Matzav

Two people were reportedly wounded Thursday afternoon during an encounter involving federal agents in Portland, coming less than 24 hours after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minnesota during a volatile enforcement operation, according to published reports.

Authorities have not released details about the circumstances surrounding the Portland incident or the medical condition of the two individuals who were shot.

Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said the two people who were hit were still alive, according to local reporting.

City councilors told KATU that the gunfire broke out near the intersection of East Burnside Street and 141st Avenue.

Sources cited by ABC News said the agents involved in the Portland shooting were members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The Portland episode followed the killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, who was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon by an ICE agent in Minnesota. Video from the scene appears to show Good striking the officer with her car moments before the agent fired through the vehicle’s window.

President Trump and Homeland Security officials said the agent who fired acted in self-defense after being hit by Good, whom they described as a “domestic terrorist.”

{Matzav.com}

In a pointed interview with Eli Guthelf on Kikar FM, Dr. Yoav Heller, chairman of the Fourth Quarter movement, argued that the death of the child Yosef Eisenthal z”l was not only a personal tragedy but a warning sign of a collapsed civic contract between the State of Israel and its chareidi citizens.

Heller said he was not seeking to comfort listeners or align with any political camp. “I’m saying things that people may not like,” he said at the outset, “but the truth has to be said.”

According to Heller, the incident should not be viewed as an isolated event. He described it as part of a broader, ongoing pattern of systemic failure. When children are present at a protest, a driver repeatedly calls the police, and officers never arrive, Heller said, that is not a malfunction but a breakdown of sovereignty.

“In a state governed by law, there is no such thing as areas where the state simply isn’t present,” he said. “Even if it’s a radical group, even if they are lawbreakers, the police must respond. No citizen can be abandoned because of who they are.”

Heller rejected attempts to frame the case as an internal problem of the chareidi community alone. He drew a parallel to the Meron disaster, arguing that the state repeatedly shifts responsibility to intermediaries and power brokers, then distances itself when systems collapse.

“The State of Israel doesn’t speak to the chareidi citizen,” he said. “It speaks to chareidi mechanisms, to askanim, to mediating leadership — and then wonders why there is no control.”

While making clear that he has no tolerance for extremist factions, whom he described as criminals, Heller insisted that law enforcement cannot simply disappear. He compared the situation to violence in Arab society. “When there are murders in Arab communities, can the police say, ‘That’s your culture, deal with it yourselves’? Obviously not. The same applies here.”

Heller extended his critique beyond policing, saying the same dynamic exists in debates over military service and education. He argued that chareidi society is often portrayed as freely choosing its path, when in reality individual choice is severely constrained.

He cited data indicating that 61 percent of chareidi parents want their children to study English and mathematics, yet have little ability to make that happen because decisions are made at an institutional level rather than by parents themselves. “In a chareidi municipality, the authority decides whether such a school will exist or not,” he said. “The parent is left powerless.”

Turning to the past year’s events, and especially October 7, Heller said Israel can no longer rely on partial arrangements and ad hoc compromises with a population that is no longer marginal. He called for a new civic contract — not based on coercion, but also not on blanket exemptions.

“There are national missions — security, the economy, and the spirit,” he said. “Not everyone has to do the same thing, but everyone has to contribute something.”

Heller said he opposes arresting those who do not enlist, but argued there is no justification for full access to welfare systems for individuals who do not contribute to any national mission.

On the question of Torah study, Heller described Torah learning as a national asset that the state should formally recognize. At the same time, he warned against turning Torah into an exclusive, lifelong profession for an elite minority.

“For most of Eastern European Jewry, people worked and learned Torah,” he said. “The idea that everyone must sit in kollel all day is a modern innovation.”

Toward the end of the interview, Heller recounted conversations with senior rabbanim following October 7. One rabbi, he said, told him he viewed certain problems as unsolvable because of siyata diShmaya. Heller pushed back on that approach.

“I don’t think that’s Judaism,” he said. “The Chazon Ish went into a room with Ben-Gurion because he understood that there is a state, and there is responsibility.”

Despite his sharp criticism, Heller concluded with a clear warning against hatred. “It is forbidden to hate chareidim,” he said. “It is forbidden to deny them services and present that as an achievement.”

He summarized his vision simply, though he acknowledged its complexity: “Torah, work, army — each in their own way, while preserving identity.”

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yosef Yehoshua Levi zt”l.

Rabbi Levi, who studied at the Ponevezh Yeshiva and later became a central pillar of the Torah community in Toronto, was widely known as a gifted and respected writer. For decades, he was a prominent contributor to the Hamodia newspaper, where his weekly columns earned broad acclaim.

He was born in Yerushalayimin 5698 (1938) to his father, Rav Shmuel Zev Levi, a respected member of the Gerer chassidus and a notable presence in the Beis Yisrael neighborhood. As a child, Rabbi Levi absorbed the spirit and Torah of Yerushalayim while studying at the Chayei Olam Talmud Torah.

He later continued his studies at Yeshiva Tiferes Tzion in Bnei Brak and then at Ponevezh Yeshiva, where he formed a close bond with the mashgiach, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, author of the Michtav M’Eliyahu. Known for his diligence and depth, Rabbi Levi stood out as a serious and thoughtful talmid chochom.

After reaching marriageable age, he wed his wife, Mrs. Malka Levi, daughter of Rav Mordechai Asher Friedman of Bnei Brak. She became his devoted partner in all his endeavors in chinuch and Torah dissemination, standing by his side with dedication and strength.

Following their marriage, the couple moved to Canada, beginning a significant chapter as communal emissaries in the field of education. Rabbi Levi served for many years as a beloved mechanech at a girls’ high school in Toronto, while his wife devoted herself to teaching first-grade students. Together, they were among the foundational figures of Toronto’s Torah community, opening their home as a center of warmth, chessed, guidance, and wisdom.

They merited raising generations of students who continued on the path of Torah and mitzvos, inspired by the personal care and radiant countenance they encountered. Alongside his educational work, Rabbi Levi became known as a prolific and talented writer.

For many years, he was a regular columnist for Hamodia, with his essays in the weekly supplement becoming widely read and appreciated. His writing was marked by clarity, rich language, and a deep Torah perspective on contemporary issues, with his passionate worldview clearly reflected in his words. Even in his later years, until only a few years ago, he continued to enrich readers with his insights through his weekly column.

In recent years, Rabbi Levi returned to Eretz Yisrael and lived in Yerushalayimin the home of his son, Rabbi Yeshayahu Levi. Approximately two years ago, during Sukkos, his wife, Mrs. Malka Levi, passed away. From that time, his strength gradually waned, and he accepted his yissurim with quiet dignity. On Wednesday night, he was niftar.

He is survived by his son Rabbi Yeshayahu Levi of Yerushalayim, author of the sefer Mikra Ani Doresh; his daughters, Mrs. Weisbaum of Toronto and Mrs. Klein of Flatbush; and his son, Rabbi Shmuel Levi of Lakewood, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

President Donald Trump reacted forcefully on Thursday to a report claiming that Somali couriers transported unusually large sums of cash out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, using social media to demand immediate action.

“Arrest them all. They are criminals!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social while sharing a Just the News report describing what it called a “Somali cash exodus” from Minneapolis, which the president said far exceeded similar activity at other major U.S. airports.

The repost drew attention to newly published reporting that quoted Homeland Security Department officials who said the volume of money leaving Minnesota was “substantially abnormal” and should have raised red flags during the Biden administration.

According to Just the News, Transportation Security Administration personnel detected and flagged close to $700 million in cash carried out of Minneapolis in luggage by Somali couriers during 2024 and 2025, an amount that averaged nearly $1 million per day.

The outlet reported that travelers departing Minneapolis alone accounted for $342.37 million in 2024 and $349.4 million in 2025, with officials saying some individual trips allegedly involved as much as $1 million in cash.

Investigators also raised concerns about the alleged routing of the money through Amsterdam before continuing on to Dubai, a pattern that has attracted heightened scrutiny from intelligence agencies and federal investigators.

One official familiar with the activity likened it to “like a cash ATM draining American dollars and moving them overseas,” noting that the transfers were openly carried out using legal cash declarations under customs regulations.

Just the News reported that the sums detected leaving Minneapolis were between 10 and 100 times greater than foreign cash totals seen at much larger airports and, in some cases, nearly unprecedented by comparison.

Officials told the outlet that the Minneapolis figures were “99% larger” than foreign cash detected or declared in 2025 at airports such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, or JFK, and still significantly higher than totals recorded at Seattle, another major international gateway.

Although the cash was reportedly declared legally, the outlet said the scale of the outbound money is now part of a broader Homeland Security Investigations probe connected to a multibillion-dollar fraud investigation centered in Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, where dozens of people have already been charged or convicted in earlier schemes.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the alleged Somali-linked fraud in Minnesota could be far more extensive than what investigators initially uncover.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said that if authorities have identified $19 billion in fraud, “that means it could be 50,” calling the figures “astronomical” and declaring that the “gravy train is over.” He also said individuals found complicit should be deported.

The ramifications could widen beyond criminal cases.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the administration is considering revoking the citizenship of Somali Americans convicted of fraud tied to Minnesota’s major welfare scandals, highlighting the administration’s broader effort to crack down on large-scale abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.

Among conservatives, the revelations surrounding the Minneapolis airport cash flows are prompting fresh questions about why the pattern was not flagged earlier, how much taxpayer fraud may be connected to it, and how long federal authorities may have failed to act while American dollars allegedly moved overseas in plain sight.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that European governments should pay close attention to President Donald Trump’s statements about Greenland, as the White House escalates its rhetoric toward the Danish-controlled Arctic territory.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance faulted Denmark and other European allies for what he described as insufficient efforts to safeguard Greenland, a strategically important region he said is increasingly drawing interest from Russia and China.

“I guess my advice to European leaders and anybody else would be to take the president of the United States seriously,” Vance told reporters when asked about the administration’s posture toward Greenland.

His remarks came amid heightened diplomatic activity across Europe after the White House said earlier this week that Trump wants to buy Greenland and declined to rule out the use of military force. European capitals have been scrambling to coordinate a response to the statements.

Vance pointed specifically to Trump’s argument that the United States requires Greenland for national security reasons, including “missile defense,” citing growing military activity by Moscow and Beijing in the region as Arctic ice recedes.

“So what we’re asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that land mass more seriously, because if they’re not, the United States is going to have to do something about it,” Vance said.

“What that is, I’ll leave that to the president as we continue to engage in diplomacy with our European friends and everybody on this particular topic,” he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with officials from Denmark and Greenland next week, as tensions continue to rise.

Trump has spoken for years about acquiring Greenland, but his language has intensified following last week’s U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power.

The comments have angered Denmark, a founding member of NATO and a long-standing American ally, while setting off alarm across Europe. Any invasion of Greenland would put the United States in direct conflict with a fellow NATO country and could fracture the alliance’s mutual defense framework.

European leaders have launched a wave of diplomatic efforts aimed at defusing the situation, seeking to prevent a crisis while also avoiding a direct clash with Trump, who is approaching the end of his first year back in office.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed Greenland during a call with Trump on Wednesday, “set out his position on Greenland,” and followed up with another call on Thursday in which he said more could be done to protect the “high Arctic” from Russian influence, according to Downing Street.

Vance was also meeting in Washington with British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy for talks primarily focused on the war in Ukraine, though Greenland was expected to be part of the broader discussion.

European nations have publicly backed Denmark, with several leaders joining Copenhagen in a joint statement affirming that decisions about Greenland’s future rest solely with Denmark and Greenland.

French President Emmanuel Macron went further, warning Thursday that the United States was “turning away” from its allies in what marked some of his sharpest criticism yet of Trump’s approach.

Macron argued that “global governance” was essential at a moment when, he said, “every day people wonder whether Greenland is going to be invaded.”

Vance has previously taken a hard line on Europe’s defense posture, writing in a leaked group chat with senior U.S. officials last year that he hated “bailing out” the continent.

That sentiment was echoed in the Trump administration’s national security strategy released in December, which sharply criticized Europe, warning of “civilisational erasure” driven by migration and urging the United States to support “cultivating resistance” among right-wing political movements.

{Matzav.com}

Federal prosecutors have opened a review of financial activity connected to New York Attorney General Letitia James and a longtime associate, according to a report by The New York Times.

At the center of the inquiry is Iyesata Marsh, whom investigators reportedly want to question about past transactions involving James or her political operation. Those include payments from James’ 2018 attorney general campaign to Marsh for the rental of a Brooklyn studio Marsh owns.

Investigators are also examining other payments tied to Marsh, including compensation connected to a musical performance at a political event held in Albany, New York.

The renewed scrutiny is being driven by Department of Justice Special Attorney Edward Martin Jr., who previously pursued parallel mortgage fraud investigations involving James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California.

Those earlier efforts stalled last month, when the Department of Justice failed to obtain an indictment after determining that the U.S. attorney who brought the case, Lindsey Halligan, had been improperly appointed.

James’ lawyer told the Times that the latest investigation reflects irritation over “the string of failures in carrying out President [Donald] Trump’s political vendetta.”

He characterized the focus on Marsh as an effort “to shake down people based on their association with Ms. James.”

“Like their earlier attempts, this attack on Ms. James is doomed to fail,” he said. “The desperation of those working for Trump is palpable and makes indelible the stain already put on this Justice Department.”

James and President Trump have sparred for years in courtrooms and in public, with James overseeing prominent investigations into Trump’s business dealings and financial disclosures.

That long-running conflict has kept James in Trump’s crosshairs, while Trump’s legal battles in New York have highlighted the depth of the confrontation between the president and the state’s chief legal officer.

{Matzav.com}

A frum schoolgirl from Teaneck, NJ, in Bergen County, was seriously injured after a rock was thrown at her school bus while it was traveling on a New Jersey highway.

The incident occurred as two buses from a school were returning from a class trip. While driving on the highway, a rock roughly the size of a baseball was hurled at one of the buses, striking a third-grade girl, approximately nine years old, in the head and causing severe injuries.

The child sustained a skull injury and was transported by ambulance to a local medical center. Volunteers from Hatzalah of Bergen County also responded to the scene. She is currently in need of surgery. Her name for Tehillim is Gila Bracha bas Michal Ilana.

A joint investigation is being conducted by the Teaneck Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities have not yet announced any arrests or identified suspects and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said the White House will not accept violence directed at federal law enforcement and pledged to confront what the administration views as organized efforts to provoke attacks on immigration officers.

Speaking at a press conference, Vance said President Donald Trump and he fully support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out their duties. “The president stands with ICE. I stand with ICE. We stand with all of our law enforcement officers,” Vance said.

Vance warned that the administration will respond forcefully to any attempts to intimidate or attack federal officers. “These people should not feel emboldened because they have, for the first time, maybe in American history, an administration that is not going to tolerate political violence of any kind from anywhere,” he said.

Vance also cautioned state and local officials against attempting to pursue charges against the ICE officer involved in the Minneapolis incident. “You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action. That is a federal issue,” he said. “That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job.”

The vice president criticized Minnesota’s political leadership, singling out Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and city officials in Minneapolis, accusing them of fueling hostility toward federal agents. “What I would like Minnesota to focus on is the real issue, that they are encouraging people,” Vance said, while calling on the governor to resign. “Minneapolis officials are encouraging people to commit violence against ICE officials,” he added.

Vance said easing political tensions requires halting attacks on officers and enforcing the law, pointing to claims that violent crime has fallen by 20% over the past year. “Have your debates about policy. Attack me. Attack the President of the United States. Do not attack our law enforcement officers,” he said. “They are not policy actors. They are enforcing the law.”

He urged opponents of the administration’s immigration policies to pursue change through elections rather than confrontations with agents. “Why don’t you take this to the ballot box? Why don’t you vote? Why don’t you organize?” Vance said, adding that some activists are “encouraging people to get violent with our law enforcement officials.”

Turning to the Minneapolis shooting itself, Vance said federal investigators are reviewing the incident involving Renee Nicole Good, who was shot during an immigration enforcement operation. He repeatedly described the officer’s actions as self-defense and rejected claims that the shooting was unjustified.

“She was trying to ram this guy with her car. He shot back. He defended himself,” Vance said.

Vance said the officer had “every reason to think that he was under very serious threat for injury, or in fact, his life,” adding that the woman “accelerated in a way where she ran into the guy.”

Addressing questions about intent, Vance said the circumstances warranted scrutiny but dismissed allegations of wrongdoing by the officer. “Was she panicking when she drove into this officer, or was she actually trying to ram him? That is a reasonable conversation,” he said. “What is not reasonable is for so many of you to plaster all over the media that this was an innocent woman and that the ICE agent committed murder.”

He said he was careful in how he characterized the encounter. “And I say attack very, very intentionally because this was an attack on federal law enforcement. This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people,” Vance said.

Vance also sharply rebuked media coverage of the shooting, saying it misrepresented the facts and endangered officers. “The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace,” he said. “And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”

He accused some reporters of promoting what he described as false narratives about the woman who was killed. “Everybody who has been repeating the lie that this is some innocent woman who was out for a drive in Minneapolis when a law enforcement officer shot at her, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Every single one of you,” Vance said.

Pressed on whether he was prejudging the investigation, Vance said he could not know what motivated the woman but said the officer’s response was justified. “Look, I do not know what is in a person’s heart or in a person’s head,” he said. “What I am certain of is that she violated the law.”

Vance said the administration believes the Minneapolis incident is part of a broader pattern aimed at disrupting immigration enforcement nationwide. “There is an entire network, and frankly, some of the media are participating in it, that is trying to incite violence against our law enforcement officers,” he said.

He said federal authorities are working to trace those efforts. “Part of our investigatory work is getting to the bottom of it. Who is funding it, who is supporting it, who is cheerleading it … who told protesters to show up and engage in violent activity against our law enforcement officers?” Vance said. “There’s an entire network.”

WATCH:

Demonstrations against Iran’s ruling establishment escalated sharply over the past day, with unrest reported in multiple cities. Early accounts said opposition forces had taken control of Karaj, while large crowds flooded the streets of Tehran, Mashhad, and other urban centers, shouting slogans against the government and its religious authorities.

As the turmoil has widened, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Amir Khatami, issued a pointed message aimed at US President Donald Trump, cautioning him against any involvement in the unrest shaking the country.

Khatami dismissed the idea that the protests have any connection to Washington or to Israel, referring to the Prime Minister of “the criminal Zionist entity.” He asserted that ordinary Iranians have conducted themselves in a “dignified and admirable” way, standing firm against what he described as “rioters” and declining to follow the course he claimed the United States and Israel had anticipated.

According to the Iranian general, public demonstrations are a normal occurrence worldwide, but he argued that when protests descend into violence, that shift is “certainly” the product of deliberate orchestration by “the enemy.”

Khatami’s remarks came after Trump publicly warned Iran’s leadership that harming civilians amid the protests could trigger a direct response from the United States. Trump said America would not remain on the sidelines and would hold Iran’s leaders personally accountable for any injury inflicted on their own people.

{Matzav.com}

[Videos below.] Public dissent continued to surface across Iran, with demonstrators in the capital and outlying regions using increasingly blunt symbols and slogans to denounce the ruling system and its leadership.

Earlier in the week, protesters in Tehran echoed language used by Elon Musk in a recent social media post criticizing the Iranian regime, adopting the term “murderer” in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a highly symbolic gesture, one protester displayed a sign in the heart of the city bearing the words “President Trump Street.”

In western Iran, unrest was reported Wednesday night in the city of Ilam, where demonstrators gathered in the streets chanting “Death to Khamenei,” according to videos sent to the Iran International website.

Separate video clips circulating on social media showed protesters in Fars Province tearing down and destroying a statue of Qassem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

That act followed a similar incident last week in the southwestern city of Lali in Khuzestan, where demonstrators set fire to another statue of Soleimani.

The latest destruction occurred on the eve of the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing in a US drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020, a date that continues to carry deep symbolic weight amid Iran’s ongoing unrest.

WATCH:

Protesters took to the streets in Ilam, western Iran, on Wednesday evening, chanting “Death to Khamenei,” according to videos sent to Iran International.pic.twitter.com/kKxTpbDmw3

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 7, 2026

— Protesters destroy and topple a Qasem Soleimani statue in one of the counties of Fars Province pic.twitter.com/kxdnq03PwC

— The Palestinian Observer (@TPObserver) January 7, 2026

After approving a plea agreement, the Yerushalayim District Court imposed a custodial sentence on Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rompler, ordering him to serve 24 months behind bars, less time already spent in detention. The ruling also included suspended sentences, a fine of 10,000 shekels, and an order to pay 12,000 shekels in compensation to the victim.

In its decision, the court described the incident in stark terms, writing that “the facts detailed in the first count, which concerns the assault, are severe and chilling,” and stressing that the violence displayed especially serious characteristics.

Rompler was convicted of aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm after he struck a 10-year-old boy in front of other students within the Lev Tahor cult. The verdict noted that the attack took place publicly, in the presence of the child’s peers.

The court also found Rompler guilty of breaching a legal order by leaving Israel despite a stay of exit order and evading the proceedings. He fled the country while the case was pending.

Following his escape, Rompler was apprehended abroad and returned to Israel through an extradition process carried out by the International Department of the State Prosecution.

During sentencing submissions, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office, represented by attorney Tzur Huta, underscored the extraordinary gravity of the offense. Prosecutors pointed to the abuse of a position of authority within a closed community, the targeting of a defenseless minor, and the fact that the violence occurred in front of other children.

An Israeli High Court hearing on Thursday placed a spotlight on the government’s handling of budget transfers to chareidi educational institutions, after the state acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of the funds in question were moved improperly.

During the session, state attorney Neta Oren conceded that about 90 percent of the one billion shekels transferred was not carried out in accordance with legal requirements. She told the court that the transfer followed established procedures, saying that “there is such a practice” of moving funds in this manner. Justice Yael Wilner rejected that explanation, replying, “This is not legal.”

Justice Wilner also questioned the legal basis for the timing of the transfers, noting that most of the money appeared to have been moved before approval by the Knesset Finance Committee. Turning to the state’s representative, she asked pointedly, “By what authority?”

Earlier in the hearing, Justice Wilner sharply criticized the Knesset’s representative for failing to present the Finance Committee protocol, underscoring its importance by stating, “The protocol is the heart of the matter”.

The petition was filed by the Yesh Atid party, which argued that the funds were directed to chareidi institutions that do not teach core curriculum subjects and are not subject to state supervision, in violation of existing law.

Separately, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed the court on Wednesday that she supports lifting the interim order that froze the transfer. She added that if it is ultimately determined that money was allocated to institutions that fail to meet the required criteria, the sums could be offset or deducted at a later stage.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Health Ministry renewed its call for vaccinations and caution around outbreaks after reporting another fatality linked to measles, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease to 13. Most of those who have died were infants who had been otherwise healthy but had not received the measles vaccine.

Health officials stressed the importance of early intervention, saying: “Timely medical treatment upon the onset of symptoms or suspicion of infection saves lives.”

The ministry reiterated that measles can be prevented through a safe and effective vaccine, which is routinely recommended for children at ages one and six. In regions experiencing outbreaks, the second dose is advised at 18 months, and vaccination is recommended even for infants between 6 and 11 months old.

The latest case involved an 11-month-old baby who had no prior medical conditions but had not been vaccinated. The infant’s condition deteriorated rapidly after contracting measles-related complications.

Hospital officials said the baby was transferred on Wednesday from another medical facility to Hadassah Medical Center in critical condition. Upon arrival, the infant was placed on an ECMO machine, with the pediatric intensive care unit team working intensively for several hours in an effort to stabilize her.

Despite those efforts, the baby succumbed to the illness on Thursday evening. In a statement released afterward, the medical center said, “We share in the family’s sorrow.”

In light of the ongoing outbreak, the Health Ministry advised unvaccinated individuals, as well as parents of infants who received only a single early dose, to avoid large gatherings in affected areas due to the heightened risk of infection.

{Matzav.com}

Moscow on Thursday issued a sharp rejection of a US- and Europe-backed proposal tied to efforts to end the war in Ukraine, a move that threatens to derail President Trump’s attempt to broker a settlement.

In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that the initiative being advanced by Washington and its allies would deepen confrontation rather than calm it. “The new militarist declarations of the so-called Coalition of the Willing and the Kyiv regime are forming a true axis of war,” the ministry said. “Its participants’ plans are becoming increasingly more dangerous and destructive for the future of the European continent and its residents, who are also forced by Western politicians to pay for such ambitions out of their own pockets.”

Russian officials argued that the plan envisions a sustained Western military footprint in Ukraine after any ceasefire. “Its core element is the deployment of ‘a multinational force’ on Ukrainian territory that the coalition will have to form to contribute to the ‘rebuilding’ of the Ukrainian armed forces and ‘support deterrence’ following the cessation of the hostilities,” the ministry added.

According to Moscow, the broader framework offers little in the way of genuine reconciliation. “The document turned out to be extremely far from a peace settlement. The declaration is not aimed at achieving a lasting peace and security but rather at continuing the militarization, escalation and further conflict aggravation,” the ministry claimed.

The Russian response followed a meeting in Paris earlier this week, where Trump’s peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined European leaders in endorsing a five-point addendum focused on postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. That package outlines “critical long term military assistance” to Kyiv, the creation of a “European-led” multinational peacekeeping force, continued arms support, and the threat of renewed sanctions “in the case of a future armed attack by Russia,” along with “mutually beneficial defence cooperation with Ukraine.”

The addendum is tied to a broader 20-point peace proposal intended to halt the fighting. Should the security guarantees be turned down — a condition Ukraine has demanded — the entire framework for ending the conflict could collapse.

Russia also rejected the continuation of Trump’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, which enables European countries to purchase US-manufactured weapons for delivery to Ukraine as a deterrent against future aggression. “The document also includes clauses on further consolidation of Ukraine’s and NATO’s military industrial sectors,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Officials in Moscow contend that the overall approach would effectively grant Ukraine NATO-style protections without formal membership, locking in Western influence while, in their view, leaving Russia vulnerable.

In a separate section of its statement, the Foreign Ministry criticized the recent US seizure of the Bella 1 oil tanker, later renamed the Marinera while flying a Russian flag. Moscow said the action violated international maritime law and endangered freedom of navigation. “The use of force in international waters against a civilian vessel can only be interpreted as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms,” the ministry said. “… This constitutes a material infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of the vessel owner.”

Russian officials further alleged that Trump’s directives in the matter could trigger serious international tensions and erode established maritime standards.

Washington, however, maintains that the seizure was lawful, noting that the United States is not a party to the UN maritime convention and asserting that the vessel was taken for breaching a US blockade on Venezuelan oil ports.

{Matzav.com}

Tiveria was roiled this week by a heated public controversy following a sharply worded letter from Rav Dov Kook in which he condemned public Shabbos desecration at the Chof Gai complex.

The letter called on chareidi organizations to immediately cancel vacations and Shabbos programs at the site, triggering widespread reaction across the Torah and chassidic worlds.

The issue came to a head with a prestigious and meticulously planned “Shabbos Negidim” scheduled to take place at the location under the leadership of the well-known mashpia, Rav Elimelech Biderman. The organizers, who had finalized arrangements already the previous winter, suddenly found themselves facing a major crisis.

As soon as Rav Biderman became aware of Rav Kook’s protest, he instructed unequivocally and without hesitation: “Cancel the Shabbos.” The directive was issued despite the enormous financial fallout involved—losses estimated at roughly half a million shekels in sunk costs and guarantees—absorbed entirely for the sake of kavod Shabbos.

In light of the severe losses, the organizers turned to close talmidim of Rav Kook: Rav Moshe Chaim Schneider, head of Machon Sifsei Kohen, and Rav Yaakov Brizel. Together with the rov of Tiberias, Rabbi Yigal Mamlia, they undertook a thorough, on-the-ground investigation to determine the precise facts.

The inquiry revealed a materially different picture from what had initially been assumed. Investigators established that the hotel and the adjacent water park operate as two entirely separate entities, both legally and administratively. While the water park does indeed operate on Shabbos—forming the basis for Rav Kook’s original protest—the hotel itself fully observes Shabbos, operates in accordance with halacha, and is under the stringent kashrus supervision of the city’s rav. It was further confirmed that there is complete physical separation between the two facilities, with no access or functional connection between the hotel and the park.

Armed with these findings, the heads of Machon Sifsei Kohen returned to Rav Kook and presented the clarified facts. After hearing the full account and understanding that the hotel conducts itself with strict Shabbos observance, Rav Kook issued a directive: “Immediately contact Rav Elimelech Biderman and ask him not to cancel the Shabbos.”

Rav Kook explained that he had no desire to cause financial harm—directly or indirectly—to individuals or businesses that are meticulous in Shabbos observance and have no involvement whatsoever in the Shabbos desecration at the water park.

Rav Kook followed up by sending a personal letter to the benefactors and organizers of the Shabbos. In the letter, he expressed regret over the initial misunderstanding, praised their unwavering commitment and self-sacrifice in standing up for the honor of Shabbos, and offered heartfelt brachos for continued success in all their endeavors.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

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What you see from the outside tells you nothing. 

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A senior Knesset member has lodged an urgent complaint with the defense minister following what he described as serious failures in the treatment of chareidi detainees held at a military prison.

MK Yonatan Mashriki, former chairman of the Knesset Health Committee, sent a sharply worded letter on Wednesday to Defense Minister Yisroel Katz after visiting Military Prison 10. During the visit, Mashriki met with three yeshiva students who were detained in connection with the ongoing dispute over the legal status of yeshiva enrollment.

According to Mashriki, the detainees reported that for three consecutive days they were not provided with mehadrin kosher food, despite explicitly requesting meals that conform to their strictly observant lifestyle. As a result, they were at times left without adequate nutrition altogether.

In his letter, Mashriki described the situation as unacceptable and said it amounted to a severe violation of basic rights. He stressed that access to food is a fundamental right anchored in Israel’s Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, which guarantees the protection of every person’s life and dignity. He also cited High Court rulings that obligate the state to hold detainees under appropriate conditions, including providing food of sufficient quantity and suitable composition to safeguard both health and human dignity.

Mashriki urged the defense minister to intervene immediately. He called for a thorough investigation into the claims raised during his visit, strict enforcement of prison procedures regarding the provision of mehadrin kosher food and adherence to the laws of kashrus, and a detailed report outlining the findings and corrective steps to be taken.

In response, an IDF spokesperson said that mehadrin kosher meals are supplied daily to detainees. According to the statement, a temporary shortage of mehadrin meat meals led to the provision of mehadrin vegetarian alternatives. The spokesperson added that the issue has since been addressed and supplies have been replenished.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’m writing this with a heavy feeling, because it’s something a lot of people see and nobody wants to say out loud.

Somewhere along the way, lines got blurry. Very blurry.

It used to be understood — not written, not announced, just understood — that young married couples had gedarim. Not chumros, not weird rules. Just basic normal boundaries.

Today, it’s becoming normal to see young couples hanging out together way too casually, eating meals together, sitting around together for long stretches of time, sometimes late at night, sometimes with nobody else around. And everyone pretends it’s no big deal.

It is a big deal.

This isn’t about being paranoid or accusing anyone of anything. It’s about common sense. It’s about knowing human nature. It’s about recognizing that when you remove boundaries, things don’t magically stay safe because everyone has good intentions.

We didn’t grow up with this. Our parents didn’t grow up with this. There was a natural sense of distance, of respect, of “this isn’t for us.” Today it’s brushed off as being friendly, normal, modern, or “we’re all frum anyway.” Since when did frumkeit mean pretending we’re immune to reality?

What’s most disturbing is how defensive people get when this is brought up. As if pointing out a problem makes you the problem. As if asking for basic tznius is old-fashioned or extreme. מאז ומעולם, boundaries protected people. They didn’t suffocate them.

And let’s not fool ourselves. This doesn’t just affect the couples involved. It affects shalom bayis. It affects trust. It affects the atmosphere young families are building. Kids grow up seeing what’s normal. When everything is casual and mixed and unguarded, that becomes the standard.

No one is saying people can’t be friendly. No one is saying couples should live in isolation. But there’s a huge difference between normal interactions and hanging out at Shabbos seudos or an oneg Shabbos or on vacation like it’s a social club with zero awareness of what we’re risking.

We love to talk about יורדת הדורות. Maybe instead of blaming phones or the outside world, we should look at the things we quietly allowed inside and decided weren’t worth pushing back on.

Some things don’t need long speeches. They just need honesty. And courage to say: This isn’t how it’s supposed to look.

Signed,
C. L.

Formerly of Coventry

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{Matzav.com}

A Yerushalayim District Court judge ruled Thursday morning that bus driver Fakhri Khatib, who killed 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal z”l,  will be released from custody and placed under house arrest for three days, overturning a lower court decision that had kept him jailed.

The decision followed an appeal filed by Khatib’s attorneys after the Magistrate’s Court ordered that he remain in detention for an additional nine days.

That ruling came after Israel Police initially sought a 15-day extension of his arrest in connection with the deadly incident during Tuesday’s draft protest.

Earlier, police downgraded the charge against Khatib from aggravated murder to manslaughter. In extending the detention at that stage, the Magistrate’s Court judge remarked, “I believe the driver that this was a stressful situation. However, I do not believe that driving into a crowd is a reasonable option, and as we saw, its results were severe.”

The case stems from the anti-draft demonstration that took place Tuesday in Yerushalayim. A Line 64 bus became encircled by demonstrators. According to investigators, Khatib contacted police requesting assistance and, shortly afterward, accelerated the bus into the crowd. The impact killed Yosef Eisenthal and left three others wounded.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

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