A Stone from the Kotel Shipped to 2025 World Expo in Osaka to Be Touched by 28 Million Visitors

Question: Since Satmar Chassidim are prohibited from visiting the Kotel after Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, founder of Satmar Chassidus issued his Fatwa in 1967, will they be allowed to visit the Kotel in Japan? 

Is the "issur" "chall" on the Kotel only or is the "issur" "chall" on the stones?

 If in fact the "issur" is on the Kotel only, the place where according to the gemmarrah, the "shechina never left" then they would be able to visit the stone in Japan, but if the "issur" is "chall" on the stones, then they won't be able to visit the stone even in Japan! Final Psak!!
 

The Israeli Foreign Ministry is planning a special operation to transport a stone from the Western Wall to Japan for display at the Osaka Expo. This major international fair, expected to draw approximately 28 million visitors over six months, will feature the stone taken from the southern section of the Western Wall with the assistance of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The cost of transporting the stone is estimated at $32,525 for the round trip.

The Expo is scheduled to open on April 13 in Osaka. A preliminary delegation from the Foreign Ministry has already visited the site to prepare for the establishment of the Israeli pavilion. In collaboration with the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo, the ministry is investing significant resources into the pavilion, which will highlight Jewish tradition and culture alongside Israeli innovation and entrepreneurship.

Initially, Israel had not intended to participate in the Expo, citing constraints following the October 7 attack which made it difficult to construct a pavilion comparable in size to previous years, such as the 1,200-square-meter pavilion at the last fair. However, after persistent efforts by the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Japan, the decision was made to proceed with participation due to the event’s political significance. The Israeli government has allocated NIS 10 million ($2.73 million) for the pavilion’s construction.

Over the course of the six-month event, the Israeli delegation will organize a variety of activities, including seminars on technology, innovation, education, and elderly healthcare. Additional events will be hosted by the Ministries of Tourism and Economy. Cultural programs, such as dance, jazz, and visual arts performances, are also planned for the pavilion.

More than 3,000 Murderers to Be Released in Hostage Deal

Qadura Fares

 Qadura Fares, chairman of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, disclosed in a Sunday interview with the Maan news agency that as part of the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the number of prisoners to be released is expected to exceed 3,000.

He explained that the first phase of the agreement would involve the release of 25 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of 48 terrorists previously freed in the Shalit deal and later re-imprisoned. This phase will also include the release of approximately 1,000 additional terrorists, including all women and children held in Israeli prisons, as well as 200 individuals sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed Israel’s senior negotiating team to join the professional echelon in Doha, signaling an intensified push to secure a deal for the release of hostages from their harsh captivity in the Gaza Strip.

The senior team includes the head of the Mossad, the head of the Shin Bet, Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, and political advisor Ofir Falk. The deployment of the expanded team suggests potential progress in the negotiations. This move comes amid conflicting reports about the factors delaying the deal. While there are indications from Israel and the U.S. of Hamas’s opposition, some have pointed to Netanyahu as a potential cause of the delays.

The decision to send Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, despite the strained relationship between him and the prime minister, is seen as an effort to preempt future accusations that Israel is not approaching the negotiations with the necessary seriousness.

According to sources familiar with the details, the current negotiations are focused on a broader deal than previous ones, involving the release of a greater number of hostages and a longer ceasefire. However, it remains uncertain whether the agreements being discussed with Hamas representatives abroad will be acceptable to the group’s leaders in the Gaza Strip.

Qadura Fares also mentioned that most of the terrorists would return to their homes in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza. However, those sentenced to life imprisonment are expected to be deported to countries like Qatar, Egypt, or Turkey. “This exile is a necessary step to prevent any threats to the lives of the Palestinians being released,” Fares told Ma’an.

In the interview, Fares disclosed that Israel had requested that nine more hostages, including wounded soldiers, be added to the list for the first phase of the deal. In exchange, Israel is expected to release an additional number of terrorists sentenced to life imprisonment. Fares emphasized that these conditions are currently central to the ongoing negotiations between the parties.

Smotrich Collects PA’s Entire Billion-Dollar Debt

 Israel’s Finance Ministry is deducting billions of shekels from the Palestinian Authority’s debts while also depleting the Norwegian fund where “Gaza money” has been stored since the war began. This marks a significant development, as the PA’s debt to the Israel Electric Company has led to substantial loans at high interest rates, damaging the company’s credit. Ultimately, this financial strain was passed on to Israeli consumers, Israel Hayom reported on Sunday.

The initiative, spearheaded by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over the past year, culminated on Sunday when he informed the political and security cabinet of its completion. The process successfully recovered the full debt of 1.9 billion shekels ($520 million), which had remained outstanding for over a decade.

Additionally, and equally significant, the Finance Ministry issued an executive order on Sunday regarding the Norwegian fund, which had received millions offset from the Palestinian Authority’s funds by the State of Israel. These funds, earmarked for Gaza (275 million shekels per month – $75 million), amounted last May to a total of 1.4 billion shekels ($380 million). The order directs that the funds be used to settle the PA’s debts to Israeli companies: half will be allocated to the companies that supplied fuel to the PA, while the other half will go to the Israel Electric Company.

It helped that over the past two years or so, the Biden administration boycotted Minister Smotrich and as a result was unable to negotiate with him. As a result, American demands for interest rate reductions were met with a firm rejection from the Finance Ministry, which refused to compromise on even a single shekel. The ministry stressed that such “discounts” create negative incentives and pointed out that no Israeli consumer would receive similar concessions.

Since last May, when Norway unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state, Minister Smotrich halted the transfer of offset funds to the Norwegian fund and began accumulating the amounts separately within Israel. Now, the funds, which were originally intended to be returned to the Palestinian Authority after the war, are being redirected to cover debts owed to the IEC, in coordination with the United States.

Behind the scenes, Finance Ministry Deputy Director General Yoray Matzlawi led the negotiations with the PA and various American officials. Matzlawi achieved what his predecessors could not: ensuring the full transfer of funds to the Electric Company from the PA’s accounts, including the accrued interest on arrears, without any reductions.

The Palestinian Authority’s debt to the IEC has been an ongoing issue for the State of Israel for 15 years. In 2016 and 2020, former Finance Ministry Director General Shai Babad (currently the CEO & President at Strauss Group) reached two agreements with the PA to settle the accumulating debt. However, the PA repeatedly violated these agreements, preventing a resolution to the longstanding financial dispute.

On Sunday, 1.1 billion shekels are being fully cleared and transferred to the Israel Electric Corporation, sourced partly from the Norwegian fund and partly from the funds accumulated in Israel. After reaching agreements with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the use of the Norwegian fund for PA purposes was prevented. Norway will now receive a formal letter from the Finance Ministry requesting the funds for the payment of various debts.

by David Israel JP 

Biden ‘recklessly’ sanctioned American Jews in campaign against Israelis

 

The Biden administration sanctioned two Israeli-Americans as part of a regime targeting settlers in Judea and Samaria, a federal lawsuit filed on Thursday revealed.

The Americans, who are also Israeli citizens, sued the Biden administration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claiming the sanctions violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.

According to attorneys for the plaintiffs, the administration appears not to have known it was sanctioning Americans.

“The Biden administration has carried out this sanctions program with scant regard for the underlying facts and scant independent investigation, relying instead on the say-so of virulently anti-Israel groups in order to impose life-changing penalties on people,” Eugene Kontorovich, a legal consultant on the lawsuit and a professor at George Mason University Law School, told the Washington Free Beacon.

But the lawsuit is about more than sanctions relief for the plaintiffs. It also takes aim at the notion, pushed by a global network of anti-Israel organizations, that the settlements are a root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“These groups have basically co-opted the State Department to help them make Judea and Samaria ‘judenrein,’” Kontorovich said, using the biblical name for the West Bank. “That’s what they’re trying to achieve.”

Orit Strock: 'Hostage deal rewards terror and is a victory for Hamas'

 Minister of Settlement Affairs, Orit Strock, expressed her opposition on Radio Kol Barama to the proposed hostage release deal.

"Releasing hundreds of murderous terrorists, with blood on their hands? This is a deal that rewards terrorism and is a victory for Hamas," said Strock about the deal on the table.

Strock added, "We are fighting the war in Gaza with tied hands, with many restrictions imposed on us. We are waiting for the moment we can change our approach in the war in Gaza, and that will happen in a week and a day."

Regarding Trump's involvement in the deal, she stated, "I'm sure that President Trump certainly does not want such a terrible deal as the one on the table to be recorded with his name. I am sure he does not want it noted that Gaza returns to being a threat to Israel, that the effort to clean the Strip is going down the drain, and that many Israeli soldiers will pay with their lives for withdrawing from Gaza, and that hundreds of murderous terrorists will be like gas on a fire and ignite terrorism in Judea and Samaria and worldwide."

"I am sure that if President Trump thinks deeply, he would not want a victory of the axis of evil over the free world in his name and will not support a deal that rewards murderous terrorism."

Asked about withdrawing from the government, Strock replied, "The Prime Minister knows well our red lines, and I hope he will not challenge them."

Regarding Levin and Sa'ar's bill proposal, the minister said, "I partnered in the move. A bill requiring agreement is the right thing for a diverse society. We need to take off the table the possibility that judges can thwart appointments in a forceful way."

Strock revealed, "As of today, a proposal for consensual appointments in Jerusalem's courts is on the table, and Judge Amit delays it and chokes the judicial system which he is responsible for, only because he decided to deviate from the path of agreement."

Israel recklessly agrees to leave Philadelphi corridor in final phase of hostage deal –

 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Qatari-owned news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed reports that a framework for a hostage release deal has been completed, and Israel has agreed to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor in the final phase.

The mediators are awaiting approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The hostage release deal will include three phases, and Israel will gradually withdraw troops from Gaza beginning in the first phase until it leaves the Philadelphi corridor on the last day of the agreement.

Al Araby notes a “clear shift” in Netanyahu’s position regarding “the process of completing the war after the first stage [of a ceasefire deal].”

Arab media reports that Hamas will soon provide a list of living hostages that it is prepared to release.

Foreign sources note that Israel has made significant concessions, including withdrawing a number of troops in the initial “humanitarian” phase of the deal.

al-Araby al-Jadeed reports that this is the “closest” the two sides have gotten to a hostage release agreement

The news outlet also reports that Egypt showed “flexibility” in postponing discussions about Israel’s presence in the Philadelphi corridor until later phases of the agreement.

Cairo’s position is that Israel’s presence in the Philadelphi Corridor is a violation of the 1978 peace agreement between the two countries. Still, it is willing to resolve this issue after the first phases of the agreement.

Al Araby posits that one of the reasons for Netanyahu’s shift in policy is US President-elect Donald Trump’s warning that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages aren’t released by his inauguration on January 20th.

Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Saturday after attending hostage deal negotiations in Qatar.

An Israeli official told Reuters that Witkoff was meeting with Netanyahu on Saturday.

Kamala Tweets Photo of Carter Funeral and Crops Out the Most Important Living Person in the Entire Room!

 

Kamala tweeted this photo of Jimmy Carter's funeral, and guess who she cropped out?

It's obvious that President-elect Trump and First Lady Melania were placed at the end of the row in advance to be able to crop them out.

Delusianal Biden : “I would’ve beaten Trump, could’ve beaten Trump, & I think that Kamala could’ve beaten Trump, would’ve beaten Trump.”

 

 “I would’ve beaten Trump, could’ve beaten Trump, & I think that Kamala could’ve beaten Trump, would’ve beaten Trump.”

Sheer Insanity: While LA is Burning to the Gound ..California holds a special legislative session to “prepare for Donald Trump.” They even allocate $25M to sue Trump in his upcoming term.

 California holds a special legislative session to “prepare for Donald Trump.”

They even allocate $25M to sue Trump in his upcoming term.

As for the wildfire?

iPhone users stunned by 3 little-known tricks to double battery life

He’s providing iPhone battery advice — free of charge.

A tech expert shared some easy ways to keep your smartphone battery in excellent shape and potentially double its life, wowing frustrated Apple users.

“The biggest villain for iPhones is their battery,” tech aficionado Thiago Derminio began in a viral Instagram video.

“Everyone complains that it runs out too quickly, and this gets even worse over the years.”

First, Dermino said to poke around the settings page and use the dropdown search bar for the “Siri and search” page. Once there, uncheck the background battery tasks underneath “suggestions from Apple.”

Then, head to “accessibility” in settings and toggle on “reduce motion.” Next, go under “general” and turn off “background app refresh.”

Dermino explained that these are common settings that “consume your battery in the background, and you don’t need them to be activated.”

Users were grateful for the little-known tricks, with one exclaiming: “Need to do this!”

Herby Jasmin, founder of the website Gotechtor, recently shared another obscure way to preserve battery life as well.

If you are willing to have a dimmer display, change your settings to “reduce white point,” he explained.

This is done by going into the “accessibility” tab of settings and then into “display and text size.”

Once there, you can toggle the white point reduction on and off.

PC Mag additionally recommends turning off location services and being selective about which apps send you push notifications. The outlet also suggests shutting off Siri’s “active listening” feature as well.

Apple additionally suggests using auto-brightness, low power mode, and WiFi to preserve battery life.

In the “battery” section of settings, users can also see the percentage of efficiency their battery is performing at, and which of their apps is using the most power.