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Israeli defense officials believe another military confrontation with Iran is now more likely than a diplomatic agreement, with the IDF having completed extensive preparations for renewed fighting as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked.

According to a report by Ynet on Motzoei Shabbos, Israel’s military is maintaining an exceptionally high level of readiness for both offensive operations and defensive measures, although the decision to launch another campaign is expected to depend primarily on President Donald Trump.

A senior Israeli official described the deteriorating diplomatic outlook, saying, “It seems we are heading more toward war than toward an agreement.”

Israeli officials are closely watching Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, which they believe could influence Trump’s calculations regarding military action. One assessment circulating in Yerushalayim suggests that a political setback for the president could increase the likelihood of a military operation intended to demonstrate American strength.

Israeli political and defense leaders have also examined the possibility of attacking Iranian infrastructure, including energy facilities, as part of a broader effort to weaken the regime and potentially accelerate its collapse.

Military planners are reportedly preparing for the possibility that another confrontation would last considerably longer than previous rounds of fighting, rather than ending after several days of airstrikes.

Despite the preparations, diplomatic efforts remain underway. Qatar has been attempting to negotiate an arrangement under which Iran would agree to restrictions on its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States would ease sanctions, lift restrictions on Iranian ports and release Iranian assets frozen in Western countries.

A Qatari delegation has already held discussions in Tehran, and mediators remain in contact with American officials in an effort to narrow the differences between the two sides.

However, Israeli officials familiar with the negotiations say there has been little meaningful progress, with Tehran showing no indication that it is prepared to make the concessions necessary for an agreement.

One Israeli source said neither Washington nor Tehran is eager for another war, while Gulf countries are particularly anxious to avoid a renewed regional confrontation.

“But there is no choice,” the official said. “Because the negotiations are stuck, especially now. Someone will have to compromise, and the Iranians are not moving toward a compromise.”

Israeli security officials are also considering the possibility that Iran could attempt to strike first, launching an attack before the United States and Israel have an opportunity to carry out their own military operation.

“If all the conditions align, there will be an attack, if only to accelerate the fall of the regime or the negotiations,” the Israeli official assessed.

Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued another warning Saturday, declaring that Tehran would determine when and under what circumstances any renewed fighting with Israel and the United States would end.

In a statement released following a reported meeting with senior Iranian military commanders, Khamenei said he had ordered an expansion of Iran’s list of potential targets to “ensure that all tangible and intangible assets of the American-Zionist enemy are within the reach of Iranian forces.”

The Iranian leader also instructed commanders to prepare for an intensive confrontation and to ensure that retaliation for any American or Israeli attack would not be restricted by geographical boundaries.

According to Iranian reports, the meeting included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi, armed forces chief Ali Abdollahi and Iranian army commander Amir Hatami.

The developments come as the Trump administration continues weighing military options while mediators attempt to prevent another round of hostilities. No final American decision to launch an attack has been publicly announced.

The Chareidi Journalists Council is demanding an investigation into the arrest of prominent photographer Dovid Keshet during a protest in Bnei Brak, alleging that police detained him shortly after he recorded officers engaging in apparently violent conduct.

The organization announced on Motzoei Shabbos that it would issue Keshet, a photographer for Yedios Bnei Brak, an official organizational press credential following his arrest Thursday while covering a demonstration in the city.

According to the council, Keshet was taken into custody just minutes after filming what appeared to be excessive force by police officers at the protest. The circumstances have raised concerns among chareidi journalists about possible interference with legitimate news coverage and the treatment of photographers documenting sensitive police operations.

In response, the council sent a formal letter of protest to outgoing Dan District police commander Elad Klein, demanding a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding Keshet’s arrest.

Klein had left his position one day before the demonstration, and a replacement had not yet been appointed when the council submitted its complaint.

The organization is seeking clarification regarding the legal grounds for detaining Keshet and whether officers at the scene properly considered his statements that he was working as a journalist.

The council also demanded that police immediately preserve all body-camera footage recorded by officers involved in the incident, ensuring that potentially important evidence is not lost before the circumstances can be independently reviewed.

In addition, the organization called for renewed instructions to police personnel regarding the rights and responsibilities of journalists and photographers covering public demonstrations.

Keshet, a familiar figure in chareidi media circles, was covering a demonstration near the Geha Interchange on Route 4 when the confrontation occurred. The protest, involving members of the Yerushalmi Faction, saw police deploy stun grenades and batons during clashes with demonstrators.

Video footage of Keshet’s arrest reportedly shows plainclothes officers escorting him toward a white civilian vehicle. During the encounter, Keshet can be heard protesting that he had done nothing wrong and had merely been present at the demonstration.

He was released approximately two hours after being detained.

His attorney, Shalom Haddad, condemned the arrest, maintaining that his client had been documenting police actions rather than participating in any disturbance.

“This was a false arrest that should never have happened,” Haddad said. He explained that Keshet had been questioned on suspicion of disturbing public order despite allegedly doing nothing more than recording officers using force against civilians.

Haddad questioned whether the arrest was genuinely connected to suspected criminal activity or whether its purpose was to prevent the photographer from continuing to document events at the protest.

Yedios Bnei Brak also issued a forceful response, raising concerns that officers may have sought to have Keshet delete footage showing police conduct.

“We will not relent, we will not remain silent, and we will not surrender the right to cover, document and report. Freedom of the press is not up for grabs!” the publication declared.

The Chareidi Journalists Council described the detention of a photographer performing his professional duties as a serious violation of acceptable boundaries, warning that arrests immediately following the recording of controversial police activity could discourage journalists from documenting events of public importance.

The organization also pointed to what it described as a longstanding disparity in the treatment of chareidi journalists compared with other members of the Israeli media. It demanded that police apply consistent professional standards to reporters and photographers regardless of their religious background or the publications they represent.

Separately, MK Gaby Lasky of the Democrats reportedly contacted Israel’s police commissioner following the Route 4 demonstration, calling for an investigation into officers’ conduct and demanding an end to the use of stun grenades against protesters.

The council pledged to support Keshet and other journalists working at demonstrations and to pursue measures intended to prevent similar incidents. It is awaiting a police explanation of the arrest and confirmation that the relevant body-camera recordings have been preserved.

{Matzav.com}

The FBI has identified North Korean hackers as the perpetrators of a massive cryptocurrency theft targeting Binance, with more than $6 billion stolen from the world’s largest digital currency exchange in what authorities describe as the biggest cryptocurrency heist ever recorded.

In a public warning issued following Thursday’s attack, federal investigators attributed the breach to TraderTraitor, a North Korean hacking operation previously linked to major cryptocurrency thefts, including the $1.5 billion attack on Bybit in February 2025.

The October 29 breach reportedly resulted in approximately $6.3 billion being removed from Binance-controlled digital wallets, raising fresh concerns about the security of cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability of foreign governments to exploit weaknesses in the digital financial system.

According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, the attackers transferred an estimated $6.36 billion across 10 different blockchain networks. Most of the stolen cryptocurrency was moved within approximately 20 minutes, highlighting the speed and coordination of the operation.

Federal investigators said the hackers have already begun converting stolen assets into Ethereum, a cryptocurrency that can be transferred through decentralized financial platforms and other services designed to operate without traditional financial intermediaries.

Authorities expect the stolen funds to pass through additional exchanges, digital wallets and cryptocurrency services as the perpetrators attempt to obscure their origins and prevent investigators from recovering the money.

The FBI is coordinating its investigation with the U.S. Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, with the agencies working to identify the movement of the stolen assets and interrupt attempts to launder them.

In their warning, federal officials called on cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain monitoring companies and other digital asset businesses to identify and block transactions connected to wallets controlled by the hackers.

Investigators also released an extensive collection of cryptocurrency addresses believed to have received stolen funds or otherwise been associated with the North Korean operation.

Binance announced Friday that approximately $3 billion worth of the stolen cryptocurrency had already been frozen through cooperation with law enforcement agencies, blockchain networks and private-sector partners.

The exchange said it would use its own financial reserves and its Secure Asset Fund for Users to compensate for the losses rather than pass the financial burden on to customers.

“Binance will absorb the financial impact of these stolen funds, not our users,” the company said in an Oct. 30 security update.

Binance reported that it had allocated more than $6.34 billion from corporate resources to replace the missing cryptocurrency, although some of the affected assets had not yet been fully replenished.

The company temporarily halted withdrawals while conducting security checks and investigating how the attackers penetrated its systems. Early findings suggested that a compromised employee laptop may have provided an initial entry point, although investigators subsequently identified additional areas of concern.

Binance said it had not discovered evidence that the private keys used to authorize transactions from its cryptocurrency wallets had been exposed.

The scale of the theft far exceeds the February 2025 breach of Bybit, when North Korean-linked hackers stole approximately $1.5 billion in digital assets. That attack was also attributed to TraderTraitor, which investigators say specializes in sophisticated operations against cryptocurrency businesses.

Independent blockchain analysis firms have reported slightly different estimates of the latest losses. Elliptic placed the total at approximately $6.43 billion and identified about $2.84 billion in frozen assets, while TRM Labs estimated the theft at $6.36 billion.

North Korea has repeatedly been accused of using cryptocurrency theft to generate revenue despite international sanctions, with stolen digital assets providing funds that can be moved outside conventional banking systems.

The FBI urged anyone possessing information about the Binance attack or associated North Korean money-laundering activities to contact a local FBI office or submit a report through the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said today that Israel’s inconclusive election results have set the stage for a potentially prolonged struggle to form a government, predicting that political leaders could abandon campaign promises and reconsider alliances as coalition negotiations intensify.

Appearing on Newsmax’s “America Right Now” with host Tom Basile, Huckabee discussed the unexpected election outcome, allegations of foreign involvement in the voting process, and the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

The ambassador pointed to the surprising performance of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s political bloc, which emerged with 53 Knesset seats compared with 48 for the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. Neither side obtained the 61 seats necessary to command a majority in Israel’s 120-member parliament.

The results contradicted expectations reflected in many pre-election surveys, which had suggested a stronger showing for Netanyahu’s opponents.

“Obviously, they were wrong about that,” Huckabee said, referring to the polling projections.

Huckabee explained that Israel’s parliamentary system makes election night fundamentally different from the American experience, since the final distribution of seats does not necessarily determine who will become prime minister.

“In an American election, on the night of the ballots, you pretty well know who won,” he said. “In Israel, the night of the election is really the beginning, not the end. So now it’s time to see who can form the coalition. That’s going to be the key.”

Under Israeli law, President Isaac Herzog will consult with the elected parties before assigning a Knesset member the responsibility of attempting to establish a government. The designated candidate generally receives 28 days to assemble a coalition, with the possibility of an additional 14 days.

Asked whether Netanyahu and Eisenkot might ultimately reach an agreement on a national unity government, Huckabee suggested that declarations made during an election campaign should not necessarily be treated as permanent commitments.

“Politicians have said throughout this campaign here in Israel, there is no way I’ll sit in the government with Netanyahu, or there’s no way I’ll sit in a government that involves Naftali Bennett or whoever,” he said. “Throw all that out the window.”

The ambassador suggested that politicians who repeatedly ruled out cooperation with their rivals could change their calculations when confronted with the possibility of spending another four years outside the government.

Huckabee also addressed the controversy surrounding the possible participation of Arab political factions in a future coalition. He defended Netanyahu’s refusal to cooperate with certain Arab parties, pointing to representatives who failed to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre.

He described such a refusal as “completely reckless,” arguing that anyone seeking a role in governing Israel should be willing to condemn the murder of approximately 1,200 people during the terrorist assault.

The ambassador was also questioned about reports that Israeli intelligence agencies were examining allegations of foreign interference in the election, including claims that money originating in Qatar and Turkey may have been directed toward Arab communities in Israel.

Huckabee emphasized the seriousness of the allegations while acknowledging that investigators had not yet established whether improper foreign involvement had occurred.

“It would be a serious, serious issue that would have a dramatic impact on not only the election outcome, but it would also, I think, really stir up some very strong feelings in Israel,” Huckabee said.

He added that Israelis deserved confidence that the election had been conducted fairly and transparently, describing the need for a process that was “up front, clean and clear.”

Turning to relations between Washington and Jerusalem, Huckabee stressed that American cooperation with Israel extends well beyond political considerations and provides critical national security benefits to the United States.

“What we share in intelligence actually saves American lives almost every day,” he said. “Americans don’t understand that. But it happens.”

Huckabee argued that the intelligence partnership remains valuable regardless of which political party controls Congress, pointing to the two countries’ longstanding cooperation against terrorism and regional security threats.

The ambassador also praised President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran, crediting the administration with confronting a regime that has threatened the United States and Israel for decades.

“Thank God, after 47.5 years of hearing them tell us they’re going to kill us, he’s taken action,” Huckabee said.

He maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a central American and Israeli security objective, particularly amid continued uncertainty over Tehran’s intentions and the possibility of renewed military confrontation.

“The relationship we have with Israel is very important, both strategically as well as tactically,” Huckabee said.

{Matzav.com}

Israel may be preparing a sophisticated surprise operation against Iran’s most powerful military commanders if fighting resumes following Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, potentially employing tactics resembling the devastating 2024 attacks that crippled Hezbollah’s communications network.

According to a report published today by the New York Post, Israeli intelligence could attempt to eliminate senior Iranian military figures through an unconventional operation rather than relying exclusively on traditional airstrikes. The possibility comes as President Donald Trump considers renewed military action against Tehran and American forces strengthen their presence in the Middle East.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier is reportedly moving toward the region, where it could join the USS George Washington and USS George W. Bush as Washington prepares for a possible escalation.

Speaking Friday to Kansas City radio station KCMO, Trump predicted that the conflict is “going to get wrapped up soon,” without providing additional details about his administration’s plans.

Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, suggested that military operations could begin shortly after Americans cast their ballots Tuesday.

“I’m going to guess about a day or three after this election, I would not want to be anywhere close to Iran,” Marshall said Thursday.

Oded Ailam, a former deputy head of global operations at the Mossad, told the New York Post that Israel possesses the intelligence capabilities to conduct an operation similar to its September 2024 attacks against Hezbollah, when explosive devices concealed inside communications equipment detonated across Lebanon and Syria.

“This is the bread and butter of Israeli strategy, is surprise twists and turns, unexpected moves and I’m absolutely certain that Israel has cards in the sleeve that will be used,” Ailam said.

The Hezbollah operation, carried out on September 17 and 18, 2024, involved thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies that had been secretly modified to contain explosives. The coordinated detonations killed dozens, wounded thousands and severely damaged the terrorist organization’s communications infrastructure.

The attack demonstrated Israel’s ability to infiltrate enemy supply chains and carry out operations that remain undetected until the moment they are activated. Ailam suggested that Israeli intelligence could have developed similarly unexpected methods for targeting Iran’s senior leadership.

According to Ailam, effective control of the Iranian government is concentrated among four powerful military officials: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi, Basij commander Hossein Taeb, armed forces chief Ali Abdollahi and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.

He argued that Iran’s civilian leadership exercises little independent authority, while Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei serves primarily as a figurehead for the military establishment.

“The president and foreign minister can’t make decisions. [The military junta] hides behind Mojtaba, but he’s not in charge; he’s a complete puppet,” Ailam said.

“Israel will use its imagination, its intelligence and the ability of the Israelis to surprise and turn the table in ways you can not anticipate,” he added.

Ailam also described growing disagreements within Iran’s leadership over negotiations with the United States, suggesting that hard-line military commanders have repeatedly interfered with diplomatic initiatives.

“They’re not on the same page themselves, we see a lot of friction within the regime, different approaches, agreeing then reneging,” he said.

Retired U.S. Gen. Jack Keane urged Washington to consider a broad military campaign targeting Iran’s senior commanders, nuclear installations, energy facilities and weapons manufacturing infrastructure.

“The intelligence we have now as a result of six months of collection during the on-again, off-again ceasefire is significant,” Keane said.

Ailam suggested that an intelligence operation against Iran’s leadership could produce consequences extending far beyond the elimination of individual commanders, potentially spreading fear and suspicion throughout the regime.

“The effect is enormous, especially on the psychology of the enemy. Imagine after the attack there’s a conversation somewhere in a bunker with the top echelons of Iran and everybody’s looking to the left and to the right and thinking the guy next to him is a spy,” he said.

Other analysts cautioned that an Israeli or American attack could provoke an especially fierce Iranian response, including strikes against neighboring countries and critical energy infrastructure.

“[The regime’s] interest is survival; they’ll fight harder,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Former Israeli national security adviser Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror warned that Iranian attacks against Gulf oil and gas installations could prompt Israel to retaliate against Iran’s own energy industry on a massive scale.

“If the Iranian retaliation will be to destroy or try to destroy energy facilities in the Gulf countries, that would be a good excuse for Israel to destroy the whole energy infrastructure in Iran,” Amidror said.

“This is something that cannot be rebuilt in a few years, this will send Iran back 50 years,” he added.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, strongly criticized the possibility of renewed American military operations, warning that another campaign could deepen the conflict and threaten American interests.

“Their plan is insane. It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law,” Murphy said Thursday.

“The plan that they have developed will lead in my view to a prolongment and an escalation of this war that in my view will be devastating for our security interests,” he added.

The speculation about an Israeli intelligence operation follows reports that American and Israeli military planners have developed options for a short but intensive campaign against Iran after November 3. Potential targets reportedly include nuclear facilities, ballistic missile and drone production sites, and energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Iranian negotiators met with Qatari mediators in Doha today as diplomatic efforts continued to avert another confrontation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had not decided whether to authorize military action and continued to prefer a negotiated solution.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, however, warned today that any renewed American or Israeli attack would bring an immediate military response, with Iranian forces instructed to prepare for retaliation beyond the country’s borders.

Despite the possibility of targeting Iran’s military leadership, Amidror maintained that Israel’s primary strategic objectives remain preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and eliminating its ability to threaten Israel with ballistic missiles.

{Matzav.com}

Iran signaled today that it views a new diplomatic approach from the Trump administration favorably, but warned that negotiations with the United States will not resume unless Washington first agrees to a series of demands involving sanctions, American military deployments and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comments during an interview with Al Jazeera as Iranian representatives continued indirect negotiations in Qatar aimed at preventing renewed hostilities with the United States and Israel.

The latest diplomatic activity follows a letter from Vice President JD Vance to Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei, an initiative that has prompted speculation about whether Washington is attempting to revive negotiations with Tehran.

“The American side’s attempt to open the door to dialogue and understanding more broadly is a positive step,” Araghchi told Al Jazeera.

The Iranian foreign minister said the message had been examined by senior officials in Tehran, but warned that any American attempt to exploit internal disagreements within Iran would undermine the diplomatic effort.

“If Washington’s goal in sending this letter is to stir up discord, it would be yet another mistake to add to its previous ones,” he said.

Reports in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal described Vance’s communication as an attempt to explore a possible return to negotiations and avoid another round of American military strikes. President Donald Trump offered a different explanation, saying the letter concerned assistance in obtaining medical supplies for Iran rather than a new peace initiative.

Despite describing the American approach as encouraging, Araghchi made clear that Tehran was not prepared to send officials into direct negotiations.

“We see no need to meet with the Americans at present. Our conditions are clear, and mediators are continuing their consultations regarding them,” he told Al Jazeera.

He rejected reports suggesting that a meeting between American and Iranian representatives was imminent, saying any decision about direct or indirect negotiations would depend on Washington’s response to Tehran’s demands.

Among those conditions are the removal of American sanctions imposed after the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and a reduction in the U.S. military presence across the region.

Iran is also demanding international acceptance of a shipping arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran says it developed with Oman. The proposal would establish an approved maritime passage while closing alternative routes through the strategically important waterway.

Araghchi maintained that the Iranian plan remains the only proposal currently available for reopening the strait and suggested that American acceptance could create the conditions for broader negotiations.

The negotiations have also produced movement on the timetable for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi said Qatari mediators initially suggested a five-day implementation period, but subsequent discussions reduced the proposed timeframe to just two days. Tehran is additionally seeking the restoration of oil-export waivers and the release of frozen Iranian assets, including funds held in Qatar.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are continuing in Doha following more than 12 hours of meetings between Qatari mediators and Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday. An official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that the Qatari delegation maintained regular communication with American negotiators throughout the discussions.

“My aide is currently in Qatar to continue consultations. Qatari and Pakistani mediators are continuing consultations regarding our conditions,” Araghchi told Al Jazeera.

The Iranian foreign minister also acknowledged that international mediators had introduced proposals concerning Tehran’s nuclear activities, another major obstacle to an agreement.

“Mediators have presented proposals concerning the nuclear dossier, which we are currently reviewing as part of the second phase,” Araghchi said.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Qatari officials had suggested a seven-day arrangement involving reciprocal confidence-building measures, potentially supported by international guarantees. An Iranian official subsequently disputed the characterization of the initiative as a formal proposal, describing the ideas presented by Qatar as unacceptable.

At the same time, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a warning that any renewed American or Israeli military operation would bring immediate retaliation.

During a meeting today with senior military commanders, Khamenei ordered Iranian forces to strengthen their readiness and revise their lists of potential American and Israeli targets. According to Iranian state media, he instructed the military to prepare responses without geographical limitations.

Khamenei assumed leadership following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the American-Israeli military offensive against Iran in February.

The warnings come as Washington weighs its next steps. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump has not made a decision about additional military action and would prefer a diplomatic resolution, although American forces remain prepared to strike if necessary.

Qatari officials are reportedly attempting to secure progress before Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, amid concerns that the Trump administration could resume military operations afterward.

{Matzav.com}

Members of Degel HaTorah met on Motzoei Shabbos with Roshei Yeshiva Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch as reports intensified that United Torah Judaism could potentially help Gadi Eisenkot establish a minority government in exchange for legislation protecting the status of yeshiva bochurim.

The meeting, officially described by Degel HaTorah as an opportunity for its newly elected representatives to receive the Roshei Yeshiva’s brachos ahead of the upcoming Knesset term, took place amid increasingly complicated coalition negotiations following Tuesday’s elections, which left Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s political bloc with only 53 seats.

According to reports published Friday, Rav Landau instructed Degel HaTorah lawmakers to begin discussions with all political factions in an effort to secure an acceptable arrangement regarding the draft status of yeshiva students.

The Rosh Yeshiva was quoted as directing the party to “make every effort to regulate the status of yeshiva students. We are not in anyone’s bloc. We are in the bloc of the Torah world.”

The reported directive followed discussions involving senior figures in the anti-Netanyahu camp about a possible arrangement under which United Torah Judaism would abstain during the parliamentary vote to approve an Eisenkot-led government, allowing it to take office without formally joining the coalition.

Under the scenario being explored, UTJ’s seven seats would no longer be counted among the lawmakers opposing Eisenkot, potentially leaving Netanyahu’s bloc with 46 seats and giving Eisenkot a path to forming a government supported by 55 lawmakers.

In return for such cooperation, UTJ would reportedly demand an agreed-upon draft law establishing the legal status of yeshiva students and protecting their ability to continue learning without military service.

Senior UTJ officials acknowledged that indirect discussions have taken place through intermediaries, although they characterized the likelihood of such an agreement as extremely remote.

However, the office of UTJ chairman MK Yaakov Asher firmly rejected reports that the party had already received instructions to negotiate with the opposition.

“No such instruction was given. We have not yet visited the Gedolei Yisroel since the elections,” Asher’s office stated.

Tonight’s meeting marked the first formal visit by Degel HaTorah’s elected representatives to the Roshei Yeshiva since the election results became known.

The political maneuvering faces a major obstacle from Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, whose party has taken an uncompromising position on the military draft. A senior party official said that Lieberman has insisted the first law passed by any government his party joins must require universal military service.

“Lieberman has made clear that the first law in any government in which he participates will be a draft law for everyone,” the official said.

The official added that the demand was nonnegotiable, even if it meant another election. “This is a statement made after the elections, and it is a central principle from which we will not retreat, even at the cost of elections! We will not sell out the soldiers for power. Conscription for everyone, with zero exemptions.”

Nevertheless, a senior opposition MK said that some members of the anti-Netanyahu camp are prepared to reconsider their positions on the draft in order to establish a government.

“The election results show that the public did not vote against the chareidim,” the lawmaker said. “If we need to compromise on the draft issue in order to form a government, we will seriously consider it. There is an entire world outside Twitter, a world that did not show up at the ballot box when it mattered.”

According to discussions taking place within UTJ, some party officials believe that if an agreement protecting yeshiva students can be reached, Shas could eventually join the arrangement as well. Shas suffered a severe electoral defeat Tuesday, dropping from 11 Knesset seats to just six.

Separately, Channel 14 reported that Degel HaTorah was considering withholding its recommendation for prime minister during President Isaac Herzog’s upcoming consultations, allowing the party to maintain flexibility while negotiations continue.

However, following tonight’s meetings, senior Degel HaTorah figures reportedly clarified that neither support for Netanyahu nor support for Eisenkot had actually been discussed with the Roshei Yeshiva. They maintained that the visits were intended solely to receive brachos ahead of the new parliamentary term, and that no concrete political decisions had been reached.

President Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations with the newly elected Knesset factions on Wednesday, when party representatives will formally recommend whom he should select to attempt to form Israel’s next government.

{Matzav.com}

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman announced Friday that his party will refuse to participate in any Israeli government that includes Arab political factions, dealing another setback to efforts by the anti-Netanyahu bloc to assemble a governing coalition following this week’s Knesset elections.

In a sharply worded Facebook statement, Lieberman accused several Arab lawmakers of making statements sympathetic to terrorism and declared that Yisrael Beytenu would not compromise its position for the sake of forming a government.

“We will not sit with supporters of terrorism.”

Lieberman specifically criticized MKs Ofer Cassif and Yasser Hujirat, along with remarks made by Joint List representative Osama Saadi during celebrations following Tuesday’s election.

Explaining his objections, Lieberman pointed to Cassif’s endorsement of South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accused Israel of committing genocide during its military campaign in Gaza.

“After October 7, Ofer Cassif supported the proceedings initiated by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which alleged that Israel was committing genocide,” Lieberman wrote.

He also cited Cassif’s accusation that “the Israeli military carries out acts of terrorism.”

The Yisrael Beytenu leader further criticized Ra’am lawmaker Yasser Hujirat, alleging that the MK had described Hamas as a charitable organization rather than a terrorist group in remarks made several weeks before the election.

Lieberman also took issue with comments delivered by Osama Saadi at Joint List headquarters on election night, when Saadi dedicated the party’s electoral success “to our people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem.”

Taken together, Lieberman argued, the statements demonstrated why his party could not enter a coalition alongside the Arab factions, regardless of the political difficulties confronting the opposition.

“Anyone who wants to rely on supporters of terrorism is welcome to do so. Yisrael Beytenu will not be part of it.”

The announcement comes as opposition leaders struggle to overcome the arithmetic of Tuesday’s election. Netanyahu’s coalition bloc secured 53 seats, while the Jewish-led opposition won 48. The Joint List and Ra’am together captured 19 seats, potentially giving Netanyahu’s opponents a 67-seat majority if they agreed to cooperate with the Arab factions.

Lieberman’s position effectively blocks that possibility as long as Yisrael Beytenu remains part of the proposed coalition. He has also previously rejected joining a government headed by Netanyahu or one that includes Shas and United Torah Judaism, insisting that the next coalition consist exclusively of Zionist parties.

The political confrontation follows another controversy involving the Arab parties. Before the election, Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify Ra’am, the Joint List and Cassif from participating. The Supreme Court subsequently overturned those decisions, allowing the parties and Cassif to compete.

With neither political bloc commanding a majority, President Isaac Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party representatives before selecting a candidate to attempt to form the next government. Failure to reach a coalition agreement could send Israel back to the polls.

{Matzav.com}

The identities of two pilots who helped save a Flydubai passenger jet from a potentially catastrophic terrorist attack have been revealed after they received prestigious civilian honors from the United Arab Emirates for their extraordinary actions during the September 30 emergency.

The pilots, Henson Steven of Fiji and Rowan Tooth of South Africa, were traveling aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight as off-duty crew members when the aircraft’s co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control and crash the plane. The two men ultimately took over the controls and guided the damaged aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The pair were publicly identified following an awards ceremony held Tuesday, October 27, during which UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on members of the Flydubai crew. The decorations were presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The incident occurred aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport with approximately 170 passengers and crew members, most of them Israelis.

According to investigators, the aircraft’s Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe inside the cockpit in an apparent attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport.

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar fought back and managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to enter and overpower the attacker.

During the terrifying confrontation, the aircraft plunged approximately 16,000 feet in just 30 seconds, sending passengers into panic as the plane descended at an extraordinary rate.

Several Israeli passengers rushed forward to help restrain the attacker. Among them was Yaniv Hayun, who helped stabilize the aircraft during the emergency before the two off-duty pilots assumed control.

Steven and Tooth, who had originally been aboard the aircraft to operate its return flight, took over the damaged jet and successfully landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Their intervention, together with the actions of the injured captain and passengers, prevented what authorities believe could have been a mass-casualty terrorist attack.

The UAE subsequently confirmed that its investigation had identified the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Hammami was taken into custody, while investigators began examining how he had been permitted to serve aboard a flight bound for Israel.

Captain Machchhar was also honored at Tuesday’s ceremony. Photographs showed the Indian pilot with visible scars from the attack, including significant injuries to his head and arm.

The First Class Order of Zayed II is among the UAE’s highest civilian distinctions, recognizing exceptional service and contributions. The presidential recognition acknowledged the crew’s courage and professionalism in protecting everyone aboard the aircraft.

The ceremony also marked the first public identification of Steven and Tooth, whose names had remained largely unknown in the weeks following the incident. Earlier accounts had incorrectly identified one of the pilots as a New Zealand citizen.

Israeli authorities previously honored several passengers who helped subdue the attacker, including Hayun, recognizing their intervention during the desperate struggle inside the cockpit.

The attack has also prompted Israel to tighten aviation security procedures, including requirements for airlines operating flights to and from the country to provide additional crew information ahead of departure.

{Matzav.com}

MK Ahmad Tibi of the Joint List declared tonight that his party will not participate in a government headed by Gadi Eisenkot, even as he signaled a willingness to cooperate with opposition lawmakers seeking to remove Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana following Israel’s elections.

Speaking on the television program “Meet the Press,” Tibi delivered a direct message to Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar! party, making clear that the Arab faction would remain outside any new governing coalition while potentially supporting parliamentary moves against the current leadership.

“We want to make things easier. We will not be part of the government. We will support replacing the Knesset Speaker.”

Tibi’s remarks come as parties opposed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu search for ways to exercise influence in the newly elected Knesset despite failing to secure the parliamentary majority needed to establish a government.

The election results left the anti-Netanyahu parties with just 48 seats, compared with 53 for Netanyahu’s existing coalition bloc, reversing the balance suggested by many pre-election surveys. Neither camp has the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

The opposition’s path to power is further complicated by commitments made by nearly all its constituent parties not to depend on Arab factions to establish a government. Democrats chairman MK Yair Golan has been the notable exception, leaving Eisenkot and his potential partners facing a difficult political calculation.

Reports earlier this week indicated that opposition leaders were examining a plan to replace Ohana immediately upon the new Knesset’s inauguration, even without reaching an agreement on forming an alternative coalition. Such a move could give the anti-Netanyahu parties an early parliamentary victory despite their inability to assemble a governing majority.

Meanwhile, Eisenkot met this evening with Yair Lapid, chairman of the Together party, for discussions focused on the election outcome and the opposition’s next steps. The two leaders coordinated their political approach and emphasized their determination to honor the commitments they made to voters.

Tibi’s announcement adds another dimension to those discussions, offering the opposition possible support for changing the Knesset’s leadership without requiring the Arab parties to become formal coalition partners.

Additional reporting indicates that Tibi’s offer extends beyond the election of a new Knesset speaker. He has also pledged not to support no-confidence motions initiated by Likud against a potential alternative government and not to introduce legislation seeking to dissolve the Knesset.

Tibi has indicated that his faction could provide outside parliamentary support in exchange for agreements addressing problems facing Arab communities, including violent crime and the recognition of Bedouin villages. The Joint List won 11 seats in Tuesday’s election, while the separate Ra’am party secured eight, giving the two Arab factions a combined 19 seats.

Israel’s anti-Netanyahu parties are reportedly considering a dramatic change to the country’s electoral system that would allow voters to choose the prime minister directly, potentially enabling a new government to take office without securing the backing of 61 Knesset members.

The proposal, which would revive an initiative advanced by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in 2021, is among several options being examined by opposition leaders following an election that left neither political camp with a clear parliamentary majority.

Channel 12 journalist Michael Hauser Tov reported on the Ulpan Shishi program that senior opposition officials have acknowledged discussions about introducing direct elections for prime minister as a possible solution to the political stalemate.

The central objective would be to create a path toward establishing a government without requiring the participation or parliamentary support of Arab parties, an issue that has complicated efforts to assemble an alternative coalition.

Opposition figures have reportedly dubbed the initiative the “Netanyahu 2021 Model,” referring to a plan Netanyahu himself promoted after the 2021 elections produced another divided Knesset.

Under the framework being discussed, Israelis would cast ballots directly for their preferred prime minister. The victorious candidate would then be entitled to establish a government without first obtaining the customary support of a 61-member parliamentary majority.

The idea represents a significant departure from Israel’s existing parliamentary system, under which the president assigns a Knesset member the task of forming a government and that government must subsequently win the confidence of the legislature.

The proposal would also require amending Israel’s Basic Law governing the formation of governments, a legislative change that would need at least 61 votes. Although the Jewish-led opposition parties control only 48 seats, the addition of 19 lawmakers from Arab parties would provide a potential 67-vote majority to approve the legislation.

Israel previously experimented with direct elections for prime minister between 1996 and 2001. Netanyahu became the first prime minister elected under that arrangement when he defeated Shimon Peres in 1996. The system was subsequently abandoned amid concerns that it encouraged political fragmentation and made coalition-building more difficult.

Another unresolved question is whom the opposition would nominate for prime minister. Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman have all sought the leadership of the anti-Netanyahu camp, and the parties did not agree on a single candidate before Tuesday’s election.

For now, the direct-election proposal remains an option under consideration rather than an agreed political strategy. No legislation has been formally announced, and opposition leaders have not established whether sufficient support exists to move the initiative forward.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone on Saturday amid escalating tensions with Iran, as Washington considers additional military action against Tehran while pursuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The conversation followed a high-level White House briefing on Thursday during which Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), presented Trump with potential military options involving Iran.

The briefing, described as unusual, reportedly included Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. Officials familiar with the discussions said the meeting focused on possible American military operations as the administration evaluates its next steps.

Trump indicated Friday that Iran was seeking negotiations, suggesting that Tehran’s worsening economic difficulties were increasing pressure on its leadership to reach an agreement.

“There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. They’re not paying their soldiers. They’re not paying their police. They’re in a lot of trouble,” Trump told reporters.

The president also suggested that Washington was not operating under an immediate deadline to bring the confrontation to an end.

“We have time, frankly. It’s a war, but it is not a typical war.”

Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts between the United States and Iran have reportedly advanced through mediation efforts in Qatar.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told the Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed on Saturday that discussions in Doha had produced progress, with an American delegation expected to participate in talks alongside Iranian representatives.

According to the report, negotiators have reached preliminary understandings concerning several major issues, including restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and possible economic incentives that could be offered to Tehran as part of an agreement.

The report also indicated that China and Russia could serve as guarantors of a potential arrangement, although no final agreement has been announced.

Despite the diplomatic activity, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a new warning Saturday following a meeting with senior military commanders, threatening an expansive response if the United States or Israel launches additional attacks.

“Every level or type of threat must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical restrictions,” Khamenei wrote on social media.

Iranian state media reported that Khamenei also instructed military commanders to expand their list of potential targets to include additional American and Israeli assets, signaling that renewed hostilities could extend well beyond Iran’s borders.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, described the latest American diplomatic overtures as a positive development but indicated that Tehran was not yet prepared to enter direct negotiations with Washington. He said Iran was reviewing proposals conveyed through mediators, including arrangements that could allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen within two days.

The competing military threats and diplomatic initiatives have placed the Trump administration at a critical decision point, with American commanders preparing possible operations while mediators attempt to prevent another major escalation in the Middle East.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow is prepared for a military confrontation with European nations if Western governments continue trying to weaken Russia, raising the possibility of a major conflict and threatening to turn the Baltic Sea into a flashpoint resembling the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking Thursday at a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin insisted that his country has no desire to fight Europe but cautioned that continued Western efforts to impose a strategic defeat on Russia could produce consequences far beyond the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Putin invoked the devastating conflicts of the previous century, referring to “the tragic pages of history” and arguing that Moscow wants to prevent “anything like this happens on a global scale” again.

At the same time, the Russian leader made clear that his military would be prepared for a confrontation if European governments pursued one.

Putin accused unspecified Western countries of seeking to “inflict a strategic defeat on Russia” and questioned whether European military preparations for a possible conflict by the end of the decade were realistic.

“Many people are talking about preparing for war by 2030. Is this right or wrong? First of all, we are prepared, but we don’t want any war with Europe… as for them, if someone wants it, let them prepare. However, they failed to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia this time and it is unlikely to become possible by 2030”.

Putin warned that efforts to defeat Moscow through continued military and financial support for Ukraine could “go too far,” suggesting that a wider conflict would be catastrophic for all parties involved.

He declared that if such a war erupted, “there will be no winners”.

The Russian president also issued a warning concerning the Baltic Sea, suggesting that tensions between Moscow and NATO could create a maritime confrontation comparable to the recent crisis in the Persian Gulf.

The Baltic has become an increasingly sensitive strategic region since Finland and Sweden joined NATO, leaving Russia surrounded by alliance members along much of the coastline. Moscow nevertheless retains important access to the sea through St. Petersburg and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, situated between Poland and Lithuania.

Putin suggested that Western pressure on Russian maritime interests could trigger a confrontation resembling the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the recent conflict involving Iran.

“there will be a situation similar to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Does anyone want the same situation to develop in the Baltic Sea as in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz? I don’t know. We don’t want that… We do not want this. But we will respond to any challenge.”

The remarks appeared intended to warn European governments against measures that Moscow might interpret as interference with Russian shipping or access to Baltic ports, although Putin did not announce any specific military operation.

Putin also addressed recent diplomatic contacts with European leaders, saying Moscow remains willing to restore relations despite the deep divisions created by the war in Ukraine.

The Russian president referred to a telephone conversation earlier this week with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He defended their decision to speak with him despite criticism from other European capitals, saying dialogue was preferable to continued isolation.

According to Reuters, Putin said Russia supported efforts to reestablish normal diplomatic relations with European countries, whether through the European Union or direct bilateral discussions.

The latest warnings come as European governments continue strengthening their defenses amid concerns about Russian military activity and the possibility of a wider confrontation with NATO.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Western governments of provoking an escalation by arming Ukraine, while European leaders have argued that Russia’s invasion and continued military operations are the principal threats to regional security.

{Matzav.com}

Democrats could emerge from Tuesday’s midterm elections with as many as 240 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, potentially securing their largest majority since 2009, according to an updated assessment released Friday by the Cook Political Report.

The nonpartisan election forecaster moved 12 congressional contests in Democrats’ favor, estimating that the party could capture between 12 and 25 seats currently held by Republicans. That would leave Democrats controlling between 227 and 240 seats in the next Congress.

With Democrats needing a net gain of only three seats to take control of the House, the revised outlook suggests Republicans face a considerably broader electoral challenge than previously anticipated.

“As the House battleground map has expanded, Democrats now have the potential to win their largest majority since 2009,” Cook reported.

The latest ratings reflect concerns within Republican circles about President Donald Trump’s approval numbers, the party’s ability to bring supporters to the polls, and whether substantial campaign expenditures will be sufficient to counter a political climate increasingly favorable to Democrats.

Among the notable changes, Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Rob Bresnahan, was moved from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democrat.” Ohio’s 9th District, presently held by a Democrat, received the same revised rating.

Cook House editor Erin Covey pointed to polling showing Bresnahan behind his Democratic opponent, with criticism surrounding the congressman’s stock transactions appearing to damage his reelection prospects.

Three additional Republican-held seats were placed in the highly competitive “Toss Up” category after previously being rated “Lean Republican.” They include Colorado’s 5th District, Pennsylvania’s 1st District, and South Carolina’s open 1st District.

Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick is among the incumbents confronting a difficult contest. His district supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, making it a particularly important battleground for both parties.

The forecast also identified growing Democratic opportunities in several districts previously considered relatively secure for Republicans. Florida’s 7th and 9th districts, along with Indiana’s 5th District, were shifted from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.”

Another four GOP-held seats—North Carolina’s 5th and 9th districts, New Jersey’s 2nd District, and Washington’s 5th District—were downgraded from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican.”

North Carolina has become a particular source of concern for Republican strategists, with the party facing potential difficulties motivating voters following developments in the state’s Senate contest.

“Republicans, meanwhile, are deeply concerned about low turnout in North Carolina this cycle now that national GOP groups have stopped contesting the Senate race,” Covey wrote.

Democrat Roy Cooper has maintained an advantage over Republican Michael Whatley in that Senate contest, potentially complicating Republican efforts to generate enthusiasm among conservative voters in competitive House districts.

Cook also observed that Trump’s approval ratings remain negative in several traditionally Republican areas, including districts where he won comfortable victories during the 2024 presidential election. The trend has persisted despite significant Republican spending on congressional campaigns.

If Democrats reach the upper end of Cook’s projected range, they would exceed the House majorities they secured following the 2006 and 2018 elections. Their anticipated gains, however, would still leave them below the 257 seats they controlled following Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008.

Other election forecasters have also identified a strong possibility of Democratic control. Decision Desk HQ, which partners with The Hill, currently places the party’s chances of winning the House at 80%.

The latest Cook assessment follows several consecutive weeks of ratings changes benefiting Democrats. Just one week earlier, on October 23, the organization moved 19 additional House races in their direction, bringing the number of seats favoring Democrats to the 218 needed for control even before Friday’s revisions.

Cook’s updated ratings now favor Democrats in 222 districts, with another 18 contests classified as toss-ups. Winning all of those competitive races would bring the party to 240 seats, although the final outcome remains dependent on voter turnout and the results in closely contested districts.

Republicans are now entering the final weekend of campaigning under mounting pressure to defend seats once regarded as relatively safe, while Democrats seek to convert their improving electoral prospects into control of the House on November 3.

{Matzav.com}

In a potentially dramatic development that could reshape Israel’s post-election political landscape, Rav Dov Landau, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, has instructed Degel HaTorah’s Knesset representatives to open discussions with all political factions, including the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, in an effort to secure the status of yeshiva bochurim and protect the continued study of Torah.

The directive, first revealed Friday morning, comes amid intensive behind-the-scenes negotiations over the possibility of establishing a minority government with the tacit support of United Torah Judaism, which could facilitate the formation of an Eisenkot-led government by abstaining from key parliamentary votes.

According to sources, Rav Landau made clear that Degel HaTorah’s political decisions must be guided by the interests of the Torah world rather than automatic allegiance to either of Israel’s competing political camps.

“Make every effort to regulate the status of yeshiva students,” the Rosh Yeshiva reportedly instructed. “We are not in anyone’s bloc. We are in the bloc of the Torah world.”

The statement represents a potentially significant development in the political calculations following Tuesday’s elections, which left Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc, and neither side holding the 61 seats necessary to form a government independently.

Senior figures in the opposition have reportedly been exploring an arrangement under which United Torah Judaism would refrain from voting against the establishment of an Eisenkot-led minority government, effectively providing the parliamentary breathing room necessary for such a government to take office.

Under the proposed arrangement, United Torah Judaism would not necessarily become a coalition partner or accept ministerial positions. Instead, its abstention during the government formation process could alter the parliamentary balance sufficiently to allow Eisenkot to assume office.

According to the political calculations being discussed, removing United Torah Judaism’s seven seats from Netanyahu’s effective parliamentary support would leave his bloc with 46 seats, while the Eisenkot bloc could potentially assemble 55 seats in support of the proposed arrangement.

The central demand from United Torah Judaism in exchange for such cooperation would be an agreed-upon draft law providing a legal framework for the continued deferment of military service for yeshiva students.

For Degel HaTorah, the issue is particularly urgent amid the continuing arrests of yeshiva bochurim and the uncertainty surrounding their legal status.

Senior United Torah Judaism officials acknowledged to Kikar HaShabbat that contacts are taking place through intermediaries, although they stressed that the chances of successfully implementing such an arrangement remain extremely slim.

However, the office of United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher issued a response disputing the report that a formal directive had already been issued.

“No instruction was given. We have not yet even visited the Gedolei Yisroel since the elections,” Asher’s office stated.

The denial introduces uncertainty regarding the precise status of the reported instruction, even as political contacts concerning a possible arrangement continue.

One of the greatest obstacles to the proposed minority government is Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, whose longstanding opposition to draft exemptions for yeshiva students places him in direct conflict with United Torah Judaism’s central demand.

On Thursday, Lieberman issued a categorical statement rejecting cooperation with Netanyahu, the Arab parties, and the chareidi political leadership.

“We will not sit with Bibi and not with Tibi, not with Goldknopf and not with Deri. Not directly and not indirectly,” Lieberman declared.

His comments appeared to rule out not only formal coalition participation with the chareidi parties but also political arrangements that would depend on their support.

A senior Yisrael Beiteinu official subsequently reinforced that position in remarks to Kikar HaShabbat, insisting that the party would not compromise on its demand for universal military conscription.

“Lieberman made clear yesterday that the first law in any government in which he participates will be a draft law for everyone,” the official said.

“This is a statement made after the elections. It is a central principle from which we will not retreat, even at the cost of another election! We will not sell out the soldiers for power. Conscription for everyone, with zero exemptions.”

The declaration presents a formidable challenge to any attempt to bring together Lieberman and United Torah Judaism in a parliamentary arrangement centered on protecting yeshiva students from military conscription.

Nevertheless, other senior figures within the opposition bloc appear more willing to consider compromises in order to establish a government.

A senior opposition MK told Kikar HaShabbat that the election results have prompted serious consideration of whether an accommodation on the draft issue might be necessary to assemble a governing majority.

“The election results show that the public did not vote against the chareidim,” the MK said.

“If we need to compromise on the draft issue in order to form a government, we will seriously consider it. There is an entire world outside Twitter, a world that was not present at the ballot box when it mattered.”

The remarks suggest that at least some opposition figures view the election outcome as an indication that voters did not necessarily endorse a confrontational approach toward the chareidi community.

Within United Torah Judaism, senior figures have also reportedly discussed the possibility that Shas could eventually join such an arrangement if a satisfactory solution to the draft crisis were achieved.

The calculations are taking place against the backdrop of Shas’s severe electoral setback, which saw the party’s representation plunge from 11 seats to just six in Tuesday’s elections.

According to individuals familiar with the discussions, United Torah Judaism officials believe that an agreement safeguarding the status of yeshiva students could ultimately persuade Shas to cooperate with a broader political initiative, despite its longstanding alliance with Netanyahu.

Such a development would mark a dramatic shift in the political landscape, although no agreement has been reached and substantial ideological and political obstacles remain.

The opposition leadership has meanwhile continued its own negotiations following the election.

Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, recently met with Lieberman in a late-night political summit, during which the two reportedly agreed to continue coordinating their efforts.

Their discussions are part of a broader attempt to determine whether the fragmented election results can be translated into a viable governing arrangement without returning the country to another election.

{Matzav.ccom}

A yeshiva bochur traveling home for Shabbos was arrested Friday morning and handed over to Israeli military police, triggering a protest that blocked a major roadway, as the number of bnei Torah expected to spend Shabbos behind bars in military detention facilities reached 35.

The latest arrest occurred on Highway 3 near Moshav Beko’a, where traffic police stopped a bochur who was traveling from Yeshivas Romemus Halev in Givat Ze’ev to his hometown of Netivot.

According to reports, officers detained the bochur during the traffic stop and quickly transferred him to military police custody over his military service status.

The bochur reportedly managed to notify the activist network known as “Hachotfim Higi’u,” which monitors arrests of yeshiva students and mobilizes supporters to intervene. However, authorities completed the transfer before activists could reach the location.

When demonstrators subsequently arrived, they blocked Highway 3 in an effort to protest the arrest and prevent the transfer of the bochur to military custody. Confrontations developed between protesters and police officers responding to the road closure.

The incident came amid continuing tensions throughout the chareidi community over the arrest and imprisonment of yeshiva bochurim who have not reported for military service.

According to the report, 35 bnei Torah currently being held in military detention facilities over their refusal to enlist are expected to remain incarcerated throughout the coming Shabbos.

The continued imprisonment of the bochurim has generated growing concern among their families and within the broader Torah community, particularly as the arrests have increasingly involved students detained during routine activities, including traveling home, responding to police inquiries, and attending to ordinary personal matters.

Calls have been issued for the public to increase tefillos on behalf of the imprisoned bnei Torah, praying for their immediate release, for their continued strength and resolve, and for the cancellation of the military draft measures affecting yeshiva students.

Meanwhile, two other yeshiva bochurim whose arrests sparked protests in recent days were released from military detention on Friday.

One of those released was Alon Smadja, a talmid of Yeshivas Tiferes Shraga, who was arrested last week outside his home in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

His arrest drew particular outrage because of the circumstances under which military police reportedly apprehended him.

According to the account, members of his family received a notification indicating that a delivery was waiting for him. When Smadja came downstairs to collect the supposed package, military police officers were waiting and placed him under arrest.

The circumstances of the detention prompted sharp criticism among activists, who accused authorities of employing deceptive tactics to apprehend a yeshiva student.

Smadja’s imprisonment became the focus of a major demonstration Thursday at the Geha-Zabotinsky intersection in Bnei Brak, where supporters of the Peleg Yerushalmi gathered to protest the ongoing arrests of bnei Torah.

During the demonstration, protesters blocked Highway 4, one of the central transportation arteries in the region, disrupting traffic and leading to serious confrontations with police.

Officers deployed crowd-control measures as they attempted to disperse the demonstrators and reopen the roadway.

Smadja was released Friday, following approximately a week in custody.

A second bochur released Friday was Elchanan Damati, a talmid of Yeshivas Torah B’Tifartah in Elad.

Damati had been summoned to a police station in Kfar Saba for questioning in connection with a traffic-related incident. During the handling of his case, authorities discovered that he was listed as having failed to report for military service.

He was subsequently transferred from civilian police custody to the military police.

His arrest also led to demonstrations last week, with protesters gathering in Kfar Saba and blocking roads in an attempt to prevent his transfer to military detention.

Further clashes subsequently erupted between demonstrators and police, including near the entrance to Elad and along surrounding roadways.

The release of Smadja and Damati was welcomed by supporters, although their return home came as dozens of other bnei Torah remained incarcerated.

{Matzav.com}

More than 307,000 votes cast in Tuesday’s Israeli elections went to parties that failed to cross the electoral threshold, effectively leaving over 5% of voters without representation in the new Knesset. A detailed analysis of the results has revealed that while those lost votes could have shifted several seats between the political blocs, they would not have resolved Israel’s parliamentary deadlock. However, votes cast for two small chareidi parties that failed to enter the Knesset could have given Shas an additional seat.

According to official Central Elections Committee figures examined by Kikar HaShabbat, 307,958 votes were cast for 25 parties that did not reach the 3.25% electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset. Those votes represented approximately 5.41% of all valid ballots, equivalent to roughly seven Knesset seats.

The largest number of wasted votes went to the Reservists and Economic Party, headed by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, which received 154,950 votes, or 2.72% of the total. Despite attracting substantial support, the party fell short of the threshold and secured no representation.

The Amcha Yisrael party, led by former senior IDF officer Ofer Winter, finished second among the unsuccessful lists, receiving 95,663 votes, or 1.68%.

Four other parties received more than 5,000 votes but failed to win seats. The chareidi party Tzeva Shachor–Magen Olam HaTorah received 11,274 votes, while HaTzibur HaChareidi, headed by Motti Leitner, attracted 10,594 votes. The Noam party, led by Avi Maoz, received 9,923 votes, and Tzomet Beit Yisrael obtained 5,710.

Together, approximately 133,000 votes associated with right-wing and chareidi parties were lost, while roughly 155,000 votes went to parties generally identified with the opposition bloc, including the Hendel-Zelekha list.

However, the analysis cautioned that Hendel’s party also appealed to voters from the more moderate right, making it difficult to assign all its supporters definitively to either political camp.

Using Israel’s Bader-Ofer seat allocation formula, which determines how Knesset seats are distributed among parties that cross the electoral threshold, Kikar HaShabbat recalculated the results under several hypothetical scenarios.

The calculations incorporated the five surplus-vote agreements signed between parties ahead of the election and examined how the results might have changed if votes cast for unsuccessful parties had instead gone to established parties within their respective political blocs.

The actual election results gave Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, the opposition bloc identified with Gadi Eisenkot 48 seats, and the Arab parties a combined 19 seats. Of the Arab parties’ representation, Ra’am secured eight seats, while the Joint List received 11.

Had all the wasted votes from right-wing and chareidi parties been transferred to parties within Netanyahu’s bloc, the prime minister’s camp would have increased its representation from 53 to 55 seats. The opposition bloc would have fallen to 47, while the Arab parties would have received 18.

Conversely, if the 154,950 votes cast for Hendel and Zelekha had gone to parties within the opposition bloc, Netanyahu’s camp would have dropped to 52 seats, while the opposition would have risen to 50. The Arab parties would have held 18 seats, with Ra’am receiving seven and the Joint List retaining 11.

If both sets of wasted votes had been redirected to their respective political blocs, Netanyahu’s camp would have finished with 53 seats, the opposition with 49, and the Arab parties with 18.

Even under the extreme hypothetical scenario in which every wasted vote, regardless of political affiliation, had gone to right-wing parties, Netanyahu’s bloc would have reached only 57 seats, still four short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.

The analysis therefore concluded that the wasted votes, while significant, were not ultimately responsible for the inconclusive election outcome.

One finding, however, has particular significance for the chareidi political world.

The two unsuccessful chareidi lists, Tzeva Shachor and HaTzibur HaChareidi, together received 21,868 votes. Had those voters supported Shas or United Torah Judaism instead, the combined chareidi representation in the Knesset would have increased from 13 seats to 14.

More remarkably, the additional seat would have gone to Shas regardless of how those votes were divided between the two established chareidi parties.

According to the calculations, the surplus-vote agreement between Shas and United Torah Judaism would have resulted in the additional mandate being awarded to Shas even if every one of those 21,868 voters had cast a ballot for United Torah Judaism.

The analysis examined all 21,869 possible ways of dividing the votes between the two parties and found that the result remained unchanged in every scenario.

In each case, Shas would have gained an additional seat at the expense of Ra’am, increasing the chareidi parties’ combined strength to 14 mandates.

The finding is especially noteworthy following Shas’s disappointing election performance, which saw the party lose a substantial portion of its previous electoral support.

It also highlights the consequences of the emergence of alternative chareidi political lists that challenged the established parties during the election campaign but ultimately failed to cross the electoral threshold.

The broader coalition calculations present a different challenge for the opposition.

Even if the votes cast for Hendel’s party had gone to the opposition bloc, Eisenkot and his political allies would still have been unable to form a majority government without support from Arab parties.

Under the actual results, the opposition bloc’s 48 seats combined with Ra’am’s eight would produce only 56 seats, five short of a majority.

In the scenario in which Hendel’s votes were redirected to opposition parties, the bloc would hold 50 seats, while Ra’am would have seven, producing a combined total of 57.

Ra’am previously participated in the Bennett-Lapid coalition established in 2021, demonstrating that its participation in an Israeli governing coalition is politically possible. Nevertheless, the party’s support alone would not provide Eisenkot with the necessary parliamentary majority.

The Joint List presents a different calculation.

If Hendel’s votes had strengthened the opposition to 50 seats, the Joint List’s 11 mandates could theoretically provide the 61 votes needed for a majority.

However, such an arrangement would likely depend on outside parliamentary support rather than full participation in the government, raising questions about whether a stable coalition could be established.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman has already declared that he would not support a government dependent on the Joint List, creating a substantial political obstacle to that possibility.

Under the actual election results, the opposition bloc and Ra’am together hold 56 seats, while the opposition and Joint List together have 59. Neither combination reaches a majority.

The analysis found that the various scenarios involving wasted votes generally shifted only one or two seats between the competing blocs, without fundamentally changing the political equation.

The central obstacle to forming a government is therefore the overall distribution of votes among the parties that successfully entered the Knesset, rather than the ballots cast for parties that failed to qualify.

The uncertainty surrounding the election outcome has also attracted attention from international financial institutions.

Credit rating agency Fitch warned that the results could lead to an extended period of political uncertainty and governmental paralysis, potentially complicating Israel’s ability to address pressing economic and policy challenges.

For the chareidi parties, however, the calculations offer a particularly painful conclusion: While the hundreds of thousands of wasted votes nationwide did not determine who could form the next government, the relatively small number of votes cast for two unsuccessful chareidi lists was enough to cost Shas an additional Knesset seat.

{Matzav.com}

[Audio below.] In a special vaad marking the 40th yahrtzeit of his illustrious father-in-law, Rav Nochum Partzovitz zt”l, the legendary Rosh Yeshiva of Mir in Yerushalayim, Rav Chaim Mendel Brodsky, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto, delivered divrei zikaron in tribute to one of the great marbitzei Torah of the previous generation. Rav Nochum, whose extraordinary amkus haTorah and penetrating shiurim left an enduring imprint on generations of talmidim, remains a legendary figure in the world of Torah learning. The accompanying recording presents this special vaad, offering an opportunity to reflect on Rav Nochum’s legacy and the profound influence he continues to exert on the olam haTorah.

LISTEN:

{Matzav.com}

Don’t forget to “fall back” this weekend. Daylight Saving Time officially comes to an end early Sunday morning, November 1, 2026, when clocks across most of the United States will be turned back one hour, giving everyone an extra hour of sleep.

The change takes effect at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks will move backward to 1 a.m. For those who prefer not to stay awake until that hour, the simplest approach is to turn back clocks before going to sleep on Motzoei Shabbos.

Most smartphones, computers, and other internet-connected devices will adjust automatically, although traditional clocks, watches, and certain household appliances will need to be changed manually.

The adjustment applies to most Matzav.com readers in chutz la’aretz. In Eretz Yisroel, clocks were already turned back one hour last Sunday, October 25, when Israeli Daylight Saving Time ended.

Since 2007, Daylight Saving Time in the United States has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November. The familiar expression “spring forward, fall back” serves as a reminder of which direction to move the clocks.

Before 2007, Americans generally moved their clocks forward on the first Sunday in April and returned to Standard Time on the final Sunday in October. The current schedule was established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed into law by President George W. Bush, which extended Daylight Saving Time by approximately four weeks.

Not every part of the United States observes the seasonal adjustment. Hawaii and most of Arizona remain on Standard Time throughout the year, as do several U.S. territories.

The twice-yearly clock change has remained the subject of debate in Washington, with proposals to establish a permanent national time standard repeatedly attracting attention. However, no federal legislation eliminating the seasonal change has taken effect, meaning Americans will once again adjust their clocks this weekend.

The transition is also a useful reminder to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home. Fire safety officials encourage residents to test their alarms, replace batteries when necessary, and ensure that older units have not exceeded their recommended service life.

While many newer smoke alarms contain sealed, long-life batteries, they should still be tested regularly and replaced according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For families preparing for the shorter winter days, the return to Standard Time also means that sunset and Shabbos candle-lighting times will occur approximately one hour earlier by the clock beginning next Friday.

So, before heading to bed this Motzoei Shabbos, remember to turn back the clocks that do not adjust automatically, check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and enjoy that extra hour of sleep.

{Matzav.com}

The three chief rabbonim of Bnei Brak have issued an urgent public warning ahead of the shorter winter Fridays, calling on residents to leave ample time for travel, complete their shopping early, and ensure that businesses close well before Shabbos. The rabbonim cautioned that those who set out on journeys too close to Shabbos risk violating its sanctity and may bear serious halachic responsibility for failing to anticipate delays.

The directive was issued jointly by Rav Chaim Yitzchok Isaac Landau, Rav Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt, and Rav Masoud Ben Shimon, who expressed concern that the transition to winter time and the earlier arrival of Shabbos could lead to dangerous last-minute rushing and inadvertent chillul Shabbos.

In a detailed letter addressed to residents, business owners, shoppers, and travelers, the rabbonim established specific guidelines intended to ensure that preparations for Shabbos are completed with sufficient time to spare.

The letter, titled “Pnei Shabbos Nekabelah,” opens with an appeal to the residents of Bnei Brak, explaining that the clocks have been moved back an hour and that Friday afternoons have consequently become considerably shorter.

“To the dear residents of our city,” the rabbonim wrote. “As of this Shabbos, the time of Shabbos has been moved an hour earlier, and Friday has become very short. It is therefore necessary to observe the following guidelines.”

The most forceful warning concerns individuals traveling out of the city on Friday, whether by public transportation or private vehicle.

The rabbonim instructed travelers to arrange their departures so that they are expected to arrive at their destinations at least two hours before the local candle-lighting time.

For those facing pressing circumstances, they established an absolute minimum: A person must not begin a journey if the anticipated arrival time is less than 80 minutes before sunset at the destination.

“Many delays commonly occur along the way, which can lead, chas v’shalom, to chillul Shabbos,” the rabbonim warned. “Those who depart later than this time may come to violate Shabbos, and this is considered an inadvertent violation bordering on deliberate wrongdoing.”

The warning reflects the halachic principle that a person who knowingly places himself in circumstances where a prohibited act is foreseeable cannot necessarily claim that the resulting violation was entirely accidental.

The rabbonim also emphasized that travelers must consider the needs of the drivers transporting them, particularly those operating buses, taxis, and other vehicles on Friday afternoons.

“We are obligated to think about the driver who transports us on Erev Shabbos,” they wrote. “He still needs to return home before Shabbos begins. We must not, chas v’shalom, fall into the category of ‘Do not place a stumbling block before the blind.'”

The rabbonim stressed that passengers who arrange late journeys may place drivers in a position where they are unable to return home before Shabbos, thereby contributing to a potential violation of Shabbos.

Another section of the letter addresses the practice of visiting the mikvah on Friday.

Residents were urged to attend the mikvah earlier in the day rather than waiting until the final hours before Shabbos.

The rabbonim explained that arriving early would allow sufficient time to complete preparations for Shabbos while also preventing overcrowding and preserving appropriate standards of tznius.

The letter also contains detailed instructions for Bnei Brak’s business community, with the rabbonim calling on store owners to end commercial activity well ahead of Shabbos.

All stores must have their doors closed and secured no later than 30 minutes before the candle-lighting time published in the local calendars, the rabbonim instructed.

They emphasized that shopkeepers should begin the process of closing their establishments sufficiently early to ensure that the deadline is met, rather than waiting until the final moments to begin shutting down.

The restrictions apply not only to serving customers but also to cleaning, organizing merchandise, and other activities associated with closing a business.

Store owners were additionally advised that their display windows should remain dark throughout Shabbos.

Regarding Motzoei Shabbos, the rabbonim directed businesses not to reopen until at least 30 minutes after the published time for the conclusion of Shabbos.

The letter also places responsibility on customers, warning them against pressuring merchants to remain open or continue serving them after the prescribed closing time.

“We appeal to the shoppers: Do not pressure the sellers to violate these guidelines,” the rabbonim wrote. “Beyond the harm you cause them, you are violating ‘Do not place a stumbling block before the blind,’ and causing chillul Shabbos, chas v’shalom.”

The rabbonim urged the public to complete Shabbos shopping earlier in the day, thereby allowing merchants and their employees sufficient time to return home and prepare for Shabbos without unnecessary pressure.

The directives come as communities throughout Eretz Yisroel adjust to the winter schedule, when the shorter daylight hours significantly reduce the amount of time available for Friday travel and preparations.

In Bnei Brak, where large numbers of residents travel to other cities for Shabbos and busy commercial districts serve thousands of shoppers, the rabbonim expressed particular concern about the potential consequences of last-minute activity.

Their message emphasizes that proper Shabbos observance requires advance planning and consideration not only for one’s own needs but also for the welfare and religious obligations of others.

The letter concludes with a reminder of the tremendous reward associated with safeguarding the sanctity of Shabbos.

“And whoever guards Shabbos from desecrating it, his reward is exceedingly great, according to his deeds,” the rabbonim wrote.

{Matzav.com}