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New York City mayoral hopefuls Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa faced off Thursday night at Rockefeller Center in a heated debate that quickly turned toward the Israel–Hamas conflict.

When the topic came up, Mamdani was pressed on his stance toward Hamas and whether he believes the terror group should surrender its weapons.
“Of course I believe they should lay down their arms… a ceasefire means ceasing fire,” Mamdani said.

He continued by saying that such an action was crucial for ending what he described as the “genocide” in Gaza and for allowing more humanitarian relief to reach civilians there.

Cuomo immediately fired back, accusing Mamdani of refusing to clearly denounce Hamas.
“The assemblyman just said in his response, ‘Well, it depends on occupation,'” Cuomo said.
“That is cold, meaning that Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state, which he has never acknowledged. That is, from the river to the sea. That’s why he won’t denounce globalize the intifada, which means to kill all Jews,” added the former New York Governor.

Mamdani countered by attacking Cuomo personally, claiming the ex-governor had volunteered to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team at the International Court “during the course of this genocide.”

The confrontation came just a day after Mamdani had sidestepped similar questions in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, where he avoided directly saying whether Hamas should disarm or leave power in Gaza.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all, and as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future that we have to fight for,” Mamdani said.

When asked again if he thought Hamas should surrender its weapons and relinquish control, he responded, “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”

In that same interview, Mamdani repeated a controversial statement he’s made before — promising that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters New York City, he would “exhaust every legal option” to arrest him.
“I’ve said that this is a city that believes [in] international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs,” he said.

When challenged on the fact that the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, which issued the warrant for Netanyahu, Mamdani replied, “The Criminal Court, however, has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, as it has for Vladimir Putin. I’ve said that I believe that we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court and that we would… do so only in abiding with all of the laws in front of us.”

Mamdani’s stance on Israel has drawn heavy criticism from across the political spectrum. He has refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada” and was outspoken against Israel just one day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in southern Israel.

He also announced recently that he would no longer use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, a move that angered many Jewish leaders.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza — a position that has only fueled more controversy as the mayoral race continues.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Editor, As an Orthodox Jewish Woman, a mother of 8, a grandmother of 4 and a professional, who shops, cooks, serves and cleans up on and for Yom Tov, I take extreme offense at the excessive amount of Simchas Bais Hashoevas with full videos that are featured on YWN. I, and my fellow frum women, am not invited to any of these events with their pseudo famous singers and lavish buffets. I am not even remotely represented at any of the pre or mid Yom Tov festivities, nor is any thought given to the women and our integral role in bringing in the Yom Tov and running the whole operation. Tznius is not only (if at all) about elbows and knees. Showing off events that are exclusive and not at all inclusive all day, every day, without end is insulting – to say the least. We’re at home feeding the family, putting the kids to bed and planning the next 55 meals! Be respectful and thank us, include us, show us and the next generation that the beauty of Yiddishkeit is for all to enjoy! Esther Miller. The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review. 

Recently, there has been discussion among some Jews that since Zohran Mamdani is a frontrunner for the mayoral election, perhaps we should work with him. Some feel that he won’t be so bad and that his extreme views and rhetoric against Israel will not impact New York Jews. Is there a historical precedent that can predict where Mamdani’s election may lead? The answer is yes – in the city of Vienna. Vienna of 1900 and New York City in 2025 share several similarities. Both Vienna’s population then and New York’s now is approximately 10% Jewish, both with thriving frum populations. In 1900, Jews had lived in Vienna for generations, just as they do in New York City today. In Vienna, Jews had achieved significant roles in finance and politics, as they do in New York today. Yet, all it took was one mayor to change things completely for Vienna’s Jews. Karl Lueger, a vicious antisemite, was elected mayor of Vienna five times, serving from 1897 to 1910. His antisemitic views were so extreme that the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph refused to support him. Ultimately, after Lueger’s fifth reelection, the Emperor conceded and offered his support. With Lueger in power, it became socially acceptable to be an antisemite. He would give speeches, blaming the Jews for Vienna’s financial problems, rousing crowds with his antisemitic fervor. He normalized antisemitism and successfully poisoned the minds of Vienna’s population against the Jews, which explains why Austria has one of the lowest rates of gentiles protecting Jews during the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler, y” sh, credited Lueger as someone who helped shape his views on Jews, and he wrote in Mein Kampf that he became an antisemite in Vienna. Lueger was not Hitler. But he created an environment in Vienna where antisemitism was socially acceptable, and violence against Jews was the inevitable outcome. What does this have to do with Mamdani? Zohran Mamdani is heading in the same direction. His anti-Israel statements will affect New York Jews by poisoning the well of public opinion against Jews through his criticism of Israel and its supporters. He openly supports Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical New York-based pro-Palestinian organization, which openly equates Jews in New York and Jews in Israel. On WOL’s website, they recommend chants at protests like “Occupation is a crime, From New York to Palestine!” Or “From New York to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada!” These statements can reasonably be interpreted as a call to violence against Jews in New York. WOL also posted maps online revealing locations of Jewish organizations in New York, stating “they have blood on their hands,” by their natural association with the “genocidal” Israel. This is a direct threat to New York Jews. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. During his college years, Mamdani co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). This organization is infamous for its intimidation of Jewish students, and it is so damaging that it faces bans on multiple campuses. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. Antisemites don’t differentiate between anti-Zionist and Zionist Jews, chareidi or secular. We have already seen this in Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal, and London. Once antisemites are attacking, all Jews are the same to them. Ultimately, our yeshua comes from Hashem. Yet, recognizing the danger that Mamdani and his views pose […]

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the renowned gaon Rav Menachem Aryeh Schlesinger zt”l, author of Ayil HaMeshulash series of seforim.

Rav Schlesinger, who served as the rov of the Chanichei HaYeshivos kehillah in Kiryas Yismach Moshe in Ganei Tikvah, passed away on the morning of Simchas Torah following a brief illness. He was 78.

The levayah took place on Motzaei Simchas Torah beginning on Rechov HaTavor in Ganei Tikvah near Talmud Torah Meshivas Nefesh, proceeding to the Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikvah for kevurah.

Rav Schlesinger was born on 27 Nissan 5707 (1947) to Rav Chaim Yosef Schlesinger and his wife, Sarah. Over the decades, he became well-known in the Torah world for his clarity and depth in halacha and his seforim, which are studied widely across batei medrash.

His Ayil HaMeshulash series—covering topics such as the laws of borer and other areas of Shabbos—draws heavily on the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah, the Chazon Ish, and other leading poskim. The seforim are valued for their precise analysis, lucid presentation, and extensive sourcing from gedolei hadoros, both past and present. For many talmidei chachamim, these works have become standard reference volumes for clear, reasoned psak halacha.

Among his most well-known contributions is his comprehensive treatment of the halachic issues surrounding opening cans, bottles, bags, and similar items on Shabbos. Rav Schlesinger meticulously examined each product type and the various melachos involved, clarifying when opening is permitted or forbidden, where poskim disagree, and how one should conduct oneself lechatchilah or in extenuating circumstances.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. The vote failed on a 51-45 tally, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate’s filibuster rules. The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed. “As we are positioning as two sides that are seemingly dug in on this 16th day of a shutdown, real people are wondering is their government going to be there for them?” said GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The shutdown is on track to surpass the 16-day closure in 2013, which was also a debate over the Affordable Care Act. The longest shutdown ended in 2019, after 35 days. While the military was paid this week, it’s unclear how long that will last. The White House budget office told Congress that it cost $6.5 billion to cover this one pay period. The next one is two weeks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn’t worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government. “The Democratic Party is the party that will not take yes for an answer,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said in an angry speech on the Senate floor. He had also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.” Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations. “The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem ready to let people’s premiums spike,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. Meanwhile, Thune tried a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — daring Democrats to vote against funding legislation for the Department of Defense. They also voted that down. A deadline for subsidies on health plans Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short. When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President […]

Israel is holding firm on its decision to bar a Turkish team of 81 rescue workers and their heavy machinery from entering Gaza until Hamas returns all the bodies of deceased hostages it is able to, a senior Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

“There is a group of hostages’ bodies that Hamas can return right now. Another group they know the location of, but they need equipment and assistance to retrieve them. And there are some bodies they genuinely do not know where they are,” another source explained.

“We know for certain that Hamas can easily release a significant number of hostages in accordance with the agreement. What they are doing now is a fundamental violation of that agreement,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened his top security team to evaluate Hamas’s ongoing refusal to hand over the remains of Israeli soldiers and to discuss how to proceed with the next stage of the Trump peace framework.

“I know exactly how many killed soldiers Hamas is holding, and if we do not receive them, Israel will know how to act accordingly,” Netanyahu declared.

Following that meeting, Netanyahu held a phone conversation with President Trump.

Israeli officials are reportedly giving the U.S. administration additional time to pressure international mediators, who in turn are expected to press Hamas to fulfill its commitments before Jerusalem escalates its response.

Mediators have argued that specialized equipment and rescue experts are needed to recover some of the bodies. “Some bodies are buried deep underground; others are near unexploded bombs, Hamas cannot retrieve those remains from such places,” said one individual involved in the negotiations.

“We agree with Israel that Hamas knows where some of the buried hostages are, but it simply cannot reach them without assistance,” another mediation source added.

Despite Israel’s insistence that discussions about Phase Two of the Trump plan will not move forward until every hostage is returned, Washington and other foreign governments are continuing talks on the matter.

According to two sources familiar with the situation, senior officials from the United States, Europe, and the Arab world are slated to convene in Egypt in the coming days to deliberate on the next steps.

“There must not be a vacuum that allows Hamas to grow stronger,” Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post.

{Matzav.com}

The chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth of Likud, announced Thursday that he has presented an updated outline regarding the chareidi draft issue to the committee’s legal advisor.

“Based on this document, a draft law will be formulated in the coming days to guide the committee in continuing the legislative process to regulate the issue of military conscription,” Bismuth’s office stated.

According to a report by KAN News, the proposal outlines a framework under which half of the chareidi draft-age population would be enlisted within five years. The age of exemption would be set at 26, and reductions to yeshiva budgets would only take effect after one year.

The plan also includes a gradual implementation of personal sanctions for those who fail to enlist, to be introduced over a two-year period — and only if the draft goals are not achieved.

Bismuth expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu “for his full support throughout the process.”

He also extended thanks to former MK Ariel Atias of Shas “for his cooperation and significant involvement” in shaping the proposal.

Both chareidi parties — Shas and United Torah Judaism — withdrew from the coalition in July following a breakdown in negotiations over the draft law.

Sources close to Shas leader Arye Deri told KAN News that even presenting the principles of the new proposal could be sufficient grounds for the party to return to the coalition when the Knesset reconvenes for its winter session.

The Knesset is set to return next week after its summer recess. While no legislation is passed during the break, committees continue to meet to prepare bills for future discussion.

Following the departure of the chareidi factions from the coalition, Yuli Edelstein was removed from his position as committee chair and replaced by Bismuth, who has since been leading deliberations on advancing the legislation.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid harshly criticized the proposed outline, accusing Bismuth and Netanyahu of putting politics above principle. He said the plan sends a message to IDF soldiers that “all that matters to Bismuth and Netanyahu is politics and appeasing the draft dodgers.”

Lapid added, “on this very day, the national memorial day for October 7, they’re trying in the shadows to push through a draft-dodging law, stitched together between the ultra-Orthodox MKs and Likud.”

Israel Hofsheet CEO Uri Keidar likewise condemned the move, claiming that “Bismuth is trying to fast-track the evasion legislation for which he was appointed.”

{Matzav.com}

Some of the Hamas operatives who guarded Israeli hostages in Gaza were not hardened militants but teachers, doctors, and university professors who had been radicalized, according to a former captive who spent nearly 500 days underground in Hamas tunnels. In a chilling account following this week’s latest hostage release, Tal Shoham, one of the Israelis freed in February, said his experience exposed how deeply Hamas’ ideology had penetrated Gaza’s civilian society. “One of the guards was a first-grade teacher, another was a lecturer at a university, and another was a doctor,” Shoham told The Times of Israel. “These are normal people becoming terrorists.” Shoham described a chaotic and fractured command structure within Hamas, where guards alternated between fanatical cruelty and flashes of compassion. “There was no real order,” he said. “Some wanted to hurt everyone. Others tried to treat us well. It depended on who was on duty.” He recalled one horrific incident in which a Hamas operative shot a Palestinian man in the knees because he “looked suspicious.” When medics arrived, the man was executed on the spot. “They decided he should die,” Shoham said. Moments of decency were rare. Once, a guard smuggled him extra food and a note from his wife. “That was the only human act I saw in 500 days,” Shoham said. While Hamas presents itself as an Islamist resistance movement, Shoham said many of its members appeared motivated by power and survival rather than religion. “Most weren’t religious,” he said. “They joined because it was the popular thing to do.” Israeli officials estimate that more than 20,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the war began, yet the group continues to replenish its ranks — a fact U.S. analysts attribute to the desperation and devastation in Gaza. Hamas, they warn, has been recruiting civilians with promises of food, money, and revenge. Shoham said he personally witnessed Hamas operatives looting humanitarian aid shipments meant for civilians. “I saw with my own eyes that they stole boxes and boxes and boxes of aid from Egypt, Turkey, the Emirates,” he said. “But they didn’t give us any food in the tunnels. They celebrated it like a victory.” His account paints a stark picture of a society where Hamas’ reach extends beyond its military wing — turning classrooms, hospitals, and universities into potential breeding grounds for extremism. “Hamas isn’t just an army,” Shoham said. “It’s an idea that’s infected a generation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, hurt by drops for midsized banks as worries flare about the loans they’ve made. The S&P 500 slid 0.6% in its latest up-and-down day after erasing a morning gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 301 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.5%. Zions Bancorp. tumbled 13.1% after the bank said its profit for the third quarter will take a hit because of a $50 million charge-off related to loans made to a pair of borrowers. Zions said it found “apparent misrepresentations and contractual defaults” by the borrowers and several people who guaranteed the loans, along with “other irregularities.” Another bank, Western Alliance Bancorp, dropped 10.8% after saying it has sued a borrower, alleging fraud. It also said it’s standing by its financial forecasts given for 2025. Scrutiny is rising on the quality of loans that banks and other lenders have broadly made following last month’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing of First Brands Group, a supplier of aftermarket auto parts. The question is whether the hiccups are just a collection of one-offs or a signal of something larger threatening the industry. Thursday’s swings on Wall Street, where the Dow bounced from an early gain of 169 points to an afternoon loss of 472, fit the pattern of the week for stocks. They’ve been shaky since the end of last week, when President Donald Trump shattered a monthslong calm in the U.S. stock market by threatening much higher tariffs on China. Thursday’s swoon erased an early morning gain driven by an encouraging signal about the artificial-intelligence boom. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a bigger jump in profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang also said TSMC expects “continued strong demand for our leading-edge process technologies” going into the end of the year. That’s important for the U.S. stock market because TSMC is a critical player in the AI frenzy, making chips for such companies as Nvidia. And Nvidia and other AI stocks have been central to Wall Street’s surge to records this year, even though inflation is still high and the job market is slowing. AI-related stocks have shot so high that critics worry about a possible bubble, like the one that imploded for dot-com stocks in 2000. U.S. companies broadly are under pressure to deliver stronger profits after the S&P 500 surged 35% from a low in April. To justify those gains, which critics say made their stock prices too expensive, companies will need to show they’re making much more in profit and will continue to do so. Travelers dropped 2.9% Thursday even though the insurer reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of forecasts. Hewlett Packard Enterprise fell 10.1% after detailing long-term financial targets that some analysts found underwhelming. They helped overshadow a 4% gain for Salesforce, which unveiled a plan to deliver more than 10% in compounded annual revenue growth in coming years. J.B. Hunt Transport Services trucked 22.1% higher after the freight company breezed past Wall Street’s profit targets in the third quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 41.99 points to 6,629.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 301.07 to 45,952.24, and the Nasdaq composite sank 107.54 to 22,562.54. In the oil market, crude […]

The Israel Defense Forces released a never-before-seen picture on Thursday showing the slain body of Yahya Sinwar, marking one year since IDF soldiers killed the Hamas terrorist mastermind in the Gaza Strip.

The photo shows former IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, former Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk and Gaza Division chief Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram standing near Sinwar’s body on Oct. 17, 2024, a day after he had been killed in southern Gaza.

The image was made public as part of a set of iconic photos taken by IDF photographers during the war, which will be displayed as part of an exhibition at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv starting on Sunday.

“A year since humanity was freed from the master of the flood of evil,” tweeted Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

“Goodness cannot be defeated—and justice, no matter how delayed, will prevail. To hell, and what a miserable fate awaits you, Sinwar,” added the military spokesman.

Sinwar was the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks in Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023, during which around 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were murdered; thousands were wounded; and 251 were kidnapped.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X on Sunday a handwritten letter penned by Sinwar revealing the Oct. 7 massacre “wasn’t chaos, but choreography.”

“Terrorists were ordered to film the slaughter of civilians, soldiers and families—not for documentation, but as a psychological weapon to terrorize Israelis and inspire extremists,” the ministry stated.

“This wasn’t a ‘spontaneous uprising.’ It was a scripted campaign for the destruction of Israel—planned, rehearsed and executed,” the MFA said.

On Oct. 11, The New York Times published further details about the memo, which was found by a special unit of the IDF in May 2025.

The unit found the six-page memo on a computer in a tunnel complex used by Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Yahya, who briefly headed Hamas after his brother’s death before being killed in October 2024.

Sinwar’s document called for Hamas terrorists to target IDF soldiers and civilian communities, as well as to broadcast the violent acts to spread fear among Israelis and destabilize the country, the Times reported.

The Hamas memo ordered Palestinian gunmen to enter civilian towns in Israel and set them on fire “with gasoline or diesel from a tanker.”

It sought maximum shock value, urging fighters to “stomp on the heads of soldiers.” It also ordered “opening fire on soldiers at point-blank range, slaughtering some of them with knives, blowing up tanks.”

The anniversary of Sinwar’s killing on Thursday coincided with Israel’s national day of mourning for the military and civilian victims of Oct. 7.

The Hamas-led massacre was “monstrous in every sense of the word,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in remarks at a state memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers, calling the Oct. 7 attacks a “merciless killing of infants, children, adults, the elderly.”

The leader of the Jewish state added that “if those killers could have done it, they would have slaughtered each and every one of us.”

The IDF’s official death toll since the Oct. 7 attacks stood on Thursday afternoon at 916, while hundreds more Israeli civilians were murdered in the massacre and subsequent attacks. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Julie, the mother of freed hostage Bar Kuperstein, spoke with Army Radio on Thursday about the horrors her son endured during captivity in the Gaza Strip. She described a harrowing ordeal of torture and abuse, including prolonged starvation and repeated beatings. “He sat across from me and told me everything, and I just cried—realizing how strong he is. He came back a hero.” “They went through horrific abuse and torture. They were starved in a terrible way — even animals aren’t treated like that.” She added that Bar told her, “They beat me, but I didn’t feel it—my body was frozen.” She explained that he trained himself to disconnect from the pain. Bar told her that the captors stayed nearby and at certain hours would flash lights to send messages. Bar understood that if food didn’t arrive at those times, he might not eat at all that day. “He told me, ‘Ima, I got used to living with just a little food.’ When your stomach hurts and there’s no food—those are truly unbearable moments.” The mother added that every time a Hamas member was killed or a relative’s house was hit, the captors would react violently: “They would come and beat them mercilessly, torturing them. There were really terrible times. I’d rather not go into details.” She said her son chose to sleep as much as possible as a coping mechanism: “He really slept for hours. That’s what kept him sane.” Despite the harsh conditions, Julie emphasized her son’s spirit of helping others even in captivity: “Bar was always helping people—he’s extremely handy. He fixed the electricity, the latrine, and a water trench. He even created a place in the tunnel where they could sit alone when things got hard.” She said that during his time in captivity, Bar decided to donate the 200 shekels he’d left in his wallet at home, as an act of tzedaka to save his life. Julie also revealed that her family had to hide the fact that Bar had served as a combat soldier in the Nachal Brigade. He told his captors he was an ambulance medic. “He told us it didn’t matter to them whether someone was a soldier or not—they treated everyone horribly.” She said that during captivity, her son drew closer to religion and requested tzitzis when he returned. “I was shocked. He had emunah, he was traditional, but not like this. He saw the Arabs praying and fasting, and thought that if they do that, then he also wants to be close to the Borei Olam.  He recited Shema Yisrael many times, davened, and said a perek Tehillim he knew by heart. He had a dialogue with the Borei Olam.” Watch Bar’s moving reunion with his disabled father: (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions are mounting among key Gulf states that once positioned themselves as stabilizing forces in the Middle East. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — long viewed as the pragmatic wing of the Arab world — have found themselves increasingly sidelined in President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan, even as they publicly back his push to end the war. According to multiple Arab diplomatic sources, the three states support Trump’s peace framework and the disarmament of Hamas, but are deeply frustrated by the growing role of Qatar, their regional rival and a longtime patron of Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood. They fear that Washington’s expanding defense ties with Doha — now a central player in the postwar negotiations — risk undermining efforts to deradicalize Gaza and may allow Hamas to quietly reemerge. “It’s a mistake to rely on Qatar,” a Saudi diplomatic source told Yisrael Hayom. “Excessive Qatari involvement in the next stages of the plan will cause it to collapse. Qatar’s interests are different — it will try to ensure that Hamas remains in the picture.” While wary of Doha’s influence, the moderate Gulf states are expected to contribute heavily to Gaza’s reconstruction, largely in alignment with Israel’s position. They insist that any rebuilding effort must include full disarmament of Hamas and that the Palestinian Authority (PA) can only return to Gaza after sweeping reforms — including new leadership, financial transparency, and a program of de-radicalization in schools and media. Saudi and Emirati officials say they have already begun educational reforms in their own countries, toning down anti-Israel rhetoric in textbooks and state media. “We want to create a generation that knows coexistence,” one Gulf education official said. But the Gulf coalition is also pressing Israel for reciprocal political steps, including a credible path toward a two-state solution. “Normalization with Israel remains on the table,” the Saudi source emphasized, “but it will not happen within months. It’s a long road that requires seeing the agreement implemented in full — including Israel’s commitments to the PA and serious negotiations toward a two-state solution.” The source added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition — which includes several right-wing ministers who oppose Palestinian statehood — must “decide whether they support annexation or a real solution that will eventually bring calm.” While the final hostages’ release has been completed under the U.S.-brokered deal, Israeli and regional officials remain deeply pessimistic about the next phase. Few in Jerusalem believe Hamas will willingly surrender its weapons or relinquish control of Gaza, despite the terms of the Trump peace plan. In recent days, Hamas’s internal violence — including the massacre of a rival clan, public executions of alleged collaborators, and armed parades — has fueled fears that the group is consolidating power, not ceding it. Security sources confirmed that in several areas near IDF-controlled zones, Israeli troops have intervened to prevent Hamas revenge killings. “The reality is that Hamas is not demilitarizing — it’s regrouping,” an Israeli defense official said. “If that continues, it could unravel the entire postwar framework.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands gathered in Yerushalayim for the hakafos shniyos celebration held in the beis medrash of the Gerer rosh yeshiva, Rav Shaul Alter, where an uplifting atmosphere of Simchas Torah joy filled the air. Among the distinguished participants was Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Leon, who was honored with reciting Mizmor Lesodah, symbolizing gratitude for the return of the hostages.

Mayor Leon, who participates annually in the hakafos shniyos at Rav Alter’s court, chanted the kapitel with heartfelt emotion and a melodic voice, displaying his well-known skill as a chazzan. His participation this year carried added significance: last year, he had been called upon to recite Lamenatzeach, Ya’ancha Hashem b’yom tzara, a tefillah for salvation in times of distress. Now, following the hostages’ return to their families, he was given the honor of reciting a kappitel of thanksgiving instead.

During the hakafos, Rav Shaul delivered an impassioned address filled with spiritual depth and insight. “We were privileged to witness a ‘shmaychel’ — a smile from the Ribbono shel Olam — with the return of the captives to their homes,” he said. “We saw the fulfillment of the promise ‘v’shavu mei’eretz oyev’ — they have returned from the land of the enemy. But now we must long for the seifa of that verse: ‘v’shavu banim ligvulam’ — that we all return from captivity and do teshuvah. We are all, in truth, captives — in the hands of the yetzer hara. May we merit to be freed and return to our Creator.”

The moving celebration took place in the Heichal HaTefillah hall on Rechov Ki Tov, which had been used by Rav Alter’s kehilla during the Yamim Noraim and was graciously made available by philanthropist Rabbi Yechezkel Lev, founder of the Arzei project.

The hakafos shniyos were marked by tremendous joy, unity, and spiritual elevation, attended not only by Rav Shaul but also by his brother, Rav Yaakov Meir Alter and Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, both of whom participated with visible simchah, with Rav Daniel Chaim also delivering words of inspiration.

The event concluded with exuberant dancing and singing, reflecting both gratitude for Divine kindness and a heartfelt yearning for the ultimate redemption, when, as Rav Shaul expressed, “we will all return home, not only from physical captivity, but from the captivity of the yetzer hara, to our Father in Heaven.”

{Matzav.com}