Feed aggregator

Tensions surrounding the arrest of yeshiva students intensified Tuesday after a kollel yungerman was sentenced to military prison, prompting planned demonstrations across Israel by the Peleg Yerushalmi and a rare large-scale protest organized by the Gerer chassidus.

Rav Aviel Cohen, a graduate of Yeshivas Be’er HaTalmud and a kollel member in Kfar Avraham, Petach Tikvah, was sentenced Tuesday to 14 days in a military prison.

Following his incarceration, the Peleg Yerushalmi faction led by Rav Tzvi Friedman announced a series of protests scheduled for Wednesday at multiple locations throughout the country as part of its ongoing campaign against the arrest of bnei yeshiva.

At the same time, in an unusual move, Ger announced that it will hold a major protest rally Wednesday at 4 p.m. outside Military Prison 10 in response to the arrest of a bochur affiliated with the chassidus.

The gathering is expected to be led by the sons of the Gerrer Rebbe together with prominent rabbonim of the chassidus, and organizers anticipate the participation of thousands of chassidim.

{Matzav.com}

New details from a confidential U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding have surfaced, revealing a far-reaching framework that would broaden the current cease-fire to include Lebanon, permit Iran to oversee the Strait of Hormuz, temporarily ease restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and create a roadmap toward a comprehensive peace accord, according to a report Tuesday by Israel’s Channel 12.

The proposed arrangement, intended to serve as the foundation for wider negotiations between Washington and Tehran, addresses a range of issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, regional security, maritime navigation, and the future American military presence in the Middle East.

The 12 provisions were first disclosed by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who is also affiliated with Channel 12. Earlier reports had characterized the framework as a 14-point agreement.

Under the proposal, Iran, the United States, and their respective allies would halt military hostilities throughout the region, including in Lebanon.

Tehran would once again commit to its longstanding pledge not to develop a nuclear weapon.

American and Iranian negotiators would determine the future disposition of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

The two sides would also begin discussions regarding Iran’s long-term uranium enrichment activities and broader nuclear requirements.

While those talks proceed, Iran would preserve the current “status quo” of its nuclear program, which has been significantly degraded.

In return, the United States would end its naval blockade, refrain from imposing additional sanctions, and avoid deploying further military forces to the region.

Iran would ensure that commercial vessels could pass through the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or interference for a 60-day period.

Once the memorandum takes effect, Washington would release an unspecified amount of Iranian assets that are currently frozen.

Should a final agreement be reached after the 60-day period, the United States would withdraw its military forces from the region within 30 days and eliminate all sanctions on Iran.

The agreement would also establish a mechanism for a $300 billion reconstruction fund aimed at rebuilding Iran’s economy and infrastructure.

In addition, Washington would permit Tehran to resume oil exports through temporary sanctions waivers.

Iran, Oman, and the Gulf states would enter negotiations to develop new maritime security and shipping arrangements for the Gulf region.

According to a senior regional source who spoke with The Post, Oman and Iran have already begun discussions regarding that final provision and are seeking to impose a fee for the maritime “services” they would provide.

{Matzav.com}

Growing tensions within the right-wing coalition have prompted sharp criticism from Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s inner circle, where officials are warning that ongoing disputes among the chareidi parties could derail efforts to advance legislation intended to benefit the chareidi community.

At the beginning of the week, Netanyahu’s representatives informed leaders of the chareidi factions, including Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, that the Daycare Law will not move forward before the end of the Knesset’s summer session. According to those discussions, the coalition currently lacks the votes needed to pass the legislation, even if the alternative is the immediate dissolution of the Knesset and elections at a politically inconvenient time for the prime minister.

Beyond the challenge of securing a majority, Netanyahu’s associates reportedly argued that the Daycare Law has come to be viewed publicly as a symbol of draft avoidance and could inflict significant electoral damage in a future campaign.

Instead of pursuing the Daycare Law, the prime minister has proposed advancing a temporary measure that would prevent the arrest of chareidi draft evaders for a one-year period. The arrangement would be tied to the draft legislation currently being prepared in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for its second and third readings.

The plan calls for extending that temporary arrangement alongside the advancement of a Basic Law on Torah study, with the goal of creating a legal framework that could gain acceptance from both the Knesset’s legal advisers and the legal counsel of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

During internal discussions, Deri reportedly expressed concern that the proposal could face serious legal challenges. Nevertheless, after Netanyahu’s team assured coalition partners that a majority could be assembled in the Knesset plenum, a decision was made to move ahead with the initiative.

Coalition officials also noted that the Daycare Law itself was expected to encounter significant legal obstacles and could ultimately have been struck down by Israel’s High Court of Justice.

As for the timetable, intensive discussions are currently underway regarding the precise wording of the temporary order that would halt the arrest of chareidi draft evaders. The coalition hopes to bring the matter before the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this coming Sunday and then present it for a vote in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday.

At the same time, the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study is expected to advance this week with a first-reading vote, with the remainder of the legislative process slated to continue in the weeks ahead.

Frustration within Netanyahu’s camp appears to be growing as disagreements among the chareidi parties continue.

“If the chareidim continue with their unnecessary internal fights, we won’t succeed in passing anything that helps young chareidim. It’s simply intolerable,” officials close to the prime minister warned.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s proposal to replace the White House East Wing with a sprawling new ballroom and expanded underground security complex is drawing fresh scrutiny after a report suggested the true cost of the project may be far higher than figures previously cited by the administration.

Despite the criticism, Trump has repeatedly maintained that the project will be financed entirely through private contributions and will not cost American taxpayers.

During remarks in the Oval Office in late March, Trump outlined his vision for the development, which includes a large ballroom, enhanced medical capabilities, and fortified underground security infrastructure. He emphasized that taxpayers would not be funding the undertaking.

“We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents” for it, Trump said at the time.

The president has publicly estimated the total cost at less than $400 million and said the funding would come from himself and other supporters of the project.

When the White House first unveiled the plan last July, officials described it as a $200 million project to be financed by Trump and “other patriot donors,” while indicating that the U.S. Secret Service would oversee security-related improvements.

However, documents reviewed by the Washington Post reportedly indicate a substantially larger budget estimate from the project’s primary contractor, Clark Construction.

According to those records, a March cost projection placed the overall price of the initiative at approximately $600 million, with financing expected to come from both private donors and federal agencies, including the Secret Service and the White House Military Office.

The administration rejected claims that public funds would be used to pay for the ballroom itself.

“The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to Newsmax.

“President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come,” he explained.

Ingle also argued that recent security threats underscore the need for the broader modernization effort.

“The events over the weekend and the foiled attempted attack on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House proves exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large scale events, which include drone-proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements,” Ingle added.

According to the Post, internal government records show that administration officials explored the possibility of using federal money for portions of the project tied to security upgrades and site preparation.

One document cited in the report was a July 30 email from Caroline C. Hunter, general counsel in the White House Office of Administration, discussing revisions to contract language.

“We believe this edit is important to comply with fiscal law principles,” Hunter added.

The email reportedly stated that the language was adjusted “to tie the project more closely to security-related issues since USSS [U.S. Secret Service] is providing the funding.”

Trump himself has acknowledged that certain security components connected to the project would be paid for by government agencies.

While touring the construction site in May, the president said the ballroom and security infrastructure should be viewed as parts of a single integrated project.

“This is one well-knit building,” Trump told reporters. “One thing doesn’t work without the other.”

He also noted that some of the surrounding security work would be covered through existing budgets allocated to federal agencies.

“They have a budget in Secret Service and the military to do some of the work that you see right here,” Trump said.

Even so, Trump reiterated that taxpayers would not be responsible for funding the ballroom itself.

“This is a gift to the United States of America,” he said.

The controversy has also spilled onto Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have debated whether federal funds should be used for any portion of the project.

A measure supported by Lindsey Graham that would have provided $400 million for White House security and ballroom improvements ultimately failed after several Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing it.

Among those voting against the proposal was Susan Collins, who said Trump had made a clear commitment regarding the source of the funding.

Explaining her opposition to the measure, Collins told reporters that Trump “indicated that the ballroom was going to be built with private donations.”

“I think that’s the commitment that should be kept,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they intend to pursue the death penalty against an Afghan national charged with carrying out a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., that left a National Guard soldier dead and another service member critically wounded.

The defendant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, appeared in federal court for a hearing where prosecutors unveiled a sweeping new indictment containing additional charges that could make him eligible for capital punishment if convicted.

According to authorities, Lakanwal is accused of murdering West Virginia National Guard Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and seriously wounding U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe during an attack on Nov. 26, 2025.

During Tuesday’s court appearance, Lakanwal was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair and dressed in an orange jail uniform. Observers reported that he frequently blinked, spoke to himself, and at times displayed a wide-eyed, vacant stare.

The updated indictment contains 17 charges, including first-degree premeditated murder of a National Guard member while armed, attempted murder of three additional individuals, assault with intent to kill, transporting a firearm across state lines in furtherance of a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

Prosecutors allege that Lakanwal used a stolen Smith & Wesson revolver to ambush Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, near the Farragut West Metro Station, just blocks from the White House. Both victims were reportedly shot in the head during the attack.

Lakanwal, a former member of Afghanistan’s special forces who later entered the United States as a refugee, could face execution if he is convicted on the most serious charges.

Authorities say the attack came to an end when two nearby National Guardsmen intervened, shooting and stabbing the suspect before taking him into custody.

Investigators further allege that Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the nation’s capital with a stolen .357 Magnum revolver specifically to carry out the assault.

The original indictment included murder, assault, and firearms offenses, but those charges alone did not expose him to the possibility of the death penalty.

At the time, prosecutors indicated they planned to seek additional counts that could support a capital punishment case.

Beckstrom had reportedly volunteered to work that day so fellow Guard members with children could spend the holiday with their families.

She succumbed to her injuries the following day, Thanksgiving Day.

Lakanwal has entered a plea of not guilty and remains in federal custody as the case moves forward.

{Matzav.com}

The developing agreement between the United States and Iran is expected to provide Tehran with a major economic boost by allowing the regime to resume oil exports, potentially injecting billions of dollars into the country’s struggling economy.

According to a source familiar with the arrangement, Washington will grant sanctions exemptions enabling Iran to restart oil sales during a 60-day negotiating window that is scheduled to begin following Friday’s signing ceremony for the still-unreleased memorandum of understanding.

The easing of restrictions is expected to be accompanied by a U.S. commitment to end its blockade of Iranian ports, a move that could rapidly restore revenue streams to the Islamic Republic after years of economic pressure.

In addition to permitting oil exports, the agreement reportedly includes provisions allowing access to the support systems necessary to carry out those transactions.

The agreement will also cover “necessary services including banking, transportation and insurance needed to facilitate the sales,” the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

When asked about the reported terms, a senior U.S. official emphasized that any benefits available to Iran would depend entirely on the regime meeting its obligations under the agreement.

Asked for comment on the report, a senior US official said every incentive in the MOU is “performance-based.”

“This is a performance-based agreement,” the senior official said. “Iran can only access any benefits of the MOU if they abide by all of the points they agreed to – including no nuclear weapon, neutralizing its enriched material, and not interfering with the free flow of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The official stressed that Iran’s access to sanctions relief and other incentives would be tied directly to compliance with the commitments outlined in the memorandum, including restrictions on its nuclear program and guarantees regarding maritime security in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

{Matzav.com}