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The Yerushalayim District Court has ruled that prosecutors lack sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges against Agam Tzarfati and Shilat Huta in connection with the murder of Benayahu Razi z”l in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Yerushalayim, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn widespread attention across Eretz Yisroel.

The decision represents a major setback for the prosecution in the case, which initially involved seven defendants accused in connection with the violent incident that resulted in Razi’s death.

According to the original indictment, Huta and Tzarfati had rented an apartment for a weekend together with Razi and a friend of his. Several days later, the two women alleged that the men had behaved violently toward them.

Following those allegations, the women traveled to the apartment of Linor Sasson, whom they had not previously known.

Investigators alleged that a violent confrontation was subsequently organized at that location, with individuals arming themselves with weapons including clubs, knives, and a meat tenderizing hammer.

One of the most disturbing allegations to emerge during the investigation involved Tzarfati, who was accused of watching the assault unfold in real time through a live video call. Investigators claimed that she was seen smiling during portions of the transmission.

Police also released surveillance footage documenting the movements of suspects in the minutes leading up to the killing.

The footage showed several individuals walking together through the streets of Nachlaot before stopping briefly to speak with one another. They then continued quickly toward the rental apartment where the fatal attack occurred.

At the time, police maintained that each of the suspects had played an active role in the violent episode that ended in Razi’s death.

However, the District Court has now determined that the evidence presented does not establish the charges against Tzarfati and Huta, removing them from the prosecution’s case.

The ruling marks a significant reversal from the allegations initially presented by investigators, particularly given the attention surrounding claims that one of the women had watched the attack through a live video connection.

The court’s decision concerns the evidence against the two women and does not, by itself, resolve the allegations against the other defendants in the murder case.

President Donald Trump has delivered another powerful endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, predicting a decisive victory in Israel’s upcoming elections and revealing that he personally wrote the extraordinary letter of support he recently issued to Israeli voters. During a recorded telephone conversation between the two leaders, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his backing and emphasized their shared determination to confront Iran and expand the Abraham Accords.

The conversation, released by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday, came amid the final stretch of Israel’s election campaign, with Trump making clear that Netanyahu remains his preferred partner in Jerusalem.

Trump praised Netanyahu’s leadership and complained that the Israeli prime minister had been subjected to unfair treatment, both within Israel and internationally.

“You’re a fighter, and you’ve been treated unfairly in your country,” Trump told Netanyahu.

The president also discussed his recent letter endorsing Netanyahu, disclosing that the message had been written personally rather than prepared by his staff.

“I actually drafted it myself,” Trump said. “It’s not something some guy wrote for me.”

Trump continued by praising Netanyahu’s determination and suggesting that his political fortunes would soon vindicate him.

“You’re a great fighter, and we’re going to prove it. We’re going to prove it very soon,” the president declared.

The American president went on to express strong confidence that Netanyahu would emerge victorious in the October 27 election.

“I think you’re great, Bibi. I think you’re going to have a tremendous victory,” Trump said.

He then made his preference for Israel’s next leader unmistakable.

“The man I want by my side is Bibi,” Trump stated.

The telephone conversation followed Trump’s unusual public intervention in the Israeli election campaign on Sunday, when he issued a personal endorsement urging Israelis to return Netanyahu to office. The president described the prime minister as an indispensable American partner in confronting Iran and warned that replacing him could complicate efforts to deal with Tehran.

Netanyahu had said earlier Monday that he neither requested the endorsement nor knew in advance that Trump intended to publish it. During their subsequent conversation, he expressed his appreciation for the president’s public support.

“I am so grateful for this incredible support,” Netanyahu told Trump.

The prime minister described the American president as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House, or ever will have,” praising his leadership and saying it had strengthened the confidence of countries throughout the free world.

Netanyahu then shifted the conversation from the upcoming election to the strategic objectives he believes the United States and Israel must continue pursuing together.

“Donald, we have work to finish. You said it, and we will finish it together. We’ll finish it, and nobody else will do it,” Netanyahu declared.

The prime minister pointed to the achievements of the American-Israeli partnership, particularly the historic normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries that were negotiated during Trump’s first administration.

“Our alliance has proven that we can do amazing things together. We still have work to finish. We have peace that we can expand,” Netanyahu said.

He expressed confidence that additional Arab and Muslim countries could eventually join the Abraham Accords, arguing that the close relationship between Washington and Jerusalem creates opportunities for further diplomatic breakthroughs.

“I don’t want to name them, we’re on an open call, but we all know that we can expand the historic Abraham Accords, which we brought about together under your leadership,” Netanyahu said.

The Abraham Accords, announced in 2020, established formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Morocco subsequently joining the normalization framework. Expanding those agreements has remained a major diplomatic objective for both leaders.

The latest exchange also comes amid continuing uncertainty over the confrontation with Iran, following the joint American-Israeli military campaign launched in February. Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran that further action remains possible if it fails to change course.

In his endorsement letter, Trump portrayed Netanyahu as a crucial partner in preventing Iran from threatening Israel and the United States. He also warned that Washington could be left to confront the Iranian threat without the same degree of Israeli cooperation if Netanyahu were replaced.

The president’s public backing represents a significant development in the closing days of Israel’s election campaign, particularly after months in which he had avoided offering an explicit endorsement despite his longstanding relationship with Netanyahu.

In an interview Sunday, Trump said he had intended to endorse Netanyahu all along but had deliberately waited until closer to Election Day.

The two leaders have maintained a close political relationship over the years, although disagreements over military operations and diplomatic strategy have occasionally strained their cooperation.

For Netanyahu, Trump’s endorsement provides a prominent expression of international support as he seeks another term in office, with the Likud leader emphasizing his personal relationship with the American president as a central element of his campaign.

Concluding his remarks during Monday’s telephone conversation, Netanyahu returned to the Iranian nuclear threat, praising Trump’s determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“The American public needs to know that you stood up to the greatest danger facing it — a nuclear-armed Iran. We will not allow that to happen,” Netanyahu said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday called on former IDF Brigadier General Ofer Winter and other leaders of small right-wing parties to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections, warning that their continued participation could split the right-wing vote and jeopardize the bloc’s chances of forming the next government.

Smotrich’s demand came just hours after Benny Gantz announced that he would not participate in the October 27 election, a decision that followed weeks of pressure from opposition figures concerned that his party would fail to cross the electoral threshold and waste votes that could otherwise help the anti-Netanyahu bloc.

The finance minister argued that Gantz’s decision demonstrated a level of political discipline that is currently missing on the right, where several smaller parties are continuing their campaigns despite uncertain prospects of winning Knesset representation.

“When you hear all the left-wing party leaders congratulating Gantz on his decision to withdraw, you understand that he withdrew to demonstrate responsibility toward the left-wing bloc and bring it to power,” Smotrich said in a video statement.

According to Smotrich, Gantz’s departure has substantially reduced the danger of wasted votes among parties seeking to replace Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while the right continues to face the possibility of losing significant electoral support to lists that fail to qualify for seats.

“The left is now organized with zero wasted votes. Unfortunately, on the right, the situation is now completely the opposite,” he said.

Smotrich specifically criticized Winter and other small-party leaders, describing their political organizations as “fragments of parties that have absolutely no chance in the world of crossing the electoral threshold.”

He accused them of “gambling with the future of the State of Israel” by remaining in the race despite the possibility that their votes would not translate into Knesset seats.

Addressing Winter and the other party leaders directly, Smotrich urged them to abandon their independent campaigns rather than risk weakening the broader right-wing camp.

“I implore Ofer, his colleagues, and all the fragments of parties: Withdraw. We do not gamble on a Palestinian state, we do not gamble on the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, we do not gamble on security, we do not gamble on the future of the State of Israel,” Smotrich declared.

The finance minister also appealed to right-wing voters, urging them to support only parties that are certain to win enough votes to enter the Knesset.

“We do not vote for any party that is not certain to cross the electoral threshold, we do not throw votes in the garbage, and we do not establish a Palestinian state,” he said.

Under Israel’s electoral system, a party must receive at least 3.25% of the national vote to enter the 120-member Knesset. Votes cast for parties that fall below that threshold do not produce any seats, potentially affecting the balance between competing political blocs.

That calculation has become particularly significant ahead of the October 27 election, with both the Netanyahu-aligned parties and the opposition seeking to maximize their representation in what is expected to be a closely contested race.

Winter, a former senior IDF officer who has attracted attention among national-religious and right-wing voters, is among the figures Smotrich believes could draw support away from established parties without necessarily securing enough votes to enter the Knesset.

Smotrich’s remarks also highlight growing concern within the right-wing camp that smaller parties could collectively receive enough votes to influence the election’s outcome while individually failing to win representation.

The finance minister’s appeal followed Gantz’s announcement earlier Monday that he was withdrawing from the race, reversing a declaration he made only last week that he intended to remain a candidate until Election Day.

Gantz had faced sustained pressure from other opposition figures to withdraw because polls had repeatedly placed his party near or below the electoral threshold.

His decision was welcomed by political leaders in the anti-Netanyahu bloc, who viewed his withdrawal as an opportunity to consolidate support behind parties with stronger prospects of winning Knesset seats.

Smotrich is now seeking a similar consolidation on the right, arguing that the stakes of the election are too high for smaller parties to risk wasting votes that could otherwise help secure a right-wing majority.

{Matzav.com}

A man has been arrested in London following a series of disturbing attacks on chareidi women in Stamford Hill, with surveillance footage reportedly showing the suspect deliberately singling out women walking along the street while ignoring men and other pedestrians nearby.

The assaults, which have sparked alarm throughout London’s large chareidi community, are being investigated as suspected antisemitic attacks. The suspect was apprehended after volunteers from the local Shomrim neighborhood security organization pursued and detained him until police arrived.

According to reports from Stamford Hill, the man was captured on video approaching several chareidi women and physically striking them as they went about their daily activities in the neighborhood.

Particularly troubling to community members was the apparent pattern of the attacks. Footage of the incidents reportedly shows the suspect passing other pedestrians, including chareidi men, without confronting them, while specifically approaching and assaulting chareidi women.

The circumstances have raised concerns that the attacker intentionally selected women whom he perceived as less likely to resist or defend themselves.

The attacks were brought to an end following the intervention of Stamford Hill Shomrim volunteers, who responded to the incidents and pursued the suspect.

The volunteers managed to apprehend and restrain the man, holding him at the scene until Metropolitan Police officers arrived and took him into custody for questioning.

The arrest comes amid heightened concern over antisemitism in Britain, where Jewish communities have reported growing hostility in recent years, particularly against the backdrop of widespread anti-Israel demonstrations and tensions surrounding the war in Gaza.

Community representatives said the Stamford Hill incidents were especially alarming because they involved direct physical violence against visibly Orthodox Jewish women in a neighborhood that is home to one of Europe’s largest chareidi populations.

Stamford Hill, located in northeast London, is home to numerous shuls, yeshivos, Jewish schools, and chassidishe communities. Its residents have increasingly relied on local security organizations, including Shomrim, to respond to suspicious activity and incidents affecting the community.

The latest assaults have intensified concerns about the safety of Jewish residents going about their ordinary routines, with particular attention focused on women who may be targeted because of their identifiable religious appearance.

Members of the local chareidi community expressed appreciation to the Shomrim volunteers for their swift intervention, crediting their response with bringing the incidents to an end and ensuring that the suspect was handed over to police.

Community members are now calling on London authorities to pursue the investigation thoroughly and ensure that the suspect faces appropriate legal consequences if the allegations are proven.

The suspect’s identity has not been disclosed, and further details concerning the number of victims, the extent of any injuries, and potential criminal charges have not yet been made available.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt to restore a plea agreement for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, leaving him facing the possibility of execution if convicted in the long-running military prosecution at Guantanamo Bay.

The justices declined to intervene in a dispute over the Pentagon’s decision to cancel an agreement under which Mohammed would have pleaded guilty in exchange for a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The agreement, negotiated by military prosecutors and defense attorneys, had initially received approval from the senior Pentagon official overseeing the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

However, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin intervened in 2024 and revoked the arrangement, arguing that a decision of such magnitude, particularly one involving the possible death penalty for the September 11 attacks, should remain under the authority of the secretary of defense.

Mohammed’s attorneys challenged Austin’s intervention, maintaining that the agreement had already been properly approved and that the defense secretary had acted too late to invalidate it.

A divided federal appeals court panel subsequently ruled that Austin had acted within his authority, allowing the Pentagon’s cancellation of the agreement to stand.

Monday’s Supreme Court action leaves that ruling in place, effectively ending the latest effort to reinstate the negotiated resolution.

The case involves Mohammed and two other defendants, Mustafa al Hawsawi and Walid bin Attash, who also reached plea agreements with military prosecutors in 2024. All three sought Supreme Court review of the decision allowing Austin to withdraw from the arrangements.

Under the proposed deals, the defendants would have admitted guilt to charges arising from the September 11 attacks and received life sentences instead of facing capital punishment.

Mohammed is accused of organizing and directing the terrorist plot that resulted in four commercial airliners being hijacked on September 11, 2001. Two aircraft were flown into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan, a third struck the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.

Nearly 3,000 people were murdered in the attacks, which prompted the United States to launch a global campaign against Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and subsequently held in secret CIA detention facilities before being transferred to the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

His prosecution has been delayed for years by legal disputes involving evidence, interrogation methods, and the procedures governing military commissions.

One of the central obstacles has been determining whether statements obtained during Mohammed’s detention and interrogation by the CIA can be introduced as evidence. Defense attorneys have challenged the use of such statements because of the coercive interrogation methods employed during his captivity.

In 2024, after lengthy negotiations, military prosecutors reached agreements with Mohammed, Hawsawi, and bin Attash that appeared to offer a way to resolve the cases without proceeding through a full capital trial.

The agreements were approved by retired Brigadier General Susan Escallier, the senior official responsible for overseeing the military commission proceedings.

Two days after the arrangements were announced, Austin intervened and withdrew his approval, asserting that the authority to decide whether the defendants could avoid the death penalty belonged to him.

The intervention triggered another prolonged legal battle over whether the defense secretary could cancel agreements that had already been authorized.

In November 2024, a military judge ruled that Austin’s attempt to invalidate the agreements was unlawful. A military appeals court subsequently upheld that determination, allowing preparations for guilty-plea hearings to proceed.

The Justice Department then appealed to the federal courts, arguing that Austin possessed the legal authority to withdraw the agreements before they became final.

In July 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2–1 in favor of the government, reversing the earlier military court decisions.

The appeals court concluded that Austin “indisputably had legal authority to withdraw from the agreements.”

Defense attorneys subsequently asked the Supreme Court to review that ruling, arguing that the defense secretary’s intervention violated military law and undermined an opportunity to bring the decades-old prosecution to a conclusion.

The Supreme Court declined to take up the case Monday without issuing an explanation. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in consideration of the appeals.

The proposed plea agreements had also divided relatives of those murdered on September 11.

Some families opposed allowing the defendants to escape the possibility of execution, arguing that the enormity of the attacks warranted a full trial and the potential imposition of the death penalty.

Others supported the negotiated agreements, viewing guilty pleas and guaranteed life sentences as a means of finally obtaining legal accountability after more than two decades of delays.

With the plea agreements no longer available, the military prosecution is scheduled to move forward.

In August, a military judge set June 5, 2028, as the trial date for Mohammed and three other defendants, including Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, who was not a party to the plea agreement appeal.

The trial would begin more than 26 years after the September 11 attacks, although additional pretrial litigation could still affect the schedule.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli journalist and media personality Yedidya Meir, who has become an enthusiastic advocate for Daf Yomi, has revealed that he once believed he would never be capable of learning Gemara consistently. After years of painful memories from his school and yeshiva education, he had effectively given up on Gemara altogether. It was only at the age of 40 that he decided to give it another chance, eventually completing the entire Shas.

Speaking with Ariel Berman on Kol Chai Radio’s afternoon magazine program, Meir shared the personal journey that transformed his relationship with learning. The interview was conducted as part of the program’s “Good News” segment in honor of the yahrtzeit of Rav Meir Shapiro of Lublin, founder of the Daf Yomi movement.

“The moment I finally finished my studies, I closed the Gemara, and that was it,” Meir recalled. “I told myself: Gemara is not for me.”

Meir explained that his difficulties were rooted in deeply unpleasant experiences during his earlier years of education. Rather than associating Gemara with enjoyment and accomplishment, he had come to view it as something frustrating and beyond his abilities.

“My experience of learning in yeshiva and school was so negative,” he said.

One of the strongest reminders of those experiences was something as simple as the traditional typeface used for Rashi’s commentary. For years, merely seeing Rashi script brought back uncomfortable memories of his struggles with learning.

The turning point came when Meir was 40 years old. At the time, the worldwide Daf Yomi cycle had reached Maseches Sukkah, a masechta that brought back a different set of memories.

Unlike other areas of Gemara, Sukkah reminded him of enjoyable childhood lessons involving illustrations of sukkos, explanatory materials and visual demonstrations that had helped him understand the subject.

“I said, ‘I’ll learn Maseches Sukkah,’” Meir recalled.

What began as a limited experiment gradually developed into a daily commitment. Meir discovered that he could maintain a consistent learning schedule, and the effort that began with a single masechta eventually led him to complete the entire Shas.

Despite that accomplishment, Meir acknowledged that certain aspects of learning still present challenges. He continues to use the Schottenstein Edition of the Gemara, relying on its accessible explanations and clear, vowelized Hebrew text.

He explained that the traditional Rashi typeface remains difficult for him, even after years of successful learning. Rather than allowing that obstacle to interfere with his progress, he has found an approach that enables him to continue.

Meir also discussed a practical system he developed to deal with one of the most common difficulties faced by Daf Yomi participants: falling behind.

With a busy schedule and numerous professional responsibilities, he occasionally misses a day’s learning. Instead of allowing the missed material to interrupt his progress, he keeps track of the pages he needs to complete while continuing to learn the current day’s daf.

“I have a WhatsApp group with myself called ‘Daf Yomi Debts,’” he revealed.

Whenever he misses a daf, Meir adds it to the list in that private WhatsApp group. He then continues with the page being studied by Daf Yomi participants worldwide, returning to the outstanding pages when he has an opportunity.

“The principle is to keep moving forward,” he explained.

Meir said that remaining synchronized with the worldwide Daf Yomi schedule has been a major factor in his ability to maintain consistency. Knowing that Jews around the world are learning the same daf on the same day provides encouragement and a sense of belonging to something much larger than an individual’s personal learning program.

He described that shared experience as one of the great strengths of the system established by Rav Meir Shapiro, whose vision created a worldwide framework that continues to unite Jews through daily Gemara learning.

During the interview, Meir also praised the growing number of resources available to people who previously found Gemara difficult or intimidating.

He specifically mentioned the popular Daf Yomi shiurim delivered by Rav Eli Stefansky, whose presentations incorporate humor, visual demonstrations and an engaging teaching style.

According to Meir, such approaches can be especially valuable for people who struggled with attention difficulties or negative educational experiences earlier in life.

He observed that there is an important distinction between someone who has never attempted to learn Gemara and someone who tried repeatedly, struggled and eventually concluded that learning was simply beyond his abilities.

For the second individual, discovering that he can learn consistently represents something much more significant than acquiring a new daily routine. It can fundamentally change how he views his own abilities and his relationship with Torah learning.

Meir also addressed the role that wives and families can play in encouraging Daf Yomi participation, following an earlier interview in which Rav Naftali Wasserman had emphasized the importance of women’s support for their husbands’ learning.

While expressing appreciation for his wife’s encouragement, Meir cautioned that excessive pressure can be counterproductive, particularly for individuals who already associate learning with earlier frustrations.

“My wife has a large share in my learning and in my siyumim, but don’t pressure,” he said.

He explained that well-intentioned demands from family members can sometimes revive the very feelings of inadequacy and discomfort that prevented a person from learning in the first place.

Instead, Meir suggested that families offer encouragement, support and tefillos while allowing the individual to develop a personal commitment to learning at his own pace.

Reflecting on his transformation, Meir said there are still moments when he finds himself amazed by the fact that he has become someone who learns Gemara consistently.

Whether he is sitting down with a daf on Erev Shabbos or Motzoei Shabbos, he sometimes thinks back to the person who once closed his Gemara and decided that learning was not for him.

“Suddenly I say to myself, ‘Look, I’m that masmid,’” he said. “I thought I couldn’t do it, but I can, with one daf every day.”

Meir said the experience has also changed the way he looks back on his education and the teachers and administrators associated with his earlier difficulties.

“We often also settle scores with our teachers, with our principals,” he observed.

He questioned the value of continuing to carry those grievances years later, particularly when a person has the opportunity to begin again and develop a new relationship with learning.

Asked why he feels such a strong responsibility to encourage others to participate in Daf Yomi, Meir said his motivation comes directly from the transformation he experienced.

“When someone or something truly changed your life, in an area where you thought, ‘This is no longer for me, not in this lifetime,’ then you want other people to discover what you experienced.”

{Matzav.com}

Ditza Or, whose son Avinatan spent 738 days in Hamas captivity, has accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of bearing responsibility for policies that allowed Hamas to grow stronger in Gaza and for failing to bring Israel’s military campaign to a conclusion. Despite her sharp criticism, however, she said she could not determine whether Netanyahu should have resigned over the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre.

Speaking in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet radio on the first anniversary of her son’s release, Or addressed the government’s handling of Hamas before the attack, the conduct of the subsequent war, and the need for an investigation into the failures that enabled the massacre.

“Clearly, there is comprehensive responsibility for the nurturing of Hamas in Gaza, for the insane amounts of funding that were transferred, for turning a blind eye to everything that was happening, for everything known as the ‘conception.’ Clearly, the Prime Minister bears responsibility for that,” Or said.

Her remarks referred to the longstanding Israeli security assumptions concerning Hamas before October 7, including the belief that the terrorist organization could be contained and deterred from launching a major attack.

Or argued that Netanyahu’s responsibility extended beyond the policies that preceded the massacre, saying that the continuing military situation also demanded accountability.

“In my view, he also bears responsibility for the fact that the campaign has still not ended when it could have been brought to an end, and not a single front has been closed. He absolutely bears responsibility,” she added.

Nevertheless, when questioned about why senior military and security officials had departed their positions while Netanyahu remained prime minister, Or declined to make a definitive judgment about whether he should step down.

“That’s a difficult question. I really don’t know what to say about it. I tell myself that I don’t have to know everything, and I don’t have to have an answer to everything,” she replied.

She subsequently reiterated that although she believes the prime minister bears substantial responsibility, she has not reached a conclusion regarding the political consequences that should follow.

“Now, as for saying whether he should have resigned or stepped down, I don’t know.”

Or also addressed the demand for a formal investigation into the events of October 7, arguing that the failures were so extensive that they require a thorough examination of the country’s political and security leadership.

“Clearly, there were enormous failures here… I have to summon a tremendous amount of goodwill to say that these were merely failures,” she said.

She maintained that identifying those responsible must be accompanied by fundamental changes to the institutions and procedures that failed to prevent the attack.

“Clearly, these failures must be investigated, and clearly there are people who bear responsibility and people who are to blame, and they must be held accountable. Above all, the systems must be fixed,” she added.

While Or expressed strong support for an inquiry, she objected to the possibility of an investigative commission whose members would be drawn predominantly from one side of Israel’s political divide.

“I very much expect there to be an investigation, for the truth to emerge, and for there to be integrity in the country. The commission must represent all sides of the political spectrum,” she said.

She warned that the public would have difficulty trusting the findings of an inquiry perceived as politically one-sided, regardless of which political camp dominated its membership.

“Otherwise, regardless of which side it comes from, it will not be objective, and that will not help us reach the truth.”

Or was particularly critical of the possibility that Supreme Court justices would lead such an investigation, expressing concern about what she views as the judiciary’s political orientation.

“A commission headed by the court, headed by Supreme Court justices, is a biased commission,” she said.

She explained her objection by asserting that the court “expresses very one-sided positions that belong to one side of the political spectrum.”

Her comments reflected her assessment of the judiciary and her preference for an investigative body representing a broader range of public perspectives.

The interview also revisited Or’s outspoken position during the more than two years that her son was held hostage in Gaza. Throughout that period, she was associated with the Tikva Forum, an organization representing hostage families that advocated continued military pressure on Hamas rather than concessions that could leave the terrorist organization in power.

Or explained that her approach was based on her conviction that defeating Hamas militarily offered the best prospect of securing the captives’ freedom.

“My understanding of the situation told me that the only way to bring the hostages home was to defeat Hamas,” she said.

She argued that the objectives of destroying Hamas’ military capabilities and securing the hostages’ release were mutually reinforcing, rather than competing priorities.

“If we stand strong against them and weaken them to the point where they have no choice, then they will return as many as possible, and ultimately all of them,” she explained.

Or said she regarded sustained pressure on Hamas as essential both to obtaining the hostages’ release and to preventing future attacks against Israel.

“Weakening them is a means of bringing the hostages home, and at the same time, it is also a means of ensuring Israel’s security,” she said.

Her remarks follow an interview earlier this month in which she described a conversation her son allegedly had with one of his Hamas captors shortly before his release. According to Or, Avinatan asked a terrorist known as Abu Hassan why Hamas had agreed to free the remaining living hostages together.

Or recounted that the captor answered, “Hamas is weak, there’s nothing we can do, we have to.”

She presented the exchange as further support for her belief that military pressure had forced Hamas to release the captives.

Avinatan was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023, along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani. Images of the two being abducted became among the most widely recognized scenes from the attack.

Argamani was rescued by Israeli special forces in June 2024, while Avinatan remained in captivity until October 13, 2025, when he was freed alongside 19 other living hostages under a ceasefire agreement brokered by President Donald Trump.

Following his release, his family disclosed that he had endured severe deprivation and isolation during his 738 days in Gaza. He had lost a substantial amount of weight and had spent much of his captivity without contact with other Israeli hostages.

In Monday’s interview, Or spoke about the changes she has witnessed in her son during the year since he returned home, describing his determination to rebuild his life despite the suffering he experienced.

“He turned darkness into light. He went through such terribly difficult experiences, and he transformed them in an amazing way into strength, joy for life, love for others, and positive action,” she said.

Or acknowledged that the reality of having her son home after such a prolonged ordeal has been difficult to fully absorb, even as the family has resumed its daily routines.

“The realization that he is already here is so overwhelming that, from the very beginning, I felt I couldn’t truly take it all in,” she said.

Looking back on the years of fear, uncertainty, and waiting, she said the experience sometimes seems almost impossible to believe.

“And on the other hand, when I look back, I ask myself, ‘Did that really happen?’ It feels like a dream, like a nightmare we woke up from, and of course, Avinatan is home.”

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk announced Monday that he intends to give every child in the United States one share of SpaceX stock next year, unveiling a potentially multibillion-dollar giveaway that could provide approximately 72 million American children with an ownership stake in his aerospace company.

The SpaceX chief executive disclosed the plan in a message on X, the social media platform he owns, suggesting that the initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort to distribute company shares directly to the public.

“Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” Musk wrote.

“This will be the first of many.”

Based on SpaceX’s reported closing share price of $146.03 on Friday, the proposed distribution would carry an estimated value of $10.5 billion if all approximately 72 million Americans under the age of 18 received a share.

Musk did not provide details about how the shares would be transferred, whether all children would qualify regardless of family income or citizenship status, or what arrangements would be established to hold the investments on behalf of minors.

Musk holds billions of shares in SpaceX, giving him the financial capacity to carry out the proposed distribution without relinquishing a substantial portion of his ownership.

An August filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission listed his beneficial ownership at approximately 6.4 billion shares, including stock options and awards that had not yet vested. Those holdings represented roughly 48.4% of the company.

SpaceX entered the public stock market in June, completing what was described as the largest initial public offering in history. The company began trading under the ticker symbol SPCX after pricing its initial offering at $135 per share and raising approximately $85.7 billion.

The stock closed Friday at $146.03, placing the company’s market valuation at approximately $2 trillion. At that price, each child receiving one share would obtain an investment initially worth about $146, although its value could rise or fall with the stock market.

Musk’s announcement follows a separate commitment by SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell, who pledged more than $320 million worth of her personal SpaceX holdings to help fund investment accounts for more than two million American children.

That initiative is connected to Trump Accounts, a federal program established under President Donald Trump’s administration to encourage long-term investment and savings for children.

Under the program, children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, are eligible for a one-time $1,000 federal contribution to a qualifying investment account.

The accounts are designed to allow investments to accumulate over time, potentially providing young Americans with financial resources as they reach adulthood.

It remains unclear whether Musk intends to distribute his SpaceX shares through Trump Accounts or establish a separate arrangement for the proposed giveaway.

The billionaire’s announcement came amid a broader discussion about how some of the world’s wealthiest technology companies should share their financial gains with the public, particularly as artificial intelligence raises concerns about future employment and economic inequality.

On Sunday, artificial intelligence developer Anthropic announced that it would dedicate at least 5% of its shares to a newly established Public Benefit Fund intended to support charitable initiatives and address the economic consequences of technological change.

The fund could eventually be worth tens of billions of dollars, depending on Anthropic’s valuation and the performance of its shares.

Anthropic said the initiative could provide funding to nonprofit organizations, distribute financial assistance directly to certain populations, and support programs intended to help workers affected by artificial intelligence.

Musk responded to the announcement by suggesting that a more direct approach would be preferable to distributing corporate wealth through charitable organizations.

“I recommend giving the shares directly to the public,” Musk wrote Sunday.

“This is what I will be doing.”

Several hours later, Musk followed up with his announcement that he would begin distributing SpaceX stock to American children in 2027.

The proposal would represent one of the largest individual stock giveaways ever announced, potentially giving millions of children a direct financial interest in a company involved in rocket launches, satellite communications, and other advanced technologies.

SpaceX, founded by Musk in 2002, has become a major contractor for NASA and the U.S. government, while its Starlink satellite network provides internet connectivity to customers around the world.

The company is also pursuing ambitious plans for expanded space exploration and advanced technological development, with Musk frequently discussing the possibility of establishing a permanent human presence on Mars.

For families, the proposed distribution would mean that children could become shareholders in a company whose future financial performance would directly affect the value of their investments.

However, significant questions remain unanswered, including whether the shares would be held in custodial accounts, whether recipients would be permitted to sell them, and what tax or administrative requirements might accompany the transfers.

Musk has also not clarified whether his reference to every child in America includes all minors living in the United States or only those meeting specific citizenship or residency requirements.

For now, the announcement remains a pledge rather than an established distribution program, with additional details expected before the proposed rollout next year.

Tens of thousands of mispallelim expected to visit Kever Rochel for the yahrtzeit of Rochel Imeinu this week will encounter major changes in transportation and access arrangements, with organizers introducing a new system modeled after the annual Lag Ba’omer gathering in Meron. Under the revised plan, buses will no longer bring passengers directly to the entrance of the kever, and visitors will instead be required to walk approximately ten minutes in each direction.

The new arrangements will take effect beginning Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday, 11 Cheshvan, when large crowds traditionally travel to Kever Rochel to daven on the yahrtzeit. Organizers hope the changes will eliminate the severe traffic congestion and lengthy delays that have repeatedly disrupted transportation during previous years.

According to sources, this year’s preparations have also involved a change in the company responsible for managing the event. For the first time, the production contract was awarded through a competitive bidding process following a directive from legal advisers at Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services.

In previous years, the annual gathering was organized by Azrieli Productions. This year, however, the contract was awarded to Kapayim Productions, which will oversee the logistical arrangements and coordination of the large-scale event.

The company’s producer visited the site during the past week to familiarize himself with the layout of the complex and assess the particular requirements of the chareidi public, which makes up a substantial portion of those who visit the kever during the yahrtzeit.

The preparations are taking place under significant financial constraints. According to the report, the entire budget allocated for this year’s event is just 900,000 shekels, considerably less than the amounts provided in previous years.

Organizers have also been required to cover expenses unrelated to the usual arrangements for the yahrtzeit, including the relocation of protective shelters that were installed at the complex during the war with Iran.

Until recently, the shelters were positioned near the entrance to the kever. To accommodate the anticipated crowds and free up space in the immediate vicinity of the entrance, they have now been transferred to the upper parking lot.

The relocation alone cost approximately 50,000 shekels, consuming more than five percent of the total event budget and leaving organizers with fewer resources for other aspects of the operation.

The most significant change for visitors, however, involves the route between the buses and the kever itself.

In previous years, buses carrying mispallelim were permitted to proceed through the security corridor leading from Checkpoint 300 to the entrance of the complex. Passengers were dropped off close to the kever, allowing them to reach the site with relatively little walking.

That arrangement frequently created serious transportation problems. The narrow entrance road and nearby traffic circle became congested as buses continuously entered and exited, resulting in substantial delays and lengthy waiting periods for those attempting to arrive or depart.

Under the new system, buses will stop before the yellow security gate rather than continuing through the corridor toward the kever. Passengers will disembark at that point and proceed on foot to the complex.

The walk is expected to take approximately ten minutes each way, and the same arrangement will apply to visitors returning to their buses after davening.

Organizers believe that keeping buses away from the narrow entrance will allow traffic to move more efficiently and prevent the bottlenecks that have plagued previous gatherings.

An official involved in managing the event compared the new arrangements directly to the transportation system used for the massive annual gathering at the kever of Rav Shimon bar Yochai in Meron.

“Just as in Meron, where buses drop off the public at the bottom of the mountain and there is a walk of approximately 20 minutes to the kever, we have adopted the same idea here,” the official told Emess. “It is far preferable to the collapse of the transportation system that occurred every year.”

Special accommodations will be available for elderly visitors and individuals with disabilities who cannot comfortably make the walk. Organizers will operate small electric vehicles, including golf carts, to transport those requiring assistance between the drop-off area and the kever.

Additional details published by the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites confirm that private vehicles and buses will not be permitted to enter the Kever Rochel complex during the yahrtzeit. Pedestrians will be allowed to travel along the designated route from the Rosemary Junction area to the kever, subject to security instructions.

Dedicated bus service will operate from the western parking lot of Teddy Stadium in Yerushalayim, near Gates 8 and 9. Routes 662 and 663 will transport passengers directly to the designated drop-off area near the yellow gate.

The special service is scheduled to operate Wednesday, October 21, from 3 p.m. until 6 a.m. Thursday, and again Thursday, October 22, from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Passengers will be charged the regular urban public transportation fare and are being advised to load their Rav-Kav cards in advance, as reloading facilities will not be available at the site.

Regular bus routes 163 and 238 will not operate during the yahrtzeit arrangements, and several nearby bus stops will be temporarily closed. Officials have also warned that waiting times and congestion remain possible despite the new transportation plan.

The revised arrangements represent the first year that the Meron-style system will be implemented at Kever Rochel. Following the yahrtzeit, organizers intend to review the operation, evaluate the effectiveness of the changes and determine whether further adjustments will be necessary for future years.

{Matzav.com}

A late-night emergency alert warning that military police were attempting to arrest a Ger chassidishe yungerman in Arad sent local residents rushing to his home early Monday morning, only for the entire incident to turn out to be a false alarm. The officers involved were members of the regular Israel Police rather than the military police, and no arrest connected to the military draft was taking place.

The incident unfolded at approximately 1 a.m., when an urgent notification circulated through the chareidi community claiming that military authorities had arrived at a residence on Yehuda Street to arrest an avreich. The alert called on residents to immediately gather outside the home to support the man and his family and prevent the suspected arrest.

“Right now, the military police are attempting to arrest an avreich at his home in the city of Arad, at 28 Yehuda Street. The public is called upon to come and support the avreich and his family,” the original message stated.

The warning quickly prompted residents to head toward the address, reflecting the heightened sensitivity surrounding the ongoing arrests of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim who have been classified by military authorities as draft evaders.

Initial reports circulating in the community identified the individual as a member of Ger and claimed that military police officers had arrived at his residence to take him into custody. Approximately fifteen minutes after the original alert, additional messages indicated that the officers had departed.

However, representatives of Ger subsequently clarified that the incident had nothing to do with the arrest of a draft evader. They explained that the officers who had visited the location were from the regular Israel Police and had no connection to the military authorities responsible for enforcing draft requirements.

The clarification established that the emergency notification had been issued because the circumstances surrounding the police activity had been incorrectly interpreted as an attempted military arrest.

The alert was distributed by Tzeva Shachor, or “Black Color,” an emergency notification network that monitors military enforcement activity involving yeshiva bochurim and alerts local communities when arrests are suspected.

Following the incident, the organization issued an official clarification acknowledging that its initial warning had been incorrect.

“During the incident, several indications and factors were received that raised a well-founded concern about activity by the military enforcement authorities,” the organization explained. “In accordance with our obligation to act quickly for the benefit of the public, the necessary alert was activated.”

The organization said the misunderstanding became clear only after residents arrived at the location and established the circumstances of the police visit.

“Once the public arrived at the scene and all the details of the incident were clarified on the ground, we were pleased to discover that this was an incident unrelated to the military police,” the statement continued.

Tzeva Shachor emphasized that its personnel work to verify incoming reports while maintaining the ability to issue warnings quickly when yeshiva bochurim or avreichim are believed to be facing arrest.

The Arad incident follows several confrontations involving military police and chareidi residents in recent weeks. Earlier this month, hundreds of people gathered in Modiin after a military police operation targeting a suspected draft evader triggered a similar emergency notification.

In that incident, the alert network helped mobilize hundreds of residents within minutes, and Set featured imagethe attempted arrest was ultimately abandoned after confrontations developed between the crowd and security personnel.

According to Israeli television reporting, a subsequent IDF review found that approximately 700 people had gathered within ten minutes of the alert. Military officials concluded that the seven-member arrest team had been insufficiently prepared for the rapid arrival of protesters.

Tensions surrounding military enforcement have continued to produce demonstrations in other locations. On Sunday, protesters from the Yerushalmi faction blocked Highway 4 near the Yavne interchange following the detention of two yeshiva students. Police deployed stun grenades and a water cannon before reopening the roadway.

The mistaken alert in Arad ended without a military arrest or any confirmed confrontation involving military police. Nevertheless, the speed with which residents responded underscored the atmosphere of heightened vigilance within chareidi communities amid continuing military enforcement activity against those who have not reported for enlistment.

{Matzav.com}

Leading roshei yeshiva and members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah gathered in Bnei Brak on Motzoei Shabbos for an emergency election assembly, warning that a growing movement among some yeshiva bochurim against participating in the upcoming Israeli elections could seriously undermine the chareidi community’s political strength. Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch delivered particularly forceful addresses, stressing that every vote matters and that declining to participate could constitute a serious chillul Hashem.

The gathering, held at the Wolf Seminary in Bnei Brak, brought together members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, prominent roshei yeshiva and mashgichim from major yeshivos throughout Eretz Yisroel. The rabbonim addressed what they described as the extraordinary responsibility facing the Torah community in the current election, particularly amid ongoing battles over the status of yeshiva bochurim and the future of the yeshiva world.

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher opened the gathering with brief remarks about the importance of the election and the determination of the chareidi community to withstand efforts to weaken its institutions.

“We have the strength of Torah, we have the Gedolei and Meorei Yisroel according to whose guidance we live,” Asher declared. “You will not succeed in dismantling this large community!”

Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, addressed the gathering next, emphasizing that the obligation to make the necessary efforts to protect the Torah community is especially pressing under the present circumstances. He said the approach of participating in elections to safeguard Torah interests had been established by the Chazon Ish and followed by subsequent Gedolei Yisroel.

“We all know very well that the obligation of hishtadlus is clear, and on the contrary, in a situation like this, the obligation is doubled and redoubled to increase the number of representatives and the number of voters for the Gimmel list,” Rav Landau said. “This is the path that Maran the Chazon Ish, zecher tzaddik livrachah, instructed us to follow, and all the Gedolei Yisroel after him, to save Yavneh and its sages by sending representatives to the elections.”

Rav Landau warned that a decline in voter participation could be interpreted as a weakening of the community’s commitment to Torah, and he emphasized that personal grievances against particular individuals should not determine whether someone participates in the election.

“When the number of voters increases, the Name of Heaven is elevated, and we proclaim, ‘Moshe is true and his Torah is true,’ and ‘We have no other measure but this Torah,’” Rav Landau said. “And, Heaven forbid, a chillul Hashem could result if, for all kinds of reasons or complaints against individuals, people evade their obligation to vote. Even more serious is when the value of Torah is not the only value guiding them. Especially when every vote can be decisive, and every vote is counted and matters.”

He further cautioned that votes cast for other parties in predominantly chareidi communities could be used by opponents of the Torah world to argue that the younger generation is abandoning its traditions.

“Every vote in chareidi areas that goes to other things causes our persecutors to claim that, Heaven forbid, the next generation is distancing itself from the heritage of its fathers, rachmana litzlan,” Rav Landau warned.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, focused his remarks on what he described as a troubling change in attitude among certain segments of the yeshiva community. He acknowledged that some bochurim have begun questioning the value of voting, arguing that previous elections have failed to bring about meaningful changes.

“Seemingly, everything the rosh yeshiva, shlita, said is straightforward: Everyone must vote, and every rosh yeshiva must approach his talmidim and instruct them to vote,” Rav Hirsch said. “But in practice, we cannot ignore the fact that within the yeshiva world there is a certain negative awakening, with the argument: Why should we go vote now? After all, everything that was will continue without any change.”

Rav Hirsch rejected that reasoning, stressing that the strength of the Torah community depends on its ability to demonstrate broad public support. He urged roshei yeshiva to explain to their talmidim that political negotiations and communal efforts often involve considerations that are not visible to the general public.

“Heaven forbid, if the number of voters decreases, it is a terrible chillul Hashem, and that alone is sufficient reason to vote,” Rav Hirsch declared. “Our entire purpose in speaking to the bochurim is to tell them: Don’t think you know everything. There are things that can be accomplished that you don’t know about, and you must trust that there are certainly things that will be done, that there will be changes for the better. But that is only on condition that you come out to vote and that we have strength. Because without strength, it is impossible to carry out the changes.”

Rav Hirsch then presented a letter from his father-in-law, Rav Boruch Dov Povarsky, rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh, which had been read to him beforehand.

In the letter, Rav Povarsky cited the longstanding position attributed to the Chazon Ish that participating in elections represents a public declaration of allegiance to Torah and its authority.

“We have a tradition from the Chazon Ish that voting is an expression of ‘Hashem is G-d,’ and that we desire the rule of Torah and its mitzvos,” Rav Povarsky wrote. “One who votes sanctifies the Name of Heaven, and one who does not vote does the opposite.”

Rav Povarsky explained that the authority of Gedolei Yisroel is rooted in their lifelong dedication to Torah learning, and that their guidance must therefore be regarded as an expression of the Torah’s direction for the community.

“The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah so that the Torah would tell us what to do,” the letter stated. “And how does the Torah tell us what to do? The talmidei chachomim who have learned Torah their entire lives — they are the Torah! And what they say is what the Torah itself says, and we listen to the voice of Torah. And the Torah says to vote.”

He went on to describe the current political struggle as an open confrontation between those devoted to Torah and those seeking to undermine the authority of Torah scholars.

“The war now is an open war by those who hate Torah and spirituality, the war of amei ha’aretz who hate talmidei chachomim,” Rav Povarsky wrote. “The entire war is about one thing: The Torah is found with the sages of Yisroel, and they want to destroy the Torah sages and Yiddishkeit, so that the sages of Yisroel will no longer instruct people how to conduct themselves, but the opposite, rachmana litzlan.”

Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, rosh yeshiva of Rashbi and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, also delivered an address emphasizing the seriousness of the election and the threats facing the Torah community.

“Regarding the importance of the elections before us, unfortunately, we are in a great war over Yiddishkeit, where they truly want to destroy the entire essence of Klal Yisroel, and we are obligated to demonstrate mesirus nefesh for this,” Rav Bergman said.

He identified the battle over the military draft of yeshiva bochurim as the central issue facing the community and stressed that the chareidi representatives must remain committed to protecting those engaged in Torah learning.

“These elections are solely about preserving the Torah world, so that no bochur should go into the army, Heaven forbid,” Rav Bergman said. “And our representatives will stand firm on this, with Hashem’s help. Everyone is obligated to act for this and vote for the United Torah Judaism list, and may the Holy One, blessed be He, help that all the decrees against us be annulled, and may we soon merit the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days.”

Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, rosh yeshiva of Mir and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, spoke about the extraordinary value of bnei Torah and the responsibility to protect the institutions in which they learn.

“Bnei Torah are more precious than gold,” Rav Finkel said. “Rav Chaim Kanievsky, ztz”l, once told me that if, Heaven forbid, a Sefer Torah falls together with a talmid chochom, one must first lift up the talmid chochom and afterward the Sefer Torah. Bnei Torah are the holiest thing. Bnei Torah are heavenly angels, because Torah is the greatest protection.”

Rav Finkel questioned how anyone could allow personal considerations or political frustrations to outweigh the instructions of Gedolei Yisroel at a time when the Torah community is facing mounting pressure.

“When the Gedolei Yisroel ask us to do a small thing in order to sanctify the Name of Heaven, we see that the spiritual flood and this war are increasing from day to day,” Rav Finkel said. “What difference do all the calculations and personal interests make? A person who refrains from voting now because of calculations and interests demonstrates that all the times he voted until now, it did not come from faith in the sages.”

Rav Shlomo Steinman, rosh yeshiva of Orchos Torah, drew on the tefillos of the Yomim Noraim to explain why public recognition of the Torah community carries religious significance.

“During the Yomim Noraim, we davened, ‘And so, Hashem, grant honor to Your people,’” Rav Steinman said. “Seemingly, we are supposed to flee from honor, so why are we asking for honor? The answer is that we are not seeking personal honor. We are asking that Klal Yisroel and those who learn Torah be honored!”

Rav Steinman recalled the teachings of his father, Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, who had emphasized that elections provide an opportunity for the Torah community to demonstrate its continued strength.

“Each individual cannot accomplish very much on his own, but when there are many people, that is what makes it possible to bring honor to Heaven publicly,” Rav Steinman said. “My father, ztz”l, would say that elections for the government are primarily a kiddush Hashem, demonstrating that the number of those who observe Torah and mitzvos has not diminished. And if, Heaven forbid, the community becomes smaller, it can cause a chillul Hashem. Regarding chillul Hashem, it is written that only death, Heaven forbid, provides atonement. But it is also written that making a kiddush Hashem can atone for a chillul Hashem. So we have an opportunity to make a kiddush Hashem by voting on behalf of those who learn Torah.”

Rav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, described the election as an opportunity for the Torah community to publicly reaffirm its commitment to Torah and to the authority of Gedolei Yisroel.

“This is the first time that the declaration, ‘We have no other measure but this Torah,’ is purely about strengthening our connection to the Torah of Yisroel,” Rav Sorotzkin said. “And the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one. This is part of a public kiddush Hashem. To make a kiddush Hashem, this is the greatest possible gathering of the public. When we gather now for the elections, this is the largest public gathering there can be. It is a kiddush Hashem, as we proclaim that we have no other measure but this Torah.”

Rav Sorotzkin also spoke about the remarkable expansion of the yeshiva world despite what he described as growing pressure against Torah institutions and those devoted to full-time learning.

“We are currently living through a period of religious persecution, but at the same time, we see an expansion of the Torah world that has almost no parallel in its numbers, with extraordinary siyata diShmaya,” he said. “And within this, we also see the development of talmidei chachomim of a quality that has almost no parallel, with extraordinary siyata diShmaya.”

He returned to the same theme, suggesting that the difficulties facing the community have been accompanied by exceptional spiritual growth.

“And we see within this the development of talmidei chachomim of a quality unlike anything before,” Rav Sorotzkin added. “Perhaps it is precisely because of the persecution that we sense the greatness of the siyata diShmaya.”

The gathering continued with an address by Rav Daniel Wolfson, rosh yeshiva of Nesivos Aviezer, who spoke about the responsibility to follow the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel and the importance of participating in the upcoming election.

A letter from Rav Aviezer Piltz, rosh yeshiva of Tifrach and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, was also read aloud to those assembled.

Additional reporting on the gathering noted the participation of Rav Moshe Yehuda Schlesinger, rosh yeshiva of Kol Torah and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. His attendance followed controversy over his not having been invited to an earlier election gathering in Yerushalayim. During the Bnei Brak assembly, Rav Schlesinger spoke with Rav Landau and Rav Hirsch, and a special address at Kol Torah was reportedly being planned for later in the week.

The Bnei Brak gathering was part of a broader series of election-related assemblies organized by Degel HaTorah and United Torah Judaism in communities throughout Eretz Yisroel. Preparations were also underway for a major gathering in Ashdod, where Rav Landau and Rav Hirsch were expected to address the local Torah community.

At the conclusion of the Bnei Brak assembly, the formal resolutions of the gathering, prepared by Rav Dov Landau, were read aloud to the assembled roshei yeshiva and mashgichim.

המכתב של הרב פילץ

ההחלטות בתום הכינוס

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

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כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

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כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

כינוס גדולי ישראל (צילום: שוקי לרר)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

הכינוס אמש (צילום: אבי ריין)

{Matzav.com}

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher has pledged to significantly expand educational opportunities for children from working chareidi families, declaring that the establishment of additional schools serving this population will be a central priority of his leadership. Speaking at a private gathering in Petach Tikvah on Motzoei Shabbos, Asher insisted that his commitment was a concrete plan of action rather than another campaign promise.

The meeting took place at the home of businessman Chaim Benedict and was attended by dozens of working chareidim. With Israel’s elections approaching, Asher used the gathering to discuss the difficulties families have encountered in securing appropriate educational institutions for their children and to describe his previous efforts to establish schools despite considerable opposition.

Asher recalled his involvement in creating educational institutions in Elad and Bnei Brak, revealing that the initiatives had encountered resistance from various quarters. He described the political battles surrounding those efforts and his determination to proceed even when others sought to block them.

“I was in Elad for three years. It was a world war until they threw me out of the office,” Asher told the gathering. “I established three schools. I said, ‘There will be a cheder, and I don’t care about anything else.’ I gave Wallis all the support he needed, and he opened the cheder.”

Asher emphasized that the institutions established through those efforts remain operational and continue serving families today. He pointed specifically to two schools associated with Moshe Stein, saying that he remains involved in assisting them whenever necessary.

“Two schools belonging to Moishe Stein are still operating today,” Asher said. “And I help them every time. Ask my assistants. They write down the names of the schools that need assistance, and I don’t even know which ones they are. These are schools that genuinely provide the answers to the needs of the entire chareidi population.”

The UTJ chairman said similar initiatives had been undertaken in other chareidi communities, pointing to efforts by Dudi Salz in Beitar Illit and Greenberg in Beit Shemesh to establish institutions suited to the needs of different families.

“I’ll tell you, in Beitar, Dudi Salz did it, and Greenberg has now done it in Beit Shemesh,” Asher said.

He indicated that his new position as chairman of United Torah Judaism would allow him to pursue the issue on a broader scale, with a particular emphasis on expanding the availability of schools for working chareidi families in communities throughout Eretz Yisroel.

“I intend, as chairman of United Torah Judaism — and I’m not saying this as an election promise… I’m not saying this as an election promise. I’m saying it because this is what I will actually do,” Asher declared.

He then reiterated his commitment, telling those present that his previous record demonstrated his willingness to take action.

“I will do much more. This is not an election promise; it is a work plan.”

In an unusual acknowledgment of the skepticism that often accompanies political commitments, Asher encouraged the businessmen attending the gathering to independently investigate his claims rather than simply accept his account.

“Ask them. Don’t ask me. Don’t believe anything I say. Okay? I’m a politician, don’t believe me. Let’s start with that. But check it out. You’re businessmen, you’re people who know how to do these things. Check it out.”

The gathering comes as United Torah Judaism intensifies its election campaign and seeks to strengthen its support among different segments of the chareidi community, including working families who have sometimes expressed frustration over the availability of educational institutions suited to their circumstances.

In recent days, the party has established campaign headquarters in communities across Eretz Yisroel as it works to mobilize voters ahead of the election.

Asher has set an ambitious electoral target for Yerushalayim alone, calling for United Torah Judaism to secure 70,000 votes in the capital as part of its broader effort to increase chareidi representation in the next Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

Singer Meydad Tasa has issued an urgent warning to his followers after discovering that unidentified individuals have created dozens of fraudulent social media accounts impersonating him and are using those accounts to send inappropriate and harassing messages to women.

In a video posted to his social media platforms, Tasa revealed that several women had already contacted him after being deceived by the impersonators, who are reportedly using sophisticated methods to make their fake profiles appear authentic.

The singer said the situation has become increasingly concerning as additional fraudulent accounts continue appearing, despite efforts to have them removed.

“There are people who have opened dozens of fake accounts in my name and are sending messages to girls and harassing them,” Tasa explained. “I ask anyone who sees something like this to report it to Meta immediately, so that we can stop them, obtain information about them, and deal with each one of them.”

Tasa said he has already reached out to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and that the company has begun addressing the complaints. Nevertheless, the impersonation campaign has continued, with new accounts reportedly being created even as existing ones are flagged.

“I have already received several messages from girls who fell for this, because they are using very sophisticated tools,” he said. “We have already reported it to Meta, and they are working on it, but we are talking about dozens of accounts.”

The singer urged followers to exercise caution when receiving messages from accounts bearing his name or photograph, particularly when the communications appear suspicious or involve inappropriate requests.

He emphasized that public cooperation is essential to identifying the fraudulent profiles and preventing additional women from being misled or harassed.

“I ask everyone who sees something like this to report it and put a stop to it,” Tasa concluded. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

{Matzav.com}

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned Israel against launching another military offensive against Tehran, declaring that Iran has unfinished business of its own and accusing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of attempting to draw the United States into another war to protect himself from imprisonment.

The warning came in response to Netanyahu’s recent statements about the need to complete Israel’s campaign against the Iranian threat, as tensions between Yerushalayim and Tehran remain high amid continued regional fighting.

In a message published on X, Araghchi accused Netanyahu of promoting further military confrontation for personal political and legal reasons, regardless of the consequences for Israel or the United States.

“Netanyahu is pushing the United States into another war to avoid prison, regardless of the consequences for Israel — let alone the President of the United States,” Araghchi wrote.

The Iranian foreign minister also responded directly to Netanyahu’s declaration that Israel intends to finish its work against the Islamic Republic, issuing a warning that Tehran retains objectives of its own.

“Beware, we also have unfinished business,” he declared.

The exchange follows an unusually explicit endorsement of Netanyahu by President Donald Trump ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections. Trump publicly urged Israeli voters to return Netanyahu to office, praising the prime minister’s leadership during the campaign against Iran and describing him as an essential partner for Washington.

Trump credited Netanyahu with helping confront and substantially weaken the Iranian threat, portraying the cooperation between the two governments as central to American and Israeli security interests.

Netanyahu welcomed the president’s endorsement and thanked him for his continued support. The Israeli prime minister pledged to maintain their close partnership and expressed confidence that the remaining Iranian threat could be eliminated “within the next two years, and perhaps sooner.”

The president’s endorsement was particularly significant because he had previously declined to commit himself publicly to Netanyahu’s reelection campaign. Despite their close cooperation against Iran, the two leaders have experienced disagreements in recent months over the conduct of the war and the handling of regional ceasefire negotiations.

In his latest statement, Trump described Netanyahu as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and an “even greater partner for peace,” praising his determination in confronting Tehran. Trump also warned that the United States might be forced to address the remaining Iranian threat without Israeli cooperation under Netanyahu’s leadership if voters selected another prime minister.

“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump wrote.

Trump further warned that Iran’s military and financial capabilities had suffered extensive damage during the war and that Washington was prepared to take additional action if Tehran refused to change course.

The latest exchange follows months of military confrontation between Iran and the United States and Israel. American and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation and a wider regional conflict. Although a ceasefire was reached in April and a diplomatic framework emerged in June, fighting subsequently resumed as negotiations failed to produce a lasting agreement.

Araghchi rejected Trump’s suggestion that the earlier military campaign had decisively weakened Iran. In another message, he challenged Washington’s claims of success and warned against another attempt to defeat the Islamic Republic.

“Last time you wanted to ‘finish the job’, Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest. But be careful, we have unfinished jobs too,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote.

The diplomatic confrontation is unfolding as Israel approaches its October 27 parliamentary elections, with Netanyahu facing a challenge from former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party.

Eisenkot criticized Trump’s public intervention in the Israeli election campaign, objecting to the American president’s decision to endorse a particular candidate. The opposition leader has sought to distinguish his approach to national security and government leadership from Netanyahu’s, while the prime minister has emphasized his close relationship with Washington and his record of confronting Iran.

{Matzav.com}

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has acknowledged that his sister-in-law was previously identified as being on a federal terrorism watchlist during the Obama administration, a disclosure that has become a new issue in his campaign against Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed insists that his relative committed no wrongdoing and says she was removed from the list in 2016, while questions have emerged about his characterization of the legal proceedings surrounding her case.

The controversy surfaced Saturday evening when Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin approached El-Sayed in a hallway and questioned him about federal court records involving his sister-in-law, Mariam Jukaku. The documents identify Jukaku as a plaintiff in a 2016 lawsuit challenging her alleged inclusion in the Terrorist Screening Dataset, the federal government’s centralized database used to identify individuals suspected of connections to terrorism.

Tobin confronted the candidate with the court records and asked him directly whether the reports concerning his sister-in-law were accurate.

“There’s reporting in a lawsuit that now backs it up. And documentation with the lawsuit that Mariam Jukaku, who’s your sister-in-law, that she was on the terrorist watch list?”

“Yeah,” El-Sayed replied, according to Fox News.

El-Sayed immediately defended Jukaku, maintaining that she had been improperly flagged despite having done nothing illegal. He also sought to connect the controversy to Rogers, accusing his Republican opponent of helping establish a security system that unfairly subjects certain individuals to suspicion.

“She did nothing wrong and was captured on that and then sued and got off,” El-Sayed said. “You’ve got this system where folks are guilty until proven innocent because they’ve got different kinds of names, because of the infrastructure that people like Mike Rogers set up.”

The Democratic candidate also criticized the reliability of the federal screening system, claiming that even a “child” had appeared in the same database. His remarks suggested that he viewed the watchlist as an overly broad mechanism capable of wrongly identifying innocent individuals.

The timing of the disclosure has attracted additional attention because Jukaku’s reported watchlist difficulties occurred during President Barack Obama’s administration. Obama is scheduled to appear alongside El-Sayed at a Michigan campaign event on October 24, creating a potentially uncomfortable political situation for the Democratic candidate.

According to the federal lawsuit filed in 2016, Jukaku reported being subjected to unusually extensive airport security procedures in 2012. She alleged that she was never formally informed that she had been placed on a terrorism-related screening list, despite experiencing the additional scrutiny associated with such designations.

“The filing said she was believed to have been removed from the watchlist by 2016,” Fox News reported.

Although El-Sayed characterized the litigation as a victory for his sister-in-law, the actual history of the court proceedings appears more complicated.

A federal court initially issued a ruling favorable to Jukaku and other plaintiffs challenging the government’s watchlist procedures. However, a federal appeals court reversed that decision in 2021, meaning that the plaintiffs ultimately did not retain the favorable judgment.

Fox News also reported that a separate lawsuit seeking monetary damages was dismissed in 2017. Those developments raise questions about El-Sayed’s statement that Jukaku had successfully sued the government and won her case.

The FBI declined to provide information confirming whether Jukaku had ever been included in the database or whether her name had subsequently been removed.

“It is the U.S. government’s policy to neither confirm nor deny a person’s inclusion in the Terrorist Screening Dataset, commonly known as the terrorist watchlist,” the agency told Fox News.

Further examination of the court records shows that Jukaku was involved in two lawsuits filed with the assistance of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. One sought her removal from the watchlist and a declaration that her constitutional rights had been violated, while the other sought financial compensation and legal expenses.

The filings describe an incident in 2012 when Jukaku reportedly discovered that her boarding pass carried an “SSSS” designation, a code requiring additional airport security screening. She subsequently submitted a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security challenging the treatment she had received.

The lawsuits alleged that the government’s screening procedures deprived individuals of adequate opportunities to challenge their inclusion in terrorism-related databases. Jukaku appeared at a CAIR press conference announcing the litigation.

The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny of El-Sayed’s family background. Republican critics have raised separate allegations concerning relatives’ purported connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and organizations accused of supporting terrorism. El-Sayed has rejected suggestions that he or his family maintain extremist affiliations, while his campaign has described the accusations as “racist and untrue.”

Rogers, who is facing El-Sayed in the closely watched Michigan Senate contest, characterized the allegations as “disqualifying” on Saturday.

The two candidates are competing for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, with the November 3 election approaching. The race has drawn national attention because of its potential implications for control of the Senate, and the candidates are scheduled to participate in another debate on October 21.

Obama’s planned October 24 appearance with El-Sayed is expected to provide the Democrat with a major campaign boost as Republicans continue pressing questions about his family connections.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF on Monday disclosed an internal Hamas document revealing that the terrorist organization considered planting explosives near camps housing displaced Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with plans to detonate the devices as Israeli soldiers approached in order to create chaos and enable Hamas operatives to escape.

According to the Israeli military, the document, dated April 2024 and made public for the first time, outlines proposals by Hamas’ engineering department to deliberately create dangerous conditions in areas crowded with displaced civilians, using the resulting confusion to conceal the withdrawal of terrorists from advancing IDF forces.

The plans included placing explosive devices around displacement camps, positioning additional explosives along routes used by Gaza residents, and firing stun grenades into civilian encampments to provoke widespread panic.

The IDF said the proposals demonstrated Hamas’ willingness to place Palestinian civilians in danger as part of its efforts to protect its operatives and leadership from Israeli military operations.

“This was part of Hamas’ preparations to protect its leadership and operatives and evacuate them from areas where the IDF was expected to operate, while endangering and exploiting the civilian population in the area, fully aware that these actions were likely to cause direct harm to civilians,” the IDF emphasized.

The document describes a strategy under which Hamas terrorists would deliberately create confusion among displaced Palestinians at the very moment Israeli troops were approaching their positions. Rather than simply withdrawing from threatened areas, the operatives would exploit the panic generated by explosions near civilian shelters to make their escape.

The IDF said Hamas’ engineering personnel proposed detonating improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of camps housing families who had already been uprooted by the fighting. The explosions were intended to distract approaching Israeli forces while Hamas commanders and fighters evacuated the area.

The plans also included placing explosives along roads and pathways regularly used by Gaza residents. According to the military, these devices were intended to obstruct or slow the advance of Israeli troops, even though their placement would also endanger civilians traveling through those areas.

Another tactic outlined in the document involved launching stun grenades directly into the displacement camps. The resulting loud explosions and confusion were intended to frighten residents and divert attention from Hamas terrorists attempting to flee.

The document reportedly describes the tactical purpose of such actions as “creating smoke screens, distracting the enemy, and divert[ing] their focus and efforts away from the primary objective.”

The military released an image of the document as part of Monday’s disclosure, providing a glimpse into what it described as Hamas’ internal operational planning during the Gaza war.

The document dates to April 2024, a period when Israeli forces were conducting operations against Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip and large numbers of Palestinian civilians were sheltering in temporary displacement camps.

The IDF did not identify the specific camps targeted in the proposed operations or disclose whether the plans were ultimately approved or implemented. The military also did not specify when or where the document was obtained.

The newly disclosed material concerns proposed operations rather than a confirmed attack, and no evidence was presented establishing that the particular explosive devices described in the document were actually detonated near civilian encampments.

Israeli forces have previously reported discovering Hamas weapons, explosives, tunnels, and military infrastructure in and around civilian areas during operations throughout Gaza. The IDF has repeatedly accused the terrorist organization of exploiting civilian facilities and populated neighborhoods for military purposes.

The newly released document, however, describes a particularly troubling proposed tactic: intentionally provoking panic among displaced Palestinian civilians to facilitate the escape of Hamas personnel.

“This is further evidence that the Hamas terrorist organization is willing to endanger the lives of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip in order to advance its terrorist activities,” the IDF added.

{Matzav.com}

Former President Barack Obama has publicly defended Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota following a federal raid on her Washington, D.C., residence, accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of using federal law enforcement to target a political opponent. The investigation, which involves allegations of immigration fraud dating back to Omar’s arrival in the United States, has reportedly included the seizure of her cellphone and subpoenas issued to members of her family.

In a lengthy statement posted on X, Obama condemned the investigation, arguing that the federal government was improperly pursuing Omar because of her outspoken criticism of President Trump.

Obama declared that “it is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs,” and maintained that this was “exactly” what the Trump administration was doing in its investigation of the Minnesota congresswoman.

Seeking to challenge the allegations surrounding Omar’s citizenship, Obama reviewed the circumstances under which she entered the United States and subsequently became an American citizen. He noted that Omar arrived in the country “with her father when she was 12 years old,” and that “five years later, her father became a naturalized citizen.”

The question of Omar’s age at the time of her father’s naturalization has emerged as a central issue in the investigation. Under the citizenship rules applicable at the time, certain minor children of naturalized American citizens could acquire citizenship through their parents, while those who had already reached adulthood generally had to pursue citizenship independently.

“If Ilhan had been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately,” Obama said. “But because she was 17, she became a naturalized citizen automatically.”

Obama also pointed to Omar’s subsequent accomplishments, noting that she completed her college education, served “as a community organizer,” and eventually became “the first Somali-American legislator elected to public office in the U.S.”

He argued that federal investigators were pursuing an unfounded theory that Omar had misrepresented her age when her father obtained citizenship, potentially undermining the legal basis for her own citizenship.

“Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen,” Obama continued. “Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.”

Obama then broadened his criticism beyond Omar’s case, accusing the Trump administration of repeatedly directing federal investigative and prosecutorial powers against individuals viewed as political adversaries.

“Think about that,” Obama added. “The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president. And it’s not the first time this has happened. Under President Trump, the Justice Department has repeatedly gone after those he considers his political enemies — from the Attorney General of New York, to the former head of the FBI, to members of the Federal Reserve.”

The former president’s intervention came after reports emerged that agents from Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative division of the Department of Homeland Security, had searched Omar’s Washington home in connection with the criminal inquiry.

Fox News Digital reported Thursday that federal agents had confiscated Omar’s cellphone during the search, while the Justice Department had also issued subpoenas seeking information from several of her relatives.

“Federal authorities seized a cellphone belonging to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during a Monday raid on her Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal fraud investigation into her immigration paperwork,” Fox News Digital reports.

Investigators are reportedly examining whether Omar provided inaccurate information about her age when she immigrated to the United States in 1995. The allegations concern whether she was legally eligible to obtain citizenship through her father’s naturalization in 2000, or whether she had already reached an age that would have required a separate citizenship application.

Omar, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee, has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that the investigation is politically motivated. She has not been charged with a crime.

New details have also emerged about evidence that may have prompted investigators to seek a warrant for the search. According to reporting attributed to The New York Times, messages discovered on a cellphone belonging to Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, played a role in the decision to search the congresswoman’s residence.

Three individuals familiar with the investigation reportedly said that federal authorities had taken possession of Noor’s phone earlier this year while examining allegations that Omar and members of her family may have participated in immigration fraud during their move from Somalia to the United States in the 1990s.

Additional reporting indicates that investigators have examined whether Omar’s late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, accurately disclosed information about his previous military service in Somalia when applying for immigration benefits. Authorities are also reportedly investigating whether any family members deliberately misrepresented personal information to obtain legal status.

The investigation has expanded beyond the search of Omar’s home. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal agents executed multiple search warrants and described the evidence gathered as a “strong case.” He also indicated that investigators expected to present their findings to a federal grand jury.

White House border czar Tom Homan has separately said that immigration fraud, if established, could potentially provide grounds for denaturalization and deportation proceedings. Such action would require additional legal proceedings, and no determination has been made that Omar obtained citizenship unlawfully.

The timing of the investigation has added to the political dispute. The raid occurred just weeks before the November midterm elections, a period during which the Justice Department has traditionally exercised particular caution regarding investigative actions that could affect political campaigns.

According to additional reporting, a federal judge imposed restrictions on investigators’ access to certain materials seized from Omar’s residence because of constitutional protections afforded to members of Congress.

Obama’s statement represents one of the most prominent Democratic responses to the investigation, placing him directly at odds with administration officials who insist that the inquiry is supported by evidence and is unrelated to Omar’s political positions.

The investigation remains active, with federal authorities continuing to examine the allegations and Omar maintaining that she committed no wrongdoing.

{Matzav.com}

Benny Gantz, the former IDF chief of staff and defense minister who heads Israel’s Blue and White party, announced Monday that he is withdrawing from the upcoming Knesset elections, abruptly reversing his declaration just one week earlier that he would remain in the race regardless of political pressure.

The announcement represents a significant development in Israel’s election campaign, removing a prominent political figure from the contest and prompting immediate reactions from leaders across the political spectrum.

Gantz, who has repeatedly advocated the formation of a broad national unity government, said that his decision to withdraw does not mean he is abandoning his efforts to bring Israel’s competing political factions together.

“I will not run in the upcoming elections, but I will continue fighting for unity. This is the only solution that will prevent another disaster and protect Israel against all the challenges it faces, both at home and abroad,” Gantz stated.

A statement released by his office indicated that he intends to devote his efforts to advancing the establishment of a unity government that he believes would be better equipped to confront Israel’s domestic and security challenges.

Gantz is expected to address reporters Monday evening to explain his decision and outline his plans following his withdrawal from the race.

The withdrawal comes just eight days before Israel’s October 27 elections and follows weeks of mounting pressure on Gantz to leave the contest amid polls consistently showing Blue and White falling short of the 3.25 percent electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset.

Gantz had previously indicated that he would reconsider his candidacy if his party remained below the threshold during the final week of the campaign. Nevertheless, on October 10, he delivered a forceful statement insisting that he would continue running, arguing that neither the government nor the opposition was offering the broad unity he believed Israel needed.

“We are heading toward disaster. We must stop and save the country,” Gantz declared at the beginning of that address.

He accused political leaders on both sides of the divide of placing their electoral interests ahead of the country’s need for cooperation.

“Politicians from both blocs oppose the unity that I am promoting with all my heart. They want a decisive victory. The division serves their political interests.”

Gantz warned that the continued struggle between the rival blocs could produce additional elections and governments dependent on narrow parliamentary majorities, deepening internal divisions at a time of serious security concerns.

“They are leading Israel toward more elections, toward narrow governments that will tear us apart from within and cause our enemies to attack us again,” he said.

At the time, Gantz presented his determination to remain in the election as an essential part of his effort to prevent further political instability.

“I have decided not to surrender to our enemies. In order to fight our enemies, I must fight for unity among us, and that is why I am staying in the race until the very end.”

Monday’s reversal was welcomed by several opposition figures, including Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff who once served alongside Gantz in the National Unity alliance before establishing his own Yashar party.

“I thank my friend, Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz, for his correct and responsible decision to withdraw from the most fateful election contest since the establishment of the state. I thank him for his many years of contributions to Israel’s security and am confident that he will continue contributing to Israeli society in the future,” Eisenkot said.

Eisenkot had publicly urged Gantz to reconsider his candidacy, expressing concern that votes cast for Blue and White would be discarded if the party failed to secure sufficient support to enter the Knesset.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, also praised the decision, describing it as an important development for the opposition.

“Gantz has made a responsible and correct decision. At a decisive moment for Israel’s future, our shared responsibility is to ensure the victory of the change bloc.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, interpreted Gantz’s withdrawal as evidence that opposition parties were taking steps to prevent votes from being lost on parties unlikely to cross the electoral threshold.

“Gantz’s withdrawal stems from his sense of responsibility not to waste votes for the left-wing bloc. Now, following his withdrawal, the left is perfectly organized in a way that ensures not a single vote will be wasted.”

Smotrich contrasted that development with the situation among parties on the right, criticizing former IDF general Ofer Winter and other smaller political movements for continuing their campaigns despite uncertainty about whether they would enter the Knesset.

“By contrast, on the right, there is currently a complete lack of responsibility on the part of Ofer Winter and the other splinter parties that are nowhere near the electoral threshold, yet insist on throwing votes in the trash and endangering the State of Israel by bringing to power a left-wing government with supporters of terrorism, which will bring disaster upon us.”

Smotrich concluded with a warning about the electoral consequences of votes going to parties that fail to cross the threshold.

“This is a genuine emergency. I call on Ofer and his colleagues to come to their senses and take responsibility. But more than that, I call on the public not to vote for parties that are not absolutely certain to cross the electoral threshold. If the right loses votes, the left will come to power. We must not gamble with the State of Israel!”

Gantz’s decision marks another major change in the political career of a former military chief who emerged as one of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s principal challengers during Israel’s successive election campaigns beginning in 2019.

Gantz entered national politics in late 2018, subsequently joining forces with Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon to form the original Blue and White alliance. The party emerged as a major electoral force and repeatedly competed with Likud for leadership of the Knesset.

In 2020, Gantz entered a unity government with Netanyahu, serving as defense minister and alternate prime minister. The arrangement ultimately collapsed, and Gantz later joined the government headed by Naftali Bennett and Lapid.

Ahead of the 2022 election, Gantz joined forces with Gideon Sa’ar and Eisenkot under the National Unity banner, which secured 12 Knesset seats. That alliance subsequently fractured, with Eisenkot establishing his own political movement and several prominent figures departing Gantz’s camp.

In the current campaign, Gantz had sought to position Blue and White as an alternative to the competing political blocs, maintaining that Israel required a government capable of bringing together parties from across the political spectrum.

His party, however, struggled to attract sufficient support. Recent surveys placed Blue and White well below the minimum threshold for Knesset representation, raising concerns among other opposition figures that its continued participation could result in votes being excluded from the allocation of parliamentary seats.

The announcement leaves Gantz outside the upcoming electoral contest, although he has made clear that he intends to remain involved in public life and continue advocating for the formation of a national unity government.

Text messages recovered from the cellphone of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s sister reportedly provided federal investigators with evidence used to obtain a search warrant for the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, D.C., residence, according to a New York Times report. The discovery represents a significant development in an ongoing federal investigation into allegations that Omar and members of her family may have provided false information to immigration authorities when they entered the United States in the 1990s.

Three individuals familiar with the investigation told the Times that federal authorities had confiscated a cellphone belonging to Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, earlier this year. Investigators were reportedly examining whether the Somalia-born congresswoman and her relatives had participated in a coordinated effort to commit immigration fraud after fleeing their homeland during its civil war.

According to the report, information contained in communications between family members became part of the evidence presented to a federal judge in support of a warrant authorizing the search of Omar’s home on Monday, October 12. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations subsequently entered the residence and reportedly confiscated several items, including Omar’s cellphone, passport, personal computers and notebooks.

The investigation centers partly on allegations that Omar or her father may have misrepresented her date of birth on immigration documents, potentially allowing her to acquire American citizenship through her father’s naturalization when she otherwise would not have been eligible.

Federal investigators are reportedly seeking to establish whether Omar was 17 or 18 years old when her father became an American citizen in 2000. The distinction is significant because the citizenship rules in effect at that time allowed certain minor children to derive citizenship through a naturalized parent, while individuals who had already reached adulthood generally needed to complete their own naturalization process.

Omar and her family arrived in the United States as refugees after escaping Somalia’s civil war. Her father subsequently obtained American citizenship, and Omar has maintained that she legally acquired citizenship while she was still a minor.

Meanwhile, the investigation appears to have disrupted the public schedule of Omar’s sister, who currently resides in Kenya. Noor reportedly withdrew from a previously scheduled appearance in Rochester, New York, where she had been expected to promote her book, Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story.

According to the New York Post, Noor attributed her cancellation to a “family emergency” following the federal search of her sister’s residence.

Investigators reportedly employed additional evidence-gathering techniques before executing the search warrant. NewsNation reported that federal agents had examined garbage discarded outside Omar’s home in an effort to obtain DNA evidence.

Law enforcement authorities are generally permitted to inspect trash left in areas accessible to the public without first obtaining a search warrant. The practice is commonly used in criminal investigations to recover discarded documents, biological material and other items that could help establish connections between individuals and suspected offenses.

The case is expected to eventually be presented to a federal grand jury in Minnesota, where prosecutors could seek additional evidence or an indictment if they determine that the investigation supports criminal charges.

One of the principal questions reportedly under examination is whether Omar’s age was accurately represented when she obtained citizenship through her father. Her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, previously served as an officer in the Somali military before the family relocated to the United States.

If investigators were to establish that Omar had already turned 18 when her father became a naturalized citizen, it could raise questions about whether she qualified for citizenship through him under the laws applicable at the time. Any effort to challenge her citizenship would require further legal proceedings, and an incorrect age alone would not automatically establish criminal wrongdoing or invalidate her status.

The investigation has also prompted sharp reactions from Republican lawmakers, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.

Emmer told Fox News over the weekend that Omar should face imprisonment and deportation if investigators prove that she or members of her family deliberately falsified immigration records.

“That judge had to determine that there was probable cause that a federal crime has been committed [to approve a warrant],” Emmer said. “And I’ll tell you what, as long as it was Ilhan Omar, it was going to be scrutinized to the very detail.”

Emmer also offered his personal assessment of the congresswoman during his televised appearance.

“I think she is a liar,” Emmer also told Fox on camera. “I think she is a fraud.”

Federal authorities have reportedly issued subpoenas to additional members of Omar’s family as investigators continue gathering information about the circumstances surrounding their immigration to the United States.

The New York Post has also reported allegations concerning Omar’s father’s background in Somalia. According to the newspaper, Nur Omar Mohamed served as a senior military officer under dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, whose regime was responsible for widespread repression and mass killings before being overthrown in 1991.

The newspaper cited sources who alleged that Omar’s father concealed or misrepresented aspects of his identity when the family sought admission to the United States. Those claims have not been established in court, and the extent to which they form part of the current investigation remains unclear.

Additional reporting indicates that federal authorities are examining discrepancies in records concerning Omar’s year of birth. A 2019 request from her congressional staff reportedly resulted in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library changing her listed birth year from 1981 to 1982, a difference that has attracted renewed scrutiny because of its potential implications for her citizenship eligibility.

The federal investigation is unfolding alongside a separate inquiry into Omar’s financial disclosures. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has acknowledged that investigators are examining multiple matters involving the congresswoman, including questions about financial information she reported.

Omar has denied wrongdoing, and her representatives have characterized the immigration investigation as an effort by President Trump to punish a political adversary.

“Trump has spread lie after lie about the congresswoman in a desperate attempt to justify his extraordinary abuse of power,” Omar spokeswoman Jackie Rogers told the Times in a statement.

“This is politically motivated and an escalation of Trump’s personal vendetta against her lasting over a decade.”

The political controversy has intensified as the investigation proceeds only weeks before the November midterm elections. Former President Barack Obama has also defended Omar, accusing the administration of improperly targeting a lawmaker because of her political views.

Meanwhile, Omar is seeking the return of materials seized during the search. Her attorneys have challenged aspects of the government’s handling of the evidence, including potential access to documents protected by constitutional safeguards governing congressional activities.

A federal judge has imposed special procedures intended to protect materials connected to Omar’s legislative duties, while the Justice Department has disputed allegations that investigators violated restrictions governing the search.

The Washington Post has separately reported that federal immigration officials examined Omar’s citizenship records during Trump’s first administration in 2019 but did not uncover sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to proceed at that time.

The current investigation has nevertheless advanced considerably further, with the seizure of electronic devices, subpoenas directed at relatives and evidence reportedly being prepared for grand jury review.

No criminal charges have been announced against Omar, and federal authorities have not publicly disclosed the contents of the family text messages that reportedly helped investigators obtain the search warrant.

{Matzav.com}

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