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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Tzvi Lercher zt”l.

Rav Lercher was known for his lifelong attachment to Torah learning and for the deep impression left upon him by his years studying under Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Those who knew him describe a steady presence whose life reflected dedication to Torah and avodas Hashem and commitment to his family.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Miriam Lercher; his sons, Rav Shmuel Yosef Lercher, Reb Yaakov Lercher, and Reb Mordechai Lercher; and his daughters, Mrs. Chaykie Adler, Mrs. Peppy Klugman, and Mrs. Etty Kotler; and grandchildren.

The levayah will take place on Sunday morning at Shomer Hadas Chapels in Boro Park at 9:15 a.m.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Retired Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, who until recently served as Israel’s coordinator for captives and missing persons, delivered disturbing testimony in a television interview, saying he endured severe verbal abuse and repeated death threats during his tenure — including threats he attributed to Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker.

Speaking on Channel 14’s program The Patriots, Hirsch described what he called shocking conduct toward him while carrying out his duties, saying the atmosphere crossed lines that cannot be ignored indefinitely.

“I understood the pain of the hostage families — it was completely justified, and I absorbed everything,” Hirsch said. “But that immunity cannot remain forever.”

Hirsch stated that he received multiple death threats, including from Zangauker, and stressed that it was not an isolated incident. “I received death threats from Einav Zangauker as well, and it didn’t happen just once,” he said. According to Hirsch, she also physically assaulted a female IDF officer in his office, though the officer chose, “out of her own nobility,” not to file a complaint.

The former coordinator also alleged that Zangauker asked him not to make public her requests for personal meetings with the prime minister. “After that, she took things outside, including recordings,” Hirsch said. “It shocks me how meetings between hostage families and the prime minister were recorded constantly.”

Hirsch emphasized that while his empathy for the families remains unchanged, boundaries must exist. “I want to make it clear that my heart is always with the hostage families — they went through something horrific — but there will no longer be immunity for those who say things that are out of place,” he said.

He further revealed that he filed a lawsuit last week against one individual who accused him of being a murderer, and said that another lawsuit would be filed in the coming days against a person who threatened him and his family. “I have another list, and it will be carried out,” Hirsch added.

{Matzav.com}

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman cautioned during a closed-door briefing in Washington on Friday that failing to act on U.S. threats against Iran would leave Tehran more confident and politically strengthened, according to people familiar with the discussion.

In remarks cited by Axios, Prince Khalid, the brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told think tank analysts and representatives of Jewish organizations, “At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime.”

The warning comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate, with President Donald Trump publicly raising the possibility of military action to pressure Iran back into nuclear negotiations following recent American and Israeli operations targeting Iranian-linked sites. During the briefing, Prince Khalid underscored the importance of limiting the risk of wider regional escalation should any strike be carried out.

The message appeared to contrast with more conciliatory signals from Riyadh in recent days, including a call between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in which Saudi Arabia reportedly assured Iran that its airspace would not be used for attacks and emphasized the need for regional stability. The briefing was part of Prince Khalid’s broader visit to the United States, which included meetings at the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House focused largely on Iran.

While no U.S. strike has yet taken place, the situation remains highly volatile following recent U.S. and Israeli actions against Iranian targets. Iran has threatened immediate retaliation in response to any direct attack, leaving the Trump administration weighing the risks of military action against the prospect of the “emboldened” Iran that Prince Khalid warned could emerge from continued inaction.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Inspire 2.0

Taking the Next Step; Reaching the next Level

Project Inspire’s Convention all about “Turning Inspiration into Action”

What makes a Project Inspire convention unforgettable, a can’t miss event?

 What encourages attendees to register well in advance, with a filled-to-capacity crowd year after year? Why is it arguably the most ‘sold out’ event of the season?

Is it the stellar lineup of speakers, the ‘cream of the crop’ flown in from across the globe? The dazzling, impeccable melava malka program, where magical surprises and tear-jerking reunions are carefully choreographed, where stories of longing, of making a 180, bring us to laughter and tears? Is it the incredible ruach, the camaraderie, the depth of connection? Or is it simply the caliber of the crowd, who are not just looking for yet another weekend of canned sound bites?

Perhaps it is the so-called ‘regular people,’ who have transformed the lives of their brothers and sisters, with a smile, a kind word, a caring gesture.

Because being part of the Project Inspire is a badge of honor, a symbol of something greater than ourselves and our routines. It’s about igniting a revolution, turning inspiration into action, and action into a movement.

It’s the burning desire, deep within our souls, to reach out to our unaffiliated fellow Jews, to make a difference and stem the tide of apathy and disinterest. It’s the searing pain we feel when we realize that the level of assimilation has reached shocking levels.

Welcome to Project Inspire 2.0: Not just an ordinary convention. Where the crowd is handpicked, more connected, and more invested. Where ‘regular’ people who don’t consider themselves the kiruv ‘type’ are empowered to do amazing things.

This year, especially, with a trendy new venue at the Tarrytown House Estates in Westchester County, the program at Project Inspire is carefully curated– not just to entertain and inspire, but to spur lasting action.  

With an impressive lineup of Torah and kiruv personalities, including Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Aish Kodesh; Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Schapiro; Rabbi Menachem Nissel; Rabbi Aaron Kotler; Rabbi Shlomo Farhi, and Charlie Hararay, and a unique women’s program, including Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker, Mrs. Debbie Greenblatt, and Rebetzin Estie Hamilton, the focus will be on ‘depth you can feel.’ Yehuda Green and Shulem Lemmer will add a melodious accompaniment to the tefillos and Shabbos meals.

 It’s not just another convention. It’s a launch pad for action, giving every attendee the tools, partnership, and direction they need to take things one step further.

This is your convention, your story, and our shared mission. Welcome to Project Inspire 2.0, where we laugh together, cry together, and be inspired together. More meaning. More connection. More impact.

Be a part of the movement, and be forever changed. Rooms are going fast. Don’t miss it!
Click here for more info

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al‑Thani met in Tehran with Iran’s Ali Larijani to discuss efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

Bill Clinton delivers a message through a recorded video for the US Conference of Mayors, and talks about freedom, democracy, and the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including the deaths of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.

A breathtaking winter scene unfolds at Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee, with snow-covered trees framing the rushing waterfall.

Boeing Defense reports that the first operational MQ-25A Stingray completed its initial autonomous taxi test; the carrier-based drone, designed to refuel Navy jets and extend F-35C range, is expected to make its first flight in early 2026.

By John McLaughlin and Jim McLaughlin

Despite a barrage of hostile media coverage and relentless attacks from the left, President Donald Trump’s standing with voters remains remarkably steady — especially on the issue of border security.

Our latest national survey shows Trump’s job approval is unchanged from last month: 50% approve, including 36% who approve of both his persona and his policies, and another 14% who approve of his policies. Forty-seven percent disapprove. [Poll: 1,000 likely voters, plus or minus 3.1%, 95% confidence interval, conducted January 21–27]

The reason Trump’s approval remains firm is simple: His base is rock solid.

Among Trump 2024 voters, his approval stands at 89% to 9%. Among Republicans, it is 88% to 11%.

Among conservatives, 85% approve and just 14% disapprove.

That kind of loyalty is rare in modern American politics — and it is driven largely by Trump’s unwavering stance on immigration enforcement.

During a stretch of frigid, snowy weather, the biggest national political story became ICE operations in Minneapolis.

Watching the legacy left-wing media’s slanted coverage of these enforcement actions made one thing clear: The press is actively trying to help anti-Trump Democrats weaken the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law.

If federal immigration enforcement is neutered, the result is de facto open borders.

Millions of illegal immigrants will continue to pour into the United States — whether they are criminals, terrorists, or individuals who will drain billions of dollars in public assistance from American taxpayers.

Our polling explains exactly why the left is losing this argument.

When voters were asked whether they favor or oppose “deporting known criminal and terrorist migrants who have entered the country illegally,” an overwhelming 87% support deportation, including 67% who strongly support it. Only 10% opposed.

Interestingly, Hispanic voters supported deportation by a strong 79% to 19% margin. These numbers are virtually unchanged from December, when support stood at 86% to 8%.

Despite nonstop messaging from the open-borders media, Democrats, and left-wing nonprofits, the American people have not budged: foreign criminals must go.

Support remains strong even when the question expands beyond criminals.

Asked whether they favor or oppose “deporting migrants who have entered the country illegally,” 62% of voters support deportation, including 39% who strongly support it. Thirty-two percent oppose.

Hispanic voters are divided — 46% support deportation, while 49% oppose. Again, these numbers show only modest movement from December (66% support, 27% oppose).

In short, the left has failed to change public opinion on the goal: Americans want illegal immigration stopped.

Where the left has made progress is not on the ends, but on the means — specifically, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE is the federal law enforcement agency tasked with arresting and deporting illegal immigrants.

Without ICE, the United States reverts to the Biden-Harris open borders policy that allowed millions of illegal immigrants to enter the country unchecked.

ICE’s image has taken a hit. Its favorable rating now stands at 42%, with 50% unfavorable. Among Hispanic voters, ICE is viewed unfavorably by a 58% to 31% margin.

That polarization is reflected in attitudes toward abolishing the agency altogether.

When voters were asked whether they favor or oppose defunding and abolishing ICE, the electorate was split: 46% support, 48% oppose.

Republicans oppose abolition by a decisive 66% to 31%. Democrats favor it 65% to 30%. Independents lean against it, 47% to 41%. Hispanic voters support defunding ICE 56% to 40%.

Ironically, voters are less divided when it comes to punishing sanctuary cities.

Nearly half of voters (48%) support cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis that refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting criminal illegal aliens. Forty-two percent oppose.

Trump 2024 voters support defunding sanctuary cities by a commanding 75% to 17%. Harris 2024 voters oppose it 70% to 20%. Hispanic voters are evenly split.

Voters are also rejecting radical state-level defiance of federal immigration law.

A majority (51%) oppose Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s effort to turn his state into an open-borders sanctuary that shields criminal illegal immigrants from deportation. Only 36% support Walz’s position.

Perhaps most striking, voters strongly back decisive action against the international drug trade.

A solid 58% approve of President Trump using the U.S. military to stop the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl from Venezuela, including capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was indicted in 2020 for drug trafficking.

Only 36% oppose. Majorities of Hispanics (52%), independents (54%), and moderates (53%) all support Trump’s approach.

The conclusion is clear.

Deporting criminal illegal immigrants remains overwhelmingly popular. Deporting illegal immigrants more broadly is also supported by a majority of Americans. What has become polarized is the mechanism — ICE — and the enforcement tools required to get the job done.

Republicans must refocus the debate on outcomes and expose Democratic opposition to ICE for what it truly is: a strategy to reopen the borders and invite millions more illegal immigrants into the country. President Trump understands this—and voters are standing firmly with him.

(c) Newsmax

President Donald Trump said today that alleged fraud in Minnesota far surpasses earlier estimates, writing on Truth Social that “the theft and fraud in Minnesota is far greater than the $19 billion originally projected.”

Trump’s remarks came as House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer of Kentucky announced that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison will testify under oath on March 4 as part of a congressional probe.

The upcoming testimony is tied to a federal investigation examining alleged fraud and misuse of funds within Minnesota-administered social services programs.

In his Truth Social post, Trump sharply criticized Minnesota officials and Rep. Ilhan Omar, writing:

“The Biden Administration knew this FRAUD was happening, and did absolutely nothing about it.
“Scammer” Illhan Omar and her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now or, far worse, send them back to Somalia.
“Governor” Waltz is either the most CORRUPT government official in history, or the most INCOMPETENT.
“Even a very low IQ person, of which there are many, should have known what was going on in Minnesota!!! President DJT.”

Comer said Friday that Walz and Ellison are scheduled to appear at a hearing titled “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II,” set for Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

In announcing the hearing, the committee said its investigation began in December 2025 after federal prosecutors outlined what lawmakers described as widespread fraud and money laundering within the state’s social services framework.

At the outset of the inquiry, committee officials said criminal networks “have stolen an estimated $9 billion” in taxpayer dollars intended for programs such as child nutrition assistance, services for children with autism, housing aid, and Medicaid.

Investigators and prosecutors have publicly cited varying figures when describing the scope of the suspected losses.

No court has yet established a final statewide total.

In December, a federal prosecutor said that half or more of approximately $18 billion in federal funding distributed to 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen.

The investigations trace back to the COVID-19 pandemic and include the Feeding Our Future case, which federal prosecutors have characterized as a large-scale scheme involving federal child nutrition funds.

Last month, 57 individuals linked to Feeding Our Future were convicted.

{Matzav.com}

A senior Gaza physician whose anguished New York Times op-eds became widely cited touchstones of the war is now at the center of a sharp credibility fight over media vetting, after Israeli officials and a watchdog group exposed that he also held a senior role in Hamas. The IDF and the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor say […]

TOM HOMAN: “I looked at the numbers just 15 minutes ago —President Trump has been in office just over a year, and we’ve had over 700,000 deportations between Border Patrol and ICE. That’s a record.”

Congressman Brandon Gill on partial government shutdown: “Democrats are willing to do whatever they can to thwart ICE and stop the President from deporting illegals which is what he was elected to do. They want to turn every city into Minneapolis.”

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

High school students in Fort Worth, Texas walked out of class to join a nationwide shutdown against ICE Friday.

President Donald Trump on Friday publicly praised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan, portraying both as key figures in his administration’s border enforcement and public safety efforts while forcefully defending Noem amid intensifying criticism tied to federal law enforcement actions in Minnesota.

In a post on Truth Social late Friday, Trump accused political opponents of unfairly targeting Noem and framed the attacks as rooted in hostility toward her performance and position.

“The Radical Left Lunatics, Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Thugs, are going after Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!” Trump wrote.

Trump credited Noem with overseeing what he described as sweeping improvements in border security and crime reduction since the start of his second term a year ago, saying the administration had reversed conditions it inherited.

“The Border disaster that I inherited is fixed,” Trump wrote, asserting that “the violent criminals that were allowed into our Country through Sleepy Joe’s ‘sick’ Open Border Policy, are largely gone, or being strongly sought for purposes of removal.”

The president also made broad claims about nationwide crime trends, saying the U.S. murder rate had dropped to a historic low and pointing to improvements in major cities.

Trump said the murder rate “just reached the lowest level in history, 125 years,” adding that Washington, D.C., “is now one of the safest cities in America,” while noting that “numerous other once very dangerous cities” have also seen progress.

He urged Republicans to stand firm, accused Democrats of financial misconduct, and dismissed protests as a cover for wrongdoing.

“They should all be in jail,” Trump wrote, saying he was elected on “Strong Borders, and Law and Order.”

The posts come as Noem faces mounting criticism over her response to deadly shootings in Minnesota involving federal immigration officers, as well as scrutiny over her oversight of disaster relief funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Officials and lawmakers from both parties have called on Noem to step down, with some raising the possibility of impeachment proceedings.

Following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Department of Homeland Security agents in Minneapolis last Saturday, Noem described him as a “domestic terrorist” and said he was “brandishing” a gun at the time of the encounter.

She made similar statements earlier this month after Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

Trump concluded his message about Noem by expressing gratitude and emphasizing the political implications of the moment.

“Thank you to Secretary Kristi Noem,” he wrote. “Remember, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!”

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump also singled out Homan for praise, describing him as uniquely effective and commending his work on border enforcement.

“Border Czar (Plus!) Tom Homan is doing a FANTASTIC JOB. He is one of a kind. Thank you Tom!!! President DJT”

{Matzav.com}