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Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu made a secret trip to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, flying aboard a private aircraft for an unannounced meeting with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to Israeli media reports.

The trip was first reported by Channel 12, which cited two sources familiar with the visit. The Jerusalem Post subsequently reported that a diplomatic source independently confirmed that Netanyahu traveled to the UAE and met with the Emirati leader.

According to additional details reported Sunday night, Netanyahu departed Israel shortly after noon and arrived in Abu Dhabi at approximately 3:10 p.m. He reportedly remained in the UAE for about four hours before departing for Israel.

The purpose and substance of Netanyahu’s talks with bin Zayed were not immediately disclosed. The Prime Minister’s Office did not provide details about the meeting or publicly comment on what the two leaders discussed.

The highly unusual, closely guarded visit comes at a sensitive moment, amid renewed controversy in Israel over reports concerning communications between the UAE and Netanyahu ahead of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.

Recent reports have alleged that bin Zayed contacted Netanyahu in September 2023 and raised concerns about the possibility of a major Hamas attack. Netanyahu’s office has disputed claims that the Emirati president provided him with an advance warning of the October 7 assault.

Sunday’s meeting therefore drew particular attention because of its timing, although there was no confirmation that the controversy over the alleged pre-October 7 communications was discussed during Netanyahu’s talks with bin Zayed.

Neither the Israeli government nor the UAE initially released an official account of the meeting, leaving the agenda of the secret Abu Dhabi talks undisclosed.

The IDF has reportedly stopped conducting proactive arrest raids targeting yeshiva bochurim classified as draft evaders in major chareidi population centers, even as enforcement continues at Israel’s airports and border crossings, where more than 200 alleged draft evaders have reportedly been arrested since the beginning of the Yom Tov season.

According to a report in Haaretz, the proactive arrest operations inside chareidi neighborhoods have been suspended since last month. The decision was initiated by the Military Police, while Israel Police serves primarily as the operational force assisting in carrying out such arrests.

Police sources cited in the report said they do not expect the raids to resume in the immediate future. The suspension has also coincided with an end to the large demonstrations staged by chareidi groups in response to military arrest operations.

The IDF has attributed the reduction in proactive operations to operational considerations, including the need to deploy personnel to other missions amid heightened security requirements surrounding the Yomim Tovim.

Some law-enforcement officials, however, offered a different explanation, alleging that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa are concerned that aggressive arrest operations in chareidi neighborhoods could trigger widespread unrest during the election period. That assertion is disputed by the IDF.

“In the army, they place the responsibility on the police, but in practice this is an issue that comes from the top of the IDF, which is deliberately abandoning the matter,” a senior law-enforcement official was quoted as saying.

While proactive raids inside chareidi communities have been curtailed, enforcement against draft evaders has continued through other channels, particularly at Israel’s points of entry and exit.

According to the IDF, more than 200 draft evaders have been arrested since the beginning of the Yom Tov period. Most were apprehended at border crossings, including some who were caught while returning to Israel. Others were transferred to Military Police custody after being encountered incidentally by civilian police.

The increased emphasis on border enforcement was already evident in the weeks before Rosh Hashanah. Military Police personnel were deployed at Ben Gurion Airport and other crossings as large numbers of travelers headed abroad, including those traveling to Uman. Earlier this month, more than 60 draft evaders were reported arrested at border crossings over a period of several days.

The reported suspension of neighborhood raids comes at a particularly sensitive legal moment. In approximately three weeks, the state is expected to submit an updated response to the High Court of Justice detailing the enforcement measures being taken against those who have failed to report for military service.

Earlier this month, a nine-justice High Court panel unanimously struck down legislation that had sought to suspend arrests, investigations and other enforcement measures against chareidi yeshiva bochurim who failed to report for military service. Eight of the nine justices also concluded that the legislation was unconstitutional because of its serious infringement on the principle of equality.

Questions about the scale of enforcement have already reached the political arena. Opposition lawmakers recently demanded updated figures from the IDF amid reports that proactive arrests of chareidi draft evaders had fallen sharply despite the High Court ruling.

The IDF, for its part, denied that any directive had been issued to stop proactive arrests in chareidi population centers because of the upcoming elections.

In its response to the report, the military said the Military Police continues to carry out enforcement operations with assistance from Israel Police. The IDF added that forces at border crossings have been reinforced in accordance with ongoing security assessments and said enforcement would continue equally against those violating the law.

{Matzav.com}

A political firestorm erupted in Israel on Friday after MK Ram Ben-Barak, a member of the Bennett-Lapid “Beyachad” faction, declared during a radio interview that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “Israel’s biggest enemy,” prompting an immediate denunciation from Likud Minister Miki Zohar.

Ben-Barak made the remark during an appearance on Kan Reshet Bet’s “Haboker Hazeh” program with Yair Ettinger. Asked about Netanyahu’s leadership and policies, Ben-Barak responded with an unusually sharp characterization of the prime minister.

“Israel’s biggest enemy is Netanyahu,” Ben-Barak said.

When pressed on whether that was indeed his position, Ben-Barak did not retreat from the statement, responding: “Unequivocally.”

The comments quickly generated controversy in Israel’s political arena, coming amid the escalating campaign rhetoric surrounding the upcoming elections and a day after Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

Zohar, a Likud minister, responded sharply to Ben-Barak, arguing that the comment reflected the opposition’s hostility toward Netanyahu rather than a substantive political critique.

“Ram Ben-Barak said this this morning because he could not bear the prime minister’s amazing speech yesterday at the UN. The hatred simply blinds them. Sad. Netanyahu will not surrender. With Hashem’s help, we will win the elections,” Zohar wrote.

Thousands of avreichim streamed to Rechov Strauss in Yerushalayim on Friday morning, Erev Sukkos, for a massive Yom Tov distribution by philanthropist Mr. Yoeli Landau, who handed out envelopes containing 1,220 shekels apiece to approximately 6,000 people.

The enormous turnout outside the Ohr Hachaim Torah center became so large that Strauss Street was ultimately closed to traffic as crowds gathered at the entrance to the room where Landau was personally distributing the envelopes.

An announcement publicized Thursday night had informed the public that a “Sanzer chalukah” would be held in memory of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy”a. The distribution was scheduled for Friday morning between 7 and 9 a.m. and was intended for married avreichim. By the early morning hours, large numbers had already begun arriving at the location.

Each recipient was given an envelope containing 1,220 shekels as a Yom Tov grant and financial assistance. Approximately 6,000 people reportedly received the envelopes directly, bringing the total amount distributed to approximately 7.32 million shekels.

The envelopes bore the words “Shefa Yoel Chalukah.”

Images and videos of the scene quickly circulated on social media, where some criticized the manner in which the distribution was conducted and the heavy crowding that developed outside the building.

Those close to Landau, however, defended the arrangement, saying that such distributions are a regular and respected practice in the United States and that the Yerushalayim event was modeled on the manner in which Landau regularly distributes tzedakah in Williamsburg.

According to his associates, every Friday Landau sits for approximately two hours in his bais medrash in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he provides substantial financial assistance to anyone in need who comes to him.

With Landau visiting Eretz Yisroel ahead of Sukkos, he decided to conduct a similar distribution for kollel avreichim in Israel, enabling them to cover their Yom Tov expenses with greater dignity and peace of mind.

People close to the philanthropist said Landau distributes tens of millions of shekels each month, much of it discreetly and through direct deposits into the bank accounts of families in need.

This time, however, Landau wanted the money to be available to everyone who qualified without relying on predetermined lists. His associates said the decision to conduct the mass distribution was made only at the beginning of the week, leaving insufficient time to organize an alternative system.