Matzav

Internal FBI communications released by Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday reveal that bureau officials did not believe they had established probable cause to seek a search warrant for President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate ahead of the August 2022 raid.

One internal record, written by an unidentified assistant special agent, stated that the FBI’s Washington Field Office “does not believe (and has articulated to DOJ [counterintelligence]) that we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records at Mar-a-Lago.” The memo added that “DOJ has opined that they do have probable cause,” and was “requesting a wide scope including residence, office, storage space.”

According to the same FBI official, agents spent roughly six weeks attempting to build a probable cause case, an effort described internally as “counterproductive.” Interviews conducted during that period also failed to produce evidence that sensitive intelligence materials remained at Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, property after documents were returned on June 3, 2022.

Additional emails included in the release show that, just one week before the Aug. 8, 2022, search, senior FBI officials were exploring alternative approaches. In one message, Washington Field Office counterintelligence chief Tony Riedlinger wrote that the bureau was seeking “a second path” related to the search warrant.

Riedlinger and Washington Field Office head Steven D’Antuono were also copied on correspondence indicating the FBI hoped any search would be carried out “in a professional, low-key manner … mindful of the optics of the search.” That strategy included an attempt to secure cooperation from one of Trump’s attorneys, a step FBI officials cautioned “may not go well at DOJ.”

Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the documents public and described them as deeply troubling. In a post on X, he wrote that the records were “shocking,” asserting that the “FBI DID NOT BELIEVE IT HAD PROBABLE CAUSE to raid Pres Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home but Biden DOJ pushed for it anyway.” The Iowa Republican further argued that the emails and memos demonstrated a “miscarriage of justice” directed at Trump.

The disclosure comes after special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in June 2023 with dozens of counts tied to allegations that classified materials were improperly stored in various locations at Mar-a-Lago, including a bedroom, bathroom, ballroom, and basement. That case was later dismissed by South Florida U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith had been unlawfully appointed without congressional authorization.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge is set to hear arguments today in a lawsuit aimed at stopping President Donald Trump’s proposed $300 million ballroom on the White House grounds, marking the first court challenge to the ambitious construction project.

The case was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that the administration moved ahead with plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom without completing mandatory reviews or securing required approvals. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon scheduled the hearing for 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT).

According to the lawsuit, the administration bypassed laws requiring consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts before dismantling the East Wing and beginning work on the new structure. The preservation group said it filed suit to compel the government to comply, at the very least, “with the procedural requirements that inform and protect the public’s opportunity to comment on the Ballroom Project.”

Opponents of the project say visible construction activity around the White House’s 120-year-old East Wing has already raised alarms and triggered backlash, with critics contending the scope of the work goes beyond what a president is permitted to undertake unilaterally.

“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever — not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else,” the National Trust’s lawsuit said.

The organization is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order to pause construction while the case proceeds, claiming the work has already inflicted what it calls “irreversible damage” on the White House and its surrounding grounds.

In court filings submitted Monday, the administration pushed back, asserting that the project is lawful and consistent with historical precedent. Government lawyers pointed to prior presidential renovations, including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s addition of the East Wing itself, and argued that the new ballroom is necessary to accommodate official state functions. They also said the design is still being refined and that above-ground construction is not expected to begin until April, making emergency judicial intervention unwarranted.

“The President possesses statutory authority to modify the structure of his residence, and that authority is supported by background principles of Executive power,” the filing said.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has overseen a series of high-profile changes to the White House, including adding gold accents to the Oval Office and replacing the Rose Garden lawn with a paved patio reminiscent of the setting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The outcome of today’s hearing could determine whether the ballroom project proceeds as planned or is put on hold while the legal challenge moves forward.

{Matzav.com}

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer said Tuesday that both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are expected to comply with congressional subpoenas compelling sworn testimony regarding their ties to Jeffrey Epstein, underscoring that the panel anticipates full cooperation.

Speaking on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” Comer said the committee’s legal team is already engaged with attorneys for the Clintons, but warned that refusal to appear would have consequences. “We do expect them to have to sit down and answer questions, or they will be held in contempt,” he said.

Comer stressed that the subpoenas carry particular force because they were approved with bipartisan backing, including support from Democrats on the committee. “This is a congressional subpoena,” Comer said. “It’s a unique congressional subpoena,” he added. “It was voted on in a bipartisan manner by the House Oversight Committee … so it will stand up in court.”

According to Comer, the committee is seeking straightforward factual information that he says has never been publicly addressed by Bill Clinton. “[President] Donald Trump has answered thousands and thousands of questions about his relationship with Epstein and [Epstein’s longtime companion Ghislaine] Maxwell,” said Comer. “But Bill Clinton’s never answered a single question.”

The chairman said the testimony, originally anticipated in the coming days, has been postponed until January while logistical details are finalized. “It’ll definitely be transcribed,” Comer said, adding that lawmakers from both parties are expected to take part in questioning during the deposition.

Comer emphasized that the investigation is not alleging criminal conduct by the Clintons, but is focused on openness and accountability. “No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing, but one thing is certain: We know that Ghislaine Maxwell was at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding,” he said. “There weren’t many people at that wedding, so there was a close relationship there.”

He also took aim at Democrats on the committee, accusing them of mishandling materials connected to the Epstein investigation and politicizing the issue. “This was voted in a bipartisan manner for the House Oversight Committee to conduct this investigation,” Comer said. “The purpose of the investigation is to get some type of justice for the victims, as well as get the American people the truth.”

Instead, Comer said Democrats have attempted to undermine the effort by releasing what he described as misleading information. “It’s just been a clown show by … the Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” he said. “They release pictures, and they redact the face to make the public think that Donald Trump did something wrong when there’s no evidence that Donald Trump did anything wrong.”

Comer concluded by accusing Democrats of losing sight of the victims at the center of the case. “At the end of the day, the Democrats have proven they don’t care about the victims,” he said. “All they care about is trying to somehow hang something around Donald Trump’s neck.”

{Matzav.com}

Details emerging from the aftermath of the devastating terror assault at a Chanukah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach have intensified questions about security arrangements, government policy, and the broader climate facing Australia’s Jewish community. Officials confirmed Tuesday that just two police officers were stationed inside the park when the shooting erupted, an attack that left 15 people dead and scores injured.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the limited on-site presence while speaking to Sky News Australia, explaining that officers were assigned to the festival area at the outset. “The police were tasked with being on the site during the festival. My understanding is that there were two in the park during or at the beginning of the shooting, the assassinations,” Minns said.

According to authorities, additional officers were nearby, and patrol units converged on the scene almost immediately after gunfire began. “And there were police in the vicinity, so a patrol car pulled up within moments of the firing beginning,” Minns added. “I think it’s important to note that police, obviously, when the shooting began, did engage the shooters and there’s two in critical condition in NSW hospitals.”

Witness testimony indicates that the attackers fired into the crowd for as long as ten minutes, targeting families gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival of lights. Roughly 1,000 people were attending the open-air event. The massacre is being described as the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in the Diaspora in decades, and the most severe antisemitic assault outside Israel since October 7, 2023.

Minns said investigators are now reconstructing the movements of all law enforcement personnel in the vicinity at the time of the attack. He described a chaotic confrontation in which officers with handguns engaged assailants armed with more powerful weapons. “We have several police officers who engaged with sidearms from 50 meters [160 feet] away, firing with someone who had a long-arm and a tactical advantage over NSW Police,” he said. “So they did engage and they did shoot both of the offenders, killing one of them.”

As the investigation continues, harrowing accounts of civilian bravery have come to light. Newly surfaced video shows Boris and Sofia Gurman attempting to stop the attackers—identified as father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram—before the rampage escalated. Both Gurmans were killed. Another bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, managed to tackle Sajid Akram and wrestle away his weapon before being shot multiple times in the arm and shoulder; he remains hospitalized and is expected to recover. Reuven Morrison, 62, then threw objects at Sajid Akram after he was disarmed, only to be fatally shot by Naveed Akram.

The attack has reignited deep anger within Australia’s Jewish community over what leaders describe as years of official tolerance toward antisemitic rhetoric. Speaking at a vigil in Bondi on Tuesday, Rabbi Nochum Schapiro of North Shore Chabad said repeated warnings to the government had gone unheeded. “We begged, ‘Shut these demonstrations down, legislate for it, find the legal means,’” he told mourners, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Schapiro pointed to earlier protests where chants and threats against Jews were allegedly allowed to persist. “And those who shouted ‘Gas the Jews,’ or ‘Where’s the Jews’ – what difference does it make, same vile statements – were not prosecuted, were not stopped, were not sent out of the country, were allowed to continue with this vile hate. So we ask [politicians] now: Legislate,” he said.

He was referencing a demonstration in Sydney days after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, when police advised Jews to stay away as an Israeli flag was burned. Footage appeared to capture protesters chanting “Gas the Jews,” though New South Wales police later said they determined “with overwhelming certainty” that the chant was “Where’s the Jews.”

Schapiro also revealed that he had written to Prime Minister Antony Albanese months earlier, warning that Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood—announced in September—could have dangerous consequences. “I didn’t even get a response,” he said. “You cannot disconnect the Jewish people from the Jewish land. The Jewish people and the Jewish land are one.”

He continued, “And when you vilify the leaders of the Jewish land of Israel, and when you constantly criticize them and then say that they must give up parts of this land… that endangers Jews everywhere.” Schapiro added that, in his view, “When Israel is criticized, then the way it’s received by the antisemites is that it’s okay to attack Jews.”

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu weighed in with a direct appeal to Western governments, urging immediate action to safeguard Jewish communities worldwide. “I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to combat antisemitism and provide the required security and protection for Jewish communities around the world,” he said in a Hebrew-language video message released by his office. “They would do well to heed our warnings. I am demanding action — now.”

As Australia prepares to bury the victims, the scale of the tragedy is becoming painfully clear. The first funerals are scheduled for Wednesday, according to Simcha Greineman of the Zaka Jewish emergency service, who traveled from Israel to assist with burial preparations. Six of the 15 victims are expected to be laid to rest that day.

Greineman said Zaka volunteers only gained access to the crime scene on Tuesday, a day after arriving in Sydney, and identification work is ongoing. “We want to make sure we have whatever remains we can to conduct their rites,” he said, noting that some victims have not yet been formally identified because they were foreign nationals and lack local DNA records.

Meanwhile, international attention has turned to the background of the attackers. Authorities say the pair were inspired by the Islamic State, and investigators are examining their overseas travel and contacts. Indian police confirmed Tuesday that Sajid Akram originated from Hyderabad, saying his relatives there were unaware of any extremist activity. “The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalization,” Telangana state police said.

In Jerusalem on Tuesday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar jointly condemned the massacre, framing terrorism as a shared global danger. “Terror is a mutual threat for both countries, and we are standing always with the people of India,” Sa’ar said. Jaishankar responded that India denounces the attack “in the strongest possible terms,” adding, “We are both countries that have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism,” and expressing appreciation for Israel’s support in combating it “in all its forms and manifestations.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump on Tuesday voiced strong support for White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, dismissing controversy surrounding comments she made in a Vanity Fair interview and emphasizing his continued confidence in her leadership.

In an exclusive interview with The Post, Trump said he was not offended by Wiles’ description of him as having an “alcoholic’s personality,” explaining that the remark aligned with how he has long described himself.

“No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol. So everybody knows that — but I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality,” Trump said.

He elaborated further on that point, stressing that abstaining from alcohol was a conscious choice based on self-awareness.

“I’ve said that many times about myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before.”

The remarks came in response to a Vanity Fair profile in which Wiles discussed personality traits and leadership styles.

“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,” Wiles said in the interview.

Trump told The Post that he had not read the article and expressed disdain for the publication itself, while praising Wiles’ performance in her role.

“I didn’t read it, but I don’t read Vanity Fair — but she’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said.

He went on to criticize the reporting and suggested the interview was mishandled.

“I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided.”

When asked directly whether he maintains full confidence in his chief of staff, Trump was unequivocal.

“Oh, she’s fantastic.”

Trump also suggested that the author of the profile, Chris Whipple, may not have been transparent with Wiles about his intentions or approach.

“Yeah, deceived — and he didn’t have great access, a couple of very short interviews. And Susie generally doesn’t do interviews,” Trump said.

He concluded by reiterating his criticism of Vanity Fair and underscoring his trust in Wiles.

“If anybody knows the interviewer, and if they know Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is a totally — it’s lost its way. It’s also lost its readers, as you know. No, she’s fantastic.”

{Matzav.com}

A frightening confrontation on a Brooklyn subway line this week left a group of young Jewish men shaken, after two men were captured on video issuing death threats and physically accosting them during a late-night ride.

The incident occurred Monday night as eight boys and young men were traveling back to Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn following a Chanukah celebration in Union Square. According to one of the victims, the trouble began even before they boarded the train.

Mendy Asraf, a 20-year-old yeshiva student visiting from Israel, said the attackers — whom he described as a father-and-son pair — first confronted the group while they were transferring at the Franklin Avenue stop.

“They yelled at me, and the son said, ‘I’ll kill you,’” Asraf told The NY Post.

Asraf said the men shouted explicit antisemitic slurs at the group, including yelling “[Curse] the Jews,” before following them onto the No. 3 train.

Once aboard, the harassment escalated. Social media footage shows one of the attackers grabbing a Jewish man by the collar of his coat, while the other pointed his fingers like a gun at the victim’s head and shouted, “I’ll kill you.”

The situation worsened after one of the Jewish men began recording the encounter, Asraf said.

“I was really afraid. When he made his fingers the sign of a gun towards me, I was really afraid. I didn’t know what he had in his pockets,” he said.

Video from the scene captures the fear and confusion inside the subway car, with passengers reacting nervously. Some attempted to de-escalate the situation, including one straphanger who can be heard pleading, “Chill!”

Despite those efforts, the group felt unsafe remaining on the train. Asraf said they exited at the next stop, Nordstrom Avenue, and ran to the nearest police precinct to report the incident.

“I thought it could be a very dangerous situation,” he said, adding that he and the others feared for their lives.

Police confirmed that they received a report of the alleged assault around 8:41 p.m. from two of the victims.

“While on board, the unidentified individuals initiated a verbal dispute with two victims, grabbed them by their jackets, and made verbal threats,” police said.

Authorities said the two suspects seen in the video had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday. No injuries were reported.

Asraf said he believes the group was targeted because they were visibly Jewish, noting that they were carrying menorahs as part of their Hanukkah outreach.

“We look like religious Jews,” Asraf said. “They recognized our appearance along with the menorahs.”

Police said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the transit authority is cooperating fully with the investigation.

“The NYPD has access to video from train cars and stations to identify and apprehend the perpetrators, who should face maximum consequences from the justice system,” Lieber said in a statement. “This kind of hateful behavior has no place on the subway or anywhere, and is deeply offensive to New Yorkers.”

The encounter has left Asraf and his family deeply unsettled, particularly in light of the deadly terrorist attack at a Chanukah celebration in Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday that killed 15 people and wounded dozens, including children.

“After Sydney, it’s not realistic to try to even fight with these people because you don’t know what they have in their pockets,” Asraf said.

He added that his mother had warned him before he came to New York to study in yeshiva.

“It’s going to be dangerous — keep your eyes open,” she told him.

Now four months into his studies in the city, Asraf said the level of antisemitism he experienced this week was unlike anything he had encountered before.

“I felt a little antisemitism, but nothing like this.”

A fresh clash emerged today in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee as lawmakers revisited the proposed Security Service Law and confronted a charged question: Who qualifies as a “graduate of a chareidi educational institution” for the purposes of the draft?

The discussion, held today as part of ongoing deliberations on the draft law, centered on Section 26Yud-Beis, which determines how the state identifies chareidi conscripts, a classification that directly affects annual recruitment targets for chareidim.

Under the version currently on the table, anyone who attended chareidi educational institutions for at least two of the four years between ages 14 and 18 would be recognized as a chareidi graduate. This group forms the basis for the minimum yearly recruitment benchmark.

During the meeting, the committee’s legal advisers suggested narrowing the definition by counting only the years closest to the actual draft date. Their rationale: tightening the timeframe might better reflect the characteristics of the individual as they enter the IDF.

But Brig. Gen. Shay Taib, head of the IDF’s manpower support division (TOMCH”A), urged caution and objected to revisiting the definition at this stage. If the practical difference between the definitions is minimal, he argued, stability should take precedence. “There is value in continuity,” he said, noting that the Ministry of Education holds the necessary data to analyze any discrepancies.

Taib also raised a related, long-standing problem: the mechanism used to tally chareidi recruits. The current system relies on after-the-fact cross-checking — often sparking disputes and lengthy delays. “I propose that we do not count retroactively, but rather assign each conscript to a birth year grouping,” he said. “From the moment someone crosses age 18, it must be clear whether he is defined as chareidi under the law. Otherwise, we spend months arguing after the enlistment already happened.”

A representative of the Ministry of Education, Miriam Grazi Rosenbaum, rejected accusations that the ministry misclassifies institutions or mistakenly includes graduates of religious-Zionist yeshiva high schools as chareidi. She explained that every school is reviewed individually according to the relevant regulations, and when misunderstandings arose, the ministry clarified the data and provided the IDF with accurate, targeted information.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense signaled support for keeping the existing definition intact. Kobi Blitstein, the ministry’s deputy director general, said the current formulation maintains balance among different population groups — including youth who leave religious observance after years in chareidi schools, as well as baalei teshuvah who may enlist at a later age. He emphasized the importance of consistent data, comparability across years, and alignment with definitions used by the Civil Service Commission.

The committee is expected to continue debating the matter as the draft law advances, with the core issue still unresolved: how to determine, in a uniform and defensible way, who counts as chareidi for the purpose of national service requirements.

[Video below.] Maran Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabdoka, delivered pointed words of chizuk on Monday night during a Chanukah gathering attended by hundreds of talmidim at Yeshivas Ohr Yisroel in Petach Tikva, addressing the ongoing storm surrounding Israel’s draft law and what he described as growing pressure on the עולם התורה.

Referring to the continued arrests of yeshiva students classified as “draft evaders,” Rav Landau lamented efforts he said are aimed at pulling bochurim away from Torah learning. “There are people here among us who want to cancel learning,” he said. “They are pursuing us, and we hope, with Hashem’s help, that everything will pass like a fleeting dream, like a cloud that dissolves — that it will all vanish, and very soon we will only learn and be involved in learning.”

In his remarks, Rav Landau emphasized that Chanukah highlights the centrality of uninterrupted Torah study. While the Yom Tov includes mitzvos such as lighting the menorah, reciting Hallel, and krias haTorah, he stressed that there is one obligation that never ceases. “There is a mitzvah that is always, always, always — to learn. There is no time exempt from learning,” he said. “On Chanukah even more so, because they decreed ‘to make them forget Your Torah.’ One must always be immersed in learning — not just learning, but fully immersed, placed into the learning, listening to what you are taught, with persistence and total involvement. That is how time is meant to be spent — except for one day a year, Tisha B’Av, which will be annulled speedily in our days.”

Addressing the draft issue directly, Rav Landau dismissed other pursuits as insignificant distractions. “To learn and to learn,” he said. “There is no time exempt from learning, to be immersed and diligent. Everything else is emptiness of emptiness. Now they want to pass decrees against Your will. They want to take us away from learning.”

Concluding his words, Rav Landau urged the talmidim to remain steadfast. “Be immersed in learning and listen to what your rabbanim teach and guide you,” he told them. “Know that this alone is true happiness. There is nothing else in the world. Fortunate are we, how good is our portion, that we learn Torah. May it be His will that we continue learning in proper order until the coming of Mashiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days, amen.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Government Secretary Adv. Yossi Fuchs sharply criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Monday night, accusing her of consistently targeting the chareidi community and of systematically expanding Supreme Court rulings far beyond their original scope, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed conscription law.

Although Knesset deliberations on the draft law are still underway and the legislation remains in the formulation stage, Baharav-Miara released a legal opinion over the weekend addressing the emerging bill. Her opinion was issued while the law is still being debated in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Boaz Bismuth.

In her opinion, the attorney general expressed sweeping opposition to the proposed law and stated unequivocally that if the matter reaches the High Court of Justice, she would recommend striking it down. Her remarks came against the backdrop of ongoing committee discussions and various frameworks currently under consideration.

While Baharav-Miara’s position did not surprise political figures, it emerged that during a meeting last week between Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the United Torah Judaism faction, chareidi MKs demanded a forceful response to the attorney general’s opinion. They called on Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth to issue a sharply worded letter rebutting her arguments.

Ultimately, it was Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs who responded. On Monday evening, Fuchs sent a letter of his own to Baharav-Miara, in place of Bismuth, delivering unusually harsh criticism.

In his letter, Fuchs wrote: “You have made it a habit to act only against the chareidim. It is a shame that you did not apply such strict standards to yourself as well, in the case of the Military Advocate General.”

Fuchs went on to accuse the attorney general’s office of operating a calculated and recurring strategy: “You have developed an efficient method. After every High Court ruling, you issue a letter that significantly tightens the ruling far beyond what was actually stated in it. The ‘Movement for Quality Government’ then issues a letter of exhaustion of remedies based on your unfounded claims, files a petition to the High Court, and the Attorney General’s Office sides with the petitioner instead of representing the government.”

{Matzav.com}

In a moving Chanukah event held within one of Israel’s most challenging environments, the Rishon LeTzion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Dovid Yosef, visited the Israel Prison Service (IPS) headquarters on Monday, participating in a festive menorah lighting and delivered words of chizuk to inmates and staff alike.

Rav Yosef arrived at the IPS headquarters together with Prison Commissioner Rav-Gonadar Kobi Yaakobi, senior IPS officials, and representatives of the IPS Rabbinate. As part of the visit, the Chief Rabbi also traveled to prisons themselves, where he delivered shiurim and messages of chizuk to inmates in the Torah wings at Maasiyahu and Ayalon prisons.

Addressing the significance of these units, Rav Yosef emphasized their transformative role. “I am happy to return and visit the Prison Service, and I make a point of coming into the prisons themselves to meet the inmates and strengthen them with words of Torah,” he said. “The Torah wing of the IPS is of immeasurable importance. It gives a person hope, a path, and an opportunity for tikkun, and enables connection to values and faith even in the most complex places. I greatly appreciate the sacred work of the IPS Rabbinate and of all those who serve in the Prison Service.”

Prison Commissioner Yaakobi highlighted the impact of the Chief Rabbi’s presence on IPS personnel, particularly during Chanukah. “The presence of the Rishon LeTzion and Chief Rabbi of Israel during the Festival of Lights provides meaningful strength to the women and men of the Prison Service,” he said. “This is the festival of light, and this light illuminates the work of IPS personnel who stand on the front lines day after day — facing terrorists, criminal organizations, and evil — with courage, dedication, and professionalism. The men and women of the Prison Service are carrying out a national mission of the highest importance for the security of Israel’s citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

A potentially devastating fire was narrowly avoided on Monday night after young children reportedly played with a lit Chanukah menorah, causing a blaze on a residential balcony.

Fire and rescue crews from the Afula district were dispatched to an apartment on Chativat Kfir Street after a woman reported seeing flames coming from the balcony of the apartment opposite hers.

B’chasdei Shomayim, the residents were able to gain control of the fire on their own before firefighters arrived, preventing what officials said could have ended in tragedy.

Fire officer Lahav Kfari Azulai, who took part in the response, described the scene upon arrival. “In the stairwell, we encountered a mother and her two children. The mother was extremely shaken and explained that while she stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes, her children apparently played with the lit candles and caused the fire,” he said.

Azulai stressed that only good fortune prevented serious harm. “A major disaster was narrowly avoided here,” he said, issuing a clear warning to the public. “Do not leave a Chanukah menorah lit without adult supervision. Place menorahs in a safe, stable location and far away from flammable materials.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has made clear to coalition partners that he has no intention of dismissing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, despite claims by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that the minister violated a prior agreement governing the terms of his service.

According to a report by Kan News, Netanyahu’s remarks come amid a petition currently being heard by Israel’s High Court of Justice challenging Ben Gvir’s continued tenure. The attorney general has argued that Ben Gvir breached understandings reached with her office in the past, raising the possibility that she could demand his removal.

Sources close to the prime minister stressed that even if the High Court were to rule otherwise, the authority to appoint or dismiss cabinet ministers rests solely with the prime minister. For that reason, they said, Ben Gvir will remain in his post.

Against the backdrop of growing expectations that Baharav-Miara may formally call for Ben Gvir’s dismissal, Netanyahu submitted a response on Sunday to the High Court petition. In his filing, the prime minister argued that the court lacks the legal authority to intervene in decisions regarding the appointment or removal of ministers.

The dispute follows an agreement reached last April between the attorney general and Ben Gvir outlining the framework for his continued service. That arrangement addressed, among other issues, the minister’s involvement in senior appointments, the operational and decision-making independence of the police, and the regulation of working relations between the political echelon and law enforcement.

Earlier this year, in February, and prior to Ben Gvir’s return to the government following his resignation over the hostage deal, Kan News reported that Netanyahu had already weighed the possibility of refusing to comply with a High Court ruling concerning the minister’s position. At that time, Netanyahu made clear that he would not accept the attorney general’s stance on the matter.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the petirah of Rav Yitzchak Abadi zt”l, concluding a lifetime of singular dedication to halacha, clarity in psak, and the shaping of generations of talmidei chachamim who continue to spread his influence throughout the world.

Born on March 12, 1933, in Venezuela, Rav Abadi entered the world far from the major Torah centers of the time. His parents soon brought him to Teverya, then under Mandatory Palestine, setting him on a path of Torah. His childhood was spent in Haifa, and from his earliest years, it was evident that he possessed an uncommon depth, seriousness, and yearning for Torah.

His formative learning took him first to the Yishuv HaChadash in Tel Aviv and then to Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim. The atmosphere of penetrating iyun, coupled with the yiras Shamayim that defined the yeshiva, left an indelible mark on him.

At just 19 years old, his extraordinary gifts were recognized by none other than the Chazon Ish. Sensing his potential, the Chazon Ish sent him to Montreux, Switzerland, for further growth, an unusual and remarkable endorsement for a young bochur. Only a year later, the Chazon Ish guided him once again, this time sending him across the ocean to Lakewood, New Jersey, to study under Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l. With this move, Rav Abadi entered the heart of the great American Torah renaissance.

Under the tutelage of Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Abadi developed into an outstanding talmid chochom. After Rav Aharon’s passing, he was widely viewed as one of the central poskim for the burgeoning Lakewood kehilla. His ability to analyze, clarify, and decide the most intricate halachic dilemmas set him apart, and his psakim were sought by rabbanim across the globe.

Rav Abadi was known for tackling complex and sensitive questions, often crafting rulings that were both deeply grounded in the mesorah and yet innovative in their application.

In 1980, Rav Abadi charted an independent course, establishing a halacha kollel in Lakewood devoted to cultivating elite talmidei chachomim capable of addressing real-world halachic questions. The kollel quickly drew attention for its rigor and its insistence on producing outstanding poskim.

In 1993, Rav Abadi moved the kollel to Har Nof in Yerushalayim, where it continued to flourish. Students Rav Abadi eventually returned to Lakewood in 2009, continuing to answer shailos and guide seekers of halachic clarity until the final years of his life.

His written works include Ohr Yitzchak and his well-known Birkat Hamazon Hakatzar.

The levayah is scheduled for today at 11:00 AM at the Conrgegation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, NJ. Kevurah will take place in Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Abadi is survived by a wonderful family following in his ways.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

A 20-year-old American yeshiva bochur was critically wounded during the terror attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, as his family describes a young man devoted to spreading joy and strengthening Jewish life.

Leibel Lazaroff was shot in the abdomen and leg during the attack at the annual “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach on Sunday night. Family members said he suffered significant blood loss and still has shrapnel lodged in his stomach and upper thigh. He is hospitalized in critical but stable condition and is expected to undergo additional surgery.

Leibel’s father, Rabbi Yosef Lazaroff of Texas, shared an emotional message on Monday while flying from Texas to Australia to be at his son’s bedside. He said that his son “spread light” even at the moment he was targeted in the attack at Bondi Beach.

Rabbi Lazaroff said he remains in constant contact with hospital staff as his son fights for his life. He described Leibel as a young man who dedicated his year to volunteer work, strengthening Jewish life, and bringing happiness to others.

Rabbi Lazaroff characterized the shooting as an act driven by antisemitic hatred, calling it a defining moral moment separating good from evil, light from darkness, and violence from goodness.

Leibel, an American citizen who had recently been studying at a yeshiva in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was wounded when terrorists opened fire at the seaside Chanukah celebration. His family said that despite the severity of his injuries, his condition has stabilized following emergency treatment.

Lazaroff grew up in Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University, where his father serves as a Chabad shliach. About two months ago, during the Yom Tov season, he moved to Sydney to volunteer and assist the local Jewish community. On the night of the attack, he was actively helping organize the Bondi Beach Chanukah event when the shooting began.

At least 15 people were murdered in the attack, and more than 40 others were injured, including children. Authorities have classified the incident as a terrorist attack, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Despite the trauma, the Lazaroff family has urged the Jewish community to respond with strength rather than fear. Leibel’s mother thanked the public for their prayers and called on people to increase the spread of light, joy, and celebration throughout Chanukah, dedicating those efforts to the recovery of all the wounded.

{Matzav.com}

As Australian authorities continue investigating what has been described as the deadliest antisemitic terror attack the country has seen in years, the mother of one of the terrorists has publicly defended her son, insisting he is a “good boy” and denying his involvement in the massacre.

The comments were made by Verna Akram, the mother of 24-year-old Naveed Akram, one of the two attackers who opened fire on Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Akram said she does not believe her son took part in the mass shooting, despite overwhelming evidence presented by law enforcement.

“He doesn’t have a gun. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places,” she claimed. “He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to train, and that’s it.”

According to Akram, her son and his father, Sajid Akram, had recently returned from a trip to the Philippines and told family members they were planning a fishing excursion along Australia’s coast. On Sunday, she said, her son even called her to provide what she described as an alibi.

“He called me and said, ‘Mom, I just went swimming. I went diving. We’re going to eat now,’” she recalled, adding that he told her they planned to remain at the beach due to the heat.

Authorities, however, have painted a starkly different picture. Police say they discovered explosive materials and an ISIS flag inside a vehicle linked to the attackers — findings that directly contradict claims that Naveed Akram had no connection to extremism or violence. Despite this, his mother insisted she does not recognize her son in footage from the attack and continued to proclaim his innocence.

“Anyone would want a son like my son,” she said. “He is a good boy.”

According to police, for between 10 and 20 minutes on Sunday evening, Naveed Akram and his father opened fire on a large crowd of Jews gathered for a public Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach. Dozens of shots were fired into a crowd that included families, children, and elderly attendees. Approximately 1,000 people fled the area, scattering into nearby streets in panic.

Naveed Akram, an unemployed former construction worker, had reportedly been fired from his job two months before the attack. He lived with his parents, his 22-year-old sister, and his 20-year-old brother. He was a graduate of the Al-Morad Institute, where he studied the Quran.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is formally designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, a move he said reflects the staggering toll the synthetic opioid has taken on American lives and underscores a broader effort to confront powerful drug networks operating across the Western Hemisphere.

Speaking as he signed an executive order enacting the change, Trump argued that the deadly impact of fentanyl rivals that of the world’s most feared weapons. “No bomb does what this is doing — 200-300,000 people die every year, that we know of,” Trump said, explaining why the substance is being placed in the same category as nuclear, biological, and chemical arms.

The order itself states that “illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic” and warns that it “threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders.” Administration officials say the classification is meant to expand the government’s legal and strategic tools against international drug organizations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States recorded roughly 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024, with approximately 48,000 linked specifically to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, highlighting the scale of the crisis Trump cited.

The decision dovetails with a wider campaign by the Trump administration against what it describes as “narco-terrorists.” As part of that effort, U.S. forces have carried out strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in recent months, an operation that has resulted in nearly 90 deaths since early September.

Trump has defended the strikes by asserting that each destroyed vessel prevents enormous loss of life at home, contending that eliminating more than 20 intercepted boats saves 25,000 Americans per ship. Critics, however, argue that many of the targeted vessels were likely transporting cocaine rather than fentanyl. They note that fentanyl, which drives the overdose epidemic, is largely trafficked overland through the southern border from Mexico, not by sea from countries like Colombia or Venezuela.

Alongside the maritime operations, the administration has ordered a significant military buildup in the Caribbean. The deployment includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier, multiple warships, and increased aerial activity, with U.S. military aircraft flying repeated missions along Venezuela’s coastline in recent weeks.

While the White House maintains that these actions are aimed squarely at disrupting drug trafficking routes, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of masking a push for regime change behind anti-narcotics rhetoric.

U.S. officials have sought to tie Venezuela directly to the drug trade, accusing Maduro of heading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns.” The United States formally designated the group a “narco-terrorist” organization last month and announced a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture, linking its fentanyl policy, military posture, and regional strategy into a single front against what it calls a growing transnational threat.

{Matzav.com}

Australian security agencies are intensifying their investigation into the backgrounds and overseas connections of Sajid and Naveed Akram, the father and son responsible for the deadly Chanukah attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people murdered.

According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, intelligence officials have determined that the two men traveled abroad shortly before the massacre, raising concerns that the assault may have been tied to a wider international terror framework.

Officials briefed on the probe told ABC that the Akrams flew to Manila in early November and later continued on to the southern Philippines. There, investigators believe the pair received what was described as “military-style training” before returning to Australia toward the end of November, just weeks before the attack unfolded.

A senior counter-terrorism source said the overseas trip and training have become a central focus of the inquiry, as authorities work to establish whether the shooters were acting independently or as part of a coordinated jihadist network operating beyond Australia’s borders.

Earlier reporting by ABC revealed that 24-year-old Naveed Akram had longstanding associations with members of Australia’s pro-Islamic State milieu. Among those named were extremist cleric Wisam Haddad and Youssef Uweinat, who was previously convicted for recruiting youth on behalf of ISIS.

Haddad, responding through his legal representative, denied any role in the attack, stating that he “vehemently denies any knowledge of or involvement in the shootings that took place at Bondi Beach.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously told ABC that Australia’s domestic intelligence service, ASIO, had conducted a six-month investigation into the Akram family and uncovered “no evidence” that either Sajid or Naveed Akram had been radicalized. Neither individual had appeared on any terrorism watchlists prior to the massacre. Authorities also confirmed that Sajid Akram legally owned firearms and faced no restrictions preventing him from accessing weapons.

While Australian investigators continue their work, international intelligence agencies are also weighing in. The British Telegraph reported that Israeli intelligence officials assess the Sydney massacre to have been the work of a foreign terrorist cell receiving backing from Iran.

The report further stated that the tactics and execution of the attack bear hallmarks associated with a Hezbollah-linked operational unit responsible for carrying out attacks beyond Lebanon’s borders. Israeli officials are additionally examining whether Hamas or other terrorist organizations may have had a role in supporting or directing the perpetrators.

A long-delayed effort to construct a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River is moving toward physical construction, with excavation scheduled to begin this spring using newly built tunnel boring machines now en route to New Jersey.

According to the Gateway Development Commission, which is managing the project, the first of the specialized machines is expected to arrive in January. Their arrival marks the transition from years of planning and delay to actual underground work on the long-anticipated tunnel.

“We are on the verge of a new phase of the Hudson Tunnel Project,” GDC commissioners said in a joint statement. “When the two tunnel boring machines that were manufactured this year begin their journey under the Palisades, it will represent a major step forward for the project.”

The machines were manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany and are a key component of the Gateway program’s New Jersey construction phase. Together, they account for part of the roughly $465 million cost associated with excavating one mile of new rail tunnel on the New Jersey side. Operating at the same time, the two machines will carve out separate, parallel tunnel tubes.

The initial boring work beneath New Jersey is expected to take approximately one year, a spokesperson for the commission said. After that phase is completed, the project will move into the Hudson River itself, where different tunnel boring equipment will be required due to the riverbed’s unique conditions.

Once completed, the new tunnel—part of the broader Gateway program—will carry trains for both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. It is intended to relieve pressure on the existing Hudson River tunnel, which is more than a century old and serves as a critical rail connection between New Jersey and Manhattan.

{Matzavc.com}

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