Israel’s defense minister moved quickly on Tuesday to clarify remarks he made earlier in the day regarding the northern Gaza Strip, stressing that the government is not planning to establish settlements there.
According to a statement from Yisroel Katz’s office, his earlier comments about creating military youth communities were intended “solely in a security context,” adding unequivocally that “the government has no intention of establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip.”
The statement further emphasized the government’s security doctrine, noting: “The Defense Minister emphasized the central principle of border protection in every arena: The IDF is the first and last line of defense for Israeli citizens, and the State of Israel relies for its defense only on it and the security forces.”
The clarification followed remarks Katz delivered earlier at an event in Beit El, where he spoke about plans for the security establishment to create military youth communities in northern Gaza and to restore IDF bases in northern Samaria that had been relocated in past years.
At that ceremony, Katz underscored the ideological and security importance of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, declaring: “The State of Israel expresses, once again, in the clearest possible way, its commitment and trust in settlement in Judea and Samaria, which guards the heart of our land, connects us to our heritage, roots, and ideology. The past few years have proven that where there is settlement, there is security. Just as the settlement protects a large portion of Israel’s citizens, so our role is to ensure that we protect the protector.”
He continued by linking settlement policy to broader security operations, saying that “Settlement is a central part of a broader operation to remove threats throughout Judea and Samaria proactively.”
Katz also used the occasion to address the government’s decision announced a day earlier to shutter the IDF’s Galei Tzahal radio station. Referring to the move, he said, “We are ending this anomaly of a civilian broadcasting station inside the IDF that attacks the IDF and its soldiers relentlessly, even during the ongoing war. After I examined the matter, and following identical positions expressed by many defense ministers and chiefs of staff in the past, I will not be deterred and will continue to advance the decision.”
He went on to accuse opponents of politicizing the issue, adding, “Today, some have changed their position out of opposition to the government, and the judicial system has also enlisted to thwart the decision, as part of its struggle against the government. The summer camp is over.”
The Beit El gathering marked a milestone agreement to remove the Binyamin Regional Brigade base from the area’s civilian government compound, where it had been located for nearly four decades. In its place, a new residential neighborhood with 1,200 housing units is planned. The development has already received approval for planning and execution from the Supreme Planning Council.
Among those attending the ceremony were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs, and senior officials from the Civil Administration. Beit El mayor Shai Alon recited a Shehecheyanu to mark the occasion and led participants in a celebratory toast for the project.
Despite the subsequent clarification from Katz’s office, the Yesha Council welcomed his initial remarks, saying, “We welcome Defense Minister Yisroel Katz on his important announcement on the establishment of new military youth communities in the Gaza Strip. The uprooting of the settlements and the expulsion of the Jews was a terrible injustice, and settlement in Gaza is the rectification. Settlement in the Strip has always strengthened the security of the south of the country and of the entire State of Israel. Now it will also make clear to the enemy that they will pay for the October 7th massacre with the permanent loss of their land.”
The proposed military youth communities, referred to in Hebrew as Garinim, are typically made up of young people or young families who commit to communal living and joint work, often centered on agriculture or structured volunteer frameworks. Members of these groups usually enlist in the IDF together upon reaching draft age, serve as a cohesive unit, and later return to their community to raise families and sustain future growth. Under the current framework, the communities would be affiliated with the Nachal Brigade, though individual military roles would continue to be assigned by the IDF at enlistment.
{Matzav.com}
A decades-old photograph showing a young Elon Musk celebrating a Jewish holiday has surged across social media, igniting renewed discussion about the billionaire’s background.
The image depicts Musk as a child wearing a red outfit trimmed in white, complete with a hood that some viewers likened to a Santa Claus costume. Visible behind him is signage referencing Purim, according to the original post that shared the photo.
Musk himself weighed in on the viral post, confirming its authenticity by noting that it was taken “at Purim.”
The resurfaced image has prompted a fresh round of speculation in online comment sections about Musk’s ethnicity, with some users wondering whether the entrepreneur might be Jewish, despite his repeated statements to the contrary.
In earlier public remarks, the businessman has said that he attended Rachel Spiro Hebrew Kindergarten in Pretoria, South Africa, a detail that often resurfaces in such discussions.
Although Musk has faced criticism in the past over statements that some have labeled antisemitic, he has consistently expressed positive sentiments toward Jewish people. The SpaceX founder has even described himself as “aspirationally Jewish.”
{Matzav.com}
Jim Beam has announced that it will suspend operations at its primary bourbon-making facility in Kentucky beginning January 1, even as the broader whiskey industry grapples with slowing demand and shifting consumer habits.
In a statement sent to CBS News, the company said its Clermont, Kentucky distillery will shut down production for a limited period “while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.” Despite the pause, Jim Beam noted that the James B. Beam campus will remain open to the public throughout the shutdown.
While activity at the main site will be paused, distilling will continue at other company facilities. Production will carry on at the Fred B. Noe craft distillery in Clermont as well as the Booker Noe distillery located in Boston, Kentucky.
The temporary shutdown comes during a challenging period for the spirits industry. Americans are drinking less overall, with Gallup reporting that only 54% of U.S. adults now consume alcohol — a level close to a 90-year low.
International sales have also taken a hit. According to an October report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, exports of American-made spirits dropped 9% in the second quarter. The report pointed to the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, noting especially sharp declines in shipments to Canada. Exports to that market plunged 85% after Canadian retailers removed U.S. spirits from store shelves in response to President Trump’s trade measures.
Domestic production data reflects the slowdown as well. Through August, whiskey makers produced 55 million fewer proof gallons than during the same period last year, a decrease of 28%, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. A proof gallon is defined as one U.S. gallon of liquid containing 50% alcohol by volume.
Even so, consumers are unlikely to see shortages anytime soon. Kentucky distilleries are currently storing a record 16.1 million barrels of aging bourbon, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Reported in October, that figure represents the highest total since Prohibition ended and marks a 27% increase compared with 2024.
Industry groups attribute the buildup to both a growing number of distillers operating in Kentucky and a recent cooling in demand. Trade uncertainty, softer export markets, and changes in drinking patterns have all contributed to the slowdown, the association said.
To qualify as bourbon, whiskey must meet specific U.S. legal standards. Among other requirements, it must be aged in new, charred oak containers and made from a grain mixture containing at least 51% corn, according to the whiskey tourism site Bourbon Country.
{Matzav.com}
For those who crave serious Torah, total immersion, and an atmosphere charged with intensity and purpose, the announcement of the Agudah 5786 Yarchei Kallah in Yerushalayim lands like a jolt of electricity. This winter, Agudath Israel of America will once again bring together lomdei Torah from around the world for five unforgettable days of learning in Yerushalayim, from Sunday, February 15 through Thursday, February 19, 2026.
The Yarchei Kallah is a full-throttle ascent into a single sugya, treated with focus, clarity, and discipline, from the first seder to the last. In the span of one week, participants work toward real mastery, guided by a carefully structured program that pairs high-level shiurim with serious hachanah and in-depth preparation.
At the center of the week are shiurim from Gedolei Yisroel, whose presence sets the tone and elevates the entire experience.
The atmosphere is unmistakable. Hundreds of bnei Torah learning shoulder to shoulder. The hum of chavrusos locked in debate. Tables filled from early morning until late at night. A sense that every moment matters, that this is time reclaimed and used properly.
And while the learning is intense, everything around it is designed to support it. Comfortable hotel accommodations, gourmet meals, and seamless logistics allow participants to stay focused, energized, and fully present in the beis medrash, without distractions pulling them away.
The Yarchei Kallah has long been known as a place where people come to reset their learning, raise their level, and reconnect with why they learn in the first place. In Yerushalayim, during these charged winter days, that impact is felt even more sharply.
For those ready to push harder, think deeper, and experience what a week of real Torah immersion can feel like, the Yarchei Kallah 5786 is on the calendar — and it promises to be nothing short of powerful.
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warned on Monday of a “very severe response” should Iran take action against Israel, while emphasizing that the Jewish state is “not seeking confrontation.”
Speaking at a joint press conference in Yerushalayim alongside the leaders of Greece and Cyprus, the premier said that Israel is aware of recent Iranian “exercises,” referring to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps missile drill which, according to Axios, Israel has warned the Trump administration could be a cover for a strike against Israel.
“We are following this and we are making the necessary preparations,” said Netanyahu. “I want to make it clear to Iran here, any action against Israel will be met with a very severe response.”
Netanyahu spoke following a trilateral summit with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
Asked if the Islamic Republic would be on the table during his sixth meeting with President Donald Trump, scheduled for Dec. 29 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Netanyahu affirmed that it will be discussed, saying that “we are not seeking confrontation with anyone … we seek stability, prosperity and peace.” The premier added that there were “great achievements” during the 12-day war with Iran in June, stressing that “our basic expectations from Iran have not changed,” a position that Washington shares, namely, “the level of enrichment and other activities, the ending of the proxy wars against us.”
Huckabee: Iran didn’t get Trump’s full messageIn a video aired on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded to reports that the Islamic Republic is attempting to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs just six months after the joint Israeli-American operation, arguing that Tehran’s actions pose a threat to the entire world, not just the Jewish state.
“Iran, I don’t know if they ever took him [Trump] seriously, until the night that the B-2 bombers went to Fordow. I hope they got the message, but apparently they didn’t get the full message,” he said during an interview with the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. “They appear to be trying to reconstitute and find a new way to dig the hole deeper, secure it more,” he added.
Huckabee stressed that Iran threatens not just Israel, but the United States and Europe, and warned that if the Europeans fail to comprehend this, “then they’re dumber than I sometimes think they are.” At the same time, he said he was pleased that snapback sanctions were recently reimposed against the regime in Tehran, calling them “very important” and saying that more of these types of actions “will help to maybe choke off Iran’s ability to do what they’re trying to do.”
Huckabee emphasized that the Iranian regime has “threatened America for 46 consecutive years” since 1979, when the ayatollahs took power.
“They’ve always said, ‘Death to Israel, death to America,’ in the same sentence. This was never a separation. Israel is only the appetizer because you’re closer and you’re an easier target than the vast geographical expanse that represents the United States,” said Huckabee.
“But they’ve never hidden the fact that the real entrée, their ultimate goal, is to destroy the United States, because if you want to destroy Western civilization and move the world back to the 7th century and take us back to a place that, thank God, doesn’t exist anymore, then you cannot do that without taking the United States down,” the diplomat continued. “And that’s why they have said for all of these 46 years, ‘Death to America.’” JNS
{Matzav.com}
