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The United Arab Emirates has accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace.

Israel has begun demolishing the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem, sending bulldozers into the compound early Tuesday. UNRWA called the move an “unprecedented attack,” while Israel says the site no longer has UN immunity after the agency was banned and ceased operations there. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived at the scene, calling it […]

Clashes with Kurds are continuing near Nusaybin, on the Turkey–Syria border. Footage shows Turkish troops firing into the air as Kurdish protesters tried to move closer to the border.

Sec. Duffy on President Trump moving to upgrade the air traffic control system and cracking down on untrained foreign truckers in his first year: President Trump is not afraid to take on the biggest challenges that most administrations are willing to pass off onto future administrations.

Sec. Scott Bessent: “The NATO alliance is very safe, sound — and thanks to President Trump, it’s never been more secure.” “The Europeans have been spending the money on social welfare, on roads, on education, and it’s time for them to pay more, which they’ve agreed to do.”

Sec. Scott Bessent on Greenland: “This has been in the minds of American presidents for more than 150 years.”

Sec. Scott Bessent at Davos: “There’s rarely been a more compelling case for investing in America, and we invite you all to join in this 250th year — and to be a part of the next 250 years.”

Iranians have been struggling for nearly two weeks with the longest, most comprehensive internet shutdown in the history of the Islamic Republic — one that has not only restricted their access to information and the outside world, but is also throttling many businesses that rely on online advertising. Authorities shut down internet access on Jan. […]

    Yaakov Baruch is 22 years old.   He is fully alert, intelligent, and emotionally present. But his body is extremely weak due to a severe muscle disease.   What gives Yaakov life is leaving his bed. Going to yeshiva. Learning Torah. Being treated like every other young man his age.   Without an […]

President Trump is expected to host a “Board of Peace” signing ceremony with international leaders this week in Davos, as the Gaza ceasefire advances toward its second phase.

Scott Bessent: “The Supreme Court hearing on the Fed is today or tomorrow. Jay Powell has announced he’s going to attend, and I gotta tell you I think that’s a mistake. Because if you’re trying not to politicize the Fed, for the Fed chair to be sitting there trying to put him thumb on the […]

TRUMP: I had a very good telephone call with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, concerning Greenland. I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland. As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security. There can be no going back — On that, everyone […]

A terrible tragedy occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a 17-year-old yeshivah bochur was killed after being hit by a bus at the entrance to the Chareidi moshav of Komemiyut. United Hatzalah medical teams carried out resuscitation attempts, but shortly later, they were forced to pronounce his death. The details of the incident are still unclear. […]

Donald Trump says he invited Vladimir Putin to join his proposed Board of Peace and warned he could impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne after Emmanuel Macron said France would not participate.

TRUMP: “If anybody thinks that Norway doesn’t control the Nobel Prize, they’re just kidding. They have a board, but it’s controlled by Norway, and I don’t care what Norway says.”

TRUMP: “Our country is doing very well. We have many many buildings opening, factories opening. We’ve never had anything like it. And I think you’re going to see results very soon.”

BREAKING: House Launches Investigation into Ilhan Omar’s Net Worth, Reported at $30 Million

The Supreme Court is expected to issue opinions at any moment, with one possible decision being a major ruling on President Trump’s broad tariffs imposed using emergency powers.

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Tuesday afternoon that no autopsies will be performed on the bodies of the two toddlers who died in the Romema daycare tragedy, accepting the appeal filed by ZAKA and the bereaved families. Following the decision, demonstrations that erupted across the country are expected to wind down.

In a unanimous decision by a three-justice panel, the court overturned an earlier ruling by a lower court and instructed the state not to proceed with autopsies on the bodies of Aharon Katz a”h and Leah Tzipora Goloventzitz a”h. The judges determined that, under the circumstances, alternative investigative measures were sufficient and that the bodies should be released for burial.

The High Court hearing took place amid heightened tensions. Outside the courthouse and at multiple locations nationwide, clashes were reported as protesters demanded the cancellation of the autopsies. Attorney Dror Shosheim, representing the families on behalf of ZAKA, presented the parents’ position, emphasizing the severe religious and emotional harm that would be caused by postmortem examinations. After hearing the state’s arguments, the judges concluded that non-invasive alternatives could meet investigative needs.

Following the ruling, Attorney Shosheim said, “This is an important decision that reflects human sensitivity and respect for the deceased. We thank the judges for recognizing the gravity of the moment and the families’ pain.”

With the decision made public, crowds that had gathered in chareidi population centers began dispersing. Highway 4, which had been closed for hours near Bnei Brak, gradually reopened to traffic, as did major intersections in Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh. Police are now coordinating the orderly release of the bodies for the levayos, expected to take place later today.

Despite the families’ legal victory on the autopsy issue, the criminal investigation continues. Authorities will now seek to establish the circumstances of death based on evidence from the scene, caregiver testimony, and external CT scans already performed, without the pathological findings of a full autopsy.

The daycare owner and a caregiver remain in custody on suspicion of negligent homicide and child neglect at an unlicensed facility.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’ve been watching, with growing discomfort, how our askanim and elected representatives—both here in the United States and in Eretz Yisroel—are treated when they cast a vote or make a decision that the public doesn’t immediately understand.

They are ripped apart. Publicly eviscerated. Branded as traitors, sellouts, or worse, often within hours, sometimes minutes, of a decision being reported. And not always fairly.

These are not fools. These are serious, intelligent people who sit in rooms we are not in, hear information we do not have access to, and weigh consequences most of us will never fully see. They have cheshbonos. They make decisions for reasons, not on a whim.

And yet, the reflexive response is outrage: loud, unfiltered, and unforgiving.

So I ask: Do they owe us a public explanation every single time they vote a certain way or make a strategic decision? Must every move be accompanied by a press release, a thread, or a justification tailored to appease every faction?

Or does representation mean something else entirely?

Once we elect people, or empower askanim to act on behalf of the tzibbur, doesn’t that imply a degree of trust? That we believe they are acting with yiras Shamayim, responsibility, and concern for the broader picture, even when we don’t immediately like or understand the outcome?

Accountability is critical. Transparency matters. But so does restraint. So does humility. And so does recognizing that leadership cannot function when every decision is second-guessed in real time by people working with partial information and full confidence.

Perhaps the more uncomfortable question isn’t why they don’t explain themselves, but why we assume they must.

Just wondering.

A Yid

NY/NJ

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