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Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu is exploring the possibility of declaring several destroyed homes in Kibbutz Be’eri as protected national heritage sites, even as the community itself has just voted to remove nearly all of the structures shattered in the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre. His office signaled this week that the option is on the table.

The kibbutz held an emotional internal referendum two years after the attack reduced entire neighborhoods to ruins. Residents ultimately supported tearing the homes down, approving the measure by a margin of 196 to 146.

Be’eri experienced some of the worst horrors of the onslaught. The small community of roughly 1,000 lost 101 civilians and 31 security personnel that day. Thirty residents and two additional civilians were abducted, and widespread destruction left dozens of homes burned, shot through, or totally collapsed during the battles that followed.

Channel 12 reported that Eliyahu is reviewing a rarely used provision in the Antiquities Law that empowers him to preserve modern buildings—not only ancient ones—if he deems them historically meaningful.

Under the law, the heritage minister can designate any post-1700 structure for national preservation status provided its significance is deemed clear and substantial.

Responding to inquiries, Eliyahu’s office issued a statement that all but confirmed the idea is actively under debate, saying it would be considered only “a last resort.”

According to the ministry, “many requests… from families of those murdered in the towns and kibbutzim” have been submitted, urging the government to use this legal mechanism to safeguard particular homes as national heritage sites. The office added that “the Heritage Ministry has been working tirelessly for over two years to reach broad agreements with each community and kibbutz according to its unique character and needs.”

On Monday, Be’eri publicly announced the results of its vote: every damaged home in the two most devastated neighborhoods will be razed, except for a single house that will be kept standing as the community’s chosen memorial to the tragedy.

The selected house will remain untouched for a period of five years, though the kibbutz has not revealed which home was chosen for preservation.

Be’eri’s community director, Ofer Gitai, explained that the decision is meant to “preserve the memory of the October events, in a way that respects the narrative that the community chooses for itself, and will leave it in full control of the story.”

Some residents argued during the debate that living among the ruins would trap them emotionally. One person declared that they “don’t want to go back to living in Yad Vashem,” invoking the famous Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. Another resident told Ynet, “We don’t want to live in Auschwitz. We need to recover and move on.”

Still, a portion of the kibbutz felt differently, insisting that demolition would wipe away an important physical reminder of Be’eri’s history and the trauma it endured.

A spokesperson for the kibbutz told The Times of Israel that the 62 homes slated for demolition were largely either burned or structurally compromised, and that all would be removed except the single house designated as a memorial. The community does not intend to rebuild in that area.

Meanwhile, construction is progressing on the opposite side of Be’eri. Eighty new homes are being built there with support from the Tekuma Directorate, the state body overseeing reconstruction of the Gaza-envelope communities. Roughly eighty residents have already returned to Be’eri. The majority, however, remain temporarily housed at Kibbutz Hatzerim in the Negev while they await the completion of the new neighborhood, with hopes of returning next summer.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office led a group of delegates from across the state to the nation’s capital for a full day of high-level advocacy, meeting with nearly the entire New Jersey congressional delegation to advance issues of critical importance to the Jewish community. Throughout the day, delegates highlighted several top federal priorities. […]

President Donald Trump, speaking Thursday, tied the current dynamics in Gaza and across the region to what he described as a transformed strategic landscape following U.S. action against Iran’s nuclear program. In his view, the stability now taking shape stems directly from the blows dealt to Tehran.

During the exchange with reporters, Trump was asked about the selection of a general to oversee stabilization efforts in Gaza. He responded by emphasizing Washington’s ongoing involvement, saying, “Well, we’re working very strongly on Gaza. Yeah, we’re working very much on Gaza.”

From there, Trump shifted to a sweeping description of regional diplomacy, arguing that unprecedented cooperation is now taking hold. “We actually do have a real piece in the Middle East,” he said. “We have 59 countries supporting it which is, you know, never happened before. We have countries that want to come in and take care of Hamas. We have countries that want to come in and take care of Hezbollah in Lebanon…we have countries that are volunteering to come in and literally take care of the whole thing. We have a great peace in the Middle East. It’s never happened before and I think it’s very strong actually.”

He linked that posture to the airstrikes in Iran, asserting that the operation fundamentally altered the balance of fear in the region. Describing the mission, he said, “When we went in with those B2s and we – and now I could use the word because it’s been confirmed by the Atomic Energy Commission – we obliterated their nuclear capability, their potential and their nuclear capability would have been there in about two months…they were very close to having massive nuclear weapons and these guys went in and they did a job and that made peace possible, because everybody was afraid of Iran and now they’re not afraid of Iran anymore.”

Trump stressed repeatedly that the United States alone could have carried out such a strike. “No other country could have done that,” he asserted. “No other country has weapons like we do. We have the best weapons in the world. We have the best military in the world, and when we took out Iran, that allowed for peace. There’s no way they could have done a deal if Iran was not really nullified. To a large extent, Iran is not the same country. Iran was a country that was feared by everybody. Now it’s a country that’s been very much downgraded.”

Looking ahead, he warned Tehran against any attempt to reconstitute its nuclear infrastructure. If Iran tried to rebuild, Trump said, “we’re going to obliterate that one [too]. You know, we can knock out their missiles very quickly. We have great power and we helped Israel a lot. We were shooting down the drones. We were doing a lot of things for Israel. We did a good job for Israel, but Israel did a good job. They fought and they all fought bravely.”

Trump then noted that he still sees room for diplomacy, insisting that Iranian leaders remain interested in talks with him. “They would love to be able to make a deal with me,” he said. “They would love to be able to make a deal with me and I’d love to make a deal with them if we could. We were reasonably there for a deal with Iran before the bombing, and they would have been much better off if they made a deal. They could have had a deal. They could have had a deal where they would have been much better off. Look at what we’ve done. Their place is blown up. Forget about the nuclear the nuclear is gone, but look at the damage they’ve suffered, the death that they’ve suffered. They could have had a deal – nobody would have died, no buildings would have been down, nothing would have happened. But they missed that opportunity, but they would like to make a deal right now. Iran would like to make a deal with me.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Security Cabinet signed off Thursday night on a sweeping decision to formally authorize and regulate nineteen communities throughout Judea and Samaria, moving forward with one of the most extensive expansion steps in years.

The move came in response to a joint initiative advanced by Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Israel Katz. Among the newly approved locations are Ganim and Kadim, two communities in northern Samaria that were cleared nearly two decades ago during the Disengagement and are now slated for renewed development.

The authorization package covers a mix of longstanding neighborhoods seeking formal status as well as newly emerging sites still in the early phases of construction. The breadth of the decision underscores a significant political milestone in expanding Israel’s presence across the region.

The communities included in the government’s approval are: Esh Kodesh, Allenby, Givat Harel, Ganim, Har Bezek, Ya’ar El-Keren, Yatziv, Yitav West, Kadim, Kochav HaShachar North, Kida, Mishol, Nachal Doron, Pnei Kedem, Reihanit, Rosh HaAyin East, Shalem, and Tamun.

{Matzav.com}

As Klal Yisrael prepares to light the first Chanukah candle on Sunday night, an astonishing discovery in the hills south of Yerushalayim may shed new light on one of the most dramatic episodes of the Chanukah story. Dr. Dvir Raviv of Bar-Ilan University revealed to The Press Service of Israel that his archaeological survey at […]

Fox News host Jesse Watters declared Wednesday that Republicans are likely to lose their House majority in next year’s midterm elections, even as he predicted “the strongest economic year” since the 1980s. Watters’ comments came during a heated segment on The Five, where the hosts debated affordability and economic messaging. Amid widespread public frustration over […]

A stunning new lawsuit is accusing ChatGPT of playing a direct role in a brutal murder-suicide in Connecticut, marking the first time an artificial intelligence platform has been formally accused of contributing to a killing. The complaint, filed Thursday in California by the estate of 83-year-old Suzanne Eberson Adams, alleges that ChatGPT fed paranoid delusions […]

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The United States has demanded in recent days that Israel take financial responsibility for clearing the vast amounts of rubble across the Gaza Strip and oversee the enormous engineering operation required, according to a Ynet report citing a senior Israeli official. Israel has agreed to the request, the report says, despite the projected cost reaching […]

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Indiana’s Republican-led Senate decisively rejected a redrawn congressional map Thursday that would have favored their party, defying months of pressure from President Donald Trump and delivering a stark setback to the White House ahead of next year’s midterm elections. The vote was overwhelmingly against the proposed redistricting, with more Republicans opposing than supporting the measure, signaling the […]

In a dramatic escalation following a recent Israeli High Court ruling, officials in Israel’s Finance Ministry and Justice Ministry are now considering a complete halt to all yeshiva funding until the government can verify that none of the money is being directed—directly or indirectly—to students classified as draft-evaders.

The emerging proposal, reported by Kan News, comes days after the High Court ruled that the state may not finance, even indirectly, any yeshiva bochurim who are legally obligated to enlist and have not received deferments.

While government allocations to the Olam HaTorah have already been sharply reduced over the past year, funds are still being transferred to yeshivas under existing budget frameworks. Senior officials, however, fear that even with stipends to draft-evading students already frozen, general yeshiva funding may still ultimately benefit those individuals.

Earlier today, Kan News reporter Tamar Almog revealed on Reshet Bet that the Attorney General intervened to block an increase in funding for foreign-born avreichim for precisely that concern, arguing that until the government can prove that allocations are not “leaking” to draft-evaders, such increases cannot move forward.

Tonight, it was disclosed for the first time that ministries are weighing an across-the-board shutdown of the entire yeshiva budget unless and until the state can demonstrate clearly that no part of the funding is supporting students who are obligated to enlist.

Such a measure would freeze billions of shekels annually and would set off a major political and communal upheaval, dealing an unprecedented blow to the chareidi sector and triggering far-reaching implications in the coalition.

{Matzav.com}

Tensions rose on Thursday during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the United Torah Judaism faction, as the continued stalemate over the draft law leaves chareidi lawmakers under growing pressure from their constituents.

The meeting, held under significant time constraints, was described as partially heated. According to remarks aired on Channel 13, Netanyahu tried to calm concerns, saying he has no intention of going to elections now and that he would lead a public campaign in support of the law to ensure it passes.

The MKs, however, expressed the strain they are experiencing on the ground.

MK Yaakov Tessler reportedly told Netanyahu, “We can’t go to the batei knesses because people shout at us over the situation.”

UTJ chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf challenged the prime minister as well, saying, “Your grandfather learned Torah and sat in the mizrach. Here they are putting Torah learners in prison.”

MK Asher added that “the rabbonim have not yet approved the wording.”

According to the leaked comments, Netanyahu reiterated that he wants to maintain the long-term partnership between Likud and UTJ and said, “I am not interested in elections at this time. The alliance between Likud and United Torah Judaism is long term. We will run a campaign explaining why this law is good. Only Edelstein and Shasha-Biton will oppose.”

After the meeting, Likud issued a statement saying: “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu concluded a meeting with the United Torah Judaism faction, part of a series of meetings he is holding with all coalition parties. The prime minister and UTJ members discussed the issues currently on the agenda.”

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to restore billions of dollars in canceled FEMA disaster mitigation funding, siding with 22 states and the District of Columbia that sued over the canceled grants this summer. President Donald Trump’s administration said in April it was “ending” the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities […]

Speaker Mike Johnson defended the military’s second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel, saying after reviewing a classified video that “this is a straightforward case — narco-terrorists were caught smuggling deadly drugs en route to the United States.”  

Officials in Turkey report that nearly 700 sinkholes have formed across drought-stricken regions, with new ones continuing to appear as extreme dryness weakens the ground.

President Trump said the U.S. is “working very strongly on Gaza,” claiming there is “real peace in the Middle East” with 59 countries offering support. He added that several nations are prepared to “take care of Hamas” in Gaza and “take care of Hezbollah” in Lebanon.

Singers Yoni Z and Shulem Lemmer took the stage tonight at an NCSY event in Toronto, energizing the crowd with a powerful musical performance.

A civil lawsuit seeking 220,000 shekels in damages has been filed against an Arab bus driver who, two years ago in Yerushalayim, sprayed perfume at a group of chareidi teenagers while telling them they “stink” and ordering them to move to the back of the bus.

The incident, which occurred on Egged’s Route 19, resurfaced after the Honenu legal organization submitted a civil claim on behalf of the youths, following the closure of the police file and the rejection of an appeal against that decision.

Attorney Chaim Bleicher of Honenu, who filed the suit, said the goal is both to compensate the boys and to deter future acts of anti-Jewish harassment.

According to the lawsuit, the event took place on June 16, 2023. The victims, aged 14 and 15, boarded the bus with two friends. The teens, described in the filing as having a distinctly traditional Jewish appearance with peyos, sat quietly in a double seat near the front of the vehicle, leaving an empty row between themselves and the driver.

The claim states that the boys were behaving respectfully when the bus approached the Petach Tikva Junction. At that point, the driver allegedly stopped at a station, glared at them with clear disdain, and instructed them to move to the rear, saying they were “stinking.” He also warned that if they refused, he would spray perfume on them.

When the teens asked why he was ordering them to the back, the driver allegedly took out a bottle of perfume or air freshener and sprayed each of them at close range, directing the mist at their bodies and faces. The suit says the driver’s actions constituted an unlawful assault motivated by racism, as well as defamatory statements toward the youths.

Attorney Bleicher condemned the behavior, saying, “The lawsuit describes a disgusting antisemitic incident targeting children. This is especially serious when involving a bus driver who is responsible for the safety and security of hundreds of passengers every day. Unfortunately, law enforcement authorities declined to address this incident on the criminal level, and we are making an effort, at least in the civil sphere, to compensate the boys for the significant anguish they suffered and to create deterrence against such antisemitic acts.”

{Matzav.com}