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A sweeping reform proposed by Israel’s Interior Ministry could make roughly 100,000 additional households eligible for municipal property tax (arnona) discounts beginning in 2026, while significantly increasing the value of existing benefits. The changes, however, are expected to reduce local government revenues by approximately NIS 1.1 billion.

According to a report in Maariv, an analysis by the Finance Ministry’s Chief Economist projects that the number of households qualifying for income-based arnona discounts will rise from approximately 740,000 to 840,000. At the same time, the total value of those discounts is expected to grow from about NIS 2.2 billion to roughly NIS 3.2 billion.

The reform would overhaul both the method used to calculate household income and the scale of discounts available. According to the Finance Ministry, the current system disproportionately favors larger households, while the proposed model broadens eligibility across additional segments of the population. Officials estimate that about 91 percent of households already receiving discounts will qualify for larger reductions, while only a small percentage are expected to receive less than they do today.

The expanded benefits are expected to come at a significant cost to local authorities. The Finance Ministry estimates municipalities collectively will lose approximately NIS 1.1 billion in revenue, with financially weaker communities bearing the greatest burden. In municipalities ranked in the lowest socioeconomic category, the reduction could amount to as much as 7 percent of their discretionary budgets—the portion of municipal funding available for local services.

The reform is also expected to extend benefits well beyond the lowest-income households. Eligibility among families in the second and third income deciles is projected to increase from 51 percent to 64 percent, while more modest gains are anticipated for households in the fourth through sixth income deciles. One reason for the broader eligibility is that the revised income calculation excludes several National Insurance benefits, including child allowances, old-age pensions, survivor benefits, and disability payments for children.

According to the analysis, chareidi households are expected to have the highest eligibility rate under the new formula. Under the current system, approximately 60 percent of chareidi households qualify for an arnona discount; under the proposed rules, that figure is expected to rise to 65 percent. The average annual discount for a chareidi household is projected to be approximately NIS 4,600. The Arab sector is expected to experience the largest increase in eligibility, with the percentage of qualifying households climbing to approximately 53 percent.

The proposal does not alter existing employment incentives. Eligibility for the discounts will continue to be based solely on financial criteria and will not require recipients to enter the workforce or maximize their earning capacity. Likewise, applicants will still be required to submit documentation manually rather than having eligibility verified automatically through direct data-sharing with Israel’s National Insurance Institute. According to the Finance Ministry, only about 40 percent of eligible households currently take advantage of the benefit.

{Matzav.com}

As protests over the military draft continue to intensify, criticism is increasingly coming not only from Israel’s secular public and government officials, but also from respected figures within the chareidi world. Over the weekend, Rav Doniel Wolfson, Rosh Yeshiva of Nesivos Chochmah, strongly condemned the conduct of some anti-draft demonstrators, warning that their tactics have strayed far from the values of authentic Torah.

Speaking at an event celebrating the publication of his new sefer, Rav Wolfson sharply criticized what he described as misplaced kana’us, arguing that some of the recent protests have crossed the line from principled opposition into behavior driven by emotion and confrontation.

Drawing a clear distinction between fighting for Torah and reacting out of anger, Rav Wolfson said that a genuine struggle on behalf of Yiddishkeit must remain completely free of personal feelings or a desire to retaliate.

“When natural emotions become part of the struggle-such as wanting to strike back or feeling that others are interfering with you-it is no longer a struggle for the sake of Heaven,” he said. “Such behavior ultimately leads to a desecration of Hashem’s name.”

Rav Wolfson also took aim at extremist groups responsible for recent violent demonstrations and road blockades, accusing them of using the draft issue as a vehicle to stir unrest. He said there are individuals who “wait for opportunities like these” to inflame tensions, emphasizing that such conduct “is not the way of the sons of Torah.”

{Matzav.com}

Iranian officials issued a series of defiant threats during the multi-day funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, pledging to continue his policies and warning that those responsible for his death would not escape punishment. The extended mourning events are widely seen as an effort by the regime to project strength, stability, and unity following Khamenei’s death.

As funeral ceremonies continued across Iran, senior military and security leaders repeatedly emphasized their commitment to carrying on Khamenei’s legacy and maintaining a hardline stance against what they called the country’s enemies.

Iranian Army Commander Gen. Amir Hatami declared, “The Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, paved a path of honor and independence, and prepared all the tools for us to follow it. We will continue along the path laid out for us by the Leader, Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei, with unwavering strength and determination. We promise the Iranian people that we will not allow our enemies to escape punishment, and we will settle accounts with them for their crimes.”

Vice Chief of Staff Adm. Habibollah Sayyari echoed those remarks, saying, “Our leader will remain in our memory forever, and we will fulfill his instructions. We promised to stand beside our leader, and today we renew that promise. The idea of revenge is always present in our minds. We promise our leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba, that we will continue on his path with great self-confidence, strong resolve, and determination.”

Mohammad Mokhber, who served as Iran’s interim president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, also addressed the funeral events, promising retaliation. “The murderers of our imam will not die a natural death, and the people and the regime will take revenge on them. We will certainly avenge our holy leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Millions of people participated in his funeral in Tehran.”

Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as supreme leader, did not attend the funeral after Iranian security officials reportedly prevented him from appearing in public over fears that he could be targeted. According to reports, Iranian authorities were concerned that Israel might attempt to assassinate him or use a public appearance to determine his whereabouts after his wife and son were killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strike that launched Operation Roaring Lion.

The funeral ceremonies drew many of Iran’s top political and military leaders, along with members of Khamenei’s immediate family. Among those in attendance were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi and Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani.

Also present were three of Khamenei’s sons—Mostafa, Masoud, and Maysam Hosseini—who were seen weeping during the ceremonies. It marked their first public appearance since their father’s death was announced.

Iran’s Jewish community in Shiraz also participated in the funeral and publicly expressed support for what it described as the continuation of Khamenei’s ideals. Amir Aala Salar, chairman of the Shiraz Jewish community, praised the late leader in remarks carried by Iranian state media, saying, “Our late leader, from the beginning of the era of the Islamic Republic, showed special regard for the Abrahamic religions, especially the Jewish community in Iran. Inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini of blessed memory, and by his wise words that ‘Judaism is separate from Zionism,’ he created a living environment for all followers of the Abrahamic faiths and for the Jewish community in Iran.”

{Matzav.com}

The Monsey community is mourning the petirah of Hugh (Chaim) Jacobson z”l, the longtime First Assistant Chief of the Monsey Fire Department’s Brewer Fire Engine Company No. 1, who was niftar after an illness at the age of 46.

Jacobson dedicated nearly 30 years to the Monsey Fire Department, joining the volunteer force approximately 28 years ago after following in the footsteps of his late father, who also served the department for many years. Over the course of his distinguished career, he advanced through the ranks, holding the positions of Lieutenant, Captain, Second Assistant Chief, and ultimately First Assistant Chief, becoming one of the department’s most respected leaders.

Born and raised in Monsey, Jacobson attended Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Suffern during his elementary school years before continuing his education at the Torah Academy of Bergen County. Friends recalled that he frequently expressed his deep affection for the Monsey community and viewed volunteer service as a way of giving back, a commitment inspired by the example set by his father.

Those who served alongside him described Jacobson as a steady and thoughtful leader who placed tremendous emphasis on firefighter safety while remaining unwavering in his mission to protect the community. He often spoke about the enormous responsibility of leading firefighters into hazardous situations, stressing that every operation had to balance aggressive firefighting with ensuring that every firefighter returned home safely.

Jacobson also took particular pride in the camaraderie within Brewer Fire Engine Company No. 1, often pointing to the way firefighters from diverse backgrounds worked side by side as one family in service to the community.

His passing leaves a profound void within both the Monsey Fire Department and the broader Monsey community, where he was admired for decades of selfless service and dedication.

The levayah was held Friday at Kehillas Sha’ar HaShamayim in Spring Valley. Following the levayah, a procession accompanied the aron to the Brewer Fire Engine Company No. 1 firehouse on Grove Street, where fellow firefighters paid tribute to Jacobson’s many years of devoted service. The aron was then taken to the Tahara Shteibel in New Square, where it remained until Motzoei Shabbos, before being flown to Eretz Yisroel for kevurah.

{Matzav.com}

“The last people who said the Jews are a ‘burden on humanity’ were Hitler and Goebbels,” said Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who had recently used the phrase to describe Israel in an interview with CNN Türk.

“You’re in excellent company, Mr. Fidan,” Chikli added in his tweet, accompanied by an AI-generated image of Fidan standing next to a Nazi flag.

Fidan on Thursday said Israel had become “a problem for the entire international community,” adding that “the Israeli authorities have become a burden that humanity can no longer bear.”

Fidan said Turkey had no intention of changing its position toward Israel and defended Ankara’s decision to halt trade with the Jewish state following the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Responding on social media, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused his Turkish counterpart of incitement to genocide, describing his remarks as “sickening.”

Likud Party lawmaker Dan Illouz told JNS on Sunday that Fidan’s remarks were “not just despicable; they are the words of a regime that has entirely lost its way.

“Erdoğan is rapidly dragging Turkey down the exact same path as Iran’s axis of terror. If he continues going in Khamenei’s ways, he very well might end up like Khamenei,” Illouz added. “Israel has made it perfectly clear what happens to those who seek our destruction.” JNS

{Matzav.com}