A second round of direct, civilian-level negotiations between Israel and Lebanon concluded Friday in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, underscoring sharp disagreements over border arrangements, visible American pressure on Israel, and the notable absence of France, according to a report by Al-Monitor.
The talks were led by US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus and brought together senior officials from Israel, Lebanon, and the United States. The Israeli delegation included Deputy National Security Council chief Yossi Draznin and Uri Reznik, a senior figure in the council’s Foreign Policy Division. Lebanon was represented by former Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam, who was accompanied by a military officer. Also in attendance was US Gen. Joseph Clearfield, head of the Mechanism created to supervise the ceasefire.
One of the most striking aspects of the meeting was the absence of France, despite its formal role within the Mechanism. Al-Monitor reported that French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro sought to attend the talks but was rejected by both Washington and Jerusalem. Israeli officials reportedly made clear that France’s inclusion would prompt Israel to withdraw altogether. While French sources denied that any official request to attend had been submitted, they acknowledged that no French civilian representative participated.
The report linked France’s exclusion to growing strains between Israel and Paris. These tensions have been fueled by disputes over President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic initiatives and French criticism of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza and Lebanon. Although Israel initially viewed French engagement with Lebanese actors as potentially beneficial in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, officials later worked to curtail France’s involvement as relations worsened.
Substantive differences between Israel and Lebanon also surfaced during the discussions. Lebanese representatives focused primarily on enabling the return of civilians displaced from southern villages since fighting erupted in October 2023. Israel, by contrast, pressed for the establishment of an economic or security zone along the border, which it considers necessary to prevent attacks by Hezbollah.
Israeli officials emphasized that Israel has no territorial or maritime ambitions in Lebanon and portrayed the proposed zone as a strictly defensive measure. Lebanese officials declined to endorse the idea, arguing that creating an uninhabited zone would constitute forced displacement and violate Lebanese sovereignty. Karam reportedly maintained that the return of civilians must come before any conversation about economic or security frameworks.
According to Al-Monitor, Ortagus also relayed American concerns to the Israeli side regarding civilian casualties caused by Israeli strikes in Lebanon, cautioning that such incidents complicate efforts to stabilize the border area. Lebanese officials, for their part, pressed Israel to recognize actions taken by the Lebanese Armed Forces south of the Litani River since the ceasefire, including the dismantling of unauthorized military sites and the expansion of troop deployments.
Israeli representatives were described as cautiously receptive to acknowledging these Lebanese measures, while stressing that sustained enforcement would be essential. Another round of talks is scheduled to take place on Jan. 7.
{Matzav.com}
The levayah of Harav Mattisyahu HaKohen Katz zt”l, one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Binyan Olam, took place in Yerushalayim on Monday, Zos Chanukah, following his petirah at the age of 86.
Rav Katz was born on the 12th of Teves, 5700, to his father, Rav Meir Yosef HaKohen Katz, and his mother, Mrs. Tzipporah Katz. From a young age, he immersed himself in Torah with exceptional diligence and depth, becoming known as a devoted and beloved talmid to his rabbeim. He studied with great hasmadah in the yeshivos of Ponevezh and Mir, where he distinguished himself through profound iyun and clarity in learning.
Upon reaching marriageable age, he married the daughter of Rav Ephraim Lerman.
A towering figure of yiras Shamayim, Rav Katz devoted his life to Torah and chinuch. Over the years, he raised generations of talmidim while serving in prominent teaching roles at Yeshivas Kol Torah, Ohr Somayach, Beis HaTalmud, and Maoros HaTorah. He later served as one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Binyan Olam in Yerushalayim.
Renowned for his humility and gentleness, he dedicated himself selflessly to guiding students, drawing them close to avodas Hashem, and instilling in them precision in halachah and mitzvah observance. He was especially known for his exceptional care in shemiras halashon, setting a personal example that left a lasting impression on all who encountered him.
The levayah departed at midday on Zos Chanukah from the Beis Medrash Beis Yisrael in the Ezras Torah neighborhood of Yerushalayim, accompanied by large crowds, and proceeded to Har HaMenuchos, where he was laid to rest.
The family is sitting shivah at his home, 3 Dovav Meisharim Street.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Rabbi Uri Lupolianski, the widely respected chessed leader, founder and chairman of Yad Sarah, and former mayor of Yerushalayim, has been hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
According to reports, Rabbi Lupolianski, 74, was admitted after developing a severe case of pneumonia accompanied by breathing difficulties. He is currently receiving medical treatment and is in need of significant rachamei Shomayim.
Rabbi Lupolianski, who battled serious illness in the past and recovered with great siyata d’Shmaya, went on to continue leading the life’s work he established, building Yad Sarah into one of Israel’s largest and most impactful chessed organizations, providing medical equipment and support to hundreds of thousands annually.
All are asked to daven for Uri ben Malka.
{Matzav.com}
In a radio interview aired Monday morning, Jonathan Pollard spoke candidly about what he described as devastating treatment by Israeli authorities while he was incarcerated in the United States, saying he felt abandoned at the very moment he expected support.
According to Pollard, the most shocking episode involved a direct conversation with an Israeli representative who, he claims, urged him to end his life in order to resolve the affair. Pollard said the comment was made to him personally and left him shaken and confused.
Recalling the exchange, Pollard said: “As disappointed as the Israeli government was with the situation, there was no need to send someone to me to tell me to kill myself. It would have been better if the Israeli government had come to defend me, instead of denying the obvious. What was done to me was simply terrible.”
Pollard went on to explain how the message was framed, recounting the words he says were spoken to him: “They came and said to me: You’re a patriot, right? So why are you making all of us suffer so much? Why don’t you just do the right thing? We’ll bring you home, give you a respectable burial, and we’ll be able to close this file. And I didn’t understand what he meant.”
He said the incident might have taken a tragic turn were it not for the intervention of an American official who, Pollard claims, urged him to hold on. Describing that moment, Pollard said: “Then it was the American who looked at me and said: You must not do this. You have to live, and you will return home one day. The American said it to me-you will return home one day.”
The remarks were made during an interview on Galai Tzahal, where Pollard expressed lasting pain and resentment over what he characterized as years of neglect and damaging conduct by the Israeli government during his imprisonment.
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s Finance Ministry is moving ahead with a change that will sharply raise the ceiling for VAT-free personal imports, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slated to approve the measure on Tuesday.
Once signed, the directive will be formally recorded in the government’s official registry and will come into force overnight, between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Under the new rules, the exemption threshold will increase from $75 to $150, a move that is expected to open the door for Israelis to order a far wider array of goods from overseas sellers, especially via major international e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.
The higher limit is also projected to lower the effective cost of online shopping from abroad, since buyers will be able to consolidate more items into a single shipment without triggering value-added tax.
Officials anticipate that the change will intensify competition within the domestic market, broaden consumer options, and exert downward pressure on prices of comparable products already available in Israel.
{Matzav.com}
