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Israel has taken a decisive step toward launching construction of the long-disputed E1 settlement project east of Yerushalayim, clearing the final procedural barrier with the release of a government tender inviting developers to submit bids.

The tender, posted on the website of the Israel Land Authority, calls for proposals to build 3,401 housing units, a move that would allow work on the project to proceed once contracts are awarded. According to critics, the publication of the tender signals a sharp acceleration toward actual construction.

Peace Now, the anti-settlement monitoring organization, was the first to report the tender’s release. Yoni Mizrahi, who heads the group’s settlement watch division, said that preliminary construction activity could begin as soon as within the next month.

“In an alarming display of political recklessness, the Israeli government continues to undermine any prospect for a political solution and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Peace Now said in a Monday statement. “Construction in E1 is intended to create irreversible facts on the ground leading to a one-state reality.”

The E1 area, an open stretch of land east of Yerushalayim near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, has been the subject of planning discussions for more than 20 years. Despite repeated consideration, development was repeatedly frozen in the past under pressure from the United States during earlier administrations.

The project has drawn particularly intense opposition because of its geographic significance. The planned construction would extend from the outskirts of Yerushalayim into the heart of the West Bank, a configuration critics argue would sever the territory into northern and southern sections and block the formation of a contiguous Palestinian state.

Palestinians and much of the international community regard Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and maintain that continued expansion undermines the prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank.

Plans for a new neighborhood linked to Ma’ale Adumim in the E1 zone have long alarmed foreign governments and international bodies. Opponents say such development would prevent the emergence of a Palestinian urban corridor connecting East Yerushalayim with Bethlehem and Ramallah, an area Palestinians envision as central to a future state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement policy and is a leading proponent of expansion, has for years pressed for E1 to move from planning to reality.

“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,” he said in August, when Israel granted final approval to the plan. “Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.”

Peace Now said the tender’s release “reflects an accelerated effort to advance construction in E1,” warning that once the bidding process is complete, stopping the project would require direct political intervention.

In his role as a minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for civilian affairs in the West Bank, Smotrich has pushed through extensive settlement planning, large-scale land appropriations for new construction and infrastructure, and the retroactive legalization of outposts that were previously considered illegal under Israeli law.

Smotrich has openly stated that these policies, including the E1 project, are intended to effectively annex the territory and block the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Tenders are typically issued only after all planning and regulatory approvals have been secured. As a result, unless there is a political decision to halt the process, construction is expected to proceed once contracts are awarded, a process that generally takes between one and two years.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed members of Congress this week that President Donald Trump is pursuing the idea of acquiring Greenland through a financial deal rather than by force, reviving a proposal that has drawn strong objections from European governments and reignited discussion about American priorities in the Arctic.

According to U.S. officials, Rubio shared those views during a private briefing with lawmakers from the armed services and foreign affairs panels in both the House and Senate.

Although the session was largely devoted to developments in Venezuela, questions turned to Greenland following recent public remarks by Trump and comments from senior adviser Stephen Miller that renewed attention on the issue.

Officials said that on the same day as the Capitol Hill briefing, Trump directed his aides to prepare an updated proposal outlining potential avenues for obtaining Greenland. The president has spoken about Greenland since his first term, presenting the matter as a strategic concern linked to intensifying competition in the Arctic region.

Greenland, while under the sovereignty of Denmark—a NATO ally—has significant autonomy over its internal affairs and is known for its sparse population and vast natural resources. Rubio did not provide details on what a purchase might involve or confirm whether any official discussions with Denmark have taken place.

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen joined the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland in issuing a coordinated statement dismissing Trump’s claims that the United States should assume control over Greenland.

The joint declaration stressed the importance of NATO cooperation and the protection of national borders and sovereignty.

“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” the leaders said. “These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”

“Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement added. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

Later that same day, the White House indicated that military action had not been taken off the table.

“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” the statement said. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.” While both Russia and China have increased their activity in the Arctic, the United States already has a longstanding military footprint on the island, including Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, which Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited last year.

U.S. officials have also highlighted Greenland’s possible deposits of critical minerals as a key factor in the administration’s interest.

The administration’s National Security Strategy places dominance in the Western Hemisphere at the forefront of U.S. priorities, a theme reflected in recent American military actions in Venezuela and earlier comments by Trump suggesting that Canada could become the 51st state.

{Matzav.com}

Former Jerusalem mayor and ba’al chessed Rabbi Uri Lupolianski is currently in critical condition after being hospitalized about two weeks ago at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. His family and Yad Sarah released a statement saying, “Rav Uri Lupolianski is in critical condition and needs our tefillos. The name for tefillah is Uri ben […]

Diplomatic channels indicate that understandings are taking shape over a future role for Palestinian Authority security forces at the Rafah crossing, with plans focusing on restoring traffic between the Gaza Strip and Egypt once the crossing reopens.

In preparation for post-conflict arrangements, Egypt has over the past year trained hundreds of officers from the Palestinian Authority’s security services. Cairo is seeking to position these forces as part of a future security deployment inside Gaza.

Addressing internal governance issues, Palestinian Authority cabinet head Mohammad Mustafa said punitive financial steps taken by Israel, including the withholding of tax revenues, would not derail the government’s ability to continue supplying basic services to Gaza’s population.

Mustafa, speaking at the weekly PA cabinet session in Ramallah, underscored the administration’s broader political goals, declaring, “The government will take all necessary steps to establish a sovereign Palestinian state.”

At the same meeting, he framed the current reform drive as an effort to consolidate Palestinian governance structures across territories, saying, “The government is determined to unify Palestinian institutions in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip, and to address the economic and security challenges despite the constraints imposed by the occupation.”

Officials say the reform agenda is being advanced in line with directives from PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and is closely tied to U.S. expectations, as Washington presses for changes that would enable the Palestinian Authority to be incorporated into any future governing framework for Gaza following the conflict.

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement Wednesday morning following the tragic petirah of a yeshiva bochur who was R”L killed during disturbances in Jerusalem, an incident that has sent shockwaves through the Torah world. “I feel deep pain over the death of the dear Yeshiva student, Yosef Eisenthal, of blessed memory, who was struck […]

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New details emerged on Wednesday about the ramming incident that occurred last night during a Chareidi demonstration in Jerusalem, in which Yosef Eisenthal, z’l, 14, was killed. Footage shows dozens of Chareidi youth surrounding the bus and preventing the driver from moving, including banging on his windshield. The bus driver called the police to report […]

The killing of a Chareidi boy, Yosef Eisenthal, z’l, who was run over by an Arab bus driver during a protest against the Chareidi draft law on Tuesday evening, was met with shock and consternation. Shas chairman, MK Aryeh Deri, spoke on Tuesday evening with the Police Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Danny Levy, and demanded “to […]

The levayah of habochur Yosef Eisenthal z”l, the 14-year-old boy who was killed Tuesday night after being struck by a bus during a protest against the draft law in Yerushalayim, is scheduled to take place Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m.

The levayah will depart from the Ohel Torah Beis Medrash in the Ramot Daled neighborhood of Yerushalayim, where the bochur learned. Kevurah will be held on Har Hamenuchos.

Yosef was the only son of Rav Shmuel Eisenthal, R”M at Yeshiva L’tzeirim Ohel Torah-Ponevezh in Ramot and a grandson of Rav Uriel Eisenthal, rov of Ramot Gimmel. He leaves behind three sisters.

The fatal incident occurred during demonstrations against the proposed draft legislation, when a bus driver ran over Yosef, leading to his death at the scene.

Images and video from the scene circulated widely overnight, documenting the unfolding tragedy.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a statement shortly after midnight, expressing deep sorrow over the boy’s death. “My heart bleeds following the killing of the boy Yosef Eisenthal z”l, age 14, this evening, as a result of a bus ramming in Yerushalayim. I share in the family’s profound grief at this extremely difficult time,” he said.

Ben Gvir added that the investigation would be thorough. “This is a serious incident that must be investigated in a deep and comprehensive manner. The police have updated me that all investigative directions regarding the event are being examined, and that the matter is being treated with the utmost severity.”

Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri spoke Tuesday night with Police Commissioner Danny Levy, demanding decisive action. Deri called on the police “to act with full determination in order to reach the truth and to bring the bus driver to justice.”

Police Commissioner Levy told Deri during their conversation that “the driver was immediately arrested and transferred for interrogation, and the police are treating the incident with the full severity of the law.”

Strong reactions were also voiced within United Torah Judaism. Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni said the incident was “shocking to the depths of the soul,” adding, “We demand that the driver be put on trial and punished to the fullest extent of the law. It is impossible to move on from such a horrific act of killing.”

United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf said he received the reports with shock. “My heart is with the family of the boy at this difficult time, and I send wishes for a speedy recovery and complete healing to the other injured victims,” he said. Goldknopf called on police and law-enforcement authorities “to exhaust the full severity of the law against the driver and to examine all investigative avenues to ensure justice is done.”

Condemnations also came from the opposition. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman said, “There is no normal scenario in which a 13-year-old child does not return home healthy and alive. This is simply unimaginable.” He added that the incident reflected “a failure by the police,” and urged authorities to restore order and swiftly complete the investigation.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett described the footage from Yerushalayim as heartbreaking. “The tragic documentation shakes you to the core. This reality is deeply unsettling. This is not how our country should look. We are one people,” Bennett said, calling on police to fully exhaust the investigation and ensure such incidents do not recur.

Meanwhile, police continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal ramming, with investigators reviewing video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the driver’s version of events.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Tuesday that the United States will receive a massive shipment of Venezuelan oil, announcing an agreement under which the South American country will sell tens of millions of barrels at prevailing market rates, with Washington retaining authority over how the revenue is used.

According to Trump, the deal involves a transfer of between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil, which he said will be delivered directly to the United States. He made clear that the proceeds from the sale will not be freely handled by Venezuelan authorities.

“I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added that the oil will be sold without discounts or premiums and that the resulting funds will be placed under his supervision.

“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump wrote.

Trump said he has already instructed his administration to move forward with the arrangement without delay.

“I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”

The president also explained that the oil will be transported straight to American ports using storage vessels, streamlining the delivery process.

Trump’s announcement comes in the aftermath of the January 3 military operation that removed and captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Since that operation, the president has repeatedly said he wants to see a broader American energy presence in Venezuela, including increased involvement by U.S. oil companies and expanded production in the country’s vast oil fields.

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of the fatal ramming during a chareidi draft protest in Yerushalayim, Shas spokesman Asher Medina delivered a forceful and unequivocal response in an interview on Kikar FM, describing the incident as a defining moment in relations between the chareidi public and the state.

Appearing on the program amid the unfolding shock, Medina said the evening marked an unprecedented rupture. “This is an extremely difficult night,” he said. “It can be marked as a red line, perhaps even a watershed moment in relations between the chareidi public and the state. We’ve been through countless difficult demonstrations in recent years — judicial reform, war, hostages — but a line like this has never been crossed. A young man goes out to a protest and doesn’t come home.”

Medina pointed to disturbing footage from the scene, saying it raises fundamental questions about how such an event could occur. “You see a bus driving wildly into a crowd. You ask yourself, who can allow himself to do such a thing? Who feels that this is permitted?”

According to Medina, the prevailing feeling within the chareidi community is one of abandonment and exposure. “There is a very harsh sense that our blood has been made ownerless. The chareidi public has become a punching bag. Every politician who wants to score points allows himself to impose another sanction, another decree, another blow — and then a situation is created where everything is allowed.”

While stressing that he was not drawing investigative conclusions, Medina made clear that Shas is demanding a comprehensive and uncompromising probe. “Shas chairman Aryeh Deri spoke just minutes ago with the police commissioner and demanded that the incident be investigated to the end, without a cover-up and without shortcuts. The driver was arrested, and the police committed to treating the event with the full severity of the law.”

At the same time, Medina said focusing solely on the driver misses the broader issue. “There is something here beyond technical details. It’s the atmosphere. It’s the incitement. If this had happened at another demonstration, in another place, the country would have been shaking. We would be hearing shocking condemnations from every direction. Here, somehow everything passes under the radar.”

Medina rejected claims that Shas or the wider chareidi leadership have remained silent. “The statement issued by Shas was on behalf of the entire faction, and it was not generic. It stated clearly — chareidi blood is not ownerless. Shas was the first to issue a sharp statement, and it was the one that set the condemnation in motion.”

He argued that criticism directed at chareidi leadership fails to address the real source of the problem. “This is not a spirit coming from within the chareidi public. The toxic wind is blowing from above — from politicians who incite, who talk about stripping rights, who portray the chareidi public as an enemy. In the end, it seeps into the street, and then you see scenes like this.”

Medina added that the immediate focus should not be internal recriminations. “There is a family that lost a son. Parents who were never meant to bury a child. This is a night of mourning and shock. Later, we will need to conduct a national reckoning — but first of all, to understand that a red line has been crossed.”

He concluded the interview with a call for unity across the chareidi spectrum in the face of what he described as a broad assault. “When chareidim are attacked — all of us are attacked. Not Shas, not Degel, not chassidim and not Litvaks. This is one front, and that must be the response.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Dan Goldman has formally launched his campaign for re-election to the U.S. House, where he represents New York’s 10th District.

i24NEWS reports that President Trump has given Israel the green light to launch a broader military operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with the final decision now in the hands of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Stephen A. Smith: We should not be complaining about the fact that Nicolas Maduro is captured.

Watters: Is that how it works now? Whoever gets there first gets to keep it? So I guess Russia gets to keep Ukraine.

Rep. Steve Cohen says Pres. Trump should be “wiped out” and compares J6 to 9/11, Pearl Harbor, and JFK’s assassination.

AG. Pam Bondi on the arrest of Maduro: “This isn’t just a drug dealer. He’s a monster. He’s a narcoterrorist… they supplied these drug dealers with machine guns, with grenades, with everything to further their cocaine conspiracy and what they were doing around our country.”

A wave of relief and anticipation swept through the campus of Chevron Yeshiva on Tuesday following confirmation that a yeshiva bochur who had been held in a military prison is scheduled to be released Wednesday morning and return directly to the yeshiva.

The talmid, Yehuda ben Amram, is expected to regain his freedom in the early hours of the day after an early release was secured through sustained efforts by the yeshiva’s senior leadership.

Those involved said the matter was pursued intensively through official channels until the detention was brought to an end.

News of the impending release was met with visible excitement across the Givat Mordechai campus, where preparations are already underway for a large and celebratory reception to welcome the talmid back. Rabbonim of the yeshiva, alumni, and hundreds of current talmidim are expected to take part.

Organizers say the homecoming will be marked by singing and dancing as Yehuda ben Amram returns to the bais medrash and resumes his place among his fellow talmidim.

{Matzav.com}