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In an encouraging development, the mekubal of Tiveria, Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohen Kook, spoke several words on Thursday for the first time since being hospitalized approximately six weeks ago with severe pneumonia.

Rav Kook was initially admitted to the intensive care unit at North Medical Center (Poriya). Earlier this week, he was transferred to a specialized rehabilitation hospital in Ness Tziona, where his condition has shown steady improvement.

According to those close to the rov, he has made notable progress in recent days. In addition to speaking a few words, he has been successfully weaned off mechanical ventilation, his eyesight has improved, and he is now able to communicate his wishes.

Because speaking remains physically taxing, family members and caregivers are limiting conversation with him to avoid exhausting him. Nevertheless, his ability to speak, even briefly, has been described as a deeply moving and significant milestone in his recovery.

Family members related that during the day the rov was asked to respond to several suggestions presented to him, indicating disapproval of some of them. Ultimately, he expressed a desire to have Mishnayos from Seder Taharos read aloud to him, preferring that over other suggestions that had been offered.

During the visit, the rov‘s father-in-law, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, also came to see him. Upon entering the room, Rav Zilberstein recited a Shehecheyanu over a new fruit, thereby exempting the brocha customarily recited upon seeing the rov after an extended absence. Family members observed that Rav Kook repeatedly lifted his head toward his father-in-law during the visit and appeared visibly comforted and uplifted by the encounter.

One of the Rav’s close associates told B’chadrei Chareidim, “This is a tremendous source of encouragement and strength for the public. We can clearly see that the tefillos are having an effect, and we must not stop praying for even a moment.”

Several weeks ago, following the instruction of the mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, and with the blessing of Rav Zilberstein, the name “Chizkiyahu” was added to the Rav Kook’s name in light of his critical medical condition.

All are asked to continue davening for the complete recovery of Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohen ben Shoshanah.

{Matzav.com}

Fox News host Sean Hannity is reassuring viewers that he is recovering well after widespread online speculation about his health prompted questions over changes in his appearance during recent broadcasts.

In a post shared Wednesday on X shortly before his nightly television program aired, Hannity explained that the issue stemmed from a neck injury he suffered while exercising, not from any serious underlying medical condition.

“Thanks to everyone who has checked in. I’ve already addressed this several times on my radio show, but while training, I developed a painful pinched nerve in my neck,” Hannity wrote on the social platform X before his weeknight primetime show on the network aired. “My doctor put me on prednisone to reduce the inflammation, and while it’s helping, it led to laryngitis and some puffiness, which is normal for this medication.”

The longtime broadcaster said he continues to improve and has not slowed down despite the temporary side effects of the treatment. He also poked fun at the amount of attention the issue has generated online.

The conservative commentator said he is “fine, recovering well, and still training,” and he joked that “a few weeks of prednisone has generated more social media commentary than 30 years of ratings success.”

Hannity also thanked those who reached out with words of encouragement, while jokingly acknowledging that some of his critics may have hoped the news was more serious.

“I appreciate all the concern and well wishes—including from members of the left-wing media,” the host continued. “Sorry to disappoint them, but a pinched nerve, a raspy voice, and a puffy face aren’t taking me out anytime soon.”

His statement followed several days of online commentary from critics who had mocked the noticeable swelling in his face and neck during recent television appearances.

Among them was comedian Josh Johnson of “The Daily Show,” who made light of Hannity’s appearance.

“I’m sorry but what is going on with Sean Hannity’s face,” Josh Johnson, a comedian on “The Daily Show,” joked this week. “I mean, I have never seen white cheeks that big that haven’t been rapped about.”

Now 64, Hannity remains one of Fox News’ longest-tenured personalities and one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent media allies.

In addition to hosting his nightly Fox News program, Hannity also anchors a nationally syndicated weekday radio show and recently launched a podcast that regularly features Trump administration officials and other allies of the president.

In an unprecedented move, Yeshivas Mir—the world’s largest yeshivah—will suspend its regular learning schedule on Sunday as thousands of talmidim gather for a massive public tefillah rally in response to the continued imprisonment of one of the yeshivah‘s talmidim in Military Prison 10.

The extraordinary gathering will begin at precisely 12:15 p.m., when all the batei medrash of the yeshivah will empty as the thousands of lomdim proceed to Kikar Zvhil and along Rechov Shmuel Street in Yerushalayim. The rally will be led by the roshei yeshivah.

Organizers said the gathering will conclude promptly at 1:00 p.m., coinciding with the end of the morning seder.

The decision to hold the unprecedented public assembly was made by Mir Rosh Yeshivah Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel after consulting with Maranan Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in light of the talmid‘s ongoing detention.

The rally marks a highly unusual step for the Mir, reflecting the growing concern throughout the olam haTorah over the continued arrests of bnei yeshivah.

Because thousands of participants are expected to fill the streets surrounding the yeshivah, significant traffic disruptions and heavy congestion are anticipated along Shmuel Hanavi and throughout the surrounding area during the rally.

Organizers said details regarding road closures and changes to public transportation routes will be released in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

Over the last few years, an ongoing challenge has become apparent within the STa”M industry. Many completely well-intentioned buyers, who assume they are purchasing 100% kosher scrolls, are finding themselves uncertain about how to verify what is actually coming into their homes. 

This challenge is not a matter of klaf simply degrading over time, but rather a structural vulnerability in how STa”M is produced and distributed globally. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of OU Kosher, recently shared an encounter that illustrates this exact issue. A professional sofer checking mezuzos in Lakewood, New Jersey, visited a large residence where the homeowner had spared no expense. Shockingly, every single one of the mezuzos in the home was found to be completely pasul, and they had been pasul from the moment they were written. The homeowners had acted with complete sincerity and spent significant sums, but they didn’t get the kosher mezuzos they had purchased.  

Writing a kosher mezuzah is an intricate, labor-intensive process governed by complex halachos. As Rabbi Ezra Sarna, Director of Halacha Initiatives at the Orthodox Union, explains, the margin for error is tremendous. “Each mezuzah contains over 700 letters, along with multiple other components. In many cases, if even one is off, the entire mezuzah can be pasul.” Furthermore, even if the klaf appears perfectly written, it could still be disqualified due to a sofer’s lack of knowledge or improper kavanah during the writing process – factors that are impossible to verify simply by looking at the finished product. 

Without a centralized quality assurance process, the market is continually flooded with varying qualities of mezuzos that have sadly not been written or checked k’halacha. Buyers are left in the dark, wondering who they can rely on, asking themselves if the bodek is truly reliable, or if the inspection was performed independently of the sofer who wrote the klaf. 

Recognizing this growing communal need, the lay leadership of the Orthodox Union stepped in a few years ago. They turned to the OU’s Kashrus department, the community’s trusted experts in systematic certification, to develop a proactive, long-term solution. The result is the OU STa”M Pikuach Initiative which works with multiple partners and vendors to bring confidence to your doorpost.  

The core vision is straightforward: the OU is doing for STa”M exactly what it has historically done for kosher food. For decades, the frum community has trusted the OU symbol to ensure the highest standards of kashrus in our kitchens. Now, that same level of trust and rigorous oversight is available to protect the doorposts of our homes and shuls.

What does an OU-endorsed mezuzah entail? It replaces uncertainty with a verifiable system of checks and balances. The OU provides direct oversight, ensuring every mezuzah is written by a vetted, certified sofer who maintains active certification. The klaf and dyo (ink) are verified and approved as 100% kosher for mezuzah use. The thorough inspection system requires that a completed mezuzah is checked by a chain of two separate magiim (Mashgichim for STa”M). It is then inspected by rabbonim, examined once again by both magiim, and scanned by a cutting-edge, AI-powered computer program designed to detect even the slightest inaccuracies. Any issues raised during the checks are paskened on by rabbonim. 

Once a mezuzah passes this rigorous process and is deemed strictly kosher l’chatchila, it is packaged in a tamper-proof plastic sleeve bearing the “Endorsed by OU” logo. This provides consumers with unprecedented transparency. The packaging includes a certificate of authenticity detailing exactly who the sofer was, who the magiim were, what materials were used, and when the mezuzah requires its next checking.  

The OU STa”M Pikuach Initiative is committed to educating the frum community on the issues related to acquiring mezuzos confidently. There will be opportunities in communities across the US to learn more through shiurim and public lectures. OU-endorsed mezuzos are currently available for purchase through various trusted vendors. To learn more about this vital initiative and to find an authorized vendor near you, please visit ou.org/mezuzah. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James publicly criticized socialist Muslim New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his efforts to reshape the Democratic Party by backing a slate of democratic socialist candidates in statewide races, saying many of those he endorsed lack the experience and understanding needed to represent New York’s diverse communities.

In an interview with CNN, James voiced frustration over Mamdani’s political endorsements following his election victory last November, arguing that several of the candidates he supported are disconnected from the districts they hope to represent.

“Some of the candidates that he has supported are individuals who do not understand the politics of New York City, the cultural differences from district to district, who have not been part of the history and the struggle of some of these districts, and are relatively new to the body politic,” James told CNN.

The attorney general also contended that a number of Mamdani-backed candidates lack a sufficient understanding of issues involving race and economic inequality, according to the network.

Despite those criticisms, Mamdani’s influence was evident in this week’s Democratic primaries. Several candidates he endorsed scored victories, including Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier in congressional races, along with two successful campaigns for the state Senate and four wins in contests for the State Assembly.

James acknowledged that dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party is widespread but warned against pursuing sweeping ideological changes.

James said other political colleagues have expressed that they are “disappointed” in Mamdani’s push to change the party.

“All of us are a little frustrated with the Democratic Party. But you don’t blow it up. That’s what MAGA has done,” James told CNN.

Mamdani’s growing political influence has also prompted concern among some Democrats, who worry his endorsements could strain relationships with members of Congress, business leaders, investors, and other influential figures across New York.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, dismissed suggestions that the Democratic Party is drifting too far to the left because of Mamdani’s rise.

“No, Donald Trump has a working relationship with the mayor of the city of New York, and he’s made that publicly and explicitly clear to America not once but twice in the Oval Office,” Jeffries said to reporters when asked if the party was moving too far left after Tuesday’s primary results.

President Donald Trump and Mamdani met at the White House in both February and November, surprising many observers. Photographs from the meetings showed the two shaking hands and smiling despite their political differences.

Even so, Trump weighed in on the primary results Wednesday with a post on Truth Social, offering a pointed warning about the direction of American politics.

“America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country!!!” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal officials are sounding the alarm after a series of politically charged acts of vandalism struck Washington’s National Mall, including repeated “8647” markings, damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and a disturbing incident in which a person allegedly wrote on the Washington Monument using their own blood.

Interior Department Communications Director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital that authorities have seen a sharp increase in attacks on federal landmarks throughout the summer.

“Unfortunately, this summer has seen a significant increase in vandalism to the National Mall – for example, several 8647 markings, a person writing words in their own blood on the Washington Monument and the cutting of fuel lines around the Great American State Fair,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital.

The latest incidents followed President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. According to officials, protesters responded by damaging the newly restored surface, cutting into it with sharp objects and removing protective fencing before throwing debris into the water.

Fox News Digital reported that the first known act of vandalism targeting the Reflecting Pool occurred on June 9. At the time, Interior Department officials deliberately chose not to publicize the incident, hoping it would remain an isolated act rather than inspire additional copycats.

“At the time of the June 9 incident, the vandalism was under investigation and believed to be isolated. So as not to encourage deranged individuals, we did not announce what we hoped to be an isolated incident,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital about the initial vandalism on the Reflecting Pool.

“It wasn’t until several days thereafter that there were recurring cases and videos of people ripping at the coating began to circulate,” she added. “We then knew this was not an isolated incident, but a new trend to attempt to damage the Reflecting Pool.”

Among the incidents now under investigation are multiple “8647” messages found throughout the National Mall. In a separate case, police say an individual used his own blood to write the words “I’ve come” on the Washington Monument.

The Trump administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat because of its common use in restaurant slang to mean eliminating or refusing service, while “47” is viewed as a reference to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.

Earlier this month, authorities also launched an investigation after an enormous “8647” message appeared carved into the grass of the National Mall, adding to growing concerns over politically motivated vandalism and threats against public property.

Officials said the Reflecting Pool itself was vandalized on the very day it reopened following restoration. According to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital, the suspect left “razor-blade-like slashes along the liner in the southern middle section of the pool.”

Investigators determined that the damage extended for more than 300 feet, with “some cuts [that] were slits while other sections measuring roughly 6–15 inches had been cut out entirely.”

Authorities also reported that sections of the surrounding metal fence were removed and tossed into the Reflecting Pool, along with a broken black chain that had been attached to the fencing.

The U.S. Park Police later released a photograph of one suspect and appealed to the public for help identifying the individual.

“The United States Park Police is seeking assistance in identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation. The incident occurred on June 19, 2026, at approximately 3:36 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC,” said the post.

“Anyone with information regarding the identity of this individual is asked to contact the United States Park Police Tip Line: USPP_TIPline@nps.gov or (202) 379-4877,” it read.

President Trump weighed in on the vandalism Wednesday by posting a photograph of the newly restored Reflecting Pool on Truth Social before it was refilled with water.

“This is the hard rubber surface — No Paint — Before the Vandals cut and pulled it apart,” he wrote.

According to a previous administration official, five individuals have already been arrested on vandalism charges related to the Reflecting Pool, while another five people received federal citations. Authorities have also filed 14 separate police reports involving damage to the site.

Among those charged is former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who received a misdemeanor citation for destruction of government property after authorities alleged he reached into the Reflecting Pool and grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service employee.

The administration had already planned to install fencing around the Reflecting Pool before the Fourth of July because the area serves as one of the launch locations for the annual fireworks display. However, officials accelerated that timetable by a full week following the repeated acts of vandalism.

“The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July. As in years prior, one of the launch pads for the fireworks is around the pool so fencing is put up to ensure public safety,” said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers. “With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site.

“While the President was restoring a crown jewel of our nation’s capital, which is supported by Americans across the country, vandals were attempting to destroy, impede and delay the ongoing work,” she added.

President Trump has repeatedly condemned the attacks, first drawing attention to the damage in a Truth Social post last Friday before discussing the incidents again with reporters this week.

“Somebody went in with the knife and cut it. They cut it up good and then they cut at 200, 350 [feet], in the form of lots of little slits. We know horrible stuff,” Trump said Tuesday while speaking with reporters.

Referring to the large “8647” marking carved into the National Mall, Trump added: “Vandals “destroyed the grass. We put a brand-new big load of grass out there. They destroyed it. So it’s all been fixed. But it’s a shame.”

Throughout the restoration project, demonstrators have continued gathering at the National Mall, with some carrying signs reading “Team Algae,” a reference to the Reflecting Pool’s water.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning to Iran on Thursday, declaring that the Trump administration will not permit Tehran to impose fees or tolls on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital maritime chokepoints.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, Rubio dismissed reports that Iran may seek to charge ships for passage through the strategic waterway, calling the proposal unrealistic and unacceptable.

“Fees and tolls are the same thing to me,” Rubio told reporters. “If you’re paying someone to go there, I don’t care if you call it a fee or a toll or a donation. It’s a toll.”

Rubio argued that any attempt to collect such payments would inevitably require the use or threat of force, making the proposal both impractical and dangerous for global commerce.

“Let’s say a ship says, ‘Well, I’m not going to pay the fee,'” he said. “It’s not like a toll on a road. You don’t get a ticket in the mail. They get shot at. You shoot at one ship, you sink one ship, no other ship is going to move. So that sort of system is not only unwise, it can’t happen. It’s not even workable. So you might as well abandon the fantasy now.”

The secretary emphasized that Gulf nations are united in opposing any effort to charge ships for transiting the Strait of Hormuz and said President Donald Trump has made it clear that such a provision is unacceptable in any future agreement with Iran.

“There isn’t a nation on Earth that supports having to pay money to go through the straits,” Rubio said, adding, “If you are charging money to use the straits, we won’t support it. We won’t tolerate it. We won’t allow it.”

Rubio’s comments followed reports that some Iranian officials have suggested imposing charges for security, insurance, and related services after last week’s memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which temporarily restored unrestricted navigation through the strait while broader negotiations continue.

As part of that Trump administration-brokered agreement, Iran committed to allowing toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for at least 60 days while both governments work toward a broader diplomatic settlement.

Rubio said the administration is ultimately concerned with Iran’s conduct rather than its public rhetoric and indicated that compliance with the agreement will be measured by whether international shipping continues uninterrupted.

“We’re interested in whether or not ships are moving,” he said. “If ships are moving as they should be moving, then that’s what we’re going to judge. If this rhetoric is backed up by actual ships being threatened and ships are not moving, that’s a violation of the agreement and we’re going to have a problem with it.”

The secretary reiterated that the United States remains committed to pursuing diplomacy, but stressed that negotiations will not come at the expense of American interests or regional security.

“We’re going to give diplomacy every chance to work,” Rubio said. “If Iran is interested in making a real deal, the United States is open to doing it. If they’re not, then the president will know that, and he’ll have options available to him.”

{Matzav.com}

Retired British Army commander Col. Richard Kemp delivered a bleak assessment of Britain’s political climate, rising antisemitism, and deteriorating relations with Israel, while also urging patience regarding President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Iran and emphasizing that Israel must never compromise its own security interests.

In an interview with Arutz Sheva–Israel National News’ Yoni Kempinski during the JNS International Policy Summit, Kemp discussed the turmoil in British politics, the surge in anti-Israel sentiment across the United Kingdom, developments involving Iran, and the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Asked about the reported resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Kemp said many Britons would likely welcome the development.

“I think it’s going to be quite welcome news in the country because Prime Minister Starmer has been very unpopular for pretty much all of his premiership,” Kemp said.

Despite that, he cautioned that replacing Starmer would not necessarily improve Britain’s policies toward the Jewish state.

“We don’t know who’s going to take over from him. Obviously, the most likely is Andy Burnham. I don’t think anything’s going to change much in Britain, particularly Britain’s relationship with Israel, which is, I think, at an all-time low at the moment,” he stated.

When asked whether a new leader could reverse that trend, Kemp said he was pessimistic, arguing that hostility toward Israel has become deeply entrenched within much of the governing party.

“I don’t think it’ll improve. It may even get worse than it is now because so many people, so many of the party’s supporters, both in Parliament and outside Parliament, are vehemently opposed to Israel.”

“They’ve bought, they’ve eaten up all this anti-Israel propaganda and they do not want Britain to have good relations with Israel. They don’t want cooperation with Israel,” he added.

Kemp also expressed serious concern over the growing sense of insecurity among British Jews, saying increasing antisemitism has led many to consider leaving the country.

“I think the situation is quite bad. I’ve spoken to many British Jews and a large number of them either have left Britain, are thinking about leaving Britain or are in the process of leaving, which is a terrible thing,” he said.

He argued that such an exodus would represent a major loss not only for Britain’s Jewish community but for the country as a whole.

“It’s bad for us as a country for two reasons. One, because we’re supposed to be a shining pillar of Western democracy and liberty and equal rights. And we’re showing ourselves, I think in some respects, to be the opposite in relation to a Jewish population,” he explained.

“The other reason why it’s bad for Britain is because over the years, including now, our Jewish community has contributed so much to the United Kingdom in so many different ways. I think disproportionate to the numbers of Jews that actually are in the UK. So if more and more leave, it’ll be a great tragedy for Britain for those reasons.”

Turning to the emerging agreement with Iran, Kemp rejected the notion that it either signals the end of the conflict or should automatically be viewed as a failure.

“I don’t think it’s the end of the war. And I don’t think it’s necessarily a failure either. It’s probably a bump in the road,” he said.

“I think we’re going to see events unfold maybe in a completely different way that we’re expecting over the coming months.”

Kemp acknowledged that some Israelis may be disappointed by President Trump’s approach, but argued that the president is balancing broader American strategic interests.

“President Trump is a man who many people here may think he’s made the wrong decision. He’s betrayed Israel. They may think that. But actually, he has a bigger strategy and he has bigger interests for his country than just Israel.”

He added that Trump is not likely to remain committed to an agreement if it fails to produce the desired results.

“He’s also a man who is not going to be wedded to this MOU if it doesn’t work out the way he wants it to work out. So I don’t see this as being an absolute disaster. I think it’s maybe a bit of a problem, but maybe it will resolve itself.”

Regardless of how negotiations unfold, Kemp said Israel must remain firm in defining and defending its own national security boundaries.

“Whatever happens, I think it’s really important that Israel establishes its red lines, what it’s prepared to do, what it’s not prepared to do, and sticks by them.”

Kemp also dismissed claims that Israel merely acts as an extension of U.S. policy, insisting that the Jewish state makes its own sovereign decisions.

“I think Israel is far from a proxy or a vassal of the US,” he said.

He praised the close relationship between Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and President Trump, while noting that both leaders ultimately prioritize the interests of their own countries.

“Under Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has, by the way, an extraordinary relationship with President Trump, even through thick and thin, they don’t always see eye to eye. But as I understand it, they understand each other,” Kemp said.

“I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu, obviously, as any prime minister should, his number one priority is not America. It’s not even relations with America. It’s Israel’s national interest, which does include good relations with America.”

Kemp concluded by expressing confidence that Netanyahu will continue to stand firm on Israel’s core security interests, particularly with regard to Lebanon.

“I think he’s a man who’s going to be able to stand up and specify what his red lines are, and then stick to them. And I think in particular, that includes Lebanon,” Kemp concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Iran is reportedly seeking to generate tens of billions of dollars annually by imposing new charges on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal that has drawn swift opposition from the Trump administration and regional allies who insist the vital international waterway must remain free of transit fees.

According to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, Iranian officials believe a new framework involving charges for security, safety, and environmental services in the Strait of Hormuz could produce as much as $40 billion a year for participating countries while significantly expanding Tehran’s influence over one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.

The report says Iranian officials have presented the concept to neighboring Gulf states and to China, arguing that the strategic waterway has entered a new era following the recent U.S.-Iran conflict and that management of the strait “will never return to the way it was before.”

If implemented, the proposal would represent a major departure from decades of international maritime practice, under which commercial vessels have enjoyed toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio firmly rejected the idea while visiting Bahrain on Thursday, warning that permitting Iran to charge ships for passage through an international waterway would establish an unacceptable precedent, according to CBS News.

“The reality is that no country on Earth has the right to charge for the use of international waterways,” Rubio said. “That will never be an acceptable condition of any deal.”

Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, echoed Rubio’s position following meetings with the secretary of state and fellow Gulf leaders, stating that any future agreement governing the Strait of Hormuz “will not involve imposing any transit fees.”

President Donald Trump also sought to reassure markets on Wednesday, saying on Truth Social that Iranian officials had informed the United States they intended to impose “no tolls, no insurance costs & no other charges of any kind” on vessels passing through the strait.

Trump added that if reports of planned fees prove accurate, negotiations with Tehran would end “immediately.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, carrying approximately 20 percent of global oil supplies. While commercial shipping has gradually resumed following the recent conflict, some shipping companies continue to exercise caution.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Iran has already established an insurance company that it says vessels should utilize when transiting the strait and has introduced new registration requirements directing ships to notify Iranian authorities two days before entering the waterway.

Legal experts told the newspaper that Iran would face formidable legal obstacles in implementing such a system.

Unlike Turkey, which possesses treaty-based authority under a 1936 international agreement to collect certain fees in the Dardanelles, any comparable arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz would almost certainly require broad international approval through the International Maritime Organization.

As negotiations with Tehran continue, the Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains a non-negotiable principle of U.S. policy.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said the latest round of negotiations with Iranian officials in Switzerland produced an agreement in principle to establish a new direct communication channel between the United States and Iran, describing the move as an important step toward easing regional tensions and resolving future disputes.

In an interview with UnHerd Magazine, Vance explained that one of Washington’s primary objectives during the talks was to establish “a channel on the Iranian side” through which both governments could manage conflicts more effectively.

“Which we did,” Vance stated. He said the arrangement calls for representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to maintain direct contact in Doha. “That’s how we’re going to settle a lot of these disputes,” he said.

Vance cautioned that the initiative’s success will ultimately depend on whether Tehran follows through on the commitments it has made.

“They’re certainly talking differently than they have in the past,” he said. “But whether the action will follow, whether the final deal actually meets some of what they’re promising in general terms – that’s what we have to figure out.”

The vice president also described how discussions with Iranian negotiators have evolved over time, saying the atmosphere has changed considerably since the first direct meeting.

“The first time we ever sat down with them was in Istanbul, and it almost felt like a performance,” Vance said. He added that after initial exchanges, “it got to a good place where we were able to actually have a conversation.”

Discussing the proposed memorandum of understanding currently being negotiated between Washington and Tehran, Vance dismissed suggestions that it resembles the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“There are many things I don’t like about the comparison to the JCPOA,” he said, adding that the current memorandum is “a much more generic document” and serves as “a foundational document.”

According to Vance, the proposed framework is intended to reopen maritime shipping lanes, end military hostilities, and create a foundation for negotiating a broader agreement over Iran’s nuclear program.

“Let’s open the Strait, let’s stop shooting at each other, and let’s see if we can make a nuclear deal,” he said, describing the US position.

Vance also asserted that Iran has put forward proposals that go beyond the terms of the JCPOA, including a more stringent inspection system and the complete “elimination” of its existing stockpile of enriched uranium.

“The flip side,” he said, “is that they really want a fundamentally transformed relationship with the United States and the world – and I don’t know where we’re going to be able to land in the middle.”

The vice president said America’s diplomatic efforts have been welcomed by several Gulf nations, highlighting what he described as unprecedented dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

“The Emiratis – by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the GCC – they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before,” he said, adding that discussions have included economic incentives and conditions for investment.

Addressing broader regional security concerns, Vance said negotiators also made progress on issues involving Lebanon, including discussions about mechanisms to prevent military escalation.

“Israel, and every other nation in the region, has the right of self-defence,” he said. “But we want to make sure everyone has that right of self-defence in a background where we’re talking about how to de-escalate.”

Vance expressed guarded optimism about recent developments in Lebanon, saying the ceasefire appeared to be holding despite lingering concerns.

“I think we’re now at 48 hours where the ceasefire in Lebanon has effectively held,” he said, adding that while challenges remain, the situation had improved compared to previous weeks.

Concluding his remarks, Vance emphasized that the ultimate test of the diplomatic process will be whether Iran follows its recent rhetoric with meaningful action.

“Whether the action will follow, whether the final deal actually meets some of what they’re promising in general terms – that’s what we have to figure out,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu declared Thursday that Israel has emerged from the war in a position of historic strength, dismissing critics who claim the campaign failed to produce meaningful results while insisting that major challenges still remain, particularly regarding Iran and Hamas.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the IDF Officers’ Training Course at Training Base 1, Netanyahu praised Israel’s military accomplishments and asserted that the country’s strategic position has never been stronger.

“The State of Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu said, rejecting assertions that the war yielded few tangible gains.

Responding to those who have downplayed the success of Israel’s military operations, the prime minister stated, “You have to be blind to say there were ‘no achievements.'” He pointed to Operations Rising Lion and Roaring Lion as examples of what he described as landmark victories, calling them “a great achievement.”

At the same time, Netanyahu cautioned that Israel’s work is far from finished, emphasizing that significant threats remain despite the military successes.

“There are more things to do, to do with Iran and Hamas,” he stated.

Netanyahu also argued that the war has transformed not only Israel’s security situation but the nation’s mindset as well. He said the conflict fundamentally altered Israel’s approach to confronting its enemies and reshaped the strategic balance throughout the region.

“We changed the rules of the game in our region from the ground up, but above all, we changed ourselves.” He claimed that Israel “managed to break through the barrier of fear with initiative and aggression.”

Turning to the situation in southern Israel, Netanyahu said the country has reestablished security around Gaza and pointed to what he described as the revival of communities that were devastated by the October 7 Hamas massacre.

“We are surrounding the Gaza Strip, we restored security to the Gaza envelope, the western Negev is once again blooming and thriving.”

{Matzav.com}

Following the massive vehicle protest, the Sephardic olam haTorah is preparing for a major atzeres ze’akah to be led by the former Rishon LeZion, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, together with leading roshei yeshivah and rabbanim. The gathering marks a significant escalation in the Sephardic chareidi community’s response to the ongoing gezeiras haGiyus and the recent arrests of bnei yeshivah.

The planned rally comes amid mounting public outrage over the detention of bnei Torah who did not report to the military draft offices, as well as violent confrontations that have taken place on major roadways. Organizers view the event as a public cry on behalf of the olam haTorah in the face of what they see as an unprecedented assault on Torah learning.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Barama Radio, Rav Shabtai Levi, mara d’asra of the Ramat Aharon neighborhood in Bnei Brak and rosh mosdos of Halichos Moshe, described the deep concern with which Rav Yitzchak Yosef regards the current situation.

“The rally will take place in the city streets in order to raise an outcry over the harm being done to Torah learners,” Rav Levi said. He emphasized the extraordinary nature of the event, noting: “Rav Yosef has committed himself to this mission with all his strength and was prepared to cancel his regular and traditional weekly lesson at the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim for this purpose – a historic institution dating back to the days of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, which has almost never been canceled.”

“The rav will send a replacement there and will come physically to Bnei Brak out of the understanding that we can no longer remain silent in the face of the scenes we have witnessed in recent days.”

Rav Levi went on to describe the anguish being felt throughout the chareidi community over the arrests of bnei yeshivah and demonstrators, likening the treatment of lomdei Torah to the desecration of precious Sifrei Torah.

“The budget cuts and the closure of daycare centers – we could still have managed with that,” Rav Levi said. “But we have reached the stage of harming yeshiva students and avrechim, who are the ones carrying the burden of Torah study. Taking young men and dragging them on the ground? How did we reach such a situation?”

The atzeres is expected to be held near the Halichos Moshe institutions in Bnei Brak’s Ramat Aharon neighborhood. Rav Levi stressed that, despite the heightened emotions, organizers are committed to ensuring that the gathering remains entirely peaceful, without confrontations or road blockages, and serves solely as an expression of grief and protest.

“This will be an event completely without violence and without any provocations,” he promised. “This rally is entirely about mourning, pain, and lamentation. It is going to be an occasion that will truly feel like Tisha B’Av, and everyone who feels the pain of the situation is obligated to attend.”

{Matzav.com}

The United Nations’ hostility toward Israel has intensified dramatically since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, according to Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, who says the tone has been driven largely by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reflected throughout the organization’s agencies.

Speaking with Arutz Sheva on the sidelines of the JNS International Policy Conference in Jerusalem, Neuer looked back on more than 20 years of monitoring the United Nations and said the organization’s treatment of Israel has deteriorated even further in the aftermath of the Hamas attack.

When asked whether the fight against anti-Israel bias at the UN has become more difficult, Neuer responded, “It’s hard to imagine, but the pathological UN, which obsesses over Israel, got even so much worse after October 7th, in particular because of Antonio Guterres.”

Neuer pointed to comments Guterres made shortly after the Hamas massacre, noting that although the secretary-general condemned the terrorist attack, he also remarked that “the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.”

“He effectively went on to justify what happened because he enumerated numerous alleged grievances by the Palestinians, basically justifying what they did,” Neuer said.

Asked whether his criticism was aimed solely at Guterres’ rhetoric or also at the UN’s conduct, Neuer said both have contributed to what he described as an increasingly hostile environment.

“It’s statements and actions. He set a tone. UN agencies all around the world have been attacking Israel like never before since October 7th,” he said.

Turning to the recent conflict involving Iran, Neuer argued that UN officials directed their criticism toward Israel and the United States while failing to hold the Iranian regime responsible.

“It was shameless propaganda coming out of Guterres’ office,” he said.

Neuer also commented on a recent confrontation involving Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon during a discussion on sexual violence in armed conflicts.

According to Neuer, Danon was objecting after “the secretary general shamelessly placed Israel on the same list as Hamas.”

He said senior UN official Vanessa Frazier improperly interrupted Danon’s remarks during the meeting in violation of established UN procedures.

“She interrupted him. She started shouting. And she has no right to do that,” Neuer said, arguing that officials would never behave similarly toward representatives of other countries.

“The fact that she had the audacity, the chutzpah, to do that is something they would only do against Israel, and it reflects the message that Guterres is sending around the UN.”

Despite his criticism of the international body, Neuer insisted that engaging at the UN remains essential and dismissed the notion that the diplomatic battle is unwinnable.

“What happened with Iran illustrates the importance of fighting on the political battlefield and the global diplomatic political battlefield,” he said.

“You can win great military victories, but if you’re not winning at the political diplomatic level, in the end, maybe you’re losing.”

Neuer acknowledged that Israel often faces an uphill battle in international institutions, but argued that abandoning those forums would only strengthen its opponents.

“It is a global podium. We do have friends. We need to enable and empower them. You have to fight and make the case,” he said.

As evidence that sustained diplomatic efforts can produce results, Neuer cited several recent developments, including the United States ending funding for UNRWA, Sweden’s decision to cut financial support for the agency, Switzerland’s lower house voting to do the same, U.S. sanctions imposed on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and public condemnation of Albanese by 15 countries.

“We need to be there and fight,” Neuer concluded.

Florida has begun dismantling the controversial migrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” signaling the end of a high-profile immigration facility in the Everglades that housed more than 22,000 migrants and cost taxpayers over $1.2 billion during its operation.

According to reports from CBS News Miami and other media outlets, contractors responsible for running the facility have been directed to begin a “full demobilization” of the site. Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie informed vendors that the state expects the removal of the facility’s infrastructure to move forward quickly. The detention center was constructed at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport deep in the Everglades.

The decision comes just days after the final detainees were transferred to other detention centers because of safety concerns associated with the Atlantic hurricane season. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that no migrants remain at the facility.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday that the detention center had accomplished exactly what it was intended to do.

“I think Alligator Alcatraz actually stayed open longer than it was intentionally planned when it was first conceptualized,” Uthmeier told reporters.

“Now that the federal government is resourced and standing up its own mission, using its own authorities, it is no longer necessary, and the plan has always been to protect the Everglades and take it back to a protected area where it’s not a commercial business, an airport,” he said.

The facility first opened in July 2025 after being built in less than a week on a remote Everglades airstrip. It rapidly became one of the most recognizable symbols of Florida’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy and was championed by President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and other Republican leaders as a blueprint for large-scale migrant detention.

Designed to assist federal immigration authorities, the center had the capacity to hold thousands of migrants awaiting deportation proceedings. State officials say that more than 22,000 migrants passed through the facility during its time in operation.

DeSantis has repeatedly defended the project, arguing that it played a “huge, huge” role in preventing migrants from being released into communities across Florida. He also emphasized that the detention center was always envisioned as a temporary operation.

Despite support from state leaders, the project faced continuous opposition from environmental organizations, immigrant advocacy groups, and civil rights activists. Critics challenged the facility in court, raising concerns about both detention conditions and the impact of the operation on the environmentally sensitive Everglades.

Although the detainees have been relocated and demolition has begun, environmental advocates say their legal fight is not over. They insist litigation will continue until the site is completely restored to its original condition.

Attorney Paul Schwiep, who represents several organizations opposing the project, said the removal of the migrants is an important first step but stressed that full restoration of the property remains the ultimate goal.

“The goal is to have them do what the governor said they’d do from the outset: Use [the land] temporarily, and that’s apparently run its course now and return the site to the condition it was in before they began to use it for this purpose,” Schwiep said.

Florida officials said the dismantling effort will involve removing fencing, trailers, and other temporary structures that were installed during construction. Once the work is finished, the property is expected to resume its previous role as a training airport.

A new federal lawsuit alleges that some of California’s largest gas station operators illegally worked together through artificial intelligence software to inflate gasoline prices, accusing major fuel retailers of using a shared pricing platform to suppress competition and force motorists to pay more at the pump.

Filed Monday as a proposed class-action lawsuit, the complaint claims that several prominent gas station chains—including Marathon and Circle K—violated California antitrust laws by relying on Kalibrate, a global AI-driven fuel pricing system that allegedly coordinated pricing strategies among competitors.

According to the lawsuit, Kalibrate served as the “central nervous system for a conspiracy to extinguish retail price competition among gas stations,” allowing participating retailers to avoid genuine price competition.

The complaint alleges that Kalibrate’s software actively encouraged stations to keep prices elevated while discouraging operators from lowering them. According to the filing, the program warned that cutting prices could trigger a “downward spiral,” effectively steering users away from competitive pricing.

Rather than independently determining what consumers should pay, the lawsuit claims participating gas stations turned over sensitive pricing, cost, and fuel-volume information to Kalibrate Fuel Pricing. The software then allegedly used that information to recommend pricing strategies that minimized competition among nearby stations and resulted in higher prices for drivers.

The lawsuit comes as Californians continue to pay some of the nation’s highest gasoline prices, with fuel costs climbing even further amid global market disruptions following the outbreak of the Iran war.

Plaintiffs argue that Kalibrate enabled an illegal form of cartel behavior, contending that modern price-fixing no longer requires secret meetings because sophisticated AI software can accomplish the same objective electronically.

One feature highlighted in the complaint, known as “restoration,” allegedly allowed gas stations within a given area to simultaneously increase fuel prices by significant amounts, making coordinated price hikes easier to implement.

The lawsuit cites research indicating that algorithm-based fuel pricing systems raised gasoline prices by an average of approximately six cents per gallon and by as much as 30 cents per gallon in markets where the technology was widely adopted. According to the complaint, even a one-cent increase statewide costs California motorists roughly $134 million every year.

Among the companies named as defendants are BP, Speedway, EG America, Walmart, and Albertsons, which together operate more than 1,700 gas stations throughout California.

The proposed class-action seeks to represent California consumers who purchased gasoline at stations using Kalibrate’s software beginning in June 2022.

The case is the latest in a growing wave of legal challenges targeting software platforms accused of using algorithms to increase prices for consumers across multiple industries.

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice has pursued similar antitrust cases against RealPage, which was accused of helping landlords coordinate rent increases, and Agri Stats, which allegedly assisted meatpacking companies in raising grocery prices. Although both federal cases have since been settled, several state attorneys general continue to pursue litigation involving RealPage and various property management firms.

Concern over algorithm-driven pricing has also prompted legislative action. Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation explicitly confirming that the state’s antitrust laws apply to pricing algorithms, a legal change that plaintiffs say helped pave the way for the newly filed lawsuit.

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a significant immigration victory on Thursday, ruling that federal officials may turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border before they formally apply for asylum. The 6-3 decision upheld the legality of the “metering” policy, a border management practice that sparked a rare and pointed public exchange between members of the nation’s highest court.

The ruling allows the government to continue limiting the number of migrants permitted to seek asylum at ports of entry on any given day. The policy, known as metering, was implemented during both the Obama and Trump administrations as a way to manage overwhelming numbers of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border.

Groups representing immigrants argued that migrants should be considered to have “arrived” in the United States the moment they reach the border. They maintained that federal immigration law guarantees the right to apply for asylum upon arrival, regardless of whether an individual entered the country legally or illegally.

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito rejected that interpretation.

“In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person ‘arrives in’ a place—for example, a house, a city, or a country—before the person enters that place.

“The context in which the phrase ‘arrives in the United States’ is used in the immigration statutes at issue here supports an ordinary-meaning reading.”

The Trump administration argued that the policy was a practical necessity during periods of heavy migration, noting that individuals who were turned away temporarily were free to return later and attempt to apply again.

“This is a tremendous win for the Trump Administration, the rule of law, and common sense,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “President Trump remains committed to lawfully restoring integrity to our immigration system, which includes tackling the egregious abuses to our asylum system that the prior administration encouraged. We will always put the American people first.”

Under U.S. law, asylum is available only to migrants who can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Those who receive asylum protection are allowed to remain in the United States, obtain work authorization, petition to bring immediate family members, pursue permanent residency, and eventually apply for American citizenship.

The Court’s three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor took the unusual step of reading her dissent aloud from the bench and added remarks criticizing the majority’s ruling.

She said the decision “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

In her written dissent, Sotomayor warned of what she believes will be the human cost of the Court’s decision.

“The consequences of today’s decision are predictable,” Sotomayor wrote. “More people will die. More people will attempt to cross the border illegally, and some will make it while others will not. More people will be forced to walk along the U.S.-Mexico border in dangerous conditions, trying to find a port that will inspect them. More people will turn back and be subjected to violence because of something they cannot or should not have to change about themselves … Because this is neither what Congress said nor what its words permit, I respectfully dissent.”

Alito responded afterward, noting that he would have expanded his own remarks had he known Sotomayor intended to read her dissent from the bench. He also emphasized that the challenged policy had been employed by administrations from both major political parties.

“I won’t add anything more to that,” concluded Alito, who finished his opinion by reminding: “The wisdom of the policy of metering alien arrivals at the southern border is not before us. We decide only that an alien standing in Mexico does not ‘arriv[e] in the United States.’ The [law] neither entitles such an alien to apply for asylum nor requires an immigration officer to inspect him.”

Metering first appeared in 2016 under President Barack Obama after a surge of Haitian migrants reached the San Diego port of entry from Tijuana. During President Trump’s administration, the practice was expanded across all ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The policy ended in 2020 when stricter border restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden later officially rescinded the metering policy in 2021.

That same year, a federal judge in California ruled that metering violated both federal asylum law and the rights of asylum seekers. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, although nearly half of the court’s active judges voted in favor of rehearing the case, signaling deep disagreement that ultimately paved the way for Supreme Court review.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Shmuel Betzalel, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas and rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Porat Yosef, delivered an emotional message of chizuk to bnei yeshivah and avreichim being held in Military Prison 10, declaring that they are being treated as criminals solely because of their commitment to Torah study.

The remarks were broadcast through loudspeakers placed outside the entrance to the military prison, allowing the detained bnei Torah to hear words of support from the senior Torah leader while they remained behind bars.

Opening his address, Rav Betzalel spoke directly to the imprisoned students and described their incarceration as a consequence of their devotion to Torah.

“Dear young men, imprisoned because you are students engaged in Torah. Dear avreichim, more precious than gold, occupied with the holy Torah, whose only crime is involvement in the holy Torah,” he said. “In these days, when even Israel’s friends have turned their backs, turning their backs on our nation, we must feel the meaning of ‘a nation that dwells alone,’ and realize that the merit and very existence of the Jewish people rests upon the holy Torah.”

Rav Betzalel lamented what he described as a dramatic reversal from previous generations, saying Torah scholars are now being treated like lawbreakers despite their central role in sustaining the Jewish people.

“For eighty years in the Holy Land of Israel, everyone understood that Torah learners are the foundation of the Jewish people. And now we are being shaken and persecuted—persecuted—and today we are under arrest and regarded as criminals and offenders for sitting in detention. And the entire crime and offense is the study of the holy Torah.”

The rosh yeshivah stressed that Torah remains the source of life and continuity for the Jewish nation and accused those seeking to draft full-time Torah scholars of failing to appreciate that reality.

He declared that the Torah is “the house of our lives,” adding that it “sustains life for the Jewish people and their continued existence.” He also criticized those promoting the current policies, saying, “We know that those who are distant want to abolish the holy Torah. They do not understand what the Jewish people are.”

Turning once again to the detainees, Rav Betzalel encouraged them to take strength from their circumstances and view themselves as serving a higher purpose.

“And you, the prisoners—the prisoners of the holy Torah—who are imprisoned for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, Hashem is with you, mighty warriors. Bear your imprisonment proudly, and may Hashem bless all those who have come to identify with the holy Torah, to sustain the Jewish people.”

He went on to emphasize that the future of the Jewish people depends entirely on Torah, warning against efforts to weaken its central place in Jewish life.

“Without the holy Torah, the Jewish people would not exist, and they want, chas v’shalom, to erase the Torah of Yisrael Saba and the Jewish people,” he said, reflecting the widely held view in the Torah world that Torah study provides the nation’s ultimate spiritual protection.

Rav Betzalel also urged the imprisoned students to preserve their spiritual strength despite their confinement.

“I also turn to the avreichim and the bochurim who are behind bars there in the prisons: Maintain the spirit of genuine yiras Shamayim, just as you conducted yourselves within the holy yeshivah. At the same time, let your spirit and your hearts be uplifted in the ways of the holy Torah.”

He reminded the detainees that they were not alone, describing them as representatives of the entire Torah world.

“Feel, feel that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is with you. That you are prisoners and emissaries of the entire Torah world and of the Torah itself,” Rav Betzalel said. His remarks came amid ongoing visits by rabbanim and public officials to Military Prison 10 to encourage the detainees.

Concluding his address, Rav Betzalel expressed solidarity with the imprisoned students and offered a prayer for the future of the Jewish people.

“We are all proud of you, we support you, and we pray, with Hashem’s help, that all our distant brothers will have the love of Torah placed into their hearts by the Holy One, Blessed be He, because that is what defines this nation.”

He ended by reiterating what he described as the central message of his remarks: “The public must know that without Torah there is no Jewish people. With Hashem’s help, the children will return to the spirit of Torah and Yisrael Saba, and the Redeemer will come, with Hashem’s help, and remove this persecution from upon us.”

{Matzav.com}

MK Meir Porush, chairman of the Shlomei Emunim faction, launched a scathing attack on the Religious Zionist Party, accusing it of undermining efforts to protect bnei Torah through proposed draft legislation and warning that its leaders fail to recognize where the political left will ultimately turn its attention.

Speaking in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Porush sharply criticized the party’s opposition to portions of legislation intended to safeguard full-time Torah learners.

“You’d think everything is perfect over there. You’d think everyone there serves 32 months and that all the girls serve,” Porush said. “They don’t understand that once the left finishes with us, they’ll come after them. The shame of the Religious Zionist Party is that it’s a party barely scraping the electoral threshold, yet it tries to dictate positions to Bibi and everyone else.”

Porush then invoked the historical position of the Brisker Rov regarding cooperation with the Religious Front, arguing that the current political tensions reflect a long-standing ideological divide.

“We all know who they are. We’ve known this story for 60 years,” he said. “The Rabbi of Brisk would not allow joining the Religious Front because he said, ‘The Mizrachi is the worst.’ They’ll tell you, ‘We’re with you,’ and in the end they hurt you.”

Continuing his criticism, Porush questioned why Religious Zionist lawmakers oppose benefits sought by the chareidi community while, he said, the chareidim do not interfere with issues important to the settlement movement.

“You see it yourself. What’s bothering them? Are we harming anyone in the settlement movement?” he asked. “They’re upset that our mothers should receive daycare assistance. At every step they hurt us—a party that’s barely scraping past the electoral threshold.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to mark 850 days since the disappearance of 9-year-old Haimanot Kassau, whose whereabouts remain unknown after she vanished from an absorption center in Tzfat in February 2024. Her family used the event to urge authorities to intensify the investigation and mobilize all available security agencies in hopes of finally uncovering what happened.

Relatives, community activists, and family members of hostages joined the rally, calling on the government to broaden the probe, establish a dedicated investigative task force, and devote additional national resources to the case in an effort to achieve a long-awaited breakthrough.

Haimanot’s father, Tespai Kassau, addressed the crowd in Amharic through a translator, speaking emotionally about his family’s hopes when they immigrated to Israel and the anguish they have endured since their daughter disappeared.

“We came to the Land of Israel with great faith, with love, with the desire to build a home here,” he said. “We wanted our children to grow up in a country that knows how to protect its children. And today, after 850 days, I stand here and ask: Where is my Haimanot? Haimanot was kidnapped not across the border, not by our enemies, but inside the State of Israel, from the very place where she lived. The State of Israel, which knows how to reach faraway places, cannot tell us after 850 days that it has no answers.”

Haimanot’s older sister, Yeros Kassau, also spoke through tears, directing her remarks to her missing sister. She described the devastating impact the disappearance has had on the family, recalling that Haimanot was a Hebrew-speaking Israeli child who had been growing up in a loving home before she was suddenly taken away.

The rally also featured remarks from families who have personally experienced kidnappings and tragedy. Bat Sheva Yahalomi, whose son Eitan was abducted to Gaza and later freed during the first hostage exchange, said the fact that whoever was responsible for Haimanot’s disappearance remains at large should concern every Israeli.

Attorney Dror Matityahu, who represents the Kassau family and the campaign working to bring Haimanot home, criticized the handling of the investigation during its early years. He noted that the case was transferred to Lahav 433, Israel’s national major crimes unit, only about six months ago.

Matityahu said investigators continue to receive new leads and information that warrant examination, stressing that every tip should be pursued and no investigative avenue should be dismissed. He added that the passage of time has made it increasingly difficult to recover evidence and determine the truth.

The gathering concluded with a call to ensure that Haimanot’s disappearance does not fade from public attention. Her family emphasized that, for them, this is not merely an unresolved criminal investigation—it is the desperate search for a little girl whom they still hope will one day return home.

{Matzav.com}

Political analyst Amit Segal says the next Israeli election could dramatically reshape the chareidi political landscape, outlining two sharply different scenarios—one in which the chareidi parties suffer a historic decline and another in which internal realignment could ultimately strengthen their electoral standing.

Writing in his weekly column in Yisroel Hayom, Segal argues that the greatest risk facing the chareidi parties is a significant drop in voter turnout. If fewer chareidi voters head to the polls than in previous elections, he says, the parties could experience what he describes as a “historic collapse” in political representation.

According to Segal, one of the key reasons the right-wing bloc has consistently outperformed polling projections is the exceptionally high participation rate among chareidi voters. “Take a sky-high voter turnout, multiply it by the highest natural population growth in the Western world, and you’ve gained another two Knesset seats,” he wrote.

He noted that the chareidi parties won the equivalent of 17.5 seats in the last election, which ultimately became 18 seats through the Bader-Ofer surplus-vote agreement. Current polls, however, generally project the parties at around 16 seats. Under ordinary circumstances, Segal wrote, many observers would expect those numbers to rise on Election Day—”unless this time the surprise works in the opposite direction.”

Segal said politicians, journalists, and influential figures within the chareidi community have begun expressing concern that turnout could fall sharply. He attributed that possibility to widespread disappointment with the current leadership, writing that many voters are frustrated with representatives “most of whom have been around since the previous millennium.” He added that many in the community blame their elected officials for the sanctions imposed on bnei yeshivah and the arrests of draft evaders, believing they “failed badly during the outgoing term.”

He also argued that the recent legislative push by the chareidi parties has been widely misunderstood. “The legislative blitz described in the general media as chareidi greed and hubris is actually more of a frantic race by Shas and United Torah Judaism to prove to their voters that they are at least doing something,” he wrote. Segal further claimed that “this is also the reason the establishment Agudas Yisrael initiated the massive disruptions on Israel’s highways.”

At the same time, Segal presented a very different possibility. Rather than signaling political weakness, he suggested that the recent cooperation between Agudas Yisrael and the Peleg Yerushalmi could indicate that Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah may ultimately contest the next election on separate tickets.

To support that theory, Segal cited Yated Ne’eman editor Aryeh Zisman, who has suggested that recent political developments may point toward a split between the Litvishe Degel HaTorah faction and the chassidic Agudas Yisrael faction.

Segal concluded that an independent Agudas Yisrael list could potentially clear the electoral threshold if it succeeds in attracting support from Peleg Yerushalmi voters, many of whom have traditionally boycotted elections. “The mutual hatred will drive everyone to the ballot boxes, recreating the 1988 election,” he wrote, noting that when Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael ran separately that year, they collectively nearly doubled their previous vote total and established the chareidi public as a major political force for the first time.