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An Iranian-linked hacking collective said Sunday that it had gained access to the cellphone of Tzachi Braverman, chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and warned that it would soon publish material it says connects him to the so-called Qatargate affair.

The group, which operates under the name Handala, asserted in an online post that it had penetrated an iPhone 16 Pro Max belonging to Braverman and planned to disclose details later in the day regarding his alleged role in the controversy that has shaken Netanyahu’s inner circle.

Handala had already claimed momentum last week, when it said it had successfully hacked the phone of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett.

Among the initial materials released by the hackers were files they say include contact information for senior officials and other figures close to Netanyahu, including his wife, Sara Netanyahu.

Additional content circulated by the group appeared relatively mundane, consisting of videos and official paperwork, including a document outlining emergency protocols established during the June conflict with Iran.

The hackers dubbed the effort “Bibi Gate,” a label seemingly intended to echo the wider scandal they claim to be exposing.

Responding to the allegations, the Prime Minister’s Office said there was no evidence of a successful intrusion. “No breach has been found. The issue is being investigated.”

In more inflammatory language, Handala asserted that it possesses extensive sensitive material. “We have everything: encrypted chats, hidden deals, shameful moral and financial indulgences, abuse of power, blackmail, payoffs. For years, you performed your little dance, thinking Handala was not among you. But we were in the room, every time,” the group claimed.

In a further message, the hackers warned that additional disclosures were imminent. “The files, the voices, the videos, every thread of Braverman’s double life, every secret that ties your regime to the heart of corruption, are about to surface,” Handala wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed Israel on Sunday for a closely watched visit to Florida, where he is set to meet President Donald Trump amid mounting pressure over the future of the Gaza Strip and escalating concerns about Iran and Hezbollah. In an unusual and conspicuous departure from protocol, Netanyahu left Ben Gurion Airport […]

JUST IN: Two helicopters have reportedly collided in the town of Hammonton, in southern New Jersey. Reports of fatalities.

Her devoted father learns and teaches in the Mir Yeshiva, and the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Ezrachigives a special bracha to all who donate.

Demonstrators affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi began protesting Monday afternoon on Route 4 near Bnei Brak, as part of a renewed wave of demonstrations announced earlier in the day over the continued arrest of yeshiva students. Within a short time, the highway was blocked to traffic in both directions, prompting police to declare the protest […]

TRUMP: I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 PM today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The meeting will take place in the main dining room of Mar-a-Lago. Press is invited. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT

Turkey has released footage of two Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned fighter aircrafts flying a fully autonomous close-formation mission, demonstrating next-generation AI-based flight capability. The KIZILELMA platform is a jet-powered, carrier-capable combat aircraft designed to take off from naval vessels, use advanced radar and sensor systems to track targets, and future variants are expected to reach supersonic […]

Sen. Ron Johnson on the staggering Somali fraud exposed in Minnesota: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Plain clothes Israel Police officer kicks unarmed chareidi protestor in the head multiple times.

Calls for a more forceful state response to declining vaccination rates were voiced Sunday by senior figures in Israel’s healthcare system, who warned that persuasion alone is no longer working and that firmer action is required.

Professor Doron Netzer, Head of the Community Medicine Department at Clalit Health Services, said that public information campaigns have not delivered the needed results and that escalation is unavoidable. “If we don’t make it mandatory for the public to vaccinate, we won’t reach the necessary vaccination rate,” he said.

Similar concerns were raised by Dr. Eran Rotman, deputy CEO of Maccabi Health Services, who argued that the government must adopt steps that have so far been avoided. He framed the issue as one that goes beyond policy and enters the realm of values. “A parent who doesn’t vaccinate their children is endangering not only their own children but also those around them,” Rotman said.

The remarks were delivered at a conference organized by the Friends for Medicine organization, where health officials addressed what they described as a worrying drop in public compliance with vaccination guidelines.

Leumit Health Fund CEO Chaim Fernandes went a step further, urging consideration of financial consequences for those who refuse vaccines for themselves or their children. He suggested that benefits currently provided by the state could be reduced or withdrawn as a deterrent, including child allowances and tax credit points.

Fernandes explained that avoiding vaccination carries broader costs for society, saying, “When a person increases the risk of using the healthcare system and infecting others, it also has an economic implication.”

{Matzav.com}

Nancy Pelosi: Right now, Republicans in Congress have abolished the Congress. They just do what the president insists that they do. That will be over as soon as we have the gavel.

Secretary Turner: More research needs to be done on a 50 year mortgage and the other ideas that are being put forth…

Nancy Pelosi: January 6 was really sad in itself. But the sorrow of it also springs from the fact that this president is trying to rewrite history.

Asharq Al-Awsat reports that Israel recently carried out a covert operation in central Gaza City as part of the search for the last Israeli hostage still held in Gaza Israel Police officer Ran Gvili. According to the report, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist was allegedly kidnapped by Israeli special forces near Palestine Square and taken […]

A group of Iranian hackers claimed Sunday that it had hacked the cellphone of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and threatened to release material allegedly tying him to the explosive Qatargate affair that has already shaken the Prime Minister’s Office. In a series of posts on X, the Handala hack […]

Israel marked a major technological milestone Sunday morning with a formal event at a Rafael facility, where the IDF officially accepted the “Or Eitan” laser interception system into its arsenal. The platform is the first operational laser-based air defense system anywhere in the world, using high-powered laser beams to counter airborne threats.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Yisroel Katz hailed the breakthrough, saying the achievement “changes the rules of the game and sends a clear message to all our enemies: do not test us-neither in nearby arenas nor in distant ones. Anyone who does will pay a heavy price.”

The system is the product of close collaboration between Rafael and the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development. According to defense officials, it has already undergone an extensive testing program, during which it successfully intercepted rockets, mortar fire, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Amir Baram, Director General of the Ministry of Defense, described the handover as a turning point for the project, noting that it represents the move from research and development into full-scale, serial production.

Once operationally deployed, “Or Eitan” is slated to become part of Israel’s layered air defense framework, augmenting existing systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow missile defense array.

Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar emphasized the strategic importance of the system, calling it a significant accomplishment and the result of years of sustained cooperation focused on strengthening Israel’s defensive capabilities.

An emotional moment came during the ceremony when Dov Oster, one of the system’s developers and the father of the late Capt. Eitan Oster—who was killed in action in southern Lebanon and for whom the system is named—recited Shehecheyanu.

Rafael Chairman Dr. Yuval Steinitz summed up the historic nature of the moment, stating, “Today, Israel becomes the first country in the world to field an operational laser defense system. This is a global scientific breakthrough made possible by Rafael’s unique adaptive optics technology.”

{Matzav.com}

With the end of January approaching and a possible government shutdown on the horizon, President Donald Trump renewed his call for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, arguing that the rule is standing in the way of progress. “The filibuster is hurting the Republican Party,” he said in an interview with Politico. “If you get rid of the filibuster, you’re not going to have a shutdown.” He added that without it, “you can do everything.”

Trump went further, saying that major policy goals would be easier to achieve if the procedural hurdle were removed. “You can do great healthcare if you get rid of the filibuster,” he said. “We can do everything we want.” Despite those comments, a number of Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, continue to support keeping the filibuster, describing it as an important safeguard that encourages bipartisan cooperation. Ending it would also clear the way for other Republican initiatives, such as voter ID legislation.

In the same interview, Trump argued that the political stakes of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections will largely hinge on economic issues, particularly prices. He said voters will judge the election based on the direction of the country. “I think it’s going to be about the success of our country,” Trump said, speaking to Politico in an interview conducted Friday.

Trump placed responsibility for recent cost-of-living pressures on Democrats under Joe Biden, while insisting his administration is reversing that trend. “They gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down,” he said.

Recent economic data has bolstered the administration’s argument. Over the past two weeks, a string of reports has suggested inflation is easing, a point the White House has emphasized as Americans continue to voice concerns about affordability. A Politico poll conducted last month found that many people still view everyday expenses — including groceries, utilities, healthcare, housing, and transportation — as too high.

Trump pushed back on that perception, citing falling energy-related costs. He said in the interview that “electricity is down. It’s way down.” He linked those declines to broader energy trends, explaining, “When the gasoline goes down, and when the oil and gas go down, the electricity comes down naturally.” He added, “But it’s all coming down. It’s all coming down. It’s coming beautifully.”

Pointing to broader economic growth, Trump highlighted new GDP figures released Wednesday. “You saw the 4.3%?” he said, referring to data showing the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025. He claimed the numbers triggered a strong reaction from political opponents, saying, “The Democrats were exploding. Their heads were exploding.”

Inflation data also showed improvement, with the Labor Department reporting that the consumer price index rose at an annual rate of 2.7% in November, the smallest year-over-year increase since July. Trump has cited those figures as further evidence that his administration is steering the economy in the right direction ahead of the next election cycle.

{Matzav.com}

Iran has launched three advanced Earth-observation satellites — Zafar-2, Paya, and Kowsar-1.5 — into low-Earth orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur region. The satellites are intended for imaging and data-transmission missions.

Israel’s former Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, sharply criticized the conduct of the Israeli military police regarding the arrest of yeshiva students, charging that the enforcement is discriminatory and disproportionately targets Sephardic youth.

Speaking last night at the start of his weekly shiur at the Yazdim Shul, Rav Yosef addressed what he described as a clear pattern in the recent initiated arrests, noting that all detainees thus far have been from Sephardic backgrounds.

During his remarks, Rav Yosef commented pointedly on the issue, turning to the guest rov next to him and saying: “The rov lives in France. If he were living in Israel, he would learn from the authorities to arrest only Sephardim. There is discrimination. Baruch Hashem, he is in France — there, there is no discrimination.”

Rav Yosef also referenced a recent meeting he held last week with Avraham Malul, a talmid at Yeshiva Or Yehuda, who had been arrested and jailed after being classified as a draft evader and was later released.

Addressing the matter further during the meeting, Rav Yosef said: “Unfortunately, we see that they are mainly arresting Sephardic boys, residents of the periphery. Hashem should save us.”

In recent months, Rav Yosef has repeatedly spoken out on the issue during his weekly shiurim, delivering especially forceful criticism of the nighttime arrests. In one such address, he said: “They are arresting mainly Sephardim. They know the mother is weak, the father is weak. You need to strengthen yourselves. What is this, Russia? Is this a communist regime? Bolsheviks? They go and arrest yeshiva boys in the middle of the night, banging loudly on the door. If they knock, look through the peephole. You need to be strong. Hashem should help that this period pass. It is a very difficult period.”

The criticism was echoed by Rav Yehuda Cohen, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah of Shas and rosh yeshiva of Be’er HaTalmud, who spoke in particularly blunt terms. “Listen — all of those arrested are Sephardim only. Only Sephardim!” he said. “Those who choose them in all those parties should know well how much they love Sephardim.”

He added: “They don’t dare arrest Ashkenazim — only Sephardim. I already said two years ago: they are Ashkenazim, they will never touch them. Only the Sephardim. They think we are nothing, absolutely nothing.”

{Matzav.com}

Palestinians entering Israel illegally were seen near the Atarot area and the Palestinian town of Al-Ram the same area from which the terrorist who carried out last Friday’s terrorist attack entered Israel.