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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yosef Dov Winternitz zt”l of Ramat Ungvar–Tel Tzion at the age of 61.

An outstanding masmid and talmid chochom who immersed himself in Torah day and night, Rav Winternitz was widely known for his deep mastery of Toras Hanistar and particularly for spreading the teachings of the Leshem.

Rav Yosef Dov zt”l was the son of Rav Asher Menachem zt”l and the son-in-law of Rav Yehuda Samet, the longtime mashgiach of Yeshivas Ohr Somayach in Kiryat Mattersdorf, Yerushalayim.

Known for his extraordinary diligence in Torah study, Rav Winternitz devoted every possible moment to learning. During the years he lived in the Ramot Polin neighborhood of Yerushalayim, he mortgaged his home and personal assets in order to help build the large Ohel Yosef shul. He became one of the central and most beloved figures in the beis medrash, where he spent countless hours each day immersed in learning.

His home was renowned for its warmth, generosity, and open-door hospitality. Alongside the fourteen children he merited to raise, many broken and needy individuals also found refuge in his home. Several housing units attached to the property were often occupied by struggling families or individuals who paid no rent at all, as Rav Winternitz made clear that the apartments existed solely for acts of chesed.

Rav Winternitz delved deeply into the teachings of the Arizal and became especially renowned for his remarkable expertise in the writings of the Leshem, author of Leshem Shevo V’Achlama. He authored an extensive commentary on Etz Chaim based on the approach of the Leshem, a manuscript that remains unpublished.

Over the years, he influenced and guided many talmidim, among them the mekubal Rav Yechezkel Bing, author of Nekudos Hakesef.

The heavy financial burden of marrying off his children eventually forced Rav Winternitz to sell his apartment and move into a rented home in Tel Tzion. From that point, his health steadily declined, and he endured tremendous physical and emotional suffering. In his later years, doctors were forced to amputate several of his toes. Despite the pain, he continued making his way daily to shul for vasikin and would sit in the beis medrash learning for long stretches, greeting every person with unusual warmth and kindness.

About two years ago, tragedy struck when his daughter a”h suddenly collapsed at home and lost consciousness. After two weeks in the hospital, she passed away. Since her petirah, Rav Winternitz became the regular chazzan for Mincha and Maariv almost every day, constantly speaking about her and reciting Kaddish in her memory. He remained deeply involved in the life of the shul and was cherished far beyond what words can describe.

During the final year of his life, his influence expanded significantly as he began publicly delivering profound shiurim and divrei Torah across many areas of Torah. From the depths of his broken heart, he passionately warned about the dangers facing yeshiva bochurim due to the draft crisis, and about breaches in standards of tznius that had begun entering the camp.

In recent months, he spent much time davening at the kever of Rashbi in Meron and at the Kosel Hama’aravi, telling those close to him that he felt a deep spiritual connection to the Shechinah at the Kosel.

On the final Shabbos of his life, Rav Winternitz davened at Shaarei Yosef in Tel Tzion, led by Harav Nissim Yitzchok Ohana. He received shevii during Krias HaTorah and later spoke briefly during a kiddush held in honor of a chosson who was a ger tzedek. Those would become his final public words.

He thanked the mispallelim warmly and told them that he loved every one of them.

He then spoke passionately about the importance of marrying young, explaining: “Why does the Shulchan Aruch in Even HaEzer (Siman 1) use such unusually strong language, stating that anyone who does not engage in pru u’rvu is considered as if he diminishes the Divine image, sheds blood, and causes the Shechinah to depart from Klal Yisroel? There is no other wording this severe anywhere else in the Shulchan Aruch. Rather, the meaning is that one must hasten to marry and not delay beyond the age of eighteen, and because of the gravity of the matter, the Shulchan Aruch expressed itself with exceptional sharpness.”

Those remarks were delivered at approximately 11 a.m. Just several hours later, around 3:30 in the afternoon, during the holy moments of raava d’raavin on Shabbos, Rav Winternitz returned his pure neshamah to its Creator.

His widow relates that only minutes earlier, while feeling entirely well, he unusually asked her mechilah for anything he may ever have done to hurt her. Feeling a special eis ratzon, she wholeheartedly forgave him and asked forgiveness from him as well. Moments later, he suddenly began coughing and lost consciousness. Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, he could not be revived, and those close to him gathered to recite Krias Shema as his neshamah departed, to the heartbreak of all present.

Rav Winternitz is survived by his widow and two daughters who have not yet married.

Tehei nishmaso tzerurah b’tzror hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

Police have arrested an Israeli-Arab suspect in the killing of Olga and Ruslan Prikhodko, the Rishon Letzion couple who were found shot to death inside their vehicle over the weekend in an open area between Moshav Mishmar Ayalon and Karmei Yosef in Shefelah. Following a partial lifting of the gag order surrounding the investigation, authorities revealed Thursday that the suspect is being investigated for carrying out a double murder believed to have been motivated by nationalist motives.

The development marks a dramatic turn in the case, which initially moved in an entirely different direction. In the early hours of the investigation, authorities examined the possibility that the incident may have involved a murder-suicide, partly because Ruslan legally owned a handgun.

As investigators dug deeper into the case, however, evidence began to undermine that theory. One major issue was that Ruslan’s personal firearm was not found at the scene.

According to reports, investigators later searched the couple’s home and discovered the licensed handgun locked inside a safe. In addition, no gunshot residue was found on Ruslan’s hands. Those findings strengthened suspicions that the couple had been murdered by another individual who then fled the area.

The Shin Bet became involved in the investigation during its early stages, and responsibility for the case was later transferred to the Central District Major Crimes Unit.

Several individuals were initially detained for questioning, but were later released after investigators determined they had no connection to the killings. Following additional breakthroughs in the investigation, police arrested the main suspect now believed to be tied to the murders.

Olga, 44, and Ruslan, 46, are survived by their 14-year-old only son. The couple was laid to rest yesterday at the cemetery in Rishon Letzion, accompanied by relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Family members had insisted from the outset that the couple had not taken their own lives and were not involved in any domestic incident, maintaining instead that they had been murdered.

Relatives described Olga and Ruslan as a devoted couple whose son was the center of their world. According to family members, the three had recently been planning a trip to Austria to celebrate Olga’s birthday.

The investigation remains ongoing under partial gag-order restrictions as police continue examining all aspects of the case and attempting to determine the precise motive behind the killings.

Demonstrations erupted Thursday evening in Yerushalayim and at the entrance to Bnei Brak following the arrest of yeshiva bochurim accused of draft evasion, with major roads blocked, violent confrontations reported, and police moving in to disperse protesters.

The most significant protest began near the Geha Junction, where demonstrators blocked Route 4 in both directions, shutting down traffic from the Aluf Sadeh Interchange to Em HaMoshavos. Rechov Bar-Ilan in Yerushalayim was also closed as protesters flooded the area.

Police declared the demonstrations illegal and said rioters were obstructing traffic and disrupting public order. Senior officers at both protest sites announced that force would be used to disperse the crowds.

Authorities closed Route 4 in both directions between the Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavos interchanges. In addition, Jabotinsky Street and Hashomer Street in Bnei Brak, extending toward Yetzirah Street in Petach Tikvah, were shut down to traffic.

At the Yerushalayim protest, demonstrators blocked vehicles and reportedly acted violently toward chareidi drivers, shouting harsh insults and damaging cars.

Police said Border Police forces and Yerushalayim District officers were preparing to disperse protesters at the Bar-Ilan intersection in an effort to restore traffic flow and public order.

Videos from the scene in Bnei Brak showed protesters surrounding buses while chanting, “Prisoners of the Torah world, the great ones of the nation.”

Following the unrest, Netivei Yisroel announced additional road closures, including Route 4 northbound from the Mesubim Interchange to Em HaMoshavos, as well as localized closures near the Yavneh Interchange. Southbound traffic on Route 4 was blocked from Em HaMoshavos to the Bar-Ilan Interchange.

Protesters at the Geha and Bar-Ilan junctions carried signs bearing slogans including “We will die and not enlist,” “Better to die as a chareidi than enlist,” and “We will not abandon a single bochur.”

Police began making arrests as clashes intensified between demonstrators and security forces.

{Matzav.com}

A rare albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” was dramatically spared from ritual slaughter in Bangladesh after the country’s interior minister personally intervened and ordered the animal transferred to the national zoo.

The unusual buffalo, which recently went viral online because of its striking appearance, had originally been slated for slaughter during the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday before the government abruptly halted the sale.

Bangladesh Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reportedly ordered officials to save the animal’s life, cancel the planned sacrifice, and immediately relocate it to permanent quarters at the national zoo in the capital city of Dhaka.

Authorities said the decision came after massive crowds began gathering around the farm where the buffalo was being kept, drawing visitors from across the country and creating growing security concerns ahead of the holiday.

“At the last moment, the decision was made to spare the buffalo from slaughter because of security concerns and the extraordinary level of public interest,” a senior Bangladeshi Interior Ministry official explained.

The buffalo weighs nearly 700 kilograms and had already been sold to a private buyer before the government intervened. Authorities later compensated the purchaser after confiscating the animal to prevent the sacrifice from taking place.

Farm owner Ziauddin Merida said the buffalo received the nickname “Donald Trump” from his younger brother because of the animal’s unusual blond tuft of hair, which stands out prominently against its pale skin.

Merida described the buffalo as exceptionally calm and gentle, adding that caring for the rare animal requires intensive maintenance, including frequent feeding throughout the day and regular washing to preserve its health.

Albino buffaloes are considered extremely rare in Bangladesh, where most cattle have dark coloring. Public fascination with the animal surged after videos showcasing its unusual appearance spread widely across social media platforms.

It remains unclear whether the United States made any direct appeal to Bangladesh regarding the animal, though the buffalo’s popularity and nickname fueled widespread speculation online after the government stepped in to save it.

{Matzav.com}

The Treasury Department office charged with producing America’s paper currency has begun preliminary planning tied to proposed legislation that would place President Donald Trump on a commemorative $250 bill.

According to a Thursday report by The Washington Post, officials inside the Trump administration have been urging the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop sample concepts for a new bank note bearing Trump’s image — a historic move that would make him the first living person featured on US paper money in well over a century.

The effort is connected to preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next July and is part of a broader campaign by Trump allies to cement the President’s legacy through patriotic projects and national institutions.

The Post reported that US Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown repeatedly pressed bureau officials to proceed with draft designs despite federal statutes that currently prohibit living individuals from appearing on American currency.

One concept obtained by the newspaper reportedly features a large portrait of Trump in the center of the note alongside the signatures of both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

British artist Iain Alexander, who said he worked on the design after discussions with Trump, told the newspaper the President personally approved several revisions, including the addition of red, white, and blue patriotic styling as well as imagery tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.

“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said of Trump’s reaction.

Existing law, however, remains a major obstacle to the proposal.

The Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits living people from appearing on US currency after a Treasury official during the Civil War era controversially inserted his own likeness onto a bank note.

The ban also reflected America’s historic opposition to the European custom of placing reigning monarchs on national currency.

Still, Congress has the authority to change those rules through legislation.

Earlier this year, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation instructing the Treasury Department to issue a $250 Federal Reserve note carrying Trump’s portrait, although the bill has not yet moved forward in Congress.

Treasury officials stressed that no currency would be produced unless lawmakers formally approve the measure.

“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” a Treasury spokesperson said.

The discussion comes as the administration is also preparing for Trump’s signature to appear on American paper money for the first time.

The New York Times reported in March that US currency issued later this year would carry Trump’s signature alongside that of Bessent.

Backers of the proposal say the effort is a fitting tribute to Trump’s leadership during what supporters describe as America’s “Golden Age economic revival.” Opponents, meanwhile, argue the move would inject politics into one of the country’s most recognizable national symbols.

Financial and currency specialists warn that even if Congress approves the plan, implementation could take years because of anti-counterfeiting measures, Federal Reserve coordination, and the need to ensure compatibility with ATMs and other banking systems.

Despite those logistical hurdles, administration officials reportedly remain determined to advance the project ahead of next year’s major anniversary celebrations.

{Matzav.com}

A 14-year-old Toronto girl who had been missing for more than a week has been found safe, bringing an emotional end to an intensive citywide search effort.

Toronto police announced this afternoon that Esther had been located safely after days of mounting concern and widespread public attention.

Authorities said additional information would be released at a media briefing at the command post established in Earl Bales Park near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West.

Before she was found, investigators said Esther had last been seen shortly after midnight on May 16 near Bathurst Street and Hotspur Road, just south of Highway 401. Earlier police updates had indicated she was also seen in Earl Bales Park on May 15.

As the search escalated, police elevated the case to a Level 1 investigation, the highest level available, enabling the department to deploy specialized resources including canine teams, mounted officers, and marine units.

Police also created a dedicated hotline and distributed a QR code to collect information from the public as the search intensified. Esther’s parents made emotional appeals asking the community to assist in locating their daughter.

Throughout the investigation, police released very few details about the circumstances surrounding Esther’s disappearance and did not indicate that they believed she had been abducted.

Authorities have not yet revealed where Esther was found or how police ultimately located her.

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Esther’s family announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.

{Matzav.com}

Israel announced Thursday that it is suspending all contact with the office of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres after the UN placed Israeli entities on a blacklist connected to sexual violence in conflict zones.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said the Israeli Mission to the United Nations will no longer maintain relations with the Secretary-General’s office for as long as Guterres remains in charge of the organization.

The move follows Guterres’ decision to add Israeli entities to the controversial blacklist, a step Israeli officials sharply condemned as politically motivated and morally indefensible.

According to Israeli officials, the Israeli delegation and Ambassador Danon spent months engaging with UN representatives, supplying documentation, statistics, and detailed responses addressing every allegation raised against Israel over the past year.

Despite those efforts, Israeli officials said the Secretary-General chose to move ahead with the designation, placing Israel in the same category as Hamas and other terror groups.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said: “We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Iran have reached the outline of a possible agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch fresh negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, the White House confirmed Thursday, signaling a possible diplomatic breakthrough even as tensions remain dangerously high in the region.

Any final arrangement would still require President Trump’s approval. The administration pushed back sharply against reports that surfaced Wednesday claiming a deal had already been finalized, dismissing those accounts as “propaganda.” The developing framework emerged even after Iran reportedly violated the cease-fire Thursday by firing toward a U.S. military installation in Kuwait, according to US Central Command.

Even after that reported attack, Washington has continued to observe the cease-fire and has not yet resumed broader military operations against Iran.

Under the proposed framework, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports in return for Tehran restoring “unrestricted” maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, White House officials said. The arrangement would also trigger a 60-day diplomatic window during which American and Iranian officials would begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

As part of the deal, Iran would reportedly be prohibited from charging transit fees on vessels passing through the strategic waterway. Tehran would also be obligated to clear naval mines from the strait within 30 days.

The proposal further includes American commitments to discuss easing sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets during the negotiation process. In exchange, Iran would agree to discussions concerning the disposal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and future limits on uranium enrichment.

An Iranian source told The Post that the framework largely mirrors details leaked Thursday to Iranian media — despite the White House Rapid Response 47 account on X dismissing those reports as a “complete fabrication.”

According to the leaked version, the United States would remove military forces positioned around Iran and end the naval blockade surrounding Iranian ports. In return, Iran would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore civilian maritime activity to levels seen before the conflict within 30 days.

The leaked report also claimed the United States had agreed to permit Iran and Oman to jointly “manage” the strait after reopening it — a provision that appears to contradict longstanding American and international insistence that the waterway remain an international passage not controlled by any single country.

At the same time, senior Iranian officials appeared to publicly reject several principles reportedly included in the American proposal.

Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, outlined what he described as Tehran’s non-negotiable demands for any future agreement.

“Iran will not be pushed back by Trump’s rhetoric from its red lines: the right to enrich uranium, possession of enriched uranium, authority over the Strait of Hormuz, and the removal of sanctions,” Azizi said on X.

“It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement,” he added.

Still, regional officials suggested the proposed American framework could create room for compromise on some of the most contentious issues dividing the two sides. One possibility under discussion, according to a regional source, would involve degrading Iran’s highly enriched uranium inside Iran itself rather than removing it entirely from the country.

“If I were in Trump’s position, I would want the enriched material degraded on Iranian soil in the presence of American/international experts with structured mechanisms and benchmarks put in place,” one person said.

“Giving it to Russians, Chinese or Pakistanis doesn’t suit US interests,” the person added, referring to previously floated options of what to do with Iran’s uranium.

{Matzav.com}

Amid the growing wave of arrests of yeshiva bochurim and their transfer to military detention facilities, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef delivered a forceful message of encouragement to yeshiva students and young kollel yungerleit, urging them not to fear Israeli law enforcement authorities acting against the Torah world.

Speaking during the Keser Shel Torah gathering organized by the Bukharian Jewish Congress before thousands of yeshiva students and avreichim, Rav Yosef invoked the pasuk “Kol kli yutzar alayich lo yitzlach” and directly addressed the ongoing crackdown.

“‘Kol kli yutzar alayich lo yitzlach,’ do not fear the attorney general and the police commissioner, all the people who drive on Shabbos and eat neveilos, do not fear them,” Rav Yosef declared.

The former chief rabbi then turned directly to the yeshiva students with additional words of encouragement.

“You are the guardians of the holy watch. Fortunate are you and fortunate is your portion.”

His remarks come as police and military authorities continue carrying out what many in the chareidi community describe as an unprecedented campaign of arrests against yeshiva bochurim, with detainees being transferred to military police custody under a new policy associated with Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy.

Rav Yosef’s comments also revived attention to controversial remarks he made last year regarding IDF draft notices sent to yeshiva students.

At the time, he instructed bochurim to tear up and discard the enlistment orders.

“I said that if a draft order arrives — tear it up. Do you have a toilet in your house? There is no house without a bathroom. Tear it up, throw it into the toilet, and flush the water. Nothing. Do not take it into consideration at all,” he said at the time.

The renewed statements come after more than a year of repeated warnings by Rav Yosef regarding the government’s handling of the draft law crisis and his skepticism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would ultimately pass legislation protecting yeshiva students from military service despite promises made to chareidi parties.

“The draft decree is a decree that pains all of us. If we had gone with the left, it would have been much better,” Rav Yosef said roughly a year ago during one of his weekly shiurim.

“If Maran father had been alive with us, he would never have allowed this to happen. Before the government was formed, before the first budget was passed, he would have demanded that the draft law be passed.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli lawmaker Yuli Edelstein that the IDF may ultimately be satisfied if chareidim who are not seriously engaged in Torah learning enlist for military service, while reaffirming that he never intended to dismantle the Torah world through draft legislation.

Speaking in a lengthy interview with Kikar HaShabbat’s Yishai Cohen amid renewed political turmoil surrounding the draft law crisis and the expected dissolution of the Knesset, Edelstein addressed the security situation, coalition tensions, the possibility of forming a new political party, and the future of efforts to regulate the status of yeshiva students.

Edelstein, who was removed from his position as chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over disagreements surrounding the draft law, said the debate has become increasingly polarized heading into new elections.

“At this point in the election campaign, things will swing between ‘there is no need for any draft law at all’ and ‘strip voting rights and grant zero exemptions,’” Edelstein said. “But precisely if there is a government without chareidi parties and it becomes possible to pass any law you want, as long as they listen to me I will oppose all this populism. It may be good for election campaigns, but not beyond that.”

Edelstein emphasized that his goal has always been to advance what he described as a realistic and enforceable draft law rather than political slogans.

“What interests me is a real draft law, and that is exactly how I behaved,” he said. “I had no doubt that parts of the opposition only wanted to bring down the government no matter what.”

He also revealed that two opposition lawmakers privately promised to support him if he succeeded in bringing forward what they considered a serious proposal.

“I’ll reveal something that was never published: there were two righteous people in the opposition who wrote to me, ‘Yuli, if you bring a real law — we’ll go with you and support you.’ At least there were good intentions from those two people. As for everyone else, I have no doubt they would have voted to bring everything down.”

Addressing the core issue of exemptions for Torah learners, Edelstein made clear that he supports a framework that would still allow at least some yeshiva students to continue learning full-time without military service.

“Of course,” he said when asked whether he supports exemptions for a number of Torah learners. “I said this every time. I say it unequivocally. Rabbonim spoke with me privately. I never came with the intention of destroying the Torah world. If all those who are not learning enlist, it could be that the IDF itself will say that this already satisfies its needs.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Edelstein described the security situation in northern Israel as “horrific” and suggested Israel may ultimately have no choice but to significantly expand military operations in Lebanon.

“It’s shocking. I was there recently — the situation is terrible,” he said. “Given the current reality, people there do not have many options. There are American interests involved. We are certainly supported by the current administration, but that does not mean everything we want happens. I think there will ultimately be no choice but to expand operations in Lebanon.”

Discussing the growing drone threat facing Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, Edelstein said Israel should have prepared more effectively.

“The issue of drone threats came up many times in discussions with us,” he said. “There were ways to prepare somewhat better. It’s not that there is some magic solution now — there isn’t. We should have been more prepared. I proposed things, but the proposals were not accepted because of a combination of unwillingness from the political echelon and a bit of arrogance from relevant systems in the IDF.”

Edelstein also expressed concern about the emerging understandings between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran.

“This is neither a complete victory nor a complete failure,” he said. “On one hand there are incredible achievements and the whole world is looking at it with admiration. But on the other hand, the political leadership has still not succeeded in translating this into any strategic achievement.”

“If things end the way they are currently being discussed — with a ballistic missile threat, continuation of the nuclear program, and support for organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas — then we are facing a major challenge. The war pushed them backward, but we too will have to return to the competition of rebuilding strength.”

Turning to Israeli politics, Edelstein acknowledged deep disappointment with fellow members of the Likud party and hinted at ongoing discussions regarding a possible new political framework.

“I still don’t know what will happen in Likud,” he said. “I won’t tell you I’m not disappointed by the behavior patterns of my colleagues in the faction — friends who, aside from one or two, did not have the courage to speak about the draft law, friends who all ran away from the sovereignty vote.”

“No decision has been made yet. There are discussions. Everyone is talking to everyone. People understand there is a need. There are tens if not hundreds of thousands of votes that are currently politically orphaned. Every pollster says so. There is a real need here, and if it proves viable, it will likely happen.”

At the same time, Edelstein insisted he has no intention of joining camps defined solely by support for or opposition to Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu.

“I am not going to join parties of ‘only Bibi’ or ‘only not Bibi.’ That is not what the country needs. The people will decide who receives the mandate.”

Looking ahead to the next coalition negotiations, Edelstein said his goal would be to prevent either political bloc from governing with a narrow majority.

“We will do everything possible to prevent a government of 61 seats for either side,” he declared. “We will make every effort to connect parties from both camps. Life is more interesting than just ‘yes Bibi’ or ‘no Bibi.’”

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli traffic police officer is facing scrutiny after being filmed attempting to calm a group of chareidi protesters by repeatedly insisting that he does not deal with arresting draft dodgers and was only issuing a traffic citation.

The incident, which took place Wednesday in Modi’in during a spontaneous chareidi protest, sparked controversy because the officer’s remarks appeared to contradict standing directives issued by Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy regarding the handling of draft dodgers.

According to current police policy, officers who encounter individuals classified as draft dodgers are instructed to detain them for up to 30 minutes while waiting for military police to arrive. If military police do not arrive within that timeframe, officers are supposed to issue an official summons directing the individual to report to military authorities.

The footage, first published by Israel Hayom, shows the officer repeatedly trying to reassure angry demonstrators that he had no intention of arresting the chareidi man involved.

According to journalist Yaakov Hershkowitz, the confrontation began after the traffic officer stopped a chareidi driver over a traffic violation.

Once word spread through chareidi news hotlines and extremist WhatsApp groups that a chareidi man had been detained, protesters rushed to the scene fearing he would be transferred to military authorities.

Dozens of demonstrators reportedly gathered at the location, launching an impromptu protest. Although the detained individual was eventually released, protesters remained at the scene and confronted the officer over recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim.

In the video, the officer can be heard repeatedly attempting to explain that he was not involved in draft enforcement.

“I didn’t deal with the draft dodging issue. I said to release him. Listen carefully to what I’m explaining to you — I did not deal with draft dodgers,” the officer told the crowd.

One protester responded skeptically: “Other police officers in other places do. How are we supposed to know the difference?”

The officer answered: “I know, no problem, I don’t care about anyone else. I know what I’m saying. Right now I’m not dealing with draft dodgers. He only received a traffic ticket, that’s the story. Is it allowed to give a traffic ticket? A traffic ticket — that’s the story.”

At another point in the exchange, when a protester shouted, “You don’t detain chareidim?” the officer raised his voice and replied: “There was nothing.”

Following publication of the footage, criticism mounted against what some described as the officer’s “capitulation” to protesters and failure to follow official police directives.

In response, the Israel Police issued a sharp statement distancing itself from the officer’s conduct.

“The commissioner views the officer’s conduct seriously, as it contradicts organizational directives. The matter will be examined accordingly,” the police statement said.

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air on Thursday resumed flights to Israel, becoming the latest airline and first European budget carrier to restore service after the outbreak of war with Iran in February.

The Budapest-based no-frills airline is renewing service to Tel Aviv across major European cities, including London, Rome, Budapest, Athens, Larnaca, Warsaw and Milan, and plans to run a full schedule to and from Israel during the busy summer season.

The popular European budget airline, which was the largest foreign carrier operating in Israel by passenger volume before the war, had planned on opening a hub at Ben-Gurion International Airport this spring, but the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran led all international carriers to suspend service to the region anew.

Their much-anticipated return to Tel Aviv follows an updated safety recommendation from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which softened its previous advisory against operating in Israeli airspace.

The airline’s resumption of service also comes against the backdrop of months-long negotiations to set up a hub in Israel, talks that were frozen by transportation officials angered over the airline’s repeated prior flight suspensions.

More than a dozen international airlines have resumed service to Tel Aviv, including two Emirati carriers, since the war against Iran began.

Major European carriers are currently planning to renew flights to Israel this summer. U.S. airlines, however, are scheduled to return to Israel starting in the fall.

Wizz Air, the third-largest low-cost carrier in Europe after the Dublin-based Ryanair and the London-based EasyJet, has kept European fares relatively low despite surging oil prices caused by the war.

Its long-planned hub would enable the Hungarian company to operate as many as 30 daily flights from Tel Aviv to destinations across Europe. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. dollar continued to weaken against the shekel on Thursday, falling to an exchange rate not seen since the early ’90s of 2.83 per greenback. The euro and pound also weakened against the shekel, dropping to NIS 3.28 and NIS 3.79, respectively.

According to broadcaster Channel 12, the Bank of Israel is weighing the possibility of acting to prevent the dollar from falling further.

The BoI intervened in the past in similar situations by purchasing large amounts of dollars to protect Israel’s exporters.

Although importers and consumers can purchase products from abroad at less expense in light of the shekel’s strengthening, Israel’s exporters and the high-tech industry are feeling pressure.

High-tech firms whose income is mostly in dollars are experiencing squeezes in profits due to the currency’s weakening, having to pay their employees in shekels.

Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter to local business leaders, asking them to lower prices “immediately so that the strengthening of the shekel is felt by consumers,” Channel 12 reported.

“It is unacceptable for you to turn to the government demanding assistance packages during times of crisis, yet when there is economic prosperity in the markets, withhold its benefits from citizens,” the letter read.

Smotrich urged them “to convene importers and businesses today in order to bring about immediate price reductions,” appealing directly to food importers, according to the report. JNS

{Matzav.com}

American and Iranian officials have reportedly drafted a provisional 60-day agreement that would preserve the current ceasefire and open formal negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a report by Axios.

The report, citing two American officials and a regional figure involved in the mediation process, said President Donald Trump has not yet signed off on the proposed arrangement.

If finalized, the understanding would represent one of the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs since the war erupted, although major disputes tied to Iran’s nuclear ambitions would still need to be resolved in follow-up negotiations.

According to US officials quoted in the report, negotiators had largely completed the framework of the agreement by Tuesday, with final authorization still required from top decision-makers in Washington and Tehran.

Those officials said Iranian envoys later notified mediators that Tehran’s leadership had approved the proposal and was prepared to move forward with signing it. Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on the report.

American negotiators subsequently presented the details of the deal to President Trump, though he stopped short of immediately approving it. One US official said the President informed mediators that he wanted a few days to weigh the proposal before making a final decision.

Axios reported that Trump and senior aides had believed several times earlier in the conflict that a breakthrough was close, but each attempt ultimately collapsed before an agreement could be finalized.

Under the draft terms, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would continue uninterrupted. One US official said the deal would bar Iran from imposing shipping tolls or interfering with vessels and would obligate Tehran to clear all naval mines from the strategic waterway within 30 days.

The report said the American naval blockade would then be phased out gradually as commercial shipping operations resumed.

US officials also said the agreement would contain a pledge by Iran not to seek nuclear weapons. During the 60-day period, talks would initially center on the fate of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, as well as Tehran’s enrichment activities.

According to Axios, Washington would also agree to discuss easing sanctions and unlocking frozen Iranian assets during the negotiations. The proposed memorandum would further include talks aimed at establishing channels for humanitarian aid and the transfer of goods into Iran.

The political battle surrounding Israel’s daycare subsidy legislation intensified Wednesday after the preliminary passage of the so-called “daycare law,” with the Aryeh Deri-led Shas party launching a fierce attack against both the attorney general and the Religious Zionism party over its absence from the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued hours after the bill passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset, Shas declared that the vote represented a direct rebuke to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

“The Knesset today delivered a clear and decisive message against the attorney general: enough cruelty toward toddlers in order to harm their Torah-learning parents,” the party stated.

Shas described the daycare legislation as a “moral and ethical statement” against the decision to revoke daycare subsidies from kollel families, arguing that the policy amounts to an attempt to pressure yeshiva and kollel families by targeting small children.

According to the party, the move to deny subsidies is “an attempt to pressure Torah learners through harming toddlers.”

Shas also praised coalition chairman Ofir Katz for successfully assembling the votes needed to pass the bill, while commending both the Likud party and Otzma Yehudit for what it called their “full partnership with Torah values.”

At the same time, the party launched an unusually harsh attack against the Religious Zionism faction for boycotting the vote.

“[They] chose to absent themselves from this moral vote and thereby joined hands with those persecuting the Torah world and the haters of Judaism. Those who constantly speak about the importance of the right-wing bloc are the very ones dismantling it through their actions,” the statement said.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I am writing this because I honestly cannot take the hypocrisy anymore.

We scream about tznius all day long. Every speech, every assembly, every school handbook, every parent meeting, every article. Sleeve lengths. Sock lengths. Necklines. Colors. Fabrics. Shoes. Tights. Pictures. Catalogs. The conversation never ends.

Tznius, tznius, tznius, tznius.

And yes, of course tznius matters. Nobody is questioning that.

But can we finally have the courage to talk about the giant elephant sitting in the middle of the frum world that everyone sees and nobody wants to acknowledge?

What is going on in frum offices between men and women is becoming a massive crisis.

Not every office. Not every person. But enough that people know exactly what I am talking about.

Men and women spending entire days together. Constant texting. Inside jokes. Emotional dependence. Friendly conversations that stopped being innocent a long time ago. Private meetings. Late-night communication that somehow gets justified because it’s “for work.” Married people sharing more emotional energy with coworkers than with their own spouses.

And everybody pretends not to notice because everyone needs parnassah.

So we keep screaming about a teenager’s sweater while ignoring environments that are literally destroying marriages, destroying shalom bayis, destroying emotional boundaries, and slowly eating away at people spiritually.

Where are the speeches about that?

Where are the emergency gatherings and kol korehs about that?

Where are the articles warning people that emotional closeness is not less dangerous because it happens in an office with fluorescent lighting and spreadsheets?

We have somehow created a world where a girl can be treated like a walking michshol because her socks slipped down half an inch, while a married man spending eight hours a day emotionally attached to another woman is called “professional.”

Since when?

And the saddest part is that many frum workplaces almost force this environment. Team bonding. Casual culture. Endless interaction. After-hours communication. People laughing and talking together all day in ways that previous generations would never have considered normal.

Then everyone acts shocked when marriages suffer, when people become emotionally confused, when lines get crossed, or when things spiral into places they should never have gone.

We are terrified of talking honestly because we are afraid people will accuse us of being extreme or unrealistic.

But pretending there is no problem is not righteousness. It is denial.

If we truly care about kedushah, then let us care about all of it, not only the parts that are easy to measure with a ruler.

Because right now, it feels like we are obsessing over the packaging while ignoring the fire burning inside the building.

Sincerely,

See It Every Day

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Israeli politicians Meir Porush and Yisrael Eichler launched blistering attacks Wednesday night against the Israeli government, police, and judiciary over the growing wave of arrests targeting chareidi yeshiva bochurim classified as draft dodgers.

Speaking in an interview on Radio Kol Berama, Porush broke his silence and sharply criticized everyone from Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu to coalition partners and Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy over the recent enforcement operations.

At the start of the interview, Porush described the political calculations that guided the chareidi parties during negotiations over the draft law and related legislation.

“We were careful not to bring other laws because they told us it would create a huge uproar and we would not be able to pass the draft law,” Porush said. “When we realized there would be no draft law, we decided on a ‘give-and-take’ approach — you want help transferring powers from the Interior Ministry to the Prime Minister? Fine, give us the daycare law.”

Porush then escalated his rhetoric dramatically, comparing the arrest campaign against chareidi draft dodgers to Communist-era persecution and openly calling on police officers to refuse orders.

“We live in Israel but feel like we are living in Bolshevik Russia, which arrested Torah learners. The police commissioner found something to build his reputation on — harming yeshiva students? A police officer who has even a little faith and tradition should say: ‘I do not want to carry out this order.’”

Porush also blamed Israel’s Supreme Court for the ongoing crisis and argued that weakening the judiciary must become a central political objective.

“When you arrive at that mountain called the court system — that is where the power is, and that is where it must be struck and diminished. The power of the court must be eroded. That is what must be done in order to emerge from this crisis.”

The veteran chareidi lawmaker also directed criticism toward Netanyahu personally, accusing the prime minister of prioritizing his own political interests early in the coalition’s term while sidelining the needs of the chareidi public.

“Netanyahu speaks very nicely, he has that ability, but he should have done more. When he was busy at the beginning of the term arranging several personal laws for himself, we cried out that our laws needed to be passed. He told us, ‘Wait, I don’t have a majority.’ We waited and gave him time until we understood we weren’t getting anywhere.”

Porush additionally criticized the Religious Zionism party, warning that the policies now being directed at the chareidi world could one day be turned against their own yeshiva frameworks.

“This is a major disappointment. Religious Zionism does not understand that the day will come when they will lower the boom on them as well. One day they will ask why hesder yeshivos serve fewer months, and it will come back on them too. There is some kind of pettiness there — I don’t know from whom.”

Toward the end of the interview, Porush outlined what he described as a new strategy for future coalition negotiations, declaring that chareidi parties should refuse government positions until core issues affecting the chareidi community are resolved.

“After the elections we must not take positions — no ministers, nothing — until they settle our fundamental and critical needs. First the essential matters, and only afterward positions.”

At the same time, Deputy Minister Eichler delivered his own harsh criticism during an interview with Radio Kol Chai, accusing Israel’s High Court of Justice of conducting a campaign against chareidi Judaism and Torah study.

“What the High Court has done is dictatorship — stripping away the most basic human rights as an inseparable part of their war against the existence of chareidi Judaism and against Torah learning.”

Eichler also discussed delays surrounding legislation tied to daycare subsidies and said some officials warned him that advancing the bill would damage efforts to pass a draft law compromise.

“They argued to me that if I advance the daycare law, it would harm the draft law,” Eichler said. “Those imposing sanctions on Torah learners will not stop there, because the goal is not to save a few hundred shekels from that woman. The goal is to prevent Torah learning.”

The deputy minister also blasted Commissioner Levy over coordination between the Israel Police and military police in the arrest operations.

“When the police commissioner announces that he is subordinate to the High Court and not to the supervising minister and the law passed by the elected Knesset, that statement sends the most severe message since the establishment of the state,” Eichler said.

According to Eichler, “the police, which is responsible for public order, is becoming part of the revolutionaries who created this dictatorship.”

In a separate interview on Radio Kol Berama, Eichler intensified his criticism of the judiciary.

“The High Court committed an outrageous act that is completely illegitimate. The message that passed today in the preliminary reading is clear: you cannot turn the State of Israel into Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Eichler also accused anti-religious factions within the Knesset of driving the confrontation while influencing both the media and the courts.

“There is currently a dangerous atmosphere in the Knesset coming from anti-religious extremists, who are not many in number but are very loud, and all the media and judges are in their hands. They are leading the country toward chaos and are already speaking about war.”

Later in the interview, Eichler directly attacked the participation of the Israel Police in operations targeting draft dodgers, arguing that such enforcement falls entirely outside civilian police authority.

“According to the law, the civilian Israel Police has absolutely nothing to do with draft-related arrests. The very fact that the police are involved in this is part of the war against chareidi Judaism,” he said.

The Israeli military is preparing to launch proactive arrest operations targeting bnei yeshiva who avoid the army in chareidi population centers as early as next week, according to a report aired Wednesday evening on Kan News.

As part of the planned operations, the IDF has requested extensive assistance from the Israel Police, both for security and for handling possible disturbances and protests expected in chareidi neighborhoods during the arrests.

In the coming days, police and military officials are expected to hold a series of joint assessments regarding the operation. Current estimates reportedly call for hundreds of police officers to be assigned to assist the effort.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said in a statement that “joint planning efforts are currently taking place with the Israel Police in order to coordinate enforcement actions by the military police in the public sphere.”

The statement added: “We emphasize that this coordination is critical and directly impacts the areas in which the IDF can operate in carrying out arrests.”

In the past, Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy had refused to allocate police forces for operations of this nature. However, a recent ruling by Israel’s High Court sharply criticized the police over what it described as insufficient enforcement.

Meanwhile, Moshe Gafni, chairman of the Degel HaTorah party, instructed party representatives throughout Israel on Wednesday to immediately halt cooperation with the Israel Police.

“Following the policy change by the Israel Police, and so that we should not, Heaven forbid, become partners in harming the holy Torah and its learners, I request that all cooperation with the Israel Police, including municipal policing, cease immediately until further notice,” Gafni wrote.

Following Gafni’s directive — and amid growing anger in the chareidi street over the intensified policy toward yeshiva bochurim classified as draft dodgers — Commissioner Levy held a special high-level assessment regarding relations between the police and the chareidi community.

During the meeting, Levy reportedly stressed that responsibility for handling draft dodgers rests primarily with the IDF and the military police, while the Israel Police merely provides assistance, just as it does for other law enforcement agencies.

Senior police officials also claimed that despite current tensions, cooperation with the chareidi public remains ongoing and that regular channels of communication continue between police commanders, rabbonim, and public figures within the chareidi sector.

During the discussion, Levy also announced plans to hold meetings in the near future with heads of chareidi municipalities.

In addition, the commissioner instructed police officials to examine complaints that chareidim arriving at police stations to file reports are being detained, emphasizing that members of the public should be able to enter police stations, report crimes, and receive police services without fear.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the IDF had formally requested police assistance for proactive operations aimed at arresting chareidi draft dodgers beginning already in early June.

The request is currently under review by the police operations division, with ongoing discussions regarding the manpower needed for such operations.

{Matzav.com}

Following mounting backlash from the chareidi public over police conduct toward chareidi draft dodgers in recent weeks, Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy appears to be signaling a significant shift in policy.

According to reports, Levy is considering issuing new instructions to police officers not to arrest chareidim obligated to enlist if they come to police stations in order to file complaints or receive police services.

The apparent reversal comes after sharp criticism from chareidi leaders and politicians, including recent decisions by chareidi Knesset members to suspend cooperation with the Israel Police over the handling of arrests involving yeshiva bochurim.

In what many viewed as a conciliatory statement released Wednesday evening, the Israel Police emphasized its longstanding relationship with the chareidi community and outlined a series of directives issued by the commissioner following a special assessment meeting regarding police cooperation with the sector.

According to the official statement, responsibility for handling draft dodgers belongs primarily to the IDF and the military police.

“The mission of handling draft dodgers rests with the IDF, through the military police, which determines arrest targets and is responsible for detention and adjudication, while the police merely provides assistance, just as it assists other enforcement agencies,” the statement said.

The practical implication, according to observers, is that the Israel Police may avoid independently initiating enforcement actions against chareidi draft dodgers, leaving such operations primarily in military hands.

The police statement further stressed that cooperation between law enforcement and the chareidi sector has existed for many years.

“The police has worked together with the chareidi sector in cooperative efforts for many years,” the statement said.

Officials also highlighted what they described as ongoing dialogue between police commanders and rabbonim throughout the country.

“There is continuous dialogue and communication through commanders at all levels, both routinely and during exceptional situations. In addition, ongoing communication exists between the police rabbinate and rabbis in the districts, Border Police, and various divisions, together with rabbonim from the chareidi sector.”

The statement added that the police has invested significant efforts in adapting police services to the chareidi public and plans to continue those efforts.

“The police acted to make police services more accessible to the chareidi sector and continues to adapt police stations to the sector.”

Levy also reportedly instructed the police rabbinate to hold more frequent meetings with rabbonim from across the chareidi spectrum.

“The commissioner instructed the police rabbi to hold frequent meetings with rabbonim from the chareidi sector, from all factions.”

In addition, Levy is expected to meet soon with heads of chareidi municipalities.

“The commissioner will soon hold a meeting with heads of chareidi local authorities.”

The statement further announced that the deputy commissioner will lead a special team together with the police rabbinate to strengthen ties and cooperation with the chareidi public.

“The commissioner instructed the deputy commissioner to lead a team together with the police rabbinate to strengthen relations and cooperation with the chareidi sector.”

The most closely watched portion of the announcement, however, involved complaints from yeshiva bochurim and other chareidim obligated to enlist who reportedly avoided entering police stations out of fear they would immediately be detained.

According to the police statement, Levy specifically ordered officials to examine the issue.

“The commissioner instructed that the issue of detaining complainants who arrive at police stations for the purpose of filing complaints be examined, in order to allow the chareidi public to come to police stations, expose crimes, and receive proper police services.”

The move comes after growing reports that crime victims classified as draft dodgers have avoided filing police complaints out of concern they could be arrested and transferred to military authorities upon entering police stations.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has been working behind the scenes in recent days to broker a renewed alliance between the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties in an effort to prevent right-wing votes from being lost below the electoral threshold, according to a report Wednesday evening on Channel 14.

Under the proposal, Netanyahu is offering Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich two guaranteed reserved spots on the Likud list for the next Knesset election in exchange for agreeing to run on a joint slate led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The initiative is reportedly part of a broader political strategy by Netanyahu, who recently asked senior Likud officials and local party leaders to approve ten reserved slots on the party’s future Knesset list.

According to reports, Netanyahu explained in internal discussions that the reserved positions are necessary to maintain stability within the broader right-wing bloc. One of those slots has already reportedly been promised to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar as part of political agreements reached with him.

Netanyahu also reportedly emphasized that another reserved position is intended specifically to avoid a repeat of past elections in which right-wing parties failed to cross the electoral threshold, resulting in significant losses for the bloc.

Sources familiar with the talks said Netanyahu described the two guaranteed spots for Smotrich as a political “incentive” aimed at persuading him to show greater flexibility and move toward reunification with Ben-Gvir.

According to the emerging framework being discussed, Ben-Gvir would head the united list, while Religious Zionism would receive roughly 40 percent of the slate through a “zipper-style” arrangement or another similar formula dividing representation between the two factions.

{Matzav.com}