Yesh Atid announced on Tuesday that it has turned to Israel’s Supreme Court seeking immediate intervention over the transfer of more than one billion shekels approved by the Knesset Finance Committee for haredi educational institutions.
In its filing, the party claimed the allocations were carried out in violation of the law, asserting that the recipient institutions neither teach core curriculum subjects nor operate under required state supervision, and that the funding move sidestepped established budgetary limits and procedures.
The petition was submitted by attorneys Oded Gazit and Eliram Bakal of the Gazit-Bakal law firm, who contended that “the Finance Committee abused its authority and transferred funds unlawfully to institutions that do not meet the educational criteria required by law, rendering the transfers null and void.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, along with fellow Yesh Atid lawmakers Vladimir Beliak, Moshe Turpaz, and Naor Shiri, said the legal action is part of a broader campaign against the current coalition, declaring that “the petition joins a prolonged struggle against a rotten, corrupt, and wasteful government that disregards Israel’s citizens and treats our money as a bargaining chip and political bribe to solve coalition problems.”
Yesh Atid further argued that the funding benefits “institutions that do not prepare Haredi children for modern life,” adding that the transfers were approved in a manner designed to obscure them from public scrutiny, saying that “the funds are being transferred while attempting to conceal the transfers from the public.”
{Matzav.com}
Iranian officials issued sharp warnings this week amid renewed tensions with Washington and Yerushalayim, after President Donald Trump indicated he could authorize additional US military action if Tehran resumes rebuilding its nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities.
Speaking earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States, Israel, and Europe of waging a broad campaign against his country. “We are in a full-scale war with the US, Israel, and Europe; they don’t want our country to remain stable,” he said, describing what he portrayed as escalating pressure on Iran.
Pezeshkian also addressed the possibility of military escalation in a post on the social media platform X, warning that Iran would respond forcefully to any attack. “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” he wrote, without providing further details.
Trump’s remarks came during extensive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. After their meeting, Trump publicly suggested that renewed strikes could be on the table if Iran attempts to reconstitute capabilities damaged during the recent conflict. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump said during a news conference with Netanyahu after their meeting, “and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”
The comments followed the June outbreak of a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, which began after a surprise Israeli operation targeting senior Iranian military figures, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment facilities, and elements of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Israel said the strikes were intended to block Iran from approaching nuclear weaponization and to counter Tehran’s stated goal of destroying the Jewish state.
During that conflict, the United States conducted a single round of strikes against key Iranian nuclear facilities before quickly moving to broker a ceasefire between the two sides.
Trump later reinforced his warning, saying he would not hesitate to act again if developments warranted it. “If it’s confirmed, they know the consequences, and the consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time,” Trump said.
Iranian leaders responded swiftly. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, posted a defiant message on X, asserting that “Iran’s #Missile_Capability and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate #Harsh_Response beyond its planners’ imagination.” Shamkhani later shared the same message in Hebrew.
According to Iranian media reports, Pezeshkian himself narrowly survived the conflict and suffered a leg injury from an Israeli strike during the fighting.
Tehran, which has repeatedly vowed to wipe out Israel, has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, signaling to Western governments that it remains open to possible negotiations over its nuclear program.
US intelligence agencies, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency, have assessed that Iran last maintained an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003. However, prior to the war, Iran had been enriching uranium to levels of up to 60 percent — a short technical step from weapons-grade enrichment of 90 percent. Western experts and the IAEA say such levels have no civilian justification.
{Matzav.com}
Rav Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, has been hospitalized and is in need of a refuah.
All are asked to daven for the complete refuah of Shalom Reuven ben Shima.
{Matzav.com}
Health officials are warning of a potentially punishing flu season as a new strain of influenza circulates widely, prompting concern among doctors and researchers as winter illnesses accelerate nationwide.
The strain drawing attention has been dubbed the “super flu,” a variant of influenza A H3N2 known as subclade K. Previous H3N2 outbreaks have been associated with more intense illness and longer recovery periods compared to other flu strains.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the variant first surged in the United Kingdom before spreading across Europe and Australia, eventually reaching the United States.
“The United Kingdom got hit pretty hard by this,” said Neil Maniar of Northeastern University. “I think that’s a pretty good harbinger of what we are likely to see here. This is going to be a very difficult flu season.”
People infected with the K subclade have reported classic flu symptoms such as high fever, severe body aches, extreme fatigue, persistent cough, sore throat, and intense headaches. Doctors say many patients are also experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, gastrointestinal distress, and lingering weakness well beyond the acute phase of illness.
As case numbers continue to climb, physicians stress the importance of early treatment, particularly for patients at risk of severe disease. Antiviral medications remain a central tool in managing serious infections.
The CDC currently recommends four antiviral drugs: Tamiflu, Xofluza, Relenza, and Rapivab. Xofluza is prescribed as an oral treatment for uncomplicated flu in patients aged 5 and older. Relenza is approved for individuals 7 and older, while Rapivab can be administered to patients as young as 6 months.
“Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, get sufficient rest and take Tylenol or Advil to manage fever, headaches and muscle aches at home,” said Dr. Mark Mulligan of NYU Langone Health’s Vaccine Center.
Public health experts say warnings about the flu have been circulating since early fall, but the emergence of the super flu strain combined with lagging vaccination rates has intensified concern.
“This can be a very serious illness. We need to take it seriously, and we need to take measures to protect ourselves,” Maniar said. “As we go deeper into the flu season, this is likely to be a tough one.”
Infectious disease specialists fear that relatively low vaccine uptake could result in one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory, though they emphasize there is still time to reduce the impact.
“It is certainly not too late, especially as we’re thinking about holiday gatherings and travel,” said Dr. Andrew Pekosz. “Now would be a great time for individuals to go out and get that last influenza vaccine or that COVID vaccine to provide one layer of protection for this holiday season.”
Some experts have noted concerns that this year’s flu vaccine may not be a perfect match for the K subtype. Pekosz said it nonetheless remains effective.
“There are three different influenza strains that cause influenza. The vaccine covers all three. And with two of them, it looks like there’s a pretty good match right now … and we think it’ll provide at least partial protection against this clade K H2N2 virus.”
The CDC continues to recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older.
While the latest nationwide flu data has been delayed due to the Christmas holiday, figures through mid-December already showed a sharp rise in positive cases. Virus activity has reached “very high” levels in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Colorado. Manhattan alone recorded a 104% jump in infections earlier this month.
“We see the sudden spike in New York because of their more dense population,” said Dr. Ulysses Wu of Hartford Hospital. “They’re a center for international as well as domestic travel.”
Significant flu activity has also been reported in Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, and South Carolina, adding to fears of a widespread and difficult season ahead.
{Matzav.com}
Fresh online chatter about President Donald Trump’s health surfaced after viewers scrutinized video from his high-stakes talks on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, focusing on what some described as an unusual mark on his left hand.
Comments circulated quickly on X, where several users zeroed in on the appearance of Trump’s hand during the meeting. One user, Aaron Rupar, wrote: “There appears to be a hole in Trump’s left hand.” Another, Derek Guy, posted: “Seems to be a small hole at the site of discolouration.” A third commenter, Adam Parkhomenko, added: “Can’t use the right hand anymore. Docs had to switch hands.”
Parkhomenko’s remark referenced earlier explanations offered by the White House regarding bruising that had appeared on Trump’s right hand in recent months.
At the time, the White House said the discoloration was the result of frequent handshaking. Officials have not addressed any claims or speculation related to Trump’s left hand.
Questions about Trump’s health have periodically drawn attention, echoing the intense scrutiny faced by Joe Biden during his term in office.
Just last month, the White House confirmed that Trump underwent an MRI scan focused on his abdomen, saying the results were “perfectly normal.”
Trump has also stated publicly that he has taken multiple cognitive assessments and that he “aced” them each time.
{Matzav.com}
