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Haiti’s transitional presidential council has backed an electoral law in the latest step toward holding a general election for the first time in nearly a decade. The approval late Monday means that the government can finally publish an official and long-awaited electoral calendar, after fears that the council would try to push back the tentative […]

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Visiting Bolivia became a little easier for certain travelers on Monday, when the South American nation’s first conservative government in nearly 20 years eliminated visa requirements for citizens from the United States and Israel, among several other countries, as part of a broader geopolitical and economic overhaul. Americans and Israelis, as well as citizens of […]

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US special envoy Tom Barrack sent a message to the Iraqi government stating that Israel plans to carry out an imminent operation in Lebanon aimed at disarming Hezbollah, the Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reported on Monday. According to the report, Barrack warned Baghdad to avoid any escalation in the region and to refrain from involvement. He […]

The terrorist who committed a car ramming attack near Chevron on Monday night, lightly injuring a female soldier, was eliminated overnight Monday, hours after the attack. A manhunt was launched immediately after the attack, and with the assistance of the Shin Bet, the terrorist was found in Chevron, hiding inside the vehicle he used to carry […]

Chaos erupted near Ateret this morning when a terrorist lunged at two people at a spring outside the town, leaving both with minor injuries. Magen David Adom teams reached the location quickly and provided treatment to the wounded.

A short time earlier, the IDF had been alerted to a suspicious individual seen near Ateret. Soldiers sent to investigate confronted the suspect, and at that point, according to the military, “he began to stab the soldiers, who responded with fire and eliminated him.” The army noted that “further details are under review,” and reinforcements were rushed to secure the area.

The stabbing followed overnight unrest. Hours before the incident at the spring, a terrorist plowed his vehicle into a soldier at the Judea Junction near Chevron, leaving her lightly wounded. Troops from the Paratroopers Brigade’s 202nd Battalion tracked the perpetrator down later in the morning. When they approached his car, the terrorist tried to escape in a way that put the soldiers in danger, and they “responded with live fire and eliminated him.”

In parallel to these attacks, Yisroel Hayom highlighted that nearly 40 terrorists freed in recent hostage deals have since been arrested or killed in Judea, Samaria, or Yerushalayim. The report noted that these cases emerged “in the two years since the first hostage deal, and less than two months after the third,” out of approximately 700 detainees released to those areas.

The outlet added that the true number of those who reentered the terror ranks is likely higher, as “some have not yet been apprehended.” The figures cited exclude the hundreds released to Gaza or expelled abroad, many of whom are also believed to have resumed violent activity. The Shin Bet warns that additional individuals may have already returned to terrorism or could do so in the near future.

{Matzav.com}

A terrorist stabbed two IDF soldiers on Tuesday morning near the yishuv of Ateret in Binyamin, lightly wounding them. According to initial details, an Israeli civilian noted that a Palestinian was acting suspiciously and alerted IDF forces. When the soldiers arrived and began questioning him, the terrorist took out a knife and began stabbing them. […]

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Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security […]

The Israeli government’s draft law, which began advancing today in a Knesset committee with the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and a green light from chareidi leaders, is already facing sharp criticism from within the coalition. Members of Likud and the Religious Zionism party have announced their opposition to the legislation in its current form, raising new questions about its ability to pass.

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism chairman Betzalel Smotrich convened an emergency faction meeting for Monday night and stated that the draft as written cannot be supported. His comment marks a significant escalation, as he had not publicly expressed such a firm position until now.

Earlier in the day, the party held a special internal discussion in which all of its members reaffirmed their commitment to unified voting. They will not support any draft legislation that fails to meet the operational needs of the IDF or ease the heavy burden placed on combat soldiers, reservists, and their families.

Party officials said that intense consultations are currently underway to prepare detailed comments and demands for changes to the bill. These recommendations will be submitted as the legislative process continues. They stressed that decisions will be made collectively, and no faction member will take an independent position.

According to Kan News, Smotrich is expected to face real difficulty persuading his faction to vote in favor of the bill. The party is scheduled to meet at 8:30 p.m. to receive a full assessment of the urgent amendments they would require before lending their support.

Internal resistance continued to grow throughout the day. Minister Ofir Sofer delivered a scathing public statement declaring, “This is a disgraceful law, lacking courage – I will vote against it even if the prime minister fires me.” MK Moshe Solomon also announced that he cannot support the bill in its present form.

In addition, reporter Daphna Liel revealed that associates of MK Avi Maoz say his support is not guaranteed, contrary to assumptions within coalition leadership. They said Maoz will vote strictly according to his ideological principles and in accordance with the guidance of his rabbinic authorities.

A senior coalition official told Kan News that while most Likud lawmakers are expected to fall in line, the bill cannot pass without reaching an understanding with Smotrich.

In a detailed interview last week, Smotrich emphasized that only a genuine and significant draft plan that brings the chareidi public into what he described as the mitzvah of defending Israel could earn his backing. “Only a law that leads to a real process in which the chareidi community participates in the great mitzvah of protecting Israel’s security and our eternal future. This cannot stay the way it is,” he said.

He added, “Anyone who thinks I am a rubber stamp does not understand. In my worldview, there is no exemption from this mitzvah. Let’s see what law they bring. I understand that there’s a process and I’m patient, but I insist that it be real and fast.”

Smotrich continued, “I demand a genuine process that will bring thousands of chareidim each year into the IDF, into combat service, into areas where they are needed.”

He concluded by saying, “I keep telling the prime minister that the chareidim will vote for it. We will not be the ‘Shabbos goy,’ and I demand that this law be real.”

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic overnight chase erupted in the Bnei Brak yeshiva district of Beis Matisyahu and Slabodka after a suspected thief was spotted near the dormitory areas, prompting dozens of bochurim to pour into the streets in pursuit.

The incident occurred late Sunday night in the Givat Rokach area, near the two major yeshivos, where thefts have been plaguing students for an extended period. According to bochurim, tens of thousands of shekels have been stolen in recent weeks from dorm rooms and adjacent areas, leaving many students feeling violated and deeply unsettled by the repeated breaches of their privacy.

In response to the ongoing wave of thefts, bochurim recently launched an unusual internal initiative: a designated “hotline” for reporting suspicious activity. The private phone line was established as a discreet and immediate tool for students to alert others about anyone or anything deemed suspicious around the yeshiva hill.

The initiative reached its peak late Sunday night when the hotline received a fresh report that the suspected thief had been spotted near the yeshiva premises. Within moments, dozens of bochurim mobilized and began a coordinated chase through the hilltop and surrounding streets, determined to put an end to what they describe as a pattern of ongoing thefts.

It remains unclear what ultimately happened to the suspect and whether he was apprehended or escaped. As of now, the outcome of the chase has not been confirmed.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial vaccine advisory committee will be meeting later this week under a new chairperson, federal officials announced Monday. Martin Kulldorff is leaving the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to take a leadership role within the Department of Health and Human Services, officials said. Dr. Kirk Milhoan, who has blamed vaccines for […]

In an unexpected development in the long-running dispute over control of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, the faction led by Rav Shmuel Markowitz has received the consent of Yeshiva nosi Rav Eliezer Kahaneman to extend the deadline for filing a motion to annul the dramatic arbitration ruling issued two weeks ago.

The extension was granted after the Markowitz camp brought in a new legal team and requested additional time to thoroughly review the extensive arbitration decision. Leaders of the Vaad HaHatzalah, which has been supporting Rav Markowitz’s yeshiva, said Monday night that they are still “examining the implications of the ruling.”

The request for an extension was submitted Monday to the Tel Aviv–Jaffa District Court, before Judge Yechezkel Eliyahu. The petition seeks to push the deadline for filing a motion to overturn the arbitration ruling to next month, allowing the Markovitz faction to make full use of the 45-day period provided by law from the time the arbitration decision was issued.

A notable detail in Monday’s filing was that the request came with the agreement of both sides. Attorney Ehud Arzi, representing the Rav Kahaneman side, gave what was described as his “friendly consent” to the extension.

The ruling in question, issued by retired judge Dovid Cheshin about two weeks ago, determined the Ponevezh dispute in favor of Rav Kahaneman. It ordered the Rav Markowitz-led yeshiva to vacate the yeshiva hill and pay millions of shekels in damages.

The Rav Markowitz camp recently added prominent attorneys Eyal Rozovsky and Yossi Ettinger to its legal team. According to the motion, the new attorneys only assumed representation on Sunday, and given the complexity of the case and the volume of material, they require additional time to prepare a proper petition.

The legal maneuver indicates that the Rav Markowitz faction is seriously weighing the option of asking the court to overturn the arbitration ruling. Still, the Vaad HaHatzalah — which organized Sunday’s massive VaHakimosi gathering in support of Rav Markowitz’s yeshiva — clarified that, “As of this moment, no decision has been made regarding filing a motion to annul the arbitration ruling. The parties mutually agreed to grant an additional 45 days solely to examine the ruling’s implications.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is facing one of the worst approval ratings recorded for any modern president entering a midterm cycle, according to a new Gallup survey that CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten described as “a disaster” for the White House and the Republican Party. The fresh Gallup numbers, released Monday morning, show Trump’s net […]

NY Governor Kathy Hochul welcomed Jewish community leaders and elected officials from across New York State to the Executive Mansion on Monday afternoon for her annual Chanukah gathering. The event brought together a diverse group of Jewish activists, officials, and organizational representatives from throughout the state to celebrate the Festival of Lights and recognize the […]

Costco sues Trump admin seeking tariff refunds before Supreme Court rules if they’re illegal • Costco filed a lawsuit asking for a full refund of tariffs the warehouse club giant has paid since President Donald Trump imposed “reciprocal” and “fentanyl” tariffs earlier this year. • Costco’s suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade notes […]

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would explicitly bar anyone involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel from entering or remaining in the United States. The “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act of 2025,” sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), adds direct references to the […]

A political storm erupted inside Degel HaTorah on Monday night after recordings surfaced of Rav Aviezer Piltz, rosh yeshiva of Tifrach and a senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, rejecting the new draft bill being advanced in the Knesset with the backing of Degel HaTorah and Shas.

The leaked audio, aired by journalist Yoeli Brim on Channel 13, follows a dramatic day in the party. Earlier, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the senior member of the Moetzes, delivered a denunciation of the proposed conscription law. His

The controversy resurfaced as the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee launched its first round of deliberations on MK Boaz Bismuth’s draft bill. The discussion immediately revived long-standing fears that chareidi lawmakers may ultimately give active support to a law whose stated objective is increased enlistment of yeshiva students.

Amid these tensions, the newly revealed recording of Rav Piltz has intensified the uproar. Rav Piltz is heard expressing deep, unequivocal skepticism toward the legislation.

The discussions among senior Litvishe rabbanim today centered on the far-reaching implications of the bill, which includes unprecedented oversight mechanisms for yeshivos as well as a shift toward direct support for the law.

The recording comes on the heels of footage showing Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch visiting Rav Bergman.

In the newly exposed audio, Rav Piltz speaks candidly about the debate:

Transcript of the leaked conversation:

Question: “Are there any roshei yeshiva who support the law at all, or is it all just…?”

Rav Piltz: “There are those who are unsure. Among those who are unsure, some lean that way.”

Question: “What’s the justification for supporting it? Even with the oversight on the yeshivos and all the other things?”

Rav Piltz: “I don’t understand it. I myself don’t understand it. People who want to argue didn’t really listen to me.”

Question: “You’re saying that even they are hard to understand?”

Rav Piltz: “I can’t answer that over the phone.”

Question: “Based on everything they said over the years — that they would never agree to targets in a law, never accept criminal consequences or harsh sanctions, and now there are huge additions here on oversight in the yeshivos, and restrictions on roshei yeshiva speaking against the army…”

Rav Piltz: “Yes. You understand everything yourself, so what are you asking?”

Question: “We’re trying to identify someone who supports it, or at least understand the logic. We want to discuss it seriously.”

Rav Piltz: “I don’t know the reasoning for supporting the law…”

{Matzav.com}