President Trump announced that he wants to send a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections, unveiling what he called the “Trump Dividend” during the Republican convention in Dallas, the Associated Press reported.

Trump told the crowd that the payments would be made possible by what he described as America’s tremendous economic strength, comparing the idea to a corporation distributing profits to shareholders.

Vice President JD Vance later suggested that wealthy Americans might not receive the payments and floated tariff revenues as a possible source of funding. However, the total price of the proposal would likely exceed $1 trillion.

Any such payment would require congressional approval. The United States is already running a federal budget deficit approaching $1.8 trillion annually, while the national debt recently passed $40 trillion.

Trump has proposed direct payments before, but this is the first time he has explicitly linked such a large nationwide payout to Republicans retaining control of Congress.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A major lodging crisis is unfolding in Uman just hours before Rosh Hashanah, with askonim telling YWN that thousands of people who have arrived — or are still making their way to the city — have no confirmed place to sleep.

Organizers on the ground tell YWN they have never witnessed a shortage of accommodations on this scale. An apparently unprecedented influx of visitors has overwhelmed Uman’s already strained supply of hotel rooms, apartments and communal sleeping facilities.

Askonim say the situation has become increasingly urgent as buses continue pouring into the city and additional thousands make their way across Ukraine’s borders following lengthy journeys through Moldova, Poland and other neighboring countries.

Some arrivals reportedly believed they would be able to secure accommodations after reaching Uman, only to discover that virtually everything in the main areas surrounding the Tzion of Reb Nachman of Breslov is already occupied.

Askonim and organizers are now desperately working to locate additional apartments, rooms, mattresses and other emergency accommodations before Yom Tov.

Approximately 40,000 visitors are expected in Uman for this year’s Rosh Hashanah gathering, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and the extraordinary travel difficulties involved in reaching the city.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A serious security case has been under investigation in recent weeks by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police’s Yehuda and Shomron District, i24 News reported on Wednesday evening.

As part of the investigation, approximately 12 high-profile wanted suspects were arrested on suspicion of establishing terrorist cells and planning large-scale attacks at several locations across the country.

Security forces also seized various weapons and other combat equipment during the operation.

According to the report, authorities believe that the security forces’ operation against the terrorist cell prevented a large-scale massacre.

The investigation remains in its early stages, and most details are subject to a gag order. Additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israel Police on Thursday morning announced that the Jerusalem District has completed its investigation of Yan Shamla, who is suspected of inserting sedatives into baby fruit purées.

A prosecutor’s declaration will be filed against him later today ahead of an indictment.

Police also released footage of Shamla inside a supermarket, allegedly shortly before he placed the poisoned purées on the shelves.

The police issued a statement saying: “Investigators initially faced a complex case involving locations frequented by hundreds of people every day, with no immediate leads. The principal suspect had no known prior connection to either the affected babies or the products.

“As part of the investigation, conducted with assistance from the Shin Bet, investigators reviewed and analyzed hundreds of hours of security footage from multiple locations, pursued numerous investigative avenues, and employed advanced technological tools.

“These capabilities, combined with the investigators’ persistence, ultimately produced the breakthrough that led them to identify the suspect as Yan Shamla, 41, of Be’er Sheva. Once he was identified, detectives launched a covert investigation, tracking his activities, movements, and daily routine until they had gathered sufficient evidence to arrest him at his home and bring him in for questioning.”

Police added: “With the investigation completed and the evidentiary basis established, prosecutors will file a declaration against the suspect in court today and request that his detention be extended for an additional five days pending the filing of an indictment.”

After his arrest, police determined that Shamla had been “involved in the deliberate poisoning of babies.” He was arrested at his home on August 31. He was evaluated at a psychiatric hospital and found fit to remain under arrest.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

In an extraordinary turn of events at the massive Ateres Shlomo Torah network, thousands of avreichim who had gone three months without receiving their monthly stipends were paid in full Thursday — after an American donor agreed to cover the enormous shortfall on one unusual condition: Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin would accompany him to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

According to B’Chadrei Chareidim, thousands of avreichim learning in Ateres Shlomo kollelim across Eretz Yisroel had not received their stipends for three consecutive months amid serious financial difficulties facing the network.

The financial strain was attributed in part to the weak U.S. dollar, with the network struggling to close substantial budget gaps while continuing to support its enormous network of yeshivos and kollelim.

The remarkable breakthrough came when HaRav Sorotzkin visited the home of a wealthy donor in Miami.

The donor presented the Rosh Yeshiva with an unusual proposition: “If Rosh Yeshiva comes with me to Uman for Rosh Hashanah — I will cover all the debts that same day and transfer the full amount for the three months.”

HaRav Sorotzkin, carrying the responsibility for thousands of avreichim and their families, did not immediately accept the offer.

Late Wednesday night, he held an urgent telephone consultation with one of the Gedolei Yisroel, explaining the situation and the condition imposed by the donor.

After hearing the details and considering the tremendous financial pressure facing thousands of families just before the Yomim Tovim, the Gadol instructed HaRav Sorotzkin to accept the offer.

HaRav Sorotzkin then turned to the donor with a simple response: “Transfer the money — and I’m coming.”

The Rosh Yeshiva subsequently departed for Uman.

And the donor kept his word.

By Thursday, the bank accounts of thousands of Ateres Shlomo avreichim had been credited with the outstanding funds, with all three months of unpaid stipends deposited in full.

The dramatic development brought tremendous relief to thousands of families just days before Rosh Hashanah, ending a months-long financial crisis with a conclusion few could have imagined.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iran-backed Houthi rebels defeated Saudi-backed forces and seized the strategic Yemeni port city of Al-Mocha near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, media outlets reported Thursday.

The dramatic military achievement brings the Iranian proxy closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and its goal of targeting shipping through the critical waterway to the Red Sea, a major threat to the regional balance of power. The development is a major blow to government forces, which has long controlled the strategic city.

Witnesses told media outlets that the Houthi forces seized the city while screaming “Death to Israel, death to America.”

The offensive began in recent days, with the Houthis capturing several communities bordering the Red Sea before advancing on Al-Mocha.

Clash Report said Al-Mocha fell during a rapid Houthi offensive that overwhelmed the defensive lines of forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

According to reports from the ground, the Houthis captured Hays, Al-Khawkhah and Yakhtul within a single day before continuing southward. Control of some areas changed hands repeatedly: Saudi-backed forces initially recaptured Hays but were forced to retreat after the Houthis renewed their offensive.

Houthi-affiliated maps claim that approximately 2,600 square kilometers—roughly seven times the size of the Gaza Strip—fell under the group’s control within a short period. The figure has not been independently verified, and the maps apparently include areas where the Houthis do not have firmly established military control. Nevertheless, the rapid collapse of local forces and the Houthi advance into the Al-Mocha area indicate a significant shift on the battlefield.

The offensive began on September 3 along several routes in the Taiz Governorate. It was designed to isolate Al-Mocha from the city of Taiz and the hinterland controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, seize supply routes and open a path southward toward Dhubab and Bab el-Mandeb.

An estimated 100 to 150 fighters from both sides were killed during the initial stages of the fighting. International reports indicate that the overall casualty toll has been higher since the conflict intensified in late August.

Senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi later conducted a “victory tour” of the Al-Jarrahi area. He was filmed driving an armored vehicle previously supplied by the United Arab Emirates to local forces and subsequently captured by the Houthis. The footage appeared intended to highlight the collapse of the Gulf-backed forces and pressure remaining fighters to surrender.

Meanwhile, Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, announced an amnesty for members of the opposing forces who lay down their weapons. The offer was apparently intended to accelerate the disintegration of local forces and reduce resistance as the Houthis advance southward.

Al-Mocha is a historic port city on Yemen’s western coast, north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Its capture gives the Houthis another base near the strategic shipping route linking the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Their next major objective is Dhubab, which lies even closer to the strait. Control of both areas would not give the Houthis complete physical control of Bab el-Mandeb, whose western shore faces Djibouti and Eritrea, but it would significantly expand their ability to threaten shipping with missiles, drones, explosive boats and naval mines.

The development is particularly concerning amid the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. If Iran continues disrupting the Persian Gulf’s principal energy route while the Houthis strengthen their hold over the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two of the world’s most critical maritime trade arteries could simultaneously come under pressure from Tehran and its allies.

Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial passage for oil tankers and cargo ships traveling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Disruptions there could force shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening voyages, raising insurance and transportation costs, and potentially driving up global energy and consumer-goods prices.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A tunnel dug next to the security barrier, near the communities of Givat Ze’ev and Givon, was discovered in the Palestinian village of Al-Jib, the police announced on Thursday.

The tunnel was uncovered on August 28 and was in an advanced stage of excavation. Its entrance had been camouflaged inside an ancient cistern to conceal the digging.

Following the discovery, Jerusalem Border Police officers launched a targeted operational and intelligence effort in the area and arrested a suspect carrying excavation tools.

Israel Police

An archaeological examination of the tunnel and surrounding area confirmed how its entrance had been concealed.

Israel Police

On Wednesday night, Border Police officers, working with IDF forces, completed the sealing of the tunnel.

Police said security forces would continue working to detect and thwart infrastructure near the security barrier in order to protect residents of the area.

Israel Police

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Thursday warned that Iran may soon attack Israel due to the internal turmoil the regime is facing.

“Given the possibility that Iran could decide to act against Israel because of the economic stranglehold and intense pressure it is under, I again warn the Iranian leadership: Any attack against Israel, for any reason and from any location, will be met with a powerful response,” Katz said.

He warned Iran that Israel’s response will inflict “severe blows that Iran has never before experienced, including against its major energy facilities, which provide resources and capabilities for the Iranian war, terror network, and for attacks against Israeli citizens.”

Katz added that he and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to be on alert and prepared for action.

“Such a blow would set Iran back by decades and further destabilize the ayatollahs’ regime, which the Iranian people so deeply despise and yearn to see fall,” he said.

It was Katz’s second warning of a possible imminent Iranian attack, following a similar warning a week earlier.

Katz issued the remarks in a video statement ahead of Rosh Hashanah, together with a bracha to the Jewish kehilla in Iran.

“I want to send a birchas Shana Tova to the Jewish community in Iran and wish them a good and safe year. You are part of the glorious Jewish history and will always be in our hearts,” he said.

Addressing the Iranian people, Katz added: “Next year in Tehran, liberated from oppression and tyranny.”

Katz concluded with a blessing to the Jewish people in Israel and around the world: “Shanah Tova—and may our enemies, those who hate us and all who seek our harm, be removed.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Following the dramatic measures taken by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar against British missions in Israel, senior officials in London are now threatening to significantly intensify sanctions, senior British officials told Channel 12 News.

The officials said that London is considering expanding the sanctions package to include direct and extensive harm to the Israeli economy. Some of the measures being considered are sanctions against Israeli banks that finance construction or provide mortgages to Jewish communities in Yehuda and Shomron—for example, banks that provide mortgages for housing and construction beyond the Green Line, as well as possible measures against retail chains.

According to the senior officials, discussions about the expanded sanctions package are currently underway and are expected to come to fruition within six to nine months.

The escalating diplomatic confrontation began after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband decided to impose new sanctions over construction in the E1 area. Britain’s initial measures include a ban on purchasing products from settlements, restrictions on arms exports and sanctions against entities providing financing and construction services in the territories.

In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced severe countermeasures, including the closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the ouster of UK representatives from the international Gaza aid center in Kiryat Gat, the ouster of the British team that trains Palestinian Authority forces in Yehuda and Shomron, and entry bans against 12 British elected officials and citizens involved in anti-Israel activity.

UK officials slammed the countermeasures, but Sa’ar rejected the claims outright, saying the response was proportionate and necessary, emphasizing that the UK is implementing a unilateral and discriminatory policy that encourages antisemitism while completely disregarding the Palestinian Authority’s support for terrorism. He also noted that the Palestinian Authority itself would not be immune from repercussions over its involvement in the move.

Sa’ar rejected Miliband’s claims regarding construction in E1, emphasizing that the British measure runs contrary to historical facts, harms tens of thousands of Palestinian workers, and constitutes blatant and unacceptable interference in Israel’s election campaign for domestic political reasons.

At the center of the diplomatic controversy is Israel’s decision to advance construction in the disputed E1 area, which connects Ma’ale Adumim with Jerusalem. Western countries insist that construction there would sever the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state, thereby thwarting the implementation of the so-called “two-state solution.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump predicted Wednesday that the ongoing war with Iran will end “immediately after” the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, arguing that Tehran is deliberately trying to hold out long enough to influence American voters.

“I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer. They’re desperate to try and affect the election,” Trump told reporters before departing for the Republican National Convention in Dallas.

Trump argued that Iran hopes the elections will produce a U.S. government less willing to maintain pressure on Tehran, saying Iranian leaders want Americans to elect “a nice weak group of people” who would leave the regime alone and allow it to pursue a nuclear weapon.

The comments came as the war entered its seventh month and another sharp escalation sent oil prices soaring. Iran said Wednesday that it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. strikes that sank five Iranian oil tankers. Brent crude surged above $100 per barrel for the first time since July.

Trump also predicted that oil prices would fall following the elections as the fighting subsides.

“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said, while acknowledging that relief could take somewhat longer than Election Day itself.

Asked whether negotiations with Iran remain possible, Trump said diplomacy has not been completely ruled out.

“Yes, a negotiation could possible happen, but it’s not something we’re looking at,” Trump said.

Trump’s latest prediction is more specific than his remarks last week, when he said he did not expect the conflict to continue much longer but declined to provide a timetable. At the time, Trump also rejected suggestions that the approaching midterms were influencing his Iran strategy.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An overnight Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. warplanes, CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs wrote on X.

“Multiple American military aircraft suffered damage in strikes overnight on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan,” Jacobs wrote, citing anonymous sources.

“One A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, was struck and left with a missing wing. Roughly eight F-15s sustained light damage and were placed back into service.

“American forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles against the Iranian strikes.

“The overnight damage came after the US attacked five Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iran targeting a U.S. Navy warship. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed they launched attacks at eight tankers and two warships, including the base in Jordan.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Norway for the funeral of the Norwegian king narrowly avoided being struck by a drone while taking off from Moldova on Tuesday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed.

“His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova,” Støre told the Norwegian NRK public broadcaster. “That’s the reality he’s facing.”

Moldova was forced to close its airspace because of the drone incursion, government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici said Wednesday, forcing several incoming flights to circle overhead or land at airports outside the country.

The departures of three planes, including Zelenskyy’s, were delayed.

The drone crashed in a sunflower field on the outskirts of a village 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Chișinău International Airport, sparking four fires. No injuries were reported.

The airspace restrictions were lifted, and Zelenskyy’s plane took off later than scheduled.

The drone crossed into neighboring Romania, a NATO member, where it was tracked through several northeastern counties.

The ministry said two F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air and Space Forces were raised to track its trajectory before it reentered Moldovan airspace.

On Wednesday, Moldova’s police said explosives experts discovered fragments of the drone that featured a propulsion system and characteristics similar to a Geran-type drone, which Moscow has used extensively in its full-scale war in Ukraine.

“Investigations identified the point of impact, where an explosion occurred and a crater of considerable size was formed,” police said, adding that specialists are continuing investigations “to determine the type and mass of the explosive payload.”

Ukraine neighbors both Romania and Moldova, and since Russia’s full invasion in 2022, both countries have reported dozens of drone incidents.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem & AP)

The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board on Wednesday reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for the first time in 20 years, citing it for failure to cooperate in a long-running investigation into uranium traces detected by inspectors at undeclared sites.

Western officials suspect that the traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003. Iran says that it’s not pursuing nuclear weapons, and that its program is entirely peaceful.

Reporting Iran to the Security Council opens the country to possible sanctions and asset freezes, though such punitive measures are unlikely because Iran’s allies Russia and China hold veto power on the panel.

Twenty-three countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member board of governors voted for Wednesday’s resolution at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

China, Russia and Niger opposed it, while eight countries abstained and one didn’t vote as it was in arrears, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-door vote.

The resolution was put forward by the United States, Britain, France and Germany.

The diplomatic move has been under consideration since June 2025, when the IAEA board found Iran officially in noncompliance with its nonproliferation obligations because of Tehran’s lack of cooperation in the investigation.

Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. in Vienna, Reza Najafi, rejected the resolution, describing it as a “political tool” and saying that it ruined confidence in the IAEA’s “independence, impartiality and credibility.”

He suggested that compliance with any obligation to allow U.N. inspections of nuclear sites inside Iran was, in any case, impossible at the moment because of the country’s continuing war with the U.S. and Israel.

The U.S. this week destroyed five Iranian oil tankers and Tehran hit back at American targets in Jordan, the latest burst of back-and-forth strikes that have lurched the sides back toward open hostilities in a more than 6-month-old war.

The draft resolution, which was seen by The Associated Press, requested IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to report the agency’s concerns “to the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA Statute.”

The resolution also reiterated its call upon Iran “to urgently remedy its non-compliance” with previous agreements and to take steps deemed necessary by the IAEA to assure “the non-diversion of nuclear material.”

Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June 2025, Iran hasn’t given IAEA inspectors access to nuclear sites that were affected by the strikes. The IAEA also has been unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium since the June bombing.

Najafi said that airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel made safe access for inspectors to Iran’s nuclear sites “materially impossible.” He said that Iran has “neither stopped nor suspended its safeguards obligations,” adding that “performance is currently impossible under continuing military operations and persistent threats.”

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi echoed that sentiment in an post on X.

“They attack Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities, disrupt the normal verification process, and then use that very disruption as a pretext to pass a resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors,” he said.

According to the IAEA, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA chief Grossi warned in an interview last year with the AP. He said that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.

(AP)

A major controversy has erupted in Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim after special “kosher” cellphones distributed to the yeshiva’s bochurim were discovered to contain a loophole that reportedly allows users to bypass the device’s restrictions and install virtually any application.

The Android 11-based devices had been specifically approved for use by the yeshiva and include several permitted features not generally found on standard kosher phones, including public transportation information, seforim and music. However, bochurim discovered that creating a new user profile on the phone apparently opens an unrestricted environment without the filtering and blocks imposed on the primary account.

Ironically, the loophole was discovered because bochurim were attempting to download Torah shiurim from Kol Halashon.

One talmid told B’Chadrei Chareidim that the bochurim were unable to transfer shiurim by cable using a station in the yeshiva, leading to notices being posted explaining that a new user could be created through the phone’s settings to enable the transfer.

“The story is that the bochurim wanted to download shiurim from ‘Kol Halashon,’ but they couldn’t copy the shiurim with the cable to the station in the yeshiva, so the yeshiva posted notices that a new user could be opened in the device’s settings and then it would be possible to copy the shiurim. What became clear is that the new user has no filtering at all and no blocking,” the talmid said.

The discovery has caused considerable turmoil inside the yeshiva. Another concern is that even if the devices receive a software update closing the loophole, bochurim may eventually discover another method of bypassing the restrictions.

The yeshiva had not yet issued an official response as of Wednesday night, and B’Chadrei reported that the devices will likely be collected from the bochurim.

The phones were introduced in an effort to combat the widespread use of so-called “kosher Xiaomi” devices — smartphones that can outwardly resemble approved kosher phones while providing access to unrestricted smartphone functions.

The initiative itself had previously generated controversy. Last year, the devices were distributed free of charge to younger bochurim in Vaad Aleph, although recipients were required to provide two security checks: NIS 600 in case the device was damaged and NIS 1,500 if the phone was deliberately breached. Several Gedolim and Roshei Yeshiva had initially opposed the device before it ultimately received approval from the yeshiva’s leadership.

At the beginning of the current Elul zman, the phones were distributed to the broader student body under the same deposit arrangement. Now, just weeks later, the newly discovered loophole has thrown the entire program into question.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Top White House advisers have privately told President Trump that the war with Iran could continue for years, potentially lasting through the remainder of his presidency and even beyond January 2029, as Tehran continues resisting U.S. pressure, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials have discussed the possibility with Trump in meetings at the White House. Their concern is not that Iran has announced a plan to simply wait for Trump to leave office, but that Tehran may be able to withstand the U.S.-led blockade, sanctions and ongoing military pressure far longer than Washington initially hoped.

Trump has publicly projected a much faster end to the conflict, telling reporters Wednesday that the war would end “immediately” after the November midterm elections because Iran would no longer be able to hold out. Privately, however, his advisers are preparing for a very different possibility: a conflict lasting another two years or more.

The Pentagon is already planning for a prolonged American military presence in the Middle East. Some U.S. air-defense units have no firm withdrawal date, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended certain deployments into 2027, and roughly 50,000 American troops remain stationed across the region. Marine and Air Force units are also continuing to rotate into the Middle East.

U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Iran could adapt its attacks and rebuild stocks of missiles, drones, radar systems and other military equipment as the conflict continues. A drawn-out war would also keep significant U.S. military resources tied up in the Middle East rather than available for Europe and Asia.

Trump has privately pushed for a quicker end to the fighting while continuing to support a long-term economic campaign intended to force Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program. The administration is therefore confronting two competing realities: the president wants Iran to capitulate soon, while his own advisers believe Tehran could remain defiant well into the final years of his presidency.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Pakistan has delivered a Saudi warning to Iran demanding that Tehran rein in its Houthi allies in Yemen following a major escalation in attacks against Saudi Arabia, as the countries seek to prevent the crisis from spiraling further, The Times of Israel reports, citing Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources.

The warning followed Houthi strikes Tuesday against an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby Saudi cities, which wounded 73 people. The attacks were among the largest against Saudi Arabia since the Iran war began in February.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Wednesday that Saudi warplanes had carried out 54 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces over the previous 12 hours, warning that the strikes would not go unanswered. The escalating confrontation has opened another regional front threatening global energy supplies as Iran and the United States simultaneously trade attacks against shipping in the Gulf.

Pakistan’s warning carries additional weight because of its defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that while Islamabad’s military role would be limited to defending Saudi territory, an attack spilling into the kingdom could activate the joint security arrangement between the three countries. Under the pact, he said, aggression against one would be considered aggression against all three.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Workers renovating a historic Jewish community building in Kostroma, Russia, made an extraordinary discovery when they uncovered siddurim and other seforim hidden during the dark years of Communist rule.

One of the seforim had been disguised inside the cover of a secular non-Jewish book, a powerful reminder of the fear under which Soviet Jews were forced to conceal their connection to Yiddishkeit. Remarkably, the sefer was found open to Pirkei Avos.

The historic building was constructed in 1880 and purchased in 1892 for the city’s rov at the time, HaRav Tzvi Hirsch Schneiderman. Kostroma’s central shul was later built in its courtyard in 1903.

In a remarkable twist of hashgacha pratis, Rav Schneiderman’s granddaughter, who lives near the mother of Kostroma’s rov and Chabad shliach, Rabbi Nisan Rupu, recently transferred the building’s spiritual rights to the shluchim continuing her grandfather’s legacy.

Rabbi Rupu arrived in Kostroma 24 years ago and received control of the shul building, while the rov’s former home remained in government hands. Following years of determined efforts, the property was gradually returned and was ultimately granted to the Jewish community rent-free for 40 years with the generous assistance of philanthropist David Aminov.

The building’s interior was previously restored, with Russia’s Chief Rabbi, HaRav Berel Lazar, attending the chanukas habayis for its mikvah and kindergarten.

The latest renovations are focused on preserving the building’s deteriorating exterior walls. At the same time, the community has launched the writing of a historic new Sefer Torah marking nearly 100 years since the release of the Frierdiker Lubavitcher Rebbe from Soviet imprisonment and exile.

The writing began near the Ohel during the annual “Shabbos Selichos With the Rebbe” trip organized by Russia’s Torah and education foundation. The Sefer Torah is scheduled to be completed and brought to Kostroma on Yud-Beis–Yud-Gimmel Tammuz 5787, the 100th anniversary of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s release.

The newly discovered seforim, the restoration of the historic building and the writing of a new Sefer Torah have become powerful symbols of the dramatic revival of Yiddishkeit in a city where Jews were once forced to hide their faith.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

I would like to put something out there because this has become an ongoing issue, yet very few people are willing to speak about it publicly. And unfortunately, there is a real fear that if someone does raise these concerns in a public forum, there may be consequences that no parent wants to face—especially when it comes to the school their children attend.

For years, many parents have been kvetching and raising concerns about the amount of vacations, breaks, half-days, and days off that our children have throughout the school year. Unfortunately, the parents who work extremely hard to make ends meet and pay full tuition are often the ones who feel the greatest impact.

I am not a Rav or a Rebbi, and I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do think it is fair to ask some questions.

We speak constantly about the importance of chinuch and the values we are trying to instill in our children. Yet, on practically every legal holiday, we have a half-day of school. What message are we sending when school ends at noon? For many working parents, that doesn’t mean half a day of work—it means dropping the children off, turning around, and then having to arrange another pickup and carpool a few hours later.

And then there are the vacations surrounding Yom Tov.

Rabbeim and Morahs work incredibly hard day in and day out, and Baruch Hashem, over the past several years, schools have made significant efforts to improve their salaries and compensation. They deserve to be compensated fairly for the important work they do.

But why have the vacations before and after Yom Tov become so extensive?

Are working parents not making Yom Tov? Don’t we also have homes to clean, a sukkah to put up, Pesach preparations to do, meals to prepare, and countless other responsibilities? Why does so much of the burden seem to fall on the parents?

This isn’t about blaming teachers or criticizing our schools. It is about asking whether the system as a whole has become unbalanced.

And now, it seems to be trickling down even further.

What started with yeshivas is increasingly becoming the norm in playgroups for children as young as a year and a half to four years old. I honestly cannot understand how it has become acceptable for a playgroup to have no school on Fridays, every legal holiday off, Yom Tov breaks, mid-winter vacation, Chanukah vacation, and additional days throughout the year.

At some point, we have to ask: Where does this end?

Parents want to give their children an appropriate chinuch. We want to support our schools, our teachers, and our communities. We want our children to have the best education possible.

But parents also have jobs, businesses, mortgages, bills, responsibilities, and families to take care of. We cannot simply continue adding days off and assume that the parents will somehow figure it out.

And perhaps the biggest problem is that there is no real forum where parents feel comfortable raising these concerns without worrying about retaliation or consequences for their children.

This is an age-old issue, and I know I am certainly not the first parent to feel this way. I also know there are many sides to the discussion.

But I hope that one day we can have an honest, respectful conversation about this as a community—without fear, without attacking anyone, and with the understanding that the goal is not to take anything away from our children’s chinuch.

The goal is to find a balance that works for everyone: our children, our teachers, our schools, and the parents who work tirelessly to make it all possible.

Name withheld upon request

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s population has reached an estimated 10.305 million ahead of Rosh Hashanah, according to figures released Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The country’s population increased by approximately 124,000 people over the past year, representing annual growth of 1.2%.

Israel is home to approximately 7.8 million Jews and members of other non-Arab communities, who account for 78.3% of the population. Nearly 2.2 million Arabs make up the remaining 21.7%, while an additional 300,000 foreign nationals reside in the country.

Approximately 182,000 babies were born in Israel during the past year, while 50,000 people were niftar.

The figures also showed a negative international migration balance that reduced population growth by approximately 8,000 people.

Around 24,000 new olim arrived in Israel, while another 4,000 people entered through family reunification. Approximately 21,000 Israelis returned after living abroad, while 57,000 left the country.

Israel’s fertility rate remains significantly higher than that of other developed nations, standing at 2.88 children per woman—more than double the OECD average of 1.41.

Life expectancy in Israel is 81.4 years for men and 85.9 years for women.

As of January 1, 2026, the global Jewish population stood at nearly 15.9 million, with approximately 46% living in Israel. Since the establishment of the state, roughly 3.51 million people have made aliyah.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The United States is accelerating the development of a powerful new bunker-busting bomb capable of destroying Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, as Tehran rapidly expands a secretive underground complex south of Tehran.

New satellite imagery analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and published by CNN shows extensive construction at the site beneath Mount Pickaxe, where Iran is believed to be building a heavily fortified refuge for its nuclear program.

Israeli intelligence has previously warned that Iran could transfer advanced centrifuges to the underground facility as part of its uranium enrichment efforts.

President Trump recently threatened the site, telling reporters that it could be attacked “very soon” and stressing that U.S. intelligence is closely monitoring all activity in the area.

However, experts believe the facility is buried beneath such a massive layer of granite that even the Pentagon’s most powerful existing bunker-buster bombs may be unable to penetrate it.

Documents reportedly show that shortly before the current conflict began, the Pentagon approved an emergency project at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to conduct live-fire tests simulating attacks on nuclear facilities buried deep underground.

Satellite imagery from the American testing site shows extensive excavation inside granite rock, apparently designed to recreate the conditions surrounding the Iranian facility.

U.S. defense officials have also reportedly held intensive discussions in recent weeks over operational plans to completely destroy Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure.

Meanwhile, continued construction at the Iranian site—including reinforced tunnel entrances and new internal roads—indicates that it is likely not yet ready for full-scale enrichment operations. Experts believe Tehran intends to eventually use it for assembling centrifuges or enriching uranium beyond the reach of international inspectors and conventional military strikes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

North Korea has constructed a second uranium enrichment facility at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, marking another major expansion of the rogue regime’s nuclear weapons program, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The new two-story facility is capable of housing as many as 28 centrifuge cascades, significantly increasing Pyongyang’s ability to produce enriched uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons.

The findings emerged from a comparison of satellite imagery taken during the building’s construction with photographs released by North Korean state media following dictator Kim Jong Un’s visit to the facility in June.

The images reportedly show gas centrifuge cascades installed on both the upper and lower floors of the new building.

The IAEA also reported clear indications that an expanded wing constructed in 2024 at North Korea’s Kangson uranium enrichment facility near Pyongyang became fully operational in January.

The agency said the findings demonstrate that North Korea is steadily and alarmingly expanding its nuclear infrastructure at multiple sites despite years of international pressure and sanctions.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Two sources familiar with the details say the Biden administration was not aware of any “concrete warning” from the United Arab Emirates before October 7 indicating that Hamas was preparing a major attack on Israel. The sources added that even after the massacre, administration officials did not hear that the Emiratis had delivered such a specific warning to Israel, i24NEWS reported.

The report stressed that the Biden administration’s lack of knowledge does not establish that no such warning was ever passed to Israel. However, it noted that had the UAE delivered a significant and specific warning, it would be reasonable to expect Washington to have learned about it either before October 7 or in the aftermath.

The disclosure comes after Haaretz reported that roughly a week and a half before the massacre, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed held an unusual approximately 45-minute conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a “major move” against Israel.

Haaretz further claimed that then-CIA Director Bill Burns later heard from bin Zayed that he had attempted to convey to Netanyahu that “something there was about to explode.” The new i24NEWS report indicates that, despite those allegations, officials in the Biden administration were not familiar with any concrete Emirati warning of an impending Hamas attack.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iran’s oil exports have collapsed under the U.S. naval blockade, placing growing pressure on Tehran’s already battered economy and threatening one of the regime’s most critical sources of revenue.

According to a report published Wednesday by Independent Arabia, no major new shipments of Iranian crude have successfully passed through the blockade since it was renewed in mid-July.

Iran continues loading limited quantities of oil onto tankers, but the vessels reportedly remain trapped inside the Persian Gulf and are unable to reach international customers.

Iran’s floating oil reserves outside the blockade have fallen from approximately 90 million barrels in mid-July to just 29 million barrels. Those reserves have allowed Tehran to continue receiving revenue from crude moved out of the Gulf before the restrictions were tightened.

At the current rate of depletion, the remaining reserves could be exhausted by mid-October, according to estimates cited in the report.

Iran loaded approximately 255,000 barrels per day onto tankers inside the Gulf in August—an 85% decline from the average recorded between February and April. Before the war, Iranian oil exports were approaching two million barrels per day.

Oil revenue accounts for approximately one-third of the Iranian government’s income and is one of the regime’s primary sources of foreign currency.

As revenues collapse, the Iranian rial has continued weakening against the dollar, driving up the cost of imports. An economist with Capital Economics estimated that the rial has lost approximately 15% of its value since President Trump launched his renewed economic pressure campaign against Iran.

Iran’s petrochemical industry is also suffering, with exports reportedly falling 63% since the beginning of 2026. If the decline continues, storage facilities could reach capacity and force production plants to reduce operations.

Meanwhile, several Chinese refineries—traditionally Iran’s largest oil customers—have reportedly begun seeking alternative supplies from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Palestinian support for armed “resistance” has fallen sharply since before the October 7 massacre, while backing for negotiations and a two-state solution has nearly doubled, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, found that 55.8% of Palestinians now view peaceful negotiations as the best way to achieve their national goals—up from 28% in September 2023.

Support for armed “resistance” fell from 37.1% to 13.3% over the same period.

Backing for a two-state solution rose to 47.9%, compared with 27.3% before October 7. Support for a single binational state fell to 21.7%, while 18.6% favored establishing a Palestinian state across all of Israel.

The poll was conducted between August 20 and August 25 among 1,200 respondents in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and Gaza.

In Judea and Samaria, 50.1% of respondents said the October 7 attacks harmed Palestinian national interests, up from 35.2% in September 2025.

If elections were held now, Fatah would receive 27.5% of the vote, compared with just 7.6% for Hamas. However, 40.2% said they would not vote for either party.

Trust in Hamas among Palestinians in Judea and Samaria plunged from 18.7% in October 2023 to just 4.5% in the latest survey.

Fatah also lost support, with overall trust in the faction falling from 28.8% in July 2022 to 22.3%. Meanwhile, 55% of respondents said they did not trust any Palestinian political party or organization, up from 43.3% in 2022.

Asked to identify the Palestinian leadership’s top priority, 50.1% said ending the war in Gaza, followed by improving economic conditions at 16.9% and rebuilding Gaza at 13.4%.

Regarding Gaza’s postwar future, 42.9% said they expected the enclave to be placed under international administration, while 17.3% anticipated a role for the Palestinian Authority. Smaller percentages expected continued rule by Hamas or Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Ukrainian city of Uman is preparing to welcome approximately 40,000 Breslover chassidim and other Yidden for Rosh Hashanah, similar to the number who traveled to the city last year.

The massive influx of visitors provides a major short-term boost to Uman’s economy, creating extraordinary demand for rental apartments, restaurants, stores, transportation and other services.

According to Ukraine’s State Agency for Tourism Development and Uman’s local government, visitors paid a record 20 million hryvnias in tourism taxes in 2025, up from approximately 17 million hryvnias in 2024.

For 2026, the daily tourism tax has been set at 432.35 hryvnias per person for private accommodations and 216.18 hryvnias for hotels and hostels. Authorities have also introduced a system allowing visitors to verify payments through digital scanning.

The tax revenue is directed toward the city’s infrastructure, education and healthcare systems, while local apartment owners, restaurants, stores and other businesses earn significantly from the tens of thousands of visitors.

However, the annual gathering also creates considerable expenses for Uman, particularly for sanitation, garbage removal and maintaining the area surrounding the tziyun of Reb Nachman of Breslov.

Last year, the city spent approximately 1.5 million hryvnias cleaning the area around the tziyun.

Despite the continuing war in Ukraine and the logistical challenges of reaching Uman, tens of thousands of Yidden are once again expected to make the journey to spend Rosh Hashanah near the tziyun of Reb Nachman.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Wednesday that Israel has no plans to forcibly expel or deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, while making clear that those who choose to leave voluntarily would be permitted to do so if another country agrees to accept them, The Times of Israel reports.

“We are not planning to expel or to deport anyone from [the] Gaza Strip,” Sa’ar said during a press conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he was opening an Israeli embassy. He added that if someone wants to emigrate voluntarily and another country is prepared to receive them, Israel “will not oppose that.”

“But we will not force anyone against his will,” Sa’ar stressed. His comments come as senior government ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have pushed for encouraging Gazans to leave the Strip.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said last week that plans to facilitate large-scale Palestinian emigration from Gaza remain under discussion and were “frozen” by President Trump rather than removed from consideration entirely. Katz added that, in his view, there is ultimately “no real solution for Gaza” without such migration.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. officials assess that Iran plans to use its deeply buried “Pickaxe Mountain” facility as a heavily fortified shelter for its nuclear program, CNN reported.

The facility is buried beneath layers of granite, potentially placing it beyond the reach of existing conventional bunker-busting weapons.

The assessment follows a new analysis of six years of satellite imagery that identified a recent “surge in construction” at the site.

The United States is reportedly considering options for striking Iran’s underground nuclear facilities as President Trump repeatedly warns that Tehran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We may hit Pickaxe very soon…if there was anything going on with Pickaxe.”

The comments came after the United States resumed strikes against Iranian targets for the first time in several weeks.

Asked whether he considered the ongoing confrontation a war, Trump described it as a “military conflict.”

“A lot of people don’t call it a war,” Trump said. “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.”

Trump compared the confrontation to previous American conflicts, saying the United States lost no personnel during its operation in Venezuela while 18 Americans have been killed in the current conflict with Iran.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited an IDF position at the summit of the Syrian Hermon on Wednesday, Erev Rosh Hashanah, declaring that Israel now maintains unprecedented control over the region and will not permit terrorist forces to establish themselves along its border.

Netanyahu was joined by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai. The officials received an operational briefing from Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and 210th Division commander Brig. Gen. Yair Palai.

Standing at the strategic position overlooking Syria, Lebanon and the Golan Heights, Netanyahu pointed to the areas surrounding him and highlighted Israel’s expanded control over the region.

“On Erev Rosh Hashanah, we are at the summit of the Hermon, at the crown of the Hermon,” Netanyahu said. “Damascus is here, Lebanon is there, the Syrian Golan is there, and we control the entire area from the crown of the Hermon to the Yarmouk, and from here to the Mediterranean Sea—absolute control unlike anything we have had before.”

Netanyahu said Israel would not allow hostile military infrastructure to be established along the Syrian border.

“We will not allow any terror army to establish itself on our border,” he said, describing Israel’s control of the area as one of the major achievements of the war.

The prime minister then addressed the ongoing campaign against Iran, declaring that defeating Tehran’s regime remains Israel’s primary objective.

“From these heights, there is still more work to do,” Netanyahu said. “The main task is to defeat the terror regime in Iran. We are very close to doing so.”

“We know that the entire axis will ultimately fall,” he added. “We are committed to doing it, and we will do it.”

Netanyahu concluded by wishing the citizens of Israel and IDF soldiers a shana tovah.

“I wish you a good year, citizens of Israel, and to our heroic soldiers who are doing the work here,” he said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hundreds gathered in Yerushalayim on Tuesday night for an Atzeres Tefillah and subsequent protest over the continued detention of American yeshiva bochur Avrohom Yitzchok Cohen, who has been held for nearly three months without an indictment being filed against him.

The evening began with an Atzeres Tefillah at Kikar HaShabbos, attended by Rabbanim and hundreds of participants demanding Cohen’s release. Following the tefillos, hundreds marched toward Yirmiyahu Street and the corner of Minchas Yitzchak, where the gathering developed into a protest over both Cohen’s detention and the construction of the light rail through the area.

HaGaon HaRav Velvel Soloveitchik participating in the Atzeres Tefillah. (Photo: Doovidl/YWN)

In one of the most striking scenes of the night, a group of Cohen’s American friends, fellow yeshiva bochurim, chained themselves together while carrying signs drawing attention to his incarceration.

“I came to Israel to study and found myself behind bars!!” several signs read, alongside an American flag. Other signs declared, “Guilty until proven innocent??? Is that the law in Israel???” and carried messages directed at the Israeli government.

(Photo: Doovidl/YWN)

As YWN previously reported, Cohen was arrested at his dira in the Bar Ilan area nearly three months ago. Police suspect him of involvement in an arson incident connected to the ongoing protests against construction of the light rail. Askonim involved in the case strongly deny the allegations and maintain that his only involvement was participating in demonstrations against the project.

As the crowd reached the Yirmiyahu and Minchas Yitzchak area, the situation became increasingly chaotic. Police deployed large forces and used water cannons and stun grenades to disperse protesters.

Footage from the scene showed officers using heavy force against demonstrators, including batons, while stun grenades were thrown at extremely close range near protesters. Water cannons were repeatedly directed toward the crowd as police attempted to clear the area.

Protesters accused police of excessive brutality, pointing to the close-range use of stun grenades and force used against demonstrators. Police, meanwhile, said the demonstration had been declared an unlawful disturbance after protesters allegedly blocked traffic routes and attempted to cause damage, and said officers subsequently used force and crowd-control measures to disperse the gathering.

Despite the forceful dispersal efforts, the demonstration continued, with protesters voicing opposition to the light rail project while demanding Cohen’s immediate release.

Videos and photos by Doovidl for YWN

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Iran is prepared for a more intense war with the United States and intends to escalate its counterstrikes if Washington continues attacking Iranian territory and infrastructure, a senior Iranian official warned, insisting Tehran has no intention of backing down despite the American naval blockade and strikes on its oil tankers, Bloomberg reports.

The official, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter, acknowledged that Iran’s economic pain is worsening but said the country’s leadership views the war with the United States as an existential threat that leaves it little choice but to continue fighting. Iran has also been rebuilding its military capabilities since the most intense period of fighting ended in April and currently has enough missiles for a lengthy conflict, the official claimed.

The warning comes as the conflict enters its seventh month. After an Iranian attack on an American warship overnight, the U.S. destroyed five Iranian energy tankers in response. Tehran subsequently fired around 20 missiles toward a Jordanian airbase used by the U.S. and attacked additional American naval and commercial vessels. The continuing strikes have helped push Brent crude above $100 a barrel, while U.S. diesel prices reached a record last week.

Iran’s economy is meanwhile coming under severe pressure from the blockade. With Tehran struggling to export petroleum and import vital goods, inflation has accelerated to almost 90% and the rial is rapidly losing value. Some Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have advocated negotiations with Washington to ease the pressure, although they insist the U.S. must first lift the blockade and return to the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed in June.

Despite an internal debate over whether Iran should escalate or simply resist, Bloomberg Economics’ Dina Esfandiary said Tehran is developing ways to retaliate “faster and more efficiently” as it seeks to impose greater costs on the United States. The Iranian official said the leadership intends to keep fighting until it believes Washington has become too wary to attack again.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Health Ministry announced Tuesday that it will advance regulations requiring table salt sold in the country to be enriched with iodine after national surveys found significant iodine deficiencies among the population, including deficiencies among 62% of schoolchildren tested, Bechadrei Charedim reports.

The planned regulation is intended to increase Israelis’ daily iodine intake without requiring consumers to change their eating habits. The ministry is seeking to introduce the nutrient without significantly affecting the price, taste or ordinary use of table salt.

Iodine is an essential nutrient used by the body to produce thyroid hormones and is particularly important for normal growth and development.

Iodized salt has long been used internationally as a relatively simple public-health tool for preventing iodine deficiency, but Israel has not previously required universal iodine enrichment of ordinary table salt.

The ministry’s decision follows national data showing that the problem is substantially more widespread than health officials would like, particularly among children.

Under the planned rules, iodine enrichment would become a standard component of table salt marketed in Israel rather than something consumers would need to specifically seek out.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Otzma Yehudit and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday submitted a request to the Central Elections Committee seeking to disqualify Ra’am and MK Mansour Abbas from running in the elections for the 26th Knesset.

The 39-page request, excluding appendices, includes new information about Ra’am and Abbas that strengthens the grounds for disqualification.

The request states that Ra’am rejects Israel’s existence as a Jewish state and supports the armed struggle waged against it by enemy states and terrorist organizations.

Central to the new material is the Registrar of Associations’ report on the “Aid 48 “organization, which is directly affiliated with Ra’am. The report provides “details of the organization’s transfers of funds and cooperation with terrorist entities.”

The request portrays Mansour Abbas as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who presents the Jewish public with the image of “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

It cites an exchange in the Knesset plenum five years ago in which Ben-Gvir warned about the activities of Ra’am and its affiliates. Abbas responded: “If you prove that a single shekel reached a terrorist organization or a terrorist—there is no evidence of that.”

According to Otzma Yehudit, the material accumulated since then includes “dozens of pieces of evidence showing how Ra’am organizations—Aid 48 and Humanitarian Deeds—financed Hamas and other terrorist organizations with millions of shekels.”

The request also calls for the disclosure of Shin Bet and police investigations involving Ra’am, Mansour Abbas, and organizations connected to them.

The request also presents direct links among Ra’am, the southern branch of the Islamic Movement, and organizations connected to them, as well as an ideological affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The request argues that under the High Court’s rulings to date, “a Knesset member who woke up on October 7 and, during the massacre, expressed direct and explicit support for the ‘resistance’—a euphemism for war against the State of Israel—would not have been disqualified from running for the Knesset because of the absence of that ‘critical mass’ of evidence.”

The petitioners also point to statements by Abbas that they say indicate only a declarative acceptance of the state’s Jewish character to avoid disqualification, alongside his refusal to define Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Otzma Yehudit calls this “the method of speaking in two voices”—“one voice for Israeli ears, intended to achieve the objectives without being disqualified, and another voice for Arab ears.”

The request cites the case of Azmi Bishara as an example of how the law’s provisions concerning the disqualification of candidates have been applied in the past. Bishara was a prominent Arab-Iraeli MK whose parliamentary immunity was lifted in an unprecedented move in 2001 and was formally accused of national security crimes, including organizing an illegal delegation to visit Syria, an enemy state, and calling in his speech to other Arab countries to escalate their violent conflict against Israel.

The petitioners argue that Bishara repeatedly received the High Court’s protection, which allowed him to run and serve in the Knesset despite evidence that they say indicated support for the enemy and rejection of the State of Israel’s existence, even though, in their words, “all the red warning lights were flashing brightly.”

The request argues that after the October 7 massacre, the court’s lenient treatment of parties that support terrorism can no longer be accepted, because “this is not a free marketplace of ideas, but someone who wants to blow up the marketplace so that neither ideas nor the people expressing them will remain.” The court is therefore obligated to follow the language of the law and disqualify Ra’am, it says.

Otzma Yehudit chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: “The legislature had its say years ago, but the court disregarded the law, approved dozens of terrorists and allowed them to serve in Israel’s Knesset. It is time to say: Enough! It is time to implement the law and disqualify the terrorist organization called Ra’am and its leader, Muslim Brotherhood member Mansour Abbas.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has strengthened by one seat to 64 mandates following the closing of the party lists for the Knesset, while the left-wing bloc remains unchanged at 44 and the Arab parties fall from 13 to 12, according to a Channel 14 survey released today.

Likud rises from 30 to 31 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar remains in second place with 22. Shas stays at 10, while The Democrats fall from 10 to 8. Religious Zionism, Zehut and Otzma Yehudit each receive 8 seats. Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad, United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu each receive 7.

Two other surveys released Wednesday paint a dramatically different picture. Channel 13 gives Yashar 22 seats, Likud just 19, Beyachad 13 and The Democrats 10, with the coalition and opposition blocs tied at 53 seats each and the Arab parties holding 14. Meanwhile, i24NEWS gives Likud 27 seats, Yashar 22, Beyachad 10 and The Democrats 9. UTJ and Otzma Yehudit each receive 8 in the i24 survey, while Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu each receive 7.

In the Channel 14 survey, Ofer Winter’s Amcha Yisrael remains below the electoral threshold, falling from 3% to 2.1%. Netanyahu also leads the prime minister suitability question with 51%, compared with Eisenkot at 34%, Bennett at 11% and Avigdor Lieberman at 4%. In a direct Netanyahu-Eisenkot matchup, Netanyahu leads 53% to 47%.

A separate Channel 14 question found that 88% of respondents did not change their choice after the party lists and candidates were presented. Meanwhile, 80% said small parties polling below the electoral threshold should withdraw from the race.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Pressure on Benny Gantz to withdraw from the Knesset race is mounting. According to a Ynet report, senior members of the Change Bloc have been working in recent days to persuade the Blue And White chairman not to run in the elections, arguing that an independent run could waste votes and make it more difficult for the bloc to form a government.

The pressure stems from Blue And White’s standing in the polls. The party is currently nowhere near the electoral threshold. It received only 1% in a Channel 12 News poll published this week, and it has also failed to win any seats in other polls conducted in recent weeks.

Tensions intensified after Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot defined the Change Bloc as a camp comprising four parties: Yashar, Beyachad, Yisrael Beiteinu And The Democrats. Eisenkot called on the bloc’s parties to coordinate their efforts and, after the elections, rally behind whichever party wins the broadest support among the bloc’s voters. Gantz’s Blue And White is not included in that framework.

Yisrael Beiteinu also joined the attack. MK Yulia Malinovsky claimed that Gantz’s continued candidacy would waste approximately NIS 15 million in public party-financing funds, even though, according to her, his party has no realistic chance of crossing the electoral threshold. She even used the phrase “laundering in the public sense,” while clarifying that she was not alleging a criminal offense.

Blue And White rejected the pressure, arguing that Gantz offers a different political course aimed at establishing a broad, cross-bloc Zionist government after the elections. His associates made clear that he has no intention of withdrawing and plans to remain in the race until the end.

Blue And White itself has also experienced upheaval recently. Knesset members and other faction officials criticized Gantz’s decision to continue running independently, and several senior party figures have already left. Nevertheless, Gantz continues to insist that his refusal to commit in advance to a narrow government led by either bloc is precisely the foundation of his political platform.

The battle over Gantz is expected to intensify as Election Day approaches. From the Change Bloc’s perspective, every slate that fails to cross the electoral threshold could cost the bloc votes. From Gantz’s perspective, withdrawing now would mean abandoning the platform he is seeking to present to the public: a broad government that is not entirely dependent on either bloc.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The Trump administration chose not to oppose a British-led effort imposing new sanctions targeting Israeli areas in Judea and Samaria, despite disagreeing with the sanctions themselves, U.S. officials and Western diplomats told Axios. The British initiative was joined by 11 other Western countries.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham personally briefed President Trump about the planned measures before they were announced. President Trump did not object to the move or ask Burnham to change course, while U.S. officials told their British counterparts that Washington shared concerns regarding some of the Netanyahu government’s policies in Judea and Samaria.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also refrained from publicly criticizing the British measures. The White House, meanwhile, distanced itself from criticism of the sanctions voiced by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

The decision represents a notable departure from the administration’s previous opposition to international measures targeting Israeli activity in Judea and Samaria and comes amid growing frustration inside the White House with the Netanyahu government’s policies in the area, Axios reported.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hundreds of young members of Tehran’s Jewish community gathered for a special pre-Rosh Hashanah shiur delivered by Iran’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Gerami.

During the gathering, Rabbi Gerami addressed a range of timely issues affecting Iran’s Jewish community and provided participants with an opportunity to ask questions about matters concerning them.

The large gathering offered a rare glimpse into Jewish communal life in Iran as local Yidden prepare for the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel has ordered Britain to close its consulate in East Jerusalem within 30 days, with diplomats assigned to the mission set to lose their accreditation, according to Reuters. The move comes as Israel prepares its response to Britain and other countries that joined sanctions targeting Israel over Judea and Samaria.

British personnel working from the U.S.-backed International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat have been given seven days to leave, along with British diplomats based in Ramallah.

The Israeli government is expected to meet Wednesday to discuss its response to Britain and the other countries involved in the sanctions initiative.

The closure of the British consulate marks a significant diplomatic response by Israel, directly affecting Britain’s longstanding diplomatic presence in Yerushalayim as tensions between the two governments intensify.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF has begun evaluating a new tactical empty-chamber indicator developed in Israel by reservists serving in the Chashmonaim Brigade, Chareidim 10 reported.

An empty-chamber indicator, or ECI, is a small plastic safety device inserted into a firearm’s chamber to prevent accidental discharges and provide a clear visual indication that there is no round in the chamber.

Unlike the standard ECI—which indicates that a firearm is unloaded but leaves the ejection port exposed to dust and debris—the newly developed device seals the opening and protects the weapon’s internal mechanism. It therefore offers a safety solution better suited to operational field conditions.

The new ECI has already undergone testing in southern Lebanon and is now being evaluated by the Ground Forces’ Safety and Quality Control Department.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Every year around this time, I start thinking about what I should take on for the new year.

Maybe I should work on being more patient.

Maybe I should give more tzedakah.

Maybe I should learn consistently, daven with more kavanah, or be more careful with the way I speak.

All good things. All important things.

But if I’m being honest, I also sometimes have this nagging feeling:

I’ve done this before.

I’ve made kabbalos. Some lasted longer than others. And then the year got busy, life took over, and somehow the clarity I had during Elul and the Yamim Noraim slowly faded.

That got me thinking that maybe I’ve been treating the symptoms instead of the core issue.

Because during this time of year, something changes in the way we see life.

We think more about Hashem. More about why we’re here. More about what really matters.

We tend to be more present, more focused, more intentional.

Things that felt so important a few weeks earlier suddenly seem less important. And things we often push to the side suddenly move back to the center.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to carry more of that clarity into the rest of the year?

Obviously, I’m not going to spend the entire year feeling like it’s Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur.

But what if I could do something that keeps bringing me back to those deeper questions?

Something that reminds me, in ordinary life, what I’m really trying to accomplish here?

That’s what struck me when I came across the Values Over Valuables Challenge.

At first, I thought it was another fundraiser or just another initiative.

But when I watched the video, I realized:

This is what I’ve been looking for.

A lot of us live more on autopilot than we realize.

We see what other people do. Standards rise. Things that once looked extravagant start to look normal. Things that once felt optional start to feel necessary.

The VoV Challenge is simple:

Choose one area. One decision. And say:
“I want to make this choice based on what I actually value.”

That’s powerful.

If I’m buying something for my home, choosing clothing, planning a simcha, thinking about a car, a vacation, or a renovation — what is driving the decision?

Is this something that genuinely adds to my life and is right for my family?

Or am I responding to some invisible standard that I never consciously chose?

And then there is the bigger question:

Where is Hashem in any of these decisions?

I don’t mean that every purchase has to become some major spiritual exercise.

But if I believe my life has a purpose, shouldn’t that belief show up somewhere outside of shul?

Shouldn’t it affect how I spend my money, what I admire, what I prioritize, and what I teach my children to admire?

That’s why this feels different to me than another isolated kabbalah.

It’s not asking me to stop enjoying life.
It’s asking me to start choosing my life more consciously.

And I think there’s something freeing about that.

It means I don’t have to run every race.

I don’t have to keep up with every standard.

I get to decide what success looks like in my home.

If more of us did that, I think it could change more than our bank accounts.

It could change the atmosphere in our homes and communities.

Our children could grow up seeing that a family can have a compass.

That not every decision has to be based on what everyone else is doing.

That a simcha can be about the simcha.

A home can be about the people inside it.

And success can be measured by things that don’t come with a price tag.

So this year, I think this may be my kabbalah.

Maybe it can be yours too.

Take the Values Over Valuables Challenge →

IDF officials are warning of a disturbing shift in Hamas terror activities in Gaza, confirming for the first time that the terror group is actively working to rebuild and consolidate its military control over the Gaza Strip.

According to information published by Channel 12, despite talk of Hamas “disarmament,” Hamas terrorists have recently been accessing weapons depots, removing weapons, and using them to reinforce the terror group’s control on the ground.

The weapons depots house rockets, small arms, and combat equipment.

The IDF has stepped up its operations in response to this shift. On Tuesday, Southern Command forces, guided by Shin Bet intelligence, carried out a strike that destroyed three weapons depots and a launch pit.

Over the past week, the Southern Command carried out 16 targeted strikes, eliminating 14 terrorists, including five company commanders and four platoon commanders.

IDF officials have also identified Hamas’s growing willingness to engage Israeli forces directly. Over the past two weeks, Hamas has launched kites, opened fire at troops stationed along the Yellow Line and detonated an explosive device against a military engineering vehicle.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Flight disruptions continued across Britain on Wednesday after an air traffic control system failure affected more than 1,000 flights, including at least two flights from Israel.

The outage at air traffic control provider NATS disrupted operations at several airports across Britain and Ireland, with airports in the London area particularly affected.

NATS said the technical problem had been repaired but warned that restoring normal operations was taking longer than expected due to the significant backlog of flights and passengers.

NATS CEO Martin Rolfe told the BBC that the company’s systems were once again operating normally and apologized to travelers affected by the disruption. He estimated that the outage lasted approximately six hours.

Ryanair said more than 65,000 of its passengers experienced delays of up to eight hours, while British Airways warned that the shutdown would continue to have a significant impact on its flight schedule.

Flights have resumed at Bristol Airport, although officials warned that disruptions could continue. Heathrow Airport said arrivals were temporarily suspended during the outage as a safety precaution, while departures later resumed.

Manchester and East Midlands airports said they intended to operate full schedules on Wednesday but cautioned that delays and cancellations could persist through the evening.

Rolfe said a full investigation was underway to determine what caused the failure, while the company remained focused on clearing the backlog and restoring normal operations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Officials close to the United Arab Emirates’ leadership confirmed that Abu Dhabi warned Israel ahead of the October 7 massacre, contradicting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s categorical denial, according to an N12 report.

“There was a warning from the Emirates before October 7,” one source said. “I heard about it seriously within the first days afterward.”

The controversy began after Haaretz reported that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu roughly a week and a half before the massacre and warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing an “earthquake.”

The Emirati source did not disclose the warning’s precise contents, how it was delivered or who in Israel received it. He also did not confirm that it was the same warning reportedly conveyed directly to Netanyahu.

A second source familiar with the Emirati government’s decision-making said Abu Dhabi effectively confirmed the report through its carefully worded official response.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said that “all relevant intelligence was and continues to be shared between the relevant authorities,” without explicitly denying that a warning was issued.

Netanyahu, however, flatly denied that any such conversation or warning occurred.

“Complete fake news. There was no conversation and there was no warning,” Netanyahu told Yinon Magal, adding that such a call would have been recorded and attended by additional officials.

Netanyahu later announced that he would sue Haaretz over what he described as a “fabricated blood libel that never happened.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former President Joe Biden shared an update on his battle with prostate cancer, saying the radiation treatment he underwent last year “worked as intended” and urging men to speak with their doctors about early screening.

Biden disclosed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.

“Every September we mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This year it’s more personal for me,” Biden wrote in a post on X. “More than 330,000 American men this year will hear the words we did last spring when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones.”

Biden stressed that early detection can dramatically improve survival rates, noting that the five-year survival rate is close to 100% when prostate cancer is detected early.

The former president urged men at average risk to begin discussing screening with their doctors around age 50. He said Black men and those whose father or brother had prostate cancer should begin those conversations by age 45—or even earlier if multiple close relatives were affected.

Biden expressed gratitude to the doctors, nurses and medical teams overseeing his care. He underwent targeted radiation and hormone therapy beginning in 2025.

He said he is continuing to focus on personal priorities, including completing his upcoming memoir, and thanked those who have davened for him and his family.

“Talk to your doctors. Ask the tough questions,” Biden wrote. “Do it for yourself, and for the people who love you.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A former OpenAI and Anthropic researcher has resigned from the artificial intelligence industry and issued a dire warning that the race to develop superhuman AI is moving forward without adequate safeguards.

Jacob Cookson, who worked at two of the world’s leading AI companies, announced that he had resigned from Anthropic after concluding that neither company was acting with sufficient responsibility.

“Neither company is behaving responsibly,” Cookson wrote, accusing the firms of “gambling with our lives” as they compete to develop superhuman systems capable of improving themselves.

Cookson warned that advanced AI systems could soon achieve capabilities far beyond those of humans, conduct sophisticated cyberattacks, dramatically accelerate scientific research and exert significant influence in the real world.

“Do not underestimate the power of this technology,” he wrote, adding that progress is not slowing.

Cookson claimed that individuals directly involved in developing the world’s most advanced AI systems genuinely believe the technology could “kill us all by the end of the decade.”

“This is not a marketing stunt,” he said, claiming that senior executives and researchers have privately expressed even more alarming concerns than those they acknowledge publicly.

According to Cookson, some OpenAI employees still do not fully grasp the potential “implications for civilization.” He said Anthropic is more aware of the risks but remains locked in the race out of fear that its competitors will reach superhuman AI first.

Cookson described the situation as an “arrogant gamble” and called on leading AI companies to reach agreements that would allow them to slow development. He said a temporary pause in improving AI models should be considered until researchers can better guarantee that the systems will remain under human control.

Anthropic safety researcher Evan Hubinger publicly backed Cookson’s warning, writing, “Jacob is right.”

Hubinger said he believes there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could cause the deaths of all humans within the next decade. He warned that despite major investments in safety, researchers still have no proven method of ensuring that a system more capable than humans will continue operating according to its intended goals.

Cookson concluded by urging AI employees to consider what will happen when they are asked to activate a superhuman system whose behavior and potential risks they do not fully understand.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump gave three White House aides $45,000 each as holiday bonuses last Christmas, according to financial disclosures released by the administration.

The payments, described in the disclosures as “cash gifts for the holidays,” were awarded to senior aide Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin and administrative assistant Chamberlain Harris.

Martin, 31, helps document Trump’s daily activities for social media, while Harris, 26, serves as the president’s administrative assistant.

Each $45,000 payment was equivalent to nearly one-third of the aides’ annual White House salaries of $150,000, according to an annual report submitted to Congress.

Richard Painter, who served as the White House’s chief ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush and is a prominent Trump critic, claimed the payments appeared to violate federal law prohibiting outside sources from supplementing the salaries of government employees.

The White House did not immediately respond to the concerns raised over the bonuses.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $70 million in security funding for shuls, schools and other institutions facing threats of hate crimes as Jewish communities prepare for the Yomim Noraim.

“The most sacred period in the Hebrew year gets underway in a few short days,” Hochul said. “This is always a time of anxiety, concern, and now I would say it’s been ratcheted up.”

“Hate has no place in our great state,” she added. “We must condemn it in every single form that it takes. But the reality—the sad reality—is that hate crimes are on the rise, and more than half of those crimes are targeted against Jewish New Yorkers.”

Hochul had previously requested $35 million for the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which provides security funding to hundreds of nonprofit organizations.

The funding can be used to install surveillance cameras and alarm systems, train security guards and strengthen cybersecurity protections.

The announcement comes amid a sharp rise in hate crimes across New York City. NYPD statistics show that 425 hate crimes were reported during the first eight months of 2026, up from 367 during the same period last year—an increase of 15.8%.

Antisemitic incidents rose 8% and accounted for the majority of all hate crimes recorded in the city.

Recent attacks include an assault inside Manhattan’s Central Synagogue during Shabbos services, an attack on a Chareidi man in Boro Park and the stabbing of a Jewish man outside a shul on Tisha B’Av.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar inaugurated Israel’s first-ever embassy in Slovenia on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone as relations between the two countries improve under Slovenia’s new right-wing government.

Relations had deteriorated significantly under former Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, whose government adopted a hostile approach toward Israel, recognized a Palestinian state earlier this year and refused to allow an Israir flight to land in the country.

The relationship began shifting following the election of right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party leader Janez Janša as prime minister in May.

Janša is considered a strong supporter of Israel, an admirer of President Trump and a close ally of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He has publicly backed the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran and previously described recognition of a Palestinian state as “support for terrorism.”

Janša has also pledged to relocate Slovenia’s embassy in Israel to Yerushalayim.

Slovenia could now emerge as one of Israel’s strongest allies within the European Union, joining Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in opposing anti-Israel measures promoted by other European governments.

However, Ljubljana has not yet announced its position on sanctions currently under consideration by the European Union. Questions also remain over how Janša’s government would respond to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu, as Slovenia is an ICC member.

Israel was among the first countries to recognize Slovenia following its declaration of independence, and the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992.

Slovenia opened an embassy in Israel in 1994, while Israel had until now maintained diplomatic relations through a nonresident ambassador.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Jewish communities across the world are implementing extraordinary security measures ahead of the Yomim Noraim as an unprecedented wave of antisemitism raises fears of terrorist attacks and lone-wolf assaults.

With tens of thousands of Yidden expected to gather in shuls on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, community leaders and security organizations are working around the clock to protect mispallelim.

In France, Britain and Germany, Jewish communal organizations are coordinating closely with local police and intelligence agencies. Armed officers and soldiers are expected to be stationed near Jewish institutions in high-risk areas, while streets surrounding major shuls will be closed to vehicles and protected with heavy concrete barriers.

Community security organizations, including Britain’s CST, France’s SPCJ and local Shomrim groups in Chareidi communities across the United States and Europe, are also deploying thousands of trained volunteers.

The volunteers have received extensive training in identifying suspicious activity, handling emergencies, providing first aid and managing large crowds. Some kehillos will require mispallelim to present identification and previously issued entry passes before entering shuls.

Many communities have also invested heavily in advanced surveillance cameras, reinforced steel doors and metal detectors as part of the heightened preparations.

Despite the serious security concerns, rabbonim are urging Yidden not to surrender to antisemitic intimidation and to attend shul in large numbers, declaring that the voices of Torah and tefillah will never be silenced.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Shas movement filed an urgent petition with the High Court of Justice against Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara’s decision to postpone the state event commemorating the life and legacy of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef, Z’tl.

At the heart of the petition is the commemoration law, under which the Religious Services Ministry is required to hold a conference in HaRav Ovadia Yosef’s memory on Maran Ovadia Yosef Day or close to that date. Shas argues that an obligation established in primary legislation cannot be suspended because of an election campaign, stating: “Elections do not suspend the State of Israel’s law books.”

The petition further argues that the dates chosen for the conference were specifically intended to keep it as far as possible from Election Day, scheduled for October 27. Postponing it until after the elections, it says, would undermine the connection that the legislature sought to establish between the event and the official day of commemoration.

Shas emphasizes in the petition that the Religious Services Ministry and its legal advisers proposed restrictions in advance to eliminate any concern that the conference could become a forum for election propaganda. The proposals included prohibiting political content and speeches by political figures, banning party symbols, requiring advance approval of publicity materials and explicitly instructing speakers not to engage in campaigning.

According to the party, despite these conditions, Baharav-Miara maintained her position that the conference must be postponed until after the elections.

Shas also alleges selective enforcement, comparing the conference honoring HaRav Ovadia Yosef’s legacy with the state memorial events for Yitzchak Rabin, which are scheduled to take place only five days before the elections.

“When one memorial event is postponed because of its political affiliation, while a parallel event scheduled even closer to the elections proceeds as usual, serious concern arises over selective and politically motivated enforcement,” the petition states.

“The decision harms the feelings of hundreds of thousands of Jews for whom Maran was their rav and guide. Maran cannot be erased, his legacy cannot be diminished, and the love that hundreds of thousands have for him cannot be turned into ‘election propaganda.’ There is a limit to the insensitivity and detachment.”

The High Court petition comes after Shas initially attempted to appeal the issue to Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg. That proceeding was summarily dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, but the party emphasizes that Sohlberg did not rule on the substantive issue or determine that the conference constituted election propaganda. Shas is now asking the High Court to intervene in the Attorney General’s decision and allow the state to hold the conference on its originally scheduled date.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Iran has dramatically stepped up construction at a deeply buried facility near the Natanz nuclear complex that U.S. intelligence agencies view as a likely location for Tehran to protect future elements of its nuclear program. A six-year satellite imagery analysis found a “clear surge in construction activity” this year at the site, known as Pickaxe Mountain, CNN reported.

Israeli intelligence has suggested that Iran may be seeking to move centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain as part of uranium enrichment efforts. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike the facility, telling reporters last week, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon,” and adding that the U.S. knows “everybody that’s moving” at the site. But the facility’s location beneath a granite mountain presents a major challenge even for the Pentagon’s heaviest non-nuclear bunker-busting weapons.

The U.S. military maintains operational plans for strikes against Pickaxe Mountain, and the site was included in a target package considered earlier this summer as President Trump threatened to escalate the conflict with Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter. The proposed strike involved some of the largest bombs in the U.S. arsenal, although it remains unclear whether they could penetrate deeply enough to destroy whatever Iran may have moved underground. CNN also reported that elements of the Defense Department recently conducted a “planning sprint” focused on striking underground facilities.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis found that Pickaxe Mountain has experienced more road activity in 2026 than ever before, along with additional work including raising and hardening tunnel entrances, paving internal roads, reinforcing access areas and removing excavated dirt. Analysts believe the facility is likely intended for one of three nuclear-related purposes: a centrifuge assembly facility, an enrichment facility, or a protected site for other nuclear weapons-related work such as uranium metal conversion. However, CSIS cautioned that the continuing construction could indicate the facility is not yet capable of enrichment work, if that is ultimately its intended purpose.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

IDF forces this week arrested the three Palestinian police officers who were involved in setting up an illegal roadblock in Area C near Beitunia, beating up IDF reservist Shlomo Rosenthal and taking him to Ramallah.

The three are being interrogated by Israeli security forces.

The security establishment described the incident as “a serious breach by the PA security forces,” noting that the officers exceeded their authority in Area C, endangered Rosenthal and used “aggressive and severe” force against him.

The IDF clarified that security coordination with the PA is conducted in accordance with instructions from the political echelon, but added: “The IDF will not tolerate any deviation from procedures.”

The arrests came weeks after an IDF investigation determined that Palestinian Authority police officers had established a roadblock in Area C in the Binyamin region, where they are not authorized to operate.

Rosenthal was surrounded by about 30 Palestinian officers, who beat him, sprayed him with pepper spray, and kicked him in the face, breaking his glasses. They then took his gun, phone, and car keys and dragged him from his car while continuing to beat him. He was then handcuffed and driven to Ramallah.

The PA officers then contacted Civil Administration coordination officials and handed Rosenthal over to the IDF. Rosenthal was subsequently taken to the police station in Modi’in Illit, where he sought to file a complaint, but instead was criticized for having entered the area in the first place.

The IDF later backtracked and admitted that the PA police officers acted unlawfully.

After the investigation’s findings were published, Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz welcomed the investigation of the incident but demanded further action.

“We must not settle for an investigation alone. This was an armed force belonging to the enemy—the Palestinian Authority—that established a roadblock within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel, abducted a soldier along with his weapon and transferred him into Palestinian Authority territory. A sovereign country cannot overlook such an incident,” he said.

Ganz demanded at the time that the officers involved be arrested and prosecuted in Israel, that coordination with the Palestinian Authority be halted and that an investigation be conducted within the Civil Administration.

Attorney Chaim Bleicher of Honenu asserts that the incident represents a grave danger to Israeli security control of Area C.

“This is an extremely serious incident in which armed Palestinian policemen entered Area C contrary to the law, endangered the security of the area, beat and abducted an Israeli citizen,” Bleicher wrote. “This constitutes a severe and dangerous infringement both against the individual soldier and against the sovereignty of the IDF and the security forces.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

B’chasdei Hashem, the Belzer Rebbe was released from Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem on Wednesday and returned to his home in Kiryat Belz.

The Rebbe’s medical treatment was completed with great success, and the medical team that treated him expressed complete satisfaction with the results and the pace of his recovery. After the examinations and treatment were completed, the doctors approved his release home.

The chassidus received the news with gratitude to Hashem for His kindness, while issuing an impassioned call to all chassidim and the broader Jewish public to continue davening for the Rebbe to regain his strength and make a complete and lasting recovery.

Following reports on Tuesday that the Rebbe may not be released from the hospital until after Rosh Hashanah, the chassidus later clarified that the Rebbe’s situation has improved and he is expected to be released before Yom Tov.

As previously reported, the Rebbe arrived at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem for medical examinations on Sunday morning after feeling unwell. As a result, the Rebbe was absent from the first Selichos gathering in the main beis medrash in Kiryat Belz, and his son, HaRav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach, led the tefillos in his place.

After Selichos, the tens of thousands of chassidim pleaded for abundant rachamei Shamayim and recited pirkei Tehillim for his refuah. Tefillos continued throughout the week in Eretz Yisrael and around the world.

The public is asked to continue davening for the Rebbe, HaRav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam to regain his strength and for a refuah shleimah b’toch sha’ar cholei Yisrael.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he instructed his attorneys to file a defamation lawsuit against the Haaretz newspaper and journalists Shlomi Eldar, Ruth Yuval and Uri Misgav following a report it published on Tuesday claiming that Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed warned him before the October 7 massacre about an imminent large-scale Hamas attack.

In a statement titled “Haaretz-Manufactured Lies,” Netanyahu said: “The prime minister has instructed his attorneys to file a defamation lawsuit against the left-wing Haaretz newspaper, Shlomi Eldar and additional parties who fabricated a false libel against the prime minister that never happened.”

“Contrary to the claim,” Netanyahu wrote, “no conversation took place between the prime minister and the president of the United Arab Emirates from the beginning of September through October 7. The Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council and the Military Secretariat carefully examined the prime minister’s call log for those days—and found no record whatsoever of such a conversation.”

“As a rule, diplomatic conversations between the prime minister and the Emirati president take place exclusively in the Prime Minister’s Office through an Emirati representative who arrives at the office with a special encrypted device. All these conversations are documented.”

Netanyahu also addressed remarks made by Shlomi Eldar in an interview with Channel 12: “Eldar himself said in an interview with Channel 12 last night that the conversation he claims took place, during which he claims the prime minister was warned, was conducted in this manner.

“However, a thorough examination not only of the prime minister’s call log but also of the records of entries into the Prime Minister’s Office during this period shows no entry by an Emirati representative into the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Netanyahu added: “There is no possibility of entering the Prime Minister’s Office without being documented and registered by the facility’s security personnel.”

He also attacked another claim attributed to Eldar: “Eldar also lied when he said that Egypt warned the prime minister about a possible attack—a claim that was already disproven at the beginning of the war.”

Netanyahu accused Haaretz of publishing the report for political motives, stating: “The above proves that this is a malicious libel with clear political timing, as part of the left’s election campaign—and there will be more such false libels.”

He added: “This libel is intended to distract from what the public already understands,” placing responsibility on former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who failed to inform Netanyahu about numerous warning signs the night before the attack.

“Ronen Bar and Herzi Halevi saw all the warning signs many hours before the attack began. If, instead of fearing a miscalculation, they had instructed the IDF, the Shin Bet and the civilian security squads to take preventive action, and if they had informed me in time, the horrific massacre could have been prevented.”

According to the Haaretz report, Netanyahu received an explicit warning from the president of the United Arab Emirates about “an earthquake” Sinwar was planning against Israel days before the October 7 massacre, but did not inform the heads of the security establishment.

Haaretz responded: “We stand behind our report.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Following last week’s arrest of the suspect who allegedly poisoned Prinok baby food products, the investigation found that the suspect, Yan Shamala, entered branches of the Zol U’Begadol supermarket chain, stole the products, injected them with sedatives, and returned them to the shelves, Kan News reported on Reshet Bet on Tuesday morning.

Police have footage of Shamala’s criminal acts. The motive for his serious crimes remains unclear.

A prosecutor’s declaration will be submitted to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court today, with the intention of filing an indictment against him in the coming days.

Shamala, a resident of southern Israel in his 40s, was arrested last week following a breakthrough in the investigation, which was first exposed by Kan News approximately two and a half months ago. The transcript of his remand hearing indicates that Shamala has a psychiatric history. During the hearing, his defense attorney said that Shamala has bipolar disorder.

According to police, before his arrest, the suspect was referred for an evaluation at Eitanim Psychiatric Hospital, which determined that he is fit to remain in detention.

Shamala is suspected of a series of serious offenses, including deliberately poisoning food intended for infants and toddlers, using poison with the intent to endanger lives, theft, and negligent handling of medication.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A frightening incident unfolded Tuesday evening near the Moldova-Ukraine border, when a Russian missile reportedly struck just meters away from a vehicle carrying Yidden traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

B’chasdei Hashem, the travelers escaped unharmed despite the missile landing dangerously close to their vehicle.

Thousands of Yidden are currently traveling through Moldova and continuing overland into Ukraine on their way to Uman, with Ukraine’s airspace remaining closed due to the ongoing war.

Ukrainian authorities have specifically warned those traveling to Uman this year that routes near the Moldova border remain vulnerable to Russian drone and missile attacks.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Following its announcement of retaliatory measures against the UK, Israel is preparing to unveil reciprocal sanctions and other measures against France and other countries that have likewise imposed sanctions over activity in Yehuda and Shomron, Kan News reported.

Officials familiar with the discussions said Israel is considering moves against France and additional countries using a similar format to its response to Britain. As part of that response, Israel decided to suspend the British contingent’s activities at the Gaza monitoring center in Kiryat Gat and ordered the closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem.

The Foreign Ministry also decided to bar 12 British public figures and citizens from entering Israel over their alleged involvement in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity. Those barred include individuals who deny Israel’s right to exist.

Sa’ar said the Labour Party’s move was “especially absurd” in light of the Balfour Declaration, in which the British government formally recognized the Jewish people’s right to establish a national home in the Land of Israel, including Yehuda and Shomron.

Sa’ar also called the British decision “a blatant and unacceptable attempt by a foreign government to interfere during an election period,” adding: “We didn’t return to our land after 2,000 years only to lose it to Islamist jihadists. The Palestinians, too, will be directly harmed by these steps.”

British officials described Israel’s reaction as “excessive,” arguing that “this is not an action directed against the State of Israel, but a response to extremists and violence.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The United States is banning the import of some dairy products and motorcycles from Canada along with most alcoholic beverages, the White House said Tuesday, as part of a trade war that shows little sign of cooling off.

The ban will take effect Sept. 29 and comes after retaliatory tariffs promised by Canada kicked in earlier Tuesday on $20 billion in U.S. imports. Canada had responded to tariff moves by U.S. President Donald Trump after trade talks between the countries broke down last month.

Trump also moved to shut Canadian products out of large, long-term U.S. government contracts and directed the U.S. General Services Administration to declare Canadian products ineligible for those contracts until Canada allows “full and fair reciprocity″ for American products.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s strategy was about becoming more independent and vowed to speed those efforts. “It’s about ensuring that no country can hold us hostage. And that we can live how we want to live,” he said.

The rupture has upended one of the world’s closest relationships. On Aug. 22, the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about 5% of Canadian imports, charging that Canada had unfairly treated the American dairy, alcoholic beverage and auto industries.

The U.S. and Canada have long sparred over trade, particularly Canada’s protected dairy market and its subsidies for producers of softwood lumber. But they remained friends and staunch allies.

Under Trump, U.S.-Canada relations have deteriorated rapidly. In addition to imposing tariffs on Canadian products, Trump has repeatedly made inflammatory comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Carney came to power in a come-from-behind political victory last year by promising to stand up to him.

Some Canadian provinces have banned the sale of U.S. alcoholic products — a move that prompted the retaliatory U.S. ban on Tuesday on various Canadian wines and spirits. Also subject to the ban are some motorcycles and mopeds, dairy products, including whey, and various types of molasses.

Canada is exploring ties with the European Union that could stop just short of membership, a Canadian official familiar with the discussions said.

Options could include expanding existing agreements, negotiating a new treaty or creating other forms of cooperation. The official said Canada is already consulting provinces, territories and labor groups about what a deeper relationship with the EU could look like, but no model has been chosen.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

Carney is due in Strasbourg, France, next week, where he will attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address Sept. 16 and address the European Parliament the following day.

Carney acknowledged the trade actions would cause short-term pain but said they would push Canada to move faster on investment, infrastructure and trade diversification.

“It was easy business, but it meant we relied too much on one economic partner,” he said. “That time is over.”

More than 70% of Canadian exports still go to the United States, underscoring the scale of Carney’s push to diversify trade. He said Canada’s exports to other countries are rising sharply and are on track to double over the next decade.

Carney defended the retaliation, saying Canada could not let American goods enter tariff-free while Canadian companies face U.S. tariffs.

Canada was not seeking to escalate the confrontation, he said, but the tariffs were necessary to protect Canadian workers.

Carney said the larger problem was what Washington had sought in the failed negotiations.

“The most fundamental issue is that the cumulative U.S. demands revealed that they wanted us to become even more reliant on them, not less,” he said. “In too many areas, they wanted dependency, not a true economic partnership.”

The prime minister said Washington sought limits on French-language and cultural protections, influence over future trade deals and terms that would weaken the auto, steel and forestry sectors.

How the trade war ends could carry consequences far beyond Canada, testing whether a smaller U.S. ally can resist Trump’s economic pressure without being forced to yield.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Canadian official said Ottawa did not intend to change course regardless of whether Trump responded with nothing or what the official called a “nuclear response.” The government’s strategy will remain focused on building more at home and diversifying trade abroad, the official said.

The tariffs hit hundreds of American products, including steel, aluminum, cheese, appliances, clothing, cosmetics and farm equipment, at rates of 15%, 25% or 50%. They cover about $20 billion in American goods, roughly 6% of the $333.6 billion the United States exported to Canada last year.

Since Canada-U.S. trade talks collapsed Aug. 21, Trump and his administration have imposed additional tariffs and issued a series of threats and attacks portraying Canada as weak and dependent.

Trump’s trade war and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state have fueled anger across the country. Canadians have sharply cut travel to the United States and boycotted U.S. goods, moves Carney praised as signs of national resolve.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said the province will install new signs at U.S. border crossings reading: “Welcome to British Columbia, Canada. Strong, proud and will NEVER be the 51st state. Sorry!”

“While our kindness is one of our greatest strengths, you should never, ever mistake that kindness for weakness,” Eby said.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government was assessing the latest U.S. tariff measures and that he remained in contact with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, adding that Canada was ready to engage when Washington was.

The senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters during a conference call late Tuesday that was arranged by the White House said U.S. and Canadian trade representatives have had “constructive conversations” and would speak again in coming days to see if there’s a “path forward.”

Former U.S. trade official Wendy Cutler said Carney’s public approval rating, now topping 70%, gives him little reason to restart talks.

“Clearly, at this point each side does not want to look too anxious to reengage in fear of looking weak,” she said.

(AP)

After reports on Tuesday that the Belzer Rebbe might be forced to spend Rosh Hashanah in the hospital, the Rebbe’s household issued an encouraging update, saying that, b’chasdei Hashem, his medical condition had improved significantly and that b’ezras Hashem, he was expected to be released from Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on Wednesday.

Following his release, the Rebbe is expected to return to Kiryat Belz in Jerusalem, where he will lead the Rosh Hashanah tefillos together with thousands of chassidim arriving from across Israel and overseas.

On Tuesday morning, the Belzer Rebbe’s brother-in-law, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, paid a second bikur cholim visit to the Rebbe at the hospital.

The public is asked to continue davening for the refuah sheleimah of the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam b’toch sha’ar cholei Yisrael.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

United Torah Judaism representatives submitted the party’s slate for the 26th Knesset on Tuesday evening, ahead of the upcoming elections.

Internal tensions within Agudas Yisrael continued until the final seconds before the deadline. As previously reported, Meir Porush and Elyakim Stark (the new Belzer representative) split off from Agudas Yisrael and submitted a separate slate. Under the agreements, Ger, Vizhnitz and Sanz signed separately with Degel HaTorah, while Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas submitted their first two candidates on the slate through a separately registered party.

United Torah Judaism now comprises three different parties: Degel HaTorah, Agudas Yisrael and Chomas Toras Yisrael.

Roth, Stark, Porush and Eichler prepare the party slate.

However, Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas (Belz) clarified that the move does not constitute a withdrawal from Agudas Yisrael. In a joint statement, the factions said: “This is merely a technical measure intended to ensure an equitable partnership within Agudas Yisrael.”

Porush and Stark sign with Degel HaTorah.

Incoming UTJ chairman MK Yaakov Asher was placed first on the slate. Yitzchak Goldknopf was placed second, Yitzchak Pindrus third, Meir Porush fourth, Moshe Rosenthal fifth, and Elyakim Stark sixth.

Further down the slate, Yehuda Weissfish was placed seventh, Yaakov Tessler eighth, David Saltz ninth, David Ohana tenth, Moshe Roth 11th, and Eliyahu Baruchi 12th.

Former Elad mayor Yisrael Porush, the son of Meir Porush, was placed 13th on the United Torah Judaism slate.

The UTJ slate in list form, broken down by its constituent parties:

1. 1. Yaakov Asher — Degel HaTorah
   2. Yitzchak Goldknopf — Agudas Yisrael
   3. Yitzchak Pindrus — Degel HaTorah
   4. Meir Porush — Chomas Toras Yisrael
   5. Moshe Rosenthal — Degel HaTorah
   6. Eliakim Stark — Chomas Toras Yisrael
   7. Yehuda Weissfish — Degel HaTorah
   8. Yaakov Tessler — Agudas Yisrael
   9. David Ohana — Degel HaTorah
   10. Eliyahu Baruchi — Degel HaTorah

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel issued a pointed warning Tuesday that Israel will not tolerate attempts to threaten its freedom of action at sea, in remarks apparently directed at Turkey and the Iran-backed Houthis as he addressed efforts to change the balance of power in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, the Times of Israel reports.

Speaking at a Navy officers’ graduation ceremony at the Haifa Naval Base, Harel declared that Israel’s changing security environment means there is effectively “no longer any distant front,” stressing that the Navy is built to project Israeli military power thousands of miles from the country.

“To anyone seeking to challenge the State of Israel from the maritime and distant arena, I say from here: distance will not provide immunity to anyone seeking to harm us,” Harel warned.

The Navy chief said Israel is closely watching actors seeking to alter the regional balance of power in both the Mediterranean and Red Seas, adding that Israeli forces are monitoring their activities and preparing accordingly.

Harel made clear that Israel views its ability to operate freely at sea as a strategic national interest that will be defended. “The Navy will not accept a reality in which the freedom of action of the State of Israel, or the strategic interests in the national maritime arena, are subject to threat,” he declared.

“We will be there, and everywhere else, openly and covertly, to fulfill our responsibility and mission in every way,” Harel added.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A non-Jewish university student in Britain says she has been subjected to a barrage of antisemitic abuse, including being branded a “Mossad agent” and “baby killer,” simply because of her work promoting Holocaust education.

Amberley Thai, a 20-year-old third-year history student at the University of Exeter, serves as a regional ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust. Her involvement began around four years ago after visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp through a program run by the organization.

Thai told British media that her Holocaust education work has prompted unexpected hostility from fellow students, who have called her a “Mossad agent,” accused her of being a mouthpiece for Israel and claimed that she supports the killing of children.

In one incident, Thai said a friend was left shocked after another student warned her about Thai, claiming that she supported killing children. She said offensive comments and antisemitic stereotypes have become increasingly commonplace around her on campus.

Thai also described encountering disturbing ignorance about the Holocaust, saying some students claimed that only several hundred thousand people were murdered, citing information they had consumed on social media.

Despite not being Jewish herself, Thai said she has found herself targeted because of her efforts to preserve Holocaust memory and educate others about what took place.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Jewish community in the United States is now spending more than $1 billion annually to protect shuls, schools, community centers and other Jewish institutions, according to new data from the Jewish Federations of North America.

Annual security spending has reached approximately $1.015 billion — a 33% jump from the previous 2024 estimate of $765 million.

The figures cover more than 4,500 Jewish institutions nationwide, with an average annual security cost of roughly $225,000 per institution. The total does not include private Jewish businesses, including kosher restaurants and stores.

Much of the money is spent on security guards and security personnel, while approximately $150 million annually goes toward cameras, security systems, building hardening and maintenance of protective equipment.

Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric Fingerhut said the enormous increase demonstrates how dangerous life has become for American Jews, noting that every dollar spent on guards and cameras is money that cannot be used for Jewish education, caring for the elderly or assisting families in need.

According to the Federations, the more than $1 billion being spent annually on security could instead cover Jewish school tuition for approximately 44,000 children, pay for summer camp for every Jewish child in the United States, or fund all Birthright Israel trips for a decade.

The staggering costs come amid continued concerns over antisemitic hate crimes. NYPD data cited in the report shows that while major crime in New York City fell 6.2% during the first eight months of 2026, confirmed antisemitic hate crimes rose 8% to 229 incidents. Jews were targeted in more than half of the city’s 425 confirmed hate crimes during that period.

FBI data for 2025 also showed that anti-Jewish offenses accounted for 64% of all religiously motivated hate crimes nationwide, despite Jews comprising only about 2% of the U.S. population.

The Federations are using the new figures to press Congress for increased funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program and additional legislation aimed at helping Jewish institutions shoulder the growing cost of protecting their communities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down government decisions appointing Dr. Yifat Ben Hai Segev as chairwoman of the Second Authority for Television and Radio Council, along with attorney Kinneret Barashi and Dr. Haim Shine as council members.

The three-judge panel, headed by Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit alongside Justices Ruth Ronnen and Alex Stein, ruled that the appointments were marred by administrative flaws, particularly because the appointments committee did not have all relevant information before it.

The government initially approved 15 members of the council on March 24, 2026. Following concerns over Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s involvement, the government held another vote on March 31 without Netanyahu participating.

The conflict-of-interest issue centered on Ben Hai Segev having previously testified in Netanyahu’s criminal trial. The court ruled that Netanyahu’s participation in the original appointment violated the conflict-of-interest arrangement binding him, saying the fact that her testimony ended in 2022 did not eliminate concerns over the appearance of granting a benefit to a witness.

The court also rejected the argument that the second government vote, held without Netanyahu, corrected the problem. Amit wrote that the new vote occurred only days later without any meaningful change in the factual or legal basis on which the appointments were considered.

Regarding Barashi and Shine, the court found that significant information, including previous public statements relevant to potential bias, had not been properly presented to the appointments committee before it issued its recommendations.

The government and council members had argued that the appointments were lawful and that the candidates’ previous comments constituted legitimate public criticism rather than evidence of bias.

The court ultimately canceled the government’s appointment decisions and sent the matter back for renewed consideration by the appointments committee should the communications minister seek to advance the candidates again. Justice Stein noted that there is no barrier to Barashi and Shine being selected again, subject to appropriate conflict-of-interest arrangements.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

To the Editors of YWN,

Walking into a prominent Five Towns shul recently, I was disturbed to find coffee cups bearing advertisements for a cash advance company. This casual commercialization of a sanctuary demands an urgent re-evaluation of what our institutions tolerate and endorse.

How is this a clean profession? The Talmud explicitly teaches that a person should always teach their child a clean and easy profession (Perek Kiddushin), emphasizing the ethical integrity of how one makes a living.

By allowing these ads on items used weekly, we are showing our kids that predatory lending is a legitimate business. Every Shabbos, our shuls serve as classrooms without walls; when children see a shul implicitly backing a high-interest lender, they learn that profiting off financial desperation is sanctioned by the community.

This normalization ignores profound historical and halachic warnings. As Rabbi Yaron Reuven has noted, whenever our people have been heavily involved in high-interest money lending, it has consistently generated intense resentment and invited great tragedy—feeding directly into the oldest antisemitic tropes, even in regions where people never interact with a Jewish community firsthand. Compounding this, there are widespread concerns that such companies extend funds without a proper Heter Iska, risking direct halachic violations of ribbis within our neighborhoods.

Our shuls are meant to be beacons of ethical clarity, not billboards for high-interest debt traps. It is time for our lay leadership to exercise sober judgment, establish strict sponsorship ethics, and ensure our institutions reflect our highest moral responsibilities.

Sincerely,

A concerned 5 Towns resident

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Argentina’s government is preparing to file a criminal complaint against Israeli energy company Navitas Petroleum, its subsidiaries and senior executives over oil operations near the disputed Falkland Islands, as President Javier Milei moves to intensify pressure on companies operating in the territory.

The complaint will be filed by Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, with Buenos Aires accusing the companies of conducting unauthorized energy activity in an area Argentina claims as its sovereign territory.

Navitas, which is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, holds a 65% stake in the Sea Lion oil project in the northern basin of the Falkland Islands. Argentina claims the company is violating Argentine law by operating under licenses issued by Britain.

The move follows Milei’s announcement that Argentina would impose sanctions on companies involved in oil and gas drilling around the disputed islands, which Argentina refers to as the Malvinas.

The controversy has also drawn Israeli political attention. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentine sovereignty over the islands and impose sanctions on Britain in response to planned British measures against Israel. Milei subsequently shared Ben Gvir’s statement on X.

The Falkland Islands have been controlled by Britain for nearly two centuries but remain claimed by Argentina, with the sovereignty dispute leading to the 1982 Falklands War between the two countries.

The latest action creates an unusual diplomatic complication between Argentina and Israel at a time when Milei has emerged as one of Israel’s strongest international supporters.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Republican Bruce Blakeman is within striking distance of Gov. Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race, with a new poll showing the Nassau County executive trailing the Democratic incumbent by just four percentage points less than two months before Election Day. The McLaughlin & Associates survey, conducted for Blakeman’s campaign, has Hochul at 49.6% and Blakeman at 45.7%, with 4.7% undecided, the New York Post reports.

The poll, conducted among 800 likely voters from Aug. 27 through Aug. 31, also points to significant dissatisfaction with Hochul. Fifty-five percent of respondents view the governor unfavorably, while 56% believe it is time to give someone else a chance to lead New York. Just 38% believe Hochul has performed well enough to deserve reelection.

Blakeman is performing particularly strongly outside New York City. He leads Hochul 53% to 43% in the suburbs and 51% to 46% upstate. Hochul, however, maintains a massive advantage in New York City, leading Blakeman 60% to 33%, meaning the Republican would need enormous turnout outside the city or significantly narrow her NYC margin to pull off an upset.

The campaign’s poll paints a considerably tighter picture than an independent Siena College survey released last month, which had Hochul ahead by 10 points, 49% to 39%. Blakeman also faces a major name-recognition problem, with 30% of likely voters in the new survey either unfamiliar with him or having no opinion of him.

Hochul also enters the final stretch with an enormous financial advantage. Her campaign reported $21 million on hand in July, while the state Democratic Party held another $22 million. Blakeman’s campaign, the Nassau County Republican Party and other allied GOP groups have raised roughly $11 million, although outside super PACs are now spending to boost his candidacy.

“The Worst Governor in America is on the ropes, and New Yorkers have had enough,” Blakeman declared, predicting voters will elect him in November “to make New York affordable again, keep families here, and build a new era where everyone has the opportunity to prosper.”

The survey is the latest pro-Blakeman poll to show a close contest. Two earlier surveys commissioned by groups supporting the Republican had Hochul ahead by four and six points, respectively. In 2022, Hochul defeated Republican Lee Zeldin by six points, 53% to 47%.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Following the surrender of Syria’s Kurdish forces, the government in Damascus is turning its attention toward the Druze stronghold in southern Syria, amid growing tensions over the community’s relationship with Israel.

A Syrian security official told Kan News that Israel is providing weekly aerial assistance to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and members of his “National Guard,” claiming the Israeli support is making the possibility of reaching an agreement with Damascus increasingly remote.

According to the Syrian official, Damascus views Israel’s alleged support for al-Hijri and efforts to strengthen his position as counterproductive, contrasting his demands with those made by the Kurds.

Tensions have intensified following remarks by al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, declaring that the Druze are an “inseparable part of Israel.”

Al-Hijri has emerged as a dominant figure among Syria’s Druze following deadly attacks carried out by forces aligned with the Syrian regime in the Druze Mountain region. He has taken an increasingly hard line against the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while advocating closer relations with Israel and separation from Damascus.

Those positions, coupled with what Syrian officials claim are increasingly close ties between al-Hijri’s forces and Israel, have raised alarms in Damascus as the government shifts its focus toward the Druze-controlled south.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Trump administration on Tuesday unleashed a sweeping new sanctions package against Iran’s commercial aviation sector, targeting 36 entities as part of its “Operation Economic Outcast” campaign to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated 27 active Iranian commercial airlines, including Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air and Zagros Airlines. The action targets carriers and aviation networks accused of supporting sanctions evasion and helping Iran obtain aircraft and other aviation-related equipment.

Treasury also suspended several longstanding aviation authorizations involving Iran, including provisions that had permitted certain overflights and allowed non-U.S. airlines to operate U.S.-origin or U.S.-controlled aircraft into the country. The move further restricts Iran’s access to aircraft and aviation services with connections to the United States.

The sanctions extend well beyond Iran. Treasury targeted companies and individuals in the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Kazakhstan accused of providing support to Mahan Air and helping Tehran circumvent existing U.S. restrictions.

Among the networks targeted are entities accused of facilitating the transfer of at least three Boeing 777 aircraft to Mahan Air through the UAE and Oman during the summer of 2026. Others allegedly handled cargo for the Iranian carrier that included UAV components, industrial equipment and U.S.-origin aircraft parts.

The action represents another major step in the Trump administration’s expanding economic campaign against Tehran, with Washington increasingly targeting not only Iranian entities themselves but the foreign networks accused of keeping them supplied and connected to international markets.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

MK Uri Maklev published a farewell and thank-you letter to the public, summing up his years of public activity and service in the Knesset following Degel HaTorah’s announcement of his departure.

In his remarks, he noted that he had done his utmost to remain attentive to the public’s needs and to work on behalf of Jewish sacred values and public institutions with faithfulness and integrity, with a sense of mission that had not diminished from his first day to his last.

As one of the central achievements of his tenure, Maklev cited his initiative to establish the “Chareidi Authority,” which currently operates successfully in 57 local authorities.

Maklev thanked the public for its cooperation and support throughout the years and made clear that he has the desire and willingness to continue serving the public from any position, to the extent possible.

Maklev added: “Throughout the journey, you gave me feedback, strength and appreciation, through a special and fruitful cooperation, and I am grateful for that. Every day, I felt the shlichus anew, as though I had begun it that very day. The shlichus was no more burdensome to me on my last day than on my first. I have the desire and willingness to continue serving and doing everything in my power for the public, from any position, to the extent that I am able.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence giant behind Claude, has backed away from a potential acquisition of Israeli AI startup Decart after discussions centered on a deal reportedly valued at approximately $6 billion.

According to a Bloomberg report cited by B’Chadrei Charedim, Anthropic had already conducted due diligence on Decart, closely examining the Israeli company’s operations and technology before ultimately deciding not to proceed with the acquisition. The reason for the decision was not disclosed.

Despite the collapse of the potential acquisition, the two companies could still work together. A person familiar with the matter said Anthropic and Decart may explore other forms of cooperation. Both companies declined to comment on the report.

Decart develops technology aimed at improving the efficiency of chips used to power artificial intelligence systems, potentially reducing the cost of training and operating AI models. The Israeli startup was founded in 2023 by Dean Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev, with Orian Leitersdorf later joining the company.

Had the reported $6 billion acquisition gone forward, it would have ranked among the largest technology deals involving an Israeli company and represented an unusually large acquisition for Anthropic.

For now, Decart will remain independent, while the possibility of a future commercial or technological partnership with Anthropic remains on the table.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in southern France early Tuesday morning and stole four works of art valued at approximately €9 million — about $10.5 million — before fleeing the scene.

The robbery took place at the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, the former home of famed French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. According to Mayor Bryan Masson, the museum’s alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., and municipal police arrived within five minutes.

Security cameras captured the two suspects fleeing the museum. During their escape, the thieves dropped one of the stolen works and left it behind. Authorities have not yet disclosed which specific pieces were targeted.

The museum opened in 1960 at Renoir’s final home, where the artist lived until his death in 1919. It houses original furniture and personal belongings belonging to Renoir, as well as portraits, landscapes and other works of art.

Masson described the robbery as an attack on the history and heritage of the community as French authorities launched an investigation and search for the stolen artwork and those responsible.

The heist comes less than a year after eight items valued at approximately $100 million were stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Four suspects in that case were arrested, but the stolen works have still not been recovered despite extensive searches by authorities in France and elsewhere in Europe.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The rapidly escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran intensified dramatically Tuesday night, as U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — and Tehran responded hours later by launching a major missile barrage reportedly aimed at U.S. military positions in Jordan.

U.S. Central Command confirmed Tuesday that American forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after the IRGC twice attempted to strike a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the previous two days. The American warship successfully evaded both attacks and continued its patrol, with no U.S. personnel injured.

“In response to Iran’s most recent failed attacks, CENTCOM destroyed the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island,” CENTCOM said.

U.S. forces first ordered the crews aboard the tankers to abandon their vessels before striking and rendering them inoperable.

“Iran has used the tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend these vessels,” CENTCOM said.

The strikes represent a significant expansion of Washington’s campaign to cripple Tehran’s ability to finance its military and terror proxies through oil exports. Reuters reported that the renewed fighting has become an increasingly intense economic and military showdown, with Washington seeking to choke off Iranian exports while maintaining commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Tuesday’s operation came just three days after CENTCOM destroyed three additional Iranian crude oil carriers. On Sept. 5, the IRGC fired ballistic missiles toward a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer patrolling regional waters. Both American vessels successfully evaded the attacks.

“All IRGC attempts against U.S. Navy warships have failed,” CENTCOM said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear Tuesday that the Trump administration intends to impose a steep price on Tehran every time it attempts to attack American forces.

“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships,” Rubio told reporters.

“And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers.”

“And I think you’ll see that again today,” Rubio added, shortly before the latest U.S. strikes were confirmed.

Hours later, Iran appeared to launch its response.

Iranian state-linked media reported Tuesday night that Tehran had launched a wave of missiles toward U.S. military positions in Jordan, describing the attack as retaliation for the American strikes on Iranian oil tankers. Iranian reports claimed explosions at two U.S. positions, although those claims had not been independently verified and neither U.S. nor Jordanian authorities had immediately confirmed damage from the reported attack.

Iranian media reported missiles being launched from as many as 12 locations across Iran in what appeared to be one of Tehran’s largest barrages since the conclusion of Operation Roaring Lion.

Dramatic video recorded from Israel showed missiles streaking through the nighttime sky over neighboring Jordan, with apparent interceptions visible in the distance.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage from Tuesday night’s barrage.

Jordan has repeatedly demonstrated that it will defend its airspace against Iranian missiles. Just one day earlier, the Jordanian Armed Forces said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed eight Iranian missiles headed toward Jordanian territory, with falling debris causing no reported casualties or property damage.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear Tuesday that the United States will not join Britain and 11 other Western countries in imposing new trade restrictions targeting Israeli areas in Yehuda and Shomron, distancing the Trump administration from the latest international pressure campaign against Israel, the Times of Israel reports.

“Obviously, we’re not going to do what the UK did,” Rubio told reporters in Miami. “We saw their announcement today, but I don’t have any comment on it right now.”

Rubio nevertheless stressed that the United States wants to avoid further instability in Yehuda and Shomron amid the broader turmoil across the Middle East, telling reporters that Washington does not want to see “anything destabilizing going on right now in the West Bank with so much going on in the region.”

The remarks came hours after Britain announced sweeping measures targeting Israeli areas beyond the Green Line, including restrictions on trade with settlements. A group of 12 Western countries — Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom — also issued a joint declaration backing national and/or European restrictions on settlement trade, or stating that they are actively considering such measures.

Israel responded furiously to the British move. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel would close the British Consulate in Yerushalayim, remove British representatives from the U.S.-backed International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, terminate a British team working with Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah, and bar a group of British officials and citizens from entering Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot remains without a dedicated security detail despite threats against him, with officials in his camp accusing the chairman of the committee responsible for reviewing his protection of deliberately delaying the recommendation, Channel 13 reports.

The issue has taken on added urgency as Eisenkot becomes one of the most prominent candidates in Israel’s election campaign and increasingly appears at public political events across the country.

According to the report, the professional process examining the threat level against Eisenkot has not yet resulted in the implementation of a permanent security arrangement. His associates are reportedly frustrated by the delay and believe the matter should already have advanced.

The dispute comes amid an increasingly heated election campaign and heightened concerns over threats directed at senior Israeli political figures.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new political shakeup erupted inside United Torah Judaism Tuesday afternoon as Meir Porush and Eliakim Stark informed representatives of Gur that they will not run under Agudas Yisrael’s existing party framework, instead registering under a separate party within the broader UTJ alliance, Bechadrei Charedim reports.

The new framework is called Chomas Toras Yisrael. Despite the apparent drama surrounding the move, sources familiar with the negotiations described it as primarily procedural rather than a decision to abandon United Torah Judaism.

The purpose is to give Porush and Stark greater political independence and prevent them from being formally subordinate to decisions made through Agudas Yisrael under the influence of Gur.

They are still expected to run under the broader United Torah Judaism umbrella, preserving the joint Chareidi list while changing the internal legal and political structure through which they participate.

The move comes amid intensive negotiations over the makeup of UTJ, the allocation of positions and the relationship between its different factions and Chassidic courts as the parties finalize their arrangements for the election.

For Porush and Stark, the separate framework creates a degree of autonomy while avoiding an outright split from UTJ — a distinction that could become significant in future internal disputes.

The maneuver is particularly notable because of the longstanding tensions surrounding the balance of power among Agudas Yisrael, Degel HaTorah and the various Chassidic factions represented within the alliance.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel is considering the early deployment of a temporary international verification force in southern Lebanon as it prepares for the end of UNIFIL’s mandate later this year, according to a Channel 14 report.

UNIFIL’s operational mandate is scheduled to expire on December 31, after which the peacekeeping force is expected to begin an orderly withdrawal from Lebanon. Israeli officials reportedly want an alternative mechanism in place beforehand to prevent a security vacuum and avoid a renewed or expanded United Nations presence in the area.

Under the proposal being considered, the new multinational force could include countries such as Greece, Switzerland, Italy and Indonesia.

However, Israel has reportedly ruled out allowing France, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom to participate. Jerusalem’s position is that countries taking steps against Israel through hostile diplomatic measures, legislation or international legal proceedings should not be given a role in security arrangements directly affecting Israel.

The discussions come as Israeli military operations against Hezbollah continue in southern Lebanon and diplomatic efforts remain underway to disarm the terror group and expand the Lebanese Armed Forces’ presence and responsibilities in the area.

The report said direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to resume next week, with the proposed verification force and security arrangements for the post-UNIFIL era expected to be major topics in the talks.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Passengers at Ben Gurion Airport could face renewed delays as Israel enters the peak Yom Tov travel season, with ground-crew shortages reportedly once again placing pressure on airport operations just weeks after a wildcat strike caused major disruptions, Channel 12 reports.

Airport workers told Channel 12 that temporary personnel reinforcements brought in following the August labor disruption have ended, leaving a renewed shortage among workers responsible for loading and unloading baggage.

The timing is particularly sensitive, with passenger traffic expected to surge as the Yomim Tovim approach and large numbers of Israelis travel abroad.

The Israel Airports Authority strongly rejected claims that Ben Gurion is heading toward another operational crisis, insisting that the airport is functioning normally and accusing those spreading such warnings of presenting false information.

According to the IAA, staffing was planned in advance for the peak travel period and personnel levels are being continuously reinforced based on projected passenger volume and operational requirements.

Airport management and the workers’ union reached an agreement last week aimed at maintaining uninterrupted operations during the Yom Tov travel rush.

That agreement followed last month’s wildcat strike over staffing shortages, which produced delays and cancellations on what was Ben Gurion Airport’s busiest travel day of the year and raised questions over whether the airport was adequately prepared for the much larger holiday rush.

Despite the IAA’s assurances, workers quoted in the report maintain that the shortage of ground personnel is again being felt, particularly among baggage crews.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A violent confrontation aboard a bus in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood left six people injured, including two toddlers, after a ticket inspector allegedly punched a passenger and sprayed pepper spray inside the crowded bus.

The incident occurred Sunday evening and reportedly began with a verbal confrontation between the inspector and one of the passengers. According to a report cited by B’Chadrei Charedim, the argument included a dispute over statements concerning the identity of the state and who it belongs to before rapidly escalating.

The inspector is suspected of punching the passenger during the confrontation. When other passengers attempted to intervene, he allegedly pulled out pepper spray and discharged it inside the bus.

Children and babies were among those aboard at the time, with some reportedly bursting into tears as the confrontation unfolded. Six people, including two toddlers, were affected by the pepper spray, with several suffering breathing difficulties. They were evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

A source familiar with the incident accused the inspector of becoming highly agitated, cursing those around him and acting violently, while questioning his use of pepper spray under the circumstances.

Officers from Jerusalem’s Moriah Police Station responded to the scene and arrested the inspector. Police collected testimony from passengers as part of their investigation.

The suspect was brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was subsequently released under restrictive conditions. The investigation remains ongoing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. military and intelligence officials are quietly considering a significant reduction in America’s permanent military footprint across the Middle East once the war with Iran ends, potentially cutting troop levels in Gulf countries, abandoning heavily damaged facilities and shifting more of the region’s defense burden to U.S. allies, CNN reports.

The discussions remain informal, with no official force-posture review ordered by President Trump or the Pentagon. But officials have developed several potential options that could begin as early as next year, as Washington considers what its presence in the region should look like after months of fighting exposed serious vulnerabilities at American bases. Roughly 50,000 U.S. troops remain in the Middle East, along with two aircraft carriers and more than a dozen guided-missile destroyers.

Iranian missile and drone attacks have inflicted significant damage on American installations across the Gulf. U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have all been struck, while a CIA facility in Riyadh was “effectively destroyed,” according to a U.S. official and a former intelligence officer. Previous assessments found that Iranian strikes damaged at least 16 U.S. military installations across eight countries, leaving some virtually unusable.

The scale of the damage has prompted the Pentagon to consider moving portions of its remaining infrastructure underground to better protect personnel and critical equipment from future missile and drone attacks. Officials are also weighing whether it makes financial or strategic sense to rebuild some installations that suffered extensive damage during the war.

Some CIA and U.S. special operations officials are examining an even more dramatic change: conducting sensitive missions without maintaining permanent bases in the region. Under such an approach, personnel and equipment could remain in the United States, deploy to the Middle East for individual missions and return home afterward. Senior Pentagon officials have also privately expressed interest in reducing the U.S. presence in several Gulf countries and placing greater responsibility for regional defense on American partners.

Despite those discussions, a large-scale withdrawal is far from certain. Officials expect the United States to retain some major permanent bases in the Middle East, and Washington remains deeply engaged in the ongoing confrontation with Tehran. Iran continues to target American forces, while U.S. forces continue operations in and around the Strait of Hormuz and against Iranian infrastructure. There is also no clear timetable for ending the war.

The debate nevertheless underscores how dramatically the Iran war has changed American calculations in the region. Bases that for decades provided Washington with a powerful platform for projecting military force have themselves become prime targets for Iranian missiles and drones, forcing U.S. officials to reconsider where American forces should be stationed, how they should be protected and how much of the enormous post-9/11 military infrastructure should remain once the fighting ends.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that it does not currently plan to close beaches at the Kinneret despite confirming the presence of the potentially deadly Naegleria fowleri amoeba in the lake and another recent case of infection.

The rare organism, commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” can cause a severe and potentially fatal infection when contaminated water enters the nose, allowing the amoeba to reach the brain. The ministry stressed that infection does not occur from drinking Kinneret water and cannot spread from person to person.

Prof. Sigal Sadetzki, head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry, said officials already know the amoeba is present in the Kinneret and that its concentration is extremely low. She explained that routine sampling would provide little useful information because locating the organism in such a large body of water is like “looking for a needle in a haystack.”

The ministry is advising swimmers to take precautions, including using nose clips and avoiding diving, jumping into the water, putting their heads underwater or participating in activities that could force water into the nose. Swimmers are also being advised not to disturb the lakebed in shallow areas.

Four cases involving Naegleria fowleri have been diagnosed in Israel since 2022. Two previous cases occurred during the summer of 2024 and were linked to the Gai Beach water park near the Kinneret. In the latest case, an epidemiological investigation found that the infected child had visited Kursi Beach approximately a week before being hospitalized.

Despite the potentially deadly nature of the infection, officials stressed that the disease remains extremely rare and said there is currently no directive to close the Kinneret’s beaches.

The Health Ministry said it will continue monitoring developments and adjust its guidance if necessary. Officials also said there is currently no clear timetable for when the precautionary recommendations could be lifted because the amoeba’s presence is tied to ecological conditions in the lake.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An American yeshiva bochur has been held in an Israeli jail for nearly three months without an indictment being filed against him, prompting askonim involved in the case to launch a public campaign demanding his release.

Avrohom Yitzchok Cohen, an American citizen learning in Yerushalayim, was arrested at his dira in the Bar Ilan area nearly three months ago. According to witnesses, police broke into the apartment and arrested him without presenting a warrant.

According to reports, police suspect Cohen of involvement in an arson incident on Bar Ilan Street connected to the ongoing protests against construction of the light rail through the area. Askonim involved in the case strongly deny the allegations, maintaining that his only involvement was participating in demonstrations against the project.

Authorities established a special investigative team aimed at cracking down on the protests against the light rail. They allege that after the team failed to make progress in its broader investigation into the protesters and incidents surrounding the demonstrations, investigators turned Cohen into what they described as a sacrificial victim, directing their frustration at him despite no indictment having been filed nearly three months after his arrest.

Askonim involved in the case further allege that Cohen’s American citizenship may have played a role in the authorities’ handling of his case. They claim police have sought to crack down specifically on American yeshiva bochurim involved in disturbances and protests in Israel, and believe Cohen is being used to send a broader message to others.

At Cohen’s latest court hearing, his detention was extended until two days before Rosh Hashanah. They say that house arrest has been agreed to in principle, but his release has been delayed while the Israel Prison Service reviews the proposed conditions. Organizers claim the process has been complicated by Cohen being a foreign resident and difficulties arranging the required probation-related conditions.

The case has now prompted a broader campaign within the American community in Eretz Yisrael. Posters distributed throughout Yerushalayim prominently highlight Cohen’s American citizenship and call on Americans to speak out over his continued incarceration.

A major Atzeres Tefillah is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM at Kikar HaShabbos in Yerushalayim, with organizers calling on the public, particularly American yeshiva bochurim, to attend and demand Cohen’s release.

The Atzeres Tefillah is expected to be attended by prominent Rabbanim and Admorim, including the Mishkenos HaRo’im Rebbe, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Turchin, the Dushinsky Rebbe, the Rebbe of Khal Chasidei Yerushalayim, HaGaon HaRav Yehuda Fisher, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Teitelbaum, and HaRav Shlomo Mintzberg, according to organizers.

Cohen’s supporters are demanding his release and questioning his continued incarceration for nearly three months without an indictment being filed.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Religious Zionism chairman and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich has decided to add Maj. Gen. (res.) Yossi Bachar, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri and one of the heroes of the October 7 battles, to the party’s slate for the 26th Knesset.

Bachar is entering the political arena after decades of military service and a long series of senior command positions in the IDF, including commander of the General Staff Corps, commander of the Gaza Division, commander of the Galilee Division, and commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.

On the morning of October 7, Bachar left his home in Be’eri and fought for hours against Hamas terrorists who had infiltrated the kibbutz, helping defend its residents. His mother, Geula, Hy”d, was murdered in the massacre. Following the return of the body of hostage Sahar Baruch, Hy”d, Bachar revealed that Baruch was his nephew. His son is married to a granddaughter of Rav Dov Lior.

Later in the war, he served as deputy commander of the Southern Command and oversaw the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Smotrich welcomed his addition, saying: “Yossi Bachar is a hero of Israel, a man of yishuvim and security who understands the importance of settlement to Israel’s security. A highly accomplished fighter and commander, and a man who symbolizes a steadfast national spirit that acts with determination for Israel’s security even in the most difficult moments.”

“Yossi brings with him extensive security experience, proven leadership, and love of the Land. His joining is great news for Religious Zionism and the State of Israel. We are connecting Kedumim and Be’eri and building Israel’s security belt.”

Bachar explained his decision to enter politics: “After decades of military service for Israel’s security, and especially since the disaster of October 7, I am being called upon today to continue the national mission in the public arena as well.”

“I am joining Religious Zionism out of deep belief in the movement’s path and in the leadership of Minister Smotrich, who has demonstrated an uncompromising commitment to strengthening Israel’s security, reinforcing settlement and securing the future of the state. I am stepping forward to ensure that no family in Israel will have to endure what the Bachar family endured in Be’eri on October 7.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Iran is signaling a major shift in its military doctrine, declaring that Tehran is prepared to take preemptive action against perceived threats before they can be carried out, as tensions with the United States continue to escalate.

The announcement came from Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s National Security Council, who said an upgraded ballistic missile demonstrates that Iran “will take preemptive action against any threat, even before it is carried out.” His remarks were broadcast on Iranian state television.

Iranian state media said the new missile has improved range and accuracy and carries a warhead weighing approximately half a ton. Rezaei also claimed the new missile capability had been “tested” against an American warship, although it remains unclear whether he was referring to the Qassem Basir missile.

The declaration comes days after a dangerous escalation at sea. The United States said Saturday that Iranian ballistic missiles were launched toward American warships, prompting U.S. forces to strike three Iranian oil tankers in response.

The confrontation marked a significant escalation after months in which Iranian attacks at sea had largely targeted commercial vessels rather than U.S. warships.

Iranian state media portrayed the upgraded missile and the new preemptive doctrine as a turning point in Tehran’s defense strategy. Iran’s ballistic missile program has remained a major source of concern for both the United States and Israel and was among the issues that contributed to the military confrontation with Tehran earlier this year.

The latest threat comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain extremely high, with the U.S. continuing military and economic pressure on the Iranian regime while Iran signals that it is prepared to expand the scope of its response.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The security establishment is entering the month of Tishrei on particularly high alert, against the backdrop of tensions across multiple fronts and preparations for scenarios of rapid escalation.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told members of the General Staff in a recent meeting: “The region is highly volatile; we must remain on high alert,” Channel 12 News reported.

Meanwhile, the IDF continues to operate across all arenas, exercising its maximum freedom of action. In Gaza, for example, 14 targeted eliminations were carried out over the past week, including five Nukhba company commanders and five Nukhba platoon commanders.

The security establishment is also preparing for the possibility of rapid escalation in several arenas.

In recent days, the military has conducted a series of exercises designed to maintain readiness for a variety of scenarios across all fronts, reduce the risk of surprise and preserve a high level of alertness ahead of the coming days.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Monday warned the Palestinian Authority against the possibility of “turning its guns” and carrying out terrorist activity against Israel.

Katz said: “If the guns are turned and the Palestinian Authority security apparatuses and bodies associated with them launch, or we know with certainty that they are about to launch, an October 7-style terrorist attack against IDF forces and Jewish communities — Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to prepare to launch an all-out war against the PA leadership, its security apparatuses and associated bodies, and all terrorist infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron, in order to bring about their complete defeat quickly.”

“We will not allow a return to the reality of a prolonged intifada lasting years, as happened in the past. Instead, we will launch an all-out campaign against the PA and all terrorist infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron, including targeted eliminations of senior figures, evacuation of residents from cities and villages from which terrorist activity is carried out, elimination of the terrorists, destruction of all terrorist infrastructure there, and the IDF remaining in the evacuated territory — exactly as we did in the security zones in Gaza and Lebanon, and as we also operated in the refugee camps in Jenin and northern Shomron.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni, who will end his tenure as a Knesset member after nearly four decades, published a farewell letter today to the movement’s representatives across the country, summarizing decades of public service and thanking the Gedolei Yisrael and the public for their trust throughout the years.

“Approximately 38 years ago, I was called by Maran Rosh Yeshiva Rav Elazar Menachem Shach, zt”l, to serve as a representative in the Knesset on behalf of the Degel HaTorah movement,” Gafni opened his letter. “I was zocheh, Baruch Hashem, to work alongside and under the guidance of the Gedolei Yisrael, זצוקללה”ה and יבדלחט”א, shlita. At all times, I acted under their guidance and with their full approval on every matter and issue.”

Gafni notes his parliamentary work over the years and his activities on behalf of the Chareidi public and the broader public, “through speeches, legislation, motions for the agenda, parliamentary questions, discussions in the plenum and committees, to act on behalf of the klal and the individual and to fight the battle of Torah and the Chareidi public each and every day.”

He then recounted words HaRav Shach told him at the beginning of his Knesset career, emphasizing the importance of helping individuals rather than focusing only on budgetary achievements: “‘I don’t understand those things,’ HaRav Shach told me, ‘but I understand when an almanah with two children comes to you, and they are about to evict them from the only apartment they have, and you make sure they can remain in their home — that I understand.”

Gafni notes that this message accompanied him throughout his years of public service and that he instructed his aides to respond to each and every inquiry from the public.

He added that the central focus of his public shlichus was preserving the Chareidi educational system: “The heart of my mission was safeguarding the ‘flask of pure oil’ — Chareidi chinuch in all its branches: protecting its independence and hashkafah, and developing its systems.”

Gafni also addressed the public and legal struggles of recent years, emphasizing that the Chareidi public is living through an unprecedented period: “The High Court and the legal advisory system have declared war on the Chareidi public and its way of life. We fought with all our strength against the decrees striking us in every area, and against the harm to the standing of bnei yeshivos,” he stated, emphasizing that the struggle was carried out at the shlichus of and under the instructions of the Gedolei Yisrael.

“I thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu for giving me strength, and for the great privilege of decades of public service in the Knesset on behalf of the klal and the individual.”

Gafni makes clear, however, that the farewell is from the Knesset — not from Degel HaTorah, as he will continue serving as chairman of the movement. Directly addressing Degel HaTorah representatives in local authorities and throughout Israel, he said, “Even going forward, as I continue to serve as chairman of the movement, the responsibility rests upon me together with you, and we will continue to work together.”

Gafni describes the local representatives as “the standard-bearers and spearhead of the entire Chareidi public in the field of public service,” and asks them to continue their mission “with integrity and faithfulness to authentic halacha and Daas Torah.”

Gafni concludes his letter with a birchas Shana Tova: “A year in which we’re zocheh to yeshuas Hashem, to elevate the honor of Torah and those who study it, and merit to see the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Captivity survivor Avinatan Or recently revealed new details about his attempt to escape Gaza, where he was held completely alone for over two years.

In a video posted to his social media account, Or said he spent months digging a tunnel more than ten meters long with his bare hands, as part of a plan he developed after a prolonged period of being held alone.

“I managed to plan and dig my escape tunnel over the course of months,” Or said. “I dug more than ten meters outward with my hands. Throughout that entire period, I never stopped thinking about all the efforts and sacrifices of so many Israelis working together to ensure our lives here.”

Throughout his captivity, Or said, he faced a daily struggle to “survive and maintain my composure,” while constantly searching for ways to influence his own fate.

“For more than two years, I was held captive alone. I never stopped thinking for a moment, and I never forgot that I was the only one responsible for my fate at any given moment,” he recounted.

After more than a year in captivity, he reached the decision not to sit and wait for a deal or to be rescued, but to begin taking action himself in an attempt to escape. From then on, he began planning and digging, a process that continued for months.

Or shared a lesson that has stayed with him after captivity: “Good comes when you fight for it, when you take one more step forward – even when darkness surrounds you from every direction.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The IDF has launched an investigation after a Syrian civilian managed to approach an Israeli military post in southern Syria near the Golan Heights without being detected by troops.

The incident occurred Monday, when the Syrian man reached the area near the IDF position before being discovered. He was detained and transferred to security forces for questioning.

Military officials told N12 that an initial investigation indicated the incident was not an attempted terror attack. The IDF is conducting a broader review to determine how the man was able to reach the military position without being detected.

In a separate incident overnight, IDF troops detained two additional Syrian suspects in the Mount Hermon sector on suspicion of involvement in attempted smuggling operations along the border.

The two suspects were also transferred to security forces for further questioning.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Authorities in Thailand have ordered the removal of three Jewish bodies from a beis hakvaros in Chachoengsao Province after determining that they were buried after the site’s operating license had expired.

Thailand’s deputy interior minister, Phonphiphat Suwanchuay, issued the directive following a visit Monday to the beis hakvaros in Bang Khla. A fourth niftar, who was buried while the license remained valid, was not included in the removal order, although officials were instructed to review that burial as well.

The operator of the beis hakvaros received a license in 2021 that expired in 2023. An application to renew it was rejected after provincial authorities claimed the site did not comply with legal requirements concerning its distance from roads and tunnels. An appeal was rejected by the interior minister, and legal proceedings remain pending before Thailand’s Administrative Court.

Chabad shliach in Bangkok Rabbi Nechemya Wilhelm said the property outside the city was purchased approximately five years ago because Bangkok’s longtime Jewish cemetery is nearly full. He stressed that the site had originally received a legal license.

Rabbi Wilhelm said he believes the latest move is connected to a recent wave of hostility toward Israelis and Jews in Thailand. He said the Jewish community will continue operating within the law and, if ultimately required to relocate the bodies, will ensure that everything is carried out strictly in accordance with halacha.

Officials have also ordered a broader examination of licenses for other cemeteries across Thailand.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel announced a series of retaliatory measures against the United Kingdom on Tuesday following Britain’s decision to impose sweeping economic sanctions targeting Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will close the British Consulate in Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the international coordination headquarters in Kiryat Gat, end British involvement in training Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah, and bar 12 British elected officials from entering Israel.

According to Sa’ar, the 12 officials targeted by the entry ban have been involved in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity and deny Israel’s right to exist.

“Britain initiated and led the current move — it planned it long in advance,” Sa’ar said, warning that Israel could also take retaliatory measures against other countries that move against it. “The message to every government that harms us: Whoever acts against Israel — Israel will act against it, and it will lose its influence and relevance. Steps against Israel will not go unanswered.”

Sa’ar accused Britain’s Labour government of taking the measures for domestic political reasons ahead of the party’s conference later this month, calling the move “morally distorted” and a blatant intervention in the affairs of a sovereign country.

“The Jewish people have the right to live throughout Eretz Yisroel no less than the British have the right to live in Britain or the French in France,” Sa’ar said. He also invoked the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate, arguing that Britain itself recognized the Jewish people’s historic rights to the land more than a century ago.

Sa’ar blasted the boycott of products from Yehuda and Shomron as a “despicable practice” targeting law-abiding, productive Israelis and described sanctions on services as “abhorrent.”

The foreign minister also accused London of attempting to interfere in Israel’s upcoming election and pressure the country into accepting a Palestinian state, which he said the Israeli public overwhelmingly opposes following the Oslo process, the withdrawal from Gaza, the Second Intifada and the October 7 massacre.

Sa’ar said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be resolved through declarations from London or Paris, arguing that anti-Israel policies only push a solution further away.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could seek to form his next government without Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir, according to an assessment from a senior Netanyahu adviser cited by JNS Israel.

The adviser said Netanyahu and members of his inner circle have grown dissatisfied with Ben-Gvir’s conduct over the past four years and believe that, if the election results give Netanyahu another path to a majority, he may prefer not to rely on Otzma Yehudit.

The assessment is also tied to Netanyahu’s plans for a possible next term. Netanyahu will turn 77 after the election, and the adviser suggested that if he succeeds in establishing a stable coalition, he could view it as his final term in office.

In that scenario, Netanyahu could seek to rebuild ties with portions of the Israeli public that have become alienated from him. According to the adviser, Netanyahu’s experience governing alongside Ben-Gvir, his desire to regain broader public legitimacy and the possibility of a final term could all influence his coalition calculations.

Ben-Gvir reacted angrily to the report, calling it “very concerning and infuriating.” He argued that Netanyahu himself had acknowledged that major wartime achievements came after Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot left the government and Ben-Gvir joined.

Ben-Gvir also warned Netanyahu against replacing him with Eisenkot, saying such a move would amount to “spitting in the face of the right-wing voter.” He added that anyone pursuing such a coalition “does not want victory and does not want judicial reform.”

The report comes as Israel heads toward elections and political parties maneuver over the makeup of the next government, with coalition arithmetic expected to determine whether Netanyahu would have the option of forming a government without Ben-Gvir.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The new Chareidi Hakahal party, headed by Shlomo Elboim, signed an agreement on Tuesday to run jointly in the elections for the 26th Knesset with the Noam party, headed by MK Avi Maoz.

The alliance comes on the final day for submitting Knesset slates, after reports in recent weeks of contacts between the new Chareidi parties and Noam. Noam candidate Shimon Tubul already confirmed last month that he was holding discussions with Hakahal representatives on an almost daily basis.

Two new Chareidi parties are running in the elections: Motti Leitner’s “The Chareidi Public” party and Hakahal, which is less well-known.

Hakahal seeks to present a different model from the veteran Chareidi parties, centered on selecting its slate representatives through primaries rather than internal appointments.

In the primaries held by the party on August 19, 14,469 voters participated. Elboim finished in first place by a significant margin, receiving 5,282 votes, followed by Yitzchak Chala, Baruch Adler, David Gabai and Eliyahu Ben Moyal.

Elboim, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council and head of the opposition in the municipality, has criticized the process for selecting representatives in the veteran Chareidi parties in recent weeks, arguing that the absence of direct public elections undermines representatives’ accountability to voters.

The agreement with Noam changes Hakahal’s electoral plans, as it had until now intended to run as a new, independent Chareidi party. The full details of the agreement, including the placement of Hakahal representatives on the joint slate, have not yet been published.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Belzer chassidim had great hope that the Rebbe would be discharged from the hospital today, but according to Kol Chai, his discharge has been postponed, and he remains hospitalized under medical observation at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he was admitted on Sunday morning.

The decision to keep the Rebbe in the hospital has aroused deep concern among thousands of chassidim, particularly with the Yomim Noraim approaching. Members of the chassidus are deeply concerned that the Rebbe may have to remain in the hospital during Rosh Hashanah and will be unable to participate in the tefillos and lead the Yom Tov gatherings at the main Beis Medrash in Jerusalem.

The concern in the chassidus began on Mozei Shabbos, the first night of Selichos, when large crowds of chassidim waited for many hours for the Rebbe to enter the main Beis Medrash. After a prolonged wait, the Rebbe did not appear due to weakness he was experiencing, and he was subsequently taken to the hospital for examinations and treatment.

In a special announcement, the Rebbe’s household secretary, Rav Moshe Ringel, reported that examinations had revealed an infection and that doctors had recommended hospitalization.

The Rebbe’s brother-in-law, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe – who himself is in need of Rachmei Shomayim – visited him in the hospital on Monday.

The public is asked to continue davening for the refuah sheleimah of the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam b’toch sha’ar cholei Yisrael.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Britain, France and Canada are moving to ban trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, spearheading a coordinated international campaign targeting Jewish businesses and communities as Western governments dramatically escalate their pressure on Israel.

The measures announced Tuesday go considerably beyond diplomatic condemnations. Britain says it will prohibit imports of goods produced in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, while France and Canada have committed to advancing their own national bans. A joint statement involving 12 countries also threatens broader national or European trade restrictions.

The coordinated action includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Britain, France and Canada specifically committed to bringing forward national measures banning trade in settlement goods.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the dramatic shift in Parliament, declaring that London now considers Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria unlawful and saying Britain would move from merely criticizing Israeli policy to taking concrete action against it.

The situation in Palestine is a moral emergency…. What the Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza is a stain on the conscience of the world, and there is increasing evidence war crimes appear to have been committed….

There is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists. And too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this. And worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians. 

We will not stand by.”

The British measures are expected to extend beyond physical goods. Restrictions will also target certain services connected to Israeli communities, including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising.

The governments behind the campaign openly tied their decision to Israel’s continued construction in Judea and Samaria, particularly the E1 project near Yerushalayim.

“The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution,” the 12 foreign ministers said in their joint declaration.

They specifically attacked Israel’s decision to publish tenders for E1 construction and demanded that the Israeli government “immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers.”

The move represents another sharp escalation in a campaign of international pressure that critics in Israel view as a discriminatory attempt to dictate where Jews may live and conduct business in their historic homeland.

It also comes as Israel continues to grapple with the security consequences of the October 7 massacre and years of Palestinian terrorism emanating from Judea and Samaria — realities that received comparatively little emphasis in the governments’ announcement. The joint statement did condemn Hamas’ October 7 massacre and acknowledged Israel’s legitimate security interests, but nevertheless placed its concrete punitive measures squarely on Israel.

The Trump administration has already signaled strong opposition to the British move.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned that the policy amounted to “discrimination against the Jewish people” and could have consequences for British businesses under anti-boycott laws in a number of U.S. states.

Israeli ministers responded furiously as well. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Britain’s ambassador to be expelled, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shutter Britain’s consulate in eastern Yerushalayim.

The economic impact of Britain’s goods ban itself may ultimately be limited. Annual UK-Israel bilateral trade stands at roughly £6 billion, and questions remain over precisely how British authorities will distinguish products manufactured in Judea and Samaria from those produced elsewhere in Israel.

But the precedent is far more significant: major Western governments are formally establishing mechanisms to economically isolate Jewish communities beyond the Green Line, raising fears that the measures could provide momentum for a much broader boycott campaign against Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A six-month-old baby girl was moderately injured Tuesday after falling from a bunk bed in Uman, Ukraine, as tens of thousands of Yidden continue arriving in the city ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

The incident occurred at the family’s residence in Kiryat Breslov, near the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov. United Hatzalah volunteers Avrumi Diamant and Akiva Kaufman responded to the scene and provided the infant with initial medical treatment.

Family members told the responders that the baby had fallen from a bunk bed. Following treatment at the scene, she was transported by a United Hatzalah ambulance to a local hospital for further care. Her condition was reported as moderate.

The incident comes amid a massive emergency-response operation in Uman surrounding the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage.

United Hatzalah says its teams have already treated 56 emergency and medical cases since the security and medical operation began last Wednesday. The incidents have included traffic accidents, falls from heights, breathing difficulties, burns, minor injuries and other medical emergencies. Several patients have required transportation to local hospitals.

Naftali Rabinowitz, operations commander for United Hatzalah Ukraine, said streets and compounds surrounding the tziyun have been divided into numbered zones, with signs installed to help emergency personnel quickly locate patients. The system is being operated in coordination with Uman municipal authorities and local police.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday warned the UK against its expected decision to impose trade sanctions on products from Yehuda and Shomron, slamming the move as election interference.

Speaking at an event marking 30 years of cooperation with the European Horizon research program, Herzog said: “Later today, we expect to see headlines announcing certain British trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in Yehuda and Shomron. If this happens – and other nations may join – I believe it will prove to be a grave miscalculation, a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history.”

“In the current context, it would be a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation. And it will serve no one. It will directly harm – unfortunately – Palestinians, robbing them of business and employment. And, ultimately, it will undermine the interests and national security of freedom-loving nations.”

“Sanctions are not a solution. Dialogue is. I say to all foreign governments: Stop! Step away from the dead-end of sanctions and boycotts. And turn toward constructive dialogue and toward cooperation.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized the expected British announcement in an interview with BBC Radio on Tuesday, warning that there will be a US response and calling it “discrimination against the Israeli government and the Jewish people.”

“I think without a doubt there will be a response, including from individual states,” he said. “This could have a huge economic impact on British businesses.”

On Monday, Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich called for the UK ambassador to Israel to be expelled if the sanctions are imposed, saying that Israel will not be “a doormat for an antisemitic government.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions inside Agudas Yisrael escalated overnight following a contentious meeting between representatives of Gur and Sanz, after Sanz firmly rejected a demand that its representatives sign a written commitment sought by Gur.

According to a report by Kikar HaShabbos, the dispute erupted after Gur representatives sought a formal letter of commitment from Sanz, similar to an agreement that had reportedly been signed several years ago. Sanz rejected the demand outright, reportedly responding: “This will not happen. We are not repeating the same mistake twice.”

With the sides at an impasse, a senior Gur delegation traveled Monday night to Kiryat Sanz in Netanya in an effort to resolve the dispute. The Gur delegation included Motty Babchik, Yonatan Chassid and Chanoch Dranger, while Sanz was represented by Berl Stemer and Reichman.

During the meeting, the Gur representatives reportedly stressed the importance of their request and maintained that the demand had come from the Gerrer Rebbe.

But Sanz refused to budge.

“We are not subordinate to you. We also have a Rebbe, and his opinion and decision carry exactly the same weight as those of the Rebbes of Gur, Vizhnitz and Belz,” the Sanz representatives reportedly told the Gur delegation.

Sanz further made clear that the chassidus answers to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Sanzer Rebbe, and would not accept the authority of another chassidus.

According to the report, Gur ultimately withdrew its demand for the written commitment after it became clear that Sanz would not agree to sign it.

The confrontation comes amid broader turmoil inside Agudas Yisrael surrounding the party’s Knesset slate. The dispute intensified after Gur moved to remove Sanz representative MK Moshe Shimon Roth from the fifth position on the Agudas Yisrael list.

Hours after the initial report, a statement issued in the names of Gur’s Central Faction and the Sanz community said the sides had reached an agreement following talks held “in a positive atmosphere and with mutual understanding.” Under the reported agreement, the representative of the Sanzer Rebbe would receive the fifth position on the Agudas Yisrael Knesset slate.

The statement added that the arrangement was intended to increase representation for the various kehillos and promote cooperation on communal and religious matters.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new report claims that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before the October 7 massacre that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing an “earthquake,” raising explosive new questions about what information reached Israel’s leadership in the weeks before the attack.

According to an investigation published by Haaretz and detailed in a new book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, bin Zayed contacted Netanyahu approximately a week and a half before October 7 for an unusual conversation that reportedly lasted about 45 minutes.

The report claims that the UAE president told Netanyahu that information had reached him indicating Sinwar was preparing a major move, described as an “earthquake.” Bin Zayed reportedly feared that the development could lead to bloodshed, destabilize the region and endanger the Abraham Accords.

According to the report, Netanyahu interpreted the warning as possibly referring to an escalation in Yehuda and Shomron and assured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario. The investigation further alleges that Netanyahu did not pass the purported warning to then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar or Mossad director David Barnea.

The report also claims that the Shin Bet had separately received intelligence on September 15, 2023, indicating that Sinwar was preparing an “earthquake.” Bar subsequently briefed Netanyahu, according to the report, and security discussions were held, although officials reportedly did not know what Sinwar was planning.

Netanyahu, however, issued a categorical denial of the central claim, insisting that no such conversation with bin Zayed took place and that he received no warning from the UAE president.

“Complete fake. There was no conversation and there was no warning,” Netanyahu said in comments to Yinon Magal.

Netanyahu argued that a conversation of such significance could not have occurred without an official Israeli representative present or without documentation.

“There is no such thing as a conversation like this without an NSC representative or someone else in the room,” Netanyahu said. “These are not private conversations. There is no conversation where I am alone. There would be a record, and there is no way such a conversation wouldn’t be recorded. It never happened.”

The Prime Minister’s Office similarly rejected the report, saying Netanyahu did not speak with bin Zayed during the period in question and received no warning from him.

The allegations have triggered a political firestorm, with opposition figures seizing on the report to demand answers over what Netanyahu knew in the weeks preceding the October 7 massacre. Netanyahu and his office maintain that the alleged UAE warning never occurred.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia Tuesday wounded more than 70 people and ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in the kingdom’s southern region, authorities said, a major escalation in the renewed conflict between an important U.S. ally and the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.

The attacks come after weeks of escalating clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen, which shattered a four-year truce in the country’s civil war.

The attacks early Tuesday hit “civilian and economic facilities” in the Saudi cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait, said Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

Al-Malki said the attacks wounded 73 people, including women and children. He didn’t provide further details.

Fighting has raged on multiple fronts including Yemen’s west coast, with government forces saying they have made territorial gains in the provinces of Hodeida, Taiz and Baydah. The Houthis have also launched attacks on Saudi oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.

The attacks ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in Saudi Arabia’s southern region, the kingdom’s Energy Ministry said in a statement. Operations at the oil facilities and utilities were temporarily suspended, it said.

The southern region houses major oil facilities, including a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in Jazan, which is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest. The Houthis had previously attacked the Abha airport.

The ministry said firefighters were battling the fires Tuesday morning.

Al-Malki called the attacks a “serious escalation” and a “flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty, and a direct threat to the security and safety of its citizens and residents.”

He vowed retaliation, saying that the Saudi-led coalition “will take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia with utmost resolve.”

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were in response to recent Saudi attacks on the rebels across Yemen.

In a prerecorded video statement, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the rebels’ military spokesman, said they fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at oil and economic facilities, as well as an air base in southern Saudi Arabia.

He said they attacked Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, a major industrial and logistics hub on Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Red Sea coast. The rebels also attacked Aramco facilities in Najran and Abha, as well as King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait.

Saree blamed Saudi Arabia for the escalation, warning that “every aggression against our country and people will be met with a firm response.”

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office overseeing the Saba news agency run by the rebels, took to social media to laud the attacks.

“The Saudi enemy has to understand that the time for committing crimes and massacres against the Yemeni people without response, deterrence or paying a price has ended,” he said.

The attacks came hours after the rebels blamed Saudi Arabia for an airstrike that hit a prison in Yemen’s northern province of Jawf. At least seven people, including a child, were killed and seven others were wounded in the strike in the Yemeni city of Hazem, the Houthis said.

Fighting forces about 18,500 people to flee their homes in Yemen
The latest escalation stemmed from a Houthi attempt to fly a plane from Tehran to Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, challenging a decade-long air and naval blockade by the Saudi-led coalition. A coalition airstrike struck the runway of the Sanaa airport, preventing the landing of the flight.

The Houthis responded with missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, and a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, ending a 2022 truce that had largely halted fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.

The rebels also launched attacks on Saudi-allied forces inside Yemen, prompting government forces to respond with attacks on the Houthis across Yemen’s west coast and elsewhere in the country.

Government forces reclaimed territory from the Houthis in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz, and attacked the rebels in the northern province of Jawf as well as the central provinces of Marib and Bayda.

The flare-up displaced about 18,500 people in Taiz and Hodeida in southwestern Yemen, further pressuring communities in southern Taiz and the West Coast, according to the International Organization for Migration.

“Families are arriving with nothing: no shelter, no food, no way to know if it’s safe to go back,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM Yemen’s Chief of Mission. “Many of these are people who have already been displaced once, twice, even four times before.”

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year to try to restore the government to power.

The civil war has killed at least 150,000 people, according to U.N. estimates, and at times pushed the country to the brink of famine.

(AP)

Prime Minister and Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday revealed the seven new reserved candidates who will be placed on Likud’s Knesset slate. They include figures from the security, media and legal worlds, alongside representatives identified with bereaved families and the events of the war.

Among the prominent names are media personality Yaakov Bardugo, who will be placed 11th; Talik Gvili, mother of Master Sergeant Rani Gvili, H’yd, in ninth place; and Elisha Medan, the reserve soldier who was critically wounded in the Gaza Strip and lost both his legs, in 15th place.

Attorney David Peter will also be reserved the 16th spot, former Labor faction chairman Eli Goldschmidt the 26th, Itzik Buntzel, father of the late Staff Sergeant Amit Buntzel, the 29th, and Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi the 35th.

The highest position among the new reserved candidates has been given to Talik Gvili, the mother of Yasam police officer Master Sergeant Rani Gvili, H’yd, who died a hero fighting terrorists on October 7 and whose body was abducted to Gaza, was reserved the ninth spot on the Likud slate.

“Rani, Hy”d, went out to fight on the morning of October 7 despite being injured, and managed to save the lives of many before he was killed and his body was abducted to Gaza. Rani was the first to go out and the last hostage to be returned, through Operation ‘Brave Heart,’ a special operation by the IDF and security forces to bring him home,” the Likud statement said.

“Throughout the entire journey, Talik and the Gvili family demonstrated extraordinary strength, deep faith, and determination that did not break even in the most difficult moments. Talik carried Rani’s memory with pride, spread the story of his heroism, his love for the country, and his Zionist values. Talik entered deeply into the hearts of Israelis and many people around the world.”

One of the most intriguing names on the slate is media personality and political commentator Yaakov Bardugo, who has been identified in recent years with the national camp and is considered close to Netanyahu.

Bardugo, a lawyer by training, hosts programs on Channel 14 and Radio Galey Yisrael. He previously served as a commentator and presenter on Army Radio and as a columnist for Yisrael Hayom. Before his media career, he served as director-general of Mifal HaPayis and director-general of the Federation of Local Authorities.

His placement at No. 11 gives him a high position on the slate and is expected to make him one of the most prominent new members of the Likud faction in the next Knesset, subject, of course, to the election results.

Elisha Medan will be placed 15th on the Likud slate. Medan, a reserve soldier, was critically wounded in battle in Gaza and lost both his legs. He is a father of six and one of the founders of the Avigayil yishuv in the Chevron Hills. He is the son of Rabbi Yaakov Medan, the Rosh Yeshivah of the Har Etzion Hesder Yeshiva in Alon Shvut.

In a statement announcing his selection, Likud said that “four of Medan’s comrades fell in the battle in which he lost both his legs. Since his injury, Medan has undergone a long and complex rehabilitation process, during which his personal story became a symbol of strength, determination, and faith in the power of life. From the severe injury and the heavy price he paid, Elisha chose to look forward, to continue taking action, strengthening others and giving hope to many Israelis. His personal story expresses the spirit of Israel’s soldiers and the strength of Israeli society to withstand the most difficult tests, rehabilitate and continue building.”

Immediately after him, in 16th place, will be Attorney David Peter, a leading legal expert and researcher at the Kohelet Policy Forum, who has worked over the years in constitutional and public law.

He has become well-known over the past year for his representation of coalition figures, including Netanyahu, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in a number of High Court hearings.

“Peter is a second-generation descendant of Holocaust survivors. He was born in Hungary toward the end of the communist regime, to parents who were born and raised under its shadow. At the age of one and a half, he made aliyah with his family, first to the absorption center in Mevaseret Zion and afterward to Haifa. His family’s journey from life under a communist regime to the free and sovereign State of Israel accompanies his path and worldview to this day,” the Likud statement said.

“Over the years, he acquired broad legal and public experience in constitutional, public and commercial law, research and litigation, and dedicated his work to the fundamental questions of government, law, liberty and democracy in Israel.

“Attorney Peter brings to his work legal depth, a sense of mission and a deep connection between the story of the Jewish people and Israel.

Another reserved candidate is Eli Goldschmidt, a former Knesset member from the Labor Party who also served as chairman of the Labor faction in the Knesset and was placed in the 26th spot.

“After years of living in the Gaza border communities, and following the events of October 7, Goldschmidt announced that he had undergone a process of disillusionment. He changed his diplomatic and security positions and today supports the positions of Netanyahu, Likud and the national camp,” the Likud statement said.

“Eli brings with him an important, experienced and clear-eyed voice. As someone who worked for years in the public and political arenas and became closely acquainted with different perspectives in Israeli society, he brings experience, sound judgment and a deep understanding of Israeli reality.”

Itzik Bonzel, father of Staff Sergeant Amit Buntzel, H’yd, a soldier and commander in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, was placed in the 29th spot.

On the morning after the October 7 attack, Bonzel’s two sons, Amit and Nadav, both soldiers and commanders in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, went out to fight. Approximately 60 days later, Amit fell in battle.

Since his son’s death, Bonzel has become one of the voices identified with bereaved families, has been active in the Gvura Forum, and has appeared many times before Knesset committees and in the public arena.

The last pick was Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, founder of the Habitchonistim movement (Israel Defense and Security Forum), who will be placed 35th. Alongside the announcement of his addition, Likud announced that the Habitchonistim movement is joining the party.

Avivi served in the IDF in a variety of senior positions, including deputy comptroller of the defense establishment, head of the Chief of Staff’s bureau, deputy commander of the Gaza Division, commander of the Sagi Brigade, commander of Battalion 605 and commander of the Combat Engineering School.

“Avivi was born in Jerusalem and spent his childhood in various countries around the world due to the diplomatic assignments of his father, Pinchas Avivi, who served for many years as a diplomat and ambassador. At the age of 18, Avivi returned to Israel as a lone soldier, enlisted in the IDF as a combat soldier in the Combat Engineering Corps, and rose through the chain of command over the years to the rank of brigadier general,” the Likud statement said.

“Avivi and the Habitchonistim movement support Prime Minister Netanyahu’s security doctrine, which places the principles of decisive victory, initiative and Israel’s security independence at its center.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The members of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas approved the composition of the party’s Knesset slate at a special meeting on Monday evening.

All incumbent MKs will continue for another term, alongside two new representatives who will join the slate.

The new names joining the Shas slate are Lt. Col. (res.) Dror Amos, chairman of the Haifa Religious Council and an IDF reserve officer, and Yosef Elnatanov, a representative of the Bucharian community.

All members of the Moetzet participated in the special meeting, except for HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Machpud, Ga’avad of the Yoreh De’ah Beis Din, who was absent. Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri was also present at the meeting and took part in the discussions

The slate will be submitted to the Central Elections Committee at noon on Tuesday.

This is the approved slate:

1. Aryeh Deri

2. Yinon Azoulay

3. Michael Malkieli

4. Yoav Ben Tzur

5. Chaim Biton

6. Dror Amos

7. Moshe Abutbul

8. Uriel Buso

9. Yossi Taieb

10. Yoni Mashriki

11. Yosef Elnatanov

12. Erez Malul

13. Simon Moshiashvili

The Moetzet stated: “The Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah expresses its appreciation to the faithful representatives Rav Yaakov Margi and Rav Moshe Arbel for their extensive work over the years in their various positions, in which they merited to accomplish much, and accepts their request not to be included on the Shas slate for the next Knesset.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)