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Israel was rocked Friday by a fresh barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran, triggering a rare nationwide alert and sending millions of civilians scrambling to bomb shelters across the country. The IDF confirmed that approximately 25 ballistic missiles were fired from Iranian territory in the latest attack. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel—including in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheva—as air defense systems engaged incoming threats. Loud explosions were reported in multiple regions, including the south, center, and north of the country. The Home Front Command issued a rare directive instructing civilians across the nation to seek shelter and remain indoors. After the attack subsided, it later announced that citizens could safely exit bomb shelters. While southern and central Israel reported no injuries, Haifa bore the brunt of the assault. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), 17 people were wounded in the northern port city, including a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 40s who were seriously injured by shrapnel. A 54-year-old was moderately wounded, and 14 others sustained light injuries. All were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Medics and emergency responders rushed to impact sites across the country, with confirmed fragment damage reported in Beersheba and several central cities. It remains unclear whether Iran used a cluster bomb warhead—a device designed to disperse smaller munitions over a wide area—in the attack. The IDF continues to assess the extent of the damage and monitor for additional threats. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A prominent Orthodox Jewish advocacy organization has rolled out a bold digital campaign in the heart of Times Square, directly equating the popular anti-Israel phrase “Free Palestine” with incitement to genocide and warning that the ideology behind it poses a growing threat to the United States.

The initiative, launched earlier this week by the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), features a striking 10-second message on one of Times Square’s most heavily trafficked digital billboards. The ad reads: “Free Palestine = Support for Hamas = Calling for Genocide of Jews. America, Wake Up. It Never Ends With the Jews!” It will air dozens of times per day over the course of a month.

CJV, which represents over 2,500 Orthodox rabbis engaged in matters of public policy, explained that the goal of the campaign is to expose what it describes as the true danger of the movement to the broader American public.

This effort comes in response to a surge in antisemitic incidents following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel. The group notes that antisemitism has jumped by more than 200% nationwide in the months since the attack, with Jews continuing to account for the majority of hate-crime victims in New York City.

According to CJV, the phrase “Free Palestine” has been linked to several violent attacks in recent weeks. Among them were a firebomb attack at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, the murder of two individuals outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., and an assault involving a homemade flamethrower targeting pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado. Witnesses in each case reported that the attackers shouted “Free Palestine” as they carried out their acts.

At a vigil on Capitol Hill last Tuesday honoring the two Israeli embassy employees who were killed, House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced his alarm. “The ‘Free Palestine’ call has become a violent movement that collaborates with Hamas,” he said, accusing universities of abusing free speech protections to justify support for terrorism and genocide.

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Executive Vice President of CJV, issued a sharply worded statement in conjunction with the billboard campaign. “Too many Jewish organizations are afraid to say what Speaker Johnson finds obvious: the cry of ‘Free Palestine’ is the call of domestic terrorists.”

“Israel is the only free country in the Middle East,” Menken said. “The one thing Israel is not free of is Jews, and that is what ‘Free Palestine’ aims to correct, in the model of Hitler’s Final Solution.”

He went on to say, “They have no interest in building a nation, but destroying one. They do not want to elevate Palestinian Arabs, but to eradicate Jews. This is classic antisemitism, and history proves that there is no greater danger to the continuity of a civilization.”

Rabbi Menken concluded with a call to action for Americans of all political leanings to confront what he called a “bloodthirsty” movement. “When students on college campuses chant ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free,’ America itself is at risk,” Rabbi Menken warned.

“We call upon all Americans to join us in speaking clearly about who and what the ‘Free Palestine’ movement stands for — and the need to stamp it out,” he added.

 

 

DELUSIONAL: Senior IRGC General, Mohsen Rezaei: “Any ceasefire now will lead to renewed war. We must not allow the enemy, which is currently in a weak position, to revive itself with a ceasefire. We have used less than 30% of our military capabilities. We are gradually escalating the war.”

The Magid HaRav Boruch Rosenblum warns parents not to frighten and traumatize their children while sheltering and instead sing with them, and do not drag them down 5 flights of stairs in middle of the night, instead go to a safe room.

IDF: For the first time, the Israeli Air Force used the “Barak” air defense system to intercept a hostile UAV that entered Israeli territory. Developed in Israel, the Barak system is designed to neutralize aerial threats.

Tehran experiencing loud celebrations — oh wait, that’s just the IAF throwing a going-away party for Iran’s missile program.

This morning, the IAF completed a series of strikes on military targets belonging to the Iranian regime in the area of Tabriz and Kermanshah in Iran. During the strikes, over 25 fighter jets struck over 35 missile storage and launch infrastructure components in the areas of Tabriz and Kermanshah in Iran.

In light of the continued closure of Israeli airspace, El Al has announced an alternative route home for stranded passengers — by sea. In coordination with Mano Maritime, a cruise ship will sail from Limassol, Cyprus, to the port of Ashdod on Wednesday, June 26. The voyage will be free of charge for El Al and Sun D’Or customers whose flights were cancelled due to the ongoing situation. Other travelers can book a one-way ticket for €550 through the El Al website. The ship, which can accommodate approximately 1,500 passengers, will first depart from Ashdod to Limassol on Monday, June 24, carrying ticketed passengers from Israel to Cyprus.

UPDATE: Rambam Hospital reports they have 12 injured patients. 2 serious, 2 moderate, and 8 lightly injured.

Terroriat Ali Saadi Wasfi al-Agha, was killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a hideout in central Gaza, the IDF announced. According to the IDF, al-Agha played a key role in the October 7 attacks and was personally involved in the abduction, murder, and burial of Israeli hostages, including Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein. The military said the bodies of Haggai and Weinstein were discovered earlier this month in al-Agha’s home in Khan Younis.

In a video message released this week, Rav Yaakov Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Merkaz HaRav, offered reflections on Operation “Am K’Lavi,” framing it as a moment of profound elevation for the Jewish people.

“This is an extraordinary time,” Rav Shapiro declared. “Hakadosh Baruch Hu is raising the stature of Am Yisrael—the pride of the nation and the honor of Hakadosh Baruch Hu Himself.”

Citing the verse, “V’ra’u kol amei ha’aretz ki sheim Hashem nikra alecha v’yar’u mimeka,’” Rav Shapiro emphasized that the shame endured by the Jewish people on Simchas Torah is being reversed. “Hakadosh Baruch Hu is turning the wheel and raising the glory of the Torah and of Eretz Yisrael,” he said.

The Rosh Yeshiva pointed to a powerful awakening among Jews around the world toward Eretz Yisroel. “Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are seeking any way to return to Eretz Yisrael. Jews outside the land are yearning for it as well. And in Parshas Shelach, where the meraglim diminished the spirit of emunah, we are now in a time of uplift—hein am k’lavi—we resemble a lion,” he stated.

Quoting the Shulchan Aruch, Rav Shapiro invoked the directive to “rise like a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven,” and explained, citing Rav Kook zt”l, that “a lion’s strength is innate—when the moment arrives, it knows how to harness that strength.”

Rav Shapiro concluded with a call to the entire nation to rise to this spiritual occasion: “All of us—students, the wives of students, soldiers and their families, and every Jew who bears the name Yisroel—are partners in this historic moment. And with Hashem’s help, we will merit to fulfill Moshe Rabbeinu’s final words: ‘Ve’atah al bamoseimo tidroch’—‘And you shall tread upon their high places.’”

{Matzav.com Israel}

El Al has announced that it will carry out special medical repatriation flights this Shabbos after receiving halachic authorization from Israel’s chief rabbis.

“In light of numerous cases of pikuach nefesh, or life and death medical life-saving cases that require immediate arrival of passengers to Israel, El Al has decided to operate special flights during this upcoming Shabbos,” the airline said in a statement. “These flights will be defined as pikuach nefesh or medical emergency flights.”

With rabbinic consent secured, El Al has scheduled three emergency flights for Shabbos, with departures from Larnaca, Cyprus, and Athens, Greece, all bound for Israel.

According to the airline, passengers include not only El Al ticket holders but also individuals from other airlines, all of whom were cleared for travel by a senior medical expert, an Israeli doctor who previously headed major medical institutions and categorized their situations as critical pikuach nefesh emergencies.

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a moving encounter, Rav Gavriel Zinner, author of Nitei Gavriel, and Rav Yitzchok Yosef, author of Yalkut Yosef, met face-to-face for the first time after years of written correspondence.

The meeting took place this week in Flatbush, where Rav Yosef is currently staying due to the ongoing war that has shuttered Israeli airspace.

Though they come from different worlds—one raised in the Sefardic home of Rav Ovadia Yosef, and the other born and raised in the chassidic enclaves of Hungarian Jewry in America—the two rabbonim share a deep and lifelong commitment to halacha. Their respective works are staples of Torah scholarship: Yalkut Yosef now spans over 40 volumes, while Nitei Gavriel is widely used throughout chassidic circles across the world.

They frequently cite one another in their seforim, sometimes agreeing, sometimes respectfully disagreeing, always with reverence and depth.

On Wednesday evening, this long-standing relationship culminated in an emotional encounter. Rav Zinner visited Rav Yosef at his host in Flatbush, and those present described an instant connection.

“It felt as though they had known each other for decades,” shared one observer. “Within moments, they were immersed in halachic discussion—citing the Rashba, the Chazon Ish. Though Rav Zinner speaks primarily Yiddish, the language of halacha, Lashon Hakodesh, bridged all gaps.”

During the meeting, Rav Zinner expressed interest in acquiring the most recent volumes of Yalkut Yosef. Smiling, he remarked, “I already have the Rav’s address”—explaining that it appears in the earlier volumes of Yalkut Yosef, which he has long possessed and studied.

The two discussed various differences between Sefardic and Ashkenazic minhagim, examining the rulings of the Beis Yosef and the Rama, delving into how halachah has developed in their respective communities.

As the meeting came to a close after more than an hour of heartfelt discussion, Rav Zinner’s grandchildren stepped forward to receive a berachah from the Rishon LeTzion. Rav Yosef personally escorted his guest to the door, parting with warmth and admiration.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has ordered the IDF to escalate its military campaign against Iranian regime targets in Tehran, aiming to destabilize the government and deter further missile attacks on Israeli cities. Following a high-level assessment Friday morning with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials, Katz directed the IDF to focus on symbolic regime assets, including the Basij paramilitary force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as Iran’s internal repression apparatus. The goal, he said, is to “bring about the destabilization of the regime and increase deterrence against missile attacks on Israel’s home front,” while continuing to degrade Iran’s nuclear program. Unconfirmed reports from Iran International, citing Israeli security sources, indicate that a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on the Fordow nuclear facility—Iran’s most fortified and sensitive enrichment sites—could be imminent, possibly as early as Friday night. The Fordow site, buried 300 feet underground near Qom, is a linchpin of Iran’s nuclear program. Initial Israeli airstrikes reportedly caused little damage to the facility, and military analysts believe a bunker-busting weapon would be required to neutralize it. Signs of U.S. military readiness have added to speculation of impending action, despite reports that President Trump is wavering in his decision. In recent days, three KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers departed from Travis Air Force Base in California, and four more launched from Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma—aircraft essential for extending the range of U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers – the only aircraft capable of deploying the 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), specifically designed for deeply buried targets like Fordow. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Zutchka Rebbe convened his chassidim and talmidim this week for a special event titled “Vatelamedeim” in the Zutchka Bais Medrash, where he announced the founding of a new chaburah called “Kvi’in,” dedicated to committed and structured Torah learning.

Opening the event was Rav Chaim Yaakov Safrin of Yerushalayim, who warmly welcomed the participants and shared his personal experiences learning within this unique and focused framework.

The Rebbe then entered and opened the gathering with divrei chizuk. Despite the tension of the times, he noted that while logic might suggest every person should stay home and calm their families, the current moment calls for something greater. “Even the tyrant from Iran,” the Rebbe declared, “has come to recognize that his real adversaries are the Torah learners in Bnei Brak.” Therefore, the Rebbe asserted, this is precisely the time to strengthen ourselves and form a powerful chaburah for Torah study.

The Rebbe elaborated on the immense value of not just learning Torah but acquiring and retaining it—to the point where one’s entire being is immersed in Torah. He lamented how painful it is when Torah is learned and then forgotten, likening such forgotten knowledge to the shattered luchos.

Following the Rebbe’s remarks, Rav Menachem Greenbaum delivered an impassioned presentation, laying out the practical aspects of the program in a clear and inspiring manner. He emphasized the importance of learning in a way that ensures long-term retention and internalization of Torah knowledge.

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a Thursday interview with Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said that any potential regime change in Iran must come from within, though he implied that Israel is working to weaken the regime’s grip.

The Times of Israel reports that Netanyahu declined to confirm whether eliminating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was under consideration. He reiterated that “regime change lies with the Iranian people alone,” but acknowledged, “We’re also striking government targets, symbols of the regime. You’ve seen it — the broadcast station and others. And there’s more to come.”

Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s military efforts are ongoing and expanding. “We are doing everything necessary — and there will still be much more,” he said, noting that Israel has been hitting the Basij, the internal security arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps known for quelling protests.

“We’re also striking the Basij… this kind of internal police force of a million people. We’ve inflicted heavy damage, and we will continue to strike their targets,” Netanyahu stated.

In the United States, some critics of the conflict have voiced concern over the possibility of American involvement turning into a prolonged military entanglement, similar to what happened in Iraq or Afghanistan. They warn against launching a so-called “regime change” war.

Although Netanyahu has urged Iranians to rise in defense of their liberty, he has not advocated for, nor requested, that the Trump administration take direct action to topple the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

{Matzav.com Israel}

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