Matzav

In a major development for the English-speaking community in Israel, Chaim V’Chessed, the leading organization supporting Olim with guidance, resources, and advocacy across all areas of life, has appointed former Knesset member Rabbi Yitzchak Pindrus as Senior Governmental Liaison. This appointment represents a significant milestone in Chaim V’Chessed’s history.

Rabbi Pindrus brings extensive experience in public service, having served as Mayor of Beitar Illit, Assistant Mayor of Jerusalem, and a Member of Knesset. His considerable connections with municipalities, government ministries, and senior officials across Israel position him to dramatically enhance Chaim V’Chessed’s reach and influence.

As the son of American immigrants, Pindrus understands firsthand the challenges facing English-speaking Olim. In his new role, he will spearhead Chaim V’Chessed’s engagement with government offices and municipalities, strengthening the organization’s ability to advocate for and support Anglos in Israel at every level.

Paysach Freedman, CEO of Chaim V’Chessed, said: “The addition of Rabbi Pindrus is a pivotal moment for Chaim V’Chessed. His experience, national recognition, and deep understanding of our community will take our work to an entirely new level and significantly benefit English-speakers across Israel.”

This landmark appointment underscores Chaim V’Chessed’s ongoing commitment to expanding its impact and ensuring that English-speaking Olim have the resources, guidance, and support they need to thrive in Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Fourteen-year-old Chaim Yosef Eisenthal z”l was killed last night during a protest in Yerushalayim, an event that has left the city—and far beyond it—reeling in shock and grief.

[Pictured above is the invitation to Yosef’s bar mitzvah, held a year and a half ago.]

The morning after the tragedy did not begin with routine headlines or updates, but with a heavy sense of anguish. The loss of a child, many said, eclipses politics, sectors, and arguments, forcing a painful national reckoning.

At the opening of the Kikar FM broadcast in Israel, host Eli Gothelf said that the very fact that a 14-year-old boy lost his life in the street should shake the entire country. “Not a sector, not a camp, not a political debate,” he said. “In a democracy, protest is a right. But in a democracy, a 14-year-old child is not supposed to die in the street. He is not supposed to be killed.”

Gothelf stressed that when a child is killed, questions of affiliation or ideology become irrelevant. “When a child goes out to a protest and does not come home, this is no longer an internal dispute. This is a flashing red warning light,” he said.

Also interviewed on the program was Motti Bukchin, spokesman for ZAKA, who spoke with visible pain as he described what the organization’s volunteers encountered at the scene.

“This is a horrifying event,” Bukchin said. “I don’t know whether to call it an accident, a killing, or an attack. In the end, there is a child in his early teens who was killed for nothing. Entire families are destroyed.”

According to Bukchin, ZAKA volunteers arrived shortly after the incident, while rescue forces were still working to extricate the victim. “The bus dragged him,” he said. “People ran after the driver and shouted for him to stop—and he kept going.”

He described long, agonizing minutes as teams waited for firefighters to arrive with hydraulic equipment. “Only after they lifted the bus were they able to extricate the victim. Sadly, he was already without signs of life, with multi-system injuries, no pulse and no breathing.”

Bukchin emphasized that, from his perspective, the central issue is not only the sequence of events but their tragic result. “It doesn’t matter what came before what,” he said. “The outcome is a 14-year-old child who lost his life in a tragic way.”

He noted that the scene was especially difficult, requiring extended and painstaking work by volunteers to collect findings and care for the deceased with dignity. “This work is done in front of the public, in front of a family that understands that their child has been killed. It is true kindness,” he said.

Despite decades of experience with ZAKA, Bukchin said the pain never dulls. “Every time it is new. No two events are the same. Every family, every person who dies, is an entire world.”

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

There is something deeply disingenuous about the way many of our communal media platforms — including Matzav, by the way — operate today, whether in print, online, or across WhatsApp and social media.

On the one hand, these very same outlets regularly publish articles, op-eds, and impassioned posts lamenting the “culture of excess” that has crept into our lives. They bemoan the outrageous costs of weddings, the pressure to keep up, the corrosive effect of luxury spending on families, and the unhealthy expectations being imposed on young couples and parents just trying to breathe.

And then, without skipping a beat, the next page, post, or story is an advertisement for a five-star Pesach program in Europe, a luxury summer rental with “full staff,” a high-end restaurant opening, concierge services, boutique interior designers, or upscale apartments in Eretz Yisroel marketed as “must-have opportunities.” One minute we’re being warned about runaway materialism. The next minute we’re being sold $25,000 watches, gourmet tasting menus, and prestige real estate, all wrapped in glossy graphics and slick copy.

The uncomfortable truth is that the very platforms that wring their hands over the spending culture are, in fact, major engines driving it. Advertising does not merely reflect reality; it shapes it. When luxury is constantly normalized, glamorized, and pushed into every communal space, it inevitably seeps into expectations and behavior.

You cannot pour gasoline on a fire all week long and then publish a sermon on fire safety and expect to be taken seriously.

To then posture as critics of the problem they actively profit from is, quite frankly, hypocrisy. Sorry for saying the raw emes.

At the very least, there should be some honesty. These outlets are not neutral observers. They are nogeya b’dovor. They are making substantial money off the very excesses they publicly decry. Stop pretending to occupy some lofty moral high ground while cashing the checks that keep the cycle spinning.

If communal media truly wants to be part of the solution, it starts with self-awareness and integrity. Until then, the lectures about “crazy spending” ring hollow, drowned out by the posts and ads screaming the exact opposite message.

Sincerely,
Yehoshua Boruch Jacobs

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Moshe Aryeh Sheinert zt”l, who was niftar at the age of 90.

Rav Sheinert was among the senior and most respected members of the Belzer community and served for many years as the mashgiach ruchani at Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass of Belz in Boro Park. He also served as a mashpia at Yeshivas Torah Ve’Emunah of Belz, where he influenced generations of talmidim with warmth, depth, and unwavering devotion to Torah.

Born in Sivan 5695 (1935) to his father, Reb Shlomo Sheinert, he studied in his youth at Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood under Rav Aharon Kotler.

Following his marriage, Rav Sheinert was among the founders and early members of the Belzer kehillah on Manhattan’s East Side, together with Rav Yosef Meir Weiss, the rov of Narol. He maintained a close relationship with the Naroler Rebbe, the Rav’s son, and together they were instrumental in establishing Belzer institutions in the United States.

Rav Sheinert later settled in Boro Park, where he served for many years as a spiritual guide and mechanech, shaping hundreds of talmidim in the mesorah handed down through generations. He was renowned for sharing stories and teachings he had personally heard from Rav Aharon of Belz and other Torah giants.

Approximately twenty years ago, Rav Sheinert moved to Kiryat Belz in Yerushalayim. At the directive of the Belzer Rebbe, he assumed the role of mashpia at Yeshivas Torah Ve’Emunah, an institution dedicated to baalei teshuvah. There, he devoted himself to drawing Jewish hearts closer to their Father in Heaven, leaving an indelible impact on countless lives.

In recent years, his health declined and he was confined to his home.

The levayah took place Tuesday, departing from the Sanhedria Funeral Home in Yerushalayim and passing the Belzer Bais Medrash, before continuing to the Machzikei Hadass section at Har HaMenuchos for kevurah. 

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

After arriving in New York following a nonstop 22-hour journey from Sydney, Ahmed al-Ahmed and Rabbi Yehoram Ulman began their time in the United States Tuesday at the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in Queens.

The visit marked the start of a joint tour that will take the two men through New York and Washington, D.C., where they are scheduled to meet with a range of public figures and dignitaries. For Rabbi Ulman, the trip is deeply personal: a chance to publicly and privately express gratitude to a man who risked his own life to save members of his community.

Al-Ahmed became known worldwide following the Dec. 14, 2025, terror attack at Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi’s Chanukah celebration in Sydney. During that attack, two terrorists opened fire on the crowd, murdering 15 people. Al-Ahmed, a local shopkeeper, charged one of the gunmen, wrestled away his weapon, and was shot twice in the process. Rabbi Ulman serves as the rabbi and spiritual leader of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, where most of the victims were congregants or colleagues, including his son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

For Rabbi Ulman, traveling together to the United States symbolizes the Jewish community’s appreciation to a Syrian-born Muslim who acted without hesitation to save others. “Ahmed did what he did that day because he believed that G d placed him at the scene for a reason, and that’s what gave him the strength to save lives,” Ulman told Chabad.org. “This is something people from all walks of life can and must learn from.”

Al-Ahmed recalled how the events of that night unfolded almost by chance. On the early evening of Sunday, Dec. 14, he was walking along Bondi Beach looking for a cup of coffee. Finding none, he noticed a large gathering across the street at Archer’s Park. “I thought there might be coffee there, so I approached the security guard, who told me it was the Chanukah by the Sea celebration,” al-Ahmed told Chabad.org. “I saw the Menorah standing tall. I knew these were our Jewish brothers, and I felt happy to see it.”

Moments later, the celebration turned into a scene of terror. Gunfire erupted as two attackers positioned above the crowd began shooting. “If G d had willed to take my life, it would have ended there,” al-Ahmed said, describing how bullets flew past him. He dropped to the ground and crawled behind parked cars for cover, where he realized he was in a position to act as one of the terrorists advanced, continuing to fire at men, women, and children.

Al-Ahmed said he could not remain hidden. “To hear children screaming and women crying, I couldn’t stand it,” he said. “I had a duty; there was nothing to think about. Here was a man taking innocent lives. Nobody can take a human life—that’s in G d’s hands alone.”

Another bystander, 30-year-old Israeli Gefen Bitton, joined him and relayed information about the gunman’s movements. Despite still recovering from painful surgery on his left arm, al-Ahmed edged closer, moving from car to car before making his move. “It was as if I saw myself from above, going around the car toward him, and, I swear: I felt G d helping me,” he recalled.

He lunged at the terrorist, tackled him, and managed to wrench the gun away, halting the attack for crucial moments. Almost immediately, the second terrorist opened fire, striking al-Ahmed in the shoulder and arm. Bitton, who followed him in, was also shot and badly wounded.

At 6:46 p.m., six minutes and ten seconds after the first shots were fired, police finally neutralized the attackers. By then, Rabbi Ulman’s community had been devastated.

The victims included Rabbi Ulman’s son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, with whom he had worked side by side on community initiatives for more than 18 years; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, a quiet but central force in the community; Reuven Morrison, a close friend and pillar of Chabad of Bondi; Alex Kleytman, another longtime friend; and eleven others. Those lost included cherished community members, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda.

That night, Rabbi Ulman rushed to the hospital to be with his daughter, Chayale Schlanger, whose back had been grazed by a bullet, and her two-month-old son Shimshy, injured by shrapnel. He was the one who had to call Eli’s parents and deliver the devastating news.

Despite his own grief, Rabbi Ulman felt a responsibility to his shattered community. “I didn’t have the luxury to wait a week before speaking to my community,” he said, “We all desperately needed to hear some perspective.” Over the course of that week, he officiated at ten funerals, each eulogy heavier than the last.

Three weeks later, still immersed in mourning, Rabbi Ulman reflected on the balance between grief and gratitude. “You have to allow yourself to be broken at a time like this,” he said. “At the same time, amidst the brokenness, we have to be grateful.”

He credits al-Ahmed’s bravery, along with others such as Morrison who also tried to stop the attack, with saving countless lives. Thinking of his daughter, his five grandchildren, and the many others who survived, Rabbi Ulman said, “In the greatest tragedies, there are always miracles. It could have been much, much worse.”

Standing beside al-Ahmed at the Ohel, Rabbi Ulman said he was grateful for the opportunity to personally express thanks on behalf of the Jewish people. “He’s a hero,” Ulman said. “It may be tempting to think, ‘someone else is being attacked, that’s not my business.’ But Ahmed didn’t think that way. His actions announce that this is not a Jewish issue; it is a human issue. We don’t only take care of our own. We look after each other. We are all G d’s children, and He gave each of us the ability to choose good over evil.”

Ulman added that al-Ahmed’s actions exemplify true kindness. “In the Torah, among the non-kosher birds, there is listed one bird called a ‘chasidah’—which means ‘kindness.’ Why is it called that? ‘Because,’ the Talmud says, ‘it shows kindness to its friends.’ But if it’s kind, why isn’t it kosher? It’s not kosher because it is kind exclusively to its own friends. That’s not true kindness. True kindness extends beyond our circle—if innocent people are being hurt, and G d puts us in a position to help, we must act. Ahmed did exactly that. He shows us what true kindness looks like.”

Al-Ahmed, for his part, has downplayed the attention he has received since the attack. “I just did my duty as a human being,” he told Chabad.org. “Afterward, in the hospital, my phone started ringing and ringing. I was told the whole world knows me. For what? I did my duty as a human being.”’

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing for a consequential stretch, with decisions expected as early as Friday in cases that carry far-reaching political, economic, and social consequences in the United States and beyond.

According to the court’s public schedule, the justices signaled on Tuesday that opinions in argued cases may be issued when they take the bench for a scheduled session on Friday. As is customary, the court has not disclosed which specific rulings will be released.

Among the most closely watched matters is the challenge to President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime, a case that could reshape international trade policy and redefine the limits of presidential authority. The dispute stems from Trump’s decision to impose broad tariffs by invoking a 1977 statute designed for national emergencies.

During oral arguments held on Nov. 5, justices from across the ideological spectrum raised pointed questions about whether the law justified the administration’s actions. The case reached the high court after lower courts ruled that the administration’s use of the statute went beyond what Congress authorized.

Trump has publicly voiced alarm over the possibility of an adverse ruling. In a social media post last Friday, he warned that striking down the tariffs would be a “terrible blow” to the United States. In another message posted on Monday, Trump defended the policy, writing, “Because of Tariffs, our Country is financially, AND FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY STANDPOINT, FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.”

The tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on imports from multiple countries. The administration argued that persistent trade deficits constituted a national emergency and also used tariffs targeting China, Canada, and Mexico as leverage to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States.

Beyond the tariff dispute, the court — which has a 6–3 conservative majority — is weighing several other high-profile cases. In October, justices heard arguments over a challenge to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a cornerstone provision that prohibits election maps that weaken minority voting power even without explicit proof of discriminatory intent.

During that hearing, the conservative bloc appeared inclined to narrow the reach of the provision, potentially making it harder to challenge redistricting plans alleged to dilute minority influence.

Also argued in October was a First Amendment challenge to a Colorado law barring licensed psychotherapists from performing “conversion therapy” on minors. The law targets practices aimed at changing a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

In that case, a majority of justices signaled sympathy toward a Christian counselor who contends the law violates constitutional protections for free speech, suggesting the statute may not survive scrutiny.

The court’s docket remains packed in the weeks ahead. On Jan. 13, the justices are scheduled to hear arguments over Republican-backed state laws that prohibit transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams at public schools.

Later in the month, on Jan. 21, the court will take up another case with sweeping economic implications: Trump’s effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The challenge, which raises questions about the independence of the central bank, involves an action without historical precedent. Cook continues to serve in her role while the case is pending.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has taken a decisive step toward launching construction of the long-disputed E1 settlement project east of Yerushalayim, clearing the final procedural barrier with the release of a government tender inviting developers to submit bids.

The tender, posted on the website of the Israel Land Authority, calls for proposals to build 3,401 housing units, a move that would allow work on the project to proceed once contracts are awarded. According to critics, the publication of the tender signals a sharp acceleration toward actual construction.

Peace Now, the anti-settlement monitoring organization, was the first to report the tender’s release. Yoni Mizrahi, who heads the group’s settlement watch division, said that preliminary construction activity could begin as soon as within the next month.

“In an alarming display of political recklessness, the Israeli government continues to undermine any prospect for a political solution and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Peace Now said in a Monday statement. “Construction in E1 is intended to create irreversible facts on the ground leading to a one-state reality.”

The E1 area, an open stretch of land east of Yerushalayim near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, has been the subject of planning discussions for more than 20 years. Despite repeated consideration, development was repeatedly frozen in the past under pressure from the United States during earlier administrations.

The project has drawn particularly intense opposition because of its geographic significance. The planned construction would extend from the outskirts of Yerushalayim into the heart of the West Bank, a configuration critics argue would sever the territory into northern and southern sections and block the formation of a contiguous Palestinian state.

Palestinians and much of the international community regard Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and maintain that continued expansion undermines the prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank.

Plans for a new neighborhood linked to Ma’ale Adumim in the E1 zone have long alarmed foreign governments and international bodies. Opponents say such development would prevent the emergence of a Palestinian urban corridor connecting East Yerushalayim with Bethlehem and Ramallah, an area Palestinians envision as central to a future state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement policy and is a leading proponent of expansion, has for years pressed for E1 to move from planning to reality.

“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,” he said in August, when Israel granted final approval to the plan. “Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.”

Peace Now said the tender’s release “reflects an accelerated effort to advance construction in E1,” warning that once the bidding process is complete, stopping the project would require direct political intervention.

In his role as a minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for civilian affairs in the West Bank, Smotrich has pushed through extensive settlement planning, large-scale land appropriations for new construction and infrastructure, and the retroactive legalization of outposts that were previously considered illegal under Israeli law.

Smotrich has openly stated that these policies, including the E1 project, are intended to effectively annex the territory and block the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Tenders are typically issued only after all planning and regulatory approvals have been secured. As a result, unless there is a political decision to halt the process, construction is expected to proceed once contracts are awarded, a process that generally takes between one and two years.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed members of Congress this week that President Donald Trump is pursuing the idea of acquiring Greenland through a financial deal rather than by force, reviving a proposal that has drawn strong objections from European governments and reignited discussion about American priorities in the Arctic.

According to U.S. officials, Rubio shared those views during a private briefing with lawmakers from the armed services and foreign affairs panels in both the House and Senate.

Although the session was largely devoted to developments in Venezuela, questions turned to Greenland following recent public remarks by Trump and comments from senior adviser Stephen Miller that renewed attention on the issue.

Officials said that on the same day as the Capitol Hill briefing, Trump directed his aides to prepare an updated proposal outlining potential avenues for obtaining Greenland. The president has spoken about Greenland since his first term, presenting the matter as a strategic concern linked to intensifying competition in the Arctic region.

Greenland, while under the sovereignty of Denmark—a NATO ally—has significant autonomy over its internal affairs and is known for its sparse population and vast natural resources. Rubio did not provide details on what a purchase might involve or confirm whether any official discussions with Denmark have taken place.

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen joined the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland in issuing a coordinated statement dismissing Trump’s claims that the United States should assume control over Greenland.

The joint declaration stressed the importance of NATO cooperation and the protection of national borders and sovereignty.

“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” the leaders said. “These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”

“Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement added. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

Later that same day, the White House indicated that military action had not been taken off the table.

“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” the statement said. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.” While both Russia and China have increased their activity in the Arctic, the United States already has a longstanding military footprint on the island, including Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, which Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited last year.

U.S. officials have also highlighted Greenland’s possible deposits of critical minerals as a key factor in the administration’s interest.

The administration’s National Security Strategy places dominance in the Western Hemisphere at the forefront of U.S. priorities, a theme reflected in recent American military actions in Venezuela and earlier comments by Trump suggesting that Canada could become the 51st state.

{Matzav.com}

Diplomatic channels indicate that understandings are taking shape over a future role for Palestinian Authority security forces at the Rafah crossing, with plans focusing on restoring traffic between the Gaza Strip and Egypt once the crossing reopens.

In preparation for post-conflict arrangements, Egypt has over the past year trained hundreds of officers from the Palestinian Authority’s security services. Cairo is seeking to position these forces as part of a future security deployment inside Gaza.

Addressing internal governance issues, Palestinian Authority cabinet head Mohammad Mustafa said punitive financial steps taken by Israel, including the withholding of tax revenues, would not derail the government’s ability to continue supplying basic services to Gaza’s population.

Mustafa, speaking at the weekly PA cabinet session in Ramallah, underscored the administration’s broader political goals, declaring, “The government will take all necessary steps to establish a sovereign Palestinian state.”

At the same meeting, he framed the current reform drive as an effort to consolidate Palestinian governance structures across territories, saying, “The government is determined to unify Palestinian institutions in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip, and to address the economic and security challenges despite the constraints imposed by the occupation.”

Officials say the reform agenda is being advanced in line with directives from PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and is closely tied to U.S. expectations, as Washington presses for changes that would enable the Palestinian Authority to be incorporated into any future governing framework for Gaza following the conflict.

{Matzav.com}

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The levayah of habochur Yosef Eisenthal z”l, the 14-year-old boy who was killed Tuesday night after being struck by a bus during a protest against the draft law in Yerushalayim, is scheduled to take place Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m.

The levayah will depart from the Ohel Torah Beis Medrash in the Ramot Daled neighborhood of Yerushalayim, where the bochur learned. Kevurah will be held on Har Hamenuchos.

Yosef was the only son of Rav Shmuel Eisenthal, R”M at Yeshiva L’tzeirim Ohel Torah-Ponevezh in Ramot and a grandson of Rav Uriel Eisenthal, rov of Ramot Gimmel. He leaves behind three sisters.

The fatal incident occurred during demonstrations against the proposed draft legislation, when a bus driver ran over Yosef, leading to his death at the scene.

Images and video from the scene circulated widely overnight, documenting the unfolding tragedy.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a statement shortly after midnight, expressing deep sorrow over the boy’s death. “My heart bleeds following the killing of the boy Yosef Eisenthal z”l, age 14, this evening, as a result of a bus ramming in Yerushalayim. I share in the family’s profound grief at this extremely difficult time,” he said.

Ben Gvir added that the investigation would be thorough. “This is a serious incident that must be investigated in a deep and comprehensive manner. The police have updated me that all investigative directions regarding the event are being examined, and that the matter is being treated with the utmost severity.”

Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri spoke Tuesday night with Police Commissioner Danny Levy, demanding decisive action. Deri called on the police “to act with full determination in order to reach the truth and to bring the bus driver to justice.”

Police Commissioner Levy told Deri during their conversation that “the driver was immediately arrested and transferred for interrogation, and the police are treating the incident with the full severity of the law.”

Strong reactions were also voiced within United Torah Judaism. Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni said the incident was “shocking to the depths of the soul,” adding, “We demand that the driver be put on trial and punished to the fullest extent of the law. It is impossible to move on from such a horrific act of killing.”

United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf said he received the reports with shock. “My heart is with the family of the boy at this difficult time, and I send wishes for a speedy recovery and complete healing to the other injured victims,” he said. Goldknopf called on police and law-enforcement authorities “to exhaust the full severity of the law against the driver and to examine all investigative avenues to ensure justice is done.”

Condemnations also came from the opposition. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman said, “There is no normal scenario in which a 13-year-old child does not return home healthy and alive. This is simply unimaginable.” He added that the incident reflected “a failure by the police,” and urged authorities to restore order and swiftly complete the investigation.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett described the footage from Yerushalayim as heartbreaking. “The tragic documentation shakes you to the core. This reality is deeply unsettling. This is not how our country should look. We are one people,” Bennett said, calling on police to fully exhaust the investigation and ensure such incidents do not recur.

Meanwhile, police continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal ramming, with investigators reviewing video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the driver’s version of events.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Tuesday that the United States will receive a massive shipment of Venezuelan oil, announcing an agreement under which the South American country will sell tens of millions of barrels at prevailing market rates, with Washington retaining authority over how the revenue is used.

According to Trump, the deal involves a transfer of between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil, which he said will be delivered directly to the United States. He made clear that the proceeds from the sale will not be freely handled by Venezuelan authorities.

“I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added that the oil will be sold without discounts or premiums and that the resulting funds will be placed under his supervision.

“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump wrote.

Trump said he has already instructed his administration to move forward with the arrangement without delay.

“I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”

The president also explained that the oil will be transported straight to American ports using storage vessels, streamlining the delivery process.

Trump’s announcement comes in the aftermath of the January 3 military operation that removed and captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Since that operation, the president has repeatedly said he wants to see a broader American energy presence in Venezuela, including increased involvement by U.S. oil companies and expanded production in the country’s vast oil fields.

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of the fatal ramming during a chareidi draft protest in Yerushalayim, Shas spokesman Asher Medina delivered a forceful and unequivocal response in an interview on Kikar FM, describing the incident as a defining moment in relations between the chareidi public and the state.

Appearing on the program amid the unfolding shock, Medina said the evening marked an unprecedented rupture. “This is an extremely difficult night,” he said. “It can be marked as a red line, perhaps even a watershed moment in relations between the chareidi public and the state. We’ve been through countless difficult demonstrations in recent years — judicial reform, war, hostages — but a line like this has never been crossed. A young man goes out to a protest and doesn’t come home.”

Medina pointed to disturbing footage from the scene, saying it raises fundamental questions about how such an event could occur. “You see a bus driving wildly into a crowd. You ask yourself, who can allow himself to do such a thing? Who feels that this is permitted?”

According to Medina, the prevailing feeling within the chareidi community is one of abandonment and exposure. “There is a very harsh sense that our blood has been made ownerless. The chareidi public has become a punching bag. Every politician who wants to score points allows himself to impose another sanction, another decree, another blow — and then a situation is created where everything is allowed.”

While stressing that he was not drawing investigative conclusions, Medina made clear that Shas is demanding a comprehensive and uncompromising probe. “Shas chairman Aryeh Deri spoke just minutes ago with the police commissioner and demanded that the incident be investigated to the end, without a cover-up and without shortcuts. The driver was arrested, and the police committed to treating the event with the full severity of the law.”

At the same time, Medina said focusing solely on the driver misses the broader issue. “There is something here beyond technical details. It’s the atmosphere. It’s the incitement. If this had happened at another demonstration, in another place, the country would have been shaking. We would be hearing shocking condemnations from every direction. Here, somehow everything passes under the radar.”

Medina rejected claims that Shas or the wider chareidi leadership have remained silent. “The statement issued by Shas was on behalf of the entire faction, and it was not generic. It stated clearly — chareidi blood is not ownerless. Shas was the first to issue a sharp statement, and it was the one that set the condemnation in motion.”

He argued that criticism directed at chareidi leadership fails to address the real source of the problem. “This is not a spirit coming from within the chareidi public. The toxic wind is blowing from above — from politicians who incite, who talk about stripping rights, who portray the chareidi public as an enemy. In the end, it seeps into the street, and then you see scenes like this.”

Medina added that the immediate focus should not be internal recriminations. “There is a family that lost a son. Parents who were never meant to bury a child. This is a night of mourning and shock. Later, we will need to conduct a national reckoning — but first of all, to understand that a red line has been crossed.”

He concluded the interview with a call for unity across the chareidi spectrum in the face of what he described as a broad assault. “When chareidim are attacked — all of us are attacked. Not Shas, not Degel, not chassidim and not Litvaks. This is one front, and that must be the response.”

{Matzav.com}

A wave of relief and anticipation swept through the campus of Chevron Yeshiva on Tuesday following confirmation that a yeshiva bochur who had been held in a military prison is scheduled to be released Wednesday morning and return directly to the yeshiva.

The talmid, Yehuda ben Amram, is expected to regain his freedom in the early hours of the day after an early release was secured through sustained efforts by the yeshiva’s senior leadership.

Those involved said the matter was pursued intensively through official channels until the detention was brought to an end.

News of the impending release was met with visible excitement across the Givat Mordechai campus, where preparations are already underway for a large and celebratory reception to welcome the talmid back. Rabbonim of the yeshiva, alumni, and hundreds of current talmidim are expected to take part.

Organizers say the homecoming will be marked by singing and dancing as Yehuda ben Amram returns to the bais medrash and resumes his place among his fellow talmidim.

{Matzav.com}

New details have emerged from the initial police investigation into the fatal incident during the anti-draft protest in Yerushalayim on Tuesday in which 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal was tragically killed and three others were injured after being struck by a bus.

According to early findings and eyewitness accounts, the sequence of events began on Shamgar, where a bus hit three pedestrians — ages 14 and 17 — causing light injuries. Despite the impact, the bus continued driving at speed toward Ohel Yehoshua.

Footage from the scene shows the bus accelerating toward a group of protesters standing on the roadway. One 14-year-old was trapped beneath the bus and dragged for a considerable distance. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and carried out complex rescue efforts, but were ultimately forced to pronounce the boy dead.

The bus driver, who was detained immediately after the incident and questioned by police, maintains that he had no intention of harming anyone. In his statement, he said he entered an intersection that was open to traffic when it was suddenly blocked by large crowds.

He told investigators that protesters began attacking the bus, leaving him in what he described as immediate fear for his life. According to the driver, he even called the police emergency line to report the danger he was facing.

Police confirmed that the intersection was not part of a planned road closure and remained officially open to traffic. Investigators said the bus was blocked by individuals involved in disorderly conduct, creating a dangerous situation. Police also stated that the driver reported being attacked prior to the fatal incident.

At the same time, authorities stressed that all angles of the case remain under review, including why the driver continued driving after the initial collision on Shamgar.

While police have referred to “violent disturbances,” protest organizers have pushed back strongly, offering a different account of events. They say that the demonstration, which drew thousands, proceeded calmly and in accordance with instructions from leading rabbinic authorities.

In a statement, organizers said, “There were no clashes or riots at the protest itself. The tragedy occurred at a police roadblock more than a kilometer away from the main rally site. Our hearts are broken over this terrible loss, and we pray that we will no longer know sorrow and devastation within our borders.”

Following reports of the fatality, organizers said the protest dispersed quietly and in an orderly manner, while emphasizing that opposition to the draft law would continue.

{Matzav.com}

New York City police say antisemitism continued to dominate the city’s hate crime landscape last year, with Jews accounting for a clear majority of reported bias incidents across all categories.

According to statistics released Tuesday by the NYPD, there were 330 suspected antisemitic incidents recorded in 2025, out of a total of 576 hate crimes citywide. That means more than half of all reported hate crimes—57 percent—were directed at Jews, translating to an alleged anti-Jewish incident roughly once every 26 hours.

The scale of the disparity is especially stark given that Jews make up about 10 percent of New York City’s population.

By comparison, police logged 52 suspected hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation, the next highest category, making antisemitic incidents more than six times as frequent. Other reported cases included 45 incidents targeting Black individuals, 25 targeting Asians, eight directed at Hispanic people, 30 Islamophobic incidents, 11 targeting white individuals, 28 based on gender, 16 involving unspecified ethnicities, and 31 directed at unspecified religious groups.

The NYPD emphasized that the figures reflect suspected hate crimes, not convictions. Investigators must establish a clear discriminatory motive for an incident to be classified as a hate crime, a legal standard that is often difficult to meet. As cases are reviewed, some incidents may later be reclassified as non-bias offenses if that threshold cannot be satisfied.

Because hate crime charges require proof of bias, convictions remain relatively uncommon. When secured, however, they carry enhanced penalties, reflecting the view that such crimes are intended to intimidate or harm an entire group rather than a single individual.

Police data shows that antisemitic incidents in 2025 dipped slightly—by about three percent—from the previous year, when 339 anti-Jewish incidents were reported. Overall, hate crimes across all categories declined by 12 percent compared to 2024.

Even with that decrease, antisemitic incidents remained far higher than any other type of bias crime. The NYPD noted that while reports surged following Hamas’s October 2023 invasion of Israel, Jews were already being targeted at disproportionately high levels well before that point.

The reported incidents span a wide range of offenses, including assaults, vandalism, and harassment.

“These numbers remain far too high and antisemitism continues to be the most persistent hate threat that we face,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Tuesday press briefing alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Discussion inside the White House about Greenland has intensified again, with officials acknowledging that even the use of American military power has been considered as President Trump renews his focus on the Danish-controlled territory.

Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump signaled that while Greenland is not his immediate priority, it remains firmly on the administration’s agenda. “We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” he said.

During remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump framed the issue as a matter of strategic defense, pointing to increased foreign activity near the Arctic island. “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not gonna be able to do it, I can tell you. You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled.”

Those comments followed a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who made clear that all possibilities remain under consideration. “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal,” Leavitt said in a statement first reported by Reuters.

Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s interest in Greenland is longstanding and tied directly to security concerns in the Arctic. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” she said.

The renewed attention to Greenland emerged just days after a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, an event that appeared to bring Trump’s earlier ambitions regarding the world’s largest island back into focus.

Fueling controversy, former Trump administration official Katie Miller, who is married to Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted an image of Greenland overlaid with an American flag shortly after the Venezuela operation. The post triggered sharp backlash from officials in Copenhagen and leaders in Greenland’s semi-autonomous government.

Greenland’s premier, Jens Frederik Nielsen, responded bluntly to the image, calling it “disrespectful” and stressing that “our country is not for sale.”

In Denmark, the reaction was even more severe. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a U.S. military move against Greenland would shatter the Western alliance. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”

Amid the heated rhetoric, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to tamp down fears of an imminent conflict. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rubio told lawmakers that there are no immediate plans to invade Greenland and that Washington’s objective remains a negotiated purchase rather than a takeover.

Supporters of that approach point to historical precedent. In 1917, Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to the United States for $25 million in gold, a transaction that resulted in what are now the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Beyond outright acquisition, officials have also explored quieter strategies. Since Trump’s first term, administration figures have examined proposals that would encourage Greenlandic independence from Denmark, followed by a compact of free association that would give the United States a formal role in the island’s foreign policy and defense in exchange for economic support.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox, 

I was there tonight at the draft protest in Yerushalayim. I am not repeating rumors, headlines, or social media hysteria. I watched it unfold with my own eyes. I am a chareidi grandmother, and what I saw was shameful, reckless, and utterly leaderless.

Hundreds of boys — children — were running wild in the streets. They were jumping on buses and cars, blocking traffic, and preventing drivers from moving.

There were no parents in sight. No rabbonim. No roshei yeshiva. No adults taking responsibility. No one stopping this disgraceful chaos.

Garbage bins were dragged into the road and set on fire. Plastic sheets were slapped across bus windshields, blinding drivers until they struggled to rip them off. Buses full of chareidi passengers were stuck for twenty minutes or more, held hostage by unsupervised, out-of-control boys who clearly had no idea what they were doing or the danger they were creating.

The bus drivers tried — desperately — to maneuver through the madness without hurting anyone. They were surrounded, harassed, blocked, and endangered. This was not a “peaceful protest.” It was anarchy.

And then the unthinkable happened.

People put themselves in front of a vehicle in a lawless situation that should never have been allowed to develop.

And what happened afterward was perhaps the most horrifying part of all.

After the incident, boys were singing and dancing in the middle of the road. Singing. Dancing. As if nothing had happened. As if a life had not just been lost. It is now past midnight as I write this to you at Matzav News and they are still there. Still no parents. Still no rabbonim. Still no melamdim. Still no adults willing to step in and say: Enough.

If this is what protest looks like, then someone must finally ask the obvious question: Where was the leadership? Who allowed children to be sent into the streets with no supervision, no guidance, and no boundaries? Who thought this was acceptable, let alone justified?

This was not mesirus nefesh. It was abandonment.

Tragedies do not happen in a vacuum. They happen when responsibility is shrugged off, when adults disappear, and when children are left to play with fire — sometimes literally.

If we do not have the courage to tell the truth about what went down tonight, then we will see this again. And next time, the price may be even higher.

Enough with the slogans. Enough with the posturing.

It is time for accountability.

Bella Abraham

A Bubby in Yerushalayim

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{Matzav.com}