The organization said 4,150 immigrants from the United States and Canada settled in Israel in 2025, the highest annual total in four years and an increase of more than 12% compared with the previous year.
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a mikvah, dating to the final days of the Second Temple period beneath the Western Wall Plaza, authorities said Monday.
The mikvah, hewn into bedrock and sealed under a layer dated to 70 C.E., contained ash linked to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Pottery and stone vessels typical of Jewish life at the time were also found.
Researchers say the mikvah likely served residents and those who were Oileh Regel preparing to enter the Temple complex, highlighting the central role of ritual purity in daily life in ancient Jerusalem.
Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, were friends who both lived in New Jersey and would often have breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site in Hammonton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia.
Jonathan Pollard addressed a Knesset session this week, calling for Israel to resettle the Gaza Strip with Jews, arguing that public opinion in Israel supports a full return to the territory.
Speaking in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News from the Knesset, Pollard rejected claims that such a move lacks public backing. He said that polls opposing a return to Gaza were flawed, adding, "I actually feel that the consensus would support a return to Gaza as completely as we can." Pollard said other surveys indicate broad support for a complete Israeli return to the area following the removal of what he described as its current Islamo-fascist population.
Asked how a return to Gaza could be implemented in practice, Pollard said it would require decisive leadership. He stressed the need for a strong prime minister who would clearly convey to the President of the United States that Israel would not relinquish territory gained through war. "What was achieved in blood will never be given up by us ever again," Pollard said.
Pollard warned that indecision and reliance on foreign governments to shape Israeli policy would lead to further losses. He described Gaza as a defining moment, saying that resettling Jews there would demonstrate to Israel’s enemies that attacks would result not only in defeat but also in permanent territorial loss. "If you fight us, we will not only defeat you decisively, but we will take back our land as well, permanently," he said.
Addressing the role of the US, Pollard said that President Donald Trump had provided Israel with an opportunity by lifting weapons embargoes and signaling support for decisive action. He argued that had Israel acted at that time, Hamas would have been destroyed and Israeli resettlement of Gaza would already be underway.
Pollard said his views are shaped primarily by conversations with displaced residents of Gaza envelope communities. "I look at the people first," he said. According to Pollard, all those he spoke with expressed support for a Jewish Gaza, including individuals who previously would not have considered such a position. He said they believe this is the only way to ensure long-term security for southern Israel.
He added that he does not focus on persuading Knesset members, but rather listens to citizens who have lost homes and family members and who fear renewed attacks. Pollard said ensuring their safety is his mission, saying that those he spoke with told him they could not rebuild their lives without knowing the threat would never return. He said this can only be achieved, in his words, through a "100% Jewish Gaza."
Referring again to President Trump, Pollard said the US leader respects strength and success. He called on Israel to act as a winner rather than seek permission. "The man likes winners," Pollard said of President Trump, adding that Israel should adopt an "Israel first" policy beginning with Gaza.
When asked whether he would personally consider moving to Gaza if resettlement took place, Pollard responded humorously that it would depend on the housing, adding that having grown up near the ocean, he could envision living by the sea again.
“First, a message to viewers around the world: the sound you heard during the press conference was the popping of yet another balloon that recently tried to claim there is a huge gap between Netanyahu and Trump, and between Israel and the United States -- and that Trump intends to forgo the demilitarization of Hamas. Israel is getting nine out of ten things it wanted, and Netanyahu, apropos the pardon, is getting eleven out of ten,” Segal began.
He added, “Regarding Israel’s security, Trump says there will be no reconstruction of Gaza without the demilitarization of Hamas - which means Israel is not required to withdraw from the territory it currently controls, about 58% of the Strip.”
Segal noted that the most significant statement concerns Iran. “More important than anything is the existential Iranian threat. President Trump closes the small gap between Israel and the United States and says that even if the non‑nuclear ballistic project advances, he is committed to approving a rapid strike. This is an extraordinarily important message and excellent news for all Israelis.”
According to the petitioners, the funds are being transferred unlawfully to institutions that do not teach core curriculum subjects and are not subject to oversight, while bypassing budgetary restrictions and proper procedures.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, together with party members Vladimir Beliak, Moshe Turpaz, and Naor Shiri, stated that “the petition joins a prolonged struggle against a rotten, corrupt, and wasteful government that disregards Israel’s citizens and treats our money as a bargaining chip and political bribe to solve coalition problems.”
Attorneys Oded Gazit and Eliram Bakal of the Gazit-Bakal law firm, who filed the petition, argued that “the Finance Committee abused its authority and transferred funds unlawfully to institutions that do not meet the educational criteria required by law, rendering the transfers null and void.”
Yesh Atid added that “these are institutions that do not prepare Haredi children for modern life, and the funds are being transferred while attempting to conceal the transfers from the public.”
At the conference, an extraordinary case was presented to the participants, illustrating the heavy responsibility borne by the marriage registrars.
A couple arrived to register for marriage according to halacha at one of the religious councils in Israel. The chasan—who had grown up with an adoptive family since infancy—is a talmid yeshivah who arrived at the registry fully confident in his halachic status.
However, during the routine lineage verification, the marriage registrar discovered a detail that changed the entire picture. He noticed what appeared to be a minor but suspicious technical detail: the name of one of the parents was missing from the records.
The registrar launched a deeper inquiry, which led to a surprising discovery: the chasan has a biological brother who was adopted in childhood by a different family. Further examination revealed that this brother had married shortly beforehand, and in his case the marriage registration process was preceded by a proper giyur, after it emerged that the original adoption had not included a full giyur.
The conclusion was unavoidable: to the shock of the chasan and his relatives, it was determined that he is not Jewish according to halacha. The painful discovery prevented thorny halachic issues and underscores the critical importance of the verification procedures carried out in marriage registration offices.
A source familiar with the details said that since the chasan was Shomer Torah u’mitzvos, the giyur process was quick and straightforward, and the couple’s chasunah took place at the scheduled time.
The head of the Marriage Department at the Ministry, Rabbi Chizkiyahu Samin, referred to the case at the conference, saying, “The story revealed here is a chilling reminder of the importance of your avodat hakodesh. We must continue to combine advanced, welcoming service with uncompromising adherence to halacha and to the identity of the Jewish people.”
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IRGC’s Aerospace Force is pursuing the development of the unconventional warheads while simultaneously relocating missile launchers to eastern Iran.
In addition to work on the warheads themselves, the report said efforts are underway to adapt ballistic missiles to carry such payloads and to upgrade related command-and-control systems.
According to the sources, these activities have intensified in recent months amid growing concern in Tehran over the possibility of renewed confrontation with Israel and the United States.
According to Israeli intelligence assessments cited in the report, Iran is rebuilding its missile capabilities with increased urgency following the 12-day conflict in June. Israeli officials estimate that Iran’s missile stockpile declined from roughly 3,000 missiles before the war to about 1,500 afterward, while the number of missile launchers was reduced from approximately 400 to 200.
They added that postwar reconstruction efforts suggest a renewed and intensified focus on restoring and expanding Iran’s missile forces.
The woman, who posts under the name Sanam, shared footage earlier this month recounting her arrival in Israel en route to visit Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque. In the video, which quickly went viral, she said airport officials treated her respectfully and without harassment.
“They gave me a coffee, they gave me a cheese sandwich,” she said. “We weren’t strip-searched or anything like that. It was all good.”
Sanam said she decided to document the experience after hearing negative stories that initially made her hesitant to travel. She said she hoped sharing her account would encourage others to judge the experience for themselves.
The video sparked a flood of online reactions. Critics accused her of “promoting” Israel and questioned her motives, with some commenters asking whether she had been paid to post the video. Others expressed anger over her decision to speak positively about Israeli security procedures amid the ongoing war.
At the same time, many Israelis and Jewish users thanked her for sharing her experience and welcomed her to the country. Several commenters said her post offered a rare counter-narrative to claims of systemic mistreatment at the airport.
In a follow-up video filmed in Jerusalem, Sanam described hearing church bells near the al-Aqsa Mosque and wrote, “One city, three religions.” That post also drew mixed reactions. When some Israelis praised Israel’s religious freedoms and security, she responded dismissively, correcting users who referred to Israel by name and instead calling the area “Palestine.”
The videos highlight how even personal travel experiences can become flashpoints online amid heightened political tensions surrounding Israel and the Palestinian territories.
