WATCH:
As the winter zeman begins, Yeshiva Ateres Yisroel has unveiled a remarkable restoration: the yeshiva’s centuries-old Aron Kodesh, originally crafted in Italy more than 200 years ago, has been meticulously refurbished and magnificently refinished.
The Aron Kodesh, estimated to be around 250 years old, was built in Galicia by a Jewish artisan named Cohen. Just before the outbreak of World War II, it was transferred to the United States, where it served a Jewish congregation that later became Reform. Eventually, the Aron found its way into a local church, until, years later, the priest of the church discarded it.
At that very moment, a Jewish woman happened to see the discarded Aron and rescued it from the trash. She safeguarded the dismantled structure for decades, preserving each piece with care. About ten years ago, the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi zt”l, had the Aron brought to Eretz Yisroel. Skilled craftsmen from the Israel Museum dedicated half a year to restoring it, reviving its splendor before it was installed in the yeshiva’s bais medrash in Bayit Vegan.
When the yeshiva relocated to Modiin Illit about seven years ago, the antique Aron was moved as well. Now, for the winter zeman, the Aron Kodesh has once again undergone a careful renovation, preserving its historical charm while renewing its beauty for the next generation of bnei Torah.
{Matzav.com}
An Israeli citizen has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of involvement in a large-scale drug smuggling operation worth an estimated 90 million Hong Kong dollars — roughly $11.5 million USD, or about 38 million shekels.
According to reports from Hong Kong and Ynet, the 45-year-old suspect was apprehended by the Hong Kong Police Narcotics Bureau in the Hung Hom area of Kowloon, part of the city’s Special Administrative Region.
Police said the man, who entered Hong Kong in mid-October on a tourist visa, drew the attention of officers after behaving suspiciously outside an industrial building. A search of a nearby storage facility uncovered eight large cardboard boxes containing a substantial quantity of illegal drugs.
Authorities placed the man under arrest, and he is currently being held in custody. He is expected to appear before the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court, where prosecutors are set to file two counts of “trafficking in dangerous drugs.”
Under Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, a conviction for drug trafficking carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to 5 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 2.1 million shekels).
{Matzav.com}
The Hamas terror organization has reportedly told international mediators that it can recover the remains of seven to nine hostages buried beneath Gaza’s rubble, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat.
Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas knows exactly where at least eight deceased hostages are located and could easily retrieve them. However, there may be challenges in locating as many as five others whose bodies are believed to be trapped under collapsed structures.
The statement from Hamas came after President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the group, demanding swift action. “Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” Trump said, setting a 48-hour deadline.
He added, “Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not.” Trump made clear that patience was running thin, emphasizing that Hamas would be judged by its response. “Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera that the group had “told the mediators months ago that there are problems in searching for them because Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried. In some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried. There is American understanding of this issue, and we have made it clear.”
He claimed Hamas was conducting intensive efforts to find the bodies. “Over the past week and the week before, after the release of the live hostages, there has been intensive and unusual work. Israel is monitoring these efforts,” he said.
Al-Hayya accused Israel of exploiting the situation for political purposes, asserting that the controversy over the bodies was being used as “a pretext.” “The problem today is not a real problem, but an excuse on Israel’s part,” he alleged. “Our brothers are working in broad daylight, digging with outdated and very weak equipment, and continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground. Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”
While Hamas continues to claim it is unable to reach some of the sites, Israeli defense and intelligence officials maintain that the terror group is withholding the bodies intentionally. On Thursday morning, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior officials from the IDF Intelligence Directorate briefed US Vice President JD Vance at the Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv on the latest intelligence.
According to Kan 11 News, the Israeli delegation informed the Vice President that Hamas possesses the capability to recover at least ten of the thirteen bodies of hostages currently held in Gaza — and could do so without any foreign assistance if it chose to act.
{Matzav.com}
President Trump delivered a stark message to Vladimir Putin on Monday, responding to the Russian leader’s boast about testing a so-called “invincible” nuclear missile. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for Japan, Trump declared, “They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shore.”
Putin had proudly announced over the weekend that Russia had completed a successful 8,700-mile, 15-hour test flight of its latest nuclear-powered missile—a weapon Moscow has dubbed a “flying Chernobyl” for its unlimited range and potential to strike anywhere, including the United States.
Trump made clear that he viewed Putin’s remarks as reckless and provocative. “They’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” he said, emphasizing his demand that Russia immediately bring its war in Ukraine to a close.
“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying. By the way, he ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its, soon, fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump added, criticizing the Kremlin’s fixation on weapons demonstrations while the conflict continues to devastate Ukraine.
As tensions mount, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his pleas for Washington to send long-range missiles, arguing that only greater military pressure can compel Moscow to negotiate peace.
Zelensky welcomed Trump’s new round of sanctions on Russia, expressing hope that the measures would have a real impact. “President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles,” he told Axios on Sunday.
{Matzav.com}
The Hamas terror organization asserts that it is still struggling to locate the remains of deceased hostages, even though Israeli intelligence holds that the group is aware of nearly all burial locations.
Senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera on Sunday night that the organization had already informed mediators months ago of the difficulties they were facing in finding the bodies. “We told the mediators months ago that there are problems in searching for them because Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried. In some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried. There is American understanding of this issue, and we have made it clear,” he said.
He added that on-the-ground work to recover the remains has been ramped up: “Over the past week and the week before, after the release of the live hostages, there has been intensive and unusual work. Israel is monitoring these efforts.”
Al-Hayya also charged Israel with misusing the burial retrieval issue as a bargaining chip in cease-fire negotiations. “The problem today is not a real problem, but an excuse on Israel’s part,” he contended. “Our brothers are working in broad daylight, digging with outdated and very weak equipment, and continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground. Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official declared last week that it is in fact Hamas that is deceiving Israel, the mediators, and the United States. The official asserted that Hamas is capable of returning at least eight more bodies, but is deliberately postponing to gain leverage. In recent days, the group conveyed that it would deliver more remains, then repeatedly failed to follow through.
{Matzav.com}