Feed aggregator

Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich declared Sunday that the proposed Basic Law on Torah study will not provide an exemption from military service, insisting that he and his party successfully blocked earlier versions of the legislation that could have been interpreted that way. Speaking at the Yisroel Hayom Conference, Smotrich also launched a blistering attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and defended the government’s handling of both the economy and the war.

In an interview with Amit Segal, the Religious Zionism chairman accused Baharav-Miara of serious misconduct, saying, “Gali Baharav-Miara should be investigated criminally for breach of trust and abuse of her office. Zini and Gofman should file a personal defamation lawsuit against her for slandering them.”

Smotrich continued his criticism, arguing that the attorney general has become a political figure rather than an impartial legal official. “She is a political player, the chairwoman of an opposition party who is imposing her views and agenda through force and violence on the overwhelming majority of Israeli citizens,” he said. Turning to Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s criminal trial, Smotrich asserted that “Netanyahu’s acquittal is not nearly enough,” adding that “all those who framed him throughout the process in the police and the State Attorney’s Office, including Baharav-Miara, should be held accountable before the Israeli public and sent to prison.”

Addressing Israel’s economy, Smotrich argued that the country’s financial performance remains strong despite the ongoing war on seven fronts and said current economic indicators justify more substantial interest rate cuts. “Look at the shekel, the stock market, high-tech, the labor market, and inflation, which is within the target range,” he said. He added, “Our government has done an outstanding job on security and the war. We fought a war on seven fronts with fantastic results—not perfect, but our strategic, geopolitical, and security position is far better than it was on October 6.”

Asked about the proposed Basic Law on Torah study, Smotrich said he opposed earlier drafts because they could have been interpreted as exempting bnei yeshivah from military service. “There was a very bad Basic Law on Torah study that could have been understood to mean that Torah study exempts someone from military service. We opposed it and told the chareidim: ‘Over our dead bodies’—and we won.” He stressed that the current version “unequivocally does not allow draft evasion and does not come at the expense of other values.”

According to Smotrich, one of the law’s goals is to protect yeshivos hesder from legal challenges by opposition groups. He argued that Israel must balance competing national values, saying, “There is a value called equality, there is the value of military service, employment, core curriculum studies, and there is also the value of Torah study—and they must be balanced.” He dismissed warnings from Finance Ministry professionals about potential economic consequences as “complete ignorance.”

Discussing the war in Gaza, Smotrich said Israel has made substantial progress but has not yet completed its mission. “All the hostages have returned home, both the living and the deceased. We control between 60% and 70% of the Gaza Strip, and there is international commitment to dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza,” he said, adding, “There is no reconstruction without demilitarization.”

Smotrich also urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to authorize additional Jewish communities in the territories under Israeli control. “I call on the Prime Minister: Let us manage the settlement enterprise and establish at least three new communities.” He argued that territorial expansion is the key to defeating Israel’s enemies. “The enemy understands only territory. Want to instill a sense of defeat and the price of making a mistake in the enemy? Take territory. Want to instill a sense of victory among us? Take territory.” He concluded, “Take territory, build communities there, strengthen your security. That is the picture of victory.”

{Matzav.com}

The Badatz of the Eida Hachareidis has issued a formal ruling on a question that has recently generated discussion among the city’s rabbanim: Should the city’s name be written as “Tiveria” ending with an alef or “Tiveriah” ending with a hei? During the same gathering, the Badatz also released a sharply worded public proclamation protesting what it described as serious breaches of kedushah in areas near the city’s beaches and the tziyun of Rabi Meir Baal Hanes.

The special session was led by Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Ullman, a member of the Badatz and Rav of Yerushalayim’s Givat Shaul neighborhood. After reviewing the matter, the beis din ruled that the proper spelling is “Tiveriah,” ending with a hei. Rav Ullman based the decision on the teshuvos of the Minchas Yitzchok, which he cited as the authoritative source for the ruling.

The question is not merely academic. The spelling of a city’s name carries practical halachic significance, particularly in the preparation of gittin and kesubos. As a result, many had sought guidance from leading poskim regarding the correct form to use.

The issue has become increasingly relevant as the city’s chareidi population continues to grow amid Israel’s housing shortage. In recent years, communities affiliated with Toldos Aharon and Satmar—both under the umbrella of the Eida Hachareidis—have established a presence in Tiveriah, joining longstanding communities such as Sanz and Karlin, which have maintained educational institutions in the city for many years.

The meeting was convened following a delegation of rabbanim and community leaders from Tiveriah, including the local representative of the Toldos Aharon Rebbe, who appeared before the Badatz to express alarm over what they described as increasing michsholim near the city’s waterfront, particularly in the vicinity of the kever of Rabi Meir Baal Hanes.

Following the presentation, the members of the Badatz, under the leadership of Rav Moshe Sternbuch, issued a strongly worded kol korei addressed to the Torah-observant public.

The proclamation stated, in part: “The rabbanim and community leaders of the holy city of Tiveriah approached us to warn of a terrible stumbling block recently created by the municipality and its leadership through the opening of a mixed beach on the road leading to the grave of Rabi Meir Baal Hanes, may he protect us. Beyond the severe breach involved in establishing such a beach, the entire roadway has effectively become an extension of the beach, rachmana litzlan.”

The statement continued: “They have further worsened the situation by removing the partitions from portions of the recreational sites and beaches between the ancient cemetery and the Tiveriah hot springs, in the area surrounding the tziyun of the tanna Rabi Meir Baal Hanes. This creates a grave stumbling block for pedestrians and motorists alike, exposing them to forbidden sights and matters related to giluy arayos, while making it increasingly difficult for those who observe Torah and mitzvos.”

The members of the Badatz called on municipal officials to rectify the situation immediately, warning that “those responsible should fear the consequences of causing the public to sin, for the punishment for leading others astray is exceedingly severe.”

They also instructed the chareidi public to avoid traveling on the road stretching from the ancient cemetery to the traffic circle near the turnoff to the tziyun of Rabi Meir Baal Hanes, recommending alternative routes “so as not to stumble in the gravest of prohibitions… especially during the daytime and throughout the summer months, when the pritzus is especially shocking and severe, rachmana litzlan.”

The kol korei further warned Torah institutions, Talmudei Torah, and girls’ schools not to hold activities at attractions in the area, including Aqua Kef and Halom Olami, even during hours designated for separate use. According to the Badatz, doing so could undermine the spiritual development of young students and constitute a chilul Hashem by lending legitimacy to what they view as a serious michshol.

{Matzav.com}

A sweeping reform proposed by Israel’s Interior Ministry could make roughly 100,000 additional households eligible for municipal property tax (arnona) discounts beginning in 2026, while significantly increasing the value of existing benefits. The changes, however, are expected to reduce local government revenues by approximately NIS 1.1 billion.

According to a report in Maariv, an analysis by the Finance Ministry’s Chief Economist projects that the number of households qualifying for income-based arnona discounts will rise from approximately 740,000 to 840,000. At the same time, the total value of those discounts is expected to grow from about NIS 2.2 billion to roughly NIS 3.2 billion.

The reform would overhaul both the method used to calculate household income and the scale of discounts available. According to the Finance Ministry, the current system disproportionately favors larger households, while the proposed model broadens eligibility across additional segments of the population. Officials estimate that about 91 percent of households already receiving discounts will qualify for larger reductions, while only a small percentage are expected to receive less than they do today.

The expanded benefits are expected to come at a significant cost to local authorities. The Finance Ministry estimates municipalities collectively will lose approximately NIS 1.1 billion in revenue, with financially weaker communities bearing the greatest burden. In municipalities ranked in the lowest socioeconomic category, the reduction could amount to as much as 7 percent of their discretionary budgets—the portion of municipal funding available for local services.

The reform is also expected to extend benefits well beyond the lowest-income households. Eligibility among families in the second and third income deciles is projected to increase from 51 percent to 64 percent, while more modest gains are anticipated for households in the fourth through sixth income deciles. One reason for the broader eligibility is that the revised income calculation excludes several National Insurance benefits, including child allowances, old-age pensions, survivor benefits, and disability payments for children.

According to the analysis, chareidi households are expected to have the highest eligibility rate under the new formula. Under the current system, approximately 60 percent of chareidi households qualify for an arnona discount; under the proposed rules, that figure is expected to rise to 65 percent. The average annual discount for a chareidi household is projected to be approximately NIS 4,600. The Arab sector is expected to experience the largest increase in eligibility, with the percentage of qualifying households climbing to approximately 53 percent.

The proposal does not alter existing employment incentives. Eligibility for the discounts will continue to be based solely on financial criteria and will not require recipients to enter the workforce or maximize their earning capacity. Likewise, applicants will still be required to submit documentation manually rather than having eligibility verified automatically through direct data-sharing with Israel’s National Insurance Institute. According to the Finance Ministry, only about 40 percent of eligible households currently take advantage of the benefit.

{Matzav.com}

As protests over the military draft continue to intensify, criticism is increasingly coming not only from Israel’s secular public and government officials, but also from respected figures within the chareidi world. Over the weekend, Rav Doniel Wolfson, Rosh Yeshiva of Nesivos Chochmah, strongly condemned the conduct of some anti-draft demonstrators, warning that their tactics have strayed far from the values of authentic Torah.

Speaking at an event celebrating the publication of his new sefer, Rav Wolfson sharply criticized what he described as misplaced kana’us, arguing that some of the recent protests have crossed the line from principled opposition into behavior driven by emotion and confrontation.

Drawing a clear distinction between fighting for Torah and reacting out of anger, Rav Wolfson said that a genuine struggle on behalf of Yiddishkeit must remain completely free of personal feelings or a desire to retaliate.

“When natural emotions become part of the struggle-such as wanting to strike back or feeling that others are interfering with you-it is no longer a struggle for the sake of Heaven,” he said. “Such behavior ultimately leads to a desecration of Hashem’s name.”

Rav Wolfson also took aim at extremist groups responsible for recent violent demonstrations and road blockades, accusing them of using the draft issue as a vehicle to stir unrest. He said there are individuals who “wait for opportunities like these” to inflame tensions, emphasizing that such conduct “is not the way of the sons of Torah.”

{Matzav.com}