Matzav

Against the backdrop of ongoing debates over the draft law and the intermittent detention of yeshiva students, Hagaon Rav Dov Landau delivered words of chizuk to bochurim at Yeshivas Mishkenos HaTorah in Bnei Brak.

Opening his address, Rav Landau said, “Outside, all kinds of things are happening, and all kinds of talk is going on. A large portion of that talk is against the Torah and against those who learn Torah…various decrees and various plots, rachmana litzlan.”

He went on to outline what he described as the only proper response. “The only way to deal with all of this,” the rosh yeshiva said, “is to ignore them and their noise, and to engage in Torah study with depth and total immersion, with all one’s strength and at all times.” He urged the bochurim to channel their natural curiosity exclusively into Torah learning, adding, “There is so much to find in the Torah. This is the path we received from our rabbeim, zichronam livrachah, throughout all generations—to be completely immersed in Torah.”

Rav Landau emphasized that steadfast dedication to learning serves as a spiritual shield. “Only in this way,” he said, “will everything that is happening outside be unable to penetrate us, and no force in the world will be able to overcome us. Baruch Hashem, the bnei hayeshiva here are immersed in their learning. Continue on the path laid out for us by our rabbeim, to be even more deeply immersed in Torah.”

He further encouraged the talmidim to remain attached to the mesorah of their rabbeim. “Be davuk in the Torah of your rabbeim, the rosh yeshiva and the rabbonim shlita, who educate you according to the tradition of the yeshivos. In this way you will merit to live a life of Torah, which brings happiness and honor to one who lives by this path.”

Concluding his remarks, Rav Landau offered a brachah to the leadership of the yeshiva. “I want to bless the rosh yeshiva, shlita, and the rabbonim, shlita, that your borders be expanded with worthy talmidim. May you increase Torah in Klal Yisroel, and may the Name of Heaven be sanctified and elevated through you. May Hakadosh Baruch Hu annul the counsel of our enemies and merit us with a complete geulah speedily in our days, amein.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s largest supermarket chain, Shufersal, has been hit with a significant regulatory penalty after the Israel Competition Authority imposed a fine of more than NIS 8 million, citing the company’s failure to provide required data during an official investigation.

The decision was announced Wednesday by the Competition Commissioner following an extensive review process and a formal hearing in which Shufersal presented its arguments. After weighing those claims, the commissioner rejected them and moved forward with the substantial financial sanction, signaling a tougher stance toward companies that delay or withhold information deemed essential to regulatory oversight.

The case stems from a broad examination conducted by the Competition Authority across Israel’s food sector. As part of a comprehensive market study aimed at analyzing cost structures, pricing mechanisms, and the overall cost of living, the authority issued data requests to Shufersal and other major players in the industry. While regulators expected full cooperation, they later determined that the information provided by Shufersal was incomplete.

According to the authority, the data submitted did not include key figures—most notably the company’s operational expenses—information described as critical to assessing the chain’s true profitability. The situation escalated when Shufersal maintained that the requested data was not in its possession. Regulators say that after repeated inquiries, it ultimately became clear that the data did, in fact, exist and was eventually transferred to the authority.

This revelation—that the information had been available despite earlier claims to the contrary—led the Competition Commissioner to conclude that there were serious flaws in the company’s conduct. As a result, and after dismissing Shufersal’s explanations, the authority decided to impose the hefty fine.

In its announcement, the Competition Authority stressed that the move was about more than a single company. It emphasized that the commissioner has clear legal authority, under Section 46(b) of the Economic Competition Law, to demand data from market participants. The statement further noted that receiving complete, accurate, and timely information is vital to the authority’s work, whether in enforcement proceedings, in evaluating mergers and transactions requiring approval, or in conducting market studies.

Shufersal, for its part, firmly rejected the allegations and signaled that it intends to challenge the decision. In a statement, the company said it “acts in accordance with the law,” adding that it routinely receives numerous data requests from the Competition Authority and provides extensive information on an ongoing basis while fully cooperating. “This was also the case here,” the company asserted.

The retail giant made clear it does not intend to pay the fine without a legal fight, announcing that it plans to file an appeal against the authority’s decision with the Competition Tribunal.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addressed the fatal ramming that occurred Tuesday night on Route 3533 at the entrance to Komemiyus, vowing firm enforcement and backing police action following the death of a Satmar yeshiva bochur.

The victim, identified as Naftali Zvi Kramer, a talmid of the Satmar Yeshiva, was killed in the incident. In a video message, Ben Gvir offered condolences to the Kramer family while delivering what he described as an unequivocal deterrent message regarding the safety of the chareidi public.

“I send my condolences to the dear Kramer family and I back the Israel Police for arresting the driver who committed this horrific act,” the minister said. “The blood of our chareidi brothers will not be treated as free.”

In an earlier statement, Ben Gvir wrote: “My heart is with the dear Kramer family in this difficult hour, and I send my deepest condolences over the heavy tragedy in which their son, Zvi Kramer, of blessed memory, lost his life. There are no words that can comfort such pain; the people of Israel embrace you.”

He added: “I fully back the Israel Police, who acted decisively to locate and arrest the driver who carried out the ramming. Anyone who chose to drive recklessly in a manner that resulted in the taking of a human life must be punished with the full severity of the law. I trust the police to carry out their work to the end.”

Concluding his remarks, Ben Gvir stressed: “And from here, a clear message to my chareidi brothers and sisters: your blood is not free. We will not allow such cases to pass in silence, and we will ensure that these severe incidents are handled firmly, decisively, and without compromise.”

Meanwhile, questions surrounding the circumstances of Kramer’s death continue to mount, bolstered by disturbing footage and eyewitness accounts from the scene.

Central to the investigation is a video recorded from inside the bus involved in the incident. In the footage, passengers can be heard reacting in alarm as the driver accelerates toward a group of yeshiva students standing on the roadway.

“What is he doing? He’s crazy… those are yeshiva students, stop! What did he do, idiot!” one passenger is heard shouting in the moments before the fatal impact.

Investigators say the fact that passengers noticed the driver’s abnormal conduct prior to the collision strengthens suspicions that the driver acted with, at minimum, a disregard for human life. The case remains under investigation by the Israel Police.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

We learn in this week’s parsha about the makkah of choshech, a darkness so thick that it paralyzed an entire civilization. Mitzrayim was plunged into a suffocating blackness that immobilized its people, leaving them unable to move, see, or function. Yet, amid that oppressive gloom, the Jewish people walked with light wherever they went. Two worlds existed side by side: one blinded and frozen, the other illuminated and alive; one enveloped by darkness and one enjoying bright light.

Chazal teach that only one-fifth of the Jewish people merited leaving Mitzrayim. The rest, tragically, did not survive. They lacked the inner strength of faith, the resolve to cling to Hashem and to the mesorah handed down through the generations. They perished quietly, concealed by the darkness itself, their loss unnoticed by a world that could no longer see.

The Rishonim and Acharonim regularly remind us that Jewish history does not merely repeat itself. It reveals itself. Maaseh avos siman labonim. What happened to our forefathers is a map for their children. The descent into, and emergence from, Mitzrayim foreshadows our own journey toward redemption. The Jewish people, scattered across continents and cultures, will face confusion, hardship, and suffering until the destined moment arrives.

We live today in ikvesa deMeshicha, the final footsteps before Moshiach. And just as the road out of Mitzrayim passed through choshech, so too our era is cloaked in darkness. It presses in from all sides, blurring truth, distorting values, and numbing sensitivity.

Those who cleave to Torah and mitzvos possess light, as the posuk states, “Ki ner mitzvah v’Torah ohr.” Torah illuminates when the world grows dim. It provides clarity, direction, and stability when everything feels uncertain. Those who abandon it, especially under pressure, often find themselves without anchors, sinking into moral confusion, greed, anxiety, and despair.

We confront a relentlessly shifting society, one eroded by fading morals and relentless temptation. New challenges arise daily. To merit Moshiach, we must work to preserve what makes us who we are. We must remember why we were created and what our mission is. Every decision we make requires us to consider whether this action brings the geulah closer or pushes it further away. If it adds light to the world, it deserves pursuit. If it deepens the darkness, it must be resisted.

The rise of tumah blinds many to what should be self-evident. The challenges and tests are severe. Emunah and bitachon are stretched. Tzaros multiply. The righteous suffer, the vulnerable falter, and Jews everywhere look ahead with apprehension.

We can only imagine the anguish during the darkest days of avdus in Mitzrayim, as multitudes of Yaakov Avinu’s descendants lost hope. Mitzrayim’s decadent culture beckoned them.

Then choshech descended, not as a sudden blow, but as a creeping presence, quiet and consuming. It did not announce itself with thunder or terror. It slipped in gently, disguising itself as progress, sophistication, and freedom. Those caught within it believed that they were moving forward, stepping into light, even as their vision dimmed and their footing faltered. The darkness was not merely the absence of light. It was a distortion of reality itself.

For those who mistook illusion for enlightenment, the darkness felt reassuring at first. Then the choshech thickened. It immobilized. It silenced. It erased. Those who had loosened their grip on emunah found that there was nothing left to hold them upright when the world went dark. Their disappearance was almost imperceptible, concealed beneath the shroud of night. No cries echoed. No monuments were raised. They simply slipped away, casualties not of persecution, but of confusion.

This was the strongest aspect of the makkah. The darkness did not destroy indiscriminately. It revealed who possessed inner light and who had extinguished it. The geulah was clearly unfolding just as Hakadosh Boruch Hu told them it would, but not everyone could see it, and not everyone could endure its demands. The promise of freedom passed over those who had freed themselves from the truth.

This is the enduring danger: What looks like light may, in truth, be darkness.

That danger did not end in Mitzrayim. It follows us into our daily lives — quieter now, more polished, more seductive. Choshech rarely announces itself as evil. It arrives cloaked in confidence, wrapped in slogans of self-expression, progress, and enlightenment. It promises ease, validation, and belonging. And like the darkness of Mitzrayim, it dulls our vision just enough that we stop noticing what we are losing.

In our world, false light abounds. Ideas that erode morality are marketed as compassion. Self-indulgence is rebranded as authenticity. The abandonment of limits is celebrated as freedom. Values once considered corrosive are elevated as virtues. While it all shines brightly, beneath the surface lies decay.

The test now is not whether we can recognize obvious evil, but whether we can distinguish truth from its clever imitations. Not everything that feels good is good. Not everything that is popular is right. Not everything that glows leads forward. Choshech today is the confusion that convinces a person to trade depth for comfort, meaning for acceptance, and eternity for immediacy.

Pursuing truth demands courage, because truth often resists convenience. When the world urges us to loosen our grip on principle in exchange for applause or ease, we must remember how quickly false light turns into immobilizing darkness.

In a world skilled at disguising corruption, the pursuit of truth becomes an act of quiet defiance. It is how we ensure that when darkness descends, we are not among those who vanish unnoticed, but among those who still shine, steady, enduring, and real.

In our world, darkness can masquerade as light, cloaked in language that sounds faithful to our mesorah but is, in truth, opposed to the sacred values and traditions handed down through the generations. It arrives gradually, through a steady drip of foreign ideas, methods, and attitudes, smoothly packaged in familiar words and comforting concepts. Disguised in this way, they slip past our defenses, quietly take root, and begin to reshape our thinking from within.

We must remain vigilant and steadfastly devoted to the mesorah of our rabbeim and parents, not allowing ourselves to be diverted from the path of growth, excellence in learning, and living as true Torah Jews. Our strength lies in constancy, in loyalty to the values that have guided our people through every golus and every challenge.

Just as a flashlight pierces the darkness of a night journey, so does the Torah illuminate our way. When a blackout descends, people do not surrender to the dark. They switch on lanterns to restore vision and allow life to continue. The Torah, as transmitted to us by our rabbeim, who are likened to malochim, is that lantern. As the world grows dim, gray, and confused, the Torah provides clarity, direction, and warmth.

At a time that cries out for illumination, each of us must add sparks. We must expose falsehood, clarify reality, and prepare ourselves and the world for Moshiach. So much is plainly evident, yet we watch as the world’s media, culture, and institutions twist facts to advance their agendas. In the broader world, darkness often prevails. Truth is optional, and falsehood carries little consequence.

Just as the Jews in Mitzrayim were subjugated by a hypocritical ruler and a duplicitous society, hypocrisy defines our age, increasingly so in its treatment of Jews. Nations with blood-soaked pasts lecture Israel for defending itself against terrorists bent on its destruction. Mass slaughter in Africa is met with silence, while Israel’s fight for survival sparks outrage and fixation. Iranians risk their lives in the streets demanding freedom, yet those who loudly chanted for a “Free Palestine” show no concern for them. Russia levels cities and commits atrocities, and it is met with weary acceptance. The spotlight remains fixed, relentlessly, on the lone Jewish state.

Meanwhile, Jews who once lived peacefully in Europe, the United States, and Canada now confront levels of anti-Semitism unseen in generations. From elementary schools to universities, hostility is not only tolerated but, in many cases, taught. Ancient libels, long thought buried, have been exhumed and repackaged as accepted truth. Modern media has given a megaphone to lunatics spewing disjointed hatred, allowing them to amass millions of followers eager to absorb the lies and once again fixate on the eternal scapegoat: the Jews.

The State of Israel was founded on the hope that sovereignty would end Jew-hatred and secure acceptance among the nations. History has delivered a harsher verdict.

Many are bewildered. Why the hatred? Why the double standards?

Those rooted in Torah are not perplexed. They know the answer articulated by the Ramban at the close of this week’s parsha.

Hashem brought the makkos to demonstrate that He created the world and governs it entirely. When He wills, nature proceeds as usual. When He wills otherwise, it bends instantly to His command. Nothing is random. Nothing is autonomous.

The Torah commands every generation to teach the next one about Yetzias Mitzrayim and its miracles. Doing so reminds us that Hashem orchestrates all events and that nothing “just happens.” There is meaning even when we do not grasp it. Hashem watches over each of us with care. Reward and consequence are real. We are never abandoned, and events do not unfold because of human moods, tyrants, rivals, or chance. They occur because Hashem wills them to, for reasons often beyond our understanding.

This is why so many mitzvos are zeicher l’Yetzias Mitzrayim. Remembering the makkos and the geulah from that sad situation reinforces that Hashem created, sustains, and directs everything in the world and in our lives.

As forces of falsehood and darkness contend for dominance, we must fortify our emunah and bitachon and live in a way that finds favor in Hashem’s eyes. We remain a nation of truth, morality, dignity, and integrity. We are not shaken by mockery, nor derailed by hypocrites, buffoons, or megaphone moralists.

Following the First World War, the Belzer Rebbe was forced to leave Belz due to hostilities and sought refuge in Hungary. As he began returning home, word spread that he would be stopping in the city of Holoshitz for Shabbos. Thousands of people from surrounding towns and cities made their way there, hoping for the rare opportunity to spend Shabbos in the presence of the great rebbe. Among them was Rabbi Naftoli Tzvi Ungar, who brought along his ten-year-old son. Many families did the same, unsure if they would ever have another chance to see the rebbe.

At the Friday night tish, however, the crowd was overwhelming. The young boy, eager to see the rebbe, was shoved and smacked by others pressing forward, all trying to catch a glimpse of the tzaddik. Terrified of being smacked again, the boy refused to accompany his father on Shabbos day, staying away from the rebbe’s tishen despite his yearning to be close.

At seudah shlishis, the rebbe asked Rabbi Ungar about his son’s whereabouts. Amazed that the rebbe had noticed that the boy was present at the Friday evening tish and then absent throughout Shabbos, Rabbi Ungar explained what had happened and that his son was afraid to return, lest he be smacked again.

The rebbe responded that Rabbi Ungar should tell his son, “Ah Yid tur nit dershreken ven her chapt ah gutteh klop — A Jew mustn’t be afraid when he gets a good smack.”

The rebbe was teaching that life is filled with moments that are uncomfortable, challenging, or even frightening. We encounter obstacles, slights, setbacks, and tests that shake our comfort and confidence. Yet, just as the “good smack” was not meant to harm the boy, so are the difficulties in our lives guided by Hashem’s hand. Nothing happens by accident, nothing is meaningless, and even what appears unpleasant can have purpose.

This lesson resonates profoundly when we consider the choshech of our own times. Just as Mitzrayim was shrouded in a darkness that paralyzed an entire nation, so does our modern world present illusions of light — values, ideas, and trends that glitter but are morally dim, that dazzle but corrupt. The darkness can be subtle, persuasive, and relentless. It challenges our vision, tests our faith, and tempts us to abandon what we know is true and sacred.

The Belzer Rebbe’s wisdom teaches that even in the face of such darkness, we need not fear. We may be jostled, misled, or even harmed by the pressures and smacks of life, yet Hashem’s guiding hand is always present. Just as the boy was reassured about the smack he had received, so must we trust that our emunah, bitachon, and perseverance are our light in the darkness. Torah and mitzvos are our lanterns, steady and reliable even when the world grows gray and black.

Illumination is not always gentle or easy. Sometimes the path forward requires courage, discipline, and steadfastness. Even when the world surges with hatred toward the Jewish people, even when false lights threaten to blind us, we hold fast to what we know is right, true, and eternal.

In a world of moral ambiguity, deception, and hostility, we must do our best to generate sparks of light. We must cultivate clarity, learn Torah on a deeper level, strengthen our emunah, be more careful in our kiyum hamitzvos, and shine by example. We should not shrink in the face of the dark, be deceived by illusions of brightness, or lose sight of the Divine guidance that watches over every Jew.

Torah and mitzvos are the enduring beacons of light, piercing the choshech that defines our time and carving a passage through the shadows. May they continue to illuminate our path, banish the darkness, and lead us swiftly to the coming of Moshiach.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance will visit Minneapolis today to deliver remarks focused on “restoring law and order” in Minnesota and hold a roundtable with local leaders and community members, the White House said.

Vance’s visit comes as tensions have escalated in Minneapolis this month over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and investigations into alleged fraud involving the city’s Somali community.

Protests erupted in Minneapolis following two shootings involving federal law enforcement.

On Jan. 7, Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed as her vehicle struck an ICE officer, federal authorities said.

A week later, a federal officer shot an illegal alien in the leg during a traffic stop after officials said the man and others attacked the agent with a shovel and broom handle.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, and other federal officials have visited Minnesota since Good’s death.

On Sunday, a number of anti-ICE protesters disrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul. One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, allegedly leads the local ICE field office overseeing operations involving the arrest of illegal aliens.

The Department of Justice said it’s investigating the incident.

Vance last visited Minneapolis in September in the wake of the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. He and second lady Usha Vance visited a memorial outside the church and held private meetings with families affected by the shooting.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that Hamas would face swift destruction if it fails to lay down its arms, delivering the remarks during a broad address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We have peace in the Middle East,” he said.

Trump maintained that Hamas had agreed to disarm, despite public statements by the Palestinian terror group rejecting such a move.

“There are some little situations like Hamas, and Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons,” he asserted.

Acknowledging the difficulty of the demand, Trump added that Hamas’s long-standing reliance on armed violence complicates the process.

“They were born with a weapon in their hand, so it’s not easy to do,” Trump said.

Still, the president said he expects clarity soon on whether the group will comply. “That’s what they’ve agreed to, they’re going to do it,” he said. “And we’re going to know over the next two-three days, certainly the next three weeks, whether or not they’re going to do it.”

He followed with a blunt warning. “If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly,” he said.

Trump also repeated his claim that dozens of countries are prepared to participate in a future International Stabilization Force for Gaza, emphasizing that many are eager to confront Hamas directly.

He said the “59 countries” interested in joining the force “want to come in and take out Hamas. They want to do whatever they can.”

Later, speaking to reporters at the start of his meeting with Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Davos, Trump doubled down on the threat. “If they don’t get rid of the guns, they’ll be very unhappy people. [They’re] going to have no choice. They will be eliminated,” he said.

The United States has faced difficulty persuading countries to commit troops to the proposed force, particularly amid uncertainty over whether Hamas would actually disarm and whether the Israel Defense Forces would continue withdrawing from Gaza. One country previously cited by Washington, Azerbaijan, announced earlier this month that it would not take part.

However, U.S. officials briefing reporters last week said sufficient commitments have now been secured and indicated that a formal announcement could come within roughly two weeks.

One of those briefings also appeared to confirm earlier reporting by The Times of Israel that the mission of the stabilization force has been narrowed, focusing on border security and humanitarian assistance rather than active military operations to disarm Hamas.

Under Trump’s Gaza peace framework, whose first phase took effect in October, the stabilization force is intended to assume responsibility for security in the Strip while the IDF gradually reduces its presence, which currently covers 53% of the territory.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday that he intends to press ahead with income tax increases, brushing aside a state budget proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul that included a promise not to raise taxes, the NY Post report.

Mamdani’s stance marks his latest effort to nudge Hochul leftward, aligning state policy with his own agenda and that of progressive supporters who want higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations to finance expansive initiatives, including fare-free bus service.

“Our administration is preparing to make the case that it is the time for New York’s most profitable corporations and wealthiest residents to pay their fair share,” Mamdani said while speaking to reporters at an unrelated event at the Whitney Museum in Manhattan.

His remarks came a day after Hochul rolled out a sweeping $260 billion spending plan for New York, as the Democratic governor navigates competing pressures from both ends of her party in an election year.

Hochul’s budget also included a proposal for universal pre-kindergarten, a priority long championed by Mamdani and his allies.

Still, the mayor argued that the city is shortchanged under the current arrangement, noting that New York City contributes 54.5% of state tax revenues but receives only 40.5% in return, and that any local tax increases would require approval from Albany.

“What we are looking to do is to tackle long standing fiscal issues that both have to do with the need for more revenue from the highest earners, but also the relationship between City Hall and Albany,” he said.

Despite having been in office for just three weeks, Mamdani is already confronting a projected $12.6 billion budget gap over the next two fiscal years. He laid the blame for the city’s financial troubles on his predecessor, Eric Adams, while saying the state’s finances remain solid.

“I think that it’s actually the governor’s fiscal stewardship, I think it’s also the strength of our city’s tax base, that the state is on firm financial footing,” Mamdani said.

“The issue, however, is that the city is not, and that is a result, a direct result of Eric Adams’s gross fiscal mismanagement,” he added.

The mayor’s comments add to the political challenges facing Hochul as she tries to balance demands from the party’s progressive wing with the need to appeal to moderates and suburban independents. She is also facing a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who is running from her left.

Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, has seized on the issue early in the campaign, portraying Hochul as captive to the Democratic Party’s liberal base.

Hochul had endorsed Mamdani during his 2025 campaign in a move that surprised many observers, and later faced chants of “Tax the Rich” from crowds at a large rally of his supporters.

Even as Mamdani continues to advocate for higher taxes on affluent individuals and businesses, a recent report from City Comptroller Mark Levine showed that tax revenues rose by 7% in fiscal year 2026.

“This wasn’t caused by a bad economy — it’s the result of budgeting decisions from the previous administration that we must now deal with,” Levine said.

While Hochul has not entirely ruled out tax increases after the November elections, her budget director Blake Washington told the New York Post on Tuesday that the governor wants to steer clear of that option.

“She thinks it’s a last resort to raise taxes on anybody at any time,” Washington said.

{Matzav.com}

New York City police are investigating two separate cases of aggravated harassment after dozens of swastikas were discovered vandalizing a children’s playground in Brooklyn, JNS reported Wednesday, citing the New York City Police Department.

According to police, officers were initially called to Gravesend Park on January 19, where they uncovered numerous swastikas painted in red throughout the playground area.

“Approximately 16 swastikas were drawn on slides, walls and floor of the playground. The paint bottles were found on scene,” the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information told JNS. Authorities said the incident is being handled by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.

Police returned to the same park two days later, on January 21, after another emergency call reported additional vandalism. “On Wednesday, at approximately 1050 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aggravated harassment in the vicinity of 56 Street and 18 Avenue (Gravesend Park), within the confines of the 66 Precinct,” DCPI said. Investigators found “approximately 57 swastikas in the playground and handball court area written on the wall in red, blue and yellow colors.” No suspects have been arrested.

Brooklyn Community Board 12 denounced the acts, pointing to the disturbing pattern of repeat vandalism at the same site. “Same park, different day. A day later, and this is what happened,” the board wrote. “We are requesting that NYPD Hate Crimes pull out all the stops to catch these vile Jew haters.”

The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey also issued a sharp condemnation. “Parents should never have to fear their children will encounter vile hatred at the playground,” the ADL said. “We are disgusted to see this display of antisemitism in Boro Park, home to tens of thousands of Jewish New Yorkers and thousands of Holocaust survivors.”

Israel’s diplomatic mission in the city echoed those sentiments. The Consulate General of Israel in New York described the vandalism as “antisemitic hatred.” It added, “A playground meant for joy and innocence was deliberately turned into a place of fear and terror because the children who play there are Jews. We will not be silent. The Jewish community around the world will stand together and will not be intimidated.”

The incidents come amid a broader surge in antisemitic activity across New York since October 7, 2023. Figures released by the NYPD on the eve of the November mayoral election, which was won by Zohran Mamdani, showed that Jews accounted for 62% of all hate-crime victims reported last month, with 29 antisemitic cases out of 47 total incidents.

On the same day Mamdani won the election, swastikas were sprayed on the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.

Nearly two weeks later, antisemitic graffiti reading “[Curse] Jews” was discovered written on a sidewalk in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood.

In December, a Jewish man was stabbed in broad daylight in Crown Heights, an assault police are investigating as a possible antisemitic attack.

{Matzav.com}

A group of senior diplomats from eight Muslim-majority nations said Wednesday that they will participate in a newly formed Peace Council for Gaza, following an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports in Turkish media.

In a joint declaration issued by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey, the ministers said the decision marks a coordinated diplomatic step backing a U.S.-driven framework. Each government will complete its accession through its own legal channels, with Egypt, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates already confirming their formal entry.

The foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates reiterated their endorsement of President Trump’s peace initiative and pledged to carry out the Peace Council’s mandate as an interim governing mechanism. That mandate is set out in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza, which was adopted under UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

According to the statement, the plan aims to lock in a durable ceasefire, facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza, and pursue what the ministers described as a just and lasting settlement grounded in Palestinian self-determination and statehood under international law. They said the effort is intended to enhance security and stability for all communities in the region.

The ministers also stressed their resolve to work toward “fair and lasting peace,” adding that close diplomatic coordination among the participating states will continue as the initiative moves forward.

At the center of the effort is Trump’s Board of Peace, an international body chaired by the U.S. president, which the administration views as a cornerstone of its strategy to secure long-term calm in Gaza after the ceasefire that took effect in October.

The Board of Peace is charged with guiding Gaza’s demilitarization, reconstruction, and transitional administration, coordinating its work with a Palestinian Arab-led National Committee for the Administration of Gaza while rallying international support and financing.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said Wednesday morning that he has accepted Trump’s invitation to participate and will take a seat on the Board of Peace.

“The Prime Minister will join as a member of the Board of Peace, which will be composed of world leaders,” his office said.

Earlier in the week, Mohammed VI of Morocco also agreed to join the Board of Peace, accepting Trump’s invitation to serve as a founding member.

{Matzav.com}

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he intends to move swiftly to turn the Greenland framework agreed to by President Trump into something concrete, signaling that follow-up talks will begin without delay.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. We’ll do it step by step, but of course, working fast, but also with thoughtful diplomacy,” Rutte said in an interview on Special Report with host Bret Baier.

Rutte emphasized that the process will advance decisively, adding, “We will get this done.”

Trump has recently made clear that he believes anything less than U.S. “ownership” of Greenland would fall short of what is needed, sharpening the stakes surrounding the framework.

When asked whether Greenland would continue as a Danish territory under the proposed arrangement, Rutte said that question was not part of the talks.

“That issue did not come up anymore in my conversation with the president,” Rutte explained. “He’s very much focused on what do we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region … where the Chinese, Russians are more and more active … how we can protect that.

“That was really the focus of our discussions.”

The NATO chief’s remarks underscore that the negotiations, led under the umbrella of NATO, are centered primarily on security concerns in the Arctic rather than questions of sovereignty.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded sharply to criticism from church leaders in Yerushalayim who have spoken out against Christian Zionism, saying the term has been mischaracterized by figures who do not speak for Christians worldwide. Speaking Wednesday with Newsmax, Huckabee said the concept is being unfairly attacked and misunderstood.

During an interview on “Newsline” with host Bianca de la Garza, Huckabee addressed a recent letter issued by church patriarchs and senior clergy in Jerusalem. He said the letter wrongly portrayed Christian Zionism as harmful and improperly suggested that its authors represent all Christians living in or connected to the Holy Land.

“I found that a little bit troubling,” he said, “because I’m not sure that anybody has the exclusivity to speak for all Christians in the world.”

The letter claimed that Christian Zionism promotes “damaging ideologies,” an assertion Huckabee said misrepresents what the term actually stands for.

“There was also a very, very targeted kind of a pejorative hit at the term Christian Zionist,” he said. “I consider myself a Christian Zionist.”

“All that means is that, yes, I’m a Christian,” said Huckabee.

He went on to explain that identifying as a Zionist carries no sinister meaning and instead reflects recognition of Jewish historical and national rights. “But to be a Zionist doesn’t mean anything nefarious. It simply means that you believe that the Jewish people have a divine right and, frankly, a geopolitical right to a homeland that they have lived in for almost 4,000 years.”

Huckabee dismissed arguments that Christian Zionism should be treated as controversial or threatening.

“So to say a person is a Christian Zionist, it’s a Christian who respects that Jewish people should be living in the Holy Land,” Huckabee said.

“To say that it’s somehow some term that ought to be fearful or, as Tucker Carlson said, is indicative of a brain virus, there are tens of millions of evangelicals just in the United States who would be called Christian Zionists.”

Pointing to historical figures, Huckabee argued that Christian Zionism has long been embraced by prominent Christian leaders.

“Martin Luther King Jr. … was a Christian Zionist,” he said. “So it should not be something that is divisive to Christians.”

“It ought to be a term that every Christian should embrace.”

In the same interview, Huckabee also weighed in on President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland, saying the idea makes strategic sense and would benefit more than just the United States.

“If it’s good for the U.S. to put defensive forces in a preventive mode, then I’ll tell you something: It’s not just good for America, it’s good for the world. It’s great for Europe.”

“I think the European nations should be giving him a standing ovation for the fact that he had the courage to say, ‘This is a very strategic piece of land,'” he added.

Huckabee also brushed aside skeptics who question Trump’s ability to follow through on unconventional proposals.

“I would say pop the popcorn, sit back and watch,” he said.

“This is a president who can do things that everyone scoffs at and says, ‘Ah, that’ll never happen; he can’t do that.’ And then he does it.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump is preparing to approach the November midterm elections as if he himself were on the ballot, deploying the full weight of the White House to protect Republican control of Congress by traveling extensively, pouring money into competitive races, and pressing the case that his policies have eased the cost-of-living squeeze for Americans, the NY Post reports.

“He’s going to campaign like it’s 2024,” Susie Wiles, Trump’s 2024 campaign co-chair who now serves as chief of staff, told The NY Post.

Senior advisers say the administration views holding the House and Senate as critical to preserving Trump’s authority and advancing his agenda during the remaining two years of his term.

Under the strategy, Trump intends to take a hands-on role on the campaign trail and regularly deploy Vice President JD Vance as a surrogate. Cabinet members will also fan out across the country to promote the administration’s record, according to senior officials who spoke with The Post.

The president’s first political trip of the year is scheduled for Tuesday in Iowa, where he plans to speak about economic and energy policy. Trump also continues to involve himself in primary contests, most recently endorsing Rep. Julia Letlow in her bid to challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary.

Fundraising will be another pillar of the effort. A source said Trump is expected to help raise large sums that can be directed to closely contested Senate races in states such as Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia. Control of the House, meanwhile, is expected to come down to roughly three dozen swing districts, including several in California and New York.

James Blair, who served as Trump’s 2024 political director, said the administration believes it has both achievements and organizational advantages that could upend the usual midterm pattern in which the president’s party loses ground.

“Since 2024 Republicans have been outperforming Democrats in voter registration in every state in the country,” he told The Post. “That’s a huge deal and has never been the case before. The number one indicator of how people are going to vote is what party they’re registering with.”

Blair said the objective for 2026 is straightforward: “I want to keep the House and keep the Senate. Even by one. One is a victory.”

Trump is expected to devote significant resources to that effort, including tapping into nearly $300 million held by his allied super PAC, MAGA Inc.

“He’s going to behave as though he is on the ballot. So that means some spending, that means a lot of travel, that means a lot of messaging help for candidates that need and want it,” Wiles said.

A central component of the plan is energizing Trump’s core supporters who helped return him to the White House, while framing the election around his effort to complete what he calls a “Golden Age” agenda and pointing to renewed Democratic talk of impeachment as a reason to turn out.

“All Republicans are not Trump voters, but the Trump voters are those who turn out. Our job is to motivate them to vote for President Trump to finish the job,” Wiles noted.

Blair said that focus is essential.

“Converting presidential voters into midterm voters is a core underlying challenge, but if we can substantially increase their participation, it will help all Republicans across the country. It’s something that we will certainly be setting out to do – it’s something that the president is very good at,” he said.

As Trump marks the anniversary of his inauguration, advisers say he is increasingly focused on his second year in office and on locking in a lasting legacy by keeping Republicans in control of Congress. A major part of that effort will be selling voters on what the administration says are concrete gains, including lower mortgage and credit card rates, cheaper prescription drugs, and reduced gas prices.

The president has made clear he is unhappy that those achievements have not resonated more strongly with the public.

“We didn’t do as good a job as the president would like us to do in what he calls PR, what I would call is just getting our message,” a senior administration official said.

Trump voiced that frustration Tuesday during a lengthy appearance in the White House briefing room, where aides distributed 31-page packets detailing accomplishments from his first year in office.

“We’ve done a much better job than we’re able to promote,” the president noted.

Wiles said the breadth of the administration’s work has made it harder to highlight individual successes.

“The first year has been full every day, full of a new accomplishment, a new victory that helps the American people. Now we have to tell the story better,” she said.

“What I want to be sure we do in the second year is go a level deeper. We accomplished so much in the first year. It’s very tangible. There’s the big, beautiful bill. There’s something for everyone. But now we have to go a little deeper,” she said.

Trump struck a similar note recently in Davos, where he promoted the strength of the U.S. economy before an audience of global business leaders.

“President Trump accomplished more in one year than many presidents did in eight,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Post. “The President delivered on every major campaign promise—securing the border, stopping Biden’s inflation crisis, signing the largest middle-class tax cuts in history, ending woke DEI nonsense, and restoring American strength on the world stage.”

History, however, suggests a steep climb for the party in power. Midterm elections often result in losses for the president’s party, and current polling reflects that challenge.

Democrats hold a four-point edge on the generic congressional ballot, according to the RealClearPolitics average, and party leaders are confident about their prospects, particularly in the House.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York previewed that message in November, saying: “As Democrats, we will continue to make clear to the American people that you deserve better, and that we’re focused on driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken health care system, and cleaning up corruption in the Congress, in the courts and in the White House, so we can actually deliver an America of the people.”

A former Biden White House official dismissed the idea of centering the midterms around Trump.

“Best of luck!” said the longtime Democratic Party official and campaign aide.

“[Voters] are not going to let members [of Congress] slide on their price of electricity and groceries because Trump is pretending he is on the ballot.”

Republicans remain upbeat, arguing that their approach gives them an opening to win over voters on economic issues, which they believe will dominate the campaign.

“Six, seven months from now, when we’re really in the heated campaign season, we’re reasonably optimistic that the way people feel about the economy will be markedly improved, which will bolster the generic ballot and bolster our chances overall,” a senior administration official said.

The official added that Republicans are benefiting from internal cohesion, contending that they “are really pretty unified, all in all, and all rowing in the same direction, whereas the Democrats are very much involved in factional infighting that we don’t really suffer from.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Donald Trump said escalating U.S. military deployments to the Middle East are tied to pressure on Iran, claiming Tehran backed away from large-scale executions after he warned of severe consequences. Speaking in an interview Wednesday with CNBC, Trump was asked whether the movement of aircraft carriers and F-15 fighter jets signaled additional steps. He responded by reiterating that Iranian officials cancelled hundreds of planned hangings following his threat of force.

“We hope there’s not going to be further action,” Trump said. “They were shooting people indiscriminately on the streets and they were going to hang 837, mostly young people” after he threatened to hit them hard if they harmed protesters.

Trump also addressed Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying the regime must abandon any pursuit of atomic weapons. “They gotta stop with the nuclear,” he told CNBC.

A night earlier, Trump warned that the United States would respond decisively if Iran kills protesters or follows through on reported assassination threats against him.

In a separate interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, Trump was asked about reports that Iranian authorities continue to burn protesters alive and about threats made against him over the weekend.

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve left notification: Anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump said. “But I have very firm instructions: Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”

Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s state television released its first official death toll tied to the nationwide protests sweeping the Islamic Republic. The broadcaster reported a total of 3,117 fatalities, including 2,427 civilians and members of the security forces.

That official figure stands in sharp contrast to estimates from human rights organizations, which say the number of people killed during the unrest is significantly higher.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A wave of anger swept through the Torah-observant public after Israel’s satirical television program Eretz Nehederet released a promotional clip widely condemned as a degrading mockery of Rav Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri, known throughout the Torah world as the Yenuka.

The segment, aired ahead of the show’s scheduled broadcast, triggered sharp backlash from rabbanim, askanim, and countless ordinary Jews who view the portrayal as a direct affront to kavod haTorah and to a revered talmid chacham.

In the sketch, comedian Daniel Chen appears as a caricature dubbed the “Tenuka,” a clear and deliberate play on the Yenuka’s title. The character is presented as confused and theatrical, accompanied by exaggerated behavior including playing an organ, while a submissive aide, portrayed by Ortel Tsabari, hovers in exaggerated reverence. Viewers say the skit reduces a talmid chochom to an object of ridicule, turning spiritual greatness into cheap satire.

The reaction was immediate and intense. Social media platforms filled with denunciations accusing the program of crossing an inviolable line. Many commenters warned that mocking tzaddikim is not humor but a serious transgression, expressing outrage that a public broadcaster would demean someone seen as embodying Torah purity and yiras Shamayim. Calls to boycott the show have spread rapidly, alongside pleas that those responsible reflect on the gravity of their actions.

The promotional clip itself attempts to frame the parody as lighthearted, presenting the “Tenuka” as an obsessive Torah phenomenon surrounded by sycophantic admiration. Lines in the sketch portray the aide as utterly insignificant before the rov, a depiction critics say cynically twists sincere kavod into parody and derision.

Defenders of the Yenuka point out that the real Rav Be’eri is renowned for extraordinary Torah knowledge, with vast portions of Tanach and Shas committed to memory, alongside niggunim that have inspired thousands. To them, the skit represents not satire but a willful distortion of a life devoted to Torah and kedushah, emptied of context and respect for the sake of a laugh.

Opponents of the broadcast argue that this incident fits a broader pattern in which secular media figures target the Torah world, particularly from cultural centers in Tel Aviv, portraying emunah and spiritual leadership as backward or absurd. They see the sketch as another salvo in an ongoing struggle over Jewish identity and values in the public sphere.

[Audio below.] Audio recordings aired Wednesday night on Channel 12 indicate that gedolei Yisroel who support advancing a proposed conscription law see it as a temporary maneuver designed to delay action, not as a pathway toward bringing yeshiva bochurim into the IDF.

This is no surprise, as has been surmised in a number of prior extensive reports on the matter here on Matzav.com.

In the recordings, Hagaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch explains that his backing of the legislation is rooted in the belief that it would “buy time” for the Torah community. When asked whether yeshiva students who are not part of formal learning frameworks might eventually be drafted, he answered without hesitation: “God forbid.”

Rav Hirsch also rejected the enlistment benchmarks included in the bill, making clear that there is no intention to comply with them. “Do they think we will want to meet the target? Of course we will not want to,” he said. He went on to predict that the law would fall apart within a few years, adding, “In the meantime, we gained time.”

Similar sentiments were voiced by Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, who stated plainly that there is no plan to send chareidim to military service, including those not enrolled in yeshivos. “What they are talking about is nonsense. It will not happen. We will not go to the army; no one will go to the army,” he said.

The broadcast prompted swift political backlash. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the recordings demonstrate that “the spiritual leaders of the chareidi parties are openly admitting that the draft-evading law is a fraud and that no chareidi youth will enlist.”

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman delivered similar criticism, declaring, “The rabbinical council of draft evasion has revealed its true face. It’s all a bluff – no chareidi will enlist. We will continue to send our sons and daughters to the army, and they will continue to send theirs to live off the taxes we pay.”

Within the coalition, Likud MK Dan Illouz called for immediate action, saying, “I once again urge my fellow coalition members to join my demand to amend the law.”

The National Religious Reservists Forum also issued a sharp response, stating, “It’s time to stop closing our eyes and face reality. The leading chareidi authorities are openly admitting they have no intention of meeting enlistment targets and are merely stringing along the public that serves.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

[Video and photos below.] The Kol Yisroel organization made its first official visit to Albany on January 20, marking the launch of an effort to introduce the organization and begin building working relationships with elected officials across New York State.

The visit opened with a meet-and-greet with Rockland County Assemblymember Karl Brabenec. Over the course of the day, Kol Yisroel representatives met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers and senior staff, including Assemblymembers Bill Magnarelli, Patrick Carroll, Al Taylor, Emily Gallagher, Stacey Pheffer Amato, and Aron Wieder.

Additional meetings were held with the chiefs of staff for Assemblymembers Steve Stern and John Zaccaro Jr., as well as staff from the office of Assemblymember Micah Lasher. Kol Yisroel also met with staff from the offices of State Senators James Skoufis and Shelley Mayer, including Senator Mayer’s chief of staff. Senator Mayer currently serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee.

The day concluded with a meeting with Rockland County State Senator Bill Weber.

Two central issues were discussed throughout the visit. The first involved the possible introduction of legislation to establish a new school district in East Ramapo, based on Wards 1–4 and Wards 5–9. The second focused on advocating for an expansion of legislation creating buffer zones around houses of worship. Kol Yisroel voiced disappointment with the currently proposed 25-foot buffer, stating that it falls short of providing meaningful protection, and urged lawmakers to consider a 100-foot standard.

Kol Yisroel described the meetings as productive and encouraging and said it plans to return to Albany in the coming weeks to continue discussions. The organization added that it will keep the community informed as the effort moves forward.

VIDEO AND PHOTOS:

{Matzav.com}

Israel is home to more than half a million children from birth to age three, yet oversight of early childhood care remains uneven, with large numbers of infants and toddlers placed in settings that operate outside the state’s licensing framework, according to a report published Wednesday by Yediot Acharonot.

The report states that of roughly 540,000 young children nationwide, only about half are enrolled in supervised childcare facilities. An additional 114,000 infants and toddlers are cared for in centers that do not hold official licenses.

Although a Supervision Law enacted in 2021 was intended to extend regulatory oversight to private childcare centers, implementation has faced mounting difficulties since the legislation was approved, affecting enforcement and compliance across several areas.

Those challenges are expected to intensify next year. In 2026, the budget designated for monitoring daycare centers is projected to drop sharply to 46 million shekels, down from approximately 190 million shekels in 2023.

Officials warn that the reduced funding could significantly weaken efforts to shut down illegal daycare operations. Estimates from the Israeli Tax Authority suggest that between 1,000 and 1,500 daycare centers are currently operating without proper authorization.

Data gathered since last August by the Education Ministry and the Welfare Ministry show that 470 unlicensed daycare centers have already been identified. Authorities note that these facilities are spread across different sectors and that there has also been a rise in the detection of daycare centers that are failing to report income to the tax authorities.

{Matzav.com}