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Two and a half months after Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva was hit by Iran during Operation Am K’Lavi, the government has finalized a plan to rehabilitate and upgrade the hospital. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Health Minister Chaim Katz announced on Sunday evening that they had reached an agreement on a joint initiative to restore the damaged facilities and strengthen the hospital’s infrastructure.

As part of the decision, a joint task force will be established to outline the framework for repairing the damaged buildings, upgrading the hospital’s services, setting the project’s budget estimates, selecting partners for the work, and creating a clear timetable for implementation.

Smotrich emphasized the hospital’s importance for the southern region, saying: “Soroka Medical Center is the beating heart of public healthcare in the Negev. We are working at full speed to begin the rehabilitation of the medical center, alongside the decision we already advanced to build another hospital in the Negev. The restoration process and the construction of a new medical tower at Soroka is a Zionist project of the highest order—for the residents of the south and for all of Am Yisroel.”

Health Minister Katz underscored the government’s commitment, noting: “We are fully committed to the optimal rehabilitation of Soroka. This move will advance the quality of care for patients and ensure the essential protection of the hospital, which serves as a major medical hub for the entire Negev population. We will set clear milestones to achieve this goal.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

For a few hopeful weeks this summer, a bright billboard on the major highway linking Toronto to New York greeted Canadian drivers with a simple message: “Buffalo Loves Canada.” The marketing campaign, which included a $500 gift card giveaway, was meant to show Buffalo’s northern neighbors they were welcome, wanted and missed. At first, it seemed like it might work, said Patrick Kaler, CEO of the local tourism organization Visit Buffalo Niagara. More than 1,000 people entered the giveaway. But by the end of July, it was clear the city’s reliable summer wave of Canadian visitors would not arrive this year. Buffalo’s struggle reflects a broader downturn in international tourism to the U.S. that travel analysts warn could persist well into the future. From northern border towns to major hot spots like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, popular travel destinations reported hosting fewer foreign visitors this summer. Experts and some local officials attribute the trend that first emerged in February to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. They say his tariffs, immigration crackdown and repeated jabs about the U.S. acquiring Canada and Greenland alienated travelers from other parts of the world. “To see the traffic drop off so significantly, especially because of rhetoric that can be changed, is so disheartening,” Kaler said. Forecasts show US losing foreign travelers The World Travel & Tourism Council projected ahead of Memorial Day that the U.S. would be the only country among the 184 it studied where foreign visitor spending would fall in 2025. The finding was “a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping,” the global industry association said. “The world’s biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction,” Julia Simpson, the council’s president and CEO, said. “While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.” Travel research firm Tourism Economics, meanwhile, predicted this month that the U.S. would see 8.2% fewer international arrivals in 2025, an improvement from its earlier forecast of a 9.4% decline but well below the numbers of foreign visitors to the country before the COVID-19 pandemic. “The sentiment drag has proven to be severe,” the firm said, noting that airline bookings indicate “the sharp inbound travel slowdown” of May, June and July would likely persist in the months ahead. Deborah Friedland, managing director at the financial services firm Eisner Advisory Group, said he U.S. travel industry faced multiple headwinds — rising travel costs, political uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Since returning to office, Trump has doubled down on some of the hard-line policies that defined his first term, reviving a travel ban targeting mainly African and Middle Eastern countries, tightening rules around visa approvals and ramping up mass immigration raids. At the same time, the push for tariffs on foreign goods that quickly became a defining feature of his second term gave some citizens elsewhere a sense they were unwanted. “Perception is reality,” Friedland said. International arrivals down from Western Europe, Asia and Africa Organizers of an international swing dancing said an impression of America’s hostility to foreigners led them to postpone the event, which had been scheduled to take place this month in the Harlem area of New York City. About three months into Trump’s second term, international competitors […]

Since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December, some 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home from neighboring countries and the figure could reach 1 million in the coming weeks, a top official with the U.N. refugee agency said Monday. Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR Kelly T. Clements told The Associated Press in Damascus that about 1.7 million people who were internally displaced during the 14-year-old conflict have returned to their communities as the interim central government now controls large parts of Syria. “It’s a dynamic period. It’s an opportunity where we could see potentially solutions for the largest global displacements that we have seen in the last 14 years,” said Clements, who has been in Syria for three days. Syria’s conflict that began in March 2011 has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. More than five million Syrians fled the country as refugees, most of them to neighboring countries. Clements said everybody has a different reason for coming back now, while some are delaying and waiting to see how things go. As part of her visit, she went to a border crossing with Lebanon where she said she saw long lines of trucks and people waiting to head back to Syria. Lebanese authorities had given an exemption to Syrians staying illegally in the country if they left by the end of August. Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, and in the past few days, thousands of Syrians headed back over the border. “Returns numbers are exceptionally high,” Clements said. Many Syrians had high hopes after Assad was brought down in an offensive by insurgent groups in early December. However, sectarian killings against members of Assad’s Alawite minority sect in Syria’s coastal region in March and against the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida in July claimed hundreds of lives. Clements said that about 190,000 people were displaced in southern Syria as a result of the fighting in July between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters. Since then, 21 convoy of relief supplies, of which UNHCR has been an important part, were sent to Sweida, she added. She said the Damascus-Sweida highway, blocked for weeks by pro-government gunmen, is now open, “which is very important because that will allow much more relief to come into the area.” (AP)

The Houthis in Yemen held a mass funeral in Saana on Monday morning for Prime Minister Ahmed A-Rahawi and almost all the members of the Houthi cabinet who were eliminated in the Israeli airstrike last week. Twelve coffins were seen placed side by side in a row as the masses shouted “Death to Israel!” several times during the funeral. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah and the Iranian-backed Shia axis, reported Monday that “the Yemeni street” anticipates an extensive response to the Israeli strike, potentially targeting “critical enemy sites” following the funerals. “Israeli government ministries will not be beyond the reach of our armed forces,” a Houthi source told the outlet, adding that the target bank could expand and that “Netanyahu’s residence and offices will not be safe.” On Monday morning, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for an attack on what he called a “Zionist oil ship” in the northern Red Sea, asserting that a ballistic missile struck it. However, reports on Sunday indicated that the vessel, Israeli-owned but sailing under a Liberian flag, reported only a “water spray” nearby after the alleged strike. The crew is reported safe, and the ship continued to its destination. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir declared last week that Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which began in mid-May, had met its objectives. However, an internal document prepared in the IDF as preparation for the next stage of the conquest of the Gaza Strip and revealed by Channel 12 News on Sunday evening states clearly and unequivocally, “We failed.” “Israel made every possible mistake when it waged war in a manner in contradiction to its own war doctrine,” the document states, listing some of the mistakes as providing the enemy with resources, mismanaging the operation, exhausting the soldiers, and losing all international support. The document—written by Brig-Gen (res.) Guy Hazut, the head of the operational information center of the IDF’s ground forces—emphasized that the operation did not achieve its main objectives: Hamas was not defeated, neither militarily nor in terms of governance, and the hostages were not returned—not through a deal nor an operation. Among the reasons for the failure, the document asserts that Israel acted out of “deterrence logic” rather than pursuing “decisive victory” in order to advance another hostage release deal—a move that Hamas identified and understood how to exploit. The document also noted that the “clumsiness” in the planning and distribution of humanitarian aid allowed Hamas to lead a false but effective “starvation” campaign, which resonated in the international arena. The report emphasized that “the systemic logic of the operation failed”—forces returned and operated in the same areas they operated in in the past, and combat was carried out at a slow pace and with no clear deadline, hindering significant achievements and leading to the attrition of forces and equipment. In addition, the troops were poorly prepared for Hamas’s sophisticated guerrilla warfare methods. It noted that at the same time that the IDF used combat methods in contradiction of its own professional combat doctrine, Hamas fought in a way that precisely aligned with the terror group’s doctrine of warfare. A highlighted passage states: “Hamas had all the conditions necessary to survive in order to win—resources, time, and a suitable method of combat.” The Forum of Reserve Commanders and Soldiers stated in response to the report, “The document revealed today proves what we have been saying from day one—the current path will not lead to victory. We at the Forum of Reserve Commanders reiterate our warning: first of all, Operation Gideon’s Chariots B must be halted. Lessons must be learned, water and electricity must be cut off, a real siege must be imposed, and only then should IDF forces enter the area.” “The IDF’s internal documents say this clearly. Military logic says this clearly. Anyone who enters without a real siege sends soldiers to fight against a strengthened enemy, in tunnels, with no chance of a decisive victory. We call on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz: Stop the operation. Impose a real siege. This step alone will open the way to victory and the release of the hostages.” The IDF stated, “These are materials that were distributed without authorization and the approval of the relevant authorities. The matter is being investigated. The IDF met the goals set within the framework of Operation Gideon’s Chariots and achieved many successes. These days, the IDF is in phase B of the operation and continues to work to achieve the […]

As thousands of Brelover chassidim prepare to travel to Uman, the IDF is planning to step up enforcement against Chareidi draft-dodgers. The enforcement will not only take place at Ben Gurion Airport but also at various crossing and in Chareidi areas. Channel 12 News reported that in recent days, military police have been stationed in areas where a high concentration of Chareidi travelers is expected, including Elad, Beitar Illit, and the Jerusalem area. The police officers will conduct proactive inspections to locate deserters trying to leave the country at air, land, and sea crossings. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Iran has carried out at least 841 executions so far this year, marking a sharp surge in state killings and cementing the Islamic Republic’s place among the world’s leading executioners, the United Nations said Friday. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that 100 executions took place in July alone — more than double the number recorded in the same month last year. Those executed included women, Afghan nationals, and ethnic minorities such as Baloch, Kurds, and Arabs. “The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation and repression of any dissent,” UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. UN officials said the spike reflects Tehran’s deepening reliance on the death penalty to silence political opposition, suppress minority communities, and deter social unrest. OHCHR noted a disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants on death row, further exposing the discriminatory nature of the regime’s justice system. At least 11 prisoners now face imminent execution, according to the UN. Six have been accused of “armed rebellion,” while five others face capital punishment for their roles in the 2022 nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Iran has repeatedly ignored international appeals to curb its use of the death penalty, resisting pressure to align with the global trend toward abolition. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Tehran to immediately halt all executions as a first step toward ending capital punishment entirely. “Iran must stop using the death penalty as a weapon against its own people,” Turk said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The pro-Israel humanitarian group in Boulder that was firebombed in June — leaving one woman dead and more than a dozen injured — says it is being terrorized again, this time by local agitators and even a city council candidate. Run For Their Lives, a grassroots group that holds weekly walks to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held by Hamas, has now been forced to move its events to undisclosed locations after repeated harassment. Survivors of the June 1 attack — carried out by Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman — describe an escalation of intimidation that echoes the hate that left 82-year-old Karen Diamond hy”d dead and at least 15 others burned. “Here we are in Boulder where someone was killed and a bunch of people were burned, and we have people following our walk and screaming at us,” participant Aaron Brooks told The New York Post. Protesters have brandished “Free Palestine” signs — the same words the accused terrorist shouted during the deadly attack. According to group members, some of the harassment has been led by Boulder City Council candidate Aaron Stone, who was caught on video calling the group’s leader, Rachel Amaru, a “Nazi.” A YouTube video posted August 17 shows Stone boasting that his campaign platform opposing Israel “is the thing that got me into the race.” Stone later emailed a statement condemning the June attack but also denounced the group’s weekly marches, accusing participants of “supporting genocide” and saying they “deserve to be called Nazis.” “First they survived the June attack and now they’re dealing with these aggressive counterprotesting jihadists tormenting them,” said Elise, a participant. “It’s mentally very difficult. These people are morally hollow.” The group says the harassment has re-opened wounds from the June firebombing, forcing organizers to relocate walks for safety. “In the aftermath of the attack, we have been harassed and this decision is about safety for the group,” Brooks said. “We want to walk for the hostages without being harassed.” Run For Their Lives leader Amaru, who has been personally targeted with slurs, vowed the group would continue. “We will continue to walk peacefully for the hostages,” she said. Local Jewish leaders blasted the harassment as intolerable. “Now, instead of receiving support, they’re being harassed again—even by a candidate for Boulder City Council,” said Run For Their Lives Denver leader Miri Kornfeld. “This is a chilling reminder of the hatred they’ve endured and the urgent need to stand with them against antisemitism.” Despite threats and intimidation, group members insist they will not be silenced. “They want to harass and intimidate us,” Brooks said. “We’re not hiding and we’re not afraid — we’re just being smart.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A coalition of more than 150 media outlets across 50 countries is preparing a coordinated campaign accusing Israel of killing journalists and restricting press freedom, according to leaked plans circulated by pro-Israel advocates. The campaign, slated for Sept. 1, is reportedly led by international activist NGO Avaaz in partnership with Reporters Without Borders. Outlets are expected to publish black front pages under a unified slogan: “At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, soon no one will keep you informed.” The campaign will also feature coordinated hashtags, including #ProtectJournalistsInGaza. Organizers appear to have timed the effort ahead of upcoming UN votes on Palestinian statehood and aligned it symbolically with the anniversary of Germany’s invasion of Poland. Pro-Israel groups argue the campaign is less journalism than public relations warfare. Many individuals described as journalists in Gaza were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with several filming the Oct. 7 attacks while wearing press vests. They also point to standard press restrictions in other warzones, including Mosul and Fallujah, and note that foreign reporters have been escorted into Gaza by Israel. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump suggested he might use executive authority to eliminate mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections next year, though such a step could face pushback from within his own party, NBC News reported Sunday.

Recent figures show that in at least 14 states and Washington, D.C., more than 30% of voters cast their ballots through the mail. Trump carried half of those states, many of which have Republican governors or secretaries of state supervising their elections.

“My view on vote-by-mail is that I think it should be permissible,” Michigan state House Majority Leader Bryan Posthumus, a Republican who endorsed Trump last year, told NBC News. “But I also believe that currently, the way it exists, specifically in Michigan, it is the highest risk for fraud.”

Posthumus has pushed for changes to the Michigan constitution that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and mandate photo identification at the polls.

“We shouldn’t just go off and get rid of voting by mail,” Posthumus said. “We need to buckle down and secure the weakness and vulnerability in it. … I’ve always been a proponent that it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. As long as our vote-by-mail systems are secure, then the access to the ballot box that it allows for is a good thing.”

Nearly a dozen other Republicans across the country voiced similar opinions, acknowledging Trump’s criticism of the system and agreeing that reforms are needed, but questioning whether he could — or should — impose a nationwide prohibition.

Some also expressed concern that blocking mail-in voting would disadvantage military personnel stationed overseas as well as GOP candidates who rely on absentee votes in states where the practice is widely used.

“As Trump often does, sometimes he overstates his case,” said Paul Dame, chair of the Vermont Republican Party. “I don’t think anyone supports a complete elimination. That would disenfranchise men and women overseas. I’m sure that’s not his intention.”

Even if Trump issued an executive order ending mail-in voting, major legal and political hurdles would remain. The Constitution gives states the authority to regulate the “times, places, and manner” of their congressional elections, NBC News noted.

Although the president and Congress can enact laws that override state election statutes, that would be difficult to achieve, particularly in the Senate where Democrats hold enough power to block legislation backed by Trump and his allies.

{Matzav.com}

With flights scheduled to send dozens of Guatemalan children back to their home country, a federal court order on Sunday halted the removals. The ruling came after lawyers representing the minors argued that the government was breaking the law and putting them in serious danger.

The unusual events unfolded during the holiday weekend, stretching from airport runways in Texas to a Washington courtroom. It marked yet another dramatic clash between the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies and the legal protections that Congress established for children arriving at the border.

The decision ensures that Guatemalan youths who crossed the border without parents or guardians will remain in the U.S. for at least two more weeks while the case continues.

“I do not want there to be any ambiguity,” said U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan.

Not long after the emergency hearing, buses carrying migrant children pulled up to a charter plane at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, which is commonly used for deportation flights. Witnesses reported seeing dozens of children in brightly colored clothing, the type usually worn at government-operated shelters.

The Justice Department confirmed in court papers that all 76 minors would be returned to shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services before the end of the day Sunday.

“This idea that on a long weekend in the dead of night they would wake up these vulnerable children and put them on a plane irrespective of the constitutional protections that they had is something that should shock the conscience of all Americans,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, after the court session.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the ruling.

The rapid sequence of events brought to mind a similar episode in March, when hundreds of Venezuelans were deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador despite advocates pleading with a judge to intervene. In that instance, the government carried out the flights, arguing the judge’s order had come too late.

This time, the administration maintained that the effort was meant to reunite Guatemalan minors with family members who wanted them back. Attorneys for some of the children disputed that claim and said the government failed to follow legally required procedures.

One girl’s lawyer said her parents in Guatemala received a suspicious call weeks earlier, warning that she was being deported. The 16-year-old, currently staying at a shelter in New York, described herself as an honors student preparing to enter 11th grade, and said she is “deeply afraid of being deported.”

Other children, identified by initials in legal documents, described abandonment, abuse, and threats in Guatemala.

“I do not have any family in Guatemala that can take good care of me,” a 10-year-old child said in court papers. Another teen recounted experiencing “threats against my life” and added, “If I am sent back, I believe I will be in danger.”

While the main hearing took place in Washington, similar legal challenges were filed in other states.

In Arizona, a lawsuit from the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project noted that one of its clients, a 12-year-old asylum seeker with kidney disease, requires dialysis and will eventually need a transplant. Two other children named in that case, a boy of 10 and his 3-year-old sister, reportedly have no family to return to in Guatemala.

Meanwhile, relatives in Guatemala prepared for the expected arrivals. At an air base in Guatemala City, families gathered anxiously. Gilberto López said he drove through the night after a midnight call from his nephew, who told him he was being deported. The teen had left Guatemala at 15 and worked in the U.S. for two years before being detained.

In the U.S., migrant children who arrive alone are typically placed under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. They often live in group shelters or foster arrangements until a sponsor, usually a family member, can be found. Many Guatemalan youths apply for asylum or pursue other legal remedies to remain in the country.

Attorneys from the National Center for Youth Law reported that in recent weeks, Homeland Security Investigations agents had been questioning Guatemalan children at shelters, asking about relatives back home.

By Friday, advocates said they began hearing that children’s immigration hearings were being canceled.

According to Shaina Aber of the Acacia Center for Justice, advocates learned late Saturday that officials had compiled lists of minors scheduled for deportation, with flights planned out of Harlingen and El Paso.

Lawyer Efrén C. Olivares said two planes were waiting in Harlingen and one in El Paso, citing accounts from people on the ground. A government attorney later told the court that one plane may have taken off but then returned.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on X that Guatemala had asked for the children’s return and accused the judge of “refusing to let them reunify with their parents.”

Judge Sooknanan explained that she had been awakened at 2:30 a.m. by lawyers for the children, who warned in urgent filings that flights were only hours away. She said she spent much of the morning trying to contact government attorneys.

“I have the government attempting to remove unaccompanied minors from the country in the wee hours of the morning on a holiday weekend, which is surprising,” the judge remarked during Sunday’s hearing. She added: “Absent action by the courts, all of those children would have been returned to Guatemala, potentially to very dangerous situations.”

According to a letter from Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the administration is seeking to deport nearly 700 Guatemalan minors who crossed the border without parents.

Later Sunday, Guatemala’s government issued a statement noting that it had raised the issue with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during her July visit. Officials said their concern was that many of the youths would soon age out of juvenile facilities and be transferred to adult detention centers. The statement said Guatemala was ready to receive the minors once U.S. due process was completed and procedures were followed.

{Matzav.com}

On the eve of the new school year, Chabad emissaries from across the globe have united in an unprecedented call to the Israeli government: intervene immediately to protect the Shalheves Chabad network of schools and institutions.

A dramatic letter was signed by leading and influential shluchim including Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki, as well as emissaries stationed in countries with significant Israeli communities such as Cyprus, Hungary, Thailand, Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, and France. The signatories warned: “The harassment of Chabad institutions and the attempt to halt their growth endangers the life’s work of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l. This must not be allowed to happen.”

At the center of the struggle is Rabbi Shmuel Oirechman, director of government relations for Agudas Chassidei Chabad, who was asked by the leadership of Chabad’s educational network to spearhead the battle with government ministries. The emissaries declared in the letter: “We stand behind Rabbi Oirechman in the fight to save Chabad education in Israel.”

Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar also joined the appeal with a personal letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, stressing that the Sheheves Chabad network serves as a vital anchor for thousands of immigrants from Russia. “Harming it,” he wrote, “is harming the entire mission of Chabad shlichus.”

Chabad insiders said, “This is a historic moment. For the first time, Chabad has united across all its diverse groups for a shared cause. This is a struggle for the very survival of these institutions and for the future of Chabad education in Israel.”

From Chabad’s Government Relations Office came a firm response: “We will not comment on leaks, but the threat is clear: Chabad institutions face the danger of closure, with an unprecedented crisis in opening the new year. We will fight to the end to stop this trend and secure an orderly resolution.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a fiery shmuess delivered Motzoei Shabbos during his weekly Chumash shiur, Rav Velvel Soloveitchik, rosh yeshivas Brisk and son of Rav Dovid Soloveitchik, sharply denounced the chareidi institutions that have recently joined the Mamlachti Chareidi (state-run chareidi) school system.

At the outset, Rav Soloveitchik remarked that he was uncertain whether his words would have any effect, “but there is a fire burning here, and it is necessary to cry out and protest.”

The rosh yeshiva focused on the history of so-called “exempt schools” (mosdos p’tur), which decades ago began accepting state funding. “They told everyone that the moment the government would intervene, and so much as dare say anything about the curriculum, they would immediately stop taking money. Everyone knows the results. Not only do they intervene incidentally, but they are the ones who now decide the curriculum—what should be studied and what should not be studied.”

He continued, “And of course, even those who permitted it back then permitted it only under the framework of mosdos p’tur. But it never entered anyone’s mind that, from the outset, people would agree to move over to Mamlachti Chareidi or any similar program for the sake of money. Meaning, with mosdos p’tur, the interference was the ‘classic’ kind that comes with taking money, where the administrators are trapped and unable to free themselves. But those institutions that are now switching over to Mamlachti Chareidi know exactly what they are doing, and still they agree to place themselves under programs of change in the school curriculum. They do this purely for the sake of money—large budgets and payouts.

“This is not a case of being forced to make changes after already taking money,” Rav Soloveitchik declared. “Rather, they are walking like sheep to the slaughter into the prohibited core studies.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

With just three weeks remaining before the annual gathering at the kever of Rav Nachman in Uman on Rosh Hashanah, the IDF is reportedly intensifying its crackdown on draft evaders.

Enforcement will not be limited to Ben Gurion Airport but will also extend to various crossings and checkpoints throughout Israel.

According to a report by Nir Dvori on Channel 12 News, military police have been stationed in areas with heavy concentrations of travelers, including Elad, Beitar Illit, and around Yerushalayim.

These forces will conduct spot inspections aimed at identifying deserters and draft evaders as part of the IDF’s broadened enforcement campaign — on land, in the air, at sea, and at border points.

Since July alone, 52 draft evaders have been arrested at Ben Gurion Airport. While the numbers remain relatively small, the IDF has made clear that the policy is to ramp up its presence and enforcement measures in the coming weeks.

{Matzav.com Israel}

People close to Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein released a strong statement on Sunday condemning the spread of videos that misrepresent his words about army service.

The statement accused “coordinated and deliberate persecution” by “self-interested parties” who come to his public shiurim with the intention of taking lines out of context and presenting them to the public “in a misleading manner.”

The family of Rav Zilberstein made it clear that “the recently published videos are edited, cut, and manipulated in a biased way, including partial quotes and statements taken out of context.”

According to the statement, the circulation of these clips has caused “great distress to the rabbi,” and his close aides consider “any attempt to harm the honor of the Torah through media manipulation as extremely serious.”

Rav Zilberstein explained that he “does not wish to rule on public matters, particularly on matters pertaining to enlistment in the military,” and that in general he directs such shailos to the manhig hador, Rav Dov Landau.

Concerning remarks that were quoted in his name about chillul Shabbos to avoid drafting a yeshiva bochur, his aides clarified that “these remarks were cited from his teacher, Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, solely to illustrate the gravity of the issue, and not as practical halachic rulings.”

The statement also responded to what was attributed to Rav Zilberstein regarding the Netzach Yehuda unit, explaining that “one of the attendees attempted to mislead the rabbi on this matter,” and emphasizing that Rav Zilberstein wished to make clear that Rav Shteinman “never forgave or excused those who claimed he had founded or supported this unit until the end of his life.”

The aides of Rav Zilberstein urged “all parties and media outlets to act responsibly, accurately report statements, and refrain from misleading the public.”

They further voiced their disappointment at “repeated attempts to harm the rov’s honor and distort Torah teachings on serious matters.”

{Matzav.com}

For the first time in over a decade, the sound of tefillos once again echoed in the central shul of Damascus, Syria. The poignant moment marked a rare revival of Jewish presence in a city that once held a thriving kehilla, now reduced to just a handful of elderly Yidden. Moshe Klein, a noted researcher of Jewish heritage who has been active in diplomatic efforts to preserve batei knesses and cemeteries around the world, together with New York businessman Dov Bleich, undertook a three-day visit to Damascus. Despite ongoing reports of Israeli airstrikes in the region, the two visited the city’s historic Jewish quarter, davened together with one of the last remaining Jews in Damascus, R’ Bachur Siman-Tov, and toured the ancient Jewish cemetery. There, they recited tefillos at the kever of the mekubal Rav Chaim Vital zt”l, the foremost talmid of the Arizal, whose resting place was recently desecrated by vandals searching for imagined treasures. Locals, Klein reported, reacted with surprise and curiosity upon seeing Jews wearing yarmulkas openly on the streets. “They greeted us with ‘Shalom,’” he recounted, adding that many expressed longing for peace and wondered aloud why Israel was bombing them. While many of Damascus’s Jewish heritage sites remain shuttered or under government control, heritage advocates remain hopeful that, in time, these makomos kedoshim will once again be open to Yidden seeking to connect with their storied past. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Gerrer Rebbe was admitted this evening to Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital in Yerushalayim after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The public is urged to daven for the complete recovery of the Rebbe, Rav Yaakov Aryeh ben Yutta Henna.

Earlier today, the Rebbe left his home to undergo medical examinations at Hadassah Har HaTzofim. Following the evaluations, doctors determined that hospitalization was necessary due to the pneumonia.

Over the past week, the Rebbe’s strength had weakened, and on Friday he experienced difficulty breathing. This comes several weeks after he suffered a fall in Moshav Ora.

Although there had been signs of improvement in his condition over Shabbos, a CT scan conducted today revealed severe pneumonia, prompting doctors to admit him for treatment.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Republicans in Congress notched a major win this summer when they succeeded in passing President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” of tax cuts and spending reductions without the support of a single Democrat. But as lawmakers reconvene in Washington following their August recess, the challenge ahead will be navigating around—or working with—Democrats as the threat of a government shutdown looms.

The battle over federal funding is set to dominate September’s legislative agenda. At the same time, Senate Republicans are weighing a rules change to overcome Democratic obstruction on nominations, and senators are also debating a proposal that would place hefty tariffs on certain countries that continue to trade with Russia while the U.S. pressures Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

In the House, GOP lawmakers plan to continue their investigations into former President Joe Biden. Speaker Mike Johnson must also deal with internal divisions among Republicans about whether the Trump administration should release additional records tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Congress’s most urgent responsibility is to prevent a government shutdown when funding runs out on September 30. At this point, it’s still unclear if Democrats and Republicans will be able to reach common ground to avoid it.

To keep the government running past the deadline, legislators will likely need to approve a temporary spending bill. However, Republicans can’t pass such a measure without Democratic votes, and Democrats are sure to demand concessions. Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to vote with Republicans to avert a shutdown led to sharp backlash within his own caucus.

Another complicating factor is Trump’s push to roll back money previously approved by Congress. The GOP passed a bill this summer clawing back nearly $9 billion in foreign aid and funding for public broadcasting, and just this past Friday Trump again told Congress he would block $4.9 billion in foreign aid.

Democrats argue that these actions could undermine the broader spending talks. “Trump is rooting for a shutdown,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut wrote Friday on social media.

The Senate will return to the same fight that consumed it before the recess: Trump’s nominees.

Frustrated Republicans left town in August after making little headway on confirmations due to Democratic opposition, which left many administration posts vacant and aggravated Trump. The impasse even led to an unusual Saturday session that ended in failure, prompting Trump to lash out online, writing that Chuck Schumer could “GO TO HELL!”

Now, Republicans are considering changing Senate rules to break the logjam, and discussions on how to do so will occupy much of their time in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of Trump, has been urging the president to endorse his bipartisan sanctions bill. The measure would impose steep tariffs on countries fueling Russia’s war by purchasing its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. While 85 senators back the bill, Republican leadership has said they won’t move forward without Trump’s support.

Graham has increased his calls since Trump’s meetings last month with Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, after which Russia continued to escalate attacks. “If we don’t have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,” Graham told the Associated Press.

This Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy will testify before the Senate Finance Committee about his health care priorities. His appearance comes less than a week after he removed Susan Monarez as head of the CDC, a shake-up that also triggered several high-level resignations in protest.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate HELP Committee and also sits on Finance, has called on the CDC to postpone a planned meeting of outside experts on vaccine policy until Congress can conduct oversight.

The Epstein case is also expected to resurface in the House, which left town in July amid disputes over whether to force Trump’s administration to release more information about the investigation into the disgraced financier. Pressure for transparency is likely to grow stronger when lawmakers return.

Bipartisan calls are mounting, with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie promoting legislation that would compel the Department of Justice to publicly disclose its findings. They are organizing a press event this week alongside Epstein’s victims, while the House Oversight Committee continues its own probe.

Democrats, in particular, are eager to keep the issue alive, criticizing the Trump administration for failing to follow through on promises of openness. For years, the Epstein saga has fueled speculation and conspiracy theories over who may have been complicit in his crimes.

Alongside that, the Oversight Committee is pressing ahead with its investigation into Biden’s mental acuity during his presidency. Nearly a dozen of Biden’s close aides and advisers have already been questioned, with more scheduled for September, including Jeff Zients, Biden’s final chief of staff, Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, and Andrew Bates, a senior communications aide.

Chairman James Comer has said the public should expect hearings and a full report later this fall.

Another issue gaining traction is legislation to prevent lawmakers from trading individual stocks, an idea long floated to avoid conflicts of interest given the sensitive information Congress often handles.

Momentum has grown recently, with a Senate panel approving a bill from Sen. Josh Hawley that would expand the trading ban to cover future presidents and vice presidents — though Trump would be excluded. In the House, lawmakers are also advancing versions of the measure, with some threatening to bypass leadership to force a vote.

Nevertheless, resistance remains strong from members of both parties, especially wealthier legislators who profit from their investments and have little interest in curbing them.

{Matzav.com}