Soccer (illustration)iStock

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), Ireland’s soccer association, has announced that the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming Nations League home match against Israel, originally scheduled for October 4 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, will instead be held at an overseas neutral site without spectators, the BBC reported.

The ruling body finalized the relocation after weeks of evaluating the logistics of hosting the Israeli squad.

On Friday, the organization confirmed that UEFA authorized the request to move the match to an undisclosed neutral venue behind closed doors. This mirrors the arrangement for Israel's designated home game on September 27, which is also scheduled for a neutral location.

In an official briefing, the Irish federation noted, "Following consultation with various stakeholders, the Association is of the view that operational challenges could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil, so the fixture will be played away from the Aviva Stadium."

Public demand within Ireland to entirely boycott the fixtures has intensified over the Middle Eastern conflict. Activists from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign staged demonstrations outside the Irish parliament last month, while a group known as Irish Sport For Palestine initiated a "Stop The Game" movement.

Disruption occurred during a recent friendly match at the Aviva Stadium when fans threw tennis balls branded with Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags onto the field.

Despite pressure, the FAI maintains it must play the games. Following the tournament draw, Chief Executive David Courell remarked that the association had "no choice" but to comply, warning of "serious consequences" for a refusal.

In February, FAI confirmed that the Ireland Men's National Team will fulfill its 2026 UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel despite its call for a boycott of the Jewish state. In a November 2025 vote, 93 percent of FAI members demanded that the leadership lobby UEFA for Israel's suspension.

The FAI on Friday also distributed a supportive message from the Palestinian Football Association, which stated, "The Palestinian Football Association expresses its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes."

"The Palestinian Football Association also affirms its respect for the decision made by the Football Association of Ireland within the framework of its sporting and international obligations, in a manner that enables it to continue fulfilling its noble mission of serving football and promoting the values of justice, solidarity, and mutual respect."

The FAI, in its statement on Friday, said that it "continues to reflect the sentiment" of the proposal demanding that UEFA bar Israel from international play.

Ties between Israel and Ireland have been especially strained in recent years, as the Irish government has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel. In April of 2024, then-Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris failed to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader, resulting in criticism from Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

In December of 2024, Israel shuttered its embassy in Dublin amid escalating tensions, citing Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its vocal condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

More recently, Ireland elected far-left President Catherine Connolly who has labeled Israel a “terrorist state."

Connolly’s sister recently took part in an anti-Israel flotilla which attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. After the IDF intercepted the flotilla and arrested its participants, Connolly’s sister among them, the Irish President said she was “very proud" of her sister.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Dubai, United Arab EmiratesiStock

In a major geopolitical realignment, the United Arab Emirates has authorized the transfer of billions of dollars to Iran, Reuters reported on Friday.

The policy pivot follows a prolonged campaign of Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting the Gulf nation amidst the broader American-Israeli war with Tehran.

This financial arrangement, unfolding behind closed doors, aligns with the endgame of parallel diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran. Observers noted that the wider US negotiations could ultimately unfreeze tens of billions of dollars in blocked Iranian oil revenues currently held overseas due to economic sanctions.

According to two regional insiders quoted by Reuters, Abu Dhabi has agreed to transfer an aggregate sum of $10 billion, with an initial installment exceeding $3 billion already completed. Conversely, two separate individuals tracking the development claim the true figure hovers around $20 billion, affirming that a $3 billion tranche has been cleared. The exact origin of the funds remains unverified, leaving it unclear whether the money represents direct Emirati capital or pre-existing Iranian deposits frozen within the UAE's banking architecture.

In exchange for the massive cash infusion, according to the report, Tehran has pledged to completely halt all aerial aggression against the UAE, paving the way for a restoration of bilateral relations that will include joint intelligence coordination and economic projects.

The diplomatic channels further reveal that Iran has initiated similar outreach to at least two other neighboring Gulf Arab states.

The United Arab Emirates issued a swift and absolute denial of the report.

In an official press announcement published by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs explicitly rejected the narrative, stating that it "categorically denies media reports alleging transfer of funds to Iran, including allegations concerning $3 billion."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "These allegations are entirely false and unfounded. No frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE."

It added, "Media outlets are urged to exercise accuracy, rely on official sources, and refrain from publishing or circulating unverified information and unfounded allegations."

Prior to this official denial, a UAE official had commented broadly that the country's foreign policy is guided by "promoting de-escalation and reducing tensions across the region, while advancing lasting peace and stability," adding that the UAE supports efforts "to protect the peoples of the region from the repercussions of conflict."

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the UAE secretly carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran during the war, coordinating with the US and Israel.

According to the report, the strikes targeted military and energy-related sites and continued until after the ceasefire was announced.

The newspaper previously reported that the UAE conducted direct military strikes against Iranian infrastructure during the current war.

The UAE was repeatedly attacked by Iran during the war, including an incident in which Iran launched two salvoes of cruise missiles at the UAE, injuring three people.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

UNRWA facilities, southern GazaFlash 90

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) terminated the employment of 70 personnel in the Gaza Strip on Friday following an inquiry spearheaded by the US Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General, i24NEWS reported.

The mass firings occurred after the USAID oversight body flagged more than 100 past and present UNRWA workers for potential suspension or blacklisting. The individuals are accused of participating in the October 7, 2023 massacre or maintaining active ties to the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization.

An anonymous high-ranking American official provided context on the strategic timing of the firings to i24NEWS.

“The timing of UNRWA’s decision to terminate dozens of staff appears as a direct response to the USAID Inspector General‘s active and ongoing investigation, which to date, has linked over 100 UNRWA staff to Hamas," the official stated.

The source added that the investigation's scope extends beyond UNRWA to ensure systemic accountability across the broader humanitarian network in the region.

“Because of loose vetting procedures in the UN system, USAID IG law enforcement officers are also working to prevent Hamas-linked staff from jumping to other aid organizations operating in Gaza," the official said.

In an official communiqué, UNRWA confirmed that its acting commissioner-general, Christian Saunders, had personally ordered the termination of the 70 Gazan employees. The organization asserted that the firings were implemented to minimize “safety and security risks" for local Palestinian Arabs, agency staff, and UNRWA facilities, though it maintained that the dismissals did not amount to a formal validation of the specific accusations.

The defensive tone of the agency's announcement drew swift and harsh condemnation from Jerusalem, with Israel's Foreign Ministry blasting the messaging as a deliberate attempt to evade accountability.

"UNRWA's statement on the termination of 70 employees, while blaming the victim, Israel, and without even mentioning the word 'Hamas', is a cynical cover-up," the ministry declared. "The responsibility to purge terrorism lies solely with the UN, yet Hamas membership remains simply acceptable within UNRWA's ranks."

UNRWA has long been criticized for its cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, which has been proven time and time again. That criticism has increased since Israel provided evidence in 2024 that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

Following the Israeli revelations, the UN formed a review group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to look into the Israeli allegations. The group said in its report that it found neutrality-related issues" in UNRWA but also claimed that Israel had yet to provide evidence for allegations that a significant number of its staff were members of terrorist organizations.

Despite all the evidence showing UNRWA’s deep ties to Hamas, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel must facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through UN agencies, including UNRWA. That ruling was criticized by Israel as well as by the US.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

A quartet of Palestine Action members received prison sentences on Friday following a violent break-in at a privately owned, Israel-affiliated defense facility.

The four individuals were convicted of criminal damage during a retrial last month.

Activist Samuel Corner, 23, was handed a term of eight years and eight months behind bars on counts encompassing criminal damage and causing grievous bodily harm. He will be considered for parole after serving seven years and eight months.

Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each ordered to serve six years minus 45 days for perpetrating criminal damage, leaving them eligible for parole after four years and 320 days. Additionally, Head received a 12-month driving ban, having operated the prison transport vehicle utilized by the cell as a "battering ram" to breach the Elbit Systems UK facility.

Fatema Rajwani, 21, was jailed for five years and eight months minus 45 days on criminal damage charges, with parole eligibility set for after four years and 200 days.

During sentencing, Justice Johnson noted that he factored in Rajwani’s youth, as she was just 20 when the assault occurred. The magistrate also recognized that various documented mental health struggles and clinical disorders would intensify the hardships of incarceration for Kamio, Head, and Rajwani.

While the court refrained from levying immediate restitution orders, Justice Johnson explicitly noted that both the targeted enterprise and the wounded law enforcement agent retained the right to initiate civil lawsuits to pursue financial damages.

The severe sentences stem from an incident during the early hours of August 6, 2024, when the group inflicted £1 million in destruction upon the Bristol-based Elbit Systems UK factory to voice opposition over the firm's defense links to Middle Eastern warfare. During the raid, a police officer sustained a fractured spine when Corner struck her using a sledgehammer.

In his address to the court, Justice Johnson remarked on the backgrounds of the convicts.

"You are all young people who were of exemplary good character," he said, but emphasized that after growing "appalled" by Israeli military actions in Gaza, the individuals opted for a radical route. They "decided to take law into your own hands" rather than restricting their activities to legitimate, peaceful demonstrations, he noted.

Justice Johnson additionally upheld a pivotal pre-trial determination, confirming that the criminal acts crossed the legal boundary to be classified as possessing a "terrorist connection," which served as an aggravating factor in their sentences. This designation emerged as one of the most fiercely debated aspects of the judicial proceedings, given that Palestine Action was not formally blacklisted as a terrorist entity at the time the factory was targeted.

The British government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization days after the Elbit factory assault.

During the trial, the activists argued they were motivated by a desire to stop what they called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza and admitted they intended to damage the factory, but also claimed they opposed violence against people.

Ahead of Friday’s final determinations, an estimated 500 sympathizers assembled outside Woolwich Crown Court to voice solidarity with the accused and the broader Palestine Action movement. The Metropolitan Police subsequently reported that 107 individuals were taken into custody during the demonstration for showing public support for the group.

Founded in 2020, Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action" network opposing what it calls British “complicity" with Israel, particularly in relation to arms sales.

Members of Palestine Action previously defaced a painting of Lord Balfour at Trinity College Cambridge, spraying the portrait with red paint and slashing it.

In another incident, Palestine Action members stole two busts of Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmann, from a glass cabinet at Manchester University.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Abbas AraghchiREUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday that while a definitive peace treaty with the United States has not yet been fully locked in, any final pact will unfold in two distinct phases, strategically shifting the contentious nuclear debate to the second half of the timeline.

Detailing the current diplomatic and military state of affairs, Araghchi confidently championed Iran's defensive position, asserting, "The best time to end a war is when we hold the upper hand; we are truly victorious on the battlefield."

He reflected on the intensity of the recent combat operations, claiming, "We stood against the world's apparent superpower for 40 days."

Addressing the public's need for transparency regarding the highly sensitive and unfolding geopolitical talks, Araghchi emphasized that patience is required but promised total clarity down the line.

"The final agreement hasn’t been reached yet; if it is finalized, I promise to explain every single clause," he stated, further clarified the structural sequencing of the emerging framework, "The agreement includes two stages, and we have moved the nuclear issue to the second stage."

Araghchi also forcefully reaffirmed Iran's unwavering dedication to its regional proxy network and axis of resistance, making it clear that a ceasefire must extend beyond Iran's borders.

"We will never leave Hezbollah in Lebanon alone, and the end of the war will also encompass Lebanon and all other fronts."

He reinforced this regional mandate by adding, "Ending the war in the agreement also means Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied areas in southern Lebanon, and we have stated this explicitly to the other side."

Turning to the specific diplomatic concessions and parameters being carved out in the written documents, the Foreign Minister highlighted a major sovereignty acknowledgment from Washington.

"In this agreement, the United States will state in writing that it respects Iran's sovereignty."

Ultimately, Araghchi sketched out the broad and comprehensive scope of the active framework, which stretches far beyond mere military lines to encompass massive financial and infrastructural components.

"The memorandum of understanding includes the nuclear issue, sanctions relief, reconstruction, and blocked/frozen funds."

Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump told Axios’ Barak Ravid that he still thinks a deal with Iran could be signed over the weekend or on Monday.

Later, a senior US administration official told reporters that the agreement with Iran should be signed within days.

"We do expect to be signing this agreement with Iran over the next few days. We assess it at 85%, but not 100%. We feel very good about the deal. We are not quite at the finish line but we are very close," said the official.

The administration official spelled out several points in the prospective agreement. These include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, including the United States obtaining Iran’s enriched material, which the official said would be destroyed on site and then taken out of the country.

The official stated that Iran would be “relieved of a lot of the economic pressures that they’ve been under for many, many years" if the country complies with the deal’s provisions. The official further stressed, “Those benefits only accrue if they actually deliver."

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Satellite overview of Fordow on June 27, 2025Maxar Technologies/REUTERS

A clandestine, high-priority trip to Florida by America's top military officer late last month was triggered by urgent briefings regarding a potential ground assault inside Iran to seize its weapons-grade uranium, CNN reported on Friday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The sensitive nature of the strategy required General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to abruptly exit a NATO summit in Brussels on May 19 and cross the Atlantic to US Central Command. This hasty deployment highlights how close the White House came to greenlighting the high-stakes land operation.

A Joint Staff representative refused to speak on the contingency preparations.

Following the briefings, Caine presented the operational blueprints to President Donald Trump. However, sources state that Trump paused the initiative after being cautioned that it would trigger intense Iranian retaliation, drag out the armed conflict, shake the global economy, and result in a high number of American casualties.

This deep operational planning occurred even as Trump publicly claimed Washington and Tehran were close to finalizing a treaty to open the Strait of Hormuz and settle the nuclear dispute, suggesting a deal could be signed over the weekend. Yet, these internal ground-troop deliberations reveal the extreme proximity of a major military escalation.

“Lots of risk," one of the sources familiar with the plans for the potential military operation told CNN, adding it was not surprising Trump opted against giving the military the green light last month.

Concurrently, three insiders told CNN that Tehran has devised a backup economic "nuclear option" if diplomacy collapses and fighting resumes: directing its Yemeni Houthi proxies to block the Bab-al-Mandab strait. This critical entry point to the Red Sea has become a vital shipping lifeline since Iran sealed the Strait of Hormuz months ago.

Confiscating Iran's highly enriched uranium - specifically around 970 pounds of near-weapons-grade stockpile - remains an elusive goal for Trump, the report said. Although he frequently floats the option of a forced seizure, he hesitates due to the political risk of high American casualties.

Referring to another bloody option - seizing the Kharg Island oil terminal - Trump remarked on Thursday, “I don’t know if America has the stomach for it."

Nevertheless, the extraction mission remains on the table. Trump's impatience has mounted as Tehran delays signing a pact that would force it to surrender its atomic stockpile. Sources told CNN this material is hidden deep within subterranean tunnels across the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan complexes.

Nuclear experts doubt an American military operation could successfully locate or safely extract the material under fire, noting it likely remains in gas form, as last logged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in June 2025. Iran blocked international oversight the following month after combined US-Israeli bombings damaged the infrastructure but left the buried stockpiles intact.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi recently cautioned that this remaining cache could provide Iran with up to 10 nuclear warheads if weaponized. Still, US intelligence remains confident in its tracking via continuous aerial surveillance. Beyond this highly refined stock, Iran possesses lower-grade materials capable of creating a "dirty bomb," though talks remain centered on the near-weapons-grade cache.

Executing a seizure would necessitate an immense ground force, including hundreds of elite commandos.

“It would be insanely difficult to fish through those tunnels and all the barrels," one source said. “We’d have to set up a massive presence. Essentially, we’d have to invade."

Pentagon leaders classified the mission's risk level for special operations forces as "High to Extreme," signaling severe casualty projections even in a successful outcome.

With Iran's conventional military heavily degraded, the primary threats to invading US forces would be booby-trapped storage tunnels, shoulder-fired weaponry, surface-to-air missiles, and a substantial remaining arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones. General Caine and defense officials previously warned that a protracted ground campaign would dangerously deplete American arms reserves and severely harm overall military readiness.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

A tragic shooting in Midland, Texas, on Friday morning resulted in at least one fatality and left multiple people injured.

Midland Mayor Lori Blong confirmed that authorities have identified 11 total victims from the violence, reported CBS News.

The individual suspected of carrying out the attack has died, according to municipal officials, though the specific circumstances surrounding the death have not been disclosed.

Representatives from Midland Memorial Hospital informed CBS affiliate KOSA that nine of the injured are undergoing medical care at their facility. Of those patients, four remain in operating rooms undergoing surgery, while the other five are listed in stable condition.

Mayor Blong expressed her grief and extended gratitude to first responders following the incident.

"My heart breaks for the victims and their families," Blong said. "We are praying for every person touched by today's events and for the law enforcement officers who risked [their] own safety to protect our community."

The mayor added that she had received no indications of injuries among responding law enforcement personnel.

Providing details on the initial response, Midland Police Chief Greg Snow stated via a social media communication that patrol officers initially mobilized after hearing active gunshots originating from a structure located in the city’s southwestern district.

He noted that the responding units moved rapidly to isolate and secure the immediate vicinity.

The municipality of Midland is situated in the western region of Texas, located roughly a three-hour drive south of Lubbock.

State leadership also reacted to the morning's events.

"Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott are deeply saddened by the incident in Midland," the governor's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement. "Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Midland community."

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

The White HouseiStock

A senior US administration official told reporters on Friday that the agreement with Iran should be signed within days.

"We do expect to be signing this agreement with Iran over the next few days. We assess it at 85%, but not 100%. We feel very good about the deal. We are not quite at the finish line but we are very close," said the official.

The administration official spelled out several points in the prospective agreement. These include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, including the United States obtaining Iran’s enriched material, which the official said would be destroyed on site and then taken out of the country.

The official stated that Iran would be “relieved of a lot of the economic pressures that they’ve been under for many, many years" if the country complies with the deal’s provisions. The official further stressed, “Those benefits only accrue if they actually deliver."

“The Iranians don’t get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself," the official said. “What they get is that they get rewarded economically for complying with their obligations under the deal. So, if they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they’ll get something. If they dismantle their nuclear programs or their nuclear facilities, they’ll get something else. If they really commit to regional peace and stability, they’ll get additional things on top of that."

As for reservations on Israel’s part, the senior American official told reporters that the US is actively talking to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, noting a conversation that President Donald Trump and Netanyahu held on Thursday

The official expressed confidence that once Israel sees the full details of the deal, it will feel comfortable with the agreement.

The technical details of how to remove Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium have yet to be worked out, the official said.

“The Iranians commit to destroying and removing the enriched material, but how do you do that? Is going to take a little bit of time to figure it out," the official said. “This is very combustible stuff, very volatile stuff. We’re not just going to, like, go down there with a backhoe and a guy with a backpack and start taking it out."

The official stated that discussions on how to proceed would occur in the next round of technical talks.

“We’re going to figure out how to do that in the technical negotiations that will follow, but we think that this is the first and most important step to really ensuring that the Iranians do not build a nuclear weapon," the official said.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Donald TrumpWhite House Photo by Daniel Torok

US President Donald Trump on Friday told Axios’ Barak Ravid that he still thinks a deal with Iran could be signed over the weekend or on Monday.

Trump also told Ravid he had demanded the Iranians to issue a public clarification over reports in their state media on the details of the deal, which he earlier clarified were not true.

The conversation with Ravid came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that an agreement with the US to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program "has never been closer."

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content," Araghchi wrote in a post on social media.

“In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course," he added.

Responding to Araghchi’s post, Trump told Ravid that he considered the post "very positive".

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the talks between the US and Iran, wrote on social media on Friday, “We can confirm that a final, agreed-upon text of the peace deal has been reached, and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now."

“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of an incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal," he added.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Netanyahu and Lindsay GrahamMaayan Toaf / GPO

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the details published regarding a possible agreement with Iran, saying it is a problematic deal.

"I am very glad to hear from President Donald Trump that Iranian media reports about the so-called deal are fake because the deal as described by Iran would be awful. President Trump and our military deserve a lot of credit for making Iran the weakest they’ve been since 1979 through a combination of highly effective military strikes and a crushing blockade. However, we must remember the Iranian regime has killed 42,000 of their own people for simply wanting a better life, and their leadership are radical religious Nazis."

"As to any potential deal, it must be compared to the JCPOA, and I am hopeful that it will be vastly different. The idea of a $300 billion reconstruction fund, given who is in charge of Iran, seems to be tone deaf. It would be akin to a Marshall Plan for Germany with the Nazis still in charge. That wouldn’t have been a good idea then, and any reconstruction fund that benefits this terrorist regime wouldn’t be a good idea now."

"As to the Iranian nuclear program, President Trump’s red line has been no enrichment. I hope that holds - as it must."

"Allowing Iran to enrich under the JCPOA was one of the major flaws of that terrible deal. As I’ve stated before, any deal with Iran must come to Congress for scrutiny and approval."

UraniumiStock

A senior Trump administration official told Reuters that under an agreement with Iran, Iran’s nuclear program would be dismantled, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and it would stop funding terrorist organizations.

The official added that no funds would be released to Tehran until it fully complies with the agreement’s terms.

An Israeli official said today that the emerging deal “looks very bad" and called it “a catastrophe," saying it does not meet any of the principles discussed when the war began.

Donald Trump also attacked Iran in recent hours, saying it is impossible to deal with them in good faith and criticizing a drone attack on ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, calling it unacceptable and urging Iran to "get their act together, and fast."

Israel Katz at military assessmentAriel Hermoni, Ministry of Defense

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday afternoon, amid reports of a possible agreement with Iran, that Israel will not withdraw from security areas.

At the start of his remarks, the minister noted that US President Donald Trump is currently advancing an agreement with Iran based on US interests, including what he described as “the shared interest with Israel - preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons." He said Israel expects the US to “uphold this principle, as well as additional principles regarding missiles and proxy terrorism."

Katz said that Israel and the US “have dealt Iran severe blows that have set back its capabilities by many years." He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he have instructed the IDF to prepare so that Israel will retain, in the future, “the ability to act independently to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons."

The defense minister clarified that “Israel will not withdraw from the security areas in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza." According to him, the IDF will continue to defend Israel’s borders “from Mount Hermon, the Lebanese mountains, the regions of our land in Samaria, and most of the Gaza Strip - against threats from jihadist forces and organizations, as a central lesson from the events of October 7."

Katz also said that the IDF will not withdraw from terrorist camps in northern Samaria, which he said have been evacuated of residents, adding that “if necessary, the operation will be expanded to additional terrorist camps." He stressed that Israel’s security doctrine is to “act against both near and distant threats and to seek decisive outcomes rather than compromises and concessions."

Katz added that “much is at stake at this time," and that Israel is determined to “continue leading a firm security policy that will prevent harm to our security achievements." He said Israel will not risk its ability “to fight against the Shiite axis of evil led by Iran and the Sunni axis of evil led by the Muslim Brotherhood."

At the end of his remarks, the defense minister expressed appreciation for IDF command and for regular, career, and reserve soldiers “for their heroic fight for Israel’s security." He also praised residents of the north “for their courageous resilience, which gives the IDF the strength to continue defending their security."

Katz sent “a big and warm embrace to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones," and wished a recovery to all those wounded in body and mind “who gave of themselves for the defense of Jewish lives and the security of the State of Israel."

Combat soldiers in LebanonIDF Spokesman

IDF soldiers continue to operate against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in order to remove threats to Israeli civilians.

In precise strikes conducted by the Israeli Air Force, and guided by the ground troops, five rocket launchers used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to fire rockets at IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon were dismantled, including a launcher carried on a vehicle. In addition, a Hezbollah command center and terrorists operating in close proximity to IDF soldiers were struck.

IDF strikes Hezbollah launcherIDF Spokesman

Combat soldiers in GazaIDF Spokesman

IDF: Yesterday (Thursday), in a precise strike in the Gaza Strip, the IDF eliminated Qasslam Hassan Saleh and Sami Jamil Abu Dalal, two platoon commanders in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, as well as Ubay Mamoun Saleh Farwana, a deputy company commander in the Hamas terrorist organization.

The terrorists had been planning to execute imminent attacks against IDF troops, posed an immediate threat to them, and were eliminated in precise strikes.

Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.

Donald TrumpWhite House Photo by Daniel Torok

US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that details of the deal leaked by Iran are "fake news."

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing."

"What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING!"

"Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. They better get their act together, and FAST!," he concluded.

On Thursday, Trump announced, "Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening. Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others. The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized - Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly."

הרב קוקצילום: באדיבות משה נחמני

What makes a judge dishonest? What are the cognitive stages in the corruption of a leader?

The Torah legislates support for the judges and teachers of Israel - the kohanim and Levites - through a system of tithes and gifts. This system provides them with a degree of financial independence, making them less susceptible to bribes and moneyed interests.

Biblical Scandal

Not every leader, however, maintains the standards of integrity that his public office demands. The Torah notes that the sons of the prophet Samuel did not follow in their father’s path of selfless public service. On the contrary, “they went after gain, took bribes and subverted justice" (I Sam. 8:3).

What brought about their judicial corruption? What were the root causes?

The Sages offered several possibilities for the failings of Samuel’s sons. At first glance, this appears to be a litany of various abuses of power. A careful reading, however, will recognize a pattern in their statements.

Rav Kook explained that the Talmud describes a progression of increasingly serious offenses. The Sages were not disagreeing about the facts in the case. They were mapping out the moral decline of a leader, step by step, into the morass of deceit and corruption.

Here are the various opinions, as quoted in Shabbat 56a:

According to Rabbi Yonatan, Samuel’s sons were not, in fact, guilty of any true crime. Their fault was in their failure to replicate the exemplary public service of their father. Samuel would travel all over the country, providing judicial services for the people. His sons, on the other hand, stayed in their own court, and “increased the fees of their clerks and scribes."

Rabbi Meir said: They would openly demand their salaries.

Rabbi Yehudah said: They compelled private individuals to conduct their business affairs.

Rabbi Akiva said: They would forcibly take an extra measure of tithes.

Rabbi Yossi said: They took gifts by force.

What is the significance of all of these offenses? Let us follow the descent of the crooked politician, as he slides into the cesspool of graft and corruption.

Down-to-Earth Leadership

We can learn much about genuine public service from Samuel. The Torah praises Samuel for traveling around the country and judging the people in their towns (I Sam. 7:16). Why was this important?

A true leader considers himself to be literally a servant of the public. His dedication to the community is reflected in his sensitivity to their problems and concerns. He governs and advises them, not according to his own station in life, but as if he is standing in their shoes.

This is the significance of Samuel’s custom of judging the people in their hometowns. Samuel was able to identify their needs and challenges. As a result, his rulings were appropriate and his guidance was effective.

This type of leader is able to make a direct connection with the people. He does not need the trappings of officialdom. He does not surround himself with layers of bureaucrats and government officials.

Samuel’s sons, however, failed to emulate this level of leadership. They would judge the people without leaving their city, without adjusting their mindset. In their eyes, they adjudicated properly. In addition, they required the assistance of a system of salaried clerks and scribes. As Rabbi Yonatan noted, this was not a crime. But it certainly falls short of the ideal of leadership as epitomized by Samuel.

Step 1: Just a Job

The other scholars taught that Samuel’s sons were in fact guilty of graft. They described the various steps down the path of political corruption. Like all moral failings, abuse of authority comes in stages. Its danger and severity is magnified, of course, according to the power and influence of the position.

The first failing may appear to be minor, but it is indicative of a problematic attitude that is the root cause of more serious abuse. A community leader, and especially a spiritual leader, should recognize that public service is a great privilege. This recognition should be strong enough to make one willing to forgo financial remuneration. In fact, a true leader, aware of the importance of his work, may even feel a certain degree of impropriety in accepting payment.

Rabbi Meir described the fault of Samuel’s sons as “openly demanding their salaries." They failed to value the importance of their public service. By demanding payment, they showed that they looked at their work as a job like any other - and not a sacred calling that is its own reward.

Step 2: Using Others

From this stage, it is but a small step to actual abuse of power. Once a leader is no longer altruistic in his attitude towards public service, he will begin to see it as a burden. He will have no scruples about forcing others to handle his personal affairs. Since I take care of their needs, he reasons, why shouldn’t they take care of mine?

This is the wrongdoing identified by Rabbi Yehudah: “They compelled private individuals to conduct their business affairs."

Step 3: Grabbing For More

From here it is another small step to the next level of corruption. Rav Kook noted that one who fails to live up to the moral demands of his position will ultimately sink below the ordinary standard of ethical behavior.

Leading and judging should be an inspiring vocation. A leader should feel that he is helping build a safer, more equitable society. In the words of the Talmud (Shabbat 10a), an honest judge is “God’s partner in creation." But a flawed character, together with a failure to value his public work, will undermine the leader’s sense of propriety and justice. Instead of values based on a sense of justice, he is ensnared by the glitter of superficial honors.

His lack of integrity is expressed quantitatively - he takes “an extra portion of tithes" - as well as qualitatively - he takes it by force.

Step 4: Legal in Name Alone

As long as he retains some semblance of morality, such a leader will not try to seize that which he has no legal claim to. But his dishonesty may lead to the lowest level, when justice and propriety are empty shells, high-minded words lacking any true content. He views the judicial system as merely a tool to ensure social order. It has no connection to our aspirations for an ethical society.

This is the level described by Rabbi Yossi: “They took gifts by force." If they were taken by force, how can they be called gifts? This is a form of legal manipulation that is legal in name only. He may call them “gifts" or “contributions," but in fact they were taken forcibly. Calling them gifts only serves to silence what little is left of his conscience, allowing him to justify his crimes.

These are the stages in the descent of a judge corrupted by the lure of superficial honors and financial gain - a leader who should have been organizing society according to the foundations of justice and morality.

(Adapted from Ein__Eyah vol. IV, pp. 52-54, sent to Arutz Sheva by Rabbi Chanan Morrison, RavKookTorah.org)

Torah scrollISTOCK

Few figures in the Torah are as perplexing as Korach.

Unlike Pharaoh, Balak or Amalek, Korach was not an external enemy seeking to destroy the Jewish people. He was one of their own. A Levite of distinguished lineage, he belonged to one of the most prominent families in Israel. He lived in the generation that witnessed the Exodus from Egypt, stood at Mount Sinai and experienced Divine revelation firsthand.

Yet despite all this, Korach launched one of the most destructive rebellions in Jewish history.

On the surface, his challenge seemed noble enough: “For all the congregation are holy, and the Lord is among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the assembly of the Lord?" (Numbers 16:3).

At first glance, Korach sounds almost democratic. He speaks in the language of equality and inclusion. Why should Moses and Aaron hold positions of authority? Why shouldn’t leadership be shared more broadly?

But the Sages saw through Korach’s rhetoric.

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (5:17) teaches that every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will endure, while every dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven will not endure. As the classic example of a dispute not for the sake of Heaven, the Mishnah cites the controversy of Korach and his followers.

Korach’s arguments sounded principled. His motives were not. Beneath the lofty slogans lay something far less admirable: resentment.

Rashi, citing the Midrash, explains that Korach was upset because he had been passed over for a position of leadership within the tribe of Levi. He believed he deserved greater honor and could not accept the decision that had been made.

In other words, Korach wrapped a personal grievance in the language of public virtue. And that is what makes his story so timeless.

Human beings possess a remarkable ability to convince themselves that selfish motives are actually noble ones. We can cloak jealousy in the language of justice, ambition in the language of principle and personal disappointment in the language of moral outrage.

Korach may have spoken about equality, but what he really wanted was power. That is why his rebellion proved so dangerous.

The greatest threats to a community often do not come from people who openly declare hostile intentions. They come from those who present themselves as champions of a righteous cause while being driven by ego and self-interest.

Throughout history, countless movements have begun with lofty ideals only to be corrupted by the ambitions of those leading them. Noble words can be powerful, but they are not enough. We must always ask what lies beneath them.

This is particularly true in an age dominated by social media.

Today, outrage has become a form of currency. Public criticism can spread instantly, and accusations can travel around the world before facts have a chance to catch up. The temptation to tear others down has never been greater.

Korach would have thrived on social media. He was charismatic. He knew how to mobilize supporters. The Torah tells us that he gathered 250 prominent men, leaders of the congregation and people of renown. He understood how to build a coalition and create a narrative.

Most importantly, he knew how to exploit dissatisfaction.

Every community contains people who feel overlooked, frustrated or aggrieved. A skilled demagogue can take those frustrations and channel them into a movement. That is precisely what Korach did.

Yet there is another side to the story that is equally important.

Throughout the episode, Moses displays extraordinary restraint. Rather than reacting with anger, he falls on his face in prayer. Rather than seeking revenge, he attempts repeatedly to reason with his opponents. Even when confronted with open rebellion, Moses remains focused on preserving the unity of the nation.

His response teaches an important lesson. Leadership is not about winning arguments. It is about serving a higher purpose.

Moses did not seek his position. In fact, when G-d first called upon him at the burning bush, he repeatedly tried to decline. Leadership was a burden he accepted out of duty, not a prize he sought out of ambition.

Korach and Moses therefore represent two fundamentally different approaches to life. One sought honor and could never find satisfaction. The other fled from honor and became the greatest leader in Jewish history.

The contrast is striking.

In a world that constantly encourages us to compare ourselves to others, Korach reminds us of the dangers of envy. When we become consumed by what someone else has, we lose sight of the blessings that are already our own.

In Pirkei Avot (4:1), Ben Zoma teaches, “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion".

Korach had status, influence and privilege. And the Talmud (Pesachim 119a) describes his vast wealth. Yet it was not enough.

Korach’s tragedy was not that he lacked greatness. His tragedy was that he could not appreciate the greatness he already possessed.

That is a lesson worth remembering.

For resentment rarely destroys the object of its envy. More often, it destroys the person who harbors it.

Korach’s rebellion began with a complaint about someone else’s position. It ended with the earth opening beneath his feet.

And the distance between those two points is shorter than many of us would like to believe.

Ben Gurion International AirportFlash 90

Israel Airports Authority CEO Sharon Kedmi has warned that airlines may soon be forced to cancel flights scheduled for the summer and Tishrei holiday season unless a solution is found to a growing aircraft parking shortage at Ben Gurion Airport.

Speaking to Ynet, Kedmi said the continued presence of dozens of US cargo aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport has created a situation that could significantly disrupt commercial air travel. According to his assessment, as many as 2.4 million flight tickets could be affected if the issue is not resolved.

Kedmi stated that airlines are expected to receive notice by June 16 that they should prepare for possible cancellations of some scheduled flights during the peak travel period, including the High Holidays between September 11 and October 4.

The Airports Authority chief explained that the airport has been operating under increasing pressure since February. While approximately 70 aircraft are currently engaged in regular activity at Ben Gurion Airport, including takeoffs, landings, and refueling operations, another 25 cargo aircraft are parked at Ramon Airport.

“As long as the US fleet does not leave Ben Gurion Airport and is not relocated elsewhere, we have no choice but to prepare for a situation in which airlines will have to cancel part of their scheduled flights," Kedmi said.

He noted that at least 30 US cargo aircraft would need to be removed from Ben Gurion Airport in order to accommodate commercial traffic already scheduled for the summer and holiday season.

According to Kedmi, the shortage is already affecting airport operations. He reported delays in takeoffs and landings and said passengers have experienced extended waits aboard aircraft due to a lack of available parking stands and boarding bridges.

Ben Gurion Airport currently handles approximately 65,000 passengers daily, a figure expected to rise to around 100,000 per day during the height of the summer travel season.

Kedmi added that discussions held several weeks ago raised expectations that a possible agreement between the US and Iran could lead to the relocation of US military aircraft stationed in Israel. However, no agreement was reached, and the aircraft remain in place.

He emphasized that any decisions regarding flight cancellations would be made by the airlines themselves based on operational and commercial considerations. The anticipated impact could affect both Israeli carriers and foreign airlines operating or planning to resume service to Israel.

Social mediaiStock

I was watching Mehdi Hasan being interviewed on Sky News this week, a form of self-flagellation for which no reasonable tribunal would consider the punishment proportionate to the offence. While difficult to endure, it prompted a far more interesting question than anything discussed on screen.

The occasion was the launch of Zeteo in the United Kingdom, his online news platform. The interview itself was unremarkable, what struck me was what wasn’t said.

Here was a man who has spent years making some of the most inflammatory claims imaginable about Israel, Zionism and the Jewish community. A man who has compared the war in Gaza to the Holocaust and repeatedly platformed and defended figures accused of antisemitism. A man whose own record contains comments about non-believers and the LGBTQ community that would likely end the career of almost any mainstream broadcaster. Yet none of it was raised.

The presenter nervously circled around criticism of traditional media before moving on. He appeared so uncomfortable and out of his depth that I briefly wondered whether, like Guy Goma, he had wandered onto the set by accident and decided to just muddle through. There was no meaningful challenge to the assertion that genocide in Gaza is an established fact. No challenge to casualty figures presented as unquestionable truth despite ongoing disputes over their accuracy and their providence being direct from Hamas. No challenge to claims about Israeli actions in Lebanon or Iran. No challenge to years of rhetoric that has helped shape how millions of people understand one of the most complex conflicts on earth.

Instead, the interview treated Hasan not as a deeply controversial political activist, but as simply another media entrepreneur launching another media product. Perhaps that is the point, that the story is no longer Mehdi Hasan, but the system that has made Mehdi Hasan possible.

Photo: Mehdi Hasan on Sky News announcing the launch of Zeteo UK

Across Britain, politicians are engaged in an increasingly urgent debate about restricting social media access for under-16s. The argument is straightforward enough. Children are vulnerable, highly susceptible to manipulation, struggle to distinguish fact from fiction. They can be drawn into rabbit holes of extremism, misinformation and hate.

All of which is certainly true, but what is less clear is why we stop worrying the moment somebody turns sixteen, or eighteen, or forty. Because if the past few years have taught us anything, it is that adults are proving no more resilient than children.

The great myth of the social media age is that information has been democratised. In reality, information has been industrialised.

The algorithm does not exist to inform us, it exists to engage us. Its purpose is not to tell us what is true but to show us what will keep us watching. Anger performs, fear performs, outrage performs, tribalism performs. Nuance does not.

Once the algorithm discovers which buttons to press, it presses them relentlessly. If you are frightened, it will show you reasons to be more frightened. If you are angry, it will show you reasons to be more angry. If you are convinced somebody is responsible for your problems, it will provide an endless stream of evidence confirming that belief.

Not because any of it is true, but because it works.

The result is not an informed citizenry. It is millions of people living inside personalised realities, each one carefully curated to confirm what they already believe, a self-perpetuating echo chamber of bias confirmation.

The speed at which this happens is perhaps the most remarkable part. A newspaper once had editors, a broadcaster once had producers. Information moved slowly enough to be challenged before it reached millions of people. Today a hashtag can circle the globe within minutes.

A claim appears online, it is shared by an influencer, then a celebrity, then a politician, then spread indiscriminately by bots, then by a journalist reporting on the fact that everyone is talking about it. Within hours it acquires the appearance of truth, not because it has been verified but because it has been amplified.

The distinction matters, because truth and popularity are not the same thing. Yet increasingly they are treated as if they are.

Consider how many viral narratives from the past twenty months have followed precisely this path. Disturbing claims, shocking images and emotionally charged slogans race around the world at extraordinary speed, generating outrage and engagement before the facts are fully understood.

By the time evidence emerges that a claim was exaggerated, misleading or entirely false, the correction arrives to an audience that has already moved on. The original post may be forgotten, the impression it created is not. That is the true asymmetry of the social media age.

A lie does not have to survive scrutiny to be effective, it merely has to arrive first and increasingly, we are seeing where that leads.

Over recent weeks we have watched communities in Britain descend into anger and disorder. In Belfast, tensions have erupted into violence. In Southampton, a local tragedy became fuel for online speculation and outrage long before the facts had settled. Across the country we have seen asylum hotels targeted, communities polarised and rumours spread at extraordinary speed.

The details differ, the mechanism does not.

Legitimate fears and grievances are seized upon, simplified, amplified and weaponised. Claims race across social media faster than any investigation can keep pace. Entire groups of people become symbols of wider frustrations, individuals become avatars for causes, communities become targets.

By the time the facts emerge, the emotional verdict has often already been delivered.

For Britain’s Jewish community, none of this is new. Since October 7th, Jews have been warning about the consequences of online dehumanisation. We have watched social media fill with claims of genocide presented as unquestionable fact. We have watched Holocaust inversion become commonplace. We have watched Jewish pain minimised, Jewish fears dismissed and Jewish voices excluded from conversations supposedly about tolerance and inclusion.

We have also witnessed how easily a slogan can become a substitute for understanding. “All Eyes on Rafah" became one of the defining social media campaigns of the conflict. Millions shared it, celebrities promoted it, influencers amplified it, bots spread it. Many who posted it could not have found Rafah on a map a week earlier.

Photo: The hashtag and the image that went viral

The slogan spread not because people understood the complexity of what was happening there, but because participation itself became a form of social currency. To share was to demonstrate virtue, while to question was to invite condemnation.

Yet while the hashtag travelled around the world, a less convenient reality received far less attention, that Israeli hostages, alive and dead, were being held beneath Rafah in terror tunnels. One narrative became universal, the other remained largely invisible. Not because one fitted the facts more comfortably than the other, but because one fitted the algorithm more comfortably than the other.

For twenty months many Jews have been told that what they are seeing is not happening, yet the pattern has been painfully obvious. Hate online becomes hate in real life. The language changes first, then the behaviour follows. A slur becomes acceptable online, soon it becomes acceptable on the street. A conspiracy gains traction online, soon it becomes justification for harassment. The dehumanisation of a people becomes normalised online, eventually somebody decides to act upon it.

Verbal abuse becomes intimidation, intimidation becomes violence, violence becomes arson, violence becomes stabbings.

None of this happens overnight, it happens through repetition and through normalisation, through the gradual erosion of the boundaries that once separated disagreement from demonisation. But once it has happened, once hate has gone from online to IRL, there is very little one can do to go back.

To be fair, for the first time there are signs that the questions are at least being asked. Social media companies that once appeared untouchable increasingly find themselves facing scrutiny from governments, regulators, courts and campaigners. Executives who spent years presenting themselves as little more than neutral custodians of digital town squares are being asked whether they bear any responsibility for what those town squares have become.

These are important conversations, but let us not pretend the tide has turned. The business model, incentive structures and algorithms remain unchanged. The overwhelming measure of success remains engagement, not accuracy, reach, not truth, attention, not responsibility.

We should be careful not to mistake scrutiny for accountability.

The reality is that we are still conducting a vast social experiment in which some of the most powerful information distribution systems ever created are rewarded for amplifying outrage, division and fear. The only difference is that we are now beginning to acknowledge that the experiment may not be going entirely to plan.

This is why the latest figures from the Pew Research Center should concern far more people than just Jews. Across the 36 countries surveyed, the median percentage of people holding an unfavourable view of Israel now stands at 69%. Among younger generations the numbers are often significantly higher. In Britain, among those under 35, the figure has reached an astonishing 84%.

Pew Research Centre data results on various nations favourability rating of Israel

People will disagree about why, they will point to governments, military campaigns, politicians and policy decisions, but there are other questions that deserve asking.

How much of this shift has occurred because of what people believe they know rather than what they actually know? How much has been shaped not by direct experience or rigorous reporting but by an endless torrent of algorithmically selected content designed to provoke emotional reactions? How much has been shaped by influencers masquerading as journalists, activists masquerading as analysts and social media feeds masquerading as news?

These questions matter because the issue extends far beyond Israel. Today it may be Jews, immigrants and Muslims. The day after that it may be refugees, politicians, corporations or any other convenient target.

The algorithm does not care who it burns, it only cares that the fire keeps spreading.

That is why the conversation we need to have is larger than one journalist, one platform or one conflict. The question is whether societies can survive when truth becomes merely another form of content. Once facts become optional, once outrage becomes currency and once engagement becomes more valuable than accuracy, we should not be surprised by what follows. We built systems that reward division, we should not be shocked that division is what they produce.

The Jewish community has been one of the first targets of this ecosystem, it will not be the last. We have simply been living with its consequences for longer than most. The dehumanisation of Israel and Zionists did not stay online, it never does and the same path will be followed for others.

The lesson of the past twenty months is not that Jews are uniquely vulnerable. It is that no society can consume a daily diet of outrage, distortion and dehumanisation without eventually becoming shaped by it.

The fire that begins with one community never stays contained for long and by the time everyone else notices the smoke, the fire has already taken hold.

Photo: Cars and houses burn on the streets of Belfast

Yellow Line in GazaFathi Ibrahim/Flash90

IDF: Overnight (Friday), the IDF struck in the central Gaza Strip and dismantled three Hamas weapons storage facilities containing launchers, mortar shells, RPGs, explosive devices, firearms, and additional military equipment.

The weapons were intended to be used against IDF troops operating in the Yellow Line area and against the civilians of the State of Israel, and were dismantled in order to remove the threat.

Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.

Yahya SinwarReuters

A new exhibition at the Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Centre (IICC) in Ramat HaSharon features a collection of Hamas items captured during the war, including handwritten notes outlining Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s plans for the October 7 massacre.

Among the exhibits are Sinwar’s personal belongings, including clothing, shoes, and a vest, as well as operational materials recovered by Israeli forces. The IICC, which is staffed by former senior officials from IDF Intelligence, the Shin Bet, and the Mossad, has access to intelligence materials gathered during the conflict.

According to officials at the center, the IDF has collected and is examining more than one million Hamas documents and digital files seized since October 7. IICC CEO Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yuval Halamish said the center is conducting its own long-term analysis of materials received from military intelligence.

The exhibition includes instructions carried by Hamas terrorists during the attack, detailing targets in southern Israel, maps of communities, and assessments of local security positions. Also on display is a collection of religious rulings and fatwas used by Hamas to justify attacks against Israeli civilians.

Additional sections focus on individuals identified in Hamas documents as operatives, including journalists and UNRWA employees allegedly linked to the terrorist organization. Visitors can also view vehicles used during the October 7 assault, including motorcycles and trucks, alongside bullet-damaged cars recovered from the Supernova music festival.

Weapons displayed in the exhibition include arms manufactured in Iran, Russia, North Korea, Egypt, and China, as well as locally produced Hamas weaponry.

Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Donald Trump (R) at Mar-a-LagoREUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday afternoon responded to reports regarding the impending deal between the US and Iran, reiterating his promise that the IRGC will not achieve nuclear weapons.

"As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel - Iran will not have nuclear weapons," he said, adding that he and US President Donald Trump "are in full agreement on this issue."

"For over 30 years, I have been at the forefront of the international struggle against Iran's nuclear program. Were it not for this struggle, Iran would have long ago possessed atomic bombs to destroy Israel."

Netanyahu stressed, "Iran is working to destroy the Jewish state, and I am dedicating my life to preventing them from doing so."

"As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen."

Trump announced Thursday evening that he had called off strikes on Iran and that the regime has agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to the American President, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

He stressed that "the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized. The time and place of the signing will be announced shortly."

Netanyahu's office responded, "President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) currently taking shape with Iran to enter into negotiations."

"Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement concluded at the end of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its regional terror proxies," the statement added.

בן צור ואהבת השם על הבמהללא קרדיט

Singer Ben Tzur performed Thursday night in Petah Tikva before an audience of about 13,000 fans.

During the evening, Ben Tzur performed his greatest hits and received enthusiastic reactions from the crowd.

One of the highlights of the show came when he brought his close friend Ahavat Hashem Gordon on stage, and the two performed the song "Ahavat Hashem" together.

Ben Tzur also dedicated the song "Ishti" to his wife, Shirel, who was in the audience, and the song "Ima Shelach" to his mother, Ofra.

Massive weapons smuggling operation thwartedIDF spokesperson

An attempt to smuggle dozens of weapons into Israeli territory was thwarted, in a targeted operation by IDF soldiers, the Judea and Samaria Border Police, and officers of the Judea and Samaria District Police.

The operation is part of an ongoing effort to counter terrorism and criminal activity along the eastern border, a statement noted.

In recent days, security forces identified indications of preparations for a weapons smuggling attempt along the border area.

Preparing for the operation, IDF soldiers, along with the Israel Border Police and the Israel Police, established ambush positions and conducted extensive searches in the area. During the operation, the forces located 23 Glock pistols, three Kalashnikov rifles, one M16 rifle, and additional weapons.

During the operation, a suspect in his twenties from Bethlehem was apprehended. The suspect and the weapons that were located were transferred to the Judea and Samaria District of the Israel Police for further investigation.

"The security forces continue to combat the smuggling of weapons that could fall into the hands of terrorists and criminal elements, and remain deployed along the eastern border to ensure the security of Israeli civilians," the statement warned.

One of the trucks confiscatedCOGAT

The Civil Administration announced that during a targeted enforcement operation conducted this week at crossings throughout Judea and Samaria, attempts to smuggle approximately 110 tons of waste were thwarted.

The waste was suspected to be destined for illegal dumping and burning at unauthorized sites in Palestinian Authority areas.

The operation was led by the "David Unit," operating under the Civil Administration’s Environmental Quality Staff Officer and funded by the Environmental Protection Ministry. Trucks were inspected at several key crossings, including Mizmoria, the Tunnels Checkpoint, and Qalandiya.

According to the Civil Administration, the intercepted trucks carried various types of waste. All trucks and their contents were confiscated and transferred to a military impound lot for further processing by enforcement authorities.

The Civil Administration noted that this operation is part of a broader enforcement effort which has been ongoing for several months and aims to combat illegal waste burning in Judea and Samaria. Data provided indicate that nearly half a million tons of waste destined for burning in Judea and Samaria were seized in various enforcement actions over the past month.

The Civil Administration emphasized that the activities are carried out as part of a coordinated task force that brings together all relevant security bodies to reduce air pollution and environmental hazards in the region.

משאית שנתפסהצילום: דוברות מתפ"ש

הרב ביגוןצילום: יחצ

Rabbi Dov Begon is Head of Yeshivat Machon Meir.

In this Torah portion, The Holy One Blessed be He punishes the generation of the wilderness, saying to them: “In this wilderness your carcasses shall fall... But your children, whom you said would become plunder, I will bring in, and they shall know the Land that you have despised" (Numbers 14:29, 31).

At first glance, it would have been sufficient to say regarding the next generation, “I will bring them in." Why the additional phrase, “and they shall know the Land that you have despised"? The verse comes to teach us that it is not enough merely to ascend to the Land and settle in it. One must know the Land - not only in terms of its geography, history, nature, and the like, but know it in terms of its essence and purpose, in the sense of its living eternal connection to the Jewish Nation and in the sense of our Divine historical and universal mission.

As was already said to our forefather Abraham at the beginning of his journey: “And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth from your land... to the Land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing... and through you shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).

As Rashi explains: “Go forth" - for your benefit and for your good. There, in the Land of Israel, I will make you into a great nation and make your nature known throughout the world.

The sin of the spies was that they did not want to know what the Land of Israel truly is - its greatness and its mission. Therefore they despised it and slandered it. The corrective response came through the generations that followed them, a brave generation who conquered the Land, settled it, and established in it a glorious kingdom under the leadership of King David who understood what the Land of Israel means to the Jewish People and to the world. Because of this understanding, he fought for it with all of his faith, military genius and strength, knowing that the war and conquest of the Land were Torah commandments whose purpose was to bring light and blessing to all of mankind, because Jerusalem and the Land of Israel are the light of the world.

Even now, in our generation, the generation of the ingathering of the exiles and national revival, we must learn to understand and recognize what the Land of Israel is and what the living connection is between the People of Israel and the Land of Israel, as Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook of blessed memory wrote:

“The Land of Israel is not an external thing, an external possession of the nation, merely as a means to the goal of national unity and the maintenance of its material or even spiritual existence. The Land of Israel is an essential unit bound by a living bond to the nation, embraced by inner treasures (segulot) together with its very existence" (Orot, p. 9).

The Land of Israel is not merely a refuge for persecuted Jews, or our historic Homeland, nor simply a country that is “pleasant to live in" and nothing more. In the Land of Israel, the national and universal vision of the End of Days is realized: “For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem," as the Prophet Isaiah declared.

The wars fought by King David, peace be upon him, for the conquest of the Land were intended to reveal the light of the Almighty in the world. Likewise, the wars of our own time are wars of the children of light against the children of darkness. The goal of our enemies is to extinguish the lamp and light of Israel, which continues to shine ever more brightly in the Land of Israel and in the State of Israel.

We must learn to understand, recognize, and know what the Land of Israel is, what we are fighting for, and the grandeur of our ultimate mission as our still young nation rises to renewed life in the Land of Israel. Then the blessing given to Joshua son of Nun will be fulfilled in us: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the Land that I swore to their fathers to give them" (Joshua 1:6).

Awaiting the complete Redemption.

Noahide NationsINN

The Sin of the Spies - A Rereading after Rabbi Yehuda Léon Askénazi (Manitou)

This week I witnessed something faintly bizarre.

Two young men walked into the offices of Brit Olam - offices where everything we do rests on faith in the Creator of the world. And the two of them looked as far from religious as one could imagine. Far from any kind of religiosity.

They were respectful, deeply so. But had you set their “religiosity" on a scale, the needle would barely have moved. I learned long ago not to weigh people that way. In the end, it depends on the heart within; the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven is not measured by anything outward at all. And still, the surprise kept deepening: they told me that for several years now they had been following, word for word, every teaching that comes from Rav Oury Cherki - one of the most profound and most widely heard rabbis in the State of Israel and in France, French being his mother tongue.

Then came the peak of the surprise. Speaking as the young generation - the generation that has carried the weight of this war for three years now - they said:

“It is clear to us that we are living in great days, and that everything still awaits its peak."

And then:

“But you, at Brit Olam, you have been in conversation with the entire population of the world for fifteen years. Believers, those who do not believe, those who live by the worldview of the progressive left, the Arab world, the Hindu world. And the most astonishing thing is that you have succeeded - thousands across the world follow you. Don’t you understand that you are the ones giving meaning to everything happening here? Don’t you understand that the people of Israel and the whole world need to be exposed to what you are doing?"

That already felt like too much - a demand so direct it was almost a shout: why aren’t you proclaiming what you do more loudly? I had not known how deeply we touch audiences this wide, even inside the State of Israel. Or, to be precise: I had not known how deep the shift inside Israeli society has become - a society searching for meaning because of the war.

And from there I began to look again at the story of the spies, in the book of Numbers. From a different angle.

The Worthy Men Who Betrayed

Ten men return from the Land, and they carry with them a report that will kill an entire generation in the wilderness.

Not ordinary men. The Torah is careful to call them “anashim," and whenever the word “anashim" appears in Scripture, it carries significance. Rashi adds a line that should ring in our ears: “and at that hour they were worthy." The moment they set out on their mission, they were upright, pure, the heads of the children of Israel. Each one is a prince of his tribe.

And here opens the question that Manitou places on the table - and it is not a distant historical question but a sword laid against our own neck:

How could men so worthy - chosen personally by Moses - betray their mission, sow despair in the heart of the people, and bring death upon an entire generation?

Had this been the failure of cowards, there would be no mystery. A coward runs. But these were not cowards. They were leaders. And that is precisely the point of danger - that the failure came not from weakness, but from a place that looked like depth.

The Sentence That Seemed Innocent

They spoke a single sentence, and in it their fate was sealed:

“We are not able to go up against the people, for he is stronger than us" (Numbers 13:31).

We read it and assume we have understood. The Canaanites are stronger than we are (“Us"). A military assessment of force, perhaps mistaken, perhaps exaggerated - but understandable. With that, one can argue. With that, one can live.

But the word conceals an abyss.

The Sages in tractate Sotah read the word “mimennu" entirely differently. Not “mimennu" - stronger than us, but “mimenno" - stronger than Him, than the Holy One, blessed be He.

And now the whole sentence turns over. Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa says the thing one cannot believe was said:

“A great thing the spies said at that hour... as if to say, even the Master of the House - the Lord of the world - cannot remove His vessels from there."

This Was Not a Military Assessment. It Was a Claim Against Heaven

Now the true picture emerges, and a chill runs through it.

The spies did not say: “The enemy is stronger than us." They said something far more terrible: “The enemy holds a moral right to this Land greater than ours - greater even than the Creator’s promise." They claimed, as it were, that even the Sovereign of the world could no longer remove His “vessels" - His people - from the place where He had stationed them, because the one dwelling here had the greater claim.

And if so, what use were all the signs and wonders? The exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the sea, the manna, the cloud? If the intruder is still here and justice is on his side, then the entire journey was in vain.

This was not a trembling in the knees. It was a collapse of faith - disguised as realism.

For a moment, the two young men from my office returned to my mind - the scale, and how little it had told me. I set the thought aside and read on.

And Here Is the Ground on Which Everything Stands

Many Jews grew accustomed, over the long exile, to call the Land by the name “the Promised Land." A seemingly innocent phrase, and within it the whole error.

For a promise is something future, conditional, distant - something that must yet arrive, and in the meantime one may wait, may even relinquish it. But the Torah does not speak this way. The Torah says: “the Land which I have given to the children of Israel" - given, in the past tense. Granted, complete, in our hands.

The difference between “promised" and “given" is the difference between a tourist and a member of the household. The tourist comes to see archaeology, landscapes, holiness - and then returns home. The one who belongs to the house is already home. And here Manitou touches the exposed nerve: how did we reach a state in which we feel like strangers in our own home? Perhaps precisely because for so long we felt “at home" while we were exiles in a land not our own - until we forgot where the true home was.

The Answer

So let us return to the question we opened with. How did the worthy men betray?

The surprising answer is that they did not betray out of fear - they betrayed out of a mistake of identity. They looked at the Land as a conditional gift rather than a completed inheritance, saw themselves as guests rather than owners, and weighed our right to the place on a moral scale against the enemy, instead of knowing that this place is not a reward for good behavior, but the ground on which the very purpose stands.

And this is exactly what passes between us and the generation of the wilderness. After all our people have endured, it is clearer than ever that holding onto the Land of Israel is not merely a question of physical survival. A people that seeks only to survive has no need of this Land in particular. But a people with a purpose - a role toward all of humanity - needs the place in which that purpose can rise and be realized. The Land is not the shelter. The Land is the vessel.

The spies did not fail at reading the military map. They failed at reading who they were.

And perhaps for this reason, Manitou closed his words with a single sentence that is both diagnosis and remedy:

“The time has come to return and read the Bible."

A Word Beyond the Lesson

And here is what makes this reading so sharp for our own hour. It was precisely the war of Swords of Iron that awakened the people to grasp our moral right to the Land - not as a slogan, but as something felt in the body. The question of purpose, which for years lay dormant beneath the surface, has now been carved open for deep clarification across every stratum of the nation - including those who appear, on the surface, disconnected from the path of Torah.

And they are not. The two young men who walked into my office were that very generation made visible. By the measure of “religiosity," they registered as almost nothing - and that measure was simply the wrong instrument. For the people of Israel, it is not a religion, however stubbornly the wider world insists on seeing it as one; it is a nation, a people bearing a calling. And the identity these two carried ran deeper than any religiosity I could have weighed: it was bound, directly and without their needing to name it, to the universal purpose of Israel - a purpose the war itself had pressed to the very surface of their lives.

They came to teach me, not the other way around. They are connected and searching for great answers. The generation of the spies measured the Land and saw a threat; this generation, passing through fire, has begun to measure itself and to ask what it is here for. That question itself is the beginning of the return.

The teaching at the heart of these words - the reading of the spies’ report - was written by Rabbi Yehuda Léon Askénazi (Manitou) for Parashat Shelach. The original words were written in 1994, during the Oslo Accords, and the parallel between the generation of the spies and those prepared to surrender the Land stood in the background of his remarks. Translated and edited from the French by Eliezer Cherki. The personal reflection that opens and closes the essay is the author’s own.

David HockneyREUTERS

David Hockney, one of Britain’s most influential painters, died Friday at the age of 88.

Known for his bold use of color and innovative perspectives, Hockney’s work spanned over six decades and left a lasting mark on modern art.

Hockney gained fame for his portraits, landscapes, and the iconic California swimming pool series. He later embraced digital tools, creating art on iPads and experimenting with photo collages.

He is remembered for reshaping how audiences view everyday scenes, combining technical skill with a clear, vibrant aesthetic.

Mojtaba Khamenei (L) and Donald Trump (R)Reuters/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA, White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Iranian media report that the emerging agreement with the US includes a "ceasefire" agreement forcing Israel to cease strikes on the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, alongside the unfreezing of approximately $12 billion in Iranian funds.

According to reports in Iranian media, the final talks between the United States and Iran are expected to focus on economic issues and the nuclear program.

The discussions reportedly will not include Iran’s ballistic missile program but will focus on sanctions relief, nuclear matters, and economic measures related to the emerging memorandum of understanding.

The Mehr News Agency reported that the emerging US-Iran memorandum includes a US commitment to lift sanctions, withdraw American forces from the region surrounding Iran, and end the maritime blockade.

The report adds that the agreement also includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and releasing frozen Iranian funds.

Sources cited by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar newspaper, associated with the Hezbollah terrorist organization, claimed that Lebanon is included as one of the clauses in the emerging US-Iran agreement. According to the report, the understandings include a full ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a broader arrangement under negotiation.

Against the backdrop of reports on progress in US-Iran talks, media outlets report that US planes carrying security equipment for the Vice President are en route to American bases in the region. This preparation is reportedly intended to enable arrival in the country where the emerging agreement may be signed, if and when talks are completed and final approval is given by all involved parties.

Al-Akhbar reported that Iran received a final response from the United States confirming that Lebanon will be an integral part of the emerging regional agreement.

According to the report, the breakthrough reportedly took place in Doha with mediation by the Qatari Prime Minister and participation of senior representatives from Tehran and Washington. The agreement is said to stipulate a complete end to the state of war in the region, not merely a temporary ceasefire. According to the reported plan, the agreement includes a total halt to all military actions in Lebanon, a defined timetable for rapid Israeli withdrawal, cessation of demolition and excavation activities, and the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement on Thursday evening commenting on the impending Iran nuclear deal.

"President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) currently taking shape with Iran to enter into negotiations," the statement said.

"Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement concluded at the end of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its regional terror proxies," the statement added.

In the past weeks, troops from the 769th Brigade, under the command of the 91st Division, completed an operation in the area of Dibbin.

This area served as a significant Hezbollah terrorist stronghold used to advance and prepare terrorist attack plans and anti-tank fire against the State of Israel and IDF troops.

To date, during Operation Roaring Lion, more than 30 terrorists have been struck and eliminated from the air, and dozens of terrorist infrastructures have been dismantled.

During the brigade-level operation, more than 50 targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force, dozens of terrorist infrastructures were dismantled, significant weapons storage facilities were located, and terrorists were struck and eliminated from the air.

The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel.

Some of the weapons foundIDF spokesperson

Traffic police (illuatrative)Police spokesperson

Hundreds of haredim arrived Thursday night at a police checkpoint at the entrance to Ashdod, ready to protest the arrest of a haredi draft evader.

The group had arrived at the checkpoint following an alert issued through the "Color Black" system, which is used to report the arrest of yeshiva students for draft evasion.

The protesters who arrived at the site clashed with police, and public disturbances persisted for an extended period. However, it later emerged that the detainees were neither yeshiva students nor members of the haredi community.

According to reports on the Haredim Ashdod website, the individuals were secular youths who were arrested during a routine license check. During the check, it was discovered that they were classified as draft evaders, and the military police were called to the scene for further handling.

Authorities are now investigating suspicions that external actors submitted a false report to the "Color Black" system, claiming that the detainees were yeshiva students, which triggered the mass mobilization and subsequent events on the ground.

The incident raises questions about the monitoring and verification mechanisms of the alert system, following the dissemination of a mass alert based, apparently, on inaccurate information.

Rabbi YY JacobsonIsrael National News

The Hole in the Roof

A rabbi stands before his congregation and reports to them that a massive hole has been found in the roof of the synagogue.

"Now I have good news and bad news for you," the Rabbi continues. "The good news is that we have the money to repair it; the bad news is that the money is in your pockets."

If We Win?

It's an old anecdote. Years ago, the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, convened an emergency session to figure out a solution for the Israeli economy.

One brilliant minister said, "Let's declare war on the U.S., and then, in the wake of the utter destruction America will bring upon us, we will receive billions of dollars for reconstruction, like Germany and Japan."

"Sounds great," responded another member of the Knesset. "One problem: What will we do if we win the war?"

Twelve Jews on a Mission

This week's portion, Shlach, tells the story of 12 men who were dispatched by Moses from the desert to go and survey the Land of Canaan and its inhabitants. The purpose of their journey was to prepare the Jewish people for the subsequent conquest and settlement of the Land.[1]

Upon discharging the spies on their mission, Moses presented them with a list of questions they needed to answer. "See the Land," Moses said to them. "How is it? And the nations that dwell in it-are they strong or weak? Are they few or numerous? And how is the land in which they dwell-is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they dwell-are they open or are they fortified?"

When the twelve spies returned from their 40-day tour of Israel they presented to the people a report of their findings.

"We arrived at the Land to which you sent us," the spies said, "and indeed it flows with milk and honey and this is its fruit. But the people that dwell in the land are powerful, the cities are greatly fortified and we also saw the offspring of the giants. We cannot ascend to that people for it is too strong for us," they proclaimed.

The report demoralized the Jewish nation and drained it of the motivation to enter the Land. As a result, the spies died, and much of the generation died in the desert, never making it into the Promised Land. Only 39 years later, in the year 1276 B.C.E., did the children and grandchildren of this generation cross the borders and settle in the Promised Land.

Kill the Messenger?

One of the many questions raised by Torah commentators [2] concerns the reason for the spies being condemned to punishment. Moses gave them a detailed list of questions about the Land; he instructed them to make their own observations as to what will await the people upon their arrival.

This is exactly what the spies did. They came back with an answer to all of Moses' questions and reported what they perceived to be the reality. If Moses expected them to cover up their observations -- that the Land was inhabited by mighty men and its cities were greatly fortified -- he should have never sent them in the first place!

Why were the men faulted for relating what they had seen? Is this not a case of "kill the messenger?"

Introducing Paralysis

The answer is that if the spies had merely related to Moses and to the people the reality of the situation as they saw it, everything would have been fine. But they did more than that. They used the difficulties they observed as an excuse to capitulate in the face of fear.

Had the spies returned and said, "Hey guys, we have seen a mighty people and well-protected cities in the Land, so now we need to devise an effective strategy of how to go about our challenging mission," they would have fulfilled their task flawlessly. The moment they responded to the obstacles by saying "We cannot do it anymore," they swayed an entire people to abandon their G-d-given destiny.

The spies are condemned for substituting the legitimate and important question "How will we do it?" with the despairing and helpless conclusion, "We can never do it!"

Conquering Your Darkness

Each of us has a domain in our life that needs to be conquered, a terrain that needs to be transformed into a "holy land." Some of us need to confront fear, numbness, insecurity, temptation, guilt, self-loathing, or shame. We must confront challenges within our psyches, our marriages, and our families. Since the challenges that lie in recovery's path are at times frightening, we are naturally tempted to believe that we are incapable of overcoming our darkness, and we surrender to the obstacles.

The feeling is understandable, but if you surrender to it, it will rob you of the opportunity to liberate your life and arrive at your personal "Promised Land." The option of resignation compels you to remain stuck in a barren desert made up of the stuff of shame and despair.

The question ought not to be, "Can I do it?" Because that's the question coming from my inner sense of incompetence. G-d conceived you in love, and the day you were born is the day He declared that the world is incomplete without you.

As the saying goes, sometimes when you find yourself in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted. The resources to repair the "hole in our personal roof" are present. I am empowered to leave my wilderness and discover my light, joy, and wholeness. G-d has sent me into each of my life's journeys with the power to bring light into my darkness and discover my own inner infinity, as a Divine ambassador of love, light, healing, and hope.

Trust your Divinity more than you trust your anxiety,

The story of the spies is our personal story. My trauma tells me, "I can't," and I have all the emotional evidence and data to support my conclusions. But with lots of empathy and faith in my inner Divine self, I can discover a deeper, untarnished, unfearful core that has the power to say: I can, and I will; now let me figure out how.

I want to dance to the beat of creativity and connection, not despair to the dread of loneliness.

"The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer," General Montgomery once remarked. Ask not "whether," but "how."[3]

That is a vital lesson for our people today, individually and collectively. May Israel learn the lessons from its horrific mistakes in the past, like surrendering Lebanon and Gaza to the enemy, and not stop, till full victory is achieved.

_______________

[1]Numbers chapters 13-14.

[2] Nachmanides in his commentary on the opening verses of the portion.

[3] This essay is based on an address I heard from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbos Parshas Shlach, 21 Sivan, 5749 (June 24, 1989), published in Sefer Hasichos 5749 vol. 2. Cf. Likkutei Sichos vol. 13 pp. 39-41. For other answers to the above question, see Likkutei Sichos vol. 18 Shlach 1, and many references that are noted there.

IDF troops continue to operate in three arenas simultaneously to remove threats to Israeli civilians.

In the Northern Command, the Israeli Air Force, directed by the troops, struck approximately 310 Hezbollah terrorist organization targets and eliminated approximately 80 terrorists in southern Lebanon.

Additionally, ground troops operated along the forward defense line to destroy terror infrastructure and remove threats to Israeli civilians and to the troops operating in the area.

In the Southern Command, the efforts to locate and dismantle underground routes continues, especially in the Khan Yunis area. In addition, over 20 terrorists were eliminated, including three senior terrorists in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, as well as the head of a Hamas funds transfer infrastructure and his deputy.

In the Central Command, as part of dozens of counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, more than 50 wanted suspects were apprehended, including wanted suspects who incited terrorism, wanted suspects who advanced terrorist activities, and wanted suspects who possessed and traded weapons.

Approximately 250,000 shekels intended for terrorism, a lathe used to manufacture weapons, a drone, military equipment, ammunition, and more than 10 weapons were confiscated, including handguns and improvised Carlo weapons.

In parallel, IDF troops continue to operate to thwart smuggling and strengthen defense along the eastern and western borders.

credit: דובר צה"ל

credit: דובר צה"ל

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credit: דובר צה"ל

Hamas terrorists in Gaza (illustrative)Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

A senior official in Hamas' internal security apparatus announced that the terror organization will "soon" carry out public executions of Gazans whom it claims acted as Israeli agents and were involved in the killings of Al-Qassam Brigades terrorists.

The announcement, released via Palestinian Arab channels, stated that the decision to carry out executions was made in response to calls voiced within the Gazan public. Hamas did not provide a specific date for the executions.

The terror group also claimed that its members captured an individual allegedly involved in the killing of Ezz al-Din al-Haddad, a commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades. According to the statement, the suspect was detained during the operation, and at that moment, an Israeli intelligence officer in contact with him reportedly disconnected the call.

Hamas added that its internal security apparatus has achieved successes in countering Israeli intelligence activities in the Gaza Strip. They also claimed that the use of double agents led to the exposure of a large number of suspects believed to be collaborating with Israel.

According to Hamas, some of the suspects who were exposed attempted to flee to areas under Israeli security control. The terror group presented these measures as part of an ongoing effort to combat infiltration and intelligence-gathering attempts by Israel inside the Gaza Strip.

Rendering of the Pool of Siloam, Second Temple periodShalom Kveller, City of David Archives

Kamtza, Bar Kamtza, and the generation before Redemption

Jews study the tragic story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza every year during the summer months as the date of the Temple's destructiion nears. The Gemara teaches that “Jerusalem was destroyed because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza" (Gittin 55b).

Most discussions focus on the familiar themes:

-Sinat chinam (baseless hatred)

-Public humiliation of another

-Rabbinic silence and

-Destructive factionalism.

All of these lessons are essential.

But perhaps there is another layer hidden in plain sight.

Why are the two men's names so similar?

Why does the Gemara not speak of Reuven and Shimon, or Yehuda and Levi, but specifically of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza?

Chazal do not explicitly explain the relationship between the names. Yet the similarity itself seems impossible to ignore. Bar Kamtza literally means “son of Kamtza," or at the very least evokes someone emerging from the same social and familial world as Kamtza.

Perhaps this is precisely the point.

The destruction of Jerusalem did not begin with Romans. It began with near-brothers.

The tragedy was not merely hatred between strangers, but hostility between people so close that they almost shared the same name.

Indeed, the entire story revolves around a civilization turning against itself. A mistaken invitation leads to humiliation. Humiliation leads to revenge. Revenge leads to denunciation. Denunciation leads to imperial intervention. External destruction arrives only after internal cohesion has already collapsed.

Yet the names themselves may hint at something even deeper.

Throughout rabbinic literature, one of the defining signs of civilizational breakdown is the collapse of trust and reverence between generations.

The Mishnah teaches regarding the period preceding redemption:

בן מנבל אב, בת קמה באמה - “The son disgraces the father; the daughter rises against her mother."

Likewise, Chazal cite the verse:

אויבי איש אנשי ביתו- “A man’s enemies are the members of his own household."

The frightening aspect of these descriptions is that the crisis preceding redemption is not portrayed primarily as military or economic. It is social, moral, and familial. The deepest fractures emerge not between nations, but within homes. Not between civilizations, but within the covenantal family itself.

Perhaps Kamtza and Bar Kamtza symbolize precisely this phenomenon.

The names suggest continuity, yet the story reveals rupture.

The son-generation becomes alienated from the father-generation. Those who should recognize themselves in one another instead become enemies. The same civilization produces rival tribes incapable of mutual loyalty.

This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Jewish history.

The Second Temple period witnessed growing polarization between zealots and moderates, aristocrats and commoners, sects and factions. The Talmud portrays a society increasingly unable to maintain internal solidarity even in the face of external danger.

One of the most striking moments in the entire story occurs after Bar Kamtza take his revenge on the elite Jews who did not save him from humiliation at the hands of Kamtza. He sabotages the Roman offering to the Temple by inflicting a minor blemish upon the animal, making it unfit for the ritual. The rabbis understood that rejecting the offering could provoke catastrophic consequences from Rome. Some therefore proposed temporarily accepting it in order to preserve peace. But one zealot, Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas, opposed the idea, fearing that future generations might wrongly conclude that blemished sacrifices are permitted.

The Gemara then delivers one of its most devastating judgments:

ענוותנותו של רבי זכריה בן אבקולס החריבה את ביתנו ושרפה את היכלנו והגליתנו מארצנו “The humility of Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas destroyed our House, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land."

At first glance, the statement seems bewildering. Rabbi Zechariah was not corrupt, violent, or malicious. His failure was subtler - and therefore far more frightening. In an atmosphere of polarization, tension, and mounting instability, he preferred caution over responsibility, procedural normalcy over disruptive leadership, stringency over exigency.

He feared setting dangerous precedents. He feared deviating from accepted practice. He wished to avoid rocking the boat in an already explosive environment. Yet Chazal suggest that precisely this instinct - the inability of responsible elites to depart from habit and exercise courageous judgment during moments of existential danger - became catastrophic.

Jerusalem, in other words, was destroyed not only by zealotry and hatred, but also by paralysis.

Not only by extremists, but by moderates unable to rise to the scale of the historical emergency.

The destruction emerges from a chain reaction:

-humiliation,

-tribal hatred,

-elite silence,

-fear of responsibility,

-leaders incapable of distinguishing between ordinary times and civilizational crisis.

This should deeply concern us today.

For many years, Israelis have comforted themselves with the assumption that military strength alone guarantees survival. Yet Chazal repeatedly suggest a more unsettling possibility: civilizations often begin collapsing internally before they are defeated externally.

The Gemara does not tell a story about Roman military superiority.

It tells a story about humiliation.

About tribal hatred.

About elites remaining silent.

About leaders afraid to disrupt dangerous social dynamics.

About Jews becoming incapable of recognizing one another as members of the same national family.

In this sense, the destruction of the Second Temple may be more than a historical event. It may be a recurring warning.

A microcosm of the chaos that can precede the end of an age.

A society reaches danger not merely when enemies gather outside its walls, but when its own tribes cease seeing one another as indispensable parts of a shared destiny.

Perhaps that is why the story remains eternally relevant.

Kamtza and Bar Kamtza are not merely two individuals from the distant past. They are recurring possibilities within every Jewish generation.

The question is whether Am Yisrael will recognize them before it is too late.

As Israel faces unprecedented internal tensions, ideological polarization, generational fragmentation, and mounting external pressure, the lesson of the Gemara becomes painfully contemporary.

The enemies of the Jewish people have always understood a truth that Jews sometimes forget:

The greatest threat to Jerusalem is not always Rome.

Sometimes it is the inability of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza to remember that they belong to the same family.

Rafael Castro is an Italian-Colombian independent political analyst based in Berlin. A graduate of Yale and Hebrew University, and Noahide-by-choice he can be reached at [email protected]

Hamas in GreeceAI generated

The Islamist terror group Hamas has been regrouping by relocating its operations to Europe and activating sleeper cells. On Jun. 6, Greek authorities arrested a Hamas terrorist operative in Agios Nikolaos, a famous tourist resort on the island of Crete. The suspect was preparing a deadly attack on Israeli targets with the declared goal of 'putting Hamas back on the map'.

The arrested terrorist belongs to a terrorist cell that includes at least seven members, five of them stationed in Cyprus, another EU member-state in the Mediterranean. The cell was activated and preparing attacks on Israeli targets. Israel's Foreign Ministry applauded the disbanding of the terror cell commenting on X that 'from Greece to Cyprus, authorities continue uncovering Hamas-linked terror activity on European soil'.

The Arrest In Crete

The terrorist apprehended, a 37-year-old Palestinian Arab from the Gaza Strip, was arrested after a successful joint operation codenamed "Odin" by Greece's National Intelligence Service (EYP) and the counterterrorism unit. After questioning, he admitted being a member of Hamas, having contacts with other individuals and participating in activities for carrying out a terrorist attack against Israeli targets.

On the following Monday morning, the terrorist was charged with four felonies: establishment and participation in the Hamas terrorist organization, training in the manufacture and use of explosives to carry out terrorist acts, traveling to monitor training for terrorist acts and criminal support for terrorist purposes. In his apartment in Athens, the authorities found all necessary equipment to produce bombs.

He was still waiting to receive some chemical agents after an online order. The terrorist claimed he did not yet know his target and was waiting for instructions from his handler.

Scenarios include an attack with explosives against the Israeli cruise ship Crown Iris that often visits the port of Agios Nikolaos or Israeli targets in Cyprus. Other European countries would be targets as well, according to statements by the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection.

Hiding In Plain Sight

The Hamas terrorist arrived in Greece in July 2023 posing as a refugee from the Gaza Strip. He received international protection status and relocated temporarily to Germany, where he joined local Hamas networks. He returned to Greece in the summer of 2025 moving between Athens and Crete during the summer season.

Over the last period, he had been employing a cover as an electrician at a luxurious hotel in Agios Nikolaos, Crete. According to local inhabitants, he maintained a low profile, residing along with three other Palestinian Arabs in a motel paid for by his hotel employer. Still, the terror cell was beginning to advance its terrorist plan.

According to Greek media, in October 2025 he was questioned by the Greek Police along with four other Palestinian Arabs for participating in an anti-Israeli demonstration at the port of Agios Nikolaos during the arrival of Israeli cruise ship Crown Iris. The five individuals were released, as no evidence was found against them. Then new intelligence started to pour in, leading to the disbanding of the terror cell and his arrest.

Hamas' International Network Regroups

The Greek authorities put the Hamas operative under surveillance, especially after cooperation with the German Intelligence Service (BND) regarding his residence in Germany, where he met with Hamas members. Then, intelligence from Cyprus, where a Hamas cell was disbanded in the previous weeks, led to his identification and arrest.

In late May, acting on a lead by Israeli intelligence, Cypriot law enforcement authorities had arrested four Palestinian Arabs following credible intelligence on their activities and discovering material that could be used in the manufacture of explosives. One of the terrorists, aged 38, had entered the Republic of Cyprus through the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island. During the investigation, authorities identified a phone number as a key link in the terrorist network, which led to Crete, Greece, where the arrested member of the cell was residing.

The Cyprus Cell

The Cyprus-based group was coordinating with Hamas operatives planning to attack IDF soldiers in the military base Anatot, near Jerusalem. The terror cell was receiving money through an international network. There are at least two more members at large in Greece and Cyprus.

"Hamas' networks in Cyprus operate as flexible hubs of logistical support and operation control using the island's geographical proximity to Lebanon and Israel. Hamas is using Cyprus to transport weapons, for digital communications and preparing attacks.

Cypriot authorities cooperating closely with Greece, Israel, and German intelligence agencies have proven effective in disbanding the terrorist networks, especially as there is a large number of Israelis residing in Cyprus. A greater emphasis has to be given to the way Hamas networks use Turkey's occupation of the northern part of Cyprus to infiltrate the EU", Marios Poullados, News Director of major Cypriot media outlet Sigma Live, told the IPT.

The Malaysia Connection

The handler and military trainer of the terrorist cell is a top-ranking Hamas official residing in Malaysia who has been fully identified by Greek intelligence services. According to Greek authorities, the Malaysia-based handler was in constant communication with the terrorist cell operating in Greece and Cyprus.

At least three members of the terrorist cell had received training in a Hamas camp in Malaysia, making explosive bombs with trade materials. The terrorist arrested in Greece visited Malaysia two times, the last time in August 2025, residing for at least 10 days. It was during this period that the terrorist cell received training and that the operational plan to move forward with the Greece-Cyprus cell was finalized.

Malaysia, a Muslim majority country, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has become a safe haven of Hamas. The ties between Hamas and Malaysia go back to at least the 2010s; Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet had disclosed that a Hamas terror cell had received advanced training in Malaysia. In 2010, Hamas had sent 15 men to the Asian country for a weeklong paragliding training; Hamas used paragliders to infiltrate Israel during their Oct. 7, 2023 deadly attack.

In late 2024, there was a new wave of Hamas terrorists heading to Malaysia, after the terror group's leadership was asked to leave Qatar. Even this April, a Hamas delegation including leading members, visited Malaysia, meeting local officials.

A New Modus Operandi For Hamas?

The disbanding of the Hamas cell in Greece and Cyprus shows that Hamas is changing its modus operandi targeting Israelis abroad. Hamas has been able to maintain its transnational networks aided by lax European asylum and migration legislation and by using neighboring countries, such as Turkey, as safe havens and transit routes.

"The neutralization of a Hamas-linked operational cell in Greece and Cyprus exposes a sophisticated, asymmetric proxy campaign that has effectively upgraded from localized regional conflict to hard kinetic warfare inside Europe. The cell was disrupted through a reactive, multi-layered intelligence pipeline initiated by U.S. and Israeli agencies, which first systematically dismantled interconnected network nodes in Cyprus before the data trail finally trickled down to Greek security services.

"Stripped of its primary financing and with its core leadership eliminated, Hamas lacks the independent infrastructure to sustain global operational pipelines, such as the specialized training programs traced back to Malaysia in this case", Alexandros Niklan, security analyst at Geopolitics and Daily News, told the IPT.

Beyond The Cell

What emerges is a transnational network including Malaysia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The three countries have created a global Islamic television channel that advances anti-Israeli rhetoric.

Malaysia acts as an operation base for Hamas members. Pakistan's intelligence agency (ISI) also maintains an active presence in Malaysia using the country as a base to support Kashmiri jihadist groups in India and coordinates with Hamas.

Turkey remains an important supporter of Hamas, while it facilitates the unhindered movement of terrorists into the EU through its occupation of the northern part of the Cyprus Republic, as it happened in this case.

A Widening Front

As Israel is engaged in its struggle against the Islamist regime of Iran and the terrorist networks of Hamas and Hezbollah, efforts to dismantle the Islamist terrorist networks are accelerating in the greater region. The danger of Hamas relocating its operations in EU countries cannot be overstated. In this context, coordination of EU intelligence and security agencies remains a priority, as successfully manifested in the case of Greece and Cyprus dismantling the Hamas terror cell.

IPT Senior Fellow Ioannis E. Kotoulas (Ph.D. in History, Ph.D. in Geopolitics) is Adjunct Lecturer in Geopolitics at the University of Athens, Greece.

Reposted from the International Project on Terrorism.

Hassan Yousef Khalil (archive)REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

Israel released Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a senior Hamas figure in Judea and Samaria, on Thursday, Palestinian Arab media reported. Yousef was held in administrative detention since the October 7 massacre and the outbreak of the ensuing war, in October 2023.

Footage published after his release shows Yousef lying in a hospital bed, receiving visitors who came to bless and support him. According to reports, he was transferred for medical treatment following his release.

Reports indicate that Yousef was arrested at his home in Beitunia, west of Ramallah, in the early days of the war. After his arrest, he was placed in administrative detention, repeatedly extended without indictment or trial.

Yousef is considered one of the most prominent Hamas figures in Judea and Samaria. Palestinian Arab reports described him as active for years in the political and public sphere, calling for national unity and the continuation of the struggle against Israel.

Over the years, Yousef has served cumulative prison and detention terms of more than 20 years in Israeli jails due to repeated arrests and administrative detention.

Hassan Yousef is also known as the father of Mosab Hassan Yousef, nicknamed “the Green Prince," who left Hamas and became one of its prominent critics.

Every morning in our prayers, we say:

“בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, פּוֹקֵחַ עִוְרִים"
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, for opening the eyes of the blind."

We are saying thank you to Hashem for opening our eyes as we awaken each day.

So should a person who is blind say this bracha? The Mishna Berurah emphatically says yes, for two reasons. The first is that the blind person is thanking Hashem for the vision that He gives to others. Sighted people are able to help those who have challenges with their sight, and therefore a blind person will be thanking God for opening their eyes.

The second reason is that “פּוֹקֵחַ" comes from the root “פִּקֵּחַ", which means to be bright, to be clever, to be perceptive. So therefore, the bracha is not talking about physical sight, but rather, the capacity to perceive accurately.

In my experience, some non-sighted people actually have a far greater depth of perception than those who are sighted. There is an application of this in Parshat Shelach Lecha. There is a key term right at the beginning and right at the end of the parsha: “וּרְאִיתֶם".

“וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ"
“And you shall see the land"

This is what Moses said to the twelve spies at the beginning of the parsha. At the end of the parsha, it says:

“וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ"
“you will see it" - referring to the פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת, the blue strand of the tzitzit.

And what’s the message of the word “וּרְאִיתֶם"? You see, the twelve spies went into the land, charged with the responsibility to see what was around them. But ten out of the twelve of them, despite everything that their eyes saw, got it wrong. Their perception was incorrect. And therefore, at the end of the parsha we’re told: use your sight to see things well so that you can behave in a responsible way accordingly.

And that’s what tzitzit comes to remind us about. So much in this world depends on correct perception. Let us all therefore ensure that what we see, we actually understand properly.

Shabbat Shalom.

The Israel-Jordan border (illustrative)Michael Giladi/Flash90

Over the past year, the IDF has established several security outposts east of the border fence with Jordan, within the security buffer zone between the fence and the Jordan River.

The move is unusual, and according to Galei Zahal (Army Radio), it is the first time in decades - since the period of the Nahal settlements - that the IDF has taken such a step.

According to the report, the new positions were established within Israeli territory, but beyond the existing border fence, and are staffed by groups of reservist soldiers. The outposts operate in the format of agricultural farms with a permanent presence on the ground.

The Israel-Jordan border officially runs along the center of the Jordan River. However, in the 1970s a fence was erected west of the river, near Highway 90, to create a military security zone. After the signing of the peace treaty with Jordan in 1994, most of the military positions in the area were abandoned.

In recent years, and especially following increased threats along the eastern border, the idea of restoring a permanent presence in the buffer zone began to take shape.

Security officials noted that in the past the initiative was rejected by Central Command commanders, but in the past year, Central Command Chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth approved the establishment of several new sites.

The outposts were set up in the area opposite the settlements of Tomer and Pezael in the Jordan Valley. Unlike previous arrangements with farmers who operated in the area for limited hours, these now involve a continuous presence of reservist soldiers living on-site and maintaining the area.

The defense establishment also set up a new control center overseeing the eastern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the area, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir conducted a large-scale command exercise to test troop readiness in the sector.

Doron Kadosh, military correspondent for Galei Zahal, described the move as “extremely significant," noting that it represents a return to the model of security outposts along the country’s borders. According to Kadosh, the initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Israel’s hold on the eastern border in light of emerging security challenges in the region.

The IDF confirmed the details, stating: “Several military positions have been established in the eastern border area in the format of security outposts, staffed by Area Defense soldiers. IDF forces are deployed along the eastern border and are working to strengthen border defense and ensure the safety of local residents."

Uranium (illustrative)iStock

The memorandum of understandings between the US and Iran calls for the Strait of Hormuz to be immediately reopened for free passage, journalist Barak Ravid reported on Channel 12 News.

According to the report, sanctions on Iran will be eased in accordance with the IRGC's compliance with its commitments.

The memorandum will also extend the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, and between Israel and Lebanon, by a period of 60 days. During these 60 days, intense negotiations will take place regarding the Iranian nuclear program and plans for Iran's highly-enriched uranium stores.

The memorandum includes an initial plan for the enriched uranium, but practical steps regarding the Iranian nuclear program will be conditioned on the sides reaching a second, more detailed agreement.

As of Thursday night, although the text of the agreement has been approved by top authorities in Iran, it has not yet received final approval from the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the report added.

Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Naftali Bennett (R)Chaim Goldberg and Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90

A new poll published Friday morning indicated that if elections were held today, the Likud party would drop to three seats, reaching its lowest number since 2025.

The Maariv poll showed that the Likud would win just 22 seats, its lowest result since August 2025, when a Maariv poll gave it 21 seats.

According to Friday's poll, the Likud would be largest in the Knesset with 22 seats, followed by the "Together" party with 21 seats and "Yashar!" with 20 seats.

In fourth place are the Democrats with 10 seats, while Yisrael Beytenu and Otzma Yehudit win nine seats each.

Sephardic-haredi Shas would win eight seats, Ashkenazic-haredi United Torah Judaism (UTJ) would win seven, and the Arab Hadash-Ta'al party would win six.

Smallest in the Knesset would be Religious Zionism and the United Arab List (Ra'am), with four seats each.

Blue and White (1.9%), the Arab Balad party (2%), and the Reservists (1.7%) would all fail to pass the electoral threshold.

Divided into blocs, the coalition parties would win 50 seats, while the center-left bloc would win 60 seats. The Arab parties, which traditionally do not join any coalition, would hold the remaining 10 seats.

Meanwhile, a Channel 14 poll by Shlomo Filber and NEXT DATA showed the Likud winning 33 seats, one more than their previous poll last week. The poll gave Yashar! a total of 16 seats, and "Together" 13 - one less than the party received last week.

Filber's poll gave Shas 10 seats, the Democrats nine, and eight each to Otzma Yehudit and Yisrael Beytenu. UTJ polled at seven seats, Hadash-Ta'al at six, and Ra'am and Religious Zionism at five seats each.

If the poll is accurate, the current coalition parties would win 63 Knesset seats, while the center-left would win 46 seats; the Arab parties would hold the remaining 11 seats.

Attack on ISIS in Iraq (archive)Reuters

The Iraqi military announced in consecutive briefings on Thursday that a pair of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists, one of whom was a prominent regional commander, were neutralized during two targeted aerial bombardments in the eastern province of Diyala, the Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Security Media Cell of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Iraqi F-16 combat aircraft executed the precise strikes against the terrorists’ hideout. The operation succeeded after an extensive, months-long surveillance initiative paired with highly specific intelligence gathering.

One of the eliminated terrorists was identified as Mohannad Karim Ali, a high-ranking local figure within the terrorist network.

ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in land it controlled.

Several military offensives, including those backed by the US-led international coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled, including the loss of their de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.

However, ISIS sleeper cells remain in the area and continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq.

In addition to the elimination of ISIS terrorists, Iraqi authorities regularly report the arrest of suspected ISIS members as part of ongoing counter‑terrorism operations.

Everything begins to unravel for the Generation of the Desert in the Torah portion of Shelach. The debacle of the spies' sin leaves its mark on the nation for generations to come, leading to the tragedies of Tisha B'Av, and changing history forever.

In this week's edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ask some hard questions about this epic trauma, in the context of historical amnesia and the psychology of fear and vulnerability. And the most important question of all: How do we rectify the sin of the spies against the Land of Israel?

Senator Ted Cruz at ZOA gatheringZionist Organization of America

As attacks on Jews in Israel and the United States continue to rise, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) recently brought nearly 200 Jewish leaders from across the country to Washington to hear almost two dozen members of Congress from both parties call for stronger action against antisemitism and a tougher U.S. response to Iran in the current war.

“Antisemitism is a gateway drug that, unless eradicated, will ultimately erode the democratic values we cherish. We need to stand and fight because what has happened is staggering and dangerous," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told the group to a standing ovation.

Cruz urged both parties to confront the factions within their ranks that have been fueling antisemitism.

“The Democratic Party thought it would just go away, but today there is a real contingent of antisemitic sentiment. It also pains me that we are seeing antisemitism grow on the right. I could not have imagined that two years ago, but it is happening, and it must be stopped," he added.

Cruz thanked ZOA and Mort Klein for his “indomitable, fearless and inspiring commitment to speak and advocate for the truth and Israel and the Jewish people and for the clarity of their message."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) also energized attendees with a forceful message and a commitment to sponsor new legislation against antisemitism fiercely and passionately proclaiming, “I won’t stand by to allow Jew-hatred to surge on my watch."

“Let me be clear. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism! It is rooted in Jew-hatred. We are living in a moment that at times feels like 1930s Germany where the dehumanization of Jews is leading to physical attacks. But not on my watch! All of us as Americans should be appalled by this and take action to stop it," he said.

Other members of Congress who addressed the group in the Hart Senate Office Building included Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), Rep. George Latimer (D-NY), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and many, many others.

“Coming to Washington as proud Jews and Zionists sends a powerful message to Congress. We are right; the antisemites are wrong. We are truthful and just, and our enemies are full of lies," ZOA National President Morton A. Klein told attendees. “Iran and antisemitism are the main reasons we are here. We must stop Iran’s aggression; its pursuit of nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles; and its funding and arming of Islamic terrorist groups." He added that the issue is serious for Americans as well, arguing that if even if Israel did not exist, America would have to confront the Iran threat for our own security needs.

After the luncheon, ZOA delegations fanned out across Capitol Hill, meeting with many dozens of additional members of Congress and key staff to press these priorities. The meetings focused on three main issues:

First, ZOA emphasized the growing danger posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which it described as an existential threat to Israel and a serious threat to the security of the United States and the world. ZOA strongly opposes allowing the regime to acquire military nuclear capability and supports steps to prevent that outcome. As a result, ZOA supported Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025, Operation Epic Fury in 2026, and Operation Economic Fury in 2026.

Another key agenda item is that violence and irrational hatred and violence against Jews have become common occurrences in the U.S. and around the world since the October 7th atrocities in southern Israel. American universities, cities and increasingly, even K-12 schools are experiencing frightening levels of Jew-hatred. ZOA demands that existing laws be enforced and new laws be passed to fight this deranged irrational hatred.

The other key message for delegates was the ZOA position of strong support for the legal, political, historic and religious rights of Jews to live anywhere in the land of Israel, including Judea (“Yehuda" in Hebrew) and Samaria (“Shomron" in Hebrew), the territory that was illegally occupied by Jordan from 1948-1967. International Law and the Bible strongly support Israel’s claim to the territory, including Judea and Samaria. There is a movement in several states and in proposed-and actually passed-legislation to adopt and use the historically accurate terminology of Judea and Samaria, not the inaccurate and de-Judaizing term “West Bank" for this region that is the heartland of the land of Israel.

The program kicked-off the evening before with a large reception, featuring U.S. Department of Justice Task Force on Antisemitism Chair Leo Terrell, Esq., who announced that evening the launch of a 14-city tour to fight antisemitism!

“Antisemitism is local. It’s a failure of prosecutors to prosecute. It's a failure of teachers when they teach antisemitism in schools," he shared. “We are bringing the message that either they prosecute or we will file a lawsuit against them."

“Fighting antisemitism is a 24/7 commitment. I am there for you, the Justice Department is there for you, and President Trump is there for you," he added. “And I will never say no to my great friend Morton Klein, who by the way knows as much about baseball as I do."

“Leo Terrell will go down in history as one of the best friends the Jewish people ever had," said Zionist Organization of America National President Morton Klein. “We were honored to have him join us tonight and bring his important message to us on the eve of our Washington Mission."

Morton Klein and Dan Pollak, ZOA Director of Government Relations, said:

"It is gratifying to see how members of Congress from both parties took the time on an eventful day in Washington to meet with ZOA activists from across the country. These members who spoke to our assembled group really care about antisemitism, the evil regime in Iran, and Judea and Samaria. We were honored to host Leo Terrell, a true American patriot, on Monday night as well.

"The lobbying our members performed with their senators and representatives is the embodiment of the virtues expressed in the Constitution. As proud Americans, they pushed to force changes on the Islamic regime in Iran, prevent terrorist allies from blockading synagogues, penalize China and Qatar from corrupting our universities and stand up for Israel's right to be sovereign in the entire land of Israel.

"The participants in our event give the only answer possible to Jew-haters on the left and right. We are Americans, we love America and our closest ally Israel, and we proudly exercise our duty as American citizens to petition our lawmakers."

Harvard UniversityiStock

The United States Department of Justice has widened the scope of its civil rights litigation against Harvard University, introducing fresh accusations that Jewish and Israeli scholars were subjected to systemic bias, hostility, and disparate conditions on campus, JNS reported.

The government's modified 59-page petition, submitted to the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Monday, came approximately four weeks after the Ivy League institution lodged a formal request to throw out the federal case. This updated legal document chronicles numerous hostile events that were absent from the original lawsuit inaugurated on March 20.

A primary addition to the grievance involves Marshall Ganz, a faculty member at the Harvard Kennedy School. The filing claims Ganz prohibited Israeli attendees from showcasing a group presentation centered on “liberal Jewish democracy" during a 2023 academic seminar.

“The Israeli students were forbidden by Professor Ganz to present their project of choice and were told that associating the word ‘Jewish’ with ‘democracy’ was offensive," according to the complaint.

Furthermore, the educator allegedly asserted that the proposed topic would render the educational environment “unsafe for their Muslim and Arab peers."

The federal document highlights an autonomous internal probe conducted by the university itself, which concluded that Ganz had actively discriminated against the participants due to their “Israeli national origin and Jewish ethnicity" while providing advantageous conditions to Arab and Muslim scholars whom he “deemed as ‘oppressed’ by Israel."

Additionally, the revised federal filing charges that anti-Israel agitators trapped Jewish undergraduates inside an academic study lounge during an October 19, 2023, university demonstration. It also notes an incident from March 2025 where a university staff member “tore down posters depicting the faces of Israeli hostages that were on display on Harvard Chabad kiosks in Harvard Yard".

Other newly incorporated grievances include the vandalization of captive-awareness flyers with antisemitic conspiracy graffiti stating “Israel did 9/11," alongside the October 2024 discovery of swastika decals affixed in close proximity to the Harvard Hillel building.

According to federal prosecutors, these newly introduced events solidify the assertion that Harvard has exhibited a chronic history of bigotry and conscious apathy toward its Jewish and Israeli student population, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Trump administration has taken several steps against Harvard in the wake of its failure to handle growing antisemitism on campus, including a freeze of more than $2 billion in federal research funding.

Trump later announced that Harvard University had agreed to pay $500 million and operate trade schools as part of a deal with the administration, but that deal did not come to fruition.

Danny Danon and Francesca AlbaneseUN photo/Evan Schneider, REUTERS/Pierre Albouy

US Ambassador to Israel Danny Danon on Thursday blasted UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese, known for her anti-Israel bias, after she mocked the bereaved mother of a victim of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, advising her on social media to “change medication".

“The mother of Carolin Bohl, a young German woman brutally murdered by Hamas on October 7, has posted about the extreme anti-Israel hostility she encountered at a film premiere in Berlin, where Francesca Albanese, the UN ‘Special Rapporteur,’ was the guest of honor," Danon wrote.

“After the bereaved mother shared her pain and experience, Albanese’s outrageous response was: ‘Change medication,’" he added.

“There seems to be no limit to Francesca Albanese’s moral decline," said Danon.

Albanese has repeatedly come under fire over her anti-Israel bias. In one of the more recent instances of this bias, she was condemned by several European Union foreign ministers for comments made at an Al Jazeera conference, in which Albanese had said: “The fact that instead of stopping Israel, most of the world has armed, given Israel political excuses, political sheltering, economic and financial support ... We who do not control large amounts of financial capitals, algorithms and weapons, we now see that we as a humanity have a common enemy."

Albanese later claimed in an interview that she "never, ever, ever said ‘Israel is the common enemy of humanity,'" calling the accusations "completely false accusations."

Albanese’s history of anti-Israel statements and actions is well-documented and dates back to social media posts uncovered in 2022, in which she claimed that the “Jewish lobby" controls the US.

At the time, Albanese rejected arguments that the comments about the “Jewish lobby" were antisemitic and claimed they were “mischaracterized", but her anti-Israel bias has continued to be exposed since.

Her hostility toward Israel has grown since the October 7, 2023 massacre, which Albanese described as an act that must be viewed in “context" and as a response to Israeli “aggression."

In late March, Albanese claimed that the world has given Israel "a license to torture Palestinians", alleging that "torture has effectively become state policy" in Israel.

Lebanese President Joseph AounAnadolu via Reuters Connect

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declared on Thursday that Beirut remains fully committed to direct diplomatic discussions with Israel, shaking off intense domestic and regional pushback to exit the talks because he believes the process is vital to securing his country's core national concerns.

The head of state detailed his stance during a meeting at the presidential mansion in Beirut with a visiting group from the Culture and Freedom Foundation.

"Despite the pressure to withdraw from the negotiations, Lebanon will continue on this path until it reaches a conclusion that serves our nation's interests," said Aoun, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

Addressing Lebanon's relationship to regional geopolitics, Aoun noted that while Beirut remains sympathetic to Palestinian aspirations, it must place its own stability first.

"We support it, but not at the expense of Lebanon, which has paid a heavy price for this cause," he clarified.

The President outlined a specific framework of core requirements necessary to halt the current cycle of cross-border violence.

"Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, a cessation of attacks, the deployment of the (Lebanese) army, and the return of the displaced and prisoners."

He specified that broader regional stabilization would have to wait until these essential parameters are satisfied.

"After that, we will think about peace, but we cannot pursue it if these issues are not resolved first, and we have informed US President Donald Trump of this position. The decision to proceed with negotiations was made with conviction and in Lebanon's best interest," he said.

Aoun observed that while navigating the ongoing US-mediated dialogue presents immense challenges, it serves as the state's sole viable leverage to protect its population. He asserted that Beirut holds vital backing from Western, European, and Arab allies, describing the diplomacy as “the only available option in the face of the Israeli machinery of destruction, aggression, and killing."

The comments follow a trilateral summit convened by the United States in Washington last week, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

A joint statement issued by the three countries last Wednesday stated that the accord dictates that the implementation of the truce is directly "contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector".

The summit marked the fourth round of US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel.

After the initial April 23 meeting between the sides, which was attended by the Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, President Donald Trump expressed hope that peace between Israel and Lebanon would be possible this year.

Trump also said he hopes to host a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Aoun in Washington within a few weeks.

However, Aoun has made clear that a high-level summit with Netanyahu is currently out of the question, stressing that the cessation of hostilities must be the primary focus before any direct political engagement can be considered.

Aoun also recently stressed that Israel’s complete military withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a “non-negotiable" prerequisite for an agreement.

IllustrationReuters

A fatal ambush on a Toronto police officer executing a raid on Thursday morning has been directly tied to a national security investigation involving an Iranian-backed terrorist network operating on Canadian soil, Global News reported.

Const. Marc Pinizzotto was shot and killed during the early morning hours while serving a search warrant in the west end of Toronto. In a press conference following the tragedy, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw revealed that the high-risk raid was part of a coordinated, city-wide crackdown stems from the March 10 shooting at the United States consulate in downtown Toronto.

While Canadian authorities initially classified the consulate attack as a domestic national security case handled by the RCMP, US federal prosecutors have since unmasked the operation as part of a sophisticated, state-sponsored campaign directed by Tehran. A cross-border investigation recently culminated in the US arrest of an Iraqi national facing severe terrorism indictments, according to Global News.

US justice officials allege that the suspect, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi - identified as a senior operative within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the proxy militia Kataib Hizballah - was masterminding an international terror web.

According to the unsealed US criminal complaint, Al-Saadi and his co-conspirators “planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility" for at least 18 strikes spanning Europe, alongside “two additional attacks in Canada," which included the Toronto consulate shooting and a separate plot targeting a Canadian synagogue.

On Thursday, Chief Demkiw confirmed that local tactical units were acting on intelligence developments tied to that Iranian-sponsored consulate attack when the fatal shootout occurred.

“The investigation that led to the search warrant, where Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto was tragically killed concerned a number of shootings, including a shooting at the United States consulate," he stated. “There were several search warrants executed this morning across the Toronto area."

Though Demkiw affirmed the connection to the consulate shooting, he stopped short of explicitly linking Thursday's suspects or the officer's death to the broader US findings regarding the Iranian state.

US President Donald TrumpOfficial White House Photo by Daniel Torok

US President Donald Trump spoke at a virtual tele-rally for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones on Thursday, commenting on the impending agreement with Iran.

Trump said that the war in Iran had ended and that the Islamic Republic agreed not to have a nuclear weapon as part of the deal.

“I don't know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today and they have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we insisted on," stated the President.

“That was the whole purpose. That was 95% of it. And they've done it in the most powerful way you can do it," he added.

Trump originally announced the impending deal with Iran on social media, and later told reporters in the Oval Office that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal between the two countries.

“I understand the answer is yes," Trump replied when asked if Khamenei had given his approval to the agreement.

One reporter asked the President why he is so convinced that a deal will finally be signed this time, to which he replied, “Because they've taken a pounding. They've taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do."

He also stressed, “Iran will, in no way, shape, or form, build a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon."

Al Arabiya reported some of the details of the agreement taking shape between the United States and Iran.

According to the report, the understandings include extending the ceasefire by at least 60 days, mine clearance operations, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping within 30 days.

Additionally, the framework would allow Iran to sell and export oil alongside a phased review of sanctions relief, the continuation of nuclear negotiations during the 60-day period, and a ceasefire across all fronts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the developing Memorandum of Understanding is in its advanced stages and is "nearly finalized."

According to the statement, the mediating countries have been working in recent hours to bridge the remaining gaps between the parties. However, at this stage, the agreement has not yet been fully completed or officially approved.

The Tasnim news agency quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying that Iran has proven it will not compromise on what it defined as its "red lines."

According to the report, Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion regarding the agreement.

US Army in IranCENTCOM

A dramatic diplomatic reversal unfolded on Thursday as the United States military came within roughly 180 minutes of firing missiles into Iranian territory, only for President Donald Trump to abruptly call off the operation by declaring on social media that a pact had been finalized, two American officials revealed to NBC News.

Prior to the sudden cancellation, the armed forces were fully mobilized and had already been handed direct execution orders from the commander-in-chief for a Thursday evening assault. According to the sources quoted by NBC News, US Navy vessels had systematically modified their daily aviation flight paths and loaded live munitions onto launch platforms in anticipation of the combat directive.

The defense sources clarified that Kharg Island had been excluded from the active target matrix, despite the President's public threats pointing toward the strategic hub. While the Pentagon has maintained highly detailed operational blueprints to strike or even launch an amphibious invasion of Kharg Island over the last several months, officials emphasized that those files represented routine contingency planning for worst-case scenarios and had never received presidential authorization.

The American military has previously bombarded Kharg Island during periods of high-intensity warfare. On Thursday morning, Trump published a message on Truth Social warning that the US would be striking Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT," and asserting that in the near future, American forces would be “taking Kharg Island" and other oil infrastructure.

However, that specific social media statement did not match “with any of the planning or action" that the armed forces were actually orchestrating for the Thursday operation, one official remarked.

While the Pentagon maintained a broad array of responses, military planners did not map out the exact tactical coordinates for Thursday night's aborted mission until after the President's morning social media post, the two US officials stated. Following that post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth explicitly instructed defense chiefs that he wanted the imminent strikes inside Iran to diverge from the standard retaliatory packages he had been briefed on over the preceding weeks.

Ultimately, the officials noted that the blueprints finalized for Thursday night heavily mirrored the precision strikes the US military had already executed on Wednesday evening.

Hours after announcing the deal with Iran on social media, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal between the two countries.

“I understand the answer is yes," Trump replied when asked if Khamenei had given his approval to the agreement.

One reporter asked the President why he is so convinced that a deal will finally be signed this time, to which he replied, “Because they've taken a pounding. They've taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do."

He also stressed, “Iran will, in no way, shape, or form, build a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon."

Al Arabiya reported some of the details of the agreement taking shape between the United States and Iran.

According to the report, the understandings include extending the ceasefire by at least 60 days, mine clearance operations, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping within 30 days.

Additionally, the framework would allow Iran to sell and export oil alongside a phased review of sanctions relief, the continuation of nuclear negotiations during the 60-day period, and a ceasefire across all fronts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the developing Memorandum of Understanding is in its advanced stages and is "nearly finalized."

According to the statement, the mediating countries have been working in recent hours to bridge the remaining gaps between the parties. However, at this stage, the agreement has not yet been fully completed or officially approved.

The Tasnim news agency quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying that Iran has proven it will not compromise on what it defined as its "red lines."

According to the report, Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion regarding the agreement.

Syrian President Ahmed al-SharaaREUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Turkey is working to prevent Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa from entering into a direct confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a Kan 11 News report on Thursday evening.

Although Damascus views Hezbollah as an enemy, a Syrian official close to the regime was quoted in the report as stating that in recent weeks, Turkey has been advising al-Sharaa - a protégé of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - not to assist efforts by Israel and the Lebanese government to weaken Hezbollah.

According to the source, Ankara views a potential elimination of Hezbollah as an undesirable outcome, as it would ultimately strengthen Israel.

The report noted that running counter to Erdogan’s desire to keep the Syrian president out of a conflict with Hezbollah, a competing effort is underway.

This week, US President Donald Trump indicated that al-Sharaa actually does want to assist in the fight against Hezbollah. The Syrian president is scheduled to visit Washington next week, where Trump will attempt to enlist al-Sharaa’s cooperation on the Hezbollah issue despite Turkish opposition.

The report follows the latest verbal attacks on Israel by Erdogan. The Turkish President said on Wednesday that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten his country, and he warned against further action, saying, "We see comprehensive initiatives led by Israel in the Mediterranean, and no one should pursue adventures there."

Erdogan warned against continued Israeli steps in the region and said, "Israel's aggression threatens the entire world." He added, "If the rights of Turks or Turkish-Cypriots are harmed in the Middle East - our response will be unequivocal and strong."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded and said, “The antisemitic dictator Erdogan - who is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people and imprisons political rivals - is the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality."

"The State of Israel and the IDF, the most moral army in the world, will continue to take forceful action against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the entire world."

Turkey and Israel were close to reconciliation just before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, but since that time, Turkish officials, and foremost Erdogan, have repeatedly criticized Israel.

In March of last year, Erdogan blasted Israel and described it as a "terror state" after it launched surprise strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.

Several months later, the Turkish President claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.

In April of 2024, he met then-Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later eliminated by Israel.

Erdogan said after the meeting that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital" and added, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity."

Weeks later, Erdogan boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey and also took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ reference to Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Yair Lapid and Naftali BennettYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Significant tension has emerged at the highest levels of the campaign for Naftali Bennett’s Together party, following a downward trend for the party in recent polls.

According to a Channel 13 News report, a senior figure close to Bennett, considered one of the campaign’s leaders, sharply criticized elements that he claims are contributing to the hurdles the party is currently facing.

The report notes that those within Bennett's inner circle contend that opposition leader Yair Lapid has "scared off" right-wing voters who previously supported Bennett. Simultaneously, criticism has been leveled against Lior Chorev, who was appointed as the party's strategist, with critics claiming he is struggling to pull the party out of its slump.

"We are dealing with two absolute disasters right now - one is Yair Lapid, and the other is Lior Chorev. If something doesn't change, we’re going to have a hard time gaining any momentum," the source was quoted as saying.

The report further states that significant clashes have broken out in recent days among figures involved in managing the campaign, and that Bennett is expected to step in and make choices aimed at restoring order and stabilizing headquarters operations.

In response, the Together party stated, "This is just another fabricated story from anonymous sources whom nobody knows."

US President Donald TrumpOfficial White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Melanie Phillips, a British journalist, broadcaster and author, writes a weekly column for JNS. Currently a columnist for The Times of London, her new book, Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege, has just been published by Wicked Son. Her previous book, The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It, was published in 2025. Access her work at: melaniephillips.substack.com.

(JNS) As we try to make sense of the nerve-shredding on-off-on war with Iran, and in particular, attempt to reconcile U.S. President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts with each other, one question keeps reasserting itself.

How is the Iranian regime able to remain in the game? Its leadership has been decapitated. Its economy has been devastated by America’s naval blockade. Its air defenses have been obliterated (twice). Its missile stocks are degraded. It is rationing electricity supplies.

By conventional standards, it should have thrown in the towel well before now.

The main reason why Iran is still able to fire missiles and drones and keep the Strait of Hormuz hostage is not because it’s strong. It’s because America is weak.

Its far superior force is beside the point. The United States refuses to do what is required to win this war decisively because it refuses to bear any military losses. Trump’s strategy is to force Tehran into what he has termed “unconditional surrender" without risking American military lives.

The idea, however, that war can be waged successfully without your own side getting hurt is absurd. It means that America isn’t prepared to bear the potential cost of winning. So it doesn’t have the will to see this through.

The Iranian regime understands this only too well, and its whole strategy is based on this insight. The reason the mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are so confident that they’re on course to defeat mighty America is that they are prepared to sacrifice their entire country, its people and themselves. They will bear unlimited pain. They know that America will not.

Why not?

Trump, as everyone knows, is constitutionally transactional. He believes that there isn’t a conflict in the world that he can’t bring to an end through his unrivaled “art of the deal."

Even now, the purpose of attacking Iranian targets following the downing of the U.S. Army helicopter by an Iranian drone is not to wipe out the regime but to bomb it back to the negotiating table.

Most alarmingly, the terms that Washington is reportedly offering amount to little more than the disastrous 2015 nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama, which gave the regime an eventual pathway to the bomb.

But any deal that might emerge from that negotiating table will be worthless. The Iranians have never kept the terms of any agreement. They will always cheat and lie.

These endless, manipulative negotiations-with Tehran dangling concessions in front of the desperate Americans and then snatching them away again-are designed to buy time and wear Trump down until he gives up or leaves office.

Trump’s obsessive faith in making deals may be particular to him, but it rests on a core belief in the West-that people are always motivated by calculating where their own interests lie. That, in turn, rests on the assumption that people always make a rational calculation.

This is what also underlies the parallel progressive belief that all conflict can be resolved through negotiation, compromise and “peace processes." The belief in universal rational self-interest is terribly misjudged. Yet it’s so deeply embedded in the West that its leaders just can’t process what they are facing.

Indeed, the main reason Trump so confidently assumed, weeks ago, that the Iranian regime would give up was that it was self-evident that otherwise it wouldn’t have a country left at all.

He didn’t seem to realize that the fanatics of Tehran don’t care if that happens. As Shia “Twelvers," they believe that producing the apocalypse will bring the Shia messiah-the Mahdi-to Earth.

Arrogantly assuming that everyone in the world behaves like themselves, Western leaders simply can’t see what’s in front of their eyes.

Tehran has made no secret of its strategy. In his 2025 book, The Power of Negotiation, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, advocated endlessly repeating Iran’s demands until its opponent “gets numb" and surrenders on the grounds that “he who gets tired and bored quickly will lose."

The same Western blindness has been on display towards the Palestinian Arabs for even longer. Even though they’ve consistently stated their intention to destroy Israel and to use a state of "Palestine" as a means of bringing that about, much of the West continues to declare that the conflict with Israel can only be ended through a “two-state solution."

And having forced Israel into a ceasefire in Gaza, thus enabling Hamas to regroup and bide its time until it can attack Israel again, the Trump administration has produced the farce of the Board of Peace. This is based on the fantasy that the genocidal lion of Hamas will lie down with the Israeli lamb, and instead of tearing it apart, as it declares it will do, will turn Gaza into the Trump Riviera.

This lethal blindness is not just endangering the West in foreign wars, but is doing so at home in the refusal to face the reality of Islamization.

Britain refuses to ban the Muslim Brotherhood, jail or deport jihadi preachers, ban sharia courts or stop immigration from countries posing an Islamist threat.

In America, although Trump has taken measures against extremism, an Islamist beachhead has been created in New York with its sectarian Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and with sharia enclaves expanding in Texas and elsewhere.

The reason all of this has been allowed to grow is wider and deeper than the promotion of multiculturalism and the intersectional dogma that holds the West is innately bad because it is white. At the core of these secular ideologies is a loss of belief in the biblical norms that underpin Western culture, and the replacement of what is held to be irrational Christian and Jewish mumbo-jumbo by the superior power of the Western mind.

The West has told itself that it is the acme of reason-by which it means that its core principle is the pursuit of individual happiness, prosperity and self-realization.

Accordingly, war is always totally dumb because people get killed; ranking different cultures in any kind of hierarchy is a form of bigotry that is not only evil but proof of imbecility; and everyone in the world is assumed only to want to have a nice life.

Believing that only universal values are moral and rational, such Westerners can’t see the catastrophic results of failing to fight for their own. They refuse to acknowledge that there is no brotherhood of man; there are instead people who believe in civilization, and other people who intend to destroy it.

The paradox is that in making a fetish of reason and self-interest, the West repudiates reason by inventing its own reality.

Meanwhile, the Islamists have grasped all this. They understand that without a religious scaffolding, a society eventually collapses. They have watched the West steadily destroying that religious core and, in the vacuum that’s been created, giving them the opportunity to strike.

This is why Britain, which has led the retreat from Christianity in the West, is ground zero for the Islamist onslaught. Islamization has penetrated throughout Britain’s political and civic architecture, with British leaders absolutely refusing to push back.

Now there’s a rapidly rising sectarian Islamic bloc, aided by the left, increasingly focusing British politics on the jihadi agenda of destroying Israel and the Jews as an essential precursor to conquering the West.

We are currently, and rightly, transfixed by Iran. If America doesn’t neutralize the Islamic revolutionary regime and instead allows it to regenerate, this will be catastrophic for America and the West.

It all depends on one mercurial and imperfect man in the White House. But whether he succeeds or fails, he is leading a free world, much of which no longer understands what it needs to do to survive.

TehranReuters

Al Arabiya on Thursday evening reported some of the details of the agreement taking shape between the United States and Iran.

According to the report, the understandings include extending the ceasefire by at least 60 days, mine clearance operations, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping within 30 days.

Additionally, the framework would allow Iran to sell and export oil alongside a phased review of sanctions relief, the continuation of nuclear negotiations during the 60-day period, and a ceasefire across all fronts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the developing Memorandum of Understanding is in its advanced stages and is "nearly finalized."

According to the statement, the mediating countries have been working in recent hours to bridge the remaining gaps between the parties. However, at this stage, the agreement has not yet been fully completed or officially approved.

The Tasnim news agency quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying that Iran has proven it will not compromise on what it defined as its "red lines."

According to the report, Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion regarding the agreement.

US President Donald Trump announced earlier on Thursday that he has called off strikes on Iran and that the regime has agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to the American President, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

He stressed that "the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized. The time and place of the signing will be announced shortly."

Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal between the two countries.

“I understand the answer is yes," Trump replied when asked if Khamenei had given his approval to the agreement.

One reporter asked the President why he is so convinced that a deal will finally be signed this time, to which he replied, “Because they've taken a pounding. They've taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do."

He also stressed, “Iran will, in no way, shape, or form, build a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement on Thursday evening commenting on the impending Iran nuclear deal.

"President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) currently taking shape with Iran to enter into negotiations," the statement said.

"Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement concluded at the end of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its regional terror proxies," the statement added.

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal between the two countries.

“I understand the answer is yes," Trump replied when asked if Khamenei had given his approval to the agreement.

One reporter asked the President why he is so convinced that a deal will finally be signed this time, to which he replied, “Because they've taken a pounding. They've taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do."

He also stressed, “Iran will, in no way, shape, or form, build a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement on Thursday evening commenting on the impending Iran nuclear deal.

"President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) currently taking shape with Iran to enter into negotiations," the statement said.

"Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement concluded at the end of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its regional terror proxies," the statement added.

Trump announced earlier on Thursday that he has called off strikes on Iran and that the regime has agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to the American President, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

He stressed that "the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized. The time and place of the signing will be announced shortly."

The Fars news agency, however, denied Trump's claim that an agreement had been reached for a long-term ceasefire.

According to Fars, an "informed source" said that the IRGC has not approved any draft agreement or memorandum with the US.

At the same time, the report said that since the US has accepted Iran's proposed text, there is a "relatively high" likelihood that the agreement will be approved by Iran's top decision makers.

Al Arabiya claimed that Iran's Foreign Minister will arrive in Pakistan on Saturday.

Bezalel SmotrichYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is working to overturn the directive issued by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, which stated that donations to yeshivas whose students do not enlist in the IDF would no longer be eligible for tax benefits, Kan News reported Thursday evening.

Earlier this year, Baharav-Miara ruled that Torah institutions attended by draft-eligible students who fail to report for military service will no longer qualify for tax benefits for donors. These yeshivas will no longer be able to grant donors income tax credits under Section 46 of Israeli law.

The haredi parties reacted sharply to the move, amid estimates that it could result in a loss of revenues ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of shekels annually.

In his response to a petition filed by the "Israel Hofshit" association to the Supreme Court, Smotrich argued that the directive was formulated without proper authority.

The report noted that the Finance Minister is expected to hold a meeting with his office staff to examine the possibility of revoking the directive. The move is also being pushed due to pressure from the haredi parties on the issue, the report added.

Smotrich responded to the report, saying: "The Attorney General conducted the entire process in a scandalous manner behind the Finance Minister's back."

He also warned, "If the haredi parties expedite the dissolution of the Knesset and prevent the division of the Attorney General's roles and the alignment of her position with what is customary in democracies worldwide, they will have to provide explanations to their public, which is being persecuted by the Attorney General."

אבו מאזןצילום: Flash90

Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah movement leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) chaired the opening session of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council today (Thursday) in Ramallah.

In his speech, Abbas said that Palestinians must continue focusing on steadfastness, strengthening “peaceful popular resistance," and defending the Palestinian national project.

According to him, the issue of Palestinian Arab refugees will remain at the center of the Palestinian national project. He emphasized that the Palestinian Arab eadership will continue to defend the “right of return and compensation" in accordance with UN Resolution 194.

Abbas also addressed the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), declaring that the Palestinian Arabs will continue to defend its activities and support it.

He said UNRWA would continue operating until a “just solution" is found for the issue of Palestinian Arab refugees, in accordance with what he described as legitimate international resolutions.

Mojtaba KhameneiReuters/Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto

The Fars News Agency on Thursday night denied US President Donald Trump's claim that an agreement had been reached for a long-term ceasefire.

According to Fars, an "informed source" said that the IRGC has not approved any draft agreement or memorandum with the US.

At the same time, the report said that since the US has accepted Iran's proposed text, there is a "relatively high" likelihood that the agreement will be approved by Iran's top decision makers.

Al Arabiya claimed that Iran's Foreign Minister will arrive in Pakistan on Saturday.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught by surprise following US President Donald Trump's social media announcement declaring a deal with Iran.

An Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu, who was in a security meeting about Iran at the time of the post, had not been aware of any impending agreement or the approval of any agreement.

Earlier on Thursday evening, Trump announced that he had called off strikes on Iran and that the regime has agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to the American President, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

He stressed that "the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized. The time and place of the signing will be announced shortly."

TrumpREUTERS/Denis Balibouse

US President Donald Trump wants to organize an 80th birthday celebration for himself in the form of a mixed martial arts event at the White House - and most Americans are opposed.

A new poll conducted by the Reuters news agency together with the Ipsos public opinion research institute shows that very few Americans support Trump’s grandiose plan to hold “cage fights" at the White House.

According to the poll, only 16% of Americans support Trump’s plan and said that “it is appropriate for Trump to hold the fighting event at the White House," while 46% opposed it. The remaining respondents did not express an opinion.

Even among Republican Party voters, Trump does not have majority support for his birthday celebration idea. Only 31% of Republican voters backed Trump’s proposal. This is considered an especially low figure given that 80% of Republican voters expressed support for Trump’s policies in a poll conducted in recent days.

Some residents living near the White House have petitioned the court demanding that the event be canceled, arguing that sporting events are prohibited on the White House’s South Lawn and that the large metal arena being built for the fight did not receive the required approval.

In recent weeks, federal authorities and the UFC mixed martial arts organization have spent $60 million to build the arena on the White House lawn, as well as to purchase and supply food and pay 900 workers on site to complete preparations for the fights scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Among those involved in producing the event are the Office of the President of the United States, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Park Police, the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Lebanese soldiers in Beirut (illustrative)iStock

In Israel, the commander of the Lebanese army, General Rudolf Heikal, is being accused of cooperating with Hezbollah, Kan News reported Thursday evening.

According to the report, amid direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, Israel has sent stern messages on the matter to the United States, which is acting as mediator between the two sides.

A senior Israeli official told Kan News that “General Heikal is fully collaborating with Hezbollah and is preventing the Lebanese army from implementing government decisions."

The official said the message has been conveyed in recent days to American officials involved in the talks. Israel fears that information passed to the Lebanese Army via the United States could reach Hezbollah directly.

Meanwhile, another meeting is expected in Washington between IDF representatives and Lebanese Army representatives in approximately three weeks. During this meeting, Israel is expected to demand that the Lebanese Army take concrete actions against Hezbollah’s activities in villages outside the Israeli security zone in southern Lebanon.

IDF troops in the area of the Saluki RiverIDF Spokesperson

For twenty years, Israel's enemies have counted on one thing above all others: the international community saving them just before the final blow lands. That pattern is what has kept Hamas and Hezbollah alive. Not their fighters, not their rockets, not their tunnels. The question of whether Israel can eliminate both organizations has a simple answer. It already knows how. The real question is whether it will be permitted to finish.

The framing of "can Israel do it" is fundamentally dishonest. It treats the problem as a military one when the military dimension is largely solved.

The IDF has decimated Hamas's senior command structure, destroyed vast stretches of its tunnel network beneath Gaza, and killed more of its fighters than any previous operation.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, entered 2025 as a shadow of the force that once pointed 150,000 missiles at northern Israel. Its top leadership is dead. Its supply lines from Iran are severed or severely degraded. Its ability to recruit in a Lebanon that now partially blames it for the destruction of Beirut's southern suburbs is fundamentally compromised. Israel is advancing north daily and pushing Hezbollah farther away from the border while steadily killing terrorists and destroying weaponry and tunnels.

The word "elimination" trips people up because they imagine it means hunting down every last member of a movement. That is not what strategic elimination means. The destruction of an organization's command capacity, its financing infrastructure, its weapons supply, its territorial control, and its political legitimacy constitutes elimination in every meaningful sense. By those metrics, Hamas as a governing entity is finished. Hezbollah as a strategic deterrent is broken.

What remains of both groups are remnants: dispersed fighters, underground cells, ideology that will always find new hosts. Israel cannot kill an idea. But you do not need to kill an idea to defeat a military organization. You need to destroy its ability to plan, finance, arm, recruit, and govern. That work is either done or nearly done.

The obstacle has never been Israeli capability. It has been the recurring interruption of Israeli operations at the precise moment when irreversible damage becomes possible. In Gaza, that interruption has taken the form of ceasefire pressure from Washington, hostage negotiations that freeze operational momentum, and humanitarian corridors Hamas immediately exploits. In Lebanon, it took the form of a ceasefire agreement that Hezbollah needed far more than Israel did, dressed up as diplomatic achievement.

Iran's weakening changes the calculus dramatically. Hamas and Hezbollah are not autonomous movements. They are Iranian assets, built with Iranian money, armed with Iranian weapons, directed by Iranian strategic priorities. When Iran's capacity to resupply and fund them is degraded, the organizations do not simply adapt. They atrophy.

The blows the Islamic Republic has absorbed since October 2023 are not cosmetic. The IRGC's external operations budget, its weapons transfer network through Syria and Iraq, and its ability to project credible deterrence have all been damaged in ways that will take years to reconstitute, if they ever are.

This is why the window matters. Degraded patrons do not stay degraded forever. Iran has rebuilt before, after sanctions, after assassinations, after explosions at nuclear facilities. Israel's current position, with American backing still in place and Iran genuinely weakened, represents a rare convergence of favorable conditions. These conditions will not last indefinitely.

The honest answer to whether Israel will eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah is this: it will if it acts before the next ceasefire forecloses the option. Every previous conflict ended with both groups intact enough to rebuild, rearm, and re-emerge stronger than before. October 7 happened because Israel allowed that cycle to repeat. The lesson was paid for in blood.

What the critics who warn against "escalation" consistently fail to account for is that the alternative they are defending is not peace. It is the next October 7. It is Lebanon 2006 rebuilt into Lebanon 2035. It is a Gaza that produces another generation of fighters in exchange for a few years of quiet.

Israel can finish this. The only remaining question is whether its leaders and their allies have the nerve to let it.

Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx

Rabbi Yoni KirschYair Yulis

Every year I look at the claims of Korach and try to understand what exactly his point was.

Was he looking for honor? A job? Did he have good intentions? "For the entire congregation are all holy, and the Lord is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the Lord's assembly?" Was he a politician? Who did he choose to join his coalition? Did he sincerely believe in equity (socialist?)? Were his claims ideological ones, or were they merely opportunistic, derived from jealousy?

This year I noticed an interesting fact that led me to a simple yet deep insight.

Who was in Korach's coalition?

It was the descendants of the tribe of Reuben: Datan, Aviram, and On, all grandchildren of Reuben. Why is this significant? Because Reuben was the firstborn-the bechor. Could this relate to Korach's claim, "Kol haeda kulam kedoshim u'vitocham Hashem"?

Some mefarshim (commentators) explain that this was precisely Korach's complaint. To understand it, we need a bit of background:

Before the sin of the Golden Calf, the firstborns, the bechorot, were supposed to be the ones chosen to work in the Mikdash. At the tenth plague, makat bechorot, they were chosen. After the Sin of the Golden Calf, chet haegel, since the Levites did not participate, they were redeemed with the Levites. As we read in Parshat Bamidbar (3:11-13), Rashi explains (3:12) that the firstborns originally performed the Temple service. After the sin of the Golden Calf, they were disqualified and replaced by the Levites.

The Midrash (see Tanchuma, Korach 18:6) describes Korach himself undergoing the shaving and purification process required of the Levites, an experience he apparently found deeply humiliating.

Now the pieces begin to fit together. The descendants of Reuven may have seen themselves as fighting for the bechorah, and Korach himself had reason to resent the exchange of the firstborns with the Levites.

Korach himself had already challenged the appointment system, arguing that positions should follow birth order (Rashi Bamidbar 16:1).

Korach now points back to the bechorim's finest hour: the revelation at Sinai. Rashi brings (16:3):

"All are holy"-all of them heard the words at Sinai from the mouth of the Almighty... not only you heard at Sinai".

We know that at Mount Sinai the bechorim served as kohanim (Rashi, Shemot 19:22). In other words, Sinai represents the period before the bechorot were replaced by the Levites.

According to some mefarshim, even his claim, "Kol haeda kulam kedoshim," refers to the bechorot (Ibn Ezra 16:1; Chizkuni 16:3).

Even Korach's famous challenge regarding tzitzit may relate to this idea (Rashi 16:1). Korach gathered 250 leaders, many from the tribe of Reuven, and dressed them in garments made entirely of techelet. They then asked Moshe whether such a garment still required tzitzit. If a single thread of techelet can elevate an ordinary garment, why should a garment made entirely of techelet require anything additional?

And what does the techelet represent?

Rashi (15:41) connects techelet with the plague of the firstborn. He notes that the word techelet is related to the Aramaic word tichla, bereavement, recalling the loss of the Egyptian firstborn. Rashi also notes that color of techelet resembles the darkening sky at night, the time when the plague struck.

Through this argument, he attempts to prove that no additional or "artificial" layer is needed to achieve kedushah. The natural bechor can fulfill his mission. Just as the techelet garment (representing the choosing of the bechorot) does not require additional white tzitzit strings.

In this sense, techelet recalls the defining moment of the firstborns-their selection during makat bechorot.

female soldiersIDF spokesperson

Members of the Council of the Association of Hesder Yeshivas sent a letter to the deans of the Hesder yeshivas clarifying their position onthe integration of female soldiers into combat units and the enlistment of Hesder yeshiva students into the Armored Corps.

The letter stated that since the Supreme Court ruling, council members have been working “in many ways" to prevent a situation in which female combat soldiers serve together with male soldiers who observe halacha.

According to them, these efforts are being carried out in cooperation with rabbis from the religious Zionist community, including heads of higher yeshivas and rabbis of pre-military academies from a variety of streams within the national-religious public.

They further noted that many meetings have taken place in recent weeks, during which they made clear their position that joint service of male and female soldiers in a manoeuvring combat unit is not possible for soldiers who observe halacha.

According to the council members, an ongoing dialogue is being held with the IDF with the goal of enabling halacha-observant soldiers to enlist in the Armored Corps in accordance with their religious values.

“We will make every effort to enable the enlistment of our students into the Armored Corps in the upcoming draft without harming their values," they wrote.

The council members emphasized that: “The letter that appeared in the media in recent days regarding enlistment to the Armored Corps is not a letter from the council," adding that the publication of such a letter contradicts their position.

The letter was signed by the deans of yeshivas who are members of the Council of the Association of Hesder Yeshivas.

Rabbi Nachman KahanaCourtesy

In contrast to previous grassroots rebellions against Moshe, our parasha records a potentially more disastrous rebellion instigated by Korach and other formidable personalities within the nation.

Korach was one of the four Levites who merited the task of holding the supporting poles of the Holy Ark during the nation’s migration to a new encampment.

It is not clear from the text when this rebellion occurred. The suggestions range from before the Mishkan was erected, to after Miraglim’s sin, to the end of the forty-year sojourn in the desert. It is also not clear what Korach’s claim was, since there were various allegations against Moshe in the text - each one voiced by a different segment of interest groups within the rebellion. However, we do know that one segment was swallowed up by the earth, another died by fire and another by sickness.

After the rebellion was crushed and all its participants were no longer alive, Hashem commanded Moshe to collect the staffs of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aharon, and place them overnight near the Holy Ark in the Mishkan.

In the morning, Moshe entered the holy precinct to find that Aharon’s staff had blossomed. It was a Divine sign that Aharon’s appointment was absolute and that no man had the right to question it.

Question:Why did Hashem wait until after the death of the rebels to prove that Aharon was chosen to be the first Kohen Gadol? Had Hashem performed the miracle of the staffs before punishing the rebels, they would have certainly done teshuva with no need for severe punishment.

I submit:

Short of Hashem appearing to an individual or a group, miracles have different effects on people.

Hashem knew that Korach was too filled with jealousy, Datan and Aviram too obsessed with their opposition to Moshe Rabbeinu, and the 250 leaders too overwhelmed by their sense of importance for a miracle to have an effect on any of the rebels.

Hashem knew that when Moshe would leave the Mishkan with Aharon’s flowering staff in hand with all that it implies, Korach with his sharp mind and cynical tongue would remove any and all semblance of spirituality from the unnatural flowering of a dry staff and explain the turn of events to his advantage.

So, if the miracle was to influence people’s views, it would have to occur when all the “Korachs" would not be there to destroy the miracle’s effect.

In fact, we today, are witnessing a similar chain of events where Hashem’s miracles are being interpreted by contemporary “Korachs" - although of a lower spiritual stature than the Biblical Korach.

There is no end to the miracles that Hashem performs every moment for His people in Eretz Yisrael. If not for Hashem’s ongoing protection, we could not live here one day. We are surrounded by hundreds of millions of fanatical, blood-thirsty, primitive Muslims of all sorts who would not miss an opportunity to destroy the Jewish State. We are witnessing Hashem’s personal intervention for His people in the Holy Land as He creates the conditions whereby Arab hatred is turning inward with all the wrath they have been nurturing for generations against the Jewish nation.

The Shoah was the end of the 2000 years of anger and punishment of the Jewish people who were exiled from our Holy Land to be the victims of Yishmael’s and Aisav’s sadism.

From 600,000 people and a rag-tag army 77 years ago, to over eight million Jews today with the most resourceful army in the world, we are living a life of biblical proportions. Torah life is flourishing as never before, despite the destruction of the great Torah centers in Europe and North Africa.

Yet there are the “Korachs" among us who, for personal interests, preach that the Medina is a mere political entity, a temporary historical quirk which has no bearing on the God-Yisrael relationship.

They say that one should not go to the Land, nor is it permissible to say Hallel to thank Hashem for the Medina. The “dry staff" of Am Yisrael is flourishing with great abundance, but the cynical spiritual leaders in the galut continue to preach dissension before their naive congregants who are more influenced by a shtreimel produced from treif animals than by the miraculous entity called Medinat Yisrael.

Woe to those leaders. Woe to their adherents.

The Final Stage

We are witnessing the beginning of an ongoing miracle which might very well be the stepping stone for the final stage before the Mashiach’s appearance.

It is not a miracle directed at a single event or country, like the ten plagues of Egypt or the meteorites that fell from the sky to help Yehoshua in his battle with the five Amorite kings (chapter 10). This miracle will engulf nations and continents; and at its outcome, we shall see the State of Israel emerge as the world’s dominant nation.

Sources

But first some background sources:

1- Tehilim 92,8-10:

The wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish,
in order that they will be destroyed forever.

And You, Hashem, are forever exalted.

For surely Your enemies, Hashem,

surely Your enemies will perish;

all evildoers will be detached (severed).

2- Bereishiet chapter 11 regarding the generation of the Tower of Bavel:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

Hashem said, “If as one people speaking the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

So Hashem scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

3- Midrash Tanchuma (parshat Beha’alotcha)

Hashem said to Moshe, “Gather together for me 70 men (to serve as the Sanhedrin). The midrash asks why Hashem said, “for me" and its answer is to teach that the unity of righteous men is pleasurable for them and for the world, whereas the unity of evil men causes displeasure for them and for the world.

4- Midrash Yalkut Shimoni on Micha (553):

Rabbi Yishmael says, “The five fingers of Hashem’s right hand (as it were) are intended to bring the final redemption (and the midrash enumerates what each finger will do), but the entire hand will be utilized to destroy Aisav who are Hashem’s enemies, and to eradicate the children of Yishmael (Arab Muslims) who are Hashem’s enemies, etc.

5- Midrash Yalkut Chadash on Eretz Yisrael 24

And when Yitzchak passed away, Aisav said to Ya’akov (his brother), "Let us divide our father's estate, and I as the firstborn have the right to choose first.

Ya’akov suggested to divide the entire estate in two. On the one side, all of the material wealth and on the other side, Eretz Yisrael. Ya’akov gave Aisav the right to choose first. Aisav went to Yishmael, his father-in-law, to seek advice. Yishmael said that the land of Canaan was filled with so many nations that Ya'akov would never be able to obtain ownership. He advised Aisav to take all the wealth for himself and that would leave Ya'akov with nothing.

From these sources we conclude:

1- Hashem permits evil people to rise in stature and power, which will eventually cause their downfall.

2- The concentration of power by evil people will cause them and the world great pain.

3- The descendants of Yishmael and Aisav are the enemies of Hashem.

4- Yishmael and Aisav will never rest as long as Ya’akov is in Eretz Yisrael.

Yishmael and Aisav against Ya’akov

The 28 nations that make up the European Union are for the most part descendants of Aisav (everyone has red in its flag). Europe has been, and is, the seat of anti-Semitism in principle and in deed. The European intellectuals and politicians, who would not soil their hands by putting a can of hydrogen cyanide into a gas chamber, have no qualms about creating an Arab state between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River to permit the Arabs to finish what Hitler began.

Again, Yishmael and Aisav against Ya’akov.

The 28 nations that compose the EU are now in the process of laying down a timetable for Israel’s retreat from the 1967 borders and establishing an Arab State, under the threat of economic and political sanctions against Israel.

Hashem saw that the concentration of power brought about by these 28 rogue nations has reached its limit, that the time has come for it to crumble and collapse from within.

The first crumb to fall is the United Kingdom, chosen for this exclusive “honor" by virtue of their betrayal of the Jewish nation. During the Mandate period, the brutish-British encouraged the Arabs to riot and murder Jews in Hebron, Yerushalayim, Tzfat and Tiveria, as a pretense to limit and halt Jewish emigration to the Holy Land - despite the Balfour Declaration and the San Remo conference.

England was the willing partner of Hitler in the Shoah.

We shall soon see the slow and painful dismembering of the European Union. Instead of actualizing their plans to unite the European countries into a United States of Europe, they will deteriorate into national states with extreme fascist governments.

And then the world will be a different place.

Our rabbis have taught that Ya’akov and Aisav cannot co-exist - when one falls, the other will gain power. The demise of Aisav is imminent, just as is the rise of the Jewish nation to the greatest of heights as predicted by our prophets.

Rabbi Nachman Kahana is a Torah scholar, author, teacher and lecturer, Founder and Director of the Center for Kohanim, Co-founder of the Temple Institute, Co-founder of Atara Leyoshna - Ateret Kohanim, was rabbi of Chazon Yechezkel Synagogue - Young Israel of the Old City of Jerusalem for 32 years, and is the author of the 15-volume “Mei Menuchot" series on Tosefot, and 3-volume “With All Your Might: The Torah of Eretz Yisrael in the Weekly Parashah" (2009-2011), and “Reflections from Yerushalayim: Thoughts on the Torah, the Land and the Nation of Israel" (2019) as well as weekly parasha commentary available where he blogs at https://NachmanKahana.com

The orange lights of the street lamps, the wet asphalt, a black shadow savagely attacking a white body as if it were slitting a goat's throat at the Mogadishu market. A video like this cannot be invented.

Instead, one thinks of those dark centuries we thought we had relegated to the margins of history, those times when heads were cut off to be displayed on bastions and the “defeated" were mutilated so that their flesh would speak louder than their deaths.

And I wondered if our main weakness has not become the inability to recognize barbarism when it appears before us.

We are in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

On the night of Kinnaird Avenue, a full-blown attempted decapitation, a tribal ritual imported from the Horn of Africa and transplanted onto Europe’s streets. A Sudanese man, around thirty years old, straddles the body of a local white man, a father of a family aged around forty, and begins to stab and saw. Not stab. Saw. With a Stanley utility knife, the kind you use to open IKEA boxes. The blade sinking into the throat screeches against the vertebrae, while passers-by shout: “He’s trying to cut his head off!".

These are the consequences of a suicidal migration policy that has turned European cities into Third World suburbs. The migrant in question had “leave to remain." That is, permission to stay. Permission granted by bureaucrats who have never walked at night on Kinnaird Avenue, nor in Molenbeek, nor in Rinkeby, nor in Saint-Denis.

“Diversity is our strength," they keep repeating to us. Yes, the strength to turn a working-class neighborhood into a gladiatorial arena where the weakest are slaughtered in the street.

There is an anthropological abyss that the left refuses to recognize. It is not about “poor desperate migrants." It is about men who carry a culture of tribal violence, of the clan, of revenge, of the knife, of sharia. In Somalia or Sudan, scenes like this - the man on the ground, the blade sawing the neck - are ordinary administration in settling scores between militias. Here with us they become “stabbing incidents."

And language is the first battlefield: calling the aggressor “man," the attempted decapitation “stabbing," the helpless crowd watching “community."

It is Orwellian Newspeak applied to multicultural massacre. And every time we downplay it, every time we look for “context," every time we talk about “mental health" before even knowing the facts, we donate another corpse to the cult of multiculturalism. Does the mental health of the African throat-cutter count more than the life of the white father of a family? Is this the moral hierarchy of post-Christian Europe?

The philosopher Chantal Delsol, in Le Figaro, speaks of the “return of barbarism" against which “governments seem rather powerless." Powerless?

We have become accustomed to a girl coming home from school, wearing a Star of David pendant, and a man slashing her face. She will remain disfigured for life. We have become accustomed to a Jewish teacher being attacked with a machete.

Belfast, a city already martyred by decades of sectarian divisions, now adds the wound of demographic invasion to its calvary. After the attempted decapitation, Belfast is burning. In the city’s neighborhoods, signs have appeared saying: “Women and children are not safe in this area."

Schools and trains have been closed and stopped for fear of riots. Jonathan Hall, the counter-terrorism tsar, finally admitted that immigration is a “national security emergency."

War is as ancient as cities, kingdoms and empires. It is one of the permanent tragedies of human history. Yet, even in its brutality, it remains linked to a purpose external to it. War is waged to defend a border, conquer territory, impose domination, preserve independence or ensure the survival of a people.

Barbarism begins when this purpose disappears behind the sheer enjoyment of destruction itself. A soldier can kill out of duty, fear, discipline or conviction. The barbarian kills and at the same time seeks to destroy the very humanity of the one he kills.

In ISIS-controlled territories, men were beheaded in front of cameras so that their death would be seen by the whole world. In Mexico, narcos hang mutilated bodies from overpasses or abandon human remains in public squares to terrorize their opponents. In Sudan, entire villages have been handed over to murder, looting and rape. On October 7, 2023, Jewish families were massacred, civilians assassinated, and images of their suffering turned into trophies meant to circulate on social media.

Belfast belongs to the same history.

On April 20, 1968, for the first time, a European politician, the Briton Enoch Powell, gave a dramatic and prophetic speech: “I seem to see this country madly building its own funeral pyre. In such circumstances, the only adequate measure is to reduce the rate of immigration to negligible figures and promptly adopt the necessary legislative and administrative measures. I contemplate the future and I am full of fear. Like the Romans, I see ‘the Tiber foaming with blood’."

Criticism of multiculturalism earned Powell 100,000 letters of support. A Gallup poll found that 74 percent of the British population agreed with him. However, Powell was fired from his position as Defense Minister in the Conservative shadow government. The media demonized this politician, educated at Trinity College Cambridge, a Hellenist and poet.

The West opened its doors believing that progress was contagious, that the "noble savage" would learn the Magna Carta and respect for life. Instead it imported the bush, the savanna, the desert, the Koran, the madness, with its unwritten laws of blood and domination.

The Belfast victim struggles between life and death in a hospital bed. His eyes, perhaps, will no longer see the light. His children, if he has any, will forever carry the trauma of a father almost decapitated in the street. And the aggressor?He will be in a comfortable cell, assisted by state-paid lawyers, invoking childhood traumas or reverse “Islamophobia." Meanwhile, other boats will cross the Channel, other permits will be granted, other neighborhoods will be “enriched."

Until when?

Until another video shows another mutilated head in a European street?

Until the last natives, exasperated, decide that patience is over and that defending their own land and people is not a crime but a duty, before the Tiber foams with blood?

US President Donald TrumpWhite House Photo by Daniel Torok

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has called off strikes on Iran and that the regime has agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to the American President, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

He stressed that "the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized. The time and place of the signing will be announced shortly."

Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian regime, denied US President Donald Trump's announcement of an agreement with the United States.

In a statement, the agency wrote that Trump "has already announced 38 times over the past two months that an agreement is close."

According to the sources cited by Axios, Iranian officials told several countries on Thursday that the talks produced an agreement in principle, but Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei still needed to give final approval.

The announcement is a change in tone from earlier in the day, when the President said the military will carry out strikes on regime targets as it has done the past two nights. "The United States will be hitting Iran (whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, anti-aircraft, and all other forms of defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are gone!), very hard tonight."

He added that "at some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America."

Shortly after publishing the post, Trump spoke with Fox and Friends and explained: "They (Iran) have no defense, they can't do anything about it. The only thing they have is fake news. The New York Times writes stories saying that they're doing great, they're not; they've been wiped out."

He insisted that the regime is "dying to make a deal, they want to make a deal so badly." According to Trump, the Iranians "really are in submission, they just don't know it yet.

The President added, "My preference has always been to take Kharg Island. I don't know if America has the stomach for it; they'd make a fortune, but I don't know if they have the stomach for it. I think they'd like to see us come home."

Amb. Huckabee at the "Jerusalem Summit"International Christian Embassy

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told a delegation of Christian leaders visiting Israel that their support for the Jewish state stems from biblical conviction rather than politics.

“The reason we stand with Israel is not political, but because of God’s promise to Abraham," Huckabee said during remarks to members of the International Christian Embassy who are in Israel for an emergency conference focused on combating antisemitism.

Speaking to the delegation, Huckabee pointed to Israel's resilience in the face of repeated threats.

“The amazing thing is that a tiny, tiny country of 10 million people wins over and over again when its existence is threatened by those who have 10 times the population, many times the military budget. And yet, it not only survives. It thrives," he said.

“So what’s the secret? The secret is that 3,800 years ago, God said to Abraham, I’m going to create a people. And you are him. And I’m going to put you where you belong, and I’m going to give you a purpose," Huckabee added.

Addressing reports of violence against Christians in Israel, Huckabee said his personal experience in the country has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I have been visiting this country for 53 years. I cannot think of a warmer welcome I could have received, not just from the government officials, but from the people on the streets and everywhere I go in this country," he said.

“I am amazed at the reception that people show me, knowing full well that I am an evangelical Christian who believes in the Bible. It does not offend people," Huckabee added.

Desert (file)Flash 90

The Torah records several widespread sins that the Children of Israel committed during our 40-year desert sojourn.

Among the first was the sin of the golden calf as recorded in Parashat Ki Tissa (Exodus Chapters 32-33). And this week, Parashat Korach records four separate rebellions against Moshe:

-The rebellion of Korach and his band, of the Tribe of Levi (Numbers 16:1);

-The rebellion of Datan and Aviram of the Tribe of Reuven, and their followers (ibid.);

-The rebellion of 250 men of renown of the Children of Israel, Princes of the Congregation (16:2);

-The rebellion among the masses of the Children of Israel the following day (Numbers 17).

Though these four rebellions all had different causes and different impetuses, the Torah makes it clear that they were all instigated and inspired by Korach of the Tribe of Levi. It was Korach and his band who stirred up the general malcontent against Moshe and Aaron; without Korach and his populist agitation, none of the subsequent rebellions could have happened.

And this raises a huge puzzlement. Please bear with me for three paragraphs, patient reader, because a little background is essential:

As we noted above, the golden calf is recorded in Parashat Ki Tissa, which consists of 139 verses (Exodus 30:11-34:35). The first two Aliyot (Kohen and Levi) cover more than half the Parashah: Kohen reads the first 45 verses, and Levi reads the next 47 verses, for a total of 92. The next five Aliyot between them cover just 47 verses.

The reason for this differential is for us to avoid embarrassing any Israelite. The only Tribe from which not one single person worshipped the golden calf was Levi, so we have a Kohen and a Levi read from the beginning of the Parashah to the end of the sorry incident of the golden calf.

Thus we spare every Israelite the potential embarrassment of publicly proclaiming his own ancestors’ sin.

So when our Sages divided the Torah into the 54 Parashot with which we are so familiar today, why did they divide it up such that a Kohen and a Levi publicly proclaim their own ancestors’ sin, that of Korach and his Levite followers?

Would it not have been more tactful to have an Israelite tell of the sins of the Levites?

I have not found anyone else who even noted this seeming discrepancy, much less explained it. And so I tentatively offer my own explanation:

Last Shabbat, Parashat Shlach Lecha recorded the disastrous episode of the spies and its aftermath: G-d’s decree that the generation had proven itself unworthy of entering the Land of Israel - indeed psychologically unable to meet the challenges of conquering the Land.

Part of the consequences of G-d’s decree is the succession of rebellions in Parashat Korach. Korach’s rebellion was undoubtedly egregious, with disastrous consequences: more than 14,950 Jews died as a result.

Korach with his followers, Datan and Aviram with their followers, and the 250 Israelite malcontents were swallowed up when the earth opened its mouth (16:32), and another 14,700 died in the plague (17:14).

It is very obvious what caused this such widespread rebelliousness: the sin of the spies, and the national demoralisation it caused, doomed the Children of Israel to spend forty years in the Sinai Desert.

Just as the nation was poised to enter the Land of Israel and to begin their next phase of national life - the prize was snatched from them, only those below the age of 20 would ever live to see the good Land that G-d had promised them.

Little wonder that they were distraught. Of course demagogues like Korach, Datan, and Aviram found it easy to prey on their frustrations and to challenge Moshe’s leadership.

Only under these circumstances could Datan and Aviram dare to proclaim the blasphemy that Egypt, the land of slavery and oppression, was “the land flowing with milk and honey" (Numbers 16:13).

And yet…

…and yet this shows the greatness of Korach, Datan, Aviram, and the 250 malcontents. Of course their sin was terrible - yet it is a backhanded compliment to them. They only committed these sins because they were so completely demoralised at not being allowed to enter the good Land that G-d had promised them. Obviously the Land of Israel was vital to them: they couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing it.

The Jews in the desert weren’t suffering. They lived very comfortably, both physically and spiritually. They had the Manna to eat, and the water from Miriam’s miraculous Well to drink. They had the Clouds of Glory to protect them from the fierce desert heat by day, and the Pillar of Fire to give them warmth against the biting desert cold by night.

They were learning Torah from no less than Moshe Rabbeinu (“our Master") himself - better and more impressive learning than even the most prestigious Yeshivah in the world today.

They had no parnassah (income) and needed none, because G-d Himself provided them directly with all that they needed.

They had everything, they lacked nothing. When they were deprived of the Land of Israel they lost nothing. Yet they were plunged into such utter despair that they fell into heresy. They felt they had nothing left to live for.

Only true Tzaddikim could have responded with such despair to G-d’s decree.

Today?

We can but look in despair at Jewish communities throughout the world, and ask: Is there a single Rabbi, a single Jewish leader, who reaches the level of Korach, Datan, and Aviram, the Tzaddikim of the Sinai Desert, who were plunged into such despair at being deprived of the Land of Israel that they lost all faith?

Of all those Jews who believe (for whatever peculiar reason) that they are forbidden to make Aliyah, is there a single one who mourns for the Holy Land that he or she has been deprived of?

It is infinitely more embarrassing and humiliating for a Jew to be associated with Jews who are so utterly detached from the nation that they don’t even care about the Land of Israel, than it is to be associated with Tzaddikim who loved the Land of Israel so passionately and intimately that they fell into despair and heresy when they were deprived of it.

And this, I tentatively suggest, is the reason that we guarantee that a Kohen and Levi read the section of the Torah which throws the prime responsibility for this débâcle on their fellow-Levites.

Because unlike the sin of the golden calf, no one of the Tribe of Levi has to feel embarrassed when reading of the sin of his fellow-Levite. It is a sin that could solely have been committed by a Tzaddik.

So go ahead, Kohen and Levi: read this section with pride!

IDF soldiers are continuing efforts to clear the underground tunnel network beneath the Beaufort Ridge.

The network was planned and financed by the Iranian terror regime and serves as a significant operational asset for Hezbollah’s military activities.

During the operation, soldiers located numerous weapons, including mortar shells, fragmentation grenades, RPG launchers, Kornet anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft machine guns, and Kalashnikov rifles.

In recent days, during an operation to locate tunnel shafts, a drone operated by IDF soldiers identified terrorists inside the underground network.

The terrorists fled and opened fire at the drone.

Shortly afterward, the terrorists were identified together with additional operatives attempting to escape from the tunnel route. Guided by the ground forces, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated the terrorists.

Rabbi Shmuley BoteachIsrael National News

Nissim Louk is the father of a family that was devastated by October 7, the day his daughter Shani HY"D was brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists.

When those who spend their lives defending the Jewish people find themselves under attack, Jews everywhere pay attention.

As an Israeli father whose family was shattered by the horrors of October 7, I have watched with growing concern the reprehensible lawsuit filed against world-famous antisemitism-fighter Rabbi Shmuley Boteach by the Hotel Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Many ignorant Americans may see this as a dispute between a hotel and a guest.

Israelis certainly do not.

For many of us, the case has become something larger. It has become a symbol of the increasingly hostile environment faced by those who speak unapologetically in defense of Israel and the Jewish people.

The reason is simple.

We know Rabbi Shmuley, and after the brutal murder of our daughter Shani in the early morning hours of October 7, 2023, he reached to our family and became one of our closest and most comforting friends.

First, the horrible facts, as difficult as they are for a father to recount.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, the world changed for my family and me forever.

At approximately 6:30 a.m., Hamas launched its unprecedented assault on southern Israel. Thousands of rockets rained down on Israeli communities as heavily armed terrorists crossed the border from Gaza by land, sea, and air. Their targets were not military bases alone. They targeted homes, families, schools, roads, and a music festival dedicated to peace.

Among the thousands of young people attending the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Re'im was 22-year-old German-Israeli tattoo artist Shani Louk, my beautiful and beloved daughter.

Like so many young people gathered there, Shani had come to celebrate life.

Instead, she found herself in the middle of one of the most barbaric terrorist attacks of the modern era.

As the attack unfolded in the early morning hours, Hamas terrorists stormed the festival grounds. Hundreds of young men and women were murdered. Others were raped, wounded, kidnapped, or forced to flee through fields and roads that quickly became killing grounds.

In the chaos and horror of those first hours, Shani was murdered.

What happened next would become one of the defining images not only of October 7 but of the entire twenty-first century struggle against terrorism.

Shortly after the attack, video footage and photographs emerged showing Hamas terrorists transporting Shani's exposed body in the back of a pickup truck through Gaza.

The images shocked the world and tore a hole in my heart that will never mend.

Many people who had previously viewed the conflict through the lens of politics suddenly confronted something much more visceral and undeniable.

This was not warfare.

This was not a battle between armies.

This was the public desecration of a murdered civilian.

Millions saw the footage.

Millions more saw the still photograph that would become one of the most recognizable images of the October 7 massacre.

For we who are Shani's family, however, the nightmare was only beginning.

For weeks after the attack, hope persisted that she might somehow still be alive.

Like countless Israeli families whose loved ones had disappeared during the massacre, we endured agonizing uncertainty.

Every phone call mattered.

Every rumor mattered.

Every fragment of information mattered.

The remote possibility that she might still be alive existed alongside the terrifying evidence already visible to the world.

Then, on October 30, 2023, Israeli authorities informed us definitively that Shani had been murdered.

A vibrant young woman who had gone to a music festival had become the most recognizable victim of the October 7 atrocities.

Yet even in death, Shani continued to tell a story.

Her image became a symbol.

Not because our family sought any kind of publicity.

But because the photograph captured the reality of October 7 in a way that statistics never could.

Numbers can numb.

Images cannot.

The image forced the world to confront what had happened.

It stripped away euphemisms.

It demolished moral equivalencies.

It exposed the nature of the massacre with brutal clarity.

Months later, the photograph became the subject of international discussion when it was included in an Associated Press photo portfolio covering the Israel-Hamas war that received one of the world's most prestigious journalism honors.

Predictably, controversy followed.

Some argued that the image should never have been celebrated in any way.

Others countered that journalism's purpose is precisely to document history, especially its darkest moments.

But I, as Shani's own father, supported its disclosure. As Jackie Kennedy famously said when she refused to change out of her pink suit splattered with the gore of her husband’s assassinated body in Dallas, I thought, “Let them see what they have done."

Rather than condemning the photograph's recognition, I defended it.

The image documented the truth.

It showed the world what happened.

Future generations would need evidence.

Future generations would need reminders.

Future generations would need proof.

The photograph was not important because it was unforgettable.

It was important because it was necessary.

History is often remembered through images.

The raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima.

The lone protester before the tanks in Tiananmen Square.

The falling man on September 11.

The liberation of Auschwitz.

The photograph of my daughter Shani Louk joined that tragic gallery.

Not because anyone wanted it there.

Because history placed it there.

The image became evidence not merely of a murder but of a worldview.

A worldview that celebrated the humiliation of innocent victims.

A worldview that viewed civilian suffering as a cause for celebration.

A worldview that the civilized world must never normalize and never forget.

Today, the name Shani Louk is known far beyond Israel.

It is known in Germany.

It is known in America.

It is known across Europe.

It is known wherever people followed the events of October 7.

Her story reminds us that terrorism is never abstract.

Its victims have names.

They have families.

They have dreams.

They have futures stolen from them.

Shani Louk was not a symbol when she woke up on the morning of October 7.

She was my daughter.

She was a sister.

A friend.

A young woman with her entire life ahead of her.

The terrorists who murdered her attempted to reduce her to a trophy.

Instead, the world came to know her name.

The photograph they created to glorify terror became one of the most powerful indictments of terror ever produced.

And that may ultimately be its greatest significance.

The image survives not as a testament to Hamas's power but as evidence of Hamas's depravity.

Long after the terrorists are gone, long after the slogans have faded, and long after the political arguments have ended, the photograph will remain.

A reminder.

A warning.

A witness.

And a permanent testament to a young woman whose life was stolen but whose memory now speaks to the conscience of the world.

And one of the pro-Israel activists who did the most to honor our daughter’s memory was Rabbi Shmuley. First, he organized a 1000-person event in New York City for a Torah dedicated to Shani whose last letters were written by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., while holding the scribe’s hand. Later he organized more memorials for Shani and wrote countless syndicated columns so that the world would never forget her name.

Shmuley, who has become family to us, has been one of the most visible defenders of Israel in the world. He has debated Israel’s enemies on television. He has challenged antisemites on university campuses. He has written books, articles, and speeches defending the Jewish state when many remained silent and afraid.

Whether Israelis agree with him on every issue is beside the point.

We know where he stands.

And we know that when Israel is attacked, Rabbi Shmuley is usually among the first to step forward and fight back.

Israelis know Rabbi Shmuley not because he is famous. They know him because he has spent decades standing up for them.

That is why so many Israelis were startled by the disgusting and despicable lawsuit arising from the Fontainebleau incident.

As countless millions witnessed in the video of the attack against him on the night of December 1st, 2024, Rabbi Shmuley was vilely attacked by an unhinged Islamist activist in the lobby of the hotel. The threatening statements made against him and soldiers of the IDF as “baby-killers" was sickening. Videos from the incident went viral around the world and generated substantial attention.

Unbelievably, instead of defending the Rabbi and taking action to protect him and other Jewish guests from violence, the hotel sued him to bankrupt and silence him.

But that is not the part of the story that has captured Israeli attention.

The part that has captured Israeli attention is what happened next.

Instead of fading away, the dispute escalated into a major lawsuit.

And many Israelis have found themselves asking a question that is impossible to ignore:

How did one of the world’s most prominent defenders of Israel end up fighting a legal battle after publicly speaking about what happened to him and what is happening to so many Jews around the world?

Even more mystifying to Israelis was our discovery that the owner of the hotel is actually Jewish and, even worse, the attorney who took and profited time the case is a kippa-wearing Orthodox Jew. If that isn’t shameful then the word has no meaning.

For many Israelis, that question matters as much as the underlying incident itself.

To understand why, one must understand the atmosphere in which Israelis have lived since October 7.

We watched our people butchered.

We watched families burned alive.

We watched young men and women hunted down at a music festival.

We watched elderly people dragged into Gaza.

We watched children kidnapped.

And we watched much of the world respond not with solidarity, but with excuses- and worse.

The result is that Israelis today are extraordinarily sensitive to signs of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred.

What once might have seemed like isolated incidents now feel connected to something larger.

Because we have seen where hatred leads.

We have seen its final destination.

That is why incidents involving public defenders of Israel resonate so deeply.

They are not merely personal disputes.

They are viewed through the prism of a nation still bleeding from trauma.

Rabbi Shmuley’s connection to Israel is not theoretical.

Throughout the war he has spoken passionately on behalf of Israel’s right to defend itself. He has four children serving in the IDF including two in elite and dangerous combat units.

He has supported Israel’s soldiers.

He has comforted grieving families.

He has amplified the voices of victims.

He has stood beside those whose lives were destroyed by October 7.

Many Israelis remember that.

Many families remember that.

When Israel was under attack, Rabbi Shmuley did not disappear. He showed up.

That is why the Fontainebleau litigation has attracted attention far beyond Miami Beach.

People are asking what message is sent when someone who has dedicated decades to defending the Jewish people is targeted because of those views and then finds himself embroiled in years of litigation as he seeks to support his soldier-children living in Israel.

Some will say that the courts will decide whatever to be undisputed facts.

That is their role.

But public opinion is shaped by broader questions.

Questions about fairness.

Questions about accountability.

Questions about whether institutions take allegations of anti-Jewish hostility seriously.

And questions about whether advocates for Israel are increasingly expected to remain silent or be sued into bankruptcy.

The concern extends beyond one rabbi.

It extends beyond one hotel.

It extends beyond one lawsuit.

It touches a deeper anxiety felt by many Jews around the world.

The anxiety that speaking publicly in defense of Israel carries risks that did not exist before.

The anxiety that anti-Israel hostility is increasingly tolerated.

The anxiety that Jews are expected to accept treatment that would never be tolerated if directed at other minorities.

The issue is not only what happened. The issue is what happens to those who dare speak about it.

Many Israelis also see a painful irony.

Rabbi Shmuley has spent much of his career helping people.

Families.

Victims.

Students.

Communities.

He has been a public advocate for causes that often offered him little personal benefit.

The notion that such a figure would find himself at the center of a battle involving allegations of anti-Israel hostility strikes many Israelis as profoundly troubling.

And the public concern is deep, legitimate, and exactly what is being felt in Israel today.

Across Israel, many people are following this case.

Not because they are fascinated by litigation.

Not because they care about Miami Beach hotels.

But because they see something of themselves in the controversy.

They see the broader struggle against antisemitism.

They see the battle over Israel’s legitimacy.

They see the growing pressure placed upon those who defend the Jewish state.

And they wonder where it all leads.

When defenders of Israel come under fire, Israelis pay attention. When those defenders refuse to back down, Israelis respect it.

The Fontainebleau case will eventually be resolved.

Judges and juries will make their determinations.

Arguments will be heard.

Evidence will be examined.

The legal system will do its work.

But regardless of the outcome, one fact is already clear.

This dispute has become larger than the parties involved.

It has become a reflection of the fears, concerns, and anxieties of a Jewish people living in the shadow of October 7.

That is why Israelis are watching.

And that is why so many are watching with growing concern.

Janez JansaAndrej Tarfila / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect

The government of Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša on Thursday revoked a series of measures against Israel that had been adopted by the previous government led by Robert Golob.

According to statements issued following the cabinet meeting by Slovenia’s Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, the government canceled decisions that had laid the groundwork for sanctions against Israel. It also rescinded a ban on the export and transit of military weapons and equipment from or through Slovenia to Israel, as well as imports from Israel into Slovenia.

The government further withdrew decisions declaring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an undesirable person in Slovenia. Similar designations against Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir were also revoked. In addition, the government canceled a prohibition on the import of goods from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the measures against Israel had never been implemented and said the latest decision restores the conditions for normal political dialogue between the two countries.

According to the ministry, renewed engagement will make it possible to strengthen Slovenia’s role in efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East through political dialogue and diplomacy. The ministry added that expanded bilateral ties could create opportunities for cooperation in areas including innovation, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, water management, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, science, emergency response, and economic relations.

The ministry emphasized that Slovenia remains committed to international law, the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians. It added that Slovenia’s position regarding a solution that would enable peaceful and secure coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians through dialogue remains unchanged.

The ministry said the government believes Slovenia can more effectively advance its interests, values, and foreign policy objectives through dialogue, diplomatic engagement, and active cooperation than through measures that restrict direct communication.

Separately, the Defense Ministry announced that the government had also repealed the decision banning the export, transit, and import of military weapons and equipment involving Israel.

The previous government adopted the restriction in July of last year, making Slovenia the first European country to prohibit arms trade with Israel, while allowing exceptions for equipment required in the fields of security and resilience.

The Defense Ministry said the measure was unnecessary because the conditions governing permits for trade in military weapons are already regulated by existing laws and regulations. It added that activities related to arms exports to Israel continue to be carried out in accordance with applicable regulations and the criteria established by the European Union’s common position on the control of military technology and equipment exports.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the decision, writing: “I commend Slovenian PM Janez Janša for his swift and just decision to lift the distorted anti-Israeli measures taken by Slovenia’s previous government. PM Janša is a bold leader and a true friend of Israel. We will do great things together!"

Earlier in the week, Minister Sa'ar announced that Israel would open a permanent diplomatic mission in Ljubljana.

Under the previous administration, Slovenia was highly hostile to the Jewish state. Last week, just one day before Janez Janša took office as Prime Minister, an Israir flight en route to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was forced to land in Zagreb, Croatia, after authorities tied to the administration refused to grant the Israeli aircraft the required landing permit.

Haredi demonstration this eveningYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Haredi protesters blocked the railway tracks this evening (Thursday) near the Tel Aviv HaHagana train station, along with several major roads in central Israel, as part of a protest that caused significant disruptions to train and vehicle traffic.

Footage that was circulated shows a truck driver confronting protesters while holding an iron bar. The footage also shows protesters responding with kicks and punches during the confrontation that developed on the road.

Following the blockade, police ordered the closure of the section of railway between the station and Lod, and train traffic in the area was halted until the protesters were removed and service could resume. Israel Railways said that delays and disruptions were affecting routes across the country and that heavy congestion was being reported.

Israel Railways clarified the situation in a statement: “Due to protesters entering railway areas near Ganot in violation of instructions and while posing a significant risk to their safety, train movement in the area has been temporarily halted at the instruction of the police. Delays and disruptions are affecting train lines across the country, and congestion is being reported. Service will resume once the protesters are removed from the railway area."

Alongside the disruptions to train service, Israel Police reported that several major traffic arteries across the country had been blocked due to protests by extremist Haredi demonstrators.

Highway 6 near the Hadid Tunnel was closed to traffic in both directions. In addition, Highway 1 near Ganot heading west and Highway 4 between the HaShiv’a Interchange and the Mesubim Interchange were blocked to vehicle traffic in both directions.

Police are monitoring the developments of the protests and are calling on drivers to avoid the various blocked areas. Officers are working to direct traffic and are asking the public to follow the instructions of security forces on the ground and use alternative routes.

A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle on Jabotinsky Road in Petah Tikva, near the Geha Interchange, during a haredi demonstration in the area.

MDA medics and paramedics provided medical treatment and evacuated a 70-year-old man to Beilinson Hospital in moderate condition, with a head injury.

In a separate incident, a haredi protester was hit by a vehicle during a demonstration on Highway 1 near the Ganot interchange. MDA medics and paramedics provided medical treatment at the scene to a 21-year-old youth in moderate condition with injuries to his limbs and head.

Reading the Torahצילום: מנדי טויטו, אריאל אוחנה, צבעים הפקות

Edited by B. Silberstein

Korach Waits for His Opportunity

This week’s Para sha, Korach, recounts the rebellion of Korach against the authority of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Rabbis say that “sin precipitates sin." (Pirkei Avot 4:2) This can be clearly seen in the transgression of the Spies. One of its consequences was that Moshe’s popularity declined in the eyes of the nation.

According to the Ramban (Nachmanides), Korach very carefully determined the timing of his challenge. His anger was aroused when Moshe, upon the command of Hashem, appointed his brother Aharon and his descendants to be the Kohanim who would conduct the sacrificial service in the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

In addition, he designated the entire tribe of Levi to perform many other functions necessary to maintain the Sanctuary. No outsiders were permitted to infringe on the responsibilities assigned to the Kohanim and Levites.

These changes that Moshe instituted had a negative effect on some members of the community, who would be eliminated from participation in the functioning of the Mishkan. Korach, who was himself a Levite, was especially resentful. He interpreted Moshe’s actions as a grab for control.

Korach reasoned that Moshe was bent on accumulating power. He had assumed the kingship, and now he was allocating the second most prestigious national position to his brother. At that time, Korach was determined to oppose Moshe, but he held his fire.

He did so, according to Ramban, because he realized that Moshe was then highly esteemed and admired by Am Yisrael (Nation of Israel). They recognized the greatness of the leader who had taken them out of Egypt, split the Sea of Reeds, and brought down the Torah from Mount Sinai.

Even more important was what he did for the people after the sin of the Eigel HaZahav (Golden Calf). As a result of that terrible sin, Hashem said that He would destroy the nation and create a new one out of Moshe’s seed. However, Moshe refused to accede to this proposal, praying that G-d would rescind His decree.

His entreaties found favor with Hashem, who agreed to give the nation a second chance. Moshe’s selfless display of love for Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel) and his commitment to their wellbeing made an impact on the hearts of the people. Had Korach or anyone else launched an insurrection against their beloved leader at that time, they would have been severely rebuffed.

So Korach, who was no fool, bided his time until after the debacle of the Meraglim (Spies), which had a dramatic impact on Moshe’s standing. This might seem strange if we consider the actual facts. For here too, Hashem decreed that He would replace Bnei Yisrael. And here too, Moshe courageously intervened and managed to win a reprieve for the people.

Yet the situation was not identical. Responding to the hysteria of the masses, Hashem decreed that the entire generation would wander 40 years in the Wilderness, where they would ultimately perish. This produced a sense of despair, and negatively affected their attitude toward Moshe. He hadn’t come through for them as they would have preferred, and his luster diminished. Korach realized that his time had come, and he struck.

Why Moshe's Actions Appeared Suspicious

At first glance, we can make sense out of Korach’s complaint. On the surface, Moshe’s actions certainly appeared troubling. He suddenly removed the firstborn who were supposed to bring the sacrifices and replaced them with his brother and fellow Levites. This action seemed extremely suspicious, but it was in fact the Will of G-d.

A similar situation occurred with Miriam. She discovered that Moshe had separated from his wife, Tzipora, which appeared to be mistaken. However, Miriam did not know that Moshe had acted at Hashem’s behest. When she then voiced her criticism to Aaron, it was regarded as Lashon HaRah (evil speech). In both cases, Moshe did something which looked very wrong, but which, in actuality, was entirely correct.

However, it did indeed appear as though Moshe was amassing power for himself. So what was Korach’s sin?

The Obligation to Trust Moshe

Didn’t Moshe realize that appointing Aharon would arouse suspicion and resentment? And if so, why didn’t he pave the way to acceptance by first explaining to the people why it had to be done? Might this not have prevented a lot of aggravation and turmoil?

Am Yisrael does not only operate in terms of practical considerations. An important religious element is involved in political developments. From this standpoint there was no reason why Moshe’s actions should have aroused skepticism. His veracity as the impeccable servant of Hashem was well established. Our faith in G-d entails a certain degree of trust in Moshe as His loyal spokesman. After the splitting of Yam Soof (Sea of Reeds), the people “believed in Hashem and in His servant Moshe." (Shemot 14:31)

The Revelation on Mount Sinai, witnessed by the entire nation, was intended to establish the divinity of the Torah as well as belief in Moshe as Hashem’s authentic messenger.

“And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold I will come to you in thickness of the cloud, so that the people will hear as I speak to you, and they will also believe in you forever.’" (Shemot 19:9)

The Error of Korach

Korach’s rebellion was rooted in his failure to recognize the unique relationship between Moshe and G-d. Just as the nations of the world have often resisted the notion that Bnei Yisrael possess the unique covenantal role of being chosen by Hashem, so too Korach could not accept the unique status granted to Moshe.

While no later authority can be compared to Moshe in prophecy, the Torah nevertheless established a Mesorah (system of transmission) whereby its authentic interpretation is entrusted to its recognized Sages. But Jews may themselves be guilty of disparaging those authentic Masters of Torah who stand in Moshe’s place in terms of determining the full dimensions of Torah law and practice.

It is not enough to profess our conviction in the divine truth of Torah. We must also place our trust in the authentic Masters of the Oral Law who stand in Moshe’s place as the legitimate expositors of the Torah and its commandments. Their elucidation of the Mitzvot and the manner in which they must be fulfilled is binding on the Congregation of Jacob. Cultivating the appropriate confidence in their veracity is an important aspect of our religious perfection.

May we merit to attain it and remove insurrection from the midst of the Jewish people.

Questions? Comments?
Please reach out to Mitch Rosner on WhatsApp at 054-426-3419 or by email at [email protected]_._

The IDF announced on Thursday that soldiers completed activities to achieve operational control and clear the area north of the Saluki River along the Forward Defense Line.

The operation was part of the effort to strengthen positions in southern Lebanon and remove the direct threat to the communities of the Galilee Panhandle and Metula.

According to the IDF, the Saluki River area has been used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization as a prime location for operating explosive drones and launching indirect fire attacks against IDF soldiers operating in the area.

During the operation, the troops, in cooperation with the Israeli Air Force, dismantled hundreds of terrorist structures and eliminated more than 50 terrorists. In addition, several weapons were located, including explosive devices, anti-tank missiles, and anti-tank launchers.

המרדף בשדה הסתיים במעצר השב"חיםדוברות המשטרה

Officers from the Coastal District Border Police community-defense unit, together with Coastal District police officers, operated yesterday in agricultural fields near Ein HaMifratz in the Mateh Asher Regional Council.

The operational activity was aimed at locating illegal residents and was carried out following advance intelligence received from the Coastal Border Police Central Unit.

During the operation, the forces covertly surrounded the agricultural area where the illegal residents were suspected of being employed. Using drones and additional technological means, the officers succeeded in locating and documenting the illegal residents while they were working at the site.

After gathering incriminating evidence and establishing the suspicions on the ground, the signal was given, and the forces raided the compound using police off-road vehicles.

During the attempted arrests, several suspects tried to flee the scene, but they were apprehended after a short pursuit directed by drones from the air.

In total, the proactive operation led to the capture of four illegal residents, along with three suspects accused of housing and employing them. In addition, the forces seized a truck and a jeep at the scene that were suspected of being used by the workers and those suspected of employing them.

All of the suspects arrested at the agricultural compound were transferred by police for further questioning at the police station in Acre.

Kurds hide from Syrian govt attacks in mosqueJan 26, 2026 Delil Souleiman via Instagram

Kurds have suffered a century of betrayal and abuse. Sheik Said launched the Kurdish resistance movement against the Turkish Republic in 1925. Kurdish fighters gained control of Bingöl, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Mus and Urfa. However, they faced an overwhelming force and were defeated. Sheik Said and his associates were sentenced to death on June 28, 1925. Turkish authorities executed Sheik Said, hanging him from a lamppost and concealing his burial place.

Northeast Syria, known as “Rojava", is populated by Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities including Chaldean Christians. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2012, Kurds had run it as a self-declared autonomous region, protected by Kurdish-led armed forces. The Islamic State group (IS) swept through in 2014, capturing cities and villages with little resistance until it reached the city of Kobane, next to the Turkish border.

Atrocities were widespread such as beheading, torture, and sexual violence. Ethnic cleaning occurred in the villages surrounding Kobani, IS seized 80 percent of Kobani and imposed a brutal siege that lasted for months. Supported by the US-led military coalition, Kurds fought heroically and broke the siege in early 2015.

The Islamic State group’s crimes were notorious including the mutilation of the Kurds in the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ). Farida Khalaf, a Yazidi woman, was abducted by IS as a teenager in 2014 and sold into slavery as part of the Yazidi genocide. Kurdish politicians and civil leaders, including some who espoused reconciliation with Turkey, were murdered by the Syrian National Army (SNA).

The SNA launched military operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) controlled territories beginning in 2016. It captured a swathe of territory running along hundreds of kilometers of the border between Turkey and Syria. SDF fought valiantly, repelled IS, and declared victory in 2019.

Turkey considers the largest component in the SDF - the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish rights in Turkey for decades and is listed by Ankara as a terrorist organization. As the Assad regime collapsed in late 2024, the Turkish-backed SNA launched a new offensive to capture territory west of the River Euphrates from the SDF. Operation Peace Spring seized territory from the SDF to create a “safe zone," displacing tens of thousands of Kurds. Power stations, refineries, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure near the Tishrin Dam were destroyed by Turkish drones and warplanes.

Both sides accused each other of war crimes. Turkey claimed that the SDF sent civilians to conflict-ridden areas as human shields. It accused the SDF of using “violence and terror" to pursue “its own separatist agenda." On November 30, 2024, the SNA announced Operation Dawn of Freedom, aiming to expand Turkish-controlled territory, weaken the SDF, prevent Kurdish autonomy in post-Assad Syria, and support the Turkish initiative to establish a 30-kilometer-deep buffer zone in the north from al-Bab to Tel-Rifaat.

Around 100,000 Kurdish civilians fled SNA-occupied territories throughout Aleppo governorate, which resulted in a humanitarian crisis. The remaining SDF-controlled towns in the northern Aleppo countryside were besieged and cut off from communication.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 200,000 Syrian Kurds were driven from al-Shahbaa and other parts of Aleppo. Turkish airstrikes supported the SNA offensive, targeting SDF positions in Aleppo, Al-Hasakah, and Mambij. On December 6, 2024, the SNA launched an offensive targeting the city of Manbej, the last SDF-controlled area west of the Euphrates. Residents of Manbij and Kobani were deprived of water and electricity. Civilians in Shehba experienced robbery and extortion from SNA forces. According to SOHR, tens of injured combatants were extrajudicially executed by Turkish-backed forces.

In April 2025, Kurdish forces withdrew to the eastern bank of the Euphrates River while government security forces deployed to the Tishrin Dam to establish a barrier between SDF and SNA forces.

About 40,000 IS family members and up to 10,000 jihadist fighters were held in SDF-controlled camps and prisons in the northeast. SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi indicated, “If Turkey attacks, we will have no choice but to redirect our forces". Chaos accompanied the SDF’s withdrawal from al-Hol camp, with IS exploiting the disorder resulting from the transition. A security vacuum resulted as the IS declared a “new phase" against Syria’s authorities. The IS branded the government and al-Sharaa “apostate".

Arab tribal forces sympathetic to Damascus rose up in Raqqa, Aleppo and Hasaka. They accused the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria of abusing Arab rights in education and local administration. When the SNA attacked on January 4, 2026, fifteen years of self-rule ended in a fortnight.

In an attempt to appease Syria’s Kurdish community, Al-Sharra issued a decree recognizing Kurdish identity and language rights, restoring citizenship to Kurds stripped of nationality, and declaring Nowruz a national holiday on January 16. It led to an integration agreement on January 30 combining a permanent ceasefire with a phased plan to fold the northeast’s military and civilian institutions into the state.

These measures represented Syria’s first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since its independence in 1946. The announcement read, “The Syrian Ministry of Local Governance is granting significant authority to governors, including the hiring and firing of employees, approving investments and deals. The decision is the outcome of negotiations with the SDF, which requested greater decentralization. The northeast is vital to Syria. It holds Syria’s most consequential oil and gas resources, grain-producing land, and key cross-border routes.

The agreement was supported by the Trump administration’s envoy, Tom Barrack. Kurds felt betrayed when the US withdrew its support. Without US assistance, the SDF could not continue as an autonomous project. Beginning in January 2026, the AANES lost 70 percent of its territory and at least 1,000 fighters. Many Kurds were displaced and other minorities were left vulnerable.

The US withdrew its support in December 2025. Without US air power and weapons, the SDF was overwhelmed by jihadis working with the Syrian Armed Forces. On January 29, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president, Al-Sharra, signed an integration agreement. It requires the SDF to integrate into all Syria’s security and civilian structures.

But the SDF cannot rely on Damascus’s goodwill. A US-led monitoring mechanism is needed to ensure compliance with these commitments. The US may also consider a fund for disarmament. demobilization and reintegration benefiting Kurds and other minorities such as Druze and Alawites who were victims of state-sponsored violence.

Defeat is a lesson in humility. The Kurds are not going to give up their way of life, but they must adjust to the new reality of an emboldened Turkey and an Islamist Syria. Kurdish self-criticism includes a critique of Murray Boochkin’s theories, which served as the ideological basis for the PKK and the Rojava revolution. Bookchin espoused libertarian principles and values of equality, freedom and sustainability. He envisioned a society linked through highly decentralized self-governing institutions, with power distributed to entities at the local level.

Kurds in Rojava envisioned a system of self-government based on Boochkin’s ideas, which emphasized decentralization, ecological justice and gender parity in local administration. In March 2005, Öcalan issued the ‘‘Declaration of Democratic Confederalist in Kurdistan", which called for grassroots “democracy without the state." Tribal elites announced the creation of the “Council for Cooperation and Coordination in Jazira and the Euphrates" in April, aimed at unifying tribal voices against what they called the SDF “hegemony".

Boochkin’s romantic ideals had broad appeal to Öcalan, the PKK, and the SDF. However, the Rojava revolution proved impractical and premature. The demise of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria marked the end of the democratic confederation, or at least a delay in its realization.

Society in the Middle East has not yet evolved to embrace decentralization and grass-roots democracy. For Arabs and Turks, federalism is a bridge too far.

Kurds have suffered betrayal and abuse from the Treaty of Lausanne to the present. Their national aspirations have repeatedly been denied and their identity suppressed. While Kurds would prefer to exercise their right to self-determination, this is not possible under the current conditions. Instead, they are forced to seek a modus vivendi with Damascus and accommodation with their Arab neighbors in Syria.

The January 29 agreement between al-Sharaa and Mazloum should be closely monitored by evaluating its 14 points. This can be carried out by the Kurds themselves in cooperation with representatives of the international community who are sympathetic to their cause. The evaluation process could take place over six months, with a final and periodic reports.

Damascus is already dragging its feet in fulfilling its obligations, so without continuous evaluation and implementation reviews, the Kurds may find their interests betrayed again. The United States does not appear inclined to fully support Kurdish goals, meaning the Kurds will need to organize an implementation and review mechanism on their own, in consultation with civil society and international NGOs.

Reposted with permission from the Institute for Humanitarian Conflict Resolution.

Jewish-American comedian Jerry Seinfeld had a quick response on Wednesday for a troll who tried to challenge his known support of Israel.

A streamer known as FinesseFave approached the comedian, best known for the sitcom bearing his name, outside Madison Square Garden in New York, after the Knicks' 107-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in game four of the NBA Finals.

While streaming live, the troll put a microphone in front of Seinfeld and asked: "Can we get a 'free Palestine?'"

The comedian reacted by laughing and, without missing a beat, responded: "It doesn't exist," before walking away.

This is not the first time Seinfeld was harassed in public for his outspoken support of the Jewish state, nor is it the first time he shot back with a simple, yet witty and unapologetic response.

Last year, when an individual who asked for a selfie made a victory sign and called, 'Free Palestine, the comedian responded: "I don't care about Palestine."

the 2 fathersCourtesy of the family

David Yaari, the father of Sgt. Ohad Yaari, who was killed by an accidental discharge of a bullet in Lebanon, met with the father of the soldier detained on suspicion of firing the shot that killed his son - and called for his release.

According to him: “I plan to come to the court and tell the judge to release Ohad’s commander. Let him return to fighting for the defense of the country."

Yaari argued that the incident was an “operational mishap" and not a case that justifies criminal proceedings.

“He has received his punishment for the rest of his life," he said, adding that operational lessons must be learned, but soldiers should not be “weakened" through arrests and criminal investigations during wartime.

Ohad’s father said he asked the soldier’s father to tell his son to “hold his head high."

“If we can come to the court on Sunday, we will come, hug the boy, and lift his head up," he said.

אהד יערי הובא למנוחותצילום: Flash90

The father of the detained soldier said he came to meet the Yaari family to comfort them and pass along his son’s condolences.

“I received an incredible embrace from the father, the mother, and the siblings," he said, adding that his son is “tormented to the depths of his soul over the tragedy" and feels that he failed in his mission to protect his soldiers. According to him, his son enlisted in the Givati Brigade after leaving a pre-military academy when the war broke out on October 7, out of a desire to take part in the fighting. The father said his son fought in difficult combat zones in Gaza and Lebanon, lost friends and commanders during the war, and planned to continue serving voluntarily in the reserves even after his discharge.

The father further said that his son wants to return to combat and is struggling to cope with the incident. “He is constantly worried about the bereaved family," he said.

“He asked me to hug them tightly on his behalf and tell them how sorry he is and how deeply he is suffering over this terrible tragedy."

Maj. (res.) attorney Wassim Daher, who is representing the soldier on behalf of the military defense counsel, said this was a “tragic and sad incident" that occurred during intense fighting in Lebanon.

According to him: “The criminal track is not appropriate for this situation," and he called on the army “to surround him with a healthy rehabilitative support framework and return him quickly to combat."

ContemplationRandy/Yisroel Settenbrino

Mental dust. Not a great lie, not heresy, but nonsense unworthy of attention. One speck is harmless. Left alone, it accumulates, clouds vision, clogs judgment, and chokes action.

A shtut enters through a weakened barrier. A thought that should have been dismissed is entertained, takes up residence, and begins to color the mind. Unchecked, it reorients behavior and can overturn identity itself.

What begins in the individual does not stay there. It spreads outward. Since the Roman wars, the world has oscillated between pressure and force to make Jews disappear, dilute, or conform. These efforts never produced harmony. They produced spiritual vacuums, followed by violence and catastrophe.

When Israel is true to itself, the world benefits. Order sharpens, conscience awakens, and meaning has an address. When Israel is forced to rebuild, the shock radiates outward, systems unravel, and false certainties collapse. Rome, England, Spain, France, Nazi Europe, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and now the modern West in cultural disintegration each reveal their deepest fractures first through the Jew.

People of faith endure such distortions. Jewish history teaches that the louder the denial, the closer the truth presses forward. Zion is not a slogan. It is lived memory, paid for in blood, prayer, and return. Zion lives in the heart and mind of every believing Jew.

It has been misread by many as secular, yet how can a homing device implanted in the soul of a people be anything other than a phenomenon of biblical proportions?

Every return was obstructed by the nations.

The Romans sowed the soil with salt. The Byzantines pursued an unofficial policy of destruction, pushing Jews west through Iberia. Under Ottoman neglect, malaria and disease festered. Our path was blocked by expulsions and massacres, and England locked the gates even as we were driven toward destruction and told to return to a land we were barred from entering.

Pioneers arose with all but one all-consuming commandment: to settle the land. Jews rose again in new numbers from the Czar’s killing fields. They drained the swamps, fought the contagion, and tilled the rocky soil.

And G-d was appeased. The land responded. The ultimate commandment to save life was fulfilled.

“Even the sinners of Israel are full of good deeds like a pomegranate is full of seeds"- Talmud, Berakhot 57a

Zion lies beyond the geography of Jerusalem. It is the collective destiny of a people, gathering covenant, memory, land, and purpose into a single name. That is why the reaction to it is so visceral. That is why “Zionist" is hurled as a byword for Jew.

Zion has become a byword, not an empty one, but another name for Jewish existence itself, spoken with contempt whenever Jews defend themselves, refuse vulnerability, or insist on sovereignty. It cannot be erased because it names the irreducible totality of a people.

A World Unmasked

What we are witnessing now is exposure. The world is unmasked.

In Europe, no mask is needed. The reaction to Zion carries the same reflex once attached to the word Jew. Zion is unmasked as the new Jew, spoken with derision whenever Jewish identity appears embodied, defended, and sovereign.

Those who believe they can escape by rejecting identity will discover that hatred does not honor such distinctions. In the end, the choice is made for all of us.

The Cure: Mussar

There is a cure for runaway shtut. It is mussar, ethical intellect, disciplined illumination.

It is a moment of clarity in which thought tightens instead of drifting. You see what is true, recognize your flaws, and take responsibility. It humbles, sharpens, and binds the mind to reality.

Moses experienced it when he could not remain passive in the face of injustice. Herzl experienced it at the Dreyfus Affair, when assimilation collapsed under the weight of reality. What begins as awakening in the individual becomes destiny in the collective.

IQ and Covenant

IQ without covenant becomes chaos.

Left untethered, intelligence serves impulse or grievance. Disciplined, it becomes revelation. At Sinai, action preceded understanding: “we will do and we will listen."

The Jewish anomaly is not intelligence alone, but intelligence under covenant. That is why it persists under conditions that should have extinguished it. That is why it produces law, science, and ideas that shape the world even in the face of endemic hate.

“And I will bless those who bless you… and through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." - Genesis 12:3

What the world calls alien intelligence is, in truth, displaced revelation. Its proper home is Zion. Without that anchor, brilliance scatters. When that displacement and persecution persist, their energy does not remain contained. The karmic weight returns to those who afflict them. Their nations work themselves into a frenzy, destabilize, distort judgment, and the result is upheaval and chaos.

The world is trembling with the same force that followed the pogroms that sent us bck to our homeland. Europe now totters under a rising wave of Jew-hatred, even as it struggles to defend its own order, even as the enemy ravages its daughters and its nations, and its cognitive dissonance prevails. Europeans refuse to confront what is happening within their own societies and remain fixated on Israel.

They may again cast us into the pit, as Joseph was cast. Yet it is through that descent that redemption is set in motion. As Joseph was chosen, so are his people chosen, each one bound to G-d’s will.

“You intended to harm me, but G-d intended it for good, to bring about this present result-to preserve many lives."- Genesis 50:20

Zion is that will, the hinge between heaven and earth, the point where covenant meets history, where nations converge, and where meaning is restored.

“For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."- Isaiah 2:3.

Randy Yisroel Settenbrino is a writer, artist, and public intellectual whose work bridges theology, philosophy, and psychology. He is a passionate advocate for Israel and Jewish-Christian solidarity, and the founder of the Historic Blue Moon Hotel, recognized by National Geographic as one of the 150 most unique projects in the Western Hemisphere. Founder of Ohr Chodosh L’Zion, a cultural and spiritual initiative dedicated to restoring Jewish identity, courage, and moral clarity through the fusion of art, history, and living faith. His newest release on Amazon Between the Altar and the Sanctuary: The Life, Faith, and Fire of Rabbi Meir Kahane

The scene of the explosionTzevet Hatzalah

A woman in her 80s was killed on Thursday afternoon in an explosion in a residential building on Hamalach Street in the Old City of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter. A man in his 50s was severely injured and evacuated to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, suffering from severe burns.

An initial inquiry by the Fire and Rescue Services found that the source of the explosion was apparently a gas leak from the kitchen in one of the apartments. The gas reached the explosive limit and caused an explosion that damaged the building.

Magen David Adom (MDA) teams were dispatched and reached the scene using a dedicated ATV, which allowed them to navigate the narrow alleys of the Old City. Upon arrival, the EMTs and paramedics began tending to the victims.

MDA Senior EMT Eliyahu Pachter, and MDA EMTs Eliyahu Nuri and Yair David recounted: "Using a dedicated MDA ATV, we managed to reach the scene through the alleys and we saw to victims, apparently from a gas explosion. The woman lay on the floor unconscious, without a pulse, and not breathing. We provided advanced medical care, including CPR, but unfortunately, we had to pronounce her dead at the scene."

At the same time, the MDA crews tended to a man who was injured in the explosion. He was taken to the hospital, conscious with severe burns.

Firefighters from the Egoz Station searched the building and the area to ensure no one else was trapped. The Fire and Rescue Service updated that no one was found and that firefighters disconnected all sources of electricity and energy to the building.

It was also reported that monitoring tests conducted at the scene did not find any abnormal readings. The incident was declared under control, and its circumstances will be examined by a fire investigator from the Israel Fire and Rescue Service.

Govt approves NIS 4 billion for northHaim Zach (GPO)

The Government, today (Thursday, 11 June 2026), in Nof Hagalil, unanimously approved a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for a regional development plan for the Northern District for the years 2026-2030, totaling approximately NIS 4 billion.

The decision that was approved today serves as a direct continuation and complementary step to the Government decision approved last week for front-line communities, which totaled approximately NIS 18 billion. Total government allocations for the northern region over the past week amount to approximately NIS 22 billion.

The purpose of this decision is to provide residents of Galilee cities, towns, and villages with a comprehensive framework of solutions to attract new residents. These solutions will focus on the fields of education, health, personal security and resilience centers. The goal is to strengthen these localities and transform them into influential points with a broad, positive impact on all communities in the North and the surrounding areas. The cities targeted by this decision are Safed, Acre, Nof Hagalil, Nazareth, Afula, Tiberias and Karmiel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said: "Through a collaborative effort, we are delivering a huge package to our core cities: Nof Hagalil, Acre, Karmiel, Safed, Afula, Nazareth and Tiberias. We are giving them a huge boost and a powerful reinforcement that will drive momentum and development. This is our vision. Everyone understands that this is a sacred national mission of the highest order.

"I love the Galilee. It is an integral part of our homeland that we must protect and develop. What we did in the South, we will do in the North; we will restore security to the North, and it will prosper more than ever before."

Finance Minister Smotrich said: "We are not just rehabilitating the North; we are building a new and promising future for it. This massive investment of approximately NIS 21 billion that we are leading together is designed to turn the Galilee into a national growth engine, featuring high-quality employment, advanced services, and infrastructure that will attract new families to settle, grow, and flourish here.

"We are bringing real, transformative news to the residents of the North; this is not merely about repairing war damage, but a profound paradigm shift toward the Judaization of the Galilee and turning it into an attractive magnet for all citizens of the State of Israel."

The Main Components of the Decision

* Housing: Provision of financial incentives for new families relocating to the North, upgrading the urban space and accelerated construction of modern neighborhoods, promoting urban renewal and upgrading city centers to turn them into vibrant hubs of life.

* Employment: Developing attractive positions in high-tech, semiconductors, robotics, defense industries, and agro-foodtech; launching academic scholarships and professional training programs for the future generation; providing development grants, business mentorship, and programs to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to upgrade business operations.

* Tourism and Culture: Strengthening the Galilee as a leading tourism, culinary, and wine destination; revitalizing the region through festivals, cultural events, and the renovation of public buildings and institutions; hosting regional sports tournaments and establishing modern markets to sell fresh, local agricultural produce.

* Health: Attracting outstanding doctors and specialists to the region; upgrading medical responses with advanced healthcare services, accessible mental health services, specialized "Developmental Space" centers and ensuring medical resilience and early intervention.

* Education, Science, and Technology: Introducing scientific and technological education directly into schools, establishing advanced research laboratories and innovation centers, recruiting top-tier teachers and mentors from across the country, and strengthening IDF preparation programs and pre-army community service tracks.

* Transportation: Upgrading infrastructure to shorten travel times and improve the overall quality of life and accessibility throughout the region, designing and upgrading main traffic arteries into two-lane roads, developing an advanced, integrated transportation hub and implementing faster and more efficient models for regional public transit.

* Enhancing personal security and community resilience, strengthening local enforcement networks in the core cities, massively expanding technological systems on the streets, increasing municipal police patrols and subsidizing the salaries of enforcement inspectors, and establishing and reinforcing neighborhood emergency teams in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs.

Netnayahu meets Bnei Menashe membersHaim Zach (GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer and Nof Hagalil Mayor Ronen Plot, today (Thursday) attended an event, honoring the new immigrants from the Bnei Menashe community, who recently immigrated to Israel.

Since the beginning of the year, approximately 600 new immigrants from the Bnei Menashe community in Northeast India have moved to Israel, with an additional 600 expected to arrive by the end of 2026. Their immigration is being carried out as part of a government decision, which was approved following a proposal by the Aliyah and Integration Minister, to bring the entire Bnei Menashe community, numbering about 6,000 people from Northeast India, to Israel within approximately five years.

This week, the ‘Tavor’ absorption center was inaugurated in Nof Hagalil. The center will serve the new immigrants and assist them with the integration process, Hebrew language studies, and acclimating into the community and city life. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, Jewish Agency Chairman Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog, and Nof Hagalil Mayor Plot.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "After years of strengthening the bond between Israel and India, thanks to the warm relationship with my friend Narendra Modi, I am thrilled to see the Bnei Menashe returning home. We are going to bring the entire community to Israel over the next four years. You are an inseparable part of the Jewish People, and Israel is your home. I wish you a successful absorption and great success in the Galilee and in Nof Hagalil. Welcome back home to the State of Israel."

Aliyah and Integration Minister Sofer said: "It is deeply moving to meet the new immigrants who recently arrived in Israel and fulfilled a long-standing dream. I want to thank the Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for their support in advancing this historic decision to bring the entire Bnei Menashe community to Israel. This week, in cooperation with the Jewish Agency and the Nof Hagalil Municipality, we inaugurated the 'Tavor' absorption center. The goal is to provide the immigrants with a supportive framework that will help them learn Hebrew and Judaism, integrate into the education system and the job market, and build their homes and futures here in the State of Israel."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: "This moving event here is clear evidence of the fulfillment of the prophetic vision of the Return to Zion in our generation. I am thrilled to celebrate together with our dear brothers from the Bnei Menashe community. You are an inseparable and essential part of the fabric of Jewish life throughout the ages, and of Israeli society here today. As promised, the government is leading a large-scale national operation to bring thousands of community members to Israel in the coming years, while investing the necessary resources for an optimal and dignified integration. We will continue to stand by your side, remove barriers, and ensure that every immigrant feels at home, takes root, and integrates into the action and building of the land. Welcome back home."

Nof Hagalil Mayor Ronen Plot said: "This is a historic moment for Nof Hagalil, which is celebrating 70 years since its founding, its growth, and the realization of the vision of absorbing immigration from all corners of the earth."

President Donald TrumpOfficial White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins

US President Donald Trump says the United States will seize Kharg Island, a major oil export hub, from the Iranian regime.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, the President said the military will carry out strikes on regime targets as it has done the past two nights. "The United States will be hitting Iran (whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, anti-aircraft, and all other forms of defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are gone!), very hard tonight."

He added that "at some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America."

Shortly after publishing the post, Trump spoke with Fox and Friends and explained: "They (Iran) have no defense, they can't do anything about it. The only thing they have is fake news. The New York Times writes stories saying that they're doing great, they're not; they've been wiped out."

He insisted that the regime is "dying to make a deal, they want to make a deal so badly." According to Trump, the Iranians "really are in submission, they just don't know it yet.

The President added, "My preference has always been to take Kharg Island. I don't know if America has the stomach for it; they'd make a fortune, but I don't know if they have the stomach for it. I think they'd like to see us come home."

The US military conducted strikes on Iranian targets for a second night in a row early Thursday morning. CENTCOM said its forces launched strikes on Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran.

US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters.

The US Military said the strikes were in response to Iran's "unwarranted and continued aggression."

A night earlier (early Wednesday morning), the US struck regime targets after Iran downed a US Apache helicopter over the Gulf of Oman.

Throughout the week, the President has been signaling a loss of patience with Iran as they drag out negotiations. On Wednesday, the President wrote: "Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"

Eyal ZamirIDF spokesperson

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed for the first time the letter from the heads of Hesder yeshivas opposing the integration of female soldiers into the Armored Corps, emphasizing that the integration of women into tank units will not come at the expense of Hesder yeshiva students who serve.

“The IDF is the people’s army. For this reason, I see the utmost importance in integrating all segments of the population into its ranks, especially in combat and combat-support roles."

“This complex integration will always be carried out in a way that enables one community to serve alongside another, and not at its expense. I say this clearly: I fully understand - and the IDF fully understands - the sensitivities and the balances required, and I have no doubt that we will know how to overcome this challenge as well, because we have no other alternative. We are all together for the highest goal of all - ensuring the security and strengthening the future of the State of Israel."

The chief of staff made the remarks at the conference of the IDF Employees Organization. During his speech, he addressed the workers and said: “My dear IDF employees, men and women, you give meaning every day, every hour, to the words of Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh: ‘The land is very, very good.’ They demonstrated faith and action. Through your daily work at the heart of the challenging reality of the State of Israel, you build the tools that enable us to exist here as a people. Tonight, I want to thank you, on my behalf and on behalf of the entire IDF, for your many years of hard work and for walking together for the sake of Israel’s security."

Earlier, 11 additional heads of Hesder yeshivas joined the letter calling on students not to enlist in the Armored Corps following the advancement of the integration of female combat soldiers.

Among the rabbis who signed the letter are Rabbi Michael Aharonov of the Ma’ale Efraim Yeshiva, Rabbi Elisha Yinon of Afula, Rabbi Shlomo Sasson of Beit She’an, and Rabbi David Amitai of Yeshivat Avinoam.

The list of additional signatories also includes Rabbi Eyal Yaakovovitz of Safed, Rabbi Yehoshua Schmidt of Nachalat Yosef, Rabbi Shlomo Binyamin of Yeshivat Lev Ladaat, Rabbi Eliyahu Mali of Jaffa, Rabbi David Turgeman of Dimona, and Rabbis Eran Tamir and Avihu Fishfader of Ashkelon.

Traffic, illustrationYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has announced plans to increase the speed limit on certain roads in Israel from 90 km/h to 110 km/h.

The proposal has sparked debate over whether the move will improve traffic flow or lead to more dangerous accidents. To address the issue, jurist and traffic law expert Attorney Aryeh Oranj spoke about the implications of the decision.

Oranj welcomed the minister’s plan, saying that raising speed limits on appropriate roads is justified due to advances in vehicle safety technology and improvements made to Israel’s road infrastructure. He pointed to the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway as a prime example, noting that its major renovations in recent years created a safer road with better visibility and conditions for higher-speed travel.

According to Oranj, court cases involving speeding offenses show that the issue has become a significant source of state revenue rather than a genuine public safety measure.

He explained that prosecutors often argue drivers endangered the public by exceeding the speed limit, but said the circumstances of many cases do not support that claim. As an example, he cited enforcement on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, where police frequently place laser speed cameras near the Beit Shemesh interchange, issuing large fines and suspending licenses for drivers who exceed the limit - even though the road section is not near residential areas and does not pose a direct danger to others.

Oranj said these conclusions are supported by studies conducted by the Transportation Ministry.

Asked whether higher speeds could still endanger drivers on highways even outside residential areas, Oranj argued that modern vehicles and improved roads have changed the reality. He claimed that excessively low speed limits can cause drivers to become distracted by factors unrelated to driving, while higher speeds encourage greater concentration behind the wheel.

He also said that unnecessarily low speed limits contribute to traffic congestion, which increases frustration and impatience among drivers. According to Oranj, Transportation Ministry studies presented to the Knesset support this position and show that the proposal is not merely a political gesture.

At the same time, Oranj stressed that stricter punishment is appropriate in cases involving dangerous behavior such as driving while using a phone or failing to maintain proper control of the vehicle.

“On proper roads and with proper vehicles, there is no reason not to raise the speed limit," he said.

He also pointed to Begin Road in Jerusalem as another example, arguing that a road with three lanes in each direction should not be treated like a typical urban street. In his view, the speed limit there should be raised to 100 km/h and possibly even 110 km/h.

Oranj added that excessive enforcement on roads designed for higher speeds has become little more than a revenue mechanism for the state.

Regarding comparisons with speed limits in other countries, Oranj said such comparisons are complicated because every road has different characteristics. Instead, he argued, each road should be evaluated individually, and where conditions allow, such as on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, speed limits should be increased.

Teacher with students (illustrative)iStock

The Teachers’ Union has demanded the Education Ministry cut the number of mainstreamed special education children, threatening that if the integration rates do not drop, there will be a system-wide strike, Shavvim reported.

Teachers' Union Secretary General Yaffa Ben David sent a letter to the Education Ministry Director General, claiming that the Ministry promised to uphold a law limiting the number of special needs students with IEPs integrated into regular classes to two students per classroom.

The letter, published on the Shavvim website, warned that if the demand is not met, the organization will take organizational action up to shutting down the education system. According to the Ministry of Education, the current number of integrated students stands at 234,000. The Teachers’ Union claimed that sometimes seven or more special education students are placed in a regular classroom, noting that remedial classes have a limit of seven students.

Under Israeli law, once a child is approved for special education services, the parents can choose to mainstream the child with integrated supports, place the child in a special class in a regular school, or send the child to a special education school.

In Ben David's letter, she claimed that an absurd situation has been created: In a regular classroom with about thirty general education students, special education students are also integrated, forcing teachers who may not be trained in special education to manage both a regular class and a special education class simultaneously.

"It is utterly unreasonable, creating an unbearable burden on the educational staff and effectively preventing learning both for students with individual learning plans and the other students," she claimed.

Concluding her letter, Ben David warned that if the Ministry does not take steps to reduce the number of special needs students per regular classroom, the Teachers' Union will "take legal and organizational action, including declaring a labor dispute, with everything that entails."

Security forces in JeninNasser Ishtayeh/Flash90

An officer from the Combat Engineering Corps was severely wounded, and an NCO was lightly wounded on Thursday as a result of an explosive device detonation during counterterrorism activity in Jenin.

The wounded troops were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital. Their families have been notified.

A preliminary investigation into the incident found that the troops were conducting a patrol in preparation for the establishment of a permanent IDF forward position inside the Jenin "Refugee" Camp.

During the patrol, the soldiers identified a suspicious object, and seconds later, the explosion occurred. It has not yet been determined what activated the device, and the forces who remained at the scene are investigating the matter.

One of the claims being investigated is that a soldier touched the device, leading to its detonation.

Concurrently with the investigation, IDF forces are operating to rule out additional explosive devices in the area of the explosion.

The officer who was severely wounded was previously severely wounded in battle in the Gaza Strip in January 2024, when an anti-tank missile struck the D9 bulldozer that he was commanding.

Following the previous injury, the officer underwent a rehabilitation process, after which he fought to return to combat service. Upon completing his rehabilitation, he returned to a combat field position as an engineering officer.

Earlier this month, during a special operation directed by the ISA, soldiers apprehended two terrorists who had recently been involved in advancing terrorist activity against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians from the areas of Jenin and Al-Yamun.

Following an intelligence effort, it was revealed that one of the terrorists apprehended by the soldiers was an operative in the Jenin terrorist network that was dismantled during Operation Iron Wall and was involved in raising funds to support terrorist activity.

The terrorists were transferred to the security forces for further processing.

Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and Bezalel Smotrich (L) at the meetingHaim Zach/GPO

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday at a special government meeting in Nof Hagalil, presenting a new package for the development of northern Israel.

"We are in a continuous struggle for the Galilee, and first of all, security," he began. "We are hitting Hezbollah very hard, eliminating hundreds of terrorists every week. And we have other challenges - a particular challenge is the drones. We are working on it. We will restore security to the North, and we will create security in the North just as we did in the South."

"They didn't believe us when we said the South would return and prosper," he noted. "Everyone said 'These are empty boasts,' 'a bounced check'. Today, they see it."

"The demand in the South for apartments and housing is enormous. It is much higher than it was before the terrible day of October 7th. What we did in the South, we will do in the North. These are not exactly the same challenges, they are slightly different challenges, but the result will be identical. Therefore, first of all, security."

Netanyahu continued, "The second thing is assistance for infrastructure and prosperity. And we did this first of all in the 'zero to nine' [area] - meaning communities up to nine kilometers from the border, where we rightfully and justly allocated close to NIS 20 billion. We also gave NIS 1 billion to the Golan Heights. And today we come in a joint effort to bring a huge package to the core cities: Nof Hagalil, Acre, Karmiel, Safed, Afula, Nazareth, and Tiberias, to give them a massive boost, a significant supplement that will give them momentum and development because this is our vision. Because everyone understands that this is a sacred national mission, a mission of the highest priority."

"We will promote massive urban renewal in business, transportation, infrastructure, health, and education, based on your advice. We want to give you, exactly as the Finance Minister said, we want to give you the tools because you are the commanders in the field. You will know how to utilize these resources to their maximum potential.

"I love the Galilee. It is an integral part of our homeland. It is a part that we must protect and a part that we must develop. And I want to tell you that I find that same feeling, that partnership, around this table. So I say thank you to you for the initiative, for the determination, there is no one like you. Continue to work on this and we will do it together. I asked for one thing - I want to be the first passenger on the cable car from Nof Hagalil to Mount Tabor."

Yitzhak GoldknopfChaim Goldberg/Flash90

MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, who chairs the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, on Thursday turned to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the prevention of what he called the "exclusion of the haredi residents of Judea and Samaria."

In his statement, he called for a revision of item B on the agenda - a proposal for the establishment of "temporary sites in the rural settlements of Judea and Samaria," which, according to him, makes no mention of the Haredi population in the area.

Goldknopf noted that out of roughly half a million residents in Judea and Samaria, about 200,000 are haredi, representing almost half of the population. He also noted that Modi’in Illit and Beitar Illit are the largest urban centers in the region.

"How is it possible that precisely the haredi population centers in Judea and Samaria never receive the budgets, development, and benefits that go to the other settlements?" he wrote.

He added, "There is a very strong feeling among the public that this exclusion is not accidental, and its purpose is to deny support and benefits to a particular community."

Goldknopf emphasized that the haredi community is fully engaged in the development of settlements despite high density and severe housing shortages, and that it is "entitled to every benefit and assistance by law, not as a favor."

In his appeal, he requested that Netanyahu review the item before its approval tomorrow, and ensure that every program, benefit, or establishment of centers in the area includes the haredi authorities and residents in an equitable manner.

IDF tank, illustrationIDF

Thirteen heads of Hesder yeshivas announced on Thursday afternoon that they will stop sending recruits to the Armored Corps beginning with the next draft cycle, following a similar announcement by twelve other yeshiva heads.

The number of Hesder yeshivas that have declared they will no longer send their students to the Armored Corps has now reached 25. Due to the fixed allocation of Hesder yeshiva recruits in each draft cycle, the decision could result in hundreds of soldiers not joining the Armored Corps. Approximately one-third of all Hesder yeshivas are now party to the agreement.

The rabbis said the move follows the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the integration of women into combat roles, which they argued would lead to mixed-gender combat units.

"We grieve the weak response of the State of Israel and the IDF, which did not express opposition to this move," the yeshiva heads wrote. "We, as heads of yeshivas, recognize the heavy responsibility placed upon us. The IDF is the army of the people of Israel, and the sanctity of the camp is the foundation of the spirit of the IDF and of success in defeating the enemy."

They added: "The entry of women into tanks alongside male soldiers causes spiritual and practical harm to combat capability."

The rabbis announced that after "careful and decisive consideration," they had concluded that serving in the Armored Corps is prohibited according to Jewish law, and therefore they would not send their students to serve in the corps starting with the next draft.

"Thousands of our students who enlist in combat units will continue to do so with dedication and strength," they said. "However, the IDF bears the responsibility of providing combat frameworks suitable for those with combat profiles who are not suited for service in the Armored Corps."

American attack on Iran, illustrationCENTCOM

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement and carrying out what it called “aggression" against Iran, warning that Washington would bear responsibility for any consequences of the escalation.

In a statement, the ministry condemned alleged American strikes carried out Tuesday night, claiming they violated the UN Charter, international law, and the ceasefire that took effect on April 8, 2026.

Tehran also accused the US military of using the territory and facilities of regional countries to prepare and launch operations against Iran, warning those states that allowing their territory to be used would place them alongside the “parties involved in aggression."

The Iranian government said it reserves the right to take measures to protect its national security and exercise what it described as its “legitimate right to self-defense" against US actions.

The statement called on UN member states and the Security Council to condemn the alleged violations, accusing both the United States and Israel of undermining regional stability. Iran further urged the UN Secretary-General to respond more forcefully, saying that vague statements would encourage additional violations of international law.

Yonatan UrichArutz Sheva

The Prosecutor's Office on Thursday filed an indictment against Yonatan Urich, an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Bild affair.

Simultaneously, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara requested that Urich be removed from the Prime Minister’s Office until the conclusion of the proceedings against him.

According to the indictment, Urich is accused of transmitting classified information with intent to harm state security, transmitting classified information, possessing classified information, and destroying evidence. The case has sparked broad public and political criticism, especially with the elections approaching.

Baharav-Miara petitioned the court to prevent Urich from contacting Prime Minister Netanyahu and to bar him from leading the Likud election campaign.

Netanyahu has also been added to the list of prosecution witnesses.

Last month, Baharav-Miara ordered that a serious indictment be filed against Urich in the "Bild" affair, and added as a defendant alongside Eli Feldstein and Ari Rosenfeld. In addition, a principled decision was made to indict Israel Einhorn as well; Einhorn is refusing to return to Israel.

Urich responded to the decision in a post on his X account, writing: "Interesting that the outgoing Attorney General spared me execution."

Urich’s attorneys, Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein, responded: "The prosecution’s decision to file an indictment against Yonatan Urich in the Bild case is mistaken and detached from the evidence, which contradicts the prosecution’s theory and demolishes the claims against Urich from the ground up."

"Honorable Judge, President Menachem Mizrahi, who is familiar with all the investigative materials in the case, determined that there is not a shred of evidence that Urich was involved in the leak. Instead of closing a baseless case, as would have been proper, the Prosecutor's Office is clinging by force to a hollow and unnecessary case. As in the ‘witness harassment’ case - in which it turned out that the witness was not harassed - this case too will be closed. Yonatan Urich acted lawfully, and his only sin is his work on behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," Urich’s attorneys concluded.

Jerusalem Faction demonstration in JerusalemPolice spokesperson

The Jerusalem Faction (Hapeleg Hayerushalmi) announced Thursday that starting at 5:00 p.m., a series of protests and road blockages will take place in central Israel.

The protests follow the arrest of yeshiva students and their transfer to military prison. The exact locations of the expected blockages were not released to the public.

In a statement from the "Committee to Save the Torah World," it was noted that the protest is against the "hunt against Torah students" and the continued detention of the yeshiva students.

"The authorities’ dictatorial attempt to break the spirit of the demonstrators will not deter us from fighting against the persecution of Torah learners in the Land of Israel," the statement read.

Seventeen draft evaders were arrested after being detained during a demonstration near the home of the Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Justice Noam Sohlberg, and transferred to the military police and military prison.

After the arrests, the Jerusalem Faction issued a sharp statement, claiming the police "crossed another red line" and called on supporters to engage in a "determined and uncompromising struggle."

On Wednesday, faction members rioted for several hours at multiple locations and clashed with police. Police expect additional road blockages today in other areas, prompting heightened preparedness to handle and disperse demonstrators quickly.

Rabbi Eliyahu Blumצילום: עצמי

Rabbi Eliyahu Blum, who serves as rabbi of the Neve Sha'anan community in Haifa, and head of a Jewish court for monetary law, spoke about a popular haircut among teenage boys and young men, and how it potentially violates Jewish law.

The haircut in question features very little or no hair on the lower part of the head, while on the tip of the head, the hair is left relatively long.

Rabbi Blum, who formerly served as head of the hesder yeshiva in Nahariya, explored the matter in depth, and concluded that any haircut which harms the hair in the area of the "peyot," or sidelocks, may cause the individual to violate the ban on removing hair across the head.

In his opinion, those requesting such haircuts must "be very careful about this."

"When the haircut expresses a clear imitation of a foreign culture, or a manner of arrogance and breach of modesty, there is place to say that it is forbidden due to [the Torah commandment of], 'And in their ways, you shall not walk,'" he wrote.

At the same time, he noted that a "gradient" haircut in itself is not necessarily identical to the styles explicitly banned by the Sages.

"Certainly, it is appropriate for every Torah Jew to consider whether his external appearance expresses respect, modesty, and fear of G-d, as appropriate for those who represent G-d's Name. Therefore, I am not surprised that there are educational institutions which do not allow such a haircut due to the spirit which it brings with it," Rabbi Blum added.

In addition, Rabbi Blum warned that excess hair in the front may cause the tefillin (phylacteries) to sit incorrectly on the head.

עימות בין צבי סוכות למנהל בית הספר החבר בעמותה של חמאסערוץ 7

Knesset Education Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Succot toured the Nur Al-Huda school in Shuafat on Thursday morning, where he confronted the school’s director, Hamza Qaisi, over allegations of ties to organizations linked to Hamas.

During the visit, Succot questioned Qaisi regarding his alleged connections to the Zakat Al-Quds Association, which has been recognized by Israeli courts as an organization affiliated with Hamas and is currently undergoing dissolution proceedings.

Qaisi did not respond to the questions raised by Succot or to documentation presented during the confrontation, which allegedly showed him raising funds for a Hamas-linked organization. At one point, the principal returned to the school building and closed the door behind him.

"As long as you are affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization and other terrorist organizations, we will close your school," Succot told Qaisi. "If you bring money from Hamas to a school in Jerusalem, you will not receive a single shekel from the state."

The visit followed a report by Jewish Voice, which presented documents and data allegedly showing that the school is connected to the “Amsach D’maat Alithim" association, which is operated by figures linked to the Zakat Al-Quds Association.

According to the report, the Zakat Al-Quds Association was identified by Israeli courts as being affiliated with Hamas and is in the process of being liquidated.

The findings also claimed that Qaisi holds positions in associations connected to these groups and appeared in publications thanking organizations designated in Israel as prohibited entities due to Hamas ties for financial support provided to the school’s activities.

At the conclusion of the tour, Succot said he would contact officials in the Education and Defense Ministries, calling on them to examine the institution’s connections and ensure that state funds are not provided to organizations linked to supporters of terrorism.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, MK Sharren Haskel said: "Hamza Qaisi is a director of a Hamas charity and brought millions of shekels to his school from Hamas charities. Schools in the State of Israel that receive money from the state cannot be connected to Hamas. This must stop. This man cannot run a school in the State of Israel and lie to the Education Committee."

US Strike on a tankerCENTCOM

India announced on Thursday morning that three of its citizens were killed in a US strike on Tuesday night on an oil tanker that attempted to transport oil from Iran in violation of the ongoing blockade.

"It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified," India's Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, stated.

The Minister added that "this is a profound loss to our maritime family. The Modi Govt stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin. I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that a US aircraft fired precision munitions into the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello's engine room as it transited the Gulf of Oman. The military says the action was taken after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces.

There were 24 Indian nationals on board, of which 21 were rescued.

CENTCOM says its forces have disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13.

Earlier in the week, the US struck the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex tanker as it attempted to reach an Iranian port. An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from US forces.

This vessel was also crewed by Indian citizens, all 24 of whom were rescued by Oman.

Benjamin NetanyahuYonatan Sindel/Fla

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is advancing a new framework for the Likud list for the Knesset, aiming to change how the order is determined and reduce the party's dependence on primaries, according to journalist Amit Segal.

Under Netanyahu's proposal, an organizing committee that would include mayors and public figures would set the list order up to the 32nd spot, while the Likud chairman himself would be given the option to place seven candidates in reserved slots on his behalf.

It was also reported that the move comes against the backdrop of the resignation of seven party members during the current Knesset, alongside claims of irregularities in the membership register raised in the State Comptroller's report. Netanyahu argues that holding primaries costs about NIS 12 million and could encourage radicalization in candidate selection.

For the framework to take effect, it requires approval by a simple majority in the Likud's Constitution Committee, as well as approval by the party secretariat and the Likud convention.

בצלאל סמוטריץ'צילום: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Religious Zionist Party chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is reportedly concerned about the possibility that three members of his faction could break away, a concern that is influencing his public stance on the conscription bill and the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study.

Sources in the party say that Smotrich and his circle are aware of the positions of Minister Ofir Sofer and MK Moshe Solomon, which diverge from the official party line on two issues.

Solomon already acted this week and voted against the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study, despite the party declaring that it would vote in favor in the preliminary reading. Following his insubordination, Smotrich removed MK Solomon from all Knesset committees in which he serves on behalf of the faction.

According to the sources, recent polls projecting the party to win four seats have heightened concerns that Sofer and Solomon could recruit a third MK and split from the faction. They may even be able to retain the party's name, the sources said.

They claim that "after submitting the lists to the Knesset, the Finance Minister is expected to change his tone regarding the issues of conscription and Torah study."

The Religious Zionist Party has not commented.

Gadi EisenkotFlash 90

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, said in an interview on the political podcast 120 and One that he sees himself as the senior figure in the opposition bloc.

Asked who will be the next prime minister, the former chief of staff replied decisively, "I am working to make sure it will be me."

During the interview, Eisenkot delivered a pointed message to Naftali Bennett and criticized the model of government he had previously led.

"I worked to build a leading party with two parties alongside it - Lieberman and Golan. When that did not succeed we moved to plan B. I am working so that four parties will run, with the smaller ones not running or uniting to maximize the votes. It is highly desirable that whoever is the candidate for prime minister receives the broadest possible support in the bloc - certainly not someone who heads a party of six or eight seats. That is not democratic, not appropriate and not desirable," Eisenkot declared.

He said, "There was one experiment and it is preferable not to repeat it. The Israeli public has de-legitimized the previous episode and it is preferable that it not recur - certainly in light of the reality of recent years. It is appropriate that there be a party with a majority and there should be as broad a coalition as possible that will bring wide agreements. Only a government that wins broad legitimacy will do that."

Asked why the attempt to create a large center-left bloc did not succeed, he answered, "I don't think there was only ego here but a difference in worldviews."

הרב דב לנדוצילום: מוטי גרין

Rabbi Dov Lando, the leader of the Lithuanian (non-hassidic) haredi community in Israel, delivered the keynote address at the Keren Olam Hatorah fundraising event in Chicago, Illinois, and described the state of haredi yeshiva students in Israel as a "trouble" requiring international mobilization.

Rabbi Lando claimed that "yeshiva and kollel (study halls for married men) students are persecuted by the authorities and the courts in Israel for no wrongdoing on their part," and described a reality where thousands of haredim "can not live like regular human beings are supposed to live" due to the threat of arrest and extensive economic restrictions.

According to the rabbi, many of the married students are having trouble paying to educate their children, and they even "don't have bread for their children's mouths."

The rabbi stressed the importance of Keren Olam Hatorah as a central line of defense: "If it hadn't been founded by generous people here in the United States, G-d forbid, yeshivas and kollels would be on the brink of closing."

He called for widespread donations, claiming that supporting Torah scholars "brings blessings" to the donors themselves.