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MK Yitzchok Pindrus of Degel HaTorah said that the proposed draft law supported by the leadership of Degel HaTorah and Shas is intended solely for genuine yeshiva students whose full-time occupation is Torah learning, and not for the broader chareidi public.

Speaking during a Hebrew interview Monday with Kikar HaShabbat, Pindrus addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the proposed legislation regulating the status of bnei yeshiva and military deferments.

Pindrus stressed that the purpose of the law is to allow only serious lomdei Torah to postpone army service, while those who are not actively learning would retain the same legal status as any other Israeli of draft age.

“There is a law that we requested and that also existed in the past,” Pindrus said. “The law is very, very clear — only for someone who is learning and whose Torah is his occupation. The clear demand is a law only for those who are learning.”

According to Pindrus, anyone who is not genuinely engaged in Torah study would not qualify for deferment under the proposed arrangement.

“Someone who is not learning — his legal status is exactly as it was during the time of Rav Shach,” he said. “Only a yeshiva student will be able to defer his military service.”

{Matzav.com}

Deep concern continues to spread throughout the Torah world in Eretz Yisroel and across the globe over the deteriorating medical condition of the renowned mekubal and tzaddik, Rav Dov Kook of Teveria, who was hospitalized over the weekend and remains in need of extensive rachamei Shamayim.

Powerful and emotional scenes unfolded Monday night at the conclusion of the regular shiur delivered by his father-in-law, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, rov of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood in Bnei Brak and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah.

Rav Zilberstein interrupted his shiur and, speaking through tears, addressed the hundreds of participants with brief but stirring remarks about the greatness of Rav Kook and the urgent need for tefillos on his behalf.

Using unusually lofty expressions rarely heard from him publicly, Rav Zilberstein described his son-in-law as someone upon whom the generation depends.

“He is a person that the generation stands upon, and he is now in serious condition,” Rav Zilberstein said emotionally. “He is truly a tzaddik yesod olam, beyond description. He is tremendously great in the wisdom of Kabbalah.”

Immediately after his remarks, Rav Zilberstein began reciting Kapitel 130 of Tehillim — “Shir Hamaalos Mimaamakim Kerasicha Hashem.” He recited the pesukim slowly, word by word, as the hundreds gathered responded after him passuk by passuk with intense emotion.

Following the recitation of Tehillim, Rav Zilberstein led a heartfelt Mi Sheberach for the complete and speedy recovery of Rav Dov Kook among the other ill members of Klal Yisroel.

The broader tzibbur is called on to intensify tefillos and supplications on behalf of Rav Dov ben Shoshana.

{Matzav.com}

[Photos below.] An emotional reception was held in Herzliya for two yeshiva bochurim who were released from Israeli military prison after being arrested over draft-related issues connected to their status as talmidei yeshiva.

The two bochurim, Nehorai Bachar and Netanel Yehuda, talmidim at Yeshivas Chazon Mordechai in Herzliya, were welcomed back to the yeshiva nearly three weeks after their arrest and imprisonment. The event featured a red carpet entrance, torches, live music, and dancing, with participation from family members, friends, rabbonim, and fellow talmidim.

The gathering was organized by the Nosnim Gav organization, which assists bnei yeshiva dealing with military draft issues and arrests.

During the evening, rabbonim from the yeshiva as well as representatives of Nosnim Gav and other organizations addressed the crowd, speaking about the importance of remaining steadfast in Torah learning even under difficult circumstances and with mesirus nefesh.

Bachar, whose arrest drew attention after he was allegedly lured outside the yeshiva by a phone call informing him that a package was waiting for him, recounted some of his experiences inside the military prison.

He described how, at first glance, he felt disconnected from many of the other detainees with whom he was incarcerated.

“One of them had never even said Shema Yisroel,” Bachar said. “He didn’t know how to say it, didn’t know anything, had never put on tefillin in his life — and davka they would come over quietly and say, ‘Maybe just me and you alone, quietly, without anyone knowing.’ There was a tremendous התחזקות there.”

Bachar urged other bnei yeshiva not to fear imprisonment.

“Don’t be afraid of it,” he said. “At first it’s a little difficult. In the beginning they treat us — it’s hard to say this — but like animals. But it passes. You learn their methods and manipulations that are meant to make you think it’s unbearable, but after a day or two or three you get used to it and it passes.”

He said he initially received the maximum punishment of 20 days, but after several days he no longer viewed the experience negatively.

“After the third day, it felt like one long day. I actually enjoyed it,” he said. “Don’t give in to them. It’s very important not to give in.”

Bachar also described refusing to perform guard duty when it conflicted with davening Shacharis with a minyan.

“They woke me up to do guard duty during the time of Shacharis with a minyan,” he said. “After I had finally been transferred back to a section where they allowed minyanim, they suddenly told me I had guard duty. I told them, ‘I just got back here and now you won’t let me daven with a minyan? I refuse. I’m not going.’”

According to Bachar, prison officials warned him that additional days would be added to his sentence.

“They told me, ‘We’ll add days by force!’” he recounted. “They added another day. Was it worth it? It was worth it. From that moment on, they never again prevented me from davening. Boruch Hashem, we were zocheh.”

Bachar also thanked the organizations that assisted him during his imprisonment, including Am Kadosh and Nosnim Gav.

“You’re inside and you have no idea what’s going on, what’s going to happen to you,” he said. “It’s your first time in prison, you don’t know anything, and I had nothing with me — they literally pulled me out of the yeshiva. Those are very difficult moments. But they gave me a shoulder to lean on. Suddenly you call and they tell you, ‘The entire nation is with you.’ It gives tremendous strength.”

He thanked his rosh yeshiva “who never stopped the tefillos for us, and we felt it,” as well as family members who visited him and sent letters and seforim.

“Every letter helps,” he said. “It strengthens you tremendously, especially when you know everyone is together with you.”

Concluding his remarks, Bachar expressed hope that the current draft-related policies targeting bnei yeshiva would soon come to an end.

“We should be zocheh that this terrible gezeirah be abolished,” he said. “A ben yeshiva from Bnei Brak or other chareidi cities who ends up there — it’s literally a Holocaust for him. This gezeirah has to end soon. All of Klal Yisroel should unite and daven and cry out over this, and be’ezras Hashem we should soon merit the coming of Moshiach, when there will be no army at all — only the army of Hashem. Amein.”

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Yidden gathered Monday in Antwerp for a special atzeres tefillah following the filing of criminal charges against local mohelim amid growing fears over a severe gezeirah threatening the fulfillment of the mitzvah of bris milah in Belgium.

The gathering took place at the large bais medrash of Kehillas Machzikei Hadas and was led by the city’s mara d’asra, Rav Aharon Schiff, who delivered powerful divrei hisorerus, urging the tzibbur to strengthen itself through teshuvah and deep introspection.

The asifah opened with Mincha, after which Rav Schiff addressed the overflowing crowd about the gravity of the situation facing the kehillah.

“A difficult gezeirah has come upon the city,” Rav Schiff said. “We do not know why, but we must examine and improve our deeds, and ensure that we view others not with a tzaras ayin but only with goodness. The mohelim are people who are moser nefesh, and even during Pesach they traveled to distant places in order to perform bris milah and fulfill the mitzvah.”

Rav Schiff continued by comparing the current crisis to earlier religious battles faced by the community.

“We are in a matzav of ‘eis tzarah hi l’Yaakov,’ and this is not the first hardship we have faced,” he said. “In the past there were gezeiros against shechitah, and now we are confronting gezeiros against milah. Everyone knows that our mohelim are yirei Shamayim and shleimusdige Yidden.”

He stressed that difficult times should lead Yidden toward cheshbon hanefesh and teshuvah, rather than blaming others.

“The Rambam writes that when a time of suffering comes, Yidden must gather together, examine their deeds, and not dismiss it as coincidence,” Rav Schiff said. “When people understand that this is a message from Shamayim, the very act of gathering together can help remove the gezeirah.”

The Antwerp rov also warned against placing responsibility on others.

“Part of the eitzah of the yetzer hara is to place the blame on others instead of taking it upon oneself,” he said. “People say those involved did not do enough or failed to act properly. But before criticizing others, one should first fast and daven for a day or two, and only afterward speak about what needs correction.”

He added, “It is easy to blame someone else rather than look inward. Of course antisemitism exists, and that may all be true, but the Torah approach is for every individual to reflect on himself.”

Rav Schiff also connected the mitzvah of bris milah to Avrohom Avinu and the foundations of Yiddishkeit.

“Bris milah is an immense mitzvah for which Yidden throughout the generations were moser nefesh,” he said. “Hakadosh Boruch Hu gave this mitzvah with the words, ‘And I will give to you and your descendants.’ Avrohom Avinu was the amud hachesed, and we now stand before the זמן of Kabolas HaTorah.”

Following the divrei hisorerus, chapters of Tehillim were recited with deep emotion by the shliach tzibbur, Reb Bentzion Weissman, a prominent Belzer chossid in Antwerp. The entire tzibbur joined together in heartfelt cries and tachanunim for the salvation of the mohelim and for the removal of the gezeirah targeting bris milah.

העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: באדיבות המצלם העצרת באנטוורפןצילום: משה קאהן

{Matzav.com}

A new directive issued by Israeli Police Commissioner Daniel Levy ordering officers to transfer yeshiva students who are classified as military draft dodgers to the military police has triggered fierce criticism within the chareidi community and raised concerns from officials inside the police force itself.

Under the updated instructions, any police officer who encounters a draft evader during a routine interaction must detain him, notify the military police, and wait for a representative to arrive. Police officials attempted to ease concerns by clarifying that if military police representatives fail to arrive within 30 minutes, the detainee must be released.

Despite those assurances, chareidi figures involved in the draft controversy view the move as a dramatic shift from the policy that had been in place until now and warn that it could carry far-reaching consequences.

Chareidi activists involved in the enlistment issue sharply criticized the decision, claiming it was implemented under pressure from Israel’s attorney general, even though police officials themselves understand the potential fallout of such enforcement.

“Even within the police, they know there is no real way to arrest yeshiva students without it turning within minutes into an explosive situation,” a senior chareidi source said.

Criticism has reportedly also been voiced privately within the police force. Officials warned that the new directive places rank-and-file officers directly in the middle of one of the country’s most sensitive public disputes, without any realistic ability to manage the repercussions on the ground.

According to those officials, there are growing fears that the policy could lead to confrontations with extremist factions, mass protests, and road blockages that would require large deployments of police manpower during an already tense security period.

Members of the chareidi community are also expressing concern that the move could seriously damage relations between the police and the chareidi public. One of the key reasons police had previously avoided transferring yeshiva students to military authorities, they say, was the understanding that such a policy could discourage chareidim from interacting with law enforcement altogether.

“The concern is that a yeshiva student who genuinely needs police assistance, even as an ordinary citizen, will simply avoid going to the police,” a police source said. “If a chareidi young man fears that any encounter with an officer could end with detention and transfer to the military police, then this becomes a much broader issue than just the draft debate.”

In an official statement, police said: “Following media inquiries regarding the issue of detaining draft evaders, we wish to clarify the directive of Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, which was issued earlier this month and reiterated today to all national district commanders: During a random encounter between a police officer and a draft evader, the officer will detain the individual, notify the military police, and wait with the detainee until the arrival of a military police representative, who is required to arrive within 30 minutes of the report. If no military police representative arrives, the draft evader will be released and issued a summons by the officer to report to the military police.”

{Matzav.com}

The FBI is reportedly pursuing a massive nationwide contract for access to automated license plate reader systems, a move that would significantly expand the agency’s ability to monitor vehicle movements across the United States, according to newly reviewed procurement documents.

The records, obtained and reviewed by 404 Media, indicate the bureau is seeking access to a broad network of automated license plate reader, or ALPR, cameras capable of tracking vehicles — and potentially the movements of individuals — throughout the country without requiring a warrant.

Federal documents show the FBI considers the technology a critical intelligence and investigative tool and is seeking extensive nationwide coverage.

“The FBI has a crucial need for accessible LPRs to provide a diverse and reliable range of collections across the United States. This data should be available across major highways and in an array of locations for maximum usefulness to law enforcement,” a statement of work, which describes what data the FBI is seeking access to, reads.

ALPR technology works by continuously scanning passing vehicles and recording details such as license plate numbers, vehicle color, make, and model. The systems generate time-stamped records tied to specific locations, allowing authorities to reconstruct where a vehicle has traveled over time. Although the technology has existed for years, its use has expanded rapidly across the country in recent years.

According to the procurement documents, the FBI is seeking a cloud-based platform that would allow agents to search ALPR records using license plate information, vehicle descriptions, timeframes, and geographic locations.

The agency is requesting access covering virtually the entire United States, including areas east and west of the Mississippi River, as well as Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and tribal territories. Budget documents attached to the proposal indicate the FBI is prepared to spend as much as $6 million per geographic region, totaling approximately $36 million overall.

The contract would reportedly support the FBI’s Directorate of Intelligence, the branch responsible for the bureau’s intelligence-gathering operations. While the FBI is primarily known as a law enforcement agency, it also operates as a member of the broader U.S. intelligence community.

Only a small number of private companies are believed capable of supplying the type of expansive nationwide database the FBI is seeking.

One major player in the field is Flock Safety, whose ALPR cameras are installed in communities throughout the country. Public records previously obtained by researchers and 404 Media reportedly showed that Flock has more than 80,000 cameras connected to a national vehicle lookup network.

Federal agencies have previously tested access to the Flock system, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Secret Service, and the Navy’s criminal investigative division. Reports have also indicated that local police departments have conducted searches within the network on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Another company positioned to potentially fulfill the FBI’s request is Motorola Solutions, which acquired Vigilant Solutions and maintains one of the country’s largest ALPR databases. Much of Motorola’s data reportedly comes from cameras mounted on police vehicles as well as information gathered through its private-sector affiliate, Digital Recognition Network, which works extensively with vehicle repossession companies.

Reports last year indicated that ICE officials attended demonstrations of Motorola software capable of scanning a license plate and instantly searching billions of historical records showing where a vehicle had previously been observed.

The growing use of automated license plate readers has sparked increasing backlash in communities across the country, with critics warning the systems create vast surveillance networks capable of tracking ordinary Americans’ daily movements.

Josh Thomas, chief communications officer at Flock, told 404 Media in an email “We’re not going to speculate on prospective deals. But it’s worth noting that we already work with several federal agencies, all of whom are subject to the same obligations, constraints, and transparency mechanisms that apply to every other Flock customer. We also rebuilt our product from the ground up, starting last year, to ensure all local customers could trust that they can use Flock in full compliance with local and state laws. A big part of that is our Audit Assistance tool.”

Dozens of American military refueling aircraft are expected to continue operating out of Ben Gurion Airport until at least the end of 2027, according to Israeli media reports, in a move that is reportedly creating growing pressure on Israel’s civilian aviation system.

Israeli outlet N12 reported Monday that the aircraft, along with American military crews and support personnel, are expected to remain stationed at and around Israel’s main international airport for the foreseeable future as part of the ongoing US military buildup tied to regional tensions with Iran.

The deployment reportedly began during Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, when American and Israeli forces coordinated strikes against Iranian targets and expanded military cooperation throughout the region. Reports earlier this year documented the arrival of US KC-46 and KC-135 refueling aircraft, as well as cargo planes, at Ben-Gurion Airport amid fears of broader regional escalation.

Israeli aviation officials are increasingly warning that the long-term military presence is disrupting normal civilian airport operations and could have major economic consequences for travelers and airlines.

Last week, Israel Civil Aviation Authority chief Shmuel Zakay reportedly sent a sharply worded letter to Transportation Minister Miri Regev, complaining that “Ben-Gurion is operating like a military base, not as a civilian airport.”

According to Israeli aviation officials, the parking and operational space occupied by American aircraft has reduced airport capacity at a time when international carriers are already hesitant to fully restore flights to Israel following months of regional instability.

Industry officials have warned that the continued military deployment could contribute to higher airfare prices by limiting available flight slots and discouraging foreign airlines from resuming regular service to Tel Aviv.

ישראיר CEO Uri Sirkis recently told the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee that the situation has significantly disrupted airline operations.

“We are currently allowed to have four overnight parking spaces at Ben Gurion Airport because of the US planes, and we were supposed to keep 17 planes in Israel,” he said.

Sirkis added that the shortage of space has forced airlines to adopt costly workarounds, including parking aircraft overnight in European cities and reversing flight schedules.

American military aircraft began arriving at Ben-Gurion in large numbers earlier this year as Washington expanded its military posture across the Middle East while weighing possible military action against Iran. Open-source flight analysts tracked dozens of refueling tankers and cargo aircraft entering the region during the buildup.

{Matzav.com}

Sheba Medical Center has launched a new underground hyperbaric medicine facility that hospital officials say is the only protected center of its kind in Israel, designed to continue operating even during wartime emergencies while treating wounded soldiers and civilians from across the country.

The new center, named in honor of Michal and Dr. Avraham Kedar, was built with a donation of approximately 22 million shekels from the Kedar family. Located within Sheba’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Tel Hashomer, the facility has already begun accepting patients referred both from Sheba and other hospitals nationwide.

The underground complex houses two state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers that rank among the largest in Israel. Together, the chambers can accommodate up to 24 patients simultaneously. Hospital officials emphasized that the fortified underground location allows treatments to continue uninterrupted during missile attacks or other national emergencies, making it unique within Israel’s healthcare system.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves placing patients inside a pressurized chamber where they breathe concentrated oxygen. The treatment is used to accelerate healing and improve oxygen flow to damaged tissue in patients suffering from conditions such as severe infections, radiation injuries, diabetes-related wounds, and other chronic or complex medical complications. In some instances, the therapy can prevent amputations and prove lifesaving.

Sheba officials said the center is expected to become a national destination for hyperbaric medicine and will also support expanded medical research in the field. The hospital described the project as part of a broader wartime rehabilitation effort as Sheba continues caring for wounded soldiers and civilians injured during the conflict.

The project also represents a new philanthropic direction for Michal and Dr. Avraham Kedar, whose previous charitable efforts focused largely on education, culture, and innovation in Israel. After personally meeting wounded soldiers, the family said they understood the growing need for advanced rehabilitation infrastructure capable of serving both military personnel and civilians.

“We see it as a great privilege to partner with Sheba and take part in establishing an advanced medical center that is expected to improve the lives of many patients,” Michal and Dr. Avraham Kedar said. “We believe that combining medical innovation, clinical excellence and human mission is a way to create broad and lasting impact on Israeli society and its resilience.”

Prof. Amitai Ziv said the new facility will significantly strengthen the hospital’s rehabilitation capabilities and allow for broader treatment options for patients requiring long-term care.

“The establishment of the center at Sheba allows us to continue providing broad, comprehensive, precise and multidisciplinary care to patients, alongside research development in the field,” Ziv said. “We thank Michal and Dr. Avraham Kedar for their partnership and extraordinary donation, which has enabled us to provide the best possible response for our patients.”

Prof. Yitzchok Kreiss said the new center is intended to serve as a national medical anchor during a period of ongoing instability in Israel.

“In today’s changing reality, our role is to be a beacon of stability and excellence,” Kreiss said. “Our mission goes beyond clinical care; it is about breakthrough thinking and building social and national resilience. The new national center will serve as an anchor for the home front and provide advanced medical care to patients from across the country. Thanks to partners like the Kedar family, we will continue to make an impact and serve as a source of hope for Israeli society.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman is continuing to distance himself from many Democrats on the issue of Iran, defending President Donald Trump’s military campaign and opposing efforts in Congress to force an end to the conflict.

In an interview with Semafor, Fetterman argued that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons outweighs partisan political considerations or pressure from political supporters.

“Something like this is much more important than just voting what your base might demand. Because I think things are much bigger and more important than that. And Iran with a nuclear bomb is one of those things,” Fetterman told Semafor in an interview published Monday, discussing opposition to legislation to end President Trump’s war with Iran.

Fetterman has repeatedly voiced frustration with lawmakers who oppose U.S. military action against Iran. Shortly after hostilities began, he publicly questioned why some senators were unwilling to support the administration’s approach.

“Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Fetterman said in a post on the social platform X in March.

“I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that. Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?” he asked.

Congressional Democrats, joined by several Republicans, have been attempting to advance resolutions aimed at limiting or ending the war unless Congress explicitly authorizes continued military action under the 1973 War Powers Act.

Last week, momentum behind those efforts increased as several Republican lawmakers crossed party lines to support Democratic-backed measures in both the House and Senate.

On Wednesday, three Republican senators voted in favor of advancing a Democratic resolution seeking to halt the war with Iran absent additional authorization from Congress. The effort ultimately failed when a procedural motion to remove the resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was defeated by a 49-50 vote.

Fetterman stood apart from the rest of his party by becoming the lone Democrat to oppose moving the resolution forward.

Public opinion surveys meanwhile have shown growing unease among American voters regarding the conflict. A recent poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College found that most registered voters believe Trump made the wrong decision in launching the military offensive against Iran.

The war has also created economic concerns tied to energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes — has been closed amid the fighting, fueling increases in oil and gasoline prices.

According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached approximately $4.52 on Monday afternoon.

{Matzav.com}