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Beginning Sunday, thousands of public transportation passengers in Israel will be able to claim refunds for unused travel subscriptions that could not be fully utilized because of reduced public transit service during Operation Roaring Lion.

The Ministry of Transportation announced that the reimbursement program, delayed for several months, will compensate passengers who purchased prepaid transit passes but were unable to use them during the period when bus and rail services were curtailed due to the security situation.

The refunds are available to passengers who held a monthly Chofshi-Chodshi pass during the affected period, as well as students who purchased either an annual transit pass or a second-semester pass for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Passengers do not need to calculate their refund eligibility themselves. The system will automatically identify each Rav-Kav card, determine the amount of compensation based on the type of subscription and the number of days public transportation services were disrupted, and present the available redemption options. Eligible passengers may claim their refunds through Dec. 31, 2026.

Holders of monthly Chofshi-Chodshi passes will be able to choose from several compensation options. These include receiving equivalent Chofshi-Yomi daily passes based on the number of affected service days, a discount toward the purchase of a new monthly pass, or stored-value credit loaded onto their Rav-Kav card equal to 70% of the value of the eligible days.

Students will also be offered multiple reimbursement choices, including stored-value credit worth 70% of the eligible amount, a discount on a monthly pass, or a discount toward the purchase of an annual or first-semester student pass for the 2026–2027 academic year for those continuing their studies.

Passengers can redeem their benefits through the Rav-Kav Online and HopOn mobile platforms, as well as at Rav-Kav charging stations located in businesses across Israel. Users may also place an order online or by phone and complete the transaction later at a compatible charging device. Telephone orders can be made by calling 03-7207406.

The reimbursement options available to each passenger will depend on the type of transit pass previously purchased and the eligibility information recorded in the Ministry of Transportation’s system.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said the refund initiative is intended to compensate passengers for services they paid for but were unable to use during the war.

“The passengers and their needs are always our top priority,” Regev said. “During the war, we were required to reduce public transportation services because of the security situation, and now it is our responsibility to ensure that the public receives compensation for the service it could not use. That is why we created a simple, accessible, and flexible refund mechanism that offers several alternatives. We will continue to place passenger service at the center of our efforts, both in routine times and during emergencies.”

Former congressman Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Senate in Michigan, leads Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the anti-Israel, Democratic nominee, 51% to 47%, according to a new Fox News poll.

“Mike Rogers is carrying the momentum and defying the map,” Alyssa Brouillet, spokeswoman for the Rogers campaign, told JNS. “It’s easy to see why.”

“Turns out Michiganders have an issue with Abdul raising their taxes, taking over their healthcare, emptying the prisons and killing their dogs,” she told JNS. “They know Mike Rogers will hold the line against this insanity and deliver real results for Michigan. We have a state to save.”

The survey, released Thursday, interviewed 1,006 Michigan voters via phone and online from Aug. 6-10. Fifty-four percent of state voters said that that they are extremely or very concerned that El-Sayed’s positions are too extreme, while 51% of voters said that Rogers is too close to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Though 91% of Democratic voters in the state back El-Sayed, only 69% of Democratic and independent voters that aren’t aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America support El-Sayed. Rogers holds an edge among independent voters in the state, 48%-43%, per the survey.

Fifty-five percent of Michigan voters support discontinuing military aid to Israel, while 44% favor continuing it, according to Fox. JNS

Portuguese prosecutors are being urged to open a criminal investigation after an Israeli doctoral student alleged he was subjected to a sustained campaign of antisemitic harassment, death threats, and physical assault at the University of Coimbra. The move follows a finding by Portugal’s ombudsman that the university failed to adequately respond to the complaints and displayed significant inaction.

The case centers on Bar Harel, an Israeli-American-Portuguese doctoral student, who filed complaints alleging that he was targeted by severe antisemitic incitement while studying at the university. Portugal’s Ministry of Higher Education referred the matter to the country’s attorney general after receiving a request from the Prime Minister’s Office, following the ombudsman’s conclusion that the university mishandled the case.

According to Harel’s complaint, antisemitic stickers, graffiti, and posters appeared across the university campus between July 2024 and May 2026. Among the messages displayed were “Zionists should carry a certificate proving they are human,” “Zionists are worse than the Nazis,” and “We are all Yahya Sinwar.” The displays were accompanied by Hezbollah flags and public expressions of support for Hamas.

Harel said he became the target of repeated personal threats, including graffiti declaring, “Your family deserves a second Holocaust.” He also alleged that he was physically assaulted after attaching a small Israeli flag to his backpack. As a result of the incidents, he ultimately abandoned his doctoral studies in computer engineering.

According to a report by Ynet, Portugal’s Ministry of Higher Education has asked prosecutors to investigate possible offenses including discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, public glorification of a terrorist organization, criminal threats, and assault.

Harel said the decision to pursue a criminal investigation followed a lengthy campaign in which he sought assistance from the European Parliament and received support from the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. Israel’s Embassy in Lisbon welcomed the authorities’ decision and called for additional reported incidents to be investigated as well.

The University of Coimbra, however, disputed allegations that it ignored the student’s complaints. University officials said they offered Harel counseling and psychological support immediately after he reported the incidents.

The administration also argued that his complaints lacked sufficient detail to allow investigators to identify those responsible or independently verify the allegations, adding that the posters described in the complaint could not be located on campus.

In addition, the university said it informed authorities that Harel had allegedly demanded €3 million in exchange for refraining from pursuing legal action against the institution, a demand the university said it immediately rejected.

Frustration with President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Iran is reportedly growing among America’s Gulf allies, with several countries now questioning whether they should continue hosting major U.S. military bases, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

Citing Arab and Western officials, the report says Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have become increasingly dissatisfied with the continued missile and drone attacks linked to the conflict. According to the report, some of those governments have begun discussing whether it remains in their national interest to maintain a large American military presence on their soil.

“Trump started the war, and we are paying the price,” an official from one Gulf state was quoted as saying. The official added that anger toward Washington has reached its highest level since the war began in February 2026.

According to the report, regional leaders are particularly concerned by what they view as inconsistent U.S. policy toward Iran. Officials reportedly pointed to repeated threats issued by President Trump against Tehran that were later followed by restraint rather than military escalation.

Bader Al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University, said, “Even before all these zigzags by Trump, there was no clear strategy.”

As Gulf governments reassess their security options, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a new defense pact last week known as the “Mecca Agreement.”

A senior European official who maintains close contact with leaders in the region described the agreement as “a signal to the United States,” adding that the three countries are “trying to diversify their security and defense partnerships” because “from their perspective, the United States is not enough.”

Another Western diplomat stationed in the region said attitudes toward the U.S. military presence have shifted dramatically.

“If in the past the forces were viewed as a necessary evil, now the very necessity of deploying those forces in the region is being questioned,” the diplomat said.

The White House, however, rejected suggestions of a growing rift with Gulf allies. A senior administration official insisted that President Trump “has exceptional relationships with all of the Gulf partners.”

European officials quoted in the report said Gulf governments initially supported the military campaign against Iran, believing it would end quickly with a decisive American victory.

According to those officials, that assessment changed by April 2026 after it became clear that Iran’s regime was unlikely to collapse and that Tehran had no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, prompting regional leaders to rethink their long-term security strategy.

A senior Iranian military commander declared Saturday that Iran’s months-long conflict with the United States proved the strength of Islam, even as the Trump administration continues working to secure a long-term agreement despite America’s overwhelming military advantage.

Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), praised the country’s military and security forces, including the IRGC, the regular army, police, and Basij militia, claiming they had succeeded in confronting what he described as the world’s most powerful military.

Vahidi asserted that Iran’s campaign had shown that ”Islam can be made to rule the world” and had ”opened the gates of uprising for the oppressed of the world,” despite the fact that Iranian missile attacks have struck neighboring Muslim countries that host U.S. military forces.

His remarks stand in sharp contrast to the military realities of the conflict.

Throughout the war, the United States has maintained a dominant naval presence in and around the Strait of Hormuz while inflicting extensive damage on Iran’s naval fleet, missile capabilities, and other military assets. Iran has also faced severe economic hardship as a result of the fighting and intensified financial sanctions.

Nevertheless, Iran’s refusal to back down has highlighted Washington’s ongoing difficulty in turning military success into the comprehensive political settlement President Donald Trump has repeatedly predicted.

As early as May 23, Trump said an agreement with Iran had been ”largely negotiated” and would be announced ”shortly.”

On June 11, the President expressed confidence that a deal could be finalized within days, saying he believed Iran’s supreme leader had already approved it. That agreement, however, was never completed.

A temporary ceasefire later collapsed. In July, Trump declared the conflict ”OVER,” yet negotiations continued afterward, and the administration postponed additional U.S. military strikes in an effort to give diplomacy another opportunity.

By the end of July, Trump acknowledged that Tehran still was not prepared to reach an agreement, even while describing the negotiations as serious and holding out hope that progress remained possible.

The diplomatic deadlock has continued through August. Talks between the United States and Iran remain at an impasse, with Washington engaging additional countries in an effort to revive the negotiating process.

At the same time, Iranian officials have continued insisting on sanctions relief and compensation for wartime damage before agreeing to resolve the dispute surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the stalled negotiations, Trump continued to project confidence on Friday, suggesting that once Iran is defeated, the United States could even declare the Strait of Hormuz to be American territory. Iranian officials quickly rejected the statement.

The situation has underscored the contrast between America’s battlefield dominance and the absence, thus far, of a final political agreement.

While U.S. forces have dealt substantial blows to Iran’s military infrastructure, Tehran has neither surrendered nor agreed to the broad settlement Washington has sought.

{Matzav.com}