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Netanyahu Seeks Fresh Mandate Amid Security Challenges, Domestic Divisions and Uncertain Polling

What Really Interests a Person and WHO Stole the Gold?

How wise women may be forces for good to influence their husbands to avoid strife and their downfall

The Bet HaMikdash Below and the Bet HaMikdash Above - Harnessing our energy and composing ourselves when fulfilling the mitzvot (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series The Parashah states, “Speak to Aharon and say to him, when you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the Menorah”...

The Antidote to Anxiety

Joint Statement of the United States of America, Republic of Lebanon, and State of Israel on the Latest High-Level Trilateral Meeting The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America, Republic of Lebanon, and the State of Israel. Begin Text: The United States convened the fourth high-level trilateral meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives on June 2 and 3, 2026.  As a result of the U.S. led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed...

Bureau of African Affairs Thank you Ambassador Gaspar for organizing today’s forum. As you all know, this will be my last engagement as Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of African Affairs. As I conclude my tenure, I want to begin with appreciation for the professionalism and partnership of this diplomatic corps. Over this period, we have worked through a necessary shift away from inherited frameworks that too often viewed Africa through a development only lens, and toward a clearer, more...

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The Secretary commended President Aoun’s courage and vision in pursuing direct negotiations with Israel, even as Hizballah continues its attempts to derail those talks at the expense of the Lebanese people. He reiterated that Hizballah is entirely responsible for the ongoing fighting and emphasized the need for Hizballah to immediately cease its attacks and provocations to enable...

A nation cannot claim to welcome Jews while criminalising one of the oldest and most fundamental commandments of Judaism

Hebrew Synagogue Welcomes UK Court Clarity on Biologically Specific Facilities Hebrew Synagogue has today confirmed its support for the legal clarification provided by the United Kingdom Supreme Court and subsequent Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance regarding the use of single-sex facilities based upon biological sex under the Equality Act 2010. The organisation confirmed that this position will apply across all facilities operated by Hebrew Synagogue throughout the United...

To what extent will you go to try to study Torah and more so Halachah? The determination of the Gaon of Brisk, Rav Yosef Dov Bear Soloveitchik z”l (1820-1892) to study by Rav Shlomo Kluger z”l (1785-1869) (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series It states in Parashat Bechukotai, “If you will...

Norway Joins Pax Silica Initiative On May 6, the United States welcomed the decision by the Kingdom of Norway to join the Pax Silica initiative. As a member of Pax Silica, Norway will play a leading role to develop diversified critical mineral supply chains. Norway’s Ambassador to the United States, Anniken Huitfeldt, signed the Pax Silica Declaration in Washington, D.C., officially acknowledging Norway’s participation in the initiative. The United States and Norway affirmed their commitment...

Exploring why Am Yisrael as a whole and the Cohanim specifically, are expected to achieve high standards in their lives (HaRav HaGaon Rav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a, a grandson of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Emor This Shabbat we shall read the mitzvah that the Cohanim may not become ritually impure through contact with the dead (meaning, it is forbidden for a cohen to touch a cadaver, or remain in a...

Spiritual growth and holiness are not automatic and there is no quick-fix for them, rather they are achieved through tenacity and prayer (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) Painting by Raphael Perez (Flickr)—not connected to the dvar Torah, but a beautiful work nonetheless It states in Parashat Kedoshim, “You shall be holy, since I am Hashem...

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Price of Misalignment: Memory, War, and the Illusion of Strength Today, Israel stands still. At the sound of the siren, the nation pauses in collective remembrance for those who were killed—soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces whose lives ended in battle. The numbers are heavy: 25,644 since 1860, leaving behind tens of thousands of bereaved families. Yet numbers, as vast as they are, do not capture truth. Words do. We say “fallen soldiers,” as though they stumbled. But...

Finland Joins Pax Silica Initiative On April 16, Finland joined the Pax Silica Initiative, hailing a growing geopolitical consensus that economic security is national security and national security is economic security. Finland brings to Pax Silica key capabilities in trusted technology such as advanced mobile communications, AI, and critical mineral mining and processing. Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto signed the Pax Silica Declaration reflecting Finland’s joining Pax...

by Ram ben Ze'ev Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal זצ״ל There are moments in Jewish history when a voice emerges that cannot be ignored. Not because it is new, but because it reveals what was always present in the Torah yet left unheeded . Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal זצ״ל was such a voice—a Rav who did not merely teach, but who transformed his own understanding in the face of reality, and in doing so, called כלל ישראל (Klal Yisrael – the collective of Israel) to account. Rabbi Teichtal was...

by Ram ben Ze’ev Shoah, Nissan, and the Memory the Nations Impose There are moments in the life of our people when silence is appropriate, and there are moments when it is necessary to speak with clarity. I was not going to write on the day itself, because the day—יום הזכרון לשואה ולגבורה (Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah – Day of Remembrance for the Shoah and the Heroism)—deserves dignity, not distraction. But there are times when remaining silent serves no purpose, and this is one of them....

by Ram ben Ze’ev Tzedakah: Justice, Not Performance There is a profound difference between what the world calls “charity” and what the Torah calls צדקה (tzedakah – righteousness, justice). The difference is not semantic; it is foundational. One is rooted in ego. The other in truth. The nations speak of charity as an act of kindness. It is optional, generous, even admirable. A person gives because he chooses to give, because he feels compassion, or, increasingly in our age, because he wishes...

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Lamb, The Stars, and the Illusion of Power The Torah in שמות (Shemot) commands something extraordinary on the eve of redemption: each household was to take a lamb on the tenth of Nissan, keep it for several days, and then slaughter it on the fourteenth, placing its blood upon the doorposts. This was not a quiet act. It was deliberate, visible, and defiant. To understand this moment, we must understand the world in which it occurred. Egypt was not merely a political...

The Midrash states (Midrash Rabba, Parashat Beshalach) that Pharaoh regretted having freed the Jewish people. Why was this so? From a Sermon of Maran zt”l for the Holiday of Pesach The Vines in Blossom Give off Fragrance We can use a parable to illustrate this point: Once, a man owned a field that, after a long period of time of not being maintained, fell into a state of disrepair and was no more than a mere pile of dirt and rubble. This man sold the field to another. The buyer invested time,...

by Ram ben Ze’ev Shabbat HaGadol: The Shabbat of Greatness Before Redemption This Shabbat is known as שבת הגדול (Shabbat HaGadol – the Great Shabbat), the final Shabbat before פסח (Pesach – the Festival of Redemption), and it carries a weight and significance far beyond its name. For me, it also carries something deeply personal, as I was born on this very Shabbat—linking my own beginning, in some small way, to this moment of preparation before redemption. The term “HaGadol” does not merely...

The significance of Shabbat HaGadol – Preventing the “Final Solution” in Egypt (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Tzav – Shabbat HaGadol Our Chachamim z”l said (Tur and Shulchan Aruch siman 430), that the Shabbat prior to Chag HaPesach is called “Shabbat HaGadol” – “The Great Shabbat”, in commemoration of the great miracle that...

Sanctioning a Global Network Supporting Hezbollah Financing Today, the United States is imposing sanctions to disrupt a global financial network that supports Hezbollah . This action targets individuals and entities involved in laundering and raising funds for Hezbollah ’s finance team through a range of companies and projects operating across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. By cutting off these financial channels, the United States is taking concrete steps to limit Hezbollah ’s...

by Ram ben Ze'ev The Problem with the Term “Orthodox” in Judaism The term “Orthodox,” so commonly used today to describe traditional Jews, is not a Hebrew word and does not originate from Jewish sources. Rather, it comes from the Ancient Greek word orthodoxos , meaning “correct belief” or “right opinion.” The word itself is formed from two Greek roots: orthos , meaning “straight,” “right,” or “true,” and doxa , meaning “opinion,” “belief,” or “praise.” From a Jewish standpoint, this already...

Shiny Happy People – How Moshe Rabbenu’s humility led to his radiant complexion (From the teachings of Maran Rabbenu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) Parashat Vayikra Our Parashah opens with the Pasuk, “Hashem called to Moshe, speaking to him from the Communion Tent saying”” (Vayikra 1:1). In Parashat Ki Tissa it states, “Moshe came down from Mt. Sinai with the two Tablets of...

State Department Partners with El Al Airlines to Return Americans to the United States The State Department has partnered with El Al Airlines to arrange non-stop flights, designated exclusively for American citizens, from Tel Aviv to the United States. These flights have already allowed more than 2,000 American citizens to return to the United States from Israel. Tickets for these flights were provided at a discount rate to ensure that Americans wishing to leave Israel have the opportunity to...

by Ram ben Ze’ev When the Argument Cannot Be Answered, Attack the Man In politics, one of the oldest tactics is also one of the most revealing. When a leader cannot answer an argument, the response is often not to address the facts but to destroy the credibility of the person who raised them. That is precisely what we are seeing now. Joe Kent did something that senior officials rarely do: he resigned his position on principle. As Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, he stated...

by Ram ben Ze’ev You Cannot Legislate Hatred Out of the Human Heart A recent interview published yesterday between Tucker Carlson and Glenn Greenwald begins with a familiar complaint. Both men lament the growing number of laws being enacted in various countries—among them the United States and Australia—that seek to criminalise negative or derogatory speech about Israel or about Jews. The discussion is not surprising coming from Carlson. His public commentary over the past several years has...

From “Board of Peace” to “Bored of Peace”: WireNews’ Satirical Range Gains Attention The satirical “ Bored of Peace ” product range created by WireNews and sold exclusively through Mayside Market is gaining increasing attention following its quiet introduction earlier this month. The range includes a selection of premium casual items such as organic cotton T-shirts, oversized high-neck T-shirts, printed hats and embroidered zip hoodies. The collection currently consists of eight items...

by Ram ben Ze'ev When a Man Believes He Answers to No One A curious phenomenon of the modern age is the man who proudly declares that he believes in nothing higher than himself, and yet expects to be trusted with everything that matters most in life. I saw a profile description on a social media account for a Jewish man in Israel who tells the world that he is a husband and a father. These are not small titles. In the Torah understanding of life, they are among the most serious...

by Ram ben Ze'ev This War Was Chosen As a Jew, an American, and a fervent supporter of Israel, I write this without apology: I shed no tears for Iran. The regime in Tehran has spent decades threatening Israel, funding terror, and building a regional network dedicated to Jewish bloodshed. If Iran were to launch an unprovoked attack on Israel, I would support the destruction of its military capacity without hesitation. But that is not what this is. What I object to, strongly and without...

Small aggravations gradually and accumulatively atone for our sins From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series This Shabbat, we shall read, “These are the accounts of the Mishkan (the Mishkan of Testimony), which were calculated by Moshe’s order by the Levi’im under Itamar, son of Aron the Cohen” (Shemot 38:21). Rashi, in his...

by Ram ben Ze'ev When a Nation Forgets Its Covenant Throughout our long history, the Jewish people have faced enemies in every generation. Empires have risen against us, armies have marched against us, and rulers have sought to erase us from the earth. Yet the Torah teaches something that history repeatedly confirms: our greatest danger has never been the nations alone, but what happens when we forget who we are . From the beginning, the Jewish people were not created simply as another...

by Ram ben Ze’ev When Power Forgets Torah Torah does not teach weakness. It does not demand that Jews stand idle while enemies seek their destruction. On the contrary, Jewish law recognises the obligation of self-defence. When a person comes to kill you, the principle is clear: rise and stop him first. Throughout history the Jewish people have fought when necessary, and when survival required strength. Our tradition teaches: הבא להרגך השכם להרגו — “If someone comes to kill you, rise early and...

A Person is Their Thoughts From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series This Shabbat we shall read, “When you take a census of the Bnei Yisrael to determine their number” (Shemot 30:12). Rabbenu the Orach Chaim HaKadosh a”h (Rav Chaim ibn Attar or Rav Chaim ben Moshe ibn Attar c. 1696-1743) explains in his commentary on the Torah...

Department of State Charter Flight Departs Middle East to United States Today, a Department of State charter flight of American citizens departed the Middle East in route to the United States as part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans’ return home. Additional flights will be surged across the region. American citizens in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel interested in the Department’s charter flight or ground transportation options should complete the Crisis Intake Form at...

U.S. Assistance to Ensure the Safety of American Citizens Overseas The U.S. Department of State is taking historic action to assist American citizens, who wish to depart the Middle East, return to the United States. In the past several days, over 9,000 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East, including over 300 from Israel. The Department is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to...

by Ram ben Ze’ev Why Now? Blood, Sovereignty and the Unanswered Question Yesterday I wrote that “ Gone are the days when Jews kneel before greater powers .” I meant every word. Israel is not a vassal state. We do not require Washington, Brussels or London to decide when Jewish blood is at risk. If our leaders believe an existential threat looms, they not only have the sovereign right to act — they have the sovereign responsibility. But sovereignty cuts both ways. It grants the power to...

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Nobel Delusion and the Price of Blood For years, President Donald Trump nursed a grievance. The Nobel Committee refused to crown him as the architect of peace he so eagerly proclaimed himself to be. Throughout his first term, during the 2020 campaign, throughout 2024, and right up until the Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado—who symbolically handed it to him—he spoke incessantly of the wars he stopped and the...

The unity of Am Yisrael is an antidote to evil decrees (Based on the Ma’amar of HaRav HaGoan Rav David Shaltiel Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Tetzaveh - Shabbat Zachor It states in the Parashah, “You, [Moshe], must command Bnei Yisrael to bring you clear illuminating oil, made from hand crushed olives, to keep the lamp constantly burning. Aharon and his sons shall arrange for [the lamps to burn] from evening until morning in...

It isn’t enough to study Torah and observe the mitzvot ourselves, we must also merit others (From the teachings of Maran Rabbenu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Terumah It states in the Parashah, “[Separate **] your brother Aaron and his sons from amongst Yisrael [and] bring them close to you, to be Cohanim to Me” (Shemot 28:1). Meaning that Hashem said to Moshe,...

by Ram ben Ze'ev The Obligation to Read the Megillah: Night and Day When the month of אדר (Adar – joy-filled month) arrives, our service of G-D reaches its crescendo in the reading of the מגילה (Megillah – Scroll of Esther). This is not a custom, nor a sentimental commemoration. It is a binding obligation upon every member of כלל ישראל (Klal Yisrael – the Jewish nation): men and women alike must hear the Megillah twice — once at night and once again by day. The source of this dual reading is...

What is the connection between Shabbat Shekalim and a vaccine or antidote? From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) Parashat Mishpatim - Parahsat Shekalim This Shabbat, Parashat Mishpatim, is also Shabbat Shekalim. We will take out 2 Sifrei Torah. In the first we will read the Parashah of the Week, Mishpatim, and in the second Parashat Shekalim, which appears in Parashat Ki...

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Judeo-Christian Fiction: Stop Claiming What Is Not Yours In January 2020 I wrote Judeo-Christian Divide to address a growing falsehood: the claim that Judaism and Christianity share a common religious foundation. In the years since, that falsehood has not diminished. It has intensified. Today, ever more voices from foreign belief systems insist on associating themselves with Jews, with Israel, and with Judaism itself, as though repetition might somehow transform...

by Ram ben Ze'ev The “80% Stayed in Egypt” Fallacy — How a Midrash Became a Weapon Against Torah In recent years, a claim has circulated widely — often repeated with confidence and moral certainty — that “80% of the Jews stayed in Egypt,” usually followed by the line: “Even slavery can feel safe when it’s all you know.” This narrative is increasingly promoted by Christian and post-Christian commentators, including followers of what I will call HeyZeus theology , who weaponise Jewish texts to...

by Ram ben Ze’ev When a Yeshiva Forgets What It Is There are moments when silence becomes complicity. This is one of them. The recent appointment of a non-Jew, openly homosexual public figure as a Professor of Practice at Yeshiva University is not merely ill-judged. It is symptomatic of a deeper crisis: a Jewish institution no longer certain of what it is, whom it serves, or to whom it owes allegiance. A yeshiva is not a university with kosher branding. A yeshiva is a בית מדרש (Beit Midrash...

Moshe in the Basket - The potential impact of paying attention for just one moment From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series This week we read about Paro’s decree against the Jewish children, to abort their lives as soon as they were born. In the Torah’s words, “The king of Egypt spoke to the [chief] Hebrew midwives, whose...

Yoseph’s belief in Hashem’s Oversight of him, gave him the strength to forgive his brothers A Ma’amar From HaGaon Rav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a, Head of Halachah Yomit(Translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) Parashat Vayechi It states in the Parashah, “After he buried his father, Yoseph returned to Egypt along with his brothers and all those who went with him to his father’s burial. Yoseph’s brothers began to realise [the implications] of their father’s...

Sanctioning ICC Judges Directly Engaged in the Illegitimate Targeting of Israel Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant to Executive Order 14203, “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.” These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent, including voting with the...