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President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin during an hour-long phone call Tuesday to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift conclusion, arguing that an end to the fighting could pave the way for a full restoration of relations between Washington and Moscow and major new economic opportunities for both countries.

The conversation came days after Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, traveled to Moscow and Kyiv as part of a renewed American effort to break the diplomatic stalemate over the more than four-year-old war. Both Trump and Putin gave a positive assessment of those meetings, according to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.

“Donald Trump clearly emphasized the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, which would immediately open up prospects — impressive and far-reaching ones at that — for the full restoration of relations between the U.S. and Russia,” Ushakov told reporters.

According to the Kremlin’s account, Trump emphasized that renewed relations could extend well beyond diplomacy and include a significant expansion of commercial ties between the two countries.

“In his view, this would have a particular impact on trade and economic ties, promising enormous benefits for both countries. Donald Trump is keen to see a breakthrough achieved during his presidency. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin supported this approach,” Ushakov said.

The call lasted approximately one hour and focused largely on efforts to reach a settlement in Ukraine. The White House had not immediately issued its own detailed account of the conversation following the Kremlin’s readout.

The latest diplomatic push followed weekend meetings in which Witkoff and Kushner held more than three hours of talks with Putin in Moscow before traveling to Kyiv. The trip marked the first visit to the Ukrainian capital by the two men as part of their peace efforts.

Ushakov said Trump and Putin viewed the envoys’ meetings favorably, saying the two presidents had rated the outcome “with a plus sign.” The Kremlin said the diplomatic channel involving Witkoff and Kushner would remain active.

Putin, meanwhile, used Tuesday’s call to present Trump with his assessment of the military situation and to outline what Moscow believes Washington could do to bring about a faster end to hostilities. Ushakov did not disclose the specific proposals, saying much of the conversation was confidential.

Despite the renewed diplomacy, major differences between Russia and Ukraine remain unresolved. Moscow has continued to press demands that include Ukrainian territorial concessions and abandonment of its NATO ambitions, conditions Kyiv has rejected. No concrete breakthrough was announced following the weekend meetings or Tuesday’s Trump-Putin conversation.

Putin also addressed mounting European concerns about Russia’s intentions beyond Ukraine. According to Ushakov, the Russian president told Trump that Moscow has no plans to attack European countries.

“It was underlined that we don’t have any aggressive plans regarding Europe,” Ushakov said, according to an account of the conversation.

The assurance comes amid heightened concern among European governments over alleged Russian sabotage operations and other hostile activity. Moscow has rejected accusations that it is preparing aggression against Europe and has accused European governments of using fears about Russia to justify increased military spending and continued assistance to Ukraine.

The war itself continues despite the diplomatic activity. Russia and Ukraine resumed deadly aerial attacks following a brief pause associated with the weekend talks, while fighting continues along a front stretching roughly 1,250 kilometers.

Trump’s message to Putin nevertheless placed the prospect of normalized U.S.-Russia relations at the center of his appeal for an agreement. According to the Kremlin, Trump argued that ending the war could rapidly reopen economic and diplomatic opportunities that have largely disappeared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin indicated that he agreed with the broader approach, Ushakov said, though the Kremlin did not announce that the Russian leader had accepted a ceasefire or altered Moscow’s negotiating demands.

The two presidents also agreed that prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine should continue, one of the few areas where the sides have repeatedly been able to reach agreements during the conflict.

Ushakov characterized the Trump-Putin conversation as constructive and said both leaders agreed to maintain direct contact. They are expected to speak again by phone when necessary as the diplomatic effort continues.

For now, the call produced no publicly announced peace agreement. But it underscored Trump’s push to persuade Putin that ending the Ukraine war could lead to a broader reset between Washington and Moscow — including the restoration of political relations and potentially substantial economic ties.

{Matzav.com}

A growing number of Portuguese entertainers have withdrawn from an upcoming Lisbon comedy festival over the participation of Jewish American comedian Jerry Seinfeld, whose outspoken support for Israel has prompted boycott demands and controversy surrounding the event.

The inaugural Lisbon International Humour Festival, known as Commedia a La Carte Fest, is set to run from October 29 through November 1. Despite several performers dropping out and mounting pressure online, festival organizers have not announced any changes to the remaining lineup, according to Euronews.

Actress Inês Aires Pereira became the latest performer to withdraw on Saturday, announcing that she would no longer present her show “Namastê” at the festival.

Although Pereira did not specifically mention Seinfeld, she said that “one of the names persistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible.” She added: “We cannot relativise or normalize a genocide.”

Her remarks were widely understood as referring to Seinfeld, one of the festival’s headline performers, who has publicly and repeatedly voiced support for Israel since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks.

The Portuguese comedy duo Cebola Mol, made up of Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Homem Fonseca, also announced Saturday that they were dropping out of the event.

“We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion,” they wrote on social media. Their post included an image of the pair with a watermelon, which has become a widely used symbol of support for the Palestinian Arab cause, particularly on social media.

Other scheduled participants had already pulled out before Saturday, Euronews reported. The “Tributo Pop” concert, featuring Carolina Deslandes, Tatanka and Bárbara Tinoco, along with the group Conjunto Cuca Monga, were the first acts to withdraw. Comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils, whose real name is Alexandre Farto, subsequently followed.

Those performers have said they will neither appear at nor attend the festival, though they have not publicly explained the reasons behind their decisions.

The withdrawals have fueled additional boycott and cancellation demands, particularly across social media. Among the performers still scheduled to participate are Herman José, Clarice Falcão and Matilde Breyner, along with César Mourão, Vasco Palmeirim, Pedro Ribeiro and Vera Fernandes. Festival organizers have given no indication that Seinfeld’s scheduled appearance could be canceled.

Seinfeld’s vocal backing of Israel has repeatedly drawn attention since October 7. Two months after the massacre, the comedian traveled to Israel for a solidarity visit after families of hostages invited him to meet with them and listen to their accounts. During a subsequent interview with Bari Weiss, Seinfeld became emotional while discussing that trip.

His support for Israel has also made him a target of protests during several public appearances. In May 2024, protesters demonstrated while Seinfeld received an honorary degree from Duke University. A month later, pro-Palestinian Arab hecklers disrupted his performance in Sydney while chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Seinfeld ridiculed the disruption, telling the audience: “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East!” He continued sarcastically, “It’s the Jewish comedians, that’s who we have to get! They’re the ones doing everything.”

Months later, in October 2024, Seinfeld publicly voiced support for the IDF while attending a New York Mets game at Citi Field after a fan informed him that his brother was watching from the Gaza border.

Seinfeld smiled before responding, “Let’s go, Mets! Let’s go, IDF!”

Another interaction attracted attention last February when a fan approached Seinfeld for a selfie, flashed a victory sign and shouted “Free Palestine”. Seinfeld dismissed the encounter and walked away, saying, “I don’t care about Palestine.”

Several months afterward, during an appearance at Duke University in North Carolina, Seinfeld compared the Free Palestine movement to the Ku Klux Klan, arguing that the KKK was at least explicit about its hatred.

“When you say ‘Free Palestine’ you are not admitting what you really think. So actually, compared with the Ku Klux Klan, I think the Klan is even a little better in this respect, because they can say openly: ‘We don’t like black people, we don’t like Jews.’ OK, that’s honesty.”

Despite the withdrawals and calls for a boycott, Seinfeld remains scheduled to take the stage at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on November 1. Tickets for his performance are priced between 60 and 250 euros, and some seating sections have already sold out.

{Matzav.com}

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Tuesday defended his government’s sweeping new measures targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, including a ban on goods produced there, sanctions against individuals and businesses, and a formal declaration that Britain considers Israel’s presence in Palestinian-claimed territory unlawful.

Burnham insisted that the moves are aimed at the policies of Israel’s government and not at Israelis themselves, saying Britain could no longer remain passive if it hopes to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.

“Today we are announcing carefully judged, targeted steps that are not aimed at the Israeli people, but at the unacceptable policies of the current Israeli government,” he wrote.

Under the new policy, Britain will bar imports from what it terms “illegal settlements,” formally adopt the position that “the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful,” and sanction people and companies accused of assisting, financing or benefiting from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Burnham said companies and investors connected to planned construction in the E1 area will also be subject to the sanctions.

In defending the decision, Burnham contended that “settlement construction” is increasingly jeopardizing the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. He pointed to the authorization of 104 new communities since Israel’s current government took office in December 2022 and cited UN figures reporting more than 1,500 incidents of violence by Israeli civilians against Palestinian Arabs this year.

Burnham singled out Israel’s move to permit construction tenders in E1 ahead of the October elections, arguing that development in the strategically located area would make a future Palestinian state increasingly difficult to establish.

“This would cut a swathe through the heart of the West Bank – snuffing out the hope of realising a two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to happen,” he wrote.

Alongside the sanctions and trade restrictions, the British government is unveiling additional humanitarian assistance for Gaza. Burnham pointed to the devastation there, saying more than 70,000 people, including at least 20,000 children, have been killed, millions have been displaced, and Gaza’s population has been pushed into roughly one-third of the territory.

“The suffering of the Palestinian people is a scar on the conscience of the world,” Burnham wrote, while emphasizing that he continues to condemn both Hamas and its October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.

“I have condemned the monstrous terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in the strongest possible terms – and continue to condemn Hamas. However, it does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.”

Burnham maintained that the measures should not be viewed as sanctions against Israel itself. Rather, he said, they are designed to pressure the Israeli government while avoiding punishment of Israelis who disagree with its policies.

“The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government. And nor is the Jewish community in the UK. Blaming British Jews for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is wrong, plain and simple. And it is antisemitism, plain and simple.”

The prime minister said he met with representatives of the British Jewish community last week and assured them that his government remains committed to fighting antisemitism and protecting Jewish citizens.

Burnham portrayed the measures as an attempt to keep alive the prospect of Israelis and Palestinian Arabs eventually living peacefully and securely alongside one another, saying that goal continues to have broad support in Britain.

“We are taking these steps because it is the right thing to do,” wrote Burnham.

Israel responded with a series of retaliatory steps. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will shutter the British Consulate in Jerusalem and impose additional measures against British activities and representatives.

Sa’ar said the response, approved in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed what he characterized as a succession of anti-Israel actions taken by Britain’s Labour government.

Israel’s countermeasures include closing the British Consulate in Jerusalem, expelling British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, ending a British program that trains Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria through the “British Support Team in Ramallah,” and barring 12 British elected officials and other British nationals accused of antisemitic or anti-Israel activity or of denying Israel’s right to exist.

UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis also issued a forceful denunciation of the British government’s decision, warning that sanctions directed at Jews living in Judea and Samaria marked “a dark day for British Jews.”

“This is truly a dark day for British Jews,” Mirvis said. “Today our Government has chosen to ignore the deep concerns expressed by so many of us.”

The Chief Rabbi charged that rather than advancing prospects for peace, the government’s actions give greater legitimacy to hostile anti-Israel rhetoric.

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Israel’s political parties submitted their final candidate lists Tuesday night, closing one of the last major procedural stages before the Oct. 27 election for the 26th Knesset and ending two frantic days of political deals, internal battles and last-minute maneuvering.

By the time the doors of the Central Elections Committee closed, the major parties had finalized the candidates they will present to voters. Eighteen lists had already been submitted Monday, including Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s B’Yachad, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, the Democrats, Yisrael Beytenu, Otzma Yehudit and Ra’am. Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionism and Blue and White were among the major parties that waited until Tuesday. Sept. 8 was the official deadline for submitting candidate lists.

The final hours were particularly dramatic on the right and within the chareidi parties, where negotiations continued almost until the deadline.

Likud: Netanyahu Unveils His Picks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his reserved positions on the Likud slate to bring several prominent newcomers into the party, including Talik Gvili, the mother of fallen IDF soldier and slain hostage Ran Gvili; political commentator Yaakov Bardugo; and IDF reservist Elisha Madan, who lost both legs while fighting in Gaza.

Gvili received the ninth position, Bardugo was placed 11th and Madan 15th. Attorney David Peter was placed 16th, former Labor MK Eli Goldschmidt 26th, and Itzik Bonzel, father of fallen IDF soldier Amit Bonzel and a founder of the Gvura Forum, 29th.

Netanyahu heads the Likud slate, followed by Eli Cohen, Amir Ohana, Yariv Levin and Miri Regev. Defense Minister Israel Katz is sixth and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar seventh. The party submitted a 35-member list.

The maneuvering came as Netanyahu spent the closing days before the deadline trying to prevent smaller right-wing parties from wasting votes by failing to cross Israel’s 3.25% electoral threshold. His efforts produced some results, but not the broad right-wing consolidation he had sought.

Shas Adds IDF Reserve Officer to Top Six

Shas made changes of its own, though nothing approaching the upheaval taking place within United Torah Judaism.

Aryeh Deri remains in the top position, with Yinon Azoulay moving into second place, followed by Michael Malchieli, Yoav Ben-Tzur and Haim Biton.

The most notable newcomer is Dror Amos, a lieutenant colonel in the IDF reserves who heads the Haifa Religious Services Council. He was given the sixth position on the slate.

He is followed by Moshe Abutbul, Uriel Buso, Yosef Taieb, Yonatan Mishraki, Yosef Elantnov, Erez Malul and Simon Moshiashvili. Veteran Shas figures Yaakov Margi and Moshe Arbel are not on the new slate after asking not to run.

Amos’ placement is particularly noteworthy with the chareidi draft issue expected to remain a major subject throughout the campaign.

United Torah Judaism: An Era Ends

The most dramatic changes in chareidi politics came within United Torah Judaism.

Veteran Degel HaTorah MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, two of the most recognizable figures in the party for decades, will not return to the Knesset on the new slate. Their departure followed a decision by Rav Dov Landau to refresh Degel HaTorah’s parliamentary representation. Gafni was asked to continue as chairman of the national Degel HaTorah organization.

Yaakov Asher has emerged at the head of the revamped Degel lineup, followed by Yitzchok Pindrus, with new figures joining the party’s parliamentary ranks.

But the upheaval went considerably further on the Agudas Yisroel side.

Following a bitter internal confrontation, Meir Porush of Shlomei Emunim and new Belzer representative Elyakim Stark established a separately registered political framework, Chomas Toras Yisroel, through which they will participate in the joint UTJ slate.

The move does not mean that Shlomei Emunim and Belz are running against UTJ. Instead, it gives them separate political and financial standing within the overall alliance, alongside Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel.

The arrangement came only after a day of extraordinary internal acrimony between the Porush camp and allies of Yitzchok Goldknopf, with accusations flying between the factions over control of Agudas Yisroel and the distribution of political power.

The result is that UTJ will still appear before voters as one electoral list, but the internal structure behind that list has changed substantially.

New Parties Target Chareidi Voters

The election is also seeing several new parties attempt to attract chareidi voters dissatisfied with the established parties.

The Hatzibur Hachareidi party, headed by Beit Shemesh Deputy Mayor Motti Leitner, submitted its slate under the requested ballot letters “Zach.” Asher Fredi was placed second, Dr. Nechumi Yaffe third and Ziva Glantz fourth.

The party is seeking support particularly among working chareidim and has promoted expansion of the state-chareidi education system and secular studies, greater participation in the workforce and service by chareidim who are not learning Torah full time, while maintaining exemptions for full-time Torah learners.

Another new party, Hakhel, has taken aim at the traditional method by which chareidi representatives are selected. The party held open primaries in which 14,469 people reportedly voted. Bnei Brak City Council member Shlomo Elboim, associated with the Ger breakaway community, finished first with 5,282 votes, followed by Yitzchok Chala and Baruch Adler.

Its central argument is that chareidi voters themselves should have a direct role in choosing their representatives instead of receiving predetermined candidate lists selected by party institutions and chassidic groups.

On the opposite end of the chareidi spectrum, Tzeva Shachor — Magen Olam HaTorah also submitted a slate. The party, associated with more hard-line opposition to the chareidi draft, requested the ballot letters “Ner” and is seeking support from voters who believe the established chareidi parties have not taken a sufficiently uncompromising position on the enlistment of bnei yeshiva.

Smotrich and Feiglin Join Forces

Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich finalized his alliance with Moshe Feiglin, placing Feiglin second on the joint slate.

Smotrich holds the first position, followed by Feiglin, Orit Strock and Simcha Rothman. The list also includes newcomers Itamar Eitam and Reut Ben Haim.

MK Ohad Tal, who finished fourth in Religious Zionism’s primary, was pushed down to the 12th position following the merger and reserved placements. Tal said that despite his personal disappointment, he supported the arrangement.

The Smotrich-Feiglin agreement was part of a broader effort to reduce the possibility that right-wing votes would be lost among parties failing to clear the electoral threshold. Netanyahu had publicly pressed right-wing factions to unite, warning, “When we unite, we win. When we splinter, we lose.”

Those efforts stopped short of a broader agreement. Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected calls for Otzma Yehudit to reunite with Smotrich, while former IDF Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter also resisted pressure to merge his new party with another right-wing list.

Gantz Stays in the Race

Benny Gantz ended another lingering question Tuesday by formally submitting an independent Blue and White slate.

Gantz remains first, followed by Pnina Tamano-Shata and former Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch. Roee Konkol is fourth, followed by Rotem Avidar Tzalik and Alon Schuster.

Gantz moved ahead with the independent run despite Blue and White having polled below the 3.25% electoral threshold for months. The decision leaves him outside the three other major opposition frameworks: Bennett and Lapid’s B’Yachad, Eisenkot’s Yashar and the Democrats.

The Lists Are Set — Now the Campaign Begins

Tuesday night’s deadline means parties can no longer spend the campaign reshuffling candidates or negotiating new electoral mergers. Israel uses a closed-list proportional representation system, meaning voters choose a party rather than individual candidates, making the composition and order of each slate particularly consequential.

The final submissions also leave a crowded field in which the 3.25% electoral threshold could play an important role. No Israeli party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, making the number and composition of parties that clear the threshold important to subsequent coalition negotiations.

With the lists now locked in, the campaign enters its final seven weeks.

Israelis head to the polls on Oct. 27.

{Matzav.com}

A new chareidi party formed around opposition to the military draft submitted its candidate list for Israel’s 26th Knesset on Tuesday, setting the stage for a potentially significant challenge to the established chareidi parties in the upcoming election.

The party, Tzeva Shachor (“Black Color”) – Defender of the Torah World, formally presented its slate to Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg.

Heading the list is Rav Eliyahu Boimerind, who leads the Ma’atrei Shevi’i network of Friday night kollelim in Eretz Yisroel and is a son-in-law of the late Rav Yosef Neuwirth. The second spot was given to Rav Dror Degani, a rosh kollel, followed by Rav Yonatan Yissachar, also a rosh kollel. Rav Yitzchak Rabin HaKohen, an av beis din in Bnei Brak and head of the Shaarei Tzion kollel network, holds the fourth position.

At the Central Elections Committee, Yaakov Chaim Miller, representing Tzeva Shachor – Defender of the Torah World, initially requested the Hebrew letters “דת” as the party’s ballot symbol. After learning that the letters were already taken, Miller asked for time to consult with party officials. Attorney Dean Livne, acting director-general of the Central Elections Committee, suggested the letters “נר,” which the party ultimately requested.

Party officials said their campaign would focus almost exclusively on fighting efforts to draft yeshiva bochurim and avreichim into the IDF, rejecting proposed compromises over the longstanding draft deferment arrangement.

“The sole overriding objective of our list is to prevent the persecution of religion regarding the draft decree and to act in every legitimate way against the decree,” the party said. “We will not agree to any of the new formulas involving various compromises, other than the longstanding deferment arrangement as it existed and as it was practiced since the establishment of the state. This is the only way, and every other framework or arrangement involving compromises and changes to this format must be fought.”

The party is also touting polling that it says demonstrates that its candidacy could amount to far more than a symbolic protest against the veteran chareidi political establishment.

According to a poll conducted by veteran Israeli pollster Rafi Smith and presented by the party, 22% of the chareidi public supports Tzeva Shachor. Party officials say that level of backing could potentially translate into four to five Knesset seats.

{Matzav.com}

After months in which nonstop travel between New York and Israel was dominated by just two Israeli carriers, the picture is changing dramatically. Within days, five airlines are expected to be competing for passengers on one of Israel’s busiest and most important international routes.

El Al and Arkia, which have been operating nonstop service while major U.S. carriers were absent, are being joined by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, with Israir preparing to enter the New York market on Sept. 16. The sudden expansion comes at an especially significant moment, with demand surging ahead of the Yomim Tovim.

Delta Air Lines officially restarted its daily nonstop JFK–Tel Aviv service this week. The first flight departed New York on Sunday, Sept. 6, arriving at Ben Gurion Airport the following morning, with the first return flight from Israel operating Monday. Delta is flying the route aboard an Airbus A330-900neo with Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort and Main Cabin seating.

“The resumption of service follows a thorough review of the evolving security environment in the region,” Delta said in announcing its return. “The safety and security of our customers and employees remain our top priority, and Delta will continue to monitor the situation closely in coordination with aviation authorities and government agencies.”

Delta’s arrival at Ben Gurion represented more than the restoration of another flight. It marked the return of a major American carrier to the Israel market following the suspensions prompted by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran earlier this year.

United Airlines is following immediately behind. United scheduled the resumption of its Newark–Tel Aviv operation for Sept. 8, with two daily flights aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliners, substantially increasing the number of seats available between the New York metropolitan area and Israel.

The return of the two American carriers is particularly important because American Airlines remains out of the Israel market, with its Tel Aviv service suspended through March 27, 2027. That leaves Delta and United as the two major U.S. airlines currently returning to the nonstop New York–Israel market.

But perhaps the most intriguing development is coming from Israir, which is preparing to enter a market historically dominated by much larger airlines.

Israir has secured the final regulatory approvals necessary to begin service between Ben Gurion Airport and JFK on Sept. 16, according to Aviation Week. The launch will mark the carrier’s return to the United States for the first time since 2009.

Israir had originally sought authority to operate six round trips per week using Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Its current booking schedule, however, calls for three weekly flights initially, increasing to four per week in mid-October. The company has already taken delivery of two A330-200s as the beginning of a broader plan to develop a six-aircraft widebody fleet.

That means travelers between New York and Israel will have five nonstop carriers to choose from: El Al, Arkia, Delta, United and Israir.

For travelers who endured the limited options and extraordinary fares that followed repeated suspensions by foreign airlines, the change could be significant. More carriers mean substantially more seats entering the market at a time when demand for travel to Israel is especially intense.

El Al remains the largest operator on the route, with multiple flights between JFK or Newark and Ben Gurion. Arkia, meanwhile, has established itself as a genuine alternative in the New York market, operating nonstop JFK flights using widebody aircraft. Current schedules show Arkia deploying Airbus A330-200s as well as Boeing 787-9 aircraft on some services.

Arkia’s presence has been an important part of the changing landscape. During the summer, when foreign airlines remained largely absent, the Israeli carrier provided additional capacity on a route where passengers had comparatively few nonstop alternatives.

Arkia is continuing to market its New York service as an alternative for passengers seeking nonstop travel to Israel, an indication that what began as an expansion during an unusually constrained period in Israeli aviation is becoming a more established part of the market.

The transformation is striking. For a prolonged period, passengers seeking nonstop New York–Tel Aviv flights effectively depended on El Al and Arkia. Now, in the space of little more than a week, Delta and United are restoring substantial capacity and Israir is preparing to make its debut.

United’s return alone adds two daily flights, while Delta is adding another daily service. Israir’s initial three weekly flights will further increase capacity.

That additional supply could provide some relief during the extremely busy Tishrei travel period. The Israel Tourism Intelligence Hub has described the return of U.S. nonstop service as a material improvement in seat supply ahead of the Yomim Tovim, with particularly heavy travel periods expected during September and October.

It does not necessarily mean cheap tickets are about to become plentiful. September fares have remained elevated, particularly around the peak holiday dates. Israel Hayom reported last month that Delta round-trip fares for September were running at roughly $2,680, with significantly lower prices appearing later in October.

Still, the significance for travelers is broader than the price of any individual ticket. Additional carriers provide more departure times, more available seats and more alternatives when one airline is sold out or prohibitively expensive.

It also represents a major reversal from the situation that followed the outbreak of the war with Iran in February, when international carriers suspended Israel service and the number of nonstop options contracted sharply. Delta and United both halted their Israel operations during that period.

The competition could become even more intense if other American airlines eventually return. For now, however, American Airlines remains on the sidelines, leaving the five-carrier lineup to El Al, Arkia, Delta, United and Israir.

For passengers, the most important development is simple: the New York–Tel Aviv bottleneck is finally beginning to break.

After a long stretch in which travelers often had little choice but to take whatever nonstop seat they could find, five airlines are preparing to fight for the same passengers — and they are doing it just as one of the busiest travel seasons of the Jewish calendar gets underway.

{Matzav.com}

After a turbulent week in Degel HaTorah that saw veteran Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev removed from their positions, Rav Dov Landau issued an unusual video statement Tuesday declaring that the decision to overhaul the party’s Knesset representation was his alone.

The rare video was released from the home of Rav Landau amid widespread public criticism and claims that political operatives and other figures within Degel HaTorah were responsible for the dramatic changes.

Rav Landau, the rosh yeshiva, directly rejected those reports and made clear that he personally decided on the changes, which included the removal of Gafni and Maklev and the placement of Yaakov Asher at the head of the Degel HaTorah list.

“That is a complete lie,” Rav Landau said, responding to allegations that political operatives were behind the move. “I alone decided.”

Rav Landau then raised his voice as he addressed the controversy.

“Forgive me for speaking loudly, because a lie is answered loudly!” he said.

The extraordinary statement came after days of intense criticism surrounding the manner in which the changes were carried out. Some figures within Degel HaTorah had claimed that political operatives were responsible for engineering the ouster of the longtime lawmakers.

Against that backdrop, Rav Landau departed from his usual practice and personally addressed the controversy, seeking to put an end to speculation about who was behind the decision.

His message was unequivocal: The decision to replace the veteran Degel HaTorah lawmakers was his own.

{Matzav.com}

Canada’s new retaliatory tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in American goods took effect Tuesday, imposing duties as high as 50% on hundreds of products as the increasingly bitter trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa continues to escalate.

The new levies, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 8, cover $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, according to the Canadian government. Products affected include steel and aluminum goods, dairy products, household appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper products, plastics and electronics. Depending on the product, the new tariff rate is 15%, 25% or 50%.

Ottawa announced the measures in August after negotiations with the Trump administration failed to produce a new trade agreement. Canada said the tariffs were designed to match U.S. duties on Canadian products dollar for dollar.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had described the rapidly deteriorating trade relationship in unusually stark terms shortly before announcing the countermeasures.

“We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” Carney told reporters on August 22. “That’s fine. We’ve got the reserves. We’ve got the resilience. We’ve got the plan. We’ve got the focus. We will respond.”

Under the new Canadian tariff schedule, numerous American goods are subject to the maximum 50% rate. Among the products included in various tariff categories are dairy goods, steel and aluminum products, clothing and other consumer and industrial merchandise. The Canadian government’s official list runs to hundreds of tariff classifications.

Other American products face duties of 25%, including categories of household appliances and other manufactured goods, while certain industrial products are subject to a 15% tariff. Canada said the individual rates were set to correspond with the U.S. tariff imposed on comparable Canadian goods.

Although the duties are imposed by Canada on American imports — meaning the direct tariff is paid when those goods enter Canada — the measures could have consequences on both sides of the border. U.S. exporters may face weaker Canadian demand or pressure to lower prices, while Canadian importers and consumers could face higher costs for affected American products.

The impact could be particularly significant for American industries that rely heavily on the Canadian market. Manufacturing and automobile-producing states in the Midwest have extensive commercial ties with Canada, while dairy-producing states including Wisconsin and Vermont could be affected by the higher barriers facing U.S. dairy exports.

Even with the new tariffs, the targeted products account for only a portion of the enormous volume of commerce moving between the two countries. The United States and Canada remain deeply integrated economically, with supply chains — particularly in the automobile and aerospace industries — frequently crossing the border multiple times during production.

The latest Canadian action followed the Trump administration’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on $27.6 billion in Canadian goods beginning Aug. 22. Canada said its new measures were a direct response to those U.S. tariffs.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, escalated the dispute further this week by threatening Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier with the loss of access to the American market unless it begins manufacturing its jets in the United States.

“If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said Bombardier would no longer be permitted to sell its aircraft in the United States unless it shifted manufacturing south of the border, though the administration did not immediately explain the legal mechanism it would use to implement such a restriction.

Bombardier pushed back by emphasizing the extent of its existing American operations. The Montreal-based company employs thousands of workers in the United States and says its supply chain includes approximately 2,800 American companies across 47 states. It also spends more than $2.5 billion annually with U.S. suppliers.

The dispute over Bombardier illustrates how intertwined the two economies remain. Many components used in Bombardier aircraft, including engines, are manufactured in the United States, while the company has facilities and service centers in several states.

Canada’s tariffs themselves were imposed after the United States targeted Canadian products including dairy goods and a range of manufactured products. Negotiations between the two governments collapsed on Aug. 21 following days of talks in Washington.

The worsening confrontation has also raised questions about the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the free-trade pact that replaced NAFTA and took effect in 2020. The highly integrated North American economy has operated under the agreement even as Washington and Ottawa have increasingly resorted to tariffs and other trade restrictions.

Canadian government data show that the United States remains by far Canada’s largest export market, making the economic relationship difficult for either country to unwind quickly. Carney has nevertheless said his government intends to accelerate efforts to reduce Canada’s dependence on its southern neighbor.

For businesses and consumers, the immediate impact will vary significantly depending on the product and where it is purchased. Canada’s tariffs do not mean that American shoppers will suddenly pay 50% more for Canadian products; rather, they make specified American goods more expensive to import into Canada. The economic effects could nevertheless reach U.S. producers if Canadian buyers reduce purchases or switch to suppliers elsewhere.

The latest round of tariffs adds another layer to a trade fight that has broadened well beyond conventional import duties, with the Trump administration also moving against Canadian access to U.S. government procurement and threatening restrictions on specific Canadian industries.

Trump has made clear that he wants to sharply reduce U.S. economic reliance on Canadian products.

“I don’t want Canadian cars, I don’t want Canadian parts, I don’t want Canadian anything,” Trump said on Truth Social last month. “They’ve been ripping us off for decades, and it’s going to stop.”

{Matzav.com}

Republican Bruce Blakeman is trailing Gov. Kathy Hochul by fewer than four percentage points in a new poll commissioned by his campaign, offering a sharply different picture of the New York governor’s race than an independent Siena University survey released last month.

The McLaughlin & Associates survey has Hochul ahead of Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, 49.6% to 45.7% among likely voters, with 4.7% undecided. The poll surveyed 800 likely voters between Aug. 27 and Aug. 31.

The campaign-commissioned poll also found considerable dissatisfaction with Hochul, with 55% of respondents holding an unfavorable view of the Democratic governor as she seeks another term.

“The majority of voters (56%) believe that it’s time to give someone else a chance to do better, while only 38% say Kathy Hochul has performed well enough as Governor to deserve re-election,” pollster John McLaughlin said in a memo outlining the results.

McLaughlin argued that the numbers indicate an opening for Blakeman heading into the final weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

“The results show New York voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the state and Governor Hochul continues to miss critical benchmarks for a safe incumbent, leaving the opportunity for Bruce Blakeman to defeat Kathy Hochul this November.”

One challenge for Blakeman, according to his own campaign’s polling, is that a sizable portion of the electorate still does not have a firm impression of him. Thirty percent of likely voters said they either had never heard of Blakeman or did not have an opinion of him.

An independent Siena University poll released Aug. 12 found a wider gap. In that survey, Hochul led Blakeman 49% to 39% among likely voters. Siena surveyed 811 likely voters from Aug. 3 through Aug. 6, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points for its core questions.

The McLaughlin poll shows a pronounced geographic divide. Hochul leads Blakeman 60% to 33% in New York City, with 7% undecided. Blakeman leads 51% to 46% upstate and 53% to 43% in the suburbs.

Those numbers underscore the differing regional coalitions of the two candidates, with Hochul drawing her strongest support from New York City and Blakeman performing better outside the five boroughs.

The Siena poll also found a large geographic split, although its numbers differed. Hochul led Blakeman 64% to 19% in New York City, while Blakeman led 49% to 41% in the downstate suburbs. Siena found the two candidates running roughly even upstate.

The McLaughlin polling memo did not address President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Blakeman and has been featured heavily in Democratic attacks against the Republican nominee. Hochul’s campaign and the state Democratic Party have spent millions on advertising seeking to connect Blakeman politically to Trump.

Blakeman, meanwhile, has sought to make Hochul’s record in Albany the central issue in the contest.

“The Worst Governor in America is on the ropes, and New Yorkers have had enough. This November, they’re going to fire Kathy Hochul and elect me to make New York affordable again, keep families here, and build a new era where everyone has the opportunity to prosper,” Blakeman said.

Money could also play an important role during the campaign’s closing stretch. July campaign filings showed Friends for Kathy Hochul with $21 million on hand, while the state Democratic Party had another $22 million available. Blakeman’s campaign, the Nassau County Republican Party and other allied Republican organizations had raised approximately $11 million, while outside groups supporting Blakeman have also been raising and spending money.

The latest survey is not the first poll backed by Blakeman supporters to show a comparatively narrow contest. The Strong & Safe Super PAC, which is backed by Knicks owner James Dolan, previously released polling showing Hochul ahead 47% to 43%. Another survey conducted by co/efficient for the Coalition to Protect New York Taxpayers put Hochul ahead 47% to 41%.

The tighter campaign-aligned polls come against the backdrop of New York’s relatively close 2022 gubernatorial election. Hochul defeated Republican Lee Zeldin 53% to 47% that year. Zeldin now serves as President Trump’s administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

McLaughlin said Blakeman’s remaining challenge is introducing himself to voters who still know little about him.

“At this point in time, the incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul has very high negatives, Bruce Blakeman is favorable, and the close gap on the ballot is surmountable given the electorate’s desire for new leadership,” McLaughlin said.

“With enough resources, Bruce Blakeman can define himself to the electorate and defeat Kathy Hochul in November.”

Hochul’s campaign disputed the Blakeman campaign’s survey but declined a request from the New York Post to release its own internal polling.

“Bruce Fakeman is pushing fake AI-generated ads, fake government letters to solicit donations, and fake polls to cover up the fact that nobody in the real world is buying what he’s selling: a ‘100% MAGA’ puppet enabling ICE’s violence, running his own armed militia, and promising to gut Medicaid and raise your costs,” Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said.

The competing surveys leave significantly different snapshots of the race with less than two months remaining: Blakeman’s campaign poll puts Hochul’s advantage at 3.9 points, while Siena’s independent August survey put the governor’s lead at 10 points.

New York City has begun enforcing its new residential trash-container rules, with owners of single-family homes and buildings containing up to nine residential units now facing fines if garbage is placed curbside without an official NYC trash bin.

The enforcement phase began Tuesday, September 8, following a warning period that had been in effect since June 1. Under the new system, affected properties must use city-approved NYC Bins for ordinary household trash rather than leaving loose garbage bags on sidewalks or using other containers.

The initiative is part of the Department of Sanitation’s sweeping effort to move New York away from the familiar piles of black garbage bags that have long lined city sidewalks. Officials say containerizing trash will make streets cleaner, reduce food sources for rats and make garbage collection safer for sanitation workers.

“The department really wanted to rethink the way we approach our trash and the containerization efforts have really come out of that,” Department of Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson said.

Property owners who violate the rules face escalating penalties. The first offense carries a $50 fine, the second costs $100, and a third or subsequent violation can bring a $200 penalty. City officials say building owners and managers are responsible for ensuring that they have enough bins to contain all of their property’s garbage.

“We’ve been giving out warnings since the beginning of June and have given out 32,000 warnings,” Anderson said.

The requirement applies not only to residential properties with one to nine units but also to certain buildings receiving Department of Sanitation collection, including nonprofits, houses of worship, city agencies and professional offices located in residential buildings.

Official NYC Bins are currently available through Home Depot locations throughout the five boroughs. The city offers several sizes, including 25-, 35- and 45-gallon containers. While the official city bin is required for regular trash, New Yorkers are not required to purchase official NYC-branded containers for recycling or compost.

City officials argue that one of the major benefits of the program will be improved worker safety. The official bins are designed to work with mechanical lifting equipment known as tippers, reducing the amount of garbage sanitation employees must manually lift.

“So instead of a sanitation worker throwing the bags into the bin which can cause injury which can cause them to be stuck by needles, these have little bars on the front that can be picked up by a tipper and just tipped unit he back of the truck,” Anderson said.

The bins are also marketed as rodent-resistant, a major component of the city’s effort to curb its persistent rat problem. City officials say eliminating exposed bags of food waste should make garbage significantly less accessible to rodents.

Some residents have welcomed the initiative.

“The city is absolutely filthy and disgusting and anyway that we can clean up the garbage that’s left on the street, would be fantastic,” Upper West Side resident Susan Hitzig said.

But reviews from neighborhoods where the containers have already been tested have been mixed. Asked whether the program had improved conditions over the past year, West Harlem resident Casir Ramos replied, “A little bit, a little bit.”

Others questioned whether the plastic containers actually solve the rat problem.

“They don’t work. It doesn’t keep the rats out,” Harlem resident Bernadette Adams said.

An Eyewitness News reporter even found one bin with a hole apparently chewed through its plastic lid.

“It’s okay. I think they could do better though with it,” Harlem resident Jason Ortiz said.

Despite the criticism, the city is moving ahead with a much broader containerization program. Properties with 10 to 30 units will eventually use either official NYC Bins or larger on-street containers, while buildings with 31 or more units are slated to use so-called Empire Bins — large stationary containers serviced by new automated side-loading sanitation trucks. The city says the larger-building program is expected to expand citywide by 2032.

“We’re rolling out empire bins, which are larger containers that actually go on the street and are picked up by new automated side-loading collection trucks,” Anderson said.

Hitzig said that despite questions surrounding the rollout, she believes the city’s effort represents progress.

“I think having these bins is a great beginning,” she said.

For thousands of New York property owners, however, the transition period is now over: putting regular trash out in anything other than the required NYC Bin can now result in a summons — and a fine.

{Matzav.com}

Five Israelis were detained for questioning in Cyprus after authorities allegedly discovered hundreds of packs of cigarettes being smuggled from the Turkish-controlled northern part of the island into the Greek Cypriot south, according to a report by Mako.

A 49-year-old Israeli woman who was working as a taxi driver was also detained in connection with the incident.

According to the report, the group was stopped for inspection while traveling in the taxi. Authorities searching luggage inside the vehicle discovered approximately 50 cartons containing several hundred packs of cigarettes from American brands.

The cigarettes reportedly did not bear the required Greek- or Turkish-language health warnings regarding the dangers of smoking.

Cypriot customs, police and other law enforcement authorities reportedly believe that the Israelis purchased the cigarettes at significantly lower prices in northern Cyprus and planned to ultimately bring them to Israel, where they could potentially have made tens of thousands of shekels from their sale.

Rather than remain in custody and face court proceedings, the five Israelis agreed to pay authorities a total settlement of 4,000 euros, according to the report. The Israeli taxi driver separately paid 600 euros.

Following payment, all those involved were released.

The confiscated cigarettes, however, were not returned. Authorities seized the hundreds of packs and are expected to destroy them.

The United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers Tuesday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard repeatedly attempted to strike an American warship with ballistic missiles, triggering another round of military retaliation in the more than six-month-old conflict. Iran subsequently launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, according to Iranian state media.

Iranian state-run outlets reported the missile launches toward American targets in Jordan following the U.S. tanker strikes. U.S. Central Command said it had no information to provide regarding the reported attack on the Jordanian airbase.

The new military action came as President Donald Trump’s administration continued pursuing both military and economic pressure against Tehran in an effort to bring the war to an end. On Tuesday, the administration also announced additional sanctions aimed at Iran’s aviation sector, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines along with foreign companies providing cargo services to Iran.

At the center of the confrontation is the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically critical waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies traveled before the war. Both Washington and Tehran have sought to dictate shipping conditions in the region, while disruptions have pushed energy prices higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, briefly reached $99.46 per barrel Tuesday, creating another economic and political concern for Trump and Republicans heading into November’s midterm elections.

Tuesday’s operation followed another U.S. strike Saturday in which American forces destroyed three Iranian tankers after the Revolutionary Guard attempted to hit a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles. The U.S. military warned at the time that it would, “if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” Iran later said it intended to establish a new “exclusion zone” near the Strait of Hormuz for ships seeking passage through the waterway.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue responding when Iran attempts to target American naval forces.

“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers.

“And I think you’ll see that again today,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday when asked about the latest attacks in Iran while on a trip to Colombia.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, cautioned that the escalating cycle of strikes and counterstrikes could provoke additional retaliation while inflicting greater damage on the international economy.

“There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,” he said on social media. “Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control.”

According to U.S. Central Command, American forces destroyed the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the Derya near Kharg Island. CENTCOM said American forces ordered the crews to abandon the five vessels before striking them and rendering them inoperable. The military described the tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar network used to finance the Revolutionary Guard and its regional proxies.

Iranian state television separately confirmed attacks on Iranian oil tankers, reporting strikes near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. According to the Iranian reports, crew members evacuated the vessels.

A state television correspondent in Jask reported that an Iranian tanker had been hit near the Yekbeni coastline. Iranian television subsequently said American forces struck a second tanker in waters near Jask, while another report said a separate tanker was attacked in the anchorage area around Kharg Island.

Earlier Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy warned crews aboard oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately, threatening that the ships could become targets in retaliation for American attacks on Iranian tankers. Tehran accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting U.S. forces and facilitating American military operations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has intensified pressure on Tehran’s economy by restricting its ability to export oil. American forces have also assisted a limited number of commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz along a route near Oman. Iran, however, has sought to require vessels to use a route designated by Tehran through the strategic waterway, which was regarded as an international shipping passage before the war.

Israel Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating 12-year-old Yosef Zilberman, who has been missing from Beit Shemesh since Sunday afternoon.

According to police, Yosef was last seen on Sept. 6, 2026, during the afternoon hours near Ben Zakkai Street in Beit Shemesh. His whereabouts have been unknown since then.

Police described Yosef as approximately 1.50 meters — about 4 feet 11 inches — tall, with a thin build, brown hair and blue eyes.

At the time of his disappearance, he may have been wearing blue pants and a black T-shirt.

Authorities are urging anyone who has seen Yosef or has information that could assist in locating him to immediately contact the Beit Shemesh police station at 02-990-2384 or Israel Police’s emergency hotline at 100.

{Matzav.com}

With the first day of Rosh Hashanah falling on Shabbos this year, Rav Avraham Yosef addressed a practical question facing many: When should Tashlich be recited — on Shabbos or on Sunday?

Speaking on the “Shamor V’Zachor” Israeli radio program, Rav Yosef said that Tashlich should be performed on Shabbos by those whose minhag permits it. Those who do not perform Tashlich on Shabbos should postpone it until Sunday, the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

In that case, however, Rav Yosef stressed that Tashlich should be recited “after tefillas Mussaf and not after Mincha.”

Rav Yosef explained that in Eretz Yisroel, performing Tashlich on Shabbos is possible because there is an eiruv. Outside Eretz Yisroel, in places without an eiruv, the proper practice depends upon where Tashlich is being held.

“If Tashlich is done in the courtyard of the shul, it can be done on Shabbos. If it is done outside the shul, it should be postponed until Sunday, after tefillas Mussaf,” Rav Yosef said.

He further explained that the primary connection of Tashlich is specifically to the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

“Tashlich is connected only to the first day. That is the primary time,” he said.

Although the second day does not have the same particular connection to Tashlich, Rav Yosef said that when it must be postponed, it may appropriately be recited immediately following Mussaf, since the Krias HaTorah that morning recounts the Akeidah.

Rav Yosef concluded by emphasizing that simply waiting until after Mincha on the second day is not the proper practice.

“But simply doing it after Mincha is certainly not correct,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The dramatic decision by Shlomei Emunim and Belz to establish an independent political framework within United Torah Judaism erupted into an extraordinary war of words Tuesday night, with the rival camps trading accusations over control of Agudas Yisroel, its decision-making process and its party funds.

The confrontation followed the decision by Meir Porush of Shlomei Emunim and Belz representative Elyakim Stark to operate through a separate registered party, Chomas Toras Yisroel, rather than through Agudas Yisroel, as they had until now.

The new arrangement is intended to give Porush and Stark greater political and organizational independence, removing them from the authority of Agudas Yisroel’s existing party apparatus and the influence wielded within it by Ger. At the same time, they intend to remain candidates on the joint United Torah Judaism electoral slate.

What began as a procedural and organizational change quickly developed into a bitter public confrontation, with both sides offering sharply different accounts of what led to the split and who bears responsibility for the crisis.

A source in the office of Agudas Yisroel chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf described the development as the culmination of a political process that had been unfolding for years. According to the source, the process began during municipal elections with the establishment of the Koach party and continued through political divisions in cities including Ashdod and Beit Shemesh.

“Meir Porush has chosen to disconnect finally and completely from the ranks of Agudas Yisroel and embark on a completely independent path,” the source said.

Goldknopf’s camp portrayed the development as more than an internal administrative disagreement, arguing that the establishment of the new party would force chassidishe communities across Eretz Yisroel to decide where their loyalties lie.

“From now on, every chassidishe community in the country will have to make a clear and direct decision,” the source said. “Will it continue to belong to the historic Agudas Yisroel and obey the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, or will it join the new party established tonight by Meir Porush?”

Porush’s office responded with an exceptionally harsh statement of its own, accusing Ger activists of exercising authoritarian control over Agudas Yisroel and subordinating the broader party to the interests of a single group.

“In recent hours, we have witnessed the culmination of a long process spanning many years, in which Meir Porush and Elyakim Stark have chosen to put an end to the dictatorial conduct of Ger activists, who have taken Agudas Yisroel hostage to the interests of a single group,” Porush’s office said.

Porush’s camp traced the roots of the dispute back 18 years to the Yerushalayim mayoral election, claiming that Ger worked against a candidate who had the support of the Gedolei Torah. It charged that similar behavior resurfaced during the most recent municipal elections, when Ger allegedly backed candidates from other parties against candidates representing Agudas Yisroel and United Torah Judaism.

The most explosive accusation from Porush’s office was directed at Agudas Yisroel secretary-general Chanoch Zeibert and concerned the handling of party funds.

“The process continued with the conduct of the Agudas Yisroel secretary-general, who stole Agudas Yisroel’s money, contrary to the arbitration ruling that took place at the instruction of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah,” Porush’s office charged.

The allegation is an accusation made by Porush’s office amid the political dispute and was not presented as a judicial finding or an independently established fact.

The fight over party finances appears to be one of the central practical issues underlying the new political structure.

According to Porush’s associates, the establishment of the separate framework will allow Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas, representing Belz, to place their share of state party-financing funds under independent control.

“Tonight, the process reached a turning point with the decision of the Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas factions to transfer the party-financing funds of the majority of Agudas Yisroel to a separate account that will be managed fairly and equally,” Porush’s office said.

Under the arrangement, the two factions would therefore separate their financial and internal party operations from the existing Agudas Yisroel apparatus while continuing to participate in the joint UTJ electoral slate.

Porush’s office then turned the argument made by Goldknopf’s associates back against the Ger faction, saying it was Ger, rather than Shlomei Emunim and Belz, whose conduct should now be weighed by chassidishe communities.

“In light of the new reality that has been created, from now on every chassidishe community in the country will have to make a clear and direct decision: whether it continues to belong to the historic Agudas Yisroel and obey the Gedolei Torah, or whether it joins a faction run by a small group of people who trample upon members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah time and again.”

The political bombshell came with the establishment of Chomas Toras Yisroel, the registered party framework through which Porush and Stark will operate.

Sources familiar with the arrangement stressed that there is currently no intention to dismantle United Torah Judaism or for the new faction to run independently in the Knesset election. Instead, they described the move as a procedural mechanism designed to establish the faction’s independent standing within UTJ.

Porush and Stark would thus remain under the United Torah Judaism electoral umbrella while operating through a separate organizational, financial and political structure rather than through the existing Agudas Yisroel mechanism.

Despite the insistence that the change is formally procedural, the ferocity of Tuesday night’s accusations made clear that the dispute extends far beyond paperwork or party financing. The upheaval has exposed a deep struggle over control of Agudas Yisroel and the balance of power between Ger, Shlomei Emunim, Belz and the other chassidishe factions.

{Matzav.com}

BANGKOK — Thai authorities have ordered a Jewish cemetery outside Bangkok to be cleared and bodies buried there to be removed, escalating a dispute that has alarmed Thailand’s Jewish community and raised concerns that growing hostility toward Israelis may be contributing to increased scrutiny of Jewish institutions in the country.

The controversy centers on the Jewish Cemetery Thailand in Bang Khla district of Chachoengsao Province, east of Bangkok. Thai officials say the cemetery’s operating license expired in 2023 and was not renewed because the property failed to meet requirements governing the location of cemeteries.

The case developed rapidly over the past several days. Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee visited the site Monday and initially announced that three bodies believed to have been buried after the license expired would have to be removed. A fourth burial, which authorities believe took place while the cemetery still held a valid license, was initially considered legal and was placed under further review.

However, Chachoengsao provincial authorities subsequently issued a broader written administrative order requiring the cemetery’s structures to be removed and bodies buried or stored at the property to be transferred to a properly licensed private cemetery within seven days. The order was issued by Chachoengsao Governor Chatchaporn Niyom, according to an announcement from Thailand’s government public-relations department.

The latest order therefore appears to go beyond the initial directive involving only the three post-license burials.

An inspection conducted Friday, Sept. 4, found four graves at the property, according to Thai authorities. Officials determined that burials at the site violated provisions of Thailand’s Cemetery and Crematorium Act because the facility did not currently possess a valid operating permit.

The cemetery was originally granted authorization in 2021, but the license expired in 2023. When its operators sought to renew it, authorities inspected the property and concluded that it failed to comply with regulations concerning required distances between cemeteries and nearby public infrastructure, including roads and waterways.

The operator appealed the refusal to renew the license to Thailand’s interior minister, but the appeal was unsuccessful. The cemetery’s representatives subsequently brought the dispute before the Rayong Administrative Court, where the case remains pending. The litigation has not, however, restored the cemetery’s operating authorization while the case is being heard.

Bangkok Chabad shliach Rav Nechemya Wilhelm explained that the Jewish community purchased the property about five years ago because the longstanding Jewish cemetery in Bangkok was approaching capacity.

“We have had a cemetery in Bangkok for nearly 30 years,” Rav Wilhelm said. “Unfortunately, it is already almost full, so about five years ago we purchased a property outside the city that would be suitable for burial.”

Rav Wilhelm stressed that the new property had not simply been chosen and used clandestinely. It had initially been approved for cemetery use.

“We bought the property with its designation as a cemetery, and apparently the seller made sure that everything was in order at the time,” he said. “After about three years, we were informed that the property did not meet cemetery standards, and we filed an appeal, because you don’t bury people for three years. Once we received a cemetery license, it should be permanent.”

The community’s need for additional burial space has been developing for years. Chabad’s Jewish Thailand organization says the Bangkok Jewish community maintains a chevra kadisha and provides traditional Jewish burial services. An account published by the community earlier this year said its original cemetery had been operating for more than 30 years and was nearly full, prompting the purchase and consecration of the Chachoengsao property.

The dispute has become particularly sensitive because disturbing a Jewish grave is a grave matter under halacha, and exhumation is generally prohibited except under limited circumstances.

Rav Wilhelm said the community intends to obey Thai law and, should relocation ultimately be unavoidable, ensure that the process is conducted in accordance with halacha.

“We have always acted according to the law, and in this matter as well we will act according to the law,” he said. “If we are forced to remove the bodies, we will act according to the rules of halacha.”

But Rav Wilhelm also raised concerns about the timing and atmosphere surrounding the government’s action, linking the sudden scrutiny to what he described as a recent wave of negative attention directed at Israelis and Jews in Thailand.

“Unfortunately, right now, because of the wave of reports against Israelis and Jews, they are looking everywhere there is something to investigate, and that is how they reached this as well,” Rav Wilhelm said.

Thai officials, however, insist that their broader enforcement campaign is not aimed at Jews or Israelis.

On Tuesday, Suwunchwee ordered authorities to inspect approximately 1,200 cemeteries and cremation facilities throughout Thailand. Officials were instructed to determine whether the sites have valid licenses and to collect information about their operators and religious affiliations. The deputy minister specifically said the investigation was not targeting any particular nationality.

Authorities are also looking into several Jewish burial locations in Bangkok’s Charoen Krung area. Suwunchwee said officials had identified four or five locations connected to Jewish burials and would examine their legal status.

The cemetery dispute has meanwhile attracted significant attention from residents of the Chachoengsao area. Local reports indicate that some residents had previously objected to the cemetery and raised concerns about its proximity to homes, a school, agricultural operations, roads and waterways.

One aspect of the case has also generated conflicting accounts from Thai authorities themselves. On Sept. 3, the provincial governor’s office said there were no longer any bodies at the site and that one body previously buried there had been removed. A subsequent inspection, however, found four graves, prompting officials to revise the picture dramatically within days.

The dispute has now moved well beyond a routine licensing disagreement. With a seven-day removal order reportedly in effect, the Jewish community faces the prospect of having to exhume and rebury Jewish bodies while its legal challenge over the cemetery remains before Thailand’s Administrative Court.

For Thailand’s Jewish community, the situation presents both a legal battle and an extraordinarily sensitive halachic problem: how to comply with the directives of Thai authorities while preserving kavod hameis and ensuring that any unavoidable transfer of the niftarim is conducted strictly according to Jewish law.

{Matzav.com}

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved Tuesday to block Canadian-made products from major U.S. government purchasing programs, opening a new front in the rapidly escalating trade war between the United States and Canada just as Ottawa’s latest retaliatory tariffs on American goods took effect.

Trump directed the General Services Administration, working with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, to take steps to remove Canadian-origin products from the GSA’s Multiple Award Schedules unless Canada gives American farmers and businesses what he called “full and fair reciprocity” in Canadian government procurement.

The GSA schedules are government-wide purchasing programs through which federal agencies — and, in certain circumstances, state and local governments — acquire products and services from approved vendors. Trump said the schedules account for more than $50 billion in purchases annually.

The president announced the move in a lengthy social media post accusing Canada and its provincial governments of shutting American businesses out of government contracts while Canadian firms benefit from broad access to the massive U.S. public procurement market.

“Everyone knows that Canada doesn’t let our Great Dairy Farmers sell into the Canadian Market, and that the only reason Canada makes Autos is because of previous disastrous Trade Agreements while other Presidents were in Office,” Trump wrote.

“Canada has been ripping us off for years, but what many do not realize is that the Canadian Government, including Canadian Provinces, have banned American Small Businesses and Companies from selling into their Government Procurement Markets,” he continued. “This is the case even though Canada gets broad access into the massive American Government Procurement Market, including those of our States.”

Trump then laid out the principle behind the new action in stark terms.

“That is not reciprocity, it is a Canadian Trade Scam. From now on, NO RECIPROCITY — NO ACCESS!” Trump declared.

“I am hereby directing the GSA, working with the USTR, to take all necessary steps to REMOVE Canadian-origin products from GSA’s Multiple Award Schedules unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American Farmers and Companies,” Trump wrote.

“Those schedules account for more than 50 BILLION DOLLARS a year. This should have been cut off years ago, by other Administrations, like it was by mine, only to reinstituted by Sleepy Joe Biden. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

The directive does not appear to constitute an immediate blanket prohibition on every Canadian company receiving a U.S. government contract. Rather, Trump instructed the GSA and USTR to begin taking the steps necessary to remove Canadian-origin products from the Multiple Award Schedules. The precise timetable and scope of the changes were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The announcement came on the same day that a new round of Canadian retaliatory tariffs against U.S. products went into effect, dramatically raising the stakes in the confrontation between Washington and Ottawa.

According to the Canadian government, the counter-tariffs took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and impose duties of 15%, 25% or 50% on a wide range of American products. Ottawa says the measures cover approximately $27.6 billion in U.S. imports and target sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

Canada imposed the measures in response to Trump’s use of Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 against Canadian products. The administration has accused Canada of discriminating against American exports, particularly in the dairy, automobile and alcoholic beverage industries.

The White House previously moved to impose tariffs of as much as 50% on billions of dollars in Canadian imports. Trump temporarily adjusted the timetable in August as the two countries continued efforts to resolve their differences, but negotiations failed to prevent the dispute from escalating.

The procurement action significantly broadens the fight. Rather than relying exclusively on tariffs at the border, Trump is now targeting Canadian access to one of the world’s largest government purchasing markets.

Trump has increasingly framed the dispute around the concept of reciprocity, arguing that countries seeking access to American consumers and government markets must provide comparable opportunities to U.S. companies.

The president has also recently threatened further action against major Canadian industries. He warned that Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier could face restrictions on selling planes in the United States unless production is moved south of the border.

“If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank,’” Trump wrote Monday. “BUY AMERICAN. FLY ON AMERICAN AIRLINERS. ENJOY AMERICAN LIQUOR AND BEVERAGES. SAIL ON LAKE AMERICA. AMERICA FIRST!”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, has urged Canadians to reduce their economic dependence on the United States and buy domestically produced goods. Ottawa has portrayed its latest tariffs as a targeted response designed to defend Canadian workers and industries from U.S. trade measures.

“This won’t be easy, and I won’t pretend otherwise,” Carney said Tuesday. “But Canadians have faced difficult stretches before, and what has carried us through has never ever been any one measure. It’s always been Canadians looking out for each other.”

Despite the increasingly hostile rhetoric, officials from the two governments have remained in contact. But after negotiations that appeared close to producing an agreement last month broke down, there has been little indication that either Washington or Ottawa is preparing for an immediate return to formal trade talks.

Trump’s latest directive makes clear that the administration is prepared to use the enormous purchasing power of the U.S. government as another source of leverage.

For Canadian businesses that have relied on access to American government procurement, the president’s message was unmistakable: access to U.S. contracts will increasingly depend on whether American companies receive comparable treatment north of the border.

I can also keep an eye on this U.S.-Canada trade fight tonight and alert you if the White House, GSA, USTR or Carney government announces the actual implementation details or a Canadian response.

{Matzav.com}