Matzav

The United Arab Emirates has drawn up preliminary plans for a large temporary housing site intended to accommodate thousands of displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a planning map reviewed by Reuters and officials familiar with the proposal, Times of Israel reports.

The map outlines the location of a project labeled the “UAE Temporary Emirates Housing Complex,” which would be built near Rafah, a city that once had roughly 250,000 residents but has since been largely destroyed and emptied during Israeli military operations.

An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that the UAE has yet to make a final determination on whether it will finance the initial phase of the housing project in the Rafah area.

Rafah, located close to the Egyptian border, is viewed as the likely starting point for Gaza’s reconstruction under a postwar framework envisioned by US President Donald Trump, aimed at stabilizing the coastal territory after two years of intense fighting. International donors have been hesitant to pledge support, citing concerns that unresolved disputes over disarming Hamas could derail the plan and return the region to full-scale war.

Diplomats cautioned that the Emirati proposal faces political hurdles, noting that many Palestinians may resist relocating to an area controlled by Israel while most of Gaza’s civilian population remains in zones administered by Hamas.

According to four diplomats briefed on the matter, Trump’s plan includes a US-led multinational mission for Gaza operating out of southern Israel, where Emirati representatives have discussed building temporary housing and supplying basic services in Rafah.

The planning map places the proposed UAE housing site near the “Yellow Line” established under an October ceasefire to mark the boundary between Israeli-held territory and areas controlled by Hamas.

Responding to questions about the report, an Emirati official said the country “remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza,” without confirming whether the housing complex would move forward.

One diplomat said Israeli forces have already cleared a broad corridor stretching from the Mediterranean coast toward Rafah, potentially enabling temporary housing initiatives such as the one under consideration by the UAE.

Diplomats said the Emirati plan closely resembles a US concept for temporary housing in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza. That American proposal was initially described as “Alternative Safe Communities” and has more recently been referred to as “Planned Communities.”

A US official said the UAE has been coordinating its initiative with Washington, the Board of Peace — a new international body created by Trump — and a US-supported Palestinian committee intended to oversee governance in Gaza.

“We continue to be impressed with the UAE’s efforts for bringing a better life for Gazans in Gaza,” the official said.

US officials have privately expressed hope that developing housing in Israeli-controlled areas could help advance the disarmament of Hamas by encouraging civilians to move out of Hamas-run zones, thereby weakening the group’s hold over the population.

Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East analyst at The Soufan Center, said the “Alternative Safe Communities” concept was meant to gradually “choking Hamas off,” but warned that limited projects would not be sufficient.

“Only a couple of housing projects is not going to defeat Hamas. You need to do a lot… to have an effect,” he said.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under a Trump-brokered agreement, views Hamas and other Islamist movements as destabilizing forces in the region.

The four diplomats questioned whether large numbers of Palestinians would agree to relocate to Israeli-controlled territory and warned that such plans could entrench a lasting geographic split within Gaza.

Unlike earlier US proposals, however, the diplomats noted that the Emirati plan targets land where no residential neighborhoods previously existed.

Israeli forces currently control about 53 percent of Gaza, including the southern area encompassing the devastated city of Rafah. Hamas governs the remainder of the Strip, where nearly all of Gaza’s roughly two million residents are crowded into tent camps or living amid the ruins of destroyed communities.

Foreign diplomats and humanitarian officials argue that aid and shelter should prioritize areas with the largest civilian populations. By contrast, diplomats estimate that only about 20,000 Palestinians are currently living in parts of Gaza under Israeli military control.

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State prosecutors on Thursday filed indictments against Bezalel Zini, the brother of David Zini, along with two additional suspects, accusing them of operating as part of a large-scale network that smuggled cigarettes into the Gaza Strip during the war.

All three defendants were charged with aiding the enemy in wartime, as well as fraud and bribery offenses, in addition to violations of Israel’s counterterrorism statutes. A day earlier, prosecutors brought charges against 12 other alleged members of the same ring, among them several IDF reservists.

The Shin Bet said Wednesday that over the course of the fighting — and “and even more so since the beginning of the ceasefire” — Hamas has sought to rebuild its military strength and consolidate control in Gaza using funds generated through smuggled merchandise.

According to the indictments, during August and September 2025 the suspects trafficked 26 crates of cigarettes into Gaza, with an estimated total value of NIS 3.9 million ($1.25 million). Prosecutors said this shipment represented only a fraction of the illegal activity carried out by the group.

Zini, who served as an IDF reservist responsible for logistics for demolition forces in Gaza, is accused of exploiting his access to the Strip to smuggle 14 crates of cigarettes from Israel into Gaza over three separate trips, netting roughly NIS 365,000 ($117,405).

He was indicted in the Beersheba District Court together with Aviel Ben David, another reservist from his unit, and Amir Dov Halperin, an associate of Ben David. Prosecutors allege the three participated in cigarette smuggling operations on five occasions.

Court documents state that Zini commanded a team within the IDF’s Gaza Division that operated heavy engineering machinery in the Strip, a role that authorized him to escort convoys of equipment into Gaza.

According to the charges, both Zini and Ben David received NIS 15,000 ($4,800) each for their participation. Prosecutors said Menachem Abutbul, who was indicted on Wednesday, transferred the contraband near Kibbutz Sufa into Zini’s vehicle, after which Zini and Ben David drove into Gaza and unloaded the goods.

Authorities said an additional 13 suspects are expected to face indictments in the coming days.

Investigators allege the smuggling ring brought a wide range of items into Gaza, including cigarettes, iPhones, batteries, telecommunications cables and vehicle parts, with a combined value running into the millions of shekels. Some of the items are categorized as “dual-use,” meaning they could be repurposed by Hamas for terror-related activities.

David Zini, the Shin Bet chief, is not suspected of any involvement in the affair. The investigation is being handled by the Israel Police rather than the Shin Bet because of the familial connection to one of the suspects.

During the war, Israel prohibited the entry of cigarettes and other tobacco products into Gaza, citing concerns that smuggled goods command high prices on the black market and generate significant tax revenue for Hamas.

In indictments filed Wednesday against other alleged participants, prosecutors said the defendants acted “to smuggle prohibited goods into the Strip in a systematic and sophisticated manner, exploiting vulnerabilities at crossing points and military activity in the area, while presenting false representations of entry into the Strip as part of legitimate security activity.”

“Smuggling constitutes a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel, as it assists Hamas’s survival and governance,” the Shin Bet said. “It also poses a threat stemming from the possibility of using smuggling routes as a platform to advance offensive military activity in Israel and against our forces in the Gaza Strip.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu used a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday to again reject personal responsibility for the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, arguing that the intelligence he received did not point to an impending invasion and that earlier efforts to deter Hamas were blocked by senior defense officials.

Leaks from the meeting to Hebrew-language media said Netanyahu told lawmakers that although “there was a serious intelligence failure” ahead of the attack, “there was no treason.”

When questioned by a committee member about allegations of treason — including claims circulated publicly by Netanyahu’s son, Yair — the prime minister said his aim was to clear away the “cloud of treason” hanging over the events of October 7.

During the discussion, Netanyahu also reportedly accused former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of falsifying the protocol of a meeting held early on the morning of October 7, shortly before the Hamas assault that sparked two years of fighting in Gaza.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu said that no one at the time believed Hamas was about to launch an attack that day.

The prime minister pointed to a series of conversations with senior figures, including Bar, former defense minister Benny Gantz and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, which he said demonstrated that they, too, believed Hamas was deterred. Reports did not specify when those discussions took place.

Netanyahu further claimed that he sought to assassinate Hamas leaders in 2014 but was blocked by the security establishment. Channel 12 reported last week, however, that Netanyahu rejected 11 opportunities to kill Gaza Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the months preceding October 7.

Netanyahu also told committee members that Bar altered a document from the early hours of October 7 by adding language stating that he had instructed that the prime minister be updated. Bar resigned last year after Netanyahu moved to dismiss him in a dispute that ultimately reached the High Court of Justice.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu alleged that Bar retroactively changed a clause in the protocol of a Shin Bet meeting held early that morning, before the Hamas invasion, inserting wording indicating that Netanyahu was to be informed of developments. Channel 12 reported, however, that the meeting minutes were entered into Shin Bet systems at 6:06 a.m. with the instruction included, and that Netanyahu’s military secretary was updated by the Shin Bet chief’s bureau chief at 6:13 a.m. — about 16 minutes before Hamas-led terrorists breached the border.

Official minutes from Thursday’s session released by the Knesset Spokesman’s Office said Netanyahu presented lawmakers with materials he had previously submitted to the State Comptroller regarding the period leading up to October 7.

In December, the High Court of Justice ordered the comptroller to suspend his October 7 investigation following petitions arguing that the probe was fundamentally flawed, could compromise evidence and investigative procedures, and that only a state commission of inquiry was suitable to examine the disaster.

The Knesset spokesman said Netanyahu attended the five-hour closed meeting and “responded at length to committee members’ questions,” with the discussion centering on the comptroller’s now-halted investigation.

According to the spokesman, Netanyahu presented “materials relating to the question of when Hamas decided to turn the idea of an attack into an operational plan, and whether internal divisions within Israel were connected to that decision.”

Netanyahu described the High Court’s decision to freeze the comptroller’s investigation just six days after his own testimony as having “unusual timing,” the Knesset spokesman said.

“After two years in which the media has been rewriting history in real time, the prime minister came to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and set the historical record,” said committee chairman Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, a close ally of Netanyahu. “Sometimes the truth is also an option. The question that should concern every household in Israel is why the High Court of Justice halted the state comptroller’s review process.”

Members of the opposition Yesh Atid party walked out of the meeting in protest, with the faction posting on X that it would “not participate in this media circus, which is intended to evade responsibility and turn the committee into an empty PR show.”

“Netanyahu arrived with pre-prepared messages from his office in a desperate attempt to engineer public perception and rewrite history, but no spin will blur the failure: 2,000 Israelis murdered, communities conquered, children burned, and citizens kidnapped on his watch,” the party said. “The faction members will continue to fight against his failed government so that such a debacle never happens again.”

Yesh Atid MK Moshe Tur-Paz wrote on X that Netanyahu had told the committee two months before October 7 that “Hamas is deterred.”

Opposition figures Benny Gantz, Avigdor Liberman and Gadi Eisenkot all sharply criticized Netanyahu on Thursday, accusing him of trying to absolve himself of responsibility for the most severe intelligence and strategic failure in Israel’s history.

Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister, wrote on X that in 2014, “when I presented the option of conquering Gaza,” Netanyahu leaked the proposal to the media “to frighten the public.”

“When I proposed taking control of the Netzarim Corridor — you were afraid,” Gantz added, referring to the strip dividing the Gaza Strip. “When I spoke about replacing Hamas, you preferred separation and leaving ‘Hamas deterred and weakened.’”

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of having a “selective memory” regarding the period before and after October 7.

“In October 2023, we voted together on the decision to destroy Hamas’s rule,” Eisenkot wrote Thursday. “I left the cabinet in June 2024 because you refused to advance its destruction. You are still failing at this task. You are running away.”

Liberman said Netanyahu’s claim that no one anticipated the October 7 attack was false, stating that “as defense minister, in December 2016, I personally handed him a severe warning document that described exactly the scenario that ultimately occurred.”

“He received it, he knew — and he chose to ignore it,” Liberman said. “Unfortunately, Netanyahu is once again fleeing from the truth.”

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul for another term, giving the governor support from a prominent progressive figure as she confronts a primary challenge from the left in her race for a second full term.

Writing in an op-ed published by The Nation, Mamdani, a Democrat, acknowledged his disagreements with Hochul but said he has “come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in an honest dialogue that leads to results.”

The endorsement underscores an unlikely partnership between two Democrats who represent different wings of the party, with Mamdani a young democratic socialist who campaigned on sweeping change and Hochul a centrist, self-described “mom governor” from Buffalo.

Hochul had previously backed Mamdani in his mayoral run, providing him with establishment support, and the two have aligned on issues such as affordability and child care. At the same time, the governor has distanced herself from parts of Mamdani’s platform, including his push to raise taxes on the wealthy, casting herself as a moderating influence on his new administration.

In a statement responding to the endorsement, Hochul thanked Mamdani for his cooperation, saying, “I know that he’ll stand strong alongside me as we fight against Donald Trump’s attacks on this state.”

Mamdani’s support could help Hochul blunt criticism from the left ahead of the June Democratic primary. Her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is challenging her with a progressive campaign that mirrors Mamdani’s approach and seeks to channel the energy that helped propel the mayor to office and national attention.

Following Mamdani’s endorsement, Delgado issued a statement accusing Hochul of falling short on key commitments, saying she “has broken a lot of promises” and has not embraced tax hikes on the wealthy or other progressive priorities. He added that he is the “partner for any leader who also values these critical measures.”

Republicans and other critics on the right are expected to use the endorsement to argue that Democrats have veered too far left. Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island county official running for governor, has already signaled that line of attack.

“New Yorkers who want a check on Mamdani and Hochul’s radicalism have one choice: elect Bruce Blakeman Governor in November and vote Republican at all levels of government,” said David Laska, a spokesperson for the NYGOP.

Hochul previously served as lieutenant governor under Andrew Cuomo and stepped into the governor’s office in 2021 after Cuomo resigned amid multiple sexual harassment allegations and the near certainty of impeachment. She went on to become the first woman elected governor of New York the following year, defeating Lee Zeldin, now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in a closely fought contest that tightened as Zeldin focused on public safety issues.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange prisoners as the warring parties pressed ahead with “detailed and productive” negotiations to end the four-year conflict, according to President Donald Trump’s special envoy.

The two sides will swap 314 prisoners in the first such exchange in five months, Steve Witkoff said in a post on platform X on Thursday. He cited progress in three-way discussions in Abu Dhabi, with results expected “in the coming weeks.”

“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive,” Witkoff, who was joined in the United Arab Emirates by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, said. “While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week called the negotiating round a test of the Kremlin’s commitment to the process after Russian forces unleashed the biggest missile-and-drone attack on Kyiv this year, plunging the capital further into darkness.

The assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left large swathes of the country without heating, power and water as temperatures fell to -25C (-13F) this week.

The head of Ukraine’s delegation, national security chief Rustem Umerov, called the talks in Abu Dhabi “meaningful and productive” late Wednesday. Discussions were ongoing as of noon Thursday, according to an Umerov aide.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said the discussions had not yet yielded a conclusion.

Negotiations zeroed in on the issue that’s proved the most implacable in the talks: territory. Russia has insisted on seizing control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, including parts that its forces have failed to take since fighting there began in 2014.

(c) 2026, Bloomberg · Daryna Krasnolutska 

Iran’s Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian government, reported that the Khorramshahr-4 missile has been stationed for the first time inside underground IRGC installations known in Iran as “missile cities.” The report described the move as a significant step aimed at boosting the effectiveness and preparedness of Iran’s ballistic missile forces, noting that the missile is among the most advanced and powerful in the country’s inventory.

Fars claimed the missile is capable of reaching speeds of up to 16 times the speed of sound, translating to tens of thousands of kilometers per hour outside the atmosphere and roughly Mach 8 while flying within it. Based on those figures, the agency said the missile’s flight time to targets in Israel would be approximately 10 to 12 minutes after launch.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2019414551402631402

The Khorramshahr-4, which was first publicly unveiled in May 2023 and is also referred to as “Kheiber,” is categorized as a medium-range ballistic missile. Open-source assessments describe it as a single-stage, liquid-fueled system with a declared operational range of about 2,000 kilometers, putting much of the Middle East within its reach.

According to the report, the missile is also designed to carry a particularly heavy payload, with estimates placing the warhead weight between 1.5 and 1.8 tons.

The decision to house the missile in fortified underground complexes is intended to provide the Revolutionary Guards with a “second strike” capability and improve survivability should Iran’s nuclear or missile infrastructure come under a preemptive attack.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu briefed the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee behind closed doors on Thursday on security and diplomatic matters, but the discussion quickly devolved into a tense showdown with opposition lawmakers.

In the course of the session, Netanyahu disclosed that at 5:15 a.m. on October 7, 2023, the Shin Bet (ISA) circulated a formal document summarizing all alerts received overnight from the Gaza Strip. He said the paper did not reach his office until 9:47 a.m., more than four hours after it had been issued.

Netanyahu asserted that the original version of the document contained no directive to notify the Prime Minister. He said that only in more recent Shin Bet submissions did an instruction to inform him suddenly appear, alleging that the agency retroactively inserted that directive. The document bears the signature of then–Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

The Prime Minister added that he forwarded these findings to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman as part of the ongoing probes into the October 7 events, saying Englman was “amazed” by what he saw. Members of the committee were also described as reacting with disbelief.

Earlier in the briefing, Netanyahu read aloud excerpts from previous Cabinet meeting protocols and argued that former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had repeatedly prevented large-scale operations in the Gaza Strip.

“Bennett always opposed the occupation of Gaza,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying as he cited the protocols.

The atmosphere deteriorated further when several opposition lawmakers walked out of the meeting, voicing sharp criticism. “Is this why we came to the session? To hear Bibi reading us protocols from the Cabinet against Bennett, [Gadi] Eisenkot, and [Benny] Gantz?”

“Does he think we’re stupid? They didn’t even let us ask a single question.”

{Matzav.com}

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday was presented with a draft provisional constitution for the proposed “State of Palestine,” a move that advances the Palestinian leadership’s ongoing campaign to lay the groundwork for independent statehood.

The effort traces back to August, when Abbas approved the creation of a panel of legal and policy experts charged with drafting a constitutional framework. The proposed document is designed to serve as the legal foundation for a transition from the existing Palestinian Authority to the institutions of a sovereign state.

Those involved in drafting the text say it is rooted in the 1988 Palestinian declaration of independence and sets out core principles such as the right of return, commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions, global human rights conventions, and agreements concluded by the Palestine Liberation Organization or under the banner of the “State of Palestine.”

In the written authorization launching the initiative, Abbas said the provisional constitution is intended to anchor a democratic system based on the rule of law, a clear separation of powers, and safeguards for civil rights and personal freedoms.

Upon receiving the draft, Abbas proclaimed 2026 the “Year of Democracy,” outlining plans for a broad slate of elections throughout the year. These would include voting for the Palestinian National Council both within the Palestinian territories and among Palestinians abroad, local municipal elections, and the convening of the eighth congress of the Fatah movement.

Abbas instructed that the draft constitution first be distributed to members of the PLO Executive Committee for examination. After that review, the document will be released publicly to invite feedback and suggested revisions.

Officials say the push to advance a constitutional framework comes amid mounting international pressure on the Palestinian Authority. The United States and several European governments have urged sweeping institutional reforms, linking them to any future role the Authority might play in governing the Gaza Strip and in shaping political arrangements after the war concludes.

Nearly two decades after a deadly terrorist attack in Nachal Telem, a military court in Judea on Thursday imposed three life sentences on terrorist Ali Dandis, bringing a measure of judicial closure to a case that has haunted the families of the victims for 19 years. Alongside the prison terms, the court ordered Dandis to pay an unprecedented 5.2 million shekels in compensation to the families of slain soldiers David Rubin and Achikam Amichai.

The ruling stems from a 2007 attack in which Rubin and Amichai, both off-duty IDF soldiers, were hiking in Nachal Telem in Judea when they were ambushed. The assault was carried out by a terrorist cell composed of members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, according to the indictment.

During the exchange of gunfire at the scene, one of the terrorists was killed, while Dandis and another accomplice managed to flee. The two later surrendered to the Palestinian Authority, where they were placed in what was described as “protective custody.”

Court documents revealed that this arrangement did not halt Dandis’s activities. Even while incarcerated in a Palestinian Authority prison, he continued to direct terrorist cells, procure weapons, and orchestrate additional attacks, including a shooting at a bus in the Hebron Hills, all while supposedly under official supervision.

Dandis remained beyond Israel’s reach for years and was apprehended only about a year ago, after leaving the PA facility, in a coordinated operation involving the Shin Bet, the Yamam, and the Israel Defense Forces. The court adopted the prosecution’s arguments in full, citing both the double murder and Dandis’s ongoing terror activity over two decades in handing down the severe sentence.

Attorney Chaim Bleicher of the Honenu organization, which represents and supports the bereaved families, responded sharply to the verdict: “Despite the verdict, the circle has not yet closed. There is another terrorist still in ‘protective custody’ under the Palestinian Authority who has yet to face justice. While the punishment of the terrorist is necessary, it is not enough to eradicate terrorism. The State of Israel must dry up the terrorist breeding ground – the Palestinian Authority, which continues to encourage terrorism, pay salaries to terrorists, and educate for terror. We await the day when the State of Israel will hold accountable and eliminate all terrorists and their handlers.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is pressing city prosecutors to abandon attempted murder charges against a man who was shot by police after allegedly advancing toward officers with a knife during what relatives describe as a severe mental health episode.

The incident unfolded on January 26 in a Queens residence, according to body camera footage released by the New York Police Department. Officers were dispatched following a 911 call from family members who said 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty was in the midst of a psychiatric emergency and needed to be taken to a medical facility. During the call, a relative reported that Chakraborty had thrown a glass against a wall. When police arrived, they were allowed inside by a woman at the door, at which point Chakraborty appeared behind her holding a large kitchen knife. As the woman extended her arm in front of him, officers drew their weapons and issued commands.

Video from the encounter shows officers shutting the front door, placing it between themselves and Chakraborty. Despite the barrier, authorities say Chakraborty continued to press forward and attempt to push through the door, leading one of the officers to fire four shots.

Chakraborty was rushed to a hospital and remains in intensive care, where he is listed in stable but critical condition.

In the aftermath, the Queens District Attorney’s Office moved to pursue criminal charges against Chakraborty, who family members say has schizophrenia. Relatives have objected strongly, insisting they called for medical help, not law enforcement action, and arguing that police responses intensified an already fragile situation.

“Rather than de-escalate the situation, the officer instead further escalated by drawing his gun and yelling orders at Jabez,” the family wrote. “Within a minute of NYPD’s arrival, Jabez was shot multiple times and almost killed, while he was calmly eating food just minutes earlier.”

Mamdani, who centered his mayoral campaign on reforming how the city handles mental health emergencies, echoed the family’s objections and said prosecution is not the appropriate response in this case.

“In viewing this footage, it is clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution from a district attorney, and we are talking about a family that is enduring the kind of pain that no family should and an individual that has lived with schizophrenia for many years,” Mamdani said.

“A person experiencing a mental health episode does not always have to be served first or exclusively by a police officer. It is important for us to have all of the options available,” Mamdani continued.

{Matzav.com}

1[Video below.] The Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday sharply criticized comments made by Dr. Mehmet Oz in a recent interview, accusing him of promoting harmful stereotypes about Hasidic Jews and warning that such language can worsen the current climate of antisemitism. The organization circulated excerpts from a two-week-old appearance Oz made on Epoch Times’ “American Thought Leaders,” saying the remarks risk fueling discrimination.

The comments came as Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, was speaking about investigations into healthcare fraud in Minnesota. In trying to show that fraud cases are not confined to a single state, Oz referenced the Hasidic community in New York in a manner the ADL said unfairly cast them in a negative light, suggesting they were “foreign, criminal, or ‘not real Americans.’”

“Casting Hasidic Jews as foreign, criminal, or ‘not real Americans’ is straight out of the antisemitic playbook,” the ADL wrote on X. “This kind of rhetoric fuels harmful stereotypes and discrimination. Falsely blaming New York’s Hasidic population directly contributes to the climate in which the city just reported a 182 % year-over-year spike in antisemitic hate crimes in January. Words matter, and public officials must do better.”

Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, a former Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, and a self-described secular Muslim, has taken on a more visible role in public policy discussions in recent years. Advocacy groups said that while he appeared to be drawing comparisons between states, his choice to single out New York’s Hasidic community drew particular concern.

Civil rights advocates have long warned that comments made by prominent figures about minority groups can shape public attitudes and, in some cases, contribute to discrimination or violence. The ADL said its response reflects broader concerns that even remarks made weeks earlier can take on renewed significance as antisemitic incidents continue to rise across the country.

WATCH:

Casting Hasidic Jews as foreign, criminal, or “not real Americans” is straight out of the antisemitic playbook. This kind of rhetoric fuels harmful stereotypes and discrimination. Falsely blaming New York’s Hasidic population directly contributes to the climate in which the city… pic.twitter.com/pD0t1bWRSN

— ADL (@ADL) February 5, 2026

Veteran composer Rav Hillel Paley delivered a sharp and emotional critique of contemporary wedding music in a rare radio interview, warning that celebrations in the frum community have veered far from their spiritual roots and, in many cases, have become deeply inappropriate.

Speaking with Reb Menachem Stein on the Sichat HaYom program on Israel’s Kol Chai Radio, Rav Paley said that weddings today often resemble “a disco of chaos,” arguing that much of the current music has lost any connection to Yiddishkeit or kedusha. “A wedding has become a nightmare,” he said. “People are just waiting for the music to stop so they can escape and go home.”

Rav Paley sharply criticized what he described as shallow hit songs that take pesukim from sacred texts and turn them into mockery. He said he is disturbed by scenes in which yeshiva bochurim remove their jackets and yarmulkas and engage in frenzied dancing that runs completely counter to the values they are supposed to represent. “This music is a desecration,” he said. “It would be better to sing about oranges than to turn holy pesukim into a joke.” He added that even in the broader public, many people prefer authentic Jewish melodies over what he called cheap imitations.

During the broadcast, Rabbi Stein cited guidance from Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who advised bochurim to study mussar works for a few minutes before attending a wedding in order to remember their purpose and responsibility. Addressing drunkenness and unruly behavior on the dance floor, Rav Hirsch was quoted as saying, “A ben Torah must remember who he is and not behave like a wild, uncivilized person at a wedding celebration.”

Rabbi Stein reinforced Rav Paley’s message, noting that some roshei yeshiva refuse to enter wedding halls until what he termed “the wild singer” is removed from the stage. Together, they decried a situation in which parents spend enormous sums of money only to see their children’s weddings turned into what they called a circus. “Parents are paying a fortune so that someone can ruin the wedding and middlemen can take over the event,” they said, urging families to take responsibility and demand music that is appropriate, dignified, and worthy of the occasion.

In closing, Rav Paley issued a direct appeal to yeshiva students, calling on them to recognize their own value and stop chasing cheap trends that embarrass the Torah world. “When we truly understand our worth and the holiness of marriage,” he said, “this kind of music will naturally lose its appeal, and souls will once again know how to rejoice in a genuine way.”

Arad Mayor Yair Maayan ignited a major political and communal storm in a blunt radio interview in which he said the city has no interest in welcoming additional chassidic groups beyond the existing Gerer community, while also exposing what he described as severe anti-chareidi hostility within the city.

Speaking on the Bonim Atid program on Kol Chai Radio with hosts Chanoch Rapoport and Yisrael Melman, Maayan addressed Arad’s rapid development, tensions between different populations, and his long-term vision for the city. During the interview, he recounted disturbing incidents of hatred directed at chareidim. “Today someone sent me a message saying there are cockroaches everywhere,” he said. “I asked, where? He told me, no, I’m calling the religious people cockroaches. That’s horrific antisemitism. It’s a disgrace and a shame.”

Maayan, who was elected about two years ago, said he deliberately changed the city’s approach toward the Gerer community, the largest and most established chassidic group in Arad. He sharply criticized previous municipal leadership, accusing them of racism and illegal discrimination. “The prior administration acted with racism and unlawful discrimination and diverted funds away from chareidi education,” he charged. To address housing needs and reduce friction in mixed neighborhoods, Maayan announced plans for a new chareidi neighborhood comprising roughly 2,000 housing units.

Addressing claims surrounding a recent land tender won by developers identified with Ger, Maayan rejected allegations of improper coordination. “I assume that in the chassidus, many miracles happen,” he said sarcastically. “So it turned out that no one competed with anyone else over the same plot.”

Asked whether Arad plans to open its doors to additional chareidi communities, Maayan delivered his most controversial statement of the interview. “Here in Arad, we’re satisfied with Ger,” he said. “We don’t want any other chassidic groups here. Other communities should go to Kesif.”

Beyond the chareidi issue, Maayan outlined an ambitious plan to double Arad’s population to 50,000 residents within five years through large-scale residential construction involving thousands of housing units. He also announced plans for an advanced medical center in the city and said the government is expected to approve the construction of a new airport in the Negev region near Beit Kama as early as Sunday.

Maayan concluded the interview with a sharp message aimed at residents he accused of inciting hatred against chareidim. “People like that — antisemites — don’t belong living in the Land of Israel at all,” he said. “We hope their hatred will push them to leave the city and the country.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump used his address at the 74th National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning to argue that his presidency has strengthened religion’s role in American public life, telling attendees that no previous president has done more for people of faith. Speaking to a packed audience at the Washington Hilton, Trump praised religious freedom, highlighted policy achievements, and accused Democrats of pushing faith to the margins.

Calling the event a cherished national custom, Trump told the crowd, “This is a beautiful American tradition, and it’s a true honor to be back,” noting that he has participated in the breakfast nearly every year.

He described the gathering as a rare pause from the demands of office, saying it offers a moment to reflect amid constant pressure, and quipped that he needs “all the help I can get.”

In remarks broadcast live on Newsmax, Trump declared that religion in the United States is experiencing a resurgence, saying it is “back now, hotter than ever before,” and credited his administration’s policies with bringing faith back into the public square.

While conceding personal imperfections, Trump said his record shows tangible achievements for religious Americans after what he described as years of being overlooked.

“I’ve done more for religion than any other president,” Trump said, arguing that many modern presidents have effectively “bailed out” on faith, opting for neutrality or even opposition.

He went further in his criticism of the opposition party, stating bluntly, “The Democrats are against [religion],” and questioned how “a person of faith can vote for a Democrat.”

As an example, Trump pointed to voter ID laws, which he said enjoy overwhelming support among Americans of all backgrounds, including religious voters.

Referring to polling data, he said support for such laws exceeds 90 percent and framed the requirement as basic common sense.

“When you go to the polls, you show who you are,” Trump said.

“They don’t want to approve it. Everyone’s trying to figure out why.”

He accused Democrats of blocking voter ID measures for political reasons, despite broad public backing.

Trump also used the speech to praise congressional Republicans, singling out House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and GOP lawmakers for pushing conservative goals through a closely divided Congress.

Joking about placing late-night calls to persuade hesitant members, Trump said Republicans eventually come together and “always get there.”

Turning briefly to other topics, Trump cited achievements beyond religious policy, including rebuilding the military, expanding domestic energy production, and restoring American influence abroad.

He described the current economic climate as one of historic investment and momentum, calling it a “tremendous success.”

In closing, Trump thanked the bipartisan leaders of the National Prayer Breakfast and stressed the importance of keeping faith central to the nation’s character.

“We have a great country,” he said. “And when you put religion back where it belongs, everything else gets stronger.”

The National Prayer Breakfast, an annual Washington tradition, brings together elected officials, religious leaders, and public figures for reflection and prayer—an event Trump said continues to play a vital role in the country’s future.

{Matzav.com}

A Jewish woman who, as a young girl, refused to present flowers to Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony of the Berlin Olympics has passed away at the age of 102. Mrs. Yocheved Gold a”h, sister of two prominent rabbonim from the Neuwirth family, passed away after a life that spanned Nazi Germany, the Holocaust era, and the entire history of the State of Israel.

Yocheved was 13 years old when she entered Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in August 1936 to watch the opening ceremony of the Games. Because she looked German, she was asked to join a group of children selected to hand flowers to Hitler, who had been appointed chancellor of Germany three years earlier. She refused.

“I saw him face to face and I was a little afraid,” she later recalled. “That I, a Jew, should give Hitler flowers? I refused.”

By the time of the 1936 Olympics, Germany under Hitler had already enacted sweeping legal discrimination against Jews, effectively pushing them out of public life. The passage of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 stripped Jews of German citizenship, barred them from most professions, and isolated them socially and economically.

Yocheved was born in 1923 in the town of Halberstadt in central Germany. Her father, Rabbi Dr. Aharon Neuwirth, served as a rov and dayan in several communities, including Mainz, Halberstadt, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Her mother was Mrs. Sara Chaya Neuwirth.

In 1938, when Yocheved was about 15, she witnessed the destruction of shuls during Kristallnacht. A year later, at the age of 16, she fled to Haifa in Mandatory Palestine, leaving her parents behind in Europe.

She managed to maintain correspondence with her parents until the final year of World War II, when their letters suddenly stopped. “I was sure they had been killed,” she later said. Unexpectedly, her parents survived the war and the Holocaust.

According to Yocheved’s own testimony in interviews and accounts recorded in the sefer Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa, written by her brother Hagaon Rav Yehoshua Neuwirth, her parents were saved through a series of extraordinary events. One such incident occurred when her father went to a pharmacy for treatment. Because it was Shabbos, he refrained from taking the medication that night. The substance later turned out to be rat poison.

Rav Yehoshua Neuwirth, who headed Yeshivas Chochmat Shlomo, was niftar in 2013. He was widely known as the author of the aformentioned Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah, a foundational and widely used work on the halachos of Shabbos.

Another brother, Rav Reuven Yosef Raphael Neuwirth, was renowned for running one of the most prominent free-loan funds in the chareidi world. He passed away nine months ago at the age of 94.

Yocheved spent the rest of her life in Israel. She was among the founding members of Kibbutz Sa’ad, located near the Gaza border. In 1942, she married Shmuel Gold, one of the kibbutz’s founders. He died in 1961 at the age of 40.

Over the course of decades, Yocheved worked in a wide range of administrative and organizational roles at the kibbutz. She was eventually appointed as the kibbutz nurse, despite lacking formal medical training, and held the position for approximately 40 years before retiring at age 69.

Remarkably, she lived through every major war fought by Israel since its founding, including the War of Independence and later conflicts in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, she spent 30 hours in a fortified safe room with her son during the Hamas attack. She was later evacuated to a hotel near the Dead Sea but insisted on returning home.

“I’m not willing to die in a hotel,” she told her family. “Take me back home. If I die, I will die there.”

She returned to Kibbutz Sa’ad at the age of 100. She passed away at 102, leaving behind children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun). 

Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

Endorsements & Letters

Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman.

Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss.

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

A moving discovery has come to light at the Satmar yeshiva in Komemiyus, revealing a poignant detail from the final hours of a 17-year-old bochur who was killed earlier this month in a tragic accident.

Naftali Tzvi Kramer z”l was struck and killed by a bus on the second day of Shevat near Komemiyus as he was returning with fellow talmidim from a protest opposing post-mortem examinations. In the hours before the accident, he approached the person responsible for the yeshiva otzar haseforim and asked that the otzar haseforim purchase a newly released sefer titled Shema Shlomo, a collection of teachings from Rav Shlomo of Karlin, who was killed al kiddush hashem.

The demonstration Naftali attended had been organized by members of the Badatz of the HaEdah HaChareidis following the horrific daycare tragedy in Yerushalayim in which two young children lost their lives. Talmidim from the yeshiva traveled to protest in defense of kavod hameis. As the group was returning to Komemiyus, a bus drove into them at high speed near the moshav. Naftali was killed at the scene, in front of his stunned friends.

The sefer Naftali had requested, Shema Shlomo, was recently republished in an expanded and elegant edition. It brings together the teachings, minhagim, and accounts of the life of Rav Shlomo Halevi of Karlin, one of the foremost disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch and a foundational figure in the early Chassidic movement.

Rav Shlomo of Karlin himself was murdered al kiddush hashem on the 22nd of Tammuz in the year 1792, during the Polish-Russian war. A Cossack shot him through the window of a shul in Ludmir while he was wrapped in his tallis and deeply immersed in davening. He succumbed to his wounds several days later. Since then, he has been revered as a kadosh, and thousands visit his kever each year on the yahrtzeit.

Only after Naftali’s petirah did fellow talmidim learn of his quiet request to acquire the sefer. In retrospect, it took on an especially haunting meaning. Talmidim spoke emotionally of the striking parallel: a young man drawn, in his final hours, to the teachings of a tzaddik who gave his life for his faith, before himself being taken while returning from a protest conducted to defend the honor of the deceased.

The revelation sparked a powerful wave of chizuk throughout the yeshiva. Talmidim quickly fulfilled Naftali’s request, purchasing the sefer and placing it in the yeshiva otzar haseforim in his memory.

{Matzav.com}

What is being described as an “urgent asifah” will take place today at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, NJ to address the challenges posed by AI, or artificial intelligence.

Signs posted at the yeshiva call the gathering an “asifa nechutzah (urgent gathering) and kinnus chizuk.”

The gathering will be addressed by Rav Malkiel Kotler; Rav Dovid Breslauer, rosh kollel at Yeshivas Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg; and Rav Efraim Glassman, menahel at Mesivta Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn.

The asifah is scheduled to take place at 6:15 p.m. at the Beren Dining Room of the yeshiva.

{Bais Medrash Govoah}

Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is maintaining flexibility in dealing with Iran, including the possibility of military action if diplomatic efforts do not succeed.

In an interview with Megyn Kelly on SiriusXM, Vance said the president alone will determine the next steps in confronting Tehran, noting that Trump “will ultimately decide how we handle this particular Iranian situation, just like he decided on Operation Midnight Hammer.”

Vance said Trump’s position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions has remained unchanged for years, emphasizing that the president has repeatedly drawn a firm line against Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons. “What he has been very clear on, if you go back to 2015, 2016, 2021, 2025, the President has said consistently we can’t let these people have a nuclear weapon. Now, why? Why does that matter to America? Number one, [Iran is] the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism,” Vance said.

He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically raise the stakes for global security, arguing that such a development would increase the risk of catastrophic attacks and spark a regional arms race. “You think it’s bad when we have a domestic terror attack where a couple of people die, and you’re right. What happens when the same people who are shooting up a mall or driving airplanes into buildings have a nuclear weapon? That is unacceptable. And it’s not just them, because if the Iranians get a nuclear weapon, you know who gets a nuclear weapon the next day? The Saudi Arabians. And then somebody else in the Gulf Arab state. And so you have nuclear proliferation on a global scale. The biggest threat to security in the world is a lot of people having nuclear weapons. So what the president has said is Iran’s not going to get a nuclear weapon,” the Vice President stated.

Vance reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a central pillar of the administration’s policy, while acknowledging criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over Trump’s tone and tactics. “Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. That is the stated policy goal of the president of the United States. It’s so funny. Sometimes you have people who are saying, ‘Well, the president’s too belligerent.’ And then sometimes you have people who say, ‘Well, the president, he’s talking about diplomacy and he’s talking about negotiating with the Iranians. We shouldn’t negotiate. We should just bomb them.’”

Describing how Trump approaches foreign policy decisions, Vance said the president prefers to exhaust non-military avenues before turning to force, but will not rule out any option. “What the president’s going to do is he’s going to keep his options open. He’s going to talk to everybody. He’s going to try to accomplish what he can through non-military means. And if he feels like the military is the only option, then he’s ultimately going to choose that option.”

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic last-minute move by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri late last night halted a planned vote on Israel’s Arrangements Law, sharply increasing pressure on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and throwing the coalition’s legislative timetable into uncertainty.

After dozens of hours of marathon discussions in the Knesset House Committee on splitting sections of the Arrangements Law and assigning them to various committees, the vote was expected to proceed. However, moments before it was to be held, Deri instructed Shas lawmakers not to allow the vote to take place. As a result, the committee dispersed without a decision, and the vote was postponed — for now — until next week, contingent on Shas agreeing to cooperate with advancing the budget and the Arrangements Law.

Behind the scenes, Deri’s move reflects growing chareidi anger over continued delays in legislating a new draft law and formally regulating the status of yeshiva students. The frustration has been compounded by ongoing disputes between the chareidi parties and the Knesset’s legal advisers regarding the framework of the proposed legislation.

Because of last night’s maneuver, the Arrangements Law is now considered to be in real jeopardy. The coalition has less than 30 days remaining to pass the 2026 state budget and the accompanying Arrangements Law. The legislation includes several major economic measures, among them a dairy market reform promoted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has previously warned that failure to pass the reform would lead him to push for the immediate dissolution of the Knesset.

While Shas lawmakers deliberately stayed away from the committee discussions in order to avoid voting directly against the coalition, Housing and Construction Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf did attend the debates and voted against the proposals alongside opposition members.

A Shas Knesset member said this morning: “From the very first moment, we said we would not allow the budget to pass without regulating the status of yeshiva students, and that remains our position. We agreed to support the first reading in order to give a few more days to advance the draft law, but unfortunately, that did not happen.”

{Matzav.com}