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[Video below.] Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich used a meeting of his Religious Zionist Party faction on Monday to lay out his positions on the economy, the fighting in Gaza, and Israel’s diplomatic agenda ahead of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s expected trip to Washington, Arutz Sheva reports.

Turning first to domestic concerns, Smotrich said easing the financial burden on Israeli families remains a central priority. “The cost of living is deeply important to me. The budget now coming to the Knesset after government approval includes very significant measures to address it.”

He pointed to structural changes in the dairy sector as an example of why reform is necessary. “The dairy reform proves its necessity and urgency more with each passing day. While the public is being frightened by lies about the collapse of the dairy industry, they are being denied this basic consumer product, and some think this will convince the public that the reform is a mistake. It’s exactly the opposite – the absolute, monopolistic control you hold over the dairy market only proves how desperately it must be opened.”

According to Smotrich, more steps are imminent. “The import reform, which will be signed in the coming days, will also reduce costs for the citizens of Israel. The same goes for the deposit reform and additional steps we will soon take to address the cost of living.” He summed up his approach by saying, “The reason we are doing this is simple – I am determined to prove to everyone that things can be affordable here.”

The minister then shifted to security and diplomacy, stressing that Judea and Samaria must be central to discussions with Washington. “We are carrying out a revolution on the ground in Judea and Samaria, but in terms of security and diplomacy, we are still far from internalizing and implementing the lessons of October 7. Oslo was a mistake, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority was a mistake, and the PA is a terrorist entity that must be eradicated.”

Expanding on that point, he warned against repeating past failures. “So that Kfar Saba does not, God forbid, become Kfar Aza, and Netanya does not become Be’eri, and Nitzanei Oz does not become Nahal Oz, we must – absolutely must – dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect the weapons, and apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Smotrich cited remarks by President Donald Trump to underscore his argument about Israel’s security depth. “President Trump himself compared Israel to the tiny tip of a pen on the large desk in the Oval Office, explaining better than anyone how indefensible these borders are.”

He cautioned that inaction would carry a heavy price. “If we fail to act now in these areas, we will be responsible, God forbid, for the next October 7. As a member of the government, I bear responsibility for October 7, and I have no intention of bearing responsibility for the next one.”

Addressing Gaza, Smotrich said the coming White House meeting is critical. “The Prime Minister will soon, God willing, travel to the White House to meet Israel’s friend, President Trump.” He added that the objectives of the war must remain unchanged. “The Prime Minister must ensure in that meeting that – just as we committed – we do not stop until we achieve the primary objective of the war that we defined: the destruction of Hamas. We promised total victory, and we are not there yet.”

While acknowledging delays, including the issue of the hostages, Smotrich said attention must now be on firm conditions for the future. “There will be no reconstruction without demilitarization. This is mandated by President Trump’s plan, and we must not deviate from it by even an inch. There is no such thing as partial demilitarization, fictitious demilitarization, or watered-down demilitarization. Hamas cannot exist in Gaza at the end of this war. There will be no involvement of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza – neither directly nor indirectly.”

He concluded by listing further red lines. “There will be no entry of multinational forces into our part of Gaza. International forces must dismantle Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, and they must do so in the red zone of the Strip. The State of Israel will not pay in any way for Gaza’s reconstruction. If anything, the Gazans should bear the enormous costs of the war they forced upon us in the October 7 massacre. There must be a clear and short deadline for attempts to dismantle Hamas the easy way, after which Israel will have full freedom to act on its own.”

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The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person. In a social media post, U.S. Southern Command said, “Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in […]

When Yad L’Achim came to David Altshuler of the Jewish Ad Group (JAG) with a bold Chanukah raffle idea, nobody expected what happened next! The entire campaign sold out, every ticket, in under three days! This wasn’t luck. And it definitely wasn’t “just another raffle.” This was a full-throttle, all-systems-go campaign built, branded, and executed […]

A new generation of American battleships bearing President Donald Trump’s name is being planned, with the Navy outlining vessels that would carry nuclear capabilities and represent a return to a class of warship not used in combat for decades.

Speaking Monday, Trump said the ships are intended as a broad show of strength rather than a message to any single rival. “It’s a counter to everybody. It’s not China. We get along great with China,” he said. “It’s just everybody. You don’t know who comes along, but we just wanted peace through strength. Hopefully we never have to use them, but there will never be anything built like these.”

The announcement was made at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where Navy Secretary John Phelan described the vessels as “Trump-class battleships.” He said an upcoming ship, to be known as the USS Defiant, would be “the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”

According to officials, the battleships will be outfitted with a wide array of weaponry, including traditional guns and missiles alongside hypersonic weapons, electronic rail guns, and high-powered laser systems. Phelan added that the ships will also be equipped with the “nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.”

Trump said the goal is to establish an entirely new fleet of such vessels over time. “We envision that these ships will be the first of a whole new class of battleships to be produced in the years to come,” he said, adding that the long-term plan calls for as many as 20 to 25 ships.

The president also framed the idea as a revival of an older naval concept. “These have been under design consideration for a long time, and it started with me in my first term, because I said, ‘Why aren’t we doing battleships like we used to?'” Trump said.

The Defense Department said the Navy will take the lead in designing the ships, which are expected to be completed in the early 2030s. Trump indicated he intends to be involved in the process as well, saying he would participate “because I’m a very aesthetic person.”

Battleships have been largely absent from modern U.S. combat operations. The last time the United States deployed them in active fighting was in 1991, during the first Gulf War against Iraq.

The move fits into a broader pattern of Trump’s name and image being attached to federal institutions and projects during his second term. In recent weeks, a board selected by Trump voted to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Trump-Kennedy Center. His name was also added to the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters, and the Interior Department last month showcased a 2026 national park pass featuring Trump’s likeness. Several of those actions are now facing legal challenges.

Despite the sweeping scope of the new naval plans, Trump emphasized that the battleships are intended to preserve stability rather than provoke conflict, portraying them as a tool to maintain U.S. dominance and deter any potential adversary that might emerge.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. regulators have authorized the first pill taken by mouth to treat obesity, opening the door to a new option for patients who until now needed injections to access GLP-1 weight-loss therapies. The Food and Drug Administration signed off on the drug Monday after studies showed meaningful weight reduction along with heart-health benefits, according to its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk.

The newly approved tablet is designed to be taken once a day and uses semaglutide, the same compound found in the company’s injectable Wegovy and Ozempic. It is the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in the United States for long-term weight management.

Approval covers adults with obesity, as well as those who are overweight and have at least one related medical condition such as heart disease, provided the medication is used alongside diet and exercise.

Clinical results played a central role in the decision. In the OASIS 4 phase 3 study, participants taking a 25-milligram daily pill shed an average of 16.6% of their body weight over 68 weeks, while those given a placebo lost 2.7%. Novo Nordisk said roughly one in three patients in the treatment group dropped at least 20% of their body weight.

The FDA’s decision was also backed by findings from the large SELECT trial, which showed that semaglutide lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, in adults with obesity or overweight who already had cardiovascular disease.

Until this approval, all FDA-cleared GLP-1 medications for weight loss were delivered by injection. Drugs in this class work by mimicking a hormone that helps control appetite and slows digestion, allowing patients to feel full for longer periods.

“With today’s approval of the Wegovy pill, patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection,” Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said in a news release. “As the first oral GLP-1 treatment for people living with overweight or obesity, the Wegovy pill provides patients with a new, convenient treatment option that can help patients start or continue their weight-loss journey.”

Novo Nordisk has indicated that the drug could enter the U.S. market at an initial price of about $149 for a month’s supply, far less than many injectable GLP-1 treatments that can run uninsured patients hundreds of dollars each month.

The company has argued that pills may be easier for insurers to cover than injections, potentially broadening access for people who have avoided shots or encountered insurance barriers.

Investors responded quickly to the announcement, pushing Novo Nordisk shares up more than 9% in after-hours trading on news of the approval and the company’s first-mover advantage in oral obesity treatment.

The manufacturer said it plans to roll out the Wegovy pill in the United States in early January and has already submitted the medication for regulatory review in Europe and other regions.

The approval arrives as competitors move closer to the same space. Eli Lilly and Company is developing its own once-daily oral weight-loss drug, orforglipron, which has delivered double-digit percentage weight loss at higher doses in late-stage trials and met key study goals. The company is expected to seek FDA clearance next year, setting up a head-to-head race in what analysts see as a future multi-billion-dollar global market.

Like other semaglutide-based products, the Wegovy pill carries warnings about gastrointestinal side effects and includes a boxed warning tied to thyroid tumors observed in animal studies.

{Matzav.com}

A small Mexican Navy plane transporting a young medical patient and seven others crashed Monday near Galveston, killing at least five people and setting off a search in waters along the Texas coast, officials said. Four of the people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child, Mexico’s Navy said in a […]

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Tuesday morning that security officials intend to establish small Jewish pioneer groups in the northern Gaza Strip and restore IDF bases that were evacuated from the northern Shomron to their original locations. Speaking at a ceremony in Beit El, Katz said, “The State of Israel is once again expressing, […]

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The Powerball jackpot has jumped to an eye-popping $1.7 billion, after the 46th drawing passed without a big winner. The numbers drawn Monday night were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54 and the Powerball 7. Since Sept. 6, there have been 46 straight drawings without a big winner. The next drawing will be Christmas Eve on […]

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Former Jerusalem mayor and ba’al chessed Rabbi Uri Lupolianski is hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. Lupolianski, 74, was admitted in serious condition due to acute pneumonia and breathing difficulties. He previously was ill with cancer and recovered. Lupolianski founded and chaired the renowned Yad Sarah organization, the largest national volunteer organization in […]

Israeli security officials are expressing growing concern over Chinese involvement in Iran’s efforts to rehabilitate its military systems following the extensive damage inflicted by Israel during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025. Just a month after the operation concluded, Israeli media outlets reported that China was helping Iran restore its military capabilities, with a focus […]

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The IDF announced on Tuesday that its forces carried out an airstrike, eliminating three Hezbollah terrorists involved in planning attacks against Israeli troops and in efforts to rebuild terror infrastructure in the Sidon region of southern Lebanon. One of the terrorists was simultaneously serving in the Lebanese Army’s intelligence unit. Another terrorist was responsible for […]

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

The Rishonim argue whether going from one town to another town, and thereby having differences in the way the letters are written, constitutes a psul. The Rosh in 3:11, the Shiltei Giborim in Hilchos Sefer Torah 3, and the Meiri in Shabbos 104a all conclude that there is no chashash in switching the form of the letters. On the other hand, the Ramban in Meseches Shabbos writes that all the letters have special reasons for why they are formed the way they are, and therefore changing them would render them pasul.

The question then arises: if one has the masoreh to use ksav Bais Yosef, can he be yotzei with tefillin or a Sefer Torah written in ksav Ari or ksav Velish, which is the ksav of the Sefardim? And what about the opposite case? The Rema in 36:1 says that changing the ksav is not a problem; nevertheless, there is a great inyan to be chosheish for the Ramban.

On one end, we find in the name of the Gra that since the mesorah of Ashkenaz is not to use ksav Ari, this should be maintained. We see that the Chazon Ish was very makpid not to use Ari ksav and felt that it would be le’ikuva. The Steipler, in Kraina De’Igrasa 2:78, writes that one should not believe the rumors claiming that the Chazon Ish later regretted this position.

On the other hand, the Maharsham in Mafteichos 2:120 writes that the Sefer Torah of the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh was written in ksav Velish. The Chasam Sofer in Yoreh Deah 66 testifies that his rebbe, Rabbi Nosson Adler, had tefillin in which the letter tzaddik was written in ksav Ari. The Mishna Berura in 66:5 brings the Noda BiYehuda (80), who explains that whenever the Ramban was machmir, it applied only to letters rooted in the Gemara, and not to letters rooted in the Bais Yosef. The Ari himself held that all forms of ksav have valid sources.

LeMaaseh, despite the fact that many quote Rav Shach zt”l as having advised a grandchild of the Chasam Sofer that he did not need to switch his tefillin to ksav Bais Yosef, Reb Elyashiv zt”l held to the contrary. He maintained that if a person does most of his avoda in the Litvishe way, he would need to switch his tefillin to ksav Bais Yosef. The Mesoras Moshe relates a story in which someone brought Reb Moshe Feinstein to examine a letter in his tefillin. Reb Moshe said the letter itself was not a problem, but that the greatest hiddur would be for the person to switch all of his parshiyos to Bais Yosef.

Reb Chaim Kanievsky said that this applies only to tefillin or mezuzos. However, if one listens to krias HaTorah from a Sefer Torah written in ksav Ari, one is yotzei, even though lekatchila the Sefer Torah should be written in ksav Bais Yosef. Reb Chaim added that even the Chazon Ish held that one could be yotzei krias HaTorah and could even make a bracha on an Aliyah. His reasoning was that, according to the Rambam, one may make a bracha on a Sefer Torah that is pasul, and therefore it would not be a Bracha Levatala. The Brisker Rov, who held that lekatchilah one should use ksav Bais Yosef, would nonetheless be yotzei from a Sefer Torah written in ksav Ari when he was on vacation in Kreinitz before the Holocaust, and he would even take an Aliyah.

May we always be careful that what we read from is done kehalacha.

{Matzav.com}

Marvelous insights on the Torah, written in the holy handwriting of Rabbi Moshe Sofer, Av Beis Din and Rosh Yeshiva of Pressburg, the holy Chasam Sofer.

Two nationally infamous political figures will take part in the inauguration of New York City’s next mayor when Zohran Mamdani formally assumes office.

According to plans released by the transition team, Bernie Sanders will preside over a celebratory, ceremonial oath during a New Year’s Day block party, while Letitia James will administer the official oath at midnight, the moment Mamdani’s term legally begins.

The transition announcement said Sanders’ “unapologetic progressive values inspired Zohran to run for office in the first place,” underscoring the ideological ties between the mayor-elect and the Vermont senator.

“It is an honor to be sworn in by two leaders I have admired for years: Attorney General Tish James and Senator Bernie Sanders. Attorney General James has taken on powerful interests in her defense of New Yorkers and embodied the principle of equal justice before the law,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“Senator Bernie Sanders laid the foundations for our movement with his steadfast commitment to the dignity of working people and his belief in a government that serves the many, not just the few. I can think of no better leaders to help usher in a new era for New York City,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani secured victory in last month’s election after defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, positioning him to take office on Jan. 1 as mayor of New York City. He also becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor. During the campaign, Mamdani frequently appeared alongside Sanders, drawing energy from the same progressive base that fueled the senator’s two presidential runs.

James emerged as one of Mamdani’s highest-profile supporters in a political landscape where many leading Democrats were cautious about embracing the progressive challenger. Because the Democratic primary used ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to rank up to five candidates, James publicly disclosed that she placed Mamdani third on her ballot. She later joined him at an October rally shortly after she was indicted on mortgage-related fraud charges, a case that was subsequently dismissed by a federal judge.

“He is a leader fighting for a better future for this city, and he, like me, knows what it’s like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed,” James said at the time.

{Matzav.com}

The head of the U.S. Department of Transportation threatened Monday to withhold $24 million in federal funding from the state of Colorado for what he described as a slow response to a major violation of federal commercial driver’s license regulations. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to a nationwide audit conducted in October that found about […]

With Washington escalating its pressure campaign on Caracas, President Donald Trump suggested Monday that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro should consider stepping aside, even as Moscow publicly lined up behind the embattled government.

Speaking to reporters at his Florida residence, Trump was asked whether the administration’s warnings and military moves were meant to push Maduro out after more than a decade in power. “That’s up to him, what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that,” Trump said.

He followed with a sharper note of caution, adding: “If he wants to do something — if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”

The comments came as U.S. naval forces enforced a blockade targeting Venezuelan oil shipments, a move Trump announced last week against what he described as “sanctioned oil vessels” traveling to and from the country.

Russia, one of Caracas’ closest allies, responded by voicing firm backing for Maduro’s government, even as the crisis moved onto the agenda of the United Nations. Moscow’s statement was issued ahead of a UN Security Council meeting requested by Venezuela, with support from Russia and China, to address what Caracas calls escalating U.S. aggression.

In a phone conversation between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Washington’s recent actions — including strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats and the seizure of oil tankers — were sharply criticized. A U.S. official told AFP on Sunday that American forces were pursuing a third vessel.

“The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping,” Russia’s foreign ministry said. It added that Moscow had reiterated “its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context.”

According to U.S. officials, naval strikes against boats alleged to be involved in narcotics trafficking have been underway since September under Trump’s orders, targeting vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The operations have reportedly resulted in more than 100 deaths, with families and some governments saying fishermen were among those killed.

Trump has repeatedly argued that Venezuela’s oil revenues are fueling criminal activity, accusing the Maduro government of financing “drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.” He has also claimed Venezuela took “all of our oil” — a reference to the nationalization of its petroleum industry — saying “we want it back.”

Caracas has rejected those accusations, insisting Washington is pursuing regime change and branding the naval actions “international piracy.”

Russian officials said their foreign minister and his Venezuelan counterpart agreed to “coordinate their actions on the international stage, particularly at the UN.” In a Telegram post, Venezuela’s foreign minister said the two discussed “the aggressions and flagrant violations of international law being perpetrated in the Caribbean: attacks on vessels, extrajudicial executions, and illicit acts of piracy carried out by the United States government.” He added that Moscow had pledged its “full support in the face of hostilities against our country.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed Russia’s stance last week, saying Washington was “not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela” because “they have their hands full in Ukraine.”

Relations between Washington and Moscow have grown more strained in recent weeks, with Trump expressing frustration over the lack of progress toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Adding to the diplomatic pushback, Venezuela’s foreign minister read a letter from Maduro on state television Monday addressed to UN member states, warning that the U.S. blockade “will affect the supply of oil and energy” worldwide.

{Matzav.com}