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MK Chili Tropper, chairman of the newly formed Bayit Tzioni party, says his party will refuse to join any future coalition that does not enact mandatory national service for every Israeli citizen. In a wide-ranging interview with Kikar HaShabbat‘s Yishai Cohen, Tropper declared that the era of discussing enlistment quotas for the chareidi community is over, rejected proposals to strip voting rights from those who do not serve, advocated economic sanctions instead, and said he would neither help Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu form a government nor support any coalition dependent on chareidi or Arab parties.

Below is the full interview.

Yishai Cohen: Let’s start with the most basic question: Who is your target audience in this election?

MK Chili Tropper: “There is a very large ציבור, according to every poll, somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 Israelis, who look at the current political map and don’t feel comfortable with any of the existing parties. Many of them voted for the current coalition and became disappointed, but they also find it difficult to move to what they identify as the parties of the other bloc. We are their political home.”

Yishai Cohen: What’s the difference between your party and Benny Gantz’s party?

MK Chili Tropper: “First of all, I deeply appreciate, like, and respect Benny, so I’m not going to speak about him. I can speak about us. We’ve defined our mission: first, to establish a government that depends only on Zionist votes. Second, to make that government as broad as possible. I heard Benny say it’s either a unity government or elections, but… you know, I respect Benny מאוד. There really aren’t huge differences between us. In the end we’re operating in the same general political space, although there are certain differences.”

Yishai Cohen: When you say you want the broadest possible government, who from Netanyahu’s current bloc would you bring in?

MK Chili Tropper: “Among the existing parties, I see Religious Zionism. I don’t know what Ofer Winter will do. I don’t know whether Erdan will join forces with anyone. If I had 70 seats of my own, everything would obviously be much easier. Whatever party you mention, I could explain where I disagree with them, but ultimately there is a Zionist foundation—a partnership of people who serve, who love this country—the state, not only the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. That’s why I want to create as many partnerships as possible.”

Yishai Cohen: Some people say you’re really a satellite party for Gadi Eisenkot. Others claim you’re actually a satellite of Netanyahu.

MK Chili Tropper: “I’ll answer very directly: I am not a satellite party of Netanyahu, and I am not a satellite party of Eisenkot. I’ve heard both accusations. Sometimes what you see is exactly what it is: we’re a party made up of good Israelis who want a Zionist government. Many of our supporters come from what today would be described as the center-right of the political map.”

Yishai Cohen: But you say you’ll provide the 61st seat for Gadi Eisenkot, while at the same time saying you won’t provide the 61st seat for Netanyahu.

MK Chili Tropper: “I will provide the votes needed for a Zionist government. We know Netanyahu’s bloc—it depends on parties that are not Zionist.”

Yishai Cohen: What does the term “Zionist” mean to you?

MK Chili Tropper: “Zionism means establishing a national home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel according to international law. I used to teach history, so that’s the basic definition. It means loving the state. It means serving the state, okay? The state—not only the people and the land, but the state itself, our homeland. Military service is perhaps the clearest expression of that, but it’s also about how I relate to the state in general. Even saying a prayer for the state.”

Yishai Cohen: Let’s move to the draft law. Would you support legislation stating that someone who is genuinely learning Torah may continue learning, while someone who is not learning must enlist—with much stricter oversight of the yeshivos?

MK Chili Tropper: “I’ll tell you honestly. I come into this discussion carrying a great deal of pain. Maybe at another time I would have answered differently. But I’m coming after two years and ten months of the ultimate real-life test. There has never been a greater test than this—the longest war we’ve ever experienced, even longer than the War of Independence. The price has been unimaginable. And the chareidi leadership chose to stand on the sidelines. Because of that, I don’t think even the conversation about quotas—which years ago was still something people debated, arguing about what the quota should be—is relevant anymore.”

Yishai Cohen: So what kind of draft law would be your condition—and Yoaz Hendel’s condition—for joining the next government?

MK Chili Tropper: “Every Israeli—Jew or Arab, religious, secular, or chareidi—should serve the country through military service, national service, or civilian service.”

Yishai Cohen: Like Bennett and Lieberman? No exemptions at all?

MK Chili Tropper: “At this point, that’s my starting position.”

Yishai Cohen: So the day after the election you’ll say: “A universal draft law—for everyone, whether they’re learning or not. Without that, we’re not joining any coalition,” even if Gadi Eisenkot is leading it?

MK Chili Tropper: “Correct.”

At that point in the interview, Tropper emphasized that his views are not motivated by hostility toward the chareidi community.

MK Chili Tropper: “I have absolutely no hatred. I truly oppose all incitement, and I also see enormous value in the chareidi ציבור.”

Yishai Cohen: So what do you say to your political partner, Yoaz Hendel, who argues that anyone who doesn’t serve in the IDF shouldn’t have the right to vote?

MK Chili Tropper: “I oppose that proposal. In fact, I voted against it in the Knesset. He ultimately agreed that there are enough other sanctions available. I support sanctions because I believe all chareidim should serve. Sadly, I think the most effective tool is removing economic benefits, and he agreed with me on that point. As for the right to vote and be elected—we put that issue aside.”

Yishai Cohen: Returning to politics—you are saying that your party will not sit in the same government with the chareidi parties?

MK Chili Tropper: “When the government is first formed—definitely not. Again, it’s not because they’re chareidim. I believe in establishing a Zionist government that does not depend on non-Zionist votes. That’s the political principle. If Goldknopf or Deri were to come tomorrow and say, ‘It took us time, but we’ve realized the magnitude of this moment, and from now on we are calling on everyone who is not learning to enlist,’ then great—we can talk. The principle is about positions, not about individuals.”

Yishai Cohen: Let’s talk about the Arab parties, Ra’am and the others. Are you saying today that you will not agree to join any government—even a transitional one—and will not support one if it depends, either through votes or abstentions, on an Arab party?

MK Chili Tropper: “I’m not going to get into every possible political scenario. I’ve already stated the principle, and it applies equally to the chareidi parties and the Arab parties: the next government should be established through the votes of Zionist parties.”

Yishai Cohen: Are you staying in this race until the end? Yesterday, a Kan 11 poll had your party below the electoral threshold.

MK Chili Tropper: “In most polls we’re above the threshold. I have tremendous faith in our path. I see that after just one month—we only launched a month ago—we’ve already become a much stronger and more prominent force within what people call the third bloc. In most surveys we’re already above the threshold. Now I have another two months to work hard so that we’ll achieve a much better result on election day. Am I a responsible person who will try to act responsibly? Absolutely.”

A hidden cache of radioactive material tied to Syria’s long-defunct nuclear program is set to be removed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under a quiet agreement brokered by the Trump administration between Syria and Israel, defusing what officials feared could have become a dangerous regional crisis, according to a report by Axios.

The agreement follows months of behind-the-scenes coordination involving American, Israeli, and Syrian officials. Citing US and Israeli sources, Axios reported Monday that the IAEA will retrieve radioactive materials from a secret Syrian facility whose existence had become a growing security concern. The negotiations were led with the involvement of the Trump administration and senior officials in both Damascus and Yerushalayim.

Officials said the diplomatic effort eliminated a potentially explosive dispute that could have triggered military action involving Israel, Syria, and possibly Turkey over control of the sensitive site.

Under Bashar al-Assad, Syria secretly pursued a nuclear program centered on the Al-Kibar reactor. That reactor was destroyed in a 2007 Israeli airstrike, bringing the country’s nuclear ambitions to an abrupt end. Even so, several research facilities and storage locations connected to the project remained intact after the strike.

After Assad’s government collapsed, Syria’s new leadership reached an agreement with the IAEA permitting inspectors to visit Al-Kibar as well as additional sites associated with the country’s former nuclear activities.

Israeli intelligence has spent the past two years monitoring a location known as “Site 99.” According to two Israeli officials cited by Axios, the Assad regime stored radioactive material there that originated from the Al-Kibar program. A US official confirmed that the stockpile included yellowcake—a processed uranium ore concentrate that can eventually be enriched for use in the nuclear fuel cycle—along with other leftover nuclear-related materials.

Although the material could not be used directly to manufacture a nuclear weapon, specialists warned it could be incorporated into a so-called “dirty bomb,” in which conventional explosives disperse radioactive material over a wide area. Following Assad’s downfall, the IDF struck the entrances to “Site 99” to prevent anyone from reaching the facility.

According to a US official, American and Israeli security officials have spent more than a year developing a plan for handling the site. Senior members of the White House National Security Council worked in close coordination with officials in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office throughout the process.

One Israeli official said Israel made it clear to Washington that it would not allow radioactive materials to remain inside Syria. Israeli officials even indicated they were prepared to carry out additional strikes if the stockpile was not removed or if Syrian personnel attempted to gain access to the site. At the same time, a US official stressed that despite Israel’s concerns, an immediate military operation was not viewed as imminent.

In the end, Washington and Yerushalayim concluded that working directly with Syria’s new government offered the safest and most effective solution. When US officials informed Damascus about the hidden nuclear materials, Syrian authorities reportedly said they had no prior knowledge that the stockpile existed.

“Very few people in the US, Israel and Syria were aware of this,” a US official told Axios, adding that Washington has cultivated an effective relationship with post-Assad authorities. “When we work with the Syrians on things – they are good partners.”

Several weeks ago, Israeli surveillance detected activity near “Site 99,” raising fears that Syria was violating its commitments by attempting to recover the radioactive material. Israeli officials also considered the possibility that Turkey was assisting Damascus in efforts to secure the site.

“The Israelis are always kicking the tires on different things to make sure it looks right and it’s good they do that,” a US official remarked.

Rather than support military action, the Trump administration urged Israel to hold off while it arranged for the IAEA to intervene directly. Those diplomatic efforts resulted three weeks ago in a formal agreement between the agency and the Syrian government to remove the radioactive materials safely from the site.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning to Iran on Monday, making clear that the United States still has powerful military options at its disposal if negotiations break down. While refusing to spell out his next move, Trump suggested Tehran would soon discover the consequences, dismissed the regime’s demands for reparations, and declared that the US Navy currently controls access through the Strait of Hormuz.

During a question-and-answer session with reporters, Trump was asked about his earlier statement that the current negotiations represented Iran’s final opportunity before “decapitation.” When pressed on what would follow if diplomacy failed, he replied, “You’ll find out.” Asked whether a large-scale military escalation remained a possibility, Trump responded, “Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”

Trump on Iran:

If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages. pic.twitter.com/ZatM7zlLkS

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 10, 2026

The president also pushed back against Iran’s calls for compensation, expanding on comments he had made earlier on Truth Social. Trump argued that if anyone deserves reparations, it is the United States and the victims of decades of Iranian-backed violence. “They ask for reparations, you might say, or they ask for money for the damage that we’ve done. And I said, that’s a good idea. Well, we’re going to ask for money for the damage they’ve done over a 50-year period, whether you go USS Cole or whether you go [to] all of the people that were so badly hurt, so badly wounded or killed – many thousands of people. And maybe damages for the 52,000 protesters over the last four months that were killed in Iran. It was at least 52,000 a month and a half ago. So now what is it? If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.”

When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump insisted that the vital shipping lane is already open because it is effectively under American control. “It’s open now. The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy. We have a blockade that’s been infallible. It’s a steel wall. And we let people in that we want to let in, and those people come in, and they’ve been coming in and going out. So it’s actually open now. We do not let them go into Iran. They’re not admitted into the Strait to go to Iran.”

Trump continued by describing Iran as financially devastated despite its ability to stir unrest. “[Iran] can make trouble, but they are broke. They have no money. Iran is totally broke. They are not paying their soldiers. Their inflation is 309%. So we’ll see what happens.”

Concluding his remarks, Trump said the Iranian regime is finally facing the consequences of decades of aggression across the Middle East. “For 50 years, they’ve been the bully of the Middle East. They’ve killed hundreds of thousands of people. Now they are paying a price,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

One of the most revealing parts of architect Liran Shukrun’s thinking is the way he speaks about the home itself. A frum family does not always live inside the standard Israeli apartment formula. In many Torah homes, the center of gravity is different. It may be the dining room table. It may be the seforim. It may be the constant flow of children, guests, learning, meals, and Shabbos. A home like that needs scale, flexibility, and a different kind of attention.

That understanding shaped the apartments at Givat Hashalvah. The homes are large, open, and planned to adapt over time. Structural elements are kept away from the center of the living space wherever possible, allowing rooms and layouts to remain flexible as family needs change. Liran speaks about this almost as a moral responsibility: if a family is going to live here for many years, the home must be able to grow with them.

The same thinking appears in the windows and balconies. Bedrooms were planned with unusually tall openings so a person standing inside the room meets the landscape at eye level. Living rooms and bedrooms open toward the view, not through small, incidental windows, but through panoramic glass that makes the hills and courtyards part of the home experience. The balconies are large enough to live on, not just step onto, creating real space for hosting, sitting, breathing, and bringing family life outdoors.

That is what makes the planning feel so specific. Givat Hashalvah is not only responding to a market need for larger homes. It is responding to a way of life. The project understands that a home for a frum family carries learning, hosting, children, guests, privacy, flexibility, and daily rhythm all at once. The architecture was asked to respect that. And in the best parts of the plan, it does.

Explore Givat Hashalvah → https://go.lyo.group/3LxM3tz

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed controversial legislation that would require Amazon and other major delivery companies to hire last-mile delivery workers directly, a proposal supporters say would strengthen worker protections but critics warn could eliminate thousands of jobs, increase delivery costs, and push Amazon to move operations outside the city.

On Monday, Mamdani announced his support for the Delivery Protection Act, a measure backed by the Teamsters union that would prohibit companies from subcontracting key warehouse and last-mile delivery operations. Instead, workers would have to be employed directly by the operators of the delivery facilities.

“Corporations like Amazon build billion-dollar business models by insulating themselves from accountability through a system of exploitative subcontracting,” the mayor said in a statement.

Mamdani described the proposal as “common-sense regulation that protects delivery workers, safeguards the communities where these facilities operate and ensures that the corporations benefiting from workers’ labor are responsible for the consequences of their business practices.”

Opponents argue the legislation would come with significant costs. A study conducted by consulting firm AKRF estimated that the measure would add an average of $664 annually to household delivery expenses for New York City residents.

“This law is just going to raise prices for consumers,” Business Council of New York State spokesperson Steve Smith told The Post on Monday.

Amazon, which partners with more than 40 locally owned Delivery Service Partners employing over 5,000 workers across New York City, has warned that the legislation could force the company to shift its delivery network beyond the five boroughs.

AKRF has previously concluded that relocating those operations would likely result in deliveries that are slower and more expensive for city residents.

“We’re committed to creating good jobs, supporting our thousands of employees and local small business partners in New York City and providing fast, reliable delivery for New Yorkers,” Amazon spokeswoman Kelly A. Nantel told The Post.

“But as written, this legislation would directly undermine that commitment — threatening the small businesses that deliver to customers, putting the jobs of more than 5,000 of their employees at risk and forcing us to consider relocating delivery operations outside of the city.”

Opposition to the proposal continued Monday as delivery workers and small-business owners planned a rally in East Harlem urging city officials to reject the legislation.

The New York Delivers coalition said it organized the event at Thomas Jefferson Park to argue that Intro 518 threatens both delivery jobs and small businesses while driving up costs for consumers.

According to the coalition, as many as 10,000 delivery jobs across the city could ultimately be affected if the legislation becomes law, including roughly 3,500 last-mile delivery positions in Harlem and four neighboring City Council districts.

The coalition also noted that 82% of last-mile delivery workers do not hold college degrees and that 84% of the workforce consists of non-white employees. Organizers planned to feature drivers and business owners who contend the legislation would jeopardize their livelihoods.

The demonstration coincided with renewed lobbying by supporters of the Delivery Protection Act, underscoring the increasingly heated debate over whether New York should dismantle the subcontracting model widely used in the city’s delivery industry.

Among the measure’s critics is Rudy Cazares, a New York City resident who operates both an Amazon Delivery Service Partner business and a FedEx contracting company. He said the legislation would effectively destroy his business.

“I would be shutting my business down. I have no business,” Cazares told The Post.

Cazares said his company currently employs approximately 130 workers, with additional hiring during busy periods such as the holiday season. Drivers begin at $23.75 per hour, while experienced employees can earn approximately $27 per hour.

“All my employees are W2, either full time or part time with benefits, paying payroll taxes,” Cazares said.

He disputed claims that Delivery Service Partners merely serve as intermediaries shielding Amazon from responsibility, explaining that his company independently hires its workforce and manages its own fleet.

“They control the sorting of the packages. They stage them for us. We pick them up and we go deliver them,” Cazares said of Amazon.

While acknowledging that Amazon encourages its delivery partners to improve efficiency through technology and other measures, Cazares argued that policymakers should address any concerns without eliminating locally owned delivery companies.

“There’s been no dialogue that includes the small businesses that are the ones making this happen,” Cazares said.

“This direct hire mandate will eliminate every small business out there that delivers packages for any business,” he added.

Some city officials have also expressed reservations about the proposal.

“We want to make sure we don’t have unintended consequences,” Carlos Ortiz, deputy commissioner of external affairs for the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, said during an April City Council hearing.

A spokesperson for City Council Speaker Julie Menin previously said the Manhattan Democrat intends to allow the legislation to continue through the normal legislative process while gathering additional feedback from affected stakeholders.

The Teamsters union strongly rejected Amazon’s arguments.

“Amazon will say or do whatever it takes to deny workers stronger rights and wages and abdicate its responsibilities for its own employees, which is why journalists are obliged to expose these greedy corporate tactics and not serve as stenographers for the company’s anti-worker propaganda,” Matt McQuaid, a spokesperson for the Teamsters union, told The Post.

FedEx also acknowledged the ongoing debate while referring questions about the legislation to the New York Delivers coalition.

“With the rise of e-commerce, last-mile delivery facilities for shipping and logistics businesses have become an increasingly essential part of the infrastructure that keeps New York City running,” a FedEx spokesperson told The Post.

“FedEx is aware of the proposed bill and is working with the New York Delivers coalition. Any questions on the legislation can be directed to them.”

{Matzav.com}