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A municipal enforcement operation in the city of Elad on Thursday led to the seizure and removal of the main beis medrash of a long-operating yeshiva, during which Elchanan Inbal—winner of the “Hakol Hachodosh (The New Voice)” competition and son of the yeshiva’s rosh yeshiva—was briefly detained.

In an interview with Emes News, Inbal described what unfolded at the scene and accused the Elad municipality of heavy-handed, one-sided conduct and a lack of dialogue. He said the institution is a small yeshiva ketanah with a dormitory that has been operating in the city for nearly nine years and currently serves about 40 students. “This is the yeshiva of my father, Rabbi Yaron Inbal, who has been active in Elad for 25 years as a mechanech and community leader. For two years we’ve been trying to speak with the municipality, to meet and reach an arrangement, and they simply ignore us,” he said.

According to Inbal, the yeshiva followed accepted procedures over the years and submitted requests for formalization in the past. “We submitted a first request, a second request—the process was moving forward. Since the new mayor took office, nothing has moved. No one in the complex received permits, but for some reason they chose to act only against us.”

He added that the compound includes five other yeshivos and additional mosdos, some of them significantly larger. “There are six yeshivos there, some with hundreds of students. Each occupies four to six dunams. If this is really about a road alignment, why act against only one yeshiva?”

Municipal officials, for their part, said the issue involved the placement of structures without an authorized allocation and an encroachment on land designated for infrastructure. Inbal rejected that claim. “They’ve been talking about this road for ten years. If they want to regulate it, talk to us. Come and say: You have an alternative plot. There’s a solution. But they don’t talk. They just demolish.”

During the operation, the yeshiva’s central beis medrash—an edifice that Inbal said had stood on the site for about two years—was seized and removed. “It was a proper, well-invested, beautiful beis medrash. That was taken entirely. The other structures—trailers used as a dining hall, classrooms, kitchen, and restrooms—have remained for now,” he said.

Regarding his detention, Inbal said, “I was detained while trying to stop the demolition. In the end I was released, and I was told, ‘אשריך שנתפסת על דברי תורה – Blessed are you for being seized over matters of Torah.’ They understood there was no criminal offense here.”

Looking ahead, Inbal said no final decision has yet been communicated by the municipality and expressed hope for a change in approach. “We hope the Elad municipality will come to its senses and choose dialogue over force. This is a place of Torah, students, an entire community. It’s not something you erase with a truck.”

In a statement responding to residents’ inquiries, the Elad municipality said: “The removal activity currently being carried out in the area of the Maran Road exit is intended to clear a structure that was placed there illegally. The structure blocks the planned route of the city’s new exit road, and its removal is necessary to begin paving work expected to start soon for the benefit of residents. It is important to clarify: this is not an evacuation of a yeshiva.”

{Matzav.com}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region will be a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi on Friday for talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion. The three-way talks come hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with U.S. […]

Members of Israel’s State Comptroller Oversight Committee toured the Negev and held a professional briefing near the Sdeh Brir site, as opposition mounts to plans for phosphate mining that critics warn could endanger public health across the region.

The visit, led by committee chair Alon Schuster, followed a prior committee discussion seeking an opinion from the State Comptroller on the government’s policy regarding phosphate extraction at the site. Participating in the tour were Knesset members, leaders from Bedouin communities in the area, Arad Mayor Yair Maayan, and Arad city council members Yitzchak Gordon and Chaim Tzinterboim.

Committee members toured open areas adjacent to the proposed mining zone, observing firsthand the scale of the land involved and its proximity to residential neighborhoods and educational institutions. Following the field visit, lawmakers convened a formal committee session at the Al-Fura’a School complex, which sits near the planned mining area and operates under the authority of the Arad municipality. During the meeting, officials were presented with assessments indicating that more than 100,000 residents—including students in nearby schools—could be affected if the mining project moves forward.

The tour and hearing were conducted against the backdrop of claims raised in earlier committee deliberations that the mining plan is being advanced in contradiction to a 2022 government decision. That decision conditioned any progress on phosphate extraction on a comprehensive review of health and environmental impacts.

Schuster said the committee came to the area out of deep concern for proper governance. “In a functioning state, there must be order and responsibility,” he said. “It is unacceptable for discussions and decisions to move ahead on such a sensitive issue without thoroughly examining what it means on the ground.” He warned that the Sdeh Brir project could pose serious health and environmental risks to more than 100,000 Negev residents, citing potential dispersal of hazardous dust linked to severe respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer, as well as the possible displacement of thousands of Bedouin residents.

Mayor Maayan, who guided the tour, emphasized what he described as genuine coexistence in the area. “Here, coexistence isn’t a slogan. It’s reality,” he said, noting that Arad was the only city to take in Bedouin residents during the war. Questioning the project’s rationale, Maayan asked why, if a mine is truly planned, no evidence has been presented to the Health Ministry proving there is no danger. “Human lives are being knowingly put at risk,” he said, adding that after failures to protect communities near Gaza, exposing more than 100,000 Arad-area residents to a proven health threat is unacceptable.

Maayan also raised concerns about the unresolved status of the Al-Fura’a community, saying its location has yet to be finalized. He called for immediate advancement of planning procedures for the settlement, noting that while the Education Ministry budgeted for a permanent school within Arad’s jurisdiction, the Bedouin Authority declined. “Today there are about 15,000 people in limbo,” he said, warning that it could take two decades to establish a regulated community, during which the population could double. “So where, exactly, is there room for a mine?”

Addressing the issue, Yitzchok Goldknopf said, “All of Eretz Yisrael was shaken this week by the deaths of two infants—and rightly so. Human life comes before everything. So why here, when there is a risk of sudden loss of life and the development of a large-scale health disaster, is there silence? Why wait to talk about it only after a tragedy occurs, G-d forbid? Everyone says this place is dangerous—so how can discussions even continue?”

MK Walid Al-Huashla urged unity, warning against politicizing the struggle. “There are ministers and lawmakers who come here to inflame tensions and deepen the conflict,” he said. “The Negev belongs to all citizens—Arab and Jewish alike. The fight against phosphate mining is a shared struggle, and it must be conducted together, as we live side by side, without sowing division or hostility.”

{Matzav.com}

The recovery of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul’s remains from the Gaza Strip in January 2025 was, on its face, a rare moment of closure in a war defined by uncertainty, hostage diplomacy and incomplete answers. But newly disclosed details show that the operation unfolded less like a standard military retrieval and more like a layered […]

President Donald Trump warned Iran once again on Thursday, telling reporters during an airborne press briefing while traveling from Davos back to Washington that the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the region as tensions remain high.

“We have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014459542612984310

Trump reiterated claims that his intervention last week stopped mass executions in Iran, asserting that hundreds of prisoners were spared as a result of U.S. pressure. “I stopped 837 hangings [last] Thursday. They would have been dead. Every one of them would have been hung. This is like from a thousand years ago,” he said.

Describing Iran as “an ancient culture” with “very smart people,” Trump said Iranian authorities had intended to execute “837 mostly young men,” but reversed course after receiving his warning.

“I said ‘if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. And they actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it. They canceled it. So that was a good sign.”

Despite portraying the halt in executions as a positive development, Trump stressed that U.S. military readiness remains unchanged. “But we have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”

The president also announced that new economic penalties aimed at Iran’s trading partners would soon be implemented. “If you do business with Iran, you will have a tariff of 25 percent,” he said.

A day earlier, Trump discussed rising tensions with Iran in an interview with CNBC, saying, “We hope there’s not going to be further action. They were shooting people indiscriminately on the streets and they were going to hang 837, mostly young people” after he warned Tehran of consequences for harming protesters.

Trump has also continued to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying the country must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons. “They gotta stop with the nuclear.”

Earlier in the week, he warned that the United States would respond decisively if Iran carries out executions of protesters or follows through on threats to assassinate him.

During an interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, Trump was asked about reports that Iranian authorities were still burning protesters alive and about recent assassination threats against him.

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve left notification: Anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump said. “But I have very firm instructions: Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”

{Matzav.com}

TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years on the platform now used by more than 200 million Americans. The social video platform company signs agreements with major investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and […]

The luxury Boeing 747 aircraft donated by Qatar is expected to be delivered for use as the new Air Force One by the summer of 2026, according to a report citing a US Air Force spokesperson. The aircraft, provided by the Qatari royal family, must first undergo extensive and highly classified modifications before US President […]

Iran’s top prosecutor is rejecting a claim by US President Donald Trump that American pressure prevented the execution of 800 people arrested during nationwide protests, calling the assertion “completely false.” According to Iran’s judiciary-linked news agency Mizan, prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi dismissed Trump’s remarks and denied that any such mass executions were ever planned. “This claim […]

Turkey is celebrating the latest developments in Syria, where the new government has effectively defeated a major Kurdish-led force with an abrupt offensive. Ankara has long viewed armed groups led by Kurds — an ethnic minority with large populations in eastern Turkey, Iraq and northern Syria — as a threat as Turkey as fought to quell the […]

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President Trump on Thursday announced that a finalized agreement will keep TikTok operating nationwide, ending months of uncertainty over the app’s status in the United States.

Under the terms of the arrangement, TikTok will be reorganized as a new joint venture based in the U.S., backed by American investors, removing the immediate risk of a nationwide shutdown of the popular video platform.

“I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice,” the president continued. “Along with other factors, it was responsible for my doing so well with the Youth Vote in the 2024 Presidential Election.

“I only hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok.”

As part of the restructuring, TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, will keep a minority 19.9% ownership stake in the platform.

The investor group participating in the new venture includes Silver Lake, Oracle, and MGX.

Adam Presser, who previously served as TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, has been named chief executive officer of the newly formed U.S. entity.

“The majority American owned Joint Venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for US users,” the company said in a statement released Thursday.

TikTok’s approximately 170 million American users will continue using the same app without interruption.

The deal follows legislation passed by Congress in 2024 and signed by former President Joe Biden, which required ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a nationwide ban.

Lawmakers from both parties had raised alarms over TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and the potential for the Chinese Communist Party to access sensitive user information.

Those concerns escalated in January 2025, when TikTok temporarily went offline for several hours after ByteDance failed to meet the law’s deadline to secure a new American owner.

On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order allowing TikTok to continue operating while his administration negotiated a sale and broader restructuring of the company.

As outlined in the agreement, Oracle will house U.S. user data on domestic servers, while TikTok’s algorithm will be licensed to the American entity and retrained under U.S. oversight.

Trump described the outcome as a positive ending for both the platform and its users.

“Thank you to Vice President JD Vance, and all of the others within my Administration, who helped bring this Deal to a very dramatic, final, and beautiful conclusion,” the president said.

“I would also like to thank President Xi, of China, for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal,” Trump added. “He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”

{Matzav.com}

The Rav of the Old City of Yerushalayim, Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, sent a personal letter of chizuk to a yeshiva bochur currently being held in military prison for not reporting to the IDF draft office.

The letter was addressed to Tzvi Perkovitz, one of the talmidim of Ponevezh Yeshiva, who was arrested in recent weeks after refusing to present himself for enlistment. The move by Rav Nebenzahl reflected the depth of his pain over what he views as the ongoing persecution of lomdei Torah.

The bochur, the son of a respected dayan and marbitz Torah, is widely regarded in his yeshiva as a masmid and ben aliyah. News of his arrest caused profound anguish for Rav Nebenzahl, prompting him to deviate from his customary reserve and send a handwritten letter of encouragement, delivered by special courier directly into the military prison.

Rav Nebenzahl opens his letter with words of admiration and honor: “Lechvod habachur hachashuv v’hanisaleh, muflag b’Torah v’yiras Shamayim… I heard with great pain that you were cast into prison by willful hands because you fulfilled your obligation to immerse yourself in our holy Torah and did not, chalilah, enlist in the army.”

He continues by strengthening the bochur’s resolve and framing his ordeal as a badge of eternal merit: “Therefore I have come to strengthen your spirit and fortify your heart. Ashrecha shenitpasta al divrei Torah. Do not fear and do not be broken, for the Torah that you now uphold amid poverty and distress you will ultimately uphold in wealth, joy, and expanded serenity of mind.”

At this point, Rav Nebenzahl turns his pen sharply against those seeking to coerce bnei yeshivos into military service, employing unusually forceful language: “And those who rise up against the learners of Torah, all of them, a wind will carry them off, they will vanish like mist.”

The letter concludes with a heartfelt brachah: “Those who take refuge in Hashem will inherit the land and possess His holy mountain, speedily in our days, amen. And may it be fulfilled in you: ‘Min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani bamerchav Kah.’”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced that Canada will no longer be invited to join the “Board of Peace” he introduced this week in Davos, delivering the message directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney in a social media post that appeared to be sent from Air Force One.

In the post, Trump addressed the Canadian leader personally, writing: “Dear Prime Minister Carney,” before continuing, “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”

Although several leaders from Western democracies chose not to participate in Trump’s newly announced international body, Carney had previously indicated a tentative willingness to consider joining. Speaking before the Davos gathering, he stressed that Canada had not yet reviewed “all the details of the structure, how it’s going to work, what the financing is for, etcetera.”

At the same time, Carney underscored Canada’s fiscal priorities, telling reporters, “Canada wants money to have maximum impact.”

That caution was echoed days later by Canada’s finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, who said Tuesday that Ottawa had no intention of paying the $1 billion fee reportedly required for a permanent seat on the board, which was initially presented as a temporary mechanism to oversee governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

Tensions between the two leaders escalated further during the Davos conference, where Carney warned of what he described as “a rupture” in the longstanding “rules-based” international order, blaming Trump’s confrontational approach for undermining it.

Trump, for his part, made clear upon arriving in Davos that he was aware of Carney’s remarks. Addressing the forum on Wednesday, he declared, “Canada lives because of the United States,” adding pointedly, “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Carney fired back the following day, rejecting Trump’s assertion outright. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” he said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Thursday addressed questions surrounding a noticeable bruise on President Donald Trump’s left hand, which became visible during a Board of Peace signing ceremony in Davos.

Speaking to Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president injured his hand after striking it against the corner of the signing table at the event.

A White House official further explained that Trump bruises more easily because he takes a daily aspirin, a practice that has been previously disclosed by his doctors. The official also noted that photographs taken the day before showed no sign of bruising, according to Fox News.

Images of the bruise circulating online quickly sparked speculation across social media platforms.

Trump has previously spoken publicly about his aspirin use. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”

He acknowledged that he takes a high daily dose and is reluctant to reduce it. “I’m a little superstitious,” he told the Journal.

At various public appearances, Trump has at times concealed his hand with bandages or what appears to be makeup.

Questions about the president’s health had surfaced previously after he revealed in October that he underwent an MRI.

On Dec. 1, the White House released a medical memo from Sean Barbabella, stating that Trump received advanced imaging at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a precautionary step.

“The purpose of this imaging is preventive: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function,” Barbabella said.

He added that the results showed no cause for concern. “President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging is perfectly normal. There is no evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels,” Barbabella said. “The heart chambers are normal in size, the vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation, or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health.”

{Matzav.com}

A long-shot challenger seeking to unseat Rep. Ritchie Torres is drawing fire after releasing a campaign video alleging that “Zionists” have “bought and controlled” the Bronx Democrat. Jose Vega, who is running as a Democrat/Independent in New York’s 15th Congressional District, made the comments in a video posted on X in which he claimed wealthy […]

Footage circulating on social media from the signing ceremony to reestablish the Joint List has ignited a political storm, after it showed Arab members of Knesset celebrating while chanting “Allahu Akbar.”

The videos emerged shortly after leaders of the Arab parties — spanning the full political spectrum, including Ra’am on one end and Balad on the other — signed an agreement on Thursday committing to run together as a unified slate in the upcoming elections.

The images, which spread rapidly online, depict MKs at the event clapping and celebrating to repeated chants of “Allahu Akbar,” prompting sharp criticism from across the political right.

Knesset member Zvika Fogel, chairman of the National Security Committee and head of the Otzma Yehudit faction, reacted harshly, writing: “Mansour Abbas in a frenzy of ‘Allahu Akbar’ together with Balad members. If it looks like an Islamist party, sounds like an Islamist party, and acts like an Islamist party — don’t be confused. It’s not a duck, it’s much more Hamas.”

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli also weighed in, posting: “To the sound of ‘Allahu Akbar,’ Mansour — the longtime strategic partner of Lapid and Bennett — unites with Odeh, Tibi, and Balad supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah for a joint run in the elections. Together they plan to form a coalition… This, and only this, is what these elections are about!”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir offered a brief but pointed response, summarizing the episode with two words: “An alliance of terror representatives.”

{Matzav.com}

The beis din of the Vizhnitzer chassidus in Bnei Brak issued a public appeal on Thursday calling on chassidim and the wider Torah community not to relent in reciting Tehillim on behalf of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Yisroel ben Leah Esther, who continues to undergo medical treatments that have significantly weakened him.

In a letter released by the Vizhnitzer beis din, the dayanim stress that the Rebbe has required abundant rachamei Shamayim for more than a year and that the current course of treatments has taken a physical toll. They urge chassidim to strengthen themselves in tefillah and to continue davening fervently for his complete recovery.

The letter opens with an emotional address to members of the chassidus everywhere, emphasizing the shared bond between Rebbe and chassidim. The dayanim write that for over a year, Hashem has tested the community through the Rebbe’s medical condition, and that hearts throughout Vizhnitz are filled with longing to see him restored to full health, strength, and clarity for many good and peaceful years.

The beis din notes that throughout this difficult period, the power of tefillah has been clearly evident, with developments that they describe as beyond the natural order. They add that there is not enough gratitude for the kindness and compassion Hashem has shown at every stage. In light of this, they say, there is a special obligation at this time to intensify tefillah, particularly as the ongoing treatments cause weakness.

“Our eyes are turned to him and we await a complete salvation,” the dayanim write, calling on all to cry out to Hashem with strength and resolve, asking that these painful afflictions be removed and dissipate entirely. The letter specifically urges men, women, and children to continue reciting kappitel 61 of Tehillim, as previously established, and to increase their tefillos, along with accepting kabbalos in mitzvos and maasim tovim in the Rebbe’s merit. Each individual, they add, should also say additional kappitlach of Tehillim during the day and recite the letters corresponding to the Rebbe’s name as a segulah for a refuah sheleimah.

{Matzav.com}

The United States has put forward a long-range plan that envisions a fundamentally rebuilt Gaza Strip by 2035, conditioning large-scale investment and reconstruction on the complete and permanent dismantling of all armed terror groups. The proposal reframes postwar recovery not as an open-ended humanitarian effort, but as a security-driven economic reset that would unfold over roughly a decade.

The framework, presented by Jared Kushner, calls for turning Gaza into a demilitarized civilian entity with functioning governance, modern infrastructure, and a self-sustaining economy. Under the plan, no significant capital would flow until groups such as Hamas are fully dismantled, their tunnels destroyed, and all military capabilities eliminated. The economic goals are sweeping: officials project hundreds of thousands of new jobs and an eventual annual output exceeding $10 billion, alongside the construction of major assets such as a seaport, airport, and regional transit hub.

Security is presented as the non-negotiable foundation of the entire initiative. Heavy weapons and military installations would be eradicated, while remaining small arms would be registered and gradually removed. Only one civilian governing body would be authorized to maintain an organized force, with all other armed factions barred. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Kushner summarized the logic bluntly: “Without security, there are no investments, and without demilitarization, there is no reconstruction.”

Governance in the early stages would be handled by a technocratic civilian administration operating under international oversight, with leadership anchored in Washington. As stability takes hold and institutional reforms advance, the Palestinian Authority is expected to assume a greater role. The diplomatic track surrounding the plan has involved coordination with a regional bloc that includes Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Qatar, all of whom have taken part in discussions linked to the war’s conclusion.

Reconstruction would proceed geographically from south to north. The opening phase centers on Rafah and Khan Yunis, where planners expect two to three years of intensive work focused on logistics hubs, new border crossings, permanent housing, and the removal of an estimated 60 million tons of debris. Residential expansion and light industry are slated to take root in this southern corridor as the first tangible sign of economic revival.

Attention would then shift to the central areas, with emphasis on schools, vocational training, and public spaces designed to move the population away from dependence on foreign aid and toward steady employment. Only after security and civilian administration are firmly established in the south and center would the plan advance to its most complex stage: the overhaul of Gaza City. That final phase envisions dense urban redevelopment with high-rise buildings, employment centers, and cultural institutions, paired with a free-trade zone and preferential customs arrangements intended to reverse Gaza’s current reliance on aid for the vast majority of its economic activity.

Despite the ambitious timetable, Kushner coupled the long-term vision with a call for immediate restraint. He urged regional actors to pause public feuding and rhetorical escalation, arguing that the fighting has ended and the rebuilding process needs space to take hold. “To the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the regional players: I see many accusations and verbal escalation, Israelis against Turkey, others against Qatar. Calm down for 30 days. The war is over,” he said. According to Kushner, if the process is allowed to proceed without disruption, it could open the door to a new era of stability and dignity for all sides involved.

{Matzav.com}