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The Department of Homeland Security is sounding the alarm over new California data showing that publicly funded ambulance rides could soar by as much as 383%, a spike the Trump administration is using to intensify its attacks on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies extending Medi-Cal and Medicaid access to illegal immigrants.

Officials in Washington have repeatedly faulted California for allowing state and federal healthcare dollars to cover emergency services for migrants without legal status—a dispute that became a flashpoint during the recent government shutdown. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that “President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries” and said the administration is now working to ensure taxpayer funds are not diverted to those who are not legally entitled to them. She added, “To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”

McLaughlin argued that California has already been forced to confront the strain its policies created, saying, “California should understand this principle pretty well by now, since they had to announce they were freezing Medi-Cal enrollment for illegal immigrants earlier this year.” Newsom revealed in May that the state would halt new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults beginning in 2026, and later announced plans to require those already in the program to begin paying monthly premiums in mid-2027. Although Newsom initially sought a $100 monthly charge, the Democratic-controlled legislature reduced the figure to $30.

Those not yet enrolled will be barred from applying starting in 2026, a restriction that narrows who can receive emergency Medicaid services—but does not eliminate one of the most expensive elements: ambulance transportation. According to the California Department of Health Care Services, the cost of a taxpayer-funded ambulance trip surged from $339 per ride in 2022 to $1,168 in 2024. The state has now asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to approve rates of $1,597 for 2025 and $1,637 for 2026—a jump that amounts to roughly 382%.

Although California did not explicitly tie its soaring ambulance expenditures to services for illegal migrants, DHS suggested there may be a connection and used the moment to reiterate the administration’s push for more detailed data about migrants receiving care. McLaughlin said, “This information sharing is essential to identify who is in our country, including violent criminals, determine what public safety and terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them and identify what public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense.” She followed with a pointed critique: “California Democrats, like Gavin Newsom, should stop putting illegal aliens over Americans.”

Part of the controversy centers on California’s use of intergovernmental transfers, or IGTs—transactions in which counties and public hospitals send funds to the state, allowing California to claim those dollars as Medicaid spending. The federal government then matches that inflated amount. Afterward, states can return the original money to the local entities while keeping the federal match. According to DHS, this mechanism contributes to widening disparities: private ambulance providers remain stuck at a reimbursement rate of $339, while publicly funded ambulance services in California have seen dramatically increased payouts.

DHS argues that taxpayers nationwide are effectively subsidizing a system that inflates costs and helps bankroll healthcare for illegal immigrants. The administration notes that while other states also rely on IGTs, California’s exceptionally large undocumented population makes it particularly vulnerable to federal scrutiny—and a prime target for the Trump administration’s broader effort to restrict benefits for those in the country illegally.

{Matzav.com}

In the closing stretch of his term, New York City Mayor Eric Adams tapped former journalist Pat Smith to serve as the interim head of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. The choice lands just weeks before Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani takes office and instantly hands him a politically sensitive decision.

According to the New York Post, Smith’s appointment fills a leadership gap at the CCRB as the Adams administration winds down. Smith has sat on the board before and was among the three members who supported the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Win Rosario, a Queens resident with mental health struggles.

Those familiar with the agency do not expect Smith to overhaul anything during the waning weeks of Adams’ tenure. The larger question is what happens once Mamdani is sworn in on January 1, 2026. If the new mayor wants to install his own leadership, he will have to replace Smith almost immediately—a move that could ignite backlash from police unions that favored Smith’s return.

Mamdani already enters office with a fraught relationship with those unions. He spent part of his campaign walking back earlier remarks seen as hostile to law enforcement. He was also criticized after suggesting that the CCRB, not the police commissioner, should have the ultimate say in disciplinary matters. Since naming Jessica Tisch as his incoming police commissioner, Mamdani has not clarified whether he still supports that approach.

The CCRB’s structure gives its chair considerable influence over public messaging and management of its more than 200 employees, even though the chair holds only one vote among 15 members who publicly weigh disciplinary recommendations.

Smith’s appointment is not the only late-game move Adams has made that will reverberate into the next administration. In October, Adams revamped the Rent Guidelines Board by installing several members viewed as aligned with property owners—potentially complicating Mamdani’s promise to secure a freeze on rents for stabilized apartments. Without a successful court challenge, those appointments could push any freeze off the table for at least two years.

The mayor-elect’s transition plans also drew attention for another reason. Mamdani added Mysonne Linen—an activist and rapper who served seven years in state prison for armed robbery—to his transition team. Linen, now 49, was listed in late November as part of the committee advising on the city’s criminal legal system.

{Matzav.com}

Amid a national housing crisis, the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development produced guidelines encouraging property owners to forgo some fair housing practices to favor Afghan refugees, the Trump administration argues in a new directive terminating previous guidelines. The Center Square obtained a HUD directive from the Office of Fair Housing and Equal […]

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman used a live appearance on Newsmax’s “National Report” to make official what had been increasingly expected: he is running for governor of New York. The broadcast followed the release of his first campaign video, signaling the start of what could become a high-profile Republican showdown with Rep. Elise Stefanik as both aim to take on Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026.

Rather than dwell on the potential intraparty rivalry, Blakeman highlighted what he described as proof of his ability to win in politically mixed territory. He pointed to his most recent victory in Nassau County—an area he noted leans Democratic—as evidence that his message resonates across ideological lines. “Everybody wants the same thing. They want safe neighborhoods and they want low taxes. They want economic development. They want jobs. They want prosperity. They want a better place to live for their kids and their grandkids. I’m the guy that can do that,” Blakeman said, framing his campaign as focused on broad, kitchen-table concerns.

Stefanik’s recent swipe—claiming he has “no shot” and is motivated by ego—was mentioned during the interview, but Blakeman avoided turning the conversation into a GOP brawl. He said his attention is on defeating Hochul and underscored what he views as his advantage: hands-on experience managing a major suburban county with a multibillion-dollar budget.

The conversation then shifted to an attack video from Hochul’s camp, which attempted to tie Blakeman to President Donald Trump on issues ranging from tariffs to remarks about citizen militias. Blakeman was unapologetic about his relationship with Trump, remarking that he has not “run away” from him and calling Trump the most effective president he has seen. He added that he would gladly accept Trump’s endorsement while continuing his efforts to appeal to voters beyond the Republican base.

When the topic turned to New York City’s political landscape, Blakeman said he would not support any attempts by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to raise taxes. He also suggested that Albany could step in if the city government fails to enforce the law, including through measures that would bring state-level law enforcement into the picture to bolster public safety.

{Matzav.com}

Channel 12 News disclosed Tuesday night that, long before Isaac Herzog entered the President’s Residence, a confidential legal analysis was drafted at the request of businessman Moti Sander—an ally of Herzog—to explore whether Benjamin Netanyahu could receive a presidential pardon before any indictment was formally issued.

The document, authored by prominent attorney Eyal Rozovsky, was meant to outline a legal path that could theoretically have cleared the way for such a pardon. This effort was taking shape in the tense days immediately preceding Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s announcement that charges would, in fact, be filed against Netanyahu. Ultimately, the proposal never materialized into action, and the legal proceedings pushed ahead as originally planned.

People familiar with the behind-the-scenes maneuvering during Herzog’s campaign say that certain political actors believed a pardon arrangement might be achievable. According to those accounts, Herzog reached out to both Netanyahu and then-President Reuven Rivlin, exploring a scenario in which Netanyahu would permanently step away from political life in exchange for being pardoned.

The President’s Office, however, issued a sweeping rejection of every element of that narrative, insisting that no such arrangement was ever contemplated. “There was never any agreement, understanding, or recognition – explicit, implicit, or hinted – between President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linking Herzog’s presidency to Netanyahu’s legal matters, including a pardon. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying and risks a defamation lawsuit,” the statement declared.

Turning to the leaked legal memo itself, the office emphasized that the entire matter traces back to a private individual, not the president or his campaign. “This is a complete and recycled falsehood by an individual named Moti Sander, who had no role in the presidential campaign whatsoever. As has been repeatedly published, the opinion was a private initiative by Mr. Sander, and reports at the time clearly stated that the President was not connected to it. President Herzog never saw this legal opinion and only became aware of it years later when it surfaced in the media. It should also be emphasized that President Herzog was elected by an unprecedented majority, receiving broad support from across the political spectrum, and did not need Netanyahu’s support or that of anyone associated with him.”

Addressing the current request submitted by Netanyahu just last week, the office added that no special treatment will be given. “The pardon request submitted by Prime Minister Netanyahu will be reviewed like any other. The process will take many weeks, and it is currently being examined by professional officials at the Ministry of Justice.”

{Matzav.com}

Health officials reported a heartbreaking loss this week, confirming that an 11-month-old child died on Tuesday after developing measles and experiencing severe complications. The baby had no underlying medical issues and had not yet received the routine vaccination that protects against the virus.

The Health Ministry explained that the infant was initially treated at Poriya Hospital in Tiberias before being urgently transferred to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center. There, doctors placed him on an ECMO machine in an attempt to stabilize him, but despite extensive intervention, the infant did not survive.

Authorities noted that this case reflects a deeply concerning pattern. All 11 previous deaths recorded since the outbreak began were also among infants who were unvaccinated and otherwise healthy, underscoring the vulnerability of young children when exposed to measles.

In an appeal aimed at preventing further casualties, the Health Ministry stressed that routine immunization remains the most effective safeguard. “The vaccine saves lives,” the ministry stated, reiterating that the standard two-dose schedule includes one shot at age one and a second at age six.

Given the current spike in infections, health officials advise moving the second dose up to one and a half years old in high-risk regions. They also recommend vaccinating infants between six and eleven months during active outbreaks and caution families to avoid mass gatherings in affected areas if their children are not vaccinated.

The ministry listed the following cities and regions as outbreak zones: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modiin Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Tekoa.

To meet growing demand, temporary vaccination centers, Tipat Halav clinics, and local health funds are operating in these areas, offering vaccines without the need to book appointments in advance.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump, in a pointed and unapologetic warning, made clear in a newly released Politico interview that Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro has little time left in power. While keeping his options open, Trump would not dismiss the possibility of sending American troops to remove the embattled leader, insisting the administration is determined to dismantle the criminal networks that flourish under Maduro’s rule.

Throughout the interview, the president emphasized that Washington cannot permit the Caracas regime to continue operating as it has, particularly as US forces intensify their campaign against South American drug-smuggling operations. Still, he refused to outline specific steps the administration may take to trigger the collapse of Maduro’s government.

When Politico’s Dasha Burns pressed him on how far he was prepared to go to force Maduro from office, Trump gave no hints. “I don’t want to say that,” he replied, declining to reveal any red lines, escalation plans, or strategic boundaries.

Burns then asked directly whether Trump actually wanted Maduro gone. The president didn’t hedge. “His days are numbered,” he said, underscoring the certainty with which he views the Venezuelan dictator’s downfall.

He went on to accuse the regime of enabling violent criminal groups such as Tren de Aragua to funnel “drug dealers” into the United States. Trump stressed that the victims of Maduro’s misrule are the Venezuelan people themselves.

“I want the people of Venezuela to be treated well,” he told Burns. “I want the people of Venezuela, many of whom live in the United States, to be respected. I mean, they were tremendous to me. They voted for me 94% or something … I got to know the people well. They’re incredible people. And they were treated horribly by Maduro.”

The remarks come as US forces have executed more than 20 operations targeting suspected narcotrafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since Sept. 2, lethal strikes that have resulted in more than 80 deaths. These actions reflect an accelerating US military effort to throttle drug pipelines connected to the region.

When asked whether he could categorically rule out sending ground troops into Venezuela, Trump would not offer reassurance. “I don’t want to rule in or out,” he said. Pressed again, he reiterated, “I don’t talk about it,” later adding that “I don’t want to talk to you about military strategy.”

He did, however, reveal that US strikes aimed directly at Venezuelan territory are expected “very soon,” indicating a willingness to escalate pressure on Maduro. The administration has already amassed amphibious assets near Venezuela’s coastline, prompting Maduro to activate his armed forces and prepare for guerrilla-style resistance should American forces intervene.

During the discussion, Trump also broadened the scope of potential action, signaling openness to conducting strikes on targets in Mexico and Colombia. Both countries, he argued, play an even larger role in funneling fentanyl into the United States than organizations linked to Caracas.

While the White House places much of the blame on Venezuelan groups for trafficking illegal drugs northward, longstanding DEA assessments show that fentanyl — the deadliest substance in America’s overdose crisis — overwhelmingly originates in Mexico, made with chemical components sent from China.

{Matzav.com}

Nearly a month after intelligence uncovered the underground site where Lt. Hadar Goldin had been held, IDF units plunged deep beneath Rafah—descending some 20 meters—to breach the vast subterranean network known as “Dror Lavan.” Yahalom fighters, Shayetet 13 operatives, and engineering teams from the Gaza Division operated together in unusually harsh underground terrain.

Captain M, who commands a Yahalom company, describes a labyrinth that defied imagination. Calling it “one of the longest tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” he explains that the network amounted to a “metro,” stretching roughly 7 to 10 kilometers. “Additionally, its structure is especially challenging—twisted, split, and branched, with dozens of Hamas senior leaders’ living and command rooms inside,” he says, emphasizing the complexity hidden far below Rafah’s surface.

Long before the forces broke into the concrete arteries of the tunnel, intelligence officers had been piecing together the clues pointing to Hadar’s location. Roughly eighteen months earlier, once that intelligence solidified, combat engineers and special units launched a sustained operation, dismantling terror infrastructure as they searched for a precise point of entry. The process was grueling. “The work was Sisyphean and methodical—it wasn’t easy at all,” Captain M recalls. “But not a day went by without thinking of Hadar, which constantly reminded us why we were there.”

Inside, claustrophobia greeted the soldiers instantly. The passageway was tight, the ceiling low, and the walls coated with thin white panels mimicking tiles. Airflow was limited; darkness and suffocation were constant. As they advanced, soldiers pried away those panels, never knowing what each one concealed. “We understood that behind each tile, we could find Hadar, a command room, or a hideout for terrorists,” says Captain M, describing the pressure of every moment underground.

The operation’s success depended heavily on cooperation between IDF units. Shayetet 13 was responsible for deciphering the geometry of the tunnel system itself. “When the mission began, we started an in-depth process of learning the layout,” explains Lt. Col. G, a senior Shayetet 13 officer. “We tried to understand the tunnel’s length and depth and its route, using various technological tools we had.”

Once the mapping phase matured, the soldiers moved from study to action. Teams carved access points for engineers to enter specific sections, all while the search for Hadar continued in parallel. It was a slow, technical advance, demanding precision at every meter of progress.

Above ground, engineering battalions maneuvered in lockstep with the fighters below. “We worked on two channels,” says Lt. Col. R, the Gaza Division’s engineering officer. “The special forces, like Yahalom, fought inside the tunnel itself, actively searching for findings, while the battalion operated above ground, near the tunnel’s surroundings.”

The initial stage inside “Dror Lavan” was anything but quiet. Confrontations broke out repeatedly as troops encountered heavily entrenched militants. Clearing the “red forces” became essential before any meaningful underground work could advance. Soldiers engaged in numerous close-range battles to secure even small sections of the passageway.

Progress often meant peeling away tile after tile—day after day, week after week. “Each time, we marked off another part of the tunnel, another wing, and another twist,” Captain M recounts. Along the way, they uncovered Hamas living quarters, weapons stores, and command sites hidden behind those seemingly simple panels. The discoveries sharpened the soldiers’ awareness of how meticulously Hamas had embedded itself underground. “These moments made clear the danger and cunning of the terrorists and underscored the importance of our work—there is nothing more satisfying,” he says.

Only after the ceasefire agreement that finally allowed Lt. Goldin’s remains to be brought back to Israel—a moment of profound national and personal significance—did the soldiers fully reflect on the magnitude of their mission. After securing control of the tunnel system, they could finally articulate what it meant to operate in total darkness for so many months. “We were there for a year and a half, with each day filled with numerous challenges. In the end, we were able to contribute to Hadar’s return,” concludes Lt. Col. G. “Even when the darkness felt endless and the narrow walls surrounded us, we knew why we were there. That kept us going, even when it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu used his remarks at the Israeli Cyber Conference to insist that a sweeping national investigation must be created to address the breakdowns that led to the horrors of October 7. He emphasized that every layer of Israel’s leadership must come under scrutiny and that the process will be impartial and exhaustive.

In his address, Netanyahu declared that only a far-reaching inquiry can deliver real answers. “There was a failure here – a tremendous failure. This failure must be examined to the end. It must examine the political echelon, the military echelon, the security echelon – everyone. And this is only possible if we do it through a broad national commission of inquiry, one that is not tailored to one side or the other,” he said.

Netanyahu pointed to an American precedent as a model for how Israel should proceed. “Something similar was done in the United States. After the greatest disaster in U.S. history, 9/11, they established a commission made up half of Republicans and half of Democrats. No one had an advantage; each side could raise any question and summon any person they wanted. That is what will happen here as well. There will be no protection, and no shielding of one side over another. Everyone will present their case, everyone will be questioned, and only this way will we reach the truth. This is how it should be done, and that is what will be done.”

The prime minister also took the opportunity to highlight Israel’s dominance in cyber technology, praising years of strategic investment and the innovations that have fueled the country’s global standing. “Israel is a global cyber powerhouse. We receive a massive share of worldwide cyber investments. I reviewed the data – in per-capita cyber investment, we are ahead of every other country by a huge margin, and even in absolute numbers it is extremely high.”

He credited that success to a long-term national vision and the creativity of Israel’s tech talent. “This success stems first from a decision we made 12 years ago; I said that we must place Israel at the forefront of the world in this field. It was made possible thanks to the genius embedded in our people – the men and women who built the startups that astonished the world. The entire world comes here to see this: our national cyber center, which is essentially a global cyber hub. We intend to do the same in artificial intelligence, and we will enter the quantum field as well. In these three areas, Israel will be a global leader. This is essential for securing our future, our security, our economy, and the wellbeing of our citizens,” Netanyahu said.

{Matzav.com}

A newly surfaced account delivered to the investigative panel headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman has brought to light an Israeli blueprint to eliminate Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, an operation that was blocked on at least two separate occasions by the political leadership, according to Ynet.

Testimony presented to the committee recounts that the Southern Command crafted an expansive strategy in 2022 and again in 2023. The proposal included precision strikes against Hamas command figures, hits on key military infrastructure, and tightly controlled ground operations intended to shift the balance in Gaza.

Despite the military’s readiness, the government did not green-light the initiative. According to the testimony, the overriding concern in the political tier was a determination to avoid setting off a major confrontation in the Gaza Strip by initiating such a bold move.

Security officials within the Shin Bet, the witnesses said, were inclined to back the proposed action, particularly as Sinwar’s rhetoric intensified and public pressure mounted in response to his provocative threats and incitement. One key guiding line of the government’s policy, as repeated to the committee, was to preserve Hamas governance and maintain stability in Gaza “at almost any cost.”

Even in situations where the Chief of Staff authorized early-stage planning, the testimonies reveal that the political echelon declined to make a conclusive determination, effectively freezing progress and preventing the initiative from moving forward.

Senior commanders who testified described the failure to proceed as the byproduct of a deeply flawed strategic assumption, one that “led to the cancellation of initiatives that could have changed the course of events.”

{Matzav.com}

On Monday, the IDF took journalists into Rafah as the 2-month-old Israel-Hamas ceasefire reaches a critical point.

TEHILLIM – WILLIAMSBURG: A woman was struck by a dump truck at approximately 9:45 a.m. this morning at Wythe Avenue and Williamsburg Street West. Williamsburg Hatzolah rushed her to Bellevue Hospital, where she is listed in critical condition. Her name for Tehillim is Tama Rochel Tamar Bas Haddasah. (Video Via WMSBG)

In a tense moment that electrified Monday’s White House briefing room, President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott after she pressed him about releasing video evidence from a disputed Pentagon strike. His sharp retort — calling her “the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place” — instantly reignited long-running friction between Trump and several high-profile female journalists.

Scott’s inquiry centered on the administration’s handling of a military operation involving a Venezuelan vessel flagged for suspected narcotics activity. Reports have alleged that, following the initial strike, two survivors drifting in open water may have been deliberately targeted in a second attack — an allegation that, if verified, could constitute a war crime. Against that backdrop, Scott challenged the administration directly, asking: “Are you committed to releasing the full video?”

Trump, already visibly annoyed, snapped back: “Didn’t I just tell you that? You are the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place. Let me just tell you, you are an obnoxious—a terrible reporter. And it’s always the same thing with you. I told you, whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OK with me.” His reference to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored the growing attention surrounding Hegseth’s role in the disputed operation.

Back on December 3, when ABC’s Selina Wang asked about making all footage public, Trump had insisted there would be “no problem” releasing “whatever they have.” Critics now contend that the conflicting signals — paired with allegations of an execution-style follow-up strike — demand full transparency.

Monday’s blowup also fit a familiar pattern. Trump’s clashes with Scott date back to their heated interaction during a 2024 panel at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where she pressed him on racial issues. And Scott is far from the only woman journalist to face Trump’s ire. On November 18, he berated ABC’s Mary Bruce over a Jeffrey Epstein question, branding her a “terrible reporter” and “terrible person” and even threatening ABC’s broadcast license for spreading “fake news.”

Other confrontations have included Trump calling CNN’s Kaitlan Collins disruptive and labeling Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey “piggy” during inquiries into Epstein-related records — a string of exchanges that has drawn renewed scrutiny as pressure builds for clarity on the Pentagon incident.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday rejected a Saudi media report alleging that Bibi refused to sign a U.S.-brokered security agreement with Syria, dismissing the story as “fake news” and insisting no such deal was ever on the table. The report, published Monday by the Saudi outlet Asharq al-Awsat, claimed unnamed sources said U.S. mediation […]

It’s time for one of the strongest meteor showers of the year. The Geminids peak this weekend and are visible through mid-December, according to the American Meteor Society. The meteors tend to be yellow in color and can be seen across the globe, but the best viewing happens in the Northern Hemisphere. Skygazers could see […]

Ahead of Chanukah, leading gedolim and roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel issued a powerful and unified letter calling on yungeleit and bochurim to significantly increase their limud haTorah throughout the days of Chanukah — all the more so this year, which they describe as a time “when many seek to interfere with Bnei Torah in their learning.”

The letter carries the signatures of Rav Dov Landau, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rav Berel Povarsky, Rav Don Segal, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, Rav Aviezer Piltz others.

Addressed to “our brothers, the House of Yisroel , wherever they are,” the gedolim recall that in the era of the Chashmonaim, there was extraordinary siyata diShmaya that overturned the gezeiros and allowed Klal Yisroel to return to learning and mitzvos because they were willing to give up everything for Torah. They reference the teaching of the Ramchal that every spiritual light revealed at a certain time in history reappears annually when that time returns, offering renewed kochos to those who tap into it. Therefore, every Chanukah carries with it a fresh outpouring of hashpa’ah for hatzlachah in limud haTorah and in avodas Hashem.

Because the yeshuah of Chanukah specifically restored the ability to learn Torah, the gedolim write that these days naturally obligate even greater hasmadah. They quote the Shelah HaKadosh, who taught that “these holy days are especially fitting for continuous Torah learning more than other days.” Every moment wasted during Chanukah, they stress, is a real loss.

They note with urgency that this message applies even more forcefully this year. “And certainly in this year, when many seek to disturb Bnei Torah from their learning — may it not be — it is necessary to increase merits and to add more hours of learning during Chanukah,” the letter states. They call on all mosdos haTorah to maintain full seder as usual and to strengthen it even further. Kehillos, they write, should ensure that the botei medrash remain vibrant with limud haTorah, “so that in their zechus, all decrees will be annulled.” They also remember that Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l invested immense personal effort year after year to increase Torah learning during Chanukah in the yeshivos.

The gedolim add that throughout the winter — and not only on Chanukah — kehillos should implement structured learning sedarim for both bochurim and avreichim on the long Friday nights, long Erev Shabbos afternoons, and long Motzaei Shabbos evenings.

They warn sharply against wasting precious time on events that are not fitting for anyone — “and certainly not for Bnei Torah.” Especially in these elevated days, they write, our avodah is to add and add again in Torah, not chas v’shalom the opposite.

{Matzav.com}

A remarkable archaeological discovery in Yerushalayim is offering clarity on an ancient episode described by Chazal and recorded by Josephus. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced that a massive section of a Chashmonaim-era fortification wall—larger and wider than the current Old City walls—has been uncovered beneath the Migdal Dovid complex. The newly revealed section, over […]

A senior Hamas official on Tuesday welcomed reports that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had been removed from the proposed “Gaza Peace Board,” calling the development “a step in the right direction” and using the moment to lay out the terror organization’s hardening conditions for any future ceasefire arrangement. Taher al-Nunu, a senior adviser […]

The Binyamin Regional Council in Samaria on Tuesday announced the “historic” official legalization of six former outposts by the government.

Ahiya, Harasha, Migron, Nofei Prat, Adei Ad and Shvut Rachel have been “fully regularized and recognized as official towns” by Israel’s Interior Ministry, the council, which administers communities in southern Samaria, said in a Hebrew-language statement.

“Following years of struggle, effort and challenges, these towns are now formally recognized, with ‘settlement symbols’ and full recognition by the State of Israel,” it said. “This is a significant achievement, especially for the young settlement, which has maintained faith and determination over the years, despite harsh weather conditions and many obstacles.”

Binyamin Regional Council leader Israel Ganz thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees civilian issues in Judea and Samaria as part of his secondary role as a minister in the Defense Ministry.

“We continue building and settling with full strength!” Ganz concluded.

Ahiya, Adei Ad, Nofei Prat received Israeli Cabinet approval in May, while Harasha, Migron and Shvut Rachel are neighborhoods of existing communities that were split off by a March 22 Cabinet decision.

All six are established towns, some dating to the early 90s, with hundreds of residents, and have received retroactive authorization.

On Nov. 10, Israel Defense Forces Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth signed an order setting “jurisdiction zones” for the communities, which formally demarcates their municipal boundaries, which was an official step closer towards the full legalization of these villages.

Now, the Interior Ministry has issued official “settlement symbols,” turning them into legal communities for all intents and purposes.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has led an unprecedented drive to expand control of Judea and Samaria, approving some 50,000 housing units and over 50 new Jewish communities since late 2022.

As of Jan. 1, 529,704 Jews lived in the Judea and Samaria territories, amounting to approximately 5.28% of the Jewish state’s population.

Nearly 70% of Israelis want Jerusalem to extend full legal sovereignty over the disputed territory, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29. JNS

{Matzav.com}

HAPPENING NOW: The FBI New York Field Office is hosting a pre-Chanukah celebration at its headquarters, attended by NYPD Chief Richie Taylor, Law Enforcement Chaplains Rabbi Berish Freilich and Rabbi Abe Friedman, along with other distinguished guests.