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Dozens of Chareidi protesters blocked Route 443 near the Ofer Crossing on Friday following the arrest of a young Chareidi man who police say was caught driving a stolen vehicle and was subsequently found to be wanted for failing to report for military service.

The incident began when Border Police officers from the Yerushalayim perimeter unit and crossing security forces stopped a vehicle for inspection as it arrived at the Ofer Crossing along Route 443.

During the inspection, police said officers determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen.

The driver, an Ashdod resident in his 20s, was arrested at the scene. An additional check of his identity revealed that he was also listed as a military draft absentee.

News of the arrest quickly spread, and within a short time dozens of Chareidi protesters arrived at the area and began blocking Route 443 in protest over the young man’s detention.

Border Police forces and officers from the Shomron and Yehudah District were deployed to the scene in an effort to restore order and reopen the highway to traffic.

Meanwhile, police said the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft of the vehicle remain under investigation by the Modiin Illit police station.

{Matzav.com}

The Republican National Committee is threatening to take New Jersey election officials to court unless they turn over records detailing how noncitizens ended up on the state’s voter rolls and what steps have been taken to identify and remove ineligible registrants.

The RNC issued formal notices alleging violations of the National Voter Registration Act to New Jersey’s secretary of state as well as election officials in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties.

The committee is demanding documents concerning the removal of noncitizens, procedures used to verify citizenship and other efforts to maintain the accuracy of voter rolls. According to the RNC, the officials have until Sept. 15 to provide the requested information before potentially facing litigation.

“Democrat (Gov.) Mikie Sherrill admitted what the RNC already uncovered through public records requests: Noncitizens are on New Jersey’s voter rolls,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in an RNC release. “Now, election officials are refusing to turn over records explaining how it happened.

“Voters deserve answers, and the RNC is putting officials on notice: Comply with the law, hand over the records or face legal action.”

The RNC said records obtained from Bergen County showed that 134 noncitizens were removed from New Jersey’s voter rolls between January 2023 and August 2026.

According to the committee, 91 of those registrations were connected to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

Separately, Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration has acknowledged that a software problem at the MVC resulted in approximately 6,600 people being improperly registered to vote between June 2023 and June 2024, before Sherrill became governor.

State officials said roughly 5,100 of the individuals caught up in the error were subsequently taken off the voter rolls because there was no separate registration or attestation establishing their eligibility to vote.

Approximately 1,450 additional registrations were changed to rejected status and sent to county election officials for further examination.

According to the state, approximately 340 people who were newly registered as a result of the software problem ultimately cast ballots. Officials also identified roughly 220 people affected by the glitch who voted but had prior registrations or separate eligibility attestations indicating that they may have been legitimately registered.

Sherrill has said county election officials were instructed to resolve any outstanding cases ahead of the November election.

The governor has also accused the Trump administration of attempting to expand federal control over state voter rolls. She has opposed federal efforts to obtain nonpublic voter information, describing the effort as a “phishing expedition here in New Jersey.”

Sherrill’s office has said the state’s investigation into the MVC software failure is continuing.

A Florida grand jury has concluded that Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration “misappropriated” $10 million from a Medicaid settlement by directing the money to the Hope Florida Foundation, an organization closely associated with first lady Casey DeSantis.

According to a sealed grand jury report obtained by CBS News Miami, jurors determined that the transfer was “part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities.”

The $10 million originated from a $67 million settlement involving Centene, Florida’s largest Medicaid contractor. As part of the arrangement, $10 million was directed to Hope Florida in the form of a “donation.”

The money was purportedly intended to support what was described as “to be a community-based welfare program that serves as a cost-efficient alternative to government assistance programs.”

Instead, the grand jury found that the funds ultimately went to organizations involved in efforts to defeat a 2024 Florida ballot initiative that sought to legalize recreational marijuana.

According to the report, the $10 million was routed through the charity affiliated with Hope Florida before eventually being transferred to two nonprofit organizations that participated in the campaign opposing the marijuana measure.

Despite determining that the taxpayer money had been improperly used, the grand jury said it did not uncover enough evidence to pursue criminal charges against any individual.

“Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,” the report concluded. “Nobody will take responsibility for deciding the $10 million of taxpayer money would go to Hope Florida… or had any memory of who made it.”

The report also raised questions about the role of Sen. Ashley Moody, who was serving as Florida attorney general at the time. Although Moody was not called to testify before the grand jury, the report said she knew about the plan to redirect the money and “authorized” her then-chief deputy, John Guard, to execute the settlement agreement.

Moody, who was appointed by DeSantis to fill the Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is seeking election to the seat this year.

The grand jury also examined the involvement of DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier, concluding that he was “in a position of authority over those involved in settling.”

“Testimony identified him as having involvement in directing the money after it went to Hope Florida. Testimony also revealed that Mr. Uthmeier’s Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee, was the prime recipient of the majority of the $10 million taxpayer funds,” the grand jury wrote.

DeSantis has previously rejected scrutiny surrounding Hope Florida, characterizing investigations launched in 2025 as a politically motivated and “manufactured” effort to damage both him and his wife.

“It was all political,” DeSantis told reporters in 2025. “People smear what they fear. If Hope Florida represents a threat to their world view, they’re going to go after it.”

{Matzav.com}

Russia warned that British military installations could become targets both inside and outside Ukraine if Kyiv continues using long-range British weapons to attack sites deep within Russian territory, escalating Moscow’s threats against London over its military support for Ukraine.

The warning followed Russian accusations a day earlier that Ukrainian forces used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike a shopping center in Russian-controlled Donetsk, leaving several civilians, including children, wounded.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Britain of moving dangerously close to direct legal responsibility for attacks Moscow characterizes as terrorism against civilians. She said London was “one step away” from such complicity and warned of “catastrophic consequences” if Britain maintains its current policy, according to Reuters.

“We have repeatedly warned that any British military installations and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out using British weapons,” Zakharova said at a news briefing in Moscow.

Zakharova called on the British government to “immediately, in the most resolute and unequivocal manner, abandon the hostile, aggressive line” and warned that continued escalation could push the confrontation to an “entirely new level.”

The Russian threat came days after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham traveled to Ukraine for the country’s Independence Day on Aug. 24. During the visit, Burnham announced that a defense contractor could disclose classified information concerning British components incorporated into the long-range SCALP cruise missile as Ukraine and France work toward establishing assembly lines for the weapon in Ukraine, according to the British government.

The SCALP is France’s version of Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missile and has a range exceeding 155 miles, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit targets far beyond the immediate front lines.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused London of “participating in the war” and “pouring fuel on the fire.”

Britain, however, made clear that Moscow’s threats would not cause it to retreat from its support for Kyiv. A Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Reuters that the United Kingdom remained “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and would continue supplying Kyiv with the equipment necessary “to defend itself against (President Vladimir) Putin’s illegal invasion.”

“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine and against the U.K. and our allies,” the spokesperson said.

Burnham also responded directly to Moscow while visiting Kyiv, denouncing Russia’s “outrageous threats” and declaring that Britain would remain committed to supporting Ukraine.

The latest confrontation follows a separate Russian warning issued to Britain on Aug. 17, when Moscow said London would pay a “price” after The Times reported that British-made drones supplied to Ukraine had been used for the first time to attack military and industrial sites inside Russia.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense has not confirmed whether the drones used in those attacks were British-made.

Zakharova’s latest warnings came as President Donald Trump expressed little concern that the conflict could expand into a direct Russian attack against NATO. Trump told Axios in a telephone interview Thursday that he was not worried about Moscow attacking a member of the alliance.

Meanwhile, amid the increasingly sharp public exchanges between Russia and the West, Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, confirmed Thursday that he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week, according to Reuters.

Naryshkin characterized his discussions with Ratcliffe as routine and said the two intelligence chiefs addressed matters falling within the responsibilities of their respective agencies.

Trump likewise played down the significance of Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow, describing the trip as “semi-routine,” according to Axios.

President Donald Trump placed himself alone at the pinnacle of American presidential history Thursday, sharing a ranking on Truth Social that labels him “The Greatest” while relegating several Democratic presidents to the lowest category and omitting nearly a dozen other commanders in chief altogether.

The graphic sorts presidents into six classifications: “The Greatest,” “Great,” “Near Great,” “Average,” “Below Average,” and “Failures.” Trump is the only president appearing in the highest tier.

The chart appears to have been adapted from a presidential ranking published by LIFE magazine in 1948, which was based on assessments from 55 experts in American history. Much of the original list and its omissions remain intact, but Trump’s version adds three more recent Democratic presidents to the “Failures” category, places another Democratic president in the “Average” group and installs Trump by himself at the very top.

The “Great” category features Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.

The next tier, “Near Great,” consists of Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, John Adams and James K. Polk.

Presidents classified as “Average” are Bill Clinton, John Quincy Adams, James Monroe, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Madison, Martin Van Buren, William Howard Taft, Chester A. Arthur, William McKinley, Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison.

Trump’s “Below Average” group includes John Tyler, Calvin Coolidge, Millard Fillmore, Zachary Taylor, James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce.

At the bottom of the chart, the “Failures” category includes Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding and Jimmy Carter.

A number of presidents do not appear anywhere on the graphic. Those omitted are William Henry Harrison and James A. Garfield, both of whom died shortly after assuming office, as well as Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

Trump had invoked the younger Bush just a day earlier in another Truth Social post, sharing an image contrasting their presidential records. The graphic placed Bush alongside a sign reading “Mission Not Accomplished 2001-2021,” while Trump appeared above a separate message declaring “Mission Accomplished 2026.”

The post appeared intended to portray Trump’s war in Iran as a successful military campaign while contrasting it with the two-decade U.S. war in Afghanistan, which began under George W. Bush following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump also offered some decidedly less formal presidential rankings in July while appearing on Second Lady Usha Vance’s podcast and reading the children’s book Presidents Play! He described Lyndon B. Johnson as a “tough cookie,” called Ronald Reagan “high quality,” and referred to George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush collectively as “the Bushies.” All four are missing from the ranking Trump posted Thursday.

Trump also poked fun at William Howard Taft, whom the new chart places in the “Average” category. Noting Taft’s distinction as the heaviest U.S. president, Trump joked, “I have to be careful, ’cause I don’t want to supersede his record.”

{Matzav.com}

Norway’s King Harald V, who fled Adolf Hitler’s invasion with his family to take refuge in the White House as a boy, and who later helped modernize the country’s monarchy during his popular 35-year reign, died Friday at a hospital in Oslo. He was 89.

His death was announced by Norway’s royal family, which did not cite a cause.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the “whole nation is in mourning” in a statement Friday, adding that King Harald had “helped us to see the best in ourselves – and in one another.”

“King Harald had a profound love for Norway. And Norway had a profound love for King Harald,” he said. Other ruling families from across Europe including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands shared tributes, alongside political leaders.

The Norwegian ruler was spirited to safety as a child while war gripped Europe. He spent his formative years in the United States before returning home at age 8, furnished with an American accent and a memory of standing behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt at his inauguration.

As an adult, King Harald defied tradition by marrying commoner Sonja Haraldsen in 1968. Their marriage shocked the establishment and sparked warnings of the monarchy’s downfall but proved to be one of several ways he charted his own course as ruler. The couple were married more than five decades.

The avid sportsman and nature lover represented his country in sailing at three Olympic Games – Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968 and in Munich 1972 – before finally declaring an end to his competitive days in 2022, at age 85. He led the Norwegian chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for 20 years and is the first king to have a portion of the Arctic named after him.

As leader of Norway’s constitutional monarchy, King Harald had a largely ceremonial role. But he endeared himself to the country of 5.6 million with his emotional openness and support of diversity and religious tolerance. He sought to modernize and make the monarchy more transparent, engaging in media interviews and publishing annual financial reports.

In 1997, King Harald publicly apologized to the Arctic Sami people for government efforts to eradicate their culture over more than two centuries. In the aftermath of the 2011 massacre in which far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage, he drew praise for a speech in which he struggled to contain his emotions while trying to console the nation. During the speech, he reiterated his belief in a strong, multicultural society.

In 2016, he went viral for his passionate speech at a royal palace garden party in support of diversity, religious tolerance and LGBTQ rights.

“Norwegians are enthusiastic young people – and wise old people. Norwegians are single, divorced, families with children and old married couples. Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other. Norwegians believe in God, Allah, the Universe and nothing,” he said at the time.

“In other words,” he added, “Norway is you.”

King Harald V was born Feb. 21, 1937, at Skaugum, outside Oslo, the first Norwegian-born prince in 567 years, after the country’s earlier union with Denmark and Sweden. His grandfather, King Haakon VII, became Norway’s sovereign in 1905, establishing a new independent monarchy. The family are relatives of Britain’s royals, and King Harald and Queen Elizabeth II were second cousins.

He was the third child of Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha, who already had two daughters. But at the time, only male heirs could inherit the throne, ensuring his place in the line of succession. (This was amended in 1990 so that the eldest child takes precedence, regardless of gender.)

His peaceful early childhood was shattered when German troops invaded the country in April 1940. As members of the government and royal family sought to escape the capital by train, Princess Märtha fled to Sweden with her three children and sailed on to the United States at Roosevelt’s invitation.

In the U.S., they stayed at the White House and at Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park, New York, while King Harald’s father and grandfather escaped to London to set up a government in exile. Princess Märtha and the children eventually settled in a Tudor-style mansion north of Bethesda, Maryland..

King Harald would speak of his time in the U.S. fondly, saying in a 1999 speech to President Bill Clinton that he clearly remembered “standing right behind President Roosevelt when he was sworn in.” Images show the Norwegian royal children standing on the White House steps at the time.

In 2015, King Harald said in a speech in Seattle that he was “deeply grateful for the generosity and hospitality we felt throughout those five years in the United States.”

“Your country has had a special place in my heart ever since,” he added.

Upon returning home in 1945, King Harald attended school in Oslo before training at a military academy and studying at the University of Oxford in Britain.

When Haakon died in September 1957, he became Crown Prince, working alongside his father, King Olav V, before ascending to the throne after his father’s death in 1991.

Survivors include Queen Sonja; two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon, who will succeed him as king; an elder sister, Princess Astrid; and two grandchildren.

While initially controversial, King Harald and Sonja’s love story endeared them to the Norwegian public. In 2016, the couple shared unseen photos of their courtship with Norway’s national broadcaster, NRK, describing how they met in 1959, when Crown Prince Harald was 22, and quickly fell in love.

Though filled with guilt over expectations he would marry a member of European nobility, King Harald said attempts to end their romance amid disapproval from the establishment and Norwegian press were not “entirely successful.” He ended up delivering his father an ultimatum: If he could not marry Sonja, he would remain unmarried. Olav relented, and the couple married at Oslo Cathedral.

Crown Prince Haakon’s decision to marry a former waitress and single mother in 2001 would also draw controversy. King Harald supported their relationship, and the fairy-tale wedding drew thousands of flag-waving well-wishers.

The royal family has faced controversy this year, with Crown Princess Mette-Marit under scrutiny for her friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Files released as part of a U.S. Justice Department investigation revealed more than 100 messages between Mette-Marit and the disgraced financier. Mette-Marit also came under the spotlight this summer after her eldest son, Marius, was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. King Harald said he had sympathy for “all those affected” by the trial, and declined to comment on his daughter-in-law’s ties to Epstein.

Being a sovereign, he once said, was a “lifelong learning period.” But he said he believed the monarchy is in good hands with his son. In 2024, he announced a permanent reduction in duties, citing health issues, but ruled out abdicating as monarch, saying the oath he swore “lasts for life.

“It’s that simple for me. We’re going to keep going until the bitter end.”

(c) 2026 , The Washington Post · Victoria Craw

A new fund has been established in Eretz Yisroel to provide NIS 1,000 for every day a ben Torah spends in military prison, offering financial assistance to families affected by the growing wave of arrests of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim by military authorities.

The new initiative, called “Kele 1000” — “Prison 1000” — is being established under the guidance and supervision of leading dayanim and poskim. Its organizers say the program is intended to provide both a financial safety net and broader support for families whose sons or husbands are unexpectedly taken into military custody.

The initiative comes amid an intensification of enforcement measures and arrests involving bnei Torah over their military-service status. Organizers say the fund is designed to ensure that when a yeshiva bochur or avreich is taken into military custody, his family will not be left to shoulder alone the financial burden created by his imprisonment.

The program is structured around a broad system of communal responsibility, with participants contributing only a small amount when an eligible arrest occurs. Those funds will then be used to provide the affected family with NIS 1,000 for each full day that the detainee remains behind bars.

According to the organizers, the money is intended to help cover expenses that can quickly accumulate during an incarceration, including legal advice, transportation and prison visits, as well as income lost when relatives are forced to miss work because of the situation.

The fund is being overseen by a committee of prominent dayanim, who will have exclusive authority over the program’s policies, eligibility requirements, distribution of funds and any halachic questions or disputes that arise.

The committee includes Rav Naftali Nussbaum, raavad of the Hayashar Vehatov and Ahavas Shalom batei din; Rav Yaakov Tufik Abiezeri, av bais din of the Beitar monetary bais din; Rav Yaakov Meir Stern, av bais din of Badatz Kehillos Yaakov in Bnei Brak; Rav Eliyahu Posen, av bais din in the Bnei Brak and Elad bais din; and Rav Tzvi Braverman, raavad of Beitar Illit and av bais din of Nesivos Chaim.

Organizers said that any uncertainty over whether an individual qualifies for assistance, as well as any claims involving the fund, will be decided exclusively by the dayanim overseeing the initiative.

In a special letter issued in connection with the launch, the rabbanim called upon members of the tzibbur to join the program, describing widespread participation as a means of creating a strong system of mutual responsibility and support.

Under the “Kele 1000” financial model, members of the program will be charged no more than NIS 1 per day when an eligible ben Torah is imprisoned. Participants will also pay NIS 3 per month to cover administrative and operating expenses.

The larger the program’s membership becomes, organizers say, the smaller the amount that will have to be collected from each individual participant when an arrest takes place.

The fund’s regulations also draw a significant distinction between unexpected arrests and situations in which an individual knowingly places himself in circumstances likely to result in detention.

According to the rules, which were prepared with legal guidance from the Gedalyahu & Horowitz law firm, the NIS 1,000-per-day benefit will be available only in cases involving what the program defines as “surprise arrests” imposed upon a ben Torah because of his conscientious position.

By contrast, the fund will not provide assistance for what it considers initiated or avoidable arrests. Those include cases in which an individual knowingly reports to a military draft office or police station, or attempts to travel through an airport or border crossing under circumstances that result in his detention.

The distinction was established by the committee of dayanim, meaning that individuals who deliberately enter circumstances expected to lead to military incarceration will not be eligible to receive payments from the fund.

Registration for “Kele 1000” is now expanding throughout yeshivos, kollelim and communities across Eretz Yisroel. Numerous institutions are reportedly joining collectively in an effort to ensure that their talmidim and avreichim will be covered by the program should they face an unexpected military arrest.

{Matzav.com}

A remarkable account from former hostage Emily Damari has revealed that while she was being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, a radio suddenly began working inside the tunnels — allowing her to hear a live broadcast of Selichos from the Kosel.

The story was shared during an episode of “Me’Achorei Kosleinu,” a podcast produced by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, featuring Yehuda Naftali, the chazzan who has led the main Selichos gatherings at the Kosel since 2015.

Naftali said that even after 11 years and dozens of nights leading Selichos each Elul, the experience has never become routine.

“Every night, there is no routine here,” he said. “You feel as though you are at the Kosel for the first time, saying Selichos for the first time.”

Naftali said the responsibility of standing before tens of thousands of people at the Kosel, along with millions more watching and listening around the world, continues to weigh heavily on him.

“You say: Wow, I am going to fulfill the obligation of Selichos for this entire crowd. There is nothing else like it.”

One of the moments that Naftali finds particularly powerful comes during Adon HaSelichos. Over the years, he said, the enormous crowd has become so familiar with the tefillah that he barely needs to lead them anymore.

“I just say ‘Adon HaSelichos,’ and that’s it. From that point on, it’s them. I used to have to lead them; today I don’t need to.”

Behind the enormous gatherings, however, are deeply emotional encounters that Naftali said have left a lasting impression on him.

He recalled meeting a bereaved father shortly before Selichos began one night. The father told Naftali about his son, who had been killed on Oct. 7.

“I went into the office, closed the door behind me and simply cried. The tears just kept falling.”

Naftali said encounters with survivors of Hamas captivity have also transformed the way he approaches the tefillos.

“When survivors of captivity are standing next to you… I feel as though I am their shliach tzibbur as well. I want something to come from this tefillah, for something to happen, for them to come home.”

During the conversation, the interviewer related an extraordinary account he had personally heard from Emily Damari, who survived Hamas captivity in Gaza.

According to Damari, while she was being held underground, a radio in the tunnels suddenly connected to a broadcast — and through it, she heard the sounds of Selichos being recited at the Kosel.

Naftali also spoke about the personal and family toll of his demanding schedule throughout Elul, when the nightly gatherings leave him with little opportunity to sleep.

“During Elul, I tell my wife: Goodbye, we’ll see each other after Yom Kippur,” he said with a smile, describing nights when he gets only three or four hours of sleep.

Naftali concluded by describing the thoughts that sometimes go through his mind as he stands before the ancient stones of the Kosel and looks out at the enormous crowds gathered there.

“What can a wall do to an entire nation… an old wall, an ancient wall, a holy wall that can bring the entire world to see this special place.”

SCRANTON, PA — Rav Yaakov Schnaidman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Moshe of Scranton, has returned home from the hospital after being admitted following an episode of shortness of breath.

The welcome news comes after Yeshiva Bais Moshe informed alumni, parents and friends of the yeshiva of Rav Schnaidman’s hospitalization and asked the tzibbur to be mispallel for his complete recovery.

Rav Schnaidman has served for decades at the helm of Yeshiva Bais Moshe, one of America’s longstanding yeshivos. Together with Rav Chaim Bressler, Rav Schnaidman established the yeshiva in Scranton in 1965. Both were talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l and sought to establish a makom Torah that would transmit the mesorah and derech halimud they had absorbed from their rebbi.

Talmidim are grateful for Rav Schnaidman’s return home and all are asked to continue davening for his complete recovery and continued good health. The name for Tehillim is Rav Yaakov ben Chana.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon rather than attending the annual ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City, according to The New York Times.

Trump had reportedly sought an opportunity to deliver remarks at the Ground Zero ceremony. However, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum has prohibited speeches at the observance since 2012, a policy established to preserve the nonpartisan and solemn character of the event, according to the Times.

Instead, Trump will participate in the Sept. 11 commemoration at the Pentagon, two people familiar with the plans told the newspaper. Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the White House at the Manhattan ceremony.

The president is scheduled to travel to Ireland the following day to attend a tournament at his golf course there. According to the Times, departing for Ireland from the New York area would create greater disruptions to local air and road traffic than leaving from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Trump most recently attended the Ground Zero commemoration in 2024. During that visit to New York, he also stopped at a city fire station.

“On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the president will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans,” Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the president, told the Times.

Trump is expected to address those gathered at the Pentagon ceremony, as he did during last year’s 9/11 observance there.

Among those expected to attend the 25th-anniversary ceremony in Manhattan are former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former first lady Laura Bush.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. forces have cleared Iranian sea mines from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper announced Thursday, marking a significant development in American efforts to keep the vital waterway open while enforcing a naval blockade against Iran.

In an operational update, Cooper said thousands of American servicemembers are simultaneously carrying out the blockade and working to ensure that commercial vessels can continue navigating the strategically crucial Strait.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Cooper said. “Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the US military.”

Cooper said the operation brought together Navy divers and Navy SEALs, along with aerial assets belonging to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The mission was carried out under hazardous conditions, he said, but U.S. personnel succeeded in eliminating the mines from the designated shipping routes.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” he said. “Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

The routes cleared by American forces are part of the internationally recognized traffic separation system used in the Strait of Hormuz, which organizes ships traveling in opposite directions through the narrow passage.

Cooper said the U.S. military has assisted nearly 1,500 commercial ships in navigating the Strait under coordinated protection in recent months. Collectively, those vessels carried nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil to markets around the world.

Iran, meanwhile, has been prevented from shipping oil from its own shores since the United States resumed its naval blockade in mid-July, according to the CENTCOM commander.

“And while American forces have supported 750 million barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf, Iran has exported zero oil from its shores since we resumed the naval blockade in mid-July. We have been highly effective,” Cooper said.

Cooper said that no ships have been permitted to enter or leave Iranian ports without U.S. authorization since the blockade resumed, aside from vessels granted exceptions for humanitarian purposes.

The operation has involved thousands of U.S. servicemembers, more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft. Cooper said American forces have forced 75 vessels attempting to violate the blockade to turn around and disabled three others after they refused to comply with U.S. instructions.

Cooper commended the American personnel participating in the mission and said CENTCOM remains fully committed to carrying out its objectives.

“We remain vigilant, lethal, and resolved,” he said.

The CENTCOM commander also said he recently traveled to the region, where he met with American servicemembers directly involved in the ongoing operations.

“I just could not be prouder of their efforts, and I know that the American people share that same pride,” Cooper said. He concluded by calling on U.S. personnel to remain ready for what comes next and to continue looking out for one another.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has rejected the possibility of returning to the preliminary agreement reached with Iran in June, according to a new report, as the White House says there are currently no negotiations taking place between Washington and Tehran.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the administration has declined to revive the June framework, creating another obstacle to efforts to restart diplomatic negotiations with the Islamic Republic.

The report emerged as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly confirmed that Washington and Tehran are not presently holding talks.

Appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Leavitt said, “There are currently no negotiations happening,” while emphasizing that “all options remain on the table.”

The administration’s position comes after President Donald Trump said a day earlier that he has established no deadline for ending the conflict with Iran and is prepared to allow the confrontation to continue for as long as he believes necessary.

During an interview with Al Jazeera, Trump said he was “not in a hurry” to return to the negotiating table with Tehran, adding: “I have no time schedule, none.”

The president said the two principal forms of pressure Washington has employed against the Islamic Republic — economic measures and military force — had been “both effective.”

Trump also described Iran as facing an increasingly severe economic crisis, pointing to “massive inflation” and saying its economy was “falling apart.” He additionally accused the Iranian regime of “treating their people very badly, they are killing many, many protesters.”

On Thursday, Trump pushed back against reports claiming that he is attempting to arrange a meeting with Iranian officials to reach a new agreement. The president said it is Iran, rather than the United States, that is seeking a return to negotiations.

“Jonathan Hunt of FoxNews did a particularly inaccurate report on the Failing Islamic Republic of Iran. I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal. Bret Baier should straighten out his flunkies, for a change!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump subsequently posted another brief message, declaring, “Iran Is a Failing Nation!”

Efforts to reach a permanent agreement between Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse. Although U.S. military strikes against Iran continued until recently, the administration has increasingly turned its attention to a sweeping campaign of economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced “Operation Economic Outcast,” an initiative aimed at further isolating Iran economically and choking off sources of revenue that sustain the regime.

The current pause in U.S. military strikes does not mean that Washington has ruled out renewed attacks. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Monday that military action remains among the options available to the Trump administration.

“By no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran,” Hegseth told reporters.

Hegseth also argued that the Iranian regime cannot withstand the level of economic pressure the United States is now applying.

{Matzav.com}

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Thousands of Breslover Chassidim planning to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah are facing growing uncertainty just days before the annual airlift begins, with numerous charter flights sold to passengers still lacking the necessary takeoff and landing slots at Ben Gurion Airport.

The first travelers are expected to begin departing as early as this coming Sunday, yet many passengers who have already paid substantial sums for their tickets are discovering that their flights have not received final slot approval from the Israel Airports Authority.

The situation is becoming an increasingly familiar source of frustration for Uman travelers, with last-minute uncertainty surrounding flights recurring in recent years despite the annual pilgrimage taking place at the same time each year.

The greatest pressure is expected during several critical travel periods, with outbound flights from Ben Gurion Airport concentrated between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10, 2026, and return flights to Israel scheduled primarily between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.

As of Thursday, a number of airlines — including Electra, Cyprus, SkyUp, Albastar, HiSky and FlyOne — reportedly had yet to receive the required slots for their planned flights.

Foreign airlines are already warning that they may be forced to cancel flights altogether. The carriers say regulatory and operational requirements make it impossible for them to keep aircraft and crews in limbo indefinitely while waiting until the last moment for confirmation.

Among those traveling to Uman, frustration and anxiety are mounting.

“This is simply Chelm, there’s no other word for it,” said Nachman, a Yerushalayim resident who purchased tickets for himself and his two sons. “This trip has existed for almost 40 years. The dates are fixed on the calendar. This coming Sunday people are already beginning to fly, and there are still no approvals! How can it be that the Israel Airports Authority doesn’t prepare for this in advance? Every year we reach the 90th minute and don’t know if we’ll take off. A few years ago, we found ourselves sleeping on the floor of the terminal with small children because of ‘slot’ delays. They simply disregard us because we fly on charters and not with regularly scheduled airlines.”

Another traveler, Chaim of Beit Shemesh, expressed similar anger over the uncertainty.

“We paid thousands of dollars. You can’t play with people like this. We feel that there is no one in the country taking responsibility for us. During summer vacation, Ben Gurion Airport handles tens of thousands of people a day, but when it comes to Uman, suddenly the system collapses.”

With no resolution yet in sight, numerous travelers have contacted Rabbi Nosson Ben Nun, chairman of the United Breslov in Uman organization, as well as activist Reb Levi Yitzchok Gewirtz, asking them to intervene immediately with the Israel Airports Authority.

The problem extends far beyond Ben Gurion Airport because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

With direct flights into Ukraine unavailable, travelers are expected to fly into neighboring countries, particularly Romania, before continuing overland to Uman.

Romanian and Ukrainian authorities require detailed and finalized transportation plans in advance so they can prepare border crossings, regulate the movement of the large numbers of passengers and arrange security personnel and buses.

Without final departure slots from Ben Gurion Airport, organizers cannot provide authorities in those countries with definitive schedules. That uncertainty threatens to disrupt the entire complex transportation chain needed to move thousands of travelers from Israel to Uman.

Officials familiar with the arrangements warn that unless the Israel Airports Authority resolves the slot issue within the next day or two, large numbers of Chassidim could ultimately find themselves unable to reach Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

Such an outcome could also result in significant financial losses for travelers who have already spent large sums not only on airfare but also on food and accommodations in Uman.

“This is an event that is known about in advance. You can’t operate by putting out fires every year when the flights are about to leave,” said an official involved in organizing Uman travel. “It’s time for the Israel Airports Authority to treat the Uman operation as a regular national event, and not as a surprise that falls on them from the sky.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshivas Slabodka, delivered a special shiur today at Yeshivas Zichron Yaakov, followed by words of chizuk to the bnei hayeshiva ahead of the Yomim Noraim, urging them to immerse themselves completely in Torah learning and emphasizing the importance of pursuing truth even when doing so requires admitting that one was wrong.

In his remarks, the rosh yeshiva focused on the obligation to approach Torah with genuine hasmadah and total absorption in learning. He stressed that this responsibility takes on particular significance during the difficult period currently facing those living in Eretz Yisroel.

“We need to learn, to be occupied with learning, to be immersed in learning — not to learn superficially, but to learn with immersion and diligence,” Rav Landau told the bochurim. “And with this difficult situation that we have here in Eretz Yisroel, certainly what we are obligated to do — with this and without this, it makes no difference — is to be immersed in learning, absorbed in learning. To get up in the morning — perhaps one cannot think in Torah learning; that is forbidden before Birchos HaTorah.”

Rav Landau went on to draw a distinction between genuine toil in understanding a sugya and merely searching for interesting insights or appealing vortlach.

“A good question, a good sevara of Rabbi Akiva Eiger — to be immersed in learning, not to search. Vortlach are a very beautiful thing, but that is not learning,” he said.

The rosh yeshiva emphasized that true Torah learning requires iyun, effort and a determined search to understand a sugya in its full depth, rather than being satisfied with attractive ideas and novel observations.

Rav Landau then spoke about the obligation to search for the truth in Torah, citing the Chazon Ish’s comments regarding the Kesef Mishneh.

“Hashem should help us that we should be able to learn, to search, as the Chazon Ish writes in the margin regarding the Kesef Mishneh: The Kesef Mishneh knew that there is truth in Torah, and he sought that truth — to seek the truth as much as we are able and capable of understanding, knowing and searching,” Rav Landau said.

He added that a genuine commitment to truth also requires a person to be willing to recognize when someone else has understood something correctly while he himself has not.

Rav Landau concluded with a pointed message about the importance of being able to acknowledge a mistake, explaining that being wrong is not a catastrophe; refusing to admit it is.

“Hashem should help us that we search for the truth. Included in that is that we acknowledge the one who says it. We did not merit to know, and the other person merited to know. It’s not terrible that the other person merited — it’s not a tragedy, nothing happened. If we made a mistake, no tragedy occurred. The tragedy is when we do not admit a mistake. Hashem should help us that we learn properly, that we are immersed in learning, absorbed in learning. And I wish everyone all the best, a kesivah vachasimah tovah, all the best.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has enlisted Shas chairman Aryeh Deri in an effort to bring Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni firmly back into the Netanyahu-led right-wing bloc, following Gafni’s declaration that his party is not automatically committed to supporting any particular candidate for prime minister after the election.

According to a report Thursday night by Kan 11, Netanyahu is seeking Deri’s assistance amid increasingly strained relations with Gafni. Netanyahu and Gafni have reportedly not held direct talks recently, while the Degel HaTorah leader has publicly signaled that his party’s support following the election should not be taken for granted.

The tensions became particularly apparent Wednesday when Gafni declared that, as far as he is concerned, there is currently no preferred candidate for prime minister.

Gafni said Degel HaTorah’s decision about which government to join after the election will be determined by which side best protects the Torah world and the bnei yeshivos.

The comments drew considerable attention within the right-wing bloc, where Netanyahu is seeking to ensure that the Chareidi parties remain aligned with him following the election despite his complicated relationship with Gafni.

Netanyahu met with Deri on Wednesday for approximately two hours, with much of their discussion reportedly devoted to the broader electoral strategy of the Netanyahu-aligned bloc.

According to the report, Netanyahu told the Shas chairman that “there is a chance to win only if votes in the bloc are not wasted.”

In addition to the issue involving Gafni, Netanyahu and Deri reportedly discussed the configuration of the various right-wing parties and the negotiations that may be necessary once the election results are known, as Netanyahu seeks to secure a majority capable of forming the next government.

Following the meeting, Deri appeared for an interview on Channel 14, where he expressed skepticism that Gafni would ultimately choose to join forces with Gadi Eisenkot following the election.

Other senior Shas officials subsequently echoed Deri’s position, stressing that their party would remain behind Netanyahu under any scenario.

Shas officials argued that beyond the party’s own political commitment to Netanyahu, the overwhelming majority of Chareidi voters identify with right-wing positions, making a move by the Chareidi parties into an opposing political camp inconsistent with the preferences of their electorate.

Deri could now emerge as a key intermediary between Netanyahu and Gafni as the prime minister seeks to repair the relationship with the Degel HaTorah chairman and preserve the unity of the right-wing and Chareidi bloc heading into the election.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s security chief on Thursday rejected allegations that Tehran is plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, even as the U.S. Secret Service investigates an Iranian state television video that openly discussed where the 20-year-old could be killed.

Mohsen Rezaei dismissed reports of a possible Iranian assassination plot targeting Barron as a lie during an interview aired by Lebanon’s Al Manar TV, according to Reuters.

Rezaei’s denial came two days after the Secret Service confirmed that it was aware of the Iranian state television broadcast concerning a possible assassination of Barron.

The approximately three-minute segment carried the title “Where to Kill Barron Trump?” and purported to highlight locations connected to the president’s son, including his university and other places he is known to visit.

The broadcast further claimed that Barron was under surveillance and alleged that a $10 million bounty had been offered for his assassination. The purported reward has not been independently verified.

The video also presented allegations concerning Barron’s internet activity and private communications, including references to gaming platforms. Those assertions likewise have not been independently confirmed.

Secret Service spokesman Nate Herring said Tuesday that the agency was aware of the broadcast and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward its protectees, while declining to discuss specific protective-intelligence matters.

The broadcast targeting Barron came after an earlier piece of Iranian media propaganda focused on first lady Melania Trump and concluded with a threat against her son.

In July, the Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, released a video titled “Where to Kill Melania?” that purported to provide information about the first lady’s movements and security arrangements in New York.

That production identified stores and other places Melania is known to frequent and discussed hypothetical methods by which she could be attacked. It then shifted its focus to Barron and issued a direct warning involving him.

The newest video has generated heightened concern because it specifically targeted the president’s son while presenting his whereabouts and personal activities as if they had been monitored.

The threatening broadcasts come amid increasingly hostile Iranian rhetoric aimed at Trump and his family in the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Iran has sought to assassinate him. Reuters has also reported that the United States received multiple warnings from Israel regarding Iranian plans to kill the president.

Iranian threats against Trump and members of his administration stretch back years, particularly to the January 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

American authorities later uncovered alleged Iranian assassination plots against officials who served in the Trump administration, among them national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family have also allegedly been targeted by Iran.

Netanyahu revealed Monday that Tehran had attempted to assassinate one of his sons.

“Iran targeted one of my sons,” Netanyahu said during an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, without initially identifying his son or disclosing details about the alleged plot.

A Newsmax report published the next day, citing a U.S. law-enforcement source, said the alleged target was Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, while he was residing in South Florida.

According to the report, Israeli intelligence discovered an Iranian plan targeting Yair in December 2025, while suspected Iranian operatives were believed to have been conducting surveillance of his movements in the Miami area.

Following the discovery, Yair was reportedly ordered to leave Florida and return to Israel, which he subsequently did.

U.S. authorities, the Israeli government and Israeli security agencies have not publicly confirmed the complete account.

Israeli security officials have acknowledged that intelligence indicated an intention to harm prominent Israeli figures, including Yair Netanyahu, while disputing reports portraying the situation as an imminent assassination attempt in Florida.

Officials said security precautions were implemented and Yair was ordered to return to Israel, but they stopped short of confirming that an Iranian terrorist cell had been preparing to carry out an immediate attack against him.

The reports concerning Barron Trump and Yair Netanyahu surfaced within days of one another as the United States and Israel continue exerting intense pressure on the Iranian regime.

For Trump and his family, the latest episode follows years of threats from Tehran against the president and other American officials who played prominent roles in U.S. efforts against Iran.

The Secret Service has not disclosed whether it considers the Iranian television broadcast targeting Barron evidence of a credible operational threat. It has also declined to say whether Barron’s security arrangements have been increased in response.

While Rezaei denied that Tehran is plotting to assassinate Barron, his comments did not explain why Iranian state television broadcast the threatening video or whether Iranian security agencies had any involvement in its production.

It therefore remains unclear whether the broadcast reflects an actual Iranian assassination operation, an effort at propaganda and psychological warfare, or elements of both.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of protesters rioted Thursday night on Bar Ilan Street in Yerushalayim during a demonstration against ongoing light rail construction, blocking a major intersection, setting fires, throwing stones at security forces and causing extensive damage to the construction site.

The protest spiraled into violent unrest as demonstrators occupied the intersection for an extended period and targeted equipment and infrastructure along the light rail route.

During the disturbances, protesters ripped out metal fencing surrounding sections of the construction zone and damaged infrastructure at the site. Garbage bins and cardboard collection facilities were also set on fire.

Large numbers of officers from the Lev Habira police station, the Yasam special patrol unit and Border Police were dispatched to the area as authorities attempted to disperse the hundreds of demonstrators.

Police used crowd-control measures and stun grenades after protesters refused orders to leave the area. A police water cannon was also brought to the scene. In one incident captured on video, a light rail security guard was seen spraying protesters with a fire extinguisher.

Police said rioters threw objects, set garbage bins ablaze, repeatedly attempted to block traffic arteries and sought to damage the light rail construction compound.

As the disturbances continued, a police commander formally declared the gathering an unlawful disturbance and ordered those participating to clear the roadway.

When the protesters refused to comply, officers began forcibly dispersing the crowd and employing riot-control measures in an effort to reopen the area and restore order.

Police later announced that two suspects had been arrested during the unrest.

One was taken into custody on suspicion of arson. A second suspect was arrested after police said he was identified throwing stones at police officers and Border Police personnel.

Both suspects were taken to a police station for questioning.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Alfasi z”l, the renowned historian and prolific author who devoted much of his life to documenting the history, personalities and dynasties of the Chassidic world. He was niftar at the age of 96.

Rabbi Alfasi, who authored more than 90 works over the course of his extraordinary literary career, was regarded as one of the veteran researchers of Chassidus in the generation. Among his best-known accomplishments was the monumental Encyclopedia of Chassidus, published by Mossad Harav Kook, which became an important reference work on the personalities and history of the Chassidic movement.

He was born on the night of Yom Kippur in 5690 in Tel Aviv, a son of Reb Yisroel Alfasi z”l, a prominent Gerer chossid who was among the early industrialists and builders of Tel Aviv.

From his youth, Rabbi Alfasi was deeply drawn to the world of Chassidus and developed a particularly close relationship with the Gerer dynasty. He was privileged to be close to the Bais Yisroel, the Lev Simcha and the Pnei Menachem, drawing from them a profound attachment to the world of Chassidim and Rebbes that would remain at the center of his life’s work.

Over many decades, Rabbi Alfasi devoted himself with remarkable persistence to researching the development of the Chassidic movement, its various courts, and the generations of Rebbes and tzaddikim who shaped them.

That lifelong effort produced more than 90 books, foremost among them his Encyclopedia of Chassidus, an enormous undertaking that established Rabbi Alfasi as a major chronicler of Chassidic history.

Chassidic historian Reb Yisroel Alter Grubais, who maintained a friendship with Rabbi Alfasi for many years, described the extraordinary diligence behind his accomplishments.

“Dr. Alfasi worked in the years before there were computers. He worked with unimaginable diligence. In a certain sense, despite several mistakes and errors he had here and there, the entire enterprise of Chassidic research in our time can be credited to Alfasi. He laid the foundation. And he did it out of a sense of mission and diligence. He almost never stopped writing. Every time you met him, the pencil was writing on the paper. May the merit of all the tzaddikim whose teachings he worked to clarify stand for him.”

Rabbi Alfasi’s writings covered an enormous range of Chassidic dynasties, personalities and historical periods.

Among the works that became particularly well known were his Chassidus From Generation to Generation series, his comprehensive History of Chassidus, Book of the Rebbes, and Chassidus and Eretz Yisroel.

He also produced detailed works devoted to individual Chassidic courts, including major volumes on Ger and Chabad, as well as extensive research into the tzaddikim of the Ruzhin dynasty and Breslov.

Remarkably, Rabbi Alfasi produced his vast body of work by hand, without relying on the technological tools that would later transform historical research and publishing. He painstakingly gathered sources, organized material and wrote his manuscripts with extraordinary consistency and attention to detail.

His research did not focus exclusively on famous Rebbes and celebrated personalities. Rabbi Alfasi documented hundreds and thousands of lesser-known tzaddikim and Chassidim whose names and stories might otherwise have disappeared with the passage of time.

His final published work was Encyclopedia of the House of Ruzhin — Malchus Shebemalchus, issued by Machon Shtefanesht.

Alongside his historical and Torah scholarship, Rabbi Alfasi served for many years as editor of the longstanding Shabbos B’Shabbato weekly parsha publication.

He also served as rov of the Goren—Komemiyus Avraham shul in Tel Aviv, where he taught Torah and developed warm relationships with numerous mispallelim and others who came into contact with him.

Rabbi Alfasi’s strength declined during his later years, but those close to him said he retained his Chassidic spirit and clarity of mind until the end of his life.

His passing is being mourned by his family, friends and the thousands who have learned from and consulted his works over the decades. His enormous literary legacy created a bridge between the living world of Chassidus that he personally knew and the painstaking historical documentation through which its personalities, dynasties and traditions will continue to be remembered.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}