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The State Attorney’s Office has filed an indictment in the Nazareth District Court against Yoni Segal, 18, and Nehorai Mizrahi, 20, both from Tiveria, on charges including contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, and obstruction of justice. According to the indictment, the defendants initiated contact with Iranian operatives via Telegram in mid-May. Initially, the Iranian contacts posed as “Kaplanist leftists” and tasked the pair with symbolic acts such as writing “Bibi Dictator” on a note and burning it, offering cryptocurrency in return. As contact progressed, the Iranians instructed the defendants to purchase secure “operational phones” to conceal their identities and engage in more advanced espionage tasks. These included photographing and gathering intelligence on shopping malls in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Netanya, as well as Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. The defendants provided their Iranian operators with very detailed information on security arrangements, camera locations, and the number of guards. Eventually, the Iranian agents proposed that the defendants travel to Iran for training to carry out an assassination of a senior Israeli official, offering 200,000 NIS to each. The defendants agreed. The defendants also claimed to their operators that they had access to weapons and drones, which the Iranians were interested in purchasing. Despite understanding they were communicating with Iranian operatives, the defendants continued their activities and even sought additional assignments. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

In this episode, Rabbi Reinman describes how Achav’s daughter Assaliah killed her grandchildren and took the crown of Yehudah for herself.

WATCH:

Chapter Thirty-three: One Kingdom Survives

The previous chapter traced the decline and fall of Malchus Yisrael until the deportation of the people to distant places in the Assyrian Empire. This chapter traces the parallel fate of Malchus Yehudah. The paths of the two kingdoms diverged after the death of Shlomo and the division of his kingdom. The respective paths of the two kingdoms converged again when Asa, its king, gave his support to Omri’s claims to the throne of Israel and sealed it by taking Omri’s daughter as a wife for his son Yehoshaphat.

After Omri died and his son Achav ascended to the throne of Israel, Yehoshaphat and Achav, the two brothers-in-law, entered into a military alliance. The bond of blood was made even stronger when Yehoshaphat’s son Yehoram married Achav’s daughter Assaliah, his first cousin.

In 711 b.c.e., Yehoshaphat died, and Yehoram ascended to the throne of Yehudah. Four years earlier, Achav’s grandson Yehoram, through his son and successor Achaziah, had ascended to the throne of Israel. Two first cousins named Yehoram, both grandsons of Achav and Ezevel, sat on the thrones of Yisrael and Yehudah. Yehoram of Yehudah was by far a truer grandson than was Yehoram of Yisrael.

As soon as he ascended to the throne, he slaughtered all his male siblings ensuring that no one else would lay claim to his crown. Then with his bloodstained hands, he erected a temple of the Baal in Yerushalayim. For all its problems, Yehudah had not suffered widespread idolatry among the general population, but under Yehoram, the Baal cult of the northern kingdom spread to the southern kingdom as well.

Yehoram of Yehudah reigned for eight years and was succeeded by his son Achaziah, who followed in the exact footsteps of his father. After the death of Achaziah, his mother Assaliah, the daughter of Achav and Ezevel, followed the example of Yehoram, her husband. Just as he had exterminated all his siblings, she now exterminated all her grandchildren and placed the crown on her own head. Had she succeeded, the royal patrilineal bloodline of the Davidic dynasty would have come to an end, but she did not succeed.

One grandchild eluded her, a one-year-old boy named Yoash. The boy’s aunt Yehosheva, Achaziah’s sister, and her husband, Yehoiadah the Kohein Gadol, secreted him in a bedchamber in the Temple, where he remained for six years.

During those years, this evil daughter of Achav sat on the throne of the Davidic kings and ruled the Kingdom of Yehudah. In the seventh year, the seven-year-old Yoash was brought out of hiding and crowned, triggering a popular uprising. Assaliah was executed, and the temple of the Baal was destroyed …

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

Hope is rising on Thursday morning in Israel regarding the chances of reaching a hostage release/ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip. If Hamas responds positively to the deal, an Israeli team will leave for negotiations in Qatar as early as the end of next week. According to Israeli media reports on Wednesday evening, Israel is making major efforts to reach a deal ahead of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House next week. Israeli sources say that Hamas is showing “flexibility” to a revised US-brokered proposal. According to the proposal on the table, Israel will halt the war for two months but will agree to extend the ceasefire even after the two months to try and reach an agreement that will end the war. In addition, President Trump will guarantee that Israel will uphold the ceasefire if advanced negotiations take place on ending the war. Hamas will release 10 live hostages and the remains of 18 hostages in five waves over the two-month ceasefire. As part of the deal, Hamas will be strictly banned from holding hostage release ceremonies. In addition, Israel will release terrorists with blood on their hands, ones that Israel has refused to release until now. Meanwhile, the Arab media reported last night that the Hamas terrorist organization is “satisfied” with the new proposal on the negotiating table and that the organization will return its response by tomorrow, Friday. Sadly, the fate of the other 10 hostages who are considered alive remains unclear. According to Israeli sources, the hostages not included in the hostage deal may be in the hands of other terror cells or may possibly have been killed. However, as long as there is no confirmation, they are presumed alive. Those opposed to the deal say that agreeing to the release of only half of the live hostages is signing a death sentence to those left behind. Others assert that Hamas has no intention of releasing every hostage, as it is needs them as bargaining chips to ensure its survival. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, once again demanding his resignation. Trump made the statement in a late-day post on Truth Social, declaring, “Too Late” should resign immediately!!! He attached a link to a Bloomberg article titled, “Fed Chair Should Be Investigated by Congress, FHSA Head Says.”

Although Powell was originally selected by Trump to lead the central bank during his presidency, he was reappointed to a second term by President Joe Biden. Powell’s current term is expected to conclude in May 2026.

Trump has recently stepped up his attacks on Powell, repeatedly blaming the Fed for keeping interest rates too high and claiming the central bank’s policies have harmed the U.S. economy. He’s been demanding rate cuts, despite Powell’s hesitation to shift policy.

Earlier this week, Trump criticized Powell and the Federal Reserve board more broadly, writing on Truth Social: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, and his entire Board, should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to the United States.”

He continued, “They have one of the easiest, yet most prestigious, jobs in America, and they have failed — and continue to do so.” Trump argued that if the Fed were properly managing monetary policy, the U.S. would be saving enormous sums. “If they were doing their job properly, our country would be saving trillions of dollars in interest cost. The board just sits there and watches, so they are equally to blame. We should be paying 1% interest, or better!”

That post came just before Trump signed a formal letter urging Powell to bring down interest rates, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed the move on Monday.

In response to growing political pressure, Powell has indicated that the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates stems largely from inflationary concerns—particularly those related to trade policy. According to CBS News, Powell has expressed caution about lowering rates until the effects of Trump’s proposed tariffs on the economy become clearer. He is reportedly waiting to determine the long-term impact on consumer prices before making any major adjustments.

{Matzav.com}

Jack Lew, who led the Treasury Department under President Obama, sharply criticized Zohran Mamdani’s platform, calling the mayoral candidate’s ideas for New York City misguided and damaging. Mamdani, who emerged victorious in the Democratic primary, has pledged to implement a slew of progressive reforms, including fare-free public transit, no-cost childcare, and a halt on rent increases.

“The policies that he’s outlined are not policies that are good for New York. He’s running for mayor of New York, and I worry deeply having spent most of my life in New York about a city that I call home,” Lew said during a segment on CNBC on Wednesday.

“You know, I see a similarity between the kind of policy solutions to the left and the right, and — you know, that satisfy populist sentiment don’t always go through the filter of do they work. I don’t think they work, and I think that’s a problem,” he continued, warning that populist platforms—whether right-wing or leftist—often lack practical effectiveness.

President Trump has also expressed vehement opposition to Mamdani, targeting him repeatedly in recent days.

“As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York,” President Trump posted Wednesday on his Truth Social account, referring directly to Mamdani.

“Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”

Mamdani has also been accused by some of harboring antisemitic views, largely due to his stance advocating for American recognition of Palestinian statehood. However, the harshest backlash centers around his far-left economic agenda.

“You might have a democratic socialist sprinkled here and there, but that ain’t what America is. America’s about capitalism! America’s about dollars and cents,” television personality Stephen A. Smith said on his Tuesday broadcast, cautioning Democrats against elevating candidates like Mamdani.

Even though criticism has poured in from both ends of the political spectrum, Mamdani secured a decisive victory over Andrew Cuomo in the primary contest, winning support across a diverse range of neighborhoods including Crown Heights, Astoria, Williamsburg, Washington Heights, Park Slope, Flatbush, and Bedford-Stuyvesant.

In response to President Trump’s remarks, Mamdani fired back during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, defending his background and the cause he champions.

“I’ve already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am,” Mamdani said.

“He wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for the very working people he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed.”

One key battleground between the two has been Mamdani’s vow to keep New York City a sanctuary city—a policy stance that has already fueled tensions with President Trump.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration appears to be expanding RSV vaccinations to some adults starting at age 50, down from 60, following the advice of a recently fired panel of government vaccine advisers. The decision appears on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage but as of Wednesday wasn’t on the agency’s official adult immunization schedule. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, typically is a coldlike nuisance, but it can be severe, even life-threatening, for infants and older adults. The CDC recommends vaccination for certain pregnant women and a onetime shot for everyone 75 or older. But people as young as 60 with health problems that increase their risk can also get it. In April, the CDC’s influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended expanding RSV vaccination to high-risk adults as young as 50, too. But the CDC lacks a director to decide whether to adopt that recommendation and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t immediately act. Last month, Kennedy fired all 17 members of that panel and handpicked seven replacements that include several vaccine skeptics. The new panel alarmed doctors’ groups last week by ignoring settled science on a rarely used flu vaccine preservative and by announcing a probe of the children’s vaccine schedule. It didn’t revisit RSV vaccination for older adults. Kennedy already had taken the unusual step of changing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations without consulting the committee. On Wednesday, a page on CDC’s website said that on June 25, Kennedy had adopted the ousted panel’s recommendation to expand RSV vaccination to high-risk 50-somethings and it is “now an official recommendation of the CDC.” (AP)

The gradual loss of Kovod for our present day Gedolei Yisroel. First it was the important ad in Yated that everyone is being Mechalel Shabbos in Japan. A full page announcing to Klal Yisroel that one must follow the Psak of the Chazon Ish. No one can Chas v’Sholom say anything to diminish the Kovod of the Chazon Ish ZTL. However, Klal Yisroel has been following the psak of the Gedolim of our Dor, Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv ZTL, Rav Yisroel Zev Gustman ZTL and Rav Shlomo Zalamn ZTL, all who pasken that we follow the Shita of Chachmei Yerusholayim and the Yidden in Japan are keeping the correct Shabbos. This writer doesn’t have the chutzpah to discuss the actual halacha, but he does know that we have been following these Gedolim in all our Shailos and they were post Chazon Ish. What was accomplished with the ad? That the Hamon Am can ignore when the present Rabbonim come out with a Kol Koreh. Then there was the full page ad about the Sheitels. No one has the audacity to disagree with the psak of Rav Elyashiv [except those that put out an ad about Shabbos in Japan!] but other Rabbonim have thoroughly delved into the issue and have paskened, that even taking into account Rav Elysahiv’s opinion, it is still permitted. Now, it wouldn’t be a problem if our Gedolei Rabbonim put out an ad that says that it is best to be machmir and make every attempt to ensure that one purchases a sheitel without a shailoh. However, the kanaim successfully pushed for an ad that says that if one wears a sheitel without [what they consider] proper hashgocha – AND no such hashgocho exists – all the women of Klal Yisroel have to remove their sheitels immediately, and if they don’t, they are transgressing an Issur d’oraysoh of Avodah Zoroh. So now klal Yisroel knows to again ignore our present Gedolim. Then WZO. A distasteful situation but one that some Gedolei Yisroel did permit and encourage the olam to vote. It is very understandable for other Gedolim to feel that it is forbidden and wrong. They surely have the right and obligation to have their opinion known. But when it becomes a terror campaign, calling up anyone that doesn’t agree, cancelling, drowning the internet with ridicule and mockery of other Gedolei yisroel then Klal yisroel has again learned the lesson – ignore our present day Gedolei Yisroel. The “kanaim” are running the show. Then we reach the latest episode, where they crossed even more lines in their attacks on the rabbinic system. After they finished with WZO, and found themselves with extra time on their hands, they gathered signatures on a letter attacking big rabbanim and an established, respected Beis Din. This was a new step taken after months of terrorism and canceling and public ridicule etc. What was especially disturbing was that they went much further than usual both in terms of the scope of the attack and in terms of the lies that led to it. The kanaim weren’t content with a letter voicing disagreement with a psak. They weren’t even content with merely attacking the rabbanim for the psak. They instead opted to pasul the rabbanim and the Beis Din personally, a dangerous move […]

Rev. Al Sharpton is turning up the pressure on Andrew Cuomo, publicly urging the disgraced former governor to abandon his struggling campaign for New York City mayor in the wake of a bruising primary defeat. “I think, in the best interest of the legacy of Andrew Cuomo, that he ought to let them have the one-on-one race,” Sharpton told MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Wednesday, calling on Cuomo to step aside and clear the path for a head-to-head fight over the city’s future. “He can endorse one or the other, and let them have a battle over what is best for New York.” Sharpton, a longtime power broker in Democratic politics, revealed he had already reached out to Cuomo’s inner circle, trying to convince him to bow out. Cuomo’s camp pushed back, with senior adviser Rich Azzopardi insisting the campaign would “continue to assess the current situation in the best interest of the people of the City of New York.” Azzopardi took a swipe at both ends of the political spectrum, warning that “most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle.” Sharpton’s call came just a day after final primary results showed socialist Zohran Mamdani trouncing Cuomo by 12 points in three rounds of ranked-choice voting — a crushing blow for the onetime Democratic powerhouse. In a sign of shifting alliances, Sharpton had recently hosted Mamdani at his National Action Network headquarters, giving the progressive firebrand a chance to connect with Black voters and praising elements of his agenda, including a proposed rent freeze. Though Sharpton stopped short of a formal endorsement, the appearance sent a clear signal of where the civil rights leader’s sympathies lie. Cuomo, despite wavering repeatedly on whether to stay in the race, remains on the November ballot on an independent line, joining Mamdani, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and two other minor candidates, including Eric Adams and Jim Walden. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is planning to urge President Donald Trump, during his upcoming trip to Washington, to take a tougher stance on Qatar by pressuring its leadership—potentially even by threatening to expel top Hamas officials—if progress on a hostage deal continues to stall, according to a report by Channel 12 News on Wednesday.

The planned request comes in the wake of multiple high-level meetings within Israel’s security and political circles, where renewed frustration was voiced over Hamas’s overseas leadership. These operatives are believed to benefit from favorable conditions and hold significant sway over the negotiation process.

Top Israeli defense authorities believe that Hamas’s rigidity at the bargaining table can only be broken through specific and direct actions aimed at its senior figures—especially those residing in Qatar, which serves as the main broker, and in Turkey, a country with which Israel maintains a delicate diplomatic balance.

“Hamas leaders roam the world feeling no pressure, which is why they are in no rush to reach a deal,” said one official.

{Matzav.com}

Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and one of the regime’s most influential security officials, has emerged alive after weeks of reports claiming he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. The New York Times confirmed Shamkhani’s appearance over the weekend at a funeral procession in Tehran, contradicting Iranian state media accounts that declared him dead last month. Frailer and leaning on a cane, Shamkhani was seen paying tribute to senior Iranian military officers slain in Israel’s recent barrage — a 12-day offensive that targeted Iran’s nuclear and military command structure. It was Shamkhani’s first public sighting since the June 13 strike on his upscale penthouse in northern Tehran, which marked the opening salvo in Israel’s sweeping attempt to decapitate Iran’s senior defense leadership. In a Saturday broadcast on state television, Shamkhani described a harrowing survival: buried under debris for three hours, battered by severe internal injuries and multiple broken bones. “I was crushed,” he told the cameras, before defiantly adding that he had contributed to “making Israel miserable.” His reappearance exposes deep fractures in Iran’s information war. Initial reports had listed Shamkhani among at least 20 senior figures allegedly killed, including commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and top Armed Forces brass. His survival will no doubt be a bitter pill for Israeli planners who believed they had eliminated one of the most powerful architects of Iran’s regional military strategy. But it also raises questions about the accuracy of Iranian battlefield reporting. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s governing coalition is exploring the possibility of bringing Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party into the government if far-right factions abandon ship over a deal to end the Gaza war, Army Radio reported Sunday. The potential pivot comes as Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir and Religious Zionism chief Betzalel Smotrich rage against a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal that would secure the release of Israeli hostages but effectively end the fighting in Gaza. According to reports, Ben Gvir is actively seeking Smotrich’s cooperation to block the deal, although Smotrich’s office denies agreeing to any such meeting. Fearing a far-right walkout, Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri is reportedly leading quiet contacts with Gantz to shore up coalition stability. The goal: a unity framework that could also address the thorny issue of drafting Charedi men into the military. Both Deri’s office and Blue and White denied the contacts, with Gantz’s party insisting, “We are not aware of such an appeal. As we have said before, we will provide a safety net for the return of the hostages and for appropriate political moves from the outside.” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and Gantz have both pledged to support the hostage deal from the opposition benches, vowing not to let far-right hardliners sabotage the agreement. Gantz, who built his political brand as a centrist alternative to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has left the door open to rejoining the government if national priorities demand it — setting the stage for a potential political earthquake should the far right choose to bolt. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Following the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Israeli representatives have initiated high-level discussions in Moscow with senior Russian diplomats, focusing on Russia’s potential role in regional diplomacy involving both Iran and Syria.

Kan News reported that Israel has agreed to a Russian-brokered plan, under which Moscow would act as a go-between for Israel and Iran. The aim of the initiative is to use Russian influence to steer both the Iranian and Syrian situations toward a negotiated resolution.

Simultaneously, Israel is pushing to establish a separate enforcement mechanism in cooperation with the United States on the Iranian front. This matter is expected to be a central topic when Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump next week.

In anticipation of that meeting, Israeli officials are working on drafting a set of foundational agreements with the U.S. administration, drawing inspiration from the framework previously reached with Lebanon. The effort comes amid Trump’s warning that Washington could consider renewed military action if Iran escalates its nuclear activities.

{Matzav.com}

The leader of an MS-13 clique in New York City’s suburbs was sentenced Wednesday to 68 years in prison in a federal racketeering case involving eight Long Island murders, including the 2016 killings of two high school girls that focused the nation’s attention on the violent Central American street gang. Alexi Saenz pleaded guilty last year for his role in ordering and approving the killings as well as other crimes during a rash of bloody violence that prompted President Donald Trump to make several visits to Long Island and call for the death penalty for Saenz and other gang members during his first term in the White House. Saenz’s lawyers sought a sentence of 45 years behind bars, but prosecutors, who previously withdrew their intent to seek the death penalty, argued for a maximum sentence of 70 years. Saenz, addressing the court, asked for forgiveness from God, his family and the victims’ families, saying he wasn’t the same person he was all those years ago. “I know my apology will not repair the harm and pain that I have caused,” the now 30-year-old said in Spanish through a translator. “I know many of you do not accept my apology, but I want to say from the bottom of my heart that these words are sincere.” But prosecutor Paul Scotti dismissed Saenz’s apology as “self-serving.” He argued that Saenz remains committed to MS-13, citing an “extensive disciplinary record” while in custody that includes assaulting other inmates, refusing staff orders and possessing sharpened metal shanks, cellphones and other contraband. “Actions speak louder than words,” Scotti said in court. Judge Gary Brown, in handing down the sentence, said the reduction of two years from what prosecutors sought was in recognition of Saenz pleading guilty and avoiding a trial, as well as his efforts in convincing his younger brother, the gang’s second-in-command, to do the same. Jairo Saenz pleaded guilty to similar charges in January and also will faces decades in prison at his sentencing scheduled for September. Elizabeth Alvarado was among the parents of victims who spoke emotionally in court. She clutched a box containing the ashes of her 15-year-old daughter, Nisa Mickens. “Why did you take her?“ she asked as Alexi Saenz fixed his gaze elsewhere. “We are not supposed to bury our children.” Santos Castillo, the father of 15-year-old victim Javier Castillo, said he never dreamed of losing his son to violence when his family moved to the U.S. from their native El Salvador. “We came for lasting peace, work, and a better future for our children,“ he said in Spanish through a translator. “Our lives will never be normal again.” Outside court, Castillo said he accepted the judge’s decision. “I’m not able to be happy, but I’m satisfied,” he said. “It’s been painful. We’ve waited eight years for today.” George Johnson, the father of victim Michael Johnson, said he lives with guilt every day for letting his son walk out the door with Saenz and other gang members. He wore a white shirt bearing his son’s image and demanded Saenz look him in the face, but Saenz just bowed his head low. Outside court, Johnson called him “a coward.“ Saenz’s lawyer Natali Todd said afterward that she hoped the victims’ families could find some peace following the sentencing. “There are […]

Fresh details have surfaced regarding a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, shedding light on the current stage of the ongoing discussions.

As reported by The New York Times, citing both an Israeli defense figure and an individual familiar with Hamas’s stance, the terms under consideration would include the release of 10 surviving hostages along with the return of the remains of 18 individuals. Both sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, confirmed their knowledge of the proposed agreement.

In contrast to a prior U.S. framework introduced in May, which called for the release of all hostages by the end of the first week of a ceasefire, this latest draft sets out a slower timeline. Hostage releases and body transfers would take place in five separate phases stretched out over two months.

The revised plan also introduces a new element barring Hamas from broadcasting the handover of hostages on television. This shift comes after the widely criticized media spectacles that accompanied previous transfers during the temporary truce that began in January.

Three Israeli officials, who also spoke anonymously due to the sensitive diplomatic environment, shared that this renewed proposal seeks to offer Hamas firmer guarantees that a temporary pause in fighting could develop into a full and lasting end to the war.

Reports indicate that Hamas is expected to relay its decision to the international mediators by Friday night.

Should both parties sign off on the proposal, President Donald Trump is expected to formally present the agreement and will also act as “the sponsor and guarantor of the agreement’s implementation.”

Still, a separate individual with knowledge of Hamas’s perspective argued that this plan doesn’t present any major revisions—just a few minor tweaks from the proposal recently put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

{Matzav.com Israel}

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller tore into tech billionaire Elon Musk on Fox News Tuesday night, dismissing him as an “outside voice” whose views hold no sway over Republicans rallying behind President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending bill. Miller’s remarks came after Fox host Laura Ingraham pressed him about Musk’s growing threats to primary Republicans who campaigned on fiscal restraint but ultimately backed what Trump calls his “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Musk, furious over what he describes as reckless spending, has publicly vowed to target those lawmakers. Miller fired back with a forceful defense of the bill, claiming it represents “the largest spending cut in American history” alongside “the largest tax cut, welfare reform, and border security package” ever passed. He insisted the bill will allow authorities to deport “millions upon millions of invaders,” and painted opposition to the measure as tantamount to endorsing fraud, waste, and a massive tax increase on American families. “To oppose this bill is to support the invasion,” Miller said, echoing Trump’s hardline immigration rhetoric. “To oppose this bill is to support continued giveaways and freebies to cheaters and scam artists.” Miller went on to blast Musk directly, saying: “They are not going to listen to an outside voice that does not represent the interests of the American people or the Republican Party.” With the Senate approving the measure earlier Tuesday, Miller predicted the House would quickly follow suit, brushing aside Musk’s interventions as irrelevant. “The House is going to rally behind President Trump to pass this bill for America,” he said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A wave of concern has swept across the klal chassidishe yeshiva world following the closure of several yeshivos, leaving hundreds of bochurim without a place to learn. While some mosdos are reopening or merging, the broader landscape is facing unprecedented instability.

Among the causes cited for the closures are deepening financial struggles, exacerbated by the ongoing draft crisis in Israel, as well as a growing number of older bochurim who are resistant to traditional yeshiva structure and authority.

Despite the turmoil, several established and financially secure klal chassidishe yeshivos remain steady. These include Kiryas Melech (Tchebin), Meor Einayim of Rachmastrivka, Bobov, Amalah Shel Torah, Iyun HaTorah, Biala in Bnei Brak, and the major kibbutz yeshivos Chayei Torah in Beitar Illit and Oryasa in Yerushalayim. As previously reported, Chayei Torah recently received a parcel of land in Beitar for permanent construction of its new campus.

Amalah Shel Torah in Beitar, despite the recent passing of its rosh yeshiva, Rav Zev Feinstein zt”l, has managed to secure significant financial support to maintain operations. The youngest son of Rav Feinstein has taken over leadership.

One of the most shocking developments was the closure of the historic Zvhill Yeshiva in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Yerushalayim. The yeshiva administration had announced the closure a month ago.

Sources confirmed that Zvhill Yeshiva will reopen but with a selective admissions policy, under the leadership and oversight of Rav Yaakov Betelman, a noted mechanech affiliated with Nadvorna in Yerushalayim. The yeshiva aims to restructure and operate as a conventional yeshiva gedolah with full shiurim—Alef, Beis, and Gimmel—rather than just a kibbutz-style setting.

Another casualty is the kibbutz yeshiva Orah Shel Torah–Nezer HaTalmud, led by Rav Chanoch Ged Tyrnauer, which had opened just two years ago. The yeshiva had over 100 talmidim, many of whom had transferred from the now-defunct Toras Chaim Yeshiva.

About 20 top talmidim from Orah Shel Torah will reportedly merge with Yeshivas Tchechnov in Yerushalayim, where they will join Rav Tyrnauer. Tchechnov had been facing its own financial challenges in recent years, leading to the departure of many key staff members, including Rav Yosef Shereshevsky and Rav Yechezkel Teitelbaum.

Other talmidim from Orah Shel Torah will join a newly forming yeshiva kibbutz under the leadership of a prominent mechanech whose identity has not yet been made public.

Another klal chassidishe yeshiva closing its doors is Kosov-Vizhnitz in Beit Shemesh.

One veteran community askan pointed to the broader structural issue: While major Chassidishe courts such as Gur, Belz, Vizhnitz, Sanz, Boyan, Slonim, Karlin and others have well-established yeshivos backed by strong institutional funding, smaller independent klal chassidishe yeshivos—especially those still in rented facilities—struggle to survive. “Rent is what kills you,” he said bluntly.

Compounding the crisis is the growing number of so-called “older bochurim” in the Chassidishe yeshiva system who struggle with discipline and often reject the authority of mashgichim, making it difficult for many yeshivos to absorb them. As a result, hundreds of such bochurim currently have no framework and are, in the words of one source, “literally in the streets.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Ancient DNA has revealed a genetic link between the cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Researchers sequenced whole genomes from the teeth of a remarkably well-preserved skeleton found in a sealed funeral pot in an Egyptian tomb site dating to between 4,495 and 4,880 years ago. Four-fifths of the genome showed links to North Africa and the region around Egypt. But a fifth of the genome showed links to the area in the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known as the Fertile Crescent, where Mesopotamian civilization flourished. “The finding is highly significant” because it “is the first direct evidence of what has been hinted at” in prior work,” said Daniel Antoine, curator of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum. Earlier archeological evidence has shown trade links between Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as similarities in pottery-making techniques and pictorial writing systems. While resemblances in dental structures suggested possible ancestral links, the new study clarifies the genetic ties. The Nile River is “likely to have acted as an ancient superhighway, facilitating the movement of not only cultures and ideas, but people,” said Antoine, who was not involved in the study. The skeleton was found in an Egyptian tomb complex at the archaeological site of Nuwayrat, inside a chamber carved out from a rocky hillside. An analysis of wear and tear on the skeleton — and the presence of arthritis in specific joints — indicates the man was likely in his 60s and may have worked as a potter, said co-author and bioarchaeologist Joel Irish of Liverpool John Moores University. The man lived just before or near the start of ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, when Upper and Lower Egypt were unified as one state, leading to a period of relative political stability and cultural innovation — including the construction of the Giza pyramids. “This is the time that centralized power allowed the formation of ancient Egypt as we know it,” said co-author Linus Girdland-Flink, a paleogeneticist at the University of Aberdeen. At approximately the same time, Sumerian city-states took root in Mesopotamia and cuneiform emerged as a writing system. Researchers said analysis of other ancient DNA samples is needed to obtain a clearer picture of the extent and timing of movements between the two cultural centers. (AP)

In a significant development, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yoel “Yuli” Edelstein is set to submit the finalized draft of the proposed military conscription law on Thursday. The legislation has been coordinated and agreed upon with the leaders of the chareidi factions and is expected to be passed within the next few weeks.

Matzav.com has learned that Edelstein has already informed senior members of the chareidi parties of his intention to present them with the draft version tomorrow. The draft is based on the principles agreed upon roughly three weeks ago during a series of high-stakes negotiations that preceded the preliminary vote on dissolving the Knesset.

Following its delivery to the chareidi representatives, the draft law will then be distributed to the rest of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee members.

Sources indicate that the coalition, responding to pressure from the chareidi factions and in coordination with Edelstein, intends to fast-track deliberations on the bill over the next two weeks. The goal is to conclude committee discussions and bring the legislation for its second and third readings in the full Knesset before the end of the summer session, which wraps up in less than a month.

However, it is important to note that once the draft is publicized, chareidi leaders will still need to submit it for review and approval by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.

Meanwhile, growing pressure is being exerted by prominent rabbanim who oppose the bill’s current stipulations, including a clause mandating 50% enlistment from each draft cohort within four years and the implementation of both personal and institutional financial sanctions.

If the bill does indeed pass in the coming weeks, United Torah Judaism MK Yitzchok Goldknopf is expected to return to his former role as Minister of Housing, meaning Meir Porush would vacate the post—just weeks after stepping into it.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Saudi Arabia secretly participated in intercepting Iranian drones during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, according to Gulf sources cited by Yisrael Hayom. The Saudi air force reportedly scrambled helicopters to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles crossing regional airspace over Iraq and Jordan, halting their advance before they could reach Israel. While Riyadh has not publicly confirmed its involvement — and even condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran — the revelations point to a dramatic realignment in the Middle East, where Sunni powers increasingly see Iran as a shared threat worth countering, even if unofficially. Saudi Arabia’s air force, built on advanced U.S.-supplied systems, was bolstered by a major arms deal signed with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during Donald Trump’s first term and expanded during Trump’s most recent regional tour. Officials stressed, however, that Saudi airspace would not be opened for offensive strikes on Iranian territory. The drone war was part of a vast multinational operation involving Jordan, Britain, France, and the United States, coordinated under the umbrella of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Over 1,000 Iranian drones were launched toward Israel during the conflict, the majority intercepted far from Israeli borders thanks to a network of partners working in close cooperation. At the heart of that coordination stood CENTCOM commander Gen. Mike Kurilla, who oversaw a joint American command-and-control center linking the U.S., Israel, and European militaries in real time. Years of joint training exercises and intelligence-sharing paved the way for this rapid, integrated response, military sources said. Jordan publicly acknowledged its role in intercepting drones, noting that some fell on its soil and caused damage. France described its participation as defending its interests in Jordan, though avoided directly referencing Israel. Analysts say the unprecedented level of cooperation — including with countries that have no formal ties to Israel — could lay the groundwork for even broader regional realignments, possibly tied to President Trump’s proposed “mega-deal” aimed at reshaping Middle East alliances. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has decided to appoint MK Yisrael Eichler of United Torah Judaism as Minister of Housing and Construction, replacing MK Yitzchok Goldknopf, who resigned from the post several weeks ago.

Goldknopf stepped down amid frustration over the stalled progress on the proposed draft law—a key issue that has caused ongoing tensions between the chareidi parties and Likud.

According to the coalition agreements, the appointment is temporary: should Goldknopf choose to return to the cabinet, the Housing Ministry portfolio will revert to him.

The Knesset is expected to vote on Eichler’s appointment next week. Political observers note that the votes of Goldknopf and fellow Agudas Yisroel MK Yaakov Tesler will be closely watched, as internal tensions within the faction over ministerial roles continue to simmer.

The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement explaining that under the coalition agreement, the Housing Ministry was designated for United Torah Judaism and, within the party, allocated to the Agudas Yisroel faction.

Following Goldknopf’s resignation, several Agudas Yisroel MKs appealed to the prime minister to appoint Eichler to the role. However, due to the sensitive security situation at the time, Netanyahu temporarily assigned the position to Minister Chaim Katz as acting minister.

Now, with the situation more stable, Netanyahu has announced that he will fulfill the coalition agreement by officially appointing Eichler. The appointment will take effect on Monday, following the Knesset vote.

The Prime Minister thanked Goldknopf for his service in the ministry and emphasized that he is welcome to return to the post at any time. Should Goldknopf resume his ministerial role, Eichler will step down and return to his current position as chairman of the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee.

{Matzav.com Israel}