Matzav

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Lakewood, NJ – February 15, 2026 – CHEMED Health, the region’s leader in community-based healthcare, hosted its annual Medical and Ethics Conference, drawing more than 1,000 participants, including physicians, nurses, medical students, rabbanim, and healthcare leaders for an intensive, multi-day gathering exploring the intersection of medicine, ethics, and Halacha.

The conference opened Thursday evening with an inspiring keynote lecture by Rav Sholom Kamenetsky, titled “AI, Autonomy, and Halacha: How Jewish Law Approaches the Future of Decision Making.” His address set the tone for a program focused on navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of modern medicine through the lens of timeless ethical and Torah-based principles.

Over the course of the conference, attendees participated in 52 lectures featuring prominent rabbinic authorities, academic leaders, and medical professionals. Notable presenters included Rabbi Doctor Aaron E. Glatt, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz, Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz, Rav Professor Avrohom Steinberg, and Dr. Isaac Schechter, among many others, who addressed a wide range of clinical, ethical, and policy-related topics shaping contemporary healthcare practice.

On Motzei Shabbos, a highlight of the conference was a special question-and-answer session with Rav Asher Weiss שליט״א, who traveled from Eretz Yisroel for the occasion. Rav Weiss opened his remarks with warm and effusive praise for CHEMED and for Dr. Dovid Friedman’s leadership and vision before engaging attendees in an in-depth discussion of complex medical halachic scenarios, offering guidance that reflected both rigorous scholarship and real-world clinical sensitivity.

The conference concluded with a major announcement from Dr. Dovid Friedman, CEO of CHEMED, who, together with the Medical Village development team, presented a comprehensive vision for CHEMED’s next chapter through a special video unveiling of The Medical Village – a transformative outpatient healthcare campus designed to redefine coordinated care for the region.

The Medical Village represents CHEMED’s most ambitious initiative to date – a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated outpatient campus that will bring more than 50 medical specialties together under one coordinated system. The campus will include primary care, pediatric and adult subspecialties, dental services, behavioral health, women’s health, advanced diagnostic radiology, an ambulatory surgery center, and a standalone emergency department, all designed to provide seamless, high-level care within a single environment.

“For nearly two decades, CHEMED has been committed to expanding access to quality care,” said Dr. Friedman. “The Medical Village reflects our next step forward – building a future-ready healthcare model that integrates specialty medicine, academic training, and coordinated care delivery to serve our rapidly growing community.”

Beyond its clinical scope, the campus will also feature dedicated educational space for medical students and residents, strengthening training opportunities and advancing the level of academic medicine in the region.

With record attendance, a robust educational program, and the unveiling of a transformative healthcare initiative, this year’s conference underscored CHEMED’s dual commitment: advancing medical excellence while grounding healthcare delivery in enduring ethical and community-centered values.

Major traffic disruptions were reported this afternoon after dozens of members of extremist factions staged demonstrations at several locations, including the entrance to Yerushalayim, the Beit Shemesh area, and near Modiin Illit.

According to reports and eyewitness documentation, demonstrators blocked Route 38 heading toward Yerushalayim, bringing traffic to a halt. At the same time, additional attempts were made to obstruct the main entrance to the capital.

The protests follow the unrest that took place yesterday in Bnei Brak. In the past hour, groups affiliated with the extremist factions gathered at key junctions leading into Yerushalayim, as well as in the Beit Shemesh region and adjacent to Modiin Illit.

Netivei Israel stated that Route 443 has been closed in both directions between the entrance to the Modiin industrial zone and the Maccabim-Reut junction due to preparations for a demonstration. Localized traffic congestion has been reported in the area.

Israel Police said that officers from the Yerushalayim District, together with Border Police forces, are operating at the protest sites along Route 38 and at the entrance to Yerushalayim. Authorities reported that at both locations, demonstrators blocked roads by standing in the lanes of traffic, disrupting vehicles and preventing passage. Police are working to clear the roads and disperse those involved in the disturbances.

Earlier in the day, all individuals arrested yesterday in Bnei Brak on suspicion of involvement in the riots were released.

{Matzav.com}

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Leiberman delivered sharp criticism following the disturbances in Bnei Brak yesterday, labeling those involved as “terrorists” and holding the chareidi leadership responsible. Speaking in a Monday morning interview on 103FM, he said the government had pledged to restore order but instead allowed chaos to take root.

“They promised us governance and we got lawlessness. Yesterday, terrorists attacked female soldiers in the heart of Bnei Brak. They are not Jews, they are not citizens – they are terrorists, plain and simple,” Leiberman said. He asked how security forces would have reacted had a comparable assault taken place in Gush Etzion or along the Lebanon border, arguing that the situation revealed what he sees as unequal enforcement.

Responding to reports that police had not been informed in advance about the soldiers’ entry into the city, Leiberman said, “We are eroding reality in a way that sometimes makes you want to pinch yourself. I heard people in the Israel Police say, ‘Their entry into Bnei Brak was not coordinated with us.’ This is the center of the country – what coordination? Soldiers cannot be restricted from entering key areas like Ramat Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, or Mea Shearim. This is unacceptable. It is not a fringe issue; unfortunately, this is the central leadership.”

Leiberman directed his strongest criticism at leading rabbinic and political figures within the chareidi world. He cited Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, who publicly urged followers to tear up draft notices and “flush them down the toilet,” as well as Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who described draft evasion as a religious obligation. He also pointed to statements by United Torah Judaism head Goldberg, who compared military service to wearing a “yellow badge.” “They care only about power, respect, and money for themselves. The chareidi public is held hostage; we need to rescue them,” Leiberman said.

He further warned that many young chareidim lack preparation for gainful employment because they are not taught core subjects such as English, mathematics, and computer skills, leaving them reliant on stipends and communal support. “Along with the charity and the allowance, they will also get a voting slip. They only care about themselves; their public doesn’t matter to them,” Leiberman said.

Making his political stance unmistakably clear, Leiberman ruled out participation in any future governing coalition that includes chareidi parties. “God forbid. The chareidi parties must move to the opposition for at least two terms. The extortion by the chareidi parties has crossed every line; we can no longer subsidize it.” He added that the makeup of the next government would depend on whether voters align with what he described as the camp of those who serve versus the camp of draft evaders. “If we go with a clear bloc strategy, I see at least 63 mandates,” he said.

On the security front, Leiberman called for the immediate deployment of two Border Police battalions to Bnei Brak. “Every time draft dodgers are arrested, they are released through a revolving door. This lawlessness cannot continue when we are building a state within a state. Blocking Jabotinsky Road, the main artery of Gush Dan, is unbearable. It threatens national resilience and unity. When there is draft dodging, there is no unity,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his doubts regarding the possibility of any deal with Iran, which he said must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and not just stopping uranium enrichment.

His comments came ahead of a second round of U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, and amid a major American military buildup in the region which is still underway.

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran, because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing: they lie, and they cheat,” Netanyahu said in a keynote speech to the annual gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem.

In his first public address after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week, the Israeli leader said that any agreement must remove all enriched nuclear material from Iran, dismantle its enrichment infrastructure, curb its ballistic missile program and dismantle the axis of terror that Tehran has built across the region.

“There shall be no enrichment capability—not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.

Gaza

Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu said that in the second stage of Trump’s peace plan, Hamas must be disarmed of some 60,000 AK-47 assault rifles it still possesses, which, he noted, were the primary weapon used during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

At the same time, Israel must “complete the job” of demilitarizing Gaza by dismantling its vast network of tunnels—which the terror group built up for years across the coastal strip. About 150 kilometers (93 miles) of an estimated 500 kilometers (311 miles) of tunnels have been destroyed to date.

“We’re giving the president’s plan a chance,” said Netanyahu. “And he put it very succinctly. He said it can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way. We hope that it will be done the easy way, because we know the ravages of war. We know what it means to lose people, we know the human cost of war, but that goal has to be achieved, one way or the other, and one way or the other, it will be achieved.”

Economy

Despite the two-year war, Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s booming economy, citing an Economist survey that found Israel had the third most vibrant economy in the OECD, and highlighting the record highs of the Israeli stock market, as well as the 30-year high the Israeli shekel has reached against the dollar.

He noted that growing ties between Israel and a string of countries across Latin America, singling out special praise for Argentina under the leadership of Javier Milei, and also noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due in Israel next week to further expand burgeoning bilateral relations.

He added that Israel was a leading power in cyber technology, which has attracted vast foreign investment, and intends to reach the same heights in partnership with the United States in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

“Israel is a very strong country coming out of the war… economically, militarily, and technologically, and we intend to be a lot stronger,” he said. JNS

As preparations move forward for Phase B of President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction initiative, Hamas has introduced a new condition: it wants to preserve its control over the Gaza Strip while continuing to function as a political body.

Israeli officials have conveyed an unequivocal position to Washington, stating that they will not tolerate any arrangement in which Hamas plays a part in administering Gaza. Jerusalem has also clarified that it will not enter into political or financial agreements if the terror group remains embedded within Gaza’s governing framework.

According to a report by Kan News, Hamas is unwilling to hand over authority to the technocratic body formed to oversee Gaza’s civilian management. Instead, the organization prefers to stay in charge of the territory, even if that means agreeing to only a limited disarmament.

The report further indicated that Hamas has been in contact with several Arab governments, signaling its interest in a model similar to Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon — maintaining political influence while simultaneously retaining military power on the ground.

Speaking Sunday evening at the opening gala of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined Israel’s objectives in the ongoing war. He said the country’s three primary aims were to “return the hostages, disarm and dismantle Hamas military capabilities, and third dismantle Hamas governing capabilities. The first has been achieved.”

Netanyahu emphasized the urgency of removing Hamas’s weapons, stating, “Hamas must give up its weapons. The weapon that does the most damage is the AK-47. Assault weapons. There are 60,000 such weapons, they must go.”

He continued by detailing Israel’s broader security goals: “First disarm Hamas. Second, demilitarize Gaza. We dismantled about 150 km of 500 km of tunnels. We’re giving the President’s plan a chance. It can be done the easy or hard way. We hope the easy way. Because we know the human cost of war. But that goal must be achieved. And one way or another it will be.

“Gaza will not pose a threat ever again to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu declared.

Iran is prepared to explore concessions in its nuclear negotiations with the United States, but only if Washington is willing to put sanctions relief on the table, according to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi.

In remarks aired Sunday in an interview with the BBC, Takht-Ravanchi stressed that meaningful progress depends on the United States demonstrating genuine intent to reach an agreement.

“The ball is in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal,” Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster. “If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement.”

His comments come as the two countries prepare for another round of talks and against a backdrop of heightened tensions. The United States has expanded its military footprint in the Middle East, and officials have warned that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.

President Donald Trump has previously cautioned that Iran could face strikes and ordered an increased American military presence in the region following Tehran’s deadly suppression of anti-government demonstrations that reportedly left thousands dead.

Another session of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities is scheduled to take place Tuesday in Geneva. Takht-Ravanchi characterized the initial discussions as “more or less in a positive direction,” while emphasizing that it is “too early to judge.”

A central dispute in the talks involves Iran’s accumulation of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — a level approaching weapons-grade material and one that has intensified international concern about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Takht-Ravanchi indicated that Iran is open to addressing its enriched uranium reserves, but only within a broader framework that includes lifting sanctions.

“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” he told the BBC.

When asked whether Iran might again transfer enriched uranium abroad — as it did under the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump exited in 2018 — Takht-Ravanchi declined to make any commitments, saying, “It is too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations.”

Tehran has consistently insisted that discussions remain limited to nuclear matters. Takht-Ravanchi explained that Iran believes Washington now recognizes that narrowing the focus is essential to reaching a deal. “Our understanding is that they have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal you have to focus on the nuclear issue.” He suggested this marks a departure from earlier U.S. demands that Iran halt all enrichment — a position Tehran argues violates its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Takht-Ravanchi also reaffirmed that Iran will not negotiate over its ballistic missile arsenal. The United States has pressed for missile restrictions, citing concerns shared by Israel, which views Iran’s missile program as a significant security threat. Defending Iran’s stance, he said, “When we were attacked by Israelis and Americans, our missiles came to our rescue so how can we accept depriving ourselves of our defensive capabilities?”

Although he voiced guarded hope that diplomacy could succeed, Takht-Ravanchi acknowledged lingering mistrust, pointing to what he described as inconsistent messaging from Washington, especially comments from Trump about regime change. “We are hearing that they are interested in negotiations… but we are not hearing that in the private messages,” he said.

He warned that a new armed conflict would have severe repercussions across the region. “If we feel this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly.”

Even with tensions running high, Takht-Ravanchi maintained that Iran remains committed to pursuing a negotiated outcome. “We will do our best but the other side also has to prove that they are also sincere,” he concluded.

The IDF now believes that Hamas’s military wing used a string of emojis as the coded order to initiate the October 7 massacre. The conclusion was reached after Israeli forces examined mobile phones taken from Nukhba terrorists during the assault.

Security officials said the same emoji combination discovered on those devices had appeared in two earlier episodes — in September 2022 and again in April 2023 — when Hamas had been preparing major attacks that were ultimately called off.

Investigators determined that in the hours leading up to the invasion of Israeli communities near the Gaza border, a prearranged message was distributed to operatives through WhatsApp. Only after reviewing the intelligence did it become evident that this message was the cue for militants to head to mosques and ready themselves for the operation.

According to the assessment, once the message was received, the terrorists gathered either at mosques or at other predetermined meeting locations, where commanders issued final instructions.

From there, some made their way to underground compounds to collect combat equipment, while others went to weapons depots, put on uniforms and tactical vests, and armed themselves with firearms and additional supplies.

The IDF stated that during the two prior instances in which the identical emoji sequence was detected, Hamas did not follow through with its plans, partly because of disagreements within the organization.

Senior military officials conceded that, before October 7, they would not have recognized preparations for a sweeping cross-border assault or the activation of Hamas’s so-called “Jericho Wall” strategy.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ignited controversy at the Munich Security Conference on Friday by asserting that American assistance to Israel had facilitated what she described as a genocide in Gaza. Her remarks were delivered in Munich, the city historically associated with the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement, which carried out the Holocaust.

Her comments criticizing Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza prompted swift condemnation from military analysts, scholars, and Middle East specialists. Israel’s ongoing war effort began after Hamas — designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union — launched its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israeli communities, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and kidnapping 251 people who were taken into Gaza.

Speaking during a town hall discussion, Ocasio-Cortez said, “To me, this isn’t just about a presidential election. Personally, I think that the United States has an obligation to uphold its own laws, particularly the Leahy laws. And I think that personally, that the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense. I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza. And I think that we have thousands of women and children dead that don’t, that was completely avoidable.”

She added, “And, so I believe that enforcement of our own laws through the Leahy laws, which requires conditioning aid in any circumstance, when you see gross human rights violations, is appropriate.”

The Leahy Laws, first introduced in 1997 by former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., bar the Department of Defense and the State Department from providing funding to foreign security force units when credible evidence exists that those units have committed “gross violations of human rights.”

Tom Gross, an international affairs analyst, sharply criticized Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks in comments to Fox News Digital. “AOC has flown all the way to Munich — infamous as the city in which Hitler staged his Nazi Beer Hall Putsch that marked the beginning of the road to the Holocaust — in order to smear the Jewish people further with a phony genocide allegation.”

Gross continued, “Such preposterous allegations of ‘genocide’ form the bedrock of modern antisemitic incitement against Jews in the U.S. and globally. This shocking ignorance and insensitivity by Ocasio-Cortez should rule her out of any potential presidential bid or other high office.”

Specialists in military history and genocide studies have also challenged the claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. They argue that the legal definition under international law requires specific intent to eliminate a protected group, a threshold they contend has not been met.

Danny Orbach, a military historian at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and co-author of “Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7 2023, to June 1, 2025,” told Fox News Digital that Ocasio-Cortez’s allegation is an “accusation that is incorrect both factually and legally. Under the Genocide Convention, genocide requires proof of a special intent to destroy a protected group, in whole or in part, and as a baseline condition, an active effort to maximize civilian destruction.

“The evidence shows the opposite: as demonstrated in our multi-author study Debunking the Genocide Allegations, Israel undertook unprecedented measures to mitigate civilian harm, including establishing humanitarian safe zones that independently verified data show were approximately six times safer than other areas of Gaza.”

Orbach further stated, “Israel also issued detailed advance warnings before strikes and facilitated the entry of over two million tons of humanitarian aid, often at significant cost to its own military advantage, including the loss of surprise and the sustainment of an enemy during wartime.”

He concluded, “These measures were taken despite Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, its systematic use of human shields and hospitals for military purposes, and a tunnel network exceeding 1,000 kilometers — an operational challenge without historical precedent. Finally, no credible evidence demonstrates the kind of unambiguous, exclusive genocidal intent toward Palestinians that international law requires and that cannot be reasonably interpreted otherwise.”

Conservative commentator Derek Hunter also weighed in, writing on X, “Imagine going to Germany to complain about a fake genocide by Jews…in Munich, of all places. @AOC is about as smart as clogged toilet.”

In December 2024, Germany aligned with the United States in formally rejecting claims that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide.

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Bnei Brak City Council Director-General Yisroel Ehrenstein has sharply criticized police conduct surrounding the unrest in the city, suggesting that the escalation may not have been accidental. In an interview outlining the sequence of events, Ehrenstein argued that the initial confrontation could have been avoided and questioned the manner in which both the military police soldiers and later police reinforcements handled the situation.

According to Ehrenstein, the episode began when two female military police soldiers entered Hagai Street in Bnei Brak. He said the municipality has yet to receive a clear, official explanation regarding the purpose of their visit. “It all starts when two soldiers enter Bnei Brak. We still have not received an orderly briefing explaining why they came and what the objective was,” he said.

He described the initial interaction as verbal provocation involving a small group of youths. “Apparently they encountered a small group of young people — a fringe, as we know there are extremists in Bnei Brak,” he stated. Ehrenstein claimed that local residents attempted to defuse the situation and advised the soldiers to leave the area in order to prevent tensions from rising. “People approached them and said it might be better to leave so there would not be a disturbance,” he said. “They chose to remain and effectively escalate the event. Based on how it later developed, either it was intentional, or there was some process aimed at reaching a certain outcome.”

Ehrenstein maintained that at the outset, the situation was still manageable and had not yet spiraled into violence. Even a motorcyclist who approached the area was reportedly told to leave, and tensions had not yet boiled over. However, he said that within a short time, large numbers of police forces began arriving, which in his view intensified the situation. While emphasizing that the city generally works in close coordination with local policing authorities, he argued that this time outside forces unfamiliar with the city were deployed.

He leveled particularly strong criticism at what he described as the conduct of some of those units. “They brought in forces not connected to the area who behaved in a disgraceful manner,” he asserted. Referring to municipal security camera footage, he claimed to have seen instances in which residents who were not involved in any disturbances were treated harshly. “They take a woman who is simply standing on the side, trembling in fear, and throw her to the ground. It’s horrifying,” he said.

At the same time, Ehrenstein made clear that the municipality condemns any violence by residents. “Of course we condemn any form of violence. It is not our way to set motorcycles on fire or overturn police vehicles,” he stressed, adding that those involved represent only a small minority and not the overwhelming majority of Bnei Brak’s residents.

He also pushed back against public descriptions of the incident as a “lynching,” calling that characterization a gross distortion. “To call this a lynching by the residents of Bnei Brak — that word is so far removed,” he said. He added that he reviewed footage showing what he described as harm to uninvolved individuals, including children and women. “I saw how they acted toward an eight-year-old child when a stun grenade exploded near him, a woman being humiliated, and a young boy wearing tefillin returning from cheder being taken even though he did nothing,” he said.

Ehrenstein emphasized that Bnei Brak is a densely populated city, particularly in the afternoon hours when thousands of children and kollel members fill the streets. “During those hours the streets are packed,” he noted, arguing that forceful policing tactics in such an environment heighten the risk of unnecessary escalation and harm to innocent bystanders.

He concluded by saying that city leadership is working to restore calm and renew coordination with law enforcement. The mayor, he said, has spoken with the district commander to ensure that future sensitive incidents are handled in a manner suited to the city’s unique character. The primary goal, Ehrenstein said, is to prevent further violence, restore residents’ sense of security, and return to responsible, coordinated management of public order.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s upcoming “rental ripoff” hearings are facing backlash after it was revealed that residents of public housing will not be permitted to testify — despite long-standing complaints that the agency overseeing those units is among the city’s most troubled landlords.

The administration is set to hold its first public session on Feb. 26. While promoted as an opportunity for tenants to raise concerns, the hearings will be limited to disputes involving renters and landlords in privately owned buildings. The roughly 500,000 residents living in properties managed by the New York City Housing Authority will not be included in the formal testimony process.

Landlords and housing advocates criticized the city for excluding NYCHA residents while encouraging tenants in private buildings to appear and speak about alleged abuses, including so-called “rental junk fees” tied to amenities such as pet ownership.

“The city’s own tenants—those living in public housing—are demanding a real plan to improve their living conditions,” said Humberto Lopes, CEO of Gotham Housing Alliance. “It appears the Mamdani administration woke up to their own hypocrisy.

“If these hearings were truly about holding bad landlords accountable, the over 500,000 residents in NYCHA would be able to meaningfully participate,” Lopes added. “This is clearly the city trying to distract from its own failures while putting on a show, instead of having a real conversation with property owners, renters, NYCHA residents, and everyone else about how to improve housing for all.”

Following criticism, the mayor’s office revised language on its website, adding a question-and-answer section responding to: “Are these hearings for NYCHA residents too?”

“While these hearings focus on price gouging and living conditions for private-market renters, senior leadership and staff from NYCHA will be on-site to ensure that residents can submit in-apartment repair requests, file heat/hot water complaints, or discuss development-wide issues,” the updated note said.

“In the coming months, our administration will release a housing plan focused on improving housing quality for all New Yorkers, including those in public housing.”

NYCHA has repeatedly been labeled the city’s poorest-performing landlord in annual reports issued by the public advocate’s office.

In 2019, the agency was placed under federal oversight due to dangerous living conditions and controversies that included falsely certifying inspections.

Mamdani pushed back against claims that the hearings should cover public housing, arguing that his administration is pursuing multiple strategies to address housing problems citywide.

“So we are going to be approaching the housing crisis in a wide variety of ways. One of those are these rental rip off hearings,” Mamdani told reporters Sunday at an unrelated event on Coney Island.

The mayor also pointed to what he described as years of inadequate federal funding for NYCHA, noting the authority’s massive capital needs.

“We will also continue to work with NYCHA residents to ensure that they are being delivered the quality of service they’ve long been denied,” Mamdani said. “And while we know that so much of the reason that NYCHA residents are living through a system that requires around $80 billion of capital improvements. By last count, is a lack of commitment from the federal government.”

Still, Lopes and other opponents argue that limiting the hearings to private housing reflects what they see as a flawed housing agenda. Among the policies they criticize is Mamdani’s support for freezing rents on nearly one million regulated apartments through the city’s Rent Guidelines Board.

Attention has also turned to Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, who has faced scrutiny over previous remarks criticizing homeownership and advocating aggressive government intervention in the housing market.

“Impoverish the white middle class. Homeownership is racist/failed public policy,” she once said.

“Elect more communists,” Weaver also said.

According to the mayor’s website, the hearings will involve the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Other agencies, including NYCHA, will be present solely “to provide resources.”

The world of halacha is enveloped in deep mourning last week with the passing of Rav Dovid Konigsbuch zt”l at the age of 77. A towering talmid chacham and visionary pioneer, he stood at the forefront of the halachic solutions that made it possible for observant Jews to navigate the complexities of modern electrical and digital technology on Shabbos. Through his groundbreaking work, most notably with the organization Mishmeres HaShabbos, countless potential violations of Shabbos were prevented in hundreds of thousands of homes worldwide.

Rav Dovid was internationally recognized as an expert in both advanced technology and halacha, yet first and foremost he was a gadol baTorah who toiled with extraordinary dedication in learning. Rav Menachem Karelitz testified that the depth and clarity of Rav Dovid’s penetrating questions during the shiurim of Rav Nissim Karelitz zt”l enriched and expanded the discussions that later formed the basis of many sections of the renowned sefer series Chut Shani. Every emerging technological question was carefully analyzed through his profound Torah lens, with one singular goal: to shield Shabbos-observant Jews from even the slightest concern of chillul Shabbos.

More than fifteen years ago, as the world rapidly transitioned to digital “smart” appliances, Rav Dovid immediately recognized the serious halachic implications embedded in the new systems. While many assumed that simple mechanical adjustments would suffice, he understood that digital circuitry records and reacts to each and every action, raising complex issues of melacha. Together with electronics expert Rima Robruto, Rav Dovid labored tirelessly to develop specialized mechanisms that would allow the safe use of modern refrigerators, air conditioners, and other devices without halachic compromise.

Today, hundreds of thousands of Jewish families benefit from these adaptations every single week. A simple calculation reveals that over the years, billions of potential instances of chillul Shabbos have been prevented through these systems, an incalculable zechus now accompanying Rav Dovid to the Olam HaEmes.

At the levayah, which departed from his home on Chazon Ish Street in Bnei Brak, Rav Eliyahu Beifus, chairman of Mishmeres HaShabbos, delivered heartfelt words of tribute. He described how the enormous zechuyos of the organization — which has raised public awareness about Shabbos observance in the technological age and overseen tens of thousands of Shabbos-compliant appliances — are truly recorded in Rav Dovid’s merit.

Rav Beifus spoke of Rav Dovid’s extraordinary vigilance and foresight, noting that he was the first to identify emerging challenges and transform solutions from theory into practical reality. Yet despite his monumental achievements, Rav Dovid conducted himself with absolute humility. Once others began expanding and advancing the work, he quietly stepped back from the spotlight, returning to his beloved Torah and acts of chessed without seeking recognition or acclaim.

Rav Dovid merited to see his spiritual legacy continued through his son, Rav Yaakov Konigsbuch of the Shearis Yisroel kashrus organization, who follows in his father’s path, dedicating his life to strengthening kashrus and safeguarding the sanctity of Shabbos.

With his passing, generations of Shabbos-observant Jews owe him a debt of gratitude for the tranquility and kedusha of their Shabbos observance.

Yehi zichro boruch.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived in Bnei Brak on Sunday following the violent incident in which IDF female soldiers were attacked, sharply criticizing the government and the chareidi parties. His visit quickly triggered a heated response from Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who accused Bennett of inflaming tensions and called for his immediate removal from the city.

Speaking in Bnei Brak, Bennett said: “A grave line has been crossed in Israel. Here, in the heart of the country in Bnei Brak — not in Ramallah — a violent mob chased IDF female soldiers, humiliated them and tried to lynch them. Not in Shechem, not in Ramallah — here in Bnei Brak, against our soldiers.”

He continued: “This is what happens when people sense that draft evasion is winning. There is an address for this; it did not happen in a vacuum. Netanyahu and the chareidi parties — what did you think would happen? When you turned a blind eye to the calls of ‘We will die and not enlist,’ what did you think would happen? What did you think would happen when you ignored violence directed at chareidi soldiers who do enlist?”

Bennett added: “Everyone who was involved in this incident will be thrown into jail as quickly as possible. And I say in the clearest terms: under my leadership there will be no place for anarchy or violence. Everyone will serve, everyone will enlist, everyone will uphold the law — and that is how we will unite the State of Israel.”

Deri responded angrily, calling Bennett’s visit a political stunt. In a sharply worded statement, he said: “I call on the Police Commissioner to immediately issue a restraining order barring Naftali Bennett from the streets of Bnei Brak.

“This inciter and agitator came to the city to inflame tensions and exploit a painful situation in order to gather votes for himself. This despicable man, who stops at nothing, is the last person who should be present at this scene.”

Bennett replied to Deri’s demand, stating: “The problem is not Deri, who has grown accustomed to acting as if he owns the country, but Netanyahu, who sold it to him. When Deri calls on healthy young chareidi men not to dare enlist to help IDF soldiers, Netanyahu remains silent, backs him, and advances a draft law that abandons our soldiers.”

Shas officials were quick to counter with a forceful rebuttal: “Bennett, how dare you speak about ‘selling the country,’ after you disgracefully sold it to Mansour Abbas in exchange for the prime minister’s seat? The public has not forgotten. When you disguised yourself as right-wing, you passionately defended Torah scholars, whom Rabbi Deri spoke about, and the merits they bring to the Jewish people. The moment the right expelled you from its ranks, you joined the left and became the fiercest attacker of the Torah world and an agent of national chaos.

“Your cynical use of IDF soldiers and bereaved families is no less severe than your arrival in Bnei Brak to dance on the blood of the divisions you created. It seems there is no depth to which you have not descended.”

{Matzav.com}

Amid the intense clashes that unfolded Sunday in Bnei Brak, fresh controversy erupted after footage surfaced showing a chareidi woman being forcibly arrested by police. While city residents have strongly condemned the earlier assault on two IDF female soldiers, many are now voicing anger over what they describe as excessive force used against uninvolved civilians.

The video, circulated widely over the past hour, appears to show officers detaining a woman on the street. According to eyewitnesses, she was not participating in the disturbances. The footage quickly sparked outrage on social media and among local residents, who claim the arrest involved unnecessary force.

One resident told reporters that “the woman was simply standing off to the side. She didn’t throw anything and didn’t shout. Suddenly officers came, grabbed her, and took her away by force.”

Residents stressed that their criticism of police conduct does not diminish their condemnation of violence against the soldiers. “The people of Bnei Brak do not accept violence against female soldiers — that is not our way,” said a local resident. “But what is happening now feels sweeping, as if anyone standing on the street is automatically a suspect. There’s a feeling they’re showing a heavy hand for the cameras.”

Others warned that such actions risk harming law-abiding members of the community and further fueling negative portrayals of the city. “We see how Bnei Brak is being presented as if everyone here is violent. That is simply not true and not fair. There is a large, law-abiding public here,” another resident said.

{Matzav.com}

In the aftermath of the painful upheaval in Bnei Brak, Gedolei Yisroel have spoken with clarity and firmness, issuing a strong directive to bnei yeshiva not to take part in, or even be present at, any gatherings that involve confrontation with the police.

The roshei yeshiva of Slabodka, Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, addressed a letter to the talmidim of the yeshiva following the disturbances that erupted in the city after two IDF female soldiers entered Bnei Brak for military-related activity. During the unrest, dozens of bochurim were arrested, among them several talmidim of Slabodka.

In their letter, the roshei yeshiva wrote: “To the talmidim of the yeshiva, sheyichyu: It is strictly forbidden under any circumstances to participate or to be present among those who go to places where there is confrontation with the police. One must remain in the yeshiva for learning and for all the sedorim of the yeshiva. Chas v’shalom to be in those places where there are clashes with the police.

“Beyond the sakonoh involved, there is a great chilul Hashem, rachmana litzlan.

“With great tzaar and deep charodah, Dov Landau — and of course I join all the above, Moshe Hillel Hirsch.”

The letter comes on the heels of hours of unrest in the streets of Bnei Brak, which began shortly after two IDF soldiers were reportedly attacked by an extremist crowd on Chagai Street. Large police forces were dispatched to the scene and employed crowd-dispersal measures in an effort to restore order. More than 20 individuals were taken into custody and brought to the police station.

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy stated that he instructed officers to act with determination against those involved. “I instructed that the lawbreakers be arrested and brought to justice, and so far we have arrested 12 individuals involved in disorderly conduct. We will hold all those involved accountable. We are a state of law and will not permit hooligan behavior in our country,” he said.

Police officials added that forces remain deployed at several locations throughout the city and that additional arrests may follow as efforts continue to restore calm.

{Matzav.com}

Violent unrest that lasted for hours rocked Bnei Brak late tonight, leaving 26 suspects under arrest and five police officers injured, according to law enforcement officials.

The disturbances centered along Jabotinsky Street, where protesters blocked traffic, set fires, and clashed with police.

The tensions continued well into the evening, hours after an earlier incident involving an alleged assault on female soldiers sparked widespread outrage. Large numbers of police officers, along with Border Police riot control units, were deployed to the scene in an effort to restore order. Authorities said crowd-control measures were used to disperse those involved in the disturbances.

Police reported that dozens of rioters obstructed traffic along the major thoroughfare, ignited garbage bins, and hurled objects at officers. Some individuals also attempted to damage passing vehicles, actions that authorities said posed a significant threat to public safety and severely disrupted public order.

In response, substantial police reinforcements, including Yasam forces, worked for hours to disperse the crowds and reopen the road to traffic. The operation included the use of riot-dispersal measures and the arrest of individuals suspected of participating in the violence.

During the confrontations, five police officers sustained injuries and required medical treatment. Police stated that all injured officers were treated and are reported to be in good condition.

“The police will not allow harm to public safety, freedom of movement, or property, and will continue to act decisively against any display of violence or lawbreaking,” the statement concluded.

Federal investigators have obtained DNA from a glove discovered near the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, raising the possibility that authorities may have genetic evidence linked to the armed individual seen at the 84-year-old’s door on the night she vanished.

Law enforcement officials told The New York Post that the development could mark a significant breakthrough in the Feb. 1 disappearance of the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, potentially providing investigators with DNA connected to their leading suspect.

“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News, which first broke the story.

The glove in question was one of 16 recovered by investigators during the course of the probe. It is believed to be the same glove that FBI evidence teams were seen collecting from the side of a road roughly two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence, according to observations previously reported by The Post.

Authorities told Fox News that the glove appears consistent with the black nitrile gloves worn over another pair of gloves by the masked suspect captured on Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. Officials emphasized, however, that there is no definitive confirmation that the glove belonged to the suspect, only that it resembles the gloves visible in the surveillance footage.

FBI forensic specialists are now in the process of verifying the DNA findings before submitting the profile to the national crime database in an effort to determine whether it matches any known individuals.

According to an FBI spokesperson, once DNA is received by the bureau, it generally takes about 24 hours to upload it into CODIS, the agency’s nationwide DNA index system.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Sunday that testing is still underway at a private laboratory in Florida and that final DNA results have not yet been completed.

Nanos told Fox News that certain DNA samples were given priority for analysis, though he declined to provide specifics about which items were expedited or when results are expected. The FBI has indicated it will continue assisting in the investigation according to the timeline established for processing the evidence.