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The Trump administration is offering migrant children as young as five years old $3,000 to voluntarily leave the United States, expanding a controversial immigration initiative that previously targeted unaccompanied teenagers and extending the financial incentives to younger children involved in deportation proceedings.

The new offers are being presented to minors appearing before immigration courts, according to immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations familiar with the practice. In some cases, lawyers representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement have raised the possibility of receiving the payment, while immigration judges have also informed children about the option.

The expanded initiative represents a significant change from a program introduced in October 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security began offering $2,500 payments to unaccompanied migrant children aged 14 and older who agreed to return to their home countries.

Under the latest arrangement, the amount has increased to $3,000, and the offers are reportedly being extended to children younger than 14, including some who are only five years old.

The development was reported by Bloomberg Law, which interviewed immigration attorneys and organizations working with migrant children. The report has raised questions about whether young children, particularly those appearing in court without legal representation, can fully understand the consequences of accepting money in exchange for abandoning their immigration cases.

The administration has made voluntary departure a central component of President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, arguing that encouraging people to leave on their own can reduce the substantial costs associated with arresting, detaining and deporting individuals who lack legal authorization to remain in the country.

Immigration advocates, however, contend that offering cash payments to children facing the possibility of deportation creates pressure on vulnerable minors who may have legitimate claims for asylum or other forms of legal protection.

Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, said her organization had received reports over the past month from attorneys and court observers across the country describing offers made to children, including some who did not have lawyers.

“We’re seeing this as part of a larger pattern of really trying to coerce children, bully children, intensify pressure on children so that they abandon their cases,” Aber told Bloomberg Law. “And it’s part of this deport-at-all-costs policy that seems to be in particular targeting children.”

Aber said some immigration judges had presented the payment as a one-time opportunity, leaving children with little time to consider the consequences or consult with an attorney.

“They’re basically asking children to make a decision on the spot about something incredibly consequential, like waiving your right to seek asylum or to have other kinds of humanitarian relief in exchange for $3,000,” Aber said. “They might not understand what the longer term consequences are down the line.”

Michael Lukens, executive director of the Washington-based Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, said his organization and other legal assistance groups had received emails from ICE attorneys offering the $3,000 payment to children who agreed to voluntary departure.

Lukens said one such offer was made this week to an 11-year-old child represented by his organization.

“I don’t think anybody should be comfortable with this situation where a child is being denied a fair day in court because they’re being told that they should take voluntary departure and that they should get paid for it,” Lukens said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not directly confirm that the payments were being offered to children as young as five. A department spokesperson instead emphasized the administration’s efforts to reunite unaccompanied migrant children with their families.

“Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” the spokesperson said.

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the nation’s immigration courts, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the reported offers.

The latest development follows a series of administration initiatives designed to encourage unauthorized immigrants to depart without undergoing the traditional deportation process.

In October 2025, federal officials introduced a one-time $2,500 resettlement payment for unaccompanied migrant teenagers aged 14 and older who agreed to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.

The earlier program was administered through the Department of Homeland Security in coordination with federal agencies responsible for the care of unaccompanied migrant children.

The administration subsequently expanded financial incentives for other unauthorized immigrants through its Project Homecoming initiative, which offers government-arranged transportation and cash assistance to eligible individuals who agree to leave the United States.

The program uses the CBP Home mobile application, through which migrants can register their intention to depart and receive assistance arranging their travel.

In December 2025, DHS temporarily increased its voluntary departure incentive to $3,000 for eligible migrants who registered and left the country before the end of the year.

The government has promoted the initiative as a less expensive alternative to traditional deportation. Federal officials have estimated that apprehending, detaining and removing an unauthorized immigrant can cost approximately $18,000, substantially more than arranging voluntary travel and providing a financial incentive.

According to internal government figures reported in July, approximately 132,000 immigrants had departed through Project Homecoming by the middle of that month, with roughly 70,000 additional individuals registered to leave.

Those figures were separate from broader administration claims concerning the total number of unauthorized immigrants who had departed the United States.

The new offers to young children are being reported as the administration accelerates immigration court proceedings involving unaccompanied minors.

More than 16,500 cases involving unaccompanied children remained pending in immigration courts as of July, according to Justice Department figures.

At the same time, immigration judges have been directed to limit certain postponements in cases involving children who entered the country without a parent or guardian. Bloomberg Law previously reported that supervisors had instructed judges to generally restrict those delays, known as continuances, to 21 days.

Such postponements can be important for children seeking legal representation, gathering evidence or preparing asylum applications.

The availability of legal assistance has also become an issue following the expiration of federal funding in July for organizations providing representation to unaccompanied minors, including groups working with the Acacia Center for Justice.

Immigration attorneys argue that the combination of accelerated proceedings, reduced access to lawyers and financial incentives to depart could affect children’s ability to pursue claims for humanitarian protection.

Under federal immigration law, voluntary departure can allow certain individuals to leave the United States without receiving a formal removal order. However, accepting that option can require abandoning pending applications for asylum or other immigration relief, and the consequences for future eligibility to return depend on the individual’s circumstances.

The administration has defended voluntary departure programs as a way to enforce immigration laws while reducing detention costs and facilitating the return of migrants to their home countries.

For the expanded offers involving children under 14, federal officials have not publicly disclosed how many minors have been approached, how many have accepted the payments, or whether additional safeguards are being applied when young children are asked to make decisions about leaving the United States.

{Matzav.com}

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new generation of Patriot missile interceptor designed to shoot down hypersonic weapons and other advanced aerial threats at greater distances and higher altitudes, as the defense giant competes for a major U.S. Army contract to strengthen America’s missile defense capabilities.

The new weapon, called PAC-3 Edge, was introduced Friday as part of the Army’s Future Interceptor program, an initiative aimed at developing more powerful defenses against increasingly sophisticated missiles being deployed by American adversaries.

The interceptor builds on Lockheed Martin’s existing Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, known as PAC-3 MSE, which is already used by the United States and allied militaries to defend against ballistic missiles and other aerial threats.

According to the company, PAC-3 Edge is intended to extend the reach of the Patriot system, allowing American forces to engage incoming threats farther away and at greater altitudes than existing interceptors.

Lockheed Martin plans to begin testing the new interceptor in 2027, with an anticipated deployment date of 2031, provided development and procurement proceed as planned.

The unveiling comes amid mounting concerns at the Pentagon about the growing capabilities of hypersonic missiles, which travel at exceptionally high speeds and can maneuver during flight, making them more difficult to detect, track and intercept than conventional ballistic missiles.

Such weapons present a particular challenge for existing air defense systems because their speed and flight characteristics can significantly reduce the time available for radar systems to identify an incoming threat and for defensive missiles to respond.

The Army’s Future Interceptor program is intended to address those challenges by developing a missile capable of defeating advanced threats before they reach their intended targets.

Lockheed Martin has advanced to the next stage of the Army’s development process, positioning PAC-3 Edge as a contender for the program as military officials evaluate competing technologies.

A central feature of the new missile is its upgraded guidance technology, developed at Lockheed Martin’s Strigo Product Center. The advanced seeker is designed to improve the missile’s ability to identify, track and strike fast-moving targets, including those that change direction during flight.

Lockheed Martin has invested approximately $250 million in the Strigo facility to support the development of more sophisticated missile seekers.

The company is also incorporating a new propulsion system developed by Northrop Grumman. Unlike conventional rocket motors that deliver their thrust in a single sustained phase, the new multi-pulse solid rocket motor is designed to provide additional bursts of thrust during flight.

That capability could allow the interceptor to preserve energy and maneuver more effectively as it closes in on incoming missiles, particularly at extended ranges or higher altitudes.

The new propulsion system will be combined with upgraded flight controls and guidance equipment intended to improve the interceptor’s speed, agility and ability to respond to rapidly changing threats.

Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division, said the PAC-3 Edge represents a substantial advance over the company’s existing interceptor technology, with improvements in maneuverability, power and velocity.

Another important element of the program is the missile’s planned compatibility with existing American air defense infrastructure.

Lockheed Martin is designing PAC-3 Edge to operate with the Army’s M903 Patriot launchers and Integrated Battle Command System, which connects sensors, weapons and command centers across the military’s air defense network.

The company is also exploring integration with containerized launch systems and HIMARS Flex, potentially allowing the interceptor to be deployed from a wider variety of platforms.

The ability to use existing launchers and command systems could reduce the need for entirely new supporting infrastructure, although the Army would still have to evaluate the technical and financial requirements of integrating the missile.

The announcement comes as the United States is investing heavily in replenishing and expanding its missile defense inventories following extensive use of interceptors in conflicts involving Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In August, the Pentagon announced an agreement worth more than $3 billion with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production of critical components for Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile interceptors.

That agreement followed the announcement of a contract worth up to $58.6 billion for Lockheed Martin to manufacture Patriot interceptors, reflecting the Pentagon’s effort to secure a substantially larger supply of defensive missiles.

American officials have said the production expansion is intended to support a tripling of Patriot interceptor output and a fourfold increase in THAAD production.

The demand for Patriot missiles has grown as the United States and its allies seek to protect military installations, population centers and critical infrastructure against increasingly frequent missile attacks.

Ukraine has relied heavily on Patriot batteries to defend against Russian ballistic missiles, while American and allied forces in the Middle East have used missile defense systems against Iranian attacks.

These operations have underscored both the effectiveness of modern interceptors and the logistical challenge of maintaining sufficient missile inventories during prolonged conflicts.

PAC-3 Edge, however, is intended to address a different requirement from the immediate effort to replenish existing stockpiles. Its development focuses on improving the Army’s ability to defeat future threats that may exceed the capabilities of current missile defense systems.

The Pentagon has increasingly emphasized the need for layered air and missile defenses, combining different interceptors, radar systems and command networks to engage threats at multiple stages of their flight.

Under that approach, shorter-range air defenses, Patriot batteries and higher-altitude systems such as THAAD perform complementary roles rather than relying on a single weapon to defeat every type of incoming missile.

The new Lockheed Martin interceptor would expand the options available within that architecture, particularly against advanced ballistic and hypersonic weapons.

Despite Friday’s unveiling, PAC-3 Edge remains a developmental system and has not yet demonstrated its full capabilities through the testing process.

Lockheed Martin’s schedule calls for initial testing next year, followed by further evaluation and development before a potential introduction into Army service in 2031.

The Army has not yet selected the winning interceptor for its Future Interceptor program, and Lockheed Martin must still demonstrate that PAC-3 Edge meets the military’s performance and operational requirements before it can secure a production commitment.

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A 28-year-old Dominican migrant shot by federal immigration agents in the Bronx had previously been convicted in connection with an armed robbery, faced pending drug charges, and was under investigation for possible ties to a violent street gang, according to court records and federal law enforcement officials.

The shooting of Oscar Belgal during an attempted arrest Thursday has ignited a confrontation between federal immigration authorities and New York City officials, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemning the operation and some neighborhood residents questioning why Belgal remained free despite his criminal history.

Belgal, who federal authorities believe entered the United States illegally in approximately 2022, was wounded in the neck when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to take him into custody in Marble Hill. Officials said he tried to escape in his Honda SUV and struck two agents with the vehicle, prompting one of them to open fire.

His five-year-old son was in the backseat during the confrontation but was not physically injured.

Federal officials maintain that Belgal posed a public safety threat and that New York’s restrictions on cooperation with immigration enforcement had frustrated previous attempts to detain him. City officials and critics of ICE have raised questions about the agents’ tactics and the decision to fire at a vehicle containing a child.

The controversy intensified after Mamdani described Belgal as a New Yorker while criticizing the federal operation, drawing an angry response from some Bronx residents familiar with the consequences of violent crime.

Migdalia Martinez, whose 12-year-old son, Jacob Freytas, was killed by a stray bullet while riding his bicycle in July, rejected the mayor’s characterization.

“I don’t consider him a New Yorker,” Martinez told the New York Post.

“The only thing I do consider him as is trash, nothing else but trash. And I don’t consider New York, my home, as trash,” she said.

Asked whether Mamdani had been wrong to refer to Belgal as a New Yorker, Martinez responded, “The mayor is wrong in many ways — that’s definitely one.”

Martinez’s son was fatally struck by gunfire in the Mount Eden neighborhood, an area where the Trinitarios gang has maintained a presence. Authorities have said they suspect gang involvement in the shooting that killed the boy.

The same gang has been linked by federal officials to a separate July 2025 shooting involving an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer at Fort Washington Park in Upper Manhattan.

Department of Homeland Security officials said investigators were examining Belgal’s possible connections to that incident when agents approached him Thursday.

Authorities have not established publicly that Belgal participated in the officer’s shooting, and the allegations concerning his possible gang connections remain under investigation.

Security camera footage from the Marble Hill incident showed plainclothes immigration agents approaching Belgal’s parked vehicle shortly before 4 p.m., with weapons drawn.

The recording captured the agents converging on the SUV before Belgal drove away and disappeared from the camera’s view.

Marcos Charles, who heads ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, said Belgal “accelerated” toward the officers, “smashing” into two of them.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that the agents involved were equipped with body cameras, although federal authorities had not immediately made those recordings public.

The available surveillance footage does not show every moment of the confrontation, leaving questions about the precise circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Federal law enforcement sources said Belgal was believed to have crossed into the United States with a migrant caravan in 2022, during the Biden administration, without being encountered by Border Patrol agents.

His criminal history in New York began attracting law enforcement attention the following year.

According to court records, Belgal was arrested in December 2023 in connection with an armed robbery that allegedly occurred the previous month in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx.

Investigators alleged that Belgal was driving along Morris Avenue with two passengers in the backseat when he turned toward them, displayed a firearm, and demanded their valuables.

“give me your jewelry or I will shoot you,” he allegedly told the victims, according to the criminal complaint.

The victims surrendered jewelry and approximately $500 in cash.

Although Belgal was subsequently arrested, court records indicate that he was released without bail while the criminal case proceeded.

In April 2025, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of fourth-degree grand larceny.

When he was sentenced in January 2026, he received a one-month jail term and five years of probation.

His legal troubles continued even before that sentence was imposed.

In August 2025, several months after entering his guilty plea in the robbery case, Belgal was arrested again, this time on allegations involving the sale of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.

That prosecution remained pending at the time of Thursday’s shooting, and the drug allegations had not resulted in a conviction.

Under New York’s bail laws, the charges in that case did not qualify for monetary bail. Prosecutors instead requested the most restrictive available level of supervised release, which the court approved.

Federal sources said ICE had issued an immigration detainer following Belgal’s arrest, requesting that local authorities transfer him to federal custody.

The request was not honored, according to those sources.

An ICE detainer asks a local law enforcement agency to notify federal immigration authorities before releasing an individual and, in certain circumstances, to hold that person briefly so federal agents can assume custody.

New York City’s sanctuary policies generally restrict cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement, although the rules include exceptions.

Mullin argued that those restrictions had made it more difficult for federal authorities to apprehend Belgal and had exposed the public to unnecessary danger.

“Sanctuary politicians create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for American citizens to be safe,” Mullin said. “When you have sanctuary cities and politicians, you endanger the safety of the public.”

The administration’s criticism of New York’s policies has become a central element of the dispute, although the precise legal circumstances surrounding the unfulfilled detainer request have not been fully detailed publicly.

Federal officials also disclosed that Thursday’s operation was not their first attempt to arrest Belgal.

ICE agents reportedly tried to apprehend him in September, but authorities said he managed to flee.

After the shooting, New York City police officers arrived to find Belgal wounded and restrained, with federal agents nearby. NYPD body-camera footage captured the emergency response, including the frightened child crying in the background as officers assisted the injured man.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said an ICE agent had fired seven rounds at the vehicle. Bullets struck several windows, and Belgal suffered a neck wound.

The child was placed in the care of relatives.

Belgal was initially taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where protesters gathered as news of the shooting spread.

Demonstrators condemned the operation, demanding accountability from federal immigration authorities and questioning the decision to open fire while a young child was inside the vehicle.

Mamdani sharply criticized the shooting and the conduct of the agents involved.

“A New Yorker was shot by ICE agents in Marble Hill,” the mayor told reporters. “ICE agents surrounded the man’s vehicle before opening fire. They wore construction vests and masks that concealed their faces. There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents.”

The mayor said the incident had intensified fears among immigrant communities throughout the city.

“You are hearing from New Yorkers right now — anguish, pain, anger — at the fact that here in this city, the world’s city, immigrants have to wake up every morning and not know if they can live the lives that they should be able to live,” Mamdani said.

Other residents rejected the mayor’s characterization and argued that Belgal’s criminal history should have resulted in his removal from the streets long before Thursday’s confrontation.

Mora Rodriguez, an elderly longtime resident of Belgal’s former apartment building in Inwood, responded with a firm “No” when asked whether she considered him a New Yorker.

“Absolutely not. That’s one of the reasons I think we should vote blue out,” Rodriguez told the Post.

“What’s going on with the legal system, the jail, letting these people go after they have a whole list of convictions. This is a criminal. Why would you let this person out?” she said.

Rodriguez also criticized the judges and elected officials responsible for New York’s criminal justice policies.

“These judges are very radical. We gotta vote red. That’s what I can say to you.”

Belgal’s attorneys, meanwhile, challenged his detention in federal court and raised concerns about his medical condition following the shooting.

During a Friday court proceeding, his lawyers said he remained in pain and still had a bullet lodged in his body. A federal judge temporarily prohibited immigration authorities from deporting him while his legal challenge was being considered.

Following his discharge from the hospital, Belgal was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he remained in federal custody.

Court and law enforcement documents have also identified him under several variations of his surname, including Belgal, Bengal, and Bergal.

Federal authorities said their interest in Belgal extended beyond his robbery conviction and pending drug prosecution.

Mullin disclosed that investigators believed Belgal might possess information about the July 2025 shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer at Fort Washington Park.

The secretary said investigators were examining whether Belgal had “direct or indirect knowledge” of the attack.

Two Dominican nationals who were in the United States illegally were identified as the perpetrators of that shooting, and one received a 15-year prison sentence on Monday.

Law enforcement sources said investigators found Belgal’s name and contact information in the cellphone of one of the suspects, contributing to the decision to pursue him.

That discovery, however, does not establish that Belgal participated in the shooting or was involved in planning it.

The circumstances surrounding Thursday’s confrontation are now being examined by federal investigators, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Authorities have not publicly released the complete ICE body-camera recordings, and accounts of whether Belgal deliberately drove toward agents remain disputed. Surveillance footage shows portions of the encounter but does not conclusively resolve the conflicting descriptions.

The case has also prompted renewed criticism of New York’s sanctuary policies from the White House, which argues that restrictions on cooperation with ICE force federal agents to carry out more dangerous street-level arrests.

The Justice Department has launched a federal antitrust investigation into five of America’s largest television news networks, examining whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News violated federal law by collectively suspending their coverage of President Donald Trump following a dispute over White House press access.

The investigation, confirmed today by the Justice Department, centers on the networks’ decision last month to temporarily halt their participation in the White House television press pool after the Trump administration barred journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from entering the White House.

Federal investigators are seeking communications and other records related to the networks’ coordinated response, raising the possibility that their collective refusal to provide coverage could constitute an unlawful group boycott under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The New York Times first reported the investigation, citing six people familiar with the matter. Justice Department officials reportedly contacted representatives of the networks on Friday to request documents and communications concerning the White House television pool.

Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington confirmed the inquiry, explaining that federal antitrust laws can apply when competing businesses coordinate their activities in ways that unlawfully restrict competition.

“Members of the television press pool have proudly boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act, a core antitrust law,” Covington said.

“The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,” she added.

The investigation follows weeks of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and major news organizations over access to presidential events, the composition of the White House press pool, and the administration’s authority to determine which journalists may cover the president.

The controversy began in September when the White House revoked access for journalists representing CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.

The administration defended the restrictions by arguing that access to the White House and presidential events is a privilege rather than an unconditional right.

The affected news organizations challenged the decision in federal court, alleging that the administration had singled them out in retaliation for their reporting and violated their constitutional protections under the First Amendment.

The dispute quickly spread beyond the three organizations directly affected.

CNN is one of five major television news operations that participate in the longstanding White House broadcast pool, alongside ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News.

Under the arrangement, the networks rotate responsibility for covering presidential appearances and activities, sharing the costs of gathering footage and distributing the resulting material to other news organizations nationwide.

The system allows television outlets that cannot independently maintain camera crews at every presidential event to obtain footage through a common pool arrangement.

When the White House excluded CNN, the other television networks declined to provide replacement coverage, effectively suspending the pool’s normal operations for several days.

The collective decision was intended as a demonstration of solidarity with the excluded organizations, but it is now the central subject of the Justice Department’s investigation.

Federal antitrust law generally prohibits certain agreements among competing businesses that improperly restrain trade or restrict competition.

The Sherman Act, enacted in 1890, has been used to challenge arrangements in which competitors coordinate their commercial behavior, including some forms of group boycotts.

Investigators will now examine whether the networks’ coordinated suspension of coverage amounted to unlawful cooperation among commercial competitors or whether their actions were permissible under federal law.

The existence of the investigation does not establish that any network committed a violation, and no charges or civil enforcement action had been announced as of Saturday.

The inquiry also raises complicated questions because the networks’ decision concerned their newsgathering activities and their response to government restrictions on press access, rather than a conventional commercial dispute involving prices or customers.

The networks had argued through their conduct that they should not be required to replace a fellow news organization excluded from the press pool by the administration.

The White House, meanwhile, has maintained that it possesses authority over access to presidential facilities and events, particularly when journalists are seeking to accompany the president aboard Air Force One.

The original restrictions prompted swift legal action from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW.

On September 24, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore the journalists’ White House access after finding that the restrictions were likely unconstitutional.

The ruling allowed the affected organizations to return to the White House, and the television networks subsequently resumed their regular pool coverage.

However, the judicial intervention did not fully resolve the dispute over access to presidential travel and other events outside the White House grounds.

In a subsequent confrontation, the administration prevented CNN from fulfilling a scheduled television pool assignment aboard Air Force One.

The other four major networks again declined to replace CNN, leaving the administration without the usual television pool coverage for that assignment.

A similar dispute unfolded on October 5, when the White House barred Politico from accompanying Trump on a trip to Nebraska aboard Air Force One.

Politico had been scheduled to serve as the primary print pool reporter for the trip, a role that ordinarily involves documenting the president’s activities and distributing updates to other news organizations.

After the administration excluded Politico, White House officials reportedly contacted other outlets seeking a replacement.

Those organizations declined to assume the assignment.

As a result, the trip proceeded without a primary print pool reporter, an unusual departure from the customary arrangements for presidential travel.

The Washington Post, which had already been designated as the secondary print pool representative, provided occasional updates, while CBS News, serving as the television pool representative, also agreed to share information with other reporters.

The White House defended its position, maintaining that journalists do not possess an automatic right to travel with the president.

“Many outlets including Politico are granted access to attend and cover presidential events unilaterally, but traveling with the President of the United States aboard Air Force One is a privilege not a right,” the administration said in a statement concerning the dispute.

The administration has also emphasized Trump’s frequent interactions with reporters, arguing that the president provides extensive opportunities for journalists to question him directly.

News organizations challenging the restrictions maintain that the government cannot selectively deny access to journalists because of disagreement with their coverage.

The Justice Department’s investigation introduces a separate legal battle from the constitutional lawsuits already underway.

While the press organizations are contesting the administration’s restrictions on access, federal antitrust investigators are examining whether the networks themselves crossed a legal line by acting collectively in response.

The inclusion of Fox News among the networks under investigation is particularly notable, given that the network is generally viewed as more sympathetic to Trump than several of its competitors.

Its participation in the collective suspension demonstrated that the dispute over White House press access extended across competing television organizations with substantially different editorial perspectives.

The Justice Department has not disclosed how long the inquiry is expected to last or whether investigators intend to pursue enforcement proceedings.

Kamala Harris is encountering resistance to another presidential campaign from some of the people closest to her, including her husband, Doug Emhoff, who has privately expressed a preference that she stay out of the 2028 race, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Emhoff has told several people he would rather his wife not undertake another campaign for the White House following her defeat to President Donald Trump in 2024.

“Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, has privately told some people he would prefer she doesn’t run for president again,” the newspaper reported.

The reported opposition from Emhoff comes as Harris weighs another presidential bid while receiving mixed signals from Democratic donors and political insiders. Some major financial supporters have reportedly warned that a second campaign would be a “long shot, according to people familiar with the conversations,” the Journal stated.

Harris, who served as vice president under Joe Biden and became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, has not publicly committed to seeking the party’s nomination again.

Speaking at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People event in Michigan last month, Harris acknowledged that she was still considering her political future while emphasizing the importance of the upcoming congressional elections.

“I have not decided if I’m going to run again,” Harris said. “I do sincerely believe ’28 won’t matter if we don’t get through ’26.”

Despite her stated uncertainty, Harris has continued engaging in activities commonly associated with laying the groundwork for a national campaign. She has reportedly held conversations with influential donors, recruited staff, and traveled to politically competitive states to support Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Those efforts have fueled speculation that she is attempting to preserve her national political network and maintain relationships that could prove valuable if she decides to enter the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

Harris also continues to register substantial support in some early surveys of potential Democratic presidential candidates. Several national polls have placed her ahead of other prominent figures being discussed as possible contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

At the same time, political prediction markets have reflected considerably more skepticism about her prospects. The article cited Polymarket figures assigning Harris a 6 percent chance, compared with 18 percent for Ocasio-Cortez and 15 percent for Newsom. Those figures reflect betting-market expectations rather than voter polling and are subject to change.

Harris’s previous presidential campaign ended in a decisive defeat despite an enormous fundraising operation that reportedly brought in approximately $1.5 billion.

Trump carried all seven major battleground states in the 2024 election and defeated Harris in the national popular vote by approximately 2.3 million votes. The Electoral College result was 312 votes for Trump and 226 for Harris, comfortably exceeding the 270 votes required to win the presidency.

The scale of that defeat remains a significant consideration for Democratic strategists evaluating whether Harris should receive another opportunity to lead the party’s presidential ticket.

Since leaving Washington, Emhoff has resumed his legal career as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, a major law firm with an office in Los Angeles. He had previously stepped away from his legal work when Harris became vice president.

The couple has also made a significant change in their personal lives, purchasing a residence in the exclusive Point Dume neighborhood of Malibu last December for a reported $8.15 million.

The approximately 4,000-square-foot property is larger than their previous 3,500-square-foot home in Brentwood and has been described in media reports as a luxury mansion.

Their return to California, however, has not meant that Harris has withdrawn from political activity.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Harris has participated in approximately half a dozen private Democratic fundraising events in California in recent weeks, including a Santa Monica gathering supporting Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin.

She has also attended a fundraiser for Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is seeking that state’s governorship as the Democratic candidate.

Those appearances have reportedly caused uneasiness among some donors who question whether Harris is using the midterm campaign season to position herself for another presidential run.

Harris has also remained involved in the Democratic Party’s nationwide organizing efforts. During a recent call with the Democratic National Committee, she addressed more than 2,000 volunteers and encouraged them to participate in door-to-door campaigning and voter outreach across approximately a dozen states.

Her continued involvement has allowed her to maintain relationships with party activists, donors, and candidates whose support could become important in a future presidential primary.

Additional reporting indicates that some former Harris aides are uncertain whether she will ultimately seek the nomination again, while other Democrats believe the party should consider a new generation of presidential candidates.

Harris has nevertheless kept the possibility alive. At a National Action Network event earlier this year, she acknowledged that she was considering another campaign, saying, “Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it.”

Newsom, meanwhile, has publicly indicated that he would not challenge Harris for the Democratic nomination if she decided to run, underscoring the influence her decision could have on the eventual primary field.

Despite Emhoff’s reported private reservations, the Wall Street Journal emphasized that people close to him expect he would fully support his wife if she ultimately chooses to enter the 2028 race.

President Donald Trump expressed frustration today over his failure to receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to what he described as his administration’s extraordinary record of ending wars, securing the release of hostages, confronting Iran, and removing Venezuela’s longtime ruler from power.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump questioned why neither he nor the United States had been recognized with the prestigious international award, arguing that his diplomatic and military accomplishments far exceeded what would ordinarily be expected of a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

His remarks followed the announcement that the 2026 prize had been awarded to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the South African jurist and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who has drawn fierce criticism from Israeli officials over her accusations against Israel regarding the war in Gaza.

Trump’s complaint centered on his assertion that he has already resolved eight wars and is approaching agreements that could bring two additional conflicts to an end.

The president also cited his administration’s role in obtaining the release of Israeli hostages, securing the return of other captives from countries around the world, confronting the Iranian nuclear threat, and carrying out the operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s ruler.

“I settled 8 WARS, am close to ending or settling 2 more, got all of the Israeli hostages back, including the final 28, both living and dead, had hundreds of hostages, from countries all over the World, released and sent back home, won a war in Venezuela, and captured the violent dictator who so viciously ran that country, and stopped the number one state sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, from obtaining a Nuclear Weapon — AND MUCH MORE! Yet, with all of that I, or the United States of America, did not get the Noble Peace Prize. WOW!” Trump wrote.

The president’s statement presented his administration’s achievements as evidence that the Nobel Committee had overlooked what he considers an exceptional record of international peacemaking.

The decision to honor Pillay has also triggered sharp criticism in Israel, where government officials have accused the South African judge of advancing unfounded allegations against the Jewish state while failing to adequately address the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Pillay, 85, was selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday for her decades of work in international law and human rights. The committee highlighted her involvement in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, as well as her work challenging apartheid in South Africa.

Her legal career has included serving as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, in addition to heading the United Nations human rights office. She currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice.

More recently, Pillay chaired a United Nations commission of inquiry that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, an accusation strongly rejected by the Israeli government.

The Nobel Committee defended its selection by emphasizing the importance of international legal institutions at a time of growing armed conflict and challenges to the international legal order.

Israeli officials, however, condemned the decision, arguing that Pillay’s record regarding Israel made her an inappropriate recipient of an award intended to recognize contributions to peace.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a blistering statement following the announcement.

“If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn’t just be a contender,” the ministry said, adding that she would “be a frontrunner.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office also criticized the selection, referring to Pillay’s role in international legal proceedings involving Israel.

“Navi Pillay’s proudest achievement was to legitimize a corrupt prosecutor who turned to her fabrications against Israel hoping that by joining her bigoted lynch mob, he would beat a rape charge,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

The controversy intensified as Trump expanded his criticism of the Nobel decision in additional public remarks. In another Truth Social post, he identified the eight conflicts he claims to have resolved, including disputes involving India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Hamas.

He also referred to conflicts involving Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Israel and Iran.

Several of Trump’s claims about having ended these conflicts remain disputed, with critics noting that some of the underlying tensions and hostilities have continued despite diplomatic agreements or ceasefires.

Trump nevertheless argued that his administration’s diplomatic record justified the award and accused the Nobel Committee of allowing political considerations to influence its decision.

He further identified the conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine and the confrontation with Iran as two additional situations in which he believes his administration is approaching a resolution.

The president’s criticism comes against the backdrop of his longstanding interest in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor previously awarded to several American presidents.

In 2025, the prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who subsequently praised Trump for supporting her country’s opposition movement.

Following her selection, Machado publicly dedicated her recognition to the Venezuelan people and to the American president.

“We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world,” Machado said at the time.

“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!” she added.

Machado later presented Trump with her Nobel medal in a symbolic gesture of appreciation, although the Nobel Committee has made clear that the designation of a laureate cannot be transferred to another individual.

Pillay, meanwhile, reacted to her own selection by dedicating the honor to survivors of international crimes and those working to uphold international justice. She received the news while visiting the historic Nuremberg courtroom in Germany, where Nazi leaders were prosecuted following World War II.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize carries a monetary award of approximately $1.2 million and is scheduled to be formally presented in Oslo on December 10.

Singer Lipa Schmeltzer has revealed that he is seriously contemplating the possibility of leaving the United States and making his home in Eretz Yisroel, saying that his longing to live in the Holy Land has intensified with each passing year.

Schmeltzer, who currently resides in America, shared his feelings following a visit to Eretz Yisroel for Sukkos, explaining that every trip strengthens his desire to eventually settle there permanently.

Speaking to Israeli media, the singer acknowledged that relocating his life and family across the ocean would be a major undertaking, but said the idea has occupied his thoughts for years.

“Every time I come here, I feel more and more of a longing and a desire to come here much more often, and perhaps even to live here one day. I’ve been talking about it for years,” Schmeltzer said.

He added that the practical challenges of such a move have not diminished his feelings about Eretz Yisroel.

“Obviously, making such a change in the middle of life is not simple, but from year to year, that feeling only grows stronger,” he said.

Schmeltzer has long been one of the most recognizable personalities in the chassidishe music world, known for his distinctive performances and his ability to blend traditional Jewish musical themes with contemporary styles.

His music has attracted audiences across the spectrum of Orthodox Jewish communities, and he remains an active figure in the chareidi entertainment industry.

Recently, Schmeltzer released a new single titled “ShabTrump,” marking President Donald Trump’s declaration of a National Shabbos.

Beyond discussing his possible move to Eretz Yisroel, Schmeltzer also shared a remarkable personal encounter that illustrated the unexpected influence Jewish music can have on someone’s life.

Following davening on Hoshana Rabbah, the singer recounted an emotional meeting with a woman who had chased after him in the street because she wanted him to know how profoundly one of his songs had affected her.

According to Schmeltzer, the woman explained that she had grown up listening to his music and had been familiar with his songs since childhood.

As she grew older, however, she drifted away from Yiddishkeit and eventually abandoned religious observance altogether.

At one point, she had even made plans to marry a non-Jewish man.

Then, shortly before the planned marriage, she unexpectedly came across one of Schmeltzer’s songs while listening to Spotify.

Hearing the familiar music stirred something deep within her, reconnecting her with memories and feelings from the Jewish upbringing she had left behind.

The song became the first step in a personal journey that ultimately brought her back to Yiddishkeit.

Today, Schmeltzer related, the woman is married to a Jewish man.

The encounter left the singer deeply moved, offering him a firsthand glimpse of how a song recorded years earlier could reach someone at a critical moment and help change the direction of her life.

{Matzav.com}

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz has announced that he will remain in Israel’s Knesset election race until the end, rejecting calls for him to withdraw and accusing political rivals of deliberately misleading voters by claiming that supporting his party would amount to throwing away their votes.

In a video statement released ahead of the upcoming elections, the former IDF chief of staff and defense minister delivered a sharp attack on both of Israel’s major political blocs, accusing their leaders of placing partisan interests ahead of the country’s need for a broad unity government.

“We are on the road to disaster. We must stop and save the country,” Gantz warned.

His declaration comes amid mounting political pressure over Blue and White’s continued participation in the election, with critics arguing that votes cast for smaller parties could be wasted if those parties fail to cross the electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset.

Gantz rejected that argument and insisted that his party represents voters who are dissatisfied with both political camps and want a government based on national unity rather than narrow coalition agreements.

“The politicians from both blocs oppose the unity that I am promoting with all my heart. They want a decisive victory. The division serves them politically,” Gantz said.

He warned that the continued political confrontation could lead to another round of elections or the establishment of a narrow government that would deepen divisions within Israeli society.

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

Gantz portrayed his decision to remain in the race as part of a broader effort to prevent further internal divisions, arguing that national unity is essential to confronting Israel’s security challenges.

“I have decided not to surrender to our enemies. In order to fight our enemies, I must fight for unity among us, and therefore I am running until the end,” he said.

Addressing accusations that Blue and White could draw votes away from larger parties without securing enough support to enter the Knesset, Gantz insisted that his candidacy should not be viewed through the traditional division between the Netanyahu-aligned bloc and its opponents.

“I do not belong to either bloc. Anyone who claims that I am wasting votes is lying and is afraid. Whoever votes for me is voting for unity, not for the blocs,” he said.

Gantz also claimed that a substantial number of voters are interested in supporting his party, arguing that Blue and White has the potential to secure meaningful parliamentary representation.

“There are at least six Knesset seats’ worth of voters who want to vote for us. To you I say: You are not alone. Vote, and we will save the country,” he declared.

The assertion regarding six seats reflects Gantz’s own assessment of potential support and was not accompanied in the report by independent polling data establishing that level of backing.

Following his announcement, Blue and White said it would launch an extensive election campaign beginning Saturday night and continuing through Election Day.

The campaign will operate under the Hebrew slogan “Bocharim Achdut, Matzilim Et Hamedinah,” meaning “Choose Unity, Save the Country.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has sent a personal letter of appreciation to Captain Smith Machhar, the Indian pilot who was seriously wounded while fighting off an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai passenger aircraft, informing him that he will receive Israel’s Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism and inviting him to visit Yerushalayim once he recovers.

The letter, delivered to Machhar at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, expressed Israel’s gratitude for his extraordinary courage during the attempted terrorist attack on the flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport.

Machhar remains hospitalized after suffering serious injuries when his Omani copilot allegedly attacked him with an emergency axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

Despite his injuries, the captain reportedly continued struggling against the attacker and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers to intervene and overpower the alleged hijacker.

In his letter, Herzog praised the captain’s ability to remain composed and take decisive action despite the immediate danger to his life.

“Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, confront the immediate threat to your life, and exercise sound judgment is a testament to the strength of your character and the tremendous courage of spirit with which you are blessed,” Herzog wrote.

The president also placed Machhar’s actions in the broader historical context of the longstanding relationship between India and Israel, drawing a connection between the captain’s heroism and the contributions of Indian soldiers who fought in the Holy Land more than a century ago.

“Your act of heroism places you in the honored ranks of the Indian soldiers who, more than a century ago, risked their lives to liberate cities in the Holy Land, thereby becoming an inseparable part of Israel’s history. You too, Captain Machhar, will now become a cherished part of our people’s history, and another link strengthening the bond between the Republic of India and the State of Israel,” Herzog wrote.

The historical reference alluded to Indian troops who served in the British-led military campaign in the region during World War I, including the Indian cavalry forces that participated in the capture of Haifa in 1918.

Herzog concluded his letter with a personal message of encouragement, expressing confidence in the medical care the captain is receiving in the UAE and extending an invitation to visit Israel after his recovery.

“As you slowly begin your journey of recovery, I know that you are in the best hands of our dear friends and partners in the United Arab Emirates. All of us offer heartfelt prayers for your complete and speedy recovery, and I look forward, once you have regained your strength, to welcoming you in Jerusalem and expressing to you the appreciation and love of our grateful nation,” the president wrote.

The letter was accompanied by the announcement that Machhar will be awarded the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism, an honor recognizing extraordinary acts of courage undertaken to protect human life.

Herzog announced the decision during a ceremony held this week honoring the civilian heroes who helped prevent the Flydubai hijacking from ending in disaster.

“I wish to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Indian pilot, Captain Smith Machhar, who fought the attacker despite his serious injuries and, with his remaining strength, managed to open the cockpit door,” Herzog said.

The president then announced that the captain would receive the same recognition being bestowed upon the other individuals who helped save the aircraft.

“From here, on behalf of all of us, I send him wishes for a complete and speedy recovery. I intend to honor him as well, as the committee has recommended, with the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog added.

Machhar’s actions were instrumental in allowing Israeli passengers to reach the cockpit and subdue the attacker before he could carry out his alleged plan.

Among those who intervened were Israeli passengers Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Tzvika Mans, and Assaf Rajwan, whose efforts helped bring the aircraft under control.

One of the Israeli passengers who helped overpower the terrorist attempting to crash a Flydubai passenger jet has revealed a series of disturbing incidents involving members of the cabin crew, including an allegation that a flight attendant began loosening the restraints holding the hijacker after passengers had subdued him.

Assaf Rajwan, who was traveling aboard the Dubai-to-Israel flight with his wife, Lior, and their two daughters, ages 12 and 13, described the terrifying ordeal during an interview on Israel’s Channel 12 program Ulpan Shishi. His account raised serious questions about the conduct of several flight attendants during the attempted hijacking, although their alleged actions have not been independently established as evidence of involvement in the attack.

More than a week after the incident, Rajwan recounted how he rushed toward the front of the aircraft when screams erupted and passengers realized that a violent struggle was taking place inside the cockpit.

Rajwan was among the passengers who helped restrain the alleged hijacker, preventing what authorities believe could have been a catastrophic attack. A video recorded after the aircraft landed showed him announcing to fellow passengers, “We won.”

During his television interview, however, Rajwan said the behavior of certain flight attendants had caused him considerable concern even as passengers were fighting to regain control of the aircraft.

“I saw two very large, very strong men. Let’s just say they weren’t exactly the ideal typecast for flight attendants,” Rajwan recalled.

He said the men appeared unusually tense and repeatedly exchanged glances and spoke to one another in their own language, behavior that he and other passengers interpreted as suspicious under the circumstances.

“You realize you’re in a situation with people who are constantly exchanging nervous looks. One looks at the other, signals with his eyes, and starts speaking in his own language. That’s why people don’t know this, but the real battle was with them,” Rajwan said.

According to Rajwan, one of the flight attendants also approached him in a confrontational manner after passengers in business class attempted to record what was happening aboard the aircraft.

“He asked me, ‘You are police, you are police,’ not in a positive way, but almost as an accusation,” Rajwan recalled.

Another detail that troubled Rajwan involved the flight attendants’ apparent ability to enter and leave the cockpit.

“They had the code. I saw them going in, coming out, opening it. I don’t know whether that’s possible. I told security officials that this needs to be investigated,” he said.

Rajwan described another particularly alarming episode involving the injured Indian captain, who had reportedly been attacked with an emergency axe during the attempted hijacking.

As the captain lay seriously wounded, Dr. Shota Musayev, one of the Israeli passengers, was attempting to provide emergency medical assistance and help him breathe.

At that moment, Rajwan said, a flight attendant approached the injured pilot and attempted to place an unidentified pill into his mouth.

“When the Indian pilot was lying there, gasping for breath, and Shota, the doctor, was helping him and ventilating him, there was a certain point when one of the flight attendants came to give him some kind of pill. We told him, ‘What are you doing? What pill? The man isn’t breathing. What are you trying to put into him?’ I have no idea what he was trying to give him,” Rajwan recounted.

Rajwan said he found the attempted administration of medication particularly troubling given the pilot’s condition and the fact that a physician was already providing emergency treatment.

He also described another incident in which flight attendants repeatedly instructed passengers to fasten their seat belts while the struggle to secure the aircraft was still underway.

“While we’re dealing with them, they start telling passengers in the air, ‘Put on your seat belts, put on your seat belts.’ We told him, ‘We’re going to die. There’s a terrorist here. What are you talking to me about seat belts for?'” Rajwan recalled.

The most alarming allegation in Rajwan’s account concerned what happened after the Israeli passengers managed to restrain the alleged hijacker.

According to Rajwan, the passengers had secured the suspect using plastic cable ties and wires from earphones, attempting to ensure that he could not resume his attack.

They then noticed one of the flight attendants approaching the restrained man and apparently beginning to loosen the ties.

“Suddenly, we notice that he starts releasing the cable ties. He starts gently loosening them. We told him, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ We were absolutely frantic. Another second and we would have jumped on him,” Rajwan said.

Rajwan acknowledged that the conduct he witnessed left him genuinely frightened of certain members of the cabin crew, even after the immediate threat from the hijacker had apparently been contained.

“I was afraid. They were beasts. You touch one of them and it feels like you’re touching a rock. One of my fears was that one of them would pull out a weapon, pull out a knife, pull out something,” he said.

He also described a statement allegedly made by one of the flight attendants that left him stunned.

“He grabbed my hand, looked me in the eyes, and told me, ‘If he will be dead, we will land safe’ — if the Indian pilot dies, we will land safely. He told me something like that, and I went into a bit of shock,” Rajwan recalled.

Rajwan said he had brought his concerns to the attention of Israeli security authorities, who are expected to examine the passengers’ accounts and the circumstances surrounding the crew’s conduct.

Among the additional questions raised in the report was the whereabouts of replacement pilots who were reportedly aboard the aircraft but, according to the account, had not been seen since the plane landed.

The allegations concerning the flight attendants remain unverified, and the report did not establish that any cabin crew members knowingly assisted the alleged hijacker. The conduct Rajwan described is expected to be examined as part of the broader investigation.

The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, when Omani copilot Hammam al-Hamami allegedly attacked the Indian captain with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

According to reports of the incident, the copilot intended to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, potentially killing everyone aboard and causing mass casualties on the ground.

Four Israeli passengers — Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Tzvika Mans, and Assaf Rajwan — rushed into the cockpit and managed to overpower the attacker.

Their intervention prevented the alleged hijacker from carrying out his plan and enabled the aircraft to land safely in Israel.

With just two and a half weeks remaining until Israel’s Knesset elections, Hagaon Rav Tzemach Mazuz, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim, has issued a public appeal to Hagaon Rav Yosef Chaim Abergil, leader of the newly established Achi party, urging him to withdraw from the election and join forces with Shas.

The unexpected appeal came as Rav Mazuz was recording an official video expressing his support for Shas. During the recording, he turned his attention to Rav Abergil, a longtime friend, and called upon him to dissolve his independent political party in the interest of unity.

Rav Abergil’s decision to establish Achi has introduced another political option for voters ahead of the upcoming election, raising concerns among Shas supporters about a possible division of the Sephardic chareidi vote.

Rather than limiting his remarks to an endorsement of Shas, Rav Mazuz chose to address Rav Abergil personally, invoking their longstanding relationship and expressing his desire to see the two political camps united.

“I heard that my dear and beloved friend, the great and distinguished Rav, a descendant of holy ancestors, Rav Chida Abergil, is establishing a party,” Rav Mazuz said.

He then made his request directly, calling for the new party to be dissolved and for its supporters to unite with Shas.

“I earnestly request from this platform that he close the party and that we join together, and that we all be as one man with one heart, with Hashem’s help, and we will surely see great salvation,” Rav Mazuz declared.

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The Torah world is mourning the petirah of Rav Moshe Mordechai Hadaya zt”l, the longtime Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Eilat and its surrounding district, who was niftar on Shabbos at the age of 91, after approximately seven decades devoted to strengthening Yiddishkeit in Israel’s southernmost city.

Rav Hadaya, who was regarded as the senior municipal rabbi in Israel in terms of years of service, assumed his position when Eilat was still a remote and developing community. Over the ensuing 70 years, he helped establish the city’s religious infrastructure, founded Torah institutions, and became a beloved spiritual figure for generations of residents.

His levayah was held on Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Bereishis at the Pachad Yitzchak Shul in Eilat, to be followed by a second levayah in Yerushalayim on Sunday.

Rav Hadaya was born in Syria in 1935 (5695) into a distinguished family of rabbonim and Torah scholars whose roots extended through the great Sephardic communities of Aleppo and Yerushalayim.

He was a grandson of the renowned Sephardic mekubal Rav Shalom Hadaya zt”l, who served as Rosh Yeshiva of the Beis El Yeshiva of Mekubalim and as av beis din in Yerushalayim.

His family also included Rav Ovadia Hadaya zt”l, the celebrated posek and author of Yaskil Avdi, whose writings became an important part of Sephardic halachic literature.

After arriving in Eretz Yisroel as a young man, Rav Hadaya immersed himself in Torah study under prominent gedolei Torah and poskim of the generation.

Among his principal rebbeim were Rav Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg zt”l, the author of Tzitz Eliezer and a member of Israel’s Great Rabbinical Court; Rav Yaakov Kalav zt”l; and Rav Shimon Efrati zt”l.

His years of learning under these distinguished rabbonim provided the foundation for a lifetime of psak halacha and communal leadership.

In 1955 (5715), while still a young man, Rav Hadaya was called upon to serve as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Eilat, which at the time was a small development town far removed from the established Torah centers of the country.

He accepted the position and devoted himself to building the religious life of the community, undertaking responsibilities that would occupy him for the next seven decades.

During his lengthy tenure, Rav Hadaya established the city’s kashrus supervision system, oversaw the construction of mikvaos, helped found shuls, and developed programs of Torah learning for local residents.

He was also deeply involved in protecting the observance of Shabbos and maintaining proper halachic standards throughout the city.

His efforts were especially significant because Eilat’s geographical isolation and its development as a major tourist destination presented challenges that differed from those facing rabbonim in Israel’s more established religious communities.

Rav Hadaya worked tirelessly to ensure that residents had access to the religious services and institutions necessary for a Torah-observant life, while maintaining close relationships with people from across the city’s diverse population.

Those who knew him described a rov whose home was open to anyone seeking assistance, guidance, or encouragement. Religious and secular residents alike viewed him as a fatherly figure who combined unwavering commitment to halacha with warmth and genuine concern for every individual.

His decades of service made him an inseparable part of Eilat’s history, and his influence extended well beyond the city’s religious institutions.

Approximately four months ago, in Sivan 5786, Eilat held formal elections for the position of Sephardic Chief Rabbi, resulting in the selection of Rav Hadaya’s son, Hagaon Rav Yair Hadaya, to succeed him.

Rav Yair was elected by an overwhelming majority of the electoral body, ensuring that the rabbinic leadership of the city would remain in the family that had guided its religious life for generations.

The younger Rav Hadaya is a distinguished talmid of Rav Avraham Shapira zt”l and Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul zt”l.

For many years, he headed a kollel in Eilat dedicated to preparing avreichim for positions in the rabbinate. He has also served voluntarily as the rabbinic representative of United Hatzalah in the city.

Like his father, Rav Yair has been actively involved in bringing Yidden closer to Torah and mitzvos, emphasizing personal relationships, accessibility, and a welcoming approach to those seeking to strengthen their connection to Yiddishkeit.

During a special gathering held this past summer in recognition of Rav Moshe Hadaya’s 70 years of service, the veteran rov publicly blessed his son upon his appointment as the city’s new Sephardic Chief Rabbi.

The emotional occasion brought together members of the community to honor Rav Hadaya’s extraordinary lifetime of dedication and to celebrate the continuation of his family’s rabbinic legacy.

At the gathering, Rav Hadaya expressed his heartfelt wishes that his son merit to lead Eilat’s Jewish community successfully and continue the distinguished tradition of Torah leadership established by their family.

With his petirah, Eilat has lost a towering figure who accompanied the city through nearly its entire modern history, transforming a distant development town into a community with an established network of shuls, mikvaos, Torah learning, and religious services.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

An anti-Israel organization that has pursued legal complaints against IDF soldiers around the world has now filed a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, accusing Israeli doctors, medical officials, and senior government personnel of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in connection with the treatment of Palestinian security detainees at the Sde Teiman detention facility.

The Hind Rajab Foundation has asked the ICC prosecutor to investigate Israel’s medical establishment, including the Israel Medical Association and senior officials in the Health and Defense Ministries, over allegations of mistreatment and inadequate medical care at the military detention facility following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

According to a report by Ynet, the complaint specifically names Professor Zion Hagay, president of the Israel Medical Association, and Leah Wapner, the organization’s chief executive officer, among the individuals whose conduct the foundation wants investigated.

The filing represents an expansion of the organization’s international legal campaign against Israel, extending its accusations beyond soldiers and military commanders to medical professionals and administrators involved in the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

At the center of the complaint are allegations that medical personnel at Sde Teiman were required to examine and treat prisoners while the detainees remained blindfolded and restrained.

The organization also alleges that restrictions were imposed on transferring detainees to civilian hospitals, potentially preventing prisoners from receiving medical care outside the military facility.

In its submission, the foundation claims that at least 29 Palestinian detainees died at Sde Teiman by November 2025 as a result of medical neglect or physical violence.

Those figures and allegations are claims presented by the organization and have not been established as findings of the International Criminal Court. The submission of a complaint does not itself constitute a criminal indictment or a judicial determination that the named individuals committed any offenses.

The Hind Rajab Foundation, named after a Palestinian girl killed during the war in Gaza, has become known for attempting to identify Israeli military personnel traveling abroad and seeking criminal investigations against them in foreign jurisdictions.

The organization has reportedly submitted more than 90 complaints in approximately 30 countries, seeking legal action against Israelis it accuses of involvement in violations of international law during the Gaza war.

Despite the large number of complaints, the organization’s efforts have generally resulted in preliminary procedural measures rather than substantial criminal prosecutions or convictions.

Israeli officials have characterized the foundation’s activities as part of a broader international legal and public relations campaign directed against Israel and its military personnel.

According to Israeli assessments, the organization seeks to generate international pressure while discouraging IDF soldiers and other Israelis from traveling overseas out of concern that they could face questioning, detention, or criminal proceedings.

Israeli sources have also questioned the evidentiary basis of some of the organization’s complaints, arguing that material collected from publicly available social media posts is sometimes selectively edited or presented without sufficient context.

The new complaint also comes amid continuing controversy over the earlier criminal case involving five IDF reservists from Force 100, a military unit assigned to the Sde Teiman detention facility.

The reservists were accused of assaulting a Palestinian security detainee on July 5, 2024, while he was restrained and blindfolded. Prosecutors alleged that the detainee suffered serious injuries, including broken ribs, during the incident.

The allegations prompted a military investigation and eventually led to an indictment against the five soldiers, setting off a major political and legal controversy in Israel.

The affair intensified after security camera footage from the facility was leaked to the media, raising questions about the conduct of senior officials within the military prosecution system and the handling of evidence in the investigation.

The controversy eventually engulfed former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, whose involvement in authorizing the release of the footage became the subject of a separate investigation.

In March 2026, the IDF’s new Military Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir, announced that the indictment against all five reservists was being withdrawn.

The decision followed a comprehensive review of the evidence and the circumstances surrounding the prosecution. Military officials cited significant evidentiary difficulties, questions concerning the handling of the leaked footage, and concerns about the defendants’ ability to receive a fair trial.

The alleged victim had also been returned to Gaza as part of a prisoner exchange, creating additional obstacles to presenting and testing the evidence in court.

The military’s decision did not constitute a judicial finding that every allegation had been fabricated. Rather, prosecutors concluded that the available evidence and procedural circumstances no longer provided a sufficient basis to continue the criminal proceedings.

The Hind Rajab Foundation’s latest filing is separate from that discontinued military prosecution and focuses primarily on the alleged responsibilities of medical professionals, hospital administrators, and senior health officials.

The organization has also identified former Israeli health ministers Moshe Arbel and Uriel Buso, along with Dr. Yosef Walfisch, chairman of the Israel Medical Association’s Ethics Board, among the officials it wants examined.

The foundation submitted its complaint during the World Medical Association’s General Assembly in Rotterdam, held October 7–10, a timing the organization said was intended to draw attention to questions of medical ethics and the treatment of detainees.

The foundation also cited a letter published in April 2024 by senior Israeli medical representatives defending the care provided at Sde Teiman. In that letter, the authors stated that detainees were “receiving appropriate medical care.”

The ICC prosecutor will now determine whether the material submitted warrants further examination. The filing itself does not establish criminal responsibility, and no charges against the Israeli medical officials named in the complaint have been announced.

A historic gathering of leading roshei yeshiva and poskim from Eretz Yisroel, the United States, and Europe took place last week in Radin, Belarus, where a delegation organized by Dirshu inaugurated the newly restored beis medrash of the famed Radin Yeshiva, established by the Chofetz Chaim.

The gathering marked a remarkable moment in the history of the legendary institution, whose beis medrash has now been restored to reflect its appearance during the years when Radin was one of the great centers of Torah learning in prewar Europe. The renovated building has been named Heichal Dirshu in recognition of the international Torah organization’s role in the project.

The visit was particularly significant as it came 87 years after the destruction of European Jewry brought an end to the flourishing Torah community that had once surrounded the Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva. The return of prominent gedolei Torah to its historic beis medrash was accompanied by a series of gatherings devoted to limud haTorah, tefillah, and strengthening the worldwide Torah community.

The delegation included Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; Rav Avraham Salim; Rav Masoud Ben Shimon; Rav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz, dayan of Skver; Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, Rosh Yeshivas Mir; Rav Shimon Galai; Rav Sariel Rosenberg; Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern; and Rav Ephraim Wachsman of Monsey.

Also participating were Rav Shmuel Eliezer Bedil, Rosh Yeshivas Prager; Rav Yehoshua Abba Busel, maggid shiur at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky; Rav Nissan Kaplan; Rav Uri Deutsch of Lakewood; and French rabbonim Rav Yehuda Toledano and Rav Dovid Ohana.

The delegation’s visit began with Shacharis inside the restored Radin beis medrash, where the participating rabbonim and representatives of Dirshu from around the world gathered for the formal inauguration.

The restoration was undertaken through the initiative of Rav Moshe Fima, director of Yad Yisrael Institutions, who oversees the historic Radin Yeshiva complex and its preservation.

Considerable effort was invested in reconstructing the beis medrash in a manner faithful to its original appearance, allowing visitors to experience the setting in which generations of talmidim once immersed themselves in Torah under the influence of the Chofetz Chaim and the great roshei yeshiva of Radin.

The newly dedicated Heichal Dirshu is intended to preserve that heritage while serving as a lasting tribute to the continued growth of Torah learning throughout the world.

During the dedication, the assembled rabbonim heard addresses from Rav Ephraim Wachsman and Rav Avraham Salim, followed by a shiur klali delivered by Rav Dovid Cohen.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, nasi of Dirshu, delivered the foundational address marking the establishment of the restored beis medrash and its dedication.

Following the ceremony, the delegation traveled to the Radin cemetery, where they gathered at the ohel of the Chofetz Chaim for an emotional maamad tefillah.

At the kever of the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz and Rav Uri Deutsch delivered words of hisorerus, encouraging the assembled participants to draw inspiration from the Chofetz Chaim’s extraordinary legacy of Torah learning, halacha, and avodas Hashem.

Rav Shimon Galai and Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern led the recitation of Tehillim for the welfare and salvation of Klal Yisroel, as the gathered rabbonim joined in heartfelt tefillah.

One of the most moving moments of the visit came with the placement of Dirshu’s Sefer HaGiborim at the Chofetz Chaim’s kever.

The special volume contained more than 100,000 names of Dirshu participants and individuals who have joined its Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Amud HaYomi learning programs.

The Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program is devoted to the daily study of halacha through the Chofetz Chaim’s monumental Mishnah Berurah, while Amud HaYomi provides a structured daily program of Gemara learning.

The placement of the names at the Chofetz Chaim’s kever symbolized the connection between the Torah being learned today by tens of thousands of participants around the world and the enduring teachings of the great posek whose life’s work continues to guide generations of Yidden.

A special tefillah, composed specifically for the rabbonim’s journey, was recited by Rav Masoud Ben Shimon, who davened for the success of all Dirshu participants and the entire Torah world.

After concluding the gathering in Radin, the delegation continued to Volozhin, another historic center of Torah learning whose influence shaped the development of the modern yeshiva world.

There, the rabbonim gathered for Mincha inside the historic Volozhin Yeshiva building, which has also undergone restoration and renovation in recent years through the efforts of regional authorities.

The Volozhin Yeshiva, founded by Rav Chaim Volozhiner, was one of the most influential Torah institutions in Jewish history, establishing a model of intensive, organized yeshiva learning that became the foundation for generations of Lithuanian yeshivos.

Following Mincha, the delegation proceeded on foot to the local cemetery, where they gathered at the kever of Rav Chaim Volozhiner, the author of Nefesh HaChaim.

At the kever, Rav Sariel Rosenberg delivered words of hisorerus and led the recitation of Tehillim, bringing the day of Torah gatherings and tefillos to a close.

The journey connected two of the most important centers of Torah learning in prewar Europe, Radin and Volozhin, as leading rabbonim from across the Jewish world gathered in the very places where the Chofetz Chaim and Rav Chaim Volozhiner left their enduring mark on Klal Yisroel.

המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך

הזדמנות אחרונה לגור בפסגת אלעד. צפו במפרט >

תוכן מקודם

01:03

חוסכים עשרות אלפים: כך תתאימו את המשכנתא למציאות החדשה

שימי פרקש כתבה מקדמת

18:24

אבל כבד בין האירוסין לחתונה

בשיתוף ועד הרבנים

04:34

המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך

“לא התאים לי לגדל את הילדים בצפיפות כמו שאני גדלתי”

תוכן מקודם

00:48

מהפך בסגירת חובות וגמ”חים למי שיש נכס בבעלותו

תוכן מקודם

00:09

מבהיל: “אני סיימתי כאן”: הצוואה המצמררת של הרב עזרא פולק

בשיתוף קופת העיר

14:46

המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך

המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך המסע של דרשו לראדיןצילום: א. אייזנבאך

{Matzav.com}

The chairman of Israel’s Arab Joint List, Yousef Jabareen, has announced that his party is prepared to provide parliamentary support to any government seeking to replace Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, potentially opening the door to an arrangement under which Gadi Eisenkot could lead a temporary government backed by Arab lawmakers.

Jabareen’s announcement introduces a new possibility into the political calculations ahead of Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections, as opposition parties examine potential arrangements for forming a government without Netanyahu.

The Joint List chairman made clear that his party would not provide its support unconditionally, declaring that Arab lawmakers intend to use their parliamentary strength to secure commitments on several major political and domestic issues.

“After the elections, we will impose our conditions on any political constellation in Israel. We have complete freedom of action, without restrictions, to replace the Netanyahu government, and we will use every tool at our disposal,” Jabareen declared.

Among the Joint List’s demands is a government-funded program to combat crime in Arab communities, where violence and organized criminal activity have become major public concerns.

The party is also calling for a halt to home demolitions and for diplomatic steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.

These conditions could complicate negotiations with opposition leaders who have previously ruled out forming a government dependent on Arab political parties.

Several figures within the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu have publicly opposed relying on the Joint List to establish or maintain a governing coalition, making Jabareen’s announcement a potentially contentious development.

Nevertheless, political discussions could include arrangements under which Arab lawmakers support a government from outside the coalition without formally joining it or receiving ministerial positions.

Under such an arrangement, the Joint List could provide what is commonly described in Israeli politics as a parliamentary safety net, supporting a government in crucial votes while remaining outside the governing coalition.

One scenario reportedly being considered in political circles involves Eisenkot attempting to establish a temporary government with outside support from Arab parties.

Such a government could serve for a limited period before arranging another election, allowing Netanyahu’s opponents to replace the current administration without necessarily agreeing on a long-term governing coalition.

The announcement is particularly significant because opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, and Eisenkot, have previously expressed opposition to establishing a government dependent on Arab parties.

Bennett has argued that the political circumstances following the October 7 attacks make such an arrangement unacceptable. Liberman has similarly rejected coalition cooperation with Arab parties, while Eisenkot has outlined conditions requiring prospective coalition partners to recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Jabareen, meanwhile, has emphasized that the Joint List’s support would require substantive negotiations rather than an unconditional commitment. In a separate statement, he said his party would not give any prospective government a blank check and insisted that its political demands would have to be addressed.

The Joint List’s position also includes opposition to government policies concerning Gaza and the West Bank, issues that could create additional disagreements with parties seeking to form an alternative government.

The announcement comes just over two weeks before the November 3 election, with Netanyahu and his political allies already warning that an opposition government led by Eisenkot could ultimately depend on Arab lawmakers.

Eisenkot has not announced an agreement with the Joint List, and there is no indication that negotiations have produced an understanding on forming a temporary government.

For now, the proposal remains a possible post-election scenario rather than an agreed political arrangement. Its significance will depend on the composition of the next Knesset and whether opposition leaders are prepared to accept parliamentary backing from Arab parties despite their previously stated objections.

United Torah Judaism has set a target of 320,000 votes in Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections, seeking to increase its support by approximately 40,000 votes despite indications of widespread political apathy among chareidi voters and growing competition from parties to its right.

Party officials believe that the apparent lack of enthusiasm in the chareidi community does not necessarily indicate a decline in support. Instead, they are counting on a familiar pattern from previous elections, in which political interest and voter mobilization intensify during the final days before Israelis head to the polls.

According to sources, the party intends to launch its main election campaign toward the end of the coming week, gradually increasing its activity as the November 3 election approaches.

Campaign strategists believe that the final ten days to two weeks before an election are generally the period when political activity within the chareidi community reaches its peak. They are therefore concentrating much of their effort on that window, rather than interpreting the current quiet as a sign of an impending electoral setback.

The party’s ambitions, however, extend beyond simply encouraging its traditional supporters to vote. Its leadership is also seeking to broaden its electoral base and regain the support of chareidi voters whose allegiance to United Torah Judaism has weakened in recent years.

In the election for the 25th Knesset, United Torah Judaism received approximately 280,000 votes. Party officials believe that natural population growth within the chareidi community provides an opportunity to raise that figure to 320,000 in the upcoming election.

Achieving that increase would require the party to secure roughly 40,000 additional votes, a challenge that involves both maintaining its established voter base and reaching individuals who have become less committed to supporting the party.

The campaign is expected to rely heavily on communications platforms widely used within the chareidi community, including email distribution lists, chareidi news websites, telephone news hotlines, and community-oriented blogs.

By contrast, social media platforms such as TikTok are expected to receive considerably less attention. Party strategists believe those platforms are less effective for reaching the party’s core constituency than the established media channels serving chareidi households.

The party is also examining internal polling that suggests the ongoing controversy over the drafting of bnei yeshivos into the IDF has not necessarily weakened support among younger chareidi voters.

According to surveys commissioned by United Torah Judaism, some younger voters have actually become more supportive of the party amid the draft crisis, reflecting feelings of persecution and a growing identification with efforts to defend the yeshiva world.

Those findings have provided some encouragement to party officials concerned that the arrests of bnei yeshivos and the broader confrontation over military service could generate frustration with the chareidi political establishment.

At the same time, United Torah Judaism officials acknowledge that they face competition from right-wing and Religious Zionist parties, particularly those led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Some younger chareidi voters have expressed an affinity for the strongly nationalist positions promoted by those parties, creating a challenge for United Torah Judaism as it attempts to retain voters who identify with the chareidi community but are also attracted to the broader political right.

Party strategists recognize that even a relatively modest shift of younger voters toward Ben-Gvir or Smotrich could complicate their efforts to reach the 320,000-vote target.

United Torah Judaism’s approach is based on the assessment that many chareidi voters, even those who identify politically with the broader right, ultimately place considerable importance on representation that addresses the specific concerns of their communities.

Among the issues central to the party’s agenda are the status of bnei yeshivos, government support for chareidi educational institutions, and the everyday needs of chareidi families. Party officials believe that voters will weigh the ability of their elected representatives to secure concrete results on these matters when deciding how to cast their ballots.

The campaign is taking place under the leadership of MK Yaakov Asher, who assumed the chairmanship of United Torah Judaism following a significant reshuffling of the party’s Knesset slate in September.

The leadership changes saw veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev removed from the party’s candidate list, marking a substantial change in the leadership of Degel HaTorah. Asher, who has served in the Knesset since 2013 and previously chaired its Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, now heads the joint electoral list.

Asher has also been working to bridge divisions between chareidi communities, with party officials recognizing that internal unity will be an important factor in the party’s electoral performance.

The importance of that unity was underscored in a separate report in September, which indicated that data presented to senior United Torah Judaism figures suggested an electoral potential of approximately 320,000 votes, equivalent to roughly eight and a half Knesset seats under the calculations being used at the time.

That assessment also highlighted concerns that internal divisions could make it difficult for the party to reproduce its previous election result, even with the continued growth of the chareidi population.

United Torah Judaism won seven seats in the outgoing Knesset. Its leadership is seeking to increase that representation while strengthening its position in negotiations over the formation of the next government.

The party’s broader objective is to regain a pivotal role in coalition negotiations, in which its Knesset seats could become important to a prospective government’s ability to assemble a parliamentary majority.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has disclosed details of a military emergency procedure that could have authorized the shooting down of the Flydubai passenger aircraft involved in the September 30 hijacking attempt, revealing that fighter jets were scrambled after the plane transmitted an international hijacking alert.

The procedure, known within the IDF as “Global Trade,” was developed to address situations in which a civilian aircraft is suspected of having been seized by terrorists and potentially turned into a weapon against populated areas or strategically important facilities.

According to a report by Ynet, the protocol was activated during the attempted hijacking of the Flydubai flight, which was traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport when the emergency unfolded.

During the incident, the aircraft transmitted the emergency transponder code 7500, an internationally recognized aviation signal indicating that an aircraft is experiencing a hijacking or another form of unlawful interference.

The code immediately alerts air traffic controllers and relevant security authorities that the aircraft may no longer be operating under the control of its authorized crew.

Shortly after the signal was received, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets toward the passenger aircraft as military officials began assessing the situation and preparing for possible intervention.

Under the Global Trade protocol, fighter aircraft can be dispatched to identify a suspicious civilian plane, establish its condition, accompany it through Israeli airspace, and respond to developments that may threaten civilian lives.

The most extreme provision of the procedure addresses the possibility that hijackers intend to deliberately crash an aircraft into a residential area, a major population center, or a strategically sensitive installation.

In such circumstances, the Israeli military may consider destroying the aircraft before it reaches its intended target, even though passengers and crew members may still be aboard.

The report emphasized, however, that such an extraordinary decision would never be made automatically upon activation of the protocol. Any order to shoot down a civilian airliner would require consultations with senior defense officials and authorization from Israel’s political leadership.

The procedure also provides for less drastic responses when the circumstances do not indicate an imminent terrorist attack.

Fighter pilots may be instructed to approach the aircraft, determine whether its pilots remain in control, escort it to a designated location, or assist in directing it toward a safe landing.

The Israeli Air Force regularly conducts exercises involving civilian aircraft that deviate from their assigned routes, stop responding to air traffic controllers, or transmit emergency signals.

Military officials therefore distinguish between the activation of an emergency response and confirmation that a terrorist attack is actually underway. An aircraft experiencing a communications failure or other aviation emergency may trigger precautionary military measures without presenting an immediate threat.

The name of the protocol, “Global Trade,” is understood to reference the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, when hijacked passenger planes were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York and other targets.

Those attacks fundamentally transformed aviation security procedures around the world, forcing governments and military authorities to prepare for the possibility that a commercial passenger aircraft could be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

Tens of thousands of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim across Eretz Yisroel will return to their batei medrash on Sunday for the beginning of zman choref 5787, with the opening of the new zman marked by the appointment of a new rosh yeshiva at Yeshivas Be’er Hachaim, preparations at Ponevezh Yeshiva, and several developments throughout the Torah world.

The new zman, which follows the bein hazmanim break that began after Yom Kippur, will be especially lengthy this year because 5787 is a leap year containing two months of Adar. As a result, bochurim will have six consecutive months of learning before the conclusion of the zman at Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

The return to the yeshivos comes against the backdrop of the arrests of bnei yeshivos during bein hazmanim, which have generated considerable concern throughout the chareidi community. The upcoming elections for Israel’s 26th Knesset, scheduled for 16 Cheshvan, will also take place during the opening weeks of the zman.

Election season is expected to affect the yeshivos in different ways. Some bochurim will be involved in election-related activities, while others will remain entirely removed from political discussions. On Election Day, organized buses arranged by the political parties are expected to transport eligible voters from the yeshivos to their polling stations and back.

Although most significant changes in yeshiva leadership and administration generally take place before zman Elul, several institutions are beginning the winter session with new appointments, expanded facilities, and other developments.

One of the most notable announcements comes from Yeshivas Be’er Hachaim in Kiryat Sefer, where Rav Alexander Miller has been appointed rosh yeshiva following the petirah of Rav Elyakim Friedman zt”l during Elul.

The appointment has generated considerable excitement among the yeshiva’s talmidim and families. Rav Miller, a talmid of Yeshivas Brisk, is a brother of Rav Dovid Miller, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh.

The new rosh yeshiva will formally begin his position on Sunday with an opening shiur marking the beginning of zman choref. Rav Boruch Soloveitchik, the nasi of the yeshiva, is expected to participate in the occasion, together with additional rabbonim.

At Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, thousands of bochurim are preparing to return Sunday evening for the opening of the six-month zman.

This winter, Ponevezh and numerous other yeshivos that follow its established learning cycle will begin Maseches Kesubos, a masechta commonly referred to as a miniature Shas because of the extraordinary range and depth of its sugyos.

Among the subjects studied in Kesubos are the intricate halachos of rov, chazakah, sfeikos, and eidus, together with many other fundamental areas of lomdus.

The masechta also contains sugyos closely associated with the teachings of the great roshei yeshiva of previous generations. These include the foundational approaches of Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l to questions of chazakah, the teachings of the Ponevezher Rav zt”l concerning oness, and the well-known lomdishe explanations of Rav Shmuel Rozovsky zt”l regarding yeihareig ve’al yaavor and kam leih bid’rabbah mineih.

Extensive preparations have been underway at Ponevezh since immediately after Simchas Torah to ensure that the yeshiva is ready to accommodate its thousands of returning talmidim.

Under the supervision of Rav Zev Tziger, who oversees the institution’s cleaning operations, additional crews have been working throughout the campus to prepare all six batei medrash and the various shiur rooms.

The work has included reorganizing the learning areas, reconstructing the large galleries used by the bochurim, and thoroughly cleaning the entire yeshiva hill ahead of the opening of the zman.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 avreichim of Kollel Ponevezh, located in the Ohel Kedoshim building on the yeshiva grounds, will begin their new learning program on Monday.

The kollel will study Maseches Zevachim over the coming year, followed by Maseches Menachos, continuing its extensive study of Seder Kodshim.

The beginning of this learning cycle has also brought renewed memories of the remarkable shiurim delivered in the kollel by Rav Avraham Noach Garbuz zt”l, the renowned author of Minchas Avraham.

Three learning cycles ago, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman, nasi of Ponevezh, appointed Rav Garbuz to deliver special shiurim on the complex sugyos of Kodshim, an area requiring exceptional breadth of knowledge and analytical understanding.

Rav Garbuz, whose seforim and shiurim became widely acclaimed for their comprehensive treatment of fundamental topics throughout Seder Kodshim, would travel each week to Bnei Brak to deliver his shiurim to the avreichim gathered in Ohel Kedoshim.

The new zman at Ponevezh will also be accompanied by heartfelt tefillos for the recovery of Rav Chaim Berman, the legendary masmid whose extraordinary devotion to learning has long been an inseparable part of the yeshiva’s daily life.

For the first time, a winter zman will begin with Rav Berman’s familiar place near the bimah and the golden Aron Kodesh standing empty.

The talmidim and avreichim continue to daven for the complete recovery of Rav Chaim ben Reisha Raizel Berman, hoping that he will regain his strength and return to his accustomed place in the beis medrash, where his presence has inspired generations of bnei Torah.

Another development accompanying the opening of zman choref concerns registration for yeshivos ketanos in Bnei Brak, Petach Tikvah, and Elad.

Gedolei Yisroel have instructed the administrators of yeshivos and chederim in those cities not to begin or advance the registration process for the coming year before Lag BaOmer.

The directive calls for maintaining the same registration timetable that was followed last year, rather than allowing institutions to begin accepting applications earlier.

In Beit Shemesh, Yeshivas Rav Moshe Sternbuch is entering the new zman following a major milestone in its expansion plans.

During the past week, thousands of talmidim, alumni, and supporters gathered in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled neighborhood for the laying of the cornerstone of a new yeshiva campus.

The gathering marked a significant step toward the establishment of a permanent kiryas hayeshiva for the institution founded 13 years ago by Rav Moshe Sternbuch.

Since its establishment, the yeshiva has developed into a prominent institution attracting hundreds of outstanding bnei aliyah who have come to learn under its rebbeim and within its established approach to limud haTorah.

A major fundraising campaign has also been conducted to support construction of the new campus, which is intended to accommodate the institution’s continued growth.

{Matzav.com}