Matzav

Israel will begin allowing a gradual resumption of outbound international flights from Ben Gurion Airport starting Sunday, as authorities carefully reopen air travel while continuing efforts to bring Israeli citizens home.

The departing flights will be operated by Israeli carriers that are already running inbound rescue flights returning Israelis to the country as part of the national effort known as “Safe Return – Wings of the Lion.”

Under the current framework, each departing aircraft will carry only about 70 passengers. Roughly 15 percent of the seats on each flight will be set aside for humanitarian or security-related cases, as well as for tourists and diplomats who remain in Israel and need to leave.

Individuals seeking to depart Israel are instructed to contact Israeli airlines directly to confirm availability, register for flights, and receive their flight assignments.

The Home Front Command has issued special guidelines for passengers using the airport during this period.

Travelers should arrive at Ben Gurion Airport approximately two hours before departure instead of the usual three hours.

Checked baggage will not be permitted. Passengers may travel only with carry-on trolley bags.

All travelers must complete the check-in process ahead of time before arriving at the airport.

Israeli citizens who depart the country during this period will be required to sign a declaration stating that they will not return to Israel for 30 days following their departure.

Those seeking exceptions for humanitarian, security, tourism, or diplomatic circumstances may submit requests to the inter-ministerial steering committee responsible for reviewing special cases.

In addition to the limited flight departures, people may also leave Israel through land border crossings, which remain open and operating under normal procedures subject to security authorization. Officials urged the public to monitor announcements from airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said, “After we launched the national operation to bring Israelis home, we are now continuing to act in a gradual and responsible manner to also allow departures from the country. Every step is being carried out in full coordination with the security authorities and the Home Front Command, while strictly ensuring the safety of passengers and crews. Our goal is to return aviation activity to normal as quickly as possible, while responsibly managing the airspace even during this challenging period.”

Transportation Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken added, “The Transportation Ministry and the Airports Authority are working around the clock together with all security agencies and the airlines in order to manage air activity in a gradual and safe manner. Alongside the continued rescue flights bringing Israelis back to Israel, starting tomorrow we are also allowing controlled departures from the country, in accordance with the framework established in advance by Minister Regev and the guidelines of the Home Front Command.”

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IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin provided an update tonight on the ongoing war against Iran, saying Israeli and American forces continue to strike key Iranian and Hezbollah targets as the military campaign moves forward.

Addressing the public, Defrin noted that the operation has now been underway for a full week. “A week has passed since we launched Operation Roaring Lion,” Defrin began. “The IDF is striking the Iranian regime with great force together with the US military. We are exacting a heavy price from the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”

He said Israeli forces have recently focused significant attention on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut. “In recent days we have evacuated the Dahieh area [of Beirut]. We are striking there with great force, hunting the Hezbollah terrorists there. We will not compromise on disarming Hezbollah. The IDF will continue to advance in the stages of the operation, and we will not stop until the existential threat is removed.”

Defrin also revealed that Israeli forces have struck major ballistic missile production facilities inside Iran over the past several days, specifically in the Parchin and Shahroud regions. According to the military, these operations involved hundreds of Israeli Air Force fighter jets acting under intelligence guidance and in coordination with the IDF Operations Directorate.

The strikes followed earlier attacks against Iran’s missile infrastructure and were part of a broader effort to disrupt the regime’s weapons manufacturing capabilities, including factories and facilities used to develop missiles and other military equipment.

Throughout the past week, hundreds of Israeli fighter aircraft, operating on intelligence gathered by the IDF, targeted two of the Iranian regime’s most important ballistic missile production complexes and related weapons facilities located in the Parchin and Shahroud areas.

During Thursday’s attack on Parchin, Israeli forces targeted infrastructure used to manufacture critical components required for the regime’s weapons programs.

Among the facilities hit were factories producing explosive materials used in ballistic missile warheads, complexes responsible for producing specialized raw materials for missile engines, a facility used for mixing and casting missile engines, and a site dedicated to the research, development, assembly, and production of advanced cruise missiles.

In a separate overnight operation roughly 2,000 kilometers from Israel, Israeli forces also struck a ballistic missile production facility belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Shahroud region.

According to the IDF, Iranian forces had recently been working to rebuild and expand missile production capabilities at the Shahroud site after it had previously been targeted during Operation Rising Lion.

“The site in Shahroud is responsible for producing a significant portion of the missiles fired toward the State of Israel and the region,” the IDF stressed. “The strike severely damages the Iranian terror regime’s ability to continue producing missiles at this site.”

“The IDF will continue expanding strikes against the regime’s weapons production sites in order to cut off its ability to manufacture weapons and to thwart attempts to rebuild its infrastructure.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF carried out airstrikes tonight against Iran’s national oil infrastructure, marking the first time since the war began that Israel has targeted the country’s energy facilities.

The operation reportedly hit 30 oil storage tanks as part of the strike.

An official from Iran’s Oil Ministry said the attacks struck several fuel depots across the country. “Israeli fighter jets attacked three oil depots this evening – in Kohak, Shahran, and Karaj.”

The IDF later confirmed the operation, saying Israeli aircraft acted based on intelligence information to hit fuel storage sites in the Iranian capital.

“The Israeli Air Force, with the guidance of IDF intelligence, struck a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran a short while ago.”

The Israeli military said the targeted infrastructure plays a key role in supporting Iran’s military activity.

“The military forces of the Iranian terrorist regime make direct and frequent use of these fuel tanks to operate military infrastructure. Through them, the Iranian terrorist regime distributes fuel to various consumers, including military entities in Iran.

“This is a significant strike that constitutes an additional step in deepening the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime. The IDF will continue to operate with determination in order to significantly degrade the regime’s capabilities and remove threats to the State of Israel.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also responded to the development, voicing strong support for the operation and calling for even broader strikes against Iran’s energy sector.

Writing on X, Lapid said, “Israel must destroy all of Iran’s oil fields and the Iranian energy industry on Kharg Island.”

“This is what will crush Iran’s economy and bring down the regime,” he added. “This war must end with the fall of the regime in Iran, the destruction of the nuclear facilities, the destruction of the entire ballistic missile industry, and the destruction of Hezbollah in Lebanon.”

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli Air Force carried out an overnight strike in Beirut early Sunday, reportedly hitting a hotel in the city’s Raouche neighborhood and causing casualties, according to regional media and security sources.

The Lebanese television station Al-Mayadeen, which is linked to Hezbollah, reported that the attack took place in the Raouche district in central Beirut and involved an Israeli airstrike targeting a hotel in the area.

A security official told the Reuters news agency that the strike was aimed at a specific room inside the hotel building.

Initial reports indicated that the attack left at least two people dead and wounded several others. Further details about the identities of those killed or injured were not immediately available.

WATCH:

استهداف اوتيل رمادا، منطقة الروشة – بيروت. pic.twitter.com/NRgnSh3obC

— Yumna Fawaz (@yumnafawaz) March 7, 2026

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said today that he has ruled out allowing Kurdish forces to enter the war against Iran, explaining that he does not want the conflict to become more complicated or place Kurdish fighters in danger.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States values its relationship with Kurdish forces but does not want them drawn into the fighting.

“We’re not looking at the Kurds going into Iran. We’re very friendly with the Kurds. We don’t want to make the war anymore complex.”

Trump said Kurdish forces had expressed willingness to participate in the conflict but that he personally decided against allowing it.

“I have ruled it out – I don’t want the Kurds going in. They’re willing to go in, but I told them not to.”

He emphasized that expanding the war by involving additional forces could create further instability and lead to unnecessary casualties among Kurdish fighters.

“We don’t want to make the war more complicated than it already is. We don’t want to see the Kurds harmed or killed. We had a good relationship with them. They were willing to go in, but I told them I didn’t want them to.”

Earlier in the day, Trump attended a solemn ceremony honoring six U.S. Army soldiers who were killed in Iranian attacks. The president saluted as the flag-draped coffins of the fallen service members were carried off the aircraft.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

As the matzav in Eretz Yisroel weighs heavily on our hearts, some have asked whether the upcoming Shuvu Dinner should be postponed. After consulting with our Daas Torah the guidance was clear: this is precisely the time to continue.

For 35 years, Shuvu has provided Torah education to children across Eretz Yisroel, many from homes with little prior exposure to authentic Torah learning. Today, more than 6,000 children attend Shuvu schools, where they are being prepared for lives of Torah, mitzvos, and Yiras Shamayim.

Shuvu was founded by Rav Avrohom Pam zt”l, whose vision was to bring Torah to Jewish children throughout Eretz Yisroel. That mission continues today under the leadership of our nesiim, Rav Reuven Feinstein shlita and Rav Elya Brudny shlita. 

Especially in difficult times, the learning of these children carries profound meaning. Strengthening their Torah is not separate from the moment – it is part of our response.

For this reason, Shuvu will move forward with its 35th Annual Dinner, be’ezras Hashem, on Sunday, March 15 at Bell Works in New Jersey.

Many members of our team in Eretz Yisroel must remain with their families and may not be able to travel to assist with fundraising. We therefore turn to you to help ensure that Shuvu’s schools and the thousands of children that depend on them remain strong.

Please join our dinner campaign at shuvuusa.org/dinner or call 718-692-3434.

In this zechus, may we be zoche to see yeshuos and nechamos for Klal Yisroel.

The White House said Friday that U.S. forces are moving steadily toward gaining control of Iranian airspace, with officials estimating that key military goals could be achieved within the next month to six weeks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the United States believes its military objectives in the campaign against Iran are within reach on that timeline.

Leavitt also indicated that discussions are underway regarding potential leadership in Iran following the conflict. She said that “there are a number of people who we are looking to lead Iran.”

.@PressSec: "What I will tell you is what @POTUS has already laid out, which is that the achievable objectives of Operation Epic Fury we expect to last about 4-6 weeks, and we are well on our way to achieving those objectives." pic.twitter.com/AHqlKamYBp

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 6, 2026

She further announced that President Donald Trump is scheduled to host a meeting at the White House with major defense contractors together with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

According to Leavitt, the meeting is intended to focus on expanding domestic weapons production and strengthening the country’s defense manufacturing capacity.

“The purpose is to discuss the president’s aggressive and fierce support for rapidly increasing the ability of US manufacturers to produce American-made weapons,” she said, stressing, “We have more than enough ammunition and weapon stockpiles to achieve the objectives of Operation Epic Fury and beyond.”

Later in the day, speaking during an appearance on Fox News, Leavitt addressed remarks President Trump made earlier regarding Iran’s future.

She clarified a social media post by Trump that read, “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender!”

Leavitt explained that the statement referred to eliminating Iran’s ability to threaten the United States.

“What President Trump means when he says ‘unconditional surrender’ is when he, as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Military and the leader of the free world – determines that Iran can no longer pose a threat to the United States,” Leavitt explained.

{Matzav.com}

Chaim V’Chessed has learned that the U.S. government is working toward arranging evacuation flights for American citizens seeking to return to the United States from Israel. In the coming days, the U.S. Embassy hopes – if conditions permit – to operate flights from Ben Gurion Airport. At this stage, details are still being worked out, and seats will be extremely limited.

State Department officials have been reviewing the names submitted to Chaim V’Chessed’s extensive evacuation interest list and cross-referencing them with the State Department’s Crisis Intake Form. In fact, most names submitted through the Chaim V’Chessed list have already been added to the Crisis Intake Form system.

Those who wish may also submit their information directly through the State Department’s Crisis Intake Form. Some individuals who do so may discover that they are already listed in the system.

At present, no schedule or final procedures have been announced. Embassy officials stress that travelers should not contact the embassy or Chaim V’Chessed regarding these flights. Instead, individuals should ensure that their information is submitted through the appropriate registration links. If and when seats become available, travelers may be contacted – possibly with short notice.

Chaim V’Chessed has also learned that, as opposed to the U.S. evacuation flights following October 7 attacks, these flights will likely be provided at no charge.

{Matzav.com}

Qatar’s energy minister is warning that the ongoing war in the Middle East could drive oil prices above $150 per barrel, a surge he says would send shockwaves through the global economy.

Saad al-Kaabi cautioned in an interview with the Financial Times that such a sharp rise in crude prices could devastate economies around the world as supply disruptions deepen and energy markets grow increasingly unstable.

The price of oil has already climbed roughly 7 percent to more than $90 per barrel after spending much of the year trading between $60 and $70. The current surge has oil on track for its largest weekly gain since 2022, with Brent crude jumping nearly 30 percent this week as fighting in the region escalates.

Al-Kaabi said the economic consequences will quickly spread if the conflict continues for an extended period.

“If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” he said. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher.”

“There will be shortages of some products, and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” al-Kaabi added.

He also indicated that energy producers in the Gulf region might be forced to suspend production in certain circumstances, a move that would likely push prices even higher. Even if hostilities stop soon, he noted that restoring normal production could take weeks or even months.

The warning comes after an Iranian drone strike earlier in the week targeted Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas facility.

The conflict, now entering its seventh day, has already sent energy markets into turmoil. Concerns intensified after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical shipping lanes for oil worldwide. Approximately 21 million barrels of oil per day—about one-fifth of global oil trade—pass through that narrow waterway.

Qatar, the world’s second-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is also cautioning that the disruption could ripple across global gas markets.

Al-Kaabi said buyers in Asia are likely to rush to secure available supplies, a development that could push gas prices higher internationally. He also told the Times that he expects additional Gulf nations to declare force majeure in the coming days.

“In addition to energy, there will be a halt on all other trade in between the [Gulf] and the world, which will have a significant effect on the economies of the [Gulf] and all the trading partners around the world,” al-Kaabi said.

Economists say rising oil and gas prices could also reignite inflation and place new financial pressure on households already coping with high living costs.

Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, a nonpartisan British think tank, told the financial website This Is Money that sustained increases in oil and gas prices could push inflation back up to 3 percent “by the summer.”

Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, added, “If war in the Middle East drags on, that will be unambiguously bad news for all of us.”

{Matzav.com}

The wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after reports surfaced that she interacted with social media posts praising the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to Jewish Insider, Rama Duwaji had liked several Instagram posts tied to the attack carried out that day. One of the posts included images showing Palestinians breaking through Israel’s border barriers and described the incursion as “breaking the walls of apartheid.”

Another post she reportedly liked featured Palestinians sitting atop a captured Israeli military vehicle and included the caption, “Resisting apartheid since 1948.”

Both of those posts appeared online on the same day Hamas carried out its attack.

The report also states that Duwaji liked two additional posts the following day that expressed support for protests against Israel.

Neither Duwaji nor Mamdani has issued a response to the report. The couple began their relationship in 2021 and were married last year.

The revelations come shortly after The New York Times reported on controversial social media activity involving the wife of US Rep. Dan Goldman, who is Jewish. According to that report, Goldman’s wife had liked posts soon after the October 7 attack that criticized Jews who supported Palestinians, suggested that people backing the Palestinian cause should be sent to Gaza, and labeled Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization” because one of its chapters praised the Hamas attack.

New York City Council member Inna Vernikov, a Jewish Republican, sharply criticized The New York Times coverage, arguing that the paper has not applied the same scrutiny to Mamdani. “Will the ‘paper of record’ ask [Mamdani] a single question on this? THEY WON’T.”

{Matzav.com}

By Yaakov Lappin

The joint American-Israeli campaign against Iran represents an unprecedented level of military integration. It is aimed at fundamentally transforming the strategic reality of the Middle East while neutralizing the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile threats, several former Israeli defense officials and analysts said Thursday.

Speaking during a webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman, vice president of JISS and former deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at Israel’s National Security Council, emphasized the historic nature of the allied offensive.

“Never before in our history—and we’ve been working in alignment with the United States—did we actually work in combined operations mode, something that the last reminiscent [case] is of the British and the Americans in Normandy [in 1944],” Lerman said.

“This is an ongoing effort, shoulder to shoulder with full intelligence sharing, with full operational transparency with each other, with highly coordinated division of labor. Totally unprecedented,” he added.

Lerman said the American motivation at the highest level for the war is driven fundamentally by the nuclear issue. He argued that after the previous conflict in June 2025, the U.S. defense establishment realized that Iran had not been dissuaded from pursuing its course of action.

Additional American goals, he said, are to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to maritime traffic and to counter the Iranian attempt to take Gulf Arab states “hostage” by targeting them with missile and drone attacks.

Regarding regime change, Lerman noted the Trump administration’s aversion to prolonged nation-building projects.

“The very words regime change are highly problematic for the Trump administration,” Lerman explained, citing the shadow of Vietnam and Iraq. Instead, the strategy focuses on “creating the conditions for the Iranian people to take their fate into their hands,” primarily through the destruction of the regime’s repressive mechanisms.

Senior JISS fellow Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, echoed the sentiment that regime change cannot be guaranteed by external military force.

“What should be ensured by the operation, by the war, [is] that any regime, this one or another one, will be very, very weak,” said Amidror.

He estimated the conflict could last “two to six weeks,” noting that the allied forces must reach a point where they agree the regime is sufficiently degraded.

Professor Col. (res.) Gabi Siboni, CEO of JISS, placed the current operations within the broader context of Israel’s grand strategy since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

“I think that if you look at it carefully, you see a very clear strategy of Israel, developed by our prime minister and the Cabinet, which was to eliminate the proxies of Iran, isolate Iran, and then deal with Iran,” Siboni explained.

He praised the shift in posture, noting that the United States military operates without the restrictive layers of self-imposed legal constraints that Israel had typically adopted for itself.

“We are learning from the Americans now,” Siboni said. “We are learning a very important lesson regarding the way military operations should be conducted to make sure that we are doing it to kill the enemy and to win the war.”

Maj. (res.) Alex Grinberg, an expert at JISS on Iran and the Shi’ite world, provided insight into the internal dynamics of the Iranian regime under fire. He said that the goal must be to “break the back of the enemy.”

“It’s a regime that is sadistic and that blackmails money from families to get [back] the bodies of their dear ones [protesters] who were massacred. So, this regime must be destroyed,” Grinberg argued.

He analyzed Iran’s strikes against Gulf nations, suggesting they are a desperate attempt to saturate American air defense systems.

“Its geopolitical behavior proves that there is no way to compromise with this regime,” Grinberg said, describing the Islamic Republic as “incurably aggressive.”

He also called for the elimination of former senior IRGC commanders and military advisers, saying, “These are very powerful people, and they must be done in as soon as possible because they’re very dangerous.”

Any scenario of the regime surrendering as Nazi Germany did in 1945 is baseless, said Grinberg, adding that this is based on decentralized power networks, and that the war goal should be to “break separately all of the vertebrae of this spine. And this way it will stop functioning.”

Dr. Pnina Shuker, a JISS national security expert, focused on the profound impact of these Iranian strikes on the Gulf Arab states.

“It appears that the Iranian logic behind attacking Gulf states is to create internal instability, aiming to exert indirect pressure on the United States to end the war,” Shuker assessed. “There is a logic behind this modus operandi. However, it seems these attacks are achieving the exact opposite result.”

Instead of driving a wedge between regional allies, the attacks are accelerating defense integration and deepening strategic reliance on international partnerships, Shuker observed.

She noted that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have set aside their recent political disputes to unite against the shared Iranian threat.

She explained that Qatar faces an even more complex situation, having previously maintained a delicate balancing act with Tehran. However, the Iranian attempt to strike Doha International Airport crossed a red line.

“The Qatari prime minister flatly rejected these claims [that the missiles were aimed at American interests],” Shuker noted. “He accused Iran of dragging its neighbors into war.”

While the Gulf states have exercised notable restraint, Shuker warned of uncertainty as Iran continues to escalate.

“The Gulf states now face a dual-front challenge: sustaining effective interception against unpredictable missile swarms, while safeguarding domestic stability in the face of pro-Iranian mobilization,” she concluded.

When asked about the potential for the Trump administration to seek an end to the conflict before Israel’s desired timetable, Shuker cautioned that internal American politics could play a role. JNS

Russia has reportedly been supplying Iran with intelligence about the locations of American military forces in the Middle East in an effort to help Tehran respond to ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to a new report.

The Washington Post reported Friday that since the start of “Operation Epic Fury” about a week ago, Moscow has been passing along information about the positions of U.S. naval vessels, aircraft, and other military assets in the region. Three sources familiar with the situation told the newspaper about the alleged intelligence sharing.

“It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one official familiar with the intel told the outlet.

Since the campaign began with its opening strike, Iran has attempted to retaliate by launching thousands of drones and missiles aimed at American targets throughout the Middle East.

Despite reports that Russia may be assisting Tehran with intelligence, President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have said the United States has swiftly gained control of the battlefield, asserting that American forces have achieved “total dominance” and that Iran has already “lost everything.”

Details about how extensively Russia may be helping Iran identify potential targets remain unclear.

The Kremlin has sharply criticized the military campaign against Iran, describing it as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state.”

Hegseth, meanwhile, said the U.S. military operation against the Iranian regime has delivered overwhelming results during the first several days of fighting.

“Our forces are executing with unmatched skill and the mission is advancing decisively,” the Pentagon chief said Thursday.

“This is the kind of no nonsense, results driven warfighting that America demands.”

He also indicated that additional American military strength is being deployed to the region.

“Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,” he said.

“Our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control, as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the United States will not reach any agreement with Iran unless the country first agrees to unconditional surrender, issuing the warning in a message posted on Truth Social as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues.

“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Trump went on to outline what he said could follow such a surrender, suggesting that once a new leadership acceptable to the United States and its allies is chosen, efforts could begin to rebuild Iran.

“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” he went on.

“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’ Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The president’s demand for Tehran’s capitulation came one day after he also said he wants a direct role in determining who will succeed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war last Saturday.

Trump dismissed speculation that Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba, could take over the leadership role, calling him a “lightweight” and an “unacceptable” option.

In a phone interview Friday with CNN, Trump said he would not necessarily oppose another religious leader assuming the position previously held by Khamenei.

“I may be, yeah, I mean, it depends on who the person is,” he told anchor Dana Bash on the phone. “I don’t mind religious leaders. I deal with a lot of religious leaders and they are fantastic.”

Trump also indicated that he would not insist that Iran become a democracy as part of any leadership transition.

“There has to be a leader that’s going be fair and just. Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East — they’re all our partners,” he told Bash.

At present, Iran is reportedly being governed by a three-man council that includes two hardline figures along with the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Throughout the week, Trump has repeatedly pointed to the recent leadership change in Venezuela as a model for what could eventually happen in Iran, after U.S. commandos captured socialist leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3 and the White House backed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who agreed to release political prisoners and cooperate with American oil companies.

The president has acknowledged, however, that replicating that scenario in Iran may be more complicated, noting that more than four dozen senior officials have already been killed during the war.

Still, Trump expressed confidence that the strategy will succeed.

“It’s gonna work very easily. It’s going to work like did in Venezuela. We have a wonderful leader there. She’s doing a fantastic job. And it’s going to work Iike in Venezuela.”

Trump also voiced support Thursday for reported plans by Iranian Kurdish forces to enter Iran from Iraq in hopes of sparking a broader uprising against the regime in Tehran.

“I think it’s wonderful that they would want to do that,” the president told Reuters. “I’d be all for it.”

{Matzav.com}

A prolonged power outage that left parts of Brooklyn without electricity for days during a dangerous cold snap is now triggering frustration among residents who say Con Edison is slow to reimburse them for losses — and in some cases has already rejected their claims.

Several residents affected by the blackout say their requests for compensation have either been denied or remain unresolved. Some say they have yet to receive confirmation that their claims were even processed.

“Trying to rectify this with Con Ed, I was on hold for two days … and they were just so disrespectful,” said Park Slope resident James Kilmeade, who spent two nights in a hotel so that his pet bearded dragon wouldn’t freeze to death.

“The people wouldn’t give me their last names or any employee ID … and they never called me back,” Kilmeade added, saying he put in a $200 reimbursement claim for spoiled food.

He says he is still waiting for a response.

Kilmeade also explained that he has not submitted a request to be reimbursed for the hotel expenses he incurred while trying to keep his pet alive after losing electricity to the animal’s heat lamp.

“I had to smuggle her into a hotel, basically, in a blanket,” the 30-year-old said.

The complaints come shortly after Con Edison received approval to raise electricity rates by 10.4 percent and increase gas rates by 15.8 percent over the next three years — hikes expected to cost the average New York City household roughly $600 more annually by 2028.

A company spokesperson said Con Edison is currently reviewing and paying “validated claims” submitted by the hundreds of Brooklyn residents who were left without power for more than 48 hours during a widespread outage that began Jan. 31, during an intense Arctic cold spell.

According to the company’s website, customers may be eligible for reimbursements of up to $655 for spoiled food and certain medications if a power outage lasts more than 12 hours.

The blackout, which stretched for nearly six days in neighborhoods including Park Slope, Gowanus, and Boerum Hill, was caused by a manhole fire. Con Edison said the incident was triggered when melting snow and road salt seeped into underground infrastructure, corroding electrical equipment and wiring.

One resident, identified as A.C., said the company told him his situation did not qualify for compensation.

“They said it was due to the salt getting into their equipment, and I guess they don’t usually pay out for those instances,” he said. “I think they should cover it, just because salt is foreseeable … It’s not like it was a surprise.”

The dispute has now drawn the attention of local officials. City Council member Shahana Hanif is urging the utility company to revisit the denied claims and provide a clearer strategy for preventing similar outages in the future.

“Neighbors carried food up dark stairwells, shared heaters and blankets, and boiled water for warmth,” Hanif wrote in a Feb, 27 letter co-signed by six other city and state lawmakers.

“Many incurred real financial losses and faced unsafe living conditions through no fault of their own,” the pols added, and “they should not be left to shoulder the burden of a prolonged outage that resulted from infrastructure failure.”

{Matzav.com}

As Ben Gurion Airport gradually resumes operations following a tense period during the ongoing war, El Al has shifted into an extraordinary emergency operating mode aimed at bringing thousands of Israelis stranded abroad back home.

In an extensive interview on the Kol Chai radio news program, Alon Lavi, head of El Al’s operational control division, detailed the unprecedented effort being carried out by the airline to return passengers who were unable to reach Israel when the conflict began.

Lavi explained that the airline had prepared in advance for the moment when Israeli airspace would reopen.

“We prepared to operate rescue flights from more than 22 destinations the moment Ben Gurion Airport reopened,” he said. “We are implementing the framework approved by the government in a responsible and safe way.”

He provided striking figures illustrating the scale of the operation.

“Today, nine El Al rescue flights landed at Ben Gurion Airport from various destinations across Europe. Tomorrow the pace is expected to increase significantly, with 16 scheduled landings,” Lavi said.

The operation is not limited to nearby locations. El Al has deployed wide-body aircraft to transport hundreds of passengers per flight from long-distance destinations including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Bangkok.

“The planes are already on their way to Tel Aviv and are expected to land here tomorrow morning,” he added.

In order to reduce confusion and uncertainty among passengers, the airline also took an unusual step.

“We closed ticket sales for new flights until March 21,” Lavi explained.

The goal of that decision is to prioritize existing customers whose flights were canceled because of the war, allowing them to be placed on rescue flights without additional cost rather than selling new tickets at extremely high prices.

One of the most sensitive issues addressed during the interview was El Al’s firm decision not to operate flights on Shabbos.

Despite public pressure and the urgent need to bring Israelis home, Lavi emphasized that this policy remains unchanged.

“This is a Jewish company whose mission includes keeping Shabbos, and we stand behind that principle even under enormous media pressure,” he said.

He explained that the airline is making logistical adjustments to compensate for the day of rest.

“We will carry out the operations before Shabbos begins and immediately after it ends, and everything will work out,” he said. “We are not trying to make things unnecessarily difficult — we are simply remaining faithful to our values.”

Lavi also stressed that the airline is maintaining proactive contact with affected passengers.

“We are in touch with all of our customers twice a day in a proactive way,” he said.

He urged Israelis currently overseas to continue monitoring official channels for updates.

“All of the information is published on our website and on social media. We are doing everything possible to bring everyone home quickly and safely,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

As the Knesset gradually returns to limited activity during the ongoing war, tensions within the coalition are rising over the long-delayed draft law, with chareidi parties insisting the legislation return immediately to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Chareidi political leaders have reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu over the past 24 hours that the draft law must be brought back to the committee as early as next week, provided the security situation allows it. They have also requested that the committee’s legal adviser, Miri Frenkel, expedite the completion of the bill’s final wording.

The demand comes as the Knesset prepares to reconvene next week after a week-long recess. At first, the Knesset is expected to deal only with urgent matters, particularly those connected to the war.

At the same time, the chareidi parties have continued their boycott of coalition votes. They have clarified that they will refrain from supporting government legislation, with the exception of measures directly related to the war effort, in order not to complicate matters for the government during the conflict.

The dispute raises serious questions about the fate of the state budget.

If the draft law is not passed by the end of the month, there is a strong possibility that the budget will also fail to pass, which could ultimately lead to new elections.

Sources within the chareidi parties estimate that the prime minister will attempt to persuade them to approve the state budget even without the draft law being finalized. Whether those efforts will succeed remains to be seen.

{Matzav.com}

In light of the difficult security situation and its direct impact on couples preparing to marry, Israel’s Chief Rabbis have issued a special psak halachah regarding the scheduling of weddings.

The Chief Rabbis of Israel — the Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, and the president of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Rav Kalman Meir Ber — released the ruling addressing the challenges many couples are facing as a result of the current wartime conditions.

At the outset of their ruling, the rabbonim stressed that the establishment of a bayis ne’eman b’Yisroel at its proper time is of the utmost importance. According to the psak, whenever it is possible to hold the wedding on the originally scheduled date in accordance with the guidelines of the Home Front Command, every effort should be made to avoid postponing it.

The rabbonim wrote that even if security restrictions require a significantly reduced celebration and a smaller number of guests than originally planned, it is nevertheless preferable not to delay the chuppah.

At the same time, the Chief Rabbis addressed couples who were forced to postpone their wedding because of the security situation.

In an unusual step described as a temporary hora’as sha’ah for this year, the rabbonim ruled that such couples may conduct their weddings until Rosh Chodesh Iyar, including that date.

This leniency applies both to Sephardim and Ashkenazim, with particular sensitivity toward couples who have not yet fulfilled the mitzvah of peru urevu.

Despite this significant allowance, the rabbonim emphasized that this ruling does not constitute a permanent change in the long-standing minhag. Under normal circumstances, and in cases where no compelling ones exists, the traditional custom regarding weddings during Sefiras HaOmer remains unchanged.

The Chief Rabbis also made clear that, in their view, weddings should not be permitted on Motzaei Shabbos, even during this period, in order to prevent situations that could lead to chillul Shabbos.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Chief Rabbis, the Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, and Rav Kalman Meir Ber, president of the Chief Rabbinate Council, sent a sharply worded letter to Transportation Minister Miri Regev protesting the planned operation of government transportation services on Shabbos.

In their letter, the rabbonim expressed strong objection to what they described as unnecessary chillul Shabbos as part of the state’s transportation operations during the ongoing wartime situation.

The Chief Rabbis wrote that the planned move is being carried out at a time when there is no danger or concern of pikuach nefesh that would justify work on Shabbos.

They also emphasized that the decision to activate the transportation system was made unilaterally by government authorities without prior consultation with the Chief Rabbinate or receiving halachic guidance, as would normally be expected in public matters of this nature.

The rabbonim called on the minister to halt the plan and prevent unnecessary desecration of Shabbos, stressing that such decisions involving national public systems must be handled with proper sensitivity to halachah and with consultation from the appropriate rabbinic authorities.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Dovid Spiegel zt”l, the Ostrov-Kalushiner Rebbe of the Five Towns and rov of Bais Medrash of Cedarhurst, a devoted marbitz Torah and beloved rov who for decades built and nurtured a warm, vibrant center of Torah and Yiddishkeit in the community.

Rav Spiegel, a son of Rav Pinchas Eliyahu Spiegel zt”l, the Ostrov-Kalushiner Rebbe, was a distinguished talmid of two gedolei Torah of the previous generation, Rav Avrohom Pam zt”l and Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l. His connection with Rav Aharon was especially close and deeply personal. As a bochur, Rav Spiegel was among those who would frequently drive Rav Aharon to various engagements and destinations. Those hours spent in close proximity to the rosh yeshiva allowed him to develop a profound bond with his rebbi, absorbing not only Torah but also the spirit and vision that Rav Aharon instilled in his talmidim.

On June 19, 1962, Rav Spiegel married his wife, Rebbetzin Devorah Esther Spiegel a”h, the daughter of the Pittsburger Rebbe, Rav Avrohom Abba Leifer, in Newark, New Jersey, beginning a partnership that would become the foundation of a life devoted to Torah, community, and chesed.

In the early years following their marriage, the young couple lived in Lakewood in modest circumstances, residing in a small one-bedroom apartment above the stores on Fifth Street. Those humble beginnings reflected the simple and devoted lifestyle that characterized Rav Spiegel throughout his life.

A pivotal moment in his life and in the development of the Five Towns Torah community came in 1970. His brother-in-law, Rav Binyomin Kamenetsky zt”l, approached him with a bold vision: to establish a warm and authentic shtiebel that would serve as a beacon of Torah life in the growing Five Towns community. Rav Spiegel accepted the challenge with dedication and determination.

What began as a modest undertaking soon grew into something extraordinary. Over the decades, the shtiebel became a center of warmth, Torah, and genuine Yiddishkeit. Rav Spiegel did far more than establish a shul. He built a kehillah in the truest sense of the word. Through his guidance, countless individuals and families found a place where they could grow in Torah observance and strengthen their connection to Yiddishkeit.

Rav Spiegel understood that cultivating Torah life in a community requires not only passion but also wisdom, patience, and a deep understanding of people. With quiet determination and thoughtful leadership, he helped shape the spiritual character of the Five Towns in numerous ways. His influence could be felt in the lives of those who turned to him for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.

Throughout the years, he remained a steady presence, a rov who cared deeply for his mispallelim and whose warmth and sincerity left a lasting impression on all who encountered him.

Rav Spiegel is survived by an exceptional family of children and grandchildren who continue his legacy of Torah, avodah, and devotion to Klal Yisroel.

The levaya is taking place now at Rav Spiegel’s shul, located at 504 W. Broadway in Cedarhurst, NY, followed by kevurah in New Jersey.

Yehi zichro boruch.

As Israel continues to operate under the pressures of Operation Roaring Lion, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation announced a significant expansion of public transportation services across the country.

Beginning today, bus service will increase to approximately 60 percent of normal operations. This follows several days during which the transportation network functioned at only 45 percent capacity due to the ongoing security situation.

The decision was made following a renewed situational assessment and updated guidance from the Home Front Command, with the goal of maintaining a measure of economic and daily-life continuity while the country remains under fire.

Alongside the expansion of bus services, the rail and light rail systems are still operating under strict limitations.

Israel Railways has concentrated its service in specific hubs that are suited to the current emergency conditions. The Yerushalayim Light Rail is operating on a limited emergency schedule, while the light rail system in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area remains completely suspended. The Haifa cable car system is also not operating at this time.

In addition, all in-person public transportation service centers across the country will remain closed until further notice.

Officials at the Ministry of Transportation stressed that despite the expanded service, the public is still urged to avoid non-essential travel and follow the instructions of security authorities.

“We call on the public to check the transportation apps and the operators’ information centers before setting out,” the ministry said.

For additional information or trip planning, travelers can contact the national transportation information hotline by dialing *8787.

Authorities noted that the public transportation system will continue to be adjusted as operational conditions evolve on the ground.

{Matzav.com}