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President Trump dramatically escalated his claims over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, posting a map that labeled the strategically vital waterway “new US territory” while declaring that Iranian mines had been cleared and that no additional negotiations with Tehran were currently scheduled.

Trump shared the altered map on Truth Social, reinforcing his recent suggestion that the United States could establish a permanent presence in the strait. In subsequent posts, the president said the crucial shipping route had been de-mined and was operating again, while indicating that Washington had no new talks with the Islamic Republic on its calendar.

The president had first publicly floated the prospect of the United States maintaining permanent control over the Strait of Hormuz during a political appearance on Long Island on Friday.

The map circulated by Trump depicted the waterway between Iran and Oman as “new US territory,” marking a significant rhetorical escalation in his statements about the strategically critical passage.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, with ships traveling through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

Speaking Friday while campaigning for Republican candidates running in New York’s gubernatorial and congressional races, Trump suggested that an official declaration concerning the strait could come after Iran’s defeat.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said while stumping for Republican candidates in New York’s gubernatorial and congressional elections.

During the same Long Island appearance, Trump defended the economic consequences of his campaign against Iran, arguing that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons justified Americans temporarily facing higher fuel costs.

The president said accomplishing that objective was worth paying “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline,” adding: “I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing.”

{Matzav.com}

Energy Minister Eli Cohen emerged as the decisive winner of the Likud primaries, capturing first place as the final count reshaped the party’s prospective Knesset slate and left several veteran ministers and lawmakers facing the possibility of losing their seats.

Cohen finished more than 3,000 votes ahead of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who secured second place. Justice Minister Yariv Levin took third, followed by Transportation Minister Miri Regev in fourth and Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz in fifth.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch placed sixth, with Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar immediately behind him. Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, making his first run in a Likud primary after departing Otzma Yehudit, made a strong debut in eighth place. Ministers Amichai Chikli and Dudi Amsalem rounded out the top 10.

MK Moshe Saada captured the 11th position, while MK Tally Gotliv landed in 12th — a significantly weaker showing than projections that had suggested she could finish among the leading candidates.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi made a late move past MK David Bitan to claim 13th place, pushing Bitan to 14th. Boaz Bismuth finished 15th, followed by Ministers Nir Barkat, Ze’ev Elkin and Gila Gamliel. Gamliel edged out Eti Hava Atia to secure the third position designated for a woman.

Once the party’s reserved slots are factored into the final Knesset lineup, a number of sitting ministers and MKs are expected to fall outside positions considered realistic for entering the next Knesset. Among them are Ministers Ze’ev Elkin, May Golan, Avi Dichter and Idit Silman, along with MKs Nissim Vaturi, Keti Shitrit, Hanoch Milwidsky and Ariel Kallner.

Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu also scored victories in the regional contests, with all three candidates he endorsed winning their races. Erez Tadmor prevailed in the district encompassing Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Shfela; Shlomo Lerner won the Dan and Tel Aviv district; and Yehoshua Shuki Ohana captured the Galilee and Valleys district. Two other Netanyahu-backed candidates, Osnat Zohar and Dr. Ruth Kabbesa Abramson, did not win positions on the slate.

Netanyahu, who serves as Likud chairman, welcomed the outcome and said he was “very pleased.”

“The new Likud slate reflects renewal and the integration of new figures at the top of the list. Together with the reserved candidates to be appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, who will further strengthen the slate, the Likud team led by Netanyahu will achieve a major victory and establish a broad national government immediately after the elections. This is the only way to prevent a left-wing government led by Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Lieberman, and the Arab parties,” Netanyahu said.

Likud issued its own statement after the results, saying: “Prime Minister Netanyahu thanks the Likud members who voted based on common sense and not political deals. Prime Minister Netanyahu also deeply appreciates those who did not secure a place on the slate, thanks them for their contribution, and intends to involve them in efforts to secure a Likud victory.”

The counting process began after polls closed Monday evening at 107 voting locations used by Likud members nationwide. After ballots were initially tallied at the individual polling sites, the boxes were slated to be transported to the Bloomfield Stadium complex in Tel Aviv for an additional count. Party officials had said the definitive results were not expected until the morning.

Likud reported that 75,177 members participated in the primary, producing a turnout of 53.5%. That represented a decline of approximately five percentage points compared with participation in the party’s previous primary election.

The voting was also accompanied by allegations of irregularities. Earlier in the process, Minister May Golan and MK Amit Halevi filed complaints with Likud’s Central Election Committee and called for counting at the Yeruham polling station to be stopped immediately. They alleged that votes were repeatedly erased, changed or recorded differently from the candidate names announced aloud, with corrections allegedly made only after a local observer objected and demanded that the records be fixed.

Regev, meanwhile, alleged Monday that the El Al workers’ union had mounted an effort to hurt her performance in the primary because of her move to allow expanded Wizz Air operations in Israel.

“Anyone who tells you ‘Miri Regev is secure’ wants to weaken me,” Regev said. “You know the El Al union decided to drop me from their slates. It’s all because I decided to bring in Wizz.”

Regev said the opposition would not cause her to reverse course on her plans for Israel’s aviation market. “I said I would lower flight prices, and that is what will happen,” she declared.

The transportation minister insisted that pressure from organized labor would not alter her position. “No union will intimidate me or extort me,” she added. “The citizens of the State of Israel come first.”

{Matzav.com}

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has prepared a broad enforcement plan for Yehuda and Shomron that would take effect following the transfer of civilian enforcement authority, Border Police operations and administrative-order powers in the region to the Israel Police.

According to a report by Channel 14, the plan calls for a significant expansion of police and Border Police activity across Yehuda and Shomron, including administrative orders against far-left activists, renewed weapons searches in Chevron, the relocation of Border Police bases into Areas A and B, and joint training exercises with local emergency response teams.

One of the most significant elements of the proposal is the issuance of approximately 20 administrative orders against far-left activists, particularly those operating in the southern Chevron Hills. The report identified Guy Hirschfeld and Yonatan Pollak among those who could potentially be targeted by the orders.

The move would represent an expansion of the use of administrative enforcement measures to include activists on the political left.

Ben Gvir is also seeking to restore a more substantial Border Police presence in Palestinian cities as part of an effort to increase Israeli enforcement and operational activity. The plan reportedly calls for Border Police personnel to resume proactive operations, including searches of homes in Chevron for illegal weapons.

Another provision would permit individuals to enter the Me’aras Hamachpeilah while carrying firearms.

Under the plan, Border Police bases in Yehuda and Shomron would also be relocated into Areas A and B. The move is intended to shorten response times and give forces greater operational control and faster access to areas where incidents occur.

Ben Gvir’s proposal additionally calls for expanded cooperation between Border Police forces and emergency response teams in Jewish communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

According to the report, Border Police personnel would conduct joint exercises with the local teams, focusing particularly on scenarios involving terrorist infiltrations into communities and preparations for the possibility of a large-scale assault.

The training is intended to improve readiness for extreme security scenarios and prevent a repeat of the type of catastrophic infiltration and mass attack carried out on October 7.

If fully implemented, Ben Gvir’s plan would represent a significant change in both the distribution of enforcement authority and the nature of Israeli police and Border Police operations throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

{Matzav.com}

The remains of IDF soldier Yehuda Katz, who disappeared during the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaqub and remained missing for more than four decades, have been located, the IDF announced Tuesday.

Military representatives informed Katz’s family that his remains had been identified, bringing an end to one of Israel’s longest-running cases involving a soldier missing in action.

Katz had been the final soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yaqub whose fate had remained unresolved. He disappeared during the fierce fighting in Lebanon 44 years ago and had been listed as missing ever since.

The discovery concludes a decades-long effort by Israel’s military and intelligence agencies to determine the fate of the three soldiers who vanished during the battle. In 2019, the remains of Zechariah Baumel were brought back to Israel in an operation facilitated with Russian assistance.

Six years later, in 2025, the Mossad carried out a classified operation that succeeded in recovering the remains of Zvi Feldman and returning them to Israel.

Katz, Baumel and Feldman all disappeared following the Battle of Sultan Yaqub on June 11, 1982. The fighting took place near a strategic crossroads south of the Lebanese village of Sultan Yaqub in the Bekaa Valley during the First Lebanon War.

The unresolved status of the three soldiers remained a painful national issue for decades. In 2004, then-IDF Chief Military Rabbi Rabbi Yisrael Weiss determined that the three should be officially designated as “fallen soldiers whose place of burial is unknown.”

Their families challenged that determination, however, petitioning against the ruling. The decision was subsequently withdrawn, leaving the three officially classified as missing as efforts to locate them continued.

Thousands of Breslover chassidim preparing to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah 5787 are facing steep increases in transportation costs, with fares from European airports, border crossings and Ukrainian train stations rising by tens of percentage points compared with last year.

An examination by Emess comparing official price lists from the previous two years with newly published rates for Rosh Hashanah 5787 found substantial increases across nearly every major route and vehicle category. The report also found that the two primary transportation companies serving Uman travelers, Paichele and Uman Express, are advertising completely identical prices this year.

For travel from Chisinau, Moldova, to Uman, the cost of a private car increased from $500 to $550, a 10% rise. A VIP SUV climbed from $650 to $750, an increase of approximately 15.4%, while a five- to seven-passenger minivan jumped from $700 to $900, or roughly 28.5%. An 18-seat Sprinter rose from $1,400 to $1,500, approximately 7.1%.

Travel from Iasi, Romania, saw even sharper increases. A private car now costs $650, compared with $500 last year, representing a 30% jump. A VIP SUV rose from $650 to $800, approximately 23%, while a minivan climbed from $700 to $1,000 — an increase of approximately 42.8%. An 18-seat Sprinter increased from $1,400 to $1,700, or roughly 21.4%.

The journey from Bucharest to Uman has also become significantly more expensive. A private car increased from $950 to $1,100, approximately 15.8%, while a VIP SUV jumped from $1,100 to $1,400, or roughly 27.2%. Minivan prices surged from $1,200 to $1,700, an increase of approximately 41.6%, and Sprinter transportation rose from $2,300 to $2,800, or approximately 21.7%.

Travelers arriving through Poland are seeing similar increases. A private car from Rzeszow to Uman has risen from $800 to $1,000, a 25% increase. Minivans from Warsaw or Katowice, previously priced between $1,400 and $1,500, now cost $2,000, representing increases ranging from approximately 33% to 42%. Sprinter transportation from those cities has increased from roughly $2,700-$2,750 to $3,200, approximately 17%.

Prices have also climbed for travelers continuing to Uman from Ukrainian railway stations. A private car from Vinnytsia, previously costing between $150 and $180, now costs $210. Minivan service from Vinnytsia has jumped from approximately $210-$250 to $350, while a minivan from Khmelnytskyi now costs $600, compared with $400-$480 previously.

Perhaps the most striking finding in the new price lists is that Paichele and Uman Express are advertising precisely the same rates for every vehicle category, destination, border crossing and surcharge examined in the report, without even a one-dollar difference between the two companies.

A senior Breslov community activist sharply criticized the situation, raising concerns about possible price coordination in a market where travelers have few alternatives.

“It is simply terrible to see how prices are skyrocketing in such an extreme and unprecedented manner from year to year, placing an unbearably heavy financial burden on the chassidim. But even more serious is that the only two companies currently providing transportation services are matching their price lists and presenting completely identical prices. There is a serious concern of price coordination in a closed market. When there are only two options on the ground and they are completely coordinated, the public becomes captive and has no alternative or opportunity for free competition on the way to Rabbeinu.”

The transportation companies rejected the implication that the higher rates were arbitrary, pointing instead to sharply rising operating costs caused by the continuing war in Ukraine, fuel prices, infrastructure problems and shortages of available drivers.

Paichele told Emess: “The increase in prices is an unavoidable reality resulting directly from the war in Ukraine and Russia’s bombardment of power stations and fuel infrastructure in the country. Fuel prices have nearly tripled and continue to rise consistently, and last winter there was almost no electricity in the country. In addition, there has been a sharp increase in all cost-of-living indexes and logistical expenses in Ukraine, making it extremely difficult to operate the transportation system.”

Uman Express offered a similar explanation, saying its rates reflect significantly higher costs on the ground.

“It is important for us to clarify that the prices were determined according to actual costs, which have risen very significantly this year. The main factor is the sharp increase in fuel prices in Ukraine, and in addition, there is a significant shortage of drivers who are able and permitted to leave Ukraine, which makes it very difficult to find available drivers and increases operating costs. Beyond that, prices throughout the Ukrainian market have risen considerably, not only for pilgrims but also for the local population. We were forced to adjust prices to the existing reality, and we are making every effort to maintain fair prices without compromising service, safety and reliability.”

{Matzav.com}

Attorneys representing Ponevezh Yeshiva have moved swiftly following the court ruling in the long-running dispute over the yeshiva campus, sending a formal demand letter calling on the opposing side to fully comply with the decision.

The letter, sent Monday by attorneys Ehud Artzi, Rivka Ariel, Ran Feldman and S. Horowitz, was addressed to attorney Eyal Rozovsky, who represents Rav Shmuel Markowitz and the Mesores HaTorah association. It came just one day after Judge Yehudit Shevach issued her ruling upholding the arbitration decision governing the future of the Ponevezh campus.

The brief and pointed letter demands that the ruling be implemented in full, beginning with the requirement to “vacate the Ponevezh Yeshiva property” by the deadline established by the court.

Under Judge Shevach’s ruling, the buildings occupied by Rav Markowitz’s yeshiva are to be vacated during Chol Hamoed Sukkos 5787, two days before Simchas Torah.

Ponevezh’s attorneys also demanded that the buildings be returned in proper condition and that all financial penalties imposed in the arbitration ruling by retired Judge David Cheshin be paid in full, together with applicable linkage adjustments.

The letter further calls for Mesores HaTorah and “Eim HaYeshivos” to immediately stop using the Ponevezh Yeshiva name and trademarks in any form. That demand applies to the yeshiva’s logos, official documents, advertisements, fundraising websites and other platforms.

In addition, the attorneys demanded that Rav Shmuel Markowitz immediately cease using the title “Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh.”

The letter followed Sunday’s sweeping District Court decision in favor of Ponevezh Yeshiva and its president, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman. Judge Shevach essentially upheld the full arbitration ruling issued by retired Judge David Cheshin, who was appointed to adjudicate the bitter dispute in 2021.

The ruling represents a potentially decisive turning point in a decades-long conflict that resulted in two rival yeshivos operating on the same Ponevezh campus and was repeatedly accompanied by bitter confrontations and, at times, violence.

In her decision, Judge Shevach leveled particularly severe criticism at Rav Markowitz, placing responsibility on his side for the violence and turmoil that plagued the campus during the dispute.

Attention is now turning to Simchas Torah, which is expected to mark the first Yom Tov after the deadline by which the entire Ponevezh campus is supposed to be under the exclusive control of Ponevezh Yeshiva.

Officials at the yeshiva are reportedly awaiting that date with considerable anticipation, although Rav Markowitz’s side has indicated that it intends to pursue an appeal of the ruling.

[COMMUNICATED]

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