Israeli officials traveled to Cairo on Thursday for urgent discussions aimed at securing the return of the final hostage, the fallen Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. The delegation’s mission followed the directive of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who instructed that every possible step be taken to advance immediate movement on the case.
Leading the group was Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, who was joined by senior representatives from the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Mossad. Their mandate was to engage with mediators and push forward any path that could bring about closure for the Gvili family and for the nation.
By the end of the Cairo meetings, the participating parties reached a shared understanding about the next steps. It was determined that efforts must now be concentrated on “an intensive and immediate effort that will lead to the full completion of the mission regarding the hostages and the missing,” with all sides agreeing to accelerate the process until the goal is achieved.
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A wave of condemnation swept through Los Angeles on Wednesday after a protest outside the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown escalated into vandalism, arrests, and open displays of virulent anti-Jewish hostility.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that the confrontation began around 10 a.m., when demonstrators assembled outside the synagogue. Dozens of protesters chanted, “Palestine will live forever,” “stop the occupation,” “baby killers,” “Zionist pigs,” and “scum of the earth.” Officers responding to the scene ultimately detained two individuals — one for battery and another for vandalism.
Mayor Karen Bass sharply criticized what unfolded, labeling the episode “abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles.” She noted that officials had informed her of the disruption that spilled into the shul itself, writing, “I received reports that individuals interrupted a private event at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown, calling attendees anti-semitic names and damaging property inside the temple.” Bass said she reached out directly to the congregation’s leadership: “I spoke with Rabbi Nickerson to ensure he and his congregation know that the City of Los Angeles stands with them and fully condemns these attacks. I am grateful to the LAPD officers who addressed this disturbance. Additional LAPD officers have been deployed to patrol near areas of worship.”
Rabbi Joel Nickerson explained that the temple had been hosting a program “focusing on advancing public safety in Koreatown” when the demonstrators intruded. He expressed appreciation for the swift backing from authorities and public officials, stating, “We appreciate the strong support we have received from elected leaders and law enforcement and look forward to working with them to ensure that those responsible for this hateful and illegal conduct are held accountable.” He reiterated that such behavior threatens every Angeleno: “No one should be targeted in the City of Los Angeles on account of their faith.”
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles likewise issued a forceful denunciation. Spokesperson Aram Goldberg wrote, “We are outraged and condemn this antisemitic behavior in the strongest of terms. There is no place in our community — or anywhere — for antisemitism and hate disguised as dissent.”
As police continue to investigate, city and community leaders are urging stronger protections around houses of worship and a resolute response to rising antisemitic agitation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a stark warning about the intentions of radical Islamic ideologies during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. Speaking plainly about the threat landscape facing the United States and the broader Western world, Rubio said the danger remains far greater than many realize.
Rubio explained that extremist movements across the globe share a unified view of America as their ultimate adversary. “All radical Islamic movements in the world identify the West writ large but the United States in particular as the greatest evil on the Earth,” he told Hannity, emphasizing that these groups have long rejected the idea of remaining confined to any one region. “And every chance they have – the notion that somehow radical Islam would be comfortable with simply controlling some province in Iraq or Syria is just not borne out by history. Radical Islam has shown that their desire is not simply to occupy one part of the world and be happy with their own little caliphate; they want to expand. It’s revolutionary in its nature. It seeks to expand and control more territories and more people.”
He continued by underscoring that the ambitions of these groups are not theoretical. “Radical Islam has designs, openly, on the West – on the United States, on Europe….And they are prepared to conduct acts of terrorism – in the case of Iran, nation-state actions, assassinations, murders, you name it. Whatever it takes for them to gain their influence and ultimately their domination of different cultures and societies.”
Rubio described this ideology as not merely a distant concern, but a looming danger directly targeting American interests worldwide and within the country itself. “That’s a clear and imminent threat to the world and to the broader West, but especially to the United States….They hate Israel. But they also hate America, and they hate anywhere in the world that we have influence; they seek to attack it, including here in the homeland. If you look at the attacks that have happened here domestically, the overwhelming majority of them have been inspired by radical Islamic viewpoints.”
The Secretary of State’s comments come as U.S. officials continue to assess ongoing threats from extremist networks abroad and their supporters at home, with Rubio asserting that vigilance must remain high as these groups continue to seek opportunities to strike.
{Matzav.com}
At Maariv tonight, residents of chutz la’aretz begin to say Vesein Tal Umatar during the Shemonah Esrei in the bracha of Boreich Aleinu. Residents of Eretz Yisroel already began saying Vesein Tal Umatar on the 7th of Cheshvan.
If one became aware after completing the bracha of Mevareich Hashanim that one omitted Vesein Tal Umatar, one should wait to insert it right before “Ki atah shomeiah” in Shema Koleinu.
If one has already completed the bracha of Shomeiah Tefillah, one may insert Vesein Tal Umatar before saying Retzei. If one has already started Retzei, one must return to the bracha of Boreich Aleinu, which is the proper place for Vesein Tal Umatar. If one already completed the Shemonah Esrei and stepped backward, one must repeat the entire Shemonah Esrei (Shulchan Aruch with Mishna Berurah 117:5. See also Bi’ur Halacha).
(It is advisable to repeat 101 times [and at the very least 90 times] “Ve’es kol minei sevu’asah letovah vesein tal umatar” so as to make the inclusion of Vesein Tal Umatar habitual and fluent, thus eliminating any future doubt as to whether one included Vesein Tal Umatar in Shemonah Esrei or not.
Please feel free to print this out and hang it up or distribute it in shuls and yeshivos.
{Matzav.com}
The latest interview given by MK Boaz Bismuth, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, set off a firestorm across the political landscape, especially within circles closely following the ongoing debate over the giyus issue. His remarks to Mishpacha magazine, released Thursday morning, immediately triggered sharp backlash and heated discussion.
In the interview, Bismuth pushed back strongly against the idea that the state could force yeshivah bochurim into military service. “You can’t force people to enlist in the army. What, are you going to put them in jail? Such nonsense,” Bismuth told Mishpacha in the Thursday morning interview. He emphasized that his stance stems from genuine regard for the chareidi tzibbur, saying, “I am someone who loves and respects the haredim. I will not allow us to reach such extremes.”
His comments drew immediate condemnation from the activist organization Mothers at the Front, which demanded his dismissal within hours of the interview’s release. Their statement, issued publicly, insisted, “Perhaps he should internalize that you absolutely can force people to enlist in the army – it’s called the Security Service Law, and draft dodgers go to jail under that law.” They accused Bismuth of being unfit to speak on behalf of soldiers or their families, declaring, “Bismuth, now that you’ve revealed your true opinions, you cannot represent us or the soldiers. Either retract your statements – or resign.”
The uproar unfolded in parallel to growing governmental scrutiny over the latest draft bill. On Wednesday night—just hours before the interview dropped—the Deputy Director of the Budget Department sent a pointed letter to the committee’s legal adviser. The letter argued that the bill’s current formulation falls short of its stated purpose, raising serious doubts about its effectiveness. The official warned, “There is a significant concern that the outline might appear to as a mechanism which includes effective sanctions, but in practice, does the opposite, and instead weakens the system of incentives.”
{Matzav.com}