Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro writes in a newly released memoir that while being screened as a possible vice-presidential pick for Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign, he was confronted with a question asking whether he had ever “been a double agent for Israel.”
Portions of Shapiro’s book, Where We Keep the Light, were published in excerpts carried by The New York Times and The Atlantic.
In the book, Shapiro describes reacting with shock and offense to the question, recalling his immediate disbelief (“Was she kidding?”). He also recounts feeling deeply uncomfortable throughout the vetting process, which included repeated inquiries into his views on Israel — an area where his public record has generally been supportive.
Shapiro writes that being asked such a question “said a lot about some of the people around [Harris],” suggesting it reflected troubling assumptions within the circle conducting the interviews.
“I wondered whether these questions were being posed to just me — the only Jewish guy in the running — or if everyone who had not held a federal office was being grilled about Israel in the same way,” he says.
Reflecting on the tone of the interviews, Shapiro notes that while the meetings were outwardly formal, they were emotionally taxing. “These sessions were completely professional and businesslike,” Shapiro says. “But I just had a knot in my stomach through all of it.”
Harris ultimately selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and the Democratic ticket went on to lose the general election to Donald Trump.
{Matzav.com}
As the annual yahrtzeit of Rav Dovid of Lelov zt”l approaches, thousands of Lelover chassidim are once again preparing to travel to Poland for the traditional pilgrimage to his kever. The gathering, held each year on 7 Shevat in the town of Lelov, is customarily led by the Lelover Rebbe, who is joined by large delegations of followers from Eretz Yisroel and abroad.
This year, however, an unusual and restrictive directive has been issued, leading to disappointment among many bochurim who had hoped to participate in the journey and benefit from the long-standing segulah associated with the yahrtzeit.
The Rebbe has instructed that bochurim and young avreichim who belong to age cohorts required to report for military service — and who fear possible arrest — must refrain from leaving the country and should not take part in the trip under any circumstances.
In recent years, the Lelover yahrtzeit has drawn not only chassidim but also many individuals seeking yeshuos, particularly bochurim who are delayed in finding a shidduch. Among Lelover chassidim, a well-known segulah involves unmarried bochurim dancing on a table during the yahrtzeit seudah in front of the assembled chassidim, an act seen as removing embarrassment and opening the gates to a shidduch. Numerous accounts have circulated in recent years of older singles who participated in the yahrtzeit and went on to get married within the following year.
This year’s directive follows a significant tightening of enforcement by military police, who have intensified efforts to compel attendance and arrest those who have not regularized their status. After the matter was brought before the Rebbe, a clear ruling was issued: Any bochur or avreich with even a remote concern of arrest — whether while departing Israel or upon return — is not to attempt traveling abroad for the yahrtzeit.
While the instruction is being widely accepted as a matter of pikuach nefesh and responsible leadership, it has nevertheless caused deep disappointment among singles who had pinned their hopes on participating in the pilgrimage and the associated segulah this year.
{Matzav.com}
Two days before the dramatic public announcement regarding the arrangement reached between Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and MK Yisroel Eichler, the dayanim arbitrating the heated dispute between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel had already signed a binding psak ordering Eichler to resign immediately from the Knesset.
Portions of the beis din ruling have leaked, revealing for the first time that the dayanim unequivocally ruled that Eichler was obligated to vacate his seat as part of the long-standing rotation agreement between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel. A senior source within Yahadus HaTorah said that Eichler would have resigned in any event, regardless of the position he later secured.
On Thursday afternoon, the political system was thrown into turmoil after it was revealed that Eichler had reached an understanding with Netanyahu under which he would resign from the Knesset and be appointed Deputy Minister of Communications. This step enabled MK Yitzchok Pindrus of Degel HaTorah to return to the Knesset and participate in the vote on the draft law.
However, it has now emerged that two days earlier, the arbitration panel—composed of Rav Betzalel Waksalstein, Rav Avrohom Direnfeld, and Rav Yaakov Farbstein—had already signed the final psak, determining that Eichler must step down immediately in favor of Pindrus, in accordance with the rotation agreement between the two factions.
Following the earlier resignation from the government, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni demanded that Agudas Yisroel instruct Eichler—who at the time had been under consideration for the position of Housing Minister—to resign, as required by the rotation agreement. Eichler objected, leading the sides to bring the matter before a mutually accepted beis din to adjudicate the dispute within Yahadus HaTorah.
Last Tuesday, the panel signed its final ruling, stating clearly that Eichler is required to resign immediately from the Knesset. The psak bears the signature of Rav Avrohom Direnfeld, one of the senior dayanim associated with the Belzer chassidus, which Eichler represents.
An excerpt from the beis din ruling states: “MK HaRav Yisroel Eichler must, in principle, resign immediately from the Knesset, and the Agudas Yisroel party must instruct MK HaRav Yisroel Eichler to resign immediately from the Knesset. In practice, we grant the parties two weeks to reach an arrangement—whether among themselves, by way of the Norwegian Law, or through negotiations within Agudas Yisroel regarding who will resign in order to implement the rotation. Should no arrangement be reached, Rav Eichler shall resign from the Knesset without any claims.”
A senior official in Yahadus HaTorah remarked: “Eichler essentially managed to arrange a position for himself. This was not a deal with Degel HaTorah and had no direct connection to the draft law. He understood that the beis din—including the dayan from Belz—had ruled that he must leave the Knesset, and at the final moment he secured himself a role via the Prime Minister’s Office. Even without that position, he would have resigned. Had he not done so, the psak would have been made public by the end of last week. He simply acted first to preempt the fallout.”
{Matzav.com}
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul used a Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative church service in Harlem on Sunday to sharply criticize federal immigration enforcement and to laud Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, remarks that critics said crossed the line into overt politics during a religious observance, the NY Post reports.
Speaking from the pulpit at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church before a crowd of more than 1,000 congregants, Hochul reflected on the state of the nation and praised Bragg, briefly misstating his title in the process.
“I never thought I would see what is happening to our country,” the Democrat told the congregation at the church on West 138th Street.
Hochul went on to describe what she said was a climate of fear created by immigration enforcement, suggesting that some people are avoiding religious services out of concern they could be detained.
“Today, we have people struggling because they’re in fear. They are too afraid to go to church because an ICE agent may take them out of this place and take them to a detention center. Separate them from their families. That is what is happening in America today,” Gov. Hochul opined.
She then pointed to policies she highlighted in her State of the State address, asserting that certain locations should be off-limits to federal agents absent court approval.
“So I have said in my state of the state, no ICE agent can come into a sacred place like a church, or a hospital or a day care center or a school without a warrant signed by a judge,” she added. “They cannot violate this sacred space.
“We are not surrendering our rights. And we’re not going backwards, my friends! Not now. Not ever!”
Despite insisting she was not delivering a political message, Hochul also used the service to heap praise on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, even floating his future political prospects.
“We also have another fighter to keep people safe and that is our Attorney General,” Hochul said, before correcting herself.
“I’m sorry, our District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Who knows, maybe he’ll be an Attorney General some day too, change the occupant of the White House,” the anti-Trump politician said.
She continued to commend Bragg’s work with state leaders, crediting him with helping shape public safety policy in New York.
“But I’m not here to get political, you know what I’m saying. But he [Bragg’s] been a great partner in bringing ideas to us in the legislature and myself on how to make our streets safer and they are safer,” Hochul said.
“Crime is down to record lows, particularly here in Manhattan, and I give him so much of the credit.”
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] Senior lawmakers from both parties warned Sunday that any attempt by President Donald Trump to use military force to seize Greenland would have far-reaching consequences, including the possibility of a direct conflict with NATO, even as the president escalated pressure on European allies with new tariff threats tied to the issue.
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said that while diplomatic efforts or negotiations are one matter, military action would cross a dangerous line that could unravel the alliance structure that has governed transatlantic security for decades. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” McCaul cautioned that an invasion would amount to a fundamental breach of NATO principles.
“If he wants to purchase Greenland, that’s one thing,” McCaul said. “For him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head, [and] in essence, put us at war with NATO itself.”
Trump has refused to rule out the use of force as part of his effort to acquire Greenland for the United States. On Saturday, he announced that beginning Feb. 1, the U.S. will impose 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and other European countries. The president said those tariffs would increase to 25% on June 1 unless an agreement is reached to purchase the semi-autonomous island from Denmark.
McCaul acknowledged Greenland’s strategic importance, noting that U.S. interest in the territory long predates Trump’s presidency. “Greenland has been looked at by presidents since we purchased Alaska,” he said. “It’s very strategic from a national security standpoint against China and Russia.”
Despite that, McCaul argued that there is no justification for acquiring the territory outright, pointing to existing agreements between the United States and Denmark that already grant Washington broad military access. “The United States,” he said, “has full military access.”
“If we want to put more military in there, we can,” McCaul added. “We don’t have to invade it.”
He also questioned whether any deal to purchase Greenland is even feasible. “If he wants to buy it, that’s fine. I don’t see a willing seller right now,” McCaul said.
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland echoed McCaul’s concerns during the same program, while accusing Trump of misrepresenting his motives. Van Hollen said claims that the push for Greenland is driven by national security do not hold up under scrutiny.
“Denmark and Greenland have both said to the United States, ‘You can take what measures you need to protect the security of the United States and, of course, the NATO alliance,’” Van Hollen said. “We have a base there already, and we can expand that base.”
Van Hollen argued that the president’s true objective is economic, not strategic. “This is about a land grab,” he said. “Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming.”
Calling for congressional action, Van Hollen urged lawmakers to use their authority to rein in any unilateral military move by the administration. “We could, for example, cut off any funds that could be used for military purposes with respect to Greenland; we could take action under the war powers resolution,” he said.
“But a lot of our Republican colleagues talk big until it comes time to vote … they have to stop giving Donald Trump a blank check.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Senior commanders from the Judea and Samaria District of Fire and Rescue Authority of Israel arrived Sunday evening to pay a shivah visit in Beitar Illit to the family of the late Moshe Ludmir z”l, who drowned after being swept away in the Modi’in Stream.
District Commander Tzion Shenkor, accompanied by district spokesperson Yehonadav Lifshitz and Judea Area Commander Tamir Erez, came to strengthen the family following the complex, days-long operation to locate their son.
During the visit, family members expressed profound gratitude to the firefighters and rescue units who worked in the stream around the clock for four consecutive days and nights. They told the district commander that he had surprised them by coming first. “You beat us to it,” they said. “We planned to come to you immediately after the shivah to personally thank the firefighters and everyone who helped.”
The family said they followed the massive rescue efforts closely and were deeply moved by the determination of the forces on the ground, who refused to abandon the search despite extreme weather conditions and powerful flooding. They noted that the teams persisted until Moshe was found and brought to kevurah before the onset of Shabbos.
At the center of the visit was an emotional appeal from Moshe’s father, Rav Tzvi Hersh Ludmir. From within his private grief, he sought to turn his family’s tragedy into a warning for the broader public, urging fire officials to use every tool at their disposal to raise awareness about the dangers posed by flowing water and flash floods.
“Floodwaters can look inviting, sometimes even mesmerizing, but they are a deadly trap,” the bereaved father said. “Do not go near flowing water. It is a real danger to life. I call on everyone—be careful, do not test it, and do not approach.”
Commander Shenkor assured the family that the father’s words would guide the district’s future public safety outreach. He told the family that the firefighters’ dedication stemmed from a profound Jewish and moral sense of mission, and that the entire district shares in the pain of the loss of the beloved bochur.
{Matzav.com}
A grave and unusual incident occurred overnight on Chazon Dovid Street in Modi’in Illit, where a chareidi young man was violently assaulted by security personnel following what was later determined to be a case of mistaken identity.
According to reports, the young man was initially suspected of being a spy, prompting intervention by agents of the Shin Bet. During the encounter, significant force was allegedly used against him despite the fact that he did not resist.
A volunteer from Magen David Adom who was present at the scene described the incident as exceptionally severe. “They beat him badly, restrained him with plastic cuffs, and forced him to lie on the ground, even though he showed no resistance. I have never seen anything like this in my life,” the volunteer said.
Approximately 15 minutes later, security forces reportedly realized that the individual was not the person they were seeking and that a serious error had been made. He was released immediately, without any charges or further action taken against him.
Following his release, visible signs of injury were apparent on his body. Family members said his abdomen was covered with red marks and bruising, which they believe clearly indicate the extent of the violence used against him.
The family stated that they view the incident with utmost severity and are considering further steps in response. They are demanding a thorough investigation into the conduct of the forces involved, a full clarification of the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the implementation of conclusions to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
{Matzav.com}
Three F-35i “Adir” fighter jets produced by Lockheed Martin arrived in Israel on Sunday, touching down at Nevatim Air Base.
The newly delivered aircraft are slated to enter service with the 116th Squadron and the 140th Squadron, and have already been marked with the insignia of the Israeli Air Force.
Since the war began, the “Adir” aircraft have been in constant use, carrying out a broad spectrum of missions, both defensive and offensive, across all active theaters.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the addition of these jets further strengthens the “Adir” array and enhances the overall operational effectiveness of the Israeli Air Force.
Israel also emphasized the strategic importance of its defense relationship with the United States, describing it as part of a shared commitment to reinforcing stability throughout the Middle East.
{Matzav.com}
