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Israel announced Tuesday that it will shutter the British Consulate in Yerushalayim and impose a series of other measures against the United Kingdom, responding to new British sanctions and restrictions targeting Israel and Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the retaliatory steps were approved in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He portrayed them as Israel’s response to what he said has been a sustained pattern of anti-Israel policies pursued by Britain’s Labour government.

The Israeli measures include closing the British Consulate in Yerushalayim, removing British personnel from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, ending British involvement in training Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria through the “British Support Team in Ramallah,” and barring 12 British elected officials as well as other British citizens whom Israel says have participated in antisemitic or anti-Israel activities or denied Israel’s right to exist.

“Unfortunately, a hostile Labour Government is in office, systematically acting against the State of Israel, and it has left us with no choice but to finally respond to its hostile actions,” Sa’ar stated.

Israel’s announcement followed British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s unveiling of a new package of measures directed at Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Miliband said Britain would seek to prohibit trade involving products originating in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The government also plans restrictions against businesses and individuals that provide services — including financing and construction — connected to settlement expansion. Additional limitations on weapons exports to Israel were announced as well.

“For a long time, the British government has said such settlements are illegal,” Miliband told the House of Commons. “Today I announce the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful.”

France and Canada also announced plans to adopt their own national measures prohibiting trade in products originating from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Miliband additionally condemned Israel’s publication of construction tenders for the E1 area. He said Britain accepts the United Nations’ definition of ethnic cleansing and believes that ethnic cleansing is occurring in portions of Judea and Samaria.

Sa’ar forcefully disputed those assertions and denounced both the substance of Britain’s actions and the circumstances surrounding their announcement.

“The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary of the Labour Government in the British Parliament were outrageous lies,” he said.

“The British move is morally distorted and constitutes blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and in its electoral process,” Sa’ar added.

Sa’ar also challenged Britain’s assertions about E1, maintaining that Israel has made no new decisions concerning development there.

“Contrary to the false claims of the Labour Government, no new decisions have been made regarding development in E1. The decision was taken more than a year ago, and the tender process has been underway for many months,” he stated.

According to Sa’ar, the Israeli government’s plans also encompass two road projects: Road 80, connecting the Bethlehem and Ramallah areas, and the “Fabric of Life” Road linking a-Za’im and al-Ezariya. He rejected allegations that the development plans would eliminate Palestinian territorial continuity.

The foreign minister further accused London of pursuing a one-sided approach toward Israel while taking no comparable action against the Palestinian Authority over its policy of making payments to terrorists.

“This conflict will not be resolved through declarations from London or Paris, and a one-sided, anti-Israel approach only pushes the possibility of reaching a solution further away rather than bringing it closer,” he said.

Sa’ar pointed to numerous policies adopted by Britain’s Labour government since taking office in July 2024. Among them, he cited Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, renewed funding for UNRWA, limits on defense exports to Israel, sanctions against Israeli government ministers and other Israelis, the suspension of free-trade negotiations, and curbs on military and security cooperation.

Sa’ar said Israel will deny entry to the following British elected officials and nationals: Jeremy Corbyn MP; Zarah Sultana MP; Fahad Ansari, Director of Riverway to the Sea; Naz Shah MP; Diane Abbott MP; Hannah Spencer MP; Carla Denyer MP; Sian Berry MP; Ellie Chowns MP; John McDonnell MP; Richard Burgon MP; and Adrian Ramsay MP.

In announcing the consulate’s closure, Sa’ar emphasized that Israel regards all of Yerushalayim as its sovereign capital and said foreign governments cannot operate there without Israeli authorization.

“United Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and is under its full sovereignty. Any activity by a foreign state within it must be carried out with the consent of the State of Israel,” he stated.

Sa’ar also indicated that Britain may not be the only country to face Israeli countermeasures, warning that governments taking similar actions against Israel could receive a similar response.

“Britain initiated and led the current move. But we will also take countermeasures, at our discretion, against other countries that act or will act against Israel,” he said.

“The message to every government that harms us is clear: whoever acts against Israel, Israel will act against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region.”

“Measures against Israel will not go unanswered,” Sa’ar concluded.

Military prosecutors are prepared to proceed with the long-delayed trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed without using a major confession he gave to FBI investigators, choosing not to appeal a judge’s decision excluding the statements in order to preserve the trial date now scheduled for June 2028.

The U.S. government has decided against challenging the recent ruling by a military judge barring Mohammed’s 2007 statements to the FBI from being introduced as evidence at his trial.

“An appeal could jeopardize the hard-earned June 5, 2028, trial date,” federal officials wrote in a Friday letter to families of 9/11 victims, according to sources familiar with the correspondence. The decision came one week before the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Government lawyers were apparently concerned that challenging the ruling could add years to a case already defined by extraordinary delays. Appeals involving similar evidentiary disputes have taken years to move through the courts, prolonging a process that has repeatedly frustrated relatives of those killed in the attacks.

The prosecutions of Mohammed and his alleged co-conspirators Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Ammar al-Baluchi have remained unresolved for decades as lawyers battled over numerous legal issues, particularly whether statements obtained following torture and coercive interrogations could legally be admitted at trial.

Prosecutors had previously agreed not to introduce evidence obtained during torture interrogations of Mohammed and the other defendants at secret CIA detention facilities following their capture in 2003.

They had, however, intended to rely heavily on statements Mohammed subsequently made at Guantánamo Bay, where he has been detained since 2006. Court filings indicated that prosecutors viewed that confession as an important part of the evidence they planned to present to the panel of military officers that will serve as the jury.

Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, the military judge overseeing the case, established the June 5, 2028, trial date last month. Just days later, he issued the ruling preventing prosecutors from using Mohammed’s statements.

The military did not immediately release the ruling publicly, citing a “security review.” Sources familiar with the decision said Schrama determined that Mohammed had endured “severe coercion” during years of CIA interrogation at secret overseas “black site” facilities. The judge also cited the fact that Mohammed had not been provided an opportunity to consult an attorney, according to the sources.

Despite losing the confession, military prosecutors maintain that they possess other evidence connecting Mohammed to the September 11 plot. That evidence reportedly includes telephone records and financial documentation linking him to the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for hijacking the four aircraft used in the attacks.

The decision to proceed toward trial marks the latest development in a prosecution that has been repeatedly delayed by disputes over interrogation methods, classified evidence, legal procedures and attempts to resolve the cases through plea agreements.

Mohammed had been poised to formally admit his role in planning the September 11 attacks under a plea agreement reached in 2024 with the Biden administration. Mohammed and two other accused Al Qaeda conspirators agreed to plead guilty under an arrangement that would have allowed them to avoid the death penalty.

The agreement triggered an outcry from some relatives of 9/11 victims who opposed taking capital punishment off the table. Biden administration officials subsequently sought to withdraw the plea agreements, setting off additional litigation and further postponing a final resolution of the cases.

With prosecutors now declining to appeal the exclusion of Mohammed’s 2007 confession, the government is seeking to avoid another potentially lengthy detour and keep the case on course for trial on June 5, 2028 — nearly 27 years after the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, struck the Pentagon and resulted in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

{Matzav.com}

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew criticism on social media Monday after using his Labor Day message to credit “democratic socialists” with helping lead the movement behind the first Labor Day parade, while also touting his administration’s newly created Office of Worker Power.

“In 1882, 10,000 workers marched up Broadway in the first-ever Labor Day parade. Led by democratic socialists and organized by New York’s unions, they rallied the movement that went on to win us weekends, safety standards, overtime pay, a minimum wage, and social security,” Mamdani said in his Labor Day post.

“None of those victories were guaranteed. And none are permanent,” he said, pointing to his administration’s creation of the “first-in-the-nation Office of Worker Power to put the full weight of City Hall behind the people who keep New York running.”

“On Labor Day, we honor the workers who came before us by fighting for the workers who come next,” he added. “Happy Labor Day, New York. The future of worker power is ours to build.”

Mamdani’s characterization of the origins of Labor Day quickly prompted criticism online, with some users questioning his description of the organizers of the 1882 parade as “democratic socialists.”

“Democratic socialists? In 1882? And people think you’re brilliant? Your influencers are doing a great job with the taxpayer money you’re paying them with to LIE for you,” one social media user wrote.

“The difference is those people actually worked for what they received. They didn’t get handouts… nor did they ask for them,” another remarked.

Other critics objected to Mamdani drawing a connection between the labor activists of the late 19th century and today’s democratic socialist movement, including over contemporary immigration policies.

One critic wrote that the early labor activists were not demonstrating in favor of illegal immigrants coming into the United States to “steal our jobs and lower our bargaining power.”

“Making believe ‘Democratic Socialists’ had something to do with it. lol, nice one,” another wrote.

The history behind the first Labor Day celebration is more complicated than the online dispute suggested. The U.S. Department of Labor says the first Labor Day was held in New York City on September 5, 1882, under plans developed by the Central Labor Union. Historical accounts dispute whether Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire deserves primary credit for proposing the holiday, with more recent research cited by the Labor Department supporting the case for Matthew Maguire.

The modern Democratic Socialists of America did not exist at the time. The organization was created exactly a century later, in 1982, through the merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement. DSA itself notes, however, that its ideological roots extend considerably further back in the history of American socialism and the labor movement.

Mamdani’s Labor Day message coincided with his signing of an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office of Worker Power, which his administration described as the first municipal office of its kind in the country.

The new office is intended to coordinate worker-related initiatives across City Hall, conduct outreach and research, hold public hearings on labor issues and connect workers with information about workplace rights and organizations that provide assistance. Its focus is expected to include gig workers, immigrant workers, worker classification issues and the effects of new technologies on employment.

The controversy over Mamdani’s Labor Day message comes amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over socialism and capitalism.

A CBS News poll released in August found that 58 percent of Democrats surveyed held a positive view of socialism, compared with 32 percent who viewed capitalism positively. The findings became a subject of discussion within the party, including during an interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Mamdani, a member of DSA, has made his democratic socialist political identity a prominent part of his public career. His administration has pursued proposals including city-owned grocery stores and other policies intended to address affordability and workers’ economic concerns, while critics have challenged the costs and economic consequences of those initiatives.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo, delivered an inspiring shmuess of chizuk and hisorerus at Yeshivas Imrei Chochmah ahead of the Yomim Noraim, urging the bochurim not to be satisfied with a temporary burst of inspiration but to use the coming days to achieve genuine and lasting spiritual growth.

Rav Chaim, who serves as nasi of the yeshiva, was warmly welcomed upon his arrival by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Shapiro, along with the yeshiva’s rabbonim and bnei hayeshiva. The gathering focused on preparing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

During his remarks, Rav Chaim spoke about the extraordinary significance of the Yomim Noraim and the responsibility of every ben Torah to take advantage of this elevated period for introspection, correcting one’s actions and strengthening one’s avodas Hashem.

The Rosh Yeshiva urged the bochurim not to allow the inspiration of the season to remain a fleeting feeling, but instead to transform the yemei harachamim v’haselichos into a genuine process of change and spiritual growth.

“The main preparation for the Yomim Noraim is the desire to become a better person, a better ben Torah and a better oved Hashem,” Rav Chaim said.

He further stressed that one of the strengths of a ben Torah is the ability to utilize the days of Elul and the Yomim Noraim to undertake genuine kabbalos with careful thought and consistency, rather than making commitments based solely on temporary enthusiasm.

The bnei hayeshiva listened intently throughout the shmuess, with Rav Chaim’s words of chizuk making a powerful impression on those in attendance.

At the conclusion of the gathering, Rav Chaim gave his bracha to the roshei yeshiva and bnei Torah that they merit to be written and sealed immediately for a life of goodness and peace, and that the coming year bring continued growth in Torah and yiras Shomayim, along with hatzlocha in all their endeavors.

The shmuess left a strong impression on the bnei hayeshiva and added to the atmosphere of preparation for the Yomim Noraim at Yeshivas Imrei Chochmah, where the bnei hayeshiva continue their spiritual preparations as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach.

{Matzav.com}

The upheaval inside Degel HaTorah is showing no signs of subsiding following the removal of veteran lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from the party slate, with the party-affiliated Israeli Yated Ne’eman now launching a blistering attack on some of their aides and revealing a new policy that will give the party’s rabbinic committee authority over the appointment of parliamentary staff.

The extraordinary broadside comes just days after Gafni and Maklev, two of Degel HaTorah’s most prominent representatives for decades, were informed that their political careers were coming to an end in a manner that triggered widespread criticism, including from figures within the party itself.

Neither Gafni nor Maklev was summoned to a formal meeting at which the decision was presented to them. Instead, letters notifying them of their removal were delivered late at night. In Gafni’s case, the letter was reportedly left in his mailbox after the messenger received no response at the door. The manner in which the longtime lawmakers were dismissed generated considerable anger, including among people closely identified with Degel HaTorah.

Against that backdrop, Yated Ne’eman published an unusually harsh article Tuesday under the headline “We Cannot Remain Silent,” directing its criticism not at Gafni and Maklev themselves, but at some of the aides and advisers who worked alongside them.

The newspaper stressed that its accusations were not directed at all of the lawmakers’ staff members, but rather at a “minority of known individuals” whom it accused of orchestrating a behind-the-scenes campaign to prevent the replacement of the veteran representatives.

According to Yated, after those aides learned that party leaders were considering replacing Gafni and Maklev, they “launched a media incitement campaign and a public relations operation,” allegedly using the positions and access they had obtained through their work for the lawmakers to fight the decision.

The newspaper went further, accusing the individuals of having “harmed those who sent them and spat into the well from which they drink,” and alleging that they cooperated with members of the media in an effort to derail the leadership change.

Yated also charged that the aides “cooperated with media figures seeking to introduce foreign elements into Chareidi Jewry,” while participating in what it described as a “campaign of fabricated smears” against Degel HaTorah’s leadership.

The article additionally accused some of the aides of leaking information during the highly sensitive negotiations surrounding Israel’s draft law and the status of yeshiva bochurim, arguing that such conduct went far beyond the legitimate responsibilities of parliamentary staff.

One of the most striking portions of the Yated article addressed the widespread descriptions of Gafni and Maklev’s departure as a “dismissal” and a “humiliation.”

Rather than accepting that characterization of how the veteran lawmakers were treated, the newspaper suggested that much of the narrative itself had been manufactured by the aides and others surrounding them.

According to the article, the aides and their associates repeatedly circulated claims that Gafni and Maklev had been dismissed and humiliated until, eventually, “they began believing these stories themselves.”

That contention, however, comes against the backdrop of criticism that extended well beyond the offices of the two departing lawmakers. Veteran Degel HaTorah figures and rabbonim serving on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah were also reported to have reservations about either the decision or the manner in which it was carried out.

According to reports, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman and Rav Boruch Dov Povarsky did not sign the letter removing the lawmakers, while conflicting reports emerged regarding the position of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

As a result, the criticism surrounding the episode cannot easily be attributed entirely to a public-relations campaign by disgruntled aides, since reservations about the process were also heard from within the senior ranks of the Litvishe establishment itself.

Yated, however, presented a different account of how the episode unfolded, maintaining that efforts had initially been made to reach an understanding with the veteran representatives that would allow the changing of the guard to take place respectfully and with appropriate recognition of their decades of public service.

According to the newspaper, those attempts were instead met with a “coordinated and brazen public campaign created by those aides and their collaborators.”

The article went so far as to connect that alleged campaign to the controversial manner in which Gafni and Maklev were ultimately informed of their removal.

Yated claimed that after rabbonim and community leaders complained about the conduct of the aides, a decision was made to bring the matter to a swift conclusion and deliver the decision to Gafni and Maklev through a personal messenger.

The newspaper thus offered an explanation that effectively reverses the criticism heard in recent days. Rather than portraying the unusual late-night delivery of the dismissal letters as the source of the public outrage, Yated placed some responsibility for the manner in which the episode ended on the aides and the campaign it says they conducted.

But perhaps the most consequential revelation in the article concerned what will happen going forward.

Yated disclosed that Degel HaTorah has adopted a new policy governing the appointment of aides to its elected representatives.

“Beginning with the coming term, each of Degel HaTorah’s public representatives will be required to receive the approval of the movement’s Rabbinic Committee for the appointment of an aide, with each appointment to be considered individually,” the newspaper reported.

The new rule represents a significant expansion of party oversight. Until now, much of the controversy surrounding Degel HaTorah’s internal restructuring centered on who would determine the identities of its Knesset members and the composition of its electoral slate. The latest announcement indicates that oversight will now extend inside the lawmakers’ offices themselves, with the selection of their closest staff members also requiring approval.

Supporters of the new arrangement are likely to view it as a mechanism for preventing parliamentary aides from developing independent power bases or working against the direction established by Degel HaTorah’s rabbinic leadership.

At the same time, the decision comes amid criticism in recent days over the concentration of authority and control within Degel HaTorah’s internal apparatus. The new policy further broadens that oversight: The party leadership will have authority not only over who serves as an MK, but also over who may work alongside that representative.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump predicted Monday that oil prices will fall dramatically once the United States wins its war with Iran, saying gasoline could initially decline to $3 a gallon before ultimately dropping below $2.

Trump made the forecast in a Truth Social post Monday evening as energy markets remained under intense pressure from the conflict, with crude oil prices climbing to six-week highs and American motorists paying record Labor Day gasoline prices.

“Oil prices will drop precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but more!), when we WIN the war with Iran. Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon. It will all happen quickly, and Iran will never have a Nuclear Weapon. MAGA! President DJT,” Trump wrote.

The president did not provide a timetable for his prediction or detail the market conditions he believes would be necessary to push gasoline below $2 a gallon. His forecast represents a steep decline from current prices: regular gasoline averaged roughly $4.14 nationwide over Labor Day weekend, nearly $1 higher than a year earlier and the highest Labor Day average on record.

Trump’s comments also came as crude prices moved in the opposite direction. Brent crude settled Monday at $97.31 a barrel, its highest closing level since July 24, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $92.65. The increases have been driven by renewed fears that escalating military action between the United States and Iran could further disrupt global energy supplies.

The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, has had a major impact on energy markets, particularly because of disruptions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping routes. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passed through the strait each day in 2025, accounting for approximately one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

Tensions surrounding energy infrastructure have intensified in recent days. Iran has warned that oil and gas facilities and U.S.-linked energy interests across the Persian Gulf could be targeted if Washington launches additional attacks, while shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed amid fears of further retaliation.

The uncertainty has contributed directly to higher prices at American pumps. In addition to the Iran conflict, U.S. gasoline markets have faced refinery constraints, extreme summer heat and other global supply disruptions. Diesel prices reached approximately $5.85 a gallon over Labor Day weekend, according to reporting on current fuel markets.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the surge in energy prices caused by the conflict will reverse once hostilities end and normal oil shipments resume. In May, he said gasoline and crude prices would “drop like a rock” following the war’s conclusion and later predicted that prices would return to levels below those seen before the fighting began.

Energy analysts generally agree that ending the conflict and restoring substantial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would put downward pressure on oil and gasoline prices, but some have questioned how quickly prices could fall and whether gasoline could reach the levels Trump has predicted.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, previously said that reopening the strait would likely begin pushing prices downward relatively quickly, but that normalizing oil flows would take several weeks. He said returning all the way to prewar gasoline prices could take considerably longer.

Other analysts have similarly cautioned that damage to supply networks, depleted inventories and the time required for shipments to reach refiners and consumers could prevent pump prices from immediately returning to their prewar levels. Abhi Rajendran of Rice University’s Baker Institute previously said he did not expect $3-a-gallon gasoline “anytime soon,” even following a resolution of the conflict.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration earlier projected an average gasoline price of $3.88 per gallon for 2026 and $3.62 in 2027, although those forecasts depend heavily on assumptions about the restoration of oil production and shipping patterns in the Persian Gulf.

Trump’s latest prediction nevertheless goes substantially further, suggesting that an American victory could eventually produce gasoline prices not seen nationwide since the extraordinary collapse in energy demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For now, markets remain focused on developments in the Middle East. Monday’s crude-price surge reflected concerns that additional attacks on tankers, energy infrastructure or shipping routes could deepen the global supply disruption before any postwar decline in prices begins.

{Matzav.com}

Florida Congressman Randy Fine warned Britain on Monday that British companies could be shut out of business with state and local governments in Florida if they comply with expected UK measures targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The warning came as Britain prepared additional economic steps over Israeli settlement activity, including possible restrictions on trade and companies connected to construction.

“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida,” Fine wrote on social media.

He said the ramifications could extend beyond government contracts. The legislation, Fine wrote, “would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection).”

Fine argued that Britain’s economic relationship with Florida means such a confrontation could carry a significant financial price. “Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars,” he wrote.

Fine pointed to Airbnb’s 2019 dispute over listings in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria as evidence that Florida’s anti-boycott policy could have considerable leverage. “And for those who doubt the power of this policy,” continued Fine, “it was this same law that broke Airbnb’s misguided effort to boycott portions of Israel in 2019. They realized that this law would have bankrupted their company.”

“Florida has made it clear. Any company – or nation – that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida,” he concluded.

Fine’s comments followed reports that Britain was preparing new economic measures directed at Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The British government has already strengthened its guidance to advise UK companies against economic and financial activity in Israeli settlements, and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has indicated that a broader package of measures is forthcoming.

According to reports on the planned measures, Britain has been considering sanctions or restrictions involving companies that participate in construction in the communities, which would represent an expansion beyond earlier British measures that largely focused on individuals and entities accused of involvement in settlement activity or violence.

The dispute has intensified following Israeli plans for additional construction in the E1 corridor between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. Britain and a group of other countries have publicly urged Israel to abandon the E1 plans, arguing that development there would undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Miliband has called on Israel to reverse course, describing the project as “an unacceptable and destructive act” and maintaining that development in E1 would damage the prospects for a future Palestinian state.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned last week that Jerusalem would retaliate if Britain moved ahead with punitive measures.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday called for Israel to take action even before the anticipated British announcement, including expelling Britain’s ambassador.

“The British ambassador should be expelled this evening. We will not be a doormat for an antisemitic government in a country that has been conquered by radical Islam and is trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel. The British Mandate in the Land of Israel is over,” Smotrich said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir separately proposed that Israel retaliate by recognizing Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, whose sovereignty has long been disputed by Argentina and Britain.

“The time has come for the State of Israel to publicly recognize the Falkland Islands as occupied Argentine territory, which the British are violently stealing from the Argentine people. The British are not only occupying the territory, but are also conducting oil drilling there and stealing money from the Argentine people,” he said.

“I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and impose sanctions on Great Britain for as long as the occupation continues,” added Ben Gvir.

{Matzav.com}

Adidas has issued an apology after facing boycott calls and criticism over an Israeli advertising campaign that featured Shalev Biton, an amputee athlete and IDF veteran who lost his leg after being wounded in a 2021 Hamas missile attack.

The sportswear company said Monday that it regretted any “offense” caused by Biton’s appearance in promotional material for its Single Shoe program, which allows amputees to purchase one running shoe rather than a pair.

“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions. It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected,” the company said in a statement from its global headquarters, appearing to emphasize that the promotion had been organized by Adidas’ Israeli operation.

“We acknowledge the concerns that have been raised and are taking the feedback seriously,” it said.

Biton, who lost a leg after being seriously wounded while serving in the IDF’s Nahal infantry brigade, was among 10 disabled athletes whose images appeared on posters at Adidas stores in Israel.

Biton was wounded on May 12, 2021, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, when an anti-tank missile launched from the Gaza Strip struck the military vehicle in which he was traveling on the Israeli side of the border. Biton suffered serious injuries in the attack, while Staff Sgt. Omer Tabib was killed.

The advertisements featuring Biton were limited to Israel and were not part of an international Adidas campaign. A Hebrew-language promotional video that triggered the controversy did not refer to Biton’s IDF service or explain the circumstances in which he lost his leg.

Nevertheless, pro-Palestinian activists sharply criticized Adidas for including Biton in the promotion, pointing to the large number of people in Gaza, including children, who have suffered amputations during the recent war.

Some of the attacks on Biton also included inaccurate claims about his military history. Critics alleged that he had participated in the recent Gaza war and accused him of involvement in “genocide,” while others incorrectly claimed that he had lost his leg while fighting inside Gaza in 2021.

Addressing the controversy, Adidas said in its apology: “Across the Middle East, Adidas has a long-standing commitment to the communities we serve, working alongside athletes, teams and sporting communities throughout the region as well as supporting people and communities in need through product donations.”

“We will continue to listen, learn and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for,” it added.

The company also said it is broadening availability of the Single Shoe program “across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.”

By Sunday, the promotional video Biton had posted could no longer be found on his Instagram account. Before its disappearance, however, copies had circulated widely across social media, shared by both those condemning Adidas and those defending Biton.

The Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people.

Israel has maintained that it seeks to minimize civilian casualties in its military operations, while accusing Hamas of operating from within populated civilian areas and thereby putting Gaza residents at risk.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah is heading toward a sweeping generational change following the decision that veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev will not return to the party’s Knesset slate, with several new names now emerging as likely candidates to replace them.

Political commentator Avi Ravina said the dramatic development has reverberated well beyond the Chareidi political world, largely because of the stature and lengthy careers of the two outgoing lawmakers.

“At the end of the day, we are talking about two MKs who are not merely veterans,” Ravina said, noting that Gafni has for decades been closely identified with Degel HaTorah’s leadership, while Maklev has earned a reputation as one of the party’s most active public servants.

According to Ravina, efforts continued until the last moment to reverse the decision, but those attempts were unsuccessful.

“But this decision is final; it is the decision of the Gedolei Yisroel,” he said.

Ravina also outlined what he said is the emerging composition of Degel HaTorah’s new slate, while cautioning that the lineup has not yet been finalized.

MK Yaakov Asher is expected to take the top position in Degel HaTorah, followed by MK Yitzchok Pindrus in the second slot. Rav Moshe Rosenthal, director of the Bnei Brak Municipality’s Education Department and a close associate of the home of Rav Dov Landau, is currently being mentioned for the third position.

The fourth slot remains less certain. Ravina said the leading name currently under consideration is Rav Yehuda Weissfish, chairman of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos and a close associate of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Another possibility considered for that position was Rav Gedalia Silman, deputy mayor of Bnei Brak. Ravina said, however, that Silman currently prefers to remain involved in municipal government rather than move to the national political arena.

For the fifth position, Ravina said David Zaltz, deputy mayor of Beitar Illit and a former chief of staff to Yaakov Asher, could be selected.

“That is what is currently being said in the circles of the rabbonim and Gedolei Yisroel ahead of the official approval and submission of the lists,” Ravina said.

He stressed that the lineup remains tentative and could still change. According to Ravina, the final slate could be approved and formally submitted within the coming day, ahead of the deadline for filing Knesset candidate lists.

A significant portion of Ravina’s analysis focused on the manner in which Gafni and Maklev were informed that their decades-long tenure on the slate was coming to an end.

While the eventual outcome may have become increasingly foreseeable, Ravina argued that the transition could have been handled in a more gradual and dignified fashion.

“It should have been gradual and with much greater discretion,” he said.

Ravina said considerable pressure had been exerted in recent weeks by those surrounding Gafni and Maklev in an effort to prevent their replacement. Now that the decision has been made, however, he said the focus should shift toward allowing both men to conclude their lengthy service with the respect they deserve.

“What has been done cannot be undone, but it is still possible to continue showing respect and to try to repair things,” Ravina said.

He described Gafni and Maklev as “two significant figures in Israeli politics in general, and certainly within Degel HaTorah.”

Ravina said their departure is unlikely to be absorbed overnight, predicting an extended period in which the party and its constituency come to terms with the end of their lengthy political careers.

“We still have long days of farewell ahead of us with these two,” he said.

He pointed to the extensive experience both accumulated over decades and their contributions to Chareidi political representation. Their departure, he said, places Degel HaTorah in the midst of a generational transition, as veteran representatives give way to figures who may be well known in local Chareidi public life but have little or no significant parliamentary experience.

Toward the end of the discussion, Ravina addressed developments in other Israeli parties, including the alliance between Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, as well as the fortunes of parties and politicians that have made the issue of drafting bnei yeshivos a central part of their political campaigns.

Ravina sharply criticized those who, in his view, built their political identities largely around opposition to the Chareidi position on the draft, arguing that some ultimately paid an electoral price for doing so.

“These are parties that were less capable of saying what they were for; they only knew how to say what they were against and whom they opposed,” it was said during the discussion.

Ravina added that, from the perspective of the Chareidi parties, the priority heading into the coming election should now be strengthening their own representation rather than continuing to battle political rivals whose strength has already diminished.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah have been left without their luggage, clothing, medications and other essential supplies after suitcases belonging to passengers on HiSky flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Chisinau, Moldova, were left behind in Israel.

Passengers who began arriving in Chisinau on Thursday night told Matzav.com that they discovered upon landing that their luggage had never made it onto their flights. According to the passengers, they were subsequently informed by the airline that the missing suitcases would not be sent on later flights and would instead be returned to them only after they come back to Israel following Rosh Hashanah.

The situation has left hundreds of travelers — including elderly passengers, people with medical conditions and children — facing an extended stay in Uman without changes of clothing, tashmishei kedushah, basic hygiene products and essential medications.

Some passengers had also packed meat and other food for Yom Tov worth thousands of shekels. They now fear that the food will spoil completely while the luggage remains stranded at Ben Gurion Airport.

Among those affected is the elderly Rav Yosef Kadish Shapiro, who arrived without his suitcases and personal belongings.

A disabled bochur, Chaim Shalom ben Esther Malka, whose luggage also remained in Israel, issued an emotional plea describing the predicament he now faces in Uman.

“I have nothing to wear and no way to manage over Yom Tov in Uman,” he said.

Family members in Israel have attempted to retrieve the stranded luggage from Ben Gurion Airport so that it could be handed to other passengers who have not yet departed and brought to Moldova. According to the report, those requests were rejected by personnel at the airport.

The affected passengers are now demanding that the airline immediately transport the luggage to Moldova on a dedicated flight or, alternatively, allow relatives in Israel to collect the suitcases from Ben Gurion Airport and arrange for them to be transported independently.

A Chabad shliach in Moldova reported that dozens of stranded passengers had arrived at the Chabad House in Chisinau with virtually none of their belongings.

Many initially believed their suitcases would arrive aboard subsequent flights and remained in Chisinau awaiting their luggage. Some were forced to rent hotel rooms in the Moldovan capital at considerable expense while waiting, only to discover that their belongings were not arriving.

An aviation expert who spoke with Matzav.com said several possible factors could explain how such a large quantity of luggage was left in Israel. One possibility is a malfunction involving Ben Gurion Airport’s computerized baggage handling and routing system.

Another possibility, the expert said, is that the airline sold excessive cargo or baggage capacity, resulting in the aircraft being overloaded.

The expert also raised the possibility that aircraft departing Israel were carrying larger quantities of fuel because fuel prices in Israel are relatively inexpensive compared with Europe. The additional fuel would increase an aircraft’s overall weight and could consequently reduce the amount of baggage it could carry in its cargo hold.

Matzav.com contacted HiSky’s representatives in Israel seeking a response to the widespread baggage problems. The local representatives said the matter does not fall under their responsibility.

{Matzav.com}

The dramatic decision to replace veteran Degel HaTorah MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev is continuing to reverberate throughout the Chareidi political world, as new details emerge about the process that preceded the decision, the individuals serving as conduits to the Gedolei Yisroel, and the names being considered to fill the newly opened slots.

Speaking on the inaugural broadcast of Kol Chai’s “Tzohorayim Magazine,” hosted by Ariel Berman, commentator Manny Gira Schwartz provided a glimpse into the discussions that have taken place behind the scenes.

According to Schwartz, the possibility of refreshing Degel HaTorah’s Knesset representation did not suddenly emerge in recent days. The idea had already surfaced during previous Knesset terms and gained momentum following the dissolution of the most recent Knesset, amid disappointment within portions of the Chareidi community over the accomplishments of the outgoing term.

Schwartz stressed, however, that while various individuals may present information and potential candidates, the ultimate decisions rest exclusively with the Gedolei Yisroel.

Asked who currently serves as a link between developments on the ground and the homes of the Gedolei Torah, Schwartz identified three individuals as particularly significant: Rav Dovi Shapiro, a grandson of Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l; Rav Tuvia Landau, a grandson of Maran Rav Dov Landau; and Rav Aharon Hirsch, a son of Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Schwartz described them as the group that brings potential names before the Gedolei Torah — “and the Gedolei Hador are the ones who decide.”

Schwartz said there had also been discussions recently between those involved in the process and Gafni and Maklev. According to him, the possibility that the two longtime MKs could be replaced was known to them and therefore did not come entirely without warning.

He also noted that Gafni and Maklev had not visited the homes of the Gedolei Yisroel during the past several weeks, despite having had open access to them throughout the years.

Media personality Dudi Zilbershlag later joined the discussion, praising Gafni and Maklev for their decades of public service and the enormous political experience they accumulated during their years representing Degel HaTorah.

At the same time, Zilbershlag raised broader questions about the structure of power within Chareidi politics. He argued that even if the individuals serving as representatives are now being replaced, that does not necessarily mean the underlying political system itself will change.

Attention has meanwhile turned to who could take the newly available positions on Degel HaTorah’s Knesset slate.

Schwartz said one of the most prominent names under consideration is Moshe Rosenthal of Bnei Brak. Rav Yehuda Weissfish is another name being discussed as a possible new representative.

However, Schwartz cautioned against treating any of the prospective candidates as final before the deadline for submitting the electoral lists on Tuesday evening.

“All the names can change,” he said.

Schwartz also pushed back against descriptions of Gafni and Maklev’s departure as an “ouster,” arguing that such terminology fails to properly characterize the decision.

“We need to stop calling it by that word,” he said.

Schwartz pointed to the decades Gafni and Maklev spent carrying out their public missions and emphasized that the current development should instead be understood as a decision by the Gedolei Yisroel to replace the movement’s representatives.

{Matzav.com}

Agudas Yisroel chairman MK Yitzchok Goldknopf said that protecting the status of bnei yeshivos will stand at the center of his party’s agenda in the upcoming election, while revealing key provisions of a new agreement with Degel HaTorah and arguing that a unified Chareidi withdrawal from the government earlier in the term could have dramatically changed the political situation.

Speaking at an Agudas Yisroel party council meeting ahead of approval of its slate for the 26th Knesset, Goldknopf discussed the draft law, Agudas Yisroel’s departure from the government, the renewed arrangement with Degel HaTorah, and the approaching election campaign.

Goldknopf opened with a call for unity, quoting the posuk, “Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem,” and saying that Agudas Yisroel derives its strength from the bond between the Gedolei Torah, elected representatives, communities and activists.

“Today we are gathering to approve the Agudas Yisroel slate for the 26th Knesset. I thank you for the trust and support in having me lead the slate. I accept this mission with humility, reverence and complete commitment to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the entire Chareidi public,” he said.

A substantial portion of Goldknopf’s address focused on Agudas Yisroel’s battle over the draft issue during the outgoing Knesset. He said the movement has carried “the banner of faithful Judaism for generations,” defending kedushas Shabbos, the Olam HaTorah, Chareidi education and the right of Chareidim to maintain their way of life.

Goldknopf said the past term subjected the Chareidi community to “a wild campaign of incitement against the Chareidi public,” accompanied by sanctions and decrees directed at those learning Torah. He pointed to the arrests of bnei yeshivos, cuts affecting yeshivos and Chareidi education, and the financial consequences imposed on Chareidi families.

“We stood tall on the front lines of the struggle, made our voice heard clearly and acted with every tool at our disposal. We were the Nachshons and withdrew from the government out of loyalty to the mission we received from the Gedolei Torah and out of an absolute commitment to safeguarding the Olam HaTorah,” he declared.

Goldknopf then criticized other Chareidi representatives for not leaving the government together with Agudas Yisroel at the same point, saying that a coordinated move by all the Chareidi parties could have produced a very different result.

“I still believe with all my heart that if all the representatives of the Chareidi public had withdrawn together with us at the same time, with a united position and shared determination, the reality today would be different,” he said.

Goldknopf said the party must now take on a broader mission of explaining to Israelis the importance of Torah learning and the contributions made by Chareidi society. He cited its institutions of Torah and tefillah, extensive chessed operations, lifesaving organizations, volunteer efforts and assistance provided to families.

“This truth is what we need to bring everywhere and to every home in Israel,” he said.

Goldknopf devoted another major portion of his remarks to the agreement reached between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah ahead of the election. He said the arrangement differs in several respects from previous agreements and contains a joint commitment making the draft issue a central condition of the factions’ political cooperation.

Under the position Goldknopf outlined for future coalition negotiations, a ben yeshiva whose Toraso umnaso would be exempt from military service “without any sanctions whatsoever.”

He further announced that until the Knesset passes legislation formally regulating the status of those learning Torah, the faction will not support legislation sponsored by coalition parties, with the exception of measures specifically designated by the Gedolei Yisroel as exceptions.

Goldknopf also disclosed another significant restriction contained in the agreement: Until legislation securing the status of bnei yeshivos whose Toraso umnaso is enacted, the faction’s representatives will not serve as government ministers, deputy ministers or chairmen of Knesset committees.

The provision, according to Goldknopf’s presentation of the agreement, is intended to prevent a situation in which United Torah Judaism representatives accept senior government or parliamentary positions while the draft issue remains unresolved. He said the agreement also contains understandings regarding the Norwegian Law, rotations between representatives, and cooperation between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah.

Goldknopf additionally addressed the allocation of positions on the joint United Torah Judaism slate. He said that among slots 11 through 20, six positions will be allocated to Degel HaTorah and five to Agudas Yisroel.

Beyond the numerical division of the slate, Goldknopf said the two factions had reached understandings on issues he characterized as “fundamental and basic.” He indicated that the parties intend to work together following the election, presenting the agreement as a framework for continuing the longstanding political partnership despite the disputes and tensions that have emerged between the two factions in recent months.

Concluding his address, Goldknopf turned his attention to the election campaign and urged Agudas Yisroel activists to mobilize.

“We, with Hashem’s help, need your strength, we need your determination,” he said, calling on activists to reach “every community and every home.”

Goldknopf said current polling shows United Torah Judaism receiving approximately eight Knesset seats, but contended that polling organizations do not adequately sample several Chareidi population centers and that the party’s eventual showing could therefore be stronger. He ended by emphasizing internal unity and calling on Agudas Yisroel activists to enter the campaign united and determined.

{Matzav.com}

A London resident is searching for a young Chassidic man whose cigarettes he agreed to carry during a trip to Israel, after an unexpected mix-up at Ben Gurion Airport prevented the two from reconnecting and left him worried that the stranger believes he simply disappeared with the merchandise.

The unusual hashavas aveidah story was shared by Chazi Banish during Menachem Toker’s “Zman Avir” radio program. Banish said that while making a connecting flight on his way to Israel, he encountered a young Chassidic man who had purchased more cigarettes than he was permitted to carry.

The young man asked Banish whether he could take two cartons on his behalf, and Banish agreed. They arranged to meet after passing through customs at Ben Gurion Airport, where Banish would return the cigarettes to him.

But after the flight landed, their simple arrangement went awry.

Banish said the airport’s usual exit was closed because of construction, forcing him to find another way out of the terminal. He spent approximately an hour waiting and searching for the young man, but the two never managed to find one another.

Complicating matters further, neither had thought to exchange phone numbers. Banish therefore found himself holding two cartons of someone else’s cigarettes with no name, number or other way of contacting their owner.

Speaking with Toker, Banish said his biggest concern is that the young man probably believes he deliberately took the cigarettes and vanished. He stressed that he wants to return the cartons and is even prepared to reimburse their owner for their value if necessary.

“I’m sure he thinks I cheated him,” Banish said.

For the time being, Banish said, he has given the cigarettes to his nephew in Israel for safekeeping in the hope that their owner can be located.

Toker, intrigued by the unusual predicament, enlisted listeners of “Zman Avir” to help track down the mystery traveler. During the broadcast, he and Banish attempted to reconstruct as many details of their encounter as possible.

Banish described the owner as a young Chassidic bochur whom he met while traveling to Israel. He recalled that the young man apparently had more than 20 packs of cigarettes with him and said the two cartons entrusted to him were most likely Parliament Lights.

Coming just before Rosh Hashanah, Toker said Banish’s determination to find a complete stranger simply to return his property was a case of “classic hashavas aveidah.”

Toker urged listeners to circulate the story and its identifying details in the hope that someone would recognize the young man or know how to reach him.

Banish said he hopes the publicity generated by the broadcast will finally reunite him with the owner, allowing him to return the cigarettes and resolve the misunderstanding that began with a chance encounter between two strangers at an airport.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Transportation Ministry is preparing a broad expansion of public transportation services for the upcoming Tishrei season, with additional trains and buses, extended late-night service in Yerushalayim, and special arrangements at Ben Gurion Airport as tens of thousands of travelers head to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

At the direction of Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev, ministry director-general Moshe Ben Zaken conducted a readiness assessment involving senior ministry officials, infrastructure companies, the National Public Transport Authority, aviation and maritime authorities, and other agencies.

Officials were instructed to expand transportation services, deploy additional personnel in the field and maintain the ability to rapidly shift from routine operations to an emergency footing if circumstances require it.

Ben Gurion Airport is expected to be one of the most heavily congested transportation hubs, in large part because of the tens of thousands of passengers traveling to Uman. The Israel Airports Authority and airlines are preparing by increasing staffing, expanding passenger services, making arrangements for unusual baggage requirements and strengthening coordination among the various agencies operating at the airport.

Israel’s maritime transportation system is also preparing for the holiday period. The Shipping and Ports Authority, port companies and operators at the country’s seaports are planning to maintain passenger and cargo traffic throughout the Yom Tov period, with operational teams and situation rooms remaining on standby.

Israel Railways will modify its operations to accommodate changing passenger demand during the Tishrei season. Train schedules will be adjusted for the holiday period, with particular attention given to the expected increase in passengers traveling to Yerushalayim for Selichos and during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

Further railway adjustments are planned for Chol Hamoed, when service will be tailored to areas experiencing especially heavy passenger traffic.

At the same time, the National Public Transport Authority is preparing to increase both urban and intercity bus service. Additional buses and more frequent service are planned for Erev Yom Tov, immediately following Yom Tov and throughout Chol Hamoed.

Yerushalayim will receive special attention because of the tens of thousands of visitors and mispallelim expected to travel to the Old City and the Kosel during the coming weeks.

Under a new pilot program, the city’s light rail and bus services will continue operating until later at night, providing additional transportation options for those attending Selichos and other gatherings.

Separate preparations are underway for the large Hataras Nedarim gathering on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Transportation arrangements for the event are being coordinated between the Transportation Ministry, Israel Police and the Yerushalayim Municipality.

On Israel’s highways, infrastructure companies have been instructed to focus on keeping major routes open, quickly addressing hazards and minimizing disruptions to traffic.

Netivei Israel’s situation room will remain on alert, while response teams will be stationed at locations around the country with the goal of reaching incidents within approximately 20 minutes.

Authorities also plan increased cleaning operations along major transportation routes. Teams will remain prepared for weather-related incidents and other unexpected developments that could interfere with traffic during the busy holiday period.

“Under Minister Regev’s instructions, all the ministry’s companies and agencies are entering the holiday period at a high level of readiness. We will monitor operations in real time, adjust our responses to congestion and maintain continuity of service across all branches of transportation. The public will encounter more teams in the field, reinforced service and a focused response at areas of high demand,” Ben Zaken said.

{Matzav.com}

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A deepening internal crisis within the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction of the Yahadut Hatorah party is threatening to reshape the party ahead of the upcoming Knesset election, with senior figures now openly raising the possibility of running together with Degel HaTorah without Ger — or potentially forming a separate electoral bloc.

The turmoil erupted over a Ger demand to remove former MK Moshe Shimon Roth, the representative of Sanz, from the fifth position on the Agudas Yisroel slate.

A senior Agudas Yisroel official told Matzav.com Monday evening that amid the escalating confrontation with Ger, the possibility of joining Degel HaTorah without Ger is no longer being ruled out. Another possibility being considered is for the other factions to run as a separate bloc.

“Ger does not represent us,” the senior official said.

The comments came after a meeting of the Agudas Yisroel Moetzes broke down Monday evening over Ger’s demand that Roth not be approved for the fifth slot on the party’s electoral list.

Roth, who represents Sanz, was himself present at the meeting and was reportedly stunned to discover during the discussion that Ger was seeking to have him removed from the position.

At the heart of the confrontation is Ger’s demand that whoever occupies the fifth slot be committed to voting in accordance with the decisions of the Central Faction, which represents Ger within Agudas Yisroel.

Sanz has refused to make such a commitment. During the previous Knesset, Roth voted on some issues in accordance with instructions from the Sanzer Rebbe, rather than automatically following the position of Ger’s Central Faction.

The dispute is now having repercussions beyond the fight over the fifth slot.

Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas have informed Degel HaTorah’s negotiating teams that, for the time being, the signing of the agreement for a joint Degel HaTorah-Agudas Yisroel run should be delayed because of what transpired at the Moetzes meeting.

Figures in both Shlomei Emunim and Belz have also expressed support for Meir Porush’s position that the fifth spot should remain with Sanz rather than be transferred to Ger.

The upheaval comes as Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel have been working to finalize a new agreement governing their joint electoral framework.

Under the emerging agreement, if the Knesset is dissolved during the first year and a half of its term, the agreement would remain in effect for the subsequent Knesset election as well.

The agreement is also expected to establish a unified position on the draft issue, with the parties supporting legislation providing exemptions for bnei yeshivos without sanctions. The faction would refuse to support other legislation until the status of full-time Torah learners is formally resolved, and its representatives would not accept government positions before the law is enacted.

The latest confrontation, however, has now cast uncertainty over whether all of Agudas Yisroel’s constituent factions will remain together for the election.

What began as a dispute over Sanz’s fifth-place position has thus escalated into a potentially far-reaching battle over Ger’s role and influence within Agudas Yisroel — and could ultimately affect the structure of the broader chareidi slate for the 26th Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

Benny Begin, son of Likud founder and Prime Minister Menachem Begin, issued a blistering attack on Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, accusing him of bearing ultimate responsibility for the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre and urging Israelis to express their judgment in the upcoming election.

Begin, who permanently left Likud about five years ago, published the remarks after Netanyahu said that senior security officials did not wake him during the night preceding the October 7 attack.

“You kept quiet and you lied too?!” Begin wrote.

Turning to the question of responsibility for the failures that preceded the massacre, Begin noted that both the IDF and Shin Bet operate under the authority of the government.

“It is self-evident that all members of the government bear responsibility for the terrible failure, special responsibility rests with the members of the Ministerial Committee on National Security, and the ultimate responsibility rests with the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. What is unclear here?” he wrote.

Begin then reflected on his decades-long political history, noting that he cast his first Knesset ballot 65 years ago, long before Likud itself was established.

“I voted for the Knesset for the first time 65 years ago. I placed the letter Chet in the ballot box for the Herut movement (Likud had not yet been established). Since then I have grown old and have seen quite a bit, but such ugliness as this government injects into our public life, such wretchedness in the leadership of the country, have never existed,” Begin wrote.

He concluded by pointing directly to the upcoming election, scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

“The conclusion will come on the upcoming civic day, Tuesday, 16 Cheshvan, October 27. ‘Come out in droves,’” Begin wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah has adopted a significantly tougher position on the yeshiva draft issue, joining Agudas Yisroel in demanding that all bnei yeshivos receive exemptions from IDF service without any sanctions, according to the new agreement governing the parties’ joint United Torah Judaism slate.

The agreement explicitly establishes that United Torah Judaism’s position in future coalition negotiations will be that any ben yeshiva should be exempt from military service, with no personal or other sanctions imposed as a condition of that exemption.

The provision represents a significant shift for Degel HaTorah. Until now, the party had participated in negotiations over proposed draft legislation that included personal sanctions, as part of efforts to formulate a law that could withstand judicial scrutiny.

Under the new agreement, United Torah Judaism will also refuse to support legislation in the Knesset until a law is enacted formally regulating the status of full-time Torah learners whose Torah is their occupation. Exceptions will be permitted only when authorized by the Gedolei Yisroel.

The agreement goes further by tying senior government and Knesset positions to passage of the legislation. Until the status of bnei yeshivos is resolved in law, United Torah Judaism representatives will not serve as ministers, deputy ministers or chairmen of Knesset committees.

The agreement between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah also establishes a joint leadership body that will address major issues facing the faction in the Knesset, including the status of Torah learners, education, and matters involving religion and state.

The two parties will hold regular joint faction meetings, with decisions required to be reached by consensus rather than through a majority vote.

Ministers and deputy ministers representing the faction will be invited to all such meetings, as will candidates placed through the 12th position on the United Torah Judaism electoral slate.

If Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah are unable to resolve a disagreement between themselves, the dispute will be referred to an arbitration panel for a final decision.

{Matzav.com}