Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Israel will resume full-scale military operations in Gaza to eradicate Hamas if the terror group is not neutralized through other means, signaling that a renewed offensive could be imminent.
Speaking at a conference of Religious Zionism school principals in Eilat, Smotrich said an ultimatum would soon be issued to Hamas and warned that failure to comply would lead to intensified fighting. “Hamas must be completely destroyed. You will see in the coming days that a time limited ultimatum will be issued. When it expires, we will have to return to fighting, to destroy, to kill and eliminate these terrorists, and there are additional arenas where we have not yet said the final word,” he said.
Smotrich also pointed to what he described as a shift within the Israel Defense Forces, crediting increased participation by soldiers from religious backgrounds. “The army today is completely different because our people are serving in it, coming from a world of Torah. Our influence across the country is very great, and it has also increased behind closed doors and in decision making centers,” he said.
He concluded by asserting that Israel has emerged stronger in recent years, both militarily and economically. “Bottom line, after these two years our security and economic situation is better,” Smotrich said.
{Matzav.com}
The United States announced this afternoon that it has agreed to proceed with talks with Iran in Oman on Friday, reversing an earlier decision to cancel the discussions following a request from Arab countries.
The change came after reports that Washington had sent a firm message to Tehran rejecting Iranian demands to alter both the venue and structure of the talks. The discussions were initially set to take place Friday in Istanbul and to include representatives from additional countries. According to a senior American official, the U.S. made clear there was no flexibility. “We told them: ‘It’s either this or nothing.’ They said, ‘Okay, then nothing,'” the official said, adding, “We want to achieve a real deal quickly, or people will look for other options.”
Speaking earlier at a press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the broader approach to the negotiations. “We do not view these meetings as a concession or legitimization. We are ready to talk to any adversary or ally of ours,” Rubio said.
Rubio also outlined what Washington believes must be addressed for the discussions to be productive. “I think for the talks to bring something meaningful, they must include several issues – including ballistic missile ranges, the nuclear program, support for terrorist organizations in the region, and their treatment of their people,” he said.
An Iranian official responded by narrowing expectations for the agenda, stating: “The talks with the U.S. in Oman will focus solely on the nuclear program. Ballistic missiles are not on the table.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had reason for serious concern, as signs mounted that diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran were breaking down.
Asked in an interview with NBC News whether Khamenei should be worried, Trump replied, “He should be very worried.” The remark came as reports indicated that attempts to create a diplomatic off-ramp between the United States and Iran were faltering, increasing fears of a potential military confrontation.
Trump insisted that dialogue had not fully collapsed, saying, “They’re negotiating with us,” even as uncertainty surrounded the future of the talks.
During the interview, the reporter noted that Iranian protesters opposed to the regime felt abandoned by Trump, who had previously voiced support for them and encouraged public demonstrations. Those protests were followed by reports that thousands of demonstrators were killed, while Trump later said he had intervened to stop the planned executions of another 800 protesters.
Trump rejected the notion that the protesters had been abandoned. “We do have their back,” he said. He then asserted that U.S. actions had significantly weakened Iran, adding, “That country is a mess right now because of us. We went in, [and] we wiped out their nuclear [program],” referring to U.S. strikes on two Iranian nuclear facilities last June during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
After Trump again stated that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been completely eliminated, he was questioned about the purpose of ongoing nuclear talks if the program had truly been destroyed.
In response, Trump claimed that Iran had attempted to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure at other locations, warning that such efforts would prompt further U.S. military action.
At the same time, Trump did not address reports that some nuclear sites were not hit in the June strikes or that the whereabouts of previously enriched uranium stockpiles remained unknown—issues that cast doubt on his assertion that Iran’s nuclear program had been entirely wiped out.
{Matzav.com}Lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu have submitted new legislation that would overhaul Israel’s Chief Rabbinate by replacing the current system of two Chief Rabbis with a single officeholder, Arutz Sheva reports. The bill was introduced by MKs Avigdor Lieberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, and Hamad Amar.
Under the proposal, multiple sections of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Law would be revised. Among the key changes are redefining the position from “the Chief Rabbis of Israel” to “the Chief Rabbi of Israel,” eliminating the provision that permits two candidates to be elected simultaneously, and formally assigning the Chief Rabbi to serve both as head of the Chief Rabbinate Council and as president of the Great Rabbinical Court.
In the explanatory notes attached to the bill, its backers contend that maintaining two Chief Rabbis is no longer justified and stems from an approach that no longer reflects Israeli reality.
“In recent years, a public debate has arisen regarding the need for dual Chief Rabbis in Israel. In the view of many, this duplication is superfluous and expresses anachronistic concepts of separate representation for ‘Ashkenazim’ and ‘Sephardim,’” the sponsors wrote.
They further argued that demographic and social changes in the country warrant a structural update to the institution. “Now, after decades of the ingathering of exiles in the State of Israel, the time has come to adapt the institution of the Chief Rabbinate as well to Israeli society. Since there is no longer any substantive justification for maintaining two Chief Rabbis, the economic and bureaucratic savings resulting from abolishing the dual roles become an additional and significant justification.”
The legislation mirrors an earlier proposal submitted by MK Lieberman and closely resembles a bill advanced by MK Elazar Stern during the 23rd Knesset.
{Matzav.com}
Diplomatic discussions scheduled for Friday between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not take place, Axios reported, after the two sides failed to agree on how and where the meeting would be held.
According to the report, Washington informed Tehran that it would not accept Iran’s requests to alter either the venue or the structure of the talks. The meeting had been set for Istanbul and was expected to include representatives from other countries, but Iran pushed for changes that the U.S. ultimately refused.
While U.S. officials reviewed the proposal to move the talks, they decided against it and delivered a firm response. “We told them: ‘It’s either this or nothing.’ They said, ‘Okay, then nothing,’” a senior American official said. The official added, “We want to reach a real deal quickly, or people will look for other options.”
After news broke that the discussions had been called off, U.S. officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump is now increasingly inclined toward the use of military force against Iran.
Speaking earlier at a press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to frame the negotiations as pragmatic rather than symbolic. “We do not view these meetings as concessions or legitimization. We are ready to talk to any adversary or ally of ours,” Rubio said.
Rubio also outlined what Washington believes must be addressed for any negotiations to have substance. “I think for the talks to bring something meaningful, they must include several issues – including ballistic missile ranges, the nuclear program, support for terrorist organizations in the region, and their treatment of their people,” he said.
An Iranian official rejected that broader scope, making clear that Tehran would not expand the agenda. “The talks with the US in Oman will only focus on the nuclear program. Ballistic missiles are not on the table,” the official said.
{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l, one of the ziknei roshei yeshivos, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Harama and author of Bais Av. He was 104 years old.
Rav Schlesinger was born on 22 Cheshvan 5682 (November 23, 1921) in Vienna to Rav Dovid Schlesinger and his mother, Baila. In 1931, as a young child, he moved with his family to Eretz Yisroel, where they settled in Tel Aviv. His formative Torah education began under the guidance of Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, and he later continued his learning at Yeshivas Kaminetz and at Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah.
Rav Schlesinger married his wife, Dina Yehudis, daughter of Rav Moshe Blau. Following the passing of his father-in-law, he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Pnei Moshe in Yerushalayim, a mosad established in Rav Blau’s memory. At the recommendation of the Brisker Rov, Rav Schlesinger later relocated to Europe. He first served as Rosh Yeshiva in the city of Kapellen, Belgium, for two years, before moving to London, where he founded Yeshivas Harama. The yeshiva was named in honor of the Chasam Sofer’s son, the Kesav Sofer, and later also in recognition of the Daas Sofer, who had been one of Rav Schlesinger’s rabbeim.
Over the decades, Rav Schlesinger became one of the central figures of the chareidi community in England, maintaining close relationships with many of the gedolei Yisroel of his generation, including the Brisker Rov and the Chazon Ish. His personal recollections and insights into those figures were later recorded in his sefer Hador Vehatekufah, which offers a rare first-hand window into the Torah leadership of the previous generation.
Beyond his role as Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Schlesinger was deeply involved in communal matters. He was long active in the protection of kevorim across Europe and served as chairman of the committee dedicated to safeguarding Jewish cemeteries on the continent. His principled stance on a range of public issues, particularly matters affecting Torah education and religious autonomy, made him a prominent voice of daas Torah and the preservation of authentic Yiddishkeit.
Rav Schlesinger was the author of numerous Torah works, including multiple volumes of Bais Av on Shas, halacha, machshavah, and drush, as well as a Haggadah shel Pesach and other seforim that reflect his breadth in both learning and hashkafah.
He is survived by a family of noted rabbonim and marbitzei Torah.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that he has no intention of apologizing to the family of Alex Pretti, the anti-ICE protester who was killed in Minneapolis, after Vance amplified a claim labeling Pretti an “assassin.”
Asked by The Daily Mail whether he would retract the description, Vance brushed aside the suggestion.
“For what?” Vance retorted.
He said the facts still need to be established and warned against drawing conclusions before investigators finish their work. “If something is determined, that the guy who shot Alex Pretti did something bad, then a lot of consequences are going to flow from that,” he added. “We’ll let that happen. I don’t think it’s smart to prejudge the investigation.”
Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot on January 24 during a confrontation with a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection agent in Minneapolis. In the hours following the shooting, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticized federal immigration enforcement, writing on X that “ICE must leave Minneapolis” and that “Congress should not fund this version of ICE.”
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, responded sharply to Murphy’s post.
“An assassin tried to murder federal agents,” Miller fired back at Murphy, “and this is your response.”
Vance shared Miller’s message on his personal social media account, where it remains visible even after video footage surfaced showing Pretti had been disarmed before the shooting.
Three days later, on January 27, President Trump declined to repeat Miller’s characterization when questioned by reporters outside the White House.
“I haven’t heard that. But he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” Trump said.
“Bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident, OK?” the president added. “Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person. Very, very unfortunate … I don’t like that he had a gun, I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.”
In the aftermath of the killing, Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in an effort to ease tensions. The two agents involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, and the Justice Department opened a probe into whether Pretti’s civil rights were violated.
Vance again emphasized the need to wait for the investigative process to play out.
“Let’s do the investigation,” he said Tuesday. “Let’s figure out, did these officers have a reasonable fear of Alex Pretti given what happened? Did they engage in lawful conduct or unlawful conduct? Let’s let the investigation determine those things.”
{Matzav.com}
