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As the winter zeman begins, Yeshiva Ateres Yisroel has unveiled a remarkable restoration: the yeshiva’s centuries-old Aron Kodesh, originally crafted in Italy more than 200 years ago, has been meticulously refurbished and magnificently refinished.

The Aron Kodesh, estimated to be around 250 years old, was built in Galicia by a Jewish artisan named Cohen. Just before the outbreak of World War II, it was transferred to the United States, where it served a Jewish congregation that later became Reform. Eventually, the Aron found its way into a local church, until, years later, the priest of the church discarded it.

At that very moment, a Jewish woman happened to see the discarded Aron and rescued it from the trash. She safeguarded the dismantled structure for decades, preserving each piece with care. About ten years ago, the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi zt”l, had the Aron brought to Eretz Yisroel. Skilled craftsmen from the Israel Museum dedicated half a year to restoring it, reviving its splendor before it was installed in the yeshiva’s bais medrash in Bayit Vegan.

When the yeshiva relocated to Modiin Illit about seven years ago, the antique Aron was moved as well. Now, for the winter zeman, the Aron Kodesh has once again undergone a careful renovation, preserving its historical charm while renewing its beauty for the next generation of bnei Torah.

{Matzav.com}

During a proactive operation conducted by police and Border Police officers in Ramla, Lod, and Kafr Qasim, officers uncovered various weapons, including pipe bombs, handguns, grenades, ceramic vests, and a large quantity of ammunition. Two suspects were arrested.

Zohran Mamdani’s Democrat Socialists of America signed onto a statement calling to release Elias Rodriguez, the terrorist who executed two Jews in Washington DC last spring.

An Israeli citizen has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of involvement in a large-scale drug smuggling operation worth an estimated 90 million Hong Kong dollars — roughly $11.5 million USD, or about 38 million shekels.

According to reports from Hong Kong and Ynet, the 45-year-old suspect was apprehended by the Hong Kong Police Narcotics Bureau in the Hung Hom area of Kowloon, part of the city’s Special Administrative Region.

Police said the man, who entered Hong Kong in mid-October on a tourist visa, drew the attention of officers after behaving suspiciously outside an industrial building. A search of a nearby storage facility uncovered eight large cardboard boxes containing a substantial quantity of illegal drugs.

Authorities placed the man under arrest, and he is currently being held in custody. He is expected to appear before the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court, where prosecutors are set to file two counts of “trafficking in dangerous drugs.”

Under Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, a conviction for drug trafficking carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to 5 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 2.1 million shekels).

{Matzav.com}

The Hamas terror organization has reportedly told international mediators that it can recover the remains of seven to nine hostages buried beneath Gaza’s rubble, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat.

Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas knows exactly where at least eight deceased hostages are located and could easily retrieve them. However, there may be challenges in locating as many as five others whose bodies are believed to be trapped under collapsed structures.

The statement from Hamas came after President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the group, demanding swift action. “Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” Trump said, setting a 48-hour deadline.

He added, “Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not.” Trump made clear that patience was running thin, emphasizing that Hamas would be judged by its response. “Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”

Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera that the group had “told the mediators months ago that there are problems in searching for them because Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried. In some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried. There is American understanding of this issue, and we have made it clear.”

He claimed Hamas was conducting intensive efforts to find the bodies. “Over the past week and the week before, after the release of the live hostages, there has been intensive and unusual work. Israel is monitoring these efforts,” he said.

Al-Hayya accused Israel of exploiting the situation for political purposes, asserting that the controversy over the bodies was being used as “a pretext.” “The problem today is not a real problem, but an excuse on Israel’s part,” he alleged. “Our brothers are working in broad daylight, digging with outdated and very weak equipment, and continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground. Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”

While Hamas continues to claim it is unable to reach some of the sites, Israeli defense and intelligence officials maintain that the terror group is withholding the bodies intentionally. On Thursday morning, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior officials from the IDF Intelligence Directorate briefed US Vice President JD Vance at the Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv on the latest intelligence.

According to Kan 11 News, the Israeli delegation informed the Vice President that Hamas possesses the capability to recover at least ten of the thirteen bodies of hostages currently held in Gaza — and could do so without any foreign assistance if it chose to act.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump delivered a stark message to Vladimir Putin on Monday, responding to the Russian leader’s boast about testing a so-called “invincible” nuclear missile. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for Japan, Trump declared, “They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shore.”

Putin had proudly announced over the weekend that Russia had completed a successful 8,700-mile, 15-hour test flight of its latest nuclear-powered missile—a weapon Moscow has dubbed a “flying Chernobyl” for its unlimited range and potential to strike anywhere, including the United States.

Trump made clear that he viewed Putin’s remarks as reckless and provocative. “They’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” he said, emphasizing his demand that Russia immediately bring its war in Ukraine to a close.

“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying. By the way, he ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its, soon, fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump added, criticizing the Kremlin’s fixation on weapons demonstrations while the conflict continues to devastate Ukraine.

As tensions mount, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his pleas for Washington to send long-range missiles, arguing that only greater military pressure can compel Moscow to negotiate peace.

Zelensky welcomed Trump’s new round of sanctions on Russia, expressing hope that the measures would have a real impact. “President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles,” he told Axios on Sunday.

{Matzav.com}

NOT ONLY A JIHADIST, BUT A LIAR AS WELL: It has been revealed that the “aunt” Zohran Mamdani shed fake tears over, claiming she stopped riding the subway after 9/11 because she didn’t feel safe wearing her hijab, neither wore a hijab nor lived in New York City at the time; she lived in Tanzania.

At the gates of Prison 10, thousands of children joined their rabbeim in emotional tefillos, reciting Tehillim and Selichos. Many wore hats bearing incarcerated Yeshiva Bochur Shamai’s photo and a call for his release — part of a campaign echoing the hostage release efforts that have stirred wide public debate.

Under the direction of HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, thousands of cheder students from the Ateres Shlomo network, led by HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, gathered Monday morning outside Prison 10 to protest the arrest of Yeshiva Bochur Ariel Shamai.

Trump on the Democrat shutdown: “Democrats are holding it up. They want $1.5T for… illegal aliens that come into our country… That will really hurt the health care that we have in the country and, frankly, we’d like to see better health care — period.”

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a powerful Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 160 mph and a central pressure of 917 millibars. The storm is expected to make landfall in Jamaica late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

President Trump said one of the most difficult countries to deal with has been Canada, accusing it of running a “fake ad” that he called “dirty pool.” He noted that Canadian officials apologized and agreed to take the ad down, but claimed they allowed it to air for two more nights before finally removing it. […]

Twelve heavy digging machines arrived in Gaza from Egypt yesterday to help clear rubble and reopen roads as part of ongoing reconstruction and humanitarian efforts.

Multiple U.S. Navy warships have been spotted operating near Venezuela’s shores, a move reportedly aimed at monitoring regional security and deterring illicit activities such as drug trafficking and arms smuggling. The deployment also underscores Washington’s continued pressure on the Maduro government amid ongoing political tensions and concerns over Venezuela’s growing military cooperation with Russia and Iran.

The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt this morning using a drone. Troops located and downed the drone after it crossed the border, discovering it was carrying two assault rifles and ammunition. According to the military, there have been frequent attempts over the past year to smuggle weapons […]

The Hamas terror organization asserts that it is still struggling to locate the remains of deceased hostages, even though Israeli intelligence holds that the group is aware of nearly all burial locations.

Senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera on Sunday night that the organization had already informed mediators months ago of the difficulties they were facing in finding the bodies. “We told the mediators months ago that there are problems in searching for them because Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried. In some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried. There is American understanding of this issue, and we have made it clear,” he said.

He added that on-the-ground work to recover the remains has been ramped up: “Over the past week and the week before, after the release of the live hostages, there has been intensive and unusual work. Israel is monitoring these efforts.”

Al-Hayya also charged Israel with misusing the burial retrieval issue as a bargaining chip in cease-fire negotiations. “The problem today is not a real problem, but an excuse on Israel’s part,” he contended. “Our brothers are working in broad daylight, digging with outdated and very weak equipment, and continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground. Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official declared last week that it is in fact Hamas that is deceiving Israel, the mediators, and the United States. The official asserted that Hamas is capable of returning at least eight more bodies, but is deliberately postponing to gain leverage. In recent days, the group conveyed that it would deliver more remains, then repeatedly failed to follow through.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump made it clear Monday that he won’t consider joining Vice President JD Vance’s ticket as a running mate in an effort to bypass the Constitution’s two-term presidential limit. However, he left no doubt that his political ambitions are still alive—hinting at a possible return to the campaign trail in 2028, where he mused about facing off against New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The question arose aboard Air Force One, where a reporter asked about comments made by Steve Bannon suggesting a covert strategy to challenge the 22nd Amendment’s restrictions. Trump laughed off the idea but admitted his continued enthusiasm for politics. “I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever, it’s very terrible, I have my best numbers,” he remarked while en route to Tokyo for meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

With his approval rating hovering around 45.1% according to RealClearPolitics, Trump has repeatedly toyed with talk of another run. He’s even distributed “Trump 2028” hats to visitors, blending humor with a clear message that his influence within the Republican Party remains strong.

Meanwhile, Bannon, Trump’s onetime chief strategist, fanned speculation with bold predictions. In an interview with The Economist, Bannon claimed, “he’s going to get a third term… at the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. But there’s a plan.”

Trump, however, rejected the notion of skirting the Constitution by running as Vance’s vice president and later stepping in as president through resignation. “I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right,” he told reporters.

He went on to praise potential future Republican leaders, saying he could envision a ticket featuring Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling them “unstoppable.” Still, Trump kept the spotlight partially on himself, taking aim at prominent Democrats. “All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t. They have [Texas Rep.] Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. They have AOC who is low IQ. You give her an IQ test, have her pass the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed, I took very hard,” he said.

“Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump,” he added confidently.

Although Trump told CNBC in August that he would “probably not” pursue a third term, his March interview with NBC told a different story, when he stated he was “not joking” about running again.

During the same flight, Trump also mentioned undergoing an MRI scan as part of his annual medical checkup, assuring reporters that “it was perfect.” If he does make another bid for the White House, he would be 82 at the conclusion of his current term and 86 at the end of a third term in 2033.

{Matzav.com}

Documents exposed by Kan News have revealed that Israel was fully aware that much of the Qatari money funneled into Gaza ultimately ended up in Hamas’s hands. Despite this, Israeli officials continued to maintain and even deepen their cooperation with Qatari intermediaries responsible for transferring the funds.

One of the central figures in these dealings was Maj. Gen. (res.) Kamil Abu Rukun, who at the time served as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Abu Rukun reportedly held regular meetings with senior Qatari officials in coordination with the cash transfers to Gaza.

The first document revealed by Kan was a 2020 letter signed by Ronen Levy — known by his nickname, Ma’oz — who then held a senior position within Israel’s National Security Council and previously served in the Shin Bet. Levy, appointed by then–Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as Director General of the Foreign Ministry, was described as the key liaison managing the flow of Qatari funds.

In his flattering letter to Doha, Levy praised Qatar’s efforts:

“Qatar is tirelessly working to assist in the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip by providing economic support to its residents and leading civilian projects in electricity, infrastructure, healthcare, and general humanitarian aid.”

He further wrote:

“Humanitarian assistance continued throughout the coronavirus crisis. It was essential and improved the humanitarian situation in Gaza during that difficult period.”

That statement, Kan News noted, encapsulates the policy framework adopted by the Israeli cabinet in 2018 when it approved the transfer of cash suitcases into Gaza — a move strongly defended at the time by then-Prime Minister Netanyahu.

In addition to Levy, Abu Rukun played a critical role in maintaining contact with Qatari envoys. According to the report, a second document obtained by Kan 11 shows that Qatari officials even issued Abu Rukun a type of “invoice” totaling six million dollars.

“The document serves as proof that the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza completed all the procedures according to the agreements,” wrote senior Qatari official Mohammed al-Emadi, who invited Israeli representatives to contact him directly with any further inquiries.

{Matzav.com}