Feed aggregator

Photos: Lipa Moser

Ezer Mizion’s Simchas Beis Hashoeivah brought together the organization’s beneficiaries, their families, volunteers and members of the wider community in an uplifting celebration held in Yerushalayim on Wednesday, the fourth day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos.

Hundreds of participants gathered for several hours of singing, dancing and chizuk together with children and adults with special needs, individuals facing emotional and mental-health challenges, their families and the devoted volunteers who accompany them throughout the year.

The event, held at the Shirah Chadashah hall in Givat Shaul, marked the first time in many years that Ezer Mizion’s renowned Simchas Beis Hashoeivah was held in Yerushalayim. Over the years, the annual celebration has become one of the highlights of Chol Hamoed for Ezer Mizion service beneficiaries, volunteers and their families, and was hosted annually in Bnei Brak.

Already from the early afternoon hours, the hall began filling with participants who came to take part in the simchah. At the center of the event were the program participants themselves, with volunteers and family members joining them in the lively circles of dancing. They were joined by members of the broader Yerushalayim community who came especially to bring simchah, offer chizuk and become part of the unique atmosphere.

One of the most moving features of Ezer Mizion’s Simchas Beis Hashoeivah over the years has been the powerful bond created between the public and the participants. Children and adults in wheelchairs and with walkers dance together with volunteers and family members, as the singing and dancing transform the entire hall into large circles of achdus and simchah.

For many families who deal throughout the year with the challenges of raising a child with special needs, or a member struggling with mental illness, the event is far more than a Chol Hamoed celebration. It offers an opportunity to meet their friends from the program as well as other families, connect with Ezer Mizion’s supportive community, receive chizuk and encouragement, and return home with renewed strength for the road ahead.

This year, Ezer Mizion sought to widen the circle and invite the broader Yerushalayim community to join the celebration as well. Families, bnei yeshivah and local residents joined the dancing and helped bring simchah to the participants, becoming an integral part of the evening’s central mission: to place these special children and adults, and their families, at the very heart of the simchah.

Ezer Mizion’s Simchas Beis Hashoeivah has been held for more than two decades and has merited the participation of Gedolei Yisrael throughout the years, who have come especially to honor the participants and rejoice together with them. At previous events, particularly moving scenes were witnessed as Gedolei Torah themselves joined the dancing circles together with the service beneficiaries and their devoted families.

Ezer Mizion concluded its first Yerushalayim event with great satisfaction, noting that the evening once again demonstrated that the organization’s Simchas Beis Hashoeivah is far more than a Yom Tov gathering. It is an evening of chessed, chizuk, achdus and genuine partnership — giving the participants and their families renewed strength that remains with them long after the music has ended.

A special Leil Hoshana Rabbah Torah learning event hosted by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in the Knesset sukkah became the center of a political spat Thursday after opposition leader Yair Lapid refused an invitation that he said arrived only hours before the gathering — and responded with a pointed pasuk from Tehillim accusing the organizers of dishonesty.

The event, held under the theme of “Gevurah,” brought Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana together with senior Israeli security officials, wounded IDF veterans, reservists’ wives and students for an evening of Torah learning on Leil Hoshana Rabbah, traditionally marked by extensive Torah learning and the recitation of Tehillim.

Among those scheduled to participate were Mossad Director Roman Gofman, Shin Bet Director David Zini, Military Intelligence chief Shmuel Ben-Ezra, Police Commissioner Danny Levy and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Moshe Edri.

Students from the Tavor pre-military academy were also invited, along with wives of IDF reservists and soldiers wounded during the war. The learning was dedicated l’ilui nishmas those who fell in Israel’s wars and terror attacks, as a zechus for the refuah of the wounded, and for achdus among Klal Yisroel.

Netanyahu used the gathering to speak about gevurah and siyata diShmaya, reading from Sefer Shmuel and discussing episodes in Tanach in which the courage of an individual helped change the course of a battle. Netanyahu described Israel’s recent experiences as a “chain of miracles and siyata diShmaya.”

But Lapid’s absence quickly became a story of its own.

Lapid said that Speaker Ohana contacted him by WhatsApp at 1:42 Thursday afternoon with an invitation to attend that evening’s learning, leaving him insufficient time to rearrange his schedule.

“The Knesset Speaker sent me a WhatsApp message at 1:42 p.m. with an invitation to a Torah study event in the Sukkah this evening,” Lapid wrote on X.

Lapid then suggested that either the organizers had somehow failed to realize until Thursday that Leil Hoshana Rabbah was approaching, or that the late invitation had deliberately been designed so that he would be unable to attend.

“Two possibilities: 1. they didn’t know ahead of time that tonight is Hoshana Rabbah, and they were shocked to discover it suddenly on the calendar. 2. They intentionally sent it so late so I wouldn’t be able to come, and they can say that I refused to go to a Torah study event.”

Lapid then turned to Tehillim for his parting shot, invoking the longstanding minhag of reciting Tehillim on Leil Hoshana Rabbah.

Lapid concluded his post with a verse from Psalms: “In any case, since I can’t come on such short notice, I will remind them that on Hoshana Rabbah night there is a custom to read Tehillim , and I recommend they delve into the verse: ‘O L-rd, save my soul from false lips, from a deceitful tongue. (Tehillim 120:2).”

Ohana rejected Lapid’s suggestion that the timing was a political maneuver, saying that the event itself had only been finalized Thursday and that the invitations were sent immediately afterward. According to Ohana, other participants also had to alter their schedules on short notice in order to attend.

The gathering proceeded Thursday evening in the Knesset sukkah, as Hoshana Rabbah began in Eretz Yisroel.

The IDF on Thursday released a sweeping dossier identifying 170 Gazans killed during the war who were portrayed internationally as journalists or media workers but who, according to Israeli military intelligence, also served in the military wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations.

The newly released figures provide a detailed breakdown of the military’s findings: 118 of the 170 were members of Hamas’s military wing, 49 were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two belonged to the Popular Resistance Committees and one was a member of the Mujahideen Brigades.

The IDF further said that 17 of the individuals on the list crossed into Israeli territory during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre.

Following what the military described as an extensive investigation, the IDF published the identities of all 170 individuals together with information about their terrorist affiliations and operational positions. The evidence includes photographs, internal documents produced by the terrorist organizations and materials recovered by Israeli forces during operations inside Gaza.

The list includes individuals who, in their media capacities, worked for or contributed material to prominent international news organizations, including Reuters, CNN, the BBC, AFP, the Associated Press, Le Monde and ABC Australia. The IDF’s allegations concern the individuals’ simultaneous affiliations with terrorist organizations and do not establish that the news organizations themselves knew of those alleged affiliations.

According to the military, the 170 individuals held a wide variety of positions inside the terrorist groups, including commanders, snipers, trainers and propaganda operatives.

Among those identified by the IDF is Asem Adli Ahmed al-Barsh, who was described as a journalist for Palestinian Al-Rai Radio but whom Israel identifies as a Hamas operative. Reporters Without Borders included Barsh in a December 2023 complaint to the International Criminal Court concerning journalists killed in Gaza.

Another individual on the Israeli list, Mohammed Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Abu Sharia, was identified by the IDF as a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper while also reportedly working for the Palestinian Shams News Agency. His name was later included by Reporters Without Borders in a memorial honoring journalists killed between June 2024 and June 2025.

The IDF also identified Mohammed Manhal Ahmed Abu Armana as a Hamas operative who commanded the propaganda department of the terror group’s Rafah Brigade. Abu Armana’s death had previously been publicly condemned by UNESCO, which described him in connection with his work as a journalist.

Several of the names released Thursday have also appeared in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ database tracking journalists and media workers killed during the Gaza war. The CPJ has previously removed some individuals from its casualty database after information emerged establishing that they were members of terrorist organizations.

The IDF said the newly published material challenges repeated allegations from international organizations and news outlets that Israeli forces have intentionally targeted journalists during the war. The military maintains that such accusations have often been made without verified evidence establishing that the individuals were targeted because of their journalistic work.

According to the IDF, in a number of cases Hamas or other terrorist organizations themselves publicly acknowledged the deceased individuals as members of their ranks, despite the same people subsequently being presented internationally solely as journalists or civilian media personnel.

The IDF stated that the newly released information demonstrates a discrepancy between international portrayals of those killed and their actual activities within terrorist organizations.

The military further maintained that the findings provide evidence supporting its position that it does not deliberately or systematically target journalists, but instead conducts operations against terrorist organizations and their operatives in accordance with international law.

To accompany the disclosure, the IDF created a special online database called “The Press Files,” containing names and photographs of the individuals, their alleged terrorist organizations and military positions, identification information and supporting intelligence that the military says can be publicly disclosed.

The massive release came only hours after the IDF initially publicized ten cases of Gazans who had been described as journalists following their deaths but whom Israeli intelligence identified as Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives. The military said some of those ten had participated directly in the October 7 invasion of Israel and indicated at the time that a much larger disclosure was coming.

Among the cases highlighted in the initial release was Hassan Aslih, a prominent Gaza photographer whose work had been used by major international news organizations, including CNN and the Associated Press. The IDF has accused Aslih of having ties to Hamas and participating in the October 7 invasion.

The military’s broader disclosure followed the killing Wednesday of Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Muhammad Nagar in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF identified Nagar as a member of Hamas’s military wing who crossed into Israel during the October 7 massacre.

Following Nagar’s death, Palestinian reports described him as a journalist and presenter associated with Radio Quran. The IDF said those descriptions omitted what it says was his membership in Hamas’s military wing.

According to the Israeli military, Nagar had remained operationally active and was recently involved in planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. He was also allegedly participating in efforts to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities, activity the IDF said constituted a systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The IDF said it took steps before striking Nagar to reduce the danger to civilians, including employing precision weaponry and conducting aerial surveillance.

Southern Command forces remain deployed in the area under the terms of the ceasefire, the military said, and will continue acting against threats it considers immediate.

British counterterrorism police have arrested a dual British-Iranian citizen as investigators probe an alleged terrorist plot targeting RAF Fairford, the strategically important British airbase used by the U.S. military for operations against Iran. The arrest comes after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in the incident.

The 27-year-old suspect was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. His arrest is the sixth made in connection with the investigation, which began after five men were detained near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire early Sunday morning.

Police also questioned a 26-year-old British citizen under caution as part of the expanding investigation, although he was not arrested. Counterterrorism officers searched two properties in Westminster as investigators continued attempting to establish whether the alleged plot had connections to a foreign government.

The original five suspects, British men in their 20s from London, were arrested after police received a report shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday concerning three suspicious vans near the military installation. A local resident had spotted unusual activity involving the vehicles and men near the base and contacted authorities.

Armed police descended on the area and detained the five men, initially under Britain’s Explosives Act and subsequently on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. A massive security operation followed, with approximately 85 households evacuated, a 400-meter cordon established and military bomb-disposal specialists brought in to examine the vans.

Although initial reports raised fears that the vehicles contained explosive devices, subsequent examinations found no explosives. Petrol was discovered inside the vans, however, and authorities are continuing to investigate what the men intended to do with the vehicles and their contents. The five original suspects were released on police bail Monday while remaining under investigation.

The possible Iranian connection has become an increasingly significant focus of the investigation following the arrest of the dual British-Iranian citizen.

Senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing for the Metropolitan Police Vicki Evan stated: “We’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement.”

British authorities have stressed that the investigation remains open and that investigators have not publicly established precisely what role, if any, the Iranian government or its agents may have played.

Burnham, however, went considerably further Wednesday, publicly revealing that British authorities have information pointing toward possible Iranian involvement.

“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex, and serious police investigation,” Burnham told BBC News. “And of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America. So it’s ongoing.”

The prime minister said he convened the government’s Cobra emergency committee while he was in Liverpool and stressed that British authorities were treating the case at the highest levels.

“We are on top of it in every possible way imaginable,” he said.

“We will say more in due course, but we can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part,” he added. Asked why he believed Iran was involved, Burnham said, “Well I can’t go into all of those details, but obviously I wouldn’t say it lightly.”

The case has also drawn direct attention from Washington because of RAF Fairford’s role as a major operating location for the United States Air Force. American bombers based at Fairford have been used in operations connected to the conflict with Iran, making the installation an especially sensitive potential target.

President Donald Trump said following the original arrests that British and American authorities had been working together and that the suspects had been seeking to cause “big damage.” The president also indicated that U.S. authorities had been involved in investigating the group.

The Iran angle is particularly significant because Tehran had previously warned that military installations being used for attacks against Iranian territory could be regarded as targets. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specifically drew attention to RAF Fairford’s use by American bombers and warned Britain over bases used in operations against Iran.

Iran has strongly denied involvement in the Fairford incident. Tehran summoned British Ambassador Hugo Shorter after Burnham’s remarks, with Iranian officials denouncing the British accusations and criticizing Britain for allowing its territory and military facilities to be used for American and Israeli operations against Iran.

The arrest of the dual British-Iranian suspect nevertheless adds a significant new dimension to an investigation that initially centered on the five men apprehended in the Gloucestershire countryside.

Those five suspects, all London residents in their 20s, were detained after a woman driving home spotted the suspicious vehicles and men near Whelford, close to RAF Fairford. The report triggered the rapid deployment of armed police and bomb-disposal teams and led to the evacuation of dozens of nearby homes.

Counterterrorism investigators are now working with American authorities to determine exactly what was being planned, whether the suspects were acting on behalf of anyone else, and whether the alleged operation was connected to Iran. For now, British officials have publicly pointed to evidence suggesting an Iranian role, while police continue to describe foreign-state involvement as one of several lines of investigation.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that information reaching the United States indicates that the Omani co-pilot accused of trying to bring down Flydubai Flight FZ1073 may have ties to Iran, warning that Tehran would face a severe response if investigators establish that it was involved in the attempted attack.

Trump’s comments represent the strongest public indication yet from Washington that investigators are examining a possible Iranian connection to the extraordinary midair attack aboard the Dubai-to-Israel flight, although authorities have not announced a definitive finding tying Tehran to the incident.

Asked directly whether the Omani co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft was connected to Iran, Trump said, “I would say the answer based on what I’m hearing is yes, but we’re working on it now.”

When Trump was then asked whether the United States would retaliate if evidence ultimately showed that Iran was responsible, the president issued an unequivocal warning: “They’ll be hit very hard. Don’t worry about it, you just ask them.

Trump went on to portray Iran as badly weakened economically and militarily following months of confrontation with the United States and its allies.

Trump added: “Iran now has 301% inflation, their money is valueless, their economy is gone, they have no military, they have no anti-aircraft, they have very little going, and we control the Strait (of Hormuz). We took out more oil in the past two days than any time in the history of this strait.”

The president’s remarks came as an international investigation intensified into what unfolded aboard FZ1073, a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

The co-pilot, an Omani national whose name has not been publicly released, allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit, stabbing him before attempting to send the aircraft into a catastrophic dive. Flight-tracking data showed the plane plunging more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the crisis.

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to intervene. The alleged attacker was overpowered and restrained, while reserve crew members aboard the aircraft helped regain control of the plane.

The aircraft subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The co-pilot was taken into custody, while Machchhar was hospitalized and reported to be in stable condition. Israeli and Indian officials have hailed the captain’s actions as instrumental in preventing what could have been a mass-casualty disaster.

The United Arab Emirates has opened a formal investigation into the incident, including whether the attack was connected to terrorist activity or involved advance planning. Saudi authorities are also participating in the investigation, while Israeli intelligence agencies are examining the attacker’s background and possible connections.

Israeli officials have said preliminary information indicates that the co-pilot had undergone Islamist radicalization and intended to bring down the aircraft. Reports have also raised questions over how an Omani national was cleared to serve as a pilot on a flight bound for Israel, given that Oman does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

A fellow Flydubai pilot reportedly described the co-pilot as a relatively new employee who had displayed unusually intense religious behavior, including praying frequently and refusing to shake hands with women. Those accounts are among the pieces of information investigators are examining as they attempt to reconstruct the attacker’s background and determine whether he acted independently or had outside assistance.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, speaking earlier in an interview with Fox News, said investigators were specifically examining whether others were involved and whether the attack could ultimately lead back to Iran.

“We will get to the bottom of this. We will investigate whether the pilot had accomplices and whether Iran was behind him. I think we will know very soon,” Netanyahu said.

At the same time, no conclusive evidence publicly establishing Iranian direction of the attack has yet been released. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said earlier Thursday that it remained too early to determine whether Tehran was connected to the incident, while UAE authorities have said their investigation is continuing.

The emerging Iran question dramatically raises the stakes surrounding an incident that already came within seconds of becoming one of the deadliest aviation attacks involving Israelis in decades. What began as an investigation into the actions of a single co-pilot is now expanding into a broader inquiry into possible radicalization, security failures, accomplices and foreign involvement — with Trump making clear that confirmation of an Iranian role could bring serious consequences.

Agudath Israel of America welcomes the release today of the regulations for the Education Freedom Tax Credit (also known as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit) by the Department of the Treasury. Today’s announcement is great news for American families and provides the necessary clarity to allow states and scholarship organizations to implement the tax credit in time for its launch in January 2027.

The EFTC allows individual taxpayers to contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO) and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $1700 per taxpayer. The SGO then pools the funds and distributes scholarships to eligible students for a wide range of K-12 educational expenses including tuition to attend a Jewish or other nonpublic school. Eligible uses also include special education services, academic tutoring, and other expenses for public, private, charter, and homeschool students. Treasury estimates that 96% of children in participating states would be eligible to receive scholarship funds.

The 2027 rule satisfactorily answers many of the questions raised in comment letters and meetings by Agudath Israel and its coalition partners, but perhaps none more important than the definition of “each taxpayer.” The new regulation clarifies that a married couple filing jointly may each donate $1700 and receive a combined $3400 tax credit. This decision alone significantly increases the number of additional students receiving scholarships!

“Agudath Israel thanks the many senior officials and staff across the Trump Administration who listened to the concerns of stakeholders and worked collaboratively with each other to produce regulations that will help millions of students across the country,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s national director of government affairs. “We now urge the remaining 20 governors to opt in as soon as possible and for all sates to move forward in approving scholarship granting organizations that will provide educational opportunities for eligible students.”

President Donald Trump said he does not believe Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu received advance warnings from Egypt or the United Arab Emirates about the October 7 Hamas massacre, weighing in on reports that have become an issue in Israel ahead of the country’s elections.

In an extensive interview with TIME conducted at the White House on Sept. 28 and published Thursday, Trump was asked about reports alleging that Arab leaders had warned Netanyahu about a possible Hamas attack before October 7, 2023.

“I heard that today for the first time,” Trump said when asked about the claims.

The reports have received renewed attention following allegations that senior Egyptian and Emirati officials conveyed concerns to Netanyahu or other Israeli officials in the months and days preceding the massacre.

When the interviewer specifically told Trump that Egypt and the UAE had reportedly warned Netanyahu, the president rejected the idea that Netanyahu knew an attack was coming and failed to act.

“I don’t think so. I think, you know, I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it. Certainly, he would have had people at least alert. You know, he’s not going to forget about it. That was a terrible day. Oh, you have people on the radical left that denied it ever happened, which is pretty bad.”

Trump’s comments come amid a continuing controversy in Israel over what Netanyahu and senior security officials knew before the Hamas invasion, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and saw roughly 250 people abducted into Gaza.

Recent reports have alleged that then-Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel issued several warnings about deteriorating conditions in Gaza before the attack. One report said Kamel personally traveled to Israel in late September 2023, less than two weeks before the massacre, to communicate Egyptian concerns.

Another report alleged that Kamel telephoned Netanyahu just days before October 7 after earlier Egyptian warnings had failed to prompt a significant Israeli response.

Those reports have generally characterized the alleged Egyptian warnings as concerns that Hamas or Gaza was moving toward a major escalation, rather than intelligence specifying the date, precise scope or operational details of the October 7 assault.

Separate reports have alleged that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan contacted Netanyahu in September 2023 and warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation.

Netanyahu has forcefully denied receiving such an advance warning from the UAE, with his office declaring, “No warning was given to the Prime Minister from the United Arab Emirates before October 7.”

Netanyahu has also threatened legal action over the allegations and has accused those promoting the claims of attempting to influence Israel’s election.

The issue has taken on particular significance because of longstanding questions surrounding the catastrophic intelligence and security failures that allowed thousands of Hamas-led terrorists to breach Israel’s border on October 7 and overrun communities and military positions across southern Israel.

While multiple Israeli military and intelligence investigations have documented serious failures before the attack, the specific claims that Netanyahu personally received warnings from Egypt and the UAE remain disputed.

Trump was also questioned extensively by TIME about Netanyahu’s political future as Israelis prepare to vote.

Asked whether he believes Israelis should give Netanyahu another term as prime minister, Trump declined to directly endorse him.

“Well, I can only say that I’m not involved in politics anymore,” Trump responded.

Trump then turned to his own record on Israel, discussing the support his administrations have provided to the Jewish state and his popularity among Israelis.

When the interviewer again pressed him on whether Netanyahu should receive another term, Trump again avoided directly answering the electoral question and instead emphasized his commitment to protecting Israel and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“No, my primary thing-I do want to help them defend Israel. My thing that I mention all the time is Iran cannot have a nuclear power because they are crazy and you can’t let crazy people have nuclear weapons,” he said.

The interview took place amid continuing regional tensions involving Iran, which Trump has repeatedly identified as one of the most serious threats facing Israel and the broader Middle East.

Trump was also asked about Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff and current chairman of the Yashar party, who is challenging Netanyahu in Israel’s election.

The interviewer asked whether the United States might be able to work more effectively with Eisenkot if he were to defeat Netanyahu.

“Well, I don’t know. I don’t hear bad things about him,” Trump replied.

After the interviewer characterized Eisenkot as the leading opposition candidate, Trump pointed to Netanyahu’s history of surviving political challenges.

“Well, people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times. I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi.”

Trump’s remarks stopped short of an endorsement of either candidate. While expressing confidence that Netanyahu would have acted had he possessed advance knowledge of the October 7 attack, Trump repeatedly declined to say whether Israelis should return Netanyahu to office for another term.

The controversy over the alleged pre-October 7 warnings has become an increasingly prominent issue in the Israeli election campaign. Netanyahu’s opponents have cited the reports while renewing demands for an independent state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the massacre, while Netanyahu and his allies have challenged the allegations and accused political opponents of attempting to assign responsibility to the prime minister.

Netanyahu has maintained that he was not given actionable intelligence indicating that Hamas was preparing the massive invasion that unfolded on October 7.

Trump, for his part, said he does not believe Netanyahu knowingly disregarded an advance warning of the impending massacre.

On Netanyahu’s political future, Trump declined to tell Israelis how they should vote, while observing that Netanyahu has survived repeated political challenges in the past.

[Full video below.] Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Israel will take part in the investigation of the Flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain and trying to bring down an Israel-bound passenger jet, while cautioning that it remains too early to determine whether Iran played any role in the attack.

In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil following Wednesday’s extraordinary incident, Netanyahu offered new details about what Israeli officials believe happened aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 and praised the passengers and crew members whose actions helped save the 174 people aboard.

“I don’t think it was a hijacking,” Netanyahu said.

Rather, Netanyahu said the evidence available thus far suggests that the attacker was attempting to destroy the aircraft rather than seize control of it and take it somewhere else.

“I think it looks like a suicide attempt simply because of what this hero Yaniv described when he went in,” Netanyahu said, referring to Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun, who entered the cockpit and helped overpower the attacking co-pilot.

Netanyahu said Hayun’s account of what he encountered inside the cockpit was particularly significant.

“This guy was trying to jam the equipment between the two flight seats, the pilot seats,” Netanyahu said. “He wasn’t sitting in the pilot seat trying to stabilize the plane, he was trying to jam the equipment.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu announced Thursday that four Israelis who helped avert catastrophe aboard the Flydubai flight from Dubai will light a torch honoring civilian heroism at Israel’s upcoming Independence Day ceremony.

Netanyahu met at the Prime Minister’s Office with Yaniv Hayun, Or Fradilov, Dr. Shota Musayev and Musayev’s wife, Sigalit, hearing firsthand accounts of the terrifying moments aboard the aircraft and the actions taken by passengers after the captain was attacked.
The four described the struggle to gain control of the situation after the co-pilot allegedly attacked and repeatedly stabbed the plane’s captain as the aircraft carrying scores of passengers rapidly lost altitude.

“The entire world sees Israeli heroism,” Netanyahu told them.

He then informed the four that their actions would receive one of Israel’s most prominent public honors.

“You will light a torch of civilian heroism on Independence Day,” Netanyahu said.

During the meeting, the passengers recounted how the attacker was eventually restrained after they gained access to the cockpit.

“We tied up the stabbing pilot with the headphone cord. He said, ‘Kill me’ — that means he failed in his mission and preferred to die,” they recalled.

Hayun has emerged as one of the central figures in accounts of the extraordinary incident. After passengers gained access to the cockpit, he helped overpower the attacker and pull him away from the controls.

Hayun then returned to the cockpit and attempted to stabilize the aircraft by pulling back on the controls as the plane was rapidly losing altitude.

When Netanyahu asked Hayun how he knew what to do, Hayun gave an unexpected answer: “I watch ‘Air Crash Investigation,’ Mr. Prime Minister.”

Dr. Musayev, a dentist, meanwhile turned his attention to the badly wounded captain, working to stop the bleeding from the stabbing injuries he had sustained during the cockpit struggle.

The captain himself has been widely credited with playing a crucial role in saving the aircraft. Despite suffering serious injuries during his struggle with the co-pilot, he managed to activate the mechanism opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to enter and intervene.

Two additional Flydubai pilots who happened to be traveling aboard the flight subsequently entered the cockpit, took control of the aircraft and brought it to a safe emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The captain was subsequently hospitalized and underwent treatment for his wounds.
Netanyahu praised the four Israelis for the courage, resourcefulness and faith they displayed during the crisis, saying their actions prevented what could have been an enormous disaster and saved many lives.

The prime minister also used the meeting to issue a broader warning to Israelis following the incident.

“I tell the citizens of Israel to learn from you, to keep their eyes open and remain alert. We are in a very sensitive period. Our enemies intend to harm us,” Netanyahu said.

The flight had departed Dubai for Israel when the violent confrontation erupted inside the cockpit. During the crisis, the aircraft descended rapidly by thousands of feet and transmitted emergency signals before control was restored.

The plane ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia, and the passengers were later brought back to Israel.

Netanyahu had already praised Hayun upon his return to Israel, calling him a “lion” after hearing how he had rushed into the cockpit and helped overpower the attacker.

President Isaac Herzog has also moved to formally recognize Israelis involved in saving the flight, announcing that he intends to recommend four of those who participated in the rescue effort for the President’s Medal for Civilian Heroism.

The investigation into precisely what occurred aboard the flight remains underway, and Flydubai has cautioned against reaching conclusions about the attacker’s motive before the investigation is completed.

For Netanyahu, however, the bravery displayed by the passengers was already beyond question. Their actions, he told them Thursday, will now be recognized before the country when they light a torch honoring civilian heroism on Independence Day.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump drew cheers at a White House Hispanic Heritage Month celebration Wednesday after joking that “only a Hispanic” could survive a fall from the construction site of the massive new White House ballroom.

The remark came as Trump addressed guests in the East Room during the first White House Hispanic Heritage Month celebration of his second administration. During nearly an hour of remarks, the president invited attendees to get a first look at the floor of the ballroom now under construction.

“There’s a tunnel going to what I think will be the greatest ballroom ever built. It’s also a tremendous military complex with a drone port on top,” Trump said.

Trump then cautioned the crowd about venturing onto the unfinished construction site, noting the potentially dangerous drop surrounding portions of the project.

“You literally will be the first group ever to enter the premises. So be very careful. Don’t fall over the edge, because it’s a long way down,” he continued.

Trump then delivered the line that quickly attracted attention following the event.

“And only a Hispanic could survive that fall,” the president added, receiving cheers from attendees. “So, I’m not overly worried.”

The celebration was held in the East Room and featured Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the highest-ranking Hispanic official in the federal government. Rubio joined Trump during the event and addressed those in attendance.

The White House did not hold a comparable Hispanic Heritage Month gathering in 2025, although Trump issued an official proclamation marking the observance. In that proclamation, Trump praised Hispanic Americans for their contributions to the country and highlighted their commitment to faith, family and freedom.

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs annually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Trump’s remarks came at a politically significant moment for Republicans, who are seeking to retain the substantial gains Trump made among Hispanic voters in the 2024 presidential election as the Nov. 3 midterms approach.

Recent polling has indicated that some of those gains have eroded. Surveys of Hispanic voters have shown increased dissatisfaction over economic issues and other concerns, adding importance to Republican efforts to maintain the support Trump received from Hispanic voters in 2024.

Trump used Wednesday’s event to appeal directly to Hispanic voters ahead of the midterms while arguing that his administration’s economic accomplishments have not been communicated effectively enough to the public.

The ballroom itself has become one of the most visible construction projects undertaken at the White House during Trump’s second term. The sprawling project is intended to provide the White House with a permanent venue capable of accommodating large state dinners, receptions and other major events that previously required temporary structures.

The White House is again preventing CNN from carrying out its scheduled role in the television press pool covering President Donald Trump, despite a federal judge’s temporary order restoring access to CNN and two other news organizations barred by the administration earlier this month.

CNN had been scheduled to provide television pool coverage Thursday as Trump travels to Texas and Oklahoma, but the network was omitted from the pool guidance distributed by the White House on Wednesday evening. No substitute television pool camera is expected to accompany the president on the trip.

The latest move comes less than a week after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, issued a 14-day temporary restraining order requiring the administration to restore White House credentials to CNN, MS NOW and Politico while their legal challenge proceeds. That order is currently scheduled to remain in effect through Oct. 8.

The White House did not immediately comment on the decision to exclude CNN from Thursday’s pool assignment.

The dispute began Sept. 18, when Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House, accusing the three organizations of publishing “fake news” and arguing that their reporting posed national security concerns. Reporters from the organizations were denied entry to White House grounds beginning the following day.

Trump defended the action at the time, writing, “The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.”

The ban prompted a sharp response from news organizations and the White House Correspondents’ Association. It also led to an unusual show of solidarity among the five television networks that traditionally rotate responsibility for providing pooled video coverage of the president: CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC and CBS.

The networks temporarily suspended their presidential television pool operation rather than replace CNN when it was CNN’s scheduled turn. Other forms of pooled coverage continued.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico then filed suit against the administration, arguing that they had been targeted because of their reporting and that the White House had violated both their First Amendment rights and their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

During a hearing on the case, Kelly pointed to longstanding federal court precedent requiring the government to provide due process before revoking a journalist’s White House access.

Two days later, Kelly granted temporary relief to the three organizations and ordered their credentials restored. The judge concluded that the outlets were likely to prevail on their due-process claim, finding that their journalists had not received adequate notice or an opportunity to respond before their credentials were taken away.

The ruling did not finally resolve the broader First Amendment dispute over whether the administration’s actions amounted to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. That question remains part of the ongoing litigation.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently returned to the White House grounds, but the restoration of their credentials did not end the battle over CNN’s role in the television pool.

Tensions erupted again over the weekend when Trump traveled to Tennessee for a college football game. CNN was scheduled to serve as the television pool outlet that day, but the network was not permitted to send its journalists aboard Air Force One.

That incident helped prompt the three news organizations to return to court this week seeking a preliminary injunction that would keep the administration from reinstating its ban while the lawsuit is litigated.

In their latest court filing, attorneys for CNN, MS NOW and Politico accused the White House of applying its restrictions selectively even after Kelly’s order.

“The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity.”

The organizations are asking Kelly to preserve the access they had before Trump announced the ban, rather than allow the temporary restraining order to expire Oct. 8 while the larger case remains unresolved.

CNN also argued that the administration has been granting access to Trump and his daily activities “unpredictably and inconsistently,” causing continuing harm to its ability to cover the president.

The original lawsuit alleges that Trump’s decision constituted viewpoint discrimination, arguing that the administration punished the organizations because it objected to the substance and tone of their reporting.

The White House has taken a different position, maintaining that access to the president and White House grounds is a privilege rather than an unrestricted right and that the administration retains authority over who is permitted into sensitive areas.

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended that position over the weekend, saying, “When it comes to the White House, it is the people’s house. It is a privilege, and not a right, to be there.”

The legal fight also comes against the backdrop of a significant change Trump made to White House media operations during his second administration. In 2025, the White House took control of selecting members of the presidential press pool away from the White House Correspondents’ Association, giving the administration greater authority over which organizations receive coveted access to smaller presidential events.

The traditional five-network television rotation initially continued despite that change, making the dispute over CNN particularly significant for the television pool system.

The administration is now required to respond to the news organizations’ latest court filing by Friday, setting up another round in the rapidly escalating legal battle over who gets to cover the president — and under what conditions.

The IDF has eliminated two terrorists who invaded Israel during the October 7 massacre, including a Hamas commander who participated in kidnapping six Israelis from Kibbutz Be’eri and taking them into Gaza.

The military announced Thursday that Muhammad Jamal Mahmoud Abu Al-Shaar, a cell commander in Hamas’ military wing, was killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza City area on Tuesday.

According to the IDF, Abu Al-Shaar was among the terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, where more than 100 residents were murdered and dozens were abducted during the Hamas assault.

The military said Abu Al-Shaar personally participated in the abduction of six Israelis: Sharon Hertzman-Avigdori, her daughter Noam Avigdori, Adi Shoham, her children Nave Shoham and Yahel Shoham, and Shoshan Haran.

The six were members of the same extended family. All six survived their captivity and were released in November 2023 as part of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, after approximately 50 days in Gaza.

In a separate Israeli strike carried out Tuesday in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, the IDF eliminated Musab Abd al-Jalil Saqib Balbisi, whom the military identified as a commander in the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

According to the IDF, Balbisi also crossed into Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre.

The military said both Abu Al-Shaar and Balbisi had remained actively involved in terrorism long after the October 7 attack and had recently been advancing attacks targeting IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.

The IDF said those activities constituted systematic violations of the ceasefire and that the two terrorists were targeted in order to remove the continuing threat they posed.

Before carrying out the strikes, the IDF said it took steps intended to reduce the danger to civilians in the surrounding areas, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.

The two eliminations are part of Israel’s continuing effort to track down terrorists who participated in the October 7 invasion and massacre, even as IDF forces operate under the terms of the current ceasefire arrangement in Gaza.

The IDF has repeatedly targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives whom it says have continued planning attacks, rebuilding terrorist infrastructure or threatening Israeli forces despite the ceasefire.

Israeli forces under the IDF Southern Command remain deployed in Gaza in accordance with the agreement and continue to operate against what the military defines as immediate threats to Israeli troops and civilians.

The latest eliminations follow an intensive month of targeted operations against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza.

According to figures released by the IDF, approximately 70 terrorists were eliminated during September alone, including a number of senior Hamas commanders.

Among those killed during the month were three brigade commanders, two battalion commanders and nine company commanders, dealing a series of blows to Hamas’ remaining command structure.

Seventeen of the approximately 70 terrorists eliminated during September had participated in the October 7 massacre, according to the IDF.

Those 17 included terrorists involved in the invasion of Israeli communities, the kidnapping of civilians and the subsequent imprisonment of hostages inside Gaza.

Among the senior Hamas figures eliminated during September was Muhammad Yazouri, commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. The IDF and Shin Bet said Yazouri had been directing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and was working to rebuild the brigade’s capabilities after the heavy damage it sustained during the war.

The latest announcement puts Abu Al-Shaar among the growing number of October 7 participants subsequently located and eliminated by Israeli forces, nearly three years after the massacre in which he helped abduct six members of one family from Be’eri.

Yehonatan Ovadia, a 35-year-old Israeli citizen and father of five associated with Satmar, remains in federal immigration custody in New York and could be deported to Israel after U.S. authorities declined to extend his legal status, citing his involvement in a 2023 protest during which an Israeli flag was torn down from the Ramapo Town Hall.

Ovadia, who came to the United States in 2022 on a religious-worker visa, was taken into custody by immigration agents in August after appearing at immigration court in Manhattan.

At a hearing Wednesday, an immigration judge declined to release him on bond. Dozens of chassidim came to the courthouse to show support for Ovadia as his attorneys continued their effort to secure his release and challenge the government’s handling of the case.

The immigration proceedings stem from a protest held in Ramapo, New York, in November 2023, approximately a month after an Israeli flag had been placed outside the town hall following the October 7 massacre.

Ovadia and several other anti-Zionist chassidim attended the demonstration to protest the municipality’s display of the Israeli flag. Surveillance footage showed members of the group removing the flag and cutting it with scissors.

Ovadia has maintained that he did not personally remove or damage the flag. He has said that another man was responsible and that he objected to what was being done and attempted to leave the scene.

Ramapo police arrested Ovadia and another man following the incident. Ovadia was initially charged with criminal mischief, petit larceny and conspiracy, with the charges classified as hate crimes.

The hate-crime charges were subsequently dropped. In February 2024, Ovadia pleaded guilty to the much lesser violation of disorderly conduct and paid a $200 fine along with an additional $125 charge.

Ovadia has said that his decision to accept the disorderly-conduct disposition was largely practical rather than an admission that he had torn down the flag.

“I said, ‘You know, I don’t have power, I’m out of money, I have no time, I am a teacher, I need to teach students every day,’” he recalled. “‘Let’s end this with disorderly conduct.’”

Ovadia’s immigration difficulties emerged later. His religious-worker status was due to expire in November 2025, and Congregation Bnai Yoel in Orange County sponsored an application seeking to allow him to continue his religious work in the United States.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ultimately reached an unusual split determination. The agency found that Ovadia remained qualified to perform the religious work for which the application had been submitted and did not find him inadmissible because of a “conviction or commission of a crime involving moral turpitude.”

However, immigration officials refused, as a matter of discretion, to grant him an extension allowing him to remain in the United States.

Government documents cited the circumstances of the Ramapo incident, including the charges that had ultimately been dropped, his disorderly-conduct violation and police records indicating that he declined to identify other individuals involved in the protest.

Once his existing status expired without an approved extension of stay, Ovadia was left without lawful immigration status and became subject to removal proceedings.

His attorneys have filed a lengthy federal lawsuit seeking his release, arguing that the government’s actions improperly punish Ovadia for his political and religious beliefs and conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

Attorney Eric Lee has stressed that Ovadia’s opposition to the State of Israel is rooted in his religious worldview, saying that labeling his client antisemitic because of those beliefs is absurd.

Ovadia has participated in a number of anti-Israel demonstrations in New York and New Jersey together with other anti-Zionist chassidim. His attorneys maintain that such demonstrations constitute protected political and religious expression and do not establish that he engaged in violence.

The Department of Homeland Security has rejected the suggestion that Ovadia is being detained merely because of his views.

“In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome and refused to depart,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. “He will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings.”

DHS has also said that permission for a foreign citizen to remain in the United States is a privilege and maintained that the administration has legal authority to act against noncitizens it believes advocate violence, support terrorist activity, harass Jews or steal property.

Ovadia and his attorneys dispute that description of his conduct.

Speaking by telephone from immigration detention, Ovadia explained his participation in the original Ramapo demonstration by saying, “We demonstrated for Gaza and for Palestinian rights, to show the world that true Judaism wants peace. We wanted to express our opinion legally and peacefully.”

One of Ovadia’s attorneys said at Wednesday’s hearing that the government has designated Israel as the country to which it would seek to deport him if a final removal order is issued.

The timing of any possible deportation remains unclear, however, as Ovadia’s lawyers continue challenging his detention and immigration case through the courts.

{Matzav.com}

A seemingly small request by Rav Dov Landau before Sukkos revealed the extraordinary care with which the Rosh Yeshiva approaches even the finest details of halacha.

Ahead of Yom Tov, R’ Shaya Dickstein visited the homes of leading Gedolei Yisroel to present them with exceptionally beautiful esrogim grown in orchards he owns in Morocco.

When he arrived at the home of Rav Dov Landau, the Rosh Yeshiva carefully examined the esrog and asked his son to inspect its quality as well.

After looking it over, Rav Landau made an unusual request: he asked R’ Shaya to formally transfer ownership of the esrog to him through a proper kinyan.

Those present were puzzled.

This year, the first day of Sukkos fell on Shabbos. As a result, the mitzvah of taking the arba minim was not performed that day, and the Torah requirement of “lachem” — that the daled minim belong to the person taking them — would seemingly not apply in the usual way.

Why, then, was Rav Landau particular that the esrog become his personal property?

The Rosh Yeshiva immediately explained the reason.

A number of distinguished American bochurim learn in Slabodka Yeshiva and observe a second day of Yom Tov in accordance with the practice of those who live outside Eretz Yisroel.

For those bochurim, Sunday was their first day on which they would actually perform the mitzvah of arba minim, and the requirement of “lachem” therefore applied fully to them.

The American bochurim traditionally come to the Rosh Yeshiva’s sukkah to use his arba minim. Rav Landau therefore wanted to ensure that the esrog was legally and halachically his, so that he would be able to properly transfer ownership to each of them for the mitzvah.

R’ Shaya immediately carried out the kinyan, formally transferring the esrog to Rav Landau.

Rav Landau then performed a hagbahah on the esrog, completing the acquisition.

That was the esrog subsequently used by the American bochurim of Slabodka Yeshiva when they performed the mitzvah of arba minim on their second day of Yom Tov.

What initially appeared to be an unnecessary technicality was, in fact, a carefully considered effort by the Rosh Yeshiva to ensure that the bochurim could fulfill the mitzvah in the most proper manner possible.

{Matzav.com}

A major fire tore through a nursing facility in Bnei Brak shortly after midnight, forcing the evacuation of approximately 40 elderly residents and leaving dozens injured, including two men who were hospitalized in serious and unstable condition with significant burns.

The blaze broke out in a first-floor room at the Mishkenot Vatikim Nursing Center on Rav Amram Gaon Street, an eight-story facility housing elderly and nursing-care residents.

Firefighters from Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan rushed to the scene and began battling the flames while conducting extensive searches throughout the building for residents who may have been trapped.

Several residents were located inside the burning area itself and were carried to safety by firefighters.

In all, 24 people were transported to hospitals. Two men, ages 65 and approximately 80, suffered second-degree burns and were listed in serious and unstable condition. They were sedated and placed on ventilators before being evacuated to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Four additional residents were hospitalized in moderate condition, while 18 others were listed in light condition, most of them suffering from smoke inhalation.

The wounded were distributed among Sheba Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Ichilov Hospital and Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center.

Magen David Adom received the initial report shortly after midnight, prompting a large-scale emergency response that included ambulances, intensive-care units and rapid-response vehicles.

MDA paramedics Yissachar Weiss and Tal Sagi described the scene as extremely difficult, with large numbers of emergency personnel treating residents as they were brought out of the building.

“This was a very difficult scene. We arrived with large forces that included rapid-response vehicles, ambulances and MDA intensive-care units. We provided medical treatment to a large number of injured people, including two men in serious and unstable condition who were sedated and ventilated and had burns to their upper bodies, four people in moderate condition and 18 in light condition, and we evacuated them to hospitals.”

Hatzalah volunteers Chizki Bloch and Shlomo Wolf said they encountered an active fire upon arriving and immediately began assisting residents caught near the burning room, including providing respiratory support to those affected by smoke.

United Hatzalah volunteers Akiva Kaufman, Meilech Honig and Daniel Yefune said the rescue operation was particularly difficult because many of the residents were unable to leave the building without assistance due to their age and physical condition.

“This was a fire in a nursing home housing dozens of elderly nursing-care residents. We assisted in evacuating residents who had difficulty escaping on their own because of their age and physical condition, and we provided initial treatment to victims suffering from smoke inhalation and burns of varying severity. Large firefighting forces operated at the scene to rescue those trapped and bring the fire under control.”

United Hatzalah ambulance drivers Elchanan Marciano, Yosef Baruchim, Adiel Pinchas, Yosef Chaim Tubul and Yehuda Vidavsky positioned stretchers near the building and received residents as they were brought out by firefighters.

“We spread out with stretchers near the scene and received the residents who were evacuated from the burning building. We provided them with initial treatment and transported some of them to hospitals for further care, with their conditions listed as light.”

Efi Feldman, head of United Hatzalah’s Bnei Brak branch, said dozens of volunteers left their homes during Yom Tov and in the middle of the night to assist with the emergency.

“As the largest medical organization in the city, with dozens of volunteers spread throughout Bnei Brak who know the area well, we were dispatched with reinforced forces as soon as the report was received. The nursing home’s location in a densely populated residential area and the concern that many people could be trapped required a rapid and extensive response. Dozens of volunteers left their homes during the holiday and in the middle of the night to assist with the rescue, treatment and evacuation. I thank all the volunteers and ambulance crews who left their families and mobilized to save lives.”

After firefighters brought the main blaze under control, crews continued searching the building to ensure that no additional residents remained trapped.

A fire investigator was called to the scene to determine what caused the blaze.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has begun sending $500 refund checks to more than 950,000 Americans enrolled in Obamacare plans, returning roughly half a billion dollars that the White House says was collected through excessive fees imposed during the Biden administration.

The payments are being distributed by the Treasury Department to eligible residents of 30 states that rely on HealthCare.gov, the federally operated Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace. The recipients have already been identified by the federal government, meaning Americans do not need to file an application or submit a claim to receive the money.

The refunds are being issued on a per-person basis, meaning households with more than one eligible enrollee can receive multiple $500 checks. The program primarily covers consumers who purchased insurance through the federal marketplace without receiving federal premium assistance and therefore bore the full cost of their premiums.

The White House says the money comes from a surplus accumulated through HealthCare.gov “user fees,” which are charged to insurance companies participating in the federal exchange and ultimately incorporated into premium costs. The administration maintains that the fees collected during the Biden years substantially exceeded what was necessary to operate the federal marketplace.

“For years, the Biden administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare.gov,” President Trump wrote in a letter being mailed with the payments. “That money belongs to hard-working Americans, not the Government, and now I’m returning it to you!”

According to the White House, more than $500 million accumulated from the fees without being used for the benefit of the consumers who ultimately paid them. The administration announced the refund initiative earlier in September, saying it would return the excess collections directly to Americans rather than retain the money within the federal government.

The user fees ordinarily finance the operation of the federal insurance marketplace, including its technological infrastructure, customer-service operations and enrollment-related activities. The administration has argued that previous fee levels generated more revenue than was required for those purposes.

For 2026, the federal marketplace user fee had been set at 2.5% of monthly premiums. The Trump administration has since finalized a lower rate of 1.9% for 2027, saying the reduction is part of a broader effort to lower costs associated with plans sold through the federal exchange.

The $500 refunds are available only in states that use the federally facilitated exchange. Those states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Residents of states operating their own independent ACA marketplaces are not included in the federal refund program.

The checks are arriving just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, as healthcare expenses and the broader cost of living remain major issues in congressional races around the country.

“You have paid into this flawed System, and now you are finally getting something back,” Trump wrote in the letter.

The payments are separate from another proposal Trump has discussed: $5,000 “Trump dividend” payments that he has described as a “reward for people” for enduring Biden-era economic policies. Unlike that proposal, the $500 Obamacare refunds are already being distributed to a predetermined group of eligible recipients.

The refund rollout comes as the administration is also pursuing a wider crackdown on what it describes as fraud and improper enrollment in the federal Obamacare marketplace.

Vice President JD Vance announced last week that the administration expects to recover approximately $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies connected to unauthorized enrollments.

CMS said its effort has resulted in the cancellation of approximately 315,000 unauthorized enrollments covering more than 760,000 people. The agency has also created a federal exchange anti-fraud coordination group bringing together officials from CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services to pursue suspected improper enrollment and questionable activity by insurance agents and brokers.

Vance said the Biden administration had loosened eligibility procedures without putting sufficient verification safeguards in place, while brokers simultaneously had financial incentives to bring additional customers into ACA plans.

“You have a system where, on the one hand, brokers are paid money to feed patients into the system, while on the other hand, the government isn’t even checking whether the people enrolled are actually eligible for the program. What do you have? Of course — rampant, rampant fraud,” he said.

The administration says its response includes removing people it believes were improperly enrolled while subjecting hundreds of thousands of additional cases to further eligibility reviews.

“The second thing that we’re going to do is we’re going to do some additional verification. We expect that most of these people are fraudulently enrolled, but we’re going to do some additional verification on about 419,000 people,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that they’re, first of all, legal residents of the United States of America, and second of all, we’re going to make sure that they actually meet the income threshold requirements in order to receive these Obamacare benefits.”

CMS has said its broader strategy is aimed at preventing questionable enrollments before they occur, canceling confirmed unauthorized coverage already on the books, and stepping up enforcement against agents and brokers who violate federal marketplace rules.

“To put into context the amount of money that we’re stopping from going to fraudsters today — $2.2 billion — the average American child receives about $4,000 in healthcare benefits every single year,” Vance added. “That means that we are saving 550,000 American children’s worth of healthcare that was going to fraudsters and now will go to the essential services for which it was meant to go.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spent Sukkos making a series of high-profile appearances in Orthodox Jewish communities across Brooklyn, visiting sukkahs in Crown Heights and Williamsburg and meeting with prominent Chabad and Satmar figures as his administration continued its outreach to Jewish New Yorkers.

Mamdani’s Sukkos rounds began Tuesday night in Crown Heights, where he visited the sukkah of Devorah Halberstam, the longtime Jewish communal activist whose son Ari Halberstam was murdered in the 1994 Brooklyn Bridge terror attack.

Halberstam has for years hosted elected officials, law-enforcement leaders and community figures during Sukkos, and Mamdani’s appearance placed him alongside a number of other prominent New York officials and Jewish communal personalities.

Among those present were Gov. Kathy Hochul, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and City Council Speaker Julie Menin.

The visit came shortly after Mamdani’s administration unveiled a citywide strategy aimed at combating antisemitism, adding particular significance to his appearance in one of New York’s most prominent Jewish neighborhoods.

Mamdani then visited the sukkah of R’ Yaacov Behrman, a Crown Heights community activist and Chabad media liaison.

Behrman later emphasized that he had hosted Mamdani in a personal capacity and not on behalf of Chabad as an institution.

“He was in the neighborhood for an event, and my family and I hosted him afterward in our sukkah to share some of the beauty and meaning of the holiday,” Behrman said.

According to Behrman, the conversation focused on Sukkos, family and the meaning of the sukkah. His children also explained the concept of the ushpizin to the mayor.

“We blessed the mayor that he should be a uniter and bring New Yorkers together,” Behrman said.

Mamdani also visited the sukkah of Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller and one of Mamdani’s most visible Jewish political allies.

The mayor’s Crown Heights appearances drew mixed reactions. Some people welcomed him, while others heckled him and accused him of antisemitism, reflecting the deep divisions that remain within the Jewish community over his positions and rhetoric concerning Israel.

A day later, on Wednesday, Mamdani traveled to Williamsburg, where he visited the sukkah of R’ Saul Perelstein and met with leaders associated with the Satmar community’s Reb Zalman Leib faction.

Mamdani was greeted there by United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn President R’ David Niederman.

Also participating were longtime community figure R’ Abe Friedman, Williamsburg Shomrim coordinator Yanky Itzkowitz, and representatives of local mosdos and communal organizations.

The Williamsburg meeting focused on issues affecting local residents and the broader Orthodox Jewish community, continuing a relationship Mamdani has cultivated with several Satmar leaders over the course of his rise in city politics.

Earlier in the week, he also participated in a Sukkos food-distribution event with R’ Shlomo Nisanov, a leader in Queens’ Bukharian Jewish community.

{Matzav.com}

Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, Slabodka rosh yeshiva, came out sharply against efforts to persuade members of the chareidi tzibbur to boycott the upcoming Knesset elections, warning that those encouraging Yidden not to vote are acting out of “either wickedness or foolishness.”

The Rosh Yeshiva addressed the issue during a closed meeting in Bnei Brak with representatives of Degel HaTorah, amid attempts by some elements on the fringes of the chareidi community to convince voters to stay home on Election Day, whether as a protest or because of ideological opposition to participation in Israeli elections.

Rav Landau made clear that he firmly rejects such a course and believes the chareidi public must participate in the election in order to protect the interests of the olam haTorah and the broader frum community.

“Woe to anyone who incites people not to go to the elections, woe to him – and I do not want to continue,” Rav Landau told those present emphatically, adding that anyone promoting such a position is acting out of “either wickedness or foolishness.”

The comments highlight the position of the gedolim, who have long regarded participation in elections as an essential means of maintaining political representation and protecting the needs of yeshivos, kollelim, bnei Torah, mosdos and chareidi families.

The controversy comes as Degel HaTorah prepares for the upcoming election amid significant internal changes within the party and a broader debate over how the chareidi tzibbur should respond to the ongoing battles over the draft, funding for yeshivos and the status of the olam haTorah.

Rav Landau has repeatedly taken a firm line against efforts to draft bnei yeshivos, making clear that opposition to the draft does not mean withdrawing from the political arena altogether.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Wednesday night that it remains too early to determine whether Iran was involved in the attempted attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, as investigators continue probing the co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain and trying to crash the plane.

Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Netanyahu praised Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli passenger who rushed toward the cockpit during the terrifying midair emergency and helped overpower the attacker.

“I met with this Israeli, this unbelievable Israeli, his name is Yaniv, who did this thing. And I asked him, you know, how did you do it? And he said, well, I just had to do it,” Netanyahu told Hannity. “I had to act to save his family was there.”

The incident unfolded aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which was carrying 174 passengers when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife. The aircraft then entered a rapid descent before passengers and crew managed to intervene.

Netanyahu said Hayoun’s actions helped avert a catastrophe.

“He acted with coolness of judgment and heroism that is just tremendous courage that prevented another 9/11,” he said.

Despite suffering stab wounds, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter. Hayoun, who had been seated in row 16, rushed forward and helped wrestle the attacker away from the controls.

Other passengers and crew members assisted in restraining the suspected attacker, while additional pilots aboard the aircraft helped regain control of the plane.

The aircraft was ultimately diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later able to continue their journey to Israel.

“I spoke earlier today with President Trump, who really was appreciative of this,” Netanyahu said.

Asked directly whether Israel had any indication at this stage that Iran was connected to the cockpit attack, Netanyahu said investigators had not yet reached that conclusion.

“Well, it’s too early to say,” Netanyahu responded. “The attacking pilot is now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he’ll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from.”

The suspect remained in Saudi custody as investigators worked to establish his motive, background and whether he acted alone or had any connection to an outside organization or state.

Israeli officials have continued following the investigation closely, while Flydubai has urged against speculation before the probe is completed.

Netanyahu also used the Hannity interview to discuss a separate suspected Iranian-linked security incident in Britain involving RAF Fairford.

He said Israeli intelligence had warned British authorities about a planned attack and sharply criticized London over subsequent sanctions imposed on Israel.

“You want to hear how absurd things are there and how far the anti-Israel propaganda has gone,” Netanyahu said. “We gave the Brits the intel that there was going to be an attack and it’s an Iranian-sponsored attack and pretty much the next day they slapped sanctions on us.”

“The caving in, the collapse before the Islamist-Marxist alliance is very dangerous for the future of the West,” he added.

As for the Flydubai attack, Netanyahu stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that it is still too early to determine whether Tehran or any other outside actor played a role.

{Matzav.com}