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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar carried out a first-ever official diplomatic visit to Hargeisa on Tuesday, marking a major step toward full diplomatic relations between Israel and Somaliland. The visit was conducted discreetly at the request of security officials and was cleared for publication only afterward.

Sa’ar traveled to Somaliland at the invitation of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, following the signing of a historic mutual recognition agreement between the two sides on December 26. During the visit, the foreign minister held meetings with senior Somaliland officials, including the president, Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam, Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi, Chief of Staff Nimsan Yusuf Osman, Speaker of Parliament Yasin Haji Mohamoud, and Senate Speaker Suleiman Mahmoud Aden. The meetings took place at the official presidential palace in Hargeisa. Sa’ar was welcomed upon arrival by Somaliland’s foreign minister.

Speaking during the visit, Sa’ar said, “On December 26, Israel and Somaliland signed a historic agreement for mutual recognition and the establishment of full diplomatic relations. We agreed on the mutual appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies, and we will do so soon. We agreed to work together to advance relations between our countries, for the prosperity of both.”

He added that Israel seeks to build ties not only at the governmental level, but also between the two peoples. “We want to build a warm friendship not only between governments, but also between peoples — the people of Israel and the people of Somaliland. Since December 26, we have seen authentic joy in Somaliland, and also in Israel. We are excited to take part in the brave journey of the people of Somaliland from independence to recognition.”

Sa’ar said Israel’s Foreign Ministry is already working, under his direction, to expand cooperation in multiple fields. “The Foreign Ministry is working to build relations in many areas: economy, water, agriculture, and more. We will carry out cooperation on security issues and develop a strategic partnership between us.”

In unusually blunt remarks, Sa’ar contrasted Somaliland with the Palestinian cause. “Unlike ‘Palestine,’ Somaliland is not a virtual state. Somaliland is a functioning state in every sense, according to the principles of international law. Somaliland has been a stable democracy for nearly 35 years, with democratic elections and orderly transfers of power. It is pro-Western and friendly toward Israel. It is an honor for us to be the first UN member state to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign country.”

Addressing international criticism, he continued, “We hear the attacks, criticism, and condemnations against Israel. No one will decide for Israel whom to recognize or with whom to maintain diplomatic relations. We recognize the simple truth and the existing reality, and we hope to see additional countries do the same soon. Somaliland deserves, justly, a place among the nations. This is a natural relationship between two democratic states, both located in challenging regions.”

Sa’ar concluded by relaying an invitation from Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu to the Somaliland president. “In our meeting, I reiterated the prime minister’s invitation for you to make an official visit to Israel. We hope to host you in Yerushalayim very soon. We are full of hope that these historic days and moments will mark the beginning of a deep friendship between our peoples for many years to come.”

President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi confirmed that he plans to visit Israel in the near future and announced that Somaliland will open an embassy there.

In his remarks, the president described Sa’ar’s visit as a landmark event. “Your visit has historic importance and represents a significant milestone in the evolving relationship between Somaliland and the State of Israel. It reflects not only political relations, but also a shared commitment to transform this relationship into a productive, forward-looking, and strategic partnership.”

He emphasized Somaliland’s long-term vision for the relationship. “We are committed to building a strategic relationship with Israel that will be beneficial to both sides and based on cooperation in policy, security, economy, and development. We see this partnership not merely as a political matter, but as a move of historic significance.”

The president added that the visit sends a clear message of resolve. “We want our countries to promote stability, prosperity, and shared interests. Your presence here today demonstrates leadership and confidence in the future of our relations. It sends a strong message that Somaliland and Israel are ready to deepen engagement and act decisively to establish diplomatic infrastructure, including the opening of embassies.”

He concluded by formally accepting Netanyahu’s invitation. “For our part, I wish to assure our full readiness and political will to open an embassy in Israel and to support a permanent and effective Israeli diplomatic presence in Somaliland. I hereby announce that I accept Prime Minister Netanyahu’s invitation to visit Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Meanwhile in Iran…. hundreds of thousands continue protesting. The government does not seem to having a handle on it, as they continued to spread around Iran.

Thousands are now attending the Eida HaChareidis hafganah against the IDF draft.

Republican Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term U.S. representative from California and a reliable vote on President Donald Trump’s agenda, has died, reducing the GOP’s narrow control of the House. He was 65. A former state lawmaker and rice farmer, LaMalfa had more than a dozen years in Congress, where he regularly helped GOP leaders open the […]

Nvidia, AMD and Intel all had important chip and AI platform announcements on the first day of CES 2026, but all audiences wanted to see more of was Star Wars and Jensen Huang’s little robot buddies. CES is a huge opportunity annually for companies both large and small to parade products they plan to put […]

Construction beats promises They say Tzfat is having a hot moment. Real estate market ups and downs aside, let’s be honest, Tzfat has pulled at the heartstrings of Jews everywhere for centuries. The cobblestone alleys where kabbala was transmitted, open vistas where Lecha Dodi was born, and mountain air breathing history. Shabbos and every day […]

Ahmed al-Ahmed, who heroically disarmed a terrorist during the Bondi Massacre, and Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, of Chabad of Bondi, prayed for humanity at the Ohel, the Rebbe’s resting place, in Queens, New York, this morning. Ahmed al-Ahmed was one of the many heroes during the horrific attack on December 14th. The 43-year-old Syrian- born Muslim […]

Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Muslim hero who fought one of the Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre terrorists, visited the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe this morning.

Major Hafganah organized by the Eidah HaChareidis against the Chareidi draft law is underway at the Bar Ilan area in Yerushalyim.

Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett on Monday night delivered a televised statement laying out what he described as a comprehensive solution to Israel’s draft crisis, once again focusing his political message squarely on the chareidi sector while declaring his intention to form the next government.

Speaking at a press conference broadcast live, Bennett — who is seeking a return to politics under the banner of a new framework dubbed “Bennett 2026” — said that his first move upon returning to the Prime Minister’s Office would be to repeal what he called the current government’s “draft evasion law.”

Bennett said he intends to replace it with legislation he is calling the “Law of Those Who Serve,” presenting it as the cornerstone of his next coalition. “From today, those who serve will be at the top of the pyramid and those who evade will be at the bottom,” Bennett said, adding that support for the bill would be a prerequisite for joining a government under his leadership. “Support for the Law of Those Who Serve is the first condition for entering a government I head. This is the flagship law of the next government.”

In his remarks, Bennett accused the current leadership of creating a moral and social injustice. “The people of Israel are witnessing a terrible injustice,” he said. “With one hand, the government issues 280,000 reserve duty call-up orders, shattering families and careers, and with the other hand it transfers tens of billions of shekels to healthy young men who choose to evade service in the IDF.”

“There is no greater chillul Hashem than this,” Bennett continued. “They talk about a yellow badge?! We enlist so that we have a strong IDF, in a strong Jewish state, so that no Jew will ever again wear a yellow badge.”

Bennett said his proposed law would fundamentally reverse Israel’s social and economic priorities. “Tonight I announce: the Israeli pyramid is being turned upside down,” he said. “I present to you the law that will shape the State of Israel for decades to come: the Law of Those Who Serve. The answer to this government’s disgraceful draft evasion law is the Law of Those Who Serve. From today — those who serve at the top, and those who choose to evade — at the bottom.”

Detailing the plan, Bennett said his proposal would divert 25 billion shekels currently allocated to what he described as draft evaders and coalition funds and transfer the entire sum to those who serve. He outlined a three-tier system.

At the top, Bennett placed active reserve soldiers. “Every active reservist will receive a grant of one million shekels toward a first home,” he said. He added that reservists would receive free daycare from birth to age three for all children, as well as a permanent 50 percent discount on electricity, water, and municipal taxes as long as they continue reserve service. “These aren’t perks,” Bennett said. “It’s a game-changer that changes your life. You fight for the home — you’ll get a home.”

The second tier, according to Bennett, would include those who completed full mandatory service. He said they would be entitled to “a massive boost at the start of life,” including a free undergraduate degree for all veterans, not only combat soldiers, a free master’s degree for combat troops, five years of free public transportation after discharge, and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 shekels per child for daycare from birth to age three.

“At the third, bottom level,” Bennett said, “those who choose not to serve simply do not receive.” He argued that this structure would “turn the pyramid in Israel.”

Bennett insisted the funding already exists. “This money exists,” he said. “I built the Law of Those Who Serve with people who were in the Budget Division and the Housing Ministry, and they know exactly where these billions are right now. The Law of Those Who Serve moves those billions to the right place — to you.”

He claimed the move would unlock major economic growth. “Our move will free up more than 100 billion shekels in economic output that is currently being burned because of the draft evasion mechanism,” Bennett said. “We are reshaping the state.”

Responding to comparisons between current policies and frameworks proposed during his own previous tenure, Bennett said critics were ignoring the impact of the October 7 massacre. “Anyone who compares the draft evasion law to the framework under a government I led ‘forgets’ one thing: the massacre of October 7,” he said. “But the people of Israel do not forget, and will not forget.”

Bennett concluded by arguing that his plan would transform Israeli society and even draw chareidi youth into military service. “The Law of Those Who Serve will change the structure of the Israeli economy for generations, and will save the economy and the serving public from inevitable collapse,” he said. “And you’ll see how this law brings masses of young chareidim to join us in the IDF. We have one home — we will defend it together.”

{Matzav.com}

Trump to House Republicans: “We inherited high prices. We inherited a mess… we now have the hottest economy in the history of our country. We have $18T being invested in the United States. Every one of you have car plants, AI plants… because of tariffs.”

Five years ago outside the White House, the outgoing President Donald Trump told a crowd of his supporters to head to the Capitol — “and I’ll be there with you” — in protest as Congress was affirming the 2020 election victory for Democrat Joe Biden. A short time later, the world watched as the seat of U.S. power descended into […]

At the end of this article, you will find a full list of the Rabbanim associated with Refuah B’Halacha, as well as the areas in which the Center provides guidance. For more information or to explore additional medical-halacha topics, visit www.refuahbhalacha.org. Refuah B’Halacha is a leading halachic resource dedicated to addressing complex medical questions through […]

At the end of this article, you will find a full list of the Rabbanim associated with Refuah B’Halacha, as well as the areas in which the Center provides guidance. For more information or to explore additional medical-halacha topics, visit www.refuahbhalacha.org. Refuah B’Halacha is a leading halachic resource dedicated to addressing complex medical questions through […]

Trump Urges House Republicans to Pass Voter ID: “You ought to have Voter ID. You ought to insist on it… The only reason somebody doesn’t want that is because they want to cheat… You ought to pass the SAVE Act or whatever you’re going to call it.”

Following trilateral talks in Paris between Israel, Syria, and the United States, the parties agreed to establish a joint intelligence and de-escalation mechanism. In addition, Jerusalem and Damascus are expected to begin civilian-level discussions on areas including healthcare, energy, and agriculture.

Trump on Maduro: “He’s a violent guy, and he has killed millions of people. They have a torture chamber in the middle of Caracas.”

Trump on Speaker Mike Johnson: “I want to thank the man who has been central to so many of our triumphs…He‘s a nice person. He‘s is a high quality person. But I want to tell you, he‘s a very tough cookie. His name is Mike Johnson.”

TRUMP: “I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member — a great, great, great member — Congressman Doug LaMalfa… our hearts go out to his wife, Jill and his entire family.”

President Donald Trump shifted his attention westward on Tuesday, training his fire on California and Gov. Gavin Newsom just a day after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he would abandon his reelection campaign amid a growing fraud scandal in his state.

Reacting to Walz’s sudden decision to step aside, Trump used Truth Social to argue that Minnesota’s problems are not isolated, contending that corruption is even more deeply rooted in California. In one post, he declared that scrutiny has now expanded beyond the Midwest.

“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” Trump wrote.

Walz, a Democrat who served as his party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024, said the political climate surrounding Minnesota’s child care fraud investigation had become untenable. He explained that the constant pressure made it impossible to balance governing the state with mounting a reelection campaign.

The outgoing governor dismissed the controversy as politically motivated, accusing Trump and Republican allies of exploiting the issue to turn Minnesota into what he described as “a colder, meaner place.” Republicans, however, have rejected that characterization, saying the allegations point to serious and systemic failures in oversight and governance.

Trump, in a separate Truth Social message responding to Walz’s withdrawal, escalated his accusations, charging that the Minnesota governor was “caught, redhanded” in what he described as a massive scheme involving “tens of billions of taxpayer dollars.” He added that Walz’s situation was emblematic of a broader pattern among Democratic leaders.

Trump extended that argument to California, asserting that Newsom and other Democratic governors have done “an even more dishonest and incompetent job,” while stressing, “No one is above the law!”

The president’s focus on California echoes long-standing conservative criticism that the state operates under lax oversight, spiraling costs, and entrenched bureaucratic waste, even as Sacramento seeks additional funding from taxpayers. Those claims were reinforced by a recent report from California’s nonpartisan state auditor, which placed Newsom’s administration and several major agencies under elevated “high-risk” scrutiny.

According to the auditor, chronic deficiencies span a wide range of systems, including public benefit programs, unemployment insurance, financial reporting, cybersecurity protections, and water infrastructure. The report warned that continued failures could saddle the state with billions of dollars in additional costs and pose serious public safety threats.

Among the most notable findings were a nearly 11% payment error rate in California’s CalFresh program, which the auditor said could expose the state to as much as $2.5 billion in losses by 2028 if left uncorrected. The review also identified roughly $1.5 billion in improper unemployment payments during 2023 and 2024, well after pandemic-era fraud had already shaken confidence in the system.

The assessment further cited weak financial controls that undermine transparency, cybersecurity vulnerabilities across multiple agencies, and concerns about dam infrastructure that could endanger lives and property if failures occur. Whistleblower probes detailed wasteful practices as well, including millions of dollars spent on state-issued mobile devices that were never used.

Trump has repeatedly argued that prolonged one-party Democratic control leads to expansive government with minimal accountability. Speaking recently aboard Air Force One, he pledged to tighten oversight, reestablish law-and-order standards within federal agencies, and protect taxpayers from what he described as being treated like an “endless ATM” for states that mismanage public funds.

{Matzav.com}