Israel’s security cabinet convened Sunday evening following an unusual statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office the previous night, which pointed to gaps with the American administration over the composition of a proposed Gaza “Peace Council” and related issues. According to a report on i24, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s public condemnation of Turkey’s inclusion in the council had been coordinated in advance with the United States.
Israeli officials played down the significance of Turkey and Qatar being included in the Peace Council as such, but voiced concern over Washington’s decision to place senior figures—at the level of Turkey’s foreign minister and a high-ranking Qatari official—within the council’s executive arm, the Gaza governing committee. In Jerusalem, officials said they were surprised by the White House announcement over the weekend regarding the two countries’ roles in the executive structure, though not by their participation in the broader body.
At the same time, reports indicated heightened tension during Sunday’s meeting of the political-security cabinet, where numerous ministers sharply criticized the establishment of a Gaza Peace Council, arguing that it constitutes an irresponsible move from a security standpoint. Several ministers said after the meeting that they left frustrated. A source familiar with the discussions said the Prime Minister’s seemingly forceful statement had been coordinated with U.S. officials, noting that it was no coincidence that the White House did not issue a response to Netanyahu’s remarks.
During the meeting, Netanyahu sought to calm ministers and outlined assurances he said he had received from U.S. President Donald Trump. Netanyahu told ministers that Trump shares Israel’s view that Gaza must undergo complete demilitarization prior to any reconstruction effort. He said this would include not only weapons, but also tunnels, machinery, and Hamas’ military production capabilities. Netanyahu added that the American president had set a clear deadline for Hamas to meet these demands and that, should the terror group fail to do so, Israel would receive a “green light” to act.
Despite these assurances, ministers continued to voice criticism of the initiative, arguing that it poses unnecessary risks and that the government has not been presented with a full picture of the potential consequences on the ground.
{Matzav.com}
MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism visited a military detention facility on Sunday where yeshiva students who declined to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces are being held, offering words of encouragement while sharply criticizing the policy that led to their imprisonment.
Speaking after the visit, Porush described his encounter with the detainees, saying, “I met several young men who are imprisoned for the ‘offense’ of studying Torah. I found them determined; they believe in the importance of sitting and studying Torah. Of course, it’s not comfortable for them,” he said.
Porush said the situation was emotionally wrenching and explained that, despite his limited availability, he is working on the issue through official channels. “It breaks the heart to see this situation. We should try to come here more often, but I am also busy with discussions in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and I shared with them what is happening in those discussions. We pray that Hakadosh Boruch Hu, will help us and deliver us from this trouble,” he said.
He went on to assail those responsible for the current policy, calling the circumstances intolerable. “This situation is truly unbearable. We are required to strengthen them. They are sitting in prison in a state governed by Jews because they are studying Torah. This is an absurdity that neither my father nor my grandfather ever imagined we would reach here in the Land of Israel,” Porush said.
The visit took place against the backdrop of heightened public debate over the draft law and the ongoing dispute surrounding the enlistment of yeshiva students into military service.
{Matzav.com}
and heavy financial penalties for stealing from the scene of the Nova Music Festival massacre.
Both men were convicted based on their own admissions of aggravated theft, after entering the festival grounds and taking personal belongings left behind by victims of the attack.
According to the revised indictment submitted by prosecutor Adar Bachar of the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, the two arrived at the site on October 8, 2023—just one day after the terror assault in which at least 347 civilians and 17 police officers were murdered at the festival location—and proceeded to loot items belonging to those who had been killed.
Arguing for strict punishment, Bachar emphasized the extraordinary gravity of the case, stating: “The circumstances of this case are unique and severe, and the actions of the defendants, who, one day after the worst disaster in the country’s history, got together and stole property belonging to the victims of the Nova Festival, must be condemned. The defendants took advantage of the situation in the country at the time to carry out their plan.”
In his ruling, Judge Amir Doron described the national trauma surrounding the events, writing: “The morning after October 7th, 2023, was one of the most difficult days in the country’s history. The country experienced a planned spree of murder and destruction, which caused substantial damage to life and property, which was reflected in the various strata of Israeli society in general, and the victims of the massacre and their families in particular.”
Judge Doron went on to deliver a scathing moral assessment of the defendants’ conduct. “The defendants failed in a disgraceful and particularly severe manner on the moral and ethical level. Through their actions, carried out together with one another, the defendants demonstrated a blatant trampling of every component of basic human compassion. The defendants stole equipment from the victims of the massacre, while the blood of those victims cried out from the ground before them. Driven by greed, the defendants chose to steal whatever they could lay their hands on, with particular emphasis on property of significant economic value.”
He added that such behavior strikes at the core of society itself. “Stealing from the scene of a massacre is not only an injustice toward the victims; it is considered a ‘stain on our camp,’ eroding social trust and the sense of solidarity,” he wrote.
At the end of the case, the court imposed identical sentences on both defendants: 38 months in prison, a suspended term, and a fine of 45,000 shekels each.
{Matzav.com}
Rav Yaakov Jan, the rov of Uman, issued a rare public warning on Sunday calling on Jews in Israel and abroad to avoid traveling to Uman in light of unusually severe winter weather that has made conditions in the area unsafe.
While underscoring the spiritual value of visiting the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov, Rav Jan said the current situation warrants delaying any trips until circumstances improve, citing heightened dangers both on regional roads and within the city itself.
He explained that temperatures have plunged to extreme sub-zero levels not experienced in years, alongside extended power failures, darkened and icy streets, and dangerously cold conditions inside homes—factors that collectively pose serious risks to visitors and local residents.
Rav Jan further cautioned those already in Uman to avoid using gas heaters indoors, emphasizing the particular hazards they present during outages. He pointed to a tragic incident late last week in which a 28-year-old man was found dead in his home, with carbon monoxide poisoning suspected, and urged the public to act responsibly and minimize exposure to danger.
The rov added that anyone who nevertheless decides to travel to Uman during this period should make certain they carry valid, comprehensive medical insurance before doing so.
{Matzav.com}
The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) carried out Operation “Red South,” in Gaza about a year ago, the IDF revealed on Sunday. The covert operation recovered the body of fallen hostage, Staff. Sgt. Oron Shaul, and returned it to Israel.
Shaul fell in combat in Shejaiya on July 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, and was then abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization.
During interrogations of detainees, initial information was received regarding a civilian property in which the fallen hostage had been held over the years.
Based on additional intelligence, a decision was made to carry out an operation at the site and a key individual residing at that property was apprehended.
During his interrogation by the ISA, precise information was obtained regarding Shaul’s location. The operation to recover his body was carried out by troops of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit.
On Aug. 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed near Rafah and his body was taken by Hamas. On Nov. 9, 2025, his body was returned by Hamas as part of the Gaza peace plan.
In addition to recovering the fallen from previous operations, the IDF has been doling out justice for previous attacks.
On Jan. 17, the IDF killed a Hamas terrorist in Gaza responsible for the murder of an Israeli civilian at the Nahal Oz checkpoint in 1995.
Muhammad Hamed Muhammad al-Hawli was a key figure in the terrorist organization for decades, the IDF said.
Al-Hawli directed the terrorists who carried out an attack on Feb. 6, 1995, in which Ashkelon resident and security guard Yevgeny Gromov was murdered. JNS
{Matzav.com}
Dear Matzav Inbox,
There is a certain tactic that has become all too familiar: arrive with a camera and a microphone, present oneself as curious and respectful, provoke just enough friction to spark a reaction, and then disappear into the editing room to manufacture a narrative that was decided long before the first question was ever asked.
That is precisely what blogger Tyler Oliveira has been doing as he deliberately travels to frum neighborhoods. His latest victim was Kiryas Yoel, as you can see in the video below.
He does not come to understand. He does not come to learn. He comes to extract moments — clipped, rearranged, stripped of context — that can later be repackaged to portray Jews in a negative light. A pause becomes hostility. A thoughtful answer becomes evasive. A nuanced explanation becomes a punchline.
Many frum Jews, when approached by someone with a microphone, engage in good faith. They assume, perhaps naively, that the person asking questions is genuinely interested in hearing how they live, what they value, and why their communities function as they do. They speak openly, respectfully, and sincerely. What they do not realize is that their words may later be selectively edited, reframed, or mocked to serve a predetermined storyline. That’s Tyler Oliveira game.
A recurring theme in Oliveira’s content is hostility toward Orthodox Jews for having large families. He repeatedly frames this as “draining the system,” deliberately conflating lawful, government-approved benefits with fraud. That framing is incorrect and deeply misleading. Families across America utilize tax credits, subsidies, and benefits explicitly created by law, yet only Orthodox Jews are singled out and cast as morally suspect for doing so.
This double standard is not accidental. It reinforces an ugly and dangerous narrative that paints religious Jews as parasitic, dishonest, and undeserving, a narrative with a long and troubling history. That’s what Tyler Oliveira is engaged in.
This is not journalism. It is not honest inquiry. It is provocation followed by selective editing, designed to generate clicks by inflaming resentment. And the damage is real. These videos circulate far beyond their original platforms, shaping opinions among viewers who have never set foot in a Jewish neighborhood and who will never meet the people being caricatured on their screens.
The Orthodox Jewish community does not owe Tyler Oliveira — or anyone else — performative explanations of its existence. Nor does it need to submit itself to bad-faith interrogations disguised as curiosity. Awareness is essential. Walking away, declining interviews, and refusing to participate in staged encounters may be the most responsible response.
Truth does not fear questions. But questions asked with an agenda, and answers twisted to fit it, have nothing to do with truth at all.
Tyler Oliveira, go away and target someone else.
Moshe Binem Schwartz
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticized the federal government’s stepped-up immigration enforcement in his city, describing it as an overreach that could spark confrontations between local police and federal agents, while urging demonstrators to keep protests peaceful.
The Democratic mayor said residents have the right to observe and record ICE activity on city streets and cautioned against escalating tensions as federal operations expand.
“We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos here,” Frey said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And we’re not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they’re trying to set up to do right now.”
Reflecting on the scope of the federal presence, Frey added, “I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”
The enforcement surge began last year after Minnesota was rocked by a major welfare fraud scandal, prompting the Trump administration to intensify operations across the state.
Since then, roughly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers have been assigned to Minneapolis, a city with a local police force of about 600 officers. Reuters has reported that the administration is also preparing to send 1,500 military personnel into the city.
Frey said the increased presence has heightened anxiety among residents. He noted that some people have asked police to confront federal agents directly.
“We can’t have that in America,” Frey said Sunday when asked about those concerns. “What we are hopeful for here is the judicial system to do its part to see that necessary check and balance.”
Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits seeking to block the influx of federal personnel, arguing that the deployments overstep federal authority.
President Trump has also suggested he could invoke the Insurrection Act — last used in 1992 — to deploy the National Guard to Minnesota, a move Frey said would “be a shocking step.”
Border czar Tom Homan has said the administration could reduce the federal footprint if local officials agree to “let us in the jail.”
Pressed on that point, Frey pushed back.
“I don’t think Homan understands the basic dynamic as to how stuff works in Minnesota here,” Frey said, insisting that Minneapolis enforces the law and is serious about public safety. “But the bottom line is, as we know, this is not about safety. It’s not about crime.”
“This is about intimidation. And, in Minneapolis, we’re not going to be intimidated.”
Separately, CBS News reported last week that the Justice Department is examining whether Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have worked together to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
“We haven’t received anything, a subpoena or otherwise,” Frey said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “And obviously it would be deeply concerning if the federal government is targeting someone for [an action] that is quite literally my job.”
{Matzav.com}
