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Tens of thousands of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim across Eretz Yisroel will return to their batei medrash on Sunday for the beginning of zman choref 5787, with the opening of the new zman marked by the appointment of a new rosh yeshiva at Yeshivas Be’er Hachaim, preparations at Ponevezh Yeshiva, and several developments throughout the Torah world.

The new zman, which follows the bein hazmanim break that began after Yom Kippur, will be especially lengthy this year because 5787 is a leap year containing two months of Adar. As a result, bochurim will have six consecutive months of learning before the conclusion of the zman at Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

The return to the yeshivos comes against the backdrop of the arrests of bnei yeshivos during bein hazmanim, which have generated considerable concern throughout the chareidi community. The upcoming elections for Israel’s 26th Knesset, scheduled for 16 Cheshvan, will also take place during the opening weeks of the zman.

Election season is expected to affect the yeshivos in different ways. Some bochurim will be involved in election-related activities, while others will remain entirely removed from political discussions. On Election Day, organized buses arranged by the political parties are expected to transport eligible voters from the yeshivos to their polling stations and back.

Although most significant changes in yeshiva leadership and administration generally take place before zman Elul, several institutions are beginning the winter session with new appointments, expanded facilities, and other developments.

One of the most notable announcements comes from Yeshivas Be’er Hachaim in Kiryat Sefer, where Rav Alexander Miller has been appointed rosh yeshiva following the petirah of Rav Elyakim Friedman zt”l during Elul.

The appointment has generated considerable excitement among the yeshiva’s talmidim and families. Rav Miller, a talmid of Yeshivas Brisk, is a brother of Rav Dovid Miller, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh.

The new rosh yeshiva will formally begin his position on Sunday with an opening shiur marking the beginning of zman choref. Rav Boruch Soloveitchik, the nasi of the yeshiva, is expected to participate in the occasion, together with additional rabbonim.

At Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, thousands of bochurim are preparing to return Sunday evening for the opening of the six-month zman.

This winter, Ponevezh and numerous other yeshivos that follow its established learning cycle will begin Maseches Kesubos, a masechta commonly referred to as a miniature Shas because of the extraordinary range and depth of its sugyos.

Among the subjects studied in Kesubos are the intricate halachos of rov, chazakah, sfeikos, and eidus, together with many other fundamental areas of lomdus.

The masechta also contains sugyos closely associated with the teachings of the great roshei yeshiva of previous generations. These include the foundational approaches of Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l to questions of chazakah, the teachings of the Ponevezher Rav zt”l concerning oness, and the well-known lomdishe explanations of Rav Shmuel Rozovsky zt”l regarding yeihareig ve’al yaavor and kam leih bid’rabbah mineih.

Extensive preparations have been underway at Ponevezh since immediately after Simchas Torah to ensure that the yeshiva is ready to accommodate its thousands of returning talmidim.

Under the supervision of Rav Zev Tziger, who oversees the institution’s cleaning operations, additional crews have been working throughout the campus to prepare all six batei medrash and the various shiur rooms.

The work has included reorganizing the learning areas, reconstructing the large galleries used by the bochurim, and thoroughly cleaning the entire yeshiva hill ahead of the opening of the zman.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 avreichim of Kollel Ponevezh, located in the Ohel Kedoshim building on the yeshiva grounds, will begin their new learning program on Monday.

The kollel will study Maseches Zevachim over the coming year, followed by Maseches Menachos, continuing its extensive study of Seder Kodshim.

The beginning of this learning cycle has also brought renewed memories of the remarkable shiurim delivered in the kollel by Rav Avraham Noach Garbuz zt”l, the renowned author of Minchas Avraham.

Three learning cycles ago, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman, nasi of Ponevezh, appointed Rav Garbuz to deliver special shiurim on the complex sugyos of Kodshim, an area requiring exceptional breadth of knowledge and analytical understanding.

Rav Garbuz, whose seforim and shiurim became widely acclaimed for their comprehensive treatment of fundamental topics throughout Seder Kodshim, would travel each week to Bnei Brak to deliver his shiurim to the avreichim gathered in Ohel Kedoshim.

The new zman at Ponevezh will also be accompanied by heartfelt tefillos for the recovery of Rav Chaim Berman, the legendary masmid whose extraordinary devotion to learning has long been an inseparable part of the yeshiva’s daily life.

For the first time, a winter zman will begin with Rav Berman’s familiar place near the bimah and the golden Aron Kodesh standing empty.

The talmidim and avreichim continue to daven for the complete recovery of Rav Chaim ben Reisha Raizel Berman, hoping that he will regain his strength and return to his accustomed place in the beis medrash, where his presence has inspired generations of bnei Torah.

Another development accompanying the opening of zman choref concerns registration for yeshivos ketanos in Bnei Brak, Petach Tikvah, and Elad.

Gedolei Yisroel have instructed the administrators of yeshivos and chederim in those cities not to begin or advance the registration process for the coming year before Lag BaOmer.

The directive calls for maintaining the same registration timetable that was followed last year, rather than allowing institutions to begin accepting applications earlier.

In Beit Shemesh, Yeshivas Rav Moshe Sternbuch is entering the new zman following a major milestone in its expansion plans.

During the past week, thousands of talmidim, alumni, and supporters gathered in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled neighborhood for the laying of the cornerstone of a new yeshiva campus.

The gathering marked a significant step toward the establishment of a permanent kiryas hayeshiva for the institution founded 13 years ago by Rav Moshe Sternbuch.

Since its establishment, the yeshiva has developed into a prominent institution attracting hundreds of outstanding bnei aliyah who have come to learn under its rebbeim and within its established approach to limud haTorah.

A major fundraising campaign has also been conducted to support construction of the new campus, which is intended to accommodate the institution’s continued growth.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate his lawsuit accusing Hillary Clinton and several other prominent political and intelligence figures of orchestrating an effort to falsely associate his 2016 presidential campaign with Russia, challenging lower-court rulings that dismissed the case and imposed nearly $1 million in financial penalties.

The petition, submitted Friday, seeks to overturn decisions by a federal district court and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which concluded that the lawsuit lacked sufficient legal merit and that Trump and his attorney should be sanctioned for pursuing it.

Trump originally filed the case in 2022, alleging that Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election, had participated in a coordinated effort to damage his presidential candidacy by promoting allegations of connections between his campaign and Russia.

The lawsuit named a number of defendants, including Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, the Democratic National Committee, and Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who compiled the controversial dossier containing allegations about Trump and Russia.

In September 2022, U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed the lawsuit, finding that its allegations failed to establish a legally sustainable case against the defendants.

The judge subsequently ordered Trump and his then-attorney, Alina Habba, to pay nearly $1 million in sanctions in January 2023, sharply criticizing the lawsuit’s substance and presentation.

Middlebrooks described the complaint as a “two-hundred-page political manifesto,” concluding that the legal proceedings had been improperly used to advance political grievances rather than legitimate claims.

Trump appealed both the dismissal and the sanctions, but the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his arguments in November 2025.

A three-judge panel unanimously upheld the lower court’s rulings, including in a decision joined by Judge Andrew Brasher, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump.

The appellate judges concluded that “many of Trump’s and Habba’s legal arguments were indeed frivolous.”

Trump’s attorneys are now asking the nation’s highest court to review those findings, arguing that the sanctions reflect an improper use of judicial authority against the president and his legal representatives.

In their Supreme Court filing, the attorneys warned of “a deeply troubling trend” involving federal judges imposing penalties on Trump and his lawyers. They argued that disagreements over legal arguments should not automatically become grounds for financial punishment.

The filing followed two extensions granted by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees emergency applications arising from the 11th Circuit. The latest extension gave Trump’s attorneys until October 9 to submit their petition for review.

The underlying dispute dates back to the bitterly contested 2016 presidential election and the investigations that followed into Russian interference and possible connections between Moscow and members of Trump’s campaign.

Trump has consistently maintained that allegations of collusion were politically motivated and that Clinton and her allies helped promote a misleading narrative intended to undermine his candidacy and presidency.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 investigation established that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election but did not establish that members of Trump’s campaign had conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.

A separate investigation by special counsel John Durham, completed in 2023, sharply criticized aspects of the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation, including its reliance on information from politically connected sources.

The Supreme Court appeal also raises questions about whether some of Trump’s claims were improperly rejected as untimely. His attorneys contend that legal deadlines should account for the demands and responsibilities of the presidency, an argument they say the lower courts failed to adequately consider.

The president’s latest legal maneuver comes amid renewed political tensions in Washington, with Republicans and Democrats preparing for the November congressional elections.

Two days before the Supreme Court filing, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he “could have done very bad things” to Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and former President Joe Biden, but had refrained out of respect for the presidency.

Trump made those remarks while warning that Democrats could pursue impeachment proceedings against him if they regain control of Congress in the midterm elections.

The Supreme Court has not announced whether it will hear the Clinton lawsuit. At least four justices must agree to review the case before it can proceed to arguments and a possible ruling.

If the justices decline the petition, the lower-court decisions dismissing Trump’s claims and upholding the financial sanctions will remain in place.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin has conveyed Iran’s position on a possible agreement to end the ongoing war with the United States directly to President Donald Trump, the Kremlin announced Saturday, raising the prospect of a Russian diplomatic role in efforts to bring the eight-month conflict to a close.

The message was delivered during a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on Friday, following discussions between the Russian leader and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan earlier in the week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin had communicated Tehran’s views to the American president after coordinating with the Iranian leadership.

“In coordination with the Iranian president, Putin conveyed the Iranian side’s views on a possible resolution to the conflict to Trump,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russia’s state-run RIA news agency.

The Kremlin did not reveal the specific proposals Putin presented to Trump, nor did it indicate how the American president responded. It also remained unclear whether the conversation produced any progress toward restarting direct or indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Putin met with Pezeshkian during a summit in Turkmenistan, where the two leaders discussed the possibility of ending the hostilities through diplomatic negotiations. The Russian president reportedly expressed Moscow’s readiness to assist in efforts to reach an agreement.

According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Peskov said the two presidents held separate meetings during the gathering. Putin also informed Pezeshkian beforehand that he intended to speak with Trump, suggesting that the communication of Iran’s position had been arranged in advance.

The diplomatic initiative comes as efforts to negotiate an end to the war between the United States and Iran remain deadlocked, despite several rounds of discussions and proposals exchanged through intermediaries.

The conflict began in February with American and Israeli military strikes against Iranian targets, triggering a prolonged confrontation that has disrupted regional security, international shipping, and global energy markets.

In June, Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding setting out a possible framework for ending the fighting. The arrangement, however, did not lead to a permanent agreement, and tensions escalated again following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks on maritime traffic prompted renewed American military operations, further complicating attempts to reach a diplomatic settlement.

Additional indirect contacts between the two countries continued in the following months, including discussions surrounding the United Nations General Assembly in September. Those efforts likewise failed to produce a breakthrough.

One of the central obstacles has been Iran’s demand that the United States end its naval blockade as part of any ceasefire agreement. Washington, meanwhile, has continued applying military and economic pressure on Tehran while seeking terms it considers acceptable for ending the conflict.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Tehran and Washington had already exchanged proposals through mediators and that Iranian officials were working on revisions to their response before submitting it for further consideration.

During his discussions with Putin, Pezeshkian described Iran’s continuing diplomatic efforts and expressed appreciation for Moscow’s support. Putin, in turn, said he believed Tehran was making a serious effort to reach an agreement and indicated that Russia was prepared to assist in securing a settlement.

The Friday telephone conversation between Trump and Putin reportedly lasted approximately 90 minutes and addressed several major international issues, including the war in Ukraine and economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow.

The two leaders also discussed an agreement under which Russia would supply additional diesel fuel to international markets, including the United States, in an effort to ease energy shortages and rising fuel prices associated with the Middle East conflict.

That arrangement has generated criticism from Ukraine and European governments, which argue that expanded Russian energy sales could provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance its military campaign against Ukraine.

The Iranian diplomatic initiative unfolded against a backdrop of renewed warnings from Washington. Trump has recently indicated that the United States could resume major military strikes if Tehran fails to accept an agreement, while also suggesting that he would prefer to avoid launching additional attacks before the November 3 midterm elections.

The administration has maintained its naval blockade and other restrictions against Iran, while Iranian officials have insisted that relief from those measures must be part of any lasting ceasefire.

For now, neither Washington nor Moscow has disclosed the contents of the Iranian position presented during Friday’s call, and there has been no announcement of a new round of formal negotiations.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump today openly called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced, accusing him of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to end the war with Russia and blaming Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities for contributing to soaring diesel prices in the United States.

The extraordinary remarks came one day after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase millions of tons of Russian diesel, a move intended to ease pressure on American fuel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections but one that has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine and its European allies.

“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Trump said.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for Tennessee, where he was scheduled to campaign for Republican candidates, Trump again criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure. The president has repeatedly urged Zelenskyy to halt those strikes, arguing that disruptions to fuel supplies are worsening the economic difficulties facing American consumers.

“He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel,” Trump said, before departing for Tennessee where he was set to rally Republican voters.

Diesel prices have risen dramatically amid disruptions to global energy markets, particularly the difficulties associated with transporting oil from the Middle East during the ongoing war involving Iran. The conflict has pushed up the cost of petroleum products worldwide, while Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities have added further pressure to supplies.

The economic consequences have become an increasingly serious political issue for the White House. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey released October 1 found widespread dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, with many Americans holding the president responsible for rising prices.

Trump also renewed his longstanding assertion that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would never have occurred had he occupied the White House when the war began in February 2022.

“That war would have never started,” he said. “There was no reason that war with Ukraine and Russia started. It started due to incompetence.”

The president went on to describe the enormous territorial and human losses suffered during the conflict, arguing that Zelenskyy’s leadership had failed to bring the fighting to an end.

Zelenskyy has “lost 30% of your country and you’ve had over a million people go between the two of them, over 2 million people killed. That’s a war that should have never started. And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump said.

Independent assessments indicate that Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, rather than the 30% figure cited by Trump. British defense officials have estimated that roughly 500,000 Russian military personnel have been killed since the invasion, although reliable and comprehensive figures for Ukrainian fatalities remain unavailable.

Trump’s comments followed another deadly wave of Russian attacks against Ukraine, including bombardments in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region that Ukrainian authorities said killed at least 20 people Saturday.

According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, Russian aircraft dropped bombs on residential buildings, killing civilians, including three children, and wounding at least 18 others.

The latest casualties came as Russian and Ukrainian forces continued exchanging long-range drone and missile attacks, with neither side achieving a decisive breakthrough along the front lines more than four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian bombardments had killed more than 60 people over the preceding four days.

Zelenskyy responded angrily to Washington’s decision to purchase Russian fuel, accusing Moscow of using the financial benefits of energy exports to sustain its military campaign.

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote Saturday on X.

The Ukrainian president warned that every additional billion dollars earned by Russia through exports could be directed toward producing missiles, improving drones, purchasing military components, and recruiting additional fighters. He maintained that the Kremlin would have little incentive to negotiate seriously until its ability to finance and conduct military operations was substantially weakened.

Zelenskyy said his government was working with international partners to address the expected increase in Russian energy revenue. He also disclosed that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron about strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses amid warnings of possible additional Russian missile attacks in the coming days.

Under the agreement announced Friday, Russia is expected to begin supplying the United States with more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and an additional one million tons shortly afterward.

Trump said Russia would subsequently provide another three million tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote.

The announcement prompted angry reactions in Kyiv, where Ukrainians gathered at a memorial for fallen soldiers in Independence Square expressed frustration over Washington’s willingness to purchase fuel from the country attacking them.

“Trump has once again shown his true face,” said Oleksandr Petrenko, 26. “He didn’t care about the situation, the shelling or the destruction of our homes. All he’s interested in is oil or the fuel prices and how much Americans have to pay.”

Others said the agreement was consistent with what they had come to expect from Trump’s dealings with Putin.

For Oksana Yakunina, a financial adviser from the central city of Kropyvnytskyi, the announcement “didn’t really come as a surprise.”

“Trump has been working with Putin for a long time,” she told The Associated Press.

European governments also reacted with alarm, warning that renewed Russian energy exports could undermine Western efforts to restrict the Kremlin’s ability to finance its military operations.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed regret over the American agreement, warning that Russian energy sales directly support Moscow’s military expenditures.

He said Sweden opposed the arrangement, “as energy revenues are central to the Russian war chest,” and noted that the European Union was preparing to introduce its most extensive sanctions package to date on Monday. The measures are expected to include approximately 1,600 listings targeting individuals and entities associated with Russia’s military-industrial sector.

Germany likewise reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining economic pressure on Moscow, indicating that Berlin would continue coordinating additional sanctions with its European partners.

The German government “remains committed to the sanctions imposed on Russia and is working with its European partners on further sanctions,” spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said, adding that support for Ukraine “remains unwavering.”

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski raised doubts about whether Russia could fulfill the quantities promised under the agreement, citing reports of domestic fuel shortages and substantial damage to Russian refining infrastructure from Ukrainian attacks.

Referring to assessments that approximately half of Russia’s refining capacity had been affected, Sikorski questioned the availability of sufficient fuel for large-scale exports.

“So where will the surpluses for export come from?” he asked on X.

Trump’s latest agreement with Moscow represents a major departure from the sanctions policy he pursued only weeks earlier. Last month, the president signed legislation designed to tighten restrictions on Russia’s oil and gas revenues, which Western governments have long identified as a crucial source of financing for the invasion of Ukraine.

The new arrangement would ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports at a time when Washington is struggling to contain fuel prices. Energy analysts have questioned whether the agreement will produce substantial relief for American motorists, noting that global refinery shortages and disruptions caused by the Iran conflict remain major factors behind elevated prices.

The diplomatic dispute unfolded alongside another round of American-led negotiations intended to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday to discuss a proposed peace agreement. The talks took place as the administration was simultaneously finalizing its diesel arrangement with Moscow.

A senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv’s delegation had received no advance notice of the fuel agreement before Trump publicly announced it.

The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly, maintained that the diesel arrangement had no connection to the proposals being discussed during the Miami meetings.

The Ukrainian delegation subsequently departed Florida and began its return journey to Kyiv.

Additional reporting Saturday indicated that the Trump administration had warned Ukraine that continued strikes on Russian oil refineries could jeopardize American intelligence-sharing arrangements. Washington has repeatedly pressed Kyiv to stop targeting Russian energy infrastructure, while Ukrainian officials maintain that such attacks are necessary to weaken Moscow’s ability to finance its military campaign.

The latest confrontation has further strained relations between Washington and Kyiv, with Trump publicly demanding new Ukrainian leadership even as American representatives continue negotiating with Zelenskyy’s government over a possible settlement to the war.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yitzchak Yosef, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, delivered a sharp condemnation of the Israeli media on Motzoei Shabbos, accusing journalists and news outlets of waging a campaign of incitement against bnei yeshivos and portraying those dedicated to limud haTorah as criminals because they do not enlist in the military.

Speaking during his regular weekly shiur at the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim, Rav Yosef expressed outrage over the repeated use of terms such as “draft evaders” and “deserters” to describe bochurim and avreichim who devote their lives to Torah learning.

“Listen to the incitement in the media,” Rabbi Yosef said. “Every news report, they’re always against yeshiva students. ‘Draft evaders’? They’re the draft evaders! Yeshiva students are ‘deserters’? They’re the deserters!”

The remarks came amid the continuing controversy in Israel over efforts to draft chareidi bnei yeshivos into the IDF, a dispute that has generated intense political debate and widespread criticism of the chareidi community in the secular press.

Rav Yosef made the comments while discussing the halachic concept of tinok shenishba, which concerns individuals who grew up without a proper understanding of Torah and mitzvos. During the course of the discussion, he turned his attention to the public discourse surrounding bnei Torah and the accusations regularly directed against them.

The Rishon Letzion emphasized that the contribution of those who dedicate themselves to Torah learning is indispensable to the protection of Klal Yisroel, rejecting the suggestion that their absence from military service means they are failing to contribute to the country’s security.

“Yeshiva students are saving this generation! Yeshiva students are saving the entire Land of Israel!” he declared.

The Rishon Letzion’s remarks come as tensions surrounding the draft of bnei yeshivos continue to intensify, with arrests of bochurim who have not reported for military service provoking demonstrations and widespread concern throughout the chareidi community.

In recent days, Rav Yosef has also spoken out against the arrests themselves, sharply criticizing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over his handling of the matter. During remarks earlier in the week, he accused Ben-Gvir of bearing responsibility for the arrests and suggested that political considerations were influencing the government’s approach.

Tonight’s shiur was attended by several prominent rabbonim, including Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi, Rosh Yeshivas Mir, and Rav Asher Weiss, Gaavad of Darchei Torah. Also present were Rav Yosef’s brothers, Rav Avraham Yosef of Cholon and Rav Moshe Yosef, who heads the Meor Yisrael publishing institute and Badatz Beis Yosef.

The gathering took place ahead of the upcoming yahrtzeit of Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, whose thirteenth yahrtzeit falls on 3 Cheshvan.

Returning to the issue of the public attacks against bnei yeshivos, Rav Yosef warned that the relentless criticism of Torah learners had reached deeply troubling proportions.

“But there is tremendous incitement, absolutely terrible! Against yeshiva students,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has authorized the publication of the codename for its military emergency response to the hijacking of a civilian aircraft, revealing that the IDF activated a protocol known as “Code Global Trade” during the September 30 attempted hijacking of a Flydubai passenger plane bound for Ben Gurion Airport.

The disclosure sheds new light on the extraordinary measures taken by the Israeli Air Force as the crisis unfolded, including preparations for the possibility that fighter pilots would be ordered to destroy an airliner carrying civilian passengers if it appeared that the aircraft was about to be used in a mass-casualty terrorist attack.

The emergency began when Flydubai flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Israel, transmitted a distress signal indicating that a hijacking was underway. Israeli military authorities responded by scrambling four F-16 fighter jets equipped with air-to-air missiles.

The fighters assumed positions over Israeli territory as commanders assessed whether the aircraft might be deliberately flown into a populated area. For several minutes, the Air Force remained prepared for the possibility of receiving an order to shoot down the passenger plane to prevent a catastrophe on the ground.

The name of the classified emergency procedure was released after Israeli military censors approved its publication. The protocol was developed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, when hijacked commercial aircraft were used as weapons against civilian targets.

Under the procedure, the Israeli military can initiate a coordinated response when there are indications that a civilian aircraft has fallen under hostile control and could pose an immediate threat to people on the ground.

The response includes dispatching fighter aircraft to approach and accompany the endangered plane, efforts to communicate with the pilots and establish the situation aboard, and continuous assessments of whether the aircraft is following its expected flight path.

In an extreme scenario, if military authorities determine that hijackers intend to crash the aircraft into a populated area, the protocol provides for the possibility of an airborne interception that could result in the destruction of the aircraft.

Such a decision would carry devastating consequences for the passengers and crew, making it one of the most difficult potential orders facing military commanders during an aviation emergency.

During the Flydubai incident, the four Israeli fighter jets remained on standby, positioned to act immediately if the unfolding situation required military intervention. Their deployment reflected the seriousness with which Israeli authorities treated the possibility that the hijacking could develop into an attack against civilians on the ground.

Israel’s aviation security system operates in close coordination with air traffic controllers, tracking aircraft approaching and departing the country’s airspace while monitoring irregular flight movements, emergency transmissions, and other warning signs.

The Air Force’s assessments may also draw upon intelligence supplied by the Mossad and other Israeli security agencies. Information about a suspected hijacking can be evaluated alongside the aircraft’s location, communications with its crew, and indications of whether the plane remains under the control of its authorized pilots.

The September 30 incident illustrated the danger the protocol was designed to address. According to Emirati investigators, the Flydubai co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport.

The attack caused the aircraft to plunge sharply before the wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and overpower the assailant. Two other qualified pilots aboard the aircraft subsequently helped bring it safely to the airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Investigators in the United Arab Emirates have described the incident as a planned terrorist attack inspired by extremist ideology. Authorities are examining the suspect’s background, including his aviation employment history and the circumstances surrounding his assignment to a flight bound for Israel.

Saudi Arabia has also opened an aviation safety investigation into the incident, with participation from American and Emirati authorities. The investigation is examining the circumstances of the attempted takeover and the measures that enabled the aircraft to land safely.

In response to the attempted hijacking, Israeli authorities announced plans to tighten screening procedures for pilots operating flights into the country, including additional identity and security checks. Flydubai has also suspended its services to and from Israel while investigations continue.

{Matzav.com}

At least 12 people were killed and 309 others wounded Saturday in a missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport, according to Saudi aviation authorities, marking the third strike against the airport in a single week and raising the possibility of American military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s escalating confrontation with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority announced the casualty figures following the attack, which forced officials to suspend airport operations and redirect incoming flights. Western governments warned their nationals to avoid the airport and nearby areas amid concerns about additional strikes.

The dead included four Saudi citizens, two nationals of Bangladesh, and one individual each from the United States, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt, according to Saudi officials.

Although no group immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack, suspicion centered on the Houthis, who have intensified their missile campaign against Saudi Arabia and acknowledged carrying out two earlier attacks on the same airport during the preceding week.

Those previous strikes left four people dead and inflicted substantial damage on a Saudi commercial aircraft.

Two Western officials and other individuals familiar with Saturday’s attack cautioned that the initial casualty toll could increase as authorities continued assessing the damage and treating the wounded.

According to those familiar with the incident, the missiles struck without any advance public warning because Saudi Arabia’s threat detection and alert systems failed to issue a warning before the attack.

Emergency crews rushed to the airport, transporting casualties to medical facilities by ambulance and helicopter. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that flights had been temporarily suspended at the airport, the kingdom’s busiest aviation hub, which serves Riyadh and its metropolitan population of approximately eight million people.

The repeated attacks have renewed questions about the effectiveness of Saudi Arabia’s air defenses, particularly as the kingdom expands its military campaign against the Houthis in neighboring Yemen.

President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that the United States might join Saudi military operations against the Iranian-backed group.

Asked by reporters outside the White House whether Washington intended to participate in Saudi strikes, Trump said the administration was considering its options.

“We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly,” he said.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security advisory following the attack, warning Americans to stay clear of the airport.

The embassy said it was “aware of attacks” and “strongly recommends all US citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas.”

The renewed fighting in Yemen follows the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely halted cross-border hostilities since 2022. Saudi Arabia originally intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading a coalition of Arab countries in support of the internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa.

Hostilities intensified again in July, with Houthi forces expanding their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. Their advances included the strategically important port of Mokha and islands overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway through which significant volumes of international shipping pass.

Last Sunday, Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced a major ground offensive aimed at recapturing territory held by the Houthis. The following day, the Saudi-led coalition launched military operations in Yemen’s Hodeidah province in support of that campaign.

The latest airport strike has prompted an increasingly forceful response from Saudi officials. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki condemned the attack on a civilian passenger terminal as a war crime and pledged a decisive military response.

The Houthis subsequently claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike and warned commercial airlines against entering Saudi airspace, declaring it a military operations zone.

The escalating confrontation has also alarmed international aviation authorities and airlines, with several carriers suspending or rerouting flights amid concerns that further attacks could endanger civilian aircraft.

The violence comes as fighting intensifies around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Saudi-backed Yemeni forces are attempting to reverse Houthi territorial gains. The outcome of that offensive could have significant consequences for maritime traffic through the Red Sea and the security of neighboring Gulf countries.

The Trump administration reportedly pressed Israel to carry out a military strike against Iran ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, seeking to have Israel undertake an operation that Washington feared could carry serious political consequences for President Donald Trump.

According to Israeli journalist Ben Caspit, American officials raised the demand during discussions with their Israeli counterparts over the past two weeks, amid growing concern that Iran has been rapidly rebuilding its ability to manufacture drones and ballistic missiles.

Caspit reported Saturday that the proposal specifically called for an Israeli attack, rather than an American operation or a coordinated military campaign involving both countries.

“In talks between Israel and the United States regarding Iran over the past two weeks, I have learned that the Americans actually demanded that Israel carry out a strike against Iran. They were not referring to an American strike, nor to a joint operation, but specifically to an Israeli strike.”

The reported American request encountered resistance from Israel’s military leadership, which warned that renewed hostilities with Iran could disrupt Israel’s own election schedule.

“IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir made it clear to the Americans (according to a report by Barak Ravid) that such a strike would most likely lead to the postponement of the elections in Israel.

“As of now, the Americans have backed down from this demand,” he added.

Caspit linked Washington’s interest in a renewed strike to intelligence concerning Iran’s efforts to restore military capabilities damaged during previous fighting.

“The American demand came in response to developments in Iran, some of which were reported today in the foreign media, concerning Iran’s rapid restoration of its drone and ballistic missile production capabilities.”

The report suggests that American officials believed Israel might be more willing to initiate military action before its own elections, even as the administration sought to avoid the domestic political fallout that could accompany a U.S.-led attack ahead of November’s congressional elections.

Caspit described the political considerations that he believes shaped Washington’s approach.

“However, the Americans wanted Israel, rather than Trump, to bear the political risk ahead of the midterm elections. They believed that Israel would actually want to launch a strike before its own elections, whereas in the United States, a pre-election strike could politically harm the president. Until now, reports have focused on Trump ‘considering’ resuming strikes against Iran. There have also been fresh reports on the matter.

“However, it is now clear that, at least according to the original plan, Trump essentially instructed Israel to strike Iran before the elections. For now, that initiative has been halted.”

The reported American pressure comes amid conflicting signals from Washington about the possibility of renewed military action against Iran. Earlier this week, reports indicated that the Pentagon had instructed U.S. Central Command to prepare for possible major operations against Iranian targets, although no final decision to launch an attack had been announced.

On Thursday, Trump said the United States would refrain from attacking Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, pointing to ongoing discussions with Tehran. The president’s public position contrasts with Caspit’s account of private American efforts to encourage Israel to undertake a separate military operation.

Concerns about Iran’s weapons production have also intensified following assessments by Western officials that Tehran has retained significant portions of its missile and drone manufacturing infrastructure despite months of American and Israeli bombardment. Those capabilities could allow Iran to replenish its arsenals even as Washington seeks to prevent further military escalation.

The timing is particularly sensitive because Israel is scheduled to hold elections on October 27, just one week before American voters head to the polls. Israeli military officials reportedly fear that Iranian retaliation, particularly large-scale missile attacks, could make it impossible to conduct the election as planned.

Caspit said Netanyahu’s own position on the proposed operation remains uncertain, despite indications that the prime minister has devoted considerable attention to national security matters in recent days.

“Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu’s position is not entirely clear to me. Over the past week, his schedule has been described as ‘highly security-focused,’ and he has held several ‘sensitive’ discussions and visits.”

The White House and Israeli government have not publicly confirmed Caspit’s account of the American request. According to his reporting, Washington has withdrawn the proposal for the time being, leaving open the question of whether the idea could resurface as concerns over Iran’s expanding military capabilities continue.

{Matzav.com}

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Thirty-four chareidi bnei yeshiva and other detainees are spending Shabbos Bereishis behind bars in an Israeli military prison after being arrested for refusing to enlist in the IDF in accordance with the directives of their rabbonim.

Among those currently imprisoned are three bochurim taken into custody during the past week as part of a renewed wave of arrests targeting chareidim who have not reported for military service.

The continued detention of the 34 men comes amid growing tensions over the government’s enforcement of military enlistment requirements against bnei yeshiva, whose rabbonim have instructed them not to enlist.

For the imprisoned bochurim, Shabbos Bereishis will be spent in military confinement rather than in their yeshivos or with their families.

Organizers of the campaign opposing the arrests have called on the public to increase their tefillos on behalf of the detainees and to seek their immediate release.

They also urged the chareidi community to remain steadfast in following the instructions of its gedolei Yisroel and to resist efforts by military authorities to induce bnei yeshiva to enlist.

The organizers are continuing their campaign against the enlistment measures under the slogan, “No! Not Even One!”

{Matzav.com}

Thai authorities have carried out an extensive series of raids targeting Chabad-affiliated offices and Jewish communal institutions in Bangkok, as part of a major investigation into suspected violations of the country’s foreign business ownership laws. Investigators are examining a network of companies and properties allegedly connected to Israeli nationals, while local Chabad representatives insist that their activities are lawful and that they have nothing to conceal.

The operation involved more than ten Thai law enforcement and regulatory agencies and focused on three locations: the Chabad Foundation in Bangkok, the Jewish Association of Thailand, and the offices of a company identified as Gan Chabad.

The investigation is being led by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation, which is examining whether foreign nationals used Thai citizens as nominee shareholders or directors to circumvent restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses and real estate.

Among the findings drawing particular attention was the discovery that 61 companies had been registered at a single address. Authorities are investigating whether the registrations reflect legitimate business arrangements or an attempt to establish a network of companies that would conceal their actual ownership.

The raids have raised concerns within Thailand’s Jewish community, particularly because several of the locations searched are associated with religious and communal activities serving Jewish residents and thousands of Israeli visitors.

Rav Nechemia Wilhelm, the Chabad shliach in Bangkok, rejected suggestions that the institutions were involved in concealed commercial operations and said the community had cooperated fully with investigators.

“We have absolutely nothing to hide,” Rav Wilhelm said, expressing confidence that the investigation would ultimately establish that the institutions were operating in accordance with Thai law.

The operation, conducted Thursday, October 8, was coordinated by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, under the Ministry of Justice. Participating agencies included the national police, immigration authorities, the Revenue Department, the Department of Lands, the Department of Business Development, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.

Investigators searched the Chabad Foundation’s premises in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district, the Jewish Association of Thailand’s property in Khlong Toei, and Gan Chabad’s offices in the Bang Rak district.

One of the locations inspected was the construction site of Beit Elisheva, Bangkok’s longstanding Jewish shul, which is being rebuilt as a modern facility in cooperation with Chabad activities.

During the searches, authorities discovered five foreign workers allegedly employed without valid work permits. Three were nationals of Myanmar found at the Chabad Foundation, while two workers from Laos were identified at the Jewish Association of Thailand.

Thai officials said proceedings had been initiated against two employers over the alleged employment violations. The workers could also face immigration-related penalties.

At Gan Chabad’s offices in Bang Rak, investigators collected extensive corporate and financial records, including documents concerning the registration of companies and nonprofit organizations, charitable donations, land transactions, construction projects, tax filings, restaurant licenses, and hotel operations.

According to the DSI, documents connected to more than 61 companies were found at the same registered business address. Preliminary examinations also revealed that certain individuals appeared repeatedly as directors or shareholders in several of the companies.

Some of those individuals were foreign-born residents who had subsequently obtained Thai citizenship.

The discovery prompted investigators to examine whether the companies were genuinely independent businesses or whether their corporate structures were being used to conceal foreign ownership.

Thai law places significant restrictions on foreign ownership of certain businesses and land. Authorities are investigating whether local citizens were listed as shareholders or directors while foreign nationals exercised actual control over the companies.

Another finding involved a small room at the Chabad Foundation measuring approximately 2.5 by 3 meters. Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwanchawee said the room was listed as the official address of the foundation and five additional companies.

Investigators reportedly found no financial statements or operational records in the room, raising questions about how the registered entities conducted their business.

Officials were subsequently informed that the relevant documents were maintained at another office in Bangkok.

The investigation has also expanded to the financial activities of the Chabad Foundation, which authorities say receives donations totaling approximately 100 million Thai baht annually.

Investigators are examining the sources of those donations, the movement of funds, and their ultimate destinations. The Anti-Money Laundering Office is participating in the financial review, although officials have not established that the donations were unlawful.

Authorities are also reviewing the financing of an eight-story Chabad construction project in Bangkok and examining property transactions associated with businesses under investigation.

The Bangkok operation follows earlier investigations into businesses associated with Israeli nationals in other parts of Thailand.

On October 7, one day before the raids, the DSI announced charges involving Cosy Beach View, a company operating in Chonburi province.

The case involves allegations that an Israeli national operated a business through arrangements that violated Thailand’s Foreign Business Act, with assistance from a Thai shareholder.

Investigators have also examined businesses and property holdings in Phuket and other locations where Israeli entrepreneurs and Chabad institutions maintain a presence.

Previous inquiries included scrutiny of Chabad activities in Patong, Phuket, as well as questions surrounding a Jewish cemetery and associated land ownership.

Thai authorities have emphasized that the investigations remain ongoing and that the discovery of shared addresses or corporate relationships does not, by itself, establish criminal wrongdoing.

No Israeli national was reported arrested during Thursday’s Bangkok raids.

In response to the highly publicized operation, Rav Nechemia Wilhelm sought to reassure members of the Jewish community and Israeli travelers that Chabad’s activities were continuing normally.

Speaking to Israeli media, he explained that representatives of the institutions had welcomed the investigators, recognizing the Thai government’s authority to inspect organizations operating within its borders.

Rav Wilhelm said the staff had cooperated with every request and allowed officials to examine the documents they sought.

He maintained that the searches were part of a broad regulatory investigation rather than evidence that Chabad had engaged in criminal activity.

Addressing the discovery of records relating to 61 companies, Rav Wilhelm offered an explanation that differed sharply from the suspicions raised by investigators.

He said the office where the documents were discovered belonged to an independent accountant who provides professional services to numerous businesses.

According to Rav Wilhelm, it is entirely ordinary for an accountant to maintain records for many different companies at a single office, and the presence of those documents does not mean that Chabad owns or controls the businesses involved.

He rejected suggestions that the religious institutions were secretly operating an extensive commercial network, emphasizing that Chabad’s primary mission in Bangkok is to provide religious services, hospitality, and assistance to Jewish residents and visitors.

The Chabad centers serve thousands of Israeli tourists and other Jewish travelers who pass through Thailand, providing Shabbos meals, religious facilities, and assistance to people far from home.

Rav Wilhelm said the investigation had not disrupted those services and that the community was continuing its regular activities.

He specifically confirmed that the large communal Shabbos meals would take place as scheduled, with hundreds of guests expected to attend.

The doors of the Chabad House, he said, would remain open to visitors, with no legal restrictions preventing the institution from continuing its religious and communal work.

The body of 46-year-old Ami Yogev, an Israeli resident of Modiin who disappeared while hiking on Mount Olympus in Greece, was discovered Friday, bringing a tragic end to an intensive search that lasted approximately two and a half weeks.

Yogev had been missing since September 20, when he lost contact with his family while making his way toward the summit of the mountain. Initial indications suggest that he fell from a considerable height during his climb.

His body was located by a rescue team from Chaverim Mechaltzim, an Israeli volunteer search-and-rescue organization whose members had been working in the mountainous terrain to locate him.

Following the discovery, the organization said its volunteers were continuing their operations under challenging conditions and preparing to work into the evening.

“We are extremely busy with operations in the field. Our volunteer team is working under difficult conditions and preparing for darkness,” the organization said.

Yogev’s last known communication with his family took place on September 20, the day he set out to climb Mount Olympus. He spoke with his mother, Shosh Debbie, and sent her photographs documenting his progress along the hiking route.

Among the pictures he shared was an image showing him making his way toward the summit. Shortly afterward, he stopped responding to telephone calls and messages.

His mother, who had spoken publicly about her son’s disappearance while the search was underway, described the final messages she exchanged with him.

“At 4 p.m., I sent him a message. He saw the message but never replied, and since then there has been only one check mark. The phone is unavailable,” she said approximately two weeks ago.

According to his mother, Yogev had made a spontaneous decision to travel from Israel to Athens, booking the trip without extensive advance planning.

After arriving in Greece, he maintained daily contact with her, updating her about his travels and informing her of his intention to climb Mount Olympus.

Throughout the trip, he sent photographs showing the places he visited and the route he was taking. He also remained in contact with a friend, sharing additional pictures from his hike up the mountain.

The communications abruptly ended as he approached the summit on September 20, prompting concern among his relatives and eventually setting off the search that concluded Friday with the discovery of his body.

{Matzav.com}

Approximately 2,000 children from 18 Breslov Talmudei Torah across Eretz Yisroel are expected to gather outside Military Prison 10 on Monday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, for a massive tefillah gathering protesting the imprisonment of dozens of Breslov bochurim and avreichim who were arrested while attempting to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

The gathering, described by organizers as unprecedented in Breslov history, will bring together children from the older grades of the Talmudei Torah, along with leading rabbonim and elders of Breslov, headed by Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter.

The event comes in response to the extensive military enforcement operations carried out at Ben Gurion Airport and other Israeli border crossings during Elul and the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, when large numbers of Breslov chassidim were detained over their failure to report for military service.

According to figures released following the enforcement campaign, approximately 212 individuals classified by the military as draft evaders were arrested at Israeli border crossings during Elul. Of those, 163 were chareidim, the overwhelming majority of whom were Breslov chassidim attempting to reach the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov in Uman, Ukraine.

The arrests resulted in approximately 70 Breslov bochurim and avreichim spending Rosh Hashanah in military prison instead of participating in the annual gathering in Uman.

The enforcement campaign drew particular criticism within Breslov because of the central importance attached to spending Rosh Hashanah at Rav Nachman’s kever, a longstanding practice observed by tens of thousands of his followers.

According to the report, IDF officials subsequently acknowledged that enforcement efforts had been directed particularly toward individuals traveling to Uman, making the annual pilgrimage a major focus of the military’s operations.

Breslov activists accused the authorities of deliberately exploiting the Rosh Hashanah travel period to apprehend bnei yeshiva who had declined to enlist in accordance with the instructions of their rabbonim.

“The state has turned the journey to Rabbeinu into an arrest trap. Instead of allowing every Jew who wishes to do so to reach the holy gathering, the security authorities chose to employ an unprecedented heavy hand against yeshiva students, those who study and immerse themselves in Torah, as though they were serious criminals,” community activists said.

The arrests during Elul and Tishrei, together with renewed enforcement operations following the Yomim Tovim, have prompted Breslov institutions throughout Eretz Yisroel to organize a united response.

Organizers say that, for the first time, the various Breslov communities and educational institutions, representing different groups and branches within the chassidus, have agreed to participate in a single coordinated gathering.

The initiative will bring together approximately 2,000 talmidim from 18 Talmudei Torah in different parts of the country, with the children traveling to Military Prison 10 on Monday to participate in a large-scale maamad tefillah on behalf of the imprisoned bnei Torah.

Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter is expected to lead the gathering alongside other senior Breslov rabbonim. The assembled children and adults will recite Tehillim and offer tefillos for the release of the detainees and the cancellation of the military enlistment measures affecting bnei yeshiva.

The organizers said the decision to bring together children from so many institutions reflects the seriousness with which Breslov communities view the arrests and the desire to demonstrate unity across the chassidus.

The gathering is also intended to draw attention to the continued imprisonment of bochurim and avreichim who, according to community representatives, were detained for adhering to the instructions of their gedolei Yisroel concerning military service.

Community activists emphasized that the arrests have continued beyond the Rosh Hashanah travel period, adding urgency to the planned gathering.

“We will not stand idly by in the face of the direct harm being inflicted on Torah learners and our educational institutions,” the organizers declared.

“This historic unity of all Breslov institutions constitutes a spiritual protective wall, and hundreds of thousands of chassidim in Israel and around the world are looking with hope toward the massive gathering, which will break through the gates of Heaven and bring about the speedy salvation of all the precious detainees.”

{Matzav.com}

Yair Golan, chairman of Israel’s left-wing Democrats party, sparked outrage Friday after describing the chareidi community as a “parasitic population” during a conference in Rishon LeZion. At the same event, the former IDF deputy chief of staff argued that Israel had made a serious strategic mistake by eliminating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and claimed that the latest military campaign against Iran had actually worsened Israel’s long-term security position.

Speaking at the conference, Golan directed harsh criticism at the chareidi population, characterizing the community as a burden on Israeli society and calling for changes in its economic participation.

“We need to turn the chareidi population from a parasitic population into a fruitful and productive population,” Golan declared.

His remarks came amid the ongoing national debate over chareidi military service and participation in the workforce, issues that have generated considerable political tension in Israel.

Golan subsequently turned his attention to the military confrontation with Iran, arguing that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s longtime supreme leader, had been a strategic error despite the Iranian leader’s longstanding hostility toward Israel.

“I think unequivocally that the elimination of Khamenei the father was a mistake,” Golan said. “Not because he didn’t deserve to die, but because it does not serve the interests of the State of Israel.”

The opposition leader explained that Khamenei’s advanced age and lengthy tenure had provided Israel with certain strategic advantages, suggesting that the removal of an established leader could create greater uncertainty and instability.

“Whenever there is an elderly, veteran leader, there is always a certain advantage to that, especially when he is already… was 86 years old,” Golan explained.

Golan also raised questions about the independence and effectiveness of Khamenei’s successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, suggesting that the new Iranian leader may be under the control of the regime’s most radical security officials.

“I think Khamenei the son, if he is even functioning, is controlled by the Iranian security-strategic leadership, which is ultra-extremist,” Golan said.

According to Golan, Israel’s elimination of senior figures in Iran’s political and military establishment may have produced the opposite of the intended result, removing experienced officials and leaving even more radical individuals in positions of power.

“In effect, after we eliminated the top-ranking figures in many key positions, we were left with people who are more extreme, more violent,” he said.

The Democrats chairman then compared the results of Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s earlier military campaign against Iran, with Operation Roaring Lion, the subsequent offensive that included the elimination of Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.

Golan argued that Israel had reached its strongest strategic position against Iran at the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion and that the later campaign had undermined those achievements.

“From that perspective, I can say that Israel was at its peak, at the very height of its achievements against the Iranians, at the end of Operation Rising Lion,” he said.

He maintained that Operation Roaring Lion had failed to produce the strategic gains its planners anticipated and had instead left Israel facing a more radical Iranian leadership.

“Operation Roaring Lion actually worsened our position from a long-term strategic perspective. It did not improve our position,” Golan declared.

Golan placed responsibility for what he described as the campaign’s failure directly on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, accusing him of establishing an unrealistic objective that could not be achieved through military action.

“And that is because Netanyahu himself established an unrealistic war objective, which indeed failed and was not achieved, and that was the overthrow of the Iranian regime,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration announced sweeping new sanctions against the International Criminal Court on Friday, escalating its confrontation with the international tribunal over its pursuit of war crimes cases involving American military personnel and Israeli officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington would continue dismantling the court’s ability to operate unless it abandoned what the administration considers illegitimate attempts to exercise jurisdiction over Americans.

The measures target the ICC as an institution, rather than solely individual prosecutors or judges, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s campaign against the Hague-based court. The sanctions are designed to restrict its access to American financial institutions, freeze assets under U.S. jurisdiction, and force American businesses and individuals to terminate their dealings with the tribunal.

Rubio announced the action in a video statement posted on social media, accusing the ICC of operating outside its legitimate authority and pursuing politically motivated cases against countries that have not accepted its jurisdiction.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” Rubio said in a video address posted to social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC.”

Under the newly announced restrictions, any assets belonging to the ICC that fall within American jurisdiction will be blocked. U.S. citizens and companies currently conducting business with the court will have six months to end those relationships.

The restrictions could have significant consequences for the court’s operations, particularly where its activities depend on financial transactions, commercial services, or technology provided by American companies.

The announcement came shortly after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African prosecutor Navi Pillay, who had previously been involved in investigations concerning potential international criminal charges against American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Administration officials indicated, however, that the decision to impose the sanctions had been under consideration well before the Nobel announcement and was not prompted by the award.

Rubio said the administration’s objections were rooted in a longstanding concern shared by Republicans and Democrats about the ICC’s authority to investigate and prosecute nationals of countries that have not joined the court.

The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and Washington has historically rejected the court’s authority over American personnel without U.S. consent.

Rubio argued that while lawmakers from both parties have questioned the tribunal’s reach, President Trump has demonstrated a willingness to take decisive action against it.

“Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has the resolve to take the action needed to end this threat once and for all,” Rubio said. “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.”

The confrontation has been fueled in part by the ICC’s pursuit of allegations involving American military and intelligence personnel in Afghanistan, as well as its decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel has rejected the allegations against its leaders and challenged the court’s authority to pursue the cases. The Trump administration has similarly condemned the warrants as an improper assertion of jurisdiction over officials of a close American ally.

Friday’s sanctions build on earlier measures imposed against individual ICC judges and prosecutors. The administration has also targeted other individuals and organizations associated with proceedings that Washington considers illegitimate.

The new restrictions go substantially further by targeting the court itself, potentially limiting its ability to obtain American banking services, technology and other resources necessary for its operations.

The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression in circumstances where national judicial systems are unwilling or unable to pursue genuine prosecutions.

Its supporters argue that the tribunal provides an essential mechanism for holding perpetrators of serious international crimes accountable. The United States and Israel, however, have objected to aspects of its jurisdiction, particularly when the court seeks to investigate citizens of countries that have not accepted its authority.

The latest American action drew immediate criticism from the ICC, which condemned the sanctions as an assault on international justice and the rule of law.

ICC President Tomoko Akane said the court would continue carrying out its responsibilities independently despite the financial and political pressure, while appealing to member states to defend the institution.

Several American allies, including Germany, France and Britain, also expressed opposition to the sanctions and reaffirmed their support for the court.

The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC in The Hague, has been examining possible European legal measures to shield businesses and institutions from the consequences of American restrictions.

The sanctions were announced on the same day that South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was named the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

Pillay also previously chaired a United Nations commission of inquiry that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a conclusion rejected by the Israeli government.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Pillay for her contributions to international law and efforts to strengthen accountability for serious crimes. The administration’s decision to sanction the ICC had been in preparation before the Nobel announcement.

Rubio also directed a warning toward America’s allies, many of which are members of the ICC while simultaneously relying on American military assistance and security commitments.

“We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in this rogue court,” he said. “If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are threatened no longer.”

{Matzav.com}

Malcolm Hoenlein, the longtime Jewish communal leader and executive vice chairman emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of defending Hamas terrorists and downplaying the horrors of the October 7 massacre after the mayor used his statement marking the attack’s third anniversary to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Speaking Wednesday on Newsmax’s American Agenda program, Hoenlein sharply criticized Mamdani for invoking accusations against Israel in a message commemorating the approximately 1,200 people murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

During the interview with hosts Katrina Szish and Bob Brooks, Hoenlein was asked whether he believed Mamdani was defending Hamas through his public statements.

“He certainly [does], and he has done so in the past,” Hoenlein responded.

Hoenlein argued that the mayor’s comments reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas and rejected the accusation that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.

“It shows his ignorance, above all, to talk about genocide when it’s clearly not a genocide,” Hoenlein said, disputing the mayor’s characterization of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The controversy centered on Mamdani’s official statement marking three years since Hamas launched its murderous invasion of southern Israel, killing civilians, destroying communities, and abducting approximately 250 people into Gaza.

Although Mamdani acknowledged the suffering caused by the October 7 attacks, he also accused Israel of carrying out what he described as a “devastating ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

The mayor went further, condemning Israeli policies and American military assistance to the Jewish state.

“We must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment,” Mamdani said.

Hoenlein condemned the inclusion of those accusations in an October 7 anniversary statement, arguing that the occasion should have been devoted to remembering the victims and confronting the brutality of the Hamas massacre.

Hoenlein had returned from Israel earlier Wednesday and said the anniversary brought back memories of what he witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas invasion three years earlier.

He recalled traveling to the devastated communities near the Gaza border and visiting areas surrounding the Nova music festival, where hundreds of young people were murdered as terrorists rampaged through southern Israel.

“I saw everything, the bloody cars, the smudges that were once babies, the blood-soaked homes, piles of 40 bodies in a truck,” Hoenlein said.

He described the scenes as so horrific that he had rarely spoken publicly about them in detail, even after three years.

“It’s something I haven’t talked much about because it’s so difficult and it’s almost unimaginable to believe in the 21st century such barbarism could take place.”

Hoenlein also recalled that the terrorists had intended to push farther into Israel, reaching major population centers and carrying out additional massacres before Israeli security forces and other defenders stopped their advance.

He emphasized that the atrocities were directed against civilians and said the anniversary should serve as an occasion to remember the victims and the families whose lives were shattered.

Among those murdered on October 7 were 46 American citizens, Hoenlein noted, underscoring that the attack was also a tragedy for American families.

His criticism came amid a broader backlash against Mamdani’s anniversary statement, including objections from Jewish organizations, Israeli officials and members of the mayor’s own Democratic Party.

The Anti-Defamation League criticized the mayor’s decision to include sweeping accusations against Israel in a statement commemorating the Hamas massacre. Other Jewish leaders questioned why a message intended to remember the victims had devoted substantial attention to condemning Israel’s subsequent military campaign.

Rep. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, was also among those who criticized the mayor’s approach, while Israeli diplomatic officials accused Mamdani of misusing the anniversary to advance his political positions.

Mamdani’s statement had explicitly condemned the October 7 attacks as war crimes and acknowledged the Israelis murdered and kidnapped by Hamas. His critics, however, argued that his subsequent accusations against Israel undermined the commemorative message.

The mayor has consistently maintained that criticism of the Israeli government is distinct from antisemitism and has defended his opposition to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

On Thursday, following the criticism, Mamdani stood by his remarks and rejected suggestions that he should have confined his anniversary statement to the Hamas attack.

“I am the mayor of New York City, and this is what I signed up for,” Mamdani said.

His position has drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups and some Democratic officials, while also provoking objections from pro-Palestinian activists who believe his statements and actions have not gone far enough.

During an October 7 vigil in Union Square attended by Mamdani, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the gathering and accused the mayor of betraying their cause.

The dispute has unfolded against a backdrop of growing concern over antisemitism in New York City, where Jewish residents have reported harassment, intimidation and threats since the October 7 attacks.

Hoenlein pointed to those concerns in criticizing the mayor, arguing that his rhetoric risked deepening divisions at a time when Jewish New Yorkers were already feeling increasingly vulnerable.

He accused Mamdani of using the anniversary to advance a political narrative rather than delivering the unequivocal condemnation of Hamas that he believed the occasion demanded.

“I think it’s outrageous that on this day in particular, he couldn’t have said something very clear and show that perhaps he’s learned something in these months,” Hoenlein said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli media personality Yinon Magal has apologized to relatives of murdered hostage Shiri Bibas following an uproar over his harsh attacks on former hostages and bereaved families, but the attempt to make amends has triggered a fresh controversy after Ofri Bibas publicly rejected the apology and accused him of participating in a deliberate campaign against the families.

Magal released footage on Friday showing his meeting with two members of Shiri Bibas’s extended family, Jimmy Miller and his father, Mauricio. The two men, who are Shiri’s cousin and uncle, had requested the meeting, according to Magal, following the widespread condemnation of remarks he made earlier in the week on his radio program.

During the conversation, Magal expressed regret for any pain his statements had caused and asked the relatives to communicate his apology to other members of the Bibas family. At the same time, he maintained that his comments had been distorted and taken out of context as part of what he described as an effort to incite against him.

“Please tell Yarden and Ofri, and all the families, that I had no intention of hurting anyone,” he said.

Jimmy and Mauricio Miller indicated during the meeting that they accepted his apology. However, the public release of the encounter quickly drew an angry response from Ofri Bibas, the sister of Yarden Bibas, who made clear that the two relatives had no authority to speak on her behalf.

Ofri said she had not known about the meeting beforehand and strongly objected to the suggestion that the matter had been resolved through the conversation.

“I am furious. Yinon Magal met with two relatives of Shiri’s on her mother’s side. Out of respect for them, I will only say this: The apology was not theirs to accept,” she said.

She also dismissed Magal’s contention that his original statements had been misrepresented, arguing that they reflected a longstanding effort to discredit families who had criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the government’s handling of the hostage crisis.

“His remarks were not made in good faith. Nothing was taken out of context. This is part of a deliberate campaign of incitement, division, and venom that has been directed at the families for a long time, and whose sole purpose is to keep in office the person who, to this day, refuses to take responsibility for the greatest failure we have ever experienced.”

The controversy originated during Tuesday’s edition of Magal’s program with journalist Ben Caspit on 103FM, broadcast just one day before the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre.

Magal, who also hosts the popular Patriots program on Israel’s Channel 14, devoted part of the broadcast to criticizing individuals who had contributed to a 2024 publication titled Mr. Abandonment: The Legacy of the Man Who Abandoned the Hostages.

The book, produced at the initiative of the Families Forum for Saving the Hostages, brought together essays and other contributions sharply criticizing Netanyahu’s conduct during the hostage crisis and accusing his government of abandoning Israelis held captive in Gaza.

During the broadcast, Magal read aloud a lengthy list of contributors, including former hostages, relatives of people murdered on October 7, and family members of hostages. He denounced those involved as “the most despicable people living in the State of Israel.”

He further declared that the contributors would be “remembered in infamy forever.”

Magal argued that those who had participated in the campaign accusing Netanyahu of abandoning the hostages had engaged in an unjustified attack against the prime minister.

“Everyone who participated in the campaign accusing him of abandoning the hostages will be remembered in infamy forever, on the wall of shame.”

He went on to describe the contributors as “abhorrent people” and suggested that they could make amends only by voting for Netanyahu’s Likud party in the next election.

During an exchange with Caspit, Magal also argued that the Bibas family should apologize to Netanyahu if it had falsely accused him of abandoning the hostages. After Caspit challenged him about the inclusion of bereaved families, Magal said he would exclude families directly affected by October 7 from his condemnation.

His remarks nevertheless drew fierce criticism, particularly because they came on the eve of the anniversary of the Hamas massacre and involved people whose relatives had been murdered or taken hostage.

Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack and were subsequently murdered in Hamas captivity. Their husband and father, Yarden Bibas, was also kidnapped and later released alive.

The family’s ordeal became one of the most widely recognized tragedies of the hostage crisis, and Magal’s comments provoked especially strong reactions from relatives and members of the public.

On Wednesday, Magal addressed the controversy during another broadcast with Caspit, acknowledging that his remarks had hurt people and saying that he should have made his intended exclusion of hostage families clearer from the outset.

He also maintained that his critics had misrepresented his statements and continued to defend his objections to the accusations leveled against Netanyahu in the book.

The dispute prompted regulatory action Thursday, when Israel’s Second Authority for Television and Radio announced that it had opened violation proceedings against 103FM over the broadcast.

The regulator concluded that the statements had exceeded the boundaries of permissible public criticism and constituted an abusive personal attack against people whose names had been read on the air.

The proceedings could result in sanctions against the station, depending on the authority’s findings and the outcome of the regulatory process.

On Friday, Magal attempted to address the fallout more personally by meeting with Jimmy and Mauricio Miller. In the footage he released, he acknowledged that the episode had caused pain to the families and described the conversation as difficult but constructive.

His decision to publicize the encounter, however, renewed the dispute over whether the apology adequately addressed the original remarks.

Ofri Bibas insisted that neither she nor Yarden had authorized anyone to accept an apology on their behalf and rejected the claim that the controversy resulted from statements being taken out of context.

The disagreement has left Magal facing continued criticism despite his public expressions of regret, while the regulatory proceedings against 103FM remain an additional consequence of the remarks that set off the controversy.

{Matzav.com}

The Flydubai co-pilot who attempted to hijack a passenger aircraft en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv last week intended to crash the jet into Ben Gurion Airport in a September 11-style terrorist attack designed to kill large numbers of people, United Arab Emirates authorities revealed Friday.

According to UAE prosecutors, the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, had spent years preparing for the operation, deliberately pursuing a career in commercial aviation as part of a long-term plan to carry out a suicide attack inspired by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

The findings were disclosed by UAE Attorney General Dr. Hamad Al Shamsi following an investigation into the September 30 attempted hijacking of Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling to Israel with passengers aboard.

Investigators concluded that al-Hammami had intended to turn the aircraft into a weapon by directing it into Ben Gurion Airport, where the resulting impact could have caused mass casualties among passengers, airport personnel, and others on the ground.

The announcement provided the clearest account yet of the alleged objective behind the attempted hijacking, which had already raised serious questions about airline security procedures and the screening of pilots operating flights to Israel.

According to the UAE investigation, al-Hammami acknowledged that the September 11 attacks had served as his inspiration and that his decision to become a commercial pilot was connected to his ambition to carry out a comparable act of terrorism.

Prosecutors said the suspect’s exposure to extremist ideology began in 2017, when he was studying in Melbourne, Australia.

During that period, investigators believe he began reading extremist publications and consuming online material glorifying terrorist organizations, suicide operations, and attacks against civilians.

The investigation also examined his activities at a mosque associated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, where authorities allege he came into contact with individuals connected to a religious center operated by a Lebanese man known as “Abu Hamza.”

According to the findings, the individual was believed to have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, although the announcement did not establish that the organization had directed or financed the planned aviation attack.

UAE officials said al-Hammami subsequently increased his consumption of extremist propaganda, using the material to reinforce his ideological commitment and mentally prepare himself for the operation he hoped to carry out.

His preparations allegedly extended beyond ideological indoctrination. Investigators said he undertook physical conditioning, including private boxing lessons, which they believe were connected to his efforts to prepare for the attack.

UAE investigators also established that al-Hammami had flown to Tel Aviv on two previous occasions before the September 30 incident, apparently using those trips to study the flight route and familiarize himself with Ben Gurion Airport.

Authorities believe the reconnaissance flights were intended to help him understand the airport’s layout and prepare for the final stage of his planned suicide mission.

The attack unfolded while flight FZ1073 was traveling through Saudi Arabian airspace toward Israel. According to UAE authorities, al-Hammami attacked the aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar, with an emergency crash axe kept inside the cockpit.

The captain suffered injuries during the assault as the co-pilot attempted to seize the aircraft’s flight controls.

During the struggle, the aircraft plunged approximately 16,000 feet in just 30 seconds, creating a terrifying emergency for the passengers and crew.

Despite his injuries, the captain fought to prevent the co-pilot from taking control. Other crew members and passengers subsequently intervened, helping restrain the attacker and avert the planned disaster.

Two additional pilots who were aboard the aircraft but were not assigned to operate that particular flight also played a role in the emergency response.

The aircraft was ultimately diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Passengers were later transported to Israel on another flight.

The UAE investigation has also examined how al-Hammami managed to obtain employment with Flydubai despite his alleged extremist views and years of preparation for a terrorist attack.

According to prosecutors, the suspect began his commercial aviation career with Oman Air, where he worked from 2020 until 2024. He subsequently spent a brief period with Royal Air Maroc in 2025 before joining Flydubai in January 2026.

Investigators found that al-Hammami had met the airline’s formal employment requirements, including holding a valid commercial pilot’s license, providing a certificate of good conduct, and completing the required professional and security screening procedures.

Nevertheless, those checks did not uncover the extremist ideology or terrorist intentions that investigators now say he had developed years earlier.

The findings have intensified scrutiny of aviation security procedures, particularly the sharing of information between airlines and national authorities about pilots who may present security concerns.

Earlier reports indicated that al-Hammami had been flagged by Oman Air over extremist material and had been suspended from flight duties in 2024. The reports raised questions about whether that information was available to Flydubai before he was hired.

Investigators have also examined the suspect’s aviation training in Britain. According to a report published by The Telegraph, al-Hammami attended L3 Airline Academy between 2018 and 2019.

At the time, the academy was among Britain’s major commercial pilot training institutions, operating facilities in Southampton and Bournemouth as well as flight simulator facilities near Gatwick Airport.

The training company has since become part of Acron Aviation.

The Telegraph reported that L3 had professional links with Oman Air, which had identified the academy as one of several internationally recognized institutions whose graduates could qualify for consideration under its pilot recruitment program.

The suspect’s activities in Australia have also attracted investigative attention, particularly his alleged exposure to extremist religious material while studying in Melbourne.

Separately, reporting on al-Hammami’s online history has uncovered thousands of social media posts containing extremist rhetoric and hostility toward women. Investigators are examining his digital activities as part of their efforts to establish the extent of his radicalization and determine whether others knew about his intentions.

Israeli media previously reported that al-Hammami had linked his attempted attack to the war in Gaza.

“I did it as revenge for Gaza. I wanted to die as a shahid,” al-Hammami reportedly told investigators.

The UAE’s latest findings, however, indicate that his interest in carrying out an aviation suicide attack began years before the Gaza war, with investigators tracing his ideological development to 2017.

Authorities have also been examining whether the suspect received assistance or direction from other individuals or organizations. The investigation has not publicly established that any terrorist group ordered the operation.

The case has prompted scrutiny of Israel’s procedures for screening foreign airline crews, particularly after questions emerged about whether information concerning the suspect’s background had been available to Israeli authorities before the flight.

Israeli officials have initiated reviews of the security arrangements governing foreign airlines operating flights to Ben Gurion Airport, while authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have continued investigating the attempted hijacking.

The UAE attorney general’s announcement marks a significant development in the investigation, formally identifying the planned target as Ben Gurion Airport’s passenger terminal and describing the operation as a deliberate attempt to inflict mass casualties.

What began as a violent struggle inside the cockpit of a passenger jet has now been described by Emirati prosecutors as the culmination of a terrorist plot years in the making, one that authorities say was intended to recreate the devastation of September 11 on Israeli soil.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday following reports that the PA is preparing to postpone its parliamentary elections by nearly a year, accusing the Palestinian leadership of repeatedly misleading the international community while failing to deliver promised political reforms.

The elections, which had been scheduled for November 28, 2026, could now be pushed back until September 2027, according to a Reuters report. Palestinian officials have cited worsening political, security, and economic conditions in Gaza and Yehudah and Shomron as reasons for the anticipated delay.

Sa’ar responded by pointing to the Palestinian Authority’s longstanding failure to conduct national elections, noting that Abbas has remained in office for more than two decades without facing another presidential vote.

The PA last held a presidential election in 2005, when Abbas was elected to succeed Yasser Arafat. Its most recent parliamentary elections took place in 2006, when Hamas defeated Abbas’s Fatah movement, setting the stage for a bitter internal Palestinian struggle.

“Mahmoud Abbas is fooling the international community by canceling once again promised elections,” Sa’ar stated.

The foreign minister argued that the latest postponement fits a broader pattern in which the Palestinian leadership announces commitments to democratic governance and institutional reform but repeatedly fails to implement them.

Sa’ar also accused Abbas of failing to honor commitments to eliminate payments to imprisoned terrorists and their families, a longstanding Israeli grievance commonly referred to as the Palestinian Authority’s pay-for-slay system.

“His reform pledges to end ‘pay-for-slay’ terrorist salaries and hate education remain empty too,” Sa’ar said.

“They keep deceiving,” he added.

The Palestinian Authority has announced changes to its prisoner-payment arrangements, but Israeli officials have repeatedly questioned whether the reforms have actually ended preferential financial support connected to terrorism. The issue has also drawn scrutiny in Europe, where lawmakers have raised concerns that payments could continue through alternative welfare mechanisms.

Sa’ar further criticized the PA’s educational system, alleging that promises to eliminate incitement and anti-Israel material from school curricula have not been fulfilled.

He concluded his remarks by accusing the international community of allowing the Palestinian Authority to repeatedly disregard its commitments without meaningful repercussions.

“Consequences? Not for the corrupt PA!”

The controversy follows a formal communication from Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, dated October 8, informing Paris that the conditions necessary for the planned November elections had not materialized.

According to the letter, Palestinian officials concluded that the deteriorating situation in Gaza and Yehudah and Shomron would prevent the elections from being conducted under acceptable conditions.

The Palestinian leadership cited difficulties involving voter participation, election security and the practical arrangements required to organize voting across territories divided between competing political authorities.

Officials recommended that Abbas issue a decree moving the election to the first half of September 2027 while continuing discussions among Palestinian factions over the conditions necessary to conduct the vote.

The proposed postponement comes just weeks after Abbas publicly reaffirmed his commitment to holding parliamentary elections during his September 24 address to the United Nations General Assembly.

France has taken a particular interest in the election timetable since recognizing a Palestinian state in September 2025. French officials have emphasized the importance of renewed elections as part of efforts to strengthen the legitimacy of Palestinian governing institutions.

Abbas had previously made commitments to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concerning parliamentary and presidential elections and broader institutional reforms.

The Palestinian Authority has not held a presidential election since Abbas first won office in January 2005. Although his original presidential term was four years, he has continued serving without another nationwide vote.

The last Palestinian parliamentary election was conducted in January 2006, when Hamas won a majority of seats, defeating Abbas’s Fatah movement. The result contributed to an increasingly bitter struggle between the two factions, culminating in Hamas’s violent takeover of Gaza in 2007.

Since then, Palestinian governance has remained divided, with the Palestinian Authority administering parts of Yehudah and Shomron while Hamas maintained control of Gaza.

Previous attempts to organize new elections have repeatedly collapsed amid disputes over political authority, security arrangements and the participation of Palestinian voters in eastern Yerushalayim.

The latest delay has also exposed divisions among Palestinian factions. Some Fatah officials have advocated further negotiations with Hamas and other groups before elections are held, while other Palestinian political figures have criticized postponement as another setback for democratic accountability.

Practical difficulties in Gaza have also emerged as a major obstacle, with Palestinian officials raising concerns about transporting voting materials and establishing polling stations amid the destruction and instability left by the war.

The letter to France additionally cited expectations that President Trump’s peace initiative and related international arrangements would improve conditions sufficiently to permit elections. Palestinian officials argued that those expectations had not been realized.

The postponement could leave Palestinians without a new parliamentary election for more than 21 years, extending a political stalemate that has become a central issue in international discussions about the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy and its potential role in future governance arrangements.

{Matzav.com}

South African jurist Navi Pillay, who chaired a United Nations commission that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and has repeatedly criticized the Jewish state’s military operations, was named the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, defeating a field of 287 nominees that included President Donald Trump.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the decision in Oslo, recognizing the 85-year-old former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for her decades of work advancing international law and pursuing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Pillay, who previously served as a judge at the International Criminal Court and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, will receive 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million, along with the Nobel medal and diploma at the annual award ceremony in Oslo on December 10.

The selection is particularly significant given Pillay’s prominent role in international investigations of Israel. She chaired the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which issued reports accusing Israeli authorities of serious violations of international law during the war against Hamas.

In September 2025, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, an accusation strongly rejected by Israel, which maintained that its military campaign was directed against Hamas following the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023, massacre.

The commission’s findings were disputed by Israeli officials, who accused the investigative body of bias and argued that it had failed to adequately account for Hamas’s actions, including the use of civilian areas for military operations.

The Nobel Committee did not specifically cite Pillay’s investigations of Israel as the reason for her selection. Instead, it emphasized her broader career in international justice, including her work against apartheid in South Africa and her contributions to international criminal law.

In announcing the award, committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes described Pillay as “one of the most courageous and important legal experts of our time.”

The committee said Pillay had played a major role in establishing international legal mechanisms intended to ensure that perpetrators of atrocities could be prosecuted even when their own governments were unwilling to hold them accountable.

Pillay learned of her selection while attending an international legal conference in Nuremberg, Germany, the city where leading Nazi officials were prosecuted following World War II. The announcement came approximately 80 years after the conclusion of the historic Nuremberg trials.

Speaking to attendees after receiving the news, Pillay referred specifically to her commission’s findings concerning Israel.

“The last thing I did is the delivery of the report on Gaza, naming what’s happening there as genocide,” she said.

She also made a joking reference to President Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

“If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” Pillay told the gathering, drawing laughter.

The remark appeared to reference Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize and subsequently presented her Nobel medal to Trump in January 2026.

Pillay later dedicated her award to victims of international crimes and those working to ensure that perpetrators face justice.

The Israeli government responded angrily to the announcement, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office accusing the Nobel Committee of honoring an individual responsible for spreading false accusations against Israel.

“The Nobel Prize committee has lost its moral compass,” Netanyahu’s office declared.

“It has awarded its highest honour to a bigot who built her career around inventing and propagating blood libels against the one and only Jewish state.”

The response reflected longstanding Israeli objections to Pillay’s work on the United Nations commission, which investigated alleged violations by Israel and Palestinian terrorist organizations.

Pillay headed the commission established by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2021, following fighting between Israel and Hamas. Unlike previous investigative panels, the commission was given an ongoing mandate to examine alleged violations and their underlying causes.

Israeli officials have repeatedly criticized the commission’s composition and mandate, accusing it of disproportionately targeting Israel and failing to approach the conflict impartially.

The panel’s September 2025 report concluded that Israeli actions in Gaza met the legal definition of genocide. Israel rejected the finding, insisting that its operations were aimed at defeating Hamas and securing the release of hostages abducted during the October 7 massacre.

The Nobel announcement also coincided with a major confrontation between the Trump administration and the International Criminal Court, where Pillay served as a judge between 2003 and 2008.

Just hours after the Nobel Committee announced its decision, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled sweeping new American sanctions against the ICC itself, extending earlier restrictions imposed on individual judges and prosecutors.

The administration has accused the Hague-based court of exceeding its authority by pursuing investigations and prosecutions involving American personnel and Israeli officials, despite neither country being a member of the tribunal.

The ICC previously issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations concerning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Israel has rejected the charges and disputed the court’s jurisdiction.

The latest American sanctions are intended to restrict the court’s financial operations and access to services provided by American businesses.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, meanwhile, framed its selection of Pillay as a defense of international legal institutions facing mounting political pressure.

“The system of international law is under tremendous pressure, and its institutions are under attack,” the committee said in its official announcement.

“We see a shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks and global respect for law and justice. Whenever might overtakes right, it undermines stability, trust and peaceful co-existence.”

Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes emphasized the responsibility of governments to respect international legal institutions, warning that the erosion of those institutions could undermine international stability.

Pillay’s career began in South Africa during the apartheid era. Born in Durban in 1941 to a family of Indian Tamil descent, she entered the legal profession at a time when racial discrimination severely restricted opportunities for nonwhite South Africans.

In 1967, she became the first woman to establish a law practice in Natal, representing individuals who faced discrimination under the apartheid system.

Her legal work included defending anti-apartheid activists, among them Nelson Mandela, and advocating for prisoners’ rights.

After the end of apartheid, she became the first nonwhite woman appointed to South Africa’s High Court in 1995.

She subsequently moved into international criminal justice, serving on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she eventually became president.

During her tenure, the tribunal issued landmark rulings recognizing sexual violence as a crime that could constitute genocide and crimes against humanity.

Pillay later joined the International Criminal Court, serving from 2003 until 2008, before becoming the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position she held until 2014.

She currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in proceedings involving allegations of genocide against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize makes Pillay the fifth South African recipient of the honor, following Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee considered 287 nominations for this year’s award, including individuals and organizations. Under Nobel rules, the identities of nominees and nominators are kept confidential for 50 years, although those who submit nominations may disclose them independently.

President Trump was among the publicly reported nominees. He had repeatedly argued that his diplomatic efforts to end international conflicts merited recognition by the Nobel Committee.

Unlike in previous years, however, Trump did not mount an extensive public campaign for the award in the period immediately preceding Friday’s announcement.

Speaking Wednesday about the possibility of winning, Trump acknowledged his uncertainty about the committee’s decision.

“I don’t know what the decision is going to be. They have a reputation for perhaps not giving it to people like me,” he said.

The Peace Prize announcement concluded the main series of Nobel selections for 2026, following awards in medicine, physics, chemistry and literature.

The medicine prize went to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their work developing optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to control nerve-cell activity using light.

The physics prize was awarded to Francis Halzen for advances in detecting neutrinos in Antarctica, while the chemistry prize went to Henri Boris Kagan and Kensō Soai.

Canadian poet Anne Carson received the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. The final award, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, is scheduled to be announced Monday.