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All are asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Rav Yonason David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in Har Nof, Yerushalayim, who has undergone a cardiac-related procedure.

Rav Yonason is  one of the senior roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel and is renowned as one of the great baalei machshavah of our time.

His wife, Rebbetzin Bruria David a”h, was a daughter of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin.

All are asked to daven for Yonason Dovid ben Devorah Rochel.

{Matzav.com Israel}

David Lubin, the father of Israeli Border Police Officer Sgt. Rose Lubin hy”d, who was murdered in a 2023 terror attack in Jerusalem, has become the target of antisemitic harassment near his home in Atlanta, Georgia. In a disturbing post on Facebook, Lubin shared details of an encounter with a neighbor – Mark and Anna Bouzyk – that turned hateful and aggressive. “This is what antisemitism looks like in real life,” he wrote. “Months ago, my neighbor put a sign in their yard with the slur ‘Kike’ written 21 times. Today, they still keep their pro-Palestine signs up… but rip down my Rose stickers whenever they see them.” The confrontation escalated when Lubin attempted to replace one of the stickers commemorating his daughter. A video posted by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism shows a woman screaming at Lubin on his own street. When Lubin asked, “Is it okay that my daughter was murdered?” the woman replied, “Your daughter was wearing an IDF uniform.” Lubin calmly corrected her, explaining that Rose was a police officer, not a soldier. “She was wearing a uniform—she went there to murder,” the woman continued, with a man by her side adding, “How many Palestinians are killed there every day?” Sgt. Rose Lubin was fatally stabbed in a November 2023 terrorist attack at Herod’s Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. The attacker, a 16-year-old resident of the Isawiya neighborhood, targeted security personnel near the Shalem police station with a knife before being neutralized by forces on site. Lubin was critically wounded and died hours later. Law enforcement has not yet commented publicly on the incident. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfas and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, sharply criticized Sunday’s general strike, warning that it will not bring the hostages in Gaza closer to freedom but will only push their release further away.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Moreshet, Rav Eliyahu expressed empathy for the families’ suffering but insisted that the strike undermines Israel’s position. “There is no doubt that the last thing that will help bring about their release is today’s strike. The strike today only distances their release,” he said.

He explained that demonstrations and strikes provide Hamas with a sense of public and political pressure inside Israel, which in turn emboldens the terror group to harden its demands. “They are full of conditions and demands. They want to reach the line of Be’eri, Nir Oz, and Kfar Aza without one meter of Israeli control. They are demanding billions for rebuilding Gaza, and guarantees from the UN Security Council that we won’t attack them. What is that if not national suicide?”

Rav Eliyahu stressed that while his heart is with the families, the state must take a broader view. “It is difficult to stand before the families. Our hearts are with them; we truly love them and feel their pain. But the country needs to understand: the strike does not bring the release closer. It drives it further away. The more public pressure grows, the higher Hamas raises the price, making their demands impossible.”

He also noted that the Torah itself sets clear limits that cannot be crossed. “It is forbidden to release murderers. The Torah says: ‘Lo sikchu kofer lenefesh rotzeach’—you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer. Every time terrorists were released in the past, we paid for it with blood many times over. Anyone who thinks that mass releases are a solution is ignoring the responsibility for the lives of other citizens who will be harmed in the future.”

Addressing Israel’s military strategy, Rav Eliyahu called for a decisive conclusion to the war. “The Torah says: do not fight a half-war. Fight until full victory, until the end. Anyone who thinks he is helping the hostages by striking is, in truth, harming them.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday afternoon announced that Israel has made a decision to expel Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority from the country in the wake of Canberra’s announcement earlier on Monday that it has banned MK Simcha Rothman from entering the country. Of course, the move is also in response to Australia’s recent announcement that it intends to soon recognize a Palestinian state. “I decided to revoke the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority,” Sa’ar said. “The Australian Ambassador to Israel was just notified on the matter.” “I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel.” “This follows Australia’s decision to recognize a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures, including former Minister Ayelet Shaked and the Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, MK Simcha Rothman.” “While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population.” “It is shameful and unacceptable!” Sa’ar asserted. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Ukraine’s future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him an extraordinary cadre of European leaders to show U.S. President Donald Trump a united front against Russia. The European political heavy-hitters were left out of Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday, and they’re looking to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow. By arriving as a group, they hope to avoid any debacles like Zelenskyy’s February meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump chastised him for not showing enough gratitude for American military aid. The meeting also is a test of America’s relationship with its closest allies after the European Union and the United Kingdom accepted Trump’s tariff hikes partly because they wanted his support on Ukraine. Monday’s showing is a sign of the progress and the possible distress coming out of the Alaska meeting as many of Europe’s leaders descend on Washington with the explicit goal of protecting Ukraine’s interests, a rare and sweeping show of diplomatic force. “It’s important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and therefore for all of Europe,” Zelenskyy said on X. The night before the meeting, however, Trump seemed to put the onus on Zelenskyy to agree to concessions and suggested Ukraine couldn’t regain Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, setting off an armed conflict that led to its broader 2022 invasion. “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on social media. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Zelenskyy appeared to respond with his own post, saying, “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.” He went on to say that “peace must be lasting,” not as it was after Russia seized Crimea and part of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine eight years ago, and “Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack.” The sitdown in Alaska yielded the possible contours for stopping the war in Ukraine, though it was unclear whether the terms discussed would ultimately be acceptable to Zelenskyy or Putin. Upon arrival in Washington, Zelenskyy said in another social media post: “We all equally want to end this war quickly and reliably.” He expressed hope that together with the U.S. and European countries Ukraine will be able to force Russia to “true peace.” European heavyweights in Washington Planning to join Zelenskyy in America’s capital are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. On the table for discussion are possible NATO-like security guarantees Ukraine would need for any peace with Russia to be durable. Putin opposes Ukraine joining NATO outright, yet Trump’s team claims the Russian leader is open to allies agreeing to defend Ukraine if it comes under attack. Trump briefed Zelenskyy and European allies shortly after the Putin meeting, and details from the discussions emerged in a scattershot way that seemed to rankle the Republican U.S. president, who had chosen not to outline any terms when appearing afterward with […]

Forty-seven Israeli tourists remain stuck abroad after the hotel they were staying in discarded their passports in the garbage.

The bizarre incident occurred in Bosnia, where the group was preparing to return to Israel. As they looked for their passports ahead of their flight, they were shocked to discover that the documents had been thrown away by hotel staff, according to a report by Ynet.

The travelers were scheduled to return home last night but were unable to fly without their passports and were forced to remain at the hotel.

Security footage reportedly revealed that the passports had been mistakenly tossed into a trash bin at the hotel reception. From there, they were collected by garbage trucks and taken to a landfill. “They forced us to stay in the hotel for another 48 hours, maybe longer,” the tourists said. “We’re afraid we might be stuck here for more than a week.”

One Israeli tourist told Ynet: “This was no innocent mistake. How can passports just be thrown out? And everyone is staying silent. The suspicion is that the passports were discarded because they had the emblem of Israel on them. There must be a clear explanation, because this is a serious act that harms people.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that “the incident is known and is being handled by the Department for Israelis in Distress Abroad and the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade.” The hotel has not issued a response.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Against the backdrop of growing reports of tension between Jordan and Israel, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II announced on Sunday the revival of Jordan’s national military service program, which will reinstate mandatory conscription for the first time in 34 years.

Speaking at a gathering with young people in Irbid, in northern Jordan, the Crown Prince declared that the new framework would reintroduce compulsory service, according to the Jordanian news agency Arab News.

Prince Hussein emphasized that the younger generation must be prepared to serve and defend their homeland. “Those who have already experienced military service know its importance—not only from a security standpoint, but also in shaping one’s character and instilling discipline. Military service will strengthen national identity and deepen young people’s connection to their homeland,” he said.

The Crown Prince noted that he had previously instructed the government to work with its partners in developing the program and said that its implementation would follow a clear timetable, to be published soon.

Mandatory conscription in Jordan was abolished in 1991. At the time, men aged 18 to 40 were required to serve two years in the army. Since then, Jordan has relied heavily on U.S. military aid and a defense agreement with Washington, under which thousands of American soldiers are stationed in the kingdom.

This dramatic move comes amid increasing unease in Amman, where both official statements and recent policy steps have signaled concern over the shifting dynamics along Jordan’s border with Israel.

{Matzav.com Israel}

As Russia held its Victory Day parade this year, hackers backing the Kremlin hijacked an orbiting satellite that provides television service to Ukraine. Instead of normal programing, Ukrainian viewers saw parade footage beamed in from Moscow: waves of tanks, soldiers and weaponry. The message was meant to intimidate and was an illustration that 21st-century war is waged not just on land, sea and air but also in cyberspace and the reaches of outer space. Disabling a satellite could deal a devastating blow without one bullet, and it can be done by targeting the satellite’s security software or disrupting its ability to send or receive signals from Earth. “If you can impede a satellite’s ability to communicate, you can cause a significant disruption,” said Tom Pace, CEO of NetRise, a cybersecurity firm focused on protecting supply chains. “Think about GPS,” said Pace, who served in the Marines before working on cyber issues at the Department of Energy. “Imagine if a population lost that and the confusion it would cause.” Satellites are the short-term challenge More than 12,000 operating satellites now orbit the planet, playing a critical role not just in broadcast communications but also in military operations, navigation systems like GPS, intelligence gathering and economic supply chains. They are also key to early launch-detection efforts, which can warn of approaching missiles. That makes them a significant national security vulnerability, and a prime target for anyone looking to undermine an adversary’s economy or military readiness — or deliver a psychological blow like the hackers supporting Russia did when they hijacked television signals to Ukraine. Hackers typically look for the weakest link in the software or hardware that supports a satellite or controls its communications with Earth. The actual orbiting device may be secure, but if it’s running on outdated software, it can be easily exploited. As Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, someone targeted Viasat, the U.S.-based satellite company used by Ukraine’s government and military. The hack, which Kyiv blamed on Moscow, used malware to infect tens of thousands of modems, creating an outage affecting wide swaths of Europe. National security officials say Russia is developing a nuclear, space-based weapon designed to take out virtually every satellite in low-Earth orbit at once. The weapon would combine a physical attack that would ripple outward, destroying more satellites, while the nuclear component is used to fry their electronics. U.S. officials declassified information about the weapon after Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, issued a public warning about the technology. Turner has pushed for the Department of Defense to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers on the weapon, which, if deployed, would violate an international treaty prohibiting weapons of mass destruction in space. Turner said such a weapon could render low-Earth orbit unusable for satellites for as long as a year. If it were used, the effects would be devastating: potentially leaving the U.S. and its allies vulnerable to economic upheaval and even a nuclear attack. Russia and China also would lose satellites, though they are believed to be less reliant on the same kinds of satellites as the U.S. Turner compared the weapon, which is not yet ready for deployment, to Sputnik, the Russian satellite that launched the space age in 1957. “If this anti-satellite nuclear weapon would be put in space, it would be the end of the space age,” Turner said. “It should never […]

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Sunday ridiculed the BBC for once again publishing a false and distorted story about Gaza in order to portray Israel as a villain rather than Hamas.   Earlier on Sunday, Israel’s COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities) debunked a fictitious story published by the BBC, the Guardian, AP, and Italian media that a 20-year-old Gazan woman died on Friday after being flown from the Strip to an Italian hospital due to “severe malnourishment,” omitting the fact that she was critically ill with leukemia.   Huckabee retweeted a statement by journalist Melanie Phillips about the story: “Israel helps evacuate cancer sufferer from Gaza to Italy,” Phillips wrote. “She dies there of leukemia. BBC suggests Israel starved her to death. To the BBC, even cancer is Israel’s fault.”   Huckabee added, “Will the BBC retract the story and apologize? Of course. The same day a Baskin Robbins opens a franchise in hell.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Two police officers were shot and killed in a northern Utah city and a man was taken into custody, authorities said Monday. The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call Sunday in a neighborhood in Tremonton. A sheriff’s deputy and a police dog who also responded were wounded and were hospitalized in fair condition, police said. After the officers were shot, bystanders persuaded the man to put down his weapon, police said. SWAT teams responded to clear the home and verify that there was no further threat, police said. “Upon arrival, they immediately began taking fire,” Police Detective Crystal Beck of neighboring Brigham City told reporters earlier. “They requested additional units. And then stopped answering their radio.” The man was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, police said in a news release. His name was not immediately released. Tremonton, which has about 10,000 people, is about 75 miles (121 kilometers) north of Salt Lake City. (AP)

Australia’s Interior Minister Tony Burke announced on Monday morning that the entry visa of Religious Zionist MK Simcha Rothman, the chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution party, has been revoked. The announcement was made only hours before Rothman’s flight to Down Under, where he was scheduled to make a series of speeches at shuls and schools and meet with victims of antisemitic attacks. Burke explained the decision by saying, “Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division. If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here.” However, Burke failed to quote any examples of Rothman’s quest to “spread division,” only citing statements that could be attributed to millions of Israelis, including his opposition to a Palestinian state and statements such as “the Hamas terror group must be destroyed.” Robert Gregory, the head of the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), which invited Rothman, stated, “The purpose of Mr. Rothman’s visit was to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community, which is facing a wave of antisemitism. AJA had arranged for him to meet with victims, visit targeted Jewish institutions, and address numerous Jewish schools and synagogues. I have just returned from Israel and can attest that there is growing alarm there about the situation for Jews in Australia under the Albanese government. The visit was not in any way connected to current events in the Middle East.” “This is a viciously antisemitic move from a government that is obsessed with targeting the Jewish community and Israel.” “All the paperwork was filled out correctly and on time, and the visa was approved. The timing of the cancellation at the last minute was spiteful and intended to cause maximum harm to the Australian Jewish community. Mr. Rothman received his cancellation on the day he was to head to the airport for his flight.” “This government has a track record of cancelling the visas of Jewish and Israeli visitors, including Ayelet Shaked and Hillel Fuld. The message from the Albanese Government to Jews is clear, and we urge all Jews to seriously consider whether it is safe for them to visit Australia under this government.” “AJA is hearing from increasing numbers of Australian Jews who feel unwelcome under this government and are planning to leave. It seems the government is happy to replace them by importing thousands of Gazans.” “Israel is fully justified in taking strong measures in response to this, and we have briefed contacts in the Trump Administration who are also concerned about events in Australia.” The AJA also published a statement accusing Albanese of supporting Hamas. “LABOR STANDS UP FOR HAMAS,” the statement began. “AJA can confirm that one of the written reasons the Australian Government gave for banning Knesset Member Simcha Rothman is because his statements calling for ‘the elimination of Hamas’…have been received by members of the Australian community as inflammatory and concerning.” “Who exactly are these ‘members of the Australian community’ who support Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group, and why aren’t they in prison instead of deciding policies for Tony Burke?” “‘Jews not welcome’—is this the message that the Albanese government is trying to send? Simcha is just the latest Jew to be banned by a government which is obsessed with […]

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the ability to bring the conflict with Russia to an end “almost immediately” if he chooses.

The statement was issued just before Trump’s scheduled talks with Zelenskyy and a group of European heads of state in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”

On Sunday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb all confirmed their participation in the Washington meeting.

Their attendance reflects Europe’s determination to show unity as the war with Russia continues with no end in sight.

Ahead of the White House session, Zelenskyy met with von der Leyen in Brussels, where they set priorities for the talks, including long-term Western military support, Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU, and maintaining transatlantic resolve against Moscow’s aggression.

At a joint press briefing, von der Leyen said she was pleased to be joining Zelenskyy and other leaders in Washington on Monday.

Trump, in turn, described hosting the gathering as a “great honor.”

“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” he said in another Truth Social post.

He also pushed back against media narratives about his meeting with Vladimir Putin. “The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a ‘major defeat’ by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States,” Trump said in another post. “Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the U.S., and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing THAT was.

“These people are sick! They even want CRIME IN D.C., and other BLUE Cities throughout our Country, but don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” Trump continued. “Just like our now secure Southern Border (ZERO illegals in last 3 months!), our cities will be Secure and Safe, and D.C. will lead the way!”

The upcoming White House discussions with Zelenskyy follow Trump’s high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday. During that encounter, Trump abandoned his earlier demand for a ceasefire and instead pushed for a comprehensive peace arrangement.

After that meeting, Trump stated that Putin was prepared to bring the fighting to a halt if Kyiv agreed to major territorial concessions. He stressed that Ukraine should consider the proposal since “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”

Zelenskyy, along with his European allies, has consistently refused any plan that would involve ceding Ukrainian land to Russia.

{Matzav.com}

‘Shark Tank’ investor Kevin O’Leary discusses the July CPI report and the New York City mayoral race on ‘The Bottom Line.’

WATCH:

Hours after a massive rally in support of the hostages, hundreds of demonstrators marched from Hostages’ Square to the nearby headquarters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, where chaos unfolded late Sunday night. Protesters lit a bonfire outside the Metzudat Ze’ev building and attempted to push toward its entrance, but were blocked by heavy police presence. Videos circulating on social media show officers grappling violently with demonstrators, who were banging drums and chanting slogans denouncing the government’s handling of the hostage crisis. The clashes quickly escalated as police shoved back crowds determined to reach the Likud offices. The dramatic standoff marked the latest eruption of public fury over the hostages still held in Gaza. While the Tel Aviv rally earlier in the evening had drawn tens of thousands in a show of solidarity, the confrontation at Likud headquarters underlined the mounting anger now directed squarely at the government. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Explosive revelations in the widening “Qatargate” investigation allege that Qatar secretly funneled millions of dollars to top advisers of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to improve the Gulf nation’s international image, Kan reported Sunday. According to law enforcement officials cited in the report, Perception Media — a firm owned by Yisrael Einhorn, a former Netanyahu campaign strategist — was paid $45,000 a month for two years by Qatari interests. Of that sum, investigators say, $18,000 was directed each month to Netanyahu aide Jonatan Urich, while $11,000 went to fellow aide Eli Feldstein. The payments, totaling an estimated $10 million over several years, were allegedly made while both men were working inside the prime minister’s circle of power. At the center of the Qatargate probe are suspicions that Urich and Feldstein committed multiple criminal offenses, including illicit contact with a foreign agent, corruption tied to lobbying efforts, and secret dealings with businessmen linked to Doha. While Urich and Feldstein are the primary focus, the probe has now widened. Security officials confirmed that both the Shin Bet and police are examining the involvement of additional former defense and intelligence figures with financial and political ties to Qatar. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WATCH:

The Imperial War Museum is under fire for refusing to correct a glaring error in its Holocaust exhibit, after experts condemned its description of the Nuremberg Laws as “nonsense” and “reprehensible.” A caption in the museum claims that under the 1935 laws, “a person was defined as Jewish based on how many observant Jewish grandparents they had.” In reality, the antisemitic legislation made no mention of religious observance. It designated anyone with three or four Jewish grandparents as Jewish, regardless of personal practice, and classified those with one or two as Mischlinge (mixed race). The laws stripped Jews of German citizenship and banned them from marrying or having relations with ethnic Germans. A retired New York academic who spotted the error during a visit told The Guardian that while the museum’s exhibits were otherwise “extraordinarily impressive,” this misrepresentation “must be changed.” “It disregards the vast majority of the Jewish population who are not observant,” she said. “The Nazis aimed to eradicate all Jews, observant or not. To imply otherwise is misleading and reprehensible.” Holocaust experts backed her complaint. Historian Christopher Browning, a key witness in the David Irving libel trial, explained that what mattered to the Nazis was whether a grandparent’s birth had been registered with a Jewish community. “The grandparent could later even have converted to Christianity, but if the grandparent had been registered as Jewish at birth, that for the Nazis was the deciding factor.” Timothy Snyder, an authority on Nazi crimes, said bluntly: “It did not matter whether the grandparents were observant … No one was saved from persecution by having grandparents who were not observant.” He added that the caption’s wording creates a false impression that secular Jews might have been spared while religious Jews were targeted. “This is nonsense,” Snyder said. Dr. Robin Douglas of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism echoed the criticism, saying the museum’s text wrongly suggested that Nazi criteria depended on “a piously observant Jew in adult life” rather than on whether Jewish ancestry was recorded at birth. “The fact that the Nazis ultimately fell back on a religiously-determined criterion of Jewishness exposes the emptiness of their supposedly scientific ideas,” he said. Despite repeated appeals, Imperial War Museum director general Caro Howell defended the caption in an email, saying the institution would “stand by the curatorial choices that we have made and that our expert advisers have reviewed.” She warned that changing text whenever “interpretative nuance” was raised would undermine the museum’s integrity. When the academic forwarded expert testimony to the museum, Howell cut off correspondence, writing that the debate “risks sowing division among people who really should pull together.” A museum spokesperson later insisted the caption had been “rigorously reviewed and edited by IWM’s curators, a number of leading international scholars and members of Jewish communities.” They added that “it is inevitable that questions of interpretation will be raised.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Bechadrei Chareidim reports that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has recently turned to a surprising figure for advice in navigating the deepening crisis with his chareidi partners over the draft law. The man in question is none other than Reb Mordechai (Mottele) Karelitz, the former mayor of Bnei Brak and member of the state commission of inquiry into the 2021 Meron disaster, who personally signed off on the finding that placed responsibility for the tragedy squarely on Netanyahu himself.

According to information obtained by Bechadrei, Netanyahu and his aides have been consulting with Karelitz in recent weeks as frustration mounts over the draft issue. Given Karelitz’s longstanding ties with senior leaders of Degel HaTorah, who have hardened their stance on the law, Netanyahu’s circle has sought his input. Karelitz, for his part, has been reviewing options but has yet to offer clear solutions.

Karelitz, who once served as Bnei Brak’s mayor, was a member of the Tal Committee that produced the 2002 draft law. Most recently, he played a central role in the state inquiry into the Meron tragedy, which concluded that “the prime minister bears personal responsibility for the failures that led to the Meron disaster, even if he was not aware of the situation on the ground.”

Ironically, the very figure who placed Netanyahu at the center of Israel’s worst civilian disaster, in which 45 people lost their lives, has now been brought in to advise him on how to navigate the political quagmire of the draft law.

Sources confirm that Netanyahu has spoken with Karelitz several times in recent weeks, and just last week Karelitz was summoned to the Prime Minister’s Office for a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs. What was once viewed as an adversarial relationship has now been transformed into close consultation.

Within Likud, eyebrows have been raised. Senior figures have asked, “…the prime minister has shown before that he’s willing to swallow any frog for political survival. But how did the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, allow this? Did she approve it, or is this a failure on the part of his close circle—Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs and adviser Nevo Katz—who don’t realize the mess they’re walking into?!”

Among chareidi politicians, the response has been even sharper. A senior United Torah Judaism official fumed: “If the prime minister and cabinet secretary are running a separate channel on the draft law with someone outside the current political system—this is a total vote of no confidence in us as coalition partners. We will not remain silent.”

That same source directed harsh criticism at Fuchs personally: “Fuchs isn’t just going over our heads—he’s the one who sabotaged the talks until now, deceiving chareidi representatives with empty promises. Instead of being cabinet secretary for everyone, he is maneuvering in back rooms with one goal: to drag things out.”

This latest development comes on the heels of last week’s revelation of a significant rift between Netanyahu’s office and the chareidi parties over the draft bill’s wording. The chareidi side insists on reopening the agreement to soften sanctions, while Netanyahu insists on sticking to the version he claims to have finalized just prior to the Iranian attack.

Meanwhile, coalition insiders admit that it will be nearly impossible to pass the law before the upcoming Yomim Tovim, even at the committee stage. The Knesset is set to recess for two weeks starting next week, leaving only a brief window afterward to advance the legislation, making it unlikely the process will be completed in time.

{Matzav.com Israel}

On Sunday, Rebbetzin Sarah Sheina Kaplan a”h, a distinguished mechaneches at the Bais Yaakov HaYashan in Eretz Yisroel, who devoted decades of her life to teaching and inspiring generations of students, passed away. She was 91.

Rebbetzin Kaplan was born in Yerushalayim on 14 Teves 5694 (1933) to her father, the gaon Rav Avrohom Yaakov Zelaznik zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Etz Chaim and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah, and to her mother, Mrs. Itta, the daughter of Rav Yisroel Shalom Luria, one of the renowned nekiyei hadaas of Yerushalayim.

In her youth, she married her husband, Rav Yosef Kaplan, rosh kollel of Beis Asher in Yerushalayim, who was niftar nearly a decade ago.

She was known as an eishes chayil who stood as a crown to her husband, sacrificing much for his Torah and carrying forward the heritage of her illustrious family. She was admired for her extraordinary ayin tova and her devotion to chinuch al taharas hakodesh.

For many decades, Rebbetzin Kaplan served as a teacher and mechaneches at Bais Yaakov HaYashan, where her influence left an indelible mark on countless talmidos. Her legacy in chinuch continues to be felt to this day.

She is survived by sons and numerous descendants, many of them accomplished talmidei chachomim.

Her levayah was held Sunday evening from her home on Rechov Gesher HaChaim in Yerushalayim, followed by kevurah on Har Hamenuchos.

The family is sitting shivah at her home, 5 Gesher HaChaim in Yerushalayim.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

According to reports in Arab media on Monday morning, Hamas was handed a ceasefire proposal from both Egypt and Qatar during a gathering that included other Palestinian factions. Those present pressed Hamas to deliver its reply within just a few hours.

The mediators are expected to hold additional discussions later in the day in El Alamein, Egypt, where they will convene with Qatar’s prime minister, the report noted.

On Sunday night, the office of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made clear that Israel’s stance remains firm: the country will only agree to a broad arrangement that results in the simultaneous release of every Israeli hostage.

This declaration followed new claims suggesting that Hamas might be willing to show some leeway on a staged ceasefire and hostage deal.

“The Prime Minister’s Office clarifies that Israel will agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go, and in accordance with our conditions for ending the war, which include the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance that will live in peace with Israel,” the statement read.

{Matzav.com}