Spain has announced that it is permanently recalling its ambassador from Israel and eliminating the ambassadorial post altogether, signaling a deepening rift between the two countries over Israel’s military actions against Iran and the Hamas terrorist organization.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv will continue to operate, but it will now be led by a charge d’affaires rather than a full ambassador.
The decision marks an escalation in a dispute that began months ago. In September, Spain had already pulled its ambassador from Israel amid mounting tensions after Madrid barred ships transporting arms and ammunition destined for Israel from docking at Spanish ports.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticized Spain’s latest move, warning that it sends the wrong message as Israel and the United States confront Iran’s regime.
“I was just informed that the Spanish government has permanently recalled their ambassador to Israel. This is hard for me to absorb. Spain is a member of NATO, and the United States and Israel are in joint operations against the Iranian regime who openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish State, attacks against the West, and seeks to purify Islam in its own image. The religious Nazi regime in Iran is the problem, not the Jewish State. I hope Spain’s actions will not encourage the tyrannical, fanatical regime in Iran – that abuses its own people – to hang on. Time will tell.”
Spain has also publicly criticized the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.
The diplomatic friction between Jerusalem and Madrid intensified further in September after remarks by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during the war that followed the October 7 massacre.
During those comments, Sanchez appeared to lament that Spain lacked the capability to deter Israel militarily, stating that “Spain does not have nuclear weapons” that could stop Israel’s campaign against Hamas.
Israel’s government strongly condemned the remarks, accusing Sanchez of invoking dangerous rhetoric.
“Spanish PM Sanchez said yesterday that Spain can’t stop Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists because ‘Spain does not have nuclear weapons.’ That’s a blatant genocidal threat on the world’s only Jewish State,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“Apparently, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews of Spain and the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust, is not enough for Sanchez. Incredible,” it added.
{Matzav.com}
Travel out of Israel remains significantly disrupted, and observers are anticipating an even greater surge of passengers seeking to depart as yeshiva and seminary semesters draw to a close.
The limited number of flights operating out of Ben-Gurion Airport – constrained both by reduced airline schedules and government-imposed passenger caps – have not been sufficient to meet current demand. With large numbers of students expected to seek departure in the coming days, those limitations are projected to become even more acute.
Egypt Remains Key – But With Challenges
As previously reported by Chaim V’Chessed, travel through Egypt has until now been the most viable route for those seeking to exit Israel. However, the vast majority of flights have departed from Sharm el-Sheikh – a journey of several hours from the Israeli border through the Sinai Peninsula, terrain that some travelers have been hesitant to traverse.
Dramatic New Development: Flights for Students and Others
In a significant new development, the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries, together with Eretz HaKodesh, have announced plans to operate flights from Taba Airport.
Taba Airport is located just minutes from the Eilat border crossing, making it a far more accessible and attractive option. Even individuals who have been reluctant to travel deep into the Sinai Peninsula have indicated a willingness to consider departures from Taba due to its proximity to the border.
The first of these flights is scheduled to depart on Sunday, March 15. Organizers state that if the initial flights are successful, they are prepared to add numerous additional flights in the days that follow.
The current route being offered is from Taba to Milan, with an option to continue onward to New York. Transportation is being arranged from Jerusalem to the Taba border crossing, providing a streamlined solution from Jerusalem to the airport itself.
For the many students currently seeking viable exit options, this new route appears to offer a potentially significant solution. Chaim V’Chessed has arranged that a limited number of seats will also be made available to members of the general public.
Click here for more information about these flights.
State Department Flights Continue – Officials Stress Immediate Departure Only
State Department evacuation flights continue, though they remain limited and face logistical challenges. Following consultation with State Department officials, Chaim V’Chessed is able to share the following important information:
The officials expressed strong commitment to assisting American citizens seeking to exit Israel, while acknowledging operational challenges. They shared that efforts are underway to improve efficiency and service. At the moment, charter flights will travel only to Athens, Greece, and passengers will need to make their own way home from there.
Officials emphasized that these flights are intended only for individuals who are ready, willing, and able to depart Israel immediately. Many people have submitted the Crisis Intake Form despite only wishing to travel in the coming days or weeks. When such applicants are contacted and indicate they are not prepared to leave immediately, they may be removed from the lists. These additional names can slow processing and delay urgent assistance. The State Department therefore requests that only passengers ready to depart immediately complete the Crisis Intake Form.
Additionally, it is crucial to include information for all immediate family members on the same form. Officials also request that travelers who filled out the form but have already found alternate plans should notify the State Department, by phone or email, so that others in need of assistance will be helped.
Chaim V’Chessed expresses gratitude to State Department officials for their assistance. We remain in ongoing contact and will share updates as further information becomes available.
{Matzav.com}
Operation “Shaagas HaAri” caught hundreds of families in the midst of wedding preparations, forcing many to scramble for last-minute solutions as air-raid sirens and security restrictions disrupted planned celebrations. With event halls canceling bookings and gatherings restricted, families across Israel have found creative ways to hold weddings—conducting chuppahs in school buildings, shelters, and even private apartments offered by neighbors.
The military operation began unexpectedly on Shabbos morning, Parshas Tetzaveh–Zachor, at around 8 a.m. A piercing siren shattered the quiet at a time when many homes were filled with excitement. In numerous families, the fathers of chassanim had just accompanied their sons to shul for the traditional aliyah the Shabbos before the wedding.
Within moments, the mood shifted dramatically. What had been a week of joy and anticipation leading up to the chassan and kallah’s big day quickly turned into days filled with uncertainty, pressure, and urgent problem-solving. While historians may one day view that siren as the opening moment of a wider military confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran, for hundreds of families it marked the start of a deeply personal ordeal.
After Shabbos ended, new Home Front Command directives began circulating: events were canceled, large gatherings restricted, and families were told to seek alternative arrangements. Many mechutanim received calls from wedding halls informing them that the celebrations could not proceed as scheduled. Some venues canceled outright, while others said they could not guarantee that weddings would be able to take place on the planned date.
“Suddenly we found ourselves without a place to marry off our child,” one parent recalled. “It’s hard to describe the feeling. Beyond the financial burden, there’s tremendous anxiety. Until the last moment you don’t know where the chuppah will be held, what will happen with the catering, whether the photographer can come if the wedding is moved to another city, and what about the band. Everything has to be rebuilt within days—and sometimes within hours—without knowing where things will end up.”
For many, the situation felt like a return to the days of the coronavirus pandemic, when weddings were often held in homes or improvised spaces. At the time, some people believed that smaller daytime weddings might become a long-term model that would save families significant expenses. But once normal life resumed, the modest celebrations quickly gave way again to large events in major wedding halls.
Few imagined how quickly circumstances would force a return to those improvised arrangements. As the current conflict intensified, nearly any available space became a potential wedding venue: underground parking garages, neighborhood shuls, public shelters, and small halls typically used for brissim.
“On Monday I married off my daughter,” said S., the father of a kallah. “Until Sunday afternoon I still had no idea where the wedding would take place. Only at the last moment did we find a hall that had a protected area. I started calling everyone I knew—friends, acquaintances. I don’t even use WhatsApp or those kinds of advertising tools. Baruch Hashem, in the end the wedding took place properly. Everyone came, and even many guests.”
Neta Shefer, manager of the “Hakeramim” event hall in Beit Shemesh—part of the “Baninu” organization founded by chessed activist Rabbi Yaakov Eliezer Shisha—said that during the war his team has continued working to assist orphans and families in need while also helping couples whose weddings were suddenly canceled.
Speaking about the hectic days since the operation began, he described scenes of parents desperately searching for solutions. “We saw parents who were helpless,” he said. “Families who didn’t know where their children’s weddings would take place. We made every effort to find solutions. Other hall owners also went above and beyond to help families celebrate their simchos.”
“At the same time,” he added, “there were also difficult cases: phones that were hung up, requests that went unanswered, and sometimes even refusals to help families or return their deposits.”
The crisis has also produced moments of creativity and kindness. In one case, an office room in a building was converted into a makeshift yichud room. In another instance in Ashdod, when no suitable space could be found, a neighbor opened his private apartment for the newly married couple.
“None of us had ever seen such a luxurious yichud room,” participants joked. “A spacious apartment, private facilities—the entire community stepped forward to help.”
Even amid the stress, unusual stories have emerged. The wedding of the granddaughter of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe, originally scheduled to take place in an auditorium in Beitar, was ultimately held in the Karlin beis medrash in Givat Ze’ev. The kallah insisted that singer Aharale Samet perform at the celebration, but he in turn would not sing accompanied by drums—the traditional Yerushalayim-style “poiker.” In the end, a new arrangement was found to ensure the couple’s simchah went ahead.
“Mi ke’amcha Yisroel,” Shefer said, reflecting on the past days. “It’s incredible to see how willing families are to adapt so that a chassan and kallah can celebrate their wedding on the right day despite all the challenges.”
He recalled visiting a small hall one morning where a bris milah was being held. Guests were heard blessing the infant with the traditional words, “Kesheim shenichnas…. Just as he has entered the covenant, so may he enter Torah, chuppah, and maasim tovim.” Only hours later, in that very same hall, a glass was broken under the chuppah as a chassan and kallah were married there.
{Matzav.com}
Opposition leaders are celebrating after Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich announced that the government will not advance the draft law concerning yeshiva students at this time, saying the decision was made with the agreement of the chareidi parties.
Following the announcement, opposition figures quickly claimed credit for the delay, arguing that sustained political pressure prevented the legislation from being approved.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that from the moment discussions began on what he called the controversial draft exemption law promoted by Netanyahu, he pledged it would not pass. Lapid said his Yesh Atid party led the parliamentary fight against the proposal, which he described as an attempt to exempt tens of thousands of young men from military service, and added that after months of political battles the government has now effectively acknowledged that the legislation cannot move forward.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also declared victory, saying the decision represented a win for the Israeli public after a lengthy struggle led by reserve soldiers’ organizations and others who opposed the bill. Bennett said the outcome showed that Israeli society expects everyone to share the burden of military service.
The reactions came after Netanyahu and Smotrich said Tuesday evening that the coalition intends to prioritize passing the state budget by the end of the current month while putting the draft law and several other disputed reforms on hold.
Smotrich said the government had decided to set aside controversial issues during wartime in order to focus on national responsibility and unity, adding that the budget will concentrate on funding needed for security and achieving victory in the war.
Despite shelving the draft law, chareidi parties signaled they will continue supporting the government during the current wartime period.
A senior chareidi source related that the chareidi parties will vote in favor of the budget and do not intend to bring down the government while the country is at war, acknowledging that the effort to pass the draft law has failed for now but emphasizing that the parties have secured important gains in the state budget.
{Matzav.com}
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Wednesday that global oil prices could surge to $200 per barrel as the Strait of Hormuz—the key route for a large portion of the world’s exported oil—remains shut during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The warning came from Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who blamed the conflict for threatening stability in global energy markets.
“Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilized,” Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, told Reuters.
Tensions in the region escalated further after the U.S. military announced Tuesday that American forces had destroyed 16 vessels used to lay naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have since warned that vessels connected to the United States or Israel could be targeted, with the IRGC stating that such ships “will be considered a legitimate target,” according to Al Jazeera.
Energy markets have already shown sharp volatility. West Texas Intermediate crude, the main benchmark for North American oil prices, is currently trading near $87 per barrel. Earlier this week, however, the price spiked to nearly $120. Meanwhile, the national average cost of gasoline in the United States has climbed to $3.57 per gallon, according to data from AAA.
In response to rising energy prices triggered by the conflict, the International Energy Agency announced that its 32 member nations will release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves in an effort to stabilize global markets.
“This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said in an address from Paris. “But to be clear, the most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Birol said the emergency reserves would be distributed gradually in a way that fits the needs and timelines of participating countries. Among the nations that have already indicated they will take part are Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The United States has not yet announced whether it will contribute oil from its own strategic petroleum reserve.
President Trump previously criticized a decision by President Joe Biden to release 180 million barrels from U.S. strategic reserves following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump argued that those reserves should be preserved for military needs rather than used to bring down fuel prices.
Trump has also downplayed the significance of rising fuel costs during the current conflict, saying that higher gasoline prices are a “very small price to pay” as the administration continues its military campaign against Iran.
The president has offered varying estimates about how long the fighting might continue. At one point he suggested the war could last as long as five weeks, though on Monday he said the conflict would end “very soon.” On Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. “excursion” in Iran was “nearly complete.”
{Matzav.com}
