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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}

The wife of a yungerman who was arrested after reporting to an IDF induction office to resolve his draft status is speaking publicly for the first time, describing what she says was an unexpected arrest, humiliating treatment in military prison, and the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on their family.

Yael Ben David, whose husband Nehorai Ben David is a yungerman from Bat Yam and the father of three young children, said in an interview that the family never imagined he would be arrested when he reported to the draft office. According to her, he went there solely to regularize his status, only to be taken into custody upon arrival.

“They set a trap for him,” she said. “They told him to come and resolve his status… and without any prior warning, they simply arrested him.”

According to Yael, her husband was handcuffed immediately after his arrest and informed that he would serve a 20-day sentence in military prison.

“They put handcuffs on him and told him, ‘You now have 20 days in prison to think about which unit you’re going to enlist in,'” she recounted.

She explained that her husband had received repeated notices and letters instructing him to resolve his status and ultimately decided to report out of concern that he might otherwise be arrested unexpectedly during his daily routine.

Yael also described what she said were the difficult first days following his incarceration, claiming he was not permitted to contact her after arriving at the military prison.

“When he first entered the prison, they didn’t even allow him to speak with me,” she said.

Only after approximately 24 hours was he able to make a brief telephone call, during which he described the conditions of his confinement. According to Yael, he was initially placed in a separate housing unit before later being transferred to the regular prison wing after a formal complaint was filed.

She also leveled serious allegations regarding the treatment her husband has received while in custody.

“He told me they treat chareidim there with real contempt,” she said.

According to Yael, her husband told her he was forced to stand for extended periods without explanation, was prevented from participating in tefillah b’tzibbur, and even had the bookmarks removed from the seforim he brought with him.

“He told me, ‘I’ve never been treated with such disrespect in my life,'” she said, adding that he believes his appearance as a ben Torah contributed to the way he was treated.

She said the family’s hardship extends well beyond the prison conditions themselves. Her husband, she explained, is permitted only a three-minute phone call each day.

“We don’t even have enough time to say hello and goodbye before they disconnect the call,” she said.

According to Yael, the family has retained legal counsel and is working to ensure that his rights are protected, including seeking greater opportunities for communication between the couple.

Nehorai Ben David remains in military prison as his family awaits further developments. During the interview, it was noted that any official response from the relevant authorities regarding the allegations would be published in full if and when it is received. In the meantime, the family says it hopes that by sharing its story publicly, greater attention will be drawn to what it describes as the conditions of confinement and treatment of chareidi detainees.

{Matzav.com}

An airstrike targeted the runway at Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport after an Iranian aircraft carrying a delegation of senior Houthi officials attempted to land in the Yemeni capital, according to Reuters. Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the operation was intended to prevent the Iranian plane from reaching rebel-held territory.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack and threatened retaliation. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree condemned the strike as “blatant aggression” and declared that it effectively ended the period of relative calm that had recently prevailed in Yemen’s years-long conflict.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, however, disputed the Houthi account, saying its own military forces—not Saudi Arabia—carried out the strike. Government officials said they acted after the Houthis permitted an Iranian aircraft to enter Yemeni airspace, calling the move a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty. They added that warnings had been issued beforehand and that the area surrounding the runway had been evacuated prior to the attack.

According to reports, the Iranian aircraft was transporting senior Houthi officials home from a trip to Tehran. After the runway was struck, the plane abandoned its planned landing in Sanaa and instead diverted to Hodeidah International Airport on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, according to the Associated Press.

The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Iran-supported Houthi movement, whose alliance with Tehran has remained strong throughout the country’s decade-long civil war. The conflict began in 2014 when Houthi forces captured Sanaa, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

{Matzav.com}

The British government announced Monday that it will invest more than £250 million (approximately $335 million) over the next three years to strengthen security for Jewish communities across the country following a surge in antisemitic attacks and threats.

The funding package will finance the deployment of more than 500 additional police officers throughout England and Wales, with an increased focus on protecting Jewish neighborhoods, shuls, schools, and community institutions, according to the government.

The announcement comes after a series of attacks targeting Jewish sites in recent months. Among the most alarming incidents was the arson attack in March that destroyed four Jewish community ambulances. A month later, British authorities raised the nation’s terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” following an antisemitic stabbing attack in north London.

The latest funding initiative comes in addition to the £25 million emergency package announced after the April stabbing attack. Under the new plan, roughly 300 officers will be assigned to London, while another 80 will serve Greater Manchester, where a shul was attacked last year. An additional £43 million will be distributed to police forces responsible for other regions with sizable Jewish populations.

“The rise in antisemitism we ⁠have seen in recent years is a test of our values ⁠as ⁠a country and tackling it has been central to my leadership from day one,” outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in Monday’s statement.

London’s Metropolitan Police will receive £86 million under the plan, while another £59 million has been designated to enhance the country’s counterterrorism policing efforts.

Officials said police will increase patrols during periods of heightened concern, providing a stronger visible presence in vulnerable areas while working to deter hate crimes and antisemitic attacks before they occur.

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The United States dramatically intensified its military campaign against Iran overnight, launching a new wave of strikes targeting military infrastructure after Iranian forces continued threatening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the operation was intended to further weaken Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial shipping in one of the world’s most critical waterways.

According to U.S. Central Command, American forces began carrying out coordinated strikes late Sunday night against military targets across Iran in response to Tehran’s ongoing efforts to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

For the first time in the current conflict, U.S. forces targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar installations, missile and drone capabilities, and fleets of small attack boats. The operation involved American fighter jets, U.S. Navy warships, one-way attack drones, and unmanned naval vessels.

Iranian media reported a series of explosions overnight, including in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said President Donald Trump personally authorized the operation to punish Iranian forces for interfering with international shipping through the vital waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, asserting that fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities were set ablaze. Iranian officials described the attack as the opening phase of their response to American strikes on military facilities along Iran’s southern coastline.

Air raid sirens also sounded in Bahrain early Monday after another suspected Iranian attack was detected.

The latest exchange of attacks has disrupted commercial aviation across the Gulf region. Dubai International Airport reported widespread delays on major international routes, with hundreds of flights delayed and dozens canceled.

A CENTCOM spokesman told CNN that, before the American strikes commenced, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard once again fired on a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The spokesman said U.S. military aircraft successfully intercepted and destroyed an Iranian cruise missile as well as an attack drone.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command said the latest operation was designed to “continue degrading Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian media reported one fatality and four injuries following an American strike on a water pumping station in the country’s southwest. Additional explosions were reported in Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and near Bushehr.

Before the latest American offensive, Israeli officials had assessed that Iran was unlikely to attack Israel directly out of concern that doing so would trigger a far broader regional war. An Israeli official warned, however, that any Iranian attack on Israeli civilians or targets could rapidly alter the situation.

Following the U.S. strikes, Iran warned Gulf nations that any country serving as a launching point for attacks against Iran would become “a legitimate target.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared, “Iran will defend its sovereignty against American military aggression and against any other aggressor. The source of attacks against Iran will become a legitimate target within the framework of the defensive operations of our armed forces.”

Tehran also strongly condemned the latest U.S. military action, accusing Washington of sabotaging months of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing regional tensions, according to a statement issued by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

An American official also disclosed overnight that approximately 20 commercial vessels safely transited the Strait of Hormuz during the past 24 hours under coordination with the U.S. military. The official added that several other ships crossed the strategic waterway without coordinating with Washington, according to Axios.

{Matzav.com}

As the Knesset moves toward dissolution and Israel heads for new elections, MK Yitzchok Pindrus expressed optimism that the proposed Arrest Freeze Law could provide immediate relief for bnei yeshivah, while explaining that the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study is intended to serve as the legal foundation for future legislation.

Speaking about the two measures currently being advanced by the chareidi parties, Pindrus said the Arrest Freeze Law would have an immediate practical impact. “The Arrest Freeze Law is supposed to have an immediate effect,” he said. “I hope it truly will have an immediate effect, and that the Elul zeman can begin in peace and security.”

Pindrus explained that while the Basic Law: Torah Study is not expected to resolve the issue overnight, it is designed to establish a constitutional framework upon which future legislation regulating the status of bnei yeshivah can be built.

At the same time, he cautioned that even if both bills become law, the legal battle will be far from over. He argued that Israel is currently in the midst of an open confrontation between the elected branches of government and the country’s legal establishment.

“The judicial system is lined up on one side, the bureaucracy is lined up on that same side… and they are fighting head-on,” he said.

Addressing the future of the Torah world, Pindrus stressed that much work will remain even after the elections to achieve a lasting solution.

“We will have to do our hishtadlus to ensure that the Torah world continues to flourish,” he said.

He added that the proper response to the current challenges is to continue following the guidance of gedolei Yisroel.

“If we continue to walk alongside the elders, then, with Hashem’s help, we will get through this crisis as well.”

Later in the interview, Pindrus reflected on the yahrtzeit of Maran Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, sharing personal memories of the revered posek hador, whom he described as someone whose entire life revolved around Torah.

According to Pindrus, every decision Rav Elyashiv made was guided by a single question: “What does the Torah want from me now? Not what I want to do, not what I think would be good to do… but what does the Torah want me to do in this situation.”

Pindrus said that mindset defined Rav Elyashiv throughout his life.

He also recalled Rav Elyashiv’s legendary daily schedule and extraordinary diligence in Torah study until his final days.

“You could set your watch according to Rav Elyashiv’s daily schedule,” Pindrus said.

He recounted the testimony of a physician who examined Rav Elyashiv in his later years and remarked that the X-rays of his back could not possibly belong to someone who spent countless hours bent over a Gemara.

“It simply couldn’t be,” the doctor reportedly said, underscoring the remarkable endurance and unwavering dedication Rav Elyashiv displayed throughout decades of Torah learning.

Concluding the interview, Pindrus returned to the ongoing struggle between the political and judicial systems, noting that opposition to the Supreme Court was once largely confined to the chareidi parties but has since broadened considerably.

“In the past, the battle against the Supreme Court belonged only to the chareidi parties. Today, it belongs to more than half of the Knesset,” he said.

He ended by expressing hope that the merit of Rav Elyashiv would continue to protect the Torah world and Klal Yisroel.

“We have truly reached a point where all we can do is lift our eyes toward Heaven. We do our hishtadlus—there is not much more that can be done.”

Newly reviewed emergency dispatch recordings provide a clearer picture of the frantic efforts made to save Sen. Lindsey Graham after first responders were called to his Washington, D.C., residence on Motzoei Shabbos, where they ultimately performed CPR before he was pronounced dead.

According to The Wall Street Journal, D.C. Fire and EMS personnel were dispatched just before 8:30 p.m. to a home on South Capitol Street—listed in public records as Graham’s residence—after emergency officials received a report of an individual suffering from chest pain.

Graham’s office announced Sunday that the South Carolina Republican died following a “brief and sudden illness.” Preliminary medical findings determined that he suffered an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Dispatch recordings reviewed by the newspaper indicate that a woman who called 911 told operators she was driving from Baltimore and advised them that the front door of the residence was unlocked. When emergency crews arrived, however, they discovered the deadbolt was engaged and received no response despite repeatedly knocking on the door.

Approximately five minutes after reaching the home, firefighters requested assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and informed dispatchers that they intended to force their way into the residence.

Roughly 15 minutes later, emergency personnel radioed that CPR had begun, prompting dispatchers to send an EMS supervisor to assist with what had become a cardiac arrest response.

The dispatch audio never identified the patient by name and referred to the individual as being 73 years old. Graham was 71, suggesting the age relayed over the emergency radio was likely inaccurate.

In a joint statement, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffery W. Carroll and D.C. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Francisco J. Diaz said Graham was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital at 10:23 p.m. last night. An autopsy was conducted the following day.

Law enforcement officials told The Wall Street Journal that additional medical testing—including toxicology analysis—could require several weeks before the investigation into Graham’s death is fully completed.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he hopes investigators conduct “a full toxicology and autopsy” on Graham, noting that the senator’s father died of a heart attack.

President Donald Trump told CNN that Graham telephoned him at approximately 6:30 p.m. after returning from a trip to Ukraine.

“He said, ‘I’m tired because it’s a long trip,’ but other than that he was fine,” Trump said.

FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed Sunday that the bureau is assisting local authorities in the investigation and has made “every necessary resource available” to support the inquiry. According to The Wall Street Journal, FBI agents were present at Graham’s residence Sunday afternoon as part of that ongoing effort.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Mitch McConnell disclosed Sunday that the medical emergency that landed him in the hospital last month began with a fall that briefly left him unconscious, ending weeks of speculation surrounding the Kentucky Republican’s health and explaining why he has remained away from the Senate.

In a statement, the 84-year-old senator said he lost consciousness for a short time around the incident that led to his hospitalization and has since undergone extensive medical testing to determine what caused the fall. He also revealed that doctors treated him for a mild case of pneumonia and that he has since been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” McConnell said, adding that he is now “regaining my strength.”

McConnell’s update came just hours after the sudden death of fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. While expressing optimism about his recovery, McConnell acknowledged that he is not yet ready to resume his Senate duties.

“I cannot return to the Senate quite yet,” he said.

With McConnell temporarily sidelined and Graham’s seat now vacant, Republicans’ majority in the Senate has been reduced to 51-47 at a critical time, as the party works to advance President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, increase military spending, and confirm the president’s nominees.

Addressing why he had remained silent about his condition for nearly four weeks, McConnell said his generation often finds it difficult to discuss the realities of aging.

“Folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.”

“Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” he said.

McConnell added that he continues to stay involved in Senate matters by working closely with his staff while recovering. His statement also included a smiling photograph of himself with his wife, Elaine Chao, appearing to push back against online rumors suggesting he had died or was no longer capable of serving.

The senator’s announcement follows growing public pressure for greater transparency. Since his hospitalization on June 14, his office had released few details beyond saying that he was “receiving excellent care” and recovering. As questions about his condition mounted, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear publicly urged McConnell last week to provide the public with an update in a “transparent manner.”

McConnell is scheduled to retire at the end of January, bringing to a close one of the most influential careers in modern American politics. Republicans have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to succeed him, while Democrats selected former Kentucky state lawmaker Charles Booker as their nominee. Despite his health challenges, McConnell emphasized that he intends to complete the remainder of his term.

“I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf,” McConnell wrote in the statement addressed to Kentuckians, “and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”

McConnell has dealt with significant health issues for much of his life. After contracting polio as a young child, he has long acknowledged that the illness left him with lingering difficulty walking and climbing stairs.

The Office of the Attending Physician to Congress said Sunday that McConnell has “experienced several falls through the year” because of his “post-polio condition.” According to the statement, his rehabilitation program is focused on reducing the likelihood of additional falls.

“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage,” the physician’s office said.

First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell served as the Republican leader from 2007 until last year, holding the roles of both majority leader and minority leader during that span. Although no longer in leadership, he has remained an active member of the Senate, frequently relying on a wheelchair while traveling through the Capitol.

In recent years, however, his physical condition has become increasingly noticeable. In March 2023, he suffered a concussion after falling at a Washington hotel, forcing him to miss several weeks of Senate business. After returning, he experienced two widely publicized episodes during press conferences in which he suddenly froze and stared silently ahead until aides intervened. The following year, he suffered another fall while leaving a Republican luncheon, spraining his wrist.

{Matzav.com}