Feed aggregator

Senator Lindsey Graham: “When it comes to terrorist threats, Israel must be allowed to defend itself and finish the job.”

A fire broke out in the trunk of a Secret Service cruiser providing security for Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit. The blaze was quickly extinguished, and a fire marshal is investigating the incident.

The exodus from Gaza City has accelerated, with more than 800,000 Palestinians leaving the urban center over the past week as Israel prepares to expand its ground campaign, according to Israeli security officials. Southern Command estimates suggest between 30,000 and 50,000 residents have fled the city each day, with the total expected to hit one million as Israel moves closer to authorizing a full push into the city center. Officials said between 250,000 and 350,000 Palestinians remain inside Gaza City. Defense officials hailed the evacuation plan, calling it one of the largest population movements in the history of the conflict. “The public is moving to the south of the Strip,” a security source told reporters, noting that Hamas efforts to block the flow of civilians through intimidation and roadblocks have largely failed. With the next phases of the maneuver already approved, commanders are preparing to press deeper into the city. The expectation is that Hamas will shift to guerrilla tactics once the Israel Defense Forces engage at full strength. Israeli officials accused Hamas of deliberately inflating reports of humanitarian collapse in southern Gaza. “Hamas is trying to generate all kinds of false narratives about the collapse of the health system, starvation, and sanitation,” the security source said. The official pointed to humanitarian assessments showing an average of 350 aid trucks entering Gaza daily, more than 20,000 tents provided by international groups, and functioning medical facilities in the south. “The health system in the south of the Strip is functioning; it is not collapsing as they are trying to portray,” the source added. Still, humanitarian groups and Palestinian civilians on the ground have pushed back on these claims, warning of shortages, overcrowded shelters, and worsening sanitation. While Israel insists conditions are adequate, residents continue to blame both Hamas and Israel for their plight. Even as civilians flee, Hamas has sought to consolidate control by cracking down on dissent and expanding its network of informants. The group has reportedly carried out executions, beatings, and street patrols to maintain an atmosphere of fear. In the south, Hamas has clashed with several influential clans over aid distribution. Two clan leaders were killed in recent weeks, security officials said, leaving only the Abu-Amra clan still aligned with Hamas. Despite the pressure, Hamas continues to maintain limited governance structures — paying salaries, clearing roads, repairing sewage lines, and conducting rescue operations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The city of Rechovot was struck by tragedy with the sudden passing of Rav Yosef Giat z”l, founder of the Beis Knesses Tze’irei Teiman. Rav Giat, 75, lost his life in a tragic accident after falling from a height while preparing his sukkah ahead of Yom Tov.

Emergency services and police were immediately dispatched to the scene on Rechov Binyamin. Despite their rapid arrival, nothing could be done and his death was pronounced at the site.

Volunteers from ZAKA’s Shfela division, including members from Rechovot itself, worked in cooperation with police and other officials. Their swift efforts enabled the release of the body for kevurah as quickly as possible.

Rav Giat was a beloved and prominent figure in the city. As the founder and rav of Beis Knesses Tze’irei Teiman, he was known for his devotion to his kehillah and his tireless service on their behalf. His passing leaves a deep void in the community that he built and led with warmth and dedication.

The levayah was held at Beis Knesses Tze’irei Teiman and continued to the Grodzki Cemetery in Rechovot for kevurah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former Israel Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer “Cheney” Marom blasted President Donald Trump’s proposed 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, warning it would return Israel to the failed conditions of 2005 and ultimately allow Hamas to reassert control. “This entire plan is a throwback to 2005,” Marom said in a Sunday radio interview on 103FM. “We’re looking at a scenario where Gaza would be governed by technocrats. It’s essentially a disguise for reinstating the Palestinian Authority. Hamas will bide its time, then start shooting their replacements in the knees.” Trump unveiled his proposal at the United Nations General Assembly last week, pitching Arab leaders on what he billed as a path to peace in the region. Marom said that recovering the remaining Israeli hostages should be Israel’s immediate priority. “If we can bring back the hostages, that would be a major achievement. I would sign on that with my eyes closed,” he said. But he was skeptical of Trump’s broader framework, noting it contained no provisions to disarm or deport Hamas fighters. “With our current method, we won’t achieve a different outcome in Gaza,” Marom said. “Hamas does not surrender. It won’t raise a white flag.” Marom offered a blunt assessment of Israel’s military campaign, now in its second year. He said the IDF performed “reasonably well” on the battlefield but failed on the legal and humanitarian fronts, where international legitimacy has nearly evaporated. “We’re running on reserves — and those reserves depend on one man sitting in the White House,” he said of Trump, calling the president “unpredictable” and warning that Israel’s dependence on a single leader is “not reasonable.” “Who would have believed Israel could sustain legitimacy for such a prolonged campaign without being stopped?” he asked. “In other wars, it was a matter of days or weeks.” Marom also addressed a bizarre episode last week when loudspeakers were set up along the Gaza border to broadcast Netanyahu’s UN speech. Critics claimed the move endangered soldiers, while the Prime Minister’s Office denied ordering the deployment. “It was a foolish incident like no other — just a media gimmick,” Marom said. “If I were a commander, I would have asked for it in writing. Either way, no one would have heard those speakers. It meant nothing.” Marom placed his confidence in current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, calling him “a backbone leader” who understands the limits of Israel’s strategy. “The government suddenly shifted direction,” he said. “The goal is no longer to defeat Hamas militarily — we’ve already done that. The goal now is to force its surrender. But anyone who understands jihadist Islamist organizations knows that’s not realistic.” Ultimately, he suggested, Israel’s fate in Gaza may rest in Washington. “In the end, Netanyahu has no choice,” Marom said. “If Trump says ‘it’s over,’ then it’s over. That’s the end of it.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Taliban on Sunday freed a U.S. citizen from an Afghan prison, weeks after they said they had reached an agreement with U.S. envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of an effort to normalize relations. The deputy spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, Zia Ahmad Takal, identified the man as Amir Amiri. He did not say when Amiri was detained, why, or where. An official with knowledge of the release said Amiri had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024 and was on his way back to the U.S. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media. Qatar facilitated Amiri’s release in the latest diplomatic achievement resulting from its security partnership with the U.S. that has secured the freedom of four other Americans from Taliban detention this year. The energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula also helped in releasing a British couple who were imprisoned for months. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release, saying it marked the administration’s determination, reinforced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad. “While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.” Ahmad Habibi, the brother of Mahmood Habibi, a U.S. citizen held by the Taliban for more than three years, said he and his family were grateful to hear the news about Amiri, and they remained hopeful that Mahmood would also return home. Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American business owner, worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and vanished in 2022. The FBI and his family have said they believe he was taken by the Taliban, who have denied holding him. “We are grateful that senior officials at the State Department and National Security Council have repeatedly assured us that any deal they do with the Taliban will be ‘all or nothing’ and they have explicitly assured us that they will not leave my brother behind,” Ahmad Habibi said. It remains unclear what the Taliban receive in exchange for freeing U.S. nationals. But Afghanistan’s needs are many. The international aid money that flowed into the country after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion is drying up even as economic and humanitarian crises mount, particularly after a magnitude-6 earthquake on Aug. 31. But Afghanistan remains a focus for Trump, who has said he wants to retake Bagram Air Base, a massive former U.S. military facility, a demand rejected by senior Taliban officials. (AP)

Democratic mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani declared that President Trump’s financial backers will not control the outcome of the New York City election, making his comments shortly after Mayor Eric Adams announced he was ending his campaign for another term.

“Donald Trump and his billionaire donors may be able to determine the actions of Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo, but they will not dictate the results of this election,” Mamdani said during an interview on MSNBC Sunday night. “This continues to be the same election as it was when we started on October 23rd [2024].”

Adams formally bowed out of the race on Sunday, just a few weeks after insisting he would stay in the contest. The outgoing mayor, who had been running as an independent since the spring, is said to have met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff earlier in September regarding the possibility of a future position in the administration.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa revealed last week that he too has been offered money from wealthy New Yorkers to abandon his campaign, though he would not say who approached him. It remains uncertain whether those individuals were aligned with Trump.

Andrew Cuomo, who once governed New York State and is now campaigning for mayor as an independent, denied reports that he had direct contact with Trump. The New York Times claimed the two had spoken on the phone, but Cuomo rejected that account. Mamdani, who prevailed over Cuomo and several other rivals to win the Democratic nomination this summer, criticized what he described as Trump’s behind-the-scenes push to limit the race to two main candidates.

“Donald Trump has spoken time and again about how he wants to narrow this race, how he wants to use every tool at his disposal to try and stop this campaign for affordability,” Mamdani told MSNBC on Sunday. “And we’re seeing amidst all of that here, yet again, the moment where he is shaping this race.

“But we’re going to show him that New Yorkers are tired of his politics and they’re tired of being priced out of the city.”

Mamdani’s words on television matched sentiments he had already shared in a post on social media platform X after Adams suspended his campaign. In that message, he both criticized the departing mayor’s leadership and directly addressed Cuomo.

“To Andrew Cuomo. You got your wish. You wanted Trump and your billionaire friends to help you clear the field. But don’t forget. You wanted me as your opponent in the primary too, and we beat you by 13 points.”

A Suffolk University City View poll released last week showed Mamdani leading the field with support from 45 percent of voters. Cuomo trailed with 25 percent, while Sliwa registered 9 percent and Adams 8 percent.

{Matzav.com}

The White House said Monday that Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a framework agreement to end the war in Gaza — with President Donald Trump poised to officially roll out his 21-point peace plan in a high-profile meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Fox and Friends that negotiators are “very close” to a deal that could both end the fighting and lay groundwork for broader Middle East stability. “To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict,” she said. Trump will also speak with Qatari leaders, who have acted as intermediaries with Hamas throughout the war. The administration expects both sides to sign onto the plan, which was drafted by Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Germany, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates quickly threw their weight behind the proposal. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X that “the war in Gaza must end, Hamas must release the hostages, and we are close to achieving this solution thanks to the US.” He urged “all sides to show the courage to take the final decisive step.” In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with both leaders voicing support for Trump’s proposal in a joint statement released by Sisi’s office. The push for an agreement comes after nearly two years of grinding conflict and mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. The White House has billed Trump’s plan as the most detailed U.S.-backed framework yet, one that could lock in regional support while forcing Hamas to release hostages and commit to conditions that would curb its military grip on Gaza. Still, the deal faces steep challenges. Israeli officials have long been skeptical of concessions that could leave Hamas in place, while Hamas leaders have balked at any arrangement that limits their authority. For now, the administration is projecting optimism. “We are very close,” Leavitt said. “This is the best chance we’ve had to finally end this conflict.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Dear Matzav Inbox,

The escalating tuition crisis facing parents of yeshiva and Hebrew day school students across America is unsustainable, leaving families financially strapped and communities strained. It’s time to explore creative solutions that ensure quality education while drastically reducing costs. I propose a two-part educational model combining Limudei Kodesh morning instruction within local kollels/seminaries and free, state-provided virtual secular education in the afternoon.

Disclaimer

This proposal is only meant to address and to assist those parents who either cannot pay or do not wish to pay the current rates of private school tuition. For those who can afford tuition and are happy with the current system, please stay with your current school(s) and enjoy ad meah v’esrim!

The Proposal

Morning Limudei Kodesh Studies
Boys would be taught in groups of 20 by young rabbis from local kollels and girls by teachers/morahs form local seminaries. Each morning would feature two sessions:

• Session 1: 9:00 AM–10:20 AM with one rebbi/morah.
• Recess: 20 minutes.
• Session 2: 10:40 AM–12:00 PM with a second rebbi/morah.

The cost would be $200 per child per month and payable to the kollel/seminary. Compensation and employment terms between the rebbeim/morahs and the kollel/seminary can be negotiated privately. This arrangement offers numerous benefits for young rabbis and morahs, including hands-on teaching experience, no travel to a second job, additional income beyond their current stipends, and possibly credits toward a degree in education or related fields.

Afternoon Secular Studies
In the afternoon, students would attend co-op or supervised student centers offering virtual secular classes through free state-approved programs such as Florida Virtual School (FLVS). FLVS provides a comprehensive curriculum with certified instructors, including AP courses and electives, tailored for K-12 students. This system ensures high-quality secular education without additional cost to parents. (Alternatively, parents can arrange any other preferred supervision of their children in the afternoon. For example, if a parent is at home during the afternoon, their child can study their secular subjects at home.)

Benefits of the Plan

This model eliminates many typical expenses associated with yeshivas, including:

1. Salaries and benefits for teachers and staff
2. Facility operation and maintenance
3. Transportation
4. Insurance and regulatory compliance
5. Food and cafeteria expenses
6. Administrative overhead

Additionally, it benefits the community by strengthening the kollel’s connection with younger generations, demonstrating their vital role in addressing communal needs. If any kollel or seminary declines participation, communities could redirect financial support to other initiatives better aligned with urgent educational priorities.

A Necessary Shift

While this proposal is not ideal, the financial strain caused by soaring tuition demands out-of-the-box thinking. Desperate times require practical solutions to alleviate the burden on parents while ensuring children receive the Jewish and secular education they deserve.

Implementing this plan addresses two pressing needs: 1) Ensuring access to affordable Jewish education; and 2) Creating opportunities for young rabbis and morahs to contribute meaningfully to the next generation.

Let us act with urgency to secure the future of our children and the strength of our communities. With the help of the Ribbono Shel Olam, may Klal Yisroel see much nachas from all our beloved talmidim and talmidos.

P.S. A Kind Request to Commenters: Please make suggestions for how to make this proposal work, instead of dismissing it for any potential shortfalls. For example, instead of commenting “This will never work because_____”, please try “There is a gap in your proposal because ________, and here is how I suggest we tweak it so that it might work:________.” Thank you in advance for your thoughtful contributions to this bold new idea!

Sincerely,
Thinking Outside the Box

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

DON’T MISS OUT! Join the Matzav Status by CLICKING HERE. Join the Matzav WhatsApp Groups by CLICKING HERE.

The opinions expressed in letters on Matzav.com do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Matzav Media Network.

[COMMUNICATED]

Many know the plight of the hostages in Eretz Yisroel R’L. For Shuvu, it’s even more personal as one hostage Bar Avrohom Kuperstein is a precious alumnus who attended Shuvu. Bar learned about Shabbos at Shuvu, started putting on Tefillin, and even brought the beauty of Yiddishkeit back home – with his parents becoming baalei teshuva!

Please Daven for Bar Avraham ben Julia, and watch this video about an amazing exchange his mother had with the Hamas captor. May we all be inspired to grow in our own Emunah from her strength, and this should act as a zechus for Bar Avraham.

Shuvu set up a page in their annual fundraising campaign in which the money raised for Shuvu schools to teach thousands of children Torah will be a Zechus for the speedy release of Bar Avraham with Hashem’s help.  www.charidy.com/shuvu

In the absence of stronger federal regulation, some states have begun regulating apps that offer AI “therapy” as more people turn to artificial intelligence for mental health advice. But the laws, all passed this year, don’t fully address the fast-changing landscape of AI software development. And app developers, policymakers and mental health advocates say the resulting patchwork of state laws isn’t enough to protect users or hold the creators of harmful technology accountable. “The reality is millions of people are using these tools and they’re not going back,” said Karin Andrea Stephan, CEO and co-founder of the mental health chatbot app Earkick. The state laws take different approaches. Illinois and Nevada have banned the use of AI to treat mental health. Utah placed certain limits on therapy chatbots, including requiring them to protect users’ health information and to clearly disclose that the chatbot isn’t human. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California are also considering ways to regulate AI therapy. The impact on users varies. Some apps have blocked access in states with bans. Others say they’re making no changes as they wait for more legal clarity. And many of the laws don’t cover generic chatbots like ChatGPT, which are not explicitly marketed for therapy but are used by an untold number of people for it. Those bots have attracted lawsuits in horrific instances where users lost their grip on reality or took their own lives after interacting with them. Vaile Wright, who oversees health care innovation at the American Psychological Association, agreed that the apps could fill a need, noting a nationwide shortage of mental health providers, high costs for care and uneven access for insured patients. Mental health chatbots that are rooted in science, created with expert input and monitored by humans could change the landscape, Wright said. “This could be something that helps people before they get to crisis,” she said. “That’s not what’s on the commercial market currently.” That’s why federal regulation and oversight is needed, she said. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission announced it was opening inquiries into seven AI chatbot companies — including the parent companies of Instagram and Facebook, Google, ChatGPT, Grok (the chatbot on X), Character.AI and Snapchat — on how they “measure, test and monitor potentially negative impacts of this technology on children and teens.” And the Food and Drug Administration is convening an advisory committee Nov. 6 to review generative AI-enabled mental health devices. Federal agencies could consider restrictions on how chatbots are marketed, limit addictive practices, require disclosures to users that they are not medical providers, require companies to track and report suicidal thoughts, and offer legal protections for people who report bad practices by companies, Wright said. Not all apps have blocked access From “companion apps” to “AI therapists” to “mental wellness” apps, AI’s use in mental health care is varied and hard to define, let alone write laws around. That has led to different regulatory approaches. Some states, for example, take aim at companion apps that are designed just for friendship, but don’t wade into mental health care. The laws in Illinois and Nevada ban products that claim to provide mental health treatment outright, threatening fines up to $10,000 in Illinois and $15,000 in Nevada. But even a single app can be tough to categorize. Earkick’s Stephan said there is still a lot that is “very muddy” about Illinois’ law, for example, and the company has not limited access there. Stephan […]

[COMMUNICATED]

48 Hours Left! EREV YOM KIPPUR AT 3PM Maamad Hashava by Neki Kapayim! 

Maamad Hashava On EREV YOM KIPPUR AT 3PM

Forgotten Debt?* Damaged A Car? *Return An Item??

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Keren Neki Kapayim is an innovative halachic solution developed by Gedolei Haposkim for the return of unknown debts and misplaced assets.
Join the thousands who have come clean and your Tefillos will soar this Yom Kippur.

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

As upstanding, committed Shomrei Torah Umitzvos, our life is all about observing the dictates of Torah and halacha to the utmost of our abilities. Obviously, we each have our shortcomings in different areas, and for this reason the Torah gives us the opportunity of Teshuva – to come clean and make good on our failings. There is one area though, for which the ordinary process of Teshuva, do not suffice to clear us of our misdeeds – that is the real of bein odom l’chaveiro – sins between man and fellow man. When it’s simply a question of a personal offense – one has to ask for forgiveness. If it’s a monetary obligation the debt must be paid up.

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

But what happens when we don’t even know to whom we owe whom to pay?

This is indeed a dilemma!

Are our hands completely clean?

Is there anything in our hands or in our possession that’s not 100% our own?

Perhaps, we don’t know who the owner is, but does that make it ours?

The thought is frightening!

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Can we stand before Hashem pleading for mercy; asking for brachos for ourselves and our loved ones, when our hands are sullied by money that’s not ours?
The Gemara (Beitza 29a, Bava Kamma 94b) discusses the issue of returning unknown debt. Click here for halachic overview

The solution developed by the dayanim of Keren Neki Kapayim is a new and innovative idea to achieve a complete and immediate return to the true owner of the money, whoever and wherever he might me

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Continuing a tradition that began in the days of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva Rav Dov Landau traveled to Yerushalayim during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah to deliver a special address of chizuk at Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim.

The gathering took place before Mincha in the packed beis medrash, where Rav Landau first gave a shiur before turning to words of hisorerus.

Speaking to the thousands of talmidim, Rav Landau emphasized the centrality of Torah learning to the survival of Klal Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel.

“It is the obligation of all those who do not learn,” he said, “to constantly recognize and give thanks, day and night, to those who dedicate themselves to Torah. It is only because of their learning that we live here. And even if there are those who do not understand this, or do not wish to understand, this is the truth.”

He went on to declare with forceful clarity: “The entire yishuv owes its very existence to the avreichim in the kollelim and the bochurim in the yeshivos who immerse themselves in Torah at all times and under all circumstances. It is solely in their merit that the nation dwelling in Tzion continues to endure in Eretz Yisroel, in miraculous fashion, despite the powerful enemies that surround us.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

WATCH: Wings of Zion plane carrying Prime Minister Netanyahu seen taxiing on the runway at JFK Airport as the PM departs NYC for his meeting today with President Trump in Washington, D.C. VIDEO FOR YWN BY ISSAC COHEN

WH Press Secretary on the FBI’s current understanding of the motive in the deadly Michigan church shooting: “This was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith, and they are trying to understand more about this.”

WH PRESS SECRETARY: “The overwhelming majority of Americans want to keep government open. They want our military to be paid. They want assistance for women and children in impoverished communities to continue. All of that will come to an end if Democrats shut down the government.”

TRUMP: “Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, will prove to be the best thing to ever happen to our great Republican party… Remember, he needs money from me as president in order to fulfill all of his FAKE communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it so what’s the point of voting for him?”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed his Emirati counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed in Cairo, where the two leaders expressed support for Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal, “stressing the importance of backing this peaceful initiative,” according to the Egyptian presidency.

Intense Israeli airstrikes target the Shati camp, west of Gaza City.

Polish PM Tusk: “Ukraine will win this war. We will save the independence of Ukraine, we will save the future of our generations.”