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Israel’s aviation industry took another major step toward recovery on Wednesday as several leading international airlines resumed service to Ben Gurion Airport, signaling renewed confidence in the Israeli market after two years of disruptions caused by the war.

Among the most significant developments was the return of Lufthansa, which has resumed flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv with 14 weekly services. The German carrier also announced that it will restore its Munich-Tel Aviv route beginning August 1, operating two daily flights.

Italy’s ITA Airways also resumed operations to Israel on Wednesday, restarting its Rome-Tel Aviv route as part of the growing wave of European airlines returning to the country. The airline will initially operate two daily departures from Tel Aviv to Rome, scheduled for 5:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Latvia’s AirBaltic also continued its renewed service to Israel. One of the airline’s aircraft landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning before departing again for Riga. During the initial phase of its return, AirBaltic will operate three weekly flights.

Additional airlines are scheduled to return later this month. Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings will resume service on July 10 with four weekly flights to Hamburg, followed by the launch of four weekly flights to Düsseldorf beginning July 18.

Austrian Airlines, which resumed flights to Israel at the beginning of June, is also expanding its schedule. During July, the carrier plans to increase service between Vienna and Tel Aviv to a total of 11 weekly flights.

The recovery is expected to continue into August. Beginning August 1, SWISS will restart daily service between Zurich and Tel Aviv.

Brussels Airlines is also scheduled to resume flights during August, initially operating one weekly flight between Brussels and Tel Aviv.

The return of these carriers is being viewed as another strong indication that Europe’s major airlines are regaining confidence in flying to Israel. Their renewed service is expected to significantly increase flight availability to key European destinations during the busy summer travel season, a development that could also help ease airfare prices.

{Matzav.com}

The shocking murder of mekubal Rav Amos Guetta zt”l has prompted renewed discussion throughout the Torah world about a longstanding custom associated with the study of Maseches Chullin. In the wake of the tragedy, many have recalled the guidance of gedolei Yisroel over the generations concerning the beginning of the masechta, which deals extensively with the laws of shechitah.

In recent days, many have pointed to what they view as a striking historical pattern linking several heartbreaking tragedies to periods when the worldwide Daf Yomi cycle was studying Maseches Chullin. They say these events underscore the importance of the customs and practices that leading rabbonim encouraged at the start of the masechta.

The custom dates back centuries. Since Maseches Chullin focuses on the laws of shechitah, blood, and treifos, many communities traditionally observed a fast or increased their tefillos when beginning the tractate, out of concern for what was viewed as a spiritually sensitive time.

About two months ago, as the current Daf Yomi cycle began Maseches Chullin, the leaders of Sanz’s Torasam Mishtameres Torah program asked the Sanzer Rebbe whether thousands of participants should follow that ancient custom and fast on the day the tractate began.

The Rebbe ruled that such a fast was unnecessary under the current circumstances. He explained, “Since we are dealing with the public, when tens of thousands of Jews begin learning the tractate together, there is no need to fast.” He then offered his blessing to the participants, saying, “The holy Torah is the greatest blessing of all, and may it be Hashem’s will that all the blessings written in the Torah come upon those who study and are tested on it.”

The practice itself is commonly traced to the Chasam Sofer, who instituted a full-day fast in his yeshiva in Pressburg whenever the study of the laws of shechitah began.

In later generations, Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l also addressed the custom. Recalling the beginning of Maseches Chullin in the Ponevezh Kollel, he told his talmidim: “When they began learning Maseches Chullin in the Ponevezh Kollel, I said that those who are able should fast until midday. Although the Chasam Sofer fasted an entire day, for avreichim this could cause bitul Torah, so they should fast only until midday.” He added that those unable to fast could instead give tzedakah, saying, “Certainly this is also a good practice.”

Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l likewise encouraged an alternative to fasting. He ruled that “It is a good practice for the maggid shiur to give several coins to charity on behalf of those attending the shiur” at the beginning of the masechta, thereby redeeming the fast on behalf of the participants.

Those discussing the custom have also pointed to several tragedies that occurred while the worldwide Daf Yomi cycle was learning Maseches Chullin. Among the most widely remembered was the 2011 murder of Baba Elazar, Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira zt”l, who was stabbed to death in his yeshiva in Be’er Sheva. On the very day of the murder, Daf Yomi participants around the world were learning Chullin 32, which deals with the laws of shechitah.

Just days earlier during that same Daf Yomi cycle, eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky z”l was abducted and murdered in Brooklyn on his way home from camp. On that tragic day, Jews worldwide were studying Chullin 15.

More recently, many have noted that the murder of Rav Yishai Por zt”l inside the Chazon Ish Kollel in Bnei Brak occurred while the current Daf Yomi cycle was studying Maseches Chullin. Now, they say, the murder of Rav Amos Guetta zt”l has renewed attention to those longstanding traditions.

Speaking in the aftermath of the latest tragedy, several talmidei chachamim and maggidei shiur urged the public to strengthen themselves spiritually. One said, “This is something Heavenly, open and well known, that cannot be ignored. These occurrences prove beyond any doubt that the words and practices of the great sages and righteous leaders of previous generations were not said in vain. During the study of this tractate, the Satan prosecutes and seeks to strike specifically at pure souls, avreichim and mekubalim. It is our obligation to awaken ourselves, strengthen Torah study, increase charity, and cry out to Hashem to put an end to our suffering.”

Amid ongoing reports of internal tensions within the Shas movement, former Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchak Yosef has written an unusually warm and effusive dedication to Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, a public gesture widely expected to be viewed as a strong vote of confidence in the party leader.

The dedication was written in honor of Deri’s completion of Shas and contains exceptional praise for the longtime Shas chairman.

In the inscription, Rav Yitzchak Yosef describes Deri as “a friend of all of Israel,” “a tireless champion of Torah,” “a devoted communal leader,” and “the faithful steward of my revered father, Maran, of blessed memory.” He also refers to Deri as one who was “beloved and cherished by him like a son to a father,” calls him “the crown of glory,” and addresses him as “the chairman of our movement.”

Rav Yitzchak Yosef concludes by extending heartfelt congratulations on Deri’s completion of Shas, blessing him to merit completing the entire Beis Yosef and Yabia Omer as well. The dedication is signed simply, “With blessings, Yitzchak Yosef.”

The publication of the inscription comes at a significant time, as reports in recent weeks have pointed to disagreements within Shas over several issues, including the movement’s spiritual leadership, the draft law, and the party’s internal conduct.

In recent months, groups of bnei yeshivah have also protested against Deri. Following one such protest, Rav Yitzchak Yosef issued a public statement condemning the demonstrations and called on the public to show respect for the Shas chairman.

Given the timing, many are expected to interpret the personal and highly complimentary dedication as a clear message of support for Deri, particularly in light of recent public speculation about divisions within the party. The inscription’s repeated references to Deri as the trusted heir to Rav Ovadia Yosef’s legacy and as “the chairman of our movement” are likely to be viewed as especially significant.

{Matzav.com}

An unusual halachic question arising from Israel’s ongoing military draft crisis has prompted a ruling from the leading posek of Karlin-Stolin. The question centered on what should happen if a yungerman classified as a “draft evader”—who is legally barred from leaving Israel—wins the chassidus’ annual raffle for a flight to the kever of Rav Shlomo of Karlin in Ukraine.

The issue surfaced after the leadership of the Merkaz Stolin Karlin organization in Eretz Yisroel announced its annual raffle for supporters who contribute through recurring monthly donations. The grand prize was a plane ticket to visit the resting place of Rav Shlomo of Karlin in Ludmir, Ukraine, ahead of his yahrtzeit on the 22nd of Tammuz.

Once the raffle was announced, members of the chassidus raised a practical concern. What would happen if the winner turned out to be a yungerman whose military status classified him as a draft evader, preventing him from legally leaving the country and making it impossible for him to use the prize?

The question was submitted to the Karlin-Stolin posek, Rav Dovid Brizel, who responded with a detailed psak outlining the proper guidelines for the raffle. He emphasized that the rules governing any raffle must be established before the drawing takes place, not afterward, explaining that participants enter the raffle based on the terms set in advance.

Rav Brizel then proposed a solution designed to preserve the spiritual purpose of the prize while ensuring fairness to a winner who cannot travel because of legal restrictions.

In his letter to the organization’s leadership, Rav Brizel explained that the purpose of the raffle is for one donor to travel as the representative of all contributors and offer tefillos on their behalf at the kever. Therefore, if the winner is legally permitted to travel but chooses not to do so for personal reasons, he may transfer the prize to someone else who will make the trip as the emissary of all the donors.

However, Rav Brizel ruled differently if the winner is a yungerman who is legally unable to leave Israel because he is classified as a draft evader. In that case, the winner may choose one of two options: either retain the ticket and use it in a future year if his legal status changes and travel becomes possible, or immediately receive the cash value of the prize instead. The organization would then arrange for another representative to travel to the kever and daven on behalf of all its donors and supporters.

{Matzav.com}

A new national survey suggests that public skepticism surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic remains widespread, with nearly half of Americans saying they believe it is at least somewhat likely the virus was connected to a secret effort by global elites to reduce the world’s population.

The Rasmussen Reports poll was released Wednesday as renewed attention has focused on the origins of COVID-19 following the recent release of declassified documents by former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard concerning Dr. Anthony Fauci’s actions during the pandemic.

According to the survey, 45% of American adults said they consider it at least somewhat likely that COVID-19 was part of a global population control agenda. Of that group, 24% described the theory as “very likely.” Another 45% rejected the idea, including 30% who said it was “not at all likely,” while 10% said they were unsure.

The poll also reflected continued divisions over the COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said the vaccines were necessary and effective in slowing the spread of the virus. By contrast, 39% said they more closely agreed with the view that the vaccines were promoted primarily to enrich large pharmaceutical companies, while 13% remained undecided.

Views on the pandemic’s origins closely tracked opinions about the vaccines. Among respondents who said it was “very likely” that COVID-19 was part of a global population control effort, 66% also believed the vaccines were promoted mainly to benefit major drug manufacturers.

Political affiliation played a significant role in how respondents answered the survey. Among Republicans, 59% said they believe it is at least somewhat likely the pandemic was tied to a secret global population control plan. That compared with 44% of independents and 34% of Democrats.

The partisan divide was equally evident on the vaccine question. Sixty-five percent of Democrats said the vaccines were necessary and effective, compared with 42% of independents and 35% of Republicans. Meanwhile, 54% of Republicans, 40% of independents, and 26% of Democrats said they believe the vaccines were promoted to generate profits for pharmaceutical companies.

Age also appeared to influence attitudes. Rasmussen found that a majority of Americans under 40 believe it is at least somewhat likely the pandemic was connected to a population control scheme, including nearly two-thirds of men under 40. Respondents aged 65 and older were the most likely to view the vaccines as necessary and effective.

The survey also found differences among demographic groups. Fifty-six percent of Black respondents, 51% of respondents identifying with other minority groups, 47% of white respondents, and 41% of Hispanic respondents said the vaccines were necessary and effective.

At the same time, Rasmussen reported that Black and Hispanic respondents were the most likely demographic groups to believe the pandemic was part of a secret global population control effort.

Educational attainment and income also appeared to influence responses. Americans with college degrees and those earning more than $50,000 per year were less likely than other respondents to believe COVID-19 was intentionally orchestrated as part of a population control agenda.

The poll was conducted on June 24-25 and June 28 among 1,259 U.S. adults. Rasmussen Reports said the survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Ministry of Education has authorized a special arrangement allowing observant Jewish students to take the country’s mandatory matriculation examinations on Shabbos without personally writing their answers, providing a rare accommodation for the nation’s Jewish community.

Under the approved policy, designated school secretaries will record students’ responses during the examinations, enabling religiously observant students to avoid violating Shabbos while still completing the required tests.

The announcement was confirmed by the Tehran Jewish Committee, which credited months of advocacy with Iranian education officials. In a public statement, the committee said: “With efforts and monitoring by the head of the committee’s Science and Education Council, Ilan Mishalian, with the Ministry of Education, all Jewish students in all cities of our homeland Iran, may receive assistance from a secretary during exams on Shabbos.”

The committee explained that the nationwide examination schedule cannot be changed because of logistical constraints affecting the country’s education system. It noted that the accommodation is not new and has been available in previous years. The statement also emphasized that the service will be provided free of charge and that students do not need authorization from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Instead, they are only required to notify their school administration in advance.

Iran’s parliament speaker declared Wednesday that international nuclear inspectors will not be allowed to enter the country’s bombed nuclear facilities under any circumstances, directly contradicting recent statements by President Donald Trump that Iran had agreed to permit inspections as part of its understanding with the United States.

Speaking after leading the Iranian delegation in negotiations, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed reports that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be granted access to sites damaged in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.

“Claims regarding inspector access to bombed sites are false,” Ghalibaf said, according to Iranian media.

He emphasized that Iranian law explicitly prohibits such inspections, stating, “We ourselves passed a law in parliament, the Supreme National Security Council passed it too; we made it law that under no circumstances do we allow access to sites that have been bombarded and damaged.”

Trump has previously stated that Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to examine its nuclear facilities as part of the agreement reached between Washington and Tehran. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has likewise told members of Congress that inspections would be included in the arrangement.

Despite those statements, Iran has continued to withhold information from the IAEA regarding the location and condition of its nuclear materials. Tehran has also refused to allow inspectors to assess the facilities that were struck during the recent military campaign.

Efforts to restore international monitoring have also broken down. An agreement reached last September between Iran and the IAEA to resume inspections and verify uranium inventories was later abandoned after Tehran declared it void in response to Britain, France, and Germany initiating the reimposition of United Nations sanctions that had previously been lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi recently said that he believes most of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains at the Isfahan nuclear complex, despite that facility having been targeted in last month’s strikes.

Grossi also said the agency continues to seek access to the nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordow, where additional nuclear material is believed to be located.

{Matzav.com}

An advance contingent of Israel’s humanitarian aid mission arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday, launching the country’s emergency response to the devastating earthquake and beginning coordination with local officials ahead of full-scale recovery operations.

The initial delegation was dispatched from Israel and includes representatives from both the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IDF. The civilian effort is headed by Israel’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Yoed Magen, while Brigadier General Elad Edri, Chief of Staff of the Home Front Command, is leading the military component of the mission.

Soon after touching down, members of the advance team met with Venezuelan government officials, emergency responders, and other key partners to evaluate the disaster’s impact. The meetings focused on assessing conditions on the ground, determining the most urgent needs, coordinating joint operations, and finalizing logistical preparations before field activities begin.

Additional members of the Israeli delegation are expected to arrive over the coming days, expanding the mission as recovery efforts intensify.

After the planning phase is completed, Israeli specialists will work side by side with local authorities, providing professional expertise drawn from Israel’s extensive experience responding to earthquakes, natural disasters, and humanitarian emergencies around the world.

{Matzav.com}

A surprising phone call from an inmate at Shikma Prison has intensified the debate over incitement in Israel’s Arab education system after the prisoner, a Bedouin Arab convicted of murdering a family member, told Knesset Education Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot that anti-Jewish indoctrination in school laid the foundation for both violent crime and nationalist extremism.

According to Sukkot, the inmate reached out to commend the lawmaker for visiting Arab schools and examining what is being taught there in an effort to combat violence and incitement. During the conversation, the prisoner told Sukkot, “You are saving the education in the Arab sector.”

The inmate said he attended a Ministry of Education-recognized school in Kuseife, where he claims students were repeatedly exposed to anti-Jewish messages and encouraged to view violence against Jews favorably. Describing what he experienced, he said, “Crime starts with criminal acts, but the motive starts with nationalism and develops later. Just like during Operation Guardian of the Walls, everyone who participated (in the riots) had a criminal background.”

He went on to describe an educational environment in which Jews were portrayed as enemies who had stolen Arab land. “I grew up in a way where if I would commit a crime against an Arab, I was hated, and if I would do something against a Jew, I would be admired. That’s how I was educated in the Israeli education system in Kuseife.”

The prisoner further argued that organized crime within the Arab sector is driven not only by financial motives but also by ideological ones. “Even the criminal [acts] are nationalist. The reason the criminal organizations do protection rackets is that it all starts with education that the Jew is an infidel.”

He also claimed that his teachers instilled hatred toward Jews from an early age. “The teachers from the north and the territories would teach us to hate the country, that the Jews came to take our land. It all comes from the teacher’s conduct, and it reflects on society. When you don’t recognize the state’s authority and are educated that crime against Jews is acceptable, you grow up to be a criminal like me.”

Near the conclusion of the conversation, the inmate expressed concern that the cycle would continue unless the education system changes, telling Sukkot, “Our DNA is infected. Even if I were released from prison, my children would do the same thing if they were not educated differently.”

Following the conversation, Sukkot said the prisoner’s account highlights what he believes is a critical national security issue. “This testimony must set off a red light for anyone who cares about the State of Israel’s future. We got clear proof that you can not fight crime and terrorism without dealing with the root – the education system. When children are educated on hate, incitement, and delegitimization of Jews and the State of Israel, the results will be violence, crime, and terrorism. Whoever thinks it’s possible to fight crime using only the police and enforcement lives in a misconception and should wake up before it’s too late.”

Sukkot pledged to continue investigating educational materials used in Arab schools and said the committee would press for significant changes. “The Education Committee, led by me, will continue to expose these materials and ensure that the education system educates on coexistence, respect for the law, and allegiance to the state, and not on incitement and violence, and whoever’s not interested won’t get a shekel from the state.”

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to legislation that would significantly tighten regulation and enforcement of loudspeaker systems used at mosques, marking a major step forward for a proposal championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Knesset National Security Committee Chairman MK Tzvika Foghel.

The bill passed its preliminary reading by a vote of 50-36. Despite recent threats to withhold support over the ongoing dispute surrounding the conscription law and Basic Law: Torah Study, Shas backed the measure. The opposition also contributed votes, with Yisrael Beytenu supporting the proposal.

Under the legislation, no public address system could be installed or operated without first obtaining an official permit. Authorities would evaluate permit applications based on several factors, including the system’s volume, available noise-reduction measures, the mosque’s location, its distance from nearby homes, and the expected impact on local residents.

The proposal also grants police expanded enforcement authority. Officers would be empowered to order the immediate cessation of unauthorized or non-compliant broadcasts, and if those orders are ignored, they could confiscate the loudspeaker equipment.

Violators would face substantial financial penalties. Installing or operating a public address system without the required permit could result in fines of up to 50,000 shekels, while operating a system in violation of permit conditions would carry fines of up to 10,000 shekels.

Unlike previous attempts to regulate mosque loudspeakers—which primarily sought to restrict the hours during which they could be used and contained broad exemptions with relatively weak enforcement—the current proposal establishes a comprehensive licensing system, assigns direct responsibility to the operator, significantly expands enforcement powers, and strengthens penalties. It also creates a mechanism directing revenue collected from fines toward public projects.

According to the bill’s explanatory notes, “Noise is a public health hazard, and although enforcement campaigns have been conducted in the past, there is currently no law that provides sufficient tools to address the phenomenon. Therefore, a clear regulatory framework is proposed, including a default prohibition, an explicit permit mechanism, the appointment of a person responsible for operation, and significant fines. The bill seeks to restore peace and quiet and improve residents’ quality of life through effective and clear enforcement.”

Ben-Gvir welcomed the bill’s advancement, saying, “In many places, the muezzin’s call constitutes unreasonable noise that harms residents’ quality of life and health. This is a phenomenon that cannot be accepted. During my tenure, the Israel Police began addressing this intolerable problem for the first time, and now we are providing it with additional dramatic tools to eradicate the phenomenon. I thank Minister Idit Silman for her cooperation, Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz, and the members of Otzma Yehudit, who remain faithful to our election promises and are working hard to fulfill them one by one.”

Foghel also defended the legislation, arguing that its purpose is not to interfere with religious practice but to address excessive noise affecting nearby communities. “The muezzin broadcast at excessive volume is not a religious issue; it is a matter of harm to public health and quality of life. It is unacceptable for residents to continue suffering from systematic violations of the law. That is why I submitted this bill—to enable firm, clear, and decisive action against this phenomenon.”