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A government document released Tuesday night has sparked outrage in the Chareidi political establishment after revealing that Finance Ministry officials view the cancellation of after-school daycare subsidies as one of the most effective economic tools for pressuring Chareidi men subject to the draft to enlist in the IDF.

While plans to revoke subsidies under the Education Ministry’s Nitzanim after-school program had previously been reported, the newly released document sheds light on why Finance Ministry professionals consider the measure particularly potent: the large number of Chareidi households that receive the benefit and the significant monthly expense families would face if the subsidy were eliminated.

The document summarizes an August 3 meeting chaired by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and attended by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Gil Limon, as well as representatives of the IDF, Israel Police, Finance Ministry and other government agencies.

The meeting focused on expanding financial enforcement measures against individuals who are required to enlist but have failed to report for military service. According to the document, a Finance Ministry representative explained that certain government benefits could exert considerably greater pressure than others because of how extensively they are used within the Chareidi community.

Officials specifically singled out the Education Ministry’s Nitzanim program, which subsidizes after-school care for children.

According to the document, the program “is considered highly effective by the professional officials at the Ministry of Finance for the purpose of increasing the number of recruits.”

Finance Ministry officials explained that their assessment was based on “the scope of households eligible for this benefit, alongside the significant monthly cost it represents.”

The meeting summary consequently stated that “there is particular importance in revoking eligibility for those obligated to enlist with regard to this benefit as early as the upcoming school year.”

The discussion extended beyond after-school care. Finance Ministry representatives also presented a chart analyzing the likelihood that Chareidi households receive various government benefits, apparently as part of an effort to determine which financial sanctions would have the greatest impact. Officials also called for further examination of a Housing Ministry program that provides assistance with rental payments.

Chareidi political figures charged that the policy directly contradicts the government’s stated goal of increasing employment among Chareidi women. They argue that subsidized after-school programs allow mothers to remain at work later in the day, meaning that eliminating the benefit would affect not only the man subject to the draft but also working mothers and their children.

United Torah Judaism MK Uri Maklev sharply condemned the Finance Ministry’s approach, accusing officials of deliberately searching for the most painful financial pressure point within Chareidi families.

“It is shocking to discover in the attorney general’s document how Finance Ministry officials maliciously search for the most harmful and significant tool and present the cancellation of after-school daycare subsidies as an ‘effective tool’ for harming Torah learners,” Maklev told B’Chadrei Chareidim. “This is pure wickedness, cruelty and a moral low.”

Maklev said the policy is particularly troubling because it comes from the same government bureaucracy that regularly speaks about encouraging Chareidi women to enter and remain in the workforce.

“Those same officials who preach about encouraging employment are acting against their own principles. Revoking after-school daycare subsidies is a direct attack on the livelihood and well-being of helpless young children and working mothers, motivated solely by the persecution of Torah learners,” he said.

The revelations are also becoming an election issue, with officials in Degel HaTorah directing criticism at Finance Minister and Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich.

The document contains no evidence that Smotrich personally instructed Finance Ministry officials to formulate the recommendation. Degel HaTorah officials nevertheless argued that as finance minister, Smotrich bears political responsibility for policies being advanced by the ministry under his authority.

“There has recently been considerable discussion about Chareidim who are considering voting for Smotrich in the upcoming elections,” the officials said. “Those voters need to examine everything that is actually taking place in the Finance Ministry under his responsibility. Time and again, recommendations emerge from this ministry whose practical effect is severe economic harm to the Chareidi family.”

The Degel officials argued that Smotrich cannot simultaneously court Chareidi voters while distancing himself from recommendations being developed inside his own ministry.

“You cannot court the Chareidi vote while at the same time accepting a situation in which Finance Ministry officials map out the benefits Chareidi families rely upon and examine where revoking them would be especially effective. A minister’s responsibility is measured by what takes place in the ministry under his authority. The Chareidi public will have to take these things into account as well when it goes to the polls.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Shimon Galai shared a remarkable personal story involving the Steipler Gaon at a gathering marking the 25th yahrtzeit of Rav Avrohom Yaakov Pam zt”l, founder of Shuvu, offering a powerful message about the continued influence of tzaddikim after their passing.

The gathering was held at Rav Galai’s home with leaders of Shuvu, the kiruv organization founded by Rav Pam and with which Rav Galai serves as a member of its presidium.

Addressing the concern that Rav Pam’s passing might mean that Shuvu no longer benefits from his assistance as it did during his lifetime, Rav Galai said the opposite is true: A tzaddik who accomplished great things in this world can continue working on behalf of others from Shomayim with even greater strength.

“The Steipler told me a fundamental principle, and it is clear to me that it is true,” Rav Galai related. “What a tzaddik did here, they do there in Shomayim with far greater strength. I asked him about someone who was connected to a certain rov, and the rov passed away, and that person felt that his world had gone dark.”

Rav Galai then recounted the Steipler’s emphatic response.

“The Steipler told me: Tell him that I said that what they did here, they do there with far greater strength. It is nothing. Tell him, do you understand Yiddish? You understand Hebrew. He repeated it ten times. Tell him that I said that what they did here, they do there with far greater strength. If here he worried about him, he will worry about him. If here he davened for him, he will daven for him.”

Rav Galai connected the Steipler’s words directly to Rav Pam’s legacy and the future of Shuvu, saying there should be no concern over whether the Torah and kiruv work he championed will continue.

“You ask how the Torah and kiruv will continue after Rav Pam passed away? We already heard what the Ponovezher Rov said after the Holocaust, that we have no concern about how the Torah will continue. Hakadosh Boruch Hu promised, ‘For it will not be forgotten from the mouths of his descendants and his descendants’ descendants.’ The only question is who will merit to be part of it.”

Rav Galai then spoke with humility about his own involvement in Shuvu’s work.

“I am nothing. I am only a shamash. I truly try to do whatever I can to help kiruv. It is clear that the Torah will continue, Shuvu will continue, the talmidim will continue. The only question is who will merit to be part of it.”

He concluded by addressing the message that should be conveyed to those who support Shuvu financially, saying that while people sometimes approach him seeking guarantees of success or blessing, the true promise comes from Hakadosh Boruch Hu.

“People come to me so that I should promise. Right? I don’t know how to promise, but Hakadosh Boruch Hu promises. If you make Mine happy, I will make yours happy. There is no greater joy for Hakadosh Boruch Hu than when another one of His children is brought to say Shema Yisrael.”

{Matzav.com}

A former Meta safety researcher delivered damaging testimony Wednesday in a landmark federal trial, accusing Mark Zuckerberg and his company of deliberately avoiding child-safety problems on Facebook and Instagram when addressing them could threaten profits.

Arturo Béjar, who worked on safety issues at Meta for years and later emerged as a prominent critic of the company, told jurors in California federal court that Zuckerberg wielded enormous authority as CEO but failed to adequately confront the dangers the platforms posed to young users.

“You just cannot trust Mark Zuckerberg with kids,” Béjar said on the witness stand.

Béjar became the first witness presented by a coalition of 29 state attorneys general suing Meta. The states allege that the company intentionally designed addictive features that contributed to anxiety, depression and even suicide among teenagers, while also improperly collecting children’s personal information without parental permission.

The attorneys general are asking the court to order significant changes to Meta’s platforms and impose substantial financial penalties for the alleged violations. Attorneys representing the states have suggested damages could approach $200 billion, while Meta has argued that the potential figure under the plaintiffs’ calculations could climb as high as $1.4 trillion.

Béjar headed a safety-oriented team at Meta between 2009 and 2015 before returning as a consultant from 2019 through 2021. During his testimony, he accused Zuckerberg of creating a misleading public picture of how seriously the company treated the welfare of young users.

“I felt that he created a false and misleading impression of Facebook’s commitment to young people,” said Béjar, who estimated that he spoke to Zuckerberg about safety issues at least 100 times during his tenure.

According to Béjar, Meta possessed technology capable of identifying underage users who circumvented the company’s safeguards, but effectively adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach because younger users represented valuable future customers.

“Where the youngest kids are is where the users are going to be in the future,” Béjar said.

Béjar previously played a major role as a witness in separate litigation brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez. In that case, he described the disturbing experiences of his daughter after she joined Instagram at age 16, including receiving sexually explicit messages and “unsolicited penis pictures.”

During cross-examination Wednesday, a Meta attorney questioned Béjar about his decision to permit his daughter to use Instagram. Béjar acknowledged that he had not anticipated the extent of the dangers she would encounter on the platform.

“I kept an eye on how distressing it was for her,” Béjar said. “She got a good following, at the price of harm.”

The multistate trial is expected to continue for approximately six weeks and is set to feature testimony from some of Meta’s most prominent executives. Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are both expected to take the witness stand.

Meta has denied the allegations against it and maintains that the attorneys general are pursuing financial penalties far beyond what the case could legitimately justify.

During opening arguments Tuesday, Meta attorney Paul Schmidt defended the company’s record, arguing that Zuckerberg and other executives have repeatedly worked to make Facebook and Instagram safer for children. He pointed to measures including parental supervision features and tools allowing limits to be placed on the amount of time young people spend on social media.

President Trump is set to sit down for an interview with Michael Cohen, his onetime personal attorney and fixer who later became one of his fiercest critics, in a remarkable public reunion following years of bitter legal and personal warfare between the two men.

Cohen, who acknowledged arranging payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election over an alleged affair with Trump, said the interview comes after he and the president recently put their long-running feud behind them.

After years of publicly attacking one another following their dramatic falling-out, Cohen revealed earlier this summer that he and Trump had reconciled and were once again on better terms.

Segments of Cohen’s interview with Trump are scheduled to be broadcast Thursday night on New York’s 77 WABC radio, Cohen said in a social media post. Additional portions are expected to air Sunday during a program Cohen is hosting on the station.

MS NOW had earlier reported that Trump would appear with Cohen for an episode of the attorney’s podcast. Cohen disputed that account in his post, saying the interview was instead conducted for the WABC radio program.

The Hill said it contacted the White House seeking confirmation that Trump would participate in the interview.

Cohen disclosed last month that his relationship with Trump had changed dramatically after years of hostility, explaining that an unexpected message from a mutual friend helped open the door to ending their feud.

“Out of nowhere, when I was sitting with my wife at a restaurant, my phone buzzed and it was a text from that friend who expressed to me the president’s genuine empathy for the hell that I was being dragged through … I deeply appreciated that text,” Cohen told John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WABC’s “Cats & Cosby” radio talk show.

Cohen said the message prompted him to reach out directly to Trump in hopes of finally bringing their years-long battle to a close.

“I actually texted the president. I thanked him. Expressed my sincere hope that this long, exhausting feud between the two of us could finally end,” Cohen added.

{Matzav.com}

The United States has crossed a historic and troubling fiscal threshold, with the national debt climbing above $40 trillion as federal borrowing continues to grow and long-term projections point to an increasingly severe financial burden.

Treasury Department figures released Wednesday show that total outstanding public debt reached $40.047 trillion on Tuesday, jumping from $39.987 trillion just one day earlier.

Debt held by the public, which excludes certain obligations the government owes to itself, now totals approximately $32.3 trillion. That figure is equal to about 101% of the nation’s gross domestic product, a debt burden not seen at this scale since the World War II era. In 2001, following four straight years of federal budget surpluses, publicly held debt stood at only 31.5% of GDP.

The climb to $40 trillion did not happen suddenly. It is the product of more than two decades of major wars, tax reductions, economic downturns and massive federal spending programs.

The federal government’s finances began deteriorating in the early 2000s following the collapse of the dot-com bubble, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and a series of tax cuts that reduced federal revenue.

Another major blow came with the 2007-09 recession, which caused tax receipts to plunge while Washington responded with expensive economic stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing the financial system and reviving the economy.

Federal borrowing accelerated dramatically again during the COVID-19 pandemic, when trillions of dollars were spent on direct relief payments, assistance for businesses and numerous other programs designed to prevent a broader economic collapse.

Long-term demographic changes have added another layer of pressure. An aging U.S. population has driven spending higher for Social Security and Medicare, while federal revenues have consistently failed to grow enough to cover the government’s overall expenditures.

Current forecasts indicate that the gap between spending and revenue is likely to become substantially larger in the decades ahead.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt held by the public will climb to 120% of GDP by 2036. That would eclipse the previous record of 106% reached in 1946 following World War II.

The longer-term outlook is even more dramatic. Assuming current laws remain largely in place, the CBO projects publicly held federal debt could soar to approximately 175% of GDP by 2056.

Meanwhile, annual federal deficits are hovering around 6% of GDP — levels that historically have been associated with major wars or serious recessions. The difference today is that Washington is running deficits of that magnitude without the country being in the midst of a major economic downturn.

Despite the enormous borrowing, investors have not abandoned the market for U.S. government debt. Treasury securities continue to be regarded around the world as highly liquid, relatively safe assets, allowing the federal government to keep financing its obligations without producing an immediate fiscal crisis.

The mounting expense of paying interest on that debt, however, is becoming a growing concern for the federal budget.

According to CBO projections, annual net interest costs will increase from 3.3% of GDP in 2026 to 4.6% by 2036. By 2056, interest payments are projected to consume 6.9% of GDP, meaning the government would spend more simply servicing its debt than it would spend individually on either Social Security or Medicare.

As interest payments consume a larger portion of federal revenue, lawmakers will have less flexibility to finance other government priorities. The problem can also become self-reinforcing, since interest obligations themselves cannot simply be eliminated when Congress attempts to reduce spending.

Finding sufficiently large spending reductions presents its own political obstacles.

A substantial share of federal expenditures goes toward Social Security, Medicare and other benefits paid directly to individuals. Other government expenses — including federal employees, government facilities and law enforcement — account for a much smaller portion of total federal spending, limiting how much deficit reduction can realistically be achieved without addressing the largest programs.

With the national debt now beyond $40 trillion and projected to continue rising, policymakers face increasingly consequential options: collect more revenue through higher taxes, reduce benefits and government spending, or keep adding to a debt load that the Congressional Budget Office has warned cannot continue growing indefinitely.

{Matzav.com}

A coalition representing immigrant-owned grocery stores and other small businesses across New York City is preparing to sue Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration over its taxpayer-funded supermarket initiative, with legal action potentially coming as soon as this week, the NY Post reports.

The Multicultural Business Coalition, an umbrella organization made up of 50 chambers of commerce representing businesses from a wide range of ethnic communities, made one final attempt Wednesday to bring City Hall to the negotiating table before proceeding with litigation.

“Although we have not heard from you since May 2026, we are open to resolving this matter amicably with more sensible solutions to feed working class people with nutritious essential food items at affordable prices,” coalition president Kenneth Roldan wrote in a letter to the administration.

Roldan said Wednesday that attorneys are still deciding whether to bring the challenge in state court, federal court, or pursue cases in both jurisdictions.

“We are at the 11th hour — we have multiple versions of the lawsuits that have been prepared,” Roldan said. “The federal case will be based on antitrust and predatory pricing. The state cause of action will be tortuous interference and possibly discriminatory practices by the administration.”

The coalition represents businesses owned by members of New York’s Asian, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Jewish communities. According to Roldan, the organization has repeatedly attempted to secure meetings with City Hall since May but has been turned away.

The escalating legal threat comes as the Mamdani administration moves ahead with plans for five government-owned supermarkets at an estimated taxpayer cost of $70 million. The city recently issued a request for proposals seeking operators for the stores, with bids due by Oct. 16.

In its letter, the coalition argued that the request for proposals “demonstrates a lack of understanding of the supermarket industry and raises questions about the efficacy of the plan.”

The group also warned that subsidized city-owned supermarkets “could paralyze their operations, reduce their slim profit margins or even force some out of business entirely.”

Mark Jaffe, the coalition’s legal counsel and president of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said business owners would still prefer negotiations over a courtroom battle.

“We are asking the mayor to avoid litigation to sit down with us,” Jaffe said. “But we have to try to stop this if they won’t listen to us.”

Under the city’s proposal, private grocery operators would be selected to manage the five supermarkets. Because the stores would operate in government-owned properties, they would not face the rent and tax expenses borne by competing privately owned supermarkets.

The operators would also be required to offer a 30% discount on staple foods, including produce, meat, milk, cheese and bread.

City Hall estimates that the program could reduce participating shoppers’ grocery expenses by approximately $90 per month, or about $1,000 annually, amounting to an overall savings of roughly 15% on their grocery bills.

Nearly $40 million has already been designated for the first two planned locations, one in Harlem and another at Hunts Point in the Bronx. Locations have not yet been finalized for the remaining three supermarkets.

Opponents have raised particular concerns about the impact on existing stores located close to the proposed government-subsidized supermarkets. Roughly 15 bodegas and grocery stores currently operate within five blocks of La Marqueta in East Harlem, one of the areas involved in the initiative.

A Food Bazaar supermarket, meanwhile, sits directly across the street from one of the proposed subsidized locations — a situation critics say illustrates the competitive disadvantage private businesses could face.

“How can a Food Bazaar right across the street from La Marqueta not be affected by such discounts?” Jaffe said.

{Matzav.com}

Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a rare high-level conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani just days before Israel launched airstrikes against a Syrian airbase, reportedly warning Damascus about Israel’s concerns over an expanding Turkish military presence in the country.

The phone conversation took place on August 14, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Several days later, Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in the eastern Idlib countryside amid concerns that Turkish forces were preparing to establish a presence there.

The reported discussion between Gofman and al-Shaibani represents one of the most senior direct contacts known to have taken place between Israeli officials and Syria’s new government since Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in December 2024.

The Prime Minister’s Office, which responds publicly on matters involving the Mossad, confirmed Tuesday evening that Israel’s strikes were driven by security concerns surrounding the prospective Turkish deployment.

“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo,” the statement added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue Wednesday, publicly warning that Israel will not accept a Turkish military deployment in Syria that it considers a threat to Israeli security.

“We will not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria that threatens Israel. We made the message clear: Don’t. Apparently, they didn’t hear it clearly enough, so we made sure they understood it better,” he said.

According to reports in Arab media, four airstrikes targeted the runway at Abu al-Duhur early Tuesday morning. The reports did not identify the aircraft responsible but said the attack caused damage to the runway. No injuries were reported.

The tensions surrounding Turkey’s presence in Syria come as Israel continues to closely monitor military developments across its northern frontier and warns against the establishment of forces it views as potentially hostile.

On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the 210th Division and toured the Israeli security zone in southern Syria, where he warned that the military is closely following changes taking place across the Syrian front.

“We see what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front – we must prepare for them accordingly. We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders, and we will know how to use our operational capabilities precisely where and when needed,” Zamir said.

The IDF, Zamir added, must simultaneously prevent terrorist organizations from developing infrastructure near Israel and stop the emergence of a substantial conventional military threat along the border.

“We must prevent the development of terrorist threats, while also preventing the formation of a significant military threat on our borders,” he said.

Zamir cautioned that Israel continues to face threats on numerous fronts and that the military must remain prepared for a sudden deterioration in any one of them.

“We are still in a multi-front war, alert and operating in all arenas – escalation can develop in any one of them, and we must remain in constant readiness for that,” the Chief of Staff said.

During the visit, Zamir also expressed appreciation for the soldiers of the 210th Division and the reservists serving in the area, many of whom have accumulated hundreds of days of reserve duty since the war began.

“The entire people of Israel are deeply indebted to you,” Zamir concluded.

The possibility of a historic breakup within United Torah Judaism is being taken increasingly seriously, with senior Agudas Yisroel figures quietly examining whether the Chassidic party could cross the electoral threshold on its own if Degel HaTorah follows through on plans to run separately in the upcoming election.

Against that backdrop, Shlomei Emunim chairman MK Meir Porush and Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert, a senior Gerer representative who also serves as secretary-general of Agudas Yisroel, held a lengthy and highly significant meeting this week after an extended period of strained relations, according to a report by Kikar HaShabbat.

The meeting came as Degel HaTorah is reportedly giving serious consideration to separating from Agudas Yisroel for the upcoming election, not merely as a negotiating tactic but because of fundamental disagreements over the draft issue and the future political direction of the Chareidi parties.

Relations inside Agudas Yisroel have themselves long been marked by deep tensions, particularly between Porush and Ger. Those differences have traditionally been temporarily set aside before national elections, producing what amounts to an uneasy truce until the campaign is over.

According to the report, the latest meeting between Porush and Zeibert was initiated by Ger and took place in a Chareidi-majority city. The two sat together for several hours.

A major portion of the discussion centered on Degel HaTorah’s potential departure and whether Agudas Yisroel could realistically survive electorally without the Litvish party.

Such a campaign would likely require an unprecedented mobilization of the Chassidic electorate, including communities and individual Chassidim who traditionally do not vote. Agudas Yisroel would need those voters to rally behind the party in order to demonstrate the Chassidic community’s true electoral strength and ensure that the party clears the threshold.

A senior Agudas Yisroel official described the Porush-Zeibert meeting as extraordinary given the hostility that has developed between their respective camps.

“The meeting is dramatic, since the gaps between the two warring sides are only growing all the time, especially in light of the draft law. The sides despise each other, and the fact that they met is already an important statement,” the official said.

He said Porush continues to harbor serious grievances over Ger’s conduct in recent years, including its actions during municipal elections and its approach to the draft controversy.

“What Ger has done in recent years, both regarding the municipal elections and regarding the draft, are serious and unacceptable events from Porush’s perspective, and therefore the very fact that he agreed to meet with Ger and give legitimacy to running with them, instead of joining Degel HaTorah, shows the matter-of-fact approach he is taking in the story with Ger,” the official said.

Despite the discussions, the official said there remains considerable skepticism that Degel HaTorah would actually leave Agudas Yisroel to fight for its political survival alone.

“According to what I know, no one thinks that Degel HaTorah will leave the Chassidim to contend with the electoral threshold alone, because then Chareidi Jewry would certainly lose at least three mandates and perhaps even seven,” he said. “At the meeting, the sides tried to understand whether the move is realistic at all and with whom they have a chance to unite in order to safely cross the electoral threshold. The issue of establishing the Tzeva Shachor party and the rumors that those promoting the issue are Gerer Chassidim also came up at the meeting.”

Still, the series of private meetings and political briefings surrounding the issue has led senior figures to believe that this year’s threatened split is considerably more serious than previous attempts by Degel HaTorah to improve its bargaining position within United Torah Judaism, such as demands for the chairmanship or additional realistic slots on the electoral slate.

Degel HaTorah leaders are closely watching developments inside Agudas Yisroel and have reportedly reached the conclusion that if they can establish with sufficient confidence that the Litvish party can cross the electoral threshold without Chassidic support, they are prepared to take the dramatic step of running independently.

Supporters of the idea point to Degel HaTorah’s success in running separately in several municipal contests as evidence that the strategy could also succeed nationally.

The Litvish desire for an independent slate is not new. A similar split nearly occurred before the previous national election but was ultimately stopped by Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l, who was concerned that Agudas Yisroel might fail to cross the electoral threshold independently.

That same concern remains before the Gedolei Yisroel today as they consider whether the risks of dividing the longtime alliance outweigh the political and ideological benefits of independence.

Adding to the indications that the situation is unusually serious, no election-related meeting has yet been held between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel, according to the report. That is considered highly unusual this close to an election and differs sharply from previous campaigns.

Sources from both factions reportedly acknowledged privately that preparations for a possible separate run are being examined even as the parties continue to project an image of unity publicly.

A senior Degel HaTorah official said the party has considered going alone numerous times in the past, primarily because Litvish leaders believe their community deserves greater representation based on the number of votes it contributes to United Torah Judaism.

“Until today, there were many times when we intended to run alone, for a variety of good reasons, most of which stem from the desire to receive genuine representation for our public,” the official said.

He argued that Degel HaTorah accounts for more than half of United Torah Judaism’s actual voters and claimed its internal election data supports that conclusion.

“Understand,” he said, “we know that we bring more than fifty percent of the votes to United Torah Judaism. These are numbers that we have in our election headquarters. It is not only that we are larger than the Chassidim; there is also an open secret that everyone knows but does not talk about — many, many people in the smaller Chassidic groups simply do not go to vote, ignore the instructions of the rabbonim, and their Rebbes also do not push them to vote. With us the situation is different. Most — an absolute majority — fulfill ‘V’asisa k’chol asher yorucha’ and go out in huge numbers to vote. In Election Day numbers, we are much larger than the Chassidim.”

This time, however, the official said electoral representation is not the primary force behind the possible separation.

“But this time that is not our trigger for separating,” he said. “For close to a decade, we have been conducting an enormous battle over the draft law. Eight years ago, there was a good draft law offered to us that was acceptable to all of our Gedolei Yisroel, but the problem was that several important rabbonim from the Chassidic sector came along, opposed the law and caused everyone to become more extreme.”

The Degel official argued that following Agudas Yisroel’s more uncompromising elements ultimately proved to be a strategic mistake.

“We were swept along after the extremist elements of Agudas Yisroel, and when looking at it from a long-term perspective, we made a major mistake,” he said. “In the next Knesset, we want to end the draft saga. That is our first goal, and if we are again with Agudas Yisroel, we could once again get into this complication that we do not want and are not interested in.”

He added that Degel HaTorah wants to return to a more traditional style of Chareidi political bargaining, in which its support is determined primarily by what a prospective coalition offers the Chareidi community rather than automatic allegiance to a particular political bloc.

“We have also decided to return to the good old Chareidi politics and no longer take into account considerations of the right-wing bloc or small interests involving Meron and so forth,” he said. “We want to return to conducting politics based on what benefits us. Whoever gives us what we need, we will go with them. Beyond that, we will no longer make other calculations.”

Even the Degel official acknowledged, however, that the final decision has not yet been made and that the danger of losing Chassidic votes could ultimately prevent an independent campaign.

“I don’t know whether this time we will really run alone — because in the end we could lose mandates from the Chassidic public,” he said.

But he revealed that one major structural change has apparently already been decided regardless of whether the parties contest the election together.

“What is clear, and has already been finalized with all the parties, is that immediately after the elections we will separate into two official factions. We will no longer be together.”

{Matzav.com}

A new New York City report finding no significant improvement in Manhattan air quality since congestion pricing took effect is giving fresh ammunition to opponents of the controversial $9 toll, who say the findings prove the program was designed primarily to raise money for mass transit rather than reduce pollution.

The Department of Health analysis found that despite an 11% decline in vehicle trips into Manhattan’s congestion zone compared with the period before the toll began, the reduction in traffic did not produce a measurable improvement in air quality south of 60th Street.

“Did congestion pricing affect air quality in the congestion relief zone? No,” the report said.

Kathryn Freed, a Lower East Side resident and member of New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax, which sued the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in an effort to stop the program, said the findings undermine one of the arguments made by toll supporters.

“There hasn’t been any change. Supporters said there would be less pollution if traffic went down in Manhattan. Apparently there’s no environmental benefit at all,” said Freed, a former state judge and councilwoman.

“How can they say traffic went down but not air pollution?”

The findings also contrast with claims made earlier this year by Gov. Kathy Hochul. At a January press conference, Hochul credited congestion pricing with environmental improvements, declaring that “pollution is down more than 20% in one year” because of congestion pricing.

Hochul initially put the congestion pricing program on hold in 2024 before approving its implementation following the November election. The toll ultimately took effect in January 2025 despite lawsuits challenging the plan and opposition from President Trump.

For business owners who regularly drive into the congestion zone, the new findings have renewed anger over the additional expense.

“It was all bullsh-t. It was to put money in the MTA’s pocket,” said Vinnie DiMino, owner of the Sea Breeze Fish Market on Ninth Avenue near the Lincoln Tunnel.

“The report just proved it wasn’t about air pollution. It was all about transit. It’s all a lie – the Democratic politicians lie.”

DiMino said the toll has imposed a substantial daily cost on his business because of the deliveries he makes throughout the area.

“I feel like I have been robbed. It cost me $50-$60 a day to go back and forth, in and out of the [congestion] zone for deliveries. They are killing us.”

The financial burden is scheduled to increase in the coming years, with the congestion toll set to climb to $12 in 2028 and then to $15 in 2031.

Manhattan resident Jill Bowman, who drives several times each week to Brooklyn and New Jersey, similarly questioned the justification for continuing the program.

“We know it’s bullish-t but we can’t do anything about it.

“It’s not about saving lives. It’s about making money,” she said.

Alex Pichado, who has driven for Uber for a decade, said the lack of measurable improvement should prompt officials to reconsider the toll.

“If there is no change [in air pollution], they should stop it. There is no reason to continue with it.”

The Health Department’s findings extended beyond Manhattan. The report concluded that “pollution levels were not significantly different because of congestion pricing” in designated environmental justice communities outside the congestion zone, including parts of the South Bronx.

Supporters of the toll argue that the finding is significant for a different reason. Before congestion pricing began, critics warned that motorists attempting to avoid the charge could reroute through surrounding neighborhoods and create new pollution hot spots.

A separate report released in March had claimed that air pollution worsened in some Bronx neighborhoods following the launch of congestion pricing.

“Opponents of congestion pricing said there would be hotspots for increased pollution. That has not happened,” said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, a watchdog organization that supports mass transit.

Reinvent Albany backed congestion pricing as a way to reduce traffic and generate funding for the MTA, but Kaehny said his organization did not promote major air-quality improvements as a central justification for the toll.

The city report noted that motor vehicles account for only about 14% of particulate matter emissions and approximately 20% of nitric oxide emissions in the atmosphere, limiting how much a reduction in traffic alone could affect overall pollution.

“That congestion pricing would only have a small impact on air quality is consistent” with earlier environmental impact assessments examining the likely effects of the program, the report said.

“Whoever was hyping the air pollution was wrong from the beginning,” Kaehny said.

Opponents in New York City’s outer boroughs remained unconvinced. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, who is among the plaintiffs challenging congestion pricing in court, pointed to increased truck traffic on Staten Island and questioned how that could occur without affecting pollution levels.

“The report reaffirms that congestion pricing was nothing but a money grab. Just come out and say it,” he said.

The MTA, however, rejected the argument that the findings represent a failure for congestion pricing. The agency, which administers the toll and uses its revenue to finance transit improvements, said the study demonstrates that fears of pollution being shifted into other neighborhoods have not materialized.

“Before we turned the cameras on, there was concern about the potential for increased pollution caused by drivers looking to avoid the toll,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement about the city report.

“As this study confirms, that didn’t happen, and congestion pricing is already funding additional investments to further improve air quality.”

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Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

• The first “Torah-24” center is in Yerushalayim

• 11 Kollelim with 163 avreichim will be learning at “Torah-24” every day

• Nigleh, Nistar, Chumash and Halacha – All under ONE ROOF

• Talmud Bavli / Yerushalmi – Kabbalah & Zohar – Rambam, Shulchan Aruch & Poskim, Zeraim – Taharos 

• The following SIX kollelim – Kollel Hashkomas Haboker, Kollel Yerushalmi, Kollel Bavli, Kollel Choshen Mishpat/Even Haezer, Kollel Erev Shabbos, Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos (Tikun Chatzot, Etz Chaim, Zohar, Tehillim) – are fully operational

• 24 hour תורה learning cycle – 6:00 am to 6:00 am – is divided into different shifts

• Each kollel shift has its own program, Rosh Kollel and avreichim

• Detailed monthly and annual tests – written and oral – for all avreichim 

• Already there are 77 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

“Torah-24 תורה” – where the voice of Torah is not absent from within the walls of the kollelim, not even for a minute…

“The idea … of day and night shifts of non-stop kollelim… the full range of subjects of the Torah… the derech of the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh and Hagaon Reb Chaim of Volozhin.”

– Nasi Maran Sar Hatorah, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l

“All who donate to and support “Torah-24 תורה” will merit all the brochos of the Torah, including those for refuos, yeshuos, parnossa tova and nachas from all their descendants, Amen”

– Maran Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l

At “Torah-24 תורה”, exceptional avreichim do not pause for a moment while studying all the areas of the holy Torah, with a shift of remarkable scholars studying the holy Zohar and the recitation of Tikun Chatzos at midnight. 

All who donate and support this holy endeavor of “Torah-24 תורה” should see brocha and success … children and grandchildren immersed in Torah and mitzvos… fulfillment of all the hopes of their hearts for good and with brocha. 

– Maran Hagaon Harav Moishe Sternbuch, shlit”a 

I join the esteemed Rabbanim and Gaonim, shlit”a, in endorsing the illustrious “Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” designated for outstanding talmidei chachomim, masters of Torah and yiras Shomayim, who spend their nights in Beis Hashem, engaging deeply in the concealed dimensions of Torah during this auspicious time of Divine Favor…

I hereby call upon my generous brethren to support this endeavor with significant sums, for through this they will attain the great merit of the hidden Torah studied at night. May you all be blessed by Hashem with many blessings in accordance with the greatness of the endeavor that you are supporting!

– Maran Hagaon Hamekubal, Harav Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit”a

“Support ‘Torah-24 תורה’ where the sound of Torah – nigleh and nistar – all hours of the day and night; and be blessed from shamayim that the Torah should never cease from your mouth; children bnei Torah; abundant parnassa and good health”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Badani, zt”l
Rosh Kollel Torah V’Chaim, Member Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah

“Torah-24 תורה” – groups of talmidei chachomim geonim in different shifts, delve in the subjects of Torah learning without interruption – Bavli, Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbala, Midrash, Tana”ch and more.  “Torah-24 תורה” is in actuality a wonderful continuation of the heichalei hakodesh and battei midrash of our holy Rabbonim – the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and the Nefesh Hachaim, zy”o. Who would not want to be part of this historical and amazing project “Torah-24 תורה”, and the greatness of its holy impact in both the supernal and lower realms?  “My brocha to all who support “Torah-24 תורה” – You should merit great abundance in both the spiritual and the material – supernal light, peace of mind, tranquility of the soul and bodily health. Only goodness and kindness should pursue you all the days of your lives, and you should dwell securely for your length of days.

– Maran Hamashpia Hagadol, ‘Reb Meilech’ Biderman, shlit”a

“Your kesher with ‘Torah-24 תורה’ will be a true ובהם נהגה יומם ולילה – and we will delve in them by day and by night”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shraga Steinman, shlit”a – Orchos Torah

“Talmidei Chachomim of ‘Torah-24 תורה’ delve into all sectors of Torah – Bavli and Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbalah – Nistar”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Gallai, shlit”a – Bnei Brak

Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” is a precious link in the golden chain of the glorious Torah empire “Torah-24”… bringing tremendous delight to the Ribbono shel Olam. Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor.

– Maran HaMekubal Rav Abish Zehnwirth, shlit”a

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

The Justice Department is pushing back against James Comey’s attempt to have a criminal case against him dismissed, arguing that “there is no serious dispute” that the onetime FBI director’s controversial “86 47” seashell post could reasonably have been interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump.

Federal prosecutors are also challenging Comey’s claim that he simply stumbled across seashells arranged to display “86 47” during a walk on a North Carolina beach. In court filings Tuesday, the government suggested that the May 2025 Instagram post may also have been connected to efforts to generate attention for Comey’s then-upcoming novel, which centers on a social media figure whose rhetoric inspires followers to attack his enemies.

The filings offer the government’s most extensive explanation to date of the allegations underlying Comey’s indictment. They came in response to multiple defense motions seeking dismissal of the charges, including arguments that Comey is the target of a vindictive prosecution and that his social media post did not constitute a legally actionable threat.

Comey’s attorneys have accused investigators of misleading judges, including false information in documents, omitting important facts and repeatedly failing to uncover evidence establishing that Comey intended to threaten Trump physically or understood the number 86 as a reference to violence.

Merriam-Webster defines “86” as meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Prosecutors, however, contend that the image of seashells displaying “86 47” amounted to a threat against Trump. Comey removed the Instagram post shortly after publishing it and said he had been unaware that the numbers could be viewed as encouraging violence. His attorneys maintain that the expression has long been used to mean to “get rid of” or “eject” someone and has appeared widely on merchandise and signs at political demonstrations.

The Justice Department argued that the post should also be considered in the context of assassination attempts and alleged plots targeting Trump during the period surrounding Comey’s post. According to prosecutors, just two minutes before Comey published the image, his wife sent him a screenshot containing a definition of “86” that said “to get rid of or refuse service.”

“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump,’” prosecutors wrote.

The government also highlighted the timing of the controversy, noting that Comey was only days away from releasing his novel “FDR Drive.” The book features a prosecutor pursuing a far-right social media personality who publicly identifies his enemies and whose followers are inspired to commit acts of violence against them.

According to the government’s filings, Comey’s publishing agent texted him after the Instagram controversy erupted and observed that he had “gone viral.” Comey replied that that was “not my intention, but I’ll be OK if it sells books.” The agent responded, ”Music to an agent’s ears.”

Prosecutors further questioned whether Comey actually discovered the seashell arrangement by chance. They said there was “reason to doubt” his account because the shells were found roughly 4 miles from the beachfront property where he was staying and in a location separated from the ocean by a sand dune. Investigators also said there was “no evidence that anyone else arranged, photographed, or even saw the shells.”

Comey’s attorneys have characterized the prosecution — his second indictment within a year — as part of a campaign of retaliation by Trump against a prominent critic. Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017 while the bureau was investigating possible connections between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, and the two have remained bitter adversaries in the years since.

The Justice Department rejected the claim that Comey was prosecuted out of political revenge, maintaining that the decision to bring charges was made by the local U.S. attorney and was not the result of instructions from either President Trump or the attorney general.

The sweltering Middle East summer commute got a bit cooler for some public transportation riders this week after the first air-conditioned bus stop was launched in Israel.

The innovative pilot project saw a water-based air-cooling system installed at a city bus stop located in the central Israeli city of Holon.

The pilot is slated to run all week at the bus stop opposite the city’s mall, and if successful, will be expanded to additional bus stops throughout the city.

The system installed on the roof of the station disperses tiny droplets into the air, absorbing heat through evaporation.

“Waiting for the bus in the sweltering heat is part of daily life for thousands of residents, and we want to change even these seemingly small things that have a significant impact on the quality of life in the city,” said Holon Mayor Shai Kenan. JNS

WATCH:

Israel’s policy for Gaza is to “remove threats, eliminate terrorists, and exact retribution from anyone who took part in the [Oct. 7, 2023,] massacre,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces eliminated Hamas terrorists in Gaza earlier in the day and will “continue to act with force to protect our soldiers and ensure the peace for the southern communities—from within the security zone,” Katz added in Hebrew.

The IDF presently controls roughly half of the Gaza Strip, a territory referred to as the security zone.

Katz’s statement comes on the backdrop of increased IDF activity in the Gaza Strip over the past week, as well as the arrival in Israel of U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner, who is leading international efforts to demilitarize the Palestinian territory.

The IDF targeted a gathering of Hamas Nukhba Force commanders in an airstrike in the Shati area in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, including a terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

According to the military, the strike killed a company commander, three platoon commanders and several other terrorists who were planning attacks against Israeli troops operating in the enclave. One of the terrorists had infiltrated Israeli territory during the Oct. 7 invasion, the IDF said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF said it had killed on Aug. 16 a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Be’eri and participated in the abduction of an Israeli civilian during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

Tareq Anwar Khamis Ra’i, a company commander in PIJ’s supply unit, was killed in an Israeli strike in the Khan Yunis area, according to the military. The IDF said he had recently been advancing terrorist attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

The army said it used precise munitions and aerial surveillance to mitigate harm to civilians.

In addition, IDF troops sealed two Hamas underground tunnel routes east of the Yellow Line, totaling more than two kilometers in central and southern Gaza, the military said on Wednesday.

Soldiers under the command of the Gaza Division’s Engineering Unit completed the operation as part of the effort to neutralize the Palestinian terrorist organizations’ tunnel network across the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

Kushner: Washington addressed Jerusalem concerns over Gaza roadmap

Meanwhile on Monday, Kushner said that progress toward Gaza’s demilitarization could begin within 30 days, following a nearly four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kushner told Fox News that Washington would not support rebuilding Gaza before demilitarization, adding that the administration had addressed Israeli concerns about the Board of Peace roadmap and clarified that Israel’s right to act against imminent threats would not be restricted.

Top Israeli officials, including the prime minister, have repeatedly stated that the IDF will not leave Gaza before Hamas is fully disarmed.

Netanyahu on Aug. 9 said publicly that “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” referring to the disarmament roadmap announced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on July 30.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that there was no disagreement between Israel and the United States over disarming Hamas and ensuring the terrorist group has no future in the Gaza Strip.

Huckabee, who attended meetings on Monday with Netanyahu, described the talks as “intense and thoughtful, but respectful.”

He rejected reports of a rift, saying some accounts of the discussions were “simply fake news” and “invented out of thin air.”

A Hamas delegation arrived earlier in the week in Egypt to probe alternative ways of advancing the 15-point roadmap, a Hamas official told AFP.

The source was quoted as saying that talks would cover “the latest developments in the negotiations and the efforts being made to compel Israel to abide by the agreement,” apparently referring to previous Hamas statements that it would start handing its arms to a technocratic Palestinian body only after the IDF withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Leaders of the terrorist group also reportedly met with Kushner. JNS

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday visited a facility where terrorists found guilty of murder will be hanged. The site, currently under construction, is located in central Israel. Its exact location has not been revealed.

The facility will include a “dedicated wing” where terrorists sentenced to death will be transferred and await hanging. It will also include the gallows, which will be located in the center of that wing. Viewing booths will allow surviving victims and their families to watch the proceedings. Of the viewing booths, Ben-Gvir said that this is customary in other countries, including the United States.

While many, but not all, terrorists who carry out attacks in Israel are killed in the act by security forces, Ben-Gvir said that those that do survive will meet their fate at the facility behind him.

“We are making history,” he declared. “Terrorists deserve only one thing: death by hanging.”

With national elections scheduled for Oct. 27, the National Security Minister appealed to his base in a video post, stressing that he has kept his electoral promises.

“I promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons. It was fully carried out. I promised to pass the death penalty law for terrorists. That’s done. I promised to establish a [hanging] facility. And that’s carried out,” he said, pointing to the construction site behind him.

The death penalty law the minister referred to was passed by the Knesset on March 30 by a vote of 62-48. The law was sponsored by a member of his Otzma Yehudit Party, whose husband was killed in a terrorist attack.

“From now on, every mother in Judea and Samaria will know that if her son goes out to murder, his sentence is the gallows,” Ben Gvir said at the time.

In 2023, Ben Gvir also tightened restrictions on security prisoners, those held for nationalistically motivated attacks or membership in terrorist groups.

He reduced shower times, closed prison bakeries and banned family visits. His separate ban on visits by Knesset members to prisoners was overturned by Israel’s Supreme Court in April 2026. JNS

A new Channel 14 poll released Tuesday night shows a dramatic shift in Israel’s political landscape, with the right-wing bloc climbing to a solid 63-seat majority while the parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid suffer major losses.

The survey, published immediately following the Likud primaries, gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud 32 seats, keeping it comfortably in first place despite slipping by one seat from the previous poll. The opposition bloc falls by two seats to 46, while the Arab parties collectively receive 11 seats.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party finishes a strong second with 24 seats, gaining one seat from last week. Shas follows with 10 seats, while the Democrats receive nine.

Otzma Yehudit records one of the more significant gains in the poll, rising by two seats to eight. Yisrael Beytenu falls to seven seats, while United Torah Judaism also receives seven. Religious Zionism remains unchanged from the previous week with six seats.

Bennett’s Beyachad party suffers a particularly steep decline, falling to just six seats and moving considerably closer to the electoral threshold.

Among the Arab parties, Ra’am receives six seats, an increase of one from last week, while Hadash-Ta’al wins five.

Several parties fail to cross the electoral threshold. Balad polls at 2.1%, Zionist Home Reservists at 1.2%, Zehut at 1.1%, Ofer Winter at 0.9%, Blue and White at 0.4%, and a potential party led by Gilad Erdan receives just 0.1%.

The poll paints an even more decisive picture when respondents were asked which political leader is best suited to serve as prime minister.

Netanyahu leads the field by a wide margin with 55% support. Eisenkot finishes a distant second with 35%, while Bennett receives just 6%, Avigdor Liberman 3%, and Benny Gantz 1%.

In a direct head-to-head question between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, Netanyahu maintains a clear advantage, with 55% saying they prefer him as prime minister compared to 45% who choose Eisenkot.

{Matzav.com}

Shas spokesman Asher Medina has rejected accusations from the Noam party that Shas copied its election slogan, “Derech Emunah Bacharti” — “I have chosen the path of faith” — insisting that the phrase was never the centerpiece of Noam’s campaign.

Speaking Tuesday evening on Kol Chai’s “Central Edition,” hosted by Shneur Weber, Medina responded to a warning letter sent by Noam after Shas began using the phrase, which had previously appeared in Noam campaign material.

Medina said Shas had been developing its campaign for weeks and that the slogan was not hastily adopted from another party.

“This campaign, we have been working on it for two weeks in the final polishing stages,” Medina said, explaining that Shas deliberately waited until after the Likud primaries before formally unveiling its new election message.

Addressing Noam’s argument that it had used the phrase first, Medina said the party itself had publicly presented a different slogan as the central theme of its campaign.

“The Noam party came out with great fanfare and loudly announced that they launched the campaign with their slogan ‘To be a Jew in our land.’ That is how it was published on all the websites and in all the press releases,” Medina said.

Medina acknowledged that Noam had previously used “Derech Emunah Bacharti,” but maintained that its use had been limited rather than part of the party’s primary campaign.

“It is true that there is some one sign where they did use the words ‘Derech Emunah Bacharti.’ Very nice that they thought of it,” he said.

“I don’t think we took a campaign from them. It is not their campaign, it is not what they have invested in until now, nor is it what they publicized everywhere. Therefore, I don’t see this as any copying or anything that we would not be able to use,” Medina added.

Medina said Shas was also drawn to the phrase because of the broader public significance it acquired surrounding the return of hostage Agam Berger from captivity.

“When we sat down now to work on the elections, these words grabbed us,” Medina said. “When you want to choose which path and what character the country will have — what could be more fitting than this slogan?”

{Matzav.com}

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A new price comparison of Israeli supermarket chains has revealed dramatic differences in the cost of basic household purchases, with shoppers potentially paying nearly NIS 3,000 more for the same full basket depending on where they shop.

The weekly comparison, presented by Tzvi Tessler on Kol Chai’s “Hamoked Hatziburi,” examined two categories: a smaller basket of laundry products and a comprehensive household basket containing hundreds of items.

The results showed especially large disparities in laundry products, where the difference between the least and most expensive retailers reached 31.04%. In the full household basket, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive chains amounted to NIS 2,860.24.

For laundry products, Rami Levy Mehadrin ranked as the least expensive retailer overall, with the basket costing NIS 369.50. Yesh Bashchuna was the most expensive, at NIS 484.20 — a difference of NIS 114.70.

Among the major supermarket chains, the laundry basket prices were:

Rami Levy Mehadrin — NIS 369.50
Netto Chisachon — NIS 375.50
Yesh Chesed — NIS 381.40
Osher Ad — NIS 397.40
Shefa Birkat Hashem — NIS 419.80
Shuk Ha’ir — NIS 447.90

Among smaller and neighborhood-oriented retailers, the results were:

Netto Chisachon Bashchuna — NIS 375.50
Zol U’Begadol — NIS 387.20
Machסanei Hashuk Mehadrin — NIS 413.40
Maayan 2000 — NIS 418.00
Carrefour Market with mehadrin hechsherim — NIS 436.20
K.T. Import and Marketing–Mishnas Yosef — NIS 461.60
Good Market — NIS 469.70
Shefa Birkat Hashem Karov Labayit — NIS 479.80
Yesh Bashchuna — NIS 484.20

Overall, the laundry basket was cheapest at Rami Levy Mehadrin, at NIS 369.50, and most expensive at Yesh Bashchuna, at NIS 484.20. That represents a difference of NIS 114.70, or 31.04%.

The rankings changed when the comparison was expanded to the complete household basket. Osher Ad emerged as the least expensive, at NIS 11,057.90, while Rami Levy Mehadrin finished a close second, just NIS 162.40 higher. Good Market ranked as the most expensive, with the same basket costing NIS 13,918.14.

Among the major chains, the full-basket rankings were:

Osher Ad — NIS 11,057.90
Rami Levy Mehadrin — NIS 11,220.30
Netto Chisachon — NIS 11,846.48
Yesh Chesed — NIS 12,046.36
Shefa Birkat Hashem — NIS 12,563.25
Shuk Ha’ir — NIS 13,374.73

Among neighborhood and smaller retailers, the full-basket prices were:

Machsanei Hashuk Mehadrin — NIS 12,170.10
Netto Chisachon Bashchuna — NIS 12,284.97
K.T. Import and Marketing–Mishnas Yosef — NIS 12,879.11
Carrefour Market with mehadrin hechsherim — NIS 13,015.17
Zol U’Begadol — NIS 13,173.37
Maayan 2000 — NIS 13,347.53
Shefa Birkat Hashem Karov Labayit — NIS 13,497.73
Yesh Bashchuna — NIS 13,742.61
Good Market — NIS 13,918.14

The full-basket comparison therefore showed Osher Ad as the cheapest retailer, at NIS 11,057.90, compared with Good Market at NIS 13,918.14. The NIS 2,860.24 difference amounts to 25.87% of the cheaper basket’s price.

The most striking percentage gap in this week’s survey was found in laundry products. A shopper purchasing the basket at Rami Levy Mehadrin instead of Yesh Bashchuna would save NIS 114.70 on a single purchase. Even among the major chains alone, the difference was substantial, ranging from NIS 369.50 at Rami Levy Mehadrin to NIS 447.90 at Shuk Ha’ir.

The difference becomes considerably larger when looking at a complete household shopping basket. Osher Ad’s NIS 11,057.90 total was NIS 2,860.24 below Good Market’s NIS 13,918.14 price. For families making large purchases repeatedly throughout the year, differences of that size could translate into substantial accumulated savings.

The comparison also found that the major supermarket chains generally continue to offer lower prices for a complete shopping basket. Machsanei Hashuk Mehadrin, the cheapest retailer in the neighborhood-store category at NIS 12,170.10, was still NIS 1,112.20 more expensive than Osher Ad. One exception appeared in the laundry category, where Netto Chisachon Bashchuna charged NIS 375.50 — exactly the same as the larger Netto Chisachon chain and the second-lowest price in the entire comparison.

The findings underscore how significantly a family’s choice of supermarket can affect its expenses. For frequently purchased products such as laundry detergent, fabric softener and cleaning supplies, even relatively modest differences can add up over the course of a year. When a complete household basket is considered, the price gap can already reach thousands of shekels in a single broad comparison.

{Matzav.com}

Shas spokesman Asher Medina acknowledged that his party and the broader Chareidi political leadership failed during the past four years to secure the status of yeshiva bochurim, but pushed back strongly against claims that the failure has caused a widespread loss of confidence in Chareidi elected officials.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Chai’s “Central Edition,” hosted by Shneur Weber, Medina was asked how Shas intends to approach Chareidi voters who are deeply troubled by the arrests of yeshiva bochurim and the ongoing military draft crisis.

“There is no doubt, we did not succeed in bringing about an arrangement for the status of yeshiva students, which we wanted so badly and worked so hard and devoted ourselves for four years to make happen,” Medina acknowledged.

At the same time, Medina rejected the characterization that yeshiva families now look at their political representatives and say, “We sent you and you did not deliver results.”

“Yes, there is pain. Yes, there is great pain, and we share in it,” Medina said. “We are all in the same boat. We all have children, we all have grandchildren, we are all facing the same concerns.”

Medina insisted that throughout the past four years, Shas and the Chareidi representatives acted in accordance with the instructions they received from the Gedolei Yisroel.

“Everything they did for four years was according to the instructions of the Gedolei Yisroel, step by step. Whatever the Gedolei Yisroel instructed us to do – we did, and we carried out their mission.”

Weber pressed Medina on why Chareidi voters should believe that Shas will succeed in the next government after failing to resolve the issue during the past four years. Medina responded that one of the central lessons is that the Chareidi community must emerge from the coming elections with greater political strength.

Medina specifically pointed to Israel’s judicial and legal establishment, saying Shas will demand more far-reaching changes in the next government.

“Everyone knows and understands who the greatest persecutors of Judaism and the Torah world are,” Medina said, arguing that significant changes are needed regarding the appointment of judges and the authority wielded by government legal advisers.

Addressing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s latest demand that enforcement measures against those who have not reported for military service be intensified, Medina warned that “what we have seen until now is only the promo.”

He concluded by urging Chareidi voters not to remain at home on Election Day, arguing that a stronger showing at the polls will be essential if the community hopes to secure greater political power to address the draft crisis.

{Matzav.com}