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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a phone call with President Donald Trump on Monday to once again criticize Israel, alleging that Jerusalem has stepped up its actions against Palestinians in Gaza as efforts continue to advance the next stage of the peace framework.

Turkey’s Communications Directorate said in a statement reported by the Anadolu news agency that the two leaders discussed relations between Washington and Ankara as well as a series of regional and international issues.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, Erdogan told Trump that despite ongoing efforts to move toward the second phase of the peace framework, there has been an “increase in actions by the Israeli government targeting Palestinians”.

Ankara also reiterated its intention to remain involved in efforts surrounding Gaza and its eventual rebuilding. “Turkey will continue to support lasting peace in the region and steps to be taken for the reconstruction of Gaza,” according to the statement.

The conversation also covered tensions between the United States and Iran. Erdogan stressed the need to keep diplomacy at the center of efforts to address the dispute, describing that approach as “important” and expressing hope that negotiations would continue. He also reiterated Turkey’s willingness to assist efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful outcome.

Erdogan additionally discussed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement recently signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, saying the pact “demonstrates a strong stance in ensuring regional stability and security,” the statement said.

Turkey and Israel had been moving toward repairing diplomatic relations before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre in southern Israel. Those ties quickly deteriorated following the attack and the subsequent war, with Turkish officials repeatedly denouncing Israel and Erdogan becoming particularly outspoken in his attacks on the Jewish state.

In March of last year, Erdogan branded Israel a “terror state” after Israel launched preemptive strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.

Several months later, Erdogan went further, claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represented the greatest threat to stability in the Middle East.

The Turkish president renewed his attacks on Netanyahu’s government just last week, alleging that Israel was seeking to remove the Palestinian Arab issue from the international agenda.

“The aim of the Netanyahu government is to remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region,” Erdogan alleged during a joint press briefing alongside Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Erdogan also pledged that Turkey would continue pushing for the establishment of a Palestinian state, insisting that Israel would not succeed in sidelining the issue. “No matter what they do, they will not succeed. The Palestinian cause will continue to grow in people’s hearts as they try to destroy it.”

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic shakeup is emerging in the Likud primary results, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen taking first place while several prominent party figures have fallen far below expectations and others are facing the possibility of being left out of the next Knesset.

With approximately 80% of the ballots counted overnight at the vote-counting center established at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, Cohen was leading the national slate, followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in second place and Justice Minister Yariv Levin in third.

Final results are expected later today, but the partial count already provides a strong indication of the battle for positions considered likely to secure a Knesset seat. Because of slots reserved for candidates selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and positions allocated to regional representatives, the 15th spot on the national list is currently viewed as the final clearly competitive position. Most recent polls have Likud winning approximately 23 seats.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the highest-ranking woman in the results, was in fourth place, followed by coalition chairman Ofir Katz in fifth. Education Minister Yoav Kisch ranked sixth, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar seventh, and MK Almog Cohen — competing in a Likud primary for the first time — eighth.

Minister Dudi Amsalem stood in ninth place, while Minister Amichai Chikli rounded out the top 10. MK Moshe Saada was positioned 11th, opening the second group of 10 candidates.

One of the night’s biggest surprises was MK Tali Gotliv, who dropped to 12th place despite polls ahead of the primary showing her potentially finishing first. Likud sources claimed that Netanyahu quietly worked to prevent Gotliv from finishing in the top 10 because of concerns that her prominence could hurt the party electorally.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi was in 13th place, followed by MK David Bitan in 14th. Bitan’s showing was particularly notable because Netanyahu had openly battled against him during the primary campaign.

MK Boaz Bismuth occupied the crucial 15th position, putting him on the edge of what is considered a realistic spot on the slate. Economy Minister Nir Barkat, meanwhile, had fallen to 16th, leaving his prospects increasingly uncertain. Netanyahu’s political operation had also reportedly worked against Barkat amid accusations that he had attempted to organize a political challenge to the prime minister.

Further down the slate, several longtime Likud figures appeared to be in serious danger of failing to return to the Knesset. Minister Gila Gamliel was among those whose chances remained uncertain, while Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman and Minister May Golan appeared likely to be left outside the next Knesset based on the partial results.

MKs Hanoch Milwidsky, Keti Shitrit, Avichay Buaron and Nissim Vaturi were also among the incumbents whose positions placed their political futures in jeopardy.

The primary was also accompanied by complaints over the party’s voter rolls. Likud officials said some members who renewed their membership payments roughly a month before the election arrived to discover that they were not listed as eligible voters. The controversy could potentially become a factor in challenges to the final results.

Overall turnout reached approximately 53.5%, about 10 percentage points higher than at the comparable stage of Likud’s previous primary. Party officials described the figure as evidence of unusually strong participation and interest among Likud members.

The complete results are expected after all remaining ballots are counted and any challenges are addressed. Until then, the greatest suspense surrounds candidates clustered around the cutoff between positions considered likely to lead to a Knesset seat and those that could leave some of Likud’s most recognizable figures on the outside.

{Matzav.com}

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A startling report published Monday alleges that young Chareidi men were paid hundreds of shekels in cash to cast ballots for designated candidates in the Likud primaries, with two of the participants openly acknowledging that they had little interest in the political process and were voting according to lists supplied to them.

The footage, revealed by reporter Yossi Abdu, was recorded during the Likud primary voting at Binyanei Ha’Uma in Yerushalayim. Two young Chareidi men are seen speaking openly about the payments they allegedly received and the prepared lists of candidates they were instructed to support.

“To tell you the truth, I came to vote. I don’t care about politics or anything, but they paid me money,” one of the young men said, declining to provide his full name.

According to the young man, Likud representatives send people to the polls and pay them in exchange for their votes in the primaries.

“I’m Chareidi and I came to vote, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m voting for someone Chareidi. I vote for whoever paid me,” he said.

His friend, identified as Elchanan, said that he, too, had received money to participate, claiming that the amount he received was even higher.

Another young man, Netanel, pulled a detailed list from his pocket containing the numbers of the candidates he had allegedly been instructed to select. The list included candidates numbered 103, 105, 143, 122, 125, 126, 127, 128, 133, 138, 144 and 208 on the national slate, along with candidate 315 in the Yerushalayim district. Of the candidates involved, the only name he recognized was Dudi Amsalem, whose name appeared first on the list.

Both young men stressed that their membership in Likud and participation in its primaries did not mean they intended to support the party in the general Knesset election.

Elchanan said explicitly that he would not vote for Likud in the general election. Netanel said he would ultimately vote according to the instructions of rabbonim, before adding: “If Ben Gvir pays me money, I’ll vote for him.”

Netanel said he had been paid 400 shekels to come and cast his ballot.

The two summed up their attitude toward their participation in particularly blunt terms: “Only money, only money. We don’t work for free, we want money, what can you do?”

Monday’s Likud primaries were open to approximately 142,000 registered party members. Among them are thousands of Chassidim and other Chareidi members representing various communities and chassidusen.

Estimates place the number of Chareidi Likud members at approximately 7,000. Because a candidate may need only several thousand votes in the primary system to secure a realistic position on the party’s Knesset slate, organized voting blocs can potentially wield significant influence over the results.

The report raises serious questions about the integrity of the primary process and whether the alleged payments represented isolated incidents or were part of a broader, organized operation.

Similar allegations of vote-buying have surfaced during party primaries in Israel in the past. However, it is unusual for alleged participants themselves to be captured on camera describing so explicitly the payments they received and acknowledging that they were voting according to instructions supplied in exchange for money.

{Matzav.com}

Mohammed Dahlan has emerged as a key intermediary linking Hamas, Egypt, Gulf states and the Trump administration as efforts intensify to shape Gaza’s political future and build a broader Palestinian alliance ahead of elections in the Palestinian Authority.

Trump administration envoy Jared Kushner met Sunday in Egypt with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, with Dahlan also present. The meeting marked another step in implementing the American roadmap for ending the war, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of a national committee responsible for administering and rebuilding the Gaza Strip.

According to Ynet, increasingly close ties between Hamas and Dahlan’s political faction are aimed at bringing Hamas into a broader political framework rather than having the terror group run independently in Palestinian elections scheduled for late November.

Senior Hamas official Hussam Badran confirmed that discussions are underway to establish a “national alliance” that would include Hamas, Dahlan’s faction and independent Palestinian figures.

For Hamas, such an arrangement could provide a path away from its status as an organization governing a separate Palestinian enclave in Gaza. For Dahlan, the emerging alliance offers an opportunity to return to the center of Palestinian politics without depending on the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah.

Officials in the Palestinian Authority are closely and anxiously watching the developments, particularly as donor countries pressing the PA to hold elections have reportedly responded positively to the proposed political arrangement.

A senior Palestinian Authority official said Ramallah’s deepening economic crisis, combined with the absence of an agreed-upon successor to 91-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas, has left the Palestine Liberation Organization increasingly vulnerable as the new alliance takes shape.

“Israel did not want ‘Fatahstan’; the question is whether in the end it will get ‘Hamastan’ in the form of Dahlan,” the official warned.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced that it has agreed to the second stage of the American roadmap.

Dahlan, who has been issuing public statements regarding progress in the negotiations while simultaneously serving as a channel between the Americans and Hamas, called on all Palestinian factions to refrain from taking any actions that could derail the agreement with Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy, made an unexpected visit to a kosher restaurant in the Yerushalayim hills on Monday, dining with Ron Dermer and several others before personally paying the bill and leaving the staff an unusually generous tip, Matzav.com has learned.

Kushner arrived at Naya restaurant with a group of eight people, including Dermer, the former Israeli minister and ambassador to the United States.

Restaurant employees received only about 30 minutes’ advance notice that Kushner would be arriving, with the visit coordinated through Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Kushner and his entourage were seated in the restaurant’s private room and the adjoining outdoor area. Although the visit was arranged on short notice, the presence of security personnel and large American vehicles outside made it clear that an unusual guest was inside.

During the meal, Kushner held a private conversation with Dermer. He also used the restaurant’s private room to conduct an interview with Fox News.

When it came to the meal itself, Kushner reportedly passed on the sushi and selected other dishes from the menu, while other members of his party sampled a selection of fish and sushi specials.

One restaurant employee described Kushner as “מאוד נחמד ודיבר עם כולם” — “very nice and spoke with everyone.”

Kushner paid for the meal with his personal credit card and left a tip of more than 35%, according to the report. He also personally thanked the restaurant staff for their hospitality before departing.

Efforts to resolve tensions between Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Rav Yitzchak Yosef have hit a significant obstacle after Deri rejected a proposed agreement intended to prevent future clashes between the two sides, according to Israeli sources.

The setback comes amid intensive behind-the-scenes efforts to restore relations between Deri and Rav Yosef ahead of the upcoming elections. Despite the latest breakdown, intermediaries are continuing to work toward an understanding that could prevent the dispute from escalating further.

According to the sources, contrary to speculation surrounding the negotiations, Rav Yosef’s camp is not currently demanding that he be appointed president of the Shas Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.

Instead, the central issue in the discussions has been a proposed arrangement governing the relationship between Rav Yosef and Deri going forward.

As part of the negotiations, Rav Yosef reportedly asked Deri to sign an agreement establishing understandings designed to prevent future confrontations between the two camps and allow Shas to operate while maintaining a functional and respectful working relationship.

Deri, however, firmly rejected the proposal, causing the talks to reach an impasse.

Despite that refusal, efforts to bridge the differences have not ended. Discussions are continuing quietly behind the scenes in an attempt to formulate an arrangement acceptable to both sides and prevent the existing tensions from intensifying as the election approaches.

The developments follow an earlier report that intensive contacts have been underway in recent days between Deri and Rav Yosef’s household, with those involved seeking to calm the strained relationship before the country heads to the polls.

Serving as the intermediary in the talks is Momo Deri, the Shas chairman’s brother, who is regarded within the party as a trusted figure frequently tapped to handle sensitive and particularly delicate assignments.