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Roughly 400,000 mourners gathered in Rome today for the funeral of Pope Francis, but Israel notably refrained from sending an official delegation, choosing instead to be represented solely by its ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Sideman.

The decision came amid controversy surrounding the Foreign Ministry’s removal of condolence messages that Israeli embassies worldwide had initially posted after the pope’s passing. Pope Francis had been a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Former Israeli ambassador to the Vatican Raphael Schutz harshly criticized Israel’s approach in an interview with Ynet. “When a leader of this magnitude passes away, you don’t deviate from diplomatic protocols,” Schutz said.

“We should discuss our disagreements with the Vatican directly with the Vatican, not by boycotting the funeral. A funeral that the whole world is attending, from Trump downwards, our absence creates a negative front for us with the entire Catholic Christian world – 1.3 billion people,” he warned.

Schutz emphasized, “These are two different matters: you can continue to express your dissatisfaction with the deceased pope and detail why he was wrong, and at the same time, you attend the funeral. This is how the diplomatic world behaves. Beyond the fact that the funeral was an opportunity to meet other world leaders, as always happens at such funerals, Israel, through its absence, beyond the antagonism it created with the Christian world, also created yet another display of political isolation – and this is not a good image for us, certainly not in these times.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Relations Forum, composed of former ambassadors and senior Foreign Ministry officials, also issued a scathing statement condemning the choice to forgo sending senior representation.

“The world is watching the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis. Dozens of kings, princes and heads of state, many of whom are not Catholic, have arrived at the Vatican to pay their last respects to the head of the Catholic Church,” the forum wrote.

“The absence of a senior representative of the State of Israel, the Jewish state, a proud member of the family of nations, especially during these days between Holocaust Remembrance Day and the revival of our independence, is a serious diplomatic error vis-à-vis the countries of the world in general and the Christian world in particular, and it is a badge of shame for the government of Israel and its head,” they charged.

Rabbi Yosef Garmon, the former Chief Rabbi of Guatemala and current president of the International Humanitarian Coalition, also spoke to Ynet, expressing frustration over Israel’s diplomatic misstep.

“I have been working around the world for years, particularly within the Christian world, investing time and resources, and in recent days I have been receiving many calls from various leaders who are angry, and rightly so, at Israel,” he stated.

“‘Has Israel gone mad?’ they ask me. ‘We supported Israel throughout the war, and suddenly we receive this severe blow to our feelings.’ I like to explain, but here I am left speechless, and I truly have no way to explain this bizarre, not to say delusional, behavior. I think Israel has made a serious mistake here, and we will pay the price for it,” he warned.

Rabbi Garmon continued, “One can oppose the pope, one can even be angry at him, anything is possible, but we must not simply hurt the feelings of more than 1.3 billion people who believe in him and see that Israel published condolence messages on official networks – and shortly after deleted everything, and of course, screenshots remained and were published everywhere in the world.”

“It would have been appropriate to send even a slightly more respectable delegation to his funeral and not ignore it almost completely. The pope is not the issue here, and his opinions no longer matter so much. Israel may even be right, but it is certainly not wise in this matter,” Rabbi Garmon stressed.

Reflecting on his personal encounters with Pope Francis, Rabbi Garmon said, “I personally cannot forget that he always received us with love and attention, and he personally told me that whenever a delegation from Israel wished to meet with him, he would make time.”

“I was attacked when I went to meet with the pope during the war, but I went to explain the situation to him from the heart and to show him how absurd it is to accuse Israel. When Israel endangers the lives of its soldiers, and I showed him how many of my friends died because of it, it is solely to harm terrorists. Israel could have ended the war in a single day with enough bombs to wipe out Gaza completely, and it did not do so to protect innocent people and for the benefit of the Palestinians who need to be freed from Hamas.”

Rabbi Garmon also recalled, “He personally retracted his accusation against Israel of genocide, both to me and to the media, and this was published on his official page. He said he saw so much material from Gaza because there are people close to him there who are very anti-Israel, and Israel did not bother to show him anything, so he said it needed to be investigated. One doesn’t have to believe him, but at least it was important to make that effort. It is clearly easiest to make peace with the prince of Monaco and with Zionists, but in the complex world we live in – we must talk to everyone.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Jewish community in Damascus and rabbinic leaders from Islamic countries issued a statement of deep shock and protest after the desecration of the kever of the famed mekubal Rav Chaim Vital zt”l at the ancient Jewish cemetery in Syria’s capital.

According to Bechor Simantov, head of Damascus’ small Jewish community, a formal complaint has been filed with Syrian authorities, demanding a full investigation into the incident.

Unidentified vandals reportedly broke into the historic cemetery, severely damaging the kever of Rav Chaim Vital, the talmid muvhak of the Arizal.

Simantov shared photos showing a gaping hole dug near Rav Vital’s grave, illustrating the extensive damage caused by the trespassers.

Rav Vital passed away in 1620 and has been buried in this cemetery for over 400 years.

In a post on his Facebook page, Simantov wrote, “On Wednesday, unidentified individuals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus. They smashed the main gate and entered the room where Rav Chaim Vital alav hashalom is buried. They dug into the earth alongside the kever, apparently in search of relics, as shown in the photo.”

The Union of Rabbis in Islamic Countries issued a statement tonight condemning the desecration and urging the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the desecration of the sacred grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital. Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an inseparable part of its history. We urgently call upon the Syrian government to immediately secure all Jewish holy sites, synagogues, and cemeteries, and to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Jews,” the statement read.

Hidden within the narrow alleys of Damascus’ Old City lies a thousand-year-old treasure, the ancient Jewish cemetery. In recent years, amid Syria’s political upheaval and the weakening of the Assad regime, there has been a renewed interest in preserving and visiting these sacred sites, where many tzaddikim and Torah giants are buried.

Throughout generations, the cemetery served as the final resting place for Syria’s greatest tzaddikim. The most prominent among them is Rav Vital. There is a mesorah that his burial was intended to nullify the spiritual influence of a nearby church — which, according to legend, subsequently disappeared entirely.

The cemetery was carefully divided into distinct sections reflecting the composition of Damascus’ Jewish community: separate plots for the Musta’arabim (Arabic-speaking Jews), Sephardim, and Karaites. A special section known as the Midrash housed the graves of leading rabbinic figures, including Rav Yeshayahu Pinto (d. 1648), Rav Ezra HaKohen of the Salton Trab family (d. 1920), Rav Yaakov Harari Alna’am (d. 1937), and Rav Nissim Nadvo HaKohen (d. 1972).

{Matzav.com}

A month ago I wrote a letter to Yeshiva World trying to give some context and support to the new Shidduch initiative. I wrote it as a complete outsider to any and all efforts to help with the Shidduch crisis, with my only connection being a witness to the suffering it causes to so many. I wrote the letter simply frustrated with the criticism of people who, before even hearing what the plan is, rush to criticize an effort that Rabbonim have collectively given thousands of hours to formulate and develop to help with such a real and painful problem. Through Hashgacha Pratis I was connected with a Rav involved in the initiative, and I learned that beyond the earlier OU study, Rabbonim recently directed a more comprehensive project tracking thousands of 8th grade graduates from numerous Yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs over the past twenty years. This data collection—categorized by age, year, school, and community—provides conclusive evidence that intervention is necessary. While the Rabbonim have guided against public release of the statistics for now to prevent unhelpful anxiety and hurt, they’re preparing the data to share privately with interested parties (you can request to receive the data when it’s anonymized for the public by emailing info@adeiad). That said, having had a window into the incredible effort by Gedolei Torah, Roshei Yeshiva, and Rabbonim to do for Klal Yisrael and Bnos Yisrael in this extremely busy time of the year—giving away hours upon hours to work on various plans that will unfold in the coming months to introduce and launch the initiative to the community—I feel compelled to do my part as a random member of the tzibur, not a Rav, askan or anything – just a Yid that cares. The reality is that this issue affects people differently. For some, it’s merely an academic discussion—an actuarial debate that can be researched gradually over decades. But for many of us—perhaps the silent majority – who have lived through this parsha ourselves, as singles, as parents, or as witnesses to family and friends struggles—we know this is not merely a theoretical discussion. It’s a painful reality causing real, raw and ongoing human suffering that often goes unrecognized. Because not everyone understands the depth of this pain, they may not grasp the urgency of this initiative. Therefore, we all need to speak up why coming together as a Tzibur is so crucial now. So I turn to you, the reader, and ask: If you go to sleep with a lump in your throat seeing your daughter come back from yet another younger friend’s chasuna, while she has been waiting for years and hasn’t dated in 10 months – please speak up and tell your Rav about the pain. Tell him you’re ready to do things differently. If you bite your lip seeing your daughter davening so intensely for her shidduch for so many years, and wish you could somehow help – please speak up and tell your son’s Rosh Yeshiva about the pain. Tell him you’re ready to do things differently. If your heart aches for the thousands of singles dreading spending a three-day Yom Tov either alone or surrounded by their younger married siblings and their children – please speak up and tell your daughter’s seminary principal about the pain. Tell her you’re ready to […]

The Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau, successfully underwent surgery on Friday to repair a fracture at Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.

As previously reported on Matzav.com, Rav Landau had suffered a fall at his home and was subsequently transported to the hospital.

Following medical consultation and a series of tests overseen by the renowned medical advisor Rav Elimelech Firer, the decision was made to proceed with surgery to address the fracture.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Itay Holzer, director of the hospital’s Orthopedic Department. Boruch Hashem, the Rosh Yeshiva emerged from surgery and was transferred to the recovery room, where he remained over Shabbos.

All are asked to continue davening for Rav Efraim Dov ben Devorah.

{Matzav.com Israel}

GOOD RIDDANCE: Robert Josman, longtime president of the 24th Precinct Community Council, which collaborates with the NYPD, resigned last week after The Post exposed his repeated removal of Israeli hostage posters near Upper West Side synagogues, prompting widespread calls for action.

Footage from the cockpit of a Il-76 with the IRGC’s Aerospace Force flying at extremely low altitude to drop water as well as fire retardant on the still ongoing chemical fire at the port of Bandar Abbas in Southern Iran.

Minister Meir Porush paid a visit to the home of Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, one of the Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, and during the visit, a conversation unfolded between the minister and the Rosh Yeshiva, centering on the grave situation currently facing Eretz Yisroel. Porush asked Rav Hirsch about the challenges surrounding the ongoing war and the looming gezeirah of forced conscription.

In the conversation, Porush asked, “What will be with our situation?”

Rav Hirsch replied, “Hashem will help. What can we say? We have no one to rely upon except Avinu Shebashomayim. That is clear in such a situation. The entire Eretz Yisroel is in a terrible state.”

Porush noted, “But since the founding of the state, there has not been a situation like this for the chareidi community.”

“That’s true,” Rav Hirsch agreed. “There has never been a situation like this — not for the chareidi community and not for Eretz Yisroel.”

Porush continued, “What will be? We need a great miracle.”

Rav Hirsch responded, “Miracles are possible. Hashem will help.”

“Amein, may it be so,” Porush added.

One of those present interjected, “We don’t rely on miracles.”

Porush responded, “We are permitted to hope for miracles.”

Rav Hirsch continued, “There is also the path of derech hateva — natural means. Part of the situation is that they [the government and others] are under pressure. They are truly afraid of what will happen when things start to collapse. Everything can be overturned through natural means.”

Porush remarked, “From what I understand, it must not end without us defeating them — Hamas — without succeeding in subduing them and changing the situation. It must not end with us bending to them, Heaven forbid.”

Rav Hirsch answered, “It could happen naturally that they will soften. A miracle can happen through natural means — that they will naturally be ready to soften.”

The Rosh Yeshiva also added, “There is a natural path: if Iran is destroyed, then everything will collapse naturally in its wake.”

Porush shared an anecdote: “Today I told someone from Vizhnitz in Haifa that I remember during the Second Lebanon War, the Rebbe fled to Yerushalayim. Today, when they say that in the future Yerushalayim will spread until Damascus, it means that the tranquility of Yerushalayim will extend even to Haifa — because there will be no more Nasrallah and Hezbollah.”

Rav Hirsch concluded with a hopeful note: “When there will be calm from Iran and Lebanon, Damascus, too, will become as peaceful as Yerushalayim.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Egypt and Qatar have put forward a new proposal calling for a six-month pause in fighting in Gaza, the full release of all hostages, and the freeing of convicted terrorists, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat.

Previously, Hamas informed AFP that the group would be prepared to accept a deal involving the immediate release of all 59 hostages still in captivity, along with agreeing to a five-year ceasefire with Israel.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas figure based in Lebanon, stated that the organization “will respond to any initiative which discusses complete withdrawal from Gaza, opening of the crossings, a fair prisoner swap, and no intervention in reconstruction.”

Another report indicated that Hamas is willing to remove its operatives from Gaza, provided that Israel offers assurances guaranteeing their safety from persecution or assassination.

Just last week, Hamas rejected an Israeli offer that conditioned a six-week truce on the terror group’s willingness to disarm.

{Matzav.com Israel}

הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר הרבי מרחמסטריווקא במוצ”ש באלעדצילום: שוקי לרר

“אני לא יכול להגיד יותר”: הק

President Donald Trump expressed doubt Saturday that Russia’s Vladimir Putin truly wanted to end the war in Ukraine, casting fresh skepticism over the possibility of a peace agreement. Just one day earlier, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were “very close to a deal.”

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote in a social media post as he traveled back to the United States following his attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, where he briefly met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump also suggested the possibility of new sanctions targeting Russia.

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” Trump posted.

Trump’s shifting tone came as he and his senior aides intensified efforts to forge an agreement to end the war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

These new remarks stood in stark contrast to Trump’s optimistic assessment from a day earlier, when he had declared that both sides were “very close to a deal” after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow.

The encounter between Trump and Zelenskyy at the Vatican marked their first face-to-face meeting since their heated argument during an Oval Office meeting at the White House in late February, which had resulted in a temporary suspension of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

A few days after imposing the pause, Trump announced that he was “strongly considering” additional sanctions and tariffs against Russia to push Putin toward serious negotiations. Although Trump later unveiled new global tariffs, he notably left Russia off the list — a move that even some of his closest Republican allies had urged him to reconsider.

On Friday, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, called on Trump to “put the toughest of sanctions on Putin,” arguing that there was “clear evidence that he is playing America as a patsy.”

This marked the second time in a matter of days that Trump publicly rebuked Putin, something he rarely did.

On Thursday, Trump had directly urged the Russian leader to “STOP!” following a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv.

After their brief meeting Saturday, Zelenskyy’s office indicated that plans were being made for another conversation later that day. However, Trump proceeded straight to Rome’s airport after the funeral and boarded Air Force One for the flight back to the United States.

Zelenskyy’s spokesman, Serhii Nykyforov, explained that the two leaders did not meet again due to scheduling constraints.

After the funeral, Zelenskyy posted on social media, calling it a “good meeting.”

“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out,” Zelenskyy wrote. He also met Saturday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you,” Zelenskyy added.

The White House characterized the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting as “very productive.” The discussion, lasting about 15 minutes, took place inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Francis had frequently called for peace in Ukraine.

The Vatican had long offered to serve as a mediator in peace talks, and Francis had regularly advocated for dialogue and an end to the violence. That Trump and Zelenskyy met privately on the marbled floors of the Basilica, on the day of the pope’s funeral, seemed a fitting tribute to those calls.

After arriving in Italy late Friday, Trump had posted on social media that Russia and Ukraine should engage in “very high level talks” to end the war.

Neither Putin nor Zelenskyy immediately responded to Trump’s proposal for direct negotiations.

Trump had continued to pressure both sides to reach a peace deal quickly. While Zelenskyy had agreed to a U.S.-brokered plan proposing an initial 30-day ceasefire, Russia had refused to commit and continued launching attacks inside Ukraine.

Putin had not attended Pope Francis’ funeral, as he faced an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes committed during the invasion.

On Friday night, Zelenskyy stated that “very significant meetings may take place” in the coming days and repeated his call for an unconditional ceasefire.

“Real pressure on Russia is needed so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal — whichever one can truly work and ensure a reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and then — a dignified peace and security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.

“Diplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything to make diplomacy truly meaningful and finally effective.”

The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy came shortly after Trump had issued his most explicit comments yet about the need for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in order to end the conflict. In a Time magazine interview published Friday, Trump said, “Crimea will stay with Russia.”

Russia had seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, years before the full-scale invasion in 2022. Although Zelenskyy had remained determined to reclaim Crimea and other occupied regions, Trump described that goal as unrealistic.

Since launching its 2022 invasion, Russia had also occupied territory in Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

Speaking about Crimea during the interview, which had been conducted at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, “everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” referring to Russia.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump says tariff deals will be made soon: “We’ll have deals made — but we’ll also make deals. In other words, we’ll just set the tariff and we’ll be reasonable, very reasonable, and that’ll be the end.”

President Trump sat down to meet privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Vatican City this morning.

The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries issued a statement saying: “We are shocked and saddened by the desecration of the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital, z”tl this Thursday in Damascus.” “Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an integral part of its history. We urgently call on the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites, synagogues, and cemeteries and ensure their safety, security and well-being.”

Vandals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus overnight Wednesday and vandalized the kever of Hamekubal HaRav Chaim Vital, Z’tl, one of the talmidim of the Ari, z’tl. The intruders dug a pit near the kever. Bakhour Simantov, one of the few remaining Jews in Syria, shared a picture of the desecrated kever and said that local authorities promised to find those responsible for the incident.

[COMMUNICATED]

FRIDAY NIGHT: Three people were struck by a vehicle in Lawrence at the intersection of Broadway & Rockaway Turnpike at around 10:00PM. They were transported to the hospital by Rockaway Lawrence Hatzalah. Sources tell YWN that Bichasdei Hashem, all three are in stable condition.

India and Pakistan engaged in a firefight in Kashmir’s Lipa Valley, following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.