Matzav

Jack Schlossberg, a grandson of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, announced earlier in the week that he is running in New York’s 12th District, the seat held by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).

The former Vogue political correspondent, 31, who has more than 1.8 million followers across his social media platforms, has mocked Melania Trump, the U.S. first lady, and has expressed his love for the wife of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, claiming she is “hotter” than former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his grandmother.

“I’m not running because I have all the answers to our problems,” he stated. “I’m running because the people of New York 12 do. I want to listen to your struggles, hear your stories, amplify your voice, go to Washington and execute on your behalf.”

Schlossberg also appeared to perform a Nazi salute several times in an Instagram video, which has since been deleted, the Washington Free Beacon reported. He also posted a recipe—also now deleted—calling for “Jew blood” among the ingredients.

Raised Catholic, Schlossberg has a Jewish father, the designer Edwin Schlossberg, and his mother is Caroline Kennedy, a former diplomat who is the daughter of the former president.

In a “who is Jack Schlossberg anyway” part of his campaign site, the candidate writes that he is “the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis” and that “his paternal grandfather, Alfred Schlossberg, was also elected president … of his synagogue uptown and spent decades working in the garment business with an office in the Empire State Building.”

{Matzav.com}

Inna Vernikov, a Jewish member of the New York City Council who represents parts of Brooklyn, stated that she invited Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to visit New York City on Jan. 1—the inauguration of the mayoralty of Zohran Mamdani, who has said he would have the Israeli premier arrested should he come to the Big Apple.

In a letter dated Nov. 10, Vernikov wrote that it was a “great honor” to invite Netanyahu to the city to “meet with members of our community and to reaffirm the deep and enduring bond between the State of Israel and the people of New York City, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.”

She decried the “irresponsible and frankly absurd statements made by mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has campaigned on the promise of ‘arresting’ you upon setting foot in our city.”

“Whether individuals agree or disagree with your policies, you are the duly elected prime minister of the State of Israel, a democratic nation that stands as a beacon of hope, freedom, western values, resilience and strength in a region surrounded by tyranny and terror,” the councilwoman wrote.”

Joseph Weiler, who holds several professorships at New York University School of Law, where he directs the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law and Justice, told JNS that heads of state and government have “absolute immunity” under international law, “even in the face of horrific crimes.”

Mamdani has said he would have Netanyahu arrested in response to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, a judicial body in The Hague, which is not part of the United Nations. The court operates under the Rome Statute, to which neither Israel nor the United States is a party.

States that are parties to the statute “are both under a duty and have the right to arrest even a head of state, since the general immunity is deemed to be waived, provided both parties—the arresting state and the head of state in question—are parties to the Rome Statute,” according to Weiler, a former president of European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

But since Washington isn’t a party, “the United States has neither the duty nor the right to arrest Netanyahu following an arrest warrant issued by the ICC,” Weiler said. “The only exception might be if the Security Council referred the case, but this is hypothetical because it has not, and will not in the face of an American veto.”

Marshall Wittmann, the AIPAC spokesman, told JNS that the International Criminal Court “has turned itself into a kangaroo court.”

“Its bogus arrest warrants against Israeli officials have no standing in the United States,” he said.

AIPAC supports legislation that Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) introduced in September that would bar “state and local law enforcement officers from arresting foreign nationals within the United States solely on the basis of an indictment, warrant, or request issued by the International Criminal Court,” Wittmann said.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) led 20 fellow left-wing Democrats in a resolution to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” on Friday.

The non-binding resolution would “officially recognize that the State of Israel has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza” and call for sanctions against the Jewish state.

“The Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act,” stated Tlaib, an American of Palestinian descent. “Since the so-called ‘ceasefire’ was announced, Israeli forces haven’t stopped killing Palestinians.”

Co-sponsors of the resolution include some of Israel’s most vocal critics in the House and other prominent members of the progressive faction of the Democratic caucus, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).

Perhaps the most surprising co-sponsor was Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), whom AIPAC touted in May 2024 as the more pro-Israel candidate during her primary race in 2024 against the sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), another co-sponsor of Friday’s resolution.

AIPAC’s super PAC put more than $2 million into helping Dexter during the race. (JNS sought comment from Dexter and AIPAC.)

More than 100 anti-Israel and left-wing advocacy groups, including anti-Israel Jewish groups, backed the resolution, among them American Muslims for Palestine, CodePink, Jewish Voice for Peace Action and Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. JNS

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is calling on his massive online following to join a boycott of Starbucks, declaring solidarity with striking baristas across the United States. The move comes as the self-described socialist prepares to take office on a platform that includes free public buses, universal child care, and a citywide rent freeze.

“Starbucks workers across the country are on an Unfair Labor Practices strike, fighting for a fair contract,” Mamdani wrote Thursday night on X. “While workers are on strike, I won’t be buying any Starbucks, and I’m asking you to join us. Together, we can send a powerful message: No contract, no coffee.”

His transition spokesperson, Dora Pekec, underscored his pro-labor stance, saying, “New Yorkers can absolutely expect the Mayor-elect to stand unequivocally with labor.”

The call to action came as Starbucks employees in more than two dozen cities walked off the job during “Red Cup Day,” one of the company’s most profitable annual promotions when customers receive free holiday-themed cups. Despite the strike, Starbucks reported that roughly 99.9% of its stores continued operating.

Starbucks Workers United, representing roughly 9,000 employees out of the company’s more than 200,000 baristas, said the walkout was necessary to push for fair contract negotiations. The group accused the coffee giant of dragging its feet and warned that the work stoppages could grow if progress remains stalled.

Starbucks has rejected those claims, maintaining that the union’s proposals are unrealistic and insisting it already provides generous pay and benefits. The company said it offers “the best job in retail,” citing an average hourly wage of $19—equivalent to more than $30 when factoring in healthcare, tuition reimbursement, and other benefits.

This week’s strike marks the fourth national labor action organized by the union since 2023, and the third since CEO Brian Niccol assumed leadership in 2024. Although both sides appeared close to a deal earlier this year, negotiations collapsed soon after amid mutual accusations of bad faith.

Workers United says it has filed over 1,000 complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Starbucks of retaliatory behavior such as firing union activists and closing stores that vote to organize. The NLRB itself has charged the company with anti-union tactics—allegations Starbucks firmly denies.

The current disruption echoes last year’s Red Cup Day, when similar strikes temporarily shuttered around 60 locations nationwide. That campaign drew attention to long-standing friction between management and employees demanding more influence in workplace decisions.

Under Niccol’s leadership, the company has tried to boost morale through small initiatives, including a widely mocked plan to purchase 200,000 Sharpies so employees could write friendly messages on coffee cups. Baristas quickly criticized the idea, saying the practice was time-consuming and risked being misinterpreted as flirting.

Adding to the tension, Starbucks has shuttered hundreds of locations in recent months, including 59 unionized stores, some with only days of notice. The sudden closures have caused confusion and outrage in New York City, where workers, local officials, and landlords were left scrambling in the aftermath.

{Matzav.com}

FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to give an inside look at IBM’s ‘Nighthawk Quantum’ computer that will redefine AI, energy and the global tech race.

WATCH:

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9:02 

“Hello, Ezreinu!”

 “Hi! You sent us a volunteer last Sunday for my daughter? Basically, my sister who lives out-of-town invited us for the simcha she’s making this week. We just got a call from the family hosting us that our daughter can’t come along… Can you find someone to take her for Shabbos?” 

9:18

 Hi, My care manager told me about your organization. Do you know of someone who can do a thorough evaluation for my 8-year-old daughter? She’s really struggling in school and at home. We suspect she might have ASD or another undiagnosed issue. Not sure if we can afford someone private… About how much would an eval cost? Thanks, Reuven

 9:39 

“Hello, Ezreinu!” “Hi… Um… So I got your number from my neighbor. Maybe you can help…? No one else could. My son has learning and behavioral challenges. He was in Yeshivas Torah for elementary. It was okay, but high school’s been a nightmare… He started in a small mainstream place, but they couldn’t accommodate his needs. They dumped him in their self-contained class for kids with all kinds of struggles. He calls other boys in class “weirdos”. He’s miserable. He used to be the class leader; he has great social skills and had so many friends. Now, he feels like a nebach… I can’t watch my son suffer like this.” 

10:05

 “Hello, Ezreinu!” “Hi. My son’s been getting ABA after school for years, but the agency just informed us that they aren’t accepting his insurance anymore… They’ll continue to service him if I switch to a different insurance, but I don’t know where to begin the process, or if there’s something I should know that the agency isn’t telling me. And what if this change will affect his other services? I’m so confused. Can you help me figure this out?” 

Ezreinu, a support organization for families of children with special needs, is a one-stop-shop where parents can access much-needed respite volunteers and receive referrals for anything their child needs, including therapists, medical professionals, special ed program placement, and guidance navigating government services. Ezreinu keeps over 1,100 families afloat with their compassionate guidance and support – for free. To support Ezreinu’s essential work, click HERE.

Click HERE to Donate!

Anticipation is building across the Torah world as the distinguished Staten Island Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Reuven Feinstein, will headline the upcoming National Business Halacha Summit with a keynote address titled “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life.”

The Rosh Yeshiva, known for his profound clarity in Torah and practical insight into contemporary issues, will share timeless Torah perspectives on navigating the complexities of today’s business world.

The event will take place Monday and Tuesday, November 24–25, at The Westin in Lombard, Illinois. Following the keynote, participants will be treated to a special Q&A session, allowing attendees to engage directly with Harav Feinstein and hear guidance on real-world halachic and ethical dilemmas in commerce, finance, and everyday business dealings.

The H3 National Business Halacha Summit—known as the Hub of Halacha and the Hub of Business—brings together business professionals, rabbanim, and halacha experts for two days of immersive learning, networking, and inspiration. The Summit provides a unique forum where Torah values meet professional practice, ensuring that those engaged in business do so with yiras Shamayim and halachic precision.

Organized under the auspices of Agudath Israel of Illinois, the Summit has become a cornerstone event for Torah-observant businesspeople across North America. Attendees will explore topics ranging from partnership agreements and financial ethics to modern technology’s impact on halacha. Each session is crafted to offer practical application of halachic principles in the fast-paced world of commerce.

Registration is now open at H3Summit.org.

{Matzav.com}

Iran announced today that its Revolutionary Guards had taken control of a tanker transporting petrochemical products through the Gulf, claiming the vessel violated maritime regulations. The incident marked the first reported seizure by Tehran since Israeli and U.S. strikes targeted Iran in June.

According to Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that “the tanker was in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo.” The statement offered no additional clarification about what rules were broken or what prompted the action.

Maritime security officials and a U.S. government source confirmed on Friday that Iranian forces had intercepted the oil products tanker and forced it into Iranian territorial waters. The seized vessel, the Talara, is registered under the Marshall Islands flag and was sailing near the United Arab Emirates when the incident occurred.

The Talara had been transporting high-sulfur gasoil from Sharjah in the UAE to Singapore, traveling through the Indian Ocean when it was stopped, according to shipping data and maritime reports.

Columbia Shipmanagement, which operates the vessel, said contact was lost early Friday about 20 nautical miles off Khor Fakkan’s coast. The company reported that it was working with the vessel’s owner and international maritime security authorities to reestablish communication.

Ownership records show the ship belongs to Cyprus-based Pasha Finance. The U.S. military acknowledged it was “aware of the incident and was actively monitoring the situation,” according to an official statement.

Over the past several years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have occasionally detained commercial ships transiting the Gulf, often justifying the seizures by accusing vessels of smuggling or other technical violations.

A U.S. official, who requested anonymity, remarked that the move came unexpectedly since Iran had not conducted such actions for several months. The last known instance of a similar seizure occurred in April 2024, before Iran appeared to scale back its naval operations following the joint Israeli-American bombing campaign in June.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance talks all things working alongside President Donald Trump, the possibility of him running for President in 2028 and more on ‘Hannity.’

WATCH:

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Friday eliminating tariffs on a range of imported goods — including beef, coffee, and tropical fruits — in a bid to reduce food costs for American consumers.

The decision came as frustration over rising prices continued to mount. After voters in recent off-year elections identified economic struggles as their top concern, resulting in strong Democratic showings in key states like Virginia and New Jersey, the administration moved quickly to show action on inflation.

Announcing the order aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed that the United States had reached framework agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina to scale back import levies on agricultural products from those nations. The White House described the move as part of a larger push to bring down grocery costs while maintaining fair trade relationships across the hemisphere.

When asked if more tariff reductions were in the works, Trump indicated he believed the latest action would be sufficient. “I don’t think it’ll be necessary,” he said. “We just did a little bit of a rollback. The prices of coffee were a little bit high, now they’ll be on the low side in a very short period.”

Trump noted that this week’s adjustments were targeted specifically at easing costs for consumers. “We just did a little bit of a rollback,” he repeated, explaining that Americans could expect to see cheaper coffee and related goods soon thanks to the removal of import duties.

The president had hinted earlier in the week that coffee tariffs might soon be reduced, saying it was time to “help increase its importation.” His administration has consistently argued that tariffs do not necessarily drive consumer prices upward, a claim that has drawn debate among economists.

Many of the commodities included in the new executive order — such as tropical fruits and certain types of coffee — are not produced domestically, making them logical candidates for tariff relief. But beef, a staple of the American diet, has been at the center of growing concern as prices have surged to record highs.

Trump acknowledged that his own tariffs on Brazilian beef had contributed to those elevated costs and said Friday’s move was intended to correct that. “The prices of coffee were a little bit high, now they’ll be on the low side,” he reiterated, expressing confidence that consumers would soon feel the impact at the supermarket.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is rolling out a sweeping review of the nation’s food aid system, requiring millions of Americans receiving benefits to reapply in an effort to eliminate fraud and misuse, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins revealed in an interview with Newsmax.

Appearing on Rob Schmitt Tonight, Rollins explained that her department is preparing to overhaul the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, saying, “I plan to have everyone reapply for their benefits, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through … food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”

Rollins said the decision followed an extensive investigation across 29 red states, uncovering shocking irregularities. “186,000 deceased men and women and children in this country are receiving a check,” she reported. “Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data what we’re going to find?”

She said the discoveries will lay the groundwork for deep structural reform of the program. “It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program,” Rollins stated.

Among the more egregious examples of fraud, Rollins cited a man who was found collecting the same federal benefit in six different states. “So, these are the things that we’re uncovering that for years no one has really ever dug into because the feds didn’t have the system in place to do it,” she said. “But we do now. The president has made this a priority. We will fix this program.”

According to Rollins, enforcement has already begun, with authorities taking decisive action against those abusing the system. “We are actively with the [Department of Justice], with a lot of the other investigation units around the country, already arresting. There’s a lot of people already sitting in jail, but I think we’re just at the very tip of the iceberg and what we’re going to find,” she said.

She added that roughly 120 individuals have already been arrested for “committing fraud on the system,” and that further investigations are underway as part of what she called a long-overdue cleanup of federal food aid.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump brushed aside renewed curiosity about his recent medical exam, saying he was unaware of the specifics of the MRI he underwent during his last physical but confident the outcome was outstanding.

“I have no idea what they analyzed,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Mar-a-Lago. “But whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well, and they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen.”

He described the imaging as a routine part of his regular health checkups. “The MRI was part of my semiannual physical and very standard,” he explained.

The discussion followed Trump’s visit to Walter Reed Military Medical Center in October, after which his physician released a brief statement saying he was in “excellent overall health.” The president later casually mentioned that an MRI had been performed, a revelation that sparked speculation since such imaging is rarely included in a typical physical examination.

Despite persistent questions, no further information has been released about what prompted the scan or what it revealed.

When asked about the matter earlier this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reassured reporters that the president was in top shape. “As stated in the memo provided on Oct. 10, President Trump received advanced imaging at Walter Reed Medical Center as part of his routine physical examination,” Leavitt said at a press briefing.

“The full results were viewed by attending radiologists and consultants, and all agree that President Trump remains in exceptional physical health, which I know all of you will see with your own eyes this evening when he opens up his dinner to the press,” she added.

Leavitt emphasized that there was no cause for concern, reiterating that the MRI was conducted as part of “a comprehensive preventive care process,” and that Trump’s health “continues to be excellent.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump intensified his public feud with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, launching into a scathing attack on Truth Social and mocking her as a “Republican in Name Only.”

“Lightweight Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Brown (Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!), betrayed the entire Republican Party when she turned Left, performed poorly on the pathetic View, and became the RINO that we all know she always was,” Trump wrote.

He didn’t stop there, continuing his tirade with another swipe at other conservatives he accused of disloyalty. “Just another Fake politician, no different than Rand Paul Jr. (Thomas Massie), who got caught being a full fledged Republican In Name Only (RINO)! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

The fiery post came just one day after Trump officially revoked his endorsement of Greene, a move signaling a complete rupture with one of his most vocal supporters from previous election cycles. He also hinted that he would back a primary challenger to unseat her.

Greene responded with a lengthy message on X early this morning, suggesting that Trump’s anger stemmed from her recent decision to join a bipartisan discharge petition demanding the Justice Department release all remaining documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I never thought that fighting to release the Epstein files, defending women who were victims of rape, and fighting to expose the web of rich powerful elites would have caused this, but here we are. And it truly speaks for itself,” Greene wrote. “There needs to be a new way forward.”

She was one of only four Republicans to sign onto the petition, despite Trump’s clear opposition. Greene added that Trump’s push to keep GOP lawmakers away from the issue was a “huge miscalculation.”

Meanwhile, both House Democrats and the Republican-led Oversight Committee published additional materials related to the Epstein investigation, including leaked emails implying that Trump may have had more knowledge of Epstein’s connections to underage girls than he had previously acknowledged. Trump forcefully rejected those claims and directed the Justice Department to investigate potential Democratic involvement with Epstein’s network.

In her posts, Greene also criticized U.S. foreign aid policies — including funding for Israel and Ukraine — and noted that she has not accepted donations from AIPAC. “This and the Epstein files is why I’m being attacked by President Trump,” she said. “It really makes you wonder what is in those files and who and what country is putting so much pressure on him?”

Despite the heated exchange, Greene ended her remarks on a conciliatory note. “I forgive him and I will pray for him to return to his original MAGA promises,” she wrote.

Trump fired back shortly after with another stinging retort on Truth Social: “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!”

{Matzav.com}

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was recovering at home today after a fall left him hospitalized with a deep facial injury and a long line of stitches running from his eyebrow to his nose.

Posting on X, the senator shared a close-up photo of his face and wrote, “20 stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home with @giselefetterman and the kids. I’m overwhelmed + profoundly grateful for all the well-wishes. Truly.”

In the same post, he expressed appreciation for his medical team, writing, “Grateful for @UPMC for the incredible medical care that put me back together. THANK YOU SO MUCH. See you back in DC.”

According to his spokesperson, the senator was hurt “during an early morning walk” close to his Braddock residence.

“Upon evaluation, it was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face with minor injuries,” the spokesperson said. “He is doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital. He has opted to stay so doctors can fine-tune his medication regimen.”

The aide added that, in typical fashion, Fetterman managed to inject humor into the situation. “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” the senator quipped in a Thursday statement.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I was appalled to come across a recent print advertisement boasting of “Torah camping designed to perfection for ‘discriminating’ bnei Torah mishpachos.” Yes, you read that correctly — “discriminating.” I had to read it twice to make sure it wasn’t satire. Sadly, it wasn’t.

Have we lost all sense of what it means to be a ben Torah? Since when is “discriminating” a badge of honor for a Torah family? Since when is elitism wrapped in religious language something to advertise proudly? It’s not clever. It’s not classy. It’s the opposite of Torah.

If you want to say your program is geared toward bnei Torah, there’s a respectful, refined, and honest way to do so. Say that it’s meant for mishpachos who appreciate a Torah environment. Say it’s a place where kedushah and tznius are valued. Say it’s for those who want their summer surroundings to reflect their spiritual standards. But don’t dare use the word “discriminating” — as if being a ben Torah means being picky, judgmental, or too refined to mix with the “lesser” crowd.

This kind of phrasing betrays a mindset that is entirely foreign to Torah values. The greatness of bnei Torah lies in anivus, in humility, in seeing the tzelem Elokim in every Jew — not in creating tiers of who’s “elite” enough to share a campfire. When we start turning Torah into a social label, when being a ben Torah becomes a marketing slogan instead of a sacred calling, something is deeply broken.

It’s painful to watch the language of Yiddishkeit being hijacked for the sake of pretentious advertising. Whoever wrote that line may have thought it sounded sophisticated. In truth, it only reveals how far we’ve drifted from the simplicity, sincerity, and emes that define real Torah life.

If the goal was to attract bnei Torah, perhaps start by speaking like one.

 A Non-Discriminating Ben Torah Family

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Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth clarified that the government’s updated giyus proposal would maintain long-standing exemptions for those immersed in full-time Torah learning, while establishing a gradual framework to draft some members of the chareidi public who are not actively in yeshiva.

Speaking on Channel 12’s Meet the Press, Bismuth dismissed what he called “fake” reports about the law’s contents, assuring that it did not represent a sweeping change but a realistic plan designed in full coordination with the prime minister. “The law is more or less ready. I am in full coordination with the prime minister. The prime minister wants this law; very much so,” he said. Using a metaphor, he added, “The locomotive is ready to leave the station [and is] waiting for passengers.”

While the bill would allow full-time bnei Torah to continue learning without fear of conscription, Bismuth said that “within five years, 50 percent of those not in yeshiva” would be drafted — a figure he described as “huge.” He declined to elaborate on how the army would decide who among the non-learners would be enlisted and who would remain exempt.

He emphasized that the new structure would include oversight and sanctions but only limited national service participation. “There will be an oversight mechanism,” he said, noting that merely 10% of those mobilized would serve in civilian national service rather than in the IDF. He rejected talk of a “revolution” in chareidi enlistment, comparing the slow, steady process to the way women’s participation in combat units increased over time. “Two decades ago, there were debates over women in combat, but today, when my daughter comes back from Gaza with a red beret, it’s obvious. It’s the same with chareidim — each one who enlists is an ambassador,” he said.

For the past year, gedolei Yisroel and askanim have urged lawmakers to protect lomdei Torah from the draft, after the High Court declared that blanket exemptions for full-time yeshiva students were unconstitutional. Roughly 80,000 chareidi men between ages 18 and 24 are currently registered as eligible for service but remain in yeshiva. The IDF, facing manpower shortages due to the war against Hamas and other fronts, has sought an additional 12,000 recruits.

Bismuth assumed the chairmanship of the committee in August after Shas and United Torah Judaism temporarily exited the coalition in protest over the government’s delays in advancing the new giyus framework, which critics derisively called an “evasion bill.” Upon taking the post, Bismuth discarded the earlier draft prepared by Yuli Edelstein — which had been met with outrage from chareidi representatives — and began redrafting it from scratch.

He explained that his vision for the law sought to find the equilibrium between the world of the yeshiva and the needs of national defense. “I admire those who wear the uniform, but just as much — and I say this out loud — I admire those who study the Torah,” Bismuth said, stressing that he wanted a law that both safeguarded Torah learning and would withstand scrutiny by the High Court.

According to Hebrew media reports, the current version keeps the exemption age at 26 and sets a target for drafting half of the annual chareidi cohort within five years. Government support for yeshivos would only be affected if institutions failed to meet agreed-upon enlistment benchmarks after a year. Penalties for individuals who decline to serve would begin only after two years, and only if the overall enlistment goals were not met.

Last month, Bismuth told Channel 14 that he hoped to bring the final bill for its remaining Knesset votes in December, estimating that “10,000 chareidim” would be drafted within two years, with the number rising gradually thereafter. He underscored that “there will be sanctions — there will be personal sanctions, there will be institutional sanctions, there will be serious sanctions,” while emphasizing that the intent was not to provoke or demean the chareidi public.

Having met with many leading rabbanim, Bismuth said the message he heard consistently was that those immersed in Torah should continue undisturbed, while others should fulfill their civic duty. “I have met with many rabbanim from across the chareidi community,” he said. “The consensus among them was that those engaged in studying Torah full-time should be allowed to continue, while those who don’t should enlist.”

{Matzav.com}

A major new study suggests that women under 50 who regularly consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods face a significantly greater likelihood of developing precancerous colon polyps. The findings were published Thursday in JAMA Oncology.

Researchers analyzed data from 29,105 female nurses under the age of 50 and discovered that women who ate an average of three servings of ultra-processed foods daily had a 3% risk of developing a precancerous polyp. For those consuming 10 or more servings each day, the risk rose to 5%. Participants in the highest consumption group were found to have a 45% higher risk of adenomas — the type of growth that can precede colorectal cancer.

Ultra-processed foods cited in the study include items like sodas, chips, cookies, crackers, candy, boxed macaroni and cheese, frozen or ready-to-eat meals, lunch meats, jerky, and hot dogs.

The research, carried out jointly by Harvard University and Mass General Brigham between 1991 and 2015, did not conclusively establish that these foods cause the polyps, but the correlation was strong. Each participant underwent at least two lower endoscopies before turning 50 and completed detailed dietary questionnaires every four years, allowing scientists to estimate long-term eating patterns.

“Our findings support the importance of reducing the intake of ultra-processed foods as a strategy to mitigate the rising burden of early-onset colorectal cancer,” said senior author Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and a professor at Harvard Medical School.

Chan added that “the increased risk seems to be fairly linear, meaning that the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the more potential that it could lead to colon polyps.”

The study’s authors also considered other known contributors to colorectal cancer, including weight, Type 2 diabetes, and low fiber intake. “Even after accounting for all these other risk factors, the association with ultra-processed foods still held up,” Chan said.

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Two senior members of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s governing coalition sharply criticized him for failing to publicly reject the idea of a Palestinian state, after a US-led coalition of nations issued a statement endorsing President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace framework as “a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu “make it clear to the entire world” that “a Palestinian state will never be established,” condemning what he described as the prime minister’s ongoing “silence” on the matter as a “diplomatic disgrace.”

“Two months ago, immediately after several countries announced their unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, you committed to respond decisively on the matter as soon as you returned from the United States. Since then, as mentioned, two months have passed during which you chose silence and a diplomatic disgrace. The deterioration we are now witnessing regarding this issue is dangerous and is your responsibility due to your silence,” Smotrich wrote on social media.

He went on to urge Netanyahu to “formulate immediately an appropriate and decisive response that will make it clear to the entire world [that] a Palestinian state will never be established on the territory of our homeland.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir voiced similar outrage, declaring in a separate statement that “there is no such thing as a ‘Palestinian people’” and that “they certainly do not deserve a reward for the terror, murder, and atrocities they have sown everywhere, especially from Gaza — the place where they received self-rule.”

Ben Gvir said his Otzma Yehudit party “will not be part of any government that agrees to this,” insisting that “the only real solution in Gaza is to encourage voluntary emigration, and certainly not a reward-state for terror, which would serve as a base for continued terrorism.”

“I call on the prime minister to make it clear that the State of Israel will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in any form,” he added.

The criticism came after Washington coordinated a joint declaration from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan expressing support for the UN Security Council resolution to create an International Stabilization Force in Gaza.

“We emphasize that this is a sincere effort, and the Plan provides a viable path towards peace and stability, not only between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but for the entire region,” the joint statement read. “We are looking forward to this resolution’s swift adoption.”

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Noam party leader Avi Maoz has launched a blistering attack on both US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, accusing them of undermining Israel’s sovereignty and advancing Palestinian statehood.

In a fiery post, Maoz charged that Trump is “advancing a Palestinian terror state in Judea and Samaria,” using the Biblical term for the West Bank. His remarks followed an international statement — coordinated by Washington and signed by several nations — claiming that Trump’s post-war Gaza initiative “offers a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Maoz did not spare Israel’s leadership either, slamming Netanyahu’s “full-right-wing government” for what he called efforts to block his sovereignty legislation from progressing to its first Knesset reading. The bill, which would extend Israeli sovereignty to all settlements in the West Bank, has been a flashpoint within the coalition.

Although Maoz’s proposal narrowly passed a preliminary vote in late October, Netanyahu strongly opposed it. The Likud faction staged a boycott of the session, with the exception of MK Yuli Edelstein, who broke ranks and cast the deciding vote in favor — a move that cost him his position on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Following the initial approval, the measure was sent to the committee stage, where it has remained stalled. Observers believe Netanyahu will prevent it from advancing any further, wary of international repercussions and internal coalition instability.

Undeterred, Maoz this week appealed directly to committee chairman Boaz Bismuth of Likud, urging him not to drag his feet on the legislation and to move it forward for debate.

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