Matzav

President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant an immediate pardon to Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, sharply criticizing Herzog and calling him a “disgrace” as he intensified his public support for Netanyahu during the prime minister’s ongoing corruption trial.

Herzog’s office responded by emphasizing that any decision regarding a presidential pardon will be made independently and without outside pressure.

Trump made the remarks during a phone interview with Axios as he continued a series of media appearances related to the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran. During the conversation, he also said he believes he must personally play a role in determining Iran’s next leader and expressed backing for a Kurdish offensive against Iran.

Trump told Axios that Herzog should issue Netanyahu a pardon “today,” explaining that he believes the Israeli prime minister should be able to focus solely on the military campaign against the Iranian regime without being distracted by legal proceedings.

The president said he has raised the matter with Herzog repeatedly over the past year and claimed the Israeli president assured him on five separate occasions that Netanyahu would eventually receive a pardon. Trump added that he is unwilling to meet with Herzog until such a pardon is granted, though there have been no reports that Herzog has attempted to arrange a meeting with him.

Trump further alleged that Herzog has been using the possibility of a pardon as leverage over Netanyahu for roughly a year, despite the fact that Netanyahu only formally requested clemency in November. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the three corruption cases against him, arguing that he has been framed by the police and state prosecutors.

Trump has publicly advocated for Netanyahu to receive a pardon since June 2025, when Israel and Iran were last engaged in direct conflict. The Prime Minister’s Office has denied that Netanyahu ever asked Trump to intervene on his behalf.

Thursday’s comments marked the second time in less than a month that Trump has criticized Herzog on the issue. In February, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not granting a pardon to Netanyahu, who is currently standing trial on allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Trump also raised the issue when he addressed the Knesset in October, dismissing the significance of gifts Netanyahu allegedly received in one of the cases. “Who cares about cigars and champagne?”

Following Trump’s latest remarks, the President’s Residence issued a statement that praised Trump’s support for Israel while underscoring that Herzog will ultimately make his decision based on legal considerations.

“President Herzog greatly respects and appreciates the tremendous contribution of Donald Trump to Israel’s security. He views him as the leader of the free world, a central ally of Israel, and particularly values his firm stance against Iran,” the statement said.

Herzog’s office also stressed that Israel “is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” noting that Netanyahu’s pardon request is currently being reviewed by the Justice Ministry, which will provide a legal recommendation in accordance with Israeli law.

“After the process is completed, the president will examine the request according to the law, the good of the country, and according to his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” his office added.

Netanyahu is currently facing trial in three separate corruption cases. In Case 1000 and Case 2000, he has been charged with fraud and breach of trust, while Case 4000 includes charges of bribery as well as fraud and breach of trust.

{Matzav.com}

Iran has delayed publicly naming a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid concerns that whoever is chosen could become the next target in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

According to Iranian officials, the hesitation stems from fears that identifying the next supreme leader could expose that individual to possible assassination attempts.

Ayatollah Khamenei was eliminated in American and Israeli strikes that also killed several senior military commanders and figures associated with Iran’s defense establishment. Despite those losses, the heads of Iran’s three branches of government—the presidency, judiciary, and parliament—remain alive.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s 56-year-old son, has emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace his father. However, concerns about his safety intensified after reports surfaced suggesting he could become the next face of Iran’s leadership.

Iranian officials said that once Mojtaba Khamenei’s name began circulating publicly as the preferred successor, the United States indicated that he would not be considered an acceptable choice and could also be targeted.

President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei assuming power.

“They are wasting their time,” Trump told Axios on Thursday, adding that the former Supreme Leader’s son is “a lightweight” and an “unacceptable” choice.

“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who became interim leader after Washington captured the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro.

Israel also signaled that any future Iranian leader would remain a potential military target. Defense Minister Yisroel Katz wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that whoever is chosen to replace Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is aiming to dismantle Iran’s current leadership structure but does not believe a ground invasion is necessary to achieve that goal.

During a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump explained that the objective is to prevent Iran from restoring its leadership and rebuilding power in the future.

“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump said. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period.”

Trump also suggested that there are potential figures who could lead Iran after its current leadership is removed.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he said, though he declined to identify any names and indicated that efforts are being made to ensure those individuals remain safe during the conflict.

“We are watching them, yeah,” Trump said.

The president also addressed comments made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told NBC News that Iran is ready to confront a possible ground invasion by American and Israeli forces.

Trump rejected that scenario, stating that such an operation would serve little purpose given the damage already inflicted on Iran’s military.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose.”

Trump added that U.S. military operations against Iranian targets will continue at the same level of intensity.

Earlier Thursday, the president said American strikes have dealt a major blow to Iran’s missile capabilities and warned Tehran not to threaten the United States or its allies.

“As soon as they set off a missile, within four minutes the launcher gets hit,” he said, explaining that the campaign has taken out a significant portion of Iran’s launch systems.

“Missiles are gone, launchers are gone – about 60% and 64% respectively.”

Despite the losses suffered by Iran’s military infrastructure, Trump said the country’s leadership is still taking a combative stance.

“They are tough and they want to fight,” he stated, while also saying that Iranian officials have begun making contact about potential negotiations.

“They are calling and saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I say, ‘You are being a little bit late.’ We want to fight now more than they do.”

{Matzav.com}

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has dismissed a Gaza school principal accused of taking part in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, according to a report by JNS.

The individual, identified as Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, was recently added to a U.S. government blacklist under the administration of President Donald Trump.

“Upon the allegations made against Mr. Mousa by the Israeli authorities, on April 16, 2024, UNRWA immediately placed him on administrative leave without pay,” UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler told JNS. “Upon completion of the Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation, his appointment was terminated on Aug. 20, 2024.”

A report released in late February by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development stated that investigators uncovered what they described as decisive evidence that Mousa took part in the October 7 attack while serving as a captain in Hamas’s East Jabaliya Battalion.

The watchdog body, which functions independently from the State Department and monitors U.S. foreign assistance programs, said Mousa “coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal.”

According to The Washington Free Beacon, which cited information from the State Department, Mousa shut down his UNRWA school early on the morning of October 7 and then reached out to at least 20 Hamas operatives, instructing them to infiltrate Israel “with cars and weapons.”

A source familiar with the inspector general’s probe said investigators requested that UNRWA provide the names of employees who had been terminated for suspected links to terrorism.

The source said the agency declined to share that information and did not reveal the identities of staff members believed to have taken part in the October 7 attacks, actions that investigators said hindered their work.

Because of that, the State Department—which absorbed USAID last year—alerted UNRWA that Mousa had been placed on the U.S. government’s blacklist and would be prohibited from participating in American foreign aid programs for the next decade.

UNRWA has faced longstanding accusations that it maintains close ties with the Hamas terrorist organization, allegations that critics say have repeatedly been supported by evidence. Those concerns intensified in 2024 after Israel presented information indicating that several UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

After those claims were made public, the United Nations created a review panel led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to examine Israel’s allegations. In its findings, the panel said it had identified “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA, but also stated that Israel had not yet provided proof that large numbers of the agency’s employees belonged to terrorist organizations.

Even as criticism of UNRWA continues, the International Court of Justice recently ruled that Israel must allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip through United Nations bodies, including UNRWA. Israel and the United States both criticized that decision.

{Matzav.com}

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How does one celebrate the happiest day of one’s life during a multi-front war? Every wedding requires careful preparation — clothing, a photographer and videographer, flowers, and of course the hall together with a singer and band who will bring joy to the chosson and kallah on their special day.

With the ongoing war, the entire world of weddings has been shaken, affecting every component of the process. A closer look shows how the current situation is reshaping weddings across Israel.

Although the war did not entirely take the public by surprise, many families who had weddings planned over the past week and in the coming weeks hoped that the fighting would pass over them and that their simcha would proceed as planned.

Instead, the war has created a major upheaval in the wedding world. In many cases, halls informed families at the last moment that their scheduled weddings were canceled. These sudden cancellations created confusion across the industry and affected nearly every service provider connected to weddings, many of whom received abrupt notices that the event had been called off.

At present, weddings are generally taking place in three different formats.

The first option is a standard wedding held in a hall. Many halls have chosen to keep weddings on schedule, relying on nearby protected areas in case of sirens. Some venues are located underground — something not uncommon in the chareidi public — and this offers an added measure of security. At these weddings, the regular arrangements remain intact, including the photographer, musicians, and other vendors who were booked in advance.

A senior wedding promoter in the chareidi world described the current situation, explaining that across the country most outdoor event gardens have canceled their weddings entirely, as owners are unwilling to take even minimal risk. In chareidi areas, however, halls are somewhat more flexible when there is a protected area nearby for the safety of the guests.

The second format that has become common is the afternoon wedding. Many families have moved their chasunah earlier in the day rather than holding it at night as is customary. In several weddings held in Bnei Brak this week, invitations were updated to inform guests that the schedule had been moved forward. One message sent to invitees read: “Dear guests, the chuppah has been moved up to 5:00 p.m. and the wedding will conclude at 9:00 p.m. We look forward to celebrating together.”

The decision to move weddings to earlier hours is not necessarily always due to security concerns. In some cases it is simply a technical solution that allows families whose original hall canceled their wedding to use time slots that suddenly became available in other halls.

A third format that has become increasingly common is the improvised wedding — held in private homes, parking garages, shelters, or school buildings. These weddings strongly resemble the small and improvised chasunos that took place during the days of the coronavirus pandemic. In most cases this happens when a hall cancels the wedding shortly before the event and the family is unable to find an alternative venue.

At these smaller weddings, the singer and band are often canceled, together with many of the usual arrangements. The photographer and videographer generally remain, though often with a much smaller crew.

Across social media, organized lists have circulated offering private homes throughout the country that can host weddings for families suddenly left without a hall. One person offered a garden apartment with a yard of about 200 square meters, another offered a villa with a large pool and waterfall, while another offered a school shelter of about 600 square meters that could host weddings of up to 400 guests. Many have described these efforts as a powerful expression of Mi k’amcha Yisroel.

One such example took place earlier this week when a wedding originally planned for an event garden was moved into the beis medrash of Yeshivas Ohel Yosef (Heichal Tzvi) in Bnei Brak, where the chosson had learned. The emotional chasunah drew widespread attention.

While families struggle to adapt, the sector that has suffered most from the cancellations is the wedding music industry — including singers, keyboardists, and orchestras.

A message that has become common in the industry reads: “Due to a cancellation, a singer and orchestra are available this Monday,” reflecting the wave of canceled weddings. Large concerts have also been canceled or are at risk of being canceled.

Unfortunately for the musicians, it is not customary in the wedding industry to sign formal contracts between the mechutonim and the artists. As a result, when weddings are canceled due to circumstances such as the current war, the artists usually receive little or no compensation and lose an entire day of work without warning.

A senior promoter in the industry described the situation as deeply frustrating. When a performer must cancel an event for legitimate reasons, he often has to compensate the client or risk public criticism. But when families cancel the musicians, he said, it is widely accepted and no compensation is expected.

He recounted one wedding he was managing that changed time and location three times within a single day. The event was originally planned at an event garden in central Israel. After the venue canceled all events, the wedding was moved to an afternoon slot in a hall in Yerushalayim. Later, when the schedule no longer worked for the families, the wedding was moved again to an evening chasunah at another hall in the city.

“I can say that this particular event was not canceled,” he said, “but there are many, many events that are being canceled everywhere. I’m getting constant reports from singers, keyboardists, and orchestras that families decided to hold a smaller wedding instead, and they feel it no longer makes sense to bring the band they originally planned.”

He noted that families are adjusting their plans in different ways. Some reduce the band to just a keyboardist and singer, while others cancel the musicians entirely.

His frustration was clear when speaking about the impact on the music industry. “Most of the time they simply don’t pay anything. They cancel without any compensation at all, even though the musicians lose a day of work.”

He concluded that the situation strongly reminds him of the early days of the pandemic.

“It’s a real déjà vu from the coronavirus period,” he said. “Exactly the same thing happened then. People booked expensive bands and then, at the last moment, canceled them and brought someone much cheaper who fit their budget.”

Yehuda Chayon, a bochur currently imprisoned in Military Prison 10 for refusing to enlist in the IDF, says he was not permitted to hear the reading of Parshas Zachor from a Sefer Torah on Shabbos.

Chayon, who has been held in the military prison for nearly two weeks, told friends during a phone call from the facility that prison authorities did not allow him to hear the special kriah.

“For the first time since I was 10 years old, I did not hear Parshas Zachor from a Sefer Torah, which is a mitzvah d’Oraisa,” he said.

Following the report, Knesset member Meir Porush issued a sharply worded statement condemning the situation and criticizing the IDF, the judicial system, and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

“This is another incident proving that the army is in no way prepared to incarcerate bnei yeshivos, and yet, under criminal legal guidance, they continue to arrest lomdei Torah,” Porush said.

He added that while the military may be highly capable in other areas, it falls far short when it comes to accommodating religious needs.

“It is possible that there are areas in which the army is among the best in the world, but when it comes to adapting to religious requirements, it is very, very far from that,” he said.

Porush also demanded immediate action to address the situation.

“It is an absolute disgrace that in a Jewish state, under Jewish leadership, bnei yeshivos are arrested for limud haTorah, and it is far worse when they are forced to violate mitzvos haTorah. Situations like this, which would be unthinkable in any democratic country, require immediate attention. Even in the midst of the war with Iran, this cannot be delayed.”

The lawmaker also called on the judicial system to intervene.

“One would expect that the same judicial system that, even during wartime, searches for ways to punish lomdei Torah would hurry to stop this wrongdoing that is taking place under its responsibility,” Porush said.

Porush added that parliamentary inquiries he submitted to Defense Minister Katz regarding the accommodation of religious needs in military prisons have so far gone unanswered.

“This is very puzzling. One would expect him to act and condemn this conduct,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

The United States Postal Service could exhaust its available cash within the next year unless Congress allows the agency to increase its borrowing authority, Postmaster General David Steiner warned.

Steiner said the Postal Service could reach a point where it cannot meet payroll or pay vendors by February 2027 if lawmakers do not act, raising concerns about potential disruptions to mail service. He discussed the situation in remarks to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

“How long are employees going to work and vendors going to show up if we’re not paying them?” Steiner said.

Steiner is expected to appear before Congress later this month to address the Postal Service’s worsening financial condition and to urge lawmakers to revise long-standing policies he believes have placed the agency at a disadvantage. Among the issues he highlighted is a borrowing limit of $15 billion that has remained unchanged since 1990.

Although the Postal Service operates as an independent federal entity, it relies primarily on revenue generated from postage and the services it provides rather than direct funding from Congress. Steiner noted that the agency is required to function like a government service — including delivering mail six days a week to every address in the country — but without the benefit of annual appropriations.

“We have to have a conversation with the American public,” Steiner said. “If you want us to deliver everywhere, every day, we’ll do it. That’s not a problem. But who is going to pay for it?”

Steiner, who previously served as chief executive of the country’s largest waste management company and also sat on the board of FedEx, assumed leadership of the Postal Service in July. He said the most immediate relief Congress could provide would be raising the agency’s borrowing limit.

“That will buy us the time to make the fixes we need to make, and we can sail on down the road,” he said.

Beyond borrowing authority, Steiner has suggested expanding the Postal Service’s sources of revenue. One proposal involves increasing the use of the agency’s “last-mile” delivery network — the final stage of transporting packages from a local distribution hub to a customer’s home — for more outside organizations and businesses.

Financial figures show the Postal Service recorded a net loss of $9 billion in fiscal year 2025, even as operating revenue rose by $916 million, or 1.2%, driven largely by its Ground Advantage shipping service. In fiscal year 2024, the agency posted a net loss of $9.5 billion.

Steiner said deeper structural changes will ultimately be necessary, including granting the Postal Service greater flexibility to raise postage rates high enough to offset its losses. According to Steiner, increasing the cost of a first-class stamp from the current 78 cents to 95 cents would be sufficient to stabilize the agency’s finances. A decade ago, the same stamp cost 47 cents. Postal officials maintain that even at higher prices, U.S. postage would remain the lowest in the industrialized world while covering delivery distances far greater than those in other countries.

However, Steiner said the Postal Regulatory Commission — an independent body created by Congress to oversee the agency — has not approved the pricing framework proposed by the Postal Service.

“If the Postal Regulatory Commission adopted our pricing model, problem solved,” he said, adding how the package delivery side of the business could then subsidize the mail side.

Postal Service leadership has also advocated for changes to the agency’s pension system and retiree health benefit obligations, including allowing those funds to be invested in assets other than Treasury bills.

Over the past two decades, several postmasters general have urged Congress and regulators to revise the rules governing the Postal Service. In 2022, lawmakers enacted the Postal Service Reform Act, which eliminated the requirement that the agency pre-fund retiree health benefits. Still, other restrictions remain in place.

At the same time, traditional mail volume has sharply declined. Annual mail volume has fallen from roughly 220 billion pieces to about 110 billion today as more Americans handle bill payments and communication online.

“Take those 110 billion and put a 78-cent stamp on them. That’s $86 billion of revenue that evaporated in 15 years,” he said. “If either FedEx or UPS lost $86 billion of revenue, they would have no revenue.”

Steiner argued that instead of easing the agency’s burdens, regulators and lawmakers have imposed additional costly requirements.

“I like to say we sort of got thrown overboard on a ship into the cold water, right? And instead of throwing us a life preserver, we get thrown an anchor,” he said.

Several members of Congress who oversee the Postal Service did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment. A message was also left with Keep Us Posted, an advocacy organization formed in 2021 amid concerns over postage increases and service reliability.

Last month, the group warned that the Postal Service was “headed for a taxpayer bailout” due to ongoing cash flow problems. The organization has called on Congress to pass legislation that would limit rate hikes to once a year and tie them to improvements in service performance, among other proposals.

Steiner said he did not fully appreciate the severity of the Postal Service’s financial condition until he stepped into the role last year.

“Interestingly, I’m not sure some of the people at the Postal Service realized how dramatic it was,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant responded Thursday to false reports circulating on social media claiming that he had been killed in an Iranian attack.

The report, which appeared on the Twitter account “China live,” spread widely online and prompted Gallant to address the claim directly on his X account. Rejecting the report, Gallant wrote: “The rumors about my death were greatly exaggerated. Am Yisroel chai.”

The incident comes just weeks after authorities revealed details of a spy case involving an Israeli resident accused of gathering intelligence near Gallant’s home on behalf of an Iranian handler.

Last month it was cleared for publication that in a joint operation by the Central Unit of the Menashe region in the Coastal District police and the Shin Bet security service, a suspect named Fares Abu al-Hija was arrested for questioning. Abu al-Hija, a resident of the northern local council of Kawkab Abu al-Hija, was apprehended while carrying out an intelligence-gathering mission targeting the former defense minister.

During questioning by police and the Shin Bet, investigators determined that the suspect had been in contact with a foreign operative whom he believed to be connected to Iranian intelligence. According to the investigation, he received payment in exchange for carrying out various assignments, including gathering information intended to harm Israel’s national security. Authorities later confirmed that the foreign contact had indeed been identified by the Shin Bet as an Iranian intelligence operative.

Investigators also determined that earlier this year, in January, Abu al-Hija had been instructed to travel to the community of Amikam and photograph streets located near Gallant’s residence. Shortly after completing the assignment and sending the images to his handler, he was arrested at the scene.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Haifa District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against him in the Haifa District Court.

Since the start of the war on Shabbos, Iran has launched approximately 200 missiles toward Israel, far fewer than Israeli intelligence had anticipated before the conflict began.

Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Israeli security officials estimated that the Islamic Republic could fire roughly 150 missiles each day. Based on those assessments, Israel prepared for a much larger barrage. In reality, the number of missiles launched so far is about 80 percent lower than those projections, according to a report published Thursday evening by Ynet.

Officials attribute the dramatic decline in missile launches to the heavy blows inflicted by the joint military campaign carried out by the IDF together with the United States against Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure.

Since the beginning of the war, Israeli and American forces have dropped more than 8,500 munitions across Iran. Of those strikes, approximately 2,700 targets were attacked by the United States alone. In addition to the missiles fired toward Israel, Iran has launched another 300 missiles toward other targets throughout the Middle East.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the situation earlier Thursday in remarks to the media regarding the war with Iran.

“For six days we have been striking the Iranian terror regime without pause. Israeli Air Force pilots have so far carried out about 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions. We destroyed about 80 percent of the air defense systems and achieved near-complete air superiority over Iranian skies.”

Zamir added that Israeli forces have significantly weakened Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles.

“We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers — a very significant achievement that reduces the damage to the home front and saves many lives. The threat has not yet been removed — every missile is lethal and poses a danger.”

Discussing the next phase of the campaign, Zamir indicated that additional actions are planned.

“Now we are moving to the next stage, in which we will intensify the strike against the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprise moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and reach them.”

{Matzav.com}

A terrible tragedy struck at Har HaMenuchos in Yerushalayim on Thursday when Shimon Mendlowitz z”l, a member of the Zvhiller chassidus and one of the distinguished bochurim connected to the Vizhnitzer court in Beit Shemesh, was killed after falling into a pit while visiting his grandfather’s kever on his first yahrtzeit.

According to sources, the bochur had come together with family members to Har HaMenuchos to mark the yahrtzeit at his grandfather’s kever. At some point during the visit, he went aside to a secluded area and slipped, falling into a deep pit. Tragically, he was niftar at the scene.

Bentzion Oering, commander of ZAKA’s Yerushalayim district, together with volunteers Dudi Pines and Yehuda Hanfling, described what they encountered upon arriving at the scene.

“When we arrived at the scene, we were directed to the multi-level burial area at Har HaMenuchos. The deceased had come to his grandfather’s grave with family members to mark the first anniversary of his passing. According to relatives, while he was in a dark area of the cemetery he slipped and fell from a significant height. Sadly, MDA teams were forced to confirm his death. ZAKA volunteers from the Yerushalayim district are handling the deceased with dignity and collecting the findings at the scene.”

The levayah was held tonight, departing from Beis HaLevayos Shamgar in Yerushalayim and proceeding to Har HaMenuchos, where he was brought to kevurah.

Shimon, 26, was born on the 18th of Adar 5760 to his father, Reb Binyamin Yitzchak Mendlowitz, a respected member of the Zvhiller chassidus and a melamed at a Talmud Torah in Beit Shemesh, and to his mother, Mrs. Malka Rachel of the Binder family.

His grandfather, Rabbi Mordechai Shmerel Mendlowitz, was among the leading transmitters of the mesorah of safrus for decades. He was widely known for his efforts in strengthening the field of safrus and was the first to initiate the project known as Shulchan HaSoferim, which serves thousands of sofrim. He passed away one year ago on the 16th of Adar 5785, and now his grandson was niftar on the very day of his grandfather’s first yahrtzeit.

In his youth, Shimon learned in the yeshivah of Zvhil and later continued his limud haTorah at Yeshivas Mir. He was closely connected to the Vizhnitzer chatzer in Beit Shemesh.

Friends related that just the night before the tragedy he had participated in the Purim tish at Zvhill in Yerushalayim.

“He went to the Rebbe for a bracha, and we are in shock from his sudden petirah,” friends said.

Yehi zichro boruch.

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United Airlines has a new rule on the books that has some travelers cheering: Listening to audio without headphones can now get passengers removed from a plane.

The airline already had a pro-headphone policy in place, but last week it updated its contract of carriage – the rules a passenger agrees to in order to fly – to specify that “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content” could be removed from a plane or not allowed to board.

“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content – and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,” United spokesman Josh Freed said in an email, adding that the carrier is expanding its high-speed Starlink connectivity. “It seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”

Other airlines have their own policies encouraging or requiring headphones, though most do not come with the threat of enforcement.

Frontier Airlines includes the requirement in the carry-on baggage section of its contract, though it’s not clear what the penalty would be for ignoring the rule. Frontier did not respond to questions about enforcement. The airline says that portable electronic devices that make sounds “may be used only with headphones and provided the sound, even via the headphones, cannot be heard by others.”

On the entertainment section of its website, Delta Air Lines implores: “For the comfort of everyone around you, please use earbuds or headphones with any personal electronic device during your flight.”

Flight attendants also pass out free headphones to customers on most flights, the airline said.

“Customers are welcome to listen to audio or watch video on board, and we expect them to follow standard courtesy and flight crew instructions,” Delta spokeswoman Samantha Moore Facteau said in an email.

Southwest Airlines doesn’t mention headphones specifically in its contract, but notes on its website that they are required when passengers listen to audio.

“Our contract does include passengers not adhering to crew member instructions, including those about use of personal electronic devices,” spokesman Chris Perry said in an email. “Thus, a passenger would be expected to adhere to instructions about headphones.”

In 2023, an American Airlines pilot delivered a lecture from the front of the plane that went viral on social media, urging passengers to show respect for each other.

“The social experiment on listening to videos on speaker mode and talking on a cellphone on speaker mode, that is over – over and done in this country,” he said. “Nobody wants to hear your video. … Use your AirPods, use your headphones, whatever it is. That’s your business.”

Travel blogger Ben Schlappig, founder of One Mile at a Time, welcomed the news that United was treating the noise issue more seriously. The Miami resident said fellow travelers in his area are terrible sound scofflaws.

“It drives me absolutely bonkers,” he said. “Of all the things in the airline industry, this is probably what I’m most passionate about, which is quite sad. I just find myself in disbelief at the lack of respect they have for others that they’re just willing to blast whatever they’re listening to.”

Schlappig wondered how United would enforce the rule, but said just having it in place is a good move.

“The spirit of this is fantastic,” he said.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post · Hannah Sampson 

A federal planning commission on Thursday delayed a vote on President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom until next month, citing “significant public input,” including tens of thousands of comments – nearly all of them critical of the project.

The National Capital Planning Commission had planned to review the proposal and vote on it – the final procedural hurdle for an effort to dramatically remake one of the most revered symbols of American power and democracy.

But partway into the meeting, commission Chair Will Scharf said that he expects public comment to last five to nine hours, with over 100 people signed up to testify, which will likely require the board to recess Thursday evening and resume Friday morning. The commission will discuss and vote on the project at its April 2 meeting, he said.

Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, the agency received more than 35,000 comments about the project, according to a Washington Post analysis of submissions posted on the commission’s website. The “vast majority” came from those who oppose the plan, commission staff said. The Washington Post found that more than 97 percent of comments were critical of the president’s plans.

The delayed vote is a snag in Trump’s push to rush the project through the approval process so construction can be completed before the end of his second term. Securing approval at the commission’s next meeting, however, could keep the project on schedule; the White House has said it plans to begin aboveground construction as soon as next month.

The commission’s endorsement would be the last bureaucratic obstacle in the Trump administration’s push to secure approval for the $400 million ballroom from two federal committees charged by Congress with reviewing the designs of major construction projects in Washington. Late last year, the White House laid out a strategy to complete the process within nine weeks, a plan that’s now been pushed to just over three months.

Historic preservationists have sued to stop the project, and a federal judge is considering their challenge, which alleges that Trump is unlawfully pursuing a project that requires express authorization from Congress.

Last week, the National Capital Planning Commission’s executive director, Marcel Acosta, recommended that the 12-member panel approve the project. In an 11-page report published Friday, Acosta said the proposed structure will provide presidents with a larger permanent event space while protecting “the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House.”

Acosta’s assessment contrasts sharply with the public response. Tens of thousands of comments criticized what opponents described as a rushed approval process, insufficient public input and a design that would overshadow the main White House building.

The president has made the building a priority of his second term, and he returns to it often in public remarks and social media posts. He clashed with the project’s previous lead architect about the size of the addition.

Trump has made strategic moves to secure its success, including reshaping the membership of the two federal bodies that must sign off on the project: the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Last month, the Commission of Fine Arts, which now includes Trump’s 26-year-old executive assistant, voted unanimously to approve the project. Chair Rodney Mims Cook Jr. called it a “desperately needed” and “very beautiful structure,” whose design he credited to Trump.

The National Capital Planning Commission is led by Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary and Trump’s former personal lawyer, whom the president appointed in July. The commission includes a pair of other White House officials, James Blair and Stuart Levenbach. It also has nine seats apportioned to sitting Cabinet secretaries and other officials who have a role in overseeing Washington, although senior officials and lawmakers usually send a representative in lieu of attending themselves.

Although federal design commissions have traditionally acted as a constraint on government construction projects – often holding extended deliberations that last for years – Trump has pressed to move the project along swiftly so it can wrap before his term concludes.

Last year, the president ordered the rapid demolition of the East Wing annex without first seeking authorization from Congress or the review committees. Trump’s plan for a new ballroom building on the site that matches the “height and scale” of the main White House has advanced despite objections from a federal judge, architecture experts and historic preservationists, who argue that the structure would be too big, dwarfing a centuries-old American symbol.

White House officials want the commission to approve in one fell swoop the ballroom building’s preliminary and final plans, which the body normally takes up individually at separate meetings, giving agency planners time to incorporate commission feedback before resubmitting updated plans. For example, the planning commission approved a new White House perimeter fence in three steps over seven months, starting with a conceptual design in July 2016 and ending with final plans in February 2017.

Last week, Trump scored another victory on the ballroom front. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ruled that construction on the project could proceed, citing procedural problems with a lawsuit challenging the president’s ability to unilaterally build the structure. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered organization that advocates for protecting historic sites, amended and refiled its complaint Sunday, three days after Leon’s ruling.

Trump has repeatedly defended the project’s $400 million price tag, saying it is a benefit to taxpayers that the project will be paid for with private donations.

“I built many a ballroom. I believe it’s going to be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world,” Trump said Monday at a ceremony in which he awarded the Medal of Honor to three Army soldiers.

Democrats and government watchdog organizations have raised concerns about those donors, which include major corporations such as Amazon, Google and Palantir – companies that together have billions of dollars in federal contracts. Critics have questioned whether donors could receive special access or other benefits in return. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Some Democrats say improvements to the White House complex may be warranted but contend that the ballroom should be far smaller and subject to congressional oversight to ensure transparency.

Polls have found that most Americans oppose the project. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they supported tearing down the East Wing to build the ballroom, compared with 58 percent who opposed doing so, according to an Economist/YouGov poll conducted last month.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post · Jonathan Edwards, Dan Diamond 

A coalition of Democratic-led states sued President Donald Trump on Thursday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, arguing that his newly imposed across-the-board tariffs are illegal.

The suit is led by the Democratic attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California and Arizona along with attorneys general from 18 other states.

They accused Trump of trying to “sidestep” a February Supreme Court ruling that overturned many of his tariffs by using a different statute, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, as justification for new tariffs.

“The President is attempting to use an obscure law as a tool for his tariffs, and is yet again, going about it illegally,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

Section 122 gives the president the power to temporarily restrict imports to the United States to deal with “fundamental international payments problems.” Several prominent economists criticized Trump’s use of Section 122 when he introduced new tariffs in late February, suggesting that a trade deficit with another nation, Trump’s nominal reason for the tariffs, did not amount to a “payments problem.” During court case against Trump’s earlier tariffs, the Justice Department told an appeals court that Section 122 was not relevant.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said the Trump administration “will vigorously defend the president’s action in court,” and said Trump used “his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international payments problems and to deal with our country’s large and serious balance-of-payments deficits.”

Trump turned to Section 122 after the Supreme Court struck down his original slate of widespread tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In a 6-3 ruling, the court determined there was nothing in the 1977 law to authorize Trump’s tariffs.

When first announced, the Section 122 tariffs, which have a 150-day limit, were set at 10 percent. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that they will increase to 15 percent “sometime this week.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post · Alec Dent 

A Democratic senator viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate will unveil a plan that he says would ensure roughly half of all U.S. workers pay no federal income taxes, according to details shared with The Washington Post.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is expected to release the measure next week as Democratic lawmakers search for a sharp economic message to counter last year’s Republican tax law.

Under Van Hollen’s proposal, workers making at or below a “living wage” – $46,000 for taxpayers filing individually, or $92,000 for married couples filing jointly – would not have to pay federal income taxes. Tens of millions of additional middle-class workers would also receive a tax cut under the proposal, but they would still have to pay taxes. The measure would be paid for by a new surcharge on millionaires that would raise roughly $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

Fifteen Senate Democrats are co-sponsoring Van Hollen’s proposal, though it has no chance of passing in a Republican-controlled Congress. The number of tax filers with no federal income tax would increase from 37 million under current law to 66 million under Van Hollen’s proposal, according to Steve Wamhoff, director of federal tax policy at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank.

“This bill, in addition to being the right policy, sends a very strong message that we stand for working people who are sweating every day to make ends meet. That’s a group of Americans that Donald Trump somehow appealed to,” the senator said in an interview.

Though the 2028 presidential primaries have not yet begun, Van Hollen’s proposal reflects the early jockeying around the ideas the party should run on. The 2020 Democratic presidential primary, the party’s last open nominating contest, featured a rush to the left as candidates raced to embrace far-reaching ideas including Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal and aggressive taxes on billionaires.

This week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) introduced legislation to enact a $4.4 trillion wealth tax on the United States’ approximately 1,000 billionaires to fund a Medicare expansion, universal child care and other social initiatives. Sanders’s plan calls for major growth in federal programs that would make the U.S. government more akin to the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden.

Van Hollen said he supports Sanders’s wealth tax proposal and views his plan as a complementary measure that addresses a different problem. While he believes that Democrats should tax billionaire wealth and reverse the GOP’s Medicaid cuts, Van Hollen emphasized that the party also needs a response to Trump’s “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” policies, which have proved popular with workers.

“This is not intended to be the overall comprehensive plan for Democrats. It’s supposed to be an important plank in the platform,” Van Hollen said. “These are not at all mutually exclusive. They’re reinforcing.”

In practice, though, Democrats would have to pick between competing policy priorities should they take control of Congress and the White House in 2028. The last time they controlled both, the party’s sprawling wish list and razor-thin congressional margins contributed to a dysfunctional months-long negotiation that culminated in the defeat of President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. Neither Sanders nor Van Hollen calls for using new revenue from their taxes to reduce the federal deficit, which is close to $2 trillion annually, and then there’s a long and expensive to-do list that ranges from universal child care to free public colleges and universities.

Still, Van Hollen emphasized that voters want policies that go beyond new government social programs. He cited research suggesting that Trump’s line on “no tax on tips” was the best-testing message of his State of the Union address. At the barbershop he has frequented for the past two decades – a Hair Cuttery in Kensington, Maryland – his barber pulled out her phone to show him how much she was benefiting from Trump’s tips policy, Van Hollen said.

“This is an even better proposal that provides more and permanent tax relief,” Van Hollen said of his plan, adding that it applies to everyone in the same income bracket, rather than just those paid in tips.

Overall, Van Hollen’s plan would reduce taxes for nearly 130 million people, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank. The average single person making $50,000 would see a reduction of about $2,800. The average family of four earning $95,000 would save roughly $6,000. The “living wage” below which nobody would pay taxes is defined by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology index and would rise with inflation under Van Hollen’s proposal.

Van Hollen’s millionaire surtax would levy new rates above existing taxes on the rich. It would charge an additional 5 percent on income above $1 million, 10 percent above $2 million and 12 percent above $5 million. The Yale Budget Lab has estimated the surtax would affect about 615,000 filers. Van Hollen’s plan would not raise as much as Sanders’s, but Van Hollen’s is less likely to face constitutional challenges, as experts have long debated the legality of a national wealth tax.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post · Jeff Stein 

An El Al aircraft that was moments away from touching down at Ben Gurion Airport early Thursday morning had to abort its landing and climb back to cruising altitude after a missile was launched from Iran.

Authorities said that despite the disruption, air traffic into Israel continues under tight conditions. A total of 17 flights are scheduled to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday, and preparations are already underway to expand flight operations beginning tomorrow. Officials say the plan is to double the number of incoming flights in order to bring home as many Israelis as possible who are currently stranded abroad.

According to a report by Channel 12 News, a special framework for outbound flights will take effect starting Sunday. Under the new system, only one departing flight will be permitted each hour, and each aircraft will be limited to 50 passengers.

Passengers leaving Israel will face additional restrictions under the arrangement. Travelers will not be allowed to check baggage, must complete check-in procedures ahead of time, and will be required to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport approximately an hour and a half before departure.

The report also noted that individuals accompanying travelers will not be permitted to enter the terminal. Outgoing flights will operate based on aircraft arriving in Israel as part of the ongoing rescue flight effort.

Sharon Kedmi, director general of the Israel Airports Authority, said during a press conference that the airport system currently has the capacity to handle between 8,000 and 9,000 passengers on a typical business day.

Kedmi added that, based on the current operating plan, authorities believe all Israelis who want to return home should be able to do so within seven to ten days.

{Matzav.com}

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Thursday evening that Israel still has additional unexpected actions prepared as its military campaign against Iran continues to expand.

In his first public remarks since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Zamir indicated that the campaign is entering a new phase following the initial wave of attacks that established Israeli air superiority and significantly weakened Iran’s missile capabilities.

“After completing the phase of the surprise opening blow, in which we established air superiority and suppressed the ballistic missile array, we are moving to the next stage of the campaign, in which we will intensify the strike against the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprise moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and reach them,” Zamir declared.

Opening his statement, the IDF chief reviewed the progress of the operation, which began less than a week ago.

“Less than a week ago, we launched Operation ‘Roaring Lion.’ For six days now, we have been striking the Iranian terror regime without pause. The operation was planned in secrecy by thousands of soldiers from various branches across the Israel Defense Forces and in close cooperation with our ally, the United States. The operation is proceeding at the pace we set in advance.”

Zamir said the opening strike, carried out early Saturday morning, dealt a devastating blow to Iran’s leadership.

“in the surprise opening strike carried out on Saturday morning, dozens of munitions were dropped on three targets. In just 40 seconds, about 40 senior figures of the Iranian terror regime were eliminated, headed by the regime’s leader, Ali Khamenei. His life’s goal was to destroy the State of Israel, and he even planned a detailed program to achieve that.”

He added that the Israeli Air Force has carried out thousands of additional attacks since the campaign began.

“Israeli Air Force pilots have so far carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions. Within 24 hours, our pilots paved the way to Tehran. We destroyed about 80 percent of the air defense systems and achieved near-complete air superiority over Iranian skies. Thanks to that, and to high-quality intelligence, we are striking the ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to Israeli civilians. We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers-a very significant achievement that reduces the damage to the home front and saves many lives. This is an ongoing effort, but I emphasize: the threat has not yet been removed-every missile is lethal and poses a danger.”

Zamir also addressed the escalation along Israel’s northern border, where Hezbollah has entered the conflict.

“Hezbollah made a strategic mistake and, contrary to the interests of the citizens of Lebanon, chose to join the campaign-it is paying a heavy price for that. We are striking forcefully, both on the front and deep inside Lebanon. I ordered IDF forces to move forward and deepen the line of control along the border while positioning themselves at key points in southern Lebanon. Tonight we eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s fire array. He was known by the nickname Fidaa. Fidaa was responsible for the deaths of many Israelis and personally commanded the anti-tank missile fire in which Yochai Kalangel and Dor Haim Nini were killed.”

Concluding his remarks, Zamir said Israel will continue its efforts until the threat from Hezbollah is removed.

“There will be no more equations. We will continue to act to protect the security of the residents of the north. We will operate relentlessly to remove the threat, and we will not relent from the goal of disarming Hezbollah,” Zamir concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon today (Thursday) presented outside the Security Council chamber parts of an Iranian Shahed-136 attack drone, which was used in Iranian attacks in the region.

Ambassador Danon stated: “This is not a prop, this is an Iranian terrorist weapon. Now imagine if this came to your home, your living room, your children’s room. This is the terrorism we are dealing with.”

Danon said that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities are being degraded while Israel vows to dismantle Tehran’s terror network and nuclear ambitions.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}