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Vice President JD Vance is publicly disputing warnings from fellow Republicans who argue that antisemitism is taking root within parts of the political right, creating a sharp contrast between himself and figures such as Sen. Ted Cruz. While Cruz and others have been sounding increasingly urgent alarms, Vance insists the charge is unfounded and unfair.

In a broad interview with NBC News, Vance rejected the notion that conservatives are experiencing a rise in anti-Jewish sentiment. He portrayed the allegations as attacks on the party itself, insisting they amount to “slanderous” mischaracterizations. “When I talk to young conservatives, I don’t see some simmering antisemitism that’s exploding,” Vance said. He added, “In any bunch of apples, you have bad people … But it’s slanderous to say the Republican Party … is extremely antisemitic.”

Vance argued that the issue should be viewed through the lens of individual behavior rather than a pervasive cultural trend, noting that judging others based on “immutable characteristics” contradicts both religious and American values. His framing puts him at odds with Republicans who believe the shift is not only real but dangerous.

Cruz, who is positioning himself for a possible 2028 showdown with Vance, has been increasingly vocal about what he sees as a rising tide of hostility toward Jews among some conservative activists. He has pointed to several developments as evidence of a deeper problem, including young conservatives pressing Vance with antagonistic questions about Israel, the growing influence of Tucker Carlson, and rhetoric from segments of the populist right that echoes narratives typically associated with fringe ideologies.

Carlson — a close ally of Vance — plays a central role in Cruz’s critique. Carlson’s recent decision to feature a Holocaust denier on his podcast led to widespread condemnation, including from Cruz. Carlson has also advanced claims that members of the Jewish community view as deeply offensive, asserting that Jews control the banking system, Congress, and even President Donald Trump. He further accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza as it sought the release of hostages held by Hamas.

These perspectives have been amplified by influencers aligned with “New Right” and national conservative factions, many of whom cast Israel as a costly foreign entanglement or accuse Jewish American leaders of steering U.S. policy in unwanted directions. While they deny any discriminatory intent, many of the narratives they elevate overlap with long-standing antisemitic tropes.

Vance’s political alliances make it difficult to separate his posture from the broader movement reshaping parts of the right. His trip to Israel underscored that tension. Instead of offering the full-throated backing that had long characterized Republican support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vance adopted a more critical tone, highlighting what he described as policy missteps and raising questions about Israel’s approach to the conflict.

His stance reflects a growing shift among segments of the conservative base — one that diverges sharply from traditional Republican figures such as Cruz, Nikki Haley, Newt Gingrich, and Mike Pence, all of whom have maintained strong, unequivocal support for Israel.

Against that backdrop, Vance’s assurances that antisemitism is not gaining traction on the right place him squarely in the middle of a widening Republican debate. Even as he aligns with the populist wing, the lingering tensions within the broader movement — including within the orbit of President Donald Trump — make clear that the party is grappling with profound internal divisions over Israel, foreign policy, and the boundaries of public discourse.

{Matzav.com}

House Speaker Mike Johnson is imploring his fellow Republicans to stop venting their frustrations in public and bring their complaints to him directly. “They’re going to get upset about things. That’s part of the process,” Johnson told reporters Thursday. “It doesn’t bother me. But when there is a conflict or concern, I always ask all members […]

In a forceful and emotional shmuess delivered last night at Yeshivas Be’er Yitzchak in Telzstone, Rav Aviezer Piltz — rosh yeshiva of Tifrach and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah — lamented what he described as unprecedented persecution of lomdei Torah in Eretz Yisrael.

Rav Piltz opened his remarks with unusually strong chizuk, noting the spiritual greatness of learning Torah specifically under pressure. “There is a maalah to learning Torah in Eretz Yisrael when it is done amid fear, stress, and government persecution,” he told the packed beis midrash.

He then issued a striking comparison, contrasting Israel with countries historically hostile to Jewish practice. “For fifty or sixty years,” he said, “there has not been a place in the world where Torah learning was forbidden. Under Communism in Russia it was forbidden to learn Torah, but today in Russia people sit and learn Torah, and the government encourages them.” Rav Piltz then added pointedly, “Even in Iran it is permitted to learn Torah!”

Shifting to the spiritual roots of the crisis, Rav Piltz suggested that the animosity toward yeshiva students stems from jealousy. “I think the root is that they envy us,” he explained. “They ask themselves, ‘I am a Jew as well — why was I not privileged that my children should learn Torah too?’ They feel like a different nation.”

Rav Piltz concluded with words of praise and encouragement for the bochurim of Be’er Yitzchak. “This yeshiva is so important,” he said, adding warm admiration for its rosh yeshiva, Rav Menashe Avi’ezeri. He urged the talmidim to recognize the immense value of their learning during a time of national spiritual challenge.

{Matzav.com}

Talmidim, followers, and bnei Torah connected to the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Asher Deutsch zt”l, are expected to gather overnight and tomorrow at his kever on the eve of his first yahrtzeit.

Since his passing a year ago, the absence of Rav Asher has been deeply felt among his talmidim. Many are preparing to make the pilgrimage to his tziyun.

Late Wednesday night, a large crowd of close students and family members gathered for the ceremonial placement of Rav Asher’s matzeivah. This was done in strict adherence to his personal custom: Just as he waited the full twelve months before erecting the headstones of his own parents, so too was his matzeivah established only after the completion of the twelve months since his passing.

Alongside the pilgrimage to the cemetery, the Bnei Torah community announced a series of memorial gatherings to be held in yeshivos and shuls., These events will feature divrei hisorerus from the Peleg’s current leaders, Rav Azriel Auerbach and Rav Yonah Zelishinsky.

A newly published memorial booklet in honor of the rosh yeshiva includes essays on his lifelong dedication to teaching Torah and shaping students in the spirit of earlier gedolei Yisroel. Among the items reprinted is a letter (below) from Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, written as a heartfelt brocha on the occasion of Rav Asher’s wedding many decades ago.

{Matzav.com}

A BBC news team visited Yeshiva Kisei Rachamim as part of a broader report examining the proposed legislation that would formally regulate the status of lomdei Torah in Israel. After touring the batei midrash and observing the intensity of the learning, the journalists sat for an extended conversation with the rosh yeshiva, Rav Tzemach Mazuz, who addressed a wide range of issues dominating the public debate — from the arrests of yeshiva students, to extremist disruptions, to budget cuts for Torah institutions, to chareidi support for the prime minister.

Torah funding cuts: “For two thousand years of exile, did we ever get government money? No — and Torah endured.”

Asked about reductions in funding for yeshivos in the absence of a legal framework, Rav Mazuz responded with confidence rooted in faith. He noted that Chazal assure us that Torah will never be forgotten, and insisted that lomdei Torah would persist regardless of decrees. “Anu mivtachim mipi Hakadosh Boruch Hu shelo sishkach Torah mipi zaro,” he emphasized, explaining that parnassah ultimately does not come from budgets or ministries but from the Ribbono Shel Olam alone.

In a later recording, the rosh yeshiva recounted his exchange with the BBC reporters. They had asked: What will happen if the government cuts off all funding? Rav Mazuz said he answered simply: for two millennia in exile, Torah survived without government assistance. Pointing to ancient manuscripts in his office, he said, “The Torah endured! Even if the state provided nothing, Hakadosh Baruch Hu would provide. One who truly believes that the Almighty controls all forces can remain calm.”

Arrests of yeshiva students: “Even the Ben Ish Chai and the Vilna Gaon sat in prison — and they came through it.”

The BBC journalists also questioned what would happen if the High Court were to mandate jail time for anyone refusing army service. Rav Mazuz told them he laughed. “Baruch Hashem, an Israeli prison is not like a Soviet prison, no. During those twenty days, you receive glatt kosher food under badatz supervision — not Bagatz supervision,” he quipped. He noted that inmates are allowed to daven with a minyan and maintain a Torah lifestyle.

He reminded them that great Torah sages endured imprisonment and emerged unbroken. “The Ben Ish Chai was in prison. The Gaon of Vilna was in prison. They went through it — and so will we. But should that make us despair of Torah learning? Absolutely not. And I hope we never reach that point.”

The value of Torah learning: “This is our army — Torah and tefillah protect the soldiers.”

Rav Mazuz stressed that Torah learning is not merely spiritual practice but national protection. “Come here at one in the morning — half the yeshiva is still learning,” he told the BBC. “Through Torah, we protect the soldiers wherever they are. This is our army.”

He added that this belief has long been accepted by Israeli leaders: Torah and constant prayer are essential to the country’s success, no less than tanks or fighter jets. But, he said, “today, many in government and the Knesset have distanced themselves from religion. They say yeshiva boys are slackers — but in Tel Aviv there are tens of thousands who evade the draft. Why don’t they take them? Why target yeshiva students?”

On rising hostility toward religious Jews: “Hashem directs everything for the best.”

Asked how he views the intensifying hostility toward lomdei Torah, Rav Mazuz shared a broader perspective of emunah. He pointed to the unexpected political trajectory of President Donald Trump as an example of Divine planning. Though many were disappointed when Trump did not win a second consecutive term, Rav Mazuz said, “Hashem knew Hamas’s plans. Hashem wanted Trump in office now. He preserved him for the period in which we would need him most.”

“The world is directed by the Creator, and He runs everything in the best way.”

On extremist violence: “This is not our way — these are fringe elements who will disappear.”

The BBC also raised the recent violent behavior of fringe youths targeting shluchai derabbanan. Rav Mazuz responded firmly: “Violence is not our path. You will not find one student from a yeshiva like ours in those protests.” He described the perpetrators as marginal extremists whose influence will fade. He emphasized that the chareidi public is committed to derech eretz, honoring Torah, and avoiding all forms of aggression.

On support for the prime minister: “He acted with wisdom on seven fronts of war.”

When asked whether it was better to support the current draft-law proposal even if it meant preserving Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, Rav Mazuz refrained from giving a specific political instruction. But he did praise Netanyahu’s conduct during the war, saying the prime minister managed simultaneous crises with intelligence and clarity.

He added that his family’s relationship with Netanyahu goes back decades: long before his first premiership, Netanyahu visited the office of Rav Mazuz’s late brother, the revered rosh yeshiva Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l, in the very room where the interview took place, to seek his blessing before an election. Rav Meir received him warmly and presented him with a Tehillim.

{Matzav.com}

A new Channel 14 survey released Thursday night paints a shifting political landscape, showing Naftali Bennett’s new party climbing sharply while United Torah Judaism loses strength and Yesh Atid remains stuck at the bottom.

According to the poll, conducted as part of the network’s main newscast, the right-wing bloc anchored by Likud continues to hold firm at 66 seats—unchanged from last week—while Bennett’s rising faction is drawing voters away from the Democrats led by Yair Golan.

Likud maintains its dominant position with 35 seats. The major movement is in second place, where Bennett’s new party, Bennett 2026, jumps by two seats to 12, overtaking several rivals. That gain appears to come largely at the expense of Golan’s Democrats, which fall back to 10 seats and slip into fourth place. Between them sit Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu, each holding steady at 11 seats.

UTJ loses one seat, dropping to 8. The centrist Yashar party remains unchanged with 7 seats, while Otzma Yehudit also rises slightly to 7. Religious Zionism stays stable at 5 seats. Ra’am and Hadash–Ta’al likewise receive 5 seats each. Yesh Atid continues to scrape the bottom with just 4 seats. Both Blue and White and Balad fail to cross the electoral threshold.

When divided into blocs, the overall picture mirrors last week: the right stands at 66 seats, the left at 44, and the Arab parties collectively reach 10.

In the question of who is most suitable to serve as prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu maintains a clear and commanding advantage with 54% support. Bennett follows with 23%, while Gadi Eisenkot polls at 11%. Yair Lapid receives 6%, Avigdor Lieberman 5%, and Benny Gantz trails the field at just 1%.

{Matzav.com}

During a visit to Yerushalayim for the wedding of a grandson of the Gerrer Rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, rov of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, paid a memorable call to the home of his brother-in-law, Rav Binyomin Dovid Elyashiv, rosh of the Tiferes Bachurim kollelim network, at his residence on Chana Street. The meeting quickly turned into a spirited exchange of Torah, memories, and captivating stories about Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l.

As Rav Zilberstein entered the study, he jokingly pointed to the well-worn shelves. “Who tore all the Gemaras?” he asked with a smile. Rav Binyomin Dovid responded that no one had done so—“they were worn through ameilus baTorah, from years of intense learning.”

He then recounted a visit of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, the Yeshuos Moshe zt”l, to the home of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. As they debated a point from the Minchas Chinuch, a new edition of the sefer was brought to the table. Rav Elyashiv refused to look at it, insisting, “I want to see it in the old Minchas Chinuch, because in the old one it’s written the way it should be.”

The rabbanim exchanged warm greetings, speaking of the longing for the Geulah and the open miracles seen “every minute.” They soon immersed themselves in deep Torah discussion on Parshas Vayeitzei, with Rav Zilberstein remarking, “I am privileged to hear such beautiful insights.”

The conversation turned to the Tiferes Bachurim kollelim. Rav Elyashiv described the network’s growth: “Today Tiferes Bachurim has many branches across Eretz HaKodesh—there’s even one in Tzfas.” Rav Zilberstein asked about the main beis medrash in Meah Shearim, and Rav Elyashiv explained that the central location hosts multiple kollelim throughout the day, from early morning until close to midnight, including programs in halacha, iyun, Zeraim, and Taharos.

Rav Zilberstein then recalled an incident from the beis medrash. He had gone down to the Yeshua’s Yaakov shtiebelach for Mincha, where the chazzan davened with such speed that he accidentally skipped Kedusha. Confusion broke out. The question was brought to Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who ruled, “Close your siddurim and go home.” When asked whether the tzibbur needed to repeat the tefillah or hear chazaras hashatz, Rav Elyashiv answered that they did not, adding the startling statement: “One who davens such a tefillah is exempt from tefillah.” Rav Zilberstein emphasized the clarity and force of Rav Elyashiv’s psak: “Everything he said was a jewel.”

During the visit, Rav Zilberstein greeted Rebbetzin Elyashiv, who had recently returned home after surgery. She thanked Hashem for His kindness and noted that a granddaughter’s wedding was approaching. She also offered mazal tov to Rav Zilberstein on his own recent simchos. Rav Zilberstein responded warmly, “We are all children of one father,” and blessed the kallah when she was brought in for a brachah.

He shared a remarkable episode illustrating Rav Elyashiv’s fierce protection of the Rebbetzin’s honor. A doctor who had treated one of the children made an insensitive remark to her as he left the house. Rav Elyashiv overheard it, turned to the doctor, and said firmly, “You will not enter my home again. You have offended the Rebbetzin.” Realizing the gravity of his mistake, the doctor removed his shoes, sat on the floor, and accepted a form of self-imposed niddui. Seeing his sincere remorse, Rav Elyashiv immediately forgave him. After the doctor left, Rav Elyashiv instructed his son-in-law: “Go buy the most beautiful esrog in Bnei Brak and bring it to the doctor as a gift of reconciliation.” When the seller heard why it was being purchased, he insisted on giving the esrog for free. Rav Zilberstein explained that Rav Elyashiv would not accept gifts for himself without payment, “but this was for the doctor.” In the end, the doctor received both a magnificent esrog and permission to continue entering the Elyashiv home—along with a lifelong lesson in respectful speech.

Later in the visit, a participant asked Rav Zilberstein for a blessing that his daughter find a shidduch. Upon hearing that she was 23, the Rav smiled and replied, “In Ramat Elchanan, at that age they’re still jumping rope. No need for panic.” He then gave a heartfelt brachah.

Rav Zilberstein went on to recount the well-known story of Rebbetzin Chaya Musha a”h, mother of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who remained childless for many years. After a renowned physician in Vienna told her she would not have more children, she wept bitterly in the cellar so as not to distress her father, the Leshem. He nevertheless heard her crying and understood why. In response, he declared that in the merit of her sensitivity, “Next year you will hold a son who will illuminate the world”—a prophecy fulfilled with the birth of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.

The conversation turned to the name Yosef Shalom itself. Rav Zilberstein asked whether the name hinted to the Ben Ish Chai and the Rashash. Rav Elyashiv noted that many people ask this question, and that Rav Elyashiv’s great-grandson had once asked him directly, to which he replied, “It’s very nice to say so, but if that is truly the reason, I do not know.” Rav Zilberstein observed that “the world says it,” and Rav Elyashiv added that the Ben Ish Chai himself tells a story of a chassid who named his son Yosef Shalom so that he should always bring peace. Rav Zilberstein suggested that in this sense, the name makes peace between Ashkenazim and Sephardim as well.

Before departing, Rav Zilberstein offered warm brachos that the household continue to bring honor to Torah and that the Rebbetzin merit much nachas. As he rose to leave, he began singing the niggun “Yehi hachodesh hazeh,” playfully changing the words to bless the home itself. Pausing by a picture of Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l, he remarked with a smile, “I see Reb Michel Yehuda telling me to stop singing and run home to learn Torah.”

As the visit concluded, Rav Elyashiv noted, “They say about my father-in-law that on Shabbos he looked like a different person—his face shone with the light of Shabbos.” Rav Zilberstein responded, “Certainly—everyone knew it.” The two then left together to daven Maariv at Tiferes Bachurim.

{Matzav.com}

Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, widow of conservative leader and free-speech advocate Charlie Kirk, pushed back forcefully on claims that “gun violence” was the central cause of her husband’s assassination. She insisted that the tragedy points to something far deeper at work in American society. It’s “not a gun problem,” she emphasized, describing the underlying issue as “a deeply human” and “soul” problem.

During the closing segment of the New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday, journalist Andrew Sorkin broached the topic gently, asking, “I’m curious how you think, today, about gun violence in America, given what happened” to her husband. Erika Kirk responded with quiet resolve. “It’s a thoughtful question, and I wouldn’t wish upon anyone what I have been through, and I support the Second Amendment, as well. I do,” she said. “But there’s a bigger and much deeper conversation to all of that.”

She pointed to what counselors on college campuses repeatedly identify as the top struggles among students today. “If you go on a campus and you ask a counselor, ‘What is the number one or number two thing that these students are facing?’ They will always say, ‘Mental health, anxiety, depression.’ Those are usually the top three,” she explained.

According to Kirk, her husband spent years trying to help young people understand the central role of brain health in overall well-being. “What Charlie knew — and he was trying to explain to students on campus — was that you have to understand that brain health is so important,” she said, underscoring how he encouraged students to pay attention to daily habits. “How you eat, how you take care of yourself, how you nourish yourself, how you rest. And, to him, it was much more deeper and intricate.”

Reflecting on the broader implications of his death, she observed, “What I’ve realized through all of this is that you can have individuals that will always resort to violence.” She warned that the cultural climate has shifted in a dangerous direction. “And what I’m afraid of, is that we are living in a day and age where they think violence is the solution to them not wanting to hear a different point of view,” she said.

That tendency, she argued, has nothing to do with firearms themselves. “That’s not a gun problem. That’s that’s a deeply human problem. That is a soul problem. That is a mental, that is a very deeper issue,” she stated.

Her remarks come as many on the political left struggle with the implications of Kirk’s assassination. Despite years spent labeling him a “fascist” or “Nazi,” they have been reluctant to acknowledge that someone aligned with their worldview carried out the killing. In the wake of the murder, critics who normally reduce every tragedy to “gun violence” — often as a pretext to erode constitutional rights — openly celebrated the use of a firearm simply because the victim held conservative beliefs.

That reaction, observers noted, laid bare a moment of cultural and moral unraveling. It served as a sobering demonstration of what happens when political dehumanization mutates into justification for brutality.

Even more ironic were the examples of educators celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death — an alarming confirmation of the very problem he spent his career warning about: the rise of ideological radicalism throughout the American education system and the corrosive impact it has on students at every level.

{Matzav.com}

FDNY Fire Marshals have arrested 21-year-old Dominick Sacchetti in connection with a fire at a Staten Island ShopRite on November 26th. According to the criminal complaint, he now faces multiple charges, including arson, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.

BREAKING: U.S. forces struck another drug boat in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday 4 male narco-terrorists dead, officials say.

Hagaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway on Thursday afternoon. Many other local Yeshivas joined, to seize the opportunity on giving Kavod Hatorah to such a Gadol.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows Texas to use its Trump-backed congressional map in next year’s midterms overruling a lower-court decision that found the map likely unconstitutional due to racial-gerrymandering concerns. • The court issued a brief unsigned opinion granting Texas’s request. • The map was previously blocked by a federal court after judges concluded the […]

BREAKING: A grand jury has declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James after prosecutors brought the mortgage-fraud case to them a second time, just 10 days after a judge threw out the initial charges. • A source warned there should be no premature celebration, as DOJ could still seek a third attempt. • […]

Two NYPD officers involved in the deadly shooting of Win Rozario in March 2024 will not face criminal charges.

New York Times sues Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth over restrictive Pentagon media rules • The New York Times Co. sued the Defense Department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon’s new press policy. • The policy, which requires reporters to seek approval before publishing information, violates free press protections enshrined by the 1st Amendment […]

Appeals court lets Trump keep National Guard troops in DC for now National Guard troops deployed to Washington, DC, can remain there for now, after a federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily froze a judge’s ruling that would have soon required them to leave the city’s streets. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals said it was […]

WATCH: SpaceX just launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

FBI Director Kash Patel says Biden’s FBI will be fully exposed in court for allegedly covering up the truth about the J6 pipe bomber.

British budget airline easyJet announced Wednesday that it will restart flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport beginning March 29, 2026, marking the carrier’s first return to Israel since suspending service amid regional instability. In a statement emailed to reporters, an airline spokesperson said easyJet will initially relaunch routes connecting London Luton, Amsterdam, […]

Over the past day, the IDF and the Border Police carried out a wide counterterrorism operation in Qalqilya. Troops searched hundreds of sites, seizing an M16, and dozens of rounds of ammunition. During the operation, soldiers neutralized a terrorist who posed a threat to them and hurled a suspicious object towards them.