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Israeli Finance Ministry Minister and member of the Security Cabinet Ze’ev Elkin warned on Tuesday night that continued opposition by chareidi parties to the draft law could lead to harsher outcomes for the chareidi public and destabilize the coalition, including the risk of elections without an approved state budget. Speaking in an interview on the HaMahadura HaMerkazit program, Elkin argued that internal resistance—particularly by the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction—could make passage of the legislation impossible and ultimately harm the very communities seeking to block it.
Addressing reports of quiet contacts between Naftali Bennett and chareidi figures, Elkin said such maneuvering was unsurprising but misguided. “In politics, anything can happen,” he said, adding that some in the chareidi street are misreading the situation. “There are elements in the chareidi public who oppose the current version of the law and are hoping that maybe they’ll get more from Bennett. I think they are deluding themselves. As someone who has been following the draft law for a long time, I see the same pattern repeat itself: a proposal is put on the table, certain factions reject it in the hope of something better, time passes, and then they say, ‘Too bad we didn’t agree back then,’ because the new proposals are worse. This is a cycle that has been repeating itself since 2012.”
Elkin directed pointed criticism at the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction, warning that its stance could stall the process entirely. “I’m afraid that this time as well Agudas Yisroel is making the same mistake,” he said. “Its opposition makes it impossible to pass the law, because no one in the coalition wants to be someone else’s Shabbos goy.”
Turning to the prospect of the government collapsing before the state budget is approved, Elkin issued a stark warning to chareidi representatives. “Let’s say the draft law isn’t passed and we go to elections—does it make sense to go to elections without a budget?” he asked. “I think that would be a very big mistake. It would be an economically ‘dead year.’ The first to be hurt by that would be the chareidi public, because a large portion of its funding is not in the base budget. Under a continuing budget of one-twelfth, that money won’t be transferred. It would be a kind of ‘self-inflicted punishment.’ If I were advising them, I would recommend: first approve a budget, and then go to elections.”
On security matters, Elkin addressed American demands to disarm Hamas as part of President Donald Trump’s plan, expressing doubt that diplomatic avenues alone would succeed. “Trump said it correctly: either it happens the easy way, or the hard way,” Elkin said. “The hard and bad way is clearly only the IDF, because no one else will do this job for us. I’m skeptical that diplomatic moves will help, and therefore the ball will return to the IDF.”
At the same time, Elkin pointed to what he described as significant achievements on the ground. “We defeated Hamas militarily,” he said. “They no longer have a shared border with Egypt, we have control over the Philadelphi Corridor, and therefore their ability to rebuild their strength is very limited.”
In closing, Elkin also touched on the brewing coalition crisis surrounding the dairy reform, urging all sides to reach a compromise that balances lowering the cost of living with protecting farmers in Israel’s periphery and safeguarding the country’s food security.
{Matzav.com}
The Belzer Chassidus on Tuesday forcefully rejected reports claiming that the Belzer Rebbe took part in drafting religious guidelines incorporated into new Israel Defense Forces General Staff orders. Senior figures in the chassidus dismissed the claims with derision, stating unequivocally that neither the Rebbe nor anyone acting on his behalf had any involvement in the matter at any stage.
The response followed earlier reports alleging that the Belzer Rebbe and the Stoliner Rebbe participated in formulating rules intended to regulate chareidi enlistment in the IDF, including direct dialogue with military officials, the dispatch of representatives to meetings, and approval of specific clauses in the orders.
Belzer sources flatly denied the claims, calling all such reports “false,” and added that the journalists who published them failed to seek any response from the chassidus beforehand. According to the statement, this omission violated basic standards of journalistic ethics and professional conduct.
The denial came as additional coverage aired on i24NEWS, which reported on the composition of a supervisory committee tasked with overseeing chareidi service frameworks within the IDF. The report said the committee would include representatives from Ashkenazi and Sephardi yeshivos, as well as figures linked to the Belzer and Stoliner courts.
According to that report, the committee members named were Rav Dovid Leibel, Rav Shimon Binik, Rav Avrohom Borodiansky, Rav Meir Antebi, Rav Asher Zelfreind, and Rav Carmi Gross. The committee is expected to have authority to conduct inspections at IDF bases where chareidi soldiers are serving.
Earlier on Tuesday, journalist Yoeli Brim reported that the Belzer and Stoliner Rebbes were involved in shaping the religious standards embedded in the new General Staff orders, including participation in discussions with the IDF and approval of the final language. That account was categorically rejected by Belz.
The controversy unfolded on the same day that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi signed the new General Staff orders formally regulating chareidi service in the military. Until now, policies governing chareidi enlistment had been internal directives of the IDF Manpower Directorate. The new orders elevate those policies to binding General Staff regulations, subject to formal oversight, implementation, and periodic review at the highest levels.
The orders outline additional rights for chareidi soldiers, including designated prayer times, mehadrin kashrus standards, and the option of a declaration of allegiance in place of a formal oath.
They also establish three dedicated chareidi service tracks. One framework assigns soldiers to gender-segregated teams. A second, known as the “Cherev” track, provides fully gender-segregated units—such as entire battalions—where combat commanders are generally chareidi or religious soldiers, with rare exceptions requiring special approval. A third framework, the “Dovid” track, consists of units in which all personnel maintain a religious lifestyle; such units will require individual authorization from the head of the Manpower Directorate.
Under the new regulations, candidates seeking placement in chareidi tracks will be required to pass an evaluation demonstrating adherence to a chareidi way of life, with provisions allowing for removal from the framework if those standards are not maintained. The orders also permit chareidi soldiers, under justified circumstances, to enter and leave bases without wearing uniforms, and stipulate that their induction will be conducted via declaration rather than oath.
{Matzav.com}
An unusually forceful editorial published Tuesday in the Israeli daily Yated Neeman launched a sweeping and uncompromising attack on Israel’s judicial system and the military establishment, declaring that the Torah world will not yield to arrests, sanctions, or political pressure. The editorial frames the current moment as a decisive struggle over the identity of the state and the standing of Torah learners, asserting that Torah alone is the true and unchangeable constitution of the Jewish people.
The article describes what it calls an escalation in the battle over the character of the country, insisting that Torah cannot and will not be reshaped to suit political circumstances. Against the backdrop of growing pressure on yeshivos and kollelim, the editorial quotes Rav Dov Landau as saying: “At this time, when the burden on the yeshivos and kollelim has grown heavier due to decrees and harassment by state authorities, the urgent need of the hour is to strengthen those who learn Torah.” The paper notes that Rav Landau undertook a demanding campaign of encouragement across Torah institutions of all communities and backgrounds, a campaign that is continuing in the present days.
According to the editorial, the goal of this effort is to reinforce resolve, prevent spiritual weakening, increase kevod Shomayim, and raise high the banner of Torah and respect for its learners. The message delivered during these visits is quoted as: “The Torah unites the entire Jewish people, and through it we will merit salvation from all troubles, from within and from without.”
The article then turns to the parsha of Yisro, portraying the annual renewal of the covenant between the Jewish people and the Ribono Shel Olam. The editorial presents the current struggle as a spiritual campaign against what it calls the dominant Israeli cultural current, urging the nation to close ranks in a unified front.
In one of its sharpest passages, the editorial accuses the judicial system and its allied bodies, together with the military authorities, of adopting an agenda aimed at reducing the presence of Torah in Israel. It asserts that opponents of Torah and adversaries of the chareidi public have revealed their intentions, aided by what the paper describes as collaborators from religious-Zionist circles who, it claims, are intensifying public campaigns through their media outlets.
The article expands at length on the battle with Amalek, arguing that true victory was achieved not on the battlefield itself but in the place where Moshe Rabbeinu stood engaged in tefillah and spiritual leadership. According to the editorial, wars arise when commitment to Torah weakens, while victory comes through strengthening Torah study. It highlights Yehoshua’s role as a devoted Torah figure, chosen to lead precisely because of his lifelong immersion in Torah rather than any military training or command experience.
The editorial argues that although the physical fighting was carried out by soldiers, victory was achieved solely through the spiritual power of Torah. It stresses that this reality may not be perceptible to the physical senses, but is an accepted truth transmitted through Torah Shebaal Peh.
The piece goes on to describe Israeli society as being under what it calls a foreign spiritual domination by a small but aggressive minority. It accuses this group of seeking to uproot the covenant of Sinai and strip away what the editorial describes as the true spiritual protection that shields the nation. According to the article, efforts by the judiciary and political actors to undermine the Torah-based foundation of Jewish life are steadily intensifying.
Addressing arguments that Torah law should be adjusted to modern realities, the editorial challenges the notion that divine law is meant to adapt to human circumstances. Instead, it argues that the world itself was created in accordance with the Torah, and therefore reality must conform to Torah rather than Torah bending to reality. It maintains that attempting to replace Torah law with human-devised legal systems represents a distortion of the divine design underlying creation.
In response to what it describes as coercive measures, the editorial declares unequivocal defiance. It states that no Torah learner will abandon his studies because of arrests, enforcement actions, or sanctions. The article emphasizes that the Torah was accepted at Sinai as the binding constitution of the Jewish people, accepted unanimously and irrevocably.
The editorial draws a distinction between a state constitution, which it says can be changed by majority vote, and the constitution of a nation, which it argues cannot be altered. Jewish nationhood, it asserts, was forged at the giving of the Torah, not through international resolutions, parliamentary decisions, or judicial rulings.
Reiterating its core message, the article declares that loyalty to Torah will never change under any circumstances. It insists that “the Torah will not be adjusted to fit circumstances”; rather, “circumstances must be reshaped to align with the Torah, regardless of the cost.”
In one of its most striking lines, the editorial concludes that just as past adversaries failed, current efforts will also collapse. “Even the Israelis will not prevail over the Jews,” it states, warning that incitement, coercion, arrests, and sanctions are destined to fail. The struggle, the editorial says, is not about communal rights but about the honor of Hashem, framing the confrontation as a spiritual battle fought for a higher purpose.
The piece closes by returning to the theme of the covenant renewed each year with the reading of Parshas Yisro, asserting that Torah learners understand the roots of the struggle and will not abandon their posts. It ends by quoting Rav Landau’s declaration: “Even things that are well known must be said. Nothing overrides Torah study, and through the study of Torah we will merit salvation from all troubles, from within and from without.”
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] President Trump lashed out at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during a tense Oval Office question-and-answer session on Tuesday, criticizing her demeanor and attacking her credibility as she pressed him on the release of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
As Collins posed a series of questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein materials, Trump cut her off with a personal rebuke, telling her, “CNN has no ratings because of people like you,” and labeling her the network’s “worst reporter.” He added a remark about her expression, saying, “You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile.”
Trump escalated his criticism moments later, referencing his long familiarity with Collins and broadening the attack to her employer. “I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile, because you know you’re not telling the truth and you’re you’re a very dishonest organization and they should be ashamed of you,” he said.
Collins tried to interject, quietly noting that she was “talking about survivors of a … abusers,” suggesting that the subject matter did not lend itself to levity.
Collins began her journalism career covering entertainment before moving into political reporting, later serving as a White House correspondent for the Daily Caller starting in 2016.
She joined CNN in 2017 and reported on Trump’s first term from the White House before transitioning into anchor positions in 2023.
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{Matzav.com}
For many residents of Bnei Brak and the wider chareidi public who use kosher phones, a routine task—adding credit to a Rav-Kav public transportation card—has become a daily frustration. Speaking on the radio program Osim Seder BaMoked HaTziburi, hosted by Tzvi Tessler, a caller described how the lack of accessible charging options has turned simple bus travel into a logistical ordeal.
Leah, a Bnei Brak resident and computer teacher, told the program that she is routinely forced to walk significant distances just to reload her card. “I go specifically to the light rail, a ten-minute walk each way, just to top it up,” she said on air. According to Leah, neighborhood stores and groceries that once offered Rav-Kav charging services have shut down their terminals due to technical problems and a lack of financial viability.
The difficulty becomes even more acute when children are involved. Without access to smartphone apps on kosher phones, parents have no way of checking the remaining balance on their children’s cards. “Kids come to me and ask, ‘Mom, is there money?’ and I have to rack my brain every time,” Leah said, describing the constant uncertainty. The current system, in which no receipt is issued on the bus, leaves parents in the dark and forces them to physically visit distant service points just to find out whether a card still has credit.
In response to inquiries, Israel’s Ministry of Transport Israel said it is aware of the difficulties and is working on alternative solutions. The ministry said there are more than 150 dedicated service stations nationwide, along with thousands of charging points in retail stores and ATMs. It also pointed to a telephone service center at 03-7207406 that allows credit-card top-ups by phone.
However, that option has its own limitation: phone recharging still requires users to physically visit a service terminal to “activate” the credit on the card, effectively sending them back to square one.
Drawing on her technological background, Leah suggested what she described as a straightforward fix—direct charging by entering a Rav-Kav card number and credit-card details, similar to other bill-payment systems. Tessler explained that this is technically complex because the Rav-Kav is a physical card that does not transmit data. He did note, however, that a proposal raised in the past with then–Deputy Minister Maklev, involving a monthly direct-debit system, has yet to be implemented.
Leah concluded by arguing that the current situation ultimately hurts state revenues. “It’s in their interest that there should be money,” she said, explaining that many children board buses unable to pay because their cards are empty, forcing parents into complicated tracking and double payments after the fact. “There need to be more logical solutions,” Tessler said, promising to continue following the issue.
In a formal response, the Ministry of Transport said: “The Ministry of Transport and the National Public Transportation Authority are aware of the difficulties raised by passengers who do not have smartphones, and are working to provide a range of alternative and accessible solutions for topping up and checking Rav-Kav balances. Today, Rav-Kav cards can be charged at dedicated stations deployed across the country (more than 150 stations), as well as at thousands of retail outlets and ATMs that provide charging and balance-inquiry services.
“In addition, a telephone service center is available at 03-7207406, through which passengers can receive information, assistance in locating charging points, and even perform Rav-Kav top-ups by phone, with activation completed at service stations.
“There is also an option to top up Rav-Kav cards through the ‘Nedarim Plus’ system, available in synagogues and other community centers. The ministry continues to examine additional ways to improve accessibility and service for all passengers, with the goal of ensuring public transportation that is available, simple, and equitable for the entire population.”
{Matzav.com}
