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Shas spokesman Asher Medina has rejected accusations from the Noam party that Shas copied its election slogan, “Derech Emunah Bacharti” — “I have chosen the path of faith” — insisting that the phrase was never the centerpiece of Noam’s campaign.

Speaking Tuesday evening on Kol Chai’s “Central Edition,” hosted by Shneur Weber, Medina responded to a warning letter sent by Noam after Shas began using the phrase, which had previously appeared in Noam campaign material.

Medina said Shas had been developing its campaign for weeks and that the slogan was not hastily adopted from another party.

“This campaign, we have been working on it for two weeks in the final polishing stages,” Medina said, explaining that Shas deliberately waited until after the Likud primaries before formally unveiling its new election message.

Addressing Noam’s argument that it had used the phrase first, Medina said the party itself had publicly presented a different slogan as the central theme of its campaign.

“The Noam party came out with great fanfare and loudly announced that they launched the campaign with their slogan ‘To be a Jew in our land.’ That is how it was published on all the websites and in all the press releases,” Medina said.

Medina acknowledged that Noam had previously used “Derech Emunah Bacharti,” but maintained that its use had been limited rather than part of the party’s primary campaign.

“It is true that there is some one sign where they did use the words ‘Derech Emunah Bacharti.’ Very nice that they thought of it,” he said.

“I don’t think we took a campaign from them. It is not their campaign, it is not what they have invested in until now, nor is it what they publicized everywhere. Therefore, I don’t see this as any copying or anything that we would not be able to use,” Medina added.

Medina said Shas was also drawn to the phrase because of the broader public significance it acquired surrounding the return of hostage Agam Berger from captivity.

“When we sat down now to work on the elections, these words grabbed us,” Medina said. “When you want to choose which path and what character the country will have — what could be more fitting than this slogan?”

{Matzav.com}

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A new price comparison of Israeli supermarket chains has revealed dramatic differences in the cost of basic household purchases, with shoppers potentially paying nearly NIS 3,000 more for the same full basket depending on where they shop.

The weekly comparison, presented by Tzvi Tessler on Kol Chai’s “Hamoked Hatziburi,” examined two categories: a smaller basket of laundry products and a comprehensive household basket containing hundreds of items.

The results showed especially large disparities in laundry products, where the difference between the least and most expensive retailers reached 31.04%. In the full household basket, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive chains amounted to NIS 2,860.24.

For laundry products, Rami Levy Mehadrin ranked as the least expensive retailer overall, with the basket costing NIS 369.50. Yesh Bashchuna was the most expensive, at NIS 484.20 — a difference of NIS 114.70.

Among the major supermarket chains, the laundry basket prices were:

Rami Levy Mehadrin — NIS 369.50
Netto Chisachon — NIS 375.50
Yesh Chesed — NIS 381.40
Osher Ad — NIS 397.40
Shefa Birkat Hashem — NIS 419.80
Shuk Ha’ir — NIS 447.90

Among smaller and neighborhood-oriented retailers, the results were:

Netto Chisachon Bashchuna — NIS 375.50
Zol U’Begadol — NIS 387.20
Machסanei Hashuk Mehadrin — NIS 413.40
Maayan 2000 — NIS 418.00
Carrefour Market with mehadrin hechsherim — NIS 436.20
K.T. Import and Marketing–Mishnas Yosef — NIS 461.60
Good Market — NIS 469.70
Shefa Birkat Hashem Karov Labayit — NIS 479.80
Yesh Bashchuna — NIS 484.20

Overall, the laundry basket was cheapest at Rami Levy Mehadrin, at NIS 369.50, and most expensive at Yesh Bashchuna, at NIS 484.20. That represents a difference of NIS 114.70, or 31.04%.

The rankings changed when the comparison was expanded to the complete household basket. Osher Ad emerged as the least expensive, at NIS 11,057.90, while Rami Levy Mehadrin finished a close second, just NIS 162.40 higher. Good Market ranked as the most expensive, with the same basket costing NIS 13,918.14.

Among the major chains, the full-basket rankings were:

Osher Ad — NIS 11,057.90
Rami Levy Mehadrin — NIS 11,220.30
Netto Chisachon — NIS 11,846.48
Yesh Chesed — NIS 12,046.36
Shefa Birkat Hashem — NIS 12,563.25
Shuk Ha’ir — NIS 13,374.73

Among neighborhood and smaller retailers, the full-basket prices were:

Machsanei Hashuk Mehadrin — NIS 12,170.10
Netto Chisachon Bashchuna — NIS 12,284.97
K.T. Import and Marketing–Mishnas Yosef — NIS 12,879.11
Carrefour Market with mehadrin hechsherim — NIS 13,015.17
Zol U’Begadol — NIS 13,173.37
Maayan 2000 — NIS 13,347.53
Shefa Birkat Hashem Karov Labayit — NIS 13,497.73
Yesh Bashchuna — NIS 13,742.61
Good Market — NIS 13,918.14

The full-basket comparison therefore showed Osher Ad as the cheapest retailer, at NIS 11,057.90, compared with Good Market at NIS 13,918.14. The NIS 2,860.24 difference amounts to 25.87% of the cheaper basket’s price.

The most striking percentage gap in this week’s survey was found in laundry products. A shopper purchasing the basket at Rami Levy Mehadrin instead of Yesh Bashchuna would save NIS 114.70 on a single purchase. Even among the major chains alone, the difference was substantial, ranging from NIS 369.50 at Rami Levy Mehadrin to NIS 447.90 at Shuk Ha’ir.

The difference becomes considerably larger when looking at a complete household shopping basket. Osher Ad’s NIS 11,057.90 total was NIS 2,860.24 below Good Market’s NIS 13,918.14 price. For families making large purchases repeatedly throughout the year, differences of that size could translate into substantial accumulated savings.

The comparison also found that the major supermarket chains generally continue to offer lower prices for a complete shopping basket. Machsanei Hashuk Mehadrin, the cheapest retailer in the neighborhood-store category at NIS 12,170.10, was still NIS 1,112.20 more expensive than Osher Ad. One exception appeared in the laundry category, where Netto Chisachon Bashchuna charged NIS 375.50 — exactly the same as the larger Netto Chisachon chain and the second-lowest price in the entire comparison.

The findings underscore how significantly a family’s choice of supermarket can affect its expenses. For frequently purchased products such as laundry detergent, fabric softener and cleaning supplies, even relatively modest differences can add up over the course of a year. When a complete household basket is considered, the price gap can already reach thousands of shekels in a single broad comparison.

{Matzav.com}

Shas spokesman Asher Medina acknowledged that his party and the broader Chareidi political leadership failed during the past four years to secure the status of yeshiva bochurim, but pushed back strongly against claims that the failure has caused a widespread loss of confidence in Chareidi elected officials.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Chai’s “Central Edition,” hosted by Shneur Weber, Medina was asked how Shas intends to approach Chareidi voters who are deeply troubled by the arrests of yeshiva bochurim and the ongoing military draft crisis.

“There is no doubt, we did not succeed in bringing about an arrangement for the status of yeshiva students, which we wanted so badly and worked so hard and devoted ourselves for four years to make happen,” Medina acknowledged.

At the same time, Medina rejected the characterization that yeshiva families now look at their political representatives and say, “We sent you and you did not deliver results.”

“Yes, there is pain. Yes, there is great pain, and we share in it,” Medina said. “We are all in the same boat. We all have children, we all have grandchildren, we are all facing the same concerns.”

Medina insisted that throughout the past four years, Shas and the Chareidi representatives acted in accordance with the instructions they received from the Gedolei Yisroel.

“Everything they did for four years was according to the instructions of the Gedolei Yisroel, step by step. Whatever the Gedolei Yisroel instructed us to do – we did, and we carried out their mission.”

Weber pressed Medina on why Chareidi voters should believe that Shas will succeed in the next government after failing to resolve the issue during the past four years. Medina responded that one of the central lessons is that the Chareidi community must emerge from the coming elections with greater political strength.

Medina specifically pointed to Israel’s judicial and legal establishment, saying Shas will demand more far-reaching changes in the next government.

“Everyone knows and understands who the greatest persecutors of Judaism and the Torah world are,” Medina said, arguing that significant changes are needed regarding the appointment of judges and the authority wielded by government legal advisers.

Addressing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s latest demand that enforcement measures against those who have not reported for military service be intensified, Medina warned that “what we have seen until now is only the promo.”

He concluded by urging Chareidi voters not to remain at home on Election Day, arguing that a stronger showing at the polls will be essential if the community hopes to secure greater political power to address the draft crisis.

{Matzav.com}

An attempt by Israeli military police to arrest a yeshiva bochur in Bat Yam ended without an arrest overnight after dozens of protesters rushed to the scene, prompting the officers to withdraw.

Organizations that assist detained yeshiva bochurim reported Wednesday morning that military police arrived after midnight at a residence at 15 HaMa’apilim Street in Bat Yam, intending to arrest a yeshiva bochur classified by the military as a draft evader.

Word of the attempted arrest quickly spread after a “Black Alert” emergency notification was circulated among activists affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi. Protesters began streaming to the address as the military police remained at the home.

As the number of demonstrators outside continued to grow, the military police ultimately abandoned the arrest attempt and left the family’s home without taking the bochur into custody.

After the officers departed, protesters who had gathered at the scene broke into celebratory dancing in the area where the military police had been standing just minutes earlier. The dancing continued for an extended period as participants celebrated the unsuccessful arrest attempt.

The incident was particularly significant because it was reportedly the first proactive arrest attempt by military police targeting a yeshiva bochur in some time. Enforcement activity against draft-age yeshiva bochurim had declined substantially in recent months, with authorities largely refraining from carrying out initiated arrests.

The attempted arrest in Bat Yam came just one day after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara called for authorities to resume proactive arrests of Chareidi men who have not complied with military draft requirements.

In her letter, Baharav-Miara called for increased enforcement and additional sanctions against those who remain obligated to report for military service, including yeshiva bochurim engaged in full-time Torah study.

The letter, which was sent to military and police officials, argued that the current level of enforcement against draft-eligible Chareidim is insufficient and falls short of the government’s required targets.

Baharav-Miara called on the government and law enforcement authorities to develop a systematic, proactive enforcement plan aimed at implementing military conscription requirements among yeshiva bochurim.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, setting the stage for their third face-to-face meeting as Trump seeks to renew direct diplomacy with the nuclear-armed regime.

Trump did not reveal when or where the meeting would take place. Reports have suggested that the summit could be held in November, when the president is expected to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump defended his relationship with Kim and argued that maintaining a personal rapport with the North Korean leader benefits the United States.

“I get along with him, and you know what? The fact that I get along with him-that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that Kim has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons.”

Trump then criticized previous U.S. administrations for allowing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal to reach its current size, arguing that the buildup would not have occurred under his leadership.

“Should have never allowed it to happen,” the president added. “They should have never allowed it. If I were president, I wouldn’t have allowed it. But he’s got them.”

Trump’s statement about the size of Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal was particularly notable because U.S. officials have generally avoided publicly providing an exact number of operational North Korean nuclear weapons.

Previous intelligence assessments have estimated that North Korea possesses between 50 and 60 active nuclear warheads. Trump’s assertion that Kim controls precisely 57 marked the first time a U.S. official has publicly provided a specific figure for the country’s nuclear arsenal.

The IDF on Wednesday identified four senior Hamas Nukhba terrorists eliminated in an airstrike in northern Gaza, including a commander who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and three others involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli troops.

The four terrorists, all commanders in the Nukhba force of Hamas’s Beit Lahia Battalion, were targeted Tuesday in the Al-Shati area of the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF identified the first terrorist as Muhammad Hamdi Ahmad Al-Masri, a Nukhba company commander who was involved in advancing terror attacks against IDF forces operating in Gaza.

Samed Samir Harb Abu Habal, a Nukhba platoon commander, was also eliminated in the strike. According to the IDF, Abu Habal infiltrated Israeli territory during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre.

A third terrorist killed in the attack was Muhammad Attar, a Nukhba platoon commander who was involved in both planning and carrying out terrorist attacks targeting IDF troops.

The fourth was Muhammad Fathi Hussein Nasser, another Nukhba platoon commander who the military said played a role in advancing and executing attacks against Israeli forces.

According to the IDF, the activities of the four Hamas commanders represented an ongoing threat to troops operating in Gaza, prompting the military to target them in an aerial strike aimed at eliminating that threat.

The IDF said precautions were taken before the attack to reduce the danger to civilians in the surrounding area. Those measures included the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.

The military said it will continue conducting its operations in accordance with international law while taking measures ahead of strikes to minimize harm to civilians.