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An emotional and uplifting encounter took place at the home of Rav Moshe Sternbuch in Yerushalayim, where the senior posek warmly received a bochur who had recently been released after serving 20 days in a military prison for failing to report to draft authorities in accordance with the guidance of the gedolei Yisroel.

The bochur, a resident of the Har Nof neighborhood, came to visit Rav Sternbuch following his release. Those present described the meeting as deeply moving, noting the exceptional warmth and affection with which the posek welcomed him.

As the bochur entered the room, Rav Sternbuch greeted him with a radiant countenance, warmly shook his hand, and offered heartfelt words of chizuk.

“Ashrecha! You are a partner with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that zechus will remain with you for all eternity.”

Attendees related that Rav Sternbuch repeated those words several times, praising the bochur for standing firm in the face of a difficult nisayon and for enduring imprisonment with strength and mesirus nefesh.

Accompanying the bochur was Rabbi Shimon Shisha, a well-known askan who has been actively involved in assisting bochurim confronting draft-related challenges and military detention.

During the visit, Rav Sternbuch bestowed warm brachos upon the bochur, expressing his hope that he be spared from all harsh gezeiros and merit continued siyata d’Shmaya.

Rabbi Shisha also took advantage of the moment to request a special bracha on behalf of bnei Torah throughout Eretz Yisroel who are facing the ongoing challenges surrounding the draft issue.

Rav Sternbuch responded by offering a heartfelt bracha for all of Klal Yisroel and for the entire Torah world, expressing a tefillah that the current gezeirah be completely annulled.

Amid growing tensions surrounding the military draft issue and increasing scrutiny of the yeshiva world, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Rav Dovid Yosef called on the public to strengthen its commitment to Torah study and show greater respect for those who dedicate their lives to learning. He expressed particular pain over recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim, saying the treatment they have received has diminished the honor of Torah.

Speaking during his weekly Motzaei Shabbos shiur, Rav Yosef said the Torah community must remain steadfast despite the challenges it faces.

“Unfortunately, we are in a situation where we must be extremely careful not to weaken, chalilah. Recently, yeshiva students have been arrested and humiliated as well. The honor of Torah has been degraded in recent times, and it is very painful. The world exists because of Torah, the world exists because of those who study Torah, and the world cannot endure without Torah.”

Rav Yosef stressed that even in times of military conflict and difficult national decisions, success ultimately depends on Heavenly assistance.

“Above all, we need siyata d’Shmaya, that the verse ‘the hearts of kings are in the hands of Hashem’ be fulfilled for us.”

He urged the public to respond to criticism and pressure directed at the yeshiva world not through confrontation, but through increased Torah learning and a renewed commitment to honoring Torah scholars. He emphasized that respect for talmidei chachamim is a fundamental obligation, particularly among Torah scholars themselves.

“All the more so, Torah scholars are obligated to honor Torah scholars.”

The rabbi also shared a personal story about his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, describing the extraordinary respect he showed toward those engaged in limud haTorah.

“When he would see a young kollel fellow sitting and learning, he would stand up in his honor… He would say, ‘I need to demonstrate that I honor Torah scholars.’”

Concluding his remarks, Rav Yosef encouraged the Torah community to remain committed to its mission and traditions despite the current challenges.

“We will continue on our path, the path of constant Torah study. We will not change, with Hashem’s help, from what we have become accustomed to.”

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri issued one of his most forceful public statements to date on Sunday, accusing Israel’s legal establishment of persecuting Torah learners and warning that continued sanctions against yeshiva students could lead to tax resistance, a breakdown in cooperation with police, and a widening rift between the chareidi public and state authorities.

The unusually sharp remarks reflected growing tensions within the right-wing coalition as disputes over military conscription and penalties against yeshiva students continue to escalate.

At the start of his statement, Deri took direct aim at Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of spearheading an aggressive campaign against the Torah world.

“The dismissed and anarchist attorney general is racing ahead with arrests and harsh sanctions against Torah learners. She is pushing the chareidi public to the edge.”

Deri warned that the current course of action would not be accepted quietly and could trigger unprecedented acts of civil disobedience.

“This will lead to a tax revolt, a disconnect from the police, and a deep rupture with state authorities. Anyone who cares about the future of the country must rise up against this madness.”

A significant portion of Deri’s criticism was directed at his coalition allies. He argued that leaders of Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit have failed to defend the chareidi community as pressure on yeshivos and Torah students intensifies.

“I cry out and warn the prime minister and the leaders of the right-wing parties: If you truly want the right-wing bloc to survive, you must stand firmly against this persecution. Your voices are not being heard!”

Deri concluded by invoking the well-known phrase “Silence is filth,” insisting that Shas expects concrete action rather than sympathetic statements.

“It is unacceptable that we should become the punching bag of this government, that everything sacred and precious to the Jewish people should be harmed, while you stand by and remain silent.”

Political observers viewed the statement as one of Deri’s strongest warnings yet, aimed at increasing pressure on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to resolve the military draft dispute and address the financial challenges facing yeshivos. Some analysts suggested the comments were also intended to underscore the potential consequences for coalition stability if the issue remains unresolved.

Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs joined the criticism, arguing that the current enforcement policy is damaging efforts to integrate more chareidim into military service.

“The IDF needs chareidi soldiers, not chareidi detainees in prison facilities. As I have warned all along, the attorney general’s campaign against the chareidi public, which grows more severe every week—from demands for arrest quotas, to efforts to block even donations to yeshivos (which currently receive no state funding for draft-age students), and even demands for indictment quotas—will ultimately reduce chareidi enlistment in the IDF, turn the entire chareidi public into the Jerusalem Faction, and, Heaven forbid, even lead to a civil war.”

Fuchs also argued that the legal measures are being enforced selectively. He noted that after the expiration of the legal framework that had exempted many yeshiva students from military service, Torah learners suddenly found themselves facing criminal liability for not enlisting.

“Let us remember that until the expiration of Chapter G1 of the Security Service Law, which led for the first time in the state’s history to Torah scholars in chareidi yeshivos—including the most dedicated learners—awakening to the reality that failing to enlist in the IDF constitutes a criminal offense, we did not see any comparable criminal enforcement by the attorney general against draft evaders who were not from the chareidi community. There were no arrest operations, no sanctions, and nothing of the sort. This is not equal enforcement. On the contrary, it is selective, agenda-driven, and improper enforcement.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin also voiced support for Deri’s position and called for an immediate response from coalition leaders.

“I join MK Rabbi Aryeh Deri’s call not to remain silent any longer. For a long time, I have been urging the government and coalition to unite, rise above internal disagreements, and put an end to the discriminatory judicial anarchy under which many sectors of society are being trampled.”

Levin further called for an emergency gathering of right-wing party leaders to formulate a coordinated response.

“I call for an urgent meeting of the leaders of the right-wing bloc. The time has come for us to adopt a series of practical decisions that will return control of the state to the government and put an end to judicial anarchy.”

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Sunday, while simultaneously urging the Iranian-backed terror group to lay down its weapons and halt its attacks on Israel.

Speaking about the fighting, Cooper accused Israel of causing widespread harm through its military actions in Lebanon.

“Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end,” charged Cooper.

At the same time, she emphasized that responsibility also lies with Hezbollah, calling on the terrorist organization to stop its aggression.

“Hezobllah must end attacks on Israel and disarm.”

Cooper concluded by urging all parties to honor existing agreements and pursue diplomatic solutions.

“All sides must respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith,” concluded Cooper.

Her remarks followed the IDF’s announcement that Israeli forces had launched a targeted military operation in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki regions of southern Lebanon. The mission is aimed at destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating Hezbollah operatives entrenched in the area.

According to the IDF, the operation got underway several days ago, with substantial ground forces moving into the area as part of an effort to broaden Israel’s Forward Defense Line.

Military officials said the offensive was authorized by the Chief of the General Staff after extensive planning, operational preparations, and preliminary fire missions carried out under the direction of the Northern Command. The objective is to secure operational control over the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki corridor while weakening Hezbollah’s capabilities and dismantling infrastructure established there with Iranian support.

The IDF stated that the Beaufort Ridge has long served as a strategic Hezbollah stronghold from which terrorists directed military operations and launched numerous attacks against Israel.

Israeli forces are also targeting launch sites in the region that have been used to fire hundreds of rockets and other projectiles at Israeli communities and IDF personnel.

As the operation continued, Hezbollah further violated the ceasefire on Sunday by extending the range of its rocket attacks into northern Israel. Among the targets was the city of Akko.

In a separate attack later in the day, four Israeli soldiers sustained light injuries when a Hezbollah explosive drone detonated in the community of Beit Hillel.

Medical personnel treated the wounded soldiers at the scene before transporting them to a hospital for further care. The military said their families were informed of the incident.

Iran has moved swiftly to restore much of its underground missile infrastructure following months of joint American and Israeli strikes, rebuilding access to critical launch sites and renewing concerns about Tehran’s ability to carry out large-scale missile attacks across the region, according to a CNN report published Sunday.

During the conflict, U.S. and Israeli forces concentrated significant firepower on the entrances to Iran’s underground military complexes. Precision strikes were used to collapse tunnel openings, block access roads, and hinder Iran’s ability to deploy long-range missiles. Although those attacks initially slowed Iranian operations, the report says Iranian engineering teams repeatedly returned to damaged locations to clear debris and reopen access routes, often while military operations were still underway. Since the ceasefire took effect more than seven weeks ago, those repair efforts have intensified considerably.

Satellite imagery examined by CNN indicates that Iran has reopened 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances that had been blocked or collapsed at 18 underground facilities targeted during the campaign. The images also show that much of the damage inflicted on surrounding infrastructure has been repaired, with bomb craters filled and road surfaces restored. At two major sites, paving work has reportedly already been completed.

According to the report, Iran relied largely on conventional construction equipment rather than sophisticated technology to restore the facilities. Bulldozers, loaders, and dump trucks were used extensively to remove debris and rebuild access points. Satellite photographs from a facility near Khomeyn taken in mid-April reportedly showed at least 10 construction vehicles working to reopen a blocked tunnel entrance. Near Isfahan, where at least 18 bombs were used to seal four tunnel complexes, newer imagery reportedly revealed that two entrances had already been fully reopened, while crews continued repairs at the remaining sites.

Military analysts cited in the report argue that Iran’s rapid recovery effort highlights weaknesses in the long-term strategy of containing the country’s missile capabilities. While American and Israeli strikes also targeted weapons-production infrastructure—including facilities involved in electronics manufacturing, drone production, and missile fuel components—Iran’s existing missile stockpile remains largely protected deep underground. Experts estimate that approximately 1,000 operational missiles may still be stored within hardened facilities buried hundreds of meters beneath the surface.

Asked about the intelligence assessment, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to address the specific findings. Instead, he reiterated a standard Pentagon position, stating that “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City taxpayers are expected to fund more than $5 million in salaries for employees in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly created Office of Mass Engagement, a figure that critics say far exceeds initial projections and raises questions about the purpose of the rapidly expanding agency, the NY Post reports.

According to the city’s recently released 2027 executive budget, the office’s staffing level has grown from 14 positions to 40 in just over a month, with $5,123,756 allocated for employee salaries. The amount represents a dramatic increase from earlier estimates that placed the office’s payroll costs at approximately $1.6 million.

The budget for the new office exceeds the entire funding levels of several existing city agencies, including the Board of Corrections, the Community Affairs Unit, and the Office for People with Disabilities.

The New York Post reported in March that the office had begun recruiting for 14 positions with combined compensation totaling roughly $1.6 million. Among those jobs was a campaign director position carrying a salary of $150,000, with responsibilities that critics said closely resembled those of political campaign staff.

Under current plans, City Hall intends to add another 26 employees by next year. Based on budget documents, those hires would receive average salaries of approximately $125,000.

The budget also includes an additional $30,000 designated for operating expenses unrelated to personnel.

Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf sharply criticized the expansion.

“This is purely politics at a time when real services are needed,” Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf told The Post. “We have real deficits and this mayor is spending five million dollars to put 40 political operatives on the payroll. It’s morally incomprehensible . . . It’s outrageous.”

“This isn’t for anybody’s benefit but the mayor’s.”

City Hall has said the office was established to encourage broader participation in government decision-making. Opponents, however, argue that it resembles a political organizing operation funded by taxpayers and designed to build support for the mayor’s agenda.

Budget documents did not include a full list of all 40 positions. Among those already hired are Commissioner Tascha Van Auken, who previously served as Mamdani’s campaign field director, and Mohamed Alharbi, who is serving as deputy borough director for Queens.

The new office is separate from the mayor’s communications staff, which sources told The Post is expected to become larger than that of any previous New York City mayor.

Mamdani has proposed a $51.8 million budget for the mayor’s office in fiscal year 2027, an increase of approximately $7 million compared to the final budget approved during former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

When announcing the creation of the Office of Mass Engagement, Mamdani said its purpose was to ensure that communities traditionally excluded from government had a stronger voice in city affairs. Critics contend that the office’s early activities have focused primarily on the Democratic Socialists of America activists who formed a key part of his political base.

Earlier this week, The Post observed three employees canvassing residents on the Lower East Side and encouraging attendance at Rent Guidelines Board hearings ahead of a June vote on a proposed rent freeze, a centerpiece of Mamdani’s campaign platform. The decision could affect approximately two million residents living in rent-stabilized apartments.

The effort is part of the office’s first major initiative, known as Organize NYC, which focuses on volunteer recruitment and door-to-door outreach using methods that critics say resemble those employed by the Democratic Socialists of America during Mamdani’s campaign.

Since early May, staff members have reportedly conducted canvassing operations in sections of the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. Staten Island had not initially been included, although a city spokesperson told The Post that a representative has now been hired for the borough and that outreach efforts there will also move forward.

Additional positions within the office have also attracted attention. One such role, a deputy director of co-governance earning $150,000 annually, included language in its job description that critics said closely mirrored proposals advanced by New York City DSA co-chair Grace Mausser in her essay, “Building Municipal Socialism in New York with DSA.”

The new agency has also prompted comparisons to the administration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose office produced more than 250 promotional videos during his first two years in office.

A City Hall spokesperson told The Post that outreach efforts have not been limited to supporters of the mayor’s agenda and said landlord advocacy groups have also been invited to testify at the rent hearings. Officials further insisted that the Office of Mass Engagement is not advocating for any predetermined outcome.

“Every New Yorker should have a say in the future of their city,” said Penelope Birnbaum.

{Matzav.com}

The Kassau family welcomed a new baby girl this week, but even amid the joy of a growing family, they say the celebration has been overshadowed by the painful absence of 11-year-old Haimanot Kassau, who has been missing for more than two years.

The family announced Sunday that a baby girl had been born, becoming the youngest sibling in the household. Yet relatives said the happy occasion also served as a painful reminder that one chair at the family table remains empty.

Family members said what should have been one of the most joyous moments of their lives was also emotionally overwhelming because of Haimanot’s continued disappearance.

“This is a moment of kindness and blessing, but it comes on an unbearably difficult day,” the family said in a statement. “We are moving between opposite emotions: between the happiness of the new baby and the longing and anxiety for Haimanot. This joy only sharpens the fact that nothing is complete without her.”

Haimanot, now 11 years old, disappeared on February 25, 2024, from the absorption center in Tzfas where her family had been living after immigrating from Ethiopia. Since that day, no trace of her has been found, and her family continues to hold on to hope while pressing authorities to intensify efforts to locate her.

Just last month, the family marked 800 days since her disappearance. They say her room remains untouched, her bed is still made, and her school bag continues to wait for her at home.

Relatives said they dream of the day Haimanot will return and meet her newborn sister for the first time.

“At this time, we ask the media and the public to respect our privacy,” the family said, “but we are also using this moment to cry out once again: Do not forget Haimanot!”

The family renewed its call for the establishment of a special investigative task force dedicated to finding the missing girl and urged the public to continue supporting their efforts.

“We ask people to continue walking with us in the determined struggle to bring our beloved daughter home,” the family said.

Last Wednesday, demonstrators wearing shirts bearing Haimanot’s photograph gathered outside the offices of Lahav 433 in Lod. A separate protest was held simultaneously alongside family members at the Kiryat Motzkin Junction.

The demonstrations came one week after police representatives told a Knesset Immigration Committee hearing that there had been developments in the investigation.

Tesfai Bishao, a leading activist in an organization working to secure Haimanot’s return, sharply criticized the authorities and said: “It was a show by Lahav 433, to make it look like they are working.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly been privately urging political allies not to support former Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter within the right-wing bloc, sparking a sharp public response from the retired military officer and denials from both Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu.

According to a report by Yuval Segev on Channel 13 News Sunday evening, Netanyahu has recently made unusually pointed remarks about Winter during private conversations with various individuals who spoke directly with him.

Sources who reportedly heard the comments firsthand—and who are neither members of the prime minister’s staff nor close associates—said Netanyahu expressed strong opposition to Winter becoming part of the right-wing camp.

“Winter is locked in with Lieberman for after the elections,” Netanyahu allegedly said during those conversations. According to the report, he also warned those around him: “We must not look after him within the right-wing bloc.”

The reported remarks are particularly notable because Winter has not formally announced the creation of a political party or declared that he intends to join any existing political framework.

The claims are also surprising because some figures within the opposition have continued to speculate that a political party led by Winter could ultimately benefit Likud by attracting right-wing voters during the election campaign.

Winter, who previously served as military secretary to the defense minister during Netanyahu’s tenure, responded forcefully to the report in a statement that appeared directed at individuals in the prime minister’s orbit.

“I know the prime minister’s environment very well. I served under the prime minister for an entire year in a highly sensitive position, as his right-hand man. Sometimes new people, in order to show they are important, step on someone else. I am sorry about that. There are other ways to earn the prime minister’s trust without lying and smearing people. I refuse to play that game. Enough.”

Likud strongly denied the report, issuing a brief statement that read: “The report is false from beginning to end.”

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman also rejected the claims, denying that any political arrangement or agreement exists between him and Winter.

President Donald Trump is intensifying his criticism of a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit that has delayed portions of his administration’s planned $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone facility, arguing that the legal challenge is jeopardizing national security.

In a post Sunday on Truth Social, Trump praised the proposed project’s security capabilities and warned against any effort to obstruct its construction.

“The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future.

“Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!”

Trump specifically targeted U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who has been handling the case, and urged him to dismiss the lawsuit brought against the project. The president described the plaintiff as a frequent litigant with no legitimate legal standing and warned that any future attack on the White House would place responsibility on those blocking the project.

“If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,” Trump added. “He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING!

“With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump added.

The president’s comments came as the Justice Department renewed its effort to have a court order blocking parts of the project lifted. In a recent filing, government attorneys argued that a shooting incident at a White House security checkpoint earlier this month highlighted the need for enhanced protection measures at the executive complex.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed Trump’s arguments in a five-page court submission, citing multiple threats against the president and criticizing the injunction.

“In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing.

“This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!”

The gunman involved in the recent White House checkpoint incident was shot by law enforcement officers and later died at a hospital.

The legal dispute stems from an April ruling by Judge Leon, who found that Trump lacked authority to proceed with construction of the ballroom without congressional approval. Leon issued an injunction stopping above-ground construction work on the project. However, an appellate court subsequently paused that ruling, allowing work to continue temporarily through June.

The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress. The group has continued to pursue the case despite Justice Department arguments that security concerns warrant ending both the injunction and the lawsuit altogether.

Trump has previously outlined ambitious plans for the project, saying it will include not only a large ballroom but also a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military facility equipped with a hospital and research operations.

During a recent tour of the site with reporters, Trump emphasized the military applications of the structure and its defensive capabilities.

“The entire roof is built for military,” Trump said. “They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.”

The proposed ballroom would encompass approximately 90,000 square feet, making it substantially larger than existing White House event spaces. The project has become a focal point in a broader debate over presidential authority, federal security spending, and the preservation of historic government properties.

Trump has maintained that the facility is needed to accommodate major events in a secure environment, arguing that existing White House venues are inadequate for gatherings of up to 1,000 attendees.

According to the White House, the project’s security infrastructure will include titanium barriers, reinforced roofing systems, specialized impact-resistant glass, and underground facilities. Trump has also described the roof as being made of “impenetrable steel” and said the fencing is so strong that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over.”

{Matzav.com}

New criticism is being directed at Jill Biden after a former senior aide accused her of attempting to reshape public perceptions of her reaction to President Biden’s widely criticized debate performance in 2024.

Michael LaRosa, who previously served as a spokesman for Jill Biden, said the former first lady appears to be revising her account of what she thought during the debate, after recently revealing that she feared her husband might be suffering a medical emergency while on stage.

According to LaRosa, the effort is aimed at altering how the public remembers both the debate and her response to it.

“They’re trying to change the tape in people’s minds about who she is… that’s why she’s sort of changing her tune a little bit about her reaction in real time,” LaRosa said. “She wants to say, ‘Oh no, my reaction was just as concerning and was just as severe as everyone at home. I was shocked.'”

LaRosa argued that Jill Biden effectively became the public face of the administration’s immediate response following the debate and suggested that a more candid reaction at the time would have resonated with voters.

He said she was “the face and the voice of the initial reaction for the country,” and that if she had reacted at the time with the sentiments she later shared with CBS, “it would have been a more human response.”

In the moments following the June 2024 debate, Jill Biden publicly praised her husband before a crowd of supporters.

“You did such a great job, you answered every question, you knew all the facts,” she said to then-President Biden in front of a crowd of cheering supporters following the debate in June 2024.

However, in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning that aired last week, she offered a dramatically different description of what she was thinking while watching the event unfold.

“I don’t know what happened. I mean, as I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death,” she told CBS Sunday Morning in an interview that aired last week.

Republicans seized on Biden’s debate performance at the time as evidence that he was no longer fit to continue serving as commander in chief. Democrats, by contrast, largely insisted that the performance was an isolated incident rather than a reflection of a broader decline.

While Jill Biden’s recent remarks appeared to reinforce the argument that something unusual occurred that night, Axios reporter Alex Thompson challenged the notion that the debate performance was an isolated event.

Drawing on reporting conducted for the book Original Sin, which examines President Biden’s years in office, Thompson said aides had witnessed similar episodes on other occasions.

“Biden aides told Jake Tapper and me that they had seen him act that way before and after. Those moments became more difficult to predict and conceal,” Thompson said, referring to comments gathered during the writing of “Original Sin,” a book covering President Biden’s time in office.

{Matzav.com}

Signs of growing turmoil are emerging at the highest levels of Iran’s leadership, with a report claiming that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has raised the possibility of stepping down as the country grapples with mounting political, military, and economic pressures.

According to a report by Iran International, Pezeshkian sent a letter to Mojtaba Khamenei warning that the regime’s ability to survive is nearing a breaking point. The report states that the Iranian president made clear he would not remain in office if current conditions continue.

If accurate, the message would represent one of the sharpest public indications yet of tensions between Iran’s civilian leadership and the powerful military and religious figures who wield significant influence behind the scenes in Tehran.

The reported development follows earlier claims by Iran International that serious disagreements have emerged between Pezeshkian and leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over the management of the war and its economic consequences.

According to sources cited by the outlet, Pezeshkian warned that without a ceasefire, Iran’s economy could face collapse within a matter of weeks.

The report further alleges that Pezeshkian sought to regain executive powers that had effectively been stripped from the government, but that request was rejected by IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi.

At the same time, the outlet reported that the president repeatedly attempted to arrange an urgent meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei but was unable to secure one.

The latest report paints a picture of an increasingly strained leadership structure in Tehran, with the president signaling that he may no longer be willing to bear responsibility for the country’s deteriorating situation while key security institutions continue to dictate policy and strategy.

{Matzav.com}

Gadi Eizenkot, chairman of the Yashar! party and former IDF chief of staff, has reportedly proposed a new framework aimed at resolving the growing leadership rivalry within Israel’s anti-Netanyahu bloc. Under the plan, the leader of whichever party wins the most seats in the next election would automatically receive the bloc’s backing to form a government.

According to a report by Amit Segal on Channel 12 News Sunday evening, Eizenkot presented the proposal several weeks ago to a number of opposition party leaders. The move is intended to avoid a prolonged struggle over who would lead the bloc and, at least for the foreseeable future, appears to sideline the idea of a “grand merger” involving Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid.

The proposal is also directed at Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who has repeatedly stated in recent months that he aspires to become prime minister. Current polling places his party at approximately eight to nine seats.

Responding to the report, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid published a message on X in which he appealed directly to Eizenkot.

“We love and appreciate Gadi Eizenkot and believe that if he joins the union it will bring the country hope for change and lay the foundations for the government of repair and healing that the country so desperately needs. Gadi, come!”

Earlier Sunday, Bennett renewed his criticism of Eizenkot over the latter’s recent meeting with Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni.

Speaking at an event over the weekend, Bennett said: “It’s naive, it’s naive… because you will enter negotiations and then they will say what the parameters are for an exemption. What Gafni and Deri forgot, Eizenkot and Yair Golan have not yet learned. Therefore there is no room for dialogue, simply.”

Bennett’s latest attack on Eizenkot and Yair Golan is part of a broader series of clashes within the opposition and comes as recent surveys have shown growing support for Eizenkot’s Yashar! party.

A Channel 12 poll released last week found that Eizenkot is now viewed as the opposition’s most suitable candidate for prime minister.

The same survey also examined the possibility of a joint slate comprising Bennett, Lapid, and Eizenkot. According to the results, such a unified party would emerge as the largest faction in the Knesset with 38 seats.

However, the poll found that if the parties run separately, they would collectively earn 39 seats—22 for Bennett and Lapid’s joint list and 17 for Eizenkot’s Yashar! party.

The survey further indicated that under a Bennett-Lapid-Eizenkot merger scenario, Likud would maintain its strength with 23 seats. The Democrats would receive 11 seats, while Yisrael Beiteinu would win 10.

Shas would secure eight seats, while both United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit would also receive eight seats each, according to the poll.

The Torah communities of Manchester and London are mourning the petirah of Rav Yosef Chaim Greenhaus zt”l, a respected mechanech who devoted more than four decades to educating generations of talmidim. He was 76 years old.

Rav Greenhaus passed away on Shabbos at a hospital in Manchester, England, following a prolonged period of suffering and illness.

Affectionately known throughout the community as “Reb Yossi,” he was born 76 years ago to Rav Moshe Mordechai Greenhaus z”l and Mrs. Sarah Yehudis Fried Greenhaus a”h.

For more than forty years, he served as a beloved melamed at Talmud Torah Yesodei HaTorah in London’s Stamford Hill neighborhood. Thousands of talmidim passed through his classroom over the years, benefiting from his warmth, dedication, and unique educational approach. He was known for instilling Torah values and yiras Shamayim in generations of children, many of whom maintained a deep affection and appreciation for him long after leaving his class.

Approximately a decade ago, Rav Greenhaus relocated to Manchester to be closer to his children. Despite advancing age, he continued learning with remarkable diligence, spending long hours immersed in Torah study at a kollel for rabbonim under the leadership of Rav Eliezer Kaufman.

About six months ago, his health began to deteriorate, leading to a lengthy hospitalization. During that difficult period, the family endured an additional tragedy with the passing of his brother, Reb Shamai Zerach Greenhaus z”l of Haifa.

He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and a large extended family living in Manchester, Gateshead, and Eretz Yisroel.

Among his brothers are Rav Dovid Greenhaus, a dayan on the Kedasia Beis Din in London, and Rav Tzvi Greenhaus of Bnei Brak.

His brothers-in-law include Rav Yisroel Gukovitzky, rov of the Bruchim Haba’im Shul in London who now resides in Beit Shemesh and is the author of Targum HaLa’az and Maaseh Oreg, as well as Rav Daniel Ortzel, rosh kollel of Kollel Pinto in Manchester.

The levayah is scheduled to take place on Monday in Manchester. Levayah arrangements were delayed due to bureaucratic procedures involving the release of the body by the local coroner’s office, which is closed on Sundays. He will be laid to rest in the Machzikei Hadas cemetery in Manchester.

Tehei Nishmaso Tzerurah B’Tzror HaChaim.

{Matzav.com}

A wave of concern swept through a yeshiva in Beitar Illit after talmidim reported repeatedly seeing what they described as a mysterious dark figure moving through one of the building’s classrooms late at night. The unusual reports eventually prompted an investigation by staff and, according to local accounts, led to the replacement of all the mezuzos in the yeshiva on the instruction of a city rabbi.

Rav Binyamin Chuta, rov of the Ohel Rachel Shul in Beitar Illit, recounted the incident during one of his shiurim, describing the unusual events that reportedly unfolded at the yeshiva in recent days.

According to the account, the episode began when several bochurim approached members of the yeshiva staff to report a disturbing phenomenon. They claimed that during the late evening and nighttime hours, strange activity that appeared to be supernatural was taking place in one of the yeshiva’s classrooms.

The talmidim said they repeatedly observed what appeared to be a dark shadowy silhouette moving around the room and appearing on the walls, despite there being no visible light source or apparent explanation for the phenomenon.

At first, staff members reportedly assumed the claims were the result of a prank or misunderstanding. However, after multiple talmidim continued reporting similar experiences, the yeshiva’s mashgiach decided to investigate the matter personally.

The mashgiach arrived at the yeshiva late at night and entered the classroom in question to see whether there was a rational explanation for what the bochurim had described.

According to the story related by Rabbi Chuta, the mashgiach himself suddenly observed a dark shadow-like figure moving across the walls of the room. The sight reportedly left him so frightened that he nearly collapsed.

The mashgiach then rushed out of the room and fled the area while calling for help.

Following the incident, and acting on the guidance of one of Beitar Illit’s rabbonim, all of the mezuzos in the yeshiva were reportedly replaced that same day.

{Matzav.com}

A significant new economic measure affecting the Torah world is moving forward after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara directed government agencies to begin implementing a policy that will deny certain tax benefits to Torah institutions whose students are classified as draft-eligible and have not regularized their status with military authorities. At the same time, a special interagency task force will be established to prevent alternative funding channels from being used to circumvent the policy.

According to a statement issued following a meeting chaired by the attorney general, the government determined that under existing law, Supreme Court rulings, and decisions relating to the economic enforcement of military service obligations, “it is not possible to indirectly fund Torah institutions in which draft evaders are studying through the tax benefit provided under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance.”

Under the new directive, the Israel Tax Authority must publish an official notice outlining the policy change by June 7, 2026. The announcement will detail the revised eligibility requirements, the documentation institutions will be required to submit, and the deadlines for doing so.

The new policy will require Torah institutions seeking either a new Section 46 approval or a renewal of an existing one to certify that their students have arranged their status with military authorities. In addition, institutions will be required to provide student information, including identification numbers, so that records can be cross-checked against military databases.

Organizations that already possess Section 46 approval will also be affected. The Tax Authority is expected to contact those institutions by July 1, 2026, requiring them to submit the necessary documentation in order to maintain eligibility for the tax benefit.

The decision further states that institutions that fail to provide the required information, or whose eligibility is not approved by the Tax Authority, will lose their tax-benefit status.

In addition, the attorney general ordered the formation of a special interministerial committee headed by the Deputy Attorney General for Public-Constitutional Law. Representatives from the Tax Authority, the Budget Department, the Corporations Authority, and the Justice Ministry will participate in the effort.

The committee’s mission will be to develop procedures designed to prevent the creation of indirect funding mechanisms for institutions whose students are draft-eligible but have not resolved their military status.

The decision also referenced a Supreme Court ruling issued in April, which stated that “the creation of alternative funding channels contradicts the court’s ruling and directly undermines the government’s obligation to enforce the provisions of the Security Service Law.”

{Matzav.com}

With Election Day just around the corner, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her rivals spent the weekend making appearances across the city as an unexpectedly tight mayoral contest appeared increasingly likely to continue into a runoff election.

Bass, who is seeking another term in office, faces challenges from former reality television personality Spencer Pratt and Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman in Tuesday’s primary.

Recent surveys suggest that none of the candidates is on track to secure an outright majority, making a second-round runoff in November increasingly probable. Under the city’s election system, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the two highest vote-getters advance to a head-to-head contest later in the year.

On Saturday, Bass, whose campaign has attracted support from prominent Democrats including Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom, campaigned at Yosemite Recreation Center in the Eagle Rock neighborhood.

During the event, Bass served tacos to attendees while wearing an apron emblazoned with the phrase “Common Sense and Carne Asada.”

Bass also used a Saturday Instagram livestream to criticize Pratt, drawing a contrast between his entertainment background and the responsibilities of public office.

“You have a failed reality TV star who wants to be famous,” she said while speaking with two actresses before appearing to reference President Donald Trump. “We know what it means if you put somebody who is a reality TV star in a seat of power.”

Meanwhile, Pratt spent part of the day targeting Raman on social media, posting criticism of several of her recent campaign advertisements on X.

Raman, for her part, pointed to encouraging polling numbers in a video shared on Instagram and urged voters to turn out on Election Day.

“After millions of dollars of spending against us, we are still here and we are still competitive,” she said.

Pratt, best known for his appearance on the reality television series “The Hills,” has built much of his campaign around criticism of Bass’s handling of the devastating January 2025 wildfires that destroyed thousands of properties, including his own home in Pacific Palisades.

He has also made homelessness, public safety, and drug abuse central themes of his campaign, frequently arguing that city leadership has failed to address those issues effectively.

In recent weeks, Pratt has drawn increased attention and picked up endorsements from a range of reality television figures, entertainers, musicians, and media personalities.

Even so, Pratt faces a difficult path in Los Angeles, where Democratic candidates have traditionally enjoyed a significant advantage in municipal elections and where Republican-backed candidates have historically struggled to gain widespread support.

As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani chose not to attend the annual Israel Day Parade, becoming the first sitting mayor to skip the event since it began more than six decades ago, former Mayor Eric Adams marched alongside Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in a display of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community.

Shortly before the parade got underway, Adams spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about the significance of participating in the event together with Israel’s parliamentary leader.

“Just being here with the Speaker of Knesset says a lot, and the clear display of unity for not only the country of Israel, but also the Jewish community globally.”

Adams said the joint appearance sent a powerful message of support and partnership.

“And that’s why we’re marching together. We will stand together, we will fight together, and we will ensure that the entire globe knows that the people of America and New York respect and will stand with the people of Israel,” he added.

Ohana noted that this year’s parade was marked by an unprecedented absence from City Hall.

“In more than 60 years of this parade, it is the first time that the mayor of New York will not attend,” he said.

At the same time, Ohana pointed out that the circumstances also led to a historic first from Israel’s side.

“We are very happy to have Mayor Adams. And for that reason, in more than 60 years of the parade, it is the first time that the Speaker of the Knesset will.”

The Knesset Speaker said he arrived with what he described as the largest parliamentary delegation ever sent from Israel to the New York event.

Ohana explained that the group included lawmakers from both coalition and opposition parties, reflecting broad support across Israel’s political spectrum.

According to Ohana, the purpose of the visit was to demonstrate solidarity with Jewish communities abroad at a time of growing challenges.

He said the delegation had come “to send a message to the Jewish world, to the Jews of New York. We are here with you. You are not alone.”

Closing his remarks, Ohana emphasized unity between Israel and Jews around the world.

“We stand together. Am Yisrael Chai,” Ohana concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Mike Lawler sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for opting not to attend the city’s annual Israel Day Parade, arguing that the move reinforces concerns many voters already have about the mayor and breaks with a longstanding tradition observed by City Hall for decades.

Appearing on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America Weekend,” the New York congressman said Mamdani’s decision sends the wrong message in a city that is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world.

“The fact is, many New Yorkers and Americans believe he’s an antisemite,” Lawler said on “Wake Up America Weekend.”

“And the fact that for the first time in decades, the mayor of New York City is refusing to attend the Israel Day parade, where New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside of the state of Israel, just speaks volumes to his conduct, his rhetoric, and those he associated himself with.”

Mamdani, who took office earlier this year and became New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, is set to become the first sitting mayor since 1964 to skip the annual march along Fifth Avenue. Organizers describe the event as the largest public celebration of Israel outside the Jewish state.

Lawler announced that he would participate in the parade himself, presenting his attendance as a show of solidarity with New York’s Jewish community.

“I will be there tomorrow, proudly marching up Fifth Avenue in support of our Jewish Americans here in New York,” he said.

The congressman, whose district includes Rockland and Putnam counties as well as portions of Westchester and Dutchess counties, argued that elected officials have a responsibility to engage with every segment of the population, regardless of political differences.

“I show up in every community because that’s the job, you are elected to represent everybody, regardless of who votes for you or not,” he said, contrasting his own approach with Mamdani’s.

Lawler also pointed to the results of last November’s mayoral election, where Mamdani secured approximately 50.4 percent of the vote in a three-way contest against Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

“Mayor Mamdani barely got above 50% of the vote, which is very telling,” Lawler said. “Even in New York, where nearly 50% of New Yorkers rejected his rank, antisemitism and socialism.”

Mamdani, who has publicly identified as pro-Palestinian and has accused Israel’s government of committing genocide in Gaza, defended his decision this week, saying he was following through on a campaign commitment while continuing to support security arrangements for the event.

“I take seriously my responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of every New Yorker and every event, regardless of my attendance,” he said at a briefing alongside NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who will serve as grand marshal.

Lawler concluded by predicting that Mamdani’s absence from the parade could have lasting political repercussions.

“I think this is a very bad decision on his part,” he said. “And I do think there’s going to be blowback for it.”

{Matzav.com}

A terror ramming attack at the Gush Etzion Junction on Sunday evening left three people injured, including a 17-year-old girl who sustained serious wounds. The attack occurred at the busy intersection between Yerushalayim and Chevron before the suspected terrorist was fatally shot by an IDF soldier.

Emergency responders said the 17-year-old victim suffered severe injuries, while a 15-year-old girl was moderately injured. A third person was treated at the scene for shock.

All three victims were transported to Shaare Tzedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim. Hospital officials reported that the critically injured teenager was taken directly into emergency surgery upon arrival.

The suspected attacker, identified as a resident of the Chevron area, was shot and killed by a soldier from the Nachshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade.

Moshe Benita, a paramedic with Magen David Adom, and senior MDA medic Chaim Sharabi described the chaotic scene encountered by rescue crews.

“When we arrived at the scene of the attack, we observed significant commotion and a vehicle near a bus stop. Lying next to the vehicle was a 17-year-old girl who was fully conscious and suffering from severe injuries to her lower limbs. We provided initial medical treatment at the scene, including stopping the bleeding, and evacuated her by intensive care ambulance to the hospital in serious condition.

“Additional MDA teams provided medical treatment to another injured girl, 15, who was in mild condition and suffering from facial injuries.”

Security forces launched an investigation into the attack as authorities continued to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident.

{Matzav.com}

A promising new cancer therapy has produced remarkable results in patients with advanced head and neck cancer, completely eliminating tumors in some individuals whose disease had continued to progress despite chemotherapy and immunotherapy, according to findings reported Saturday.

Data from the international OrigAMI-4 clinical trial showed that the experimental medication amivantamab either reduced or completely wiped out tumors in 43 of 102 participants whose cancer had returned or spread after standard treatments stopped working.

Of those patients, 15 experienced a complete disappearance of their tumors.

Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust described the outcomes as exceptionally encouraging for a group of patients who typically have very few options left.

“This is a group of patients for whom treatment options are extremely limited, so seeing this level of benefit is very striking,” Harrington said.

Researchers are scheduled to present the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

Amivantamab fights cancer through multiple mechanisms. The drug blocks the EGFR protein that fuels tumor growth, shuts down the MET pathway often used by cancer cells to resist treatment, and also helps stimulate the body’s immune system to attack malignant cells.

Investigators noted that the medication is administered through a small injection beneath the skin rather than by intravenous infusion, making treatment quicker and more convenient for patients.

Most participants experienced only mild or moderate side effects, and fewer than 10 percent discontinued treatment because of complications related to the drug.

One participant in the study, 56-year-old Carl Walsh of Birmingham, entered the trial after conventional therapies failed to stop the progression of his tongue cancer.

“I was initially treated with both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which unfortunately were not successful,” Walsh said.

“At that point, I was recommended for the OrigAMI-4 trial,” he said.

Walsh said the experimental treatment dramatically changed his daily life.

“I now feel able to live a normal life,” he said.

“Since beginning treatment, the swelling has reduced significantly, and my pain levels have improved considerably,” he said.

He said he noticed major improvements after only two rounds of treatment, eventually regaining the ability to eat normally and enjoying “the first big steak” after months of being restricted to soft foods.

Researchers emphasized that the trial focused specifically on HPV-negative head and neck cancers, a form of the disease that is generally more difficult to treat and often carries a poorer prognosis than HPV-related cancers.

Despite having aggressive cancer that had already progressed after standard therapies, patients in the study survived a median of 12.5 months following the start of treatment.

Scientists cautioned that the results are still preliminary and will need to be confirmed through larger clinical trials before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Amivantamab, which was developed by Johnson & Johnson, is currently being evaluated in approximately 60 clinical studies involving a variety of cancers, including lung, colorectal, brain, and stomach cancers.

Kristian Helin, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said the early findings could represent a major advance for patients who have exhausted most available treatment options.

The findings represent “a significant step forward” for patients with very limited treatment options, Helin said.

{Matzav.com}