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Chareidi demonstrators gathered on Monday outside the Tel Hashomer induction center to protest against the IDF’s efforts to enlist members of the chareidi community.

Footage shows activists sitting across the roadway, obstructing traffic, until police intervened and forcibly removed them.

The police issued a statement labeling the gathering “illegal,” although they emphasized that they “view the right to protest as a cornerstone of a democratic state and allow demonstrations as long as they are conducted within the law.”

They added, “However, the police will not allow any disturbances of public order, violations of freedom of movement, or behavior that may endanger public safety.”

Monday’s enlistment efforts were part of a special chareidi-focused day at Tel Hashomer, with the IDF attempting to draft two new companies into the Hashmonaim Brigade.

One company is set to include new draftees entering regular service, while the second will consist of reservists.

The army explained that this recruitment drive aims to offer chareidim opportunities within military service that accommodate their religious practices and lifestyle.

According to the military, the initiative will create an environment that allows soldiers to combine serious Torah learning with military responsibilities, enabling them to protect Israel while preserving their religious way of life.

Among those present to show support for the drafting of chareidim was Religious Zionist Party member Zvi Sukkot, who said, “They came to enlist and give their lives, and there are people here to humiliate and curse them.”

“I stand here on behalf of the majority of the Jewish people in the face of the disgrace that they are facing here. Shame!” Sukkot added.

Although approximately 10,000 draft notices were issued in the past two months, KAN reported that only 994 chareidim responded by presenting themselves at draft offices. Additionally, 2,491 are currently wanted on arrest warrants for failing to report, with travel bans placed against them to prevent them from leaving the country.

Nevertheless, these latest figures show some improvement compared to the previous three months, when only 367 chareidim complied with draft orders out of 7,014 notices sent, while authorities issued 2,473 arrest warrants and placed 446 travel restrictions.

Brigadier-General Shay Taib, head of the IDF Personnel Planning Branch, told Army Radio, “I would be happy if there was support from the other side [the wider chareidi community], but, unfortunately, we have yet to see any change.” He added, “We proposed imposing sanctions that affect the individual draft dodgers in their daily lives.”

On Sunday, the High Court of Justice issued a conditional order giving the government and military until June 24 to explain why more chareidim have not been summoned to enlist and why no penalties have yet been enforced against those who evade the draft.

This court action comes at a time when Israel remains embroiled in a drawn-out war, with reservists stretched thin and facing exhaustion after a year and a half of nonstop mobilization and danger.

Government officials have set a target to enlist 4,800 chareidim annually, a figure they plan to increase significantly in the coming years.

The IDF has been tasked with creating specialized pathways for chareidi soldiers to serve in sectors such as the Air Force, Intelligence Corps, and front-line units. Building the frameworks will fall to the military, but supplying the manpower will be the responsibility of the chareidi community.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Rep. Elise Stefanik would enter the 2026 New York governor’s race as the clear Republican front-runner if she chooses to run, according to a new poll released Monday. The survey, conducted by GOP pollster Landon Wall with GrayHouse, found that 44% of likely Republican voters back Stefanik, compared to 7% for Rep. Mike Lawler and 5% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Another 44% of respondents were undecided. Stefanik, a member of the House GOP leadership and a favorite of former President Donald Trump, is far better known among Republican voters, with 56% viewing her favorably and just 9% unfavorably. In a hypothetical general election matchup, Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Stefanik 46% to 40%. Hochul holds similar slim leads over Lawler and Blakeman, but notably fails to reach 47% support in any matchup — a potential warning sign for an incumbent in a Democratic stronghold. The poll also showed Hochul’s approval rating underwater, with 36% of voters approving and 55% disapproving of her performance. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Ronen Bar, head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service, announced today that he will be stepping down from his position.

Speaking during a ceremony honoring the agency’s fallen heroes, Bar said, “As the head of the organization, I took responsibility” for the events of October 7.

During his remarks, Bar shared, “And now, on this special evening, symbolizing memory, heroism and sacrifice, I have chosen to announce the implementation” of accepting this responsibility, “and decided to end my role as head of the Shin Bet.”

Bar emphasized that his choices throughout his career have always been driven by deep devotion and allegiance to Israel. “The same is true tonight,” he added.

He openly acknowledged that the Shin Bet had “failed to give a warning” ahead of the October 7, 2023 massacre, when terrorists from Gaza breached the border and launched the deadliest assault in Israel’s history, resulting in over a thousand deaths and approximately 250 kidnappings.

Bar noted that after more than three decades of service, he intends to ensure a smooth leadership transition. “After 35 years of service, in order to allow for an orderly process of appointing a permanent replacement and professional overlap, I will end my position on June 15, 2025,” he stated.

The Israeli government had previously voted to remove Bar from his role last month, a move that stirred debate over whether Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s declared justification — a loss of trust — was adequate grounds for his dismissal.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar announced he will leave his position on June 15, Bar announced at the memorial event for fallen Shin Bet personnel at the Shin Bet headquarters on Monday. “After 35 years of service, in order to allow for an orderly process of appointing a permanent successor and ensuring a professional handover, I will conclude my role on June 15, 2025,” Bar stated.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sharply criticized fellow Democrats on Sunday for not doing enough to oppose President Donald Trump, drawing a clear divide between himself and other high-profile Democrats seen as future presidential contenders. Pritzker delivered the keynote address at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, the latest and most high-profile in a series of speeches this year. While Pritzker continued to attack Trump, he also focused on what he says are shortcomings in his own party, assailing Democrats for listening to “a bunch of know-nothing political types” instead of everyday Americans. Without naming names, he called out Democrats “flocking to podcasts and cable news shows to admonish fellow Democrats for not caring enough about the struggles of working families.” “Those same do-nothing Democrats want to blame our losses on our defense of Black people, of trans kids, of immigrants, instead of their own lack of guts and gumption,” Pritzker said. The second-term governor has yet to say whether he will run for that office again in 2026, but the billionaire Hyatt heir has been laying the groundwork for a potential presidential campaign for years. Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another high-profile 2028 contender, said on his podcast recently that the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador and detained at one point in a notorious megaprison, was a “distraction” from issues such as tariffs. Newsom also said on his podcast’s inaugural episode that he opposes biologically male athletes competing in women’s sports. Polling suggests immigration is Trump’s strongest issue and that a majority of Democrats also oppose trans participation in women’s sports. Pritzker on Sunday night said it was no time for Democrats to be in despair. “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now,” he said, stressing that the party “must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box.” Pritzker has already spoken this year at the Human Rights Campaign’s Los Angeles dinner and is scheduled to headline a Minnesota Democratic dinner in June. He drew national attention in February when he used part of his joint budget and State of the State address to draw a parallel between Trump’s rhetoric and the rise of Nazi Germany. On Sunday, Pritzker again invoked his Jewish faith, criticizing Trump’s efforts to deport foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. He called on Trump to “stop tearing down the Constitution in the name of my ancestors,” a line that drew a standing ovation from the crowd. But Pritzker was also adamant in calling out the “do-nothing Democrats,” asserting that while the party “may need to fix our messaging and strategy, our values are exactly where they should be.” He added, “We will never join so many Republicans in a special place in hell reserved for quislings and cowards.” Lou D’Allesandro, who retired from the New Hampshire State Senate last year after five decades in public service and met Pritzker in Chicago years ago, said the Illinois governor “has all the ingredients to make it to the big time.” “He’s very quick on his feet, very gregarious,” he said. But any Democrat who wants to win in 2028 has their work cut out for them, he said. “They’ve got to reintroduce themselves to the grassroots,” he said. “They’ve got […]

The true measure of the IDF’s worthiness in its mission to protect Israel hinges on its ability to bring back the hostages taken by Hamas, declared IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. He delivered these remarks during a ceremony at Mount Herzl on Monday, an event dedicated to honoring Israel’s fallen security personnel as part of Remembrance Day commemorations.

“We are fighting in order to build a more secure future, and a free state. It is our ethical obligation to return our hostages [held by Hamas] to their homes – this is the test of being the Israeli Defense Forces,” stated Zamir during his address.

Gathered alongside Zamir were the heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF Intelligence, the Israel Police, and senior officials from each of these vital security branches.

Although Zamir did mention the goal of achieving “victory”—signaling the defeat of Hamas—it was clear that the central theme of his speech was the moral imperative to retrieve the hostages.

It remained uncertain whether Zamir’s choice to place such emphasis on returning the captives was intended as a subtle critique of government factions appearing more willing to prioritize the ongoing offensive against Hamas over immediate hostage recovery, or if his focus simply reflected the solemn atmosphere of Mount Herzl and the nature of the memorial.

Zamir further proclaimed, “It is our obligation in the IDF to serve as a [national] conscience, to highlight the way forward and to act at all times, without hesitation…out of a sense of steady honesty, for the sake of unity, cohesiveness, and victory.”

Amid an ongoing and deeply personal struggle with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his expected resignation, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar was physically present at the memorial and shared thoughts with the audience through a recorded statement.

Bar was seen gazing intently at the memorial wall inscribed with the names of Shin Bet operatives who fell in the line of duty.

Reflecting on the profound losses, Bar emphasized that the sacrifices of these agents left an indelible mark both personally, given the close-knit nature of the organization, and professionally.

On the professional side, Bar explained that honoring the memories of the fallen drives Shin Bet operatives to maintain their highest level of vigilance “every day and every hour” in their battle against terrorism.

Despite his visible presence, Bar gave no outward indication of the political storm he is currently navigating—a fallout stemming from criticisms over the failure to predict Hamas’s October 7 attack and deepening rifts with Netanyahu over the prime minister’s confrontations with Israel’s judicial system.

Mossad Director David Barnea also participated in the Mount Herzl ceremony, delivering a pre-recorded message in which he affirmed the agency’s enduring bond with its fallen. As “we defend the security of our homeland” he said, “we salute our heroes, you who lost your lives for the homeland…We have pride in your and our strategic achievements…you will always be part of the family of the Mossad.”

Barnea continued, adding a note of determination: “we remember you with our [ongoing] activities and achievements…we will continue to act with cunning and with a readiness to sacrifice.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

WH Press Secretary: “Nearly 800 illegal aliens were arrested during the first four days alone. Operation Tidal Wave is a preview of what is to come around the country. Large scale operations employing state and local law enforcement partners to get criminal aliens off our streets.”

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a warning Sunday, calling for the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure amid signs that US-Iran negotiations are gaining momentum. Speaking at the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) policy conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel could only accept a deal that strips Tehran of any capacity to enrich uranium. Anything less, he warned, would allow Iran to bide its time, waiting for an opportunity to sprint toward nuclear weapons capability once global attention fades. “Dismantle all of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. That is a deal we can live with,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu said he has conveyed this position directly to President Donald Trump and remains in close contact with Washington. Yet signs of a growing rift are hard to ignore. Addressing reporters the same day, Trump struck a far more optimistic tone, claiming that negotiations were proceeding well and predicting a deal without the need for military action. “We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place,” Trump said. The indirect talks, which concluded a third round in Oman over the weekend, aim to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while offering Tehran relief from crushing US-led sanctions. A fourth round is expected in the coming days. Still, Israeli officials fear the US is racing toward what Jerusalem views as a “bad deal.” Reports indicate that Israel was informed of the renewed talks only hours before Trump made them public — and key Israeli demands appear to be sidelined at the negotiating table. Netanyahu insisted that the only acceptable model is one resembling Libya’s 2003 agreement, in which the country fully dismantled both its military and civilian nuclear programs. Anything short of that, he warned, would be a fatal mistake. Adding to Israel’s unease, American officials have sent mixed signals. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff initially suggested limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment, rather than eliminating it — before hurriedly walking back the statement under pressure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later clarified that Iran could maintain a civilian nuclear program but only if it imported enriched uranium, as other nations do. Tehran continues to accelerate production of highly enriched uranium — inching dangerously close to weapons-grade levels — and develops its ballistic missile arsenal unabated. Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that the right to enrich uranium is “non-negotiable.” Behind the scenes, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has reportedly pressed US officials to consider deploying “bunker buster” bombs against Iran’s fortified nuclear sites if diplomacy fails. Trump, for his part, told Time magazine that while he would prefer a deal over conflict, he would not hesitate to lead a military strike if talks collapse: “If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In a strong rebuke aired Monday on 103FM, Ilan Lotan, a onetime top official within the Shin Bet, publicly criticized agency head Ronen Bar and urged him to resign immediately.

“They turned the Shin Bet into an enemy of the people, even greater than Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad,” Lotan charged, emphasizing that “the relationship between the Shin Bet and the prime minister is critical.”

Lotan expressed serious doubt over how Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Bar could continue collaborating, given the mutual accusations between them, asserting that the only viable way to determine the facts would be through the establishment of a state commission of inquiry.

“I greatly appreciate Bar as a person, but he needs to announce his resignation,” Lotan continued.

“The relationship with the prime minister is critical — the issues are so sensitive. Just imagine them sitting in a work meeting on such sensitive matters. This elephant in the room must be removed,” he warned, suggesting that the unresolved tension makes effective communication impossible.

Lotan also shared that he has been hearing from active Shin Bet agents who conveyed to him their profound sense of disappointment and betrayal.

“As we speak, people are working all night to thwart terrorist attacks, and they hear these headlines in the news, and it’s a very painful feeling,” he said, describing the morale crisis among the operational teams.

Meanwhile, Likud MK Amit Halevi, speaking to 103FM on Monday, echoed the call for Bar’s departure, arguing, “Unfortunately, Bar is severely harming Shin Bet because he refuses to resign, and since then he has been doing everything to leave scorched earth behind at the Shin Bet.”

Halevi elaborated on the dysfunction, noting, “There can be no government without overall responsibility. But you also can’t treat that responsibility normally when all the officials are working against you, not reporting to you, and doing everything they can to prevent you from implementing your policies.”

He also remarked on the broader erosion of confidence in national institutions, commenting, “You won’t find much trust in a High Court that seeks to impose its values on all of Israeli society. Therefore, there is a great lack of trust.”

Taking aim at Bar’s recent legal maneuvers, Halevi stated, “Ronen Bar submitted affidavits to remain in office as part of his anti-democratic battle. In any democratic country, he would have been sent home. In Israel, due to the constitutional revolution that hasn’t happened,” he charged.

Concluding his remarks, Halevi reiterated the urgent need for a full investigation, declaring, “A state commission of inquiry must be established,” and emphasizing that it must delve into systemic issues that have been building up over an extended period.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: Firefighters drop bags of fire retardant on the Iranian Shahid Rajai Pier blaze via helicopter.

The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces. But millions of people still face daily battles with its chemical legacy. Nguyen Thanh Hai, 34, is one of millions with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. Born with severe developmental challenges, it’s a struggle for him to complete tasks others take for granted: buttoning the blue shirt he wears to a special school in Da Nang, practicing the alphabet, drawing shapes or forming simple sentences. Hai grew up in Da Nang, the site of a U.S. air base where departing troops left behind huge amounts of Agent Orange that have lingered for decades, leeching into food and water supplies in areas like Hai’s village and affecting generations of residents. Across Vietnam, U.S. forces sprayed sprayed 72 million liters (19 million gallons) of defoliants during the war to strip the enemy’s cover. More than half was Agent Orange, a blend of herbicides. Agent Orange was laced with dioxin, a type of chemical linked to cancer, birth defects and lasting environmental damage. Today, 3 million people, including many children, still suffer serious health issues associated with exposure to it. Vietnam has spent decades cleaning up the toxic legacy of the war, in part funded by belated U.S. assistance, but the work is far from complete. Now, millions in Vietnam are worried that the U.S. may abandon Agent Orange cleanup as President Donald Trump slashes foreign aid. Decades of contamination When the war ended, the U.S. turned its back on Vietnam, eager to turn the page on a painful chapter in its history. But Vietnam was left with dozens of dioxin hotspots spread across 58 of its 63 provinces. Vietnam says the health impacts last generations, threatening the children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren of people exposed to the chemicals with health complications ranging from cancer to birth defects that affects the spine and nervous system. But the science about the human health impact — both to those exposed to Agent Orange and the generations that follow — remains unsettled. This is partly because when the two countries finally started working together in 2006, they focused on finding dioxin in the environment and clearing it instead of studying the still-contentious topic of its impact on human health, said Charles Bailey, co-author of the book “From Enemies to Partners: Vietnam, the U.S. and Agent Orange.” “The science of causality is still incomplete,” said Bailey. Vietnam identifies Agent Orange victims by checking family history, where they lived, and a list of health problems linked to the poison. And Hai’s disabilities were very likely linked to the spraying of the defoliant, added Bailey. The 34-year-old dreams of becoming a soldier like his grandfather, was unable to leave home for years, waiting alone while his family went out to work. It was only five years ago that he began attending a special school. “I am happy here because I have many friends,” he said. Other students at the school hope to become tailors or makers of incense sticks. The contamination also denuded Vietnam’s natural defenses. Nearly half of its mangrove trees, which shield shores from strong storms, were destroyed. Much of its tropical forest was irrevocably damaged, while the herbicide also leached the soil of nutrients in some of Vietnam’s […]

The IDF publishes footage showing yesterday’s airstrike in Beirut, targeting what the military said was a facility used by Hezbollah to store precision missiles.

Today, President Trump launched a fierce attack against polls that showed his approval numbers sagging as he approached his 100th day in office, accusing the media outlets behind the surveys of pushing “fake news” and demanding investigations into alleged election fraud.

Targeting recent polls by the New York Times and ABC/Washington Post, which indicated declining public support, Trump slammed the results, accusing the media of being afflicted with what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“The New York Times has only 37% Trump 2024 voters, and the ABC/Washington Post Poll has only 34% Trump Voters, unheard of numbers unless looking for a negative result, which they are,” he wrote in an irate post on Truth Social.

Trump didn’t stop there, also taking a swipe at Fox News, insisting, “These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD, and add in the FoxNews Pollster while you’re at it.”

Continuing his tirade, he lambasted pollsters and news organizations, claiming, “They are Negative Criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I WIN ELECTIONS BIG, much bigger than their polls showed I would win, loose a lot of credibility, and then go on cheating and lying for the next cycle, only worse,” he fumed.

He capped off his furious statement by emphasizing the media’s obsession with undermining him, declaring, “They suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, and there is nothing that anyone, or anything, can do about it. THEY ARE SICK,” he added.

Trump’s barrage came on the heels of several polls released on Sunday that all painted a grim picture of his public approval — including one that showed he was setting records for the lowest ratings for a new presidential term in modern history.

One Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey reported that Trump’s approval rating after his first 100 days stood at just 39%, the lowest score recorded for a sitting president at this point in office since 1945.

Meanwhile, a separate New York Times/Siena College poll found that 42% of voters said they approved of Trump’s performance overall.

{Matzav.com}

Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-30) has sent a formal letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway and the Board of Governors expressing his “deep concern and disappointment” over the selection of comedian Ramy Youssef — a figure widely known for his anti-Israel views — as the commencement speaker for Rutgers-Newark’s 2025 graduation ceremony. Read the full story on Lakewood Alerts.

Sheikh Mohammed Jaber Awad, the Houthi-appointed governor of Saada province, has been eliminated in a U.S. Navy strike.

Hamas continues to use hospitals in Gaza as headquarters. This is an interrogation notice issued to a Gazan by Hamas internal security, summoning him to a room located in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

WATCH: A man from Ahmedabad unintentionally captured the Pahalgam Islamist terror attack on video, oblivious to the surrounding chaos while on a zip line.

Palestinian journalists tried to disrupt IDF operations at the Al-Ain refugee camp in Nablus, but were quickly quickly moved back and told to leave.

Israel’s Ambassador to India Reuven Azar says Israel will “support India’s right to self-defense” if India takes action against “terrorists”.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, warning that the military will act if necessary. “We will not allow Iran nuclear weapons. We will need to make decisions and we know there are those who will carry them out if we have to act,” Katz says during a meeting today with the IDF General Staff Forum.