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The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee continued deliberations Tuesday on the proposed draft law, focusing on enforcement clauses that would allow the imposition of financial sanctions on yeshivos and their officials.

The discussion centered on Sections 26K1 through 26K16 of the bill, which outline mechanisms for financial penalties as part of the law’s implementation. Under the proposal, the director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense would be authorized to levy monetary fines if it is determined that at least five percent of a given yeshiva’s students do not meet the “declared condition” — namely, that they are engaged in regular Torah study for a minimum of 45 hours per week, or 40 hours per week in the case of a kollel.

The declaration would be submitted by a senior official of the yeshiva who also serves as an authorized signatory for the nonprofit organization or public-benefit corporation that operates the institution. If a violation is found, the defense ministry’s director-general could impose a fine of up to 20,000 shekels, after granting the official an opportunity to present arguments.

In addition, the bill provides for a fine of 1,500 shekels for each student regarding whom a declaration was submitted that does not comply with the law’s requirements. The proposal further states that an official who is sanctioned more than once, or who is fined in connection with five or more students, would lose the right to submit additional affidavits seeking deferments from military service.

The legislation would also require the director-general of the Defense Ministry to submit a report every six months to the committee detailing the number of sanctions imposed, their total monetary value, and the grounds on which they were issued.

During the session, members of bereaved families addressed the committee with emotional testimony. Mia Moreno, the widow of Lt. Col. Emanuel Moreno, said: “Both of my sons serve in the army. No leniencies apply to me — if they don’t enlist, they go to prison, and they are IDF orphans. How can it be that the State of Israel discriminates between citizens? One of my sons studied for two years in yeshiva, a talmid chacham, and chose to enlist in a regular army unit. There is great value to Torah, but Torah without a connection to the state — I question what its value is.”

Michal Castel-Keidar, the widow of Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, also spoke at the hearing. “We are not a religious family, but Dolev commanded a company of yeshiva students and did everything he could to ensure they received what they needed,” she said. “How is it not self-evident that everyone who lives in this country must also help defend it?”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order stopping State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman from continuing his investigation into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre. The court barred him from summoning officials, demanding documents, or publishing any draft or final report that had already been prepared, noting that the order is based on […]

New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani revealed Tuesday that he is selecting Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer whose past work has drawn controversy, to serve as the city’s chief counsel, the highest legal position in City Hall.

Mamdani, who is set to be sworn in on January 1, said Kassem will take on the role of chief counsel. He also announced additional senior legal and policy appointments, naming Steven Banks, who has described himself as a “social justice attorney,” as corporation counsel, and Helen Arteaga as deputy mayor for health and human services.

Kassem previously served in the Biden White House as a senior policy adviser on immigration within the Domestic Policy Council.

His legal career includes acting as lead defense counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al Qaeda operative who in 2014 pleaded guilty before a U.S. military commission to conspiracy related to a terrorist attack on the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen. The attack killed one civilian and wounded others. Al-Darbi was convicted in 2017 and, in 2018, was transferred by the Trump administration into Saudi Arabian custody.

“While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed,” Kassem said at the time of the transfer, adding he had “16 long and painful years in captivity.”

More recently, in 2025, Kassem represented Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist who was arrested by ICE over his alleged involvement in leading antisemitic protests on campus. Khalil has since been released, though the case remains unresolved.

In announcing the appointment, Mamdani praised Kassem’s background and values.

“I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system,” Mamdani said.

The mayor-elect added that “City Hall will be stronger with him in it, and our work of building a more prosperous city for all will have a powerful advocate.”

“My sincere hope is that New Yorkers who have long felt on the margins of this city, the homeless veteran straining to survive, the patient searching for the care that they need, an immigrant trying to get by will feel that they now have leaders in their corner who understand their struggles and care to fight for them,” Mamdani went on, adding, “That is the city I want to build. The prosperity I intend to deliver and the leadership that has too long been lacking.”

Kassem responded by expressing gratitude for the appointment and a sense of obligation to the city.

He said the role represents a “call of duty to serve the city that I’ve called home, the city that embraced me.”

“I grew up in war-torn countries in the Middle East, authoritarian regimes, and New York City was really my first stable and permanent home,” said Kassem. “This is an opportunity for me to repay that debt. I’ve been trying to repay that debt ever since I came to this country, ever since I immigrated.”

Kassem is also the founder of the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility law clinic, known as CLEAR, which states on its website that its mission is “to support Muslim and all other client, communities, and movements in the New York City area and beyond that are targeted by local, state, or federal government agencies under the guise of national security and counterterrorism.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is not the first president to want more room at the White House for entertaining, says the longest-serving top aide in the executive residence, offering some backup for the reason Trump has cited for his ballroom construction project. Gary Walters spent more than two decades as White House chief usher to presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, […]

  For more than fifty years, Machon Yerushalayim has been doing something extraordinary: taking the world of classic Torah manuscripts, rare seforim, and complex texts, and making them come alive for the modern learner. Walk into almost any beis medrash today and you’ll find their influence on the shelves—editions that are clearer, texts restored from […]

As investigations widen into multiple alleged fraud schemes involving Minnesota’s social services programs, Gov. Tim Walz is facing mounting criticism from high-profile figures and federal officials.

President Donald Trump has publicly described Minnesota as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” as his administration and members of Congress move forward with probes into the state’s handling of federally funded aid programs.

Elon Musk weighed in sharply on Tuesday, offering a blunt assessment of the Minnesota governor.

“Traitor Tim Walz,” Musk said in a Tuesday post on X.

Musk’s comment was prompted by a separate social media post that mocked a hypothetical call to personal finance radio host Dave Ramsey, describing Walz’s record as governor.

That post cited claims that Walz raised taxes, depleted billions of dollars from a state budget surplus, and is now under scrutiny over multiple alleged fraud schemes involving Medicaid and other programs intended to feed children.

One of the largest investigations centers on the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, a $250 million scheme that allegedly exploited a federally funded children’s nutrition program overseen by Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The scheme took advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive certain Federal Child Nutrition Program requirements, according to investigators.

So far, at least 77 individuals have been charged in connection with that case.

Another major investigation involves Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services Program, which provided Medicaid coverage for housing stabilization services aimed at individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, and substance-use disorders.

The Justice Department has charged fewer than a dozen people to date in that case, but authorities have indicated that additional charges are expected.

Many of those charged across the various cases are members of Minnesota’s Somali community, a fact that drew national attention after Trump announced in November that he was ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali migrants in the state, which had shielded them from deportation.

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said it is taking an active role in addressing the alleged misconduct.

“Our investigative agents are conducting a massive operation to identify, arrest, and remove criminals who are defrauding the American people. We will root out this rampant fraud plaguing Minnesota,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.

Despite the growing investigations, state officials have pushed back strongly against claims that fraud has been ignored or enabled at the highest levels.

That defense intensified after a viral video posted Friday by YouTuber Nick Shirley drew widespread attention to alleged misconduct at Minnesota childcare and learning centers.

A spokesperson for Walz responded by saying the governor has spent years working to combat fraud and has taken steps to improve oversight of state-administered programs.

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown echoed that position during a Monday press conference, stating that earlier inspections of the facilities did not uncover fraud and that regulators are now increasing unannounced visits.

“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

{Matzav.com}

An independent journalist whose reporting ignited national attention over alleged misuse of childcare funds in Minnesota returned Tuesday to a Minneapolis facility at the heart of the controversy, this time alongside his researcher and dressed to make a statement.

Nick Shirley and his researcher, identified as David, showed up outside the Quality Learning Center wearing matching sweatshirts emblazoned with the phrase “1-800 FRAUD.” The visit followed the release of Shirley’s widely shared video that raised questions about possible fraud involving state-funded daycare centers.

Photos and video from the visit were later posted on X, showing the pair standing outside the building in sweatshirts that also read “Quality ‘Learing’ Center,” deliberately mirroring a misspelling associated with signage tied to the facility.

Shirley accompanied the post with the caption, “WE OUT HERE LEARIN AND STOPPING FRAUD.”

The return visit came after the daycare’s manager publicly accused Shirley of misrepresenting the business in his original video, saying it was filmed outside normal operating hours and wrongly implied the center was not functioning.

State officials and a daycare manager rejected the fraud allegations earlier in the week, insisting the facility was not closed and was not improperly receiving public funds.

Shirley’s original reporting showed visits to several daycare locations across the state, including the Quality Learning Center, which appeared inactive at the time despite receiving state childcare assistance.

The video quickly gained traction online, drawing praise from figures such as Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, Donald Trump Jr., and Elon Musk, while also prompting pushback from Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz.

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of broader criticism facing Walz, as Minnesota authorities have acknowledged that alleged fraud tied largely to social services in Minneapolis — much of it connected to the Somali community — has cost taxpayers at least $1 billion.

During Tuesday’s visit, David told reporters that he had taken legal action against the governor.

“I filed a formal criminal complaint against Tim Walz for violating Minnesota Statute 3.971, Subdivision 9,” David said before confirming he had filed the complaint three to four weeks ago. “So there’s an investigation ongoing, and I think Tim’s going to have a bad day, and he deserves it, because he allowed this fraud.”

He went on to allege political motivations behind the inaction.

“Because he wanted the voting block that the Somalis represent, because they all vote in a block, and it’s 100,000 150,000,” he added. “Who knows how many, but it’s so bad now that when we go to a facility, they’re already screaming, Nick Shirley, Nick Shirley, Nick Shirley!”

{Matzav.com}

Auckland was the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of its worst mass shooting. South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks stuck midnight in Auckland 18 hours […]

Drivers who rely on their personal vehicles for work will see a higher tax break in the coming year, as the federal government updates how much mileage can be deducted on tax returns.

Beginning January 1, the Internal Revenue Service said the standard mileage rate for business travel will rise to 72.5 cents per mile. At the same time, the deduction for medical-related driving will drop slightly to 20.5 cents per mile, while the charitable mileage rate will remain unchanged at 14 cents.

According to the IRS, the latest adjustments are based on “updated cost data and annual inflation adjustments.”

The standard mileage rate is a per-mile figure set by the IRS that taxpayers may use to determine deductible vehicle expenses when using a personal car for work. This method is commonly used by self-employed individuals, freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners. Separate mileage rates also apply to driving for medical purposes, qualifying moves by certain active-duty members of the Armed Forces and members of the intelligence community, and charitable activities.

Under the new schedule, the rate for business use will be 72.5 cents per mile, while medical and qualifying military moving mileage will be set at 20.5 cents per mile. The IRS confirmed that the charitable rate will stay fixed at 14 cents per mile.

These mileage figures apply across vehicle types, including electric vehicles, hybrids, and cars powered by gasoline or diesel. For those driving leased vehicles, the IRS said the standard mileage method must be used for the entire lease term, including any renewals.

The agency explained that the medical and moving mileage rates are calculated based only on expenses that rise with increased driving, such as fuel, oil, and routine maintenance.

Taxpayers are not required to use the standard mileage rate. The IRS noted that filers may instead choose to deduct the actual costs associated with operating their vehicle, if that approach is more advantageous.

{Matzav.com}

Health officials are warning travelers after a confirmed measles case involving air travel during the busy holiday season, as millions of Americans take to the skies.

The New Jersey Department of Health reported that a passenger who passed through Newark Liberty International Airport was diagnosed with measles after being present in terminals B and C on December 12.

Because measles spreads through the air, officials cautioned that transmission can occur when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, even without direct contact.

Measles virus particles can linger in the air for as long as two hours after an infected person has left an enclosed space, according to public health guidance.

State health authorities urged anyone who believes they may have been exposed, or who is experiencing symptoms, to contact a healthcare provider before going to a doctor’s office, urgent care facility, or emergency room.

“NJDOH is working in collaboration with local health officials on ongoing contact tracing and on efforts to notify people who might have been exposed and to identify additional exposures that may have occurred,” says the release.

Those considered most vulnerable include individuals who are not fully vaccinated against measles or who have never previously contracted the disease, the Department of Health said.

{Matzav.com}

A major milestone has been achieved in the Gaza border area two years after the October 7 massacre, with data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics showing that the Gaza border area is now home to roughly 65,000 residents—an increase of about 3,000 people from before the October 7 massacre. Most of the communities […]

WATCH:

In overnight acts of arson, Bedouin-Israelis set fire to five vehicles in the yishuv of Lehavim, located near the Bedouin town of Tirabin al-Sana in the Negev. Police determined that the incident was a Bedouin “price tag” act following the launch of a large-scale police operation that began this week in Tirabin. A senior police […]

Israel’s Supreme Court issued a dramatic decision on Wednesday morning, ordering State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman to suspend his ongoing probe into the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre. The decision was based on the opinion of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who accepted the arguments of two petitions against the probe, one submitted by the corrupt […]

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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a “warm conversation” with U.S. Vice President JD Vance last night, the premier’s office announced on Tuesday.

The meeting, which focused on “regional issues,” followed Netanyahu’s “successful meeting” with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., the Prime Minister’s Office stated.

Trump credited Netanyahu on Monday for guiding the Jewish state to victory over a “force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.”

“He’s a wartime prime minister,” Trump said of Netanyahu, responding to a question from JNS during a press conference outside Mar-a-Lago. “He’s taken Israel through a very dangerous period of drama.”

“That’s a pretty big statement, but it’s true,” the president told JNS. “If you had the wrong prime minister, Israel right now would not exist.”

Netanyahu said earlier on Monday that he held a “great meeting” with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as the national security adviser, as part of his visit to Florida.

Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesman at the U.S. State Department, stated that the two met to “discuss regional security, economic cooperation and the fight against antisemitism.”

Vance claimed in a Dec. 21 interview that concerns about antisemitism are sometimes raised as a way to avoid discussing “a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy” regarding the Jewish state.

Vance condemned antisemitism in the interview with the conservative Unherd outlet, saying that “antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred, have no place in the conservative movement. Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting and we should call that stuff out.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A strong majority of American Jews believe that Israel’s standing around the world has taken a serious hit over the past year, according to a new nationwide survey, even as many say their own emotional connection to Israel has deepened.

The poll, released Monday by the Jewish People Policy Institute, found that 85% of respondents felt Israel’s global image was damaged in 2025. At the same time, 49% said they now feel closer to Israel than they did at the start of the year, while 20% reported feeling more distant.

Concerns about antisemitism within the United States also featured prominently in the findings. An overwhelming 88% of those surveyed said they agree with Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s assertion that “there has been a significant rise in antisemitism on the right over the past six months.”

Cruz has previously described the recent spike as “the largest he has seen in his lifetime,” a view that drew near-universal backing across ideological lines. Only 4% of respondents said they disagreed, with liberal, moderate, and conservative Jews all expressing broad agreement with his assessment.

By contrast, nearly three-quarters of participants — 73% — rejected Vice President JD Vance’s statement that “the Republican Party is not significantly more antisemitic than it was a decade ago.”

On foreign policy, the survey highlighted growing unease over the role of Middle Eastern states in shaping global affairs. American Jews ranked Iran as the most serious danger facing Israel, with 83% describing it as an existential threat even after the 12-day war in June.

Notably, the small but wealthy Gulf state of Qatar emerged as the second-most significant perceived threat to Israel, surpassing other regional actors. Respondents were less inclined to see Turkey as a top danger, though majorities said Iran, Qatar, Yemen, and Turkey all pose risks not only to Israel but to the United States as well.

When asked to rank those dangers, participants consistently placed Iran first, followed by Qatar, then Yemen and Turkey, underscoring a shared sense that the regional landscape has become increasingly hostile.

{Matzav.com}

Spain’s Ministry of Finance announced a ban on the import of products from hundreds of Israeli locales in Judea, Samaria, eastern Yerushalayim and the Golan, becoming the first major E.U. member state economy to implement such a measure.

The ban was set to become effective today, the ministry said, adding this was the result of a September decree “adopting urgent measures against genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population.”

The decree “prohibits in its Article 3 the importation into Spain of products originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” according to the statement.

To be applied, the ministry is to “approve the list of localities and postal codes corresponding to the Israeli settlements,” the text reads. With the announcement, the measure “is approved” and “will take effect the day after its publication” in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (“Official State Gazette”), the text read.

Slovenia, one of the E.U.’s smallest economies with about 2 million citizens, announced a similar ban in August, becoming the first E.U. member to boycott Israeli products. Legislation to effect a ban is being worked on in Ireland’s parliament.

Enfoque Judio, a reputable Spanish-Jewish news site, confirmed the authenticity of the document published. It noted in its reporting that the inclusion of the Golan Heights in the ban lies outside of the approved September decree.

Enrique Martínez Olmos, editor-in-chief of the ESDiario news site, condemned the ban in a sharp-worded editorial, whose title describes the measure as “a measure that Hitler would endorse.” The ban “prohibits and singles out Jewish products, much like in 1930s Germany,” he wrote.

Israel exports roughly $850 million in goods to Spain annually, according to the Israel Export Institute, roughly half the volume that Israel imports from Spain. Products from Judea, Samaria and the Golan are believed to account for a small fraction of the Israeli exports to Spain.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not reply to JNS’s request for comment in time for publication.

Angel Mas, president of ACOM, a prominent pro-Israel group in Spain, told JNS that his organization has challenged the ban in an appeal before the Spanish Constitutional Court. ACOM considers the ban immoral, he said.

In addition to ACOM’s legal fight against it, “We intend to bring these discriminatory and openly hostile measures to the attention of the United States Department of State,” Mas said. “The current Spanish government has lost any sense of proportion or restraint and is crossing red lines that no democratic government should cross.”

In the court appeal, ACOM said the ban was illegal on several counts, including in how it “directly conflicts with E.U. law, particularly in areas where the European Union holds exclusive competence, such as trade policy and the functioning of the internal market.”

The decree’s passing was also flawed procedurally since it “must still be debated and approved by Congress, a process likely to take place in the coming months.” And still, “the Spanish government has already begun applying the measures in practice across commercial activity involving Israel,” he said.

“From the outset, the decree is built on a fundamentally flawed and discredited premise,” Mas added. “Its introductory [notes] assert, as established facts, allegations of ‘genocide’ and ’famine’ allegedly committed by Israel in Gaza, claiming that these accusations are supported by ‘all international experts.’ These claims are demonstrably false, legally unsubstantiated, and deeply contested,” Mas said.

‘Remove or block identified ads’

Separately, on Tuesday, another Spanish government ministry threatened seven real estate rental platforms with unspecified “actions” if they continue to advertise Israeli-owned properties in those areas.

The seven entities are “multinational companies,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 wrote in a statement published on Dec. 30. It did not name the platforms.

The ministry “has detected that seven platforms had published 138 advertisements for tourist accommodations located in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory,” the statement said. “This advertising is considered illegal under Article 4 of the Royal Decree-Law adopting urgent measures against the genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population, approved in September,” it also said.

“A first formal request has been sent to the platforms, urging them to immediately remove or block the identified ads in Spain. Failure to do so could result in further action by the ministry,” it read.

Spain is one of three European Union member countries that have intervened in South Africa’s 2023 lawsuit for alleged genocide against Israel, widely understood as an endorsement of the suit. The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, in May called Israel a “genocidal state.”

Airbnb, one of the world’s largest short-term rental platforms, in 2019 reversed a policy it had announced the previous year, which would have banned assets like the ones that Spain wanted blocked. The reversal followed two federal lawsuits in the United States. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Federal preservation advocates are mounting a challenge to a Department of Homeland Security plan to swiftly tear down a cluster of historic structures in Washington, D.C., arguing that the agency is bypassing required safeguards in the name of security.

The dispute centers on 13 buildings at the St. Elizabeths federal campus, a site created by Congress in 1855 and once known as the “Government Hospital for the Insane.” According to reporting by The Washington Post, DHS has asked for emergency clearance to demolish the structures, sharply limiting the time preservation groups have to respond.

In an internal memo cited by the Post, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the vacant buildings as posing “a present risk to life and property,” warning that their location within the DHS West Campus could make them attractive to “individuals seeking to cause harm to personnel,” including those planning “active shooter scenarios.”

To accelerate the process, DHS filed an emergency notice with the General Services Administration, the federal body that oversees government real estate. That move compressed the review window to just three days, prompting swift objections from preservation organizations.

In a joint letter to the GSA, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the D.C. Preservation League rejected the security rationale. “If the space within these vacant buildings is accessible, [it’s the GSA and Homeland Security that have] “failed to effectively secure them,” the groups wrote, according to the Post.

The letter went on to criticize the emergency designation itself, stating: “A unilateral declaration like this is problematic because it bypasses the procedural safeguards designed to ensure stability, legitimacy and fairness. [Noem’s concerns over safety] imply a fundamental flaw in the facility’s security as a whole.”

The clash comes in the wake of other controversial changes to historic federal properties. Critics note that the push to raze buildings at St. Elizabeths follows President Donald Trump’s efforts to build a new ballroom at the White House, a project that involved demolishing the historic East Wing and drew sharp condemnation from historians and preservationists.

The Post reported that preservation groups are urging the GSA to reject the emergency request and require DHS to follow the standard review process before any demolition proceeds.

{Matzav.com}