Matzav

In response to the unique challenges faced by bnei Torah arriving from abroad, Gedolei Yisroel have released a special letter of chizuk directed to yeshiva bochurim from France. The letter was issued by the leader of the Olam HaTorah, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, together with Rav Dovid Cohen, calling on French bochurim to unite under a new initiative of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos designed to ease their integration into yeshiva life.

The letter publicly endorses the establishment of a dedicated spiritual support framework for bochurim from France, marking the first time that Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos has expanded its activities beyond Israel’s borders into the international arena.

In their message, the roshei yeshiva address the adjustment difficulties commonly experienced by overseas students in Israeli yeshivos, defining the new initiative as a vital necessity for their success in Torah learning. “Having merited that Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos in Eretz Hakodesh, which performs great and wondrous work for bnei Torah here, is now expanding its activity to bnei Torah living abroad, to strengthen and fortify them in all places of Torah,” the letter states.

The roshei yeshiva further describe the structure of the program, noting the collaboration with Ashreinu, led by Rav Yehuda Tolledano. “Under the framework of the Ichud, the precious bnei Torah from France have now joined, and we have merited that the rosh yeshiva, the great gaon Rav Yehuda Tolledano, invests much of his strength to sustain, strengthen, and encourage the activity, and to guide it along the proper path,” they wrote.

At the heart of the letter is an emphasis on individualized guidance. The roshei yeshiva stress the importance of personal accompaniment in order “to strengthen and fortify them, to ease the challenges of absorption into yeshiva life, and to reinforce them through organized vaadim led by marbitzei Torah.”

Concluding the letter, Gedolei Yisroel express hope that the initiative will expand to additional overseas communities and urge bochurim to join the effort. “With siyata diShmaya, additional communities from countries around the world whose sons are learning in the yeshivos of Eretz Hakodesh will join, and soon they too will unite under the Ichud—to increase Torah and glorify it.”

The new program will focus on two primary tracks: ongoing guidance for French yeshiva students both during the academic year in Israel and while they are at home in France, as well as targeted support for bochurim who have recently made aliyah from France with their families and require assistance with absorption, mentorship, and programming tailored to their unique background and mentality.

In preparation for the launch, leaders of the Ichud from France, together with Ashreinu, held a series of meetings at the homes of the organization’s presidents, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dovid Cohen, who also serves as president of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos for French students and has been closely involved in the initiative since its inception.

A new poll released Thursday evening by Channel 14 presents an updated snapshot of Israel’s political landscape, pointing to a significant internal shakeup within the left-wing bloc, even as the ruling party remains firmly on top.

According to the survey, the Likud continues to lead the field with 35 seats, maintaining its position as the largest party if elections were held today. In contrast, the momentum of Naftali Bennett appears to have stalled, with his party slipping to 11 seats, down from 13 in the previous poll.

At the same time, the biggest gainer of the week is the Democrats party led by Yair Golan, which surged by three seats to reach 11 mandates, signaling a notable shift within the left-wing camp.

The chareidi parties remain stable, with Shas and United Torah Judaism each holding steady at 11 seats, matching Bennett’s current strength.

Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Liberman, rose by one seat to 10. Otzma Yehudit received seven seats, while the party led by Gadi Eisenkot dropped two seats to six.

The Arab party Ra’am also stands at six seats. Hadash–Ta’al and Yesh Atid each received five seats. Religious Zionism barely clears the electoral threshold with four seats, closing out the list of parties entering the Knesset. Blue and White (2.8%) and Balad (2.1%) fall below the threshold and would not enter the Knesset.

When broken down by blocs, the right-wing camp holds a commanding 66 seats. The left-wing bloc drops by one seat to 43, while the Arab parties together account for 11 mandates.

In the question of suitability for prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu leads decisively with 53%. He is followed by Bennett at 19%, Eisenkot at 11%, Yair Lapid at 9%, Liberman at 6%, and Benny Gantz trailing with just 2%.

{Matzav.com}

Apartment seekers in Manhattan saw little relief this winter, with rents remaining near historic highs and competition showing few signs of easing.

Data from appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman show that the median rent for new leases signed last month reached $4,720, representing an increase of nearly 9% compared with December a year earlier. That figure was only $30 below November’s median rent, which marked the highest level ever recorded by the firms.

Although New York’s rental market usually slows during the holiday season, that pattern failed to materialize. Competition for available apartments stayed strong throughout the year, even as the number of listings shrank. Inventory in December was down 16% from the same month last year, the steepest annual decline since the surge in leasing activity seen during the pandemic-era rush in August 2022.

According to Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel, the sustained appetite for rentals runs counter to what would normally be expected. Home sales in Manhattan have been increasing, a trend that historically draws some demand away from the rental market.

Instead, both the sales and rental markets posted strong performances in December, a combination Miller said points to continued pressure on prices. With limited inventory and few quick solutions in a city where new construction takes time, competition is likely to remain fierce. As Miller put it, “it’s tough to build quickly.”

Miller expressed little optimism that renters will see meaningful relief in the near term. “I’m finding it difficult to come up with a way that affordability will noticeably improve this year,” he said. “The best case is to hope for rents to flatten out, but right now they’re rising at double the rate of inflation.”

Higher costs were not confined to Manhattan. Renters in other parts of the city also faced increases, with the median rent in Brooklyn climbing to $3,850 in December, a 10% jump from a year earlier. In northwest Queens, which includes Astoria and Long Island City, median rents rose nearly 8% year over year to $3,652.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu asked President Donald Trump to hold off on any military action against Iran, according to a report published by The New York Times.

The two leaders spoke by phone around midnight, as protests continued across Iran and U.S. officials weighed whether to move forward with a possible strike.

During the call, Netanyahu conveyed concern that Israel is not fully prepared for an Iranian retaliation if the United States were to launch an attack, and he therefore requested that Trump postpone any military operation.

Trump has said he was informed by what he described as reliable sources inside Iran that the regime had stopped executing protesters and halted violent crackdowns, a development that could suggest efforts to reduce tensions.

U.S. officials, however, emphasized that military action remains a viable option and that any final decision will depend on how events unfold.

The report also cited a diplomatic source in the Gulf who said that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt delivered messages to the Trump administration urging restraint, warning that an attack on Iran could trigger wider regional instability. Those same countries reportedly contacted Tehran, pressing it to avoid a military response if a strike were to occur.

Iran temporarily shut down its airspace to civilian traffic overnight before later reopening it.

Separately, reports indicated that the Pentagon scaled back its alert status at a U.S. Air Force base in Qatar and began returning troops who had previously been relocated amid concerns that a strike was imminent.

{Matzav.com}

The prolonged Verizon service disruption that left large numbers of customers without connectivity was caused by an internal network malfunction linked to servers in New Jersey, not a cyberattack, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The outage impacted more than 178,000 Verizon users nationwide. In response, the company announced Thursday that it would issue a $20 credit to affected customers in an effort to “provide some relief.”

“Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect and that we expect ourselves,” Verizon said in a statement.

“This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers’ time and showing that this matters to us.

“We are sorry for what our customers experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that people expect from Verizon,” the company said.

According to outage-monitoring site Downdetector, Verizon subscribers began reporting service problems around noon Eastern Time on Wednesday. Complaints surged in the early afternoon and stayed at elevated levels through the remainder of the day. By 5 p.m. ET, Downdetector said it had logged more than 1.5 million reports.

Customers affected by the outage reported seeing their phones switch into “SOS” mode or display other messages indicating a lack of signal. In some areas, including New York, emergency alerts warned that the disruption could interfere with 911 calls, advising residents to use landlines, phones from other carriers, or to go directly to police or fire stations if emergencies arose.

Downdetector data showed that major metropolitan areas such as Houston, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Miami were among the hardest hit, though reports of service interruptions came in from users across the country.

While a limited number of complaints involving other wireless carriers appeared on Wednesday, companies including T-Mobile and AT&T quickly stated online that their networks were functioning normally. Both indicated that any issues their customers experienced were likely due to difficulty reaching people using Verizon’s network.

New findings from the Institute for Chareidi Strategy and Policy are raising serious questions about many assumptions that have long shaped public discussion of the chareidi community in Israel. The data points to significant demographic, economic, and social shifts that together paint a far more complicated picture than is often assumed.

In an interview on Kikar FM with Eli Gothelf, Dr. Eitan Regev, vice president for research and data at the institute, summed up the situation succinctly. “The picture is complex,” he said. “There are areas where we see improvement, areas that are standing in place, and economic pressures that weigh on everything.”

At the center of the report is a sharp decline in birthrates. According to Regev, the chareidi public in Israel is currently experiencing its lowest fertility levels in nearly forty years. Two decades ago, the average chareidi family had 7.3 children. Today, that number stands at 6.2. Regev explained that the drop reflects a combination of factors, including housing pressures, ongoing financial strain, increased attention to the physical and emotional wellbeing of women, and a steady rise in academic education among chareidi women.

He noted that additional factors further change the overall demographic picture. Various studies show that 13 to 14 percent of those raised within the chareidi world eventually leave it, a figure Regev stressed cannot be ignored. He also said updated population estimates place the current chareidi population at roughly 1.3 million, rather than the 1.4 million cited in earlier projections.

These revisions have led the institute to update long-term forecasts. Contrary to the commonly repeated claim that chareidim will comprise about one-third of Israel’s population by 2065, Regev said the institute’s current projection is significantly lower, at 20 to 22 percent. He explained that older forecasts relied on higher historical birthrates and did not sufficiently account for attrition. As the community grows larger, he said, the absolute number of those leaving becomes more meaningful and no longer balances itself out.

The report also highlights differences within the chareidi public. According to the data presented, the chassidic sector continues to have the highest birthrates, averaging around seven children per family. The steepest decline has been recorded among Sephardic chareidim, where the average is about 5.2 children. The Litvishe sector falls in between, with an average of roughly 6.5 children.

Education trends among women show similarly wide gaps. Overall, about 16 percent of chareidi women hold an academic degree, but the breakdown by group is striking. Among chassidic women, the figure stands at just 5 to 6 percent. Among Sephardic and Litvishe women, it is around 17 to 18 percent, while among Chabad women it approaches 40 percent. Regev added that among women aged 30 to 34, nearly 19 percent already hold academic degrees, meaning close to one out of every five.

On the employment front, Regev said chareidi male employment saw a noticeable rise in 2022, largely driven by rising interest rates and higher mortgage payments. That trend reversed in 2023 and 2024. He attributed the decline to uncertainty surrounding the draft law, particularly among younger men, as well as possible concerns about reporting employment. “The State of Israel keeps making the same mistake by tying employment to the draft issue,” he said, warning that this linkage harms both sides.

Another indicator of longer-term change, Regev suggested, is the rapid growth of state-chareidi education. Within just two years, the share of boys in elementary school enrolled in these frameworks doubled from about 4 percent to 8 percent, and this year has already reached roughly 9 to 10 percent. He described this as a conscious parental decision, reflecting an understanding that children will need broader tools going forward, including core studies.

The most dramatic data, however, emerged in the area of housing. Regev said that in 2023 there was a 30 percent drop in the number of young chareidi couples able to purchase their first apartment. Although 2024 saw some recovery, levels remain well below those of 2019. Survey data collected by the institute shows that about 70 percent of chareidi families now assume they may need to live in rental housing.

According to Regev, this represents a major disruption to the traditional chareidi economic model. For decades, owning an apartment served not only as housing but also as savings and a foundation for helping children later on. In a high-interest-rate environment, fewer couples can take on a mortgage, and those who do pay far more interest and far less principal, weakening the savings element. He noted a growing move toward alternative investments, some safer and some riskier, creating greater variation between families where once there was a fairly uniform model.

Regev concluded that the convergence of declining birthrates, housing challenges, rising female education, shifts in male employment, and the growth of state-chareidi schooling points to a deeper structural change. These trends, he said, do not reflect a passing phase but an ongoing process in which the chareidi public is being forced to rethink and rebuild its economic model while still in motion.

{Matzav.com}

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a lower court judge lacked the authority to order the release of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration custody, handing a win to President Donald Trump’s administration as it pursues his deportation.

In a 2–1 decision, a panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention should be dismissed, a ruling that leaves him vulnerable to being taken back into custody.

The majority opinion was written by U.S. Circuit Judges Thomas Hardiman and Stephanos Bibas, both appointed by Republican presidents. They concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Act requires Khalil’s arguments to be raised through the standard immigration process, specifically by appealing a final removal order issued by an immigration judge.

“The scheme Congress enacted governing immigration proceedings provides Khalil a meaningful forum in ⁠which to raise his claims later on — in a petition for review of a final order of removal,” the judges wrote in an unsigned opinion.

Khalil, who emerged as a leading figure in pro-Palestinian demonstrations opposing Israel’s war in Gaza, was taken into custody on March 8 when immigration agents arrested him in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan.

President Donald Trump has described the campus protests as antisemitic and has pledged to remove foreign students who participated in them. Khalil was the first individual targeted under that policy.

Although Khalil was initially held in New York, immigration authorities transferred him to New Jersey before his attorney filed a lawsuit contesting his detention, resulting in the case being reassigned to a judge there.

In June, Khalil was released from a Louisiana immigration detention facility after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz of Newark, New Jersey, ordered the Department of Homeland Security to free him from custody.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should aggressively remove criminal illegal immigrants, urging agents to take decisive action against those with criminal records.

Speaking on Fox News Channel’s The Will Cain Show, Fetterman addressed a recent Minneapolis incident in which Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Good had “weaponized her vehicle” while agents were attempting to free their own vehicle.

“Round up all the criminals,” Fetterman said. “Deport them. They shouldn’t have ever been here, and they definitely have to go.”

While acknowledging that the shooting was “a tragedy,” Fetterman said it has been “very clear” to him since he entered the Senate in 2023 that the Biden administration was “failing at our border.”

He cited what he described as the “latest statistics” reported by the Washington Post about the criminal backgrounds of immigrants taken into custody by ICE.

“Sixty-seven percent have criminal charges — pending ones … that’s more than two-thirds,” Fetterman said, adding that “two things can be true” and that it is possible to back deportations while opposing “the extreme.”

Fetterman also pointed to data published by the New York Times on the number of monthly encounters at the southern border in recent years.

“When you reach almost 300,000 people, that’s unsustainable,” he said. “As a Democrat, it shouldn’t be unreasonable to want to secure our border and do it in that way.”

The Pennsylvania senator has previously voiced support for ICE, saying the agency “performs an important job,” and has faulted fellow Democrats for not “handle the border appropriately.”

According to Breitbart News, Fetterman said in a 2024 CNN interview that although he wants to “provide the American Dream for any migrant,” doing so becomes untenable when “you have 300,000 people showing up encountered at our border.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States has carried out an initial sale of Venezuelan crude valued at approximately $500 million, according to multiple reports on Thursday that cited unidentified government officials.

According to Semafor, the proceeds from the sale are currently being held in bank accounts under U.S. government control, with the primary account based in Qatar, an industry source familiar with the arrangement said. That source explained that Qatar was selected as a “neutral venue” that allows funds to be transferred with U.S. authorization while avoiding the risk of seizure.

The move was described as consistent with an Executive Order signed last week by President Donald Trump that protects Venezuelan oil revenues held in U.S. Treasury-controlled accounts from attachment or court action, with the goal of “ensuring these funds are preserved to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives.”

The same source told Semafor that the Venezuelan socialist government, currently headed by “acting President” Delcy Rodríguez, has “fully cooperated” with Washington, noting that the United States retains “leverage” through its sanctions regime and control over oil transactions.

“The United States Treasury is fully committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” a U.S. Department of the Treasury spokesperson told Semafor.

Another unnamed official also confirmed to Semafor that the principal account holding the oil sale revenue is located in Qatar, describing it as a “neutral” setting where “money can flow freely with U.S. approval and without risk of seizure.”

“President Trump brokered a historic energy deal with Venezuela, immediately following the arrest of narcoterrorist Nicolás Maduro, that will benefit the American and Venezuelan people,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Semafor, adding that the administration is continuing “positive, ongoing discussions” with oil companies regarding Venezuela.

CBS News reported that Rogers provided a similar statement to its newsroom. Fox News likewise published Rogers’ remarks, which stated:

President Trump’s team is facilitating positive, ongoing discussions with oil companies that are ready and willing to make unprecedented investments to restore Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.

President Trump is protecting our Western Hemisphere from being taken advantage of by narcoterrorists, drug traffickers, and foreign adversaries.

Reuters, citing an unnamed U.S. official, reported that further oil sales are anticipated “in the coming days and weeks.”

Separately, the Venezuelan socialist government recently announced plans to sell as much as $2 billion in crude oil to the United States, a deal that Reuters noted last week would “divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.”

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Why is bad breath the one problem nobody is allowed to mention?

We live in a community where people will correct your pronunciation of a word, your nusach, your shoelaces, or how long your jacket is, but when someone’s breath is so bad it makes standing next to them physically difficult, suddenly everyone becomes polite, silent, and paralyzed.

This isn’t about embarrassing people. It’s about basic derech eretz.

We sit next to each other in shul. We talk face to face at Kiddush. We lean in during conversations. We daven shoulder to shoulder. And sometimes, honestly, it’s unbearable. People are stepping back, turning their heads, holding their breath, and nobody says a word. Everyone just suffers quietly and pretends nothing is happening.

Why?

Brushing teeth is not a chumra. Mouthwash is not a luxury. And checking yourself before going out into public is not asking too much. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.

What makes it worse is that the person usually has no idea. Everyone else knows. Everyone else talks about it, just not to him. That’s not chesed. That’s ridiculous. If someone had spinach in their teeth all day and nobody told them, we’d say that’s cruel. So why is this different?

We’ll hint. We’ll cough. We’ll open windows. We’ll suddenly remember something urgent and walk away. But actually saying, “Maybe check your breath,” is treated like a capital offense.

And let’s be honest: Sometimes it’s not a one-time thing. It’s constant. Day after day. The same smell, the same avoidance, the same quiet suffering.

This affects shalom bayis, friendships, chavrusas, workplaces, and shul life. People don’t want to sit near you. They don’t want to talk to you. They don’t want to learn with you. And instead of addressing the issue, we let relationships die slowly and silently.

What happened to the idea that caring about someone includes telling them uncomfortable truths?

Nobody is saying to announce it publicly or embarrass someone. But a spouse, a close friend, a sibling, someone, should be able to say it gently and privately. “I’m telling you because I care.” That used to be normal.

Somehow we’ve decided it’s better to let a person go around unknowingly offending everyone than to risk an awkward conversation. That makes no sense.

We expect people to dress appropriately, behave appropriately, and show basic consideration in public spaces. Hygiene is part of that. Not talking about it doesn’t make it go away. It just makes everyone miserable.

So here’s a radical idea: Let’s stop pretending this isn’t a thing. Let’s normalize basic self-awareness. And let’s remember that real kindness isn’t silence. It’s honesty, said with care.

Because bad breath doesn’t just disappear on its own.
And neither does the discomfort when nobody is willing to speak up.

I Can’t Stand It

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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has finalized an understanding with the Agudas Yisroel faction that will see MK Yisrael Eichler appointed as Deputy Communications Minister, a move that will require him to step down from his seat in the Knesset.

Eichler’s resignation will trigger the Norwegian Law mechanism, allowing Yitzchok Pindrus of Degel Hatorah to reenter the Knesset as a serving MK.

Agudas Yisroel and Degel Hatorah run jointly under the banner of United Torah Judaism, using a so-called “zipper” list in which candidates from the two factions alternate. Under this arrangement, when an Agudas Yisroel lawmaker resigns, the next eligible candidate from Degel Hatorah moves into the Knesset, and the same applies in reverse.

Pindrus’ return is expected to strengthen the governing coalition by adding another vote in favor of advancing the Draft Law.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi of Likud welcomed the development and praised Eichler’s appointment, saying, “I congratulate my dear colleague, MK Yisrael Eichler, on his appointment as Deputy Communications Minister. I thank Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and MK Eichler for their cooperation and trust and welcome this move.
Together, we will work decisively to complete the central tasks of the government, in the Draft Law, communications reform, the budget, and other areas, for the benefit of the people of Israel.”

Sharp criticism came from Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu, who blasted the decision, saying, “Government ministries are not gifts or bribes, there is actually a country to manage here. Eichler’s appointment as Deputy Communications Minister is not only disgraceful but also absurd. Eichler is a person who opposes the very existence of the State and, broadly speaking, also pretty much opposes the very existence of communications. As mentioned, an absurd and disgraceful appointment.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday rejected media reports suggesting that President Donald Trump is easing off the possibility of US action against Iran, calling such coverage flatly wrong.

Responding on X, Graham said reports portraying the administration as stepping back were misleading. “All the headlines like these are examples of reporting that are beyond inaccurate,” he wrote.

Graham insisted that any potential move against Tehran has not been weakened by hesitation from the White House. “The circumstances around the necessary, decisive action to be taken against the evil Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Quite the opposite. Stay tuned,” he added.

The comments followed a turbulent stretch on Wednesday, when tensions appeared to peak and the prospect of American action against Iran seemed imminent. However, as evening approached in Tehran, the situation appeared to cool after President Trump said he had been told that Iranian authorities had halted the killing of protesters.

“We have been notified pretty strongly that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” Trump told reporters during remarks in the Oval Office.

Trump stressed that the information came from reliable sources, while cautioning that events would need to be verified. “I’ve been told that in good authority. We’ll find out about it, I’m sure. If it happens, we’ll be very upset,” he said.

By Thursday morning, Iran had reopened its airspace after shutting it down for several hours amid the unrest. The regime also announced that it would not carry out the execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old arrested during the recent protests who had become a prominent symbol for demonstrators.

President Donald Trump highlighted the development in a social media post, writing, “According to Fox News, ‘An Iranian protester will no longer be sentenced to death after President Trump’s warnings. Likewise, others.’ This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!”

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council said it had arranged an emergency session for Thursday afternoon at the request of the United States to address the unfolding situation in Iran.

{Matzav.com}

The Yerushalayim District Court on Thursday turned down a police request to keep Fakhri Khatib under house arrest following a fatal ramming during a protest earlier this month that claimed the life of 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal.

In her decision, Judge Hagit Mac Kalmanovitz said the legal threshold for continuing the house arrest had not been met, while stressing that the ruling does not bar investigators from taking additional steps as the probe continues.

The ruling followed a decision issued a day earlier by the Magistrate’s Court, which lifted all restrictive measures imposed on Khatib, including the house arrest he had been placed under for roughly a week. Police immediately challenged that decision, but their appeal was rejected.

Khatib remains under investigation on suspicion of causing death either intentionally or through reckless conduct, as well as causing severe injury to a minor. Authorities initially brought an aggravated murder charge, though it was later reduced.

At the court hearing, police acknowledged that Khatib himself contacted the emergency center after the incident, reporting that he was under attack and asking to be rescued. His attorney told the court that his client “was attacked, spat on, and felt in danger,” and maintained that “he acted to save his life without intending to harm anyone.” The defense further claimed the case amounted to a “political investigation.”

The incident took place during a January 6 protest opposing the proposed Draft Law. Video footage shows a bus driven by Khatib moving toward demonstrators and striking Eisenthal, who was pinned beneath the vehicle and killed. Three additional protesters sustained minor injuries.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Thursday that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota if state leaders fail to halt violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, escalating federal warnings amid growing unrest in Minneapolis.

The Insurrection Act grants the president authority to deploy active-duty military forces and place National Guard units under federal control in situations involving widespread disorder or rebellion against the federal government.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me,” Trump warned on Truth Social.

The president’s statement followed a violent encounter Wednesday night in Minneapolis during a traffic stop involving an ICE agent and a suspected illegal immigrant. Authorities say two people intervened during the stop, striking the officer with a shovel and a broom handle.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect managed to break free and then assaulted the officer with either a broomstick or a shovel, prompting the agent to fire a shot that struck the individual in the leg.

Federal officials said the suspect, identified as a Venezuelan national, has since been taken into custody.

The incident came just a week after another ICE officer fatally shot activist Renee Good after she allegedly drove her SUV toward him.

Together, the two incidents have sparked several consecutive days of demonstrations and unrest across the Twin Cities area.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that more than 3,000 federal immigration officers, including personnel from ICE and the Border Patrol, have been sent into the city — a presence far exceeding the city’s roughly 600 police officers.

“This is not sustainable,” Frey told reporters late Wednesday. “This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in, and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward, to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order.”

The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in Minnesota following disclosures of widespread benefits fraud that officials say has strained the state’s systems.

Governor Tim Walz’s office did not immediately comment on Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act.

Earlier this week, Minnesota and Illinois jointly filed suit against the Trump administration seeking to halt the expanded ICE presence. Federal officials argue the increase is necessary due to state laws that restrict cooperation between local police departments and immigration authorities.

Trump issued the warning about invoking the Insurrection Act in a Truth Social post dated Jan. 15.

The statute was last used in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush authorized military involvement during the Los Angeles riots that erupted after the acquittal of police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King.

Trump has previously explored other legal avenues to deploy National Guard forces in states such as Illinois, but those efforts were abandoned after courts blocked them.

National Guard troops remain stationed in Washington, D.C., where the federal government exercises broader authority than it does over state and municipal jurisdictions.

{Matzav.com}

A majority of American adults believe President Donald Trump has exceeded appropriate limits in using U.S. military power overseas, according to a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the AP reports.

The poll, conducted January 8–11 in the aftermath of the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, found that 56% of U.S. adults think Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to military intervention in other countries. Majorities of respondents also said they disapprove of how the Republican president is handling foreign policy overall, as well as his approach to Venezuela specifically.

Those views run counter to Trump’s increasingly assertive posture on the world stage. Recent actions and statements have included moves aimed at controlling Venezuelan oil resources, repeated calls for the United States to take over Greenland, and warnings that Washington would assist demonstrators protesting the Iranian regime. While many respondents viewed the administration’s intervention in Venezuela as a “good thing” for curbing the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and as potentially helpful to Venezuelans, fewer believed it would strengthen U.S. national security or boost the American economy.

Republicans have largely aligned themselves with Trump despite the contrast between these policies and the “America First” message he campaigned on. Still, only a small share of Republicans want the president to take even more aggressive steps abroad, highlighting the political risks of deeper international involvement.

The poll was conducted against the backdrop of U.S. military action in Venezuela that led to Maduro’s capture. At the same time, Trump has made headlines by suggesting the United States could seize Greenland “the hard way” if Denmark refuses to agree to a deal, and by warning Iran that the U.S. would come to the “rescue” of peaceful protesters.

Democrats and independents are the primary drivers of the belief that Trump has overreached. Roughly nine in ten Democrats and about six in ten independents say the president has “gone too far” with military intervention, compared with only about two in ten Republicans.

Among Republicans, 71% say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only around one in ten believe he should push further.

Overall, 57% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Venezuela, a figure slightly lower than the 61% who disapprove of his foreign policy approach more broadly. Both numbers are consistent with his overall job approval rating, which has remained relatively stable during his second term.

Despite the skepticism, many Americans acknowledge certain upsides to U.S. involvement in Venezuela. About half of respondents said the intervention would be “mostly a good thing” for stopping illegal drugs from entering the United States. Forty-four percent believe the U.S. action will do more to help than harm the Venezuelan people, who lived under Maduro’s rule for more than a decade. Opinions are far more divided on whether the intervention will benefit U.S. economic interests or national security, or whether it will have little effect.

Republicans are more inclined than Democrats and independents to see advantages in the U.S. move, especially in relation to drug trafficking. Roughly eight in ten Republicans say the intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for reducing illegal drugs, though only about six in ten think it will help the U.S. economy.

The poll also shows broad resistance to expanding America’s role on the global stage. Nearly half of Americans want the United States to take a “less active” role in world affairs, while about one-third believe its current level of engagement is “about right.”

Only about two in ten U.S. adults favor greater international involvement, including just one in ten Republicans.

At least half of Democrats and independents now say the United States should scale back its global role, marking a sharp change from attitudes measured just a few months ago.

Republicans, by contrast, have grown more comfortable with the current approach. Sixty-four percent now say the country’s role in world affairs is “about right,” up from 55% in September. About one-quarter of Republicans favor a “less active role,” down slightly from 34% earlier in the fall.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.) 

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact. 

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own. 

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden. 

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact –

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory. 

ShasYiden.com

A spokesman for the Shas party said that Israel’s long-debated draft law is expected to pass within two weeks, adding that arrests of yeshiva students would then be halted.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Barama Radio, Shas spokesman Asher Medina said the legislation regulating the status of Torah learners is nearing completion and will move forward shortly.

“In two weeks, a law regulating Torah learners will pass, and the arrests of bnei Torah will stop,” Medina said. He described the issue as deeply painful for the chareidi public and stressed that the legislative process is being carried out in full coordination with senior Torah authorities. “Everything is being done in consultation with Gedolei Yisrael. The law has been on their table throughout the entire process,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that the 2026 state budget was not formally submitted to the Knesset as planned, following opposition from the chareidi parties. Those parties have conditioned their support for the budget on significant progress in advancing the draft law, which is still being debated in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Chareidi factions have made clear that they will not back the budget unless the draft legislation moves forward in a meaningful way.

Under Israeli law, if the state budget is not approved in three readings by the end of March, the Knesset will automatically dissolve and the country will head to early elections.

{Matzav.com}

A special meeting took place on Wednesday when the Toldos Aharon Rebbe visited the home of the tzaddik Rav Dov Kook in Tiveriah, during which Rav Kook presented the Rebbe with an ornate walking staff adorned with silver, described as a traditional “Rebbe’s stick.”

The visit occurred while the Toldos Aharon Rebbe is spending the days of Shovavim in Tiveriah. He arrived at Rav Kook’s residence for a special audience marked by brachos, warm interaction, and unique symbolic gestures between the two.

During the visit, Rav Kook bentched the Rebbe with Birkas Kohanim and, in the course of doing so, asked that the Rebbe—who is also a kohein—reciprocate.

The meeting continued with the serving of a rare wine aged for three decades. The Toldos Aharon Rebbe poured wine for Rav Kook and requested that he recite the brocha first. Rav Kook responded with humility, saying, “I am embarrassed. Your honor should make the brocha and include me,” after which the two shared a l’chaim together.

In a striking moment, Rav Kook then reached beneath his seat and removed a walking staff topped with silver decorations, referring to it as a special “Rebbe’s staff.” He presented it to the Toldos Aharon Rebbe as a gift and explained its symbolic meaning, saying, “This staff is meant to strike the Erev Rav.”

{Matzav.com}

A stormy exchange erupted in the Knesset on Wednesday after MK Ahmad Tibi delivered a sharply worded address accusing the government of widespread failure and escalating violence, while also launching a personal attack against the Chief Rabbi of Tzefas, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu.

Speaking from the Knesset podium, Tibi lashed out at the coalition, declaring, “Everything you touch is bad, it is a failure, blood is flowing in the streets.” His comments immediately drew loud reactions from lawmakers in the plenum.

As his speech continued, Tibi turned his focus to Minister Amichai Eliyahu and intensified his rhetoric, directing a personal insult at the minister’s father. “He says the blood in the streets is because of education-you absorbed racism from your father,” Tibi said, a remark widely viewed as crossing an unacceptable line.

In response to the language used, Knesset officials intervened and brought the address to an abrupt end. Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi ordered Tibi removed from the podium, halting the speech amid ongoing uproar.

Minister Amichai Eliyahu later responded from the plenum, condemning Tibi’s remarks. “A glorifier of ‘martyrs’ and supporter of terrorism cursed my father, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Minister Ben Gvir, and me. Someone who was an aide to the arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat dares to lecture anyone about racism and education.”

Eliyahu continued with a pointed rebuttal, adding, “Personally, I take some satisfaction in seeing his loss of composure, the anxiety and hatred in his eyes. He understands that we have won and will win. He knows very well that the Jewish people have returned to their land, that the Creator will not stop halfway-and that is why he is shouting and smearing.”

President Donald Trump has directed his national security advisers that if the United States were to take military action against Iran, it should be swift, forceful, and conclusive rather than devolving into an extended conflict, according to an NBC News report published Wednesday citing a U.S. official, two individuals familiar with internal discussions, and a source close to the White House.

“If he does something, he wants it to be definitive,” one of the people familiar with the discussions told NBC News.

At the same time, advisers have been unable to guarantee that a U.S. strike would result in the rapid collapse of the Iranian regime, the U.S. official and two of the sources said. That uncertainty has weighed heavily on the internal deliberations.

Officials have also raised concerns about whether the United States currently has enough military assets positioned in the region to effectively respond to what they anticipate could be a strong and immediate retaliation from Iran, according to the report.

As a result, those dynamics could push Trump toward approving a narrower initial strike while preserving the ability to escalate later — assuming he opts to take action at all, the U.S. official and one person familiar with the discussions said.

Those sources stressed that the situation remains fluid and that as of Wednesday afternoon, no final decisions had been reached.

When asked about the President’s thinking, a White House official pointed reporters to remarks Trump made earlier Wednesday from the Oval Office.

During those comments, Trump said, “We have been notified pretty strongly that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution.”

He added, “I’ve been told that in good authority. We’ll find out about it, I’m sure. If it happens, we’ll be very upset.”

Trump said the information came from “very important sources on the other side and they said that the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place. There were supposed to be a lot of executions today, but the executions won’t take place. We’re going to find out. I’ll find out after this, you’ll find out.”

According to the U.S. official, two individuals briefed on the talks, and one person close to the White House, Trump continues to signal that he is willing to act on his repeated pledges to Iranian protesters that the United States would intervene militarily in support of their efforts to overthrow the regime.

Addressing Trump’s overall posture, a White House official said: “All options are at President Trump’s disposal to address the situation in Iran,” adding that U.S. military actions in Iran last year and in Venezuela this month demonstrate that “he means what he says.”

{Matzav.com}