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Relatives of 9/11 victims, first responders and elected officials gathered outside New York City Hall on Tuesday to urge Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from Friday’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying his presence would intrude on a deeply personal day of mourning for families who lost loved ones. The appeal is part of a petition campaign that has drawn tens of thousands of signatures.

Charles Wolf, whose wife was killed in the attacks, said at the midday press conference that Mamdani had not demonstrated the relationship with 9/11 families that other elected officials attending the annual commemoration have developed over the years.

“This mayor is not serving us,” Wolf said. “He’s serving himself. We are asking respectfully that he not show up.”

Wolf acknowledged that other political leaders will attend the Ground Zero ceremony but argued that their presence is different because many worked closely with victims’ families in the aftermath of the attacks and during subsequent efforts to secure legislation on their behalf.

“Even though there is going to be other politicians there, these are the politicians that helped us push beneficial laws through and literally held our hand during that time,” Wolf continued. “Mayor Mamdani has not shown any of that, none of it. He just wants to be there because he wants to be there.”

Wolf said the annual ceremony reopens the trauma experienced by victims’ relatives and emphasized that the commemoration is intended primarily for the families rather than as a public political event.

“So we are asking him to respect the fact that that trauma is revived during the ceremony. It is a private ceremony. It is not a public ceremony. Mayor Mamdani, please do not come.”

City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino joined organizers and relatives in formally bringing the petition to City Hall. Organizers said Tuesday that it had collected more than 101,000 signatures calling on Mamdani not to attend the anniversary observance.

“I am demanding that he not show his face at that sacred ground,” Paladino said. “He does not belong there.”

Paladino argued that the number of people who had signed the petition demonstrated the depth of opposition to Mamdani’s planned attendance among those supporting the effort.

“We the people do not care for Zohran Mamdani – 101,000 names is not a drop in the bucket. Do not, Zohran Mamdani, take us New Yorkers for granted. We were there that day. The sky looked very similar to this. Stay put. Stay in City Hall and promote your propaganda.”

The petition was organized by Giovanni Galante, whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Galante has said that the effort is intended to preserve the anniversary as a solemn occasion centered on those who were murdered, their relatives and survivors.

“We don’t believe in what he believes in, and we really want us to be left alone,” Galante said. “This 25th anniversary is for victims and survivors to blend in and pray that day for all the families — not have a circus around us.”

Other relatives who joined the effort similarly said that the Ground Zero observance should remain a protected space where families can mourn without distractions.

“If we feel that we don’t want someone at our world-class memorial museum that’s sacred and hallowed, we feel that that person should respect our wishes,” said Monica Iken, whose husband, Michael, was killed in the attacks. “He didn’t go to the 20th … so I don’t know why he’s so adamant about going to this one when we just ask that he just respect us from 7 to 11 and let us have our mourning.”

Those speaking Tuesday said their objections center on Mamdani’s political positions, associations and appointments. The controversy has been building for weeks, even as Mamdani has said he intends to attend the commemoration to honor the victims, survivors and first responders.

Cheri Sparacio, whose husband, Tom, died in the South Tower, stressed that her opposition was based on Mamdani’s public record rather than his background or religion. Among the concerns she cited was his appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel. Kassem previously represented a Guantanamo detainee who was convicted of terrorism-related offenses.

“That is what we object to,” she said.

Republican City Councilwoman Joann Ariola also joined the call for Mamdani to stay away, arguing that the anniversary should focus entirely on those who were killed and those who survived rather than elected officials.

“Other politicians will be there, no one will speak — it is about the survivors and about those who were murdered that day,” Ariola said. “Mayor Mamdani, for once, listen to your constituents and not your influencers and stay away from an event, a ceremonial commemoration of the lives that were lost on 9/11.”

Mamdani, however, has indicated that he intends to attend Friday’s ceremony. He said this week that his focus will be on remembering those killed in the attacks and honoring the first responders who rushed to the scene. He has also designated Sept. 11 as an annual Day of Remembrance and Service in New York City.

[Video below.] President Donald Trump paid tribute Tuesday to the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, marking the approaching 25th anniversary with a ceremony at the Ellipse outside the White House and a pledge that America will “never forget” the nearly 3,000 people killed that day.

The commemoration, organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, centered on a massive steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Measuring 21 feet and weighing nearly 17,000 pounds, the beam has spent months traveling across the country as part of the foundation’s Steel Across America tour.

The beam is scheduled to return to New York on Friday in a procession retracing the route taken by fallen New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who raced toward the burning towers on Sept. 11. Tuesday’s ceremony began a week of commemorative events for Trump, culminating Friday with observances that will include a ceremony at the Pentagon.

“This battered piece of steel here today on the Ellipse is a reminder that America is blessed with a strength no fire can consume, no evil can conquer and no terror can destroy,” Trump said.

Reflecting on the magnitude of the attacks and the way they changed the country, Trump said Sept. 11 was among those rare events in history that “divide time into really what came before” and after.

The president also briefly turned to politics during his address, warning against Americans moving in a “communistic way,” an apparent reference to his frequent criticism of Democrats and the growing influence of democratic socialists within the party.

Trump singled out two men who lost their lives on Sept. 11 for special recognition: New York City firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo and Welles Crowther, the young equities trader and volunteer firefighter who became known as the “man in the red bandanna” after helping rescue people from the World Trade Center.

The president announced that the U.S. Coast Guard will commission a new fast-response cutter in New York this weekend in Palazzo’s honor. Palazzo, a Coast Guard reservist, was serving with Staten Island’s Rescue Squad 5 when he responded to the World Trade Center on the morning of the attacks.

Crowther was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his extraordinary actions during the attack. His mother, Alison, and his sister, Paige, accepted the medal on his behalf.

Trump also recalled his own experience near Ground Zero following the attacks, describing a frightening moment when he and others feared that another nearby building could collapse.

“I was building a big building in New York and I took the whole crew down there right after this happened,” he said. “We thought it was coming down on top of us. And two firemen – big, strong guys, and I’m not the smallest guy in the world — they grabbed me under the arms.”

“They lifted me up and they started running with me,” he added. “I said, ‘Fellas, I could run myself,’ but they were amazing.”

Among those attending Tuesday’s ceremony were senior administration officials and members of Congress, including Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, whose district is located near Shanksville, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11. Approximately 150 first responders from New York, along with others from Washington and Pennsylvania, were also present.

Trump devoted part of his remarks to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald when the attacks occurred. The financial firm, which had offices in the World Trade Center, suffered catastrophic losses on Sept. 11, with more than 650 employees killed, including Lutnick’s younger brother, Gary.

“He’s done an amazing job,” Trump said of Lutnick. “He’s rebuilt Cantor Fitzgerald, and he’s given much of the profits to some of the families or the families of people who perished.”

Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the brother of Stephen Siller, said the enormous section of World Trade Center steel on display represented far more than the destruction inflicted on New York nearly 25 years ago.

“This steel beam represents the best of our country,” Siller said. “It’s important to recognize that the heroism that was exhibited that fateful day was nothing short of incredible.”

Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis issued a forceful condemnation of the British government’s decision to impose sanctions targeting Jews living in Judea and Samaria, warning that the measures will strengthen extremists, deepen anti-Israel hostility and leave Jews increasingly vulnerable.

“This is truly a dark day for British Jews,” Mirvis said. “Today our Government has chosen to ignore the deep concerns expressed by so many of us.”

Mirvis charged that rather than helping bring about peace, the government’s actions give credibility to hostile anti-Israel narratives and those who are fixated on attacking the Jewish state.

“The measures announced amount to little more than political flag bearing for mendacious anti-Israel rhetoric and those who harbour a dangerous obsession with the Jewish State,” he said. “These measures will succeed only in bolstering the very extremism they seek to target.”

The chief rabbi emphasized that the decision was particularly troubling because it came on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, as British Jews confront what he described as a mounting tide of extremism that has intensified in recent years.

“On the eve of Rosh Hashanah and at a time when our community is more vulnerable than ever to the wave of extremism that has been building over recent years, these sanctions do nothing to advance the cause of peace. Nor do they make anyone safer – quite the contrary.”

Mirvis warned that punitive measures directed at Israel are contributing to an atmosphere in which increasingly hostile rhetoric about the Jewish state is becoming normalized. The consequences, he said, extend beyond Israel itself and can encourage those who direct their hatred toward Jews in Britain and around the world.

“Gesture politics of this kind feeds into an increasingly hostile discourse about Israel, and the cumulative effect of such punitive policies is to further embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews,” Mirvis concluded.

Argentine President Javier Milei publicly shared a social media post by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling on Israel to recognize Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, adding a new dimension to the escalating dispute between Argentina and Britain over the South Atlantic territory.

Ben Gvir’s message, written in Spanish and reposted by Milei on Monday night, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to formally side with Buenos Aires in its longstanding sovereignty claim and to impose sanctions on Britain as long as British control of the islands continues.

“The time has come for the State of Israel to publicly recognize the Falkland Islands as occupied Argentine territory, which the British are violently stealing from the Argentine people. The British are not only occupying the territory, but are also conducting oil drilling there and stealing money from the Argentine people,” Ben Gvir wrote.

“I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and impose sanctions on Great Britain for as long as the occupation continues,” he added.

Milei’s decision to share the post comes as his government has sharply intensified Argentina’s campaign over the islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas. Last week, Milei declared that Argentina would take new legal and economic measures against companies participating in oil exploration and development around the islands. His government subsequently opened sanction proceedings involving dozens of individuals and companies allegedly connected to hydrocarbon activity there.

The Argentine government went a step further this week, filing a criminal complaint against Israeli energy company Navitas Petroleum and company executives over their participation in the Sea Lion offshore oil project. Navitas holds a 65% interest in the development, which is expected to begin producing oil in 2028. Argentina maintains that companies operating there under British licenses are exploiting Argentine natural resources without authorization.

Britain rejects Argentina’s sovereignty claim and maintains that the Falkland Islanders have the right to determine their own political future. A British government minister reaffirmed Tuesday that London sees “no doubt” over British sovereignty and remains committed to the islanders.

Ben Gvir’s intervention came against the backdrop of a separate and rapidly escalating confrontation between Israel and Britain over Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron.

Britain on Tuesday announced broad economic restrictions targeting Israeli communities in Yehudah and Shomron, including a ban on imports of goods produced there. The move was coordinated with France and Canada as part of an effort to pressure Israel over settlement policy.

Reports of the impending British measures had already drawn furious reactions from senior Israeli officials before they were formally announced.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to expel the British ambassador, declaring, “The British ambassador should be expelled this evening.”

“We will not be a doormat for an antisemitic government in a country that has been conquered by radical Islam and is trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel. The British Mandate in the Land of Israel is over,” Smotrich said.

Ben Gvir, meanwhile, sought to turn the territorial issue back on London, invoking Argentina’s claim to the Falklands and arguing that Israel should respond to British pressure over Yehudah and Shomron by challenging Britain over its own disputed territory.

Milei’s repost was particularly noteworthy because Argentina has recently made the Falklands dispute a renewed national priority. In a televised address last week, Milei declared, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine” — and said recovering full sovereignty over the islands remains a permanent national objective.

The Falklands have been administered by Britain since 1833, while Argentina has maintained its claim to the islands for generations. Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, triggering the Falklands War, which ended with British forces retaking control.

Milei’s amplification of Ben Gvir’s statement now places an Israeli cabinet minister’s call squarely inside that longstanding international dispute — at a moment when both Argentina’s confrontation with Britain over the islands and Israel’s confrontation with London over Yehudah and Shomron are intensifying.

Rav Avraham Meir Hershowitz zt”l, a distinguished marbitz Torah who spent decades teaching and shaping talmidim in Eretz Yisroel and abroad, was niftar in Modiin Illit following a difficult illness and a prolonged period of suffering that he accepted with remarkable love and silence.

Rav Avraham Meir zt”l was a son of Rav Dovid Hershowitz zt”l, founder of Bais Medrash Bais Yechiel Meir. Upon reaching marriageable age, he married the daughter of Rav Yitzchok Yaakovson zt”l.

Throughout his life, Rav Avraham Meir devoted himself with extraordinary diligence and dedication to limud haTorah. He served as a ram in the Ponevezh Yeshiva for younger bochurim and later taught at Yeshivas Nishmas Yisroel in Paris, France, where his influence left a deep impression on numerous talmidim and where he disseminated Torah and yiras Shomayim. He also served as a marbitz Torah at Yeshivas Heichal Yosef in Modiin Illit, where he helped develop generations of talmidim.

Those who knew Rav Avraham Meir describe an exceptional ish emes, whose conduct was marked by purity, righteousness and unwavering attachment to his great rabbeim. He lived with tremendous humility, embodying the description of shayif ayil, shayif nafik, velo machzik tivusa lenafshei. Possessed of refined middos and nobility of spirit, he shared the burdens of others and greeted everyone, including those who were brokenhearted or downtrodden, with warmth and kindness. During his final years, he endured severe suffering, accepting his yissurim with love and without complaint.

Rav Avraham Meir leaves behind a distinguished family of sons, daughters, sons-in-law and descendants who continue along the path he established. His son, Rav Aryeh Leib Hershowitz, is among the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Heichal Yosef and carries the responsibilities of the yeshiva with great devotion. His brother, HaGaon Rav Elchonon Hershowitz, heads Bais Medrash Bais Yechiel and its kollelim.

The levayah departed today at noon from Rav Avraham Meir’s home at 12 Rambam Street in Modiin Illit. It continued at 2:30 p.m. from the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim to Har Hamenuchos, where he was brought to kevurah.

The family will be sitting shivah until the onset of Yom Tov at the family home at 12 Rambam Street in Modiin Illit. Beginning Thursday morning, his brother Rav Elchonon, his sister Rebbetzin Rochlin, his sons from Bnei Brak, and his daughters, the Schreiber and Melamed families, will sit at the home of his daughter, the Schreiber family, at 3 Alcharizi Street in Bnei Brak. His sister Rebbetzin Kaplan will sit from Thursday through midnight on Erev Yom Tov at her home at 12 Panim Meiros Street in Yerushalayim.

Yehi zichro baruch. 

With just hours remaining before the deadline to submit electoral slates to the Central Elections Committee, United Torah Judaism was thrown into turmoil as representatives of Shlomei Emunim and Belz moved to establish a separate political party while remaining within the joint UTJ list.

MK Meir Porush of Shlomei Emunim and Elyakim Stark, representing Belz, announced plans to run as part of UTJ through a newly established party that would be organizationally independent of Agudas Yisroel.

The new party, named Chomas Toras Yisroel, would fundamentally alter the structure of UTJ. Instead of consisting of the traditional partnership between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah, the joint list would now comprise three independently constituted political factions.

The development comes after years of complaints from Shlomei Emunim and Belz regarding their treatment within Agudas Yisroel. Representatives of the two groups have alleged that the Ger faction, commonly referred to as the Central Faction, has held up the transfer of funding intended for their operations and branches around the country.

Establishing Chomas Toras Yisroel as an independent party would enable the new faction to receive its monthly Knesset party funding directly. The allocations, amounting to hundreds of thousands of shekels, have until now been administered through the Ger-controlled party framework.

The battle, however, involves considerably more than control over funding.

Operating as a separate party would give Porush and his faction an independent political status within the broader UTJ framework. As a result, future coalition negotiations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would require separate discussions with representatives of Chomas Toras Yisroel rather than having its interests represented exclusively through Agudas Yisroel.

Despite the timing of the announcement, the establishment of the new faction was reportedly not an eleventh-hour initiative. Preparations for the move are said to have been underway quietly for close to a year.

As part of those preparations, organizers obtained an already-existing dormant political party that could be used as the legal framework for the new faction. The plan was kept under tight secrecy until recent days, after which the party was renamed Chomas Toras Yisroel.

Degel HaTorah, the Litvishe component of UTJ, was reportedly made aware of the plan beforehand and assisted in keeping the initiative confidential while preparations proceeded.

The effort to formally establish the new arrangement, however, ran into strong resistance from representatives of Ger, who refused to give their approval to the proposed restructuring.

The disagreement ultimately caused the meeting to fall apart, with participants leaving the room without reaching an agreement. The breakdown left the future configuration of the entire United Torah Judaism slate unresolved, with tensions running high only hours before the deadline for submitting the list.

Israel announced Tuesday that it will shutter the British Consulate in Yerushalayim and impose a series of other measures against the United Kingdom, responding to new British sanctions and restrictions targeting Israel and Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the retaliatory steps were approved in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He portrayed them as Israel’s response to what he said has been a sustained pattern of anti-Israel policies pursued by Britain’s Labour government.

The Israeli measures include closing the British Consulate in Yerushalayim, removing British personnel from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, ending British involvement in training Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria through the “British Support Team in Ramallah,” and barring 12 British elected officials as well as other British citizens whom Israel says have participated in antisemitic or anti-Israel activities or denied Israel’s right to exist.

“Unfortunately, a hostile Labour Government is in office, systematically acting against the State of Israel, and it has left us with no choice but to finally respond to its hostile actions,” Sa’ar stated.

Israel’s announcement followed British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s unveiling of a new package of measures directed at Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Miliband said Britain would seek to prohibit trade involving products originating in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The government also plans restrictions against businesses and individuals that provide services — including financing and construction — connected to settlement expansion. Additional limitations on weapons exports to Israel were announced as well.

“For a long time, the British government has said such settlements are illegal,” Miliband told the House of Commons. “Today I announce the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful.”

France and Canada also announced plans to adopt their own national measures prohibiting trade in products originating from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Miliband additionally condemned Israel’s publication of construction tenders for the E1 area. He said Britain accepts the United Nations’ definition of ethnic cleansing and believes that ethnic cleansing is occurring in portions of Judea and Samaria.

Sa’ar forcefully disputed those assertions and denounced both the substance of Britain’s actions and the circumstances surrounding their announcement.

“The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary of the Labour Government in the British Parliament were outrageous lies,” he said.

“The British move is morally distorted and constitutes blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and in its electoral process,” Sa’ar added.

Sa’ar also challenged Britain’s assertions about E1, maintaining that Israel has made no new decisions concerning development there.

“Contrary to the false claims of the Labour Government, no new decisions have been made regarding development in E1. The decision was taken more than a year ago, and the tender process has been underway for many months,” he stated.

According to Sa’ar, the Israeli government’s plans also encompass two road projects: Road 80, connecting the Bethlehem and Ramallah areas, and the “Fabric of Life” Road linking a-Za’im and al-Ezariya. He rejected allegations that the development plans would eliminate Palestinian territorial continuity.

The foreign minister further accused London of pursuing a one-sided approach toward Israel while taking no comparable action against the Palestinian Authority over its policy of making payments to terrorists.

“This conflict will not be resolved through declarations from London or Paris, and a one-sided, anti-Israel approach only pushes the possibility of reaching a solution further away rather than bringing it closer,” he said.

Sa’ar pointed to numerous policies adopted by Britain’s Labour government since taking office in July 2024. Among them, he cited Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, renewed funding for UNRWA, limits on defense exports to Israel, sanctions against Israeli government ministers and other Israelis, the suspension of free-trade negotiations, and curbs on military and security cooperation.

Sa’ar said Israel will deny entry to the following British elected officials and nationals: Jeremy Corbyn MP; Zarah Sultana MP; Fahad Ansari, Director of Riverway to the Sea; Naz Shah MP; Diane Abbott MP; Hannah Spencer MP; Carla Denyer MP; Sian Berry MP; Ellie Chowns MP; John McDonnell MP; Richard Burgon MP; and Adrian Ramsay MP.

In announcing the consulate’s closure, Sa’ar emphasized that Israel regards all of Yerushalayim as its sovereign capital and said foreign governments cannot operate there without Israeli authorization.

“United Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and is under its full sovereignty. Any activity by a foreign state within it must be carried out with the consent of the State of Israel,” he stated.

Sa’ar also indicated that Britain may not be the only country to face Israeli countermeasures, warning that governments taking similar actions against Israel could receive a similar response.

“Britain initiated and led the current move. But we will also take countermeasures, at our discretion, against other countries that act or will act against Israel,” he said.

“The message to every government that harms us is clear: whoever acts against Israel, Israel will act against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region.”

“Measures against Israel will not go unanswered,” Sa’ar concluded.

Military prosecutors are prepared to proceed with the long-delayed trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed without using a major confession he gave to FBI investigators, choosing not to appeal a judge’s decision excluding the statements in order to preserve the trial date now scheduled for June 2028.

The U.S. government has decided against challenging the recent ruling by a military judge barring Mohammed’s 2007 statements to the FBI from being introduced as evidence at his trial.

“An appeal could jeopardize the hard-earned June 5, 2028, trial date,” federal officials wrote in a Friday letter to families of 9/11 victims, according to sources familiar with the correspondence. The decision came one week before the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Government lawyers were apparently concerned that challenging the ruling could add years to a case already defined by extraordinary delays. Appeals involving similar evidentiary disputes have taken years to move through the courts, prolonging a process that has repeatedly frustrated relatives of those killed in the attacks.

The prosecutions of Mohammed and his alleged co-conspirators Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Ammar al-Baluchi have remained unresolved for decades as lawyers battled over numerous legal issues, particularly whether statements obtained following torture and coercive interrogations could legally be admitted at trial.

Prosecutors had previously agreed not to introduce evidence obtained during torture interrogations of Mohammed and the other defendants at secret CIA detention facilities following their capture in 2003.

They had, however, intended to rely heavily on statements Mohammed subsequently made at Guantánamo Bay, where he has been detained since 2006. Court filings indicated that prosecutors viewed that confession as an important part of the evidence they planned to present to the panel of military officers that will serve as the jury.

Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, the military judge overseeing the case, established the June 5, 2028, trial date last month. Just days later, he issued the ruling preventing prosecutors from using Mohammed’s statements.

The military did not immediately release the ruling publicly, citing a “security review.” Sources familiar with the decision said Schrama determined that Mohammed had endured “severe coercion” during years of CIA interrogation at secret overseas “black site” facilities. The judge also cited the fact that Mohammed had not been provided an opportunity to consult an attorney, according to the sources.

Despite losing the confession, military prosecutors maintain that they possess other evidence connecting Mohammed to the September 11 plot. That evidence reportedly includes telephone records and financial documentation linking him to the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for hijacking the four aircraft used in the attacks.

The decision to proceed toward trial marks the latest development in a prosecution that has been repeatedly delayed by disputes over interrogation methods, classified evidence, legal procedures and attempts to resolve the cases through plea agreements.

Mohammed had been poised to formally admit his role in planning the September 11 attacks under a plea agreement reached in 2024 with the Biden administration. Mohammed and two other accused Al Qaeda conspirators agreed to plead guilty under an arrangement that would have allowed them to avoid the death penalty.

The agreement triggered an outcry from some relatives of 9/11 victims who opposed taking capital punishment off the table. Biden administration officials subsequently sought to withdraw the plea agreements, setting off additional litigation and further postponing a final resolution of the cases.

With prosecutors now declining to appeal the exclusion of Mohammed’s 2007 confession, the government is seeking to avoid another potentially lengthy detour and keep the case on course for trial on June 5, 2028 — nearly 27 years after the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, struck the Pentagon and resulted in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

{Matzav.com}

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew criticism on social media Monday after using his Labor Day message to credit “democratic socialists” with helping lead the movement behind the first Labor Day parade, while also touting his administration’s newly created Office of Worker Power.

“In 1882, 10,000 workers marched up Broadway in the first-ever Labor Day parade. Led by democratic socialists and organized by New York’s unions, they rallied the movement that went on to win us weekends, safety standards, overtime pay, a minimum wage, and social security,” Mamdani said in his Labor Day post.

“None of those victories were guaranteed. And none are permanent,” he said, pointing to his administration’s creation of the “first-in-the-nation Office of Worker Power to put the full weight of City Hall behind the people who keep New York running.”

“On Labor Day, we honor the workers who came before us by fighting for the workers who come next,” he added. “Happy Labor Day, New York. The future of worker power is ours to build.”

Mamdani’s characterization of the origins of Labor Day quickly prompted criticism online, with some users questioning his description of the organizers of the 1882 parade as “democratic socialists.”

“Democratic socialists? In 1882? And people think you’re brilliant? Your influencers are doing a great job with the taxpayer money you’re paying them with to LIE for you,” one social media user wrote.

“The difference is those people actually worked for what they received. They didn’t get handouts… nor did they ask for them,” another remarked.

Other critics objected to Mamdani drawing a connection between the labor activists of the late 19th century and today’s democratic socialist movement, including over contemporary immigration policies.

One critic wrote that the early labor activists were not demonstrating in favor of illegal immigrants coming into the United States to “steal our jobs and lower our bargaining power.”

“Making believe ‘Democratic Socialists’ had something to do with it. lol, nice one,” another wrote.

The history behind the first Labor Day celebration is more complicated than the online dispute suggested. The U.S. Department of Labor says the first Labor Day was held in New York City on September 5, 1882, under plans developed by the Central Labor Union. Historical accounts dispute whether Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire deserves primary credit for proposing the holiday, with more recent research cited by the Labor Department supporting the case for Matthew Maguire.

The modern Democratic Socialists of America did not exist at the time. The organization was created exactly a century later, in 1982, through the merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement. DSA itself notes, however, that its ideological roots extend considerably further back in the history of American socialism and the labor movement.

Mamdani’s Labor Day message coincided with his signing of an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office of Worker Power, which his administration described as the first municipal office of its kind in the country.

The new office is intended to coordinate worker-related initiatives across City Hall, conduct outreach and research, hold public hearings on labor issues and connect workers with information about workplace rights and organizations that provide assistance. Its focus is expected to include gig workers, immigrant workers, worker classification issues and the effects of new technologies on employment.

The controversy over Mamdani’s Labor Day message comes amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over socialism and capitalism.

A CBS News poll released in August found that 58 percent of Democrats surveyed held a positive view of socialism, compared with 32 percent who viewed capitalism positively. The findings became a subject of discussion within the party, including during an interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Mamdani, a member of DSA, has made his democratic socialist political identity a prominent part of his public career. His administration has pursued proposals including city-owned grocery stores and other policies intended to address affordability and workers’ economic concerns, while critics have challenged the costs and economic consequences of those initiatives.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo, delivered an inspiring shmuess of chizuk and hisorerus at Yeshivas Imrei Chochmah ahead of the Yomim Noraim, urging the bochurim not to be satisfied with a temporary burst of inspiration but to use the coming days to achieve genuine and lasting spiritual growth.

Rav Chaim, who serves as nasi of the yeshiva, was warmly welcomed upon his arrival by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Shapiro, along with the yeshiva’s rabbonim and bnei hayeshiva. The gathering focused on preparing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

During his remarks, Rav Chaim spoke about the extraordinary significance of the Yomim Noraim and the responsibility of every ben Torah to take advantage of this elevated period for introspection, correcting one’s actions and strengthening one’s avodas Hashem.

The Rosh Yeshiva urged the bochurim not to allow the inspiration of the season to remain a fleeting feeling, but instead to transform the yemei harachamim v’haselichos into a genuine process of change and spiritual growth.

“The main preparation for the Yomim Noraim is the desire to become a better person, a better ben Torah and a better oved Hashem,” Rav Chaim said.

He further stressed that one of the strengths of a ben Torah is the ability to utilize the days of Elul and the Yomim Noraim to undertake genuine kabbalos with careful thought and consistency, rather than making commitments based solely on temporary enthusiasm.

The bnei hayeshiva listened intently throughout the shmuess, with Rav Chaim’s words of chizuk making a powerful impression on those in attendance.

At the conclusion of the gathering, Rav Chaim gave his bracha to the roshei yeshiva and bnei Torah that they merit to be written and sealed immediately for a life of goodness and peace, and that the coming year bring continued growth in Torah and yiras Shomayim, along with hatzlocha in all their endeavors.

The shmuess left a strong impression on the bnei hayeshiva and added to the atmosphere of preparation for the Yomim Noraim at Yeshivas Imrei Chochmah, where the bnei hayeshiva continue their spiritual preparations as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach.

{Matzav.com}

The upheaval inside Degel HaTorah is showing no signs of subsiding following the removal of veteran lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from the party slate, with the party-affiliated Israeli Yated Ne’eman now launching a blistering attack on some of their aides and revealing a new policy that will give the party’s rabbinic committee authority over the appointment of parliamentary staff.

The extraordinary broadside comes just days after Gafni and Maklev, two of Degel HaTorah’s most prominent representatives for decades, were informed that their political careers were coming to an end in a manner that triggered widespread criticism, including from figures within the party itself.

Neither Gafni nor Maklev was summoned to a formal meeting at which the decision was presented to them. Instead, letters notifying them of their removal were delivered late at night. In Gafni’s case, the letter was reportedly left in his mailbox after the messenger received no response at the door. The manner in which the longtime lawmakers were dismissed generated considerable anger, including among people closely identified with Degel HaTorah.

Against that backdrop, Yated Ne’eman published an unusually harsh article Tuesday under the headline “We Cannot Remain Silent,” directing its criticism not at Gafni and Maklev themselves, but at some of the aides and advisers who worked alongside them.

The newspaper stressed that its accusations were not directed at all of the lawmakers’ staff members, but rather at a “minority of known individuals” whom it accused of orchestrating a behind-the-scenes campaign to prevent the replacement of the veteran representatives.

According to Yated, after those aides learned that party leaders were considering replacing Gafni and Maklev, they “launched a media incitement campaign and a public relations operation,” allegedly using the positions and access they had obtained through their work for the lawmakers to fight the decision.

The newspaper went further, accusing the individuals of having “harmed those who sent them and spat into the well from which they drink,” and alleging that they cooperated with members of the media in an effort to derail the leadership change.

Yated also charged that the aides “cooperated with media figures seeking to introduce foreign elements into Chareidi Jewry,” while participating in what it described as a “campaign of fabricated smears” against Degel HaTorah’s leadership.

The article additionally accused some of the aides of leaking information during the highly sensitive negotiations surrounding Israel’s draft law and the status of yeshiva bochurim, arguing that such conduct went far beyond the legitimate responsibilities of parliamentary staff.

One of the most striking portions of the Yated article addressed the widespread descriptions of Gafni and Maklev’s departure as a “dismissal” and a “humiliation.”

Rather than accepting that characterization of how the veteran lawmakers were treated, the newspaper suggested that much of the narrative itself had been manufactured by the aides and others surrounding them.

According to the article, the aides and their associates repeatedly circulated claims that Gafni and Maklev had been dismissed and humiliated until, eventually, “they began believing these stories themselves.”

That contention, however, comes against the backdrop of criticism that extended well beyond the offices of the two departing lawmakers. Veteran Degel HaTorah figures and rabbonim serving on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah were also reported to have reservations about either the decision or the manner in which it was carried out.

According to reports, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman and Rav Boruch Dov Povarsky did not sign the letter removing the lawmakers, while conflicting reports emerged regarding the position of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

As a result, the criticism surrounding the episode cannot easily be attributed entirely to a public-relations campaign by disgruntled aides, since reservations about the process were also heard from within the senior ranks of the Litvishe establishment itself.

Yated, however, presented a different account of how the episode unfolded, maintaining that efforts had initially been made to reach an understanding with the veteran representatives that would allow the changing of the guard to take place respectfully and with appropriate recognition of their decades of public service.

According to the newspaper, those attempts were instead met with a “coordinated and brazen public campaign created by those aides and their collaborators.”

The article went so far as to connect that alleged campaign to the controversial manner in which Gafni and Maklev were ultimately informed of their removal.

Yated claimed that after rabbonim and community leaders complained about the conduct of the aides, a decision was made to bring the matter to a swift conclusion and deliver the decision to Gafni and Maklev through a personal messenger.

The newspaper thus offered an explanation that effectively reverses the criticism heard in recent days. Rather than portraying the unusual late-night delivery of the dismissal letters as the source of the public outrage, Yated placed some responsibility for the manner in which the episode ended on the aides and the campaign it says they conducted.

But perhaps the most consequential revelation in the article concerned what will happen going forward.

Yated disclosed that Degel HaTorah has adopted a new policy governing the appointment of aides to its elected representatives.

“Beginning with the coming term, each of Degel HaTorah’s public representatives will be required to receive the approval of the movement’s Rabbinic Committee for the appointment of an aide, with each appointment to be considered individually,” the newspaper reported.

The new rule represents a significant expansion of party oversight. Until now, much of the controversy surrounding Degel HaTorah’s internal restructuring centered on who would determine the identities of its Knesset members and the composition of its electoral slate. The latest announcement indicates that oversight will now extend inside the lawmakers’ offices themselves, with the selection of their closest staff members also requiring approval.

Supporters of the new arrangement are likely to view it as a mechanism for preventing parliamentary aides from developing independent power bases or working against the direction established by Degel HaTorah’s rabbinic leadership.

At the same time, the decision comes amid criticism in recent days over the concentration of authority and control within Degel HaTorah’s internal apparatus. The new policy further broadens that oversight: The party leadership will have authority not only over who serves as an MK, but also over who may work alongside that representative.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump predicted Monday that oil prices will fall dramatically once the United States wins its war with Iran, saying gasoline could initially decline to $3 a gallon before ultimately dropping below $2.

Trump made the forecast in a Truth Social post Monday evening as energy markets remained under intense pressure from the conflict, with crude oil prices climbing to six-week highs and American motorists paying record Labor Day gasoline prices.

“Oil prices will drop precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but more!), when we WIN the war with Iran. Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon. It will all happen quickly, and Iran will never have a Nuclear Weapon. MAGA! President DJT,” Trump wrote.

The president did not provide a timetable for his prediction or detail the market conditions he believes would be necessary to push gasoline below $2 a gallon. His forecast represents a steep decline from current prices: regular gasoline averaged roughly $4.14 nationwide over Labor Day weekend, nearly $1 higher than a year earlier and the highest Labor Day average on record.

Trump’s comments also came as crude prices moved in the opposite direction. Brent crude settled Monday at $97.31 a barrel, its highest closing level since July 24, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $92.65. The increases have been driven by renewed fears that escalating military action between the United States and Iran could further disrupt global energy supplies.

The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, has had a major impact on energy markets, particularly because of disruptions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping routes. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passed through the strait each day in 2025, accounting for approximately one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

Tensions surrounding energy infrastructure have intensified in recent days. Iran has warned that oil and gas facilities and U.S.-linked energy interests across the Persian Gulf could be targeted if Washington launches additional attacks, while shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed amid fears of further retaliation.

The uncertainty has contributed directly to higher prices at American pumps. In addition to the Iran conflict, U.S. gasoline markets have faced refinery constraints, extreme summer heat and other global supply disruptions. Diesel prices reached approximately $5.85 a gallon over Labor Day weekend, according to reporting on current fuel markets.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the surge in energy prices caused by the conflict will reverse once hostilities end and normal oil shipments resume. In May, he said gasoline and crude prices would “drop like a rock” following the war’s conclusion and later predicted that prices would return to levels below those seen before the fighting began.

Energy analysts generally agree that ending the conflict and restoring substantial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would put downward pressure on oil and gasoline prices, but some have questioned how quickly prices could fall and whether gasoline could reach the levels Trump has predicted.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, previously said that reopening the strait would likely begin pushing prices downward relatively quickly, but that normalizing oil flows would take several weeks. He said returning all the way to prewar gasoline prices could take considerably longer.

Other analysts have similarly cautioned that damage to supply networks, depleted inventories and the time required for shipments to reach refiners and consumers could prevent pump prices from immediately returning to their prewar levels. Abhi Rajendran of Rice University’s Baker Institute previously said he did not expect $3-a-gallon gasoline “anytime soon,” even following a resolution of the conflict.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration earlier projected an average gasoline price of $3.88 per gallon for 2026 and $3.62 in 2027, although those forecasts depend heavily on assumptions about the restoration of oil production and shipping patterns in the Persian Gulf.

Trump’s latest prediction nevertheless goes substantially further, suggesting that an American victory could eventually produce gasoline prices not seen nationwide since the extraordinary collapse in energy demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For now, markets remain focused on developments in the Middle East. Monday’s crude-price surge reflected concerns that additional attacks on tankers, energy infrastructure or shipping routes could deepen the global supply disruption before any postwar decline in prices begins.

{Matzav.com}

Florida Congressman Randy Fine warned Britain on Monday that British companies could be shut out of business with state and local governments in Florida if they comply with expected UK measures targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The warning came as Britain prepared additional economic steps over Israeli settlement activity, including possible restrictions on trade and companies connected to construction.

“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida,” Fine wrote on social media.

He said the ramifications could extend beyond government contracts. The legislation, Fine wrote, “would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection).”

Fine argued that Britain’s economic relationship with Florida means such a confrontation could carry a significant financial price. “Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars,” he wrote.

Fine pointed to Airbnb’s 2019 dispute over listings in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria as evidence that Florida’s anti-boycott policy could have considerable leverage. “And for those who doubt the power of this policy,” continued Fine, “it was this same law that broke Airbnb’s misguided effort to boycott portions of Israel in 2019. They realized that this law would have bankrupted their company.”

“Florida has made it clear. Any company – or nation – that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida,” he concluded.

Fine’s comments followed reports that Britain was preparing new economic measures directed at Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The British government has already strengthened its guidance to advise UK companies against economic and financial activity in Israeli settlements, and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has indicated that a broader package of measures is forthcoming.

According to reports on the planned measures, Britain has been considering sanctions or restrictions involving companies that participate in construction in the communities, which would represent an expansion beyond earlier British measures that largely focused on individuals and entities accused of involvement in settlement activity or violence.

The dispute has intensified following Israeli plans for additional construction in the E1 corridor between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. Britain and a group of other countries have publicly urged Israel to abandon the E1 plans, arguing that development there would undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Miliband has called on Israel to reverse course, describing the project as “an unacceptable and destructive act” and maintaining that development in E1 would damage the prospects for a future Palestinian state.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned last week that Jerusalem would retaliate if Britain moved ahead with punitive measures.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday called for Israel to take action even before the anticipated British announcement, including expelling Britain’s ambassador.

“The British ambassador should be expelled this evening. We will not be a doormat for an antisemitic government in a country that has been conquered by radical Islam and is trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel. The British Mandate in the Land of Israel is over,” Smotrich said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir separately proposed that Israel retaliate by recognizing Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, whose sovereignty has long been disputed by Argentina and Britain.

“The time has come for the State of Israel to publicly recognize the Falkland Islands as occupied Argentine territory, which the British are violently stealing from the Argentine people. The British are not only occupying the territory, but are also conducting oil drilling there and stealing money from the Argentine people,” he said.

“I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and impose sanctions on Great Britain for as long as the occupation continues,” added Ben Gvir.

{Matzav.com}

Adidas has issued an apology after facing boycott calls and criticism over an Israeli advertising campaign that featured Shalev Biton, an amputee athlete and IDF veteran who lost his leg after being wounded in a 2021 Hamas missile attack.

The sportswear company said Monday that it regretted any “offense” caused by Biton’s appearance in promotional material for its Single Shoe program, which allows amputees to purchase one running shoe rather than a pair.

“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions. It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected,” the company said in a statement from its global headquarters, appearing to emphasize that the promotion had been organized by Adidas’ Israeli operation.

“We acknowledge the concerns that have been raised and are taking the feedback seriously,” it said.

Biton, who lost a leg after being seriously wounded while serving in the IDF’s Nahal infantry brigade, was among 10 disabled athletes whose images appeared on posters at Adidas stores in Israel.

Biton was wounded on May 12, 2021, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, when an anti-tank missile launched from the Gaza Strip struck the military vehicle in which he was traveling on the Israeli side of the border. Biton suffered serious injuries in the attack, while Staff Sgt. Omer Tabib was killed.

The advertisements featuring Biton were limited to Israel and were not part of an international Adidas campaign. A Hebrew-language promotional video that triggered the controversy did not refer to Biton’s IDF service or explain the circumstances in which he lost his leg.

Nevertheless, pro-Palestinian activists sharply criticized Adidas for including Biton in the promotion, pointing to the large number of people in Gaza, including children, who have suffered amputations during the recent war.

Some of the attacks on Biton also included inaccurate claims about his military history. Critics alleged that he had participated in the recent Gaza war and accused him of involvement in “genocide,” while others incorrectly claimed that he had lost his leg while fighting inside Gaza in 2021.

Addressing the controversy, Adidas said in its apology: “Across the Middle East, Adidas has a long-standing commitment to the communities we serve, working alongside athletes, teams and sporting communities throughout the region as well as supporting people and communities in need through product donations.”

“We will continue to listen, learn and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for,” it added.

The company also said it is broadening availability of the Single Shoe program “across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.”

By Sunday, the promotional video Biton had posted could no longer be found on his Instagram account. Before its disappearance, however, copies had circulated widely across social media, shared by both those condemning Adidas and those defending Biton.

The Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people.

Israel has maintained that it seeks to minimize civilian casualties in its military operations, while accusing Hamas of operating from within populated civilian areas and thereby putting Gaza residents at risk.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah is heading toward a sweeping generational change following the decision that veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev will not return to the party’s Knesset slate, with several new names now emerging as likely candidates to replace them.

Political commentator Avi Ravina said the dramatic development has reverberated well beyond the Chareidi political world, largely because of the stature and lengthy careers of the two outgoing lawmakers.

“At the end of the day, we are talking about two MKs who are not merely veterans,” Ravina said, noting that Gafni has for decades been closely identified with Degel HaTorah’s leadership, while Maklev has earned a reputation as one of the party’s most active public servants.

According to Ravina, efforts continued until the last moment to reverse the decision, but those attempts were unsuccessful.

“But this decision is final; it is the decision of the Gedolei Yisroel,” he said.

Ravina also outlined what he said is the emerging composition of Degel HaTorah’s new slate, while cautioning that the lineup has not yet been finalized.

MK Yaakov Asher is expected to take the top position in Degel HaTorah, followed by MK Yitzchok Pindrus in the second slot. Rav Moshe Rosenthal, director of the Bnei Brak Municipality’s Education Department and a close associate of the home of Rav Dov Landau, is currently being mentioned for the third position.

The fourth slot remains less certain. Ravina said the leading name currently under consideration is Rav Yehuda Weissfish, chairman of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos and a close associate of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Another possibility considered for that position was Rav Gedalia Silman, deputy mayor of Bnei Brak. Ravina said, however, that Silman currently prefers to remain involved in municipal government rather than move to the national political arena.

For the fifth position, Ravina said David Zaltz, deputy mayor of Beitar Illit and a former chief of staff to Yaakov Asher, could be selected.

“That is what is currently being said in the circles of the rabbonim and Gedolei Yisroel ahead of the official approval and submission of the lists,” Ravina said.

He stressed that the lineup remains tentative and could still change. According to Ravina, the final slate could be approved and formally submitted within the coming day, ahead of the deadline for filing Knesset candidate lists.

A significant portion of Ravina’s analysis focused on the manner in which Gafni and Maklev were informed that their decades-long tenure on the slate was coming to an end.

While the eventual outcome may have become increasingly foreseeable, Ravina argued that the transition could have been handled in a more gradual and dignified fashion.

“It should have been gradual and with much greater discretion,” he said.

Ravina said considerable pressure had been exerted in recent weeks by those surrounding Gafni and Maklev in an effort to prevent their replacement. Now that the decision has been made, however, he said the focus should shift toward allowing both men to conclude their lengthy service with the respect they deserve.

“What has been done cannot be undone, but it is still possible to continue showing respect and to try to repair things,” Ravina said.

He described Gafni and Maklev as “two significant figures in Israeli politics in general, and certainly within Degel HaTorah.”

Ravina said their departure is unlikely to be absorbed overnight, predicting an extended period in which the party and its constituency come to terms with the end of their lengthy political careers.

“We still have long days of farewell ahead of us with these two,” he said.

He pointed to the extensive experience both accumulated over decades and their contributions to Chareidi political representation. Their departure, he said, places Degel HaTorah in the midst of a generational transition, as veteran representatives give way to figures who may be well known in local Chareidi public life but have little or no significant parliamentary experience.

Toward the end of the discussion, Ravina addressed developments in other Israeli parties, including the alliance between Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, as well as the fortunes of parties and politicians that have made the issue of drafting bnei yeshivos a central part of their political campaigns.

Ravina sharply criticized those who, in his view, built their political identities largely around opposition to the Chareidi position on the draft, arguing that some ultimately paid an electoral price for doing so.

“These are parties that were less capable of saying what they were for; they only knew how to say what they were against and whom they opposed,” it was said during the discussion.

Ravina added that, from the perspective of the Chareidi parties, the priority heading into the coming election should now be strengthening their own representation rather than continuing to battle political rivals whose strength has already diminished.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah have been left without their luggage, clothing, medications and other essential supplies after suitcases belonging to passengers on HiSky flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Chisinau, Moldova, were left behind in Israel.

Passengers who began arriving in Chisinau on Thursday night told Matzav.com that they discovered upon landing that their luggage had never made it onto their flights. According to the passengers, they were subsequently informed by the airline that the missing suitcases would not be sent on later flights and would instead be returned to them only after they come back to Israel following Rosh Hashanah.

The situation has left hundreds of travelers — including elderly passengers, people with medical conditions and children — facing an extended stay in Uman without changes of clothing, tashmishei kedushah, basic hygiene products and essential medications.

Some passengers had also packed meat and other food for Yom Tov worth thousands of shekels. They now fear that the food will spoil completely while the luggage remains stranded at Ben Gurion Airport.

Among those affected is the elderly Rav Yosef Kadish Shapiro, who arrived without his suitcases and personal belongings.

A disabled bochur, Chaim Shalom ben Esther Malka, whose luggage also remained in Israel, issued an emotional plea describing the predicament he now faces in Uman.

“I have nothing to wear and no way to manage over Yom Tov in Uman,” he said.

Family members in Israel have attempted to retrieve the stranded luggage from Ben Gurion Airport so that it could be handed to other passengers who have not yet departed and brought to Moldova. According to the report, those requests were rejected by personnel at the airport.

The affected passengers are now demanding that the airline immediately transport the luggage to Moldova on a dedicated flight or, alternatively, allow relatives in Israel to collect the suitcases from Ben Gurion Airport and arrange for them to be transported independently.

A Chabad shliach in Moldova reported that dozens of stranded passengers had arrived at the Chabad House in Chisinau with virtually none of their belongings.

Many initially believed their suitcases would arrive aboard subsequent flights and remained in Chisinau awaiting their luggage. Some were forced to rent hotel rooms in the Moldovan capital at considerable expense while waiting, only to discover that their belongings were not arriving.

An aviation expert who spoke with Matzav.com said several possible factors could explain how such a large quantity of luggage was left in Israel. One possibility is a malfunction involving Ben Gurion Airport’s computerized baggage handling and routing system.

Another possibility, the expert said, is that the airline sold excessive cargo or baggage capacity, resulting in the aircraft being overloaded.

The expert also raised the possibility that aircraft departing Israel were carrying larger quantities of fuel because fuel prices in Israel are relatively inexpensive compared with Europe. The additional fuel would increase an aircraft’s overall weight and could consequently reduce the amount of baggage it could carry in its cargo hold.

Matzav.com contacted HiSky’s representatives in Israel seeking a response to the widespread baggage problems. The local representatives said the matter does not fall under their responsibility.

{Matzav.com}

The dramatic decision to replace veteran Degel HaTorah MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev is continuing to reverberate throughout the Chareidi political world, as new details emerge about the process that preceded the decision, the individuals serving as conduits to the Gedolei Yisroel, and the names being considered to fill the newly opened slots.

Speaking on the inaugural broadcast of Kol Chai’s “Tzohorayim Magazine,” hosted by Ariel Berman, commentator Manny Gira Schwartz provided a glimpse into the discussions that have taken place behind the scenes.

According to Schwartz, the possibility of refreshing Degel HaTorah’s Knesset representation did not suddenly emerge in recent days. The idea had already surfaced during previous Knesset terms and gained momentum following the dissolution of the most recent Knesset, amid disappointment within portions of the Chareidi community over the accomplishments of the outgoing term.

Schwartz stressed, however, that while various individuals may present information and potential candidates, the ultimate decisions rest exclusively with the Gedolei Yisroel.

Asked who currently serves as a link between developments on the ground and the homes of the Gedolei Torah, Schwartz identified three individuals as particularly significant: Rav Dovi Shapiro, a grandson of Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l; Rav Tuvia Landau, a grandson of Maran Rav Dov Landau; and Rav Aharon Hirsch, a son of Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Schwartz described them as the group that brings potential names before the Gedolei Torah — “and the Gedolei Hador are the ones who decide.”

Schwartz said there had also been discussions recently between those involved in the process and Gafni and Maklev. According to him, the possibility that the two longtime MKs could be replaced was known to them and therefore did not come entirely without warning.

He also noted that Gafni and Maklev had not visited the homes of the Gedolei Yisroel during the past several weeks, despite having had open access to them throughout the years.

Media personality Dudi Zilbershlag later joined the discussion, praising Gafni and Maklev for their decades of public service and the enormous political experience they accumulated during their years representing Degel HaTorah.

At the same time, Zilbershlag raised broader questions about the structure of power within Chareidi politics. He argued that even if the individuals serving as representatives are now being replaced, that does not necessarily mean the underlying political system itself will change.

Attention has meanwhile turned to who could take the newly available positions on Degel HaTorah’s Knesset slate.

Schwartz said one of the most prominent names under consideration is Moshe Rosenthal of Bnei Brak. Rav Yehuda Weissfish is another name being discussed as a possible new representative.

However, Schwartz cautioned against treating any of the prospective candidates as final before the deadline for submitting the electoral lists on Tuesday evening.

“All the names can change,” he said.

Schwartz also pushed back against descriptions of Gafni and Maklev’s departure as an “ouster,” arguing that such terminology fails to properly characterize the decision.

“We need to stop calling it by that word,” he said.

Schwartz pointed to the decades Gafni and Maklev spent carrying out their public missions and emphasized that the current development should instead be understood as a decision by the Gedolei Yisroel to replace the movement’s representatives.

{Matzav.com}

Agudas Yisroel chairman MK Yitzchok Goldknopf said that protecting the status of bnei yeshivos will stand at the center of his party’s agenda in the upcoming election, while revealing key provisions of a new agreement with Degel HaTorah and arguing that a unified Chareidi withdrawal from the government earlier in the term could have dramatically changed the political situation.

Speaking at an Agudas Yisroel party council meeting ahead of approval of its slate for the 26th Knesset, Goldknopf discussed the draft law, Agudas Yisroel’s departure from the government, the renewed arrangement with Degel HaTorah, and the approaching election campaign.

Goldknopf opened with a call for unity, quoting the posuk, “Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem,” and saying that Agudas Yisroel derives its strength from the bond between the Gedolei Torah, elected representatives, communities and activists.

“Today we are gathering to approve the Agudas Yisroel slate for the 26th Knesset. I thank you for the trust and support in having me lead the slate. I accept this mission with humility, reverence and complete commitment to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the entire Chareidi public,” he said.

A substantial portion of Goldknopf’s address focused on Agudas Yisroel’s battle over the draft issue during the outgoing Knesset. He said the movement has carried “the banner of faithful Judaism for generations,” defending kedushas Shabbos, the Olam HaTorah, Chareidi education and the right of Chareidim to maintain their way of life.

Goldknopf said the past term subjected the Chareidi community to “a wild campaign of incitement against the Chareidi public,” accompanied by sanctions and decrees directed at those learning Torah. He pointed to the arrests of bnei yeshivos, cuts affecting yeshivos and Chareidi education, and the financial consequences imposed on Chareidi families.

“We stood tall on the front lines of the struggle, made our voice heard clearly and acted with every tool at our disposal. We were the Nachshons and withdrew from the government out of loyalty to the mission we received from the Gedolei Torah and out of an absolute commitment to safeguarding the Olam HaTorah,” he declared.

Goldknopf then criticized other Chareidi representatives for not leaving the government together with Agudas Yisroel at the same point, saying that a coordinated move by all the Chareidi parties could have produced a very different result.

“I still believe with all my heart that if all the representatives of the Chareidi public had withdrawn together with us at the same time, with a united position and shared determination, the reality today would be different,” he said.

Goldknopf said the party must now take on a broader mission of explaining to Israelis the importance of Torah learning and the contributions made by Chareidi society. He cited its institutions of Torah and tefillah, extensive chessed operations, lifesaving organizations, volunteer efforts and assistance provided to families.

“This truth is what we need to bring everywhere and to every home in Israel,” he said.

Goldknopf devoted another major portion of his remarks to the agreement reached between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah ahead of the election. He said the arrangement differs in several respects from previous agreements and contains a joint commitment making the draft issue a central condition of the factions’ political cooperation.

Under the position Goldknopf outlined for future coalition negotiations, a ben yeshiva whose Toraso umnaso would be exempt from military service “without any sanctions whatsoever.”

He further announced that until the Knesset passes legislation formally regulating the status of those learning Torah, the faction will not support legislation sponsored by coalition parties, with the exception of measures specifically designated by the Gedolei Yisroel as exceptions.

Goldknopf also disclosed another significant restriction contained in the agreement: Until legislation securing the status of bnei yeshivos whose Toraso umnaso is enacted, the faction’s representatives will not serve as government ministers, deputy ministers or chairmen of Knesset committees.

The provision, according to Goldknopf’s presentation of the agreement, is intended to prevent a situation in which United Torah Judaism representatives accept senior government or parliamentary positions while the draft issue remains unresolved. He said the agreement also contains understandings regarding the Norwegian Law, rotations between representatives, and cooperation between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah.

Goldknopf additionally addressed the allocation of positions on the joint United Torah Judaism slate. He said that among slots 11 through 20, six positions will be allocated to Degel HaTorah and five to Agudas Yisroel.

Beyond the numerical division of the slate, Goldknopf said the two factions had reached understandings on issues he characterized as “fundamental and basic.” He indicated that the parties intend to work together following the election, presenting the agreement as a framework for continuing the longstanding political partnership despite the disputes and tensions that have emerged between the two factions in recent months.

Concluding his address, Goldknopf turned his attention to the election campaign and urged Agudas Yisroel activists to mobilize.

“We, with Hashem’s help, need your strength, we need your determination,” he said, calling on activists to reach “every community and every home.”

Goldknopf said current polling shows United Torah Judaism receiving approximately eight Knesset seats, but contended that polling organizations do not adequately sample several Chareidi population centers and that the party’s eventual showing could therefore be stronger. He ended by emphasizing internal unity and calling on Agudas Yisroel activists to enter the campaign united and determined.

{Matzav.com}

A London resident is searching for a young Chassidic man whose cigarettes he agreed to carry during a trip to Israel, after an unexpected mix-up at Ben Gurion Airport prevented the two from reconnecting and left him worried that the stranger believes he simply disappeared with the merchandise.

The unusual hashavas aveidah story was shared by Chazi Banish during Menachem Toker’s “Zman Avir” radio program. Banish said that while making a connecting flight on his way to Israel, he encountered a young Chassidic man who had purchased more cigarettes than he was permitted to carry.

The young man asked Banish whether he could take two cartons on his behalf, and Banish agreed. They arranged to meet after passing through customs at Ben Gurion Airport, where Banish would return the cigarettes to him.

But after the flight landed, their simple arrangement went awry.

Banish said the airport’s usual exit was closed because of construction, forcing him to find another way out of the terminal. He spent approximately an hour waiting and searching for the young man, but the two never managed to find one another.

Complicating matters further, neither had thought to exchange phone numbers. Banish therefore found himself holding two cartons of someone else’s cigarettes with no name, number or other way of contacting their owner.

Speaking with Toker, Banish said his biggest concern is that the young man probably believes he deliberately took the cigarettes and vanished. He stressed that he wants to return the cartons and is even prepared to reimburse their owner for their value if necessary.

“I’m sure he thinks I cheated him,” Banish said.

For the time being, Banish said, he has given the cigarettes to his nephew in Israel for safekeeping in the hope that their owner can be located.

Toker, intrigued by the unusual predicament, enlisted listeners of “Zman Avir” to help track down the mystery traveler. During the broadcast, he and Banish attempted to reconstruct as many details of their encounter as possible.

Banish described the owner as a young Chassidic bochur whom he met while traveling to Israel. He recalled that the young man apparently had more than 20 packs of cigarettes with him and said the two cartons entrusted to him were most likely Parliament Lights.

Coming just before Rosh Hashanah, Toker said Banish’s determination to find a complete stranger simply to return his property was a case of “classic hashavas aveidah.”

Toker urged listeners to circulate the story and its identifying details in the hope that someone would recognize the young man or know how to reach him.

Banish said he hopes the publicity generated by the broadcast will finally reunite him with the owner, allowing him to return the cigarettes and resolve the misunderstanding that began with a chance encounter between two strangers at an airport.

{Matzav.com}