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Moscow on Thursday issued a sharp rejection of a US- and Europe-backed proposal tied to efforts to end the war in Ukraine, a move that threatens to derail President Trump’s attempt to broker a settlement.

In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that the initiative being advanced by Washington and its allies would deepen confrontation rather than calm it. “The new militarist declarations of the so-called Coalition of the Willing and the Kyiv regime are forming a true axis of war,” the ministry said. “Its participants’ plans are becoming increasingly more dangerous and destructive for the future of the European continent and its residents, who are also forced by Western politicians to pay for such ambitions out of their own pockets.”

Russian officials argued that the plan envisions a sustained Western military footprint in Ukraine after any ceasefire. “Its core element is the deployment of ‘a multinational force’ on Ukrainian territory that the coalition will have to form to contribute to the ‘rebuilding’ of the Ukrainian armed forces and ‘support deterrence’ following the cessation of the hostilities,” the ministry added.

According to Moscow, the broader framework offers little in the way of genuine reconciliation. “The document turned out to be extremely far from a peace settlement. The declaration is not aimed at achieving a lasting peace and security but rather at continuing the militarization, escalation and further conflict aggravation,” the ministry claimed.

The Russian response followed a meeting in Paris earlier this week, where Trump’s peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined European leaders in endorsing a five-point addendum focused on postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. That package outlines “critical long term military assistance” to Kyiv, the creation of a “European-led” multinational peacekeeping force, continued arms support, and the threat of renewed sanctions “in the case of a future armed attack by Russia,” along with “mutually beneficial defence cooperation with Ukraine.”

The addendum is tied to a broader 20-point peace proposal intended to halt the fighting. Should the security guarantees be turned down — a condition Ukraine has demanded — the entire framework for ending the conflict could collapse.

Russia also rejected the continuation of Trump’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, which enables European countries to purchase US-manufactured weapons for delivery to Ukraine as a deterrent against future aggression. “The document also includes clauses on further consolidation of Ukraine’s and NATO’s military industrial sectors,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Officials in Moscow contend that the overall approach would effectively grant Ukraine NATO-style protections without formal membership, locking in Western influence while, in their view, leaving Russia vulnerable.

In a separate section of its statement, the Foreign Ministry criticized the recent US seizure of the Bella 1 oil tanker, later renamed the Marinera while flying a Russian flag. Moscow said the action violated international maritime law and endangered freedom of navigation. “The use of force in international waters against a civilian vessel can only be interpreted as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms,” the ministry said. “… This constitutes a material infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of the vessel owner.”

Russian officials further alleged that Trump’s directives in the matter could trigger serious international tensions and erode established maritime standards.

Washington, however, maintains that the seizure was lawful, noting that the United States is not a party to the UN maritime convention and asserting that the vessel was taken for breaching a US blockade on Venezuelan oil ports.

{Matzav.com}

A third-grade girl was seriously injured on Wednesday after a rock was thrown at a school bus traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike in Bergen County. The incident occurred as two school buses were returning from a class trip to Liberty Science Center. While traveling on the Turnpike between Challenger Road and Degraw Avenue, a […]

The U.S. Department of Education’s newly launched foreign-funding disclosure portal is placing a spotlight on the role of Qatar in American higher education, revealing that the Gulf state is by far the largest foreign source of funding for U.S. colleges and universities. According to data published on the portal, Qatar has provided approximately $6.6 billion […]

Tiveria was roiled this week by a heated public controversy following a sharply worded letter from Rav Dov Kook in which he condemned public Shabbos desecration at the Chof Gai complex.

The letter called on chareidi organizations to immediately cancel vacations and Shabbos programs at the site, triggering widespread reaction across the Torah and chassidic worlds.

The issue came to a head with a prestigious and meticulously planned “Shabbos Negidim” scheduled to take place at the location under the leadership of the well-known mashpia, Rav Elimelech Biderman. The organizers, who had finalized arrangements already the previous winter, suddenly found themselves facing a major crisis.

As soon as Rav Biderman became aware of Rav Kook’s protest, he instructed unequivocally and without hesitation: “Cancel the Shabbos.” The directive was issued despite the enormous financial fallout involved—losses estimated at roughly half a million shekels in sunk costs and guarantees—absorbed entirely for the sake of kavod Shabbos.

In light of the severe losses, the organizers turned to close talmidim of Rav Kook: Rav Moshe Chaim Schneider, head of Machon Sifsei Kohen, and Rav Yaakov Brizel. Together with the rov of Tiberias, Rabbi Yigal Mamlia, they undertook a thorough, on-the-ground investigation to determine the precise facts.

The inquiry revealed a materially different picture from what had initially been assumed. Investigators established that the hotel and the adjacent water park operate as two entirely separate entities, both legally and administratively. While the water park does indeed operate on Shabbos—forming the basis for Rav Kook’s original protest—the hotel itself fully observes Shabbos, operates in accordance with halacha, and is under the stringent kashrus supervision of the city’s rav. It was further confirmed that there is complete physical separation between the two facilities, with no access or functional connection between the hotel and the park.

Armed with these findings, the heads of Machon Sifsei Kohen returned to Rav Kook and presented the clarified facts. After hearing the full account and understanding that the hotel conducts itself with strict Shabbos observance, Rav Kook issued a directive: “Immediately contact Rav Elimelech Biderman and ask him not to cancel the Shabbos.”

Rav Kook explained that he had no desire to cause financial harm—directly or indirectly—to individuals or businesses that are meticulous in Shabbos observance and have no involvement whatsoever in the Shabbos desecration at the water park.

Rav Kook followed up by sending a personal letter to the benefactors and organizers of the Shabbos. In the letter, he expressed regret over the initial misunderstanding, praised their unwavering commitment and self-sacrifice in standing up for the honor of Shabbos, and offered heartfelt brachos for continued success in all their endeavors.

{Matzav.com}

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will run for a second term in the pivotal battleground state after a first term that put him on the Democratic Party’s radar as a potential presidential contender in 2028. He plans to make the formal announcement Thursday at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Although Shapiro hasn’t disclosed any ambitions for higher office, […]

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A senior Knesset member has lodged an urgent complaint with the defense minister following what he described as serious failures in the treatment of chareidi detainees held at a military prison.

MK Yonatan Mashriki, former chairman of the Knesset Health Committee, sent a sharply worded letter on Wednesday to Defense Minister Yisroel Katz after visiting Military Prison 10. During the visit, Mashriki met with three yeshiva students who were detained in connection with the ongoing dispute over the legal status of yeshiva enrollment.

According to Mashriki, the detainees reported that for three consecutive days they were not provided with mehadrin kosher food, despite explicitly requesting meals that conform to their strictly observant lifestyle. As a result, they were at times left without adequate nutrition altogether.

In his letter, Mashriki described the situation as unacceptable and said it amounted to a severe violation of basic rights. He stressed that access to food is a fundamental right anchored in Israel’s Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, which guarantees the protection of every person’s life and dignity. He also cited High Court rulings that obligate the state to hold detainees under appropriate conditions, including providing food of sufficient quantity and suitable composition to safeguard both health and human dignity.

Mashriki urged the defense minister to intervene immediately. He called for a thorough investigation into the claims raised during his visit, strict enforcement of prison procedures regarding the provision of mehadrin kosher food and adherence to the laws of kashrus, and a detailed report outlining the findings and corrective steps to be taken.

In response, an IDF spokesperson said that mehadrin kosher meals are supplied daily to detainees. According to the statement, a temporary shortage of mehadrin meat meals led to the provision of mehadrin vegetarian alternatives. The spokesperson added that the issue has since been addressed and supplies have been replenished.

{Matzav.com}

Sec. Rollins: “For every retailer in America that takes a SNAP dollar… starting almost immediately, we are doubling what’s called the stocking standard… they will have twice as many healthy alternatives to choose from.”

Sec. Kristi Noem announces that 2.6 million illegals have left the United States since President Trump took office — including 650,000 who were arrested, detained, and deported, and two million who self-deported.

The New York City Council on Wednesday unanimously elected Councilwoman Julie Menin as its next speaker, making her the first Jewish speaker in the council’s history. Menin, a Democrat who represents parts of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, secured all 51 votes with no opposition. She succeeds outgoing leadership at a time of heightened political and […]

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’m writing this with a heavy feeling, because it’s something a lot of people see and nobody wants to say out loud.

Somewhere along the way, lines got blurry. Very blurry.

It used to be understood — not written, not announced, just understood — that young married couples had gedarim. Not chumros, not weird rules. Just basic normal boundaries.

Today, it’s becoming normal to see young couples hanging out together way too casually, eating meals together, sitting around together for long stretches of time, sometimes late at night, sometimes with nobody else around. And everyone pretends it’s no big deal.

It is a big deal.

This isn’t about being paranoid or accusing anyone of anything. It’s about common sense. It’s about knowing human nature. It’s about recognizing that when you remove boundaries, things don’t magically stay safe because everyone has good intentions.

We didn’t grow up with this. Our parents didn’t grow up with this. There was a natural sense of distance, of respect, of “this isn’t for us.” Today it’s brushed off as being friendly, normal, modern, or “we’re all frum anyway.” Since when did frumkeit mean pretending we’re immune to reality?

What’s most disturbing is how defensive people get when this is brought up. As if pointing out a problem makes you the problem. As if asking for basic tznius is old-fashioned or extreme. מאז ומעולם, boundaries protected people. They didn’t suffocate them.

And let’s not fool ourselves. This doesn’t just affect the couples involved. It affects shalom bayis. It affects trust. It affects the atmosphere young families are building. Kids grow up seeing what’s normal. When everything is casual and mixed and unguarded, that becomes the standard.

No one is saying people can’t be friendly. No one is saying couples should live in isolation. But there’s a huge difference between normal interactions and hanging out at Shabbos seudos or an oneg Shabbos or on vacation like it’s a social club with zero awareness of what we’re risking.

We love to talk about יורדת הדורות. Maybe instead of blaming phones or the outside world, we should look at the things we quietly allowed inside and decided weren’t worth pushing back on.

Some things don’t need long speeches. They just need honesty. And courage to say: This isn’t how it’s supposed to look.

Signed,
C. L.

Formerly of Coventry

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{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Netanyahu met today in his office in Jerusalem with Nickolay Mladenov, who is slated to serve as Director General of the “Peace Council” in the Gaza Strip. During the meeting, the prime minister reiterated that Hamas must disarm and that the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with Trump’s 20-point framework.

The Paratroopers Brigade has completed a five-month operational deployment in Judea and Samaria under the IDF’s regional division. During the operation, Paratroopers forces arrested more than 300 wanted suspects, eliminated 25 terrorists, and seized dozens of weapons used for terrorist activity. The brigade also conducted ongoing training drills throughout the deployment to maintain and improve […]

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara: “I have no reason to think the professional law enforcement officers of both the FBI and the Minnesota BCA would do anything other than collecting the facts and the evidence, and allowing that to go to its logical conclusion.”

States have major decisions to make in 2026 about the social safety net and taxes in the aftermath of a sweeping law President Donald Trump signed last year. The federal government is shifting more responsibilities to states over the next few years, and states must prepare for greater costs in the Medicaid health care and SNAP food […]

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services narrowed sharply to $29.4 billion in October, the lowest monthly level since 2009, according to new Commerce Department data. The decline came as imports fell 3.2% while exports rose 2.6%, a shift partly driven by tariffs imposed under Donald Trump. Despite the improvement, the overall trade deficit […]

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announces his retirement from Congress on the House floor.

A Yerushalayim District Court judge ruled Thursday morning that bus driver Fakhri Khatib, who killed 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal z”l,  will be released from custody and placed under house arrest for three days, overturning a lower court decision that had kept him jailed.

The decision followed an appeal filed by Khatib’s attorneys after the Magistrate’s Court ordered that he remain in detention for an additional nine days.

That ruling came after Israel Police initially sought a 15-day extension of his arrest in connection with the deadly incident during Tuesday’s draft protest.

Earlier, police downgraded the charge against Khatib from aggravated murder to manslaughter. In extending the detention at that stage, the Magistrate’s Court judge remarked, “I believe the driver that this was a stressful situation. However, I do not believe that driving into a crowd is a reasonable option, and as we saw, its results were severe.”

The case stems from the anti-draft demonstration that took place Tuesday in Yerushalayim. A Line 64 bus became encircled by demonstrators. According to investigators, Khatib contacted police requesting assistance and, shortly afterward, accelerated the bus into the crowd. The impact killed Yosef Eisenthal and left three others wounded.

{Matzav.com}

An unusual incident occurred on Wednesday when a bochur from Ponevezh Yeshivah was detained by police forces and transferred to military police. Initial reports claimed that he was arrested on the way to Meron following a dispute with his driver, but the Ezram U’Meginam spokesperson clarified that the arrest actually took place inside a recruitment […]