Matzav

A storm of criticism has erupted around Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after he chose Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari — a progressive activist who publicly expressed admiration for convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur — to serve on his youth and education transition team, according to The NY Post.

Shaakir-Ansari, who helps lead the Alliance for Quality Education, was tapped last week to advise the incoming administration on public-school matters. Her past comments resurfaced almost immediately, including an interview with Lingua Franca in which she was asked to choose any woman in history to spend an afternoon with.

Her answer drew immediate fire.

“Assata Shakur — I believe she has so much to offer. With all of the reflection you must have done after all of the years as a Black Panther, what advice do you have for black women to move the movement while also caring for each other?” she said.

Assata Shakur — born Joanne Deborah Chesimard — was convicted for the 1973 killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster after a gun battle on the New Jersey Turnpike. She had been traveling with Zayd Malik Shakur and Sundiata Acoli when state troopers stopped them for a broken taillight, prompting a shootout that left Foerster dead.

Before her involvement with the Black Liberation Army, she was aligned with the Black Panthers and immersed in radical political activity during the 1970s. In 1977 she was convicted of murder and assault, but in 1979 a team of armed BLA members broke her out of the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women, took hostages, and fled in a hijacked van.

Shakur ultimately escaped to Cuba in 1984, where the communist regime granted her asylum. Calling herself a “20th century escaped slave,” she remained a fugitive for decades and was placed on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list in May 2013 — the first woman ever added.

For families of fallen police officers, Mamdani’s decision to elevate someone who venerates Shakur felt like a painful slap.

“Supporting a cop killer, you know, is not . . . a good thing,” said Grace Machate, whose husband, NYPD Officer Robert Machate, was murdered in 1989 while she was seven months pregnant.

Her husband, like Foerster, was gunned down during what began as a routine traffic stop involving “two suspicious males.”

“When someone kills an officer, whether he’s from New Jersey, New York or Alabama, I don’t care. It’s something that families are going to stick together on,” she said.

Retired NYPD lieutenant and US Marine Eric Dym reacted with disbelief at Mamdani’s choice.

“That’s unbelievable. I don’t think it’s a small oversight. I think it’s a conscious decision,” said Dym.

He added a blunt warning about what this signals to the rank and file: “When someone with that history is given a seat at the table it sends the message that your sacrifice is negotiable . . . this just strips away at the morale of the NYPD.”

John Macari, a retired NYPD lieutenant and co-host of the “New York’s Finest: Retired and Unfiltered Podcast,” argued that while Shaakir-Ansari can hold any views she wants, they shouldn’t shape city policy.

“Shaakir-Ansari has every right to her opinions, but she should have no business shaping education policy in a city where thousands of cops entrust their own kids to be educated and kept safe,” he said.

Shaakir-Ansari, a grandmother and longtime education advocate, has been involved in activism for roughly twenty years. In 2017, she appeared on City and State New York Magazine’s list of the 25 most influential Brooklyn leaders. She even launched a clothing line last year, raising $15,000 through GoFundMe.

During the mayoral campaign, Mamdani sparked additional backlash when he declined to denounce a glowing tribute to Shakur posted by the Democratic Socialists of America after her death.

“We vow to honor her legacy by recognizing our duty to fight for our freedom, to win, to love and protect one another because we have nothing to lose but our chains,” the DSA said on X.

Pressed by The Post to respond to the DSA statement, Mamdani sidestepped the issue.

“I am running to be the mayor of New York City,” he said. “I am running to represent the people of New York City. My focus is on the issues of the city, and I’m accountable to those same New Yorkers.”

Law-enforcement experts warn that appointments like this are a troubling signal for the coming administration. Retired NYPD sergeant and John Jay Professor Joe Giacolone said the fallout will be swift.

“You pick someone who praises a cop killer, you don’t need a slide rule to figure out what’s going on here — there’s gonna be two types of cops left, those who want to get out and can, and those who want to get out and can’t.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Tom Cotton used a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to issue a full-throated endorsement of the Trump administration’s lethal actions against cartel-linked vessels, arguing that the mission is both legally justified and essential for protecting American lives. Cotton, who was briefed on the strikes in his capacity as Senate Intelligence Committee chair, described the objective in blunt terms: stop the narcotics flow by eliminating the boats pushing them toward U.S. interests.

According to Cotton, the nature of the threat leaves little ambiguity. “Destroy these drug boats,” he said, emphasizing that the same smuggling networks are responsible for overdose deaths in his own state and across the nation. He told host Kristen Welker, “The order, like the entire operation, Kristen, is to destroy these drug boats, which are running drugs into our country from foreign drug cartels and traffickers that are killing hundreds of Arkansans every year and hundreds of thousands of Americans.”

NBC News previously revealed that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth authorized a strike that resulted in all 11 individuals aboard a targeted craft being killed after U.S. intelligence labeled them “narco-terrorists.” Cotton said he never heard anyone refer to a formal “target list,” but he did say officials conveyed “high confidence based on multiple sources of intelligence that everyone on that boat was part of a foreign terrorist organization” and therefore “valid targets.”

He pushed back sharply against claims circulating in earlier press accounts that the U.S. military had fired upon “helpless survivors.” Cotton flatly rejected that depiction, insisting the men weren’t drifting unprotected or clinging to debris. Instead, he said they remained on an overturned vessel and were “not incapacitated in any way.”

Cotton defended the decision to conduct a secondary strike as both appropriate and lawful. He argued that it was necessary “to make sure that its cargo was destroyed,” and maintained, “It is in no way a violation of the law of war.”

Some Democrats who viewed classified footage disagreed, suggesting the individuals appeared stranded or possibly attempting to surrender. Cotton dismissed that reading entirely, underscoring that the vessel, its drugs, and the crew remained legitimate military objectives in an ongoing counter-cartel operation.

Even when Welker noted that the shipment might have first been destined for Suriname before being moved elsewhere, Cotton insisted that such nuances don’t change the equation. He argued that smuggling networks routinely shift loads between different boats, and any cartel-manned craft carrying narcotics poses a direct danger. “Any boat loaded with drugs that is crewed by associates and members of foreign terrorist organizations that are trying to kill American kids I think is a valid target,” he said. “I’m not just comfortable with it, I want to continue it.”

Cotton added that he supports declassifying and releasing the strike footage, describing it as standard operational video and “not gruesome,” though he acknowledged the Pentagon may need to safeguard sensitive intelligence practices before doing so.

Efforts to revive the fragile communications line between Israel and Qatar have quietly resumed in New York, where Mossad chief David Barnea has sat down with a top Qatari representative at the urging of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios. Two sources told the outlet that this discussion marks the launch of a three-way framework intended to stabilize the damaged relationship after the strike in Qatar on September 9 disrupted months of delicate diplomacy.

The September operation, aimed at senior Hamas political figures, did not eliminate the leadership it targeted, but it did result in the deaths of several lower-ranking Hamas operatives as well as a Qatari guard. The fallout was immediate. Qatar, which had been the central mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the Gaza conflict, abruptly halted its involvement and demanded accountability for what it viewed as a violation of its sovereignty.

Barnea’s meeting represents the most senior-level engagement since that episode. According to the report, the goal is to determine whether the two sides can rebuild the cooperation that existed before the strike and re-establish Qatar’s role in facilitating negotiations despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Doha.

In an effort to contain the crisis back in late September, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu personally conveyed an apology to Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, acknowledging that Qatari sovereignty had been breached.

The conversation in New York is expected to revolve around whether a path can be charted toward the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire process. Axios notes that the meeting is intended to probe how — and whether — Israel, Qatar, and the United States can resume coordinated mediation after weeks of strained silence.

{Matzav.com}

During an extensive visit to key hotspots inside Gaza on Sunday, Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir surveyed front-line positions alongside top southern commanders, receiving a close-up briefing on current battlefield conditions and the next phase of operations. He moved through areas including Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya, where division leaders outlined the pace of recent missions and the broader strategic picture.

As he addressed the commanders, Zamir made clear that the army views the campaign as far from finished. “We are operating to thwart and remove threats in all arenas,” he began, underscoring that Israeli forces will counter aggression wherever it appears. He added firmly, “We will not tolerate threats against our troops, and we will respond to any attempt. We have freedom of operation – both here in the Southern Command and across all arenas.”

Zamir highlighted that the military intends to block any attempt by Hamas to rebuild or reorganize. “We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defense lines. The Yellow Line is a new border line – serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”

Turning to the matter of the hostages, he noted that Israel’s responsibility continues. “The overwhelming majority of our hostages have returned, but our mission will not be complete until the last fallen hostage, SFC Ran Gvili, is brought home.”

Zamir warned his officers against easing their posture in the coming period. “We must not be complacent. We must be prepared in all arenas and maintain readiness and alertness, while maintaining operational norms. The IDF is preparing for surprise attack scenarios – this is one of the cornerstones of the upcoming multi-year plan.”

He spoke at length about the vital role of the reserves and the need to bolster them for future challenges. “The security and existence of the State of Israel depend on the IDF, with reserve troops being a central component. You achieved unprecedented successes throughout the war, and your level of readiness and capability is extremely high.”

Looking ahead, Zamir outlined legislative steps meant to support the force. “We are advancing several laws intended to strengthen the IDF and its readiness, and in doing so also ease the burden on the reserve troops. We must reinforce and expand the reserve array – this is a central mission in the IDF’s force build up process.”

He also referenced the internal reviews completed regarding October 7, stressing their importance for institutional improvement. “In recent weeks, we concluded the inquiries into October 7th. The inquiries are a crucial component in learning the lessons needed to prevent another October 7th. We are leading the IDF toward learning, developing, and strengthening in order to prepare for future challenges. You are partners in advancing the IDF forward.”

During a public discussion at the Doha Forum on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al 20 made it unmistakably clear that his country has no intention of underwriting the massive cost of rebuilding Gaza, pushing back against widespread assumptions that Doha would serve as the primary financier. “We are not the ones who are going to write the check to rebuild what others destroyed,” Al Thani declared as he spoke on stage.

Instead, he stressed that Qatar’s role will remain focused on humanitarian relief. He emphasized that Doha will continue assisting Palestinians in immediate need, while making sure any support directly addresses their suffering. “Our payments will only go to help the Palestinian people if we see that the help coming to them is insufficient,” he said, declining to provide further detail.

His comments add a new degree of uncertainty to an already murky global picture surrounding Gaza’s reconstruction. Doha had long been perceived as the most likely backer of rebuilding efforts—particularly because other Gulf powers such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have conditioned any substantial investment on a credible political plan leading toward Palestinian statehood, a path Israel opposes.

International agencies have painted a dire picture of the scale of devastation. The UN announced in November that repairing Gaza’s shattered infrastructure could cost around $70 billion, noting that roughly 75 percent of all structures in the Strip have either been destroyed or damaged beyond function. Despite some commitments—such as the EU’s $1.87 billion pledge in April and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent offer of $100 million—no clear financial framework exists for covering the enormous shortfall.

The Doha Forum interview ended with an unexpected twist, when American political commentator Tucker Carlson told Al Thani—and the audience—that he would soon be purchasing property in Qatar. “I have been criticized as being a tool of Qatar… I’ve never taken anything from your country and don’t plan to. I am, however, tomorrow, buying a place in Qatar,” Carlson remarked. “I’m doing that because I like the city, I think it’s beautiful, but also to make the statement that I’m an American and a free man and I’ll be wherever I want to be,” he added.

Qatar’s relationship with the United States has been a central pillar of its foreign policy, and the country has invested heavily in maintaining those ties. Washington designates Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and Doha has made high-profile gestures toward President Donald Trump, including gifting him a luxury aircraft in May to serve as a new Air Force One due to delays in America’s own procurement process.

Al Thani argued that there are actors “putting in a lot of effort to sabotage the relationship between Qatar and the United States and to try to demonize anyone who will come to this country.” He noted that Qatar continues to engage with Washington “to make sure that this relationship is safeguarded and the relationship for us is mutually beneficial.” As he put it, “We pay all these amounts for lobbying only to protect and to safeguard this relationship.”

Qatar has played a crucial diplomatic role as a mediator in the US-backed Gaza truce, though it has faced criticism from American and Israeli officials over its long-standing hosting of Hamas’s political leadership—a policy Doha maintains was carried out with the approval of Washington beginning in 2012. Throughout these debates, Qatar has categorically rejected claims that it funds the terror group, insisting its involvement has centered on conflict mediation, not support.

If Qatar now pulls back from reconstruction commitments, the world may be left with a question no one seems ready to answer: who, if anyone, will rebuild Gaza?

{Matzav.com}

A new examination by The New York Times paints a portrait of an administration that repeatedly hesitated at critical moments, brushing aside early guidance that might have eased the humanitarian and political fallout at the southern border. Advisers raised alarms during the first weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency, cautioning that dismantling Trump-era restrictions too quickly could spark “chaos,” yet those internal concerns were overridden as the White House raced to reset immigration policy.

The rapid reversal of deterrence measures sent migrant encounters soaring almost immediately in 2021. Processing centers buckled under the influx, major cities absorbed financial and logistical strain, and public frustration escalated as images of overrun facilities and overwhelmed municipalities dominated the news cycle. According to the Times, Biden’s team misread both the scale of global migration pressures and how sharply voters would react to the crisis.

Interviews with former officials reveal a White House deeply sensitive to criticism from progressive activists. Political advisers worried that any move toward tougher enforcement could fracture Biden’s coalition. That reluctance, they now say, boxed the administration in and ceded a powerful opening for Donald Trump and his allies heading into 2024.

The Times outlines repeated internal efforts to pursue more assertive responses — from streamlining asylum processing to expanding short-term holding space or implementing stronger deterrence tools — but many of those ideas stalled. In some instances, officials recalled policy blueprints being floated, dissected, and ultimately watered down or abandoned. One even described plans for a major border speech that were shelved entirely, leaving the public with the impression that the administration hoped the crisis would fade on its own.

The absence of a clear guiding approach was summed up starkly by Scott Shuchart, who joined the administration in 2022 as a senior adviser at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Biden White House “had no strategy, because they had no goal,” he said. “All they had was wishing the problem would go away so that they could focus on the things they cared about.”

As the Times noted, this vacuum met a system already buckling under outdated statutes and an asylum backlog that can take years to adjudicate. Biden initially maintained Title 42 but quickly unwound other restrictions, halted further border wall work, narrowed enforcement priorities, and moved to suspend “Remain in Mexico.” Former aides told the Times these steps were widely interpreted by migrants as a signal that border controls were loosening, adding momentum to already rising flows driven by instability abroad and cartel operations.

By spring of 2022, pressure on border states boiled over. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched busing operations to Washington, D.C., both to relieve small border towns and to protest what he argued was federal inaction. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis soon adopted a similar tactic. Mayors across the country appealed for coordination and federal support, but the Times reported that Washington remained locked in disputes over legal authority and concerns about “incentivizing” even more migration.

At the same time, Biden’s expansion of “legal pathways” and humanitarian parole drew intense scrutiny. Critics charged that these mechanisms served as an “open border” workaround that sidestepped Congress, while the administration defended them as part of a compassionate and orderly framework.

By the point the White House pivoted toward tighter enforcement as the 2024 election loomed, the operational strain, political deterioration, and cultural polarization surrounding the issue had already taken root — a trajectory internal critics say might have been avoided had early warnings been heeded.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made it clear he has no intention of stepping away from public life in return for leniency in his corruption case, dismissing any notion that he would bargain his political future for a pardon.

During a joint appearance with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a reporter raised the question of whether he would consider leaving politics as part of a plea arrangement. Netanyahu answered with trademark humor. “They’re very concerned with my future. They want to make sure that — how shall I say this? — They’re concerned with my future,” he jokes, prompting laughter at the press event.

Netanyahu said the real arbiters of his future were not prosecutors or political analysts, but the Israeli public. “Well, so are the voters, and they’ll decide, obviously,” he says, before shifting the focus to Israel’s growing partnership with Germany. He noted that both countries were engaged in far-reaching initiatives that would exceed even the high level of collaboration forged in previous years. “We have big tasks to do, including with Germany in historic cooperation that will actually, actually will, in many ways, tower over our previous cooperation, which was quite amazing,” he says.

Gesturing toward Merz, Netanyahu added a playful nod to the chancellor’s height. The continuing strength of Israeli-German relations, he suggested, was only fitting given the stature of his counterpart: “But that’s not surprising, because, as you can see, Chancellor Merz is a towering figure,” he says.

{Matzav.com}

New York’s political and health leadership unleashed an intense backlash on Friday after a federal advisory panel voted to strip away the long-standing recommendation that every newborn in the United States receive the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth. What had been a universal guideline for decades was recast by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a selective recommendation, applying only to babies whose mothers test positive for the virus or have not been screened.

The shift—an 8–3 vote—was met with alarm from public health officials nationwide, many of whom emphasized that the routine birth dose has been widely credited with preventing thousands of hepatitis B infections over the years. Under the new guidance, newborns of mothers who test negative would start the vaccine series at two months unless parents and clinicians decide otherwise.

New York leaders quickly became some of the loudest voices condemning the move. Gov. Kathy Hochul, outraged by the committee’s decision and the administration overseeing it, accused national policymakers of endangering vulnerable children. “As a mom who spent countless doctor’s office visits making sure my kids were vaccinated to protect them from deadly diseases, it’s devastating to see the Trump administration willing to let babies and children die,” she said. She added, “I guess nothing should surprise us anymore,” continuing her critiques of the administration’s broader health policies.

City officials echoed the alarm. Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City’s acting health commissioner, publicly rejected the credibility of the advisory group itself. “The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which guides our nation’s vaccine policy, is no longer a trusted source,” she said, arguing that the panel’s pivot disregards decades of established research. “The decision to ignore nearly thirty years of successful clinical evidence is harmful. We are witnessing the creation of confusion at the expense of our nation’s health, with significant risk toward our babies.”

In response to the uproar, the New York State Department of Health emphasized that the federal vote would not affect state policy. “These national advisory votes do not alter New York’s evidence-based recommendations, which continue to include a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose for every newborn, without delay, as well as completion of the full vaccine series in infancy,” the department announced. The NYC Health Department likewise affirmed its position, with Morse reiterating that her office “continues to strongly recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns to protect the health of our youngest New Yorkers.”

The controversy also drew attention to the makeup of the advisory committee itself, as all current ACIP members were appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is widely known for his anti-vaccine advocacy. The intersection of policy, politics, and public health has now set off a nationwide debate over how vaccine recommendations should be crafted—and who should be shaping them.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump pressed the Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee to reverse years of rejection and finally induct pitcher Roger Clemens, issuing an extended appeal on Truth Social that celebrated Clemens’s legacy while sharply criticizing the forces he believes kept the star out of Cooperstown.

In his message, Trump urged the voters to act decisively as they meet to consider new inductees. “The Baseball Hall of Fame Committee is voting on admitting new Members TOMORROW, and these highly respected owners, executives, writers, and, most importantly, Hall of Famers, should do the right thing by finally putting Roger Clemens, known as ‘The Rocket,’ in the Hall!” he wrote, calling on the panel to correct what he views as years of unfair treatment.

Trump went on to highlight Clemens’s extraordinary career, laying out the statistical record he believes leaves no doubt about the pitcher’s place in baseball history: “Roger is clearly one of the Greatest Pitchers of All Time, with amazing achievements that include winning 354 Games, seven Cy Young Awards (A Record, by a lot!), and playing in six World Series, winning two. ‘The Rocket’ is second only to another All Time GREAT, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, in most strike-outs,” he wrote.

He then turned his ire toward the Justice Department under President Barack Obama, claiming its failed attempt to prosecute Clemens on perjury allegations over suspected steroid use derailed his Hall of Fame chances. Clemens, who consistently denied wrongdoing, was acquitted of all charges in 2012.

The message continued with Trump insisting that the lack of induction is indefensible. “Roger Clemens is the only pitcher who has won 300 games to not have the honor of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which is a total travesty! The only reason he is not is because of rumors and innuendo, which were not proven. He never tested positive and, when the Obama DOJ went after him in a criminal case claiming that he did take steroids, Roger, who has always denied taking any drugs, was FULLY ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES. ‘The Rocket,’ a nickname he earned very early in his career because of his blazing fastball, was just as dominant before those erroneous allegations were leveled against him. I sincerely hope that the Committee uses its great judgment (Roger’s opponents never proved a thing against him, and he may have the best pitching record, all told, in the History of Baseball!), and the Baseball Commissioner has the Strength, Wisdom, and Power to do the right thing, and put Roger Clemens in The Baseball Hall of Fame, IMMEDIATELY! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”

Trump has long been vocal about Clemens’s omission from Cooperstown and has previously encouraged the legendary pitcher to pursue legal action against Major League Baseball over the continued snub.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping reassessment of the nation’s childhood vaccination timetable, instructing the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether other advanced countries have developed stronger, more effective models. The move could lead to a significant reshaping of how and when American children receive vaccines.

Trump issued the directive in a memorandum addressed to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and acting CDC Director Jim O’Neil, tasking both officials with conducting a comprehensive international comparison. The document opens by pointing out that major industrial nations, such as Japan, Denmark, and Germany, recommend far fewer vaccines during childhood than the U.S. does. As of January, American children were advised to receive immunizations for 18 different diseases, including coronavirus, before reaching adulthood.

According to the memo, the current U.S. approach is not simply more extensive—it stands sharply apart from its peers. Germany urges 15 vaccines, Japan recommends 14, and Denmark suggests only 10 — a stark contrast with the American roster. “Other current United States childhood vaccine recommendations also depart from policies in the majority of developed countries. Study is warranted to ensure that Americans are receiving the best, scientifically-supported medical advice in the world,” the memorandum states.

The president’s order directs that the U.S. schedule be adjusted if evidence shows that other nations’ frameworks offer better outcomes. The memo lays out the precise instruction: “I hereby direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to review best practices from peer, developed countries for core childhood vaccination recommendations — vaccines recommended for all children — and the scientific evidence that informs those best practices, and, if they determine that those best practices are superior to current domestic recommendations, update the United States core childhood vaccine schedule to align with such scientific evidence and best practices from peer, developed countries while preserving access to vaccines currently available to Americans.”

The policy review comes as Trump publicly welcomed a separate decision by a federal advisory panel that voted to eliminate the longstanding recommendation that newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine. He praised the shift in a Truth Social statement, asserting that most infants face no exposure risk. “Today, the CDC Vaccine Committee made a very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B, a disease that is mostly transmitted sexually, or through dirty needles,” Trump wrote.

He followed by criticizing the existing schedule as excessively burdensome for families. “The American Childhood Vaccine Schedule long required 72 ‘jabs,’ for perfectly healthy babies, far more than any other Country in the World, and far more than is necessary,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Shas issued an unusually blistering public offensive this weekend against religious activists leading a growing campaign against the newly proposed draft law and the arrangement of yeshiva students’ status.

In a sharply worded editorial published in the party’s official newspaper, Shas denounced religious opponents of the bill, charging that their rhetoric surpasses anything heard from hostile sectors. The article claimed that “at the forefront of these jarring voices stand men wearing kippot, but the messages emerging from their mouths are far more repulsive and sickening than anything said by adversaries from other groups.”

The piece went further, accusing certain religious activists—women among them—of spearheading unprecedented public attacks “in the name of Torah” against those who devote their lives to Torah study. “The poisonous and horrific statements we are hearing in the general media, led by women with head coverings who speak in the name of Torah against those who toil in Torah, are unprecedented in their brazenness. They show no concern for the severe spiritual pitfalls that may await their husbands and sons who observe Torah and mitzvos in military service.”

The editorial escalated dramatically, declaring that these activists stand “arrogantly and brazenly as the modern-day heirs of Dasan and Aviram. They are not willing to tolerate even a single Torah learner.”

Shas continued its criticism by invoking a sharp line associated with Rabi Akiva prior to his spiritual transformation: “It is the same intense hatred that characterized Akiva before he became Rabi Akiva: ‘Give me a Torah scholar and I will bite him like a donkey.’ They now preside over a bonfire of incitement, pouring oil and gasoline over a spreading blaze of hatred.”

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a fierce response, condemning the remarks and warning of their consequences. “To all who disgrace the sons of the religious-Zionist community from Shas and to all who support them in silence: you will not receive forgiveness, not in this world and not in the next, until you walk among the hundreds of graves of the holy fallen soldiers of the religious-Zionist community, who united sefer and sword in their lives and in their deaths. You should go to each one and apologize for disrespecting them and their wives, whom you mock as ‘women who do not understand the spiritual dangers to their husbands.’”

Bennett added that invoking Rabi Akiva was deeply misguided. “By the way, the quote about Rabi Akiva—Rabi Akiva, even as a great rabbi, carried the weapons of Bar Kochba in the war against the Romans. I have no doubt he would be ashamed of you for speaking this way.”

Former minister Yoaz Hendel also condemned Shas’s rhetoric, saying, “A government that relies on such a party will never be able to fix anything here. This is a party that denies the fundamentals.”

Former minister Matan Kahana joined the criticism as well: “Aryeh Deri calling the religious-Zionist community the heirs of Dasan and Aviram? Shame is gone. We need a coalition of public servants.”

{Matzav.com}

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan cautioned that abandoning the US-supported ceasefire blueprint for Gaza would amount to a “huge failure” for both Washington and the broader international arena. He emphasized that President Donald Trump has been personally steering the diplomatic track.

In an interview with Reuters during the Doha Forum, Fidan asserted that Hamas had already signaled willingness to relinquish governing authority in Gaza. But he made clear that such a transition hinges on the creation of a functioning Palestinian Arab administrative body and a professional, non-Hamas internal security force. “First of all, we need to see that the Palestinian committee of technical people are taking over the administration of Gaza, then we need to see that the police force is being formed to police Gaza – again, by the Palestinians, not Hamas,” he said.

Turkey, which played a central part in shaping the ceasefire arrangement and signed the agreement finalized in Egypt, has pledged to oversee its enforcement. Ankara has also expressed interest in taking part in the planned stabilization contingent intended to support Gaza’s security infrastructure.

Israel, however, has drawn a hard line against any Turkish role in Gaza’s next chapter. Jerusalem’s refusal stems from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s escalating barrage of public attacks on Israel since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, making Turkish participation politically and strategically unacceptable to Israeli leadership.

Fidan noted in his latest remarks that the envisioned Gaza police apparatus would operate with backup from the international stabilization force. He also disclosed that the US has been urging Israel to consider Ankara’s request to join the mission and highlighted that Turkey stands prepared to send troops should that be part of the final framework.

{Matzav.com}

Egypt’s top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, called for the immediate dispatch of an international team to oversee the ceasefire arrangements outlined in the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza initiative. He argued that only outside monitors can stabilize the situation on the ground.

Abdelatty charged that Israel has repeatedly breached the terms of the truce that began in October. “As for the International Stabilization Force, we need to deploy this force as soon as possible on the ground because one party, which is Israel, is every day violating the ceasefire… so we need monitors,” he said, according to AFP.

He also stressed that Egypt will not permit any use of the Rafah border crossing that could facilitate population transfers out of Gaza. In his words, the crossing “is not going to be a gateway for displacement. It’s only for flooding Gaza with humanitarian and medical care.”

Despite Abdelatty’s accusations, Hamas itself has failed to uphold key components of the agreement. The terror group did not return all hostages within the required 72-hour period and has repeatedly breached the “yellow line,” the designated humanitarian corridor used to deliver aid into southern Gaza. Hamas gunmen have also opened fire on IDF forces stationed in the area.

In recent days, reports circulated claiming that Egypt would reopen Rafah exclusively to allow Gaza residents to exit into Egyptian territory. Cairo swiftly rejected those claims, insisting it would only authorize the crossing to operate if travel is permitted “in both directions.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli health authorities revealed overnight that influenza has taken hold far sooner than expected this year, both in Israel and in other parts of the world. The pace of infection is rising sharply, and officials describe the surge as highly irregular for this stage of the season.

International surveillance data points to a tough winter ahead, with projections showing an especially intense flu season and a higher-than-normal rate of illness. These trends have prompted urgent discussions among health experts.

Because of the troubling spike, the Epidemic Response Team is scheduled to meet on Sunday. Their objective will be to analyze the most recent findings and craft practical guidance aimed at slowing the spread before cases climb even further.

Health officials stressed once again that the influenza shot is not an ironclad barrier against catching the virus. Nonetheless, they made clear that it “significantly reduces the severity of illness in most cases and greatly lowers the risk of serious complications and death,” underscoring its critical role in minimizing medical dangers.

The Ministry of Health reiterated its call for widespread vaccination, noting that the flu shot is safe and strongly recommended for everyone six months of age and older. It is offered at no cost through every health fund, making it easily accessible across the country.

The announcement wrapped up with a succinct reminder: “The vaccine is available – protection begins with vaccination.”

{Matzav.com}

In the coming days, the Chief of Staff is slated to receive a revised version of the internal review that replaced the disqualified Operations Division probe. This updated assessment zeroes in on a series of nighttime discussions and how the conclusions drawn in those hours shaped—or failed to shape—the army’s posture when the onslaught of October 7 erupted.

Channel 12 News reports that senior commanders were operating in a haze of conflicting information, with uncertainty gripping the upper ranks during the very hours when clarity mattered most. The investigation describes a leadership trying to piece together fragments of data while missing the broader picture forming right in front of them.

One of the key moments highlighted occurred around 3:00 a.m., when Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman led a “situation assessment” call with Brig.-Gen. Avi Rosenfeld and Shin Bet representatives. Roughly thirty minutes later, at 3:30, Finkelman laid out for top officials three concrete warning signs—among them the risk of a “surprise-initiated operation with an emphasis on a raid.” Despite this, the central instruction was to elevate readiness discreetly. “No tank movements, no scrambling of aircraft,” was the guiding principle, meant to avoid provoking the enemy. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi accepted this framework as the night wore on.

The probe also recounts a series of response options that Finkelman raised but that ultimately never materialized. These included monitoring high-ranking Hamas operatives to enable a preemptive strike, launching UAV surveillance, and repositioning attack helicopters to Ramon Airbase—a move that was reversed soon after. The directive to the Air Force to bolster the alert posture of the air-defense system and to add an Iron Dome battery similarly went unexecuted. When dawn broke, the air-defense network crumbled almost immediately under the initial wave of fire.

Two additional high-level consultations took place later that night, this time initiated by the Chief of Staff himself and involving Maj.-Gen. Oded Basyuk alongside Finkelman. Halevi repeatedly returned to the concern of a subterranean assault and demanded urgent checks of the border barrier for any indication of tunnel penetration. The investigation notes that even after the attack had already begun, Halevi’s first inquiry to the division commander concerned a suspected tunnel—though Hamas made no use of tunnels in the attack.

Other fronts saw similar breakdowns. Despite Halevi’s push to heighten caution against a maritime strike, all seven Hamas vessels managed to breach the naval barrier. And although officials believed an aerial assault to be unlikely, drones and UAVs quickly disabled IDF surveillance systems, while terrorists flew motorized gliders across the border and fanned out into Israeli territory.

At 4:30 a.m., just hours before the catastrophic assault unfolded, the Operations Directorate issued another summary of directives. In it, Basyuk reiterated earlier instructions and added that certain readiness steps were “not relevant in the coming hours in terms of availability,” stressing the need to safeguard sensitive intelligence assets. In reality, the document marked yet another moment when warnings were acknowledged but not operationalized. The hours that followed proved just how devastating that inaction would be.

{Matzav.com}

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In the stillness of Lakewood’s nights, when the world is asleep, eighty extraordinary talmidei chachamim rise to learn.

Their voices fill the quiet with the sound of life itself; every word of Torah another beam of strength holding up their town, holding up the world.

Because the world doesn’t wait for sunrise to be sustained.
It stands — every moment — on the strength of Torah.

This is the light that doesn’t just shine, it uplifts and supports.
It’s the Amud HaTorah; the pillar that keeps our world standing tall, and reaching higher.

When streets are silent, their learning resounds.
When lights go out, their fire still burns.
Before amud hashachar, before the first hint of light, their Torah already sustains and elevates the day that’s about to rise.

It takes unmatched commitment to stand for the world when no one else is awake.
But that’s what these lomdim do every night, every sugya, every word.

They hold up the world.

Now it’s Your turn — to hold them up.

Their Torah upholds the world. Your support upholds them.

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Mendel Balsam z”l, a beloved mechanech, who was niftar in his high nineties after a lifetime of unwavering devotion to Torah and avodah.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Balsam grew up in a home filled with warmth and yiras Shamayim, foundations that shaped every aspect of his life. He later settled in Monsey, where he lived for many decades and became an integral part of the community. In recent years, he resided in Lakewood, continuing to inspire all who encountered him with his dignity, sincerity, and refined middos.

Rabbi Balsam dedicated his life to chinuch and to harbatzas haTorah. For many years, he served as a rebbi at Yeshiva Spring Valley, where he shaped generations of talmidim and left an enduring impact that continues to resonate today. His classroom was known not only for academic rigor but for the atmosphere of care, encouragement, and genuine love he extended to every child. He possessed the rare ability to recognize the innate potential of each talmid and to draw it forth with patience, warmth, and steady belief. Even decades later, former talmidim continue to speak with deep appreciation and reverence about the rebbi who helped set the foundation for their lives, offering guidance that remained with them long after they left his classroom.

Rabbi Balsam is survived by his devoted wife, Mrs. Suri Balsam, and by his children, Mrs. Shaindy Siegfried, Reb Feivy Balsam, Mrs. Rivky Berger, Reb Shmuel Balsam, and Mrs. Dini Adest, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who carry forward his legacy.

The levayah will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey. Following the levayah, the aron will be flown to Eretz Yisroel for kevurah there.

The family will be sitting shivah at the Balsam home at 19 Myrtle Place in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}