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Israeli military police carried out coordinated overnight raids on the homes of yeshiva bochurim in several cities, including Herzliya, Tel Aviv, and Dimona, as part of a renewed wave of arrest attempts, though in each case the targeted individuals were not taken into custody.

The operation is part of a broader series of enforcement actions against yeshiva students reported over the past week.

The most dramatic incident occurred in Herzliya. At approximately 4 a.m., military police forces arrived at the home of a talmid from Yeshivas Chazon Mordechai, a mosad that has already seen one of its talmidim arrested earlier this week. According to reports, family members opened the door, after which officers entered the home and conducted what was described as a forceful and aggressive search.

A turning point came when the student’s mother managed to contact the Tzeva Shachor alert system, a network that assists yeshiva bochurim. Upon noticing the phone call, the commanding officer reportedly ordered his forces to withdraw immediately. The family was left shaken by the incident, but the student was not arrested.

Additional attempts were made elsewhere across the country.

In Tel Aviv, the operation focused on the residence of a student from Yeshivas Kiryat Malachi, who had previously been detained by authorities. When forces arrived, however, the student was not present, and officers left the scene without making an arrest.

At the same time, in the southern city of Dimona, military police raided the home of a married yeshiva student affiliated with the Gerer chassidus. In that case as well, a rapid alert through the Tzeva Shachor system led to members of the public arriving at the scene, prompting police to withdraw without detaining the suspect.

The overnight activity follows a series of recent arrests involving yeshiva students.

Last Sunday, a yeshiva student in Herzliya was reportedly taken into custody after receiving a phone call telling him a package was waiting outside his yeshiva. When he went to retrieve it, he encountered military police officers who arrested him and transported him to the Tel Hashomer base.

In another case, a yeshiva student was handed over to military police after being detained by Israeli police at a gas station near Ashdod.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF announced that it carried out a strike last Wednesday that killed Ibrahim Abu Tzakar, identifying him as a Hamas operative who posed as a paramedic while orchestrating multiple attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

According to findings based on intelligence assessments, the military said Abu Tzakar had crossed into Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre and took part in the kidnapping of Mia Schem from the Mefalsim area.

Schem had been seized on October 7 after attending the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im and was later freed in November 2023 as part of a hostage release deal.

The IDF added that forces under the Southern Command remain positioned in line with the ceasefire arrangements and will persist in acting against any immediate dangers to both Israeli civilians and military personnel.

{Matzav.com}

Despite heavy restrictions on access to Mount Meron due to the security situation in northern Israel, Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg traveled to the site for Lag BaOmer together with a group of followers, enduring an eight-hour journey marked by roadblocks and significant delays.

Rav Zilberberg, head of the Nachalas Yaakov chaburah, maintained his longstanding custom of attending the hilula of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. After lighting a bonfire in Yerushalayim, he set out with his chassidim by bus, hoping to arrive in time for the conclusion of Lag BaOmer so that he could immerse in a mobile mikveh prepared for him, as he does each year.

However, what was expected to be a routine trip turned into a prolonged and exhausting journey. The group encountered heavy traffic and numerous checkpoints along the way, significantly delaying their arrival.

Instead of reaching Meron in the early evening as planned, they arrived only around midnight after approximately eight hours on the road. The bonfire lighting began much later than scheduled—around midnight rather than the originally planned 8:00 p.m.

Despite the difficulties, fatigue, and setbacks, participants described an atmosphere of joy and spiritual elevation throughout the trip. Rav Zilberberg, as is his custom, offered words of encouragement and led singing along the way, while his followers viewed the challenging journey as a meaningful act of dedication and a privilege to reach the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, even under such circumstances.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is calling on chareidi lawmakers to push forward immediately with the draft law, arguing that concerns over a likely High Court rejection should not stop the legislative effort.

Addressing the issue, Ben Gvir said that, as with previous legislation such as the death penalty law for terrorists, the government should proceed regardless of expected judicial intervention. “They asked me why I passed the death penalty law for terrorists if the High Court will strike it down. I said I do my part and we need to leave something to Hakadosh Boruch Hu.“

Speaking on Kol Chai radio’s “Central Edition,” Ben Gvir argued that the root solution to the sector’s challenges—from daycare funding to military conscription—lies in reforming the judicial system. He directed a message to Knesset members from Shas and United Torah Judaism, saying, “We must insist on judicial reform. It cannot be that they always go after the good and harm chareidi children and women. It is possible, and it is right.”

Ben Gvir also sharply criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and opposed the idea that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might pursue mediation in his legal cases. “This is a big mistake, she is not someone you can work with in cooperation,” he said.

He further revealed that he had previously urged Netanyahu to dismiss the attorney general early on. “Two and a half years ago I told him, let’s send her home. He told me I’m a young minister and don’t understand how things work, and today he openly admits that I was right. She is a dismissed and fired adviser who cannot continue in her role.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir revealed his personal phone number during a live broadcast, urging the public to send him documentation of police conduct—both positive and negative—during the Lag BaOmer events in Meron.

Speaking Wednesday evening on Kol Chai radio, Ben Gvir also addressed reports of a developing agreement between the United States and Iran, voicing firm opposition. He said Israel cannot accept a nuclear Iran and warned that the regime in Tehran cannot be trusted to uphold any agreement. While expressing confidence in President Donald Trump and his intentions toward Israel, Ben Gvir cautioned against what he described as naivety in dealing with a country seeking nuclear capabilities to destroy Israel.

Discussing broader security challenges, Ben Gvir said Israel must address threats from multiple fronts simultaneously, including Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran. “We cannot leave Hezbollah with weapons, we cannot leave Hamas in Gaza, and we cannot leave a nuclear Iran,” he declared. He praised Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu for leading operations targeting senior terror figures, including Sinwar, Nasrallah, and Khamenei, but stressed that the mission is not yet complete and that Israel has the capability to achieve a decisive outcome.

Turning to criticism of police conduct at Mount Meron during Lag BaOmer, Ben Gvir rejected claims of excessive force against chareidi participants. He said he has received hundreds of messages from citizens praising officers for their restraint and respectful behavior, contrasting this year’s events with past incidents that involved violence and injuries. He emphasized that there is a clear policy to treat the chareidi public as “brothers” and noted that officers underwent mental preparation to avoid offending sensitivities or the sanctity of the site.

Regarding restrictions on access to Meron, Ben Gvir explained that the decision was made by the Home Front Command out of concern for public safety. He said officials were presented with severe scenarios involving rocket or drone strikes hitting dense crowds, which could have resulted in mass casualties due to insufficient protected areas. “The decision was made to protect the public. Heaven forbid a missile had fallen—would we be going from family to family in mourning?” he said. Addressing questions about why other large events were allowed to proceed, he said security officials had provided explanations, noting that “there is a difference between Sammy Ofer Stadium and Mount Meron.”

On the issue of the draft law, Ben Gvir called for advancing legislation even if it faces likely challenges in the High Court. He urged chareidi parties to push for judicial reform, arguing that the court unfairly targets the chareidi community and harms women and children in matters such as daycare funding.

In closing, Ben Gvir addressed the possibility of criminal mediation in the cases involving the prime minister, calling it a mistake. He sharply criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, referring to her as “a dismissed and fired adviser” and asserting that it is not possible to work with her in cooperation or engage in good-faith mediation.

In an unusual move, Ben Gvir publicly shared his personal phone number and invited citizens to send him footage documenting police behavior, both favorable and unfavorable, during the Meron events.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF avoided carrying out strikes in Lebanon on Lag BaOmer due to concerns that Hezbollah could retaliate toward Mount Meron, where large crowds had gathered, according to a report citing security sources.

Despite Home Front Command restrictions, thousands made their way to Meron for the hilula there, reaching the mountain by unconventional routes, including fields and wooded areas, in what observers described as determined efforts to attend the annual gathering.

The limitations placed on access to the site were tied to heightened tensions along the northern border and fears that Hezbollah might launch rockets or explosive drones toward the area. In the end, no such attack materialized, similar to the previous year during the height of fighting in the north.

According to the report, the IDF took steps to avoid further escalation and deliberately refrained from conducting operations in Lebanon throughout Lag BaOmer, out of concern that any military action could provoke a response aimed at Meron—potentially putting large numbers of civilians at risk.

Following the conclusion of Lag BaOmer, however, the IDF shifted its approach. In response to recent escalation by Hezbollah, Israeli forces carried out a targeted strike in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, approximately one day after the end of the Meron gathering.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Every year, mamish every single year, I go to Meron by Rebbi Shimon for Lag BaOmer. From when I was a yingerman, this was my whole thing. I made sure to go. I leave everything, I take off from work, whatever it takes, I go.

And when I go, I don’t just stand there like a stone. I stand by the kever, I cry, I daven, I talk to Rebbi Shimon like a child talks to a father. I ask for yeshios—for parnussah, for gezunt, for shulem bayis, for nachas from the kinder, for everything I need the whole year.

And I always see, it works. Mamish works. The whole year I walk around with a certain brucha. Things go smoother. Even when there are problems, somehow it works out. I always say to myself, this is from Meron, from that one night by Rebbi Shimon.

But this year, I didn’t go.

Because of the war, because of the matzav, all the restrictions, they didn’t let us go like normal. It didn’t happen. I stayed home like a nebach.

And I cannot explain what I felt on Lag BaOmer. Everyone is talking about Meron, everyone is sending videos, everyone is singing, and I was sitting in my house. I felt empty. Mamish empty. And now I am very scared for the whole year.

Because by me, this is how it works. I go to Rebbi Shimon, I ask for yeshios, and then the year goes with a brucha. So now I am thinking, if I didn’t go, then what? Where will my yeshios come from this year? What will be with my parnussah? What will be with my family? Who is going to help me?

Maybe people will laugh at me. They will say I am a simple Yid, I don’t understand big things. Maybe it’s true. But this is my metzius. This is how I live. I am not a big tzaddik, I am not a big thinker. I am a simple Yid who goes to Rebbi Shimon and asks for help from Hashem in the zechis of the tzaddik.

Now I didn’t go, so I feel like I lost my whole “pipeline.”

I am trying to be mechazek myself. I say Hashem is everywhere. You can daven anywhere. You don’t need Meron. I say it again and again. But my heart is not listening. My heart is used to Meron, to the fire, to the singing, to the crying, to that feeling that Rebbi Shimon is hearing me.

This year I didn’t have it.

So I walk around with a pachad in my heart. Mamish a fear. What will be? How will this year go?

Maybe there are other Yidden like me. Maybe someone can say a word, a simple word, how even if a Yid didn’t go to Meron, he can still have yeshios and a good year with a big brucha. Because I need to hear it.

I am begging that next year everything should be back to normal, no war, no restrictions, and we should all go to Meron with a big simcha, and stand by Rebbi Shimon, and cry and ask Hashem, and everything should be good again.

A Yid Who is Very Worried

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