Matzav

The White House is moving swiftly to safeguard the delicate Gaza ceasefire crafted by President Donald Trump, as unease grows in Washington that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could walk away from the deal after repeated Hamas breaches, according to The New York Times.

Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Israel to meet with Trump’s Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner—two of the architects behind the agreement. Sources familiar with the mission said the trio will work to calm the situation and dissuade Netanyahu from ordering a full-scale military offensive against Hamas.

On Monday, Trump issued a blunt warning that if Hamas continues its provocations, Israel will have the green light to wipe out the terror group. “We made a deal with Hamas… they’re going to behave. And if they’re not, we’re going to eradicate them,” Trump said.

The fragile truce came under strain Sunday when Hamas terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF vehicle, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring another. Both sides have accused the other of breaching the ceasefire while insisting they remain committed to maintaining it.

Trump played down the episode, describing it as a localized insurrection by undisciplined fighters. He suggested that Hamas’s top leadership is still interested in keeping the peace. “Some Hamas fighters got very rambunctious,” he said, though he added that ongoing attacks would justify Israel taking decisive military steps.

Meanwhile, negotiators are still hammering out key unresolved details of the agreement—chief among them, an Egyptian-led stabilization force and a process for Hamas’s disarmament. No firm timetable has yet been established for implementing these provisions.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of habochur Shlomo Aryeh Ribakow z”l.

A beloved talmid of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, he was a choshuveh ben Torah who was currently learning in Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim.

Shlomo Aryeh was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Ribakow, and a brother to Dovid, Yehoshua, Yaakov, Daniel, Aaron, Moshe Ribakow, Ilana (Chesky) Finkelstein, Adina (Chezky) Kosman, and Shira Ribakow.

Known for his warmth, sincerity, and dedication to learning, Shlomo Aryeh exemplified a life of emes and avodas Hashem.

The levaya will take place on Wednesday afternoon at Eretz HaChaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh, where kevurah will take place.

Shiva will begin in Eretz Yisroel and continue in Baltimore, beginning Friday morning, October 24, at the Ribakow home, located 3316 Olympia Avenue, and will continue until Tuesday morning, October 28.

Minyan times at the shiva house are as follows:

• Shacharis (Friday, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday): 7:45 a.m.

• Mincha Erev Shabbos: 3:30 p.m.

• Maariv Motzei Shabbos: 7:05 p.m.

• Mincha (Sunday & Monday): 5:00 p.m.

• Maariv (Sunday & Monday): 8:00 p.m.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has dismissed his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, with the change taking effect immediately, following internal friction over major wartime decisions in Gaza.

Hanegbi, a veteran Likud figure who has held ministerial posts since the 1990s, was said to have disagreed with Netanyahu’s plan to send ground forces into Gaza City during the summer and had also opposed last month’s failed attempt to target Hamas leaders in Qatar.

Hanegbi’s deputy, Gil Reich, will step in as acting national security adviser and head of the National Security Council. Reich, who assumed the deputy post in 2022, previously served as the deputy director of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission.

Netanyahu issued a statement expressing appreciation for Hanegbi’s service and wishing him “much success in his future endeavors and good health.”

In his own farewell remarks, Hanegbi acknowledged the tensions that had marked his relationship with the prime minister.

“I thanked the prime minister for the privilege of being a partner in shaping Israel’s foreign and security policy during challenging years — for the opportunity to express an independent position in sensitive discussions, and for the professional dialogue we maintained, even in times of disagreement,” he said.

Hanegbi emphasized that the conflict which began on October 7, 2023, remains unresolved despite the recent ceasefire.

“Our fighters remain on guard on many fronts,” he said, “and the mission to bring all our hostages home has not yet been completed. Nor has the obligation yet been fulfilled — by diplomatic or military means — to ensure that the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip are removed from power, disarmed, and that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly defined Israel’s war aims as freeing the hostages, eliminating Hamas, and preventing Gaza from ever again threatening the Jewish state.

Hanegbi also accepted personal responsibility for what he described as the “terrible failure of October 7,” and — in a veiled rebuke of Netanyahu’s resistance to a state inquiry — said it “must be thoroughly investigated to ensure that the necessary lessons are learned and to help restore the public trust that has been shaken.”

“We must all remain committed and attentive to the needs of those who have borne the dearest price of all — the bereaved families and the wounded, in body and soul,” Hanegbi said, urging national solidarity as “essential to ensuring the eternity of Israel.”

According to Israel’s Kan broadcaster, Netanyahu had assured Hanegbi only days before his removal that he would keep his job, even as reports surfaced that the prime minister was frustrated with him.

Sources close to Netanyahu told Kan that Hanegbi had leaked information to the media and acted against the premier’s interests. They added that Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, was reportedly displeased with Hanegbi’s conduct — a factor that may have influenced the decision.

The shake-up comes as Netanyahu’s circle continues to thin. Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman is preparing to leave for London as Israel’s new ambassador, while Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is said to be considering stepping away from public life in the near future.

The prime minister previously dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last November, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has since retired, and multiple senior officers and officials have resigned amid the fallout from the catastrophic failures of October 7.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has asked the Justice Department to investigate former CIA Director John Brennan, alleging that Brennan misled Congress about the CIA’s involvement with the Steele dossier during testimony last year.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jordan charged that Brennan provided false statements in his 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. He accused the ex-spy chief of wrongly denying that the CIA had relied on the Steele dossier while preparing the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian interference in the U.S. election, and of falsely asserting that the agency opposed using it.

The Steele dossier — a controversial compilation of memos alleging connections between Donald Trump and Russian officials — was assembled in 2016 by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele and later given to the FBI.

Jordan wrote that later investigations “confirmed that the Clinton campaign and the DNC paid Steele via the law firm Perkins Coie and opposition research firm Fusion GPS to provide derogatory information about Trump’s purported ties to Russia, which resulted in the discredited dossier.”

According to Jordan, documents declassified by the Trump administration in July 2025 indicate Brennan had personally approved incorporating information from the dossier into the intelligence report, despite objections from top CIA personnel.

During a closed-door interview on May 11, 2023, Brennan stated that “the CIA was not involved at all with the [Steele] dossier.”

However, newly released records suggest otherwise. The declassified files show that the inclusion of dossier material in the ICA “was jointly made by the Directors of CIA and FBI.”

“Brennan’s assertion that the CIA was not ‘involved at all’ with the Steele dossier cannot be reconciled with the facts,” Jordan wrote. “As the newly declassified documents show, a CIA officer drafted the annex containing a summary of the dossier; Brennan made the ultimate decision, along with then-FBI Director James Comey, to include information from the dossier in the ICA; and, as discussed further below, Brennan overruled senior CIA officers who objected to the inclusion of the dossier material.”

Although any potential criminal charges are beyond the five-year statute of limitations, Jordan further accused Brennan of lying to Congress back in 2017 during a hearing before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), arguing that the earlier incident “indicates a pattern of Brennan’s willingness to lie to Congress about the Steele dossier.”

“The HPSCI report and the CIA memorandum confirm not only that the Steele dossier was used as a basis for the ICA, but that Brennan insisted on its inclusion,” Jordan wrote. “This stands in stark contrast with Brennan’s testimony to HPSCI that the dossier was not used in drafting the ICA. … Brennan’s testimony before the Committee on May 11, 2023, was a brazen attempt to knowingly and willfully testify falsely and fictitiously to material facts.”

{Matzav.com}

Hamas terrorists have unleashed a wave of internal terror in Gaza, rounding up Palestinians, torturing them, and executing them in the streets, according to shocking new footage released by Israel.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry shared disturbing video from inside the Gaza Strip showing masked gunmen, believed to be Hamas operatives, dragging a screaming man across the street before viciously beating him.

As the helpless victim writhes on the ground, one of the terrorists raises his rifle and fires multiple rounds into the man’s leg and torso. A second detainee, forced to watch the execution, breaks down sobbing as gunfire echoes through the street.

The gunmen then move on to others they had detained, beating and killing them one by one as part of Hamas’s campaign to crush any internal dissent and reestablish dominance during the fragile cease-fire.

“We call on all media outlets to give appropriate coverage to this threat to regional security,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X along with the chilling footage. “Responsible journalism should shine a light on this.”

“Hamas — the terror state controlling Gaza — is brutalizing Palestinians as it seeks to reestablish control,” the ministry added, warning viewers that the content was “difficult viewing.”

Another clip released by the ministry shows a group of masked men, also believed to be Hamas members, standing around an injured man and beating him mercilessly with sticks.

The bloodied victim tries in vain to protect his face and head as the attackers continue striking him. When he attempts to crawl beneath a car to escape, one of the men drags him back out to the middle of the road, where the assault continues in full view of bystanders.

These scenes add to mounting evidence of Hamas’s violent efforts to restore its grip on Gaza, coming just days after public executions were reported in Gaza City.

Both Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials have pointed to these brutal acts as proof that Hamas has no intention of laying down its weapons or relinquishing control — core conditions outlined in President Trump’s peace plan.

While Trump initially signaled understanding toward efforts to suppress armed gangs in Gaza, the escalating violence against civilians prompted him to issue a warning to Hamas that the attacks must stop — or international forces could intervene. Trump stated Tuesday that several Middle Eastern allies were ready to send troops to “straighten [out] Hamas” if the group “continues to act badly.”

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance spoke to reporters in southern Israel Tuesday evening while on a mission to bolster the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, laying out his assessment of the early days of the U.S. diplomatic push.

“We are one week into President Trump’s historic peace plan in the Middle East, and things are going, frankly, better than I expected that they would,” Vance said as he opened his remarks.

Asked about Ankara’s potential part in enforcing the truce and helping stabilize Gaza — despite Turkey’s past backing for Hamas — Vance said multiple actors will be needed to address the region’s humanitarian and security challenges.

“We think everybody has a role to play here,” Vance responded. “Some of that’s going to be financial, some of that’s going to be in reconstruction, some of that’s just in communication with the various parties.”

He stressed that any deployment of foreign forces would be decided with Israel’s consent, while praising steps Turkey has already taken in the process.

“We’re not going to force anything on our Israeli friends when it comes to foreign troops on their soil, but we do think that there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play, and frankly, they’ve already played a very constructive role,” he added.

Vance acknowledged difficult history when addressing Turkey’s ties to Hamas, but urged forward-looking cooperation as the best path to lasting calm.

He noted that Turkey “has supported Hamas is the past,” but argued that pointing fingers won’t replace the work needed to secure a stable future: “no one who is a party to this conflict can look at the conflict and not point at something that they don’t like and that they disagree with … The way that we’re going to get to peace is to focus on the future, which is what the President of the United States has asked us to do.”

On the sensitive subject of recovering the remains of hostages still in Gaza, Vance said bringing the deceased home is a shared priority for all involved.

“it is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home to their families so that they can have a proper burial.”

But he warned the public that the recovery effort faces severe practical obstacles and that results will not be immediate.

“some of these hostages are buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages – nobody even knows where they are. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work to get them, and that doesn’t mean we don’t have confidence that we will. It’s just a reason to counsel in favor of a little bit of patience.”

Turning his remarks directly to Hamas, Vance reiterated the core demands of the administration’s plan and the consequences of refusal to comply.

“Our warning to Hamas is very straightforward. The terms of the 20-point plan that the President put out there are very clear,” he continued. “It’s that Hamas has to disarm, it’s that Hamas has to actually behave itself, and it’s that Hamas – while all the fighters can be given some sort of clemency, they’re not going to be able to kill each other and they’re not going to be able to kill their fellow Palestinians. Now again, that’s going to take time … but right now, where I stand, I feel confident we’re going to be in a place where this place lasts, where it’s durable.”

He concluded with a stark threat should the group refuse to cooperate, while stopping short of setting a deadline for compliance.

“If Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then as the President of the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated.”

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill has been absent from more than half of her congressional votes this year—by far the worst attendance record among members of the House, according to official data.

The Democratic congresswoman, now in her fourth term, has seen her voting participation plummet since declaring her candidacy to succeed outgoing Governor Phil Murphy late last year. Her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, has accused her of abandoning her congressional duties to focus on her campaign.

While it’s common for sitting lawmakers running for higher office to miss some votes, Sherrill’s record stands out. Reports by PolitiFact and the New Jersey Globe reveal that since announcing her bid on November 18, 2024, she has failed to vote on about 55% of major House measures.

Fox News added that since the start of the 119th Congress in January, Sherrill has skipped 53% of votes—145 in total—placing her far behind her colleagues in attendance.

Her absentee rate dwarfs that of the next most absent New Jersey representative, Donald Norcross, who has missed 83 votes this year.

Ciattarelli’s campaign wasted no time attacking her record. “She ran for re-election to Congress in 2024 knowing full well she had no intention of doing her job,” said campaign strategist Chris Russell in a statement to Fox News.

“And when she did show up, the two most consequential votes she cast were to raise taxes on working people and shut down the government,” he continued, referencing her opposition to a temporary spending bill and to President Trump’s “big beautiful bill.”

“That Sherrill missed nearly 90% of the votes she was supposed to cast over the last three months is shameful,” Russell added, citing her voting record between July 23 and September 18.

In response, Sherrill’s campaign avoided commenting directly on the absences but defended her commitment to New Jersey. “Mikie Sherrill is out there every day fighting for New Jersey on critical issues like the Gateway Tunnel Project, which Trump ‘terminated’ and said ‘is dead,’” campaign communications director Sean Higgins told The New York Post.

The campaign also took a swipe at Ciattarelli, accusing him of being subservient to the Trump administration. “No wonder Jack continues to trail, even in Fox News’ polling, where he can’t break through the mid-40s and voters are rejecting him on healthcare, costs, taxes, and utilities,” Higgins said.

The race between Sherrill and Ciattarelli has turned increasingly combative as polls tighten heading into the final stretch.

Data from GovTrack shows that as the campaign intensified, Sherrill missed 56% of her votes from April through June and 64% from July through September.

Although other members of Congress running for higher office have occasionally skipped votes, none have done so at the same rate. For instance, Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin participated in 99% of votes while campaigning for the Senate, and six other House lawmakers pursuing Senate seats maintained attendance above 80%.

Only Senator Adam Schiff, then a California congressman running for the Senate, had a comparably poor attendance record, missing 48% of House votes last year, according to Fox News.

{Matzav.com}

Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the state of the NYC mayoral election, his thoughts on Zohran Mamdani, state of the economy, his thoughts on the second Trump presidency, state of U.S.-China relations, U.S. government’s stake in Intel, AI boom, and more.

WATCH:

The Israel Defense Forces announced that the remains of two hostages have been returned to Israel after Hamas handed the coffins over to the Red Cross for transfer.

“Two coffins of deceased hostages, escorted by IDF troops, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and are on their way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out,” the military said. “IDF representatives are accompanying the families. The IDF urges the public to act with sensitivity and wait for official identification, which will first be communicated to the families of the deceased hostages.”

Before the exchange took place, the army urged restraint as the Red Cross prepared to retrieve the coffins from Hamas. “The IDF requests that the public act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families of the hostages. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” it said.

Shortly afterward, the military confirmed that the handover was in progress. “According to information provided by the Red Cross, two coffins of deceased hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to IDF troops in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the IDF reported.

Following the transfer, Israel noted that thirteen additional bodies of hostages remain in Gaza.

The Prime Minister’s Office released its own statement confirming the process. “Israel has received, via the Red Cross, coffins containing the remains of two deceased hostages, which were handed over to an IDF and ISA force inside the Gaza Strip. From there, the coffins will be transferred to Israel, where they will be received in a military ceremony in the presence of the IDF Chief Rabbi.”

“They will then be transferred to the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine. Upon completion of the identification process, formal notification will be delivered to their families. All of the hostages’ families have been updated accordingly, and our hearts are with them in this difficult hour. The effort to return our hostages is ongoing and will not cease until the last hostage is returned. The public is requested to respect the families’ privacy and to refrain from spreading rumors and unofficial and unverified information. We will continue to provide updates with reliable information as necessary,” the PMO said.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance lashed out at sections of the American and Western media on Tuesday, accusing reporters of showing “a weird attitude” and even “rooting for failure” as the administration’s landmark Middle East peace initiative gains momentum.

“Things are going, frankly, better than I expected that they were,” Vance said during a press conference in southern Israel to mark the inauguration of the new Civilian-Military Cooperation Center. “This is a very, very tough situation. You have two peoples, two enemies who fought a very tough conflict against each other.

“You have a terrorist organization on one hand that murdered a lot of innocent people. You’ve got an Israeli army that was defending itself on the other, that has learned a lot over the past couple of years.”

Vance said that even with Sunday’s brief interruption in the ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces, the process continues to move forward. He applauded the teamwork among Israeli officials, U.S. representatives, and regional allies, while taking issue with what he described as consistently gloomy portrayals in American news outlets.

“There’s this weird attitude I’ve sensed in the American media and the Western media, where there’s almost this desire to root for failure,” he said. “Every time there’s an act of violence, there’s this inclination to say, ‘This is the end of the ceasefire.’

“It’s not the end. We are in a very good place.”

The vice president went on to commend the leadership of Ambassador Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command, and American servicemembers who are working alongside Israeli personnel at the new coordination hub.

He acknowledged that achieving lasting peace will not happen overnight, but said the groundwork being laid offers real hope for a stable future. “You have Israelis and Americans working hand in hand to begin the plan to rebuild Gaza, implement long-term peace, and ensure security forces on the ground that can keep the peace,” Vance said.

{Matzav.com}

Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, in a startling interview, suggested the need to “get rid of” Donald Trump amid a heated dispute over the U.S. crackdown on drugs. The conflict escalated after Trump threatened to shut down what he called the “killing fields” in Colombia, and announced that the U.S. would reduce its subsidies to the Latin American country, following Petro’s accusation that the U.S. committed “murder” by attacking a suspected drug boat on September 15.

In a televised discussion with Daniel Coronell on Univision, Petro said, “Humanity has a first offramp, it is to choose to change Trump in various ways,” when asked about his ambition for securing the best possible deal for Colombia.

He then added, “The easiest way may be through Trump himself,” followed by, “If not — get rid of Trump,” punctuating his remark with a dramatic snap of his fingers.

When Coronell pressed him by suggesting that his primary mission was “to seek the best possible negotiation,” Petro denied that his immediate objective was to “change Trump.”

Petro conceded that his nation is “out of control,” yet asserted that Bogota is governed by its citizens and not by a monarch. “Trump said: ‘Colombia is out of control.’ Of course, it is out of his control. In a democracy, a government is under the control of the people, not Trump. He is not a king in Colombia; we do not accept kings here, period,” he declared.

He added later, “In the 21st century, some believe they can become kings and viceroys, but in republics, it is not possible,” noting, “Here, the heads of kings are cut off if they come with a king’s attitude.”

The feud between the two leaders began after the Trump administration’s strike on a suspected drug boat in September. Trump claimed the attack eliminated “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela” who were in international waters at the time.

Petro countered, arguing the vessel was Colombian, used for fishing rather than drug transport. On X, he stated: “US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters,” explaining that “The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal up due to an engine failure. … We await explanations from the US government.”

A later report by CNN indicated that one of Trump’s recent strikes in the Caribbean killed Colombian nationals, citing officials from the United States Department of Defense.

In his remarks on Sunday, Trump blasted Petro as “a very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America” and accused him of being “an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs.”

Beyond cutting off foreign aid to Colombia, Trump also threatened to increase tariffs on Bogotá, which currently pays a baseline rate of 10 %.

According to foreignassistance.gov, the U.S. has provided over $207 million in foreign aid to Colombia this year.

Trump has authorized at least seven known strikes against alleged drug-boats in the area, targeting vessels suspected of ties to Venezuela — a strategy that has raised concerns among Democrats in Congress and Republicans such as Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The harsh rhetoric from Petro drew alarm from Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), a member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees. On X, he warned: “In an interview with [Univision Noticias], Colombia’s narcoterrorist-in-chief, Gustavo Petro, has just threatened to ‘overthrow’ President Trump. Petro threats must be taken seriously, he is a genuine threat to the safety & security of our hemisphere.”

{Matzav.com}

Snapple is reviving a piece of its past, bringing back its signature glass bottles — but the nostalgic comeback is short-lived and limited to just one city.

The beverage brand confirmed to Today.com that, starting this week, it’s reintroducing its old-school glass bottles complete with the beloved pop cap and hidden Snapple fact under the lid.

A company representative explained that the decision was inspired by customer nostalgia, saying there’s been a “demand for nostalgia.”

According to Today.com, the glass bottles will be sold only in the New York City area, available at select bodegas and retailers for $3.99 each — but only while supplies last.

The focus on New York is no coincidence. A Snapple spokesperson told Today.com that the limited release serves as a tribute to the brand’s Brooklyn origins.

Fans will have a small but classic lineup to choose from, including Snapple Apple, Kiwi Strawberry, Peach Tea, Zero Sugar Peach Tea, and Lemon Tea.

Snapple originally began phasing out its glass bottles in 2017, fully transitioning to plastic packaging by 2021 — but for now, at least in New York, the familiar clink of glass is back.

{Matzav.com}

The community continues to mourn the heartbreaking loss of four precious  bochurim who were tragically niftar in a devastating car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike early Sunday morning.

The levayos, attended by thousands, reflected the profound grief felt across the Olam HaTorah.

Nichum Aveilim

Shiva for Habachur Shlomo Abba Cohen z”l
31 Ponderosa Pine River, Lakewood
Shacharis: 8:00 a.m.
Mincha: 1:45 p.m.
Maariv: 9:00 p.m.

Shiva for Habachur Chaim Simcha Grossman z”l
Until Wednesday noon in Lakewood at 74 Tova Drive
Shacharis: 8:00 a.m.
Mincha: 1:45 p.m.
Maariv: 8:45 p.m.
Thursday and Friday in South Fallsburg at 24 Estate Drive

Shiva for Habachur Yaakov Kilberg z”l
120 Hearth Court East, Lakewood
Shacharis: 8:00 a.m.
Mincha: 1:45 p.m.
Maariv: 8:30 p.m.

Shiva for Habachur Aharon Nosson Lebovits z”l
132 Spruce Street, Lakewood
Shacharis: 8:00 a.m.
Mincha: 1:45 p.m.
Maariv: 9:00 p.m.

HaMakom yenacheim eschem besoch she’ar aveilei Tzion v’Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump has shelved plans for another in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after Moscow rebuffed his call to freeze the Ukraine war along the current lines of control.

The announcement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday. According to a source familiar with the discussion, the exchange made clear that the Kremlin was unwilling to adopt Trump’s proposed framework for ending the conflict.

“Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive call,” a White House official told The Post on Tuesday. “Therefore, an additional in-person meeting between the Secretary and Foreign Minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future.”

Trump had said last week that Rubio would head a senior U.S. delegation to meet face-to-face with Russian officials in hopes of paving the way for direct Trump-Putin talks in Budapest, Hungary.

Following his third White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since returning to office, Trump urged both nations to halt fighting immediately and enter negotiations toward a lasting truce.

Zelensky readily embraced the plan, issuing a call for an immediate cease-fire and for peace talks to commence without delay.

However, on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea outright. The proposal would have allowed Ukraine to retain about 22% of the Donbas region that Russia has failed to seize despite more than a decade of war.

“This topic was repeatedly raised in various forms during contacts between Russia and the US. The Russian side answered every time, this answer is well known: The consistency of Russia’s position doesn’t change,” Peskov told local outlets, reiterating Moscow’s insistence that Ukraine surrender territory.

By Tuesday, Zelensky had joined with leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the European Commission, and the European Council to endorse Trump’s plan.

“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,” the coalition declared in a joint statement.

The leaders accused Moscow of dragging out the process, saying that “Russia’s stalling tactics” have “shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace.”

“We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction. Therefore we are clear that Ukraine must be in the strongest position possible — before, during and after any cease-fire.”

The allied leaders are slated to meet again later this week to weigh new measures aimed at forcing Moscow’s hand — including the potential use of frozen Russian funds to help sustain Ukraine.

“We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defense industry until Putin is ready to make peace,” the group’s statement concluded. “We are developing measures to use the full value of Russia’s immobilized sovereign assets so that Ukraine has the resources it needs.”

{Matzav.com}

Millions of Americans struggling under student debt are set to gain long-awaited relief after the Trump administration agreed to reinstate key loan forgiveness programs it had previously suspended during an extended legal fight.

The administration reached a settlement with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), paving the way for widespread debt cancellation for borrowers who have been making consistent payments under income-driven repayment plans.

According to a joint filing submitted Friday, the AFT and Department of Education finalized the deal to resume processing loan forgiveness for qualified borrowers enrolled in those programs.

“This is a tremendous win for borrowers. With today’s filing, borrowers can rest a little easier,” said Winston Berkman-Breen, legal director for Protect Borrowers, the organization representing the teachers’ union in the case.

The AFT, which represents about 1.8 million members, had filed suit in March, charging that Trump officials illegally blocked borrowers from accessing repayment and forgiveness programs that were active when they originally took out their loans.

Earlier this year, the White House halted forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans that base monthly payments on a borrower’s earnings. Those who completed the required number of qualifying payments had expected their remaining balances to be canceled.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s department defended the pause, arguing it was legally justified under a court order that temporarily froze the Biden-era “Saving on a Valuable Education” (SAVE) plan, another income-driven program. The freeze left only one pathway to loan cancellation available: the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan.

After months of litigation, the administration reversed course, signing an agreement to bring back the suspended forgiveness options.

“For nearly a decade, the AFT has fought for the rights of student loan borrowers to be freed from the shackles of unjust debt—and today, a huge part of that affordability fight was vindicated,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a statement. “This year, we took on the Trump administration when it refused to follow the law and denied borrowers the relief they were owed. Our agreement means that those borrowers stuck in limbo can either get immediate relief or finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

The settlement applies to borrowers participating in income-based repayment (IBR), income-contingent repayment (ICR), pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) plans, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, according to the union’s announcement. Borrowers must still complete the required number of payments under their plan before receiving forgiveness.

As part of the deal, the administration agreed to refund borrowers who made extra payments after qualifying for cancellation through income-driven repayment. The Education Department will also process buyback applications under both IDR and PSLF programs, including for those who no longer meet a “partial financial hardship” test, which was scrapped under Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Borrowers can log into their StudentAid.gov accounts and select “My Aid” or “View Details” to review their loan types and repayment plans to determine eligibility for cancellation.

The administration also confirmed that anyone who qualifies for forgiveness this year will not owe federal income tax on the canceled amount. To address future concerns, it clarified that the government will use the date a borrower becomes eligible for forgiveness—not the date of processing—to determine whether the debt is taxable.

That provision ensures that borrowers who qualify by December 31, 2025, won’t face an unexpected tax bill caused by bureaucratic delays or court-related slowdowns. The AFT called this an important step in preventing what it described as a looming “tax bomb” from changes scheduled to take effect in 2026 that would treat canceled debt as income.

The agreement still awaits judicial approval. Once the court signs off, the administration must file monthly progress reports for six months tracking application reviews and loan cancellation activity.

If finalized, the settlement will offer long-overdue relief to countless Americans who have spent decades paying off federal student loans while waiting for the government to fulfill its promises. The timeline for the court’s decision remains uncertain.

{Matzav.com}

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Chaim Simcha Grossman had a pure heart and always wanted to do the right thing. Whenever he learned he got very involved and wanted to get to the truth. He invested so much in his learning and was always striving to understand and clarify the depth of the sugya. His rebbeim always enjoyed his questions and his involvement in the shiur. He was a talmid in the true sense of the word. He was always close to his rebbeim and as a true talmid, he followed their guidance and advice. 

Chaim Simcha was a בעל אחריות to the fullest extent. Well beyond his years, he went above and beyond to fulfill his responsibilities. Chaim Simcha, we are now all your תלמידים.

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He truly personified his name and was full of life and שמחה. He was taken at such a young age yet he left such a powerful impact on all who knew him. With the twinkle in his eyes, his lovable personality and heart of gold, he uplifted all who knew him. In his humble way, he did so much for so many! His whole being was enveloped in מדת האמת. His honesty in all his dealings was unparalleled. In every area of his life, he was driven by the truth to do the ‘רצון ה!

His last words were, “TYH – WE OUT“ not knowing this would be his last trip… to ישיבה של מעלה. 

We, his family have undertaken the writing of a ספר תורה to memorialize his love for תורה! Join us in this great zechus of writing a ספר תורה to honor his שמחת התורה and שמחת החיים.

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 לעילוי נשמת הב’ חיים שמחה בן גרשון ישעיה

Israeli hostage Segev Kalfon, abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, revealed that Hamas terrorists viciously assaulted him for refusing to change his name and forced him to live underground in Gaza for months under constant threat of execution.

Kalfon, 27, was held for 738 days before being released earlier this month. In an interview with Ynet and Yedioth Achronot, he recalled how his captors mocked his name after hearing “Segev,” which sounded to them like the Arabic word for “ceiling.”

“They didn’t believe me and started beating me,” he said. “When they began calling me ‘Steve,’ I stopped correcting them. That’s when I realized I was a prisoner.”

Upon his arrival in Gaza, Kalfon said he was taken to what he thought was a mosque. “Someone pressed a knife to my neck and asked my name. I said ‘Segev.’ He pressed harder. Every time I said it, I was beaten again,” he said.

Captured while fleeing the Nova festival, Kalfon described being tied up, blindfolded, and repeatedly hit with rifle butts. “They hit me in the knees, the stomach, the head, from every side. After a few minutes, you stop feeling the blows — only silence, a minute before life ends,” he recounted.

He was eventually shuttled between various safe houses as Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza, before spending 11 months trapped in a tunnel with fellow captives Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Maxim Harkin, and Bar Kuperstein. At times, he was left completely alone.

“We dug a pit for a toilet — for us and for them — because they called us ‘worthless Jews,’” he said. “We dug tunnels. They forced us to work. When you go down into a tunnel, you become a rat. The life you had above ground no longer exists.”

Kalfon said he refused Hamas’s demands to appear in propaganda footage. “I thought about my parents and my family,” he explained. “I didn’t want to say that I was suffering or starving, or that a tunnel collapsed on me. Even though every day there was a danger to your life, every minute you survived was a miracle.”

He recalled one bombing so intense that he and two others prepared to die. “We said to each other, ‘If something happens, know that I love you, that you’re my brothers.’ After that day they took us down into the tunnel.”

“Death becomes your best friend,” Kalfon said. “You talk to death all the time. Nothing is certain. You have no food, no communication, and they do everything to make you suffer.”

He added that the captives were beaten whenever Hamas fighters saw National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on television or heard news about Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails. “We knew the light at the end of the tunnel meant beatings were coming,” he said.

Describing his life underground as sheer torment, Kalfon said, “You sleep on an uneven floor, on a mattress as thin as a sheet. I made a pillow from scraps of mattress. The little water we had, I filtered through gauze. A bottle of water was like gold,” he said. “Today, nothing is taken for granted.”

{Matzav.com}

The current Keren Olam HaTorah trip, led by Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva Rav Dov Landau, reached Cleveland, where thousands gathered for a day of chizuk and strengthening of Torah commitment. Rabbonim, community leaders, and philanthropists joined together to welcome the Rosh Yeshiva and to take part in the nationwide initiative supporting the Israeli Torah world.

Rav Landau arrived on Monday morning in Cleveland , where he was warmly received by the local community. Shacharis was held at the residence of philanthropist R’ Moshe Katz, where the Rosh Yeshiva is staying. Following the tefillah, members of the community and leading supporters came to receive the Rosh Yeshiva’s brocha and to contribute generously toward Keren Olam HaTorah.

The Rosh Yeshiva‘s visit included a stop at Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

The mission now continues to Los Angeles, where events and gatherings are scheduled.

PHOTOS:

{Matzav.com}

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At Schneider Children’s Hospital in Israel, baby *Yisrael Meir*, just six months old, is in a battle for his life. He was diagnosed shortly after birth with a *malignant head tumor*, a devastating reality for any family.

Despite the severity, doctors are hopeful. With access to an advanced, specialized treatment, his chances for full recovery are strong — but the treatment comes at a tremendous financial cost.

His devoted parents, Yitzhak and Hadasa, began the treatment with faith and determination. But now, that life-saving process has been halted — not due to medical failure, but simply because they can no longer afford it.

“Every day matters,” they say. “We’re doing everything we can — but we can’t do it alone.”

Now, they turn to the Jewish community for support.  

Your help could mean the difference between life and loss.

Click here to help save Yisrael Meir >>