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As the number of bnei yeshiva currently held in Israel’s military prison reportedly stands at 46, a former inmate has offered a firsthand account of daily life behind bars, describing an environment centered around tefillah and Torah learning and insisting that incarceration is “not scary at all.”

Speaking with Betzalel Kahn on Israel’s Kol Chai Radio, 24-year-old Shmaryahu Greineman, who was imprisoned in the military jail in recent months, shared details about the prison routine and conditions. He said that during his incarceration there were only six bnei yeshiva in the facility.

Greineman explained that inmates are divided among four different companies based on the length of their sentence and the nature of their offense. According to him, bnei yeshiva are generally assigned to Company A, which houses prisoners serving relatively short terms.

He said the spiritual center of prison life is the beis medrash and shul.

“It’s either being inside your cell or being in the shul,” he said.

Greineman noted that the prison provides a wide range of seforim, including Shas, Chumashim, Tanach, Mishnayos, and Mishnah Berurah. Prisoners are also permitted to bring books back to their cells during lockdown periods.

He added that inmates are given opportunities to daven three times each day and that military regulations require prison officials to accommodate regular davening times and the laying of tefillin.

“On Shabbos they give even more time, and the religious needs are respected,” he said.

Discussing contact with family members, Greineman explained that each inmate is allotted seven minutes of telephone time per day.

“After seven minutes, the call disconnects automatically,” he said.

He noted, however, that conversations with attorneys are not subject to any time limit and added that bnei yeshiva entering prison generally receive assistance and guidance from various organizations.

Asked whether imprisonment was frightening, Greineman answered without hesitation.

“Not at all.”

He added that the presence of other bnei yeshiva makes the experience significantly easier, allowing them to learn together throughout the day.

“If I were there today among the 46 bochurim, it would actually be much easier,” he said.

Greineman also described what he called a unique phenomenon within the prison, referring to it as a place “where people learn emunah.”

He said that many secular soldiers begin moving closer to Judaism during their time in prison.

“Suddenly, people with tattoos begin coming to the shul, putting on tefillin, keeping Shabbos, and listening to words of Torah,” he said, describing what he believes is a widespread and meaningful spiritual transformation experienced by many inmates.

President Trump on Friday sharply criticized Iran after acknowledging that the regime launched a drone attack against a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the strike a violation of the ceasefire established under the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed that Iranian forces launched multiple attack drones at ships traveling through the strategic waterway.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote. “One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way.”

Trump added that US forces intercepted the remaining drones before they could reach their targets.

“We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” he added.

The president’s remarks came a day after the attack, when the White House initially took a more measured approach, saying only, “We are aware of these reports and looking into them.”

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the stability of the already fragile ceasefire while complicating ongoing efforts to ensure the safe movement of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, the White House stated, “President Trump has been clear that Iran cannot subvert the free flow of traffic in the strait.”

[Video below.] Maran Rav Dov Landau publicly declared Thursday night that street protests are not the proper path in response to the gezeiras hagiyus and the arrests of bnei yeshivah.

Rav Landau’s statement has stirred considerable discussion, coming only days after the large vehicle convoy protest that took place on highways throughout Eretz Yisroel.

The remarks were delivered during a gathering at Rav Landau’s home in Bnei Brak attended by dozens of roshei yeshivah from across the country.

The meeting had originally been convened to review the recent historic Keren Olam HaTorah fundraising mission to the United States, during which leading gedolei Torah sought support to help offset government cuts to yeshivah funding. During the gathering, however, Rav Landau shifted the focus to the growing trend of public demonstrations.

Referring to the recent protests, Rav Landau told the assembled roshei yeshivah, “All kinds of other protests that we did not hear about from our rabbeim in previous generations are not our way.”

He continued by expressing concern over the effect such demonstrations can have on the image of the chareidi community.

“Very often these protests cause serious damage to the chareidi public’s image. We must remember that the most important thing is dedication, toil, and immersion in Torah study. That is the greatest sanctification of Hashem’s Name, and there is no doubt that strengthening Torah study within the botei medrash is what will help counter these decrees and difficulties.”

Rav Landau also spoke about his recent trip to the United States and the ongoing dispute over government funding for yeshivos. He emphasized that Eretz Yisroel has become the world’s central hub of Torah learning and serves as the spiritual heartbeat of the entire Jewish world.

According to Rav Landau, supporters overseas recognize that any weakening of Torah learning in Eretz Yisroel would have consequences for Klal Yisroel worldwide. He said that this understanding has led philanthropists to generously support bnei Torah.

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{Matzav.com}

The man accused of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk remains eligible for the death penalty after a Utah judge ruled Friday that, although prosecutors violated a court-imposed gag order, the misconduct did not justify removing capital punishment from the case.

Judge Tony Graf found prosecutor Christopher Ballard in civil contempt for making comments to members of the media about the case involving defendant Tyler Robinson. However, the judge declined the defense’s request to strike the death penalty as a sanction.

The dispute stemmed from a defense filing that suggested the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had concluded that the bullet fired from the weapon Robinson allegedly used did not match the projectile recovered from Kirk’s body.

According to Robinson’s attorneys, prosecutors should be penalized for responding publicly to that filing, arguing that their statements violated the court’s gag order.

The defense filing sparked widespread online speculation and conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s death.

Judge Graf acknowledged that Robinson’s legal team had effectively “initiated the media frenzy” by filing documents that prompted inaccurate reports suggesting ATF evidence cleared Robinson of responsibility for the killing.

While Graf concluded that Ballard did not improperly discuss the forensic evidence when responding to those reports, he ruled that the prosecutor crossed the line when he told certain media outlets that his office possessed sufficient evidence to secure Robinson’s conviction.

Even so, the judge determined that the defense’s request to eliminate the possibility of capital punishment was “disproportional” to Ballard’s actions and “legally prohibited.”

Instead, Graf ordered the prosecution to reimburse Robinson’s legal team for the attorney’s fees incurred while pursuing the contempt motion.

To safeguard Robinson’s right to a fair trial, Graf also announced additional measures for the jury selection process. The court will summon a larger pool of prospective jurors and expand the screening process by adding more written questionnaire items as well as additional in-court questioning designed to identify potential bias stemming from the prosecutor’s public remarks.

{Matzav.com}

Iran sharply escalated its rhetoric on Friday, warning that it will not tolerate what it described as threatening Israeli military activity in the region, while state media also claimed Iranian forces intercepted foreign tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.

In a statement, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters alleged that Israeli military aircraft flying through the airspace of neighboring countries on missions toward Iran represent “a dangerous move and a threat against the Islamic Republic.”

The military command warned that if Washington fails to restrain Israel, Tehran reserves the right to respond.

“We announce that if the United States is unable to restrain and control the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not tolerate any threat against it and considers itself entitled to respond to these dangerous actions.”

Separately, Iranian state television reported that three foreign oil tankers attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without obtaining authorization but were halted after receiving warnings from the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The report comes despite repeated statements by President Donald Trump asserting that the IRGC no longer possesses an operational navy.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that damage sustained by the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain during the recent conflict with Iran was significantly greater than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed.

According to the report, U.S. officials are now weighing the possibility of shifting some American military assets from bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Israel in an effort to make them less vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks in the event of another regional conflict.

{Matzav.com}

A light sport aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper on Friday, scattering wreckage from the 109-story tower and prompting an emergency evacuation as dramatic videos of the incident rapidly spread across social media.

According to CNN, the crash was particularly striking given Beijing’s strict security environment and tightly controlled airspace. Footage from the scene showed debris strewn around the base of the building, including the rear section of the aircraft.

A CNN reporter at the scene said the skyscraper was evacuated following the impact, with large numbers of occupants gathering outside the building on nearby streets as emergency crews responded.

Photos circulating online, including images showing the aircraft’s registration number, identified the plane as a Chinese-built Sunward SA60L Aurora light sport aircraft operated by a local aviation company.

Flight-tracking information published online by Flightradar24, though not independently verified, indicated that the aircraft veered significantly off its intended route before crashing into the building.

The incident also drew attention to Beijing’s stringent aviation restrictions. Reports noted that since May 1, residents of the Chinese capital have been prohibited from purchasing, renting, or operating drones within the city without prior government authorization.

{Matzav.com}