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After days of public protest and widespread outcry, yeshiva student Ariel Shamai — who was jailed for refusing to enlist in the IDF — was released on Wednesday and made his first stop at the home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshivas Slabodka, to personally thank him for his support.

As previously reported extensively here on Matzav.com, Shamai, a talmid at Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, became a symbol of the fight against the imprisonment of yeshiva bochurim for Torah study. Just hours after leaving the military prison, he visited Rav Hirsch’s home in Bnei Brak to express gratitude for the encouragement he had received during his detention, including the shiur Rav Hirsch delivered outside the prison gates and the massive public rally that followed.

The rosh yeshiva greeted Shamai warmly, shaking his hand and listening as those accompanying him described the circumstances of his early release. “It was unusual,” they explained. “He and three others were told today that they were receiving the mutsmedet — meaning those scheduled for release on Friday were permitted to leave two days early. That almost never happens. This time, they implemented the special procedure and released him.”

“He looks a hundred percent,” Rav Hirsch said with a smile.

Reflecting on his days behind bars, Shamai admitted, “It was very difficult,” but said that Rav Hirsch’s shiur and personal visit deeply strengthened him. “It really encouraged me,” he said.

Those present told the rosh yeshiva that during his time in prison, Shamai spent many hours learning and even wrote Torah essays and answers to questions posed by his fellow inmates.

Earlier in the day, MK Moshe Gafni, head of Degel HaTorah, spoke with Shamai by phone following his release. “We will do everything possible to ensure this never happens again — that no bochur is ever arrested for learning Torah,” Gafni told him. “I strengthen you and bless you. Return to your learning.” Gafni had also visited Shamai in military prison several days earlier to express solidarity.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned several Hezbollah terrorists —Ossama Jaber, Ja’far Mohammed Qasir, and Samer Kasbar—accused of funneling tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hezbollah while exploiting Lebanon’s cash economy.

Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will not seek reelection to the U.S. House, bringing to a close her storied career as not only the first woman in the speaker’s office but arguably the most powerful in American politics. Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years, announced her decision Thursday. “I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi […]

Israeli strikes are hitting Zawtar El Charqiyeh in southern Lebanon after prior warnings from Israel.

Confronted with a plea from a longtime supporter struggling with rising prices, President Donald Trump flatly denied that Americans are paying more, insisting that costs are “way down” — a claim at odds with broad public polling and the lived experience of millions of voters. The tense moment came during Special Report with Bret Baier […]

Speaker Johnson on Nancy Pelosi’s retirement: “The old guard has been repudiated, and the radicals are taking over the Democratic Party… Even the famous San Francisco liberal is not far-left enough for the neo-Marxists, and we commend her for her service.”

DEVELOPING IN YERUSHALAYIM: Protests taking place now on Shmuel Hanavi Street after word spread that the IDF Police have arrested a woman. Sources tell YWN that the woman may have been an active soldier who decided to run away and they were looking for her, and this is not a case of the Military Police […]

Ariel Shamai, the Yeshiva Bochur who was released yesterday from military prison, recited Birchas HaGomel this morning at the Ateres Shlomo Yeshiva in Rishon Lezion.

President Trump responds to Nancy Pelosi’s retirement: “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was Evil, Corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party and it was never coming back. I’m very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably […]

New York City’s new mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, wasted no time in declaring his landslide victory as an open invitation to press forward with his left-wing agenda. “It is a mandate,” he declared unapologetically, making clear that his triumph was not just political but ideological.

Fresh from his upset win over Andrew Cuomo, the 34-year-old Democratic socialist outlined his ambitions in an interview with The New York Times. “I’m also looking to be clear about the mandate that we won over the course of this election, and it is a mandate to deliver on the agenda that we ran on,” he said. Among his priorities: taxing the wealthy and expanding social programs that many critics say could strain the city’s finances.

Mamdani’s assertion came as the Democratic Socialists of America celebrated his victory as their own. The organization boasted that its “army” had delivered the decisive blow against the establishment. “Our movement is at the heart of Zohran’s campaign,” said Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the group’s New York City chapter. “This overwhelming victory is a clear mandate for a Democratic socialist agenda to make New York City one that people can afford.”

DSA leaders didn’t hold back their triumphal tone, casting the win as proof that their influence is growing despite heavy opposition. “MAGA billionaires spent millions to prop up Andrew Cuomo and try to stop this movement, but we’ve proved once again: They have money, but we have power,” Gordillo declared.

The rhetoric echoed Mamdani’s fiery election night speech, when he repeatedly told supporters that his victory represented a “mandate for change.” His tone — defiant and combative — raised eyebrows among observers who noted how sharply it contrasted with the moderate image he projected during his campaign.

Critics accused Mamdani of pivoting to a far more radical stance now that the votes were counted. Some even called his speech a “character switch.” But the new mayor-elect brushed off concerns, insisting he was staying true to his values. “My supporters and our movement are hungry for a politics of consistency — a politics that actually focuses on the needs of working people,” he said in his post-election remarks.

“I think that our tax system is an example of the many ways in which working people have been betrayed,” he added, signaling that fiscal redistribution will be a central pillar of his administration.

For now, Mamdani has not confirmed whether any DSA members will officially join his transition team. Instead, he announced a roster that includes seasoned City Hall figures from the Bloomberg, de Blasio, and Adams administrations. That mix — of veteran insiders alongside the progressive mayor-elect — raised questions about whether his government will reflect moderation or Marxism in practice.

Behind the scenes, however, DSA activists reportedly celebrated the prospect of having allies positioned inside City Hall. According to insiders cited by The New York Post, the socialist group views Mamdani’s win as its best chance yet to “infiltrate” city leadership.

Asked directly if he intended to appoint DSA allies to key positions, Mamdani sidestepped specifics. “I am looking forward to having every member of my coalition be a part of our transition,” he said. “The transition will be guided by the work that we need to do, and the coalition that brought me to this point has done an immense amount of work and has also been leading in the fight for dignity, for a working-class Democratic Party.”

Whether that coalition will steer New York toward stability or upheaval remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: Zohran Mamdani intends to govern exactly as he campaigned.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will be rendered “defenseless’’ and possibly “reduced to almost Third World status” if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs he imposed this year on nearly every country on earth. The justices sounded skeptical during oral arguments Wednesday of his sweeping claims of authority to impose tariffs as […]

More than a development‭, ‬Givat Hashalvah is designed as a community‭. ‬Expansive 4+‭ ‬bedroom homes offer comfort and privacy‭, ‬and there’s plenty of shared space where neighbors can come together to learn‭, ‬daven‭, ‬and celebrate life’s milestones.‭ ‬‮‬  

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not be seeking re-election after completing her current term, she announced in a video Thursday morning. “There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your […]

Nancy Pelosi has announced that her time in Congress will come to an end when her current term concludes, closing a remarkable forty-year run in national politics and marking the retirement of one of the most influential figures in Democratic Party history.

“I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress,” Pelosi, 85, declared in a recorded message directed to her longtime supporters and constituents.

The decision confirms widespread speculation that had swirled throughout the week, with many in Washington and California anticipating that Pelosi was preparing to formally step away from elected office after Tuesday’s off-year elections.

Her tenure reshaped the role of women in American politics. Pelosi served as the Democratic leader in the House from 2002 until 2022, holding the gavel as Speaker from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023 — becoming the first woman in U.S. history to occupy that powerful post.

{Matzav.com}

Lebanese media footage shows an Israeli airstrike hitting a Hezbollah terror site in the southern town of Tayr Debba, following prior warnings from the IDF to residents to evacuate.

Fox News announces the news that Pelosi will not run for reelection.

Mark Levin speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, in one of the most potent speeches you’ll ever hear.

WATCH:

TYPICAL DEMOCRAT ELECTION RIGGING: A California voter has accused Governor Gavin Newsom and Democrats of election misconduct, claiming a voting machine malfunctioned and only allowed a “yes” vote on the Prop 50 redistricting measure.

Sec. Duffy: “We’ve never had a shutdown that’s lasted this long… our controllers have done a great job showing up… they’re going to go into a second pay period without a paycheck… Let’s not hold Americans hostage.”