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The Israeli coalition suffered a significant legislative setback Monday after the Knesset rejected a bill that would have barred representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting imprisoned Hamas Nukhba terrorists and restricted the transfer of information to them.

The bill was defeated in its first reading by a vote of 41 to 36 after the chareidi parties boycotted the vote as part of their ongoing protest over the coalition’s failure to advance legislation they have demanded, including measures related to yeshiva students.

Ahead of the vote, Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz appealed to opposition lawmakers not to oppose the legislation, calling it “an extremely important law for Israel’s security.”

“If this law does not pass,” Katz warned, “the Nukhba terrorists will receive assistance.”

Shas officials said they had intended to support the bill but requested that the vote be postponed until Wednesday. They accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of insisting that the legislation be brought to the floor immediately despite the coalition dispute.

Ben Gvir rejected the criticism, arguing that delaying the vote would have rendered the legislation ineffective. He, in turn, accused Shas of “harming Israel’s security” by refusing to participate.

The bill’s defeat also sparked heated confrontations on the Knesset floor. During one exchange, tensions between MK Ayman Odeh and Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz escalated to the brink of a physical altercation before others intervened.

Under Knesset rules, the bill’s defeat means it cannot be brought back for another vote for six months, dealing a blow to the coalition’s legislative agenda while highlighting the growing rift between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government and its chareidi coalition partners.

{Matzav.com}

The legal advisers to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee issued a sharply worded opinion Monday opposing proposed legislation that would suspend the arrests of individuals obligated to report for military service, arguing that the bill exceeds its stated purpose and effectively grants immunity to those who refuse to comply with the draft law.

In their legal opinion, committee advisers concluded that the bill, in its current form, “goes beyond its original purpose.”

According to the opinion, the proposal’s stated objective is to recognize the importance of Torah study, but its practical effect would be far broader.

“The only component anchored in the purpose clause is the importance of Torah study, which serves as the basis and justification for regulating the status of yeshiva students,” the opinion states. “This is an ‘amnesty clause’ that seeks to regulate the status of candidates for military service who are currently classified as deserters or draft evaders.”

The legal advisers further argued that the legislation would create a precedent encouraging future draft-age individuals to ignore the law.

“Moreover,” the opinion continues, “the proposed arrangement grants legitimacy to future military service candidates who choose not to comply with the provisions of the Security Service Law, including Sections 3 and 5, and who fail to act in accordance with the law. It thereby provides them with advance immunity and protection from criminal proceedings.”

The opinion concludes that the legislation is not merely intended to temporarily suspend arrests but instead attempts to bypass the need for comprehensive legislation addressing the legal status of yeshiva students.

“Accordingly,” the legal advisers wrote, “the bill does not seek simply to temporarily freeze arrests. Rather, it attempts to create an alternative mechanism designed to eliminate the need for comprehensive legislative arrangements governing the status of yeshiva students.”

The legal opinion comes as chareidi parties continue pressing the coalition to advance legislation that would halt the arrests of yeshiva students while broader negotiations over military service exemptions and the status of Torah study remain unresolved.

Powerful and emotional scenes unfolded in the rehabilitation room of the renowned mekubal, Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohein Kook of Tiveria, as his uncle, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok HaKohein Kook, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Meor HaTalmud in Rechovot, paid a deeply moving bikur cholim visit.

Upon entering the room, the rosh yeshivah recited Birkas Kohanim for Rav Dov’s recovery. He then joined those present in singing several ancient, stirring melodies that have been passed down through the distinguished Kook family for generations.

After leaving the room, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok appeared visibly emotional and immediately turned to those attending Rav Dov’s bedside with an urgent request. He pleaded that they never stop learning Torah aloud in his presence.

“Even while I was speaking words of Torah with him, I immediately saw a noticeable change in his facial expression and in his overall medical condition,” the rosh yeshivah said with great emotion.

Rav Kook recounted a story about the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l. During the Rebbe’s final days, when he was extremely weak, Mishnayos were read aloud to him. At one point, the reader assumed the Rebbe was no longer listening because of his frail condition and briefly stopped reading. The Rebbe immediately struck his hand to signal that the reading should continue.

“The entire occupation and life of Rav Dov is nothing but words of Torah,” the rosh yeshivah explained. “Therefore, if possible, continue reading before him more and more words of Torah and Torah insights.”

During the visit, Rav Kook also met with Rav Moshe Chaim Schneider, one of Rav Dov’s closest talmidim, rosh kollel of Kollel Kalisk in Tiveria, and editor of the widely distributed Torah publication Sifsei Kohein, which disseminates Rav Dov’s Torah teachings to bnei yeshivah.

The rosh yeshivah warmly praised the Torah insights published in the weekly publication and noted that his attendants make sure to bring him each issue so that he can enjoy studying its contents. At Rav Kook’s request, Rav Schneider shared a vort on the week’s parshah that he had heard directly from Rav Dov approximately two years ago.

The teaching centered on the pasuk, “Vayikach Pinchos es haromach b’yado” (“Pinchos took the spear in his hand”). Rav Dov explained that the word romach alludes to ramach—the 248 positive mitzvos. Before Pinchos carried out his act of zealotry, which required decisive action, he first examined himself to ensure that his motives were entirely pure and free of any personal interest, in accordance with the teaching of Chazal, “Tol korah mibein einecha.” Thus, “Vayikach Pinchos es haromach b’yado” teaches that he first took hold of his own ramach mitzvos aseh, ensuring that all 248 of his limbs and all of his deeds were completely pure and solely l’shem Shamayim. Only then did he proceed with his act of kana’us.

The rosh yeshivah expressed great delight with the Torah insight and responded emotionally.

“Through the merit of this wonderful Torah insight that we have just recalled, may there speedily be a complete recovery to the 248 limbs and 365 sinews of our master, Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohein ben Shoshanah, so that he may return to his former strength and continue revealing Torah insights, strengthening Torah, and bringing delight to Klal Yisroel.”

Rav Schneider then reminded the rosh yeshivah of a well-known story involving the Rogatchover Gaon. When the Rogatchover received a letter asking him to support the newly established Agudas Yisroel movement founded by the Chofetz Chaim and the Gerrer Rebbe, he responded with a lengthy teshuvah filled with references that seemed completely unrelated to the subject. One of the gedolei hador later explained that the Rogatchover, upon hearing the word “Agudah,” assumed the inquiry concerned the Torah concept of “agudas eizov” and therefore cited only sources dealing with those halachos. The Gerrer Rebbe, who was a close friend of the Rogatchover, greatly appreciated the explanation and remarked that for such a tzaddik, nothing existed outside the world of Torah.

Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Kook said that the same description perfectly fits Rav Dov Kook, whose mind is occupied by nothing other than Torah and chiddushei Torah.

Before departing, the rosh yeshivah issued a heartfelt appeal to his talmidim and to all of Klal Yisroel, urging that prayers not diminish despite reports of improvement.

“I repeat and say: Do not let up for even one moment. As long as the Rav has not fully recovered and cannot walk and speak like every other person, we must not relax. On the contrary, we must continue tearing open the gates of Heaven day and night with prayer and arouse Divine mercy so that he returns to his former strength, toiling in Torah and serving once again as the pillar of prayer that he has always been.”

Before leaving the rehabilitation center, Rav Kook expressed heartfelt gratitude to the devoted medical staff as well as to the security personnel stationed at the entrance, who have carefully restricted access to immediate family members and Rav Dov’s closest talmidim, thereby helping preserve his strength during his recovery.

The rosh yeshivah then returned to his home at Yeshivas Meor HaTalmud in Rechovot, once again calling upon the public to intensify their tefillos and rachamei Shamayim on behalf of Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohein ben Shoshanah for a complete refuah.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Monday that Tehran is prepared to uphold its Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, provided Washington follows through on its own obligations, signaling that diplomatic efforts remain alive even after recent military clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Understanding is a two-way matter. If the American side abides by the memorandum, we will also fulfill our commitments,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on social media.

He went on to say that Iran would answer what he called “unreasonable rhetoric and baseless threats” by relying on “rationality and human dignity in decision-making, and firm and fearless action when necessary.”

Pezeshkian’s comments underscored Tehran’s willingness to continue pursuing diplomacy with the United States despite the exchange of military strikes in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

The latest hostilities erupted after the United States launched two strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, responding to what it said were Iranian violations of the ceasefire agreement.

On Saturday night, President Donald Trump cautioned that Washington could be compelled to “militarily complete the job” if Iran persisted in breaching the ceasefire.

Despite the tensions, a Trump administration official said Sunday that the United States and Iran “will stand down for now” following the weekend’s exchange of fire near the Strait of Hormuz.

A separate U.S. official also confirmed that American and Iranian representatives are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, in an effort to continue negotiations.

Speaking Monday about the upcoming talks, Trump downplayed expectations, suggesting the outcome remains uncertain.

“The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding, “We’re going to find out.”

Trump also expressed confidence in the military situation while emphasizing that the administration’s primary objective remains preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“We are winning militarily. It’s almost won militarily, I would say,” stated Trump. And it’s really very simple. It’s the denuclearization of Iran. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. And they’ve agreed to that, in all fairness.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of bochurim and avreichim of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim gathered Monday evening for a special emergency assembly following the recent arrest of one of the yeshiva’s talmidim.

The gathering was held under the direction of the rosh yeshiva, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel , after consultations with senior gedolei Yisroel regarding the ongoing situation facing bnei yeshiva.

The meeting took place in the Beis Yeshaya Bais Medrash and was led by Rav Shimon Shisha, who addressed the participants about the challenges currently confronting yeshiva students amid the ongoing military draft crisis.

Earlier in the day, the yeshiva notified its talmidim through its internal hotline that an emergency assembly would be held with the participation of the roshei yeshiva.

The gathering came after the cancellation of a large atzeres tefillah that had been scheduled to take place in Yerushalayim. That event was called off following the swift release of the Mir talmid who had been held in Military Prison 10.

According to reports, the decision to organize the now-canceled atzeres tefillah had been made after Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel consulted with Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in response to the continued detention of the talmid. Following his release, the rally was canceled, and the yeshiva instead convened Monday night’s emergency gathering to address the situation and provide guidance to its bochurim and avreichim.

Thousands of bnei Torah gathered Monday night in Bnei Brak for a massive protest rally against the arrest and imprisonment of yeshivah bochurim in Israeli military prisons. The event was led by the former Rishon LeTzion, Harav Yitzchok Yosef, and attended by leading gedolei Torah, roshei yeshivah, and community leaders.

The demonstration took place at the intersection of Eshel Avraham and Harav Rabinov Streets, where participants assembled to voice opposition to the ongoing arrests of Torah students.

In his address, Rav Yitzchok Yosef called for greater public action whenever a bochur is arrested.

“If they arrest a bochur from a yeshivah, all the yeshivah bochurim should go demonstrate outside Military Prison 10 for an hour,” he declared.

He also claimed that Sephardic bochurim are disproportionately affected by the arrests.

“95 percent of those arrested are Sephardim. We are a racist country,” the Rishon LeTzion said.

Harav Shabsai Levi, rav of the Ramat Aharon neighborhood and head of the Halichos Moshe institutions, urged participants to protest in a manner consistent with Torah values.

“We must cry and raise a great and bitter outcry, but we must not block roads or do things that are not in the spirit of the Torah,” he said.

At one point during the rally, organizers instructed participants to remove signs carrying anti-state slogans, emphasizing that the gathering was intended to remain focused on the plight of imprisoned Torah students rather than politics.

“Please lower the signs! There is no politics here,” organizers announced over the loudspeakers.

Earlier in the day, senior members of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah—including Harav Moshe Maya, Harav Shlomo Machpud, and the Raavad, Harav Nissim Ben Shimon—issued a public call urging broad participation in the rally.

In their proclamation, issued under the heading “Lech Kenos Es Kol HaYehudim,” the gedolim wrote that the gathering was being held in response to what they described as the severe spiritual crisis facing the Torah world.

“Because of the difficult situation prevailing in our land, and because of the decrees of spiritual destruction threatening the precious bochurim and avreichim, and as our Sages said, ‘One who causes another to sin is worse than one who kills him.'”

The proclamation also condemned the incarceration of Torah students, describing it as a desecration of holiness.

“And because of the disgrace of the holy ones who are imprisoned—precious bochurim and ameilei Torah—in filthy prisons filled with the contamination of worldly desires, at the hands of harsh and cruel authorities, solely because they are learning Torah here in the Holy Land. Woe to the ears that hear such things; woe to the eyes that witness them; woe unto us that this has befallen our generation. Every Jew whose heart is filled with fear of Hashem has an obligation to protest, lest he, chas v’shalom, be held accountable for the sins of the generation.”

The kol korei concluded with a call for every ben Torah and every G-d-fearing Jew to attend the demonstration.

“We hereby call upon all bnei Torah, avreichim and bnei hayeshivos, and every Jew whose heart is filled with fear of Hashem, to come and participate in the massive rally in the streets of the holy city of Bnei Brak, at the intersection of Eshel Avraham and Harav Rabinov Streets, on Monday, the 14th of Tammuz, at 9:30 p.m. It is a sacred obligation for every individual to participate. Let no one be absent.”

President Donald Trump said Monday that upcoming discussions in Qatar could prove significant—or they might not—while Washington and Tehran continued to give conflicting accounts about whether American and Iranian officials will actually meet face-to-face this week.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump struck an optimistic tone about the broader conflict with Iran, arguing that the military campaign has largely achieved its objectives while emphasizing that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the administration’s central goal.

“The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not,” Trump told reporters, adding, “We’re going to find out.”

President Trump said U.S. officials' planned efforts in Qatar this week would be "perhaps important, perhaps not" after Iran denied that its negotiators would be meeting with Americans in the Middle East.

"The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not," Mr.… pic.twitter.com/uKzBWl5AvD

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 29, 2026

Trump also declared, “We are winning militarily. It’s almost won militarily, I would say. And it’s really very simple. It’s the denuclearization of Iran. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. And they’ve agreed to that, in all fairness.”

His remarks came despite statements from Iranian officials denying that any direct negotiations with the United States are scheduled to take place in Qatar.

Tehran acknowledged that it is dispatching a team of experts to Doha later this week, but insisted the delegation’s mission is limited to discussing implementation of the recently signed memorandum of understanding with Washington rather than engaging in new bilateral negotiations.

“An expert delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran will travel to Doha later this week” to discuss the implementation of clauses of the memorandum, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Baghaei also rejected reports that negotiations with the United States were imminent, saying, “We have not yet entered the stage of negotiating a final agreement,” and adding that “over the coming days, we will not have any negotiation meetings with the US side at any level.”

The differing statements come just one day after a Trump administration official said the United States and Iran had agreed to temporarily de-escalate following an exchange of fire near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

A separate U.S. official also said Washington and Tehran had agreed to hold another round of discussions in Doha on Tuesday, further highlighting the conflicting public messages coming from both governments.

Tensions flared over the weekend when U.S. forces launched two separate strikes against Iranian positions in the Strait of Hormuz after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Following those operations, Trump warned that the United States was prepared to escalate its military response if Iran continued to breach the ceasefire.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!” Trump wrote.

He added, “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

Hundreds of bochurim from Biala’s yeshiva ketanah were honored this week at a grand maamad celebrating their dedication to Torah study, as the Biala Rebbe delivered an inspiring address that included a memorable story about his father, the Mevaser Tov of Biala, illustrating the supreme value of filling one’s mind with Torah.

The event, titled “Kavod HaTorah V’Lomdeha,” was held Monday evening, the eve of the 8th of Tammuz, at the Beis Vizhnitz Hall in Bnei Brak. Led by the Biala Rebbe and attended by the rashei yeshivah, faculty members, and parents, the gathering paid tribute to hundreds of bochurim who had successfully completed examinations on the masechtos of Gittin, Kiddushin, Bava Kamma, and Bava Basra.

The celebration marked the culmination of years of diligent Torah study during the yeshivah’s sedorim, as well as the students’ extra learning between sedorim and especially on Fridays and Shabbos Kodesh—days that the Mevaser Tov of Biala, zt”l, repeatedly urged should never be allowed to pass without Torah study.

Throughout the program, the bochurim were tested by leading gedolei Yisroel, most notably Harav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, who also participated in the event and praised the extraordinary achievements of the Biala students. Rav Stern recalled that on numerous occasions, before he had even finished asking a question, his home would already be echoing with the spirited Torah discussions of the young scholars, who answered every question with remarkable clarity and precision.

The audience also heard an address from the mashgiach ruchani, Harav Yoel Daskal, who explained that although the gathering was intended to recognize years of hard work in Torah, its primary purpose was not to celebrate the past but to inspire the future. The accomplishments of the past, he noted, are limited by time, pages, and masechtos, whereas the opportunities for future growth in Torah are limitless.

The keynote address was delivered by the Biala Rebbe, who expressed gratitude to the Vizhnitz institutions, headed by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, for generously making the hall available in honor of Torah.

During his remarks, the Rebbe shared a powerful anecdote from the life of his father, the Mevaser Tov, to illustrate the lofty aspirations every bochur should have.

“My father, the Rebbe, zt”l, once asked me to write our home’s telephone number in a prominent place. ‘People ask me what our telephone number is, and I don’t remember it,’ he told me. ‘Father,’ I replied, ‘you, who left no Mikra, Mishnah, Gemara, halachos, aggados, or sifrei Chassidus that you were not thoroughly familiar with—you can’t remember a telephone number?’ My father answered me: ‘It’s a shame for me to take up space in my head with a telephone number…'”

Participants remarked that the event was especially meaningful at a time when, they said, those who oppose Torah and its scholars have become increasingly vocal. Against that backdrop, they said, honoring those who devote themselves to Torah study was both timely and deeply inspiring.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of mourners filled the streets of Yerushalayim for the heartbreaking levayah of Reb Akiva Rand z”l, a beloved yungerman and prominent member of the Tchernobyl erkehillah who was tragically killed in a car accident in Moldova last Wednesday. Following intensive efforts by leading askanim to secure the release of his body and prevent an autopsy, he was brought to kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

The aron arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 11:00 p.m., where grieving family members gathered alongside the Tchernobyler Rebbe, to whom Reb Akiva was deeply devoted. Witnesses described the Rebbe accompanying the aron with heartrending tears. Members of the kehillah said that since learning of the tragedy, the Rebbe had scarcely rested, personally overseeing every aspect of the effort to support the devastated family while working around the clock with prominent askanim to ensure the body was released without chalilah undergoing an autopsy.

From the airport, the aron was transported shortly after 1:00 a.m. to the Tchernobyler bais medrash on Tuval Street in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood. It was there that Reb Akiva established his daily schedule of Torah learning and tefillah, where he was regarded as one of the chashuve avreichim and served faithfully as one of the gabbaim.

Despite the late hour, hundreds of residents and chassidim crowded the surrounding streets to pay their final respects. Friends described Reb Akiva as an exceptionally warm and compassionate individual whose kindness and sincerity made everyone feel like a close friend.

The first hesped was delivered by his grandfather, Rav Greenzweig of Yerushalayim, who tearfully recounted the unique bond he shared with his beloved grandson. He recalled that after Reb Akiva moved to Israel, he visited him regularly, faithfully assisting him in whatever he needed.

The grandfather then revealed a remarkable secret that had remained hidden for years. About two years earlier, Reb Akiva had approached him privately and asked to celebrate a personal siyum haShas marking the completion of the entire Bavli. He begged his grandfather not to tell anyone. Reb Akiva explained that he had accepted upon himself the commitment to complete Shas during the COVID period, and, boruch Hashem, fulfilled it entirely in secret, without even his closest family members knowing.

Rav Aharon Twersky, rav of the Tchernobyler community in Yerushalayim, followed with an emotional hesped, mourning the tremendous loss suffered by the kehillah. He described Reb Akiva as someone who greeted every avreich, bochur, and child with warmth, encouragement, and generosity. He noted that Reb Akiva was known for his unwavering diligence in Torah study and was consistently among the first to arrive for tefillah. Rav Twersky urged those present to strengthen themselves spiritually in the wake of the tragedy, particularly in preserving the sanctity of the bais medrash—a cause especially dear to Reb Akiva, who had devoted enormous effort in recent months toward acquiring additional property to expand the bais medrash. He concluded by asking forgiveness on behalf of the entire community.

Reb Akiva’s father, Rav Mordechai Dovid Rand of London, spoke next through tears, describing his son as the emotional center of the family.

“He gave of himself completely for every single one of us. There was not a member of the family whose needs Reb Akiva did not care for with fatherly devotion. The heart refuses to believe the terrible and sudden tragedy that has befallen us.”

One of the evening’s most emotional hespeidim was delivered by Reb Akiva’s father-in-law, Rav Yosef Mordechai Weiss, rav of the Machzikei Hadas bais medrash in Switzerland. He shared the details of what became their final phone conversation—a conversation that now feels like a haunting farewell.

“Last week I came to Israel for a brief 24-hour visit. Because of flight schedules, I had to leave their home quickly at noon while Reb Akiva was learning in kollel, and we did not get to say goodbye. When I arrived at the airport, Reb Akiva called me and said these words: ‘Shver, I didn’t get to say goodbye to you, and now it’s already too late…’. A day later he flew to Moldova to visit the kivrei tzaddikim, and that is where the terrible tragedy occurred. Now we cry out to him those same words: ‘We didn’t get to say goodbye to you, and now it’s already too late!'”

Continuing through tears, his father-in-law described Reb Akiva’s extraordinary character and unwavering emunah. Married to his daughter for more than a decade, the couple endured five difficult years before being blessed with children. Throughout those challenges, he said, Reb Akiva constantly strengthened those around him with simple, unwavering faith, insisting that everything comes from Heaven for the good. That faith became evident when his young widow received the devastating news. According to her father, her immediate response was to proclaim “Shema Yisroel” and accept Hashem’s decree with remarkable strength.

He also recounted the innocent words of Reb Akiva’s six-year-old son, who, upon learning of his father’s passing, asked, “Why didn’t anyone tell me five minutes before it happened? I would have davened to Hashem, and I’m sure it wouldn’t have happened.”

His father-in-law described Reb Akiva’s disciplined daily routine, explaining that no matter the circumstances—even after the Seder night or family celebrations—he rose every morning at sunrise, at 5:30 a.m., without exception.

In closing, he thanked Hashem and the many dedicated askanim who worked tirelessly to return the body without an autopsy.

“We thank Hashem and all the devoted askanim who labored to return the body without an autopsy. The body is whole, but all of our hearts are shattered into pieces! Ascend to the Heavens and be a meilitz yosher for your widow and your three young orphans, including the baby daughter for whom you merited to make a kiddush only eight weeks ago in honor of her birth.”

He pledged, together with the mechutanim, to do everything possible to raise the orphaned children in the path of Torah and Chassidus.

Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, rav of the Ari Shebachaburah bais medrash, where Reb Akiva regularly davened, also delivered stirring words of tribute.

“Tzar li alecha achi, na’amta li me’od. The image of Reb Akiva holding the Sefer Torah with such devotion will never leave our hearts. That was his entire essence—completely attached to the holy Torah, and nothing else mattered to him in life.”

Additional hespeidim were delivered by Rav Shlomo Dovid Klein, one of the dayanim of the Machzikei Hadas Belz community in London, as well as by Reb Akiva’s brother and brother-in-law.

There was scarcely a dry eye among the mourners as Reb Akiva’s six-year-old son, in a faint trembling voice, recited “Boruch Dayan HaEmes” and then said Kaddish for his father, leaving the massive crowd overcome with emotion.

The levayah then proceeded through the streets of Yerushalayim toward Har HaMenuchos, where Reb Akiva was laid to rest amid anguished cries from his family, friends, and the many chassidim who accompanied him on his final journey.

Participants said Yerushalayim had not witnessed such an outpouring of grief in a long time. Hundreds of mourners filled the streets, many openly weeping over the tragic loss of a young man whose warmth, radiant smile, and sincere love for every Jew left an unforgettable impression on all who knew him.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, a new national survey reveals a sharp partisan divide over how Americans view their country, with only eight percent of Democrats describing the United States as the greatest nation in the world.

The findings come from the latest weekly Economist/YouGov poll, which measured Americans’ views of the country’s standing relative to the rest of the world.

Overall, most respondents gave the United States a favorable ranking. Twenty-five percent said America is “the greatest” country, while another 20 percent described it as “among the greatest.” An additional 12 percent said it is “better than average.” On the other end of the spectrum, 12 percent rated the country as “worse than average,” nine percent said it is “among the worst,” and four percent called it “the worst.”

Political affiliation produced some of the survey’s most dramatic differences. Republicans overwhelmingly expressed pride in the country, with 52 percent calling America the greatest nation on earth. Another 28 percent said it ranks “among the greatest.”

Democrats viewed the country far less favorably. Only eight percent said America is the “greatest” country, while 16 percent classified it as “among the greatest.” Meanwhile, 23 percent of Democrats said the United States is “worse than average” compared to other nations, 15 percent labeled it “among the worst,” and four percent went even further, describing it as “the worst.”

Among Democrats, 13 percent characterized the country as “about average,” while another 13 percent said it is “better than average.”

The ideological divide was similarly pronounced. More than one-quarter of self-identified liberals—26 percent—rated America as “worse than average,” while a majority of conservatives, 53 percent, selected “the greatest” to describe the nation.

Voting patterns in the 2024 presidential election also reflected a stark contrast. Nearly one in four voters who supported Kamala Harris said the United States is “worse than average” relative to other countries, and 18 percent considered it “among the worst.” By comparison, 54 percent of Trump voters said America is “the greatest” country, while another 27 percent chose “among the greatest.” Not a single Trump voter surveyed described America as “the worst,” compared with five percent of Harris voters.

The poll was conducted between June 19 and June 22, 2026, among 1,679 respondents, as the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary celebrations and the launch of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.

The findings coincide with another recent Economist/YouGov survey that found nearly four in ten Democrats said they are “ashamed” to be American, further highlighting the deep partisan divide over national identity and patriotism.

{Matzav.com}