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A new petition filed with Israel’s High Court of Justice is demanding that the government apply the same registration requirements and economic sanctions imposed on Chareidim who fail to report to IDF recruitment offices to Arab Israelis and other minorities whom the petitioners contend are subject to the same legal obligation.

The petition was filed Monday by the Emet L’Yaakov B’Yisrael organization through attorney Yehuda Abeles. The group argues that enforcement measures related to failure to report for the draft are currently being applied selectively, with Chareidim facing potentially significant consequences while similar measures are not imposed on members of the Arab population and other minority groups who do not appear at recruitment offices.

At the heart of the petition is the argument that the legal obligation to report does not necessarily depend on an individual receiving a personal draft notice. According to the petitioners, publication of a “general call-up order” in Israel’s official records creates an obligation for anyone of the relevant age who has not received an exemption to present himself to military authorities, even if he never received an individual summons at his home.

Based on that interpretation, the petition asks the state to classify all individuals who fail to report under the general order with what is known as “Order 12 status,” or an equivalent administrative designation.

The petitioners contend that the current system constitutes unequal enforcement. Since the expiration of the legal framework that previously allowed yeshiva students to defer military service, various financial and civil restrictions have been imposed or advanced against Chareidi men considered obligated to enlist. Arab Israelis and members of other minority populations who do not report to recruitment offices, the petition argues, are generally not classified as draft evaders and therefore do not face comparable consequences.

The petition further argues that even someone who believes he will ultimately qualify for an exemption cannot independently decide that he does not need to appear at a recruitment office. According to the petitioners, the initial obligation is to report to the appropriate military authorities, after which the state can determine whether the individual qualifies for a medical, religious or other exemption.

The organization stresses that it is not asking the High Court to change Israel’s overall military recruitment policy or to require additional populations to actually serve in the IDF. Instead, the petition focuses on the requirement to appear at recruitment offices and the administrative consequences for those who fail to do so.

According to the petitioners, if the government considers failure to report sufficient grounds for stripping individuals of rights or government benefits, those rules must be enforced equally against everyone whom they contend is subject to the same legal obligation.

Among the sanctions the petitioners want applied equally are the loss of eligibility for municipal property-tax discounts, daycare subsidies, public transportation benefits and government housing programs such as “Target Price.” Similar restrictions affecting Chareidi men subject to the draft have been at the center of several legal proceedings in recent years.

Emet L’Yaakov has previously petitioned the High Court over daycare benefits. A petition filed by the organization in 2025 concerning priority in daycare registration was dismissed on procedural grounds because of delay in filing and the absence of a specific petitioner directly affected by the policy. The court did not rule on the merits of the organization’s broader legal arguments.

Following the filing of the new petition, Emet L’Yaakov said: “There cannot be a situation in which the law is enforced selectively and discriminatorily. If the judicial system and the state determine that failure to report under a general call-up order results in economic sanctions and classification as a draft evader, this rule must apply universally and equally to every citizen of the State of Israel who reaches draft age, without distinction based on religion, nationality or sector. One law for everyone.”

The petition must now clear the High Court’s initial procedural and legal hurdles. At this stage, the claims regarding Arab Israelis and other minorities represent the petitioners’ interpretation of the law, and the court has not ruled that those populations are legally subject to the reporting requirements or sanctions in the manner asserted by the organization.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri came to the defense of former Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef on Sunday after the Movement for Quality Government called on police and prosecutors to consider opening a criminal investigation into remarks the Rav made about Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The organization’s request followed sharp comments by Rav Yosef over the attorney general’s position regarding government funding for an event commemorating his father, Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef.

Deri directed his response at Elad Ben Gigi of the Movement for Quality Government, saying: “As a member of the Moroccan community, you would have been expected to be among the first to petition against the attorney general, who ordered the cancellation of the memorial gathering for Maran, Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, whom so many members of the Sephardic communities revere and whose legacy they seek to perpetuate.”

Deri accused Ben Gigi of instead “brazenly attacking” Rav Ovadia Yosef’s son and successor.

“How low can you go, trampling your own dignity and the dignity of your community?” Deri said.

The controversy began following Rav Yosef’s weekly shiur, during which he sharply criticized the attorney general’s position regarding funding for the memorial event honoring his father. Rav Yosef characterized the decision as “persecution” and contrasted it with the treatment of memorial rallies for slain Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.

“Rabin was murdered close to elections, and they don’t prohibit events for him. It belongs to the left, so it’s perfectly fine for them to hold a rally. But Maran, the greatest of the generation, who was not a political figure — Maran was a Torah figure,” Rav Yosef said.

Rav Yosef then escalated his criticism of Baharav-Miara, saying: “Don’t listen to her! Who is she anyway? He will give her what she deserves. She’s messing with Maran? This will not pass quietly.”

Following those remarks, the Movement for Quality Government contacted law enforcement authorities, arguing that the statements, in its view, could raise concerns of incitement to violence.

At this stage, however, the organization has only requested that authorities consider opening an investigation. Law enforcement officials have not determined that Rav Yosef committed any offense.

The underlying dispute concerns restrictions that apply during an election period to the government-sponsored event commemorating Rav Ovadia Yosef. Officials at the Religious Services Ministry have also criticized the legal position, arguing that the state is required by law to hold an official event commemorating Rav Ovadia Yosef’s legacy.

The ministry’s director general similarly compared the dispute to state-sponsored commemorations of Yitzchak Rabin, arguing that the two memorial events are being treated differently.

Shas has also turned the controversy into an election issue, describing the attorney general’s demand as “a grave affront to Maran’s memory and a blatant trampling of the law.”

“This is what the election is about,” Deri declared. “Either the rule of the attorney general, who is trying to erase every trace of Torah and Judaism, or the legacy of Maran, of blessed memory, and Jewish tradition. There is no third way.”

{Matzav.com}

Otzma Yehudit chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Har Habayis again Monday, davening at the site even as he seeks to broaden his political support on the right, including among Chareidi voters.

The visit has renewed a longstanding halachic debate surrounding Jewish entry to Har Habayis and raises a political question for Ben Gvir as he attempts to present himself as a national leader representing a broad segment of the Jewish public.

In recent years, Ben Gvir has worked to expand his electoral base and has increasingly sought support beyond Otzma Yehudit’s traditional constituency. That effort potentially places him at odds with Chareidi voters over Har Habayis, where his position differs sharply from that of leading rabbinic authorities whose rulings Chareidi voters follow.

For decades, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has prohibited Jews from ascending Har Habayis because of the serious halachic concerns associated with entering areas of the site where entry may be forbidden.

Among the prominent rabbinic authorities who upheld that prohibition was Rishon LeTzion Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. His son, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, has likewise stated that he personally does not ascend Har Habayis, in accordance with the position of the Chief Rabbinate.

The issue has also affected another member of Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a grandson of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. Eliyahu’s ministry previously promoted tours of Har Habayis despite his grandfather’s position, prompting criticism from rabbis within the Religious Zionist community.

Against that backdrop, Ben Gvir’s continued visits to the site present a broader question as he seeks additional support from Chareidi voters: How will those voters weigh his positions on security and other national issues against his willingness to publicly follow a course on Har Habayis that conflicts with the rulings of major rabbinic authorities?

The question surrounding Ben Gvir, therefore, extends beyond the immediate controversy over his decision to ascend Har Habayis. As he seeks to expand his political influence and attract voters from communities deeply committed to rabbinic authority, his position on one of the most sensitive halachic issues in Israel could become an important consideration.

For Chareidi voters, the debate over Har Habayis is ultimately more than an electoral or political issue. It touches on questions of leadership, responsibility and adherence to the rulings of leading Torah authorities.

{Matzav.com}

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has weighed into the uproar surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s latest comments on Chareidi military service, blasting those who portrayed Netanyahu’s remarks as a threat to punish people for failing to study Torah while also declaring his own opposition to the longstanding Chareidi draft exemption.

Netanyahu reignited Israel’s fiercely contested draft debate when he said that those who are not learning Torah should serve in the IDF and that those refusing to do so should face imprisonment. His comments come amid an ongoing political and legal battle over the status of yeshiva students and military service, with tens of thousands of Chareidi men currently subject to conscription following the expiration of the previous legal framework for exemptions.

Shapiro responded on X after Netanyahu’s remarks generated criticism and what he claimed were wildly inaccurate interpretations online.

“Okay, you illiterate… Netanyahu is not arguing, contra RetardoX, that you will be punished for not studying Torah in Israel or elsewhere. He’s specifically addressing the #1 public issue in Israel: the draft exemption for Haredim (the ultra-Orthodox).”

Shapiro then offered his own sharply critical description of the origins of the arrangement that allowed yeshiva students to avoid military service.

“The yeshiva exemption is an vestigial structure, an evolutionary hangover from a deal cut at the foundation of the state between the Haredim and the government.”

The exemption has, in fact, been at the center of a years-long legal and political confrontation in Israel. In June 2024, Israel’s High Court ruled that there was no longer a legal basis for the longstanding blanket exemption, setting off efforts by Chareidi parties and Netanyahu’s government to establish a new statutory framework protecting yeshiva students from conscription.

Shapiro made clear that he does not merely believe Netanyahu’s remarks were misunderstood. He also personally sides with those who believe the broader Chareidi exemption should be abolished.

“Today, many Haredi leaders argue that no Haredi should EVER serve in the army, whether they’re learning Torah or not. Most people who aren’t Haredi think that exemption should disappear entirely (for the record, I think that position is correct).”

Shapiro characterized Netanyahu’s position as more limited, saying that the prime minister is seeking to distinguish between those genuinely engaged in full-time Torah study and those using yeshiva status to avoid military service without actually learning.

“Netanyahu is proposing a compromise position. Under current law, in Israel, you can apply for exemption from the military draft as a yeshiva student. Many of those who do so are not in fact learning Torah. They are welfare queens avoiding service. He’s proposing that if you are not even studying Torah, there’s certainly no excuse for the yeshiva exemption for you.”

Netanyahu has recently signaled that he still supports preserving exemptions for genuine full-time yeshiva students while taking a harder line toward those who are not learning. His government’s efforts to legislate the issue have repeatedly run into political and judicial obstacles, while Chareidi parties have continued demanding legal protection for yeshiva students.

Shapiro concluded his post by insisting that Netanyahu’s remarks concerned Israel’s unique military-service dispute and had no connection whatsoever to American politics or any supposed effort to compel Torah study.

“This has literally nothing to do with American politics. It is certainly NOT a mandate that you MUST learn Torah or you’ll be punished with the draft or jail. You have to be a complete moron to believe any of that. But then again, RetardoX is filled with complete morons.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said Monday that senior Israeli security officials detected signs that Hamas could be preparing an attack in the hours before the Oct. 7 massacre but deliberately chose not to wake him, fearing that the military response he would order could spark an escalation.

According to Netanyahu, several warning indicators emerged ahead of the attack pointing to unusual Hamas activity. He identified then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, then-Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and then-Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva as among the senior officials who were aware of the information.

Despite those indications, Netanyahu said he was neither awakened nor briefed about the developing situation. He said the reasoning behind that decision later became apparent in a protocol containing statements by Bar that was submitted to Israel’s High Court of Justice during a dispute between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet chief.

Netanyahu cited statements attributed to Bar outlining the security establishment’s approach at the time: “First of all, to be in covert medium readiness so as not to create a miscalculation,” followed later by: “Readiness to respond, for now to avoid broad activity in order to avoid miscalculation.”

Netanyahu said the thinking reflected the security establishment’s longstanding belief that Hamas had been deterred and was therefore unlikely to launch a major assault against Israel.

The prime minister maintained that the security chiefs understood exactly how he would have reacted had they awakened him and informed him of the warning signs.

“They knew exactly what I would do. They knew I would activate the air force there and I would wake up all of the IDF and I wouldn’t let anyone approach the fences, we would kill them immediately.”

Netanyahu argued that senior officials feared such an aggressive response could itself lead to an exchange of fire or provoke an attack by Hamas, and therefore opted against taking broader military action or alerting him.

“If they had woken me, everything would have looked different. And that’s the story of October 7,” Netanyahu concluded.

Lakewood, NJ’s girls’ elementary schools could face a delayed start to the new academic year as the community’s rabbonim weigh reinstating a longstanding policy under which no school would open its doors until every girl had secured a placement.

The possible move comes with just 21 girls still without schools — a dramatic improvement from the approximately 60 unresolved cases that remained only weeks ago.

Considerable work by local askanim, together with extensive cooperation from the schools themselves, has succeeded in finding places for dozens of children despite an acute shortage of available classroom space.

Yet the final 21 cases have proved particularly difficult. With many schools already operating at or near capacity, finding appropriate places for the remaining girls has become increasingly challenging as the opening of the school year approaches.

Against that backdrop, Lakewood’s rabbonim are understood to be giving serious consideration to a step that would immediately change the equation: girls’ schools would be instructed not to begin the new year until the placement crisis has been resolved in its entirety.

The idea is hardly new to Lakewood.

For many years, during the lifetime of Rav Matisyahu Solomon zt”l, the mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoah, the community operated under precisely such an understanding. Schools could not simply begin the year while children elsewhere in Lakewood remained without classrooms to enter.

The arrangement placed a collective responsibility upon the community’s mosdos. An unresolved placement was consequently not regarded merely as the problem of one family or one school; the schools were expected to work together before the academic year could get under way.

That policy was eventually discontinued, but with the new school year now imminent and 21 girls still awaiting placements, its return is once again under serious discussion.

Reinstating the policy would place considerable pressure on schools already struggling with severe space constraints. At the same time, those advocating its return hope that the prospect of a community-wide delay could produce the additional cooperation necessary to resolve the remaining cases.

Should the rabbonim decide to proceed, the message would be unmistakable: Lakewood’s girls’ schools will begin the new year together — but only once every girl has a school to attend.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli police are investigating a possible kidnapping after a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from Petach Tikvah was found overnight in Bnei Brak together with a 20-year-old man from Yerushalayim.

Officers from the Petach Tikvah police station launched an extensive search after receiving a report that the child, a resident of the city, had been missing since the evening hours.

Police conducted searches in several areas and employed technological means in an effort to determine the boy’s whereabouts.

During the night, acting on information provided by Petach Tikvah police, officers from the Bnei Brak police station located the child in Bnei Brak. He was found together with a man approximately 20 years old who is a resident of Yerushalayim.

The two were taken to the Petach Tikvah police station, where investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the nature of the relationship between the child and the man.

Police are investigating, among other possibilities, whether the incident involved a kidnapping. Authorities have not yet released additional details explaining how the boy reached Bnei Brak or what occurred during the hours that he was missing.

Following questioning, the 20-year-old was arrested and taken into custody.

Police are expected to bring the suspect before a court Monday and request an extension of his detention as the investigation continues.

{Matzav.com}

Religious Zionist activists demonstrated near the entrance to Yerushalayim on Monday evening after 16 Givati Brigade soldiers were sentenced to military jail for refusing to participate in an operational mission in Gaza because a female paramedic was assigned to accompany them.

The demonstration was held near the Chords Bridge, where protesters intermittently blocked roads leading into Yerushalayim. Police officers were deployed to clear the roadways, restore public order and keep traffic moving through the heavily traveled area.

The controversy began last week when a group of soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion refused orders to report for an operational mission in the Gaza Strip after learning that a female paramedic would be riding with them in their Namer armored personnel carrier. The mission was subsequently canceled, and commanders launched an investigation into the incident.

Throughout Monday evening, police reported repeated disturbances near the Chords Bridge as protesters periodically entered and blocked traffic lanes, including roads leading into Yerushalayim. Authorities said the disruptions interfered with traffic and the daily routine of motorists in the area.

At one point, according to police, demonstrators surrounded the vehicle of an elderly man and prevented him from continuing on his way. Officers moved in to disperse the protesters around the vehicle and enabled the driver to proceed.

Police forces remained at the scene as the demonstration continued, working to remove protesters from the roadways, maintain public order and ensure that traffic could continue flowing through the entrance to Yerushalayim.

The protest followed disciplinary proceedings against the 16 Givati soldiers involved in the refusal. Five soldiers identified as having led the incident were sentenced to 10 days in military jail, while another 11 soldiers received five-day sentences.

The IDF said the punishments were determined according to each soldier’s level of involvement in the incident. The battalion commander personally conducted the disciplinary proceedings against the soldiers.

In addition, two of the five soldiers who received 10-day sentences will be required to undergo an evaluation committee before being permitted to return to combat duty.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz has approved IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir’s recommendation to appoint Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next commander of the IDF Central Command, part of a sweeping round of senior military appointments announced Monday.

Bar Kalifa is expected to replace Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and assume command sometime in 2027. The precise date of the transition will be determined based on the operational situation at the time.

The appointment was finalized during a broad personnel meeting chaired Monday by Zamir, during which numerous changes were approved across the IDF’s senior and field-command ranks. Bar Kalifa’s selection had been anticipated after Katz said during an August interview with Channel 14’s “The Patriots” that he intended to appoint him to lead Central Command. Following Zamir’s recommendation, Katz has now formally approved the appointment.

The IDF’s maneuvering brigades will see extensive leadership changes. Col. Yonatan Meir will take command of the 7th Armored Brigade, Col. Tal Elkobi will command the 188th Armored Brigade, Col. Bar Bashan will take over the Givati Brigade, Col. Eitan Gilad will command the Nahal Brigade, and Col. Ran Friedman will become commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.

Col. Shimon Siso will be appointed commander of the Commando Brigade, while Col. Nir Ifergan will take command of the Kfir Brigade. Col. Efrat Kikuv will be appointed commander of the 282nd Artillery Brigade, and Col. Niv Daube will take command of the Bnei Or Formation.

A number of new appointments were also approved for the IDF’s special operations units and Israeli Navy. Brig. Gen. R. will be appointed commander of the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Special Operations Division. In the Navy, Col. O. will take command of Shayetet 13, Col. B. will become commander of the submarine flotilla, and Col. V. will command the missile boat flotilla. Col. Aviel Balhassan will become head of the Ground Forces Training Department.

The military also announced several senior appointments involving logistics and strategic planning. Brig. Gen. Chai Kfir Magnazi will become chief of staff of the Technology and Logistics Directorate. Col. Elad Benano Zion will be promoted to brigadier general and appointed head of the Logistics Division, while Col. Avi Malka will also be promoted to brigadier general and take command of the IDF’s central supply center.

Col. Yonatan Schneider will similarly be promoted and appointed head of the Tevel Division in the Planning Directorate.

Changes were also approved within the IDF’s regional commands. Col. Anan Fares will become operations officer for Southern Command, while Col. Dvir Avraham Diamond will assume the corresponding position in Northern Command.

At General Staff headquarters, Col. O. will be appointed head of the Operational Planning Department in the Operations Directorate, Col. Y. will head the Planning Department in the Planning Directorate, and Col. Regina Azulai will become head of the Organization Department in the Planning Directorate.

Col. Meir Azulai will be appointed head of the Logistics and Operations Department in the Technology and Logistics Directorate. Col. Roi Nadler will become head of the Medical Department and deputy chief medical officer, while Col. Assaf Shlomo Gabai will take command of the IDF’s Afek Command and Staff Course.

The latest appointments also include Col. Adniram Sharabi as commander of the School of Military Engineering and Col. Daniel Kreuzman in a command position within the IDF’s training system.

The personnel meeting additionally approved several officers for academic studies in Israel and abroad, along with further promotions and appointments in the Israeli Air Force, Navy and General Staff directorates. The remaining appointments agreed upon during the meeting still require final approval from the defense minister.

A woman armed with two knives fatally stabbed another woman and critically wounded a man in Times Square Monday afternoon before she was shot and killed by police after allegedly refusing officers’ commands to drop the weapons, according to the NYPD.

The stabbing victim and the suspected attacker both later died from their injuries, police sources said.

A male victim who was also stabbed during the attack remained hospitalized in critical condition, according to police.

Authorities said the incident unfolded at approximately 4:26 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square. Police described the suspect as a woman who appeared to be emotionally disturbed and said she was threatening people while carrying two knives.

The woman allegedly attacked the male and female victims before running north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, authorities said.

Officers confronted the armed woman near the substation and ordered her to put down the knives, but police said she refused to comply.

Approximately one minute after the stabbing was reported, at 4:27 p.m., officers opened fire, striking the woman.

Emergency personnel rushed to treat those injured in the violence. The female stabbing victim and the woman shot by police were subsequently pronounced dead, while the wounded man was listed in critical condition.

The incident was initially reported to authorities as a robbery involving a knife. Investigators, however, later said they did not believe robbery was the motive.

Police now believe the woman was emotionally disturbed and said investigators have not identified any clear motive for the attack.

The violence prompted a major police response in one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist districts as investigators worked to secure the scene and determine exactly what led to the deadly confrontation.

Authorities closed traffic between West 42nd Street and West 47th Street while the investigation remained underway.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is expected to welcome a high-level delegation of American rebbes and a rosh yeshiva to the Oval Office on Thursday for a pre-Rosh Hashanah meeting focused on religious liberty, the independence of yeshivos, antisemitism and other issues affecting Orthodox Jewish communities, sources involved in arranging the visit told Matzav.com.

The meeting is expected to take place around midday Thursday, Sept. 3, placing some of the most prominent rabbinic leaders in the country directly inside the Oval Office for a personal audience with the president.

The delegation is expected to include the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, who has now confirmed that he will personally make the trip to Washington; the Bobover Rebbe; the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Kiryas Yoel; and Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, a son of the Skverer Rebbe, is expected to attend as his father’s representative.

The precise makeup of the delegation has shifted during the planning process, and published reports have offered differing accounts of which leaders were initially invited and which ultimately intend to attend. One report said that both Satmar Rebbes had received invitations, while earlier plans also called for the Skverer Rebbe himself to participate. The Skverer Rebbe is now expected to be represented by his son.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, who had been traveling in Eretz Yisroel, has decided to travel to Washington and personally participate in the meeting, according to sources.

The gathering is being arranged as a pre-Rosh Hashanah visit and an opportunity for the rabbinic leaders to personally express their appreciation to Trump for policies they view as supportive of religious Americans and the Orthodox community in particular.

Sources involved in the planning say that the rabbonim are looking forward to extending their brachos to Trump ahead of Rosh Hashanah and thanking him for his administration’s approach toward religious liberty.

The delegation is also expected to use the rare Oval Office access to raise substantive communal concerns, chief among them the continuing battle over government interference in yeshiva education.

The leaders are expected to ask Trump to help protect the independence and integrity of yeshivos in New York and elsewhere, amid longstanding battles over attempts by state and local authorities to regulate curricula and impose secular-education requirements on private religious schools.

That issue has emerged in multiple reports as perhaps the principal domestic policy matter likely to be discussed. One source reported that people familiar with the planning described preserving the autonomy of chareidi education from New York State intervention as the central substantive concern behind the meeting.

The delegation is also expected to discuss the danger posed by antisemitism and ask the administration to continue using federal authority to protect Jewish communities and institutions from antisemitic violence.

The meeting has ostensibly been in development for months rather than being hastily arranged. White House Jewish liaison Martin Marks has been working on the gathering for several months and personally contacted invitees.

The format itself has undergone considerable discussion. Initial plans reportedly contemplated very brief individual encounters between Trump and each rabbinic leader, potentially lasting only a few minutes, while organizers have also been working on arranging a roundtable that would provide more time for a substantive conversation.

The White House has not yet publicly announced the gathering, and reports indicate that some logistical details remain subject to change.

The upcoming visit also comes amid intense attention surrounding the participation of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, who has publicly indicated that he intends to raise the plight of yeshiva bochurim in Eretz Yisroel facing the military draft.

According to sources, the Satmar Rebbe said over the weekend that he initially considered declining the White House invitation because of the timing in Elul, but decided that the opportunity to advocate on behalf of Jews facing difficulties warranted making the trip.

People familiar with the broader planning, however, have pushed back against portrayals of the Israeli draft controversy as the central purpose of the meeting. One source said that the official purpose is a Rosh Hashanah greeting and that other matters could arise during the conversation, while another account said the main domestic concern is protecting frum schools from government interference.

The visit also reflects a relationship between Trump and the American frum community that predates the current meeting.

In April, Trump hosted frum communal representatives at the White House for a Pesach gathering. Among those participating were representatives of Satmar and Skver, Agudath Israel of America executive vice president Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaploun and Tzedek Association founder Reb Moshe Margaretten. New Square Mayor Yisroel Meir Spitzer attended and conveyed greetings to Trump from the Skverer Rebbe.

Trump also sent a personal letter to the Skverer Rebbe in August 2025 in honor of the wedding of one of the rebbe’s great-grandchildren. The letter was delivered by Spitzer and other frum activists with ties to the administration.

The relationship stretches back further. In 2020, an array of leading American rebbes and roshei yeshiva signed a letter thanking Trump for his efforts on behalf of religious liberty. The signatories included both Satmar Rebbes, the Skverer Rebbe, the Bobover Rebbe and the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey.

Thursday’s gathering would bring that relationship into the Oval Office at a particularly significant moment, just days before Rosh Hashanah and as American Orthodox communities confront concerns ranging from the future of independent religious education to the continuing threat of antisemitism.

For the participants, sources say, the objective will be twofold: to convey their appreciation and brachos directly to the president and to use the extraordinary access to the nation’s highest office to advocate for the ability of American Jews to educate their children according to their religious traditions and to live openly and safely as Jews.

A man approximately 70 years old was found deceased in an apartment on Jabotinsky Street in Bnei Brak on Monday afternoon after neighbors noticed a strong odor coming from the residence and summoned emergency personnel.

ZAKA volunteers were dispatched to the apartment, where they discovered the man’s body in an advanced state of decomposition.

Avraham Stigel, a ZAKA team leader, and ZAKA volunteer Moti Deri, who worked at the difficult scene, described how the discovery was made.

“This was a man about 70 years old who was found in a state of decomposition by neighbors who smelled a strong odor and called emergency services,” they said.

“With the assistance of additional volunteers, we worked to preserve the dignity of the deceased and collect the findings, and we assisted the forensic investigators who were operating at the scene,” they added.

The body was subsequently transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for further examination and handling.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yigal Levinstein, head of the pre-military academy in Eli, sharply criticized the IDF’s integration policies following the controversy involving 16 religious soldiers in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion who objected to traveling in a confined armored vehicle together with a female paramedic.

In an interview on the “Central Edition” program, Rav Levinstein argued that the dispute is far broader than the circumstances surrounding the individual soldiers and is the result of years of IDF policies that have failed to adequately accommodate the religious requirements of observant troops.

“The damage they have done over the past fifteen years, without taking anyone into consideration, keeps creating more and more and more problems,” he said.

Rav Levinstein focused particularly on the IDF’s paramedic system, arguing that the military’s training structure has resulted in a shortage of male paramedics available to combat units. As a result, he said, religious soldiers can find themselves in situations during combat in which no alternative is available.

During the war, Rav Levinstein explained, such circumstances sometimes had to be accepted because of life-and-death considerations. However, he argued that the IDF failed to use the intervening period to develop a viable long-term solution.

“We said that this was inconceivable, but it could not be stopped,” he said.

Rav Levinstein maintained that such disputes should not be allowed to reach the IDF chief rabbi only after a direct conflict has already emerged between operational requirements and Jewish law. Instead, he said, the military should establish systems in advance that allow religious soldiers to carry out their missions without confronting religious dilemmas that could have been prevented.

“And what is even worse, they turn to the chief military rabbi, and they put him in an impossible situation,” Rav Levinstein said.

He also rejected the notion that the military belongs to any particular ideological group or sector.

“The army is not theirs; it is the army of the Jewish people, which protects the entire Jewish people,” he said.

Rav Levinstein warned that controversies of this kind also have repercussions for Chareidim who are considering joining the IDF. Potential Chareidi recruits, he said, may look at the disputes involving religious soldiers and question whether assurances given to them when they enlist will continue to be honored once they are serving.

“The Chareidi community, which was offered the opportunity to join the Hasmonean Brigade, looks at all these sagas, and its motivation definitely declines,” he said.

Rav Levinstein concluded by pointing to what he described as a significant change among the younger generation of religious soldiers. In previous years, he said, observant troops were often hesitant to stand up to the military establishment over their religious requirements, while today’s soldiers are increasingly willing to insist that those standards be respected.

“Thank God, a generation has grown here for whom Judaism is precious, and it knows that the source of its motivation is Judaism and the Torah,” Rav Levinstein said.

“So today they are not afraid to fight for Judaism,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Likud MK Tally Gotliv said Monday that she would seriously consider leaving the party if she received an attractive offer from another political faction, accusing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s circle of working to weaken her and sideline her within the Likud.

Gotliv said she has not received an offer from another party at this point, but made clear that she would be prepared to consider one under the right circumstances.

“Unfortunately, the prime minister, as is his right, excluded me from the Likud campaign, and the campaign staff decided not to address our obligation to restrain the power of the High Court. The campaign staff continues to brief against me and portray me as a weakening force within Likud,” Gotliv wrote. “I was elected to advance right-wing governance and to put an end to the reckless conduct of the High Court, which assumed authority it does not possess and, in its own eyes, transformed itself into a superior branch of government.”

Gotliv also accused Netanyahu of effectively blocking her path to senior positions where she believes she could advance her judicial agenda.

“The prime minister made up his mind not to allow me to be justice minister or even chairwoman of the Constitution Committee, and decided to push me to a hidden corner in the back,” she added.

Gotliv said her loyalty to Netanyahu and the right-wing government has come at considerable political cost, arguing that she deserves a position reflecting what she views as her electoral strength.

“I threw myself on the fence for the prime minister and the right-wing government,” she wrote. “If I were to receive a realistic offer from a party that would respect my electoral strength and my clear ability to serve as a minister in a highly important position, on behalf of my voters I would seriously consider it. I will not agree to be a doormat.”

Her remarks follow her disappointment with finishing 12th in the recent Likud primaries, an outcome she attributed in large part to efforts by people surrounding Netanyahu to prevent her from finishing higher on the party list.

After most of the primary votes had been counted, Gotliv publicly accused Netanyahu’s associates and organized voting blocs within Likud of attempting to undermine her candidacy.

“Even if the prime minister’s circle really worked hard to thwart and weaken me, even if all the organized votes in deals were instructed not to mark me, even if I am the only one for whom no message was sent from the prime minister urging support, the right-wing Likud voters fought for me with tremendous strength,” she wrote.

Political reporter Amit Segal subsequently reported that Gotliv had delivered an ultimatum to Netanyahu, warning that she could consider leaving Likud unless she was guaranteed the No. 12 position on the party’s electoral slate.

Likud officials responded that the ultimatum had been rejected outright.

{Matzav.com}

A sweeping new initiative is transforming financial support for Skverer avreichim, with hundreds of the community’s philanthropists joining together to directly double the monthly stipends of approximately 1,000 bnei Torah who devote themselves to full-time learning.

The program is structured around a large-scale Yissachar-Zevulun partnership. Under the arrangement, each participating supporter personally partners with a ben Torah and provides funding that effectively doubles the avreich’s regular monthly kollel stipend.

The makeup of the Skverer community has helped make the ambitious program possible. Approximately one-third of the residents are described as bnei Torah, while another third are financially capable of supporting the initiative, creating a structure through which organizers believe every participating avreich can ultimately be matched with a sponsor.

The initiative has received strong backing from the Skverer Rebbe. After returning from a period of rest in Malibu, California, the Rebbe delivered a rare “holy proclamation” on Friday night before thousands of Chassidim, strongly encouraging participation in the program.

During his remarks, the Rebbe invoked the legacy of his father, the previous Skverer Rebbe, who frequently emphasized the tremendous significance of a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership. The Rebbe also cited the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch that the merit received by the supporter is considered “as if he himself is learning.”

The initiative has gained considerable momentum in recent weeks. At the “Amudei Olam” dinners held throughout Skver, wealthy supporters responded enthusiastically, with numerous negidim seeking to participate personally in the partnerships.

In recognition of those who have already joined, a massive sign was hung this past Shabbos inside the main bais medrash in Skver listing the names of approximately 1,000 supporters who have committed themselves to the initiative.

Alongside each donor’s name, the sign identifies the particular kollel in which he is effectively “learning” through his partnership with an avreich.

One particularly notable participant is philanthropist Reb Nochum Zalman Rokeach of Lakewood, who established partnerships with 19 avreichim. Through those partnerships, he has effectively become a “learner” across all of the Skverer kollel branches and numerous areas of Torah study, ranging from iyun and bekius to hora’ah and Choshen Mishpat.

The unprecedented initiative is already attracting attention beyond Skver. Other Chassidishe communities in the United States and Europe are reportedly following its progress closely, with the possibility that the model could eventually be replicated throughout the Chassidish world and later introduced in Eretz Yisroel as well.

Meanwhile, a significant new development has emerged in Skver’s massive construction project. At the direction of the Skverer Rebbe, a large new building will be erected on the site of the old bais medrash, containing both a “Heichal HaShulchanos” and a “Heichal HaTorah.” The expansion will push back completion of the new main bais medrash complex by approximately one year.

The decision followed an engineering assessment conducted last week after part of the roof over the ezras noshim in the old bais medrash collapsed. Engineers determined that the existing structure could no longer safely remain standing and would have to be demolished in its entirety.

Following that determination, members of the committee overseeing construction considered several possibilities for the newly available property. After the plans were presented and received the Rebbe’s bracha, the decision was made to use the site for another major building serving the Chassidus, featuring the two primary spaces — the “Heichal HaShulchanos” and the “Heichal HaTorah.”

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Breslover Chassidim could spend Rosh Hashanah in Meron this year instead of traveling to Uman, as the ongoing crackdown on Chareidi draft-status violations threatens to prevent large numbers of men from leaving Eretz Yisroel for the annual kibbutz at the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

Organizers are therefore making extensive preparations for a significantly expanded Rosh Hashanah gathering at the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, providing an alternative for those who are unable to make the trip to Uman.

The preparations come amid the continuing controversy surrounding the IDF draft and the arrests of Chareidim classified by the military as draft evaders. Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim could face difficulties leaving Eretz Yisroel because of their draft status, potentially preventing them from traveling to Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah.

In previous years, groups of Breslover Chassidim who were unable to reach Uman spent Rosh Hashanah in Meron instead. This year, however, Breslov officials believe the number could increase dramatically because of restrictions on leaving the country and concerns among Chassidim about encountering difficulties at the airport or border.

A special committee has been established in recent days to oversee preparations for the central Rosh Hashanah gathering in Meron. Organizers have also opened an orderly registration system for accommodations so that the necessary infrastructure can be prepared according to the expected turnout.

Plans include setting up large lodging areas for the Chassidim as well as an expansive tent where the Rosh Hashanah seudah will be served. Organizers are also preparing large areas for tefillos capable of accommodating the potentially substantial number of mispallelim expected in Meron.

Those overseeing the operation are preparing for the possibility that thousands of Breslover Chassidim will ultimately spend Rosh Hashanah in Meron. Early registration is intended to allow organizers to properly arrange food, accommodations, tefillos and other necessities for those who cannot travel to Uman and instead choose Meron for Yom Tov.

Despite the preparations in Meron, organizers stressed that the longstanding aspiration of Breslover Chassidim remains to spend Rosh Hashanah at the kever of Rav Nachman in Uman.

According to organizers, there is “a constant expectation and prayer among the public to be able to physically arrive in Uman,” and they “hope for all obstacles to be removed.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the upcoming 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 terror attacks at Ground Zero, arguing that their presence would cause additional pain for members of the 9/11 community.

Blakeman, the Republican candidate running against Hochul in November, told Newsmax’s “National Report” that he sympathizes with current and retired Port Authority police officers and other first responders who have asked the two Democratic officials not to attend the ceremony. Should Hochul and Mamdani appear despite those objections, Blakeman said attendees should respond with a peaceful demonstration.

“Hopefully they won’t go, but if they do, turn your back on them,” Blakeman said.

The Port Authority Retired Police Association, which represents approximately 600 members, sent letters dated Aug. 14 urging both Hochul and Mamdani to stay away from the Ground Zero commemoration. The organization pointed to Mamdani’s history of statements and positions regarding law enforcement, as well as Hochul’s decision to illuminate One World Trade Center in recognition of Muslim American Heritage Month. The group suggested that Mamdani commemorate the anniversary through a written statement, public message or separate event instead.

Hochul and Mamdani have both indicated that they intend to attend. Hochul’s office said the governor respects the 9/11 families and noted that Muslim New Yorkers were among the first responders on Sept. 11, maintaining that combating anti-Muslim bigotry does not conflict with honoring those murdered in the attacks. Mamdani has said he intends to pay tribute to the victims, survivors and first responders during the ceremony.

For Blakeman, the controversy carries a deeply personal dimension. He was serving as a Port Authority commissioner when the attacks occurred and lost his nephew, New York state court officer Thomas Jurgens, in the collapse of the South Tower.

“On that day, we lost 37 police officers. We’ve lost more since then with 9/11-related illnesses,” Blakeman said. “And I lost my nephew on 9/11. He was one of the court officers evacuating the South Tower, giving first aid to a woman who was severely burned. When my nephew was killed, he was murdered by the perpetrators of the attack on 9/11. So this is personal to me. I lost a lot of friends and colleagues from the Port Authority.”

Blakeman also attacked Mamdani’s record on law enforcement, accusing the mayor of failing to stand behind police officers and criticizing his handling of controversy surrounding the phrase “global intifada.”

“He doesn’t respond to the issues that are important to law enforcement. He doesn’t back the blue. He’s someone who wants to defund our police,” Blakeman said.

A total of 2,977 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, including 441 first responders, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Among those killed were 37 Port Authority police officers, representing the greatest single-day loss ever suffered by an American police department.

Blakeman argued that the wishes of relatives of those killed in the attacks should be given priority when determining who attends the annual Ground Zero ceremony.

“If the families of those who were murdered on that day don’t want you to attend, it’s like a wake,” he said. “If you’re asked not to attend a wake, you shouldn’t attend a wake. If the family doesn’t want you there, you shouldn’t go.”

Hochul is campaigning for a second full term as governor in the Nov. 3 election. Blakeman, who has led Nassau County as county executive since 2022, has made crime, public safety and his opposition to Mamdani’s policies major issues in his campaign to unseat her.

President Trump scored a victory at the Supreme Court on Monday as the justices ruled that construction of his planned White House ballroom may continue, rejecting an effort to halt the massive project.

In a 5-4 decision, the court turned aside a challenge brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had sought to stop work on the ballroom, a project expected to cost at least $400 million.

The court’s unsigned majority opinion concluded that the National Trust likely lacks the legal standing necessary to pursue its challenge in federal court.

The ruling allows construction on the ballroom to proceed after work on the project had already been underway at the White House.

The justices, however, did not decide the broader question at the heart of the dispute: whether President Trump has the legal authority to undertake the construction project without first obtaining approval from Congress. The National Trust had argued that the absence of congressional authorization made the project unlawful and warranted stopping construction.

“Today, we do not pass upon the legality of the government’s East Wing project. We conclude only that, based on the submissions before us, the government is likely to prevail in showing that the Trust lacks … standing to challenge the project in federal court,” the court said.

Chief Justice John Roberts broke with the court’s other conservatives and joined the three liberal justices in dissent, going further than the majority by asserting that the ongoing construction is likely illegal.

“Construction of the ballroom has proceeded apace for the better part of a year. That construction is likely unlawful,” Roberts wrote.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump was sending a pointed warning to Tehran when he posted on social media about Iran’s vital Kharg Island energy hub being destroyed, Vice President JD Vance said Monday, even as U.S. officials confirmed that American forces had not attacked the island.

“The president likes to switch it up on social ⁠media a little bit. He would be the first to say he doesn’t make announcements about ⁠military actions on social media, but I think that he’s sending a message to the Iranians,” Vance said when questioned about Trump’s post.

Trump published the brief message Sunday along with an AI-generated video depicting the destruction of Kharg Island. A U.S. official said Monday that the island had not been targeted during American military strikes overnight, while an Iranian official characterized Trump’s post as “laughable.”

Kharg Island is a critical component of Iran’s oil infrastructure and handled roughly 90% of the country’s oil exports before the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. An attack on the facility could severely cripple Iran’s ability to export oil and place enormous additional strain on the country’s economy.

The U.S. did, however, carry out military strikes against Iranian targets in what an American official described as the first known U.S. attacks since late July. According to the official, American forces struck two Iranian launchers located on Larak Island.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Health Ministry announced Monday evening that it is investigating a new suspected case of Ebola involving an individual who recently returned to the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The person arrived back in Israel several days ago and subsequently developed a fever along with other symptoms, prompting the individual to seek medical attention. Health officials stressed that Ebola has not been confirmed and that laboratory testing is now underway.

“The individual, who returned to Israel several days ago, sought medical treatment after developing a fever and additional symptoms. At this stage, this is only a suspected case, and the necessary tests are currently being conducted. The test results are expected to be received in the coming days. The individual will be treated under isolation conditions in accordance with the professional protocols established for dealing with high-risk infectious diseases and will be transferred to Ichilov Medical Center, which has been designated as one of the centers equipped to receive suspected cases of this kind,” the Ministry said.

While awaiting the test results, the patient will remain under strict isolation protocols intended for suspected cases involving highly dangerous infectious diseases.

The Health Ministry is also conducting an epidemiological investigation in accordance with its established procedures to determine who may have come into relevant contact with the individual and identify any additional measures that may be necessary.