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BDE: YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of R’ Mordechai Levi Z”L, a well-known fixture at the Kosel for decades. The niftar was regularly seen at the Kosel, often dressed in white, quietly saying Tehillim and serving as a familiar presence to the many mispallelim who frequented the holy site.

Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister, Idit Silman, publicly called on President Donald Trump to impose personal sanctions on Israel’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, and Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit.

Silman’s appeal came following Trump’s sharp criticism of Israeli President Isaac Herzog over the issue of granting a pardon to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In a message posted Thursday on her X account, Silman addressed Trump directly in English, praising his intervention regarding what she described as the legal cases against Netanyahu.

“Mr. President, your pressure regarding the pardon in the fabricated cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu is welcome. But it is important to understand who is blocking even a discussion of this request,” she wrote.

Silman argued that Israel’s attorney general is preventing the issue of a pardon from even being discussed, while the head of the Supreme Court is protecting her position and blocking efforts to remove her.

According to Silman, “The attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, is preventing any discussion of a pardon, while Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit supports her and prevents her dismissal, while at the same time canceling laws approved by Israel’s elected legislature.”

She concluded her appeal by urging Washington to take punitive measures against both officials.

“Since the United States stands for democracy in Israel, the time has come to impose severe personal sanctions against them both,” Silman wrote, adding: “Thank you, Mr. President, for standing with the State of Israel and the free world.”

Earlier in the day, Trump lashed out at President Herzog over Netanyahu’s pardon request, calling him a “disgrace” and insisting that he should grant the pardon immediately.

Trump said he had even refused to meet Herzog over the issue.

“I told him I wouldn’t meet with him. He’s been holding this over Bibi’s head for a year,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}

CENTCOM: U.S. combat power is building as Iranian combat power declines.

British police arrested four men on Friday on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence services in carrying out surveillance of people and locations linked to the Jewish community in London, authorities said. Detectives said one of the suspects is an Iranian national, while the other three hold dual British-Iranian citizenship. The men, aged between 22 and […]

TRUMP: There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever […]

Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore Friday after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 204 sailors of the IRIS […]

The IDF is carrying out massive airstrikes against Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon now.

Israel’s Air Force launched a massive strike on Tehran early Friday, destroying the underground emergency bunker of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the IDF, around 50 Israeli fighter jets dropped roughly 100 bombs on the heavily fortified site, which was buried beneath Iran’s sprawling “leadership complex” in the Iranian capital. Despite […]

Military officials say Iran is now launching around 20 ballistic missiles per day at Israel, a sharp drop from the roughly 90 missiles fired on the first day of the war last Shabbos. •⁠ ⁠Sunday: about 60 missiles launched •⁠ ⁠Monday–Thursday: about 20 missiles per day, fired in several small salvos According to the IDF, […]

✈️ Israel Preparing To Reopen Airspace For Limited Departures •⁠ ⁠Outbound flights expected to begin Sunday at 8:00 AM •⁠ ⁠Maximum of 2 departures per hour •⁠ ⁠Flights limited to about 50 passengers each •⁠ ⁠Airlines operating: El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa •⁠ ⁠15% of seats reserved for humanitarian, security, diplomatic, or tourist […]

President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant an immediate pardon to Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, sharply criticizing Herzog and calling him a “disgrace” as he intensified his public support for Netanyahu during the prime minister’s ongoing corruption trial.

Herzog’s office responded by emphasizing that any decision regarding a presidential pardon will be made independently and without outside pressure.

Trump made the remarks during a phone interview with Axios as he continued a series of media appearances related to the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran. During the conversation, he also said he believes he must personally play a role in determining Iran’s next leader and expressed backing for a Kurdish offensive against Iran.

Trump told Axios that Herzog should issue Netanyahu a pardon “today,” explaining that he believes the Israeli prime minister should be able to focus solely on the military campaign against the Iranian regime without being distracted by legal proceedings.

The president said he has raised the matter with Herzog repeatedly over the past year and claimed the Israeli president assured him on five separate occasions that Netanyahu would eventually receive a pardon. Trump added that he is unwilling to meet with Herzog until such a pardon is granted, though there have been no reports that Herzog has attempted to arrange a meeting with him.

Trump further alleged that Herzog has been using the possibility of a pardon as leverage over Netanyahu for roughly a year, despite the fact that Netanyahu only formally requested clemency in November. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the three corruption cases against him, arguing that he has been framed by the police and state prosecutors.

Trump has publicly advocated for Netanyahu to receive a pardon since June 2025, when Israel and Iran were last engaged in direct conflict. The Prime Minister’s Office has denied that Netanyahu ever asked Trump to intervene on his behalf.

Thursday’s comments marked the second time in less than a month that Trump has criticized Herzog on the issue. In February, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not granting a pardon to Netanyahu, who is currently standing trial on allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Trump also raised the issue when he addressed the Knesset in October, dismissing the significance of gifts Netanyahu allegedly received in one of the cases. “Who cares about cigars and champagne?”

Following Trump’s latest remarks, the President’s Residence issued a statement that praised Trump’s support for Israel while underscoring that Herzog will ultimately make his decision based on legal considerations.

“President Herzog greatly respects and appreciates the tremendous contribution of Donald Trump to Israel’s security. He views him as the leader of the free world, a central ally of Israel, and particularly values his firm stance against Iran,” the statement said.

Herzog’s office also stressed that Israel “is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” noting that Netanyahu’s pardon request is currently being reviewed by the Justice Ministry, which will provide a legal recommendation in accordance with Israeli law.

“After the process is completed, the president will examine the request according to the law, the good of the country, and according to his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” his office added.

Netanyahu is currently facing trial in three separate corruption cases. In Case 1000 and Case 2000, he has been charged with fraud and breach of trust, while Case 4000 includes charges of bribery as well as fraud and breach of trust.

{Matzav.com}

Iran has delayed publicly naming a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid concerns that whoever is chosen could become the next target in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

According to Iranian officials, the hesitation stems from fears that identifying the next supreme leader could expose that individual to possible assassination attempts.

Ayatollah Khamenei was eliminated in American and Israeli strikes that also killed several senior military commanders and figures associated with Iran’s defense establishment. Despite those losses, the heads of Iran’s three branches of government—the presidency, judiciary, and parliament—remain alive.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s 56-year-old son, has emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace his father. However, concerns about his safety intensified after reports surfaced suggesting he could become the next face of Iran’s leadership.

Iranian officials said that once Mojtaba Khamenei’s name began circulating publicly as the preferred successor, the United States indicated that he would not be considered an acceptable choice and could also be targeted.

President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei assuming power.

“They are wasting their time,” Trump told Axios on Thursday, adding that the former Supreme Leader’s son is “a lightweight” and an “unacceptable” choice.

“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who became interim leader after Washington captured the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro.

Israel also signaled that any future Iranian leader would remain a potential military target. Defense Minister Yisroel Katz wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that whoever is chosen to replace Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”

{Matzav.com}

Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday. Hafid in a statement to media said that she just signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, […]

• Outbound flights expected to begin Sunday at 8:00 AM • Maximum of 2 departures per hour • Flights limited to about 50 passengers each • Airlines operating: El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa • 15% of seats reserved for humanitarian, security, diplomatic, or tourist cases • Israeli citizens leaving must sign a form […]

Russia has been assisting Iran during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel by providing intelligence on the locations of American military assets in the Middle East, according to a report published Friday by The Washington Post. Citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, the report said Moscow has shared information on U.S. […]

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is aiming to dismantle Iran’s current leadership structure but does not believe a ground invasion is necessary to achieve that goal.

During a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump explained that the objective is to prevent Iran from restoring its leadership and rebuilding power in the future.

“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump said. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period.”

Trump also suggested that there are potential figures who could lead Iran after its current leadership is removed.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he said, though he declined to identify any names and indicated that efforts are being made to ensure those individuals remain safe during the conflict.

“We are watching them, yeah,” Trump said.

The president also addressed comments made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told NBC News that Iran is ready to confront a possible ground invasion by American and Israeli forces.

Trump rejected that scenario, stating that such an operation would serve little purpose given the damage already inflicted on Iran’s military.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose.”

Trump added that U.S. military operations against Iranian targets will continue at the same level of intensity.

Earlier Thursday, the president said American strikes have dealt a major blow to Iran’s missile capabilities and warned Tehran not to threaten the United States or its allies.

“As soon as they set off a missile, within four minutes the launcher gets hit,” he said, explaining that the campaign has taken out a significant portion of Iran’s launch systems.

“Missiles are gone, launchers are gone – about 60% and 64% respectively.”

Despite the losses suffered by Iran’s military infrastructure, Trump said the country’s leadership is still taking a combative stance.

“They are tough and they want to fight,” he stated, while also saying that Iranian officials have begun making contact about potential negotiations.

“They are calling and saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I say, ‘You are being a little bit late.’ We want to fight now more than they do.”

{Matzav.com}

An investigation into the deadly Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh has found that most of the victims were not inside the shelter that took the direct hit. According to findings published in Haaretz, only two of the nine people killed were inside the shelter itself, even though roughly thirty residents had gathered there when […]