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A critical Israeli parliamentary vote on recognizing the violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide has been suspended, an Israeli official said.

The move comes at a delicate diplomatic time with the region facing renewed turbulence following the breakdown of a ceasefire with Iran over its persistent attacks in the Gulf. It also follows a NATO summit in Turkey last week at which Ankara pushed U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire American F-35 fighter jets.

The Israeli Cabinet had unanimously approved a proposal last month to classify the violence as genocide amid fast-deteriorating ties with Turkey over Erdogan’s inflammatory language against Israel, and a vote had been planned in the Israeli parliament to give final approval to the move.

The Israeli official told JNS on Sunday that the vote had been suspended.

The Knesset is set to go to summer recess at the end of the week and will be out of session until the Oct. 27 national elections.

A spokesman for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who put forward the proposal in the Cabinet last month, did not return calls or messages for comment.

In the past, Israel has refrained from officially labelling the century-old violence as a genocide, but with relations with Turkey in free fall, it went ahead with the move in the Cabinet.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu has described the violence against Armenians as a genocide, but until now no formal vote was ever taken on the issue.

Turkey, which has been one of the biggest critics in the world of Israel over the war in Gaza, called the Israeli cabinet move “politically motivated.”

A decision to freeze the parliamentary vote could be seen as part of an international effort to reduce tension between the two countries amid the regional turbulence.

Last month, Azerbaijan condemned the Israeli Cabinet’s recognition and urged the government to reverse the move.

The secular Shi’ite Muslim country has historic ties with both Turkey and Israel and has long worked to serve as an interlocutor between its two allies.

Azerbaijan’s position is both significant and sensitive for Israel as Israel and Bakuhave long forged a strategic relationship rooted in a centuries-long affinity between the two nations which has blossomed into a robust security- and energy-related focus.

Three years ago, Azerbaijan made history by becoming the first Shi’ite Muslim country to open an embassy in Israel, defying threats of violence from Iran, and has maintained its staunch alliance with Israel throughout this time of regional wars. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Israeli authorities on Sunday granted city status to the Yerushalayim suburb of Givat Ze’ev, officially making it the fifth Jewish city in Judea and Samaria.

The declaration, signed by Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Central Command, came after initial approvals by the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Administration and the Interior Ministry, Arutz 7 reported.

Givat Ze’ev, located in Samaria some three miles northwest of Yerushalayim, has more than 35,000 residents, and the new municipal status is intended to allow for further growth.

Mayor Yossi Asraf called the move “a historic moment” for Givat Ze’ev, saying city status would help strengthen municipal services and manage the community’s expansion plans.

“Turning Givat Ze’ev into a city is first and foremost a major growth engine,” Asraf said in a statement cited by Arutz 7. He added that despite the new status, the municipality would seek to preserve the community’s “warm and rural atmosphere.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a second minister in the Defense Ministry tasked with civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria, welcomed the decision.

“The declaration of Givat Ze’ev as a city is part of a broader policy we have been leading in recent years to reinforce and strengthen settlement through the establishment of dozens of new communities, the legalization of farms, declarations of state land and now a new city—Givat Ze’ev,” Smotrich stated.

Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization representing Judea and Samaria residents, noted that Givat Ze’ev had become the fifth city in the region, after Modi’in Illit, Beitar Illit and Ma’ale Adumim in Judea, and Ariel in Samaria.

“Thousands of families have chosen to build their homes in Givat Ze’ev over the years, and it has grown into a thriving city of more than 35,000 residents,” Ganz said.

“We will continue to strengthen the settlement not through words but through actions, and ensure continued development and construction throughout Judea and Samaria,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s government has led an unprecedented drive to expand Israel’s control of Judea and Samaria, having approved tens of thousands of homes and dozens of new communities in the past three-and-a-half years. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset is entering what could be its final days before dissolution, with the coalition launching an aggressive legislative blitz aimed at passing nine major bills in just 84 hours. Several of the measures carry major implications for the chareidi community and Israel’s political landscape, setting up a frantic race against the clock.

The Knesset plenum is scheduled to convene today at noon, with the Basic Law: Torah Study expected to be the first bill brought to the floor for its second and third readings. Because it is a Basic Law, the legislation will require the support of at least 61 members of the Knesset to become law.

Behind the scenes, coalition parties are locked in a battle over the legislative agenda, each pushing to ensure that its highest-priority bills are considered first. With limited time remaining before the Knesset is expected to dissolve, there is growing concern that not every measure will make it through the legislative process by week’s end.

Among the bills the coalition hopes to pass are the Basic Law: Torah Study, legislation freezing the arrests of bnei yeshiva and granting relief to draft evaders, the bill separating the role of the attorney general, the academic separation bill, kashrus reform, communications reform, the regional broadcasting bill, and several election-related measures dealing with campaign financing and election procedures.

For the chareidi parties, the two centerpiece bills are the Basic Law: Torah Study and the legislation suspending the arrests of bnei yeshiva. Their passage is viewed as the coalition’s final major test before the chareidi public following months of tension over the draft law and the enforcement measures directed at yeshiva students.

Meanwhile, the election timetable was finalized Sunday night. Political parties will submit their candidate lists on September 7, Israelis will head to the polls on October 27, and official election results are expected to be released on November 4.

The central question now is whether the coalition can muster the votes needed to complete its ambitious legislative agenda before the Knesset dissolves—or whether some of its most significant proposals will be left unfinished.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Securities Authority has launched a criminal investigation into businessman Mr. K. over allegations that he raised more than NIS 200 million from hundreds of investors—many of them from the chareidi community—for a gold mining venture in Ethiopia. Investigators suspect a range of serious financial offenses, though Mr. K. has not been charged and is presumed innocent.

The Israel Securities Authority announced that it has opened a public investigation into Mr. K. on suspicion of committing multiple economic crimes in connection with fundraising efforts for an Ethiopian gold mining project. According to investigators, Mr. K. raised more than NIS 200 million from 219 investors over an eight-year period.

Authorities say the investigation focuses on suspected violations that include offering and selling securities without a legally required prospectus, in violation of Israel’s Securities Law, as well as obtaining money by fraud under aggravated circumstances, theft by an authorized agent, and offenses under anti-money laundering legislation. The alleged conduct is said to have occurred between 2018 and 2026.

For several years, Mr. K. reportedly solicited investments in Ethiopia-based YMG Gold Mining, using companies under his control, including Lakach Investments Ltd. and Dakaria Investments Ltd. As owner and senior executive of those firms, he allegedly played a central role in raising capital and providing investors with updates regarding the progress of the mining operation.

According to investigators, Mr. K. primarily targeted members of the chareidi community, offering them investment opportunities while allegedly promising that their money would double within four years. Authorities further suspect that some funds received from newer investors were used to repay earlier investors.

Investigators also allege that investors were misled through false representations and that Mr. K. exceeded the authority granted to him regarding how invested funds were to be used.

The Securities Authority stated that on February 1, 2026, Mr. K. was instructed to cease raising additional investments after regulators suspected he was offering securities to the public without an approved prospectus. Despite that directive, authorities believe he continued soliciting additional funds.

The investigation remains in its early stages. The allegations against Mr. K. have not been proven in court, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

A sprawling homeless encampment stretching across 12 blocks on Manhattan’s West Side continues to grow, with residents and workers warning that theft, drug activity, and prostitution have become commonplace in the area as city officials appear unable—or unwilling—to stop its expansion, the New York Post reports.

The makeshift settlement now runs along 11th Avenue from West 34th Street to West 46th Street. Dozens of tents and improvised shelters line the sidewalks, creating an increasingly troubling scene for neighborhood residents, employees, and the many tourists visiting the nearby Intrepid Museum. Despite the encampment’s growth, critics say City Hall has failed to intervene, while police vehicles routinely pass through the area without taking action.

“We cant get rid of them,” one city parks enforcement officer said Sunday. “These ones here are stealing everything. They stole our key for the hose. They stole our ladder. They take what they can. And there are escorts in there too. Prostitutes. I see them, they’re right there.

“Definitely getting worse,” she said. “People stopped parking here. People are scared to park here.”

According to local workers, some of those living in the encampment have furnished their makeshift homes with stolen couches and expensive electronics. They also claim stolen property—including Broadway theater lighting equipment and high-end telescopes—is openly displayed, while narcotics are reportedly sold to sex workers operating within the camp or inside nearby public restrooms.

Neighbors said one particular tent has become a regular gathering place where prostitutes frequently stop throughout the day, either to meet customers, purchase drugs, or both.

“This is crazy,” said one supervisor at the nearby Jacob Javits Center. “The cops and the sanitation guys and the outreach guys, they clean up one spot and after that day, the next day they’re over here. Then they’re over there. They’re kind of just spreading around.

“The scariest parts are on 36th and 37th right now,” he said. “It’s just heroin addicts.”

“It stinks,” a Javits maintenance worker added. “They were setting up in the park at 3 this morning and it’s just too much. It’s getting bad again, very bad.

“We kicked them out, now they’re over here,” he said. “One thing is for sure though, there are more today than there were last month, that’s for sure.”

The New York Post first highlighted the growing encampment in a report published Friday, drawing renewed attention to conditions that residents say have steadily deteriorated.

One man living in the encampment even praised Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him “awesome” for allowing the settlement to remain and for ending the police sweeps that had previously dismantled similar homeless camps.

On Sunday, NYPD patrol cars continued to drive through the neighborhood without stopping. City Hall did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment about the situation.

Public complaints, however, have continued to mount. City records show that calls to the city’s 311 hotline regarding homeless-related issues in the area have risen to 48 so far this year, compared to 40 during all of 2025.

Of the 48 complaints logged this year, 28 involved homeless individuals in need of assistance, while the remaining 20 specifically focused on the expanding encampment. Thirty of those calls were placed during the past month alone, with another eight already recorded this month.

By comparison, last year saw 40 total 311 calls from the neighborhood, including 36 requests for assistance involving homeless individuals and only four complaints directly related to the encampment itself.

Business and civic leaders also expressed concern that the growing settlement is damaging both the city’s image and public safety.

“Most people would agree that leaving people on the street indefinitely isn’t compassion, it’s neglect,” said Steve Fulp, CEO for the nonprofit Partnership for the City of New York. “We’ve seen in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco that letting encampments grow unchecked fails the homeless and erodes quality of life for everyone else.

“The right approach for the city pairs real services with the timely actual removal of encampments that pose safety risks,” Fulp said. “We aren’t seeing that here and these encampments can grow quickly if a balanced policy isn’t pursued which is the concern here.”

Cristyne Nicholas, chair of the New York State Tourism Advisory Council and a gubernatorial appointee of Gov. Kathy Hochul, said the deteriorating conditions near one of the city’s premier attractions are harming New York’s reputation with visitors.

“The Intrepid Museum is one of New York’s greatest tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year,” she said. “Tourists are forced to walk around squalor and stench. I hope the mayor focuses on this, as he’s promoted tourism during the World Cup. He understands tourism.

“Maybe there’s a disconnect here” added Nicholas, the former head of the city’s tourism agency. “We want visitors to feel safe and welcome.”

Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro for the NY Post.

{Matzav.com}

One of Yerushalayim’s most iconic shuls is preparing for a major transformation. The historic Zichron Moshe shtieblach will soon undergo an extensive renovation and expansion project that will include the construction of a new network of shtieblach on the ground floor, modeled after the renowned Itzkowitz shul in Bnei Brak.

The shul recently completed an initial phase of renovations, including the installation of new cabinets and long-overdue repairs throughout the building. Following the petirah of the mara d’asra, Rav Aharon Fischer zt”l, a new committee was appointed under the leadership of the current mara d’asra, Rav Yisroel Fischer, to oversee the affairs of the shul and improve conditions for its many mispallelim and neighborhood residents.

The gabbaim have now unveiled the centerpiece of their vision to modernize and expand the bais medrash. Under the heading “U’leshachlel Heichaleha — Kol Omrim Hodu LaHashem,” the hanhalah issued a special announcement informing the public that, after months of intensive planning and tremendous effort carried out with extraordinary siyata d’Shmaya, the shul is entering a new era of renovation, restoration, and expansion.

The announcement states that substantial portions of both the main bais medrash and the adjoining shtieblach will be upgraded “for the honor of this mikdash me’at and to provide greater comfort for the thousands who frequent this holy place.”

Construction will begin in the lower level of the building, centered around the Pri Chadash shtiebel and the surrounding area. This first phase will include enlarging and modernizing the existing shtieblach, renovating and expanding the restroom facilities, and refurbishing the entrance area.

A key feature of the project will be the installation of an internal staircase connecting the lower level directly to the main bais medrash and the upper shtieblach, allowing mispallelim to move easily between the floors and utilize both areas more conveniently.

Once work on the lower level is completed, renovations will shift to significant portions of the main sanctuary and the upper shtieblach. During that phase, some minyanim and tefillos will temporarily relocate to the newly completed shtieblach downstairs.

As construction is set to begin in the coming days, the gabbaim have issued an urgent request to anyone storing personal belongings in the affected areas.

“With construction beginning b’ezras Hashem in the coming days, a complete evacuation will take place of all contents located in the Pri Chadash shtiebel, the Kahanovitch shtiebel, throughout the lower floor, the corridors near the restroom area, and all private storage cabinets. The entire area must remain completely empty throughout the construction period.”

Invoking the principle that “HaTorah chasah al mamonam shel Yisroel,” the gabbaim urged mispallelim to remove their belongings immediately.

“Accordingly, we respectfully request and strongly urge anyone with belongings in the above-mentioned areas to remove them immediately and take them home, and not relocate items to other areas of the shul.”

The hanhalah also announced that a special suggestion box will soon be installed, allowing mispallelim to submit ideas, recommendations, and comments regarding the renovation project for the gabbaim overseeing the work.

{Matzav.com}

A highly unusual moment unfolded on Channel 14’s popular program The Patriots when host Yinon Magal and members of the panel recited Kaddish in memory of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The tribute followed a halachic consultation with senior posek Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, who ruled that Kaddish could be recited for a non-Jew, provided that a Mishnah was studied beforehand. Before reciting Kaddish, the panel learned a passage from Pirkei Avos.

During the broadcast, Magal told viewers that he had personally consulted Rav Zilberstein regarding the issue.

“I consulted Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, the leading halachic authority, about whether it is permissible to say Kaddish for a non-Jew,” Magal said. “He said that we could first study Mishnah, Mishnah, Mishnah, and afterward we would recite Kaddish in memory of Lindsey.”

In accordance with that ruling, Magal read a Mishnah from Pirkei Avos (2:12): “Rav Yosi says: Let your fellow’s property be as precious to you as your own; prepare yourself to study Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you; and let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.”

Afterward, the panel joined him in reciting Kaddish Shaleim for the elevation of the soul of “Lynn ben Florence, James Graham.”

The tribute included the full text of Kaddish, beginning with “Yisgadal v’Yiskadash Shemei Rabbah” and concluding with “Oseh Shalom Bimromav.”

At the conclusion, Magal thanked the panelists, saying, “Shkoyach,” before adding, “May his memory be blessed.”

{Matzav.com}