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President Donald Trump said Monday that upcoming discussions in Qatar could prove significant—or they might not—while Washington and Tehran continued to give conflicting accounts about whether American and Iranian officials will actually meet face-to-face this week.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump struck an optimistic tone about the broader conflict with Iran, arguing that the military campaign has largely achieved its objectives while emphasizing that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the administration’s central goal.

“The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not,” Trump told reporters, adding, “We’re going to find out.”

President Trump said U.S. officials' planned efforts in Qatar this week would be "perhaps important, perhaps not" after Iran denied that its negotiators would be meeting with Americans in the Middle East.

"The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not," Mr.… pic.twitter.com/uKzBWl5AvD

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 29, 2026

Trump also declared, “We are winning militarily. It’s almost won militarily, I would say. And it’s really very simple. It’s the denuclearization of Iran. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. And they’ve agreed to that, in all fairness.”

His remarks came despite statements from Iranian officials denying that any direct negotiations with the United States are scheduled to take place in Qatar.

Tehran acknowledged that it is dispatching a team of experts to Doha later this week, but insisted the delegation’s mission is limited to discussing implementation of the recently signed memorandum of understanding with Washington rather than engaging in new bilateral negotiations.

“An expert delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran will travel to Doha later this week” to discuss the implementation of clauses of the memorandum, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Baghaei also rejected reports that negotiations with the United States were imminent, saying, “We have not yet entered the stage of negotiating a final agreement,” and adding that “over the coming days, we will not have any negotiation meetings with the US side at any level.”

The differing statements come just one day after a Trump administration official said the United States and Iran had agreed to temporarily de-escalate following an exchange of fire near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

A separate U.S. official also said Washington and Tehran had agreed to hold another round of discussions in Doha on Tuesday, further highlighting the conflicting public messages coming from both governments.

Tensions flared over the weekend when U.S. forces launched two separate strikes against Iranian positions in the Strait of Hormuz after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Following those operations, Trump warned that the United States was prepared to escalate its military response if Iran continued to breach the ceasefire.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!” Trump wrote.

He added, “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of bochurim from Biala’s yeshiva ketanah were honored this week at a grand maamad celebrating their dedication to Torah study, as the Biala Rebbe delivered an inspiring address that included a memorable story about his father, the Mevaser Tov of Biala, illustrating the supreme value of filling one’s mind with Torah.

The event, titled “Kavod HaTorah V’Lomdeha,” was held Monday evening, the eve of the 8th of Tammuz, at the Beis Vizhnitz Hall in Bnei Brak. Led by the Biala Rebbe and attended by the rashei yeshivah, faculty members, and parents, the gathering paid tribute to hundreds of bochurim who had successfully completed examinations on the masechtos of Gittin, Kiddushin, Bava Kamma, and Bava Basra.

The celebration marked the culmination of years of diligent Torah study during the yeshivah’s sedorim, as well as the students’ extra learning between sedorim and especially on Fridays and Shabbos Kodesh—days that the Mevaser Tov of Biala, zt”l, repeatedly urged should never be allowed to pass without Torah study.

Throughout the program, the bochurim were tested by leading gedolei Yisroel, most notably Harav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, who also participated in the event and praised the extraordinary achievements of the Biala students. Rav Stern recalled that on numerous occasions, before he had even finished asking a question, his home would already be echoing with the spirited Torah discussions of the young scholars, who answered every question with remarkable clarity and precision.

The audience also heard an address from the mashgiach ruchani, Harav Yoel Daskal, who explained that although the gathering was intended to recognize years of hard work in Torah, its primary purpose was not to celebrate the past but to inspire the future. The accomplishments of the past, he noted, are limited by time, pages, and masechtos, whereas the opportunities for future growth in Torah are limitless.

The keynote address was delivered by the Biala Rebbe, who expressed gratitude to the Vizhnitz institutions, headed by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, for generously making the hall available in honor of Torah.

During his remarks, the Rebbe shared a powerful anecdote from the life of his father, the Mevaser Tov, to illustrate the lofty aspirations every bochur should have.

“My father, the Rebbe, zt”l, once asked me to write our home’s telephone number in a prominent place. ‘People ask me what our telephone number is, and I don’t remember it,’ he told me. ‘Father,’ I replied, ‘you, who left no Mikra, Mishnah, Gemara, halachos, aggados, or sifrei Chassidus that you were not thoroughly familiar with—you can’t remember a telephone number?’ My father answered me: ‘It’s a shame for me to take up space in my head with a telephone number…'”

Participants remarked that the event was especially meaningful at a time when, they said, those who oppose Torah and its scholars have become increasingly vocal. Against that backdrop, they said, honoring those who devote themselves to Torah study was both timely and deeply inspiring.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of mourners filled the streets of Yerushalayim for the heartbreaking levayah of Reb Akiva Rand z”l, a beloved yungerman and prominent member of the Tchernobyl erkehillah who was tragically killed in a car accident in Moldova last Wednesday. Following intensive efforts by leading askanim to secure the release of his body and prevent an autopsy, he was brought to kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

The aron arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 11:00 p.m., where grieving family members gathered alongside the Tchernobyler Rebbe, to whom Reb Akiva was deeply devoted. Witnesses described the Rebbe accompanying the aron with heartrending tears. Members of the kehillah said that since learning of the tragedy, the Rebbe had scarcely rested, personally overseeing every aspect of the effort to support the devastated family while working around the clock with prominent askanim to ensure the body was released without chalilah undergoing an autopsy.

From the airport, the aron was transported shortly after 1:00 a.m. to the Tchernobyler bais medrash on Tuval Street in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood. It was there that Reb Akiva established his daily schedule of Torah learning and tefillah, where he was regarded as one of the chashuve avreichim and served faithfully as one of the gabbaim.

Despite the late hour, hundreds of residents and chassidim crowded the surrounding streets to pay their final respects. Friends described Reb Akiva as an exceptionally warm and compassionate individual whose kindness and sincerity made everyone feel like a close friend.

The first hesped was delivered by his grandfather, Rav Greenzweig of Yerushalayim, who tearfully recounted the unique bond he shared with his beloved grandson. He recalled that after Reb Akiva moved to Israel, he visited him regularly, faithfully assisting him in whatever he needed.

The grandfather then revealed a remarkable secret that had remained hidden for years. About two years earlier, Reb Akiva had approached him privately and asked to celebrate a personal siyum haShas marking the completion of the entire Bavli. He begged his grandfather not to tell anyone. Reb Akiva explained that he had accepted upon himself the commitment to complete Shas during the COVID period, and, boruch Hashem, fulfilled it entirely in secret, without even his closest family members knowing.

Rav Aharon Twersky, rav of the Tchernobyler community in Yerushalayim, followed with an emotional hesped, mourning the tremendous loss suffered by the kehillah. He described Reb Akiva as someone who greeted every avreich, bochur, and child with warmth, encouragement, and generosity. He noted that Reb Akiva was known for his unwavering diligence in Torah study and was consistently among the first to arrive for tefillah. Rav Twersky urged those present to strengthen themselves spiritually in the wake of the tragedy, particularly in preserving the sanctity of the bais medrash—a cause especially dear to Reb Akiva, who had devoted enormous effort in recent months toward acquiring additional property to expand the bais medrash. He concluded by asking forgiveness on behalf of the entire community.

Reb Akiva’s father, Rav Mordechai Dovid Rand of London, spoke next through tears, describing his son as the emotional center of the family.

“He gave of himself completely for every single one of us. There was not a member of the family whose needs Reb Akiva did not care for with fatherly devotion. The heart refuses to believe the terrible and sudden tragedy that has befallen us.”

One of the evening’s most emotional hespeidim was delivered by Reb Akiva’s father-in-law, Rav Yosef Mordechai Weiss, rav of the Machzikei Hadas bais medrash in Switzerland. He shared the details of what became their final phone conversation—a conversation that now feels like a haunting farewell.

“Last week I came to Israel for a brief 24-hour visit. Because of flight schedules, I had to leave their home quickly at noon while Reb Akiva was learning in kollel, and we did not get to say goodbye. When I arrived at the airport, Reb Akiva called me and said these words: ‘Shver, I didn’t get to say goodbye to you, and now it’s already too late…’. A day later he flew to Moldova to visit the kivrei tzaddikim, and that is where the terrible tragedy occurred. Now we cry out to him those same words: ‘We didn’t get to say goodbye to you, and now it’s already too late!'”

Continuing through tears, his father-in-law described Reb Akiva’s extraordinary character and unwavering emunah. Married to his daughter for more than a decade, the couple endured five difficult years before being blessed with children. Throughout those challenges, he said, Reb Akiva constantly strengthened those around him with simple, unwavering faith, insisting that everything comes from Heaven for the good. That faith became evident when his young widow received the devastating news. According to her father, her immediate response was to proclaim “Shema Yisroel” and accept Hashem’s decree with remarkable strength.

He also recounted the innocent words of Reb Akiva’s six-year-old son, who, upon learning of his father’s passing, asked, “Why didn’t anyone tell me five minutes before it happened? I would have davened to Hashem, and I’m sure it wouldn’t have happened.”

His father-in-law described Reb Akiva’s disciplined daily routine, explaining that no matter the circumstances—even after the Seder night or family celebrations—he rose every morning at sunrise, at 5:30 a.m., without exception.

In closing, he thanked Hashem and the many dedicated askanim who worked tirelessly to return the body without an autopsy.

“We thank Hashem and all the devoted askanim who labored to return the body without an autopsy. The body is whole, but all of our hearts are shattered into pieces! Ascend to the Heavens and be a meilitz yosher for your widow and your three young orphans, including the baby daughter for whom you merited to make a kiddush only eight weeks ago in honor of her birth.”

He pledged, together with the mechutanim, to do everything possible to raise the orphaned children in the path of Torah and Chassidus.

Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, rav of the Ari Shebachaburah bais medrash, where Reb Akiva regularly davened, also delivered stirring words of tribute.

“Tzar li alecha achi, na’amta li me’od. The image of Reb Akiva holding the Sefer Torah with such devotion will never leave our hearts. That was his entire essence—completely attached to the holy Torah, and nothing else mattered to him in life.”

Additional hespeidim were delivered by Rav Shlomo Dovid Klein, one of the dayanim of the Machzikei Hadas Belz community in London, as well as by Reb Akiva’s brother and brother-in-law.

There was scarcely a dry eye among the mourners as Reb Akiva’s six-year-old son, in a faint trembling voice, recited “Boruch Dayan HaEmes” and then said Kaddish for his father, leaving the massive crowd overcome with emotion.

The levayah then proceeded through the streets of Yerushalayim toward Har HaMenuchos, where Reb Akiva was laid to rest amid anguished cries from his family, friends, and the many chassidim who accompanied him on his final journey.

Participants said Yerushalayim had not witnessed such an outpouring of grief in a long time. Hundreds of mourners filled the streets, many openly weeping over the tragic loss of a young man whose warmth, radiant smile, and sincere love for every Jew left an unforgettable impression on all who knew him.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, a new national survey reveals a sharp partisan divide over how Americans view their country, with only eight percent of Democrats describing the United States as the greatest nation in the world.

The findings come from the latest weekly Economist/YouGov poll, which measured Americans’ views of the country’s standing relative to the rest of the world.

Overall, most respondents gave the United States a favorable ranking. Twenty-five percent said America is “the greatest” country, while another 20 percent described it as “among the greatest.” An additional 12 percent said it is “better than average.” On the other end of the spectrum, 12 percent rated the country as “worse than average,” nine percent said it is “among the worst,” and four percent called it “the worst.”

Political affiliation produced some of the survey’s most dramatic differences. Republicans overwhelmingly expressed pride in the country, with 52 percent calling America the greatest nation on earth. Another 28 percent said it ranks “among the greatest.”

Democrats viewed the country far less favorably. Only eight percent said America is the “greatest” country, while 16 percent classified it as “among the greatest.” Meanwhile, 23 percent of Democrats said the United States is “worse than average” compared to other nations, 15 percent labeled it “among the worst,” and four percent went even further, describing it as “the worst.”

Among Democrats, 13 percent characterized the country as “about average,” while another 13 percent said it is “better than average.”

The ideological divide was similarly pronounced. More than one-quarter of self-identified liberals—26 percent—rated America as “worse than average,” while a majority of conservatives, 53 percent, selected “the greatest” to describe the nation.

Voting patterns in the 2024 presidential election also reflected a stark contrast. Nearly one in four voters who supported Kamala Harris said the United States is “worse than average” relative to other countries, and 18 percent considered it “among the worst.” By comparison, 54 percent of Trump voters said America is “the greatest” country, while another 27 percent chose “among the greatest.” Not a single Trump voter surveyed described America as “the worst,” compared with five percent of Harris voters.

The poll was conducted between June 19 and June 22, 2026, among 1,679 respondents, as the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary celebrations and the launch of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.

The findings coincide with another recent Economist/YouGov survey that found nearly four in ten Democrats said they are “ashamed” to be American, further highlighting the deep partisan divide over national identity and patriotism.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Monday that his approval ratings have reached their highest level yet, arguing that Americans are responding positively to his administration’s efforts to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump pointed to what he described as record-high polling numbers while highlighting his administration’s hardline approach toward Iran.

“Highest Poll Numbers Ever,” Trump wrote. “Even Higher than Election Day, November 5th. This despite the fact that, IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”

Although Trump did not identify the survey he was citing, one possible reference is the Daily Mail/J.L. Partners poll released last week. That survey showed his job approval rising four percentage points to 47 percent, the highest level recorded for him in that poll during the current year.

The same poll found that 82 percent of Republican respondents approved of Trump’s performance in office.

Another possibility is a McLaughlin & Associates survey conducted from June 17 through June 23 among 1,000 likely midterm voters. That poll placed Trump’s overall job approval at 50 percent.

According to the Daily Mail, Trump’s approval rating had remained at 43 percent for the previous three months before increasing after the announcement of the Iran agreement and the subsequent stabilization of energy prices.

Trump has consistently maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is one of the central goals of his foreign policy. His Truth Social post reinforced that longstanding position.

The administration has continued its maximum-pressure strategy toward Tehran while insisting that Iran will never be permitted to develop nuclear weapons.

While it remains uncertain which specific poll Trump was referencing, both the Daily Mail/J.L. Partners survey and the McLaughlin & Associates poll rank among his strongest polling performances this year and come after a series of foreign policy achievements highlighted by the White House.

Overall presidential approval ratings continue to differ depending on the polling organization and methodology used, with several national surveys reporting lower numbers than those found by the Daily Mail/J.L. Partners and McLaughlin & Associates polls.

Trump’s latest Truth Social post is consistent with his frequent practice of spotlighting favorable polling data while arguing that public support continues to grow for his administration’s policies as Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed Monday that Qatar is preparing to release $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets, even as escalating military tensions in the Persian Gulf cast fresh uncertainty over ongoing negotiations between Tehran and the United States.

Pezeshkian’s announcement appeared aimed at convincing the Iranian public that the interim agreement with Washington is producing tangible benefits, despite growing instability in the region. His remarks came as efforts continue to keep commercial shipping moving through the Strait of Hormuz by routing vessels through Oman’s territorial waters.

The strategic waterway has become a flashpoint after Iranian attacks and repeated threats effectively halted the movement of cargo ships and oil tankers. Because roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas normally passes through the strait, the disruption has fueled a global energy crisis.

Although the Strait of Hormuz lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, it has long been regarded as an international shipping route. Over the past several days, Iran attacked vessels traveling near the Omani side of the passage on two separate occasions, prompting retaliatory U.S. airstrikes and raising concerns that negotiations to formally end the conflict could unravel. On Sunday, Iran also launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.

In comments carried Monday by the state-run IRNA news agency, Pezeshkian praised the interim agreement, describing it as “a great victory for the Iranian people.”

“Based on the plans made, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion of Iranian resources in Qatar will be released and returned to the country, and necessary follow-ups are being carried out,” he said. He did not elaborate.

Pezeshkian, considered a reformist within Iran’s ruling establishment, is the most senior Iranian official to publicly state that the Qatari-held funds are being released. Qatar, together with Pakistan, has played a central role in mediating negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Despite the Iranian president’s assertion, U.S. officials continue to insist that no frozen Iranian assets have been released. Qatar has likewise made no public acknowledgment of such a transfer. The claim also comes just days after Iran attacked a tanker carrying Qatari crude oil during the exchange of hostilities in the Persian Gulf.

At the same time, conflicting statements emerged over the status of the next round of U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Pakistan, one of the principal mediators, announced that talks were expected to resume Tuesday. The Trump administration said Sunday that discussions remain on schedule and that no meetings have been canceled, with technical negotiations expected to proceed in the coming days.

Iran, however, offered a sharply different account. Senior negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi denied that any formal talks had been scheduled.

“Although consultations with Qatar, including on following up on the implementation of the other side’s commitments, are continuing as usual, reports by some media about technical talks by the working groups being held in Doha are not confirmed,” he said.

Technical negotiations generally involve lower-ranking diplomats and specialists working through the detailed provisions of a potential agreement before senior political leaders from Iran and the United States meet to finalize broader terms.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that planning has been completed for the establishment of three new Jewish communities in northern Gaza and said construction could begin immediately if Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu grants final political approval.

The announcement followed a meeting between Smotrich and Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, during which the minister said the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Authority has finished all necessary preparatory work and is ready to move forward.

“The Settlement Authority in the Defense Ministry, led by me, has completed the staff work, and we are ready to establish three communities immediately, the moment we get the green light from the Prime Minister. I call on the Prime Minister: grant the approval, let’s finish the mission and restore true security for the residents of the south,” Smotrich said.

Smotrich argued that Israel must complete its military objectives in Gaza and maintain a permanent Jewish presence in the area to prevent future attacks. He noted that the IDF currently controls most of the Strip and said that military gains should be followed by civilian settlement.

He added that “the IDF is currently holding nearly 70% of the territory in the Gaza Strip. We have to complete the conquest of the remaining territory, defeat Hamas, and establish a strip of Jewish communities that will serve as a security belt for Sderot and the Gaza envelope communities. Wherever there is no settlement, there is no security. We are not returning to the pre-October 7th reality.”

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi voiced strong support for the proposal and praised Smotrich for his efforts on behalf of communities bordering Gaza. He recalled urging the minister to continue the military campaign until the threat from Hamas was eliminated.

“Finance Minister, thank you for all you do for the Gaza envelope. I was also one of those who called you and said, ‘Bezalel, fight,’ so that we wouldn’t stop fighting until we remove the threat from Sderot and the envelope. That is the minimum needed for the residents of the area to live securely.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior official in Israel’s State Attorney’s Office has acknowledged that prosecutors may need to reconsider the bribery charge against Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, following renewed comments from the judges presiding over his trial and after hearing Netanyahu’s testimony in court.

In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet, the senior official said the latest remarks by Jerusalem District Court Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman have prompted prosecutors to reexamine their position regarding the bribery allegation in Case 4000.

“The recommendation requires us to recalculate our course. It was made in the past as well, but it carries different significance after Netanyahu’s testimony,” the official said.

Judge Friedman-Feldman’s comments came during a hearing addressing the defense’s request to expand the testimony schedule to five days a week. She noted that the judges’ view has not changed since they first urged prosecutors in June 2023 to withdraw the bribery charge while continuing to pursue the breach of trust allegations in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000.

“We had not planned to say this, but after hearing the Prime Minister’s testimony, our position, as expressed in June 2023, remains unchanged,” Friedman-Feldman said during a hearing held today on expanding the defense’s witness schedule to five days a week.

The latest developments have fueled renewed speculation that the prosecution could ultimately abandon the most serious charge against Netanyahu, while continuing to pursue the remaining allegations in the long-running criminal proceedings.

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces announced that troops have completed the permanent sealing of the massive underground tunnel in southern Gaza where Lt. Hadar Goldin was held after he was killed and abducted by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Goldin, who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip and was kidnapped on August 1, 2014, was finally returned to Israel for burial in November 2025 as part of an agreement that secured the return of Israeli hostages. The IDF said the recovery was made possible through its prolonged military operations throughout Gaza.

Following the recovery of Goldin’s remains, the IDF Southern Command launched a large-scale engineering operation involving the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and Shayetet 13 naval commandos. During the mission, Israeli forces located the underground passage in southern Rafah where Goldin had been held in recent years.

Over the past three months, engineering units from the Gaza Division, together with Southern Command forces and the Yahalom special operations unit, carried out an extensive project to permanently seal the tunnel network. Stretching for more than 16 kilometers (approximately 10 miles), the tunnel was filled using more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete, bringing the operation to its successful conclusion.

According to the IDF, the underground complex served as a major Hamas command-and-control center and contained approximately 80 living quarters. It was used by the commander of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade to direct and coordinate terrorist operations.

The military also said the tunnel was constructed beneath densely populated civilian areas near the Philadelphi Corridor, passing underneath a residential neighborhood as well as mosques, kindergartens, medical clinics, a school, and a UNRWA clinic, highlighting what Israel says is Hamas’ longstanding practice of embedding its military infrastructure beneath civilian facilities.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump scored a major constitutional victory Monday after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad authority to remove officials leading independent federal agencies, dramatically expanding executive power and overturning a legal precedent that had stood for more than 90 years.

Reacting to the decision, Trump hailed the ruling as one of the most significant victories for presidential authority in American history.

“BIG WIN just moments ago at the Supreme Court, in the Slaughter Case, confirming Presidential Power in our Country to remove Executive Branch Officers and Agency Appointees, or Representatives, under Article II,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president went on to describe the 6-3 decision in emphatic terms.

“Historic and Unprecedented,” adding that it was “one of the most important ever given with respect to Presidential Powers.”

Trump also celebrated the ruling as a personal milestone for his presidency.

“It is such an Honor to be the sitting President who won this Historic and Unprecedented Ruling,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

At the heart of the case was Trump’s dismissal of Democrat Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter in March 2025 over policy disagreements. On Monday, the Supreme Court concluded that the firing was lawful, overturning its 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, which had long restricted a president’s ability to remove certain independent agency officials without cause.

According to Reuters, the ruling wipes away statutory job protections Congress enacted more than a century ago for FTC commissioners and substantially strengthens the president’s authority over executive branch personnel.

Before the Supreme Court intervened, lower federal courts had ruled in Slaughter’s favor, relying on the 1935 precedent that permitted Congress to insulate leaders of independent agencies from dismissal except for reasons such as neglect of duty or misconduct.

The Supreme Court rejected those rulings, holding that Article II of the Constitution grants the president broader constitutional authority to supervise and remove executive branch officials.

The decision is viewed as a major endorsement of the “unitary executive” theory, which has been championed by the Trump administration. That constitutional view maintains that executive power is vested in the president, who must have the ability to remove officials exercising executive authority.

Reuters noted that the justices emphasized their ruling should not be read as applying to the Federal Reserve, which the Court described as occupying a unique historical position distinct from other independent agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission is one of more than two dozen independent federal agencies whose commissioners have traditionally been protected by statutes limiting a president’s removal power.

Legal observers say the ruling could extend well beyond the FTC, potentially affecting agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board, whose members have likewise enjoyed statutory protections against dismissal.

During oral arguments, the Court’s liberal justices expressed concern that expanding presidential removal authority would undermine Congress’ longstanding goal of having politically independent experts oversee areas such as labor policy, consumer protection, and financial regulation.

The conservative majority, however, accepted the Trump administration’s position that the modern FTC exercises significant executive authority and therefore falls within the president’s constitutional power to direct and oversee the executive branch.

The ruling stands as one of the Court’s most consequential decisions on executive power in decades and marks another significant legal triumph for President Trump and his administration.

{Matzav.com}

The Boro Park community and the Gerer kehilla in New York are in mourning following the sudden petirah of Reb Pinchos Lieberman z”l, a widely respected askan and one of the veteran leaders of the chesed organization Bonei Olam. Reb Pinchos suffered a sudden cardiac event and was niftar at the age of 52.

The heartbreaking news spread Monday morning, leaving family members, friends, and countless community members in shock. Known for his tireless dedication to helping others, Reb Pinchos was regarded as one of the most prominent askanim in the Gerer community of Boro Park.

Reb Pinchos was born in London to Reb Reuven Yitzchok Lieberman, one of the distinguished Gerer chassidim in the British capital. Upon his marriage, he wed the daughter of Reb Michel Enden z”l.

For decades, Reb Pinchos was a familiar and beloved presence in Boro Park. He maintained close relationships with the neighborhood’s admorim and was admired for his warm smile, pleasant demeanor, and genuine kindness toward everyone he encountered.

Friends describe him as the embodiment of chesed, quoting the expression, “Shaif ail v’shaif nafik v’lo machzik tivusa l’nafshei“—one who tirelessly toils for others without seeking recognition or credit for himself. Quiet and humble by nature, he devoted himself to helping those in need while avoiding the spotlight.

His contributions to Bonei Olam were especially significant. As one of the organization’s veteran askanim, he played an active and energetic role in countless fundraising campaigns and initiatives, helping bring hope and joy to families facing infertility and other challenges.

His colleagues at Bonei Olam were devastated by the news.

“With broken hearts and bowed heads, we are forced to announce the sudden passing of one of our own, one of the veteran pillars among the askanim of Bonei Olam,” his friends wrote in a heartfelt tribute. “The sun set at midday. He was taken from us in an instant. His radiant smile and his warm, generous heart will be sorely missed in every future campaign and undertaking. Ovad chassid min ha’aretz.”

The levayah is scheduled to take place today at 5:00 p.m. at the Gerer bais medrash, located at 5310 18th Avenue in Brooklyn.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz declared Monday that Israel has no intention of pulling back from additional positions in southern Lebanon, insisting that the IDF will remain in place until Hezbollah is fully stripped of its weapons. He also revealed new details about U.S.-Israeli coordination, President Donald Trump’s role in shaping policy, and Israel’s preparations for the possibility of renewed war with Iran.

Reviewing the security situation on Israel’s northern border, Katz said the military has already completed the withdrawals it intends to make and that no additional territory will be relinquished beyond the two pilot areas already established.

“People should not hold their breath wondering where the next place Israel will withdraw from in Lebanon will be-because it will not happen until Hezbollah is disarmed. We have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but until Hezbollah lays down its weapons, we will not withdraw even one millimeter.”

Katz also discussed last Friday’s meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv with Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, saying the two agreed on Israel’s continued military posture across several fronts.

“I agreed with him that the IDF will not withdraw from the three security zones-in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.”

According to Katz, Hezbollah entered the conflict under intense pressure from Iran in an effort to reshape the strategic balance with Israel. He said U.S. diplomatic priorities later influenced Israel’s operational approach.

“When President Trump linked Iran and Lebanon, we stopped bringing down buildings in Beirut. Linking the two arenas is an American interest, and those are the constraints of our partnership with the United States. Had Lebanon not been linked to Iran, Hezbollah would have collapsed. We therefore moved to Plan B-expanding the Yellow Line security zone in southern Lebanon.”

Katz disclosed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump held five phone conversations before the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was finalized. While he participated in the first four discussions, he said the fifth call proved decisive.

“I wasn’t present for the fifth conversation, and the President applied pressure that ultimately resulted in linking the two arenas. From that moment on, civilians returned to southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah also reinforced its presence in the south.”

He also described how Israel ultimately approved the Beaufort military operation after additional consultations between senior leaders when an overnight meeting failed to produce agreement on launching a broader ground offensive. According to Katz, Washington was notified beforehand.

“There were concerns about friction with the United States, but they understood and accepted it.”

Despite international scrutiny, Katz said the campaign in southern Lebanon remains far from complete, with additional Hezbollah infrastructure still slated for destruction.

“We still have tunnels to destroy and demolish-for example, in the Beaufort Ridge, where we will use 500 tons of explosives, just as we destroyed the tunnels in Majdal Zoun overnight. The IDF captured the Ali a-Taher Ridge because of the tunnel threat, but there is no decision to capture Nabatieh. That would require mobilizing additional full divisions. Our objective is to demilitarize the entire Litani area of Hezbollah operatives and weapons.”

Describing conditions along the border, Katz said Hezbollah-controlled communities have been devastated during the fighting. He estimated that nearly every village in the central and western sectors has been destroyed, while roughly 73 percent of homes in the eastern sector have been demolished.

“The way to eliminate threats is to seize territory and destroy infrastructure,” he said.

He added that “200,000 residents of the Yellow Line have not returned to their homes and will not be returning. Warning fire will be used.”

Katz further argued that civilian life has effectively disappeared from those areas because of the war.

“the population is terror,” adding that thanks to the evacuation of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure, “the IDF is now operating in an area with no civilian population.”

While expressing hope that internal Lebanese forces may eventually capitalize on Hezbollah’s weakened position and dismantle the terrorist organization themselves, Katz stressed that Israel will continue occupying key security zones until Hezbollah is completely disarmed. He added that while the demand to remove Hezbollah from the Litani River area is geographic, the requirement that the organization surrender its weapons applies throughout all of Lebanon.

Turning to Iran, Katz warned that the current lull in fighting could end quickly and said Israel remains prepared for renewed conflict.

“There are two scenarios in which fighting will resume – a decision by President Donald Trump or Iranian missile fire. That could happen in two days.”

He said the IDF has already completed extensive preparations for independent military action against Iran, while making clear that Israel will not interfere with the diplomatic efforts currently being led by Washington.

“The IDF is preparing to operate independently in Iran under Operation Blue and White. The IDF is simply waiting for it. We have targets ready to strike in Iran, and the IDF is fully prepared and on alert, but we will not interfere with the President of the United States as he conducts his process with the Iranians.”

Katz argued that Iran’s long-term plans go well beyond missile attacks and include potential invasion scenarios, which he said reinforces Israel’s determination to maintain buffer zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza despite growing international pressure.

“Just the other day, a terrorist cell attempted to infiltrate communities in the Golan Heights, and the cell was neutralized thanks to the security zone,” he said.

Asked whether Israel had hoped to bring about the collapse of Iran’s ruling regime, Katz acknowledged that such an outcome was desired but ultimately did not occur.

“That was always an aspiration, and I wish it had happened. The Mossad did its job and prepared plans, but there were outside factors that did not act, and therefore it did not happen.”

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Mississippi’s election law permitting mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted for up to five days afterward, delivering a significant legal victory for Democrats and leaving similar ballot-counting procedures intact in numerous other states ahead of the midterm elections.

The Court ruled 5-4 that federal law does not require every ballot to be physically received by Election Day. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the Court’s three liberal justices in the majority, concluding that Congress never mandated a ballot receipt deadline tied to Election Day.

Writing for the majority, Barrett emphasized that election administration has historically been left largely to lawmakers rather than the judiciary.

“The Framers recognized the difficulty of crafting election laws ‘applicable to every probable change in the situation of the country,’” Barrett wrote in the majority opinion. “So instead of constitutionalizing election law, they decided that ‘a discretionary power over election’ needed to be lodged ‘somewhere.’”

She added that the Court could not rewrite statutes enacted by Congress.

“Suffice it to say, that power was not lodged in this Court. The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose.”

The dispute, Watson v. RNC, originated from a lawsuit filed in 2024 by the Republican National Committee along with several local Republican organizations challenging Mississippi’s policy of accepting ballots arriving within five days after Election Day, provided they were mailed on time.

The decision could have implications well beyond Mississippi. At least 13 states have comparable grace periods for mail ballots, while nearly 30 states permit certain categories of absentee or mail voters additional time to submit ballots. California has become particularly well known for extended ballot counting, with statewide races often remaining undecided for days or even more than a week after voting concludes.

Barrett also pointed to congressional language as further support for the majority’s interpretation of federal election law.

“The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received,” Barrett wrote. “The most recent amendment to the Presidential election-day statute bears this out. In 2022, Congress inserted the phrase ‘election day’ into that statute and marked that day as a specific Tuesday. It then created an exception: When States ‘modif[y] the period of voting.’”

She continued:

“That Congress defined ‘election day’ with reference to ‘voting’ indicates that ‘voting’ is the act governed by the statute.”

President Trump has consistently argued that ballots should not be counted after Election Day, and his Justice Department supported the Republican National Committee’s challenge to Mississippi’s law.

When the Court heard oral arguments in March, the justices appeared sharply divided over the issue. Several questioned whether invalidating Mississippi’s law might also cast doubt on longstanding early voting practices used across the country.

“It just seems inconceivable that on the basis of this kind of evidence, we would reject these practices that are so entrenched in 30 states,” liberal Justice Elena Kagan said at one point.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson likewise expressed skepticism toward the RNC’s position, suggesting that any changes to election law should come from Congress rather than the courts.

“The worry is that you want this court to decide the case rather than have Congress do it.”

Four conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh — dissented from the ruling. In his dissent, Alito argued that federal law plainly establishes a single Election Day and that ballots arriving afterward should not be included in the final tally.

“If ballots received after election day are added to the set of ballots that dictate the election’s outcome, the electorate’s choice does not occur on election day, and the federal election-day statutes are violated,” he wrote.

Alito also rejected the majority’s interpretation that the law simply requires voters to cast their ballots by Election Day.

“But if that is all that the election-day statutes require, there is no sense in which the electorate as a whole can be seen as making its choice on election day,” he contended.

The ruling comes as President Trump continues urging Congress to tighten federal election laws, including restrictions on mail-in voting and a nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirement for federal elections. Among the measures he has championed is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, legislation that has yet to advance through the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Despite growing frustration within the chareidi community, voters are still expected to head to the polls in large numbers when Israel next goes to elections, according to Tzuriel Sharon, head of the Direct Polls Institute.

Speaking in an interview on Kol Chai Radio’s Hamahadura Hamerkazis, Sharon analyzed the latest political trends, discussing the balance between the coalition and opposition blocs, the rise of Gadi Eisenkot, the decline of Naftali Bennett, and the outlook for Shas and Yahadut HaTorah.

According to Sharon, Direct Polls’ latest weekend survey gives Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s coalition bloc 57 seats. The opposition reaches 63 seats only when the Arab parties are included in the calculation.

“Without the Arab parties,” Sharon said, “neither side is able to form a government.”

Sharon pointed to the continued rise of Gadi Eisenkot, who has surpassed the 20-seat mark for the first time in Direct Polls surveys. However, he believes the former IDF chief’s momentum is nearing its peak.

“For the first time he has reached the 20-seat range,” Sharon said. “In my assessment, he is approaching the ceiling of his growth. I don’t expect the numbers to continue rising dramatically.”

He said Eisenkot’s future prospects will depend on several factors, including the possible addition of Dedi Simchi and Yoaz Hendel to Benny Gantz’s camp, whether Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid ultimately unite, and whether a new right-wing party emerges that could draw moderate right-wing voters back from the center-left.

“I believe that, from the perspective of the center-left bloc, such a merger would actually be less effective electorally,” Sharon said.

Sharon also addressed the weakening position of Bennett and Lapid. He argued that talk of cooperation between the two emerged largely because Bennett’s support had fallen to 11 seats, Eisenkot had overtaken him in the polls, and Lapid was hovering near the electoral threshold.

He also suggested Bennett made a strategic mistake by launching his campaign too early.

“In my opinion, Bennett came out far too early,” Sharon said. “That causes the loss of a tremendous amount of momentum and energy.”

He noted that an effective election campaign generally lasts only two or three months, while the next election is still months away, making it difficult to maintain political momentum through October.

The discussion also turned to the chareidi parties. Direct Polls currently projects Shas with nine seats and Yahadut HaTorah with seven.

Sharon explained that Shas benefits not only from its chareidi base but also from three or four mandates worth of traditional Sephardic voters.

“There is one major player with his eyes on that electorate,” Sharon said. “His name is Itamar Ben Gvir.”

Regarding Yahadut HaTorah, Sharon acknowledged widespread disappointment among chareidi voters with their political representatives but predicted that dissatisfaction would not translate into lower voter turnout.

“There is certainly frustration and anger in the chareidi street,” Sharon said. “But I still believe the chareidim will come out and vote in large numbers in the next election.”

{Matzav.com}

Religious Zionism MK Tzvi Succot issued a stark warning about what he described as a growing security crisis within Israel’s Arab sector, claiming that the amount of illegal weaponry in Arab communities is ten times greater than the arsenal available to the Israel Police. He also sharply criticized the government’s handling of Arab educational institutions, accusing authorities of ignoring incitement while placing disproportionate scrutiny on chareidi schools.

Speaking in an interview, Succot said that during visits to eastern Yerushalayim and Umm al-Fahm, he encountered what he described as deeply troubling conditions within parts of the Arab educational system.

“I saw schools run by Hamas-affiliated organizations, schools that independently organize delegations for the Palestinian Authority, schools operating without licenses while inciting terrorism, and schools that invite designated terrorist organizations to address students,” he said.

Succot argued that the roots of terrorism, crime, and violence begin in the classroom.

“When you ask where crime comes from, where terrorism comes from, where violence comes from—it all begins with education,” he said.

According to Succot, the government continues to fund institutions that, in his view, fail to educate students toward loyalty to the State of Israel or cooperation with law enforcement, while avoiding meaningful enforcement measures.

“Dozens of schools in eastern Yerushalayim alone are operating without licenses and are inciting terrorism,” he claimed.

The lawmaker also addressed the broader issue of organized crime and illegal weapons, praising the work of the Israel Police while arguing that officers lack the necessary tools to confront the problem effectively.

“I have to say that, based on what I’ve seen, the police are doing an excellent job. The problem is that they simply don’t have the tools,” Succot said.

He then cited what he described as an alarming statistic.

“The amount of weaponry currently in the Arab sector is ten times greater than the amount of weapons in the hands of the Israel Police. That’s an unbelievable figure. It has already become an existential threat to the State of Israel.”

Succot warned that if violence similar to the disturbances during Operation Guardian of the Walls were to erupt again, Israel could face an unprecedented internal security challenge.

“If, chas veshalom, there is a Guardian of the Walls II tomorrow, I’m not aware of a single body in the State of Israel that is seriously preparing for such a scenario,” he said.

He argued that confronting the threat will require stronger legislation, tougher enforcement, and expanded powers for Israel’s security agencies.

During the interview, Succot was also asked about the controversy surrounding Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich’s recent assertion that his policies were responsible for the return of the hostages.

Succot defended Smotrich, saying the minister had opposed hostage deals that would have required Israel to make strategic concessions.

“We were the ones who stood firm,” Succot said. “Smotrich was the one who came forward and said, ‘There will be no surrender.’”

According to Succot, only after Hamas and the United States realized Israel would not agree to end the war on Hamas’s terms did an acceptable agreement become possible.

“When they understood there would be no surrender, and the Americans understood there would be no surrender, then there was a deal that brought everyone home without surrender,” he said.

He added that the IDF continues to operate freely throughout Gaza and maintained that Hamas has been unable to rebuild its military capabilities.

Looking ahead to Israel’s next election, Succot warned against efforts to divide the right-wing bloc, arguing that political opponents view internal divisions as the key to defeating the current coalition.

“The Left’s strategy in these elections is ultimately to split the right-wing camp,” he said. “Its goal is to sow hatred, division, and polarization within the right.”

He claimed that substantial resources would be invested in promoting such divisions.

Succot concluded by urging unity despite internal disagreements.

“We have to remain strong and understand that there are disagreements—of course there are—but we also have to remember the bigger picture,” he said.

“If the right-wing camp fractures, we will lose the government. In the end, they will trample both us and the chareidim.”

{Matzav.com}

Former hostage Or Levy launched a scathing attack Sunday evening against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich following remarks the minister made earlier in the day, accusing him of obstructing hostage deals and declaring that, had Smotrich’s policies prevailed, the hostages would still be in captivity.

Levy’s criticism came after Smotrich said in an interview that “thanks to” his policies, all of the hostages who have been freed so far had returned home.

In an unusually blunt social media post, Levy wrote:

“If, when you say ‘thanks to you,’ you mean that hostages were murdered while you torpedoed hostage deals, then yes. That’s what gaslighting propaganda is called. If it had been up to you, we still wouldn’t have come home today—for you, we’re collateral damage to your madness. I’ve said it before, and this time I’ll shout it: Bezalel Smotrich, you are a disgrace as a minister, a disgrace as a citizen, and a disgrace as a human being.”

Levy’s comments were a direct response to Smotrich’s appearance on journalist Nadav Perry’s podcast on the All In network, where the finance minister argued that his steadfast approach had been responsible for securing the release of the hostages who have returned from Hamas captivity.

The exchange follows previous public criticism by Levy of Smotrich. About two months ago, Levy condemned the minister after Smotrich said that forming a government with Mansour Abbas was “more serious than the October 7 massacre.”

Levy called that comparison “the cheapest and lowest thing that can be done.”

Reflecting on the October 7 attacks, Levy said they represented “perhaps the greatest disaster that has ever happened to us as a country—not only because it happened to me, but objectively as well.”

He continued by expressing outrage that, less than three years later, people were already minimizing the tragedy.

“And who’s minimizing it?” Levy asked. “Bezalel Smotrich.”

Levy went on to criticize the minister’s role in government, saying, “This is a minister in a government that’s supposed to protect us and keep us safe, and who wants to run again in another 170 days. When these things come from within our own home, what will people abroad say? What will Europeans say? They’ll say it never happened. Is that what we need—denial of October 7? Because ministers in our own government are the first to suggest it wasn’t a massacre. So how can we expect the world to stand with us? And if it’s not even considered a national tragedy, then it’s all just a mistake. Of course I’m furious.”

{Matzav.com}

A shocking act of vandalism at the Ridbaz Shul in Tzfas left the local chareidi community reeling on Sunday after an intruder allegedly entered the building and caused widespread destruction, tearing seforim, smashing light fixtures, breaking chairs, and extensively damaging the beis haknesses.

The Ridbaz Shul serves as the central beis haknesses for the city’s Litvishe community in southern Tzfas.

Shmuel Levy, the gabbai of the beis haknesses, said that the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m.

“When I arrived at the beis haknesses around 2:15, I saw complete devastation,” Levy said. “There were torn seforim, shattered light fixtures, broken chairs, and extensive destruction throughout the building. Even the shelter beneath the beis haknesses had been overturned and damaged, and glass cups in the restrooms had been smashed.”

According to Levy, bochurim from Yeshivas Revavos Ephraim, who regularly come to the beis haknesses to learn during their afternoon break, were the first to discover what had happened.

“When the bochurim arrived, they heard someone shouting inside the beis haknesses,” he recounted. “They went in and immediately saw the extent of the destruction. They called me right away, and by the time I arrived, they had already begun cleaning up.”

Community members believe the suspect may be a 16-year-old youth who they say was previously involved in another vandalism incident at a different beis haknesses in Tzfas.

Levy said the community has not yet filed a police complaint, explaining that they first want to determine whether the suspect is indeed the same individual believed to have been involved in the earlier incident. Once that determination is made, they will decide whether to involve law enforcement.

Members of the community expressed profound shock over the desecration of the beis haknesses and the damage inflicted on the seforim, expressing hope that the individual responsible will soon be identified and held accountable.

{Matzav.com}

Leaders of Israeli chareidi kindergarten networks are warning that thousands of families could face severe disruption when the next school year begins unless the Ministry of Education acts quickly to overhaul its funding model. They say widening budget shortfalls, combined with a growing shortage of qualified kindergarten teachers, have pushed the system to the brink, threatening the continued operation of many preschools across the country.

During a special panel discussion hosted by Kikar HaShabbos, Rabbi Yisroel Golomb, CEO of Agudas Yisroel’s kindergarten network; Yaakov Segal, CEO of the Gan Eitz HaDaas network; and accountant Avigail Shikovitzky painted a troubling picture of an educational system struggling each month to meet payroll while grappling with mounting deficits and no long-term government solution. Matzav.com provides a synopsis of select portions of the discussion, which was conducted in Hebrew.

Funding No Longer Covers Teacher Salaries

According to Rabbi Golomb, the heart of the crisis is the ever-widening gap between the salaries that kindergarten teachers are legally entitled to receive and the amount of funding provided by the Ministry of Education.

“We are legally obligated to pay teachers every shekel they are entitled to, but the funding we receive simply does not reflect the actual cost,” he said. “As a result, we are forced to cover enormous shortfalls with money we simply do not have.”

He stressed that the problem has grown far beyond an isolated financial challenge.

“We are not threatening to shut down kindergartens,” Rabbi Golomb said. “We’re simply reaching a point where we no longer have the financial ability to continue operating them under the current conditions.”

He noted that the crisis is especially severe in Modiin Illit, where many veteran kindergarten teachers with decades of experience are employed. Without a solution, he warned, thousands of children could be left without appropriate educational frameworks next year.

Experienced Teachers Becoming a Financial Burden

Shikovitzky explained that the current funding formula is based on salary averages that bear little resemblance to the reality on the ground.

“The funding is calculated according to much lower salary grades than what teachers actually earn,” she said. “When a teacher with 20 or 25 years of experience works in a kindergarten, the network has to absorb the difference between what the Ministry funds and what the teacher is legally entitled to receive.”

In communities with large numbers of veteran educators, she said, those funding gaps can create annual deficits amounting to millions of shekels.

“The absurdity is that the system effectively punishes networks that retain experienced, highly qualified teachers,” she said.

‘Nobody Wants to Replace a Veteran Teacher’

Segal rejected any suggestion that the kindergarten networks are trying to replace longtime teachers with less experienced graduates.

“We’re not looking to replace a teacher with 25 years of experience with someone who just graduated from seminary,” he said. “Quite the opposite. Veteran teachers bring experience, professional training, emotional maturity, and skills that simply cannot be replaced.”

The real problem, he argued, is that the funding model makes employing experienced teachers financially unsustainable.

“It is inconceivable that an educational system would tell a 40- or 45-year-old teacher that her career is effectively over simply because she costs more,” Segal said. “Yet that’s exactly the direction this system is pushing us.”

Fewer Young Women Choosing the Profession

Beyond the funding crisis, participants warned of a rapidly growing shortage of future kindergarten teachers.

According to the panelists, enrollment in kindergarten teacher training programs at chareidi seminaries has dropped dramatically in recent years. Programs that were once among the most sought-after have either closed entirely or are operating with only a handful of students.

“Young women see the uncertainty, the salary disparities, and the way the profession is being treated, and they’re choosing other career paths,” Segal said. “In a few years, we could be facing a genuine nationwide shortage of kindergarten teachers.”

He added that the problem extends well beyond the chareidi sector, noting that Israel’s entire educational system is already experiencing a growing shortage of qualified preschool educators.

Calls to Extend ‘Ofek Chadash’ Reform

One of the central issues raised during the discussion was the government’s failure to implement the Ofek Chadash educational reform in chareidi kindergartens.

Network administrators argued that a teacher in the state school system, despite having identical qualifications and performing essentially the same job, can earn thousands of shekels more than her counterpart in the chareidi system.

“We’re talking about the same professional training, the same work, and in some cases even kindergartens operating in the very same building,” Rabbi Golomb said. “There is no logical explanation for why one teacher receives all the salary benefits and reforms while another is left behind.”

They argued that extending the reform to chareidi kindergartens would significantly improve salaries and help restore the profession’s attractiveness.

Sick Leave Costs Also Unfunded

Segal also pointed to another growing burden: sick leave.

He said teachers receive all the benefits required by law, but the government funding provided to the networks does not fully reimburse those expenses.

“We pay every benefit the teachers deserve,” he said. “The problem is that there is no matching budget to cover those payments. It’s yet another expense that keeps adding to an already growing deficit.”

Appeal to the Ministry of Education

The panelists emphasized that they are not seeking across-the-board budget increases but rather a funding formula that accurately reflects actual employment costs.

Among their primary demands are individualized funding based on each teacher’s experience and qualifications, full reimbursement for salary components that currently go unfunded, and the immediate implementation of the Ofek Chadash reform for chareidi kindergartens.

“Everyone understands there’s a problem,” Rabbi Golomb concluded. “The officials know it, the Ministry of Education knows it, and the Finance Ministry knows the numbers. The only question is when that understanding will finally be translated into action. We’ve reached the limit of what we can absorb, and now the responsibility rests with the decision-makers.”

Without meaningful changes in the coming months, he warned, many kindergarten networks may be unable to open some of their classrooms when the new school year begins—a development that could affect thousands of children and families throughout the country.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine intensified its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure overnight, launching drone strikes on two major oil refineries in what analysts say is an increasingly effective effort to undermine one of the pillars of the Russian economy. The attacks came as Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare public acknowledgment that the country is going through a “difficult period,” underscoring the mounting pressure on Russia’s fuel industry.

According to Russian authorities, debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the city of Slavyansk-na-Kubani, in the Krasnodar region east of Crimea. One person was killed and another was injured in a nearby village. At the same time, Ukrainian special forces confirmed they had also struck the Yaroslavl refinery, one of Russia’s five largest facilities and a major supplier of fuel to the Moscow region and central Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said both operations were successfully carried out. Russia, meanwhile, claimed its air defenses intercepted 213 Ukrainian drones overnight. At the same time, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched its own large-scale assault, firing 142 drones and eight missiles at Ukrainian targets.

The latest strikes are part of Kyiv’s sustained effort to cripple Russia’s refining and fuel distribution network. According to industry analysts, the campaign is beginning to have a significant impact. More than 20 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity is reportedly offline, while production of refined petroleum products fell by approximately 13 percent in May compared to the same month last year.

The strain is also becoming increasingly evident in daily life across Russia. Dozens of regions are now experiencing fuel shortages or sales restrictions. In major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, gasoline purchases have reportedly been limited to about 20 liters per customer. Reports indicate that between 55 and 56 regions are currently facing either official or unofficial restrictions on fuel supplies.

Against that backdrop, Putin publicly addressed the crisis for the first time during a conference of Russia’s ruling party.

“We are going through a difficult period, but it has made us stronger,” Putin said, adding that Russia would “overcome all the challenges,” including attacks on its infrastructure and territory.

In an effort to stabilize the situation, the Russian government has implemented a series of emergency measures. These include a ban on gasoline exports that has been in place since August 2025, a prohibition on jet fuel exports through November 2026, and consideration of a broader ban on diesel exports as well. Authorities have also established an emergency task force to ensure fuel deliveries to affected regions and have relaxed fuel quality standards, permitting the sale of gasoline with sulfur levels significantly higher than those typically allowed in Europe.

Despite those efforts, the pressure on Russia’s energy sector continues to mount. With Ukrainian drones repeatedly targeting key refining facilities and logistical hubs, the attacks are increasingly disrupting one of the most critical sectors of Russia’s economy and exposing growing vulnerabilities on the home front.

{Matzav.com}

Leading Sephardic gedolei Yisroel have issued an urgent public call urging the Torah community to participate in a massive protest rally Monday night in Bnei Brak on behalf of bnei yeshivos who have been imprisoned in Israeli military jails for refusing to abandon their Torah learning.

The gathering is expected to draw tens of thousands of Sephardic bnei Torah and will be led by the former Rishon LeTzion, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, president of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, together with prominent Sephardic rabbonim and Torah leaders.

Ahead of the rally, senior Torah leaders—including Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah; Rav Shlomo Machpud, a member of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah; and Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon—issued a special proclamation under the heading, “Lech Kenos Es Kol HaYehudim” (“Go, Gather All the Jews”).

In their letter, the gedolim described the current situation as a time of grave spiritual danger, expressing deep concern over what they called decrees threatening bochurim and avreichim devoted to Torah study.

They wrote that the imprisonment of bnei yeshivah for learning Torah in Eretz Yisroel constitutes a profound desecration of Torah honor. Citing the words of Chazal that “one who causes others to sin is worse than one who kills,” they lamented that precious bnei Torah are being confined in military prisons, surrounded by influences completely foreign to their way of life.

The proclamation states: “Because of the difficult situation prevailing in our land, and because of the decrees of spiritual destruction threatening our precious bochurim and avreichim… and because of the humiliation of holy Torah scholars who are imprisoned in filthy prisons, in the contamination of the desires of this world, under harsh and cruel authorities, solely because they are learning Torah here in the Holy Land—woe to the ears that hear this, woe to the eyes that witness it, woe to us that this has occurred in our generation.”

The rabbonim added that every Jew who possesses yiras Shomayim has an obligation to protest publicly against the situation.

Calling for maximum participation, they wrote: “We hereby call upon all bnei Torah, avreichim, bnei yeshivos, and every Jew whose heart is filled with fear of Hashem to come and participate in the great assembly in the streets of the holy city of Bnei Brak… It is a sacred obligation upon every individual to attend. Let no one be absent.”

The rally is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Eshel Avrohom and Harav Rabinov Streets in Bnei Brak’s Ramat Elchanan–Ramat Aharon neighborhood. Organizers are expecting an enormous turnout in what is expected to be one of the largest public demonstrations held by the Sephardic Torah community in response to the imprisonment of bnei yeshivah.

{Matzav.com}