday that the man was discovered unconscious in his room, where local emergency teams later pronounced him dead. No cause […]

MUST WATCH: Harav Gamliel Rabinowitz meets Jewish activist Shabbos Kestenbaum and gives him brachos in a light and humorous moment.

WATCH: Lakewood Shomrim releases footage from an early-morning break-in at Qualicare Oil & Lube in Lakewood. Its members tracked the suspect until police arrived and placed the thief under arrest.

A massive ground collapse in Pondok Balik, Ketol District, Central Aceh, Indonesia is expanding, endangering nearby communities. Over 30,000 square meters have been swallowed, putting roads and power lines at risk.

President Trump said Monday that anyone responsible for abducting Nancy Guthrie must ensure her safe return or face what he described as the toughest possible federal punishment.

Speaking in a brief phone interview with The NY Post, Trump made clear that if the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is killed, he would expect the Justice Department to pursue capital punishment.

He stated that those behind the Feb. 1 kidnapping from her home outside Tucson would face “very, very severe — the most severe” federal consequences if she is found dead.

When asked directly whether that meant the Department of Justice would seek the death penalty, Trump responded: “The most, yeah — that’s true.”

On Feb. 4, the president personally called Savannah Guthrie to offer federal support in the investigation. The FBI later obtained disturbing images and video showing a masked individual at the front door of the suburban residence.

Trump has largely refrained from making public comments about the case while authorities continue an intensive search for the elderly mother of three, whom investigators believe could still be alive.

In an effort to locate her, law enforcement officials conducted aerial searches over the desert terrain during the weekend, using specialized Bluetooth technology designed to detect a signal from Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker.

Federal charges are frequently pursued in prominent criminal cases, especially when state lines may be involved or when federal laws are implicated. Although Arizona maintains the death penalty, many of the 109 prisoners currently on the state’s death row have remained there for decades.

Since 2022, Arizona has carried out only two executions, partly due to a nearly two-year suspension ordered by the Democrat-led state government, which was lifted in late 2024.

Separately, the federal government has authority to seek capital punishment and typically reserves it for the most high-profile crimes, including the cases of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and racist mass murderer Dylann Roof.

Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row, leaving Tsarnaev, Bowers, and Roof excluded from that action. Trump officials have indicated they intend to transfer the remaining federal death row inmates to a federal supermax facility, where they would serve their sentences under strict conditions.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be in an unfamiliar setting Monday night: heading his first campaign rally since the Republican announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate 10 months ago. Paxton’s scheduled appearance is part of his stepped-up campaign to unseat four-term Republican Sen. John Cornyn and add a MAGA devotee to the Senate, a bid that has […]

Israeli state prosecutors on Monday filed an indictment against a 32-year-old northern Israeli man accused of collecting intelligence on former defense minister Yoav Gallant at the direction of an Iranian operative.

According to court documents, Fares Abu al-Hija was detained in late January after he allegedly photographed streets surrounding Gallant’s residence in Amikam and transmitted the images to his handler. Authorities say the surveillance was carried out at the handler’s request.

Police and the Shin Bet security service said in a joint announcement that Abu al-Hija is a resident of the Galilee village of Kaukab Abu al-Hija, located roughly an hour north of Gallant’s home.

Investigators believe the suspect initially connected with the Iranian operative last August through the Telegram messaging platform while seeking employment opportunities. The indictment states that the contact was made under the guise of work.

From October through January, Abu al-Hija is said to have fulfilled a series of assignments from the individual, who identified himself as “Martin,” despite harboring suspicions that he was dealing with a foreign intelligence agent.

Prosecutors allege that the assignments included purchasing mobile phones and chargers, concealing them in various spots around Haifa, activating the devices, installing communication applications, documenting their hiding places, and relaying those details back to his handler. He was also instructed to deliver an envelope containing the password to a cryptocurrency account to a site in Zichron Yaakov and to photograph a cafe in Tel Aviv.

The indictment states that Abu al-Hija received payment in cryptocurrency for carrying out the missions. For capturing photos and videos of the Tel Aviv cafe, he was paid $1,000 in digital currency.

In January, the suspect was reportedly directed to document Gallant’s home. Authorities arrested him at the scene shortly after he transmitted the images.

An indictment was filed in the Haifa District Court charging Abu al-Hija with contact with a foreign agent. Prosecutors have asked the court to keep him in custody through the duration of the proceedings.

Gallant served as defense minister from 2022 to 2024 before being dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid political disagreements. Earlier in his career, he commanded the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command.

In their statement, police and the Shin Bet warned that Iran has stepped up attempts to recruit Israelis to conduct espionage activities within the country.

Law enforcement “takes a very serious view of any involvement in such activities and will continue to bring to justice those involved in harming the country’s security and its citizens,” they said.

Officials noted that over the past two years, dozens of Israelis have faced espionage charges linked to Iran. In many instances, recruitment efforts were carried out through social media platforms, particularly Telegram.

{Matzav.com}

A heated exchange erupted in the Knesset ahead of a no-confidence vote, as Opposition Leader Yair Lapid charged that the assault on two IDF servicewomen in Bnei Brak reflects a broader pattern under the current government, while Deputy Minister Yisrael Eichler accused the opposition of fueling dangerous incitement against the chareidi community.

Taking the podium before the vote, Lapid argued that the violence in Bnei Brak was not a one-time occurrence but part of a recurring trend. “What we saw yesterday in Bnei Brak is not an isolated phenomenon. It happens time and time again under this government. You are permitting [the shedding of] the blood of the IDF. You are against the IDF. This isn’t just happening in Bnei Brak,” he says, pointing as well to incidents involving settlers confronting IDF troops in the West Bank.

Lapid dismissed the coalition’s portrayal of itself as staunchly right-wing. “This government keeps saying that it’s completely right-wing. You’re not completely right-wing, you’re not right-wing at all. You’re a government that exists thanks to anti-Zionist parties, who are against conscription into the IDF, whose public is trying to lynch female soldiers and flips over police cars,” Lapid says.

In response to the opposition’s no-confidence motions, Eichler of United Torah Judaism rejected the criticism and instead accused lawmakers on the other side of stoking hostility toward his community. He warned that such rhetoric carries serious consequences.

“The incitement during no-confidence motions on the Knesset stage regarding ‘chareidi draft evasion’ is dangerous and intended to legitimize state violence,” he says.

Eichler further contended that statements urging authorities to confront chareidim as they would terrorists amount to a “license for bloodshed. Recently, two chareidi youths have already been killed by bus strikes during demonstrations.”

He cautioned that failing to push back against such language could escalate tensions even further. “If we do not fight against this incitement, it will continue to get worse, heaven forbid. This is how civil wars begin, and one can never know when or how they will end,” Eichler says.

{Matzav.com}