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An IDF career soldier was stabbed multiple times in a terror attack in the Jordan Valley on Sunday morning after stopping near a shopping center while traveling with his pregnant wife for an anniversary vacation.

The victim, Elchanan Chanania, was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, where his condition stabilized. His brothers said he was expected to undergo surgery.

Chanania’s brothers, Shlomo and Yosef, said the couple had been heading to northern Israel for a family getaway marking their wedding anniversary when they stopped along the way.

According to the brothers, Chanania got out of his vehicle to purchase cigarettes when the terrorist came up behind him and attacked. They said he was stabbed three times in the shoulder and twice in the back before the assailant escaped.

“We hope they catch him and give him the death penalty. Am Yisrael Chai,” the brothers said, urging security forces to quickly locate the attacker.

Magen David Adom received the initial report of the stabbing at 9:18 a.m. Paramedics, together with IDF personnel, treated Chanania at the scene for penetrating wounds before transporting him by intensive care ambulance to Shaare Zedek.

MDA emergency medic Gal Shani said Chanania remained conscious throughout the initial treatment.

“We received a report about a man who had been stabbed,” Shani said. “We met the wounded man, who was fully conscious and suffering from a stab wound to his upper body. We provided medical treatment and evacuated him in an intensive care ambulance to the hospital in moderate condition and fully conscious.”

A preliminary police probe found that Chanania had pulled over on Route 90 near a commercial center and was outside his vehicle when the terrorist approached from behind, stabbed him and fled.

Security forces immediately launched an extensive search for the attacker. IDF troops and police established roadblocks around Al-Auja and nearby communities as forces began combing the area.

The IDF later said the search had expanded across the Al-Auja and Jericho areas, with soldiers questioning suspects and collecting intelligence that could lead them to the terrorist.

Military officials said forces were also remaining in continuous communication with residents and local security personnel as the manhunt continued.

Police officers from the Jordan Valley station, along with forensic teams from the Judea and Samaria District, opened an investigation and began gathering evidence from the scene of the attack.

{Matzav.com}

Former U.S. intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard announced on Sunday that he is entering Israeli politics.

Appearing with former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel at the Kosel, Pollard said he would run for the Knesset on the slate of the newly formed Israel First Party founded by Haskel.

The 72-year-old Pollard said the failures surrounding Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack had convinced him that Israel has been “abandoned and betrayed” by its leadership.

“With you, I hope there will be a new government dedicated to protecting the land and the people of Israel,” said Pollard.

After Oct. 7, 2023, “no one wanted to take responsibility,” he said.

He also praised Haskel for her past efforts on his behalf, saying she had worked quietly and effectively without seeking credit.

“The only way to prevent another Oct. 7 is to put people like you in positions of responsibility,” he said.

Haskel welcomed Pollard’s decision to join her political platform, saying his support was both a privilege and a responsibility.

Pollard, an American-born Jew, was arrested by the FBI in 1985 while working as a civilian U.S. Navy intelligence analyst in Washington. He pleaded guilty to providing classified information to Israel and was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.

He was released on parole in 2015 and moved to Israel in 2020 after restrictions on his movement expired.

The Canadian-born Haskel is a former Likud lawmaker who later joined Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party. Haskel broke with Sa’ar in July 2026 after he backed legislation shielding Haredi draft refusers from arrest, which she said undermined national security and her principles.

Israel’s general election is set for Oct. 27, 2026.

{Matzav.com}

Key West, Florida, has elected its first Jewish mayor in the city’s nearly two centuries of history, with longtime city commissioner and attorney Samuel Kaufman defeating incumbent Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez in Tuesday’s election.

Kaufman told JNS that the historic nature of his election carries particular meaning for him, especially given the role Jews have played in the island community over the years.

“To carry that forward and to contribute in a positive way to the entire city as a Jewish person, given our values and given what it means to me to be a Jewish person, it’s an incredible honor and responsibility,” Kaufman said. “It gives me incredible pride to be that first Jewish mayor.”

Although the mayor’s office in Key West is officially nonpartisan, Kaufman is a Democrat, while Henriquez is a Republican. Kaufman captured approximately 58% of the vote, compared with 42% for the incumbent.

Born in New York City, Kaufman has spent the past three decades building his professional career in Key West. He said his victory included support from Republican voters who crossed party lines following a major corruption controversy that rocked the incumbent city administration.

“We had a really huge corruption scandal,” Kaufman told JNS. “Our city attorney, our city building official and our city code enforcement director were all taken out in handcuffs.”

Three officials connected to the administration were charged with felonies involving evidence tampering in 2025, a development that Kaufman said played a role in the political environment surrounding this year’s election.

Key West, the largest municipality in the Florida Keys, has approximately 25,000 permanent residents. Kaufman estimates that roughly 1,000 members of the city’s population are Jewish.

The city’s population, however, swells dramatically because of tourism. Key West estimates that approximately 3 million visitors arrive each year, and the impact of that enormous tourist presence emerged as a major concern for residents during the mayoral race.

“We don’t want five cruise ships a day,” Kaufman said. “We can’t accommodate that. We don’t have the infrastructure for that.”

“We like one cruise ship a day, on my side of the political scale,” he told JNS. “Others may want three or four ships a day.”

Politically, Kaufman characterized Key West as a “liberal blue” enclave within the more conservative Monroe County. Despite its liberal political leanings, he said the city has largely avoided the anti-Israel activism that has surfaced in some other progressive communities.

Kaufman attributed that in part to Key West’s ties to its Jewish population and to the significant number of Israelis with connections to the city.

“You won’t see Palestinian flags ever in the city,” Kaufman told JNS. “The same week as Oct. 7, I sponsored a resolution, and it was unanimously approved by our city commission, condemning the terrorist attack and supporting the State of Israel.”

Kaufman said the city went even further by displaying the Israeli flag outside City Hall following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

“As a result of that we’re probably the only city in the state and in the country that raised the Israeli flag on our City Hall, next to our state flag, next to the American flag,” he said. “It stayed there for four months.”

Kaufman describes himself as a “somewhat observant” Jew and said he davens at the local Chabad. With his election victory coming shortly before the High Holidays, the mayor-elect said he is especially looking forward to celebrating the upcoming Yomim Tovim with the local Jewish community.

“It’s going to be a bigger party than ever,” he said. “People should feel excited about going to such a special place like Key West.”

“We’re an inclusive place that will even elect a Jewish mayor,” Kaufman said.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with new requirements governing the distribution of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, adopting rules that closely track a President Donald Trump executive order even after a federal judge blocked enforcement of that directive.

USPS announced the new guidelines Friday, outlining conditions states would have to meet for the Postal Service to distribute mail-in and absentee ballots. The changes stem from Trump’s March executive order aimed at tightening requirements surrounding mail voting.

The details are contained in a 95-page USPS report scheduled to be formally published Aug. 26. Under the plan, states seeking Postal Service distribution of mail ballots would be required to provide information identifying voters considered eligible based on citizenship data, similar to provisions contained in Trump’s executive order.

States would have until 60 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections to inform USPS that they intend to provide a list of eligible voters based on citizenship information. The Postal Service would then distribute mail-in or absentee ballots to those residents.

Postmaster General David Steiner indicated in June that USPS planned to follow Trump’s directive. Testifying before senators, Steiner said the new approach was designed to ensure “the right ballots are going to the right people.”

But in August, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide order blocking implementation of the president’s directive. Talwani said making significant changes to election procedures so close to the midterms could produce unnecessary “confusion” and “chaos.”

“That it is now less than 90 days before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections underscores the critical need for an injunction to prevent Defendants from changing election rules on the eve of the election,” Talwani wrote in her ruling.

The White House defended its election agenda following the court decision. Spokesperson Lauren Bis said the administration “will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact – which includes the safety and security of American elections.”

Trump has long criticized widespread use of mail-in voting and has repeatedly alleged that the system is susceptible to extensive voter fraud, claims that have not been substantiated by evidence demonstrating widespread fraud through mail ballots.

The president also sharply criticized a Supreme Court ruling in late June that upheld the counting of mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received afterward. Trump described the ruling as a “tremendous loss in the Supreme Court.”

Mail voting continues to represent a substantial portion of ballots cast nationwide. According to a June report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 30.3% of votes in the 2024 general election were cast by mail — nearly one out of every three ballots and significantly above the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has also continued pressing Congress to enact stricter federal voting requirements. During an interview in August, he declined to dismiss the possibility of declaring a national emergency if the Senate failed to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act.

The legislation would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and to present photo identification when casting ballots at polling places.

Asked about the possibility of taking emergency action if the measure did not pass, Trump left the door open.

“Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her administration post at the end of August, but she is not leaving President Donald Trump’s political operation, announcing that she will join the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc.

Leavitt revealed her plans while speaking with reporters outside Air Force One on Friday evening, saying that her next job will be with MAGA Inc., the powerful political organization supporting Trump and Republican candidates.

Her departure from the White House had already been announced, with Leavitt saying she wanted more time with her young and growing family. Her final day as press secretary is expected to come at the end of August.

Leavitt did not disclose what position she will hold at MAGA Inc. The move, however, marks a return to familiar territory: She previously served as the organization’s spokesperson before moving to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“You guys will still see me all the time,” she told reporters.

MAGA Inc., which is closely aligned with Trump and the Republican Party, has reportedly amassed more than $350 million as Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections, according to The Hill.

Leavitt said Friday’s trip aboard Air Force One would also mark her final official flight in her role as White House press secretary. She accompanied Trump to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the president was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally for Sen. Darline Graham, a Republican seeking a full term in the seat previously held by her late brother.

The outgoing press secretary and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, have two preschool-age children. Their son was born in July 2024, while their daughter was born in May of this year. Riccio is a New Hampshire real estate developer and investor whose holdings include both commercial and residential properties.

Trump has made clear that Leavitt’s departure from the press secretary’s podium will not end her role in his broader political circle. Following her announcement, the president said she would remain involved with the White House as one of his “top advisers” and would continue to be an “influential voice within the Republican Party.” Leavitt similarly said that leaving the administration would not end her “fight” against the Democratic Party.

The White House has not yet announced who will succeed Leavitt. She returned from maternity leave in mid-July and decided shortly afterward that she would permanently step away from the press secretary position.

Trump has acknowledged intense interest in the job, indicating that numerous candidates are being considered and that selecting Leavitt’s successor will not be an easy decision.

Among the names reportedly being considered are CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

“I will tell you this, and Karoline will tell you this,” Trump told reporters Friday, “I have never seen so many job applications in my life.”

Leavitt made history when she became White House press secretary at age 27 at the beginning of Trump’s second administration, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the position. During her tenure, she developed a reputation for aggressively defending the administration and readily sparring with veteran members of the White House press corps.

{Matzav.com}

The percentage of American kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella has slipped further, falling below the level public health officials say is generally needed to prevent measles outbreaks, according to newly released federal data.

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s SchoolVaxView program for the 2025-2026 school year show that 92.4% of kindergartners nationwide had completed the MMR vaccine series. That represents a decline from the previous school year and leaves the national rate below the 95% level that health experts generally cite as necessary for community immunity against highly contagious measles.

According to the CDC, approximately 280,000 kindergartners across the country do not have documentation indicating that they completed the MMR series.

The decrease was not limited to the MMR vaccine, with federal figures showing declining coverage for other routine childhood vaccinations as well.

The CDC reported that vaccination rates fell from the previous year for every vaccine included in its data, extending a downward pattern that the agency has observed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national vaccination rate for polio was also 92.4%, while coverage for DTaP — the vaccine protecting against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis — stood at 92%.

More than half of the states recorded declines during the school year in vaccination rates for each of four major vaccines: MMR, DTaP, polio and varicella.

Meanwhile, vaccine exemptions among kindergartners continued to rise. The percentage of children receiving exemptions from at least one required vaccine climbed to 4.2%, compared with 3.6% during the previous school year.

The CDC found that exemption rates increased in 41 states as well as Washington, D.C. Twenty-four states now have exemption rates exceeding 5%.

Altogether, approximately 155,000 kindergartners received an exemption from at least one required vaccination during the 2025-2026 school year.

The statistics were assembled through the Immunization Services Division of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, using vaccination and exemption information submitted by individual states.

Public health authorities have repeatedly expressed concern that declining MMR vaccination rates could leave more communities susceptible to measles outbreaks.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, a designation meaning that the virus was no longer spreading continuously within the country.

This year, however, the United States has experienced its highest number of measles cases in more than 30 years, with outbreaks concentrated largely in communities where vaccination rates are lower.

Officials say the combination of national MMR coverage falling below 95% and increasing exemption rates presents particular concerns because clusters of unvaccinated children can remain vulnerable to outbreaks even when a state’s overall vaccination rate is comparatively high.

The CDC recommends that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine before entering kindergarten, in addition to recommended vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio and varicella.

Every state permits medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements, while most states also allow exemptions based on religious beliefs or personal objections.

The CDC’s SchoolVaxView data page containing the latest figures was updated Aug. 17.

{Matzav.com}

Iran warned countries around the world Saturday not to participate in President Donald Trump’s escalating economic campaign against Tehran, threatening to treat governments that cooperate with Washington’s restrictions as enemies while declaring that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.

Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, delivered the warning in comments aired by Iranian state television as the regime confronted a sweeping new American effort aimed at further isolating and crippling the Iranian economy.

“We declare to all countries… do not join the economic war waged by the United States,” Rezaei said.

“Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy,” he added.

Rezaei also threatened a severe Iranian response if Trump moves from economic pressure to renewed military action against the Islamic Republic.

Should Trump “take action, our confrontation will be like an earthquake,” he said.

The Iranian official made clear that Tehran also has no immediate intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime passage that has been at the center of the confrontation.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and will not reopen,” Rezaei declared. “If the United States changes its behavior and fulfills its commitments, the equation will be different, but this time the United States must act. It cannot be resolved through words and talks.”

Rezaei said Iran and Oman have reached an understanding regarding what he described as a “middle route” through the strategic waterway, although the two governments have not yet completed a joint statement outlining the arrangement.

The threats came just days after Trump unveiled a massive new economic offensive against Iran, announcing Wednesday that Washington would seek to tighten financial pressure on Tehran and penalize countries that help keep the Iranian economy afloat.

Trump described the campaign in a Truth Social post as “an economic D-Day,” portraying the measures as an effort to cripple the Iranian regime financially and prevent it from rebuilding its ability to threaten the United States and its allies.

“These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” he wrote.

Trump stressed Friday that the decision to intensify economic warfare should not be interpreted as taking military action off the table.

“No, not at all,” the President replied to reporters when asked if the shift towards economic warfare means that the military options are limited. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens. They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they have 350% inflation. So we’re just going to sort of see what happens.”

The president also asserted that the United States holds overwhelming leverage over Iran and the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have total control, as you know, of the border. We have total control, if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz. And that means well into it, the land areas,” Trump continued.

Trump said Tehran remains interested in reaching an agreement with Washington, but argued that Iranian leaders have not yet agreed to terms that he considers acceptable.

He said Iran “would love to make a deal, but they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion.”

{Matzav.com}

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Thousands of Belzer chassidim and talmidim of Yeshivas Brisk experienced an emotional Shabbos of gratitude and thanksgiving, as both the Belzer Rebbe and the Brisker rosh yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, recited the bracha of Hagomel following their respective illnesses and recoveries.

On Shabbos morning, during Krias HaTorah at the Belzer beis medrash, the Belzer Rebbe recited Hagomel, marking exactly one year since the surgery he underwent during the month of Elul last year.

In another expression of thanksgiving, the Belzer Rebbetzin lit an additional candle before Shabbos in accordance with a new practice instituted by the Rebbe this past week.

A family simcha took place on Motzoei Shabbos shortly before midnight, when a pidyon haben was held for the Rebbe’s great-grandson, a son of his grandson, Rav Yisroel Menachem Nachum Rokeach.

Meanwhile, an especially emotional scene unfolded at Yeshivas Brisk, where Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, the rosh yeshiva, spent Shabbos in his new apartment adjacent to the yeshiva and participated in all of the tefillos.

During Krias HaTorah, Rav Soloveitchik received the aliyah of Levi. The rosh yeshiva then recited Hagomel, breaking down in tears as he gave thanks following the severe illness and medical ordeal that had left him critically ill and bedridden.

The moment was particularly moving for the talmidim and mispallelim who had followed the rosh yeshiva’s difficult medical condition and had davened intensely for his recovery.

At the conclusion of davening, Rav Avrohom Kagan, a senior mispallel at the yeshiva and a rosh mesivta at Yeshivas Kaminetz, broke into a powerful song of praise and thanksgiving to Hashem. Rav Kagan’s father had been a member of the Chazon Ish’s minyan.

An additional simcha took place on Friday, when a bris was held at Rav Soloveitchik’s home for his grandson.

The Boyaner Rebbe, who is related to the family through the mechutan, came to participate in the bris and was honored with amidah labrachos.

Following the bris, the Boyaner Rebbe and Rav Soloveitchik shared a warm conversation, with the Rebbe graciously inquiring about the rosh yeshiva’s health and well-being.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of families in Modiin Illit, Bnei Brak and Rechasim were left without electricity during critical hours on Erev Shabbos and, in some areas, into Shabbos itself, sparking mounting anger over repeated power failures that residents say have become an increasingly serious infrastructure problem.

The outages struck as families were preparing for Shabbos amid intense summer heat, leaving homes without air conditioning and preventing many residents from completing their cooking. The latest failures come after similar outages in recent weeks, prompting residents to demand a lasting solution from the Israel Electric Corporation.

In Modiin Illit, a widespread outage began on Erev Shabbos and left thousands of residents waiting for hours without knowing when service would be restored. In some neighborhoods, electricity returned only about half an hour before Shabbos, after families had already struggled through much of their preparations without power in the sweltering heat.

Other sections of the city remained without electricity until approximately an hour after Shabbos had begun.

“We had a power outage from four in the afternoon, we were left without much food because we hadn’t managed to cook it, and Shabbos came in with a gloomy atmosphere because we had no main course or cholent,” residents told Kikar HaShabbos.

The latest incident was not an isolated one. Modiin Illit has experienced a series of electricity failures in recent weeks, including the previous Shabbos, when thousands of residents reportedly went without power for hours. In some parts of the city, electricity remained out throughout Shabbos.

Additional problems were reported this past Shabbos as well. At approximately 10 p.m. on Friday night, residents again reported disruptions to the city’s electricity supply.

Similar outages were reported in Bnei Brak and Rechasim, where residents in several neighborhoods were forced to contend with power failures during the busy hours leading into Shabbos while temperatures remained extremely high.

Over the past week, outages were also reported in the Chazon Ish and Ezra Street areas of Bnei Brak. Numerous families were left without electricity, while some buildings reportedly received only partial power, leaving residents unable to operate air conditioners and other essential appliances.

Israel Electric Corporation CEO Meir Spiegler addressed the outage in Modiin Illit and suggested that unauthorized apartment subdivisions and private electrical connections may be contributing significantly to the strain on the local grid.

“The heavy load apparently also stems from apartment subdivisions and private connections that, naturally, were not taken into account when the network’s capacity was planned,” Spiegler said.

In a message distributed to residents while crews were working to restore service, Spiegler said, “A team of company employees is on the ground working to restore electricity to residents. They have now located the malfunction, and it will take approximately another hour to restore electricity to all residents. This week, we will carry out a fundamental treatment of the system that supplies Modiin Illit.”

Spiegler also sharply criticized what he described as illegal electrical arrangements that place additional pressure on the system.

“This is wild, lawless and illegal conduct that harms every one of us and causes those G-d-fearing residents who act in accordance with the law to pay a heavy price in the form of power outages as a result of their actions,” Spiegler said. “It is time to put an end to this, and the sooner the better. It depends solely on the regulatory and enforcement authorities faithfully carrying out their responsibilities.”

Residents, however, are directing growing criticism at the Israel Electric Corporation, arguing that regardless of the causes behind the increased demand, the infrastructure must be capable of providing reliable electricity to the rapidly growing communities it serves.

They say the recurring outages are no longer merely an inconvenience, particularly when they occur on Erev Shabbos and during periods of extreme summer heat. Beyond ruining food and disrupting Shabbos preparations, residents warn that prolonged power failures can pose a health risk to elderly residents, young children and others particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.

At the same time, some Modiin Illit residents have raised serious concerns of their own about what they describe as unauthorized electrical connections operating in certain parts of the city. They contend that such connections present a significant safety hazard while also adding to the burden on the electricity network.

According to those residents, four wedding halls and more than 100 guest rooms are operating in the area in question, creating substantial additional demand on the local power system. They say the heavy load has repeatedly coincided with disruptions in electricity service, further fueling calls for authorities and the Israel Electric Corporation to address the problem before another outage leaves families in the dark.

{Matzav.com}

A remarkable story from approximately 75 years ago has been revealed for the first time, detailing how Rebbetzin Sarah Yisraelson a”h, a daughter of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l and granddaughter of Rav Aryeh Levin zt”l, was arrested at her home amid efforts at the time to conscript religious women into the Israeli military.

The previously unknown episode was related by her brother, Rav Binyomin Dovid Elyashiv, during a nichum aveilim visit following Rebbetzin Yisraelson’s petirah late last week.

Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron, came to be menachem avel, and during their conversation, Rav Elyashiv shared the extraordinary story about his sister, describing her as the first person to be arrested for draft evasion during that period.

According to Rav Elyashiv, the incident occurred approximately 75 years ago, when the newly established State of Israel was attempting to impose military service on young women, a move that was met with fierce opposition from leading gedolei Yisroel.

Rebbetzin Yisraelson was arrested at her home and taken into custody. Rav Elyashiv recalled that during the episode, she drank coffee and remained under arrest for approximately half a day.

Efforts quickly began to secure her release.

Rav Elyashiv explained that his family had close ties with then-Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Isaac Herzog, who had learned in the same kollel as his father, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.

Those connections, together with the intervention of the family’s grandfather, Rav Aryeh Levin, the legendary “father of the prisoners,” ultimately helped secure Rebbetzin Yisraelson’s release and return home.

Rav Aryeh Levin was renowned for his tireless work on behalf of Jewish prisoners and for the extraordinary personal devotion he showed to those who were incarcerated, making his involvement in his granddaughter’s case particularly significant.

The story had apparently remained largely unknown for decades and emerged only during the shivah for Rebbetzin Yisraelson, providing a striking historical glimpse into the early battles surrounding the proposed conscription of religious women.

After recounting how his sister had become the first person arrested over the issue, Rav Elyashiv concluded with a pointed hope particularly resonant amid the current battles surrounding military conscription.

“Be’ezras Hashem, she will also be the last,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Three young sisters were rushed to the hospital on Shabbos morning after ingesting a large quantity of medication at their home in the Ramat Daled neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, while in a separate incident in Bnei Brak, a 6-year-old girl suffered moderate burns after boiling water spilled on her from a hot-water urn.

The three sisters, ages 1, 2 and 3, were found with diminished levels of consciousness after family members discovered that they had apparently swallowed a significant quantity of medication.

Emergency personnel from Tzevet Hatzalah and Magen David Adom were dispatched to the Beit Shemesh home and provided the children with initial medical treatment before transporting them to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim. All three were reported to be in stable condition at the time of transport.

Tzevet Hatzalah Shabbos responders, paramedic Nati Ben Shimon and EMTs Kobi Marder and Yehoshua Gottlieb, described the scene.

“When we arrived at the scene with the MDA ambulances that we staff, we were directed into a home, where we saw three sisters, toddlers aged one, two and three, with diminished levels of consciousness, after family members told us that they had swallowed a large quantity of medication,” they said.

“Together with additional MDA EMTs and paramedics, we provided them with initial medical assistance and evacuated them via an MDA mobile intensive care unit and ambulance in stable condition for further treatment at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim.”

Following the frightening incident, Tzevet Hatzalah reminded parents of the importance of keeping medications and other potentially dangerous substances stored in high, secure locations that are inaccessible to children.

In a separate emergency on Shabbos afternoon, United Hatzalah medical personnel responded to Rav Brutt Street in Bnei Brak after a girl approximately 6 years old was badly burned by boiling water that spilled from a hot-water urn.

The girl suffered burns to multiple areas of her body and was treated at the scene before being transported to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Her condition was listed as moderate.

Yosef Bruchim, a United Hatzalah EMT, Shabbos responder and ambulance driver, said rescuers were told that the boiling water had spilled onto the girl’s face, limbs and back.

“We were told that the girl suffered burns to her face, limbs and back after a hot-water urn containing boiling water spilled on her,” Bruchim said. “With the assistance of additional EMTs, I provided her with medical treatment and evacuated her in a United Hatzalah ambulance to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer for further medical treatment, with her condition defined as moderate.”

United Hatzalah used the incident to remind parents to place hot-water urns and electric kettles in locations that cannot be reached by young children.

The organization also stressed that electrical cords connected to kettles and hot-water urns should be kept entirely out of the reach of children and toddlers, since pulling on a cord can cause a container of boiling water to fall and result in severe burns.

{Matzav.com}

A major controversy has erupted in Kiryas Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak after a building in the heart of the community was leased to a Chareidi high school whose educational outlook has been deemed incompatible with Vizhnitzer principles.

The Bais Din Tzedek and Bais Horaah of Vizhnitz issued a sharply worded letter ordering that every necessary step be taken to cancel the agreement and prevent the institution from establishing itself within the Vizhnitzer neighborhood.

The letter was issued under the leadership of Vizhnitzer raavad Rav Moshe Shaul Klein and Vizhnitzer av bais din Rav Chaim Meir Hager, the eldest son of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe.

In the letter, addressed to Vizhnitzer chassidim and residents of the neighborhood, the dayanim described the situation as an unacceptable breach of the principles upon which the community was established.

Under the heading, “To our alarm and the alarm of the hearts of all our community,” the Bais Din wrote that “an unthinkable obstacle has arisen within a faithful community” through the leasing of a building to an institution affiliated with those who hold an ideology from which Vizhnitzer leaders and other gedolei Yisroel throughout the generations have warned their followers to remain far removed.

The letter said that the community must certainly not permit such an institution to gain “a foothold” in a neighborhood whose entire purpose was to provide an environment protected from outside influences.

The Bais Din noted that Kiryas Vizhnitz was established through the extraordinary efforts of the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz and subsequently carefully preserved by the Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz and, yibadel l’chaim, the current Vizhnitzer Rebbe.

According to the letter, the neighborhood was intended “to serve as a dwelling place for chassidim and anshei maaseh in kedushah and taharah, and as a city of refuge from every foreign influence.”

Once the leasing arrangement became known, Rav Chaim Meir Hager met together with Rav Moshe Shaul Klein to address the matter. The two summoned the leadership of Igud Mosdos Vizhnitz, the organization that controls the building in question.

During that meeting, the organization’s leadership was given an unequivocal directive to immediately undertake all necessary measures to cancel the transaction. According to the Bais Din, the organization accepted the directive and committed itself to carrying it out without delay.

However, the matter has reportedly been complicated by various legal issues resulting from the stage the agreement has already reached.

Because of those difficulties, Rav Chaim Meir Hager and the full membership of the Bais Din subsequently convened a special bais din session to examine the details of the case and determine how to proceed.

After reviewing the various considerations, the Bais Din instructed the organization’s leadership on the steps it should take to terminate the agreement.

A special “action committee” has also been appointed by the Bais Din to oversee the process and accompany the effort until the transaction is fully canceled.

At the conclusion of its letter, the Bais Din appealed directly to Vizhnitzer chassidim and residents of the neighborhood, stressing that some of the steps now being undertaken are sensitive and should be conducted discreetly.

Residents were therefore asked to assist the effort primarily through tefillah and by asking Hashem to protect the community’s spiritual character and preserve its ancestral heritage.

The Bais Din expressed confidence that the dispute can ultimately be resolved peacefully and properly, “quietly and securely.”

At the same time, the dayanim left open the possibility that a broader public response could eventually become necessary.

Should circumstances require public protest involving the wider community, the Bais Din said, residents will receive an organized directive informing them how to proceed.

Until then, the Bais Din explicitly warned individuals not to take matters into their own hands or engage independently in actions that are inconsistent with the path established by the Vizhnitzer rabbonim and Rebbes.

The letter was signed by the members of the Bais Din Tzedek and Bais Horaah of Vizhnitz in Kiryas Vizhnitz, Bnei Brak.

The IDF has expanded its control beyond the original Yellow Line northwest of Rafah in recent weeks, clearing an additional area that could eventually be transferred to a multinational force, according to a report by Channel 12 News.

The newly secured territory includes, among other areas, land where the former Gush Katif communities of Bnei Atzmon and Bedolah once stood before Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.

No timetable has yet been established for a multinational force to enter the area.

Israel currently controls 52% of the territory within the original Yellow Line and has also taken control of several locations beyond it. However, the IDF has decided for the time being not to expand its territorial presence any further. Forces have been instructed not to seize additional areas or push the Yellow Line farther into Gaza.

“We are not giving up the security Yellow Line,” a security official told Channel 12 News. “The multinational force, if there is one, will be able to take over the new territory that we seized beyond the Yellow Line northwest of Rafah.”

The development appears to provide Israel with an additional security buffer while also preparing the territory for the possibility of a future international presence in the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, Israeli security officials are closely watching developments along the Gaza border amid indications that Hamas may be attempting to test Israel’s response to renewed low-level attacks.

On Friday, incendiary kites launched from Gaza were detected near one of the Israeli communities along the Gaza border.

Israeli defense officials believe Hamas may be using the kites to assess both their ability to cause damage and the nature of Israel’s response. There are concerns that the activity could eventually escalate to the use of incendiary balloons, explosive balloons and even rocket fire.

The incidents come amid additional warnings from IDF surveillance soldiers stationed along the Gaza border, who have reported observing terrorist activity in the vicinity of the security fence.

For now, the IDF is maintaining its expanded positions while refraining from additional territorial advances, as Israel weighs the possibility of eventually turning over the newly cleared area northwest of Rafah to a multinational force.

{Matzav.com}

Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has signed an order restoring coal exports to Israel, reversing a ban imposed by his predecessor during the Gaza war and marking another significant step in the rapidly warming relationship between the two countries.

The order, signed over the weekend, allows Colombian coal shipments to Israel to resume after they were halted under President Gustavo Petro, whose government pursued an increasingly hostile policy toward Israel during the war.

De la Espriella, who has emerged as a strongly pro-Israel leader, has dramatically changed Colombia’s approach since taking office, moving away from Petro’s policies and rebuilding diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.

The resumption of coal exports is the latest in a series of major diplomatic developments between Israel and Colombia in recent months.

Several months ago, Colombia formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, becoming only the second country in the world, after the United States, to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the strategically important territory.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Colombia and met with de la Espriella, presenting Israel’s position on the Golan Heights and explaining the territory’s importance to the country’s security. Despite pressure from Arab countries, the Colombian president ultimately agreed to recognize Israeli sovereignty there.

Sa’ar also announced a mutual visa-waiver agreement between Israel and Colombia that is scheduled to take effect on September 1.

Under the agreement, citizens of both countries will be able to visit the other without first obtaining a visa, significantly easing travel and potentially expanding tourism, commerce and business ties between Israel and Colombia.

The strengthening relationship has also been evident in Israel’s response to the devastating earthquake that struck Colombia approximately a week ago.

Israel dispatched what was reported to be the largest foreign rescue delegation sent to assist Colombia following the disaster, with IDF Home Front Command personnel operating in Cali and other heavily damaged areas.

The Israeli Home Front Command delegation includes dozens of soldiers and search-and-rescue specialists and is working at three of the five largest destruction sites in Cali.

The Israeli team arrived approximately 96 hours after the earthquake, at a point when rescue officials still believed there was a possibility of locating survivors beneath the rubble.

Israeli personnel on the ground have been working closely with Colombian municipal officials and government ministers as the search for missing people continues.

The delegation is also drawing on experience gained during its recent mission in Venezuela, where a powerful earthquake struck approximately three weeks earlier. That experience has been used to assist ongoing search-and-rescue efforts in Colombia.

The restoration of coal exports to Israel, combined with Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and the new visa-waiver agreement, represents a dramatic turnaround in relations between the two countries.

De la Espriella’s diplomatic moves reflect a markedly more pragmatic and pro-Israel approach than that of his predecessor, with the latest decision now extending the growing relationship beyond diplomacy and into an economically significant area of trade.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack has unleashed a political firestorm after suggesting that Israel may have intentionally tried to provoke Turkey with its recent strike in Syria and warning that the operation could have set off a chain of events leading to ”World War III.”

Barrack’s remarks quickly drew condemnation from several prominent allies of President Donald Trump, some of whom accused the ambassador, who also serves as Trump’s special envoy for Syria, of effectively taking Ankara’s side while departing from established U.S. policy.

Critics also pointed to what they described as a glaring disparity in Barrack’s comments: While sharply questioning Israel’s military actions inside Syria, he offered no similar criticism of Turkey’s extensive and longstanding military intervention there, including Ankara’s deployment of thousands of troops and establishment of military positions across northern Syria.

Barrack made his remarks during a lengthy interview Friday with X podcaster Mario Nawfal following Israel’s Tuesday strike on the Abu al-Duhur air base in Syria’s Idlib province.

Nawfal characterized the episode in dramatic terms while introducing his account of the interview.

”ISRAEL ALMOST STARTED A WAR WITH TURKEY, AND NO ONE, NOT EVEN TRUMP, SAW IT COMING,” Nawfal wrote on X.

”Israel’s strike in Syria almost started a war with Turkey,” he added, saying Trump’s special envoy had given him ”an extraordinary account of how it happened.”

Barrack then laid out several possible explanations for Israel’s decision, while emphasizing that he was discussing theories rather than presenting a definitive intelligence conclusion.

”Let me give you the postulated theories,” Barrack told Nawfal.

One possibility, he said, was that Israel intentionally sought to trigger a Turkish reaction.

”The first one is that the Israelis were baiting the Turks,” Barrack said.

Barrack pointed to Turkey’s 2015 downing of a Russian Su-24 near the Turkish-Syrian frontier, suggesting that Israel’s latest action created the potential for another dangerous confrontation involving military aircraft.

”Very dangerous game, having jets deployed on the border without notification, without some agreement,” Barrack said.

He also floated the possibility that domestic Israeli politics played a role in the decision, with Israel’s Oct. 27 elections approaching.

”One theory is they were just baiting Türkiye — that it’s a very aggressive, but maybe a well-received, pre-election concept,” Barrack said.

During his own commentary surrounding the interview, Nawfal indicated that he viewed the deliberate-provocation theory as the more plausible of the explanations Barrack presented.

Israel, however, has provided a dramatically different explanation for the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Abu al-Duhur air base was attacked because Turkey was preparing to establish a military foothold there that Israel believed could pose a threat to its security.

Barrack disputed that version of events.

”There’s some intelligence that Israel had some intelligence that one of three things happened,” Barrack told Nawfal.

”Either there were Turkish military or military assets on site. We know that was not the case.”

According to Barrack, Israeli officials informed Washington of their concerns approximately six days before the attack, prompting U.S. officials to examine the intelligence.

”We all did our due diligence. We went back to our respective intelligence agencies,” he said.

”The answers we got were, ‘No, that’s not happening.’”

Syrian officials, however, have acknowledged that a Turkish delegation visited Abu al-Duhur just one day before Israel struck the facility, with the delegation reportedly inspecting reconstruction work taking place at the base.

Barrack said Turkey received no advance warning before Israeli aircraft approached the area. He argued that the lack of notification created an extremely volatile situation because Turkish military officials could detect Israeli aircraft approaching their border without knowing what the planes intended to do.

”The Turkish military is strong, they’re courageous, they’re very well equipped, they know what they’re doing,” Barrack told Nawfal.

Barrack said Turkish commanders could conceivably have responded: ”We’re going to have to scramble our own.”

Nawfal then asked whether a confrontation of that nature could potentially have escalated into a third world war.

”Could this be World War III?” Barrack responded. ”I think our opinion is anything could be World War III from an unintended act.”

At the same time, Barrack stressed that neither government appeared to actually desire a military confrontation between Israel and Turkey.

”Thank goodness, calm heads really came to the moment of the day, and we unwrapped it,” Barrack said.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded forcefully Saturday, rejecting Barrack’s description of events as ”full of inaccuracies.”

According to Katz, Israeli intelligence clearly showed that Turkey intended to operate from Abu al-Duhur, and the IDF had recommended on several occasions that the facility be attacked.

Israeli officials have also said that Syria received a warning before the operation and that relevant information was conveyed to U.S. authorities.

”Erdoğan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to retreat,” Katz said, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Katz also dismissed Barrack’s suggestion that Netanyahu’s decision may have been influenced by Israel’s approaching election.

Barrack raised another potential explanation for the incident, suggesting that the operation might have resulted from a breakdown in communications among different branches of the Israeli security establishment.

”The other theory is that between the IDF, the Mossad, and the Prime Minister’s Office there was a miscommunication,” he said.

Barrack said such a breakdown would be particularly notable because the head of Mossad had recently participated in what he described as a productive two-hour discussion with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

During the interview, Barrack repeatedly emphasized what he described as Turkey’s restraint in dealing with Israel and the Syrian situation.

”I know that the Turks — their intelligence agency, their hierarchy, their foreign minister, the president, the head of intelligence — all are concentrating on restraint,” Barrack said.

”That’s a fact. They’re not predatory.”

”They’re not interested in attacking or even engaging in any kind of kinetic or adversarial relationship with Israel,” he added.

Barrack also recounted an exchange in which Trump questioned Erdoğan about why Turkey had not simply taken control of Syria.

”In public, Trump has asked President Erdoğan, ‘Why didn’t you just take Syria? If you were instrumental in helping them, why didn’t you just take it?’” Barrack said.

According to Barrack, Erdoğan replied: ”Because we don’t want it. We want Syria to be a sovereign and independent country.”

Barrack endorsed that portrayal, saying Turkey’s objective is ”a sovereign and independent Syria.”

Critics noted, however, that Turkey itself has repeatedly deployed military forces across the Syrian border.

Ankara launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018 and Operation Peace Spring in 2019, sending Turkish troops and Turkish-backed forces into Syria and establishing control over substantial portions of the country’s north.

Turkey continues to maintain thousands of military personnel inside Syria, along with military bases and observation posts across sections of the northern part of the country.

Ankara has defended those operations as necessary to combat Kurdish militants and terrorist groups and to protect Turkey’s southern frontier.

The Assad government, before its fall, repeatedly characterized Turkey’s presence as an illegal occupation and demanded the withdrawal of Turkish troops.

The U.S. State Department has also documented allegations from the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that Turkish forces and Turkish-backed groups were responsible for civilian casualties, attacks on civilian infrastructure, looting and property seizures during Operation Peace Spring.

Turkey has denied those allegations.

Barrack did not offer a comparable criticism of Turkey’s military activities inside Syria during his conversation with Nawfal, instead directing his strongest criticism toward Israel’s actions.

The ambassador also sparked controversy by addressing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

”They still occupy the Golan against the U.N. resolutions, against all of the international order, which has said the Golan is Syria’s,” Barrack said.

That statement conflicts with the position adopted by Trump in 2019, when the president formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, reversing decades of U.S. policy.

Katz highlighted that contradiction in his response to Barrack, pointing out that the president Barrack represents formally recognized the territory as part of Israel.

Barrack’s overall characterization of the dispute therefore drew scrutiny from critics who noted the stark contrast in his descriptions of the two countries. He portrayed Turkey as restrained and ”not predatory,” while suggesting Israel may have been ”baiting” Ankara, playing a ”very dangerous game,” possibly acting for domestic electoral considerations and risking an escalation that could conceivably have produced ”World War III.”

Syndicated radio host Mark Levin responded by calling for Trump to remove Barrack from his post.

Sharing Barrack’s interview with Nawfal, Levin said the ambassador was ”crazy as hell” and added that he is ”Erdogan’s mouthpiece and lapdog and needs to be pulled.”

Political commentator Emily Shrader similarly criticized Barrack for appearing to contradict the Trump administration’s official recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

”Why is the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack advocating directly against the policy of the United States and the policy of the president whom he serves?” she asked.

Shrader concluded, ”This guy needs to be fired immediately.”

Barrack’s favorable posture toward Erdoğan has previously drawn criticism from conservatives in Washington, particularly amid complaints about Turkey’s conduct toward Israel and its refusal to support the United States during the conflict with Iran.

Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum has accused Barrack of having ”betrayed [the Kurds], Christians in Syria and our country for Turkey.”

”His behavior is a disgrace,” Santorum said. ”He should be recalled.”

Barrack also faced criticism in April from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Turkey expert Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer published an analysis titled, ”America’s Ambassador to Turkey Is Undermining U.S. Interests.”

The authors criticized Barrack for declaring that ”Turkey is not a country to be messed with” while placing responsibility on Israel for tensions with Ankara.

They also accused the ambassador of failing to confront Turkey over its ongoing relationship with Hamas and Ankara’s activities inside Syria.

”The job of the American ambassador to Turkey is not to make Ankara feel validated,” Ciddi and Schanzer wrote. ”It is to defend U.S. interests, uphold alliances, and confront a partner whose policies have repeatedly empowered America’s adversaries.”

For Israel, the dispute reflects a broader concern over Turkey’s expanding role in Syria. Turkey is a NATO member with one of the region’s largest militaries and has been steadily developing a substantial military presence inside Syria, raising Israeli concerns that Turkish forces could eventually pose a direct security challenge.

Barrack’s remarks have consequently fueled a larger debate over what critics see as an inconsistency in his approach: questioning the dangers and legitimacy of Israeli military intervention inside Syria while offering no comparable condemnation of Turkey’s considerably larger and longer-running military presence there.

{Matzav.com}

Britain, Canada and Australia issued a sharp joint condemnation of Israel on Friday over the IDF’s decision not to pursue criminal investigations into the 2024 Gaza strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, calling the outcome “shameful” and demanding greater accountability for the deadly incident.

The seven WCK workers killed in the strike included three British citizens, an Australian, a Polish national, a dual American-Canadian citizen and a Palestinian Arab. Their convoy was struck by an Israeli drone after the aid workers had overseen the delivery and unloading of humanitarian supplies in Gaza.

The IDF on Wednesday released the findings of its General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which examined the circumstances surrounding the attack. Investigators concluded that Israeli forces had incorrectly assessed that Hamas terrorists had taken control of the WCK convoy.

According to the military’s findings, troops spotted an individual they believed to be armed aboard a truck traveling as part of the convoy. The positioning and movement of additional vehicles were also interpreted by troops, based on their operational experience, as indications that Hamas had taken control of the convoy.

World Central Kitchen had arranged for armed security personnel to accompany the humanitarian mission. However, according to the IDF investigation, the presence of those security personnel had not been coordinated with the Israeli military.

After the aid was unloaded at a warehouse, Israeli troops mistakenly identified several individuals as armed. The vehicles subsequently traveled south using a route different from the one that had been coordinated with the IDF. Operating under the erroneous belief that Hamas members were inside the vehicles, Israeli forces launched the strikes.

Investigators also found that Israeli personnel attempted unsuccessfully to reach WCK representatives during the roughly 30-minute period in which the convoy was being monitored.

Despite identifying serious operational failures that contributed to the mistaken identification and subsequent attack, the Chief Military Prosecutor determined that there was no reasonable suspicion that criminal misconduct had occurred. As a result, no criminal investigation will be opened and no further measures will be taken beyond disciplinary steps already imposed.

That conclusion prompted an unusually forceful response from Britain, Canada and Australia, whose governments have pressed Israel for accountability since the incident occurred.

“In the more than two years since, we have been pressing for Israel to swiftly and thoroughly consider the case and hold those responsible to account.” the three nations said.

“The announcement by the IDF on 19 August 2026 that it would not pursue criminal investigations into this strike, without further explanation, is shameful,” it said.

The three governments also criticized the timing of Israel’s announcement, which coincided with World Humanitarian Day.

“Announcing this decision on World Humanitarian Day, while the world honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was particularly egregious,” the joint statement added.

The statement came two days after Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong separately denounced the Israeli decision, saying she was “outraged” by the outcome of the military review.

Wong said Israel’s decision “falls far short of the accountability we expect” and announced that the Israeli ambassador to Australia would be summoned to discuss the matter.

Following the deadly strike in 2024, then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that the WCK workers had been killed because of a mistaken identification and stressed that Israeli forces had not deliberately targeted the humanitarian organization or its personnel.

The IDF subsequently took disciplinary action against several officers over the incident, dismissing two officers and formally reprimanding senior commanders after its initial investigation identified serious failures in the military’s handling of the convoy.

World Central Kitchen halted its food distribution activities in Gaza in the immediate aftermath of the strike. The humanitarian organization resumed its operations in the territory approximately one month later.

Ben Gurion Airport could face another round of serious disruptions unless its staffing shortage is addressed, Israel Airports Authority union chairman Pinchas Idan warned, refusing to assure travelers that the turmoil that rocked the airport this week will not happen again.

Idan spoke publicly for the first time since Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu moved to expel him from the Likud party over the airport chaos. In an interview with Kan News, the union leader made clear that he believes the underlying problems that triggered the breakdown remain unresolved.

Asked whether travelers could be confident that operations would proceed normally next week, Idan pointed directly to what he described as a severe shortage of personnel. “I promise nothing,” he said.

Idan strongly disputed allegations that the workers’ committee deliberately launched a strike that paralyzed operations at Israel’s main international airport. Instead, he said airport management made the decision to halt operations.

“It wasn’t me who shut down Ben Gurion Airport, but the airport manager. Everything is documented and filmed,” he said.

According to Idan, the upheaval stemmed from an unsustainable workload being imposed on baggage handlers, some of whom had already been working for many hours when they said they were physically unable to continue.

“There are workers who started their shift at 3:00 a.m. and were supposed to work until the afternoon. They asked to go home because they felt they couldn’t stand on their feet,” he explained.

Idan said he intends to take the issue to court in an effort to prevent baggage handlers from being required to work 12-hour shifts, arguing that such schedules raise legitimate concerns about employee health and safety.

“Is it safe for an employee to wake up at two in the morning, arrive at work at three, and work 12 hours? The average age of the workers is 40 to 50, after decades of work. My back hurts for them,” he said.

The union chief also addressed Netanyahu’s decision to remove him from Likud, showing little concern about losing his place in the ruling party.

“I haven’t received anything in my life from Likud,” he said, while denying accusations that the airport disruptions were driven by political considerations.

Idan separately rejected reports that he intentionally interfered with Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s flight during the turmoil.

“I myself loaded the minister’s plane together with Brigadier General Ron Tal. The porters work around the clock; they don’t even have time to drink a glass of water,” he said.

Netanyahu announced Idan’s removal from Likud following the extraordinary scenes at Ben Gurion Airport, accusing the union chairman of responsibility for a “wild and unlawful strike” that caused widespread harm to Israeli travelers and the country’s economy.

Idan, however, continues to maintain that no strike took place. He insists that airport management was forced to scale back operations because of a serious manpower shortage — a problem he says the workers’ representatives had repeatedly warned officials about well before this week’s crisis erupted.

With Idan now unwilling to guarantee that normal operations will continue, the dispute leaves travelers facing renewed uncertainty and raises the prospect that the scenes witnessed at Ben Gurion Airport this week could be repeated if the staffing dispute remains unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

New York City lawmakers are pushing a sprawling collection of progressive proposals that could dramatically reshape everything from policing and wages to pet care, self-checkout lanes and even the treatment of elephants, with nearly a dozen unusual or controversial measures currently being championed at City Hall, the NY Post reports.

Among the proposals backed by progressive City Council members are measures that would eliminate the NYPD’s gang database, restrict deployment of an elite police unit at protests, raise the citywide minimum wage to $30 an hour, allow workers to use sick leave to care for pets and impose strict conditions on keeping elephants within the five boroughs.

Zilvinas Silenas, president of the independent Empire Center think tank, said many of the proposals allow individual lawmakers to publicly highlight the causes they most strongly identify with.

“They want the world to know this is what they believe in and this is what they fight for,” Silenas said.

“They’re putting up a flag to say, ‘Hey, I’m the council member who’s all in on organic eggs” or, ‘I’m the council member who really cares about elephants in New York.’”

Democrats hold a supermajority on the City Council, including a substantial progressive contingent. However, the measures would first have to clear their respective committees before reaching the full Council for a vote.

One proposal would allow New Yorkers to use their existing sick leave when a pet or service animal becomes ill. The measure, sponsored by Manhattan Councilman Shaun Abreu, would change current city law, which does not permit accrued sick time to be used for veterinary care.

“This bill would clarify that caring for a sick animal is a legitimate use of already earned sick leave and does not create any additional leave entitlement,” a memo supporting the legislation states.

The proposal would apply to animals “kept primarily for companionship,” including pets and service animals, but would not extend the benefit to livestock and other farm animals.

Abreu, who is not himself a member of the Progressive Caucus, has attracted support for the measure from progressive lawmakers including Queens Councilwoman Tiffany L. Cabán. Abreu has stressed that the proposal would not provide employees with additional sick days, but would instead expand the circumstances under which workers can use leave they have already accumulated.

Another proposal takes aim at the eggs purchased by New York City agencies.

Legislation introduced by Manhattan Councilman Harvey Epstein would prohibit municipal agencies from buying eggs unless they are organic or free-range.

“We want to make sure that the city is providing good, nutrient-dense, safe food to the people it’s serving,” Epstein said.

“Organic eggs are better for human health, with three times more unsaturated fats, 40% more vitamin A, and twice as much vitamin E compared to the USDA standard, and free-range eggs are also thought to contain superior nutrition. Following the lead of states like Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky, New York City should implement guardrails to keep people safe and healthy.”

A memo supporting Epstein’s legislation also argues that eggs produced by caged hens involve animal cruelty because the birds can be confined to areas smaller than a standard sheet of letter-sized paper.

Self-checkout machines are another target.

Bronx Councilwoman Amanda Farías is sponsoring legislation that would require pharmacies and food retailers to maintain at least one employee for every three self-checkout stations. Businesses that fail to meet the requirement could face fines of up to $1,000 per employee for every day they remain out of compliance.

The legislation would also impose a maximum of 15 items for customers using self-checkout machines.

Supporters argue that both requirements would help combat retail theft, which has contributed to higher costs for groceries and other necessities.

“Reinvesting in staffing is good for revenue, for jobs, and for consumer confidence,” the memo argues. “We must fix the system, rather than continuing to pass the cost of preventable losses onto New Yorkers who are already struggling with the affordability crisis.”

Farias added, “Retail theft has been a challenge for our city since the pandemic, and we have been working to address it from every angle. This legislation is another piece of that work.”

The City Council is also considering legislation regulating elephants in New York following the death of Happy, the longtime Bronx Zoo elephant.

A proposal from Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif would generally prohibit elephants from being kept in New York City unless a series of stringent requirements are satisfied.

Among those requirements would be at least 15 acres of usable habitat where elephants can forage for food or water. Female elephants would have to be kept in groups that allow them to form herds, with similar provisions applying to males.

“The elephant must not be mounted, ridden, or forced to do labor,” the legislation states.

Another measure focuses on what critics call “hostile architecture” — benches, platforms and other structures intentionally designed to discourage homeless people from sitting or sleeping in public areas.

Manhattan Councilman Christopher Marte is sponsoring legislation addressing features such as spiked platforms and benches divided by numerous railings.

“In 2017, 2021, and 2025, the MTA removed numerous benches from train platforms and replaced them with metal leaning bars; again, targeting the homeless population,” the bill’s memo states.

“Hostile architecture, however, affects everyone, not just the intended target. In the case of the MTA’s leaning bars, multiple riders have expressed concern about the issue of accessibility.”

Despite the criticism, the legislation itself would not immediately ban or remove such structures. Instead, it would direct the city Planning Department to complete a study within 18 months after the measure becomes law.

Fallen trees would get their own government task force under another proposal.

Despite the city already operating an extensive Parks Department, the measure would require the creation of a dedicated “task force” responsible for coordinating the removal of trees brought down during severe weather.

Delivery workers would receive new protections under another bill sponsored by Marte.

The proposal would prevent delivery companies from requiring a worker to transport more than 22 pounds in a single trip and would also bar companies from forcing delivery workers to wear backpacks.

“There is a study out of Berlin that said 22 pounds of weight on someone’s back can be the deciding factor on whether they live or die if they crash on a bicycle, and right now there’s no weight limit,” Marte said. “A weight limit will make it much safer for workers.”

Abreu is also behind a proposal that would require restaurants, coffee shops and other food establishments to permit customers to bring reusable cups and have their beverages served in them.

Some of the most consequential proposals involve the NYPD.

Twenty-five City Council members have signed onto legislation that would abolish the department’s gang database, which contains thousands of entries and intelligence about suspected gang members, including information about distinctive tattoos associated with gangs and criminal organizations.

Progressive critics have argued that the database discriminates against black and brown New Yorkers, while Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and other law enforcement officials contend that it is an important crime-fighting tool.

A spokesperson for Bronx Councilwoman Althea Stevens, the bill’s sponsor, said Stevens has personally witnessed what she believes is the database’s unfair targeting of black and brown individuals. The spokesperson also argued that insufficient safeguards exist to ensure that people entered into the database actually have criminal histories.

Another 26 Council members are supporting legislation that would restrict the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group from being deployed at demonstrations protected by the First Amendment.

The SRG has long drawn opposition from progressive politicians and activists, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who contend that officers assigned to the unit have used excessive force against protesters and infringed on their constitutional rights.

The specialized NYPD unit handles civil disorder and large public gatherings, including protests and parades, while also responding to major criminal incidents such as shootings, bank robberies and missing-person cases.

Tisch and other police officials have defended the SRG as an important tool for preventing demonstrations from spiraling into violence.

Finally, progressive lawmakers are seeking a dramatic increase in New York City’s minimum wage.

Legislation introduced by Brooklyn Councilwoman Sandy Nurse would establish a $30-an-hour minimum wage, nearly doubling the city’s current $17 baseline and potentially affecting as many as 1 million workers.

Progressives argue that wages need to rise substantially to reflect New York City’s extraordinarily high cost of living. Business advocates, however, warn that nearly doubling the minimum wage could impose enormous costs on employers and damage businesses already struggling with the city’s operating expenses.

{Matzav.com}