Organizers behind an international flotilla carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza said Thursday that they are preparing a far larger mission set to depart in March, involving more than 100 vessels, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Those leading the campaign framed the planned voyage as the biggest civilian-driven effort yet opposing Israel’s conduct in Gaza, and they called on governments and international bodies to ensure that Israeli forces do not attempt to stop the flotilla at sea.
The plans were unveiled during an event at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, where speakers included Mandla Mandela, the grandson of South Africa’s former president.
Mandela took part in last year’s Global Sumud flotilla and was among the activists detained when Israeli forces stopped their vessel before it reached Gaza.
According to organizers, more than 1,000 participants are expected to take part in the upcoming mission, including physicians, engineers, and investigators focused on alleged war crimes. In addition to the maritime effort, a land convoy is being organized that could attract thousands more supporters traveling from countries such as Tunisia and Egypt.
The flotilla’s vessels are slated to set sail from ports in Spain, Tunisia, and Italy. While activists acknowledged that clashes with Israeli forces are likely, they maintained that their actions are protected under international law.
The previous flotilla last year consisted of roughly 50 boats and about 500 activists. Israeli authorities detained an estimated 443 people, among them Mandela, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and European Parliament member Rima Hassan.
Earlier that same year, a separate effort known as the Madleen also sought to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and was intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces.
After that interception, the activists were provided with food and water, despite many having recorded videos in advance claiming they were “kidnapped” by the IDF.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry later said that the aid aboard the Madleen amounted to less than a single truckload and would instead be delivered to Gaza through established humanitarian channels.
{Matzav.com}
A Senate committee has opened an inquiry into actions taken by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, raising alarms that his administration’s rollback of key executive orders could weaken protections against antisemitism and jeopardize billions of dollars in federal funding, the NY Post reports.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a formal letter to Mamdani questioning whether rescinding the orders could undermine enforcement of federal civil rights laws — a move that could place approximately $2.2 billion in federal aid in jeopardy.
“Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious,” Cassidy wrote in the letter obtained by The New York Post.
He warned that “Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny.”
Cassidy added that “Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”
Concerns over the mayor’s approach come amid heightened unease within the city’s Jewish community. A survey conducted in January found that 53% of Jewish voters in New York City said they felt threatened by public statements made by the Democratic socialist mayor and similar comments from his political allies.
After taking office, Mamdani nullified every executive order issued by New York City Mayor Eric Adams following Adams’ federal corruption indictment in September 2024.
Among the rescinded measures was a June 8, 2025, order that “created the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism to identify and develop efforts to eliminate antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crime,” as well as a Dec. 2 order from that year opposing boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns targeting Israel.
Before becoming mayor, Mamdani had publicly labeled Israel an apartheid state and expressed support for the BDS movement.
In his letter, Cassidy noted that the Adams-era antisemitism order relied on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
“Contrary to your public assertions that ‘a number of leading Jewish organizations have immense concerns around [the IHRA] definition,’ many governments, international institutions, universities, NGOs, and private organizations widely recognize and encourage use of this definition to identify and address contemporary forms of antisemitism,” Cassidy wrote.
Mamdani, for his part, has argued that the IHRA definition improperly blurs the line between antisemitism and criticism of Israel or Zionism.
“I am someone who has supported and support BDS and nonviolent approaches to address Israeli state violence,” he previously told Bloomberg News.
The Adams executive order addressing BDS had also prohibited mayoral appointees, contracting officials, and agency heads from adopting policies that discriminated against Israel or Israeli nationals.
This week, employees at the New York City Department of Health formed a working group that critics say may have violated that now-rescinded policy by accusing Israel of genocide.
The group, known as the “Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group,” met Tuesday afternoon, where a presenter described one of its objectives as responding “to the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” according to a report first published by The New York Post.
Cassidy further underscored that the New York City Department of Education was slated to receive $2.2 billion in federal funding for its operating budget as of June 2025.
“Continued eligibility for this funding is contingent on compliance with federal civil rights laws and applicable executive orders designed to protect students,” he wrote.
The senator asked Mamdani to detail how his administration plans to “combat antisemitism at schools” and “protect Jewish students,” to identify whether it intends to adopt an alternative definition of antisemitism, and to explain what guidance, if any, has been issued to schools on handling related complaints.
Cassidy also pressed the mayor on whether his administration “consulted with the US Department of Education,” “the Department of Justice or any other federal agency regarding the potential funding implications of rescinding the IHRA-related executive order.”
He concluded by demanding clarification of Mamdani’s current position on the BDS movement.
{Matzav.com}
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Thirty days after the tragic death of Yosef Eisental Hy”d, a matzeivah was erected this week at his kever on Har HaMenuchos in Yerushalayim. The inscription, composed by his parents, records the circumstances of his death and reflects the profound impact his passing has had on the Torah community.
According to the inscription, he was struck down “at the height of his blossoming” by a criminal act while on his way home from an atzeres.
The wording engraved on the monument describes Yossi as a devoted yeshiva bochur, deeply immersed in Torah study and especially sensitive to the needs and wellbeing of those around him. It expresses the family’s shattered hopes of seeing him grow old within the walls of the beis medrash and records the spiritual awakening his passing inspired among many, strengthening their commitment to Torah learning, self-improvement, and teshuvah.
The following is the full inscription:פ”נ
בן הישיבה
בננו אחינו ונכדנו האהוב והיקר
עלם חמודות וילד שעשועים
יגע בתורה וטרוד לדעת סודה
נתייחד מאוד בנתינת עיניו וליבו
על טובתם של רעיו ומכריו
בצפייתנו ציפינו לראותו
שתול בבית ד’ עד זקנה ושיבה
ולדאבוננו נקטף מעמנו
בשיא פריחתו ע”י בן עוולה
בעת שובו מעצרת תפילה
למען קיומה של תורה בארצנו הקדושה
הקדוש חיים יוסף
איזנטל הי”ד.
בן יבלחט”א הר”ר שמואל שליט”א
נולד בט’ אלול התשע”א
נלב”ע בח”י טבת התשפ”ו
זכה ופטירתו עוררה
התחזקות עצומה ונוראה
בקרב עם סגולה
לחיזוק שקידת התורה ועמלה
לתקן כל מידה נכונה
ולהיכנס לשערי תשובה
ת. נ. צ. ב. ה.
ויעמוד לגורלך לקץ הימין
חנון הביטה ממרומים
תשפוכת דם הצדיקים ותמצית דמים
תראה בפרגודך והעבר כתמים
קל מלך יושב על כסא רחמים
הקדוש
חיים יוסף איזנטל הי”ד
Here lies
A yeshiva student,
Our beloved and precious son, brother, and grandson,
A charming youth, a child of delight,
Toiling in Torah and striving to understand its hidden depths,
Distinguished in placing his eyes and heart
On the welfare of his friends and companions.
We longingly hoped to see him
Planted in the House of Hashem until old age and longevity,
But to our great sorrow he was taken from us
At the height of his blossoming by a man of evil,
While returning from a prayer assembly
For the sake of the continued existence of Torah in our Holy Land.
The holy one,
Chaim Yosef Eisental, Hy”d,
Son of his father, may he live long,
Harav Shmuel, shlita.
Born on the 9th of Elul, 5771
Passed away on the 18th of Teves, 5786.
Merited that his passing aroused
An immense and awesome strengthening
Among the treasured nation,
To reinforce diligence and toil in Torah,
To refine every proper trait,
And to enter the gates of repentance.
May his soul be bound in the bond of eternal life.
He shall arise to his destined lot at the end of days.
Gracious One, look down from the heavens,
See the spilling of the blood of the righteous and the essence of their blood
Before Your inner chamber, and remove the stain.
Mighty G-d, King Who sits upon the Throne of Mercy.
The holy one,
Chaim Yosef Eisental, Hy”d.
The wedding of a daughter of Mr. Lazer Scheiner is scheduled to take place next week in Morocco, with several events planned over the course of the celebration.
Mr. Scheiner is a noted philanthropist who is the founder of Scheiner’s Shul in Monsey and the head of the Adirei HaTorah initiative that raises millions of dollars to support the kollel budget of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ.
The weeklong schedule of festivities for next week’s wedding will begin on Monday with a siyum and birthday celebration for Mr. Scheiner.
The wedding itself will be held on Tuesday, followed by sheva brachos on Wednesday, which will feature a Moroccan theme. The celebrations will conclude on Thursday with a bon voyage event.
Attire guidelines have been provided for various events throughout the week. Monday’s siyum and birthday celebration will be business casual, while the wedding on Tuesday will be formal, with an evening coat requested. Guests attending the sheva brachos have been encouraged to dress in accordance with the Moroccan theme.
In a message addressed to family and friends, the hosts emphasized that the wedding is intended to be a personal and intimate celebration. Guests have been asked to refrain from sharing any content, photographs, or videos from any of the wedding events and to help ensure that the details of the celebration remain private.
Amichay and Leah are the chosson and kallah. Rachamim and Margolit, and Lazer and Heather, are the respective parents of the chosson and kallah.
{Matzav.com}A new poll published Thursday evening by Israel’s Channel 14 points to a dramatic shift in the country’s political landscape, with the right-wing bloc reaching an all-time high while center-left parties continue to lose ground.
The survey, conducted by the Filber Institute and aired on Channel 14’s main news broadcast, indicates a clear strengthening of the right and increasing fragmentation among center-left factions.
The poll was based on a representative sample of 644 respondents. According to the findings, Bibi Netanyahu’s Likud party remains by far the largest faction in the Knesset, securing 34 seats. The Joint List emerges as the second-largest party with 13 mandates.
Shas and the party led by Naftali Bennett each receive 11 seats. United Torah Judaism and the Democrats party stand at 9 seats apiece. Yisrael Beytenu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, receives 8 mandates, followed by Otzma Yehudit with 7 seats. The party headed by Gadi Eisenkot wins 6 seats.
Blue and White, Religious Zionism, and Yesh Atid each fall to 4 seats, hovering near the electoral threshold.
Clear Right-Wing MajorityAccording to the poll, the right-wing bloc currently commands a solid and stable majority of 65 Knesset seats, enough to form a broad governing coalition. By contrast, the left-wing bloc stands at just 42 seats, with Arab parties holding an additional 13 mandates.
Prime Ministerial SuitabilityIn a separate question measuring suitability for the role of prime minister, Netanyahu leads decisively with 52 percent support. Bennett trails far behind with 20 percent, followed by Eisenkot at 14 percent.
Yair Lapid and Lieberman each receive 6 percent, while Benny Gantz brings up the rear with just 2 percent support.
Poll SnapshotRight-wing bloc: 65 seats
Left-wing bloc: 42 seats
Arab parties: 13 seats
{Matzav.com}
A notable engagement was announced this week within the Brisker world, bringing together two prominent branches of the Soloveitchik family.
The chassan is Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, the eldest son of Rav Yankel Soloveitchik, who is himself the eldest son of Brisk rosh yeshiva Rav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik.
The kallah is the daughter of Rav Yisrael Yaakov Kaplan, son of Rav Nechemia Kaplan, rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hatalmud, who is a son of Rav Boruch and Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan and a son-in-law of Rav Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik zt”l. The engagement was announced on the fifth yahrzeit of Rav Dovid’s petirah.
Rav Nechemia’s wife, Rav Dovid’s daughter, Rebbetzin Hendel a”h, was tragically niftar last year. Just recently, Rav Nechemia became engaged to Mrs. Esther Lerner.
Observers noted that the Kaplan-Soloveitchik shidduch is particularly striking within Brisk circles, as it formally connects the families of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik and his uncle, Rav Meshulam Dovid, in a manner more commonly associated with dynastic ties in chassidic courts.
{Matzav.com}
