Matzav

LISTEN:

Dan Sohail, 36, is suspected of driving a car five times into the doors to a synagogue at Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., on Wednesday evening, Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives at the New York City Police Department, said at a press conference.

The suspect, of Carteret, N.J., “had recently connected with the Lubavitch community,” and removed blockades from the same site the prior day, Kenney said.

“This incident is being investigated as a hate crime, and the NYPD’s hate crime task force took the lead on this case,” Kenny said. “We are collaborating with our state and federal partners.”

He added that Sohail has been charged with “attempted assault one and two as a hate crime, reckless endangerment two as a hate crime, criminal mischief two and three as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.”

The suspect claimed he lost control of the car because he was wearing clunky boots, the chief of detectives said. “It’s a hate crime based on his attack on the synagogue,” Kenny said, noting that the suspect knew it was a synagogue.

“We are seeing one antisemitic attack followed by the next on houses of worship, targeting Jews simply because they are Jewish,” he stated. “The attacks are only intensifying in New York, and the response requires more than a statement. We warned that changing the definition of antisemitism and lifting the ban on boycott initiatives against Israel could lead to an increase in attacks, and regrettably, that is what is happening.”

Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, axed all of his predecessors’ recent executive orders, including those designed to protect Jews in the city, within hours of taking over control of City Hall. Mamdani, who has said he would have the Israeli prime minister arrested in New York, has also said that he is interested in divesting the city with the largest Jewish population outside of the Jewish state from Israel Bonds.

“This attack is part of a growing wave of antisemitic incidents driven by an organized, long-running campaign to dehumanize Jews and delegitimize the existence of the Jewish state,” Akunis stated. “Toxic and violent rhetoric is a central component of this propaganda. Antisemitism must be confronted decisively.”

‘A living, breathing thing’

Video footage that has emerged appears to show the suspect removing barricades and telling bystanders to move before he began ramming his vehicle into the entrance doors to Chabad’s global headquarters in Brooklyn.

The suspect was at the location weeks prior, reportedly claiming that he was Jewish, and young students were said to have offered him religious services.

The NYPD said that no one was injured in the attack and that the driver was arrested without incident. The department told JNS that it responded at about 8:45 p.m. to 770 Eastern Parkway, where officers saw a gray Honda sedan, which “collided into entrance doors at the bottom of a sloped driveway in front of 770 Eastern Parkway.”

Wednesday, the 10th of Shevat, is one of the most important days of the calendar for Chabad, with tens of thousands from around the world converging on the site to mark the 75th anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe assuming the leadership role in 1951.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mamdani were among those who issued comments on Wednesday night. The governor said that “for the second day in a row, Jewish New Yorkers were the targets of antisemitic violence” and that “an attack against the Jewish community is an attack against all New Yorkers.”

The mayor, who has released several statements decrying antisemitism that has not related to anti-Zionism, said that the ramming at Chabad “is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world.”

“Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously,” added the mayor, who is reportedly considering two people, who are said to be anti-Chassidic, to run the city office to combat Jew-hatred. “Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”

Dan Mannarino, of PIX11 News, asked Mamdani about the incident on Thursday.

“I was there on the scene last night at 770 Chabad world headquarters, and it was a horrifying incident where a man repeatedly and intentionally crashed his car into the building,” the mayor said. “I am so thankful that no one was hurt, and we know that this is a building that has immense meaning to so many Jewish New Yorkers and those across the world.”

The mayor said that the attack “took place on the yahrzeit of Rabbi Schneerson and the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and this is just a day after the day when we remember the victims of the Holocaust.”

“We know that antisemitism is not simply something of the past to be learned about. It is a living, breathing thing that we have to combat every day,” he told PIX11.

‘A deeply disturbing act of violence’

Asked, in light of the New York City Council’s scheduled announcement of a task force to fight Jew-hatred, when he would name a leader to the mayoral office to combat antisemitism, Mamdani said that “we are actually in our final interviews for that position.”

“That is going to be a key position that delivers on our commitment to root out antisemitism across the five boroughs and make this a city where Jewish New Yorkers are not just safe but frankly celebrated and cherished,” the mayor said.

“Sometime next week?” Mannarino asked.

“We’re working on the timeline, but it is in the final stages,” Mamdani said.

The Orthodox Union stated that it stands “with the Chabad community and is thankful to the Almighty that there were no injuries in the disturbing car-ramming incident outside 770 Eastern Parkway, a place that holds deep meaning for many Jews around the world.”

“This incident is the latest reminder of the sacred responsibility of those in positions of authority to prioritize the safety and security of the Jewish community, especially during this time of unprecedented threats,” the OU said.

Yaacov Behrman, a Chabad spokesman, stated that the driver had trespassed previously at a Chabad house in New Jersey. CBS News reported that Sohail told people at the Chabad that he was homeless and wanted to convert to Judaism. Counselors called to the scene reportedly recommended that he seek mental health counseling.

Additional media reports suggested that Sohail was denied access to a yeshiva in the Garden State.

Motti Seligson, a spokesman for the Chabad movement, stated that the site where the ramming took place is “perhaps the most replicated building in the world because of the light, joy, Torah and a confident Judaism that emanates from it to all corners of the world.”

Both New York senators weighed in.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that “770 is not simply a religious institution. It’s an important spiritual home for the Chabad Jewish community, and this antisemitic attack against it is deeply disturbing.”

“This blatant act of antisemitism is not only an attack on this one building but an attack on Jewish people across New York and the world,” stated Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). “Chabad headquarters is a faith home for so many, and this is a deeply disturbing act of violence.”

Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. assistant attorney general for civil rights, said that she initiated a civil-rights investigation of the incident. JNS

{Matzav.com}

President Trump is expected to announce Friday that he intends to appoint Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell, according to a report by the New York Post.

Sources told the Post that Trump met with Warsh on Thursday and later followed up with a phone call to ask whether he would accept the position. Warsh agreed, those sources said.

Rick Reider, a senior executive at BlackRock who had emerged in recent days as a serious contender for the role, was informed Thursday that he would not be selected, according to people familiar with the matter.

The remaining leading contenders — National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett and Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller — have recently seen their chances diminish.

White House officials cautioned that the decision is not final and noted that Trump could still reverse course.

Speaking with reporters after his meeting with Warsh on Thursday, Trump said he planned to disclose his choice for Fed chair on Friday morning, reversing an earlier plan to wait until next week.

“It’s going to be somebody…that’s known to everybody in the financial world,” Trump said late Thursday. “A lot of people think that this is somebody that could’ve been there a few years ago.”

Trump had previously weighed selecting Warsh for the role eight years ago, before ultimately choosing Jerome Powell.

At 55, Warsh is widely viewed as an interest-rate hawk, a stance that may reassure markets concerned about the Federal Reserve’s independence. At the same time, Warsh has sharply criticized Powell — echoing Trump’s views — for expanding the money supply during the Biden years, which both men blame for fueling inflation.

The timing of the move surprised many observers and underscored Trump’s reputation for unpredictability. Just weeks ago, Kevin Hassett was widely considered the front-runner to succeed Powell, whose term expires in May.

That changed after the Post reported that prominent CEOs had expressed concern that Hassett was overly aligned with MAGA-style economic policies, raising fears of market volatility. Following that reporting, Trump began evaluating alternative candidates.

Although Trump appointed Powell early in his first term, he has intensified his criticism of the Fed over the past year, repeatedly arguing that it should slash interest rates even as inflation remains well above the central bank’s 2% target.

On Wednesday, Powell sidestepped questions about his future at the Fed and about a criminal probe initiated by the Trump administration. He did, however, offer pointed advice to whoever succeeds him.

“Stay out of elected politics, don’t get pulled into elected politics. Don’t do it,” Powell said at his regular press conference after the Fed’s latest monetary policy decision.

{Matzav.com}

An emotional announcement was made this week in Belz, as the chassidus received final authorization to expand its massive bais medrash building at the Belzer center in Yerushalayim, a complex that has long struggled to accommodate the tens of thousands of chassidim who come to spend time in the presence of the belzer Rebbe.

Belz was the first chassidus to establish a massive world center of this scale in Yerushalayim, a model that was later followed by many other chassidic courts. Over the years, the central Beis Medrash has increasingly proven too small for the crowds that gather there from Eretz Yisroel and around the world.

The approval was granted on the Belzer Yom Hatzalah, the day observed in Belz to mark the miraculous rescue after the Holocaust of the brothers, the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Aharon of Belz, and his brother, the Bilgorayer Rav, who arrived in Eretz Yisroel destitute and with nothing but their lives. The day was established by Rav Aharon of Belz himself as a yom tov of thanksgiving and gratitude to Hashem.

After years of effort and persistence by askanim, led by Michel Halberstam, a member of the Yerushalayim city council, and communal activist Zevi Farkash, final approval was granted to allow continued development of the Belzer world center. Construction of the complex began more than four decades ago, built with extraordinary mesirus nefesh by the Belzer Rebbe and his chassidim.

Under the approved plan, the main Beis Medrash will be expanded on its eastern, western, and southern sides. In addition, the “Groyse Shtub,” the main tish hall, will be rebuilt into a vast multi-level space featuring surrounding galleries, significantly increasing capacity for major gatherings, tishen, and Yomim Tovim.

Within the chassidus, special recognition was given to the Beis Medrash’s architect and devoted askan Aharon Ostreicher, who invested years of planning and tireless work with multiple authorities to bring the project forward. Appreciation was also expressed for Elimelech Landman, who provided sustained assistance and support to the askanim throughout the process.

The administration of the Beis Medrash also thanked Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion and his deputy, Eliezer Rauchberger, chairman of Degel HaTorah and head of the city’s Planning and Building Committee, for standing firmly alongside the community and offering meaningful assistance until the long-awaited final approval was granted.

{Matzav.com}

The Slonimer Rebbe is scheduled to depart early Sunday morning for the United States, where he will undertake a chizuk visit with his chassidim, focusing this time on the Slonimer community in Monsey.

The Rebbe, who traditionally visits his American followers once a year, alternates destinations between Boro Park, Monsey, and Lakewood. On this trip, he will remain exclusively in Monsey, where hundreds of chassidim are expected to gather.

The centerpiece of the visit will be a large Shabbos gathering for Parshas Yisro in Monsey, with chassidim traveling in from Boro Park and Lakewood as well. Throughout the visit, the Rebbe will receive individuals for personal counsel and brachah.

It was learned that the Rebbe suffered a fall last week while walking to the mikvah, sustaining injuries to his face along with a strong blow to his leg and arm. Despite the incident, b’siyata d’Shmaya, the 81-year-old Rebbe has continued his regular daily schedule without interruption.

The fall occurred during the early morning hours as the Rebbe was walking alone from his residence on Rechov Rashbam in Bnei Brak to the mikvah, a route he had customarily taken without accompaniment. Since the incident, the Rebbe has been accompanied each morning.

Ahead of his departure to the United States, the Rebbe visited the Kosel this week.

Staff members at the pediatric ward of the Poriya Medical Center were deeply moved this week after receiving a handwritten letter of brocha from the tzaddik of Tiveriah, Rav Dov Kook.

The letter, sent via the rov’s aide, was addressed to hospital management and the doctors and nurses of the children’s department. In his message, Rav Kook offered words of encouragement and chizuk to the medical staff caring for young patients.

The letter read: “Shevat 5786. To the honorable doctors and nurses of the children’s department at Poriya Hospital, may you receive Heavenly assistance to be good emissaries for the healing of the children of Yisroel. And whoever sustains one soul of Yisroel, it is as if he sustained an entire world.”

Hospital officials expressed great appreciation for the letter and the spirit behind it. It was also learned that over the past winter, families who required treatment at the hospital shared their experiences with Rav Kook, speaking about the care and attention they received. In recent months, representatives close to the rov and the hospital’s leadership have been working cooperatively to bridge gaps and provide a more effective and compassionate response to patients, as well as to additional communities in the city of Tiveriah.

{Matzav.com}

Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for captives and missing persons, has revealed new and deeply troubling details about Hamas’s strategy regarding the Israeli hostages, saying that arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar ym”sh intended to keep them as a long-term bargaining asset for up to a decade.

Speaking in an interview with Amit Segal in Yisroel Hayom, Hirsch said Sinwar viewed the hostages as an investment designed to generate leverage over “10 years of negotiations.” Hirsch described how Israeli authorities internally categorized the captives based on intelligence assessments and rescue prospects. “We classified the hostages as Ron Arads, those with concern they may never be found; Wachsman cases — hostages in a known location but with low chances of rescue; Regev and Goldwasser — fallen soldiers; or Shalits, those who are returned in a deal,” Hirsch said.

Hirsch recounted the scale of the crisis in the immediate aftermath of October 7. “On the evening of October 8 I realized we were missing 3,200 people. In the second week, 1,060. Later, 400,” he said. During the second week, Israeli officials even considered granting American citizenship to all hostages, after Hamas hinted it might prioritize releasing captives with foreign nationality.

According to Hirsch, there was often an unbearable gap between the quality of intelligence and the slim chances of a successful rescue. “There were cases where one of our units was at the door, but we knew we wouldn’t achieve the vital seconds needed for extraction, so we gave up,” he said.

Hirsch also described how Qatar became the central mediator. He said he called a senior Qatari official, who offered his country’s mediation services. When asked how he could prove he could deliver results, Hirsch recalled replying, “Take out hostages.” The Qatari official then went south to Gaza to supervise a pilot release. The following day, Yehudit and Natalie Raanan were freed, followed later by the release of Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper via Egypt. From that point on, Qatar formally assumed the role of mediator.

Addressing the issue of disarmament in Gaza, Amit Segal wrote that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff noticed skeptical looks during meetings in the Prime Minister’s Office — looks that conveyed doubt over the idea that Hamas would ever disarm voluntarily without direct Israeli military action. “I was born at night,” Kushner told them, “but I wasn’t born last night.” American officials stressed that they had no illusions about Hamas or Gaza’s population, noting that not a single person had called the IDF hotline established for turning in hostages. They added that even in Nazi Germany there were Righteous Among the Nations — and that was without the promise of a $5 million reward.

Still, a senior American official said the most likely outcome remains the destruction of Hamas by Israeli forces. “Still, most chances are that the destruction of Hamas will ultimately be carried out by IDF soldiers,” the official said. “But what do you care if we start the demilitarization peacefully? It’s clear Hamas is stalling, and it’s clear it will want to keep weapons, but what happens if, for example, only 10,000 Kalashnikovs are handed over and only 50 tunnels are destroyed without fighting — how does that hurt? You and we are not in a rush anywhere. It will only save work for the IDF.”

{Matzav.com}

An atzeres chizuk for yungeleit was held this week at Bais Medrash Govoha’s Bais Medrash Ateres Esther in Lakewood, NJ, focused on encouraging yungeleit to consider moving out of town to help build and enhance kollelim, mekomos haTorah and communities there.

The gathering featured divrei chizuk from Rav Yisroel Neuman, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha, and Rav Elya Chaim Swerdloff, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Paterson.

WATCH:

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration is preparing to launch a statewide online system that would allow residents to submit reports, videos, and other documentation of encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, an initiative modeled on similar efforts used by activists to monitor federal immigration activity.

Sherrill, a Democrat who was sworn into office earlier this month, revealed the plan Wednesday during an interview on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”

“We are also going to be standing up a portal so people can upload all their cellphone videos and alert people,” Sherrill said. “If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out. We want to know.”

ICE did not immediately provide a response when asked to comment on the governor’s remarks.

In addition to the reporting system, Sherrill said her administration intends to bar ICE from conducting operations on state-owned property. Several local governments, including Jersey City, have already enacted similar prohibitions at the municipal level.

“They have not been forthcoming,” Sherrill said of ICE operations. “They will pick people up. They will not tell us who they are.”

The governor, who has frequently clashed with Republican President Donald Trump, argued that ICE routinely withholds information about arrests and conducts itself in a manner comparable to a clandestine law enforcement agency.

“They’ll pick up American citizens. They picked up a 5-year-old child. We want documentation, and we’re going to make sure we get it,” Sherrill said.

Following her television appearance, the governor’s office said more information about the reporting portal would be released soon. The administration said the rollout is being coordinated with Jennifer Davenport, who was recently appointed acting attorney general of New Jersey.

“Keeping New Jerseyans safe is Gov. Sherrill’s top priority, and in the coming days she and Acting Attorney General Davenport will announce additional actions to protect New Jerseyans from federal overreach,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

New Jersey’s plan comes after comparable action in New York, where Attorney General Letitia James announced a program in October to gather photos and videos of ICE activity following a widely publicized enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City, a neighborhood with a large immigrant population.

State officials said any submissions to New Jersey’s system would be reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General to determine whether there were potential violations of state law.

Officials elsewhere have also signaled a willingness to challenge ICE through the courts. In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has said he is prepared to pursue state-level charges against ICE agents in certain situations.

At the federal level, members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation said this week that they are organizing legal observer training sessions to teach the public how to document immigration enforcement actions.

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey said continued scrutiny of ICE is necessary.

“Their crimes must be recorded for the day when those who have violated our rights face justice,” Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist., said. “It’s up to us to serve as witnesses now.”

{Matzav.com}

A suspect charged in a violent rock-throwing attack on a school bus on the New Jersey Turnpike that seriously injured an 8-year-old student has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials said.

Authorities identified the man as Hernando Garcia-Morales of Teaneck. The Department of Homeland Security described him as an illegal alien from Mexico with a lengthy criminal record accumulated while living in New Jersey.

According to DHS, Garcia-Morales was arrested in 2023 on burglary charges. Records also show a 2006 arrest for weapons possession and theft.

The attack occurred at about 2 p.m. on January 7 as a school bus was returning to Yeshivat Noam, a Jewish day school, after a class trip to the Liberty Science Center, officials said.

As the bus approached the area near Exit 70A-B in Teaneck, Garcia-Morales allegedly hurled a baseball-sized rock at the vehicle. The impact shattered a window and caused a fractured skull to a third-grade girl, who later required surgery, authorities said.

Two days after the incident, New Jersey State Police arrested Garcia-Morales. He was charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering apprehension, police said.

Investigators said Garcia-Morales was located at a makeshift campsite he had set up inside Old Croaker County Park in Bergen County following a state police-led investigation.

State police also said the investigation connected him to several other rock-throwing incidents reported in Bogota Borough, also in Bergen County.

DHS said Garcia-Morales entered the United States at an unknown time and location.

“Violently targeting a school bus full of children is extremely wicked and heinous,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Hernando Garcia-Morales should have never been in this country, let alone released after multiple arrests into New Jersey communities.”

The Senate reached an agreement Thursday evening to keep much of the federal government operating, finalizing a plan just one day before a looming shutdown deadline.

Under the deal, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will be carved out from a broader package that includes five other major appropriations bills. Instead of advancing DHS funding as part of that bundle, the Senate will move forward with a short-term continuing resolution that maintains DHS funding at current levels through February 13.

Negotiations over the temporary funding measure had focused on how long the stopgap should last. Democrats pushed for a two-week extension, which ultimately became part of the agreement, while Republicans had argued for a six-week continuation.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed the arrangement, noting that Republican leaders were still reviewing the details with rank-and-file members to determine whether changes or amendments might be required.

The remaining five appropriations bills — covering Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education — are designed to fund those departments for the full fiscal year. If enacted, they would provide funding for roughly 96 percent of the federal government through fiscal year 2026. Senate votes on the package were expected Thursday night.

President Trump signaled support for the agreement in a post on Truth Social.

“I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before),” he wrote.

“Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote,” he added.

If the Senate approves the funding measures, attention will then shift to the House, which will be responsible for taking up the bills in the coming days.

The House is not expected to reconvene until Monday, making a brief funding lapse likely. Uncertainty also remains about how smoothly the legislation will move through the chamber, as some Republicans have already called for revisions to the bills.

Democrats had previously warned they would block the entire six-bill funding package unless the DHS measure was removed, following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.

That backlash left Republicans on the defensive and led the administration to take steps aimed at easing tensions.

Discussions between Democratic leaders and the White House intensified Wednesday night, setting the stage for Thursday’s agreement.

“Hopefully, we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now. I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe want to see it either,” President Trump said during a Cabinet meeting earlier Thursday. “So we’ll work in a very bipartisan way, I believe, not to have a shutdown.”

The compromise leaves lawmakers with only a narrow window to reach a longer-term solution for DHS funding for the remainder of the year.

On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats are pressing three conditions in renewed DHS negotiations: ending roving patrols by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and tightening warrant requirements; increasing oversight by establishing a universal code of conduct; and mandating body cameras for agents while barring them from wearing masks.

“Under President Trump, Secretary Noem and Stephen Miller, ICE has been unleashed without guardrails,” Schumer said. “They violate constitutional rights all the time and deliberately refuse to coordinate with state and local law enforcement.”

President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, thanking him for advancing the decision to name a new seaside promenade in Bat Yam after the American president and expressing appreciation for the gesture.

According to a report by Ynet, the letter arrived unexpectedly in Israel and included a photograph from the groundbreaking ceremony for the promenade, personally signed by Trump. On the photo, the president wrote, “Bibi, This is so great. Thank you. Donald.”

The groundbreaking ceremony took place about four months ago and was attended by Netanyahu, Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. During the event, Huckabee photographed the beachfront and informed those present that he had sent the images directly to Trump. Shortly afterward, Huckabee announced that the president had “promised to visit the promenade.”

In the photograph signed by Trump, Netanyahu and Brot are seen laying the cornerstone for the new promenade together, with Ambassador Huckabee standing alongside them. In his letter, Trump thanked the prime minister for his role in promoting the project.

Ynet further reported that construction work on the promenade is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed within the next few months. Once finished, Trump is expected to receive a formal invitation to inaugurate the promenade during one of his future visits to Israel, together with the prime minister and the mayor of Bat Yam.

{Matzav.com}

A new poll published Thursday night examines the political impact of a possible three-way alliance between Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, indicating that such a joint list could dramatically reshape Israel’s political map.

According to a Channel 12 News survey, no political bloc currently has a clear path to forming a government without support from the Joint List or parts of it. Under the present scenario, the Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, would emerge as the largest party with 27 seats. Naftali Bennett’s party would place second with 21 mandates, followed by the Joint List with 12 seats and the Democrats with 11.

Shas and Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, would each receive nine seats. Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, and Otzma Yehudit would secure eight seats apiece, while United Torah Judaism would be the smallest faction in the Knesset with seven mandates.

The survey also assessed the effect of a partial consolidation. In that scenario, the Joint List would gain two additional seats, effectively weakening the so-called “change bloc” by one mandate. The opposition would stand at 57 seats, compared to just 51 for the current coalition. Several parties would fail to cross the electoral threshold, including Religious Zionism (2.9%), Blue and White (1.8%), and the Reservists party led by Yoaz Hendel (1%).

However, the most striking results emerged when the poll examined Eisenkot’s proposal for a full merger with Bennett and Yair Lapid. In that case, the unified list would surge to 38 seats, making it the largest party in Israel by a wide margin, while Likud would remain steady at 27 seats.

In this scenario, the Joint List would retain 12 mandates and the Democrats 11. Shas would again receive nine seats, with Yisrael Beytenu and Otzma Yehudit each winning eight. United Torah Judaism would remain the smallest faction, holding seven seats.

At the same time, a separate poll released by Channel 14 painted a very different picture. That survey showed the right-wing bloc strengthening significantly, reaching 64 seats, compared to 43 for the left-wing bloc. Arab parties would collectively receive 13 mandates.

In the Channel 14 results, Likud would lead with 34 seats, followed by the Joint List with 13. Bennett’s party would receive 12 seats, and Shas would gain 10. The Democrats and United Torah Judaism would each secure nine seats, as would Yisrael Beytenu.

Otzma Yehudit and Yashar would each stand at seven mandates, while Yesh Atid would fall to six. Religious Zionism would receive four seats, and Blue and White would fail to pass the electoral threshold, polling at just 3%.

{Matzav.com}

A Russian drone struck near the residence of Rabbi Liron Edri, the rabbi of the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, on Thursday night, causing damage to his home. No injuries were reported, as Rabbi Edri and his family were away at the time of the impact.

Kryvyi Rih, home to more than 500,000 people, is among Ukraine’s largest urban centers and serves as the heart of the country’s steel industry. The city is also recognized as the birthplace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has an estimated Jewish population of about 5,000.

Jewish leaders in Ukraine say attacks affecting Jewish sites have become so frequent that they have stopped keeping a precise tally. In just the last six months, more than ten incidents involving synagogues, rabbis’ residences, and Jewish cemeteries have been documented, with some cases suspected of being deliberate.

Describing the broader reality facing civilians, Rabbi Edri said, “People are freezing from the cold due to Russian attacks targeting electricity and energy facilities. It is a very difficult and challenging winter, and we need a great deal of heavenly mercy, but they will not break us. I, together with my fellow Chabad emissaries throughout Ukraine, am staying here to help the communities.”

In a statement, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine expressed support for the rabbi and those remaining in the country. The organization said, “We strengthen the hands of Rabbi Edri, who works in his city with astonishing dedication. It is very important that the world not forget the hundreds of thousands of Jews living here, as well as the hundreds of Chabad emissary families who did not leave Ukraine and remain here under constant bombardment, enduring terrible and threatening conditions, without electricity and sometimes without water. At the same time, we will continue to adhere to our mission and intensify it even further.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has reviewed a series of potential military and non-military actions aimed at Iran, options that were jointly prepared by senior officials at the White House and the Pentagon, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Among the proposals shown to the president is an expansive air campaign known internally as “the big plan,” which would involve widespread strikes against key installations linked to Iran’s ruling clerical leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Other alternatives outlined to Trump include more limited attacks on sites viewed as emblematic of the Iranian regime, paired with the possibility of widening the scope of operations if Tehran continues advancing its nuclear program. The menu of options also includes non-kinetic measures, such as cyber operations targeting Iran’s banking system, along with harsher economic penalties.

Officials in Israel have cautioned that a narrowly focused strike would likely fall short of bringing down Iran’s leadership. Sources in Jerusalem say that although Trump had previously been open to actions that might result in regime change, he now assesses that military force alone would not accomplish that objective. Instead, his current thinking is said to prioritize strikes on tangible assets, particularly nuclear-related facilities and potentially missile infrastructure.

Meanwhile, several Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and Oman — are engaged in coordinated efforts to broker dialogue between Washington and Tehran to avert a broader conflict. Despite the current diplomatic impasse, leaders in the region maintain that a negotiated off-ramp remains possible.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened a high-level security meeting in Yerushalayim on Thursday to address a sensitive and undisclosed issue, according to an official from the office of one of the participants, as questions mount over whether the United States is preparing for military action against Iran.

Israeli television Channel 12 reported that the closed-door discussion centered on Iran and the prospect of a US strike, an option that US President Donald Trump has raised repeatedly in recent days.

The consultation took place against the backdrop of rapid diplomatic maneuvering, public warnings, and military posturing involving Yerushalayim, Washington, Moscow, and Tehran, all linked to the potential consequences of a US attack. Iran has announced plans to display its naval strength next week, following the US deployment of what Trump described as a “massive armada” to the region.

Trump has cited Iran’s violent suppression of widespread anti-regime demonstrations earlier this month as one justification for possible military action. Human rights organizations have confirmed thousands of deaths, with overall estimates reaching into the tens of thousands. In parallel, Trump has also warned of strikes if Tehran refuses to reach an agreement curbing its nuclear ambitions.

A senior US official told Channel 12 on Thursday that a decision from Trump on whether to proceed with a strike could come in the coming days, once American military forces currently en route to the Middle East are fully positioned. Iranian leaders have repeatedly warned that any US attack would trigger retaliation against American interests and Israel.

While Trump’s precise objectives remain uncertain, reports indicate he is seeking to create conditions for “regime change.” Israeli officials are said to believe that a limited strike would not topple Iran’s leadership, an assessment that Trump reportedly shares, according to Channel 12. As a result, any US action would likely target Iran’s physical infrastructure, particularly its nuclear facilities and missile capabilities.

Channel 12 added that Israeli officials anticipate even a narrowly focused US attack would prompt a major Iranian response against Israel, which would then lead to a forceful Israeli counterstrike.

Speaking on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the American military stands ready to implement whatever course of action Trump chooses regarding Iran, with the aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department,” Hegseth said, using the Trump administration’s informal name for the Defense Department.

As deliberations continue, senior defense and intelligence figures from Saudi Arabia and Israel are in Washington this week for discussions with the Trump administration about a possible strike on Iran, Axios reported, citing multiple US officials and other sources familiar with the talks.

According to the report, Israeli representatives, including IDF Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, are providing intelligence assessments and potential target information related to Iran, while Saudi officials are pressing for diplomatic efforts to prevent an escalation into war.

Two US officials said Binder met with senior figures at the Pentagon, the CIA, and the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday. Another source said he brought detailed intelligence that US officials had specifically requested.

At the same time, Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman — the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — was scheduled to hold meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday and Friday.

Earlier this week, the Saudi crown prince informed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Saudi Arabia would not permit its territory or airspace to be used for military operations against Iran, according to the state-run SPA news agency.

Axios also reported that Saudi Arabia has been relaying messages between Tehran and Washington in an attempt to ease tensions and avert confrontation.

Beyond the Saudi initiative, Israel has identified what Channel 12 described as heavy pressure from Turkey, Qatar, and Oman on the White House, as those countries seek approval to mediate between the US and Iran in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution.

Turkish officials said Ankara will propose mediation during a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday. Turkey is also reviewing additional security measures along its border in case a US strike destabilizes the region, a senior Turkish official told AFP.

Much of the 500-kilometer (310-mile) border is protected by a barrier, but “it has proven insufficient,” the official said.

Recent negotiations between Washington and Tehran, however, failed to yield progress toward an agreement dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. That stalemate has made Trump more receptive to a major intervention, CNN reported.

A US naval strike group is already operating in the Middle East, and Trump has warned it is “ready, willing and able” to strike Iran “if necessary.”

Iranian officials, for their part, have signaled readiness for a broader conflict. The country’s first vice president said Tehran must prepare for the possibility of war.

“Today, we must be prepared for a state of war. Our strategy is that we will never start a war, but if it is imposed, we will defend ourselves,” First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

He added that Iran remains open to talks with the United States, but emphasized that “this time we want guarantees,” without elaborating.

Separately, Iranian army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia warned on state television that any US attack would be met immediately.

“A decisive response will be delivered instantly” if the United States strikes, he said.

“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines — carrying out a quick operation and then, two hours later, tweeting that the operation is over,” Akraminia warned.

{Matzav.com}

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that American forces stand ready to carry out a strike on Iran should President Donald Trump direct them to do so, according to a report in the New York Post.

Speaking about restoring deterrence, Hegseth emphasized the administration’s intent to reshape how adversaries view U.S. resolve. “We’re having to rebuild how our enemies perceive us. And when President Trump said, we’re not getting a nuclear Iran, you won’t have a nuclear bomb, you meant it,” he said.

Hegseth pointed to the recent capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro as an example meant to underscore why Tehran should take Washington’s warnings seriously. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities, and we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department, just like we did this month, no other military in the world could have, could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid, not just in American history,” he added.

The comments followed remarks made a day earlier by President Trump, who said a U.S. naval armada was heading toward the Middle East in response to Iran’s violent suppression of anti-regime demonstrations. Those protests have reportedly left thousands dead, with figures ranging from 3,000 cited by Iranian authorities to more than 36,000 according to other reports.

Trump addressed Iran directly in a post on his Truth Social account, writing: “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”

Israeli officials assessing the situation believe the president’s rhetoric may be intended to signal contemplation of a sweeping policy shift toward Iran, potentially including regime change, Kan News reported.

As the United States continues reinforcing its military presence across the region, sentiment in Washington increasingly favors bringing the ayatollahs’ rule to an end. At the same time, President Trump has said a diplomatic off-ramp remains available, even as he warned publicly that “time is running out” for Tehran to reach an agreement.

{Matzav.com}

Iran issued sharp warnings on Thursday that it would swiftly target U.S. military bases and aircraft carriers if attacked, escalating rhetoric after President Donald Trump cautioned that Tehran was running out of time and the European Union moved to brand Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.

As the war of words intensified between Tehran, Washington, and Brussels, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged renewed diplomacy, calling for talks to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region”.

An Iranian military spokesman said any American strike would trigger an expansive and immediate response, far more severe than Iran’s actions last June, when U.S. forces briefly joined Israel in air operations against Iranian targets. This time, he warned, retaliation would be decisive and “delivered instantly.”

Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia told state television that U.S. aircraft carriers face “serious vulnerabilities” and that American military installations across the Gulf region are “within the range of our medium-range missiles.”

“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines — carrying out a quick operation and then, two hours later, tweeting that the operation is over,” he said.

A senior Gulf official, speaking to AFP from a country that hosts U.S. military facilities, said anxiety about a possible American strike was mounting and “very clear”.

“It would bring the region into chaos, it would hurt the economy not just in the region but in the U.S. and cause oil and gas prices to skyrocket,” the official added.

Against this backdrop, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with both leaders discussing “efforts being made to de-escalate tensions and establish stability,” according to Qatar News Agency.

Pressure on Tehran also intensified from Europe, where the European Union formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, citing its role in a deadly crackdown on widespread protests.

“‘Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood,” said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, praising what she called a long-awaited move.

Although the designation is largely symbolic, Iranian officials responded angrily, warning of consequences.

Iran’s military condemned what it described as “the illogical, irresponsible and spite-driven action of the European Union”, accusing the bloc of acting in “obedience” to Iran’s enemies, the United States and Israel.

Tehran has repeatedly blamed Washington and Israel for fueling unrest at home, alleging their agents orchestrated “riots” and a “terrorist operation” that overtook initially peaceful demonstrations rooted in economic hardship.

Human rights organizations dispute Iran’s narrative, saying security forces — including the Revolutionary Guards — killed thousands during the protests.

On the streets of Tehran, residents voiced despair and uncertainty about the future.

“I think the war is inevitable and a change must happen. It can be for worse, or better. I am not sure,” said a 29-year-old waitress, who requested anonymity out of fear of reprisals.

“I am not in favour of war. I just want something to happen that would result in something better.”

Another woman, also 29 and unemployed, living in an affluent northern Tehran neighborhood, described a sense of hopelessness. “I believe that life has highs and lows and we are now at the lowest point.

“Neither the economic situation, nor our livelihood is good. It is the lowest for me.”

Earlier, Trump had warned of military consequences if protesters were killed during the anti-government demonstrations that began in late December and reached their height on January 8 and 9.

More recently, his focus has shifted to Iran’s nuclear activities, which Western governments believe are aimed at producing an atomic weapon.

On Wednesday, Trump said “time is running out” for Tehran to reach an agreement, noting that a U.S. naval strike group that entered Middle East waters earlier in the week was “ready, willing and able” to strike Iran.

Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported it had verified 6,373 deaths linked to the protests, though it said ongoing internet restrictions imposed on January 8 have hampered confirmation efforts.

Other rights groups warn the true death toll may be far higher, possibly reaching into the tens of thousands.

Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands died but claim the number exceeds 3,000 and that most of those killed were security personnel or civilians caught in violence carried out by what they call “rioters”.

In Tehran, the government has moved to reinforce its message with public displays. New billboards and banners have appeared across the capital, including one large image depicting the destruction of an American aircraft carrier.

{Matzav.com}

A devastating tragedy struck the Skverer community of New Square, New York on Thursday morning with the death of five-year-old Mattisyahu Glick z”l, who was fatally injured in a traffic accident while on his way to cheder just two days after the birth of a new baby in his family.

According to details that emerged, the accident occurred on Ostilla Street. Mattisyahu had gone to a nearby relative’s home to wait for his school transportation. As he stood at the bus stop, a bus transporting girls passed by without stopping. Believing it to be his own bus, the child ran after it. The driver, apparently unaware of the child’s presence, struck him.

The boy was rushed to Westchester Medical Center, where he lost consciousness. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced niftar shortly thereafter.

Only earlier this week, Mattisyahu’s mother had given birth to a baby boy.

Mattisyahu was the son of Reb Yekusiel Pinchas Glick, and a grandson of Rav Aharon Goldmintzer, the rav of the Skverer kehillah in Yerushalayim. Rav Goldmintzer, who had been planning to travel to the United States next week for a family simcha, was instructed by the Rebbe to advance his trip and arrive before Shabbos in light of the tragedy.

Baruch Dayan HaEmes.

{Matzav.com}

At a time when Klal Yisroel faces unprecedented challenges, with so many of our children being lost to the streets or worse R”L, one initiative has become a lifeline amidst the raging storm: Kesher Nafshi.

The organization, founded by R’ Gedalia Miller, has become the go-to for parents who find themselves in this impossible and gut-wrenching predicament. Kesher Nafshi equips them with perspective and guidance that helps them weather the storm with confidence. Instead of losing their child C”V, parents learn how to remain close, become a source of safety, and steer their child back ashore.

Kesher Nafshi creates inroads to reach these children by training the five pillars that surround a child’s world — Rabbanim, Mechanchim, parents, siblings, and mental health professionals. By empowering those within a child’s social and family circle, the devoted askanim at Kesher Nafshi have continued to save families and save lives, one at a time.

When such storms develop, the organization extends a hand with comprehensive support services, crisis Chinuch guidance, and innovative coping tools.

The offerings include the increasingly-popular Shabbatons that now regularly count hundreds of participants, tailored training programs, respite opportunities, support groups, immediate phone guidance and mentorship for parents, siblings, and caregivers, equipping them to face challenges with resilience and love. In the nine years since its founding, over 3,700 families around the globe benefited from one of these programs!

The costs of this mission are, of course, very prohibitive and the burden falls entirely on its leadership.

But the achrayus is one that belongs to all of Klal Yisroel, and there is no one who can say that they don’t have someone close to them that is dealing with a struggling child.

That is why Kesher Nafshi is turning to the community with a plea for help.

This week, Klal Yisroel will unite as one to support the Weathering the Storm initiative. Together, we will ensure that no child of ours is lost and that no family has to face this frightening storm alone.

Extend a hand!

https://www.charidy.com/keshernafshi