Intense offensive in Gaza Strip has begun

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF officially confirmed on Tuesday morning that the intense operation in Gaza City had commenced as part of Operation Gideon's Chariots II.

IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that the "IDF has begun destroying Hamas's infrastructure in Gaza City" and warned residents that "Gaza City is considered a dangerous combat zone, and staying in the area puts you at risk."

He called on remaining residents to move as quickly as possible via Al-Rashid Street to the areas designated south of Wadi Gaza by vehicle or on foot. "Join the more than 40% of the city’s residents who have left the city to ensure their safety and the safety of their loved ones."

Earlier in the morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote, "Gaza is burning. The IDF is striking terror infrastructure with an iron fist, and IDF soldiers are fighting heroically to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not relent or turn back until the mission is complete."

Overnight, the Israel Air Force struck dozens of targets across Gaza City, in neighborhoods including Sabra, Daraj, Sheikh Radwan, Shati refugee camp, Tel al-Hawa, and other areas.

Minister Miri Regev: I believe we will apply a sovereignty move after the Chagim

 

Transportation Minister Miri Regev declared Monday at the Sovereignty Conference hosted by Arutz Sheva and the Samaria Council that the government intends to promote a sovereignty decision in Judea and Samaria immediately after the holidays.

"We must seize this opportunity. Woe to us if we don’t act. With God’s help, after the holidays, we will push forward with this decision," Regev stated.

The minister emphasized the need to reject any notion of partial sovereignty. 

"The 'settlement blocs' were designed to pave the way for a Palestinian state. That is why we must apply sovereignty over all of Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. We must act quickly - especially in light of President Macron's reckless move [to recognize a Palestinian state]. We have a duty to our citizens, and we have the United States, which will veto any decisions against us."

Regev also addressed the war against Hamas, stressing the need to eliminate its leadership. "We will eliminate Hamas’s entire external leadership, which is hardening internal positions regarding a deal. We must finish this fight, bring the hostages home, dismantle Hamas’s capabilities, maintain security control in Gaza, and apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria."

Touching on the Attorney General’s conduct amid growing incitement against right-wing ministers, Regev said: "No one is above the law - not even [Attorney General] Baharav-Miara. Right-wing journalists and officials are being targeted. Protest and debate are legitimate, but incitement is not. Words can kill."

Cookere're'coo 4 More Israeli Local Authorities Ban Kaparos this year

 Just ten out of 77 local authorities contacted by an animal rights organization have agreed to ban the practice of using live chickens for the kaparot rite in the run-up to Yom Kippur, which begins on October 1.

The ritual involves reciting prayers while swinging a live chicken around one’s head three times in the belief that this transfers one’s sins to the chicken as a method of spiritual cleansing ahead of the Day of Atonement. The chicken is then slaughtered and its meat is donated to the poor.

Traditionally, money can be used instead of the chicken, which many Jewish groups have encouraged due to concerns of animal cruelty.

The four local authorities that have pledged for the first time not to allow the ceremony within their jurisdictions are Kiryat Bialik near Haifa, the Jezreel Valley Regional Authority in the Lower Galilee, and the Tel Aviv suburbs of Holon and Rishon Lezion.

They join Kfar Saba, Ra’anana, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Petah Tikva, Beersheba and Ashkelon in prohibiting kaparot using live chickens.

Where permitted, the ceremony requires a permit from the council’s veterinarian and a separate permit for slaughtering livestock outside of a slaughterhouse.

Let the Animals Live, which made the appeal to the authorities, says in a statement that the birds are transported crammed into narrow cages without food or water, then subjected to extreme stress and often broken limbs by being swung around. While most of the chickens are then sent to slaughterhouses, some are butchered on the spot by people who are not qualified to do so, the organization claims.

American intelligence leaks have a long history of sabotaging Israeli operations.

by DIN

 As time passes, whispers grow louder: Israel’s “Summit of Fire” operation to eliminate Hamas leadership in Doha may have been compromised—not by poor planning, but by a familiar culprit.

 Reports suggest that American officials rushed to inform Qatari authorities of the impending Israeli airstrike, who in turn warned Hamas leaders. The result? The targets vanished before the first jet could even cast a shadow.

If true, this isn’t just a diplomatic faux pas—it’s a betrayal. But let’s not pretend it’s unprecedented.

Flashback to March 1968: Operation Karameh (also known as Operation Inferno), Israel’s first major military response to Palestinian terror after the Six-Day War. The IDF planned a decisive strike on Fatah’s headquarters in the Jordanian town of Karameh. But just days before the operation, American intelligence reportedly tipped off Jordan. Jordanian officials, in turn, warned Fatah leaders—including Yasser Arafat and his deputy Abu Iyad—who promptly fled and prepared for the assault.

The result? The IDF lost the element of surprise. Thirty-three Israeli soldiers were killed, 161 wounded, and several tanks and vehicles were left behind. Arafat escaped on a motorcycle and declared “victory,” boosting the PLO’s prestige and fueling years of bloody violence.

According to journalist Moshe Zak’s Hussein Makes Peace, and Abu Iyad’s own memoir Without a Homeland, the CIA’s leak to Jordan directly enabled Fatah’s survival and the IDF’s losses. The parallels to today’s alleged leak in Doha are chilling.

Whether in 1968 or 2025, the pattern remains: American intelligence leaks, Israeli lives lost, and terrorist leaders walking free. If allies are supposed to have your back, someone forgot to tell Washington.

 History may not repeat itself exactly—but when it rhymes this loudly, it’s hard to ignore the betrayal.

I hope I'm wrong

Feldheim's New Bio on Reb Dovid Soloveichik Should be Destroyed "It Contains Extremely Dangerous Ideas"

by "Not Daas Torah"

I remember the controversy when “The Making of a Godol” was banned. There was a whole brouhaha about censorship, banning, and whether there was actually anything wrong with the book. 

While its been years since I researched it, and I don’t remember who said it, there was one quote in support of the ban that has stuck with me all these years (and I am of course paraphrasing, if anyone knows the original quote please let me know): “When I read a biography of a gadol, I am looking to be inspired. To let me know the heights a person can reach. To help me set goals in my own personal ruchniyos. Knowing a certain godol wiped his nose on his sleeves doesn’t help me do that.”

I think there is a lot of truth in that quote. For better or worse, Gadolagraphies are not biographies. They are not academic works. They are not meant to be. They are there to push us to be greater - and that is totally fine. 

For all the criticism Art Scroll gets for how bland their gadol biographies are, they do an excellent job in pursuit of that goal. Even if read with a jaded eye, I put down the biography with a new appreciation of that gadol, his greatness, and his legacy, all of which inspires me to grow regardless of factual accuracy. Even as myth it does its job admirably.

This brings us to a new godol biography which has extremely dangerous ideas. I want to make clear: I am not talking hashkafically¹, I am not talking metaphorically. I mean literally life-threateningly dangerous ideas. Ideas that can physically damage a person for life, or even cause him to take his own life cha”v, and I say this from my professional viewpoint as a mental health professional. 

This book should be removed off the shelves as a chashash sakanas nefashos and I do not mean that lightly.

What Happens When a Sephardi Widow and a Belzer Chusid Divorcee Marry

 

Dozens of female Mossad operatives ran covert missions inside Iran during the 12-Day War

 

A clandestine network of female Mossad operatives slipped into Iran during the 12-Day War—running surveillance, logistics, and other on-the-ground tasks that helped blind Tehran’s defenses and enable precision strikes, according to an exclusive report first published in Israel. The account, citing Israeli sources, says “dozens” of women had boots on the ground, a detail later echoed by Iran-focused and pro-Israel outlets that summarized the scoop.

The picture that emerges: human assets moving quietly while the Israel Defense Forces and intelligence services pummeled missile sites, air defenses, and nodes tied to the nuclear program. Previous reporting from major outlets described Mossad agents penetrating Iranian territory to dismantle weapons systems and shape the battlespace before the first bombs fell—context that aligns with the new focus on women in field roles.

Mossad chief David Barnea has publicly praised his operatives’ performance during the campaign, calling the period “historic” and signaling the agency will keep working inside Iran as required. While he didn’t detail gender or units, his remarks—and an official video message—underscore an intelligence posture that blends cyber deception, local partners, and covert teams to hit targets far from Israel’s borders.

Operationally, female case officers and collectors expand cover options, complicate Iranian counterintelligence, and can move in spaces where male operatives might trigger alarms. The sources-based narrative credits these teams with roles from agent handling and route prep to last-mile targeting support—classic HUMINT (human intelligence) that turns satellite feeds and signals intercepts into actionable coordinates.

Tehran has long cast itself as impenetrable. Yet open-source and investigative reporting following the war described precisely the kind of pre-planted networks Israel would need: dissident cells aiding sabotage, decoy summons that lured senior officers, and detailed mapping of high-value personnel—methods that would be amplified by skilled handlers on the ground.

Israel’s strategic logic is straightforward: Iran arms and directs terror proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and others—while racing for nuclear leverage. Covert reach inside the regime is both deterrence and insurance. Barnea and senior Israeli officials have hinted that if Tehran rebuilds capabilities or edges its uranium toward weaponization, the playbook is ready to reopen—quietly at first, and then not so quietly.

The initial “female operatives in Iran” revelation came via The Jerusalem Post; Iran International and World Israel News carried follow-ups; Reuters and other outlets provide the broader operational backdrop of agents operating on Iranian soil during the same campaign. Together, they sketch a coherent arc: a service that can still put people—women and men—deep inside the heart of the Islamic Republic.

Song of Horiyois

 

 

After Charlie Kirk’s Death, Workers Learn the Limits of Free Speech in and Out of Their Jobs

In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been fired for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the first time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts. But the speed at which the firings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech…but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Hochul Endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor

Skver Mayor Spitzer Poses With the Klavtah

 Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged New Yorkers to vote Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, giving the Democratic nominee one of his most significant endorsements to date in the contest to lead the nation’s biggest city.

Writing in the New York Times’ opinion section, Hochul said that while she and Mamdani diverged on some issues, they came together on the importance of addressing the affordability crisis in the city and across the state.

“But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family,” wrote Hochul, a Democrat. “I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.”

The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party as it struggles to repair its brand more than half a year into Donald Trump’s presidency. Hochul’s endorsement is the latest sign that Democratic leaders who had been skeptical of Mamdani’s liberal views are beginning to consolidate around him.

Mamdani thanked Hochul for the boost, saying it’s a sign “our movement is growing stronger.”

“Governor Hochul has made affordability the centerpiece of her work. I look forward to fighting alongside her to continue her track record of putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets and building a safer and stronger New York City where no one is forced to leave just so they can afford to raise a family,” Mamdani said in a statement Sunday night. “I’m grateful to the Governor for her support in unifying our party — as well as the work she’s done standing up to President Trump, securing free lunch meals for our kids, and expanding access to childcare.”

In recent weeks, the other candidates in the race — former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa — have intensified their criticism of Mamdani over his platform and past statements ahead of the city’s general election in November.

Hochul said another reason she decided to back Mamdani was his vow that he would make sure the New York Police Department had the resources it needs to keep the city’s streets and subways safe.

“I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D. — and he agreed,” Hochul wrote.

Mamdani, who is leading in the polls, has not been endorsed by some prominent Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leaders in the U.S. Senate and House.

U.S. House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a New York congresswoman, said Hochul’s endorsement is a sign that the governor is moving left to shore up falling poll numbers.

“At the exact moment when New Yorkers are looking for strong leadership from their Governor with a majority opposing Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul embraces this raging Communist who will destroy New York making it less affordable and more dangerous — once again putting criminals and communists first, and New Yorkers LAST,” Stefanik said in a Sunday statement.

Mamdani soundly defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo has since relaunched his campaign as an independent. Adams, a Democrat, skipped the primary to run as an independent in November. Sliwa ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Hochul served as lieutenant governor to Cuomo and replaced him after he stepped down in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.