Iran’s IRGC is currently running Hezbollah, preparing it for war with Israel

 

Hezbollah is preparing for a possible war with Israel, Al-Arabiya reported.

The report follows assessments that Iran is pressuring the terror group to join the fighting if the US strikes Iran.

Sources who spoke with the Al-Arabiya claimed that the Friday airstrikes carried out in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley were a “prelude" to an Israeli military operation - one that appears likely to be conducted in parallel with strikes on Iran.

The report quoted sources close to Hezbollah who told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath, both Saudi news outlets, that Hezbollah is no longer run by Lebanese leaders, but rather by officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, some of whom were already present in Lebanon.

According to the sources, the Iranian IRGC officers are not only responsible for rebuilding Hezbollah’s capabilities, but are also personally overseeing operational plans and meeting with Hezbollah teams in various areas in order to issue instructions.

The report added that these Iranian officers also met with members of the missile unit that was targeted Friday in the Beqaa region.

New Gerer Owners Of Local Mall in Arad Take Down All Female Images and the Israeli Flag

 

The city of Arad in Southern Israel has been embroiled in controversy after the local mall, the only one in the city, was purchased by two Gerer chasidim, who are trying to make sweeping changes in the mall, including closing it on Shabbat and removing all pictures of females. Secular residents of the town are fuming over the proposed changes, saying that this is an attempt to destroy the character of the town and create charedi domination in the mixed town of 30,000 residents.

“The Mayor, Mr. Yair Maayan, informed me that in recent days an instruction was issued on your behalf to remove images of women or any female representation from all commercial areas of the mall,” the legal adviser of the Municipality of Arad wrote this week in a letter to the new management of the city’s mall.

The letter was sent after the mall was transferred to the new chasidic owners. Following the transfer, the Israeli flag was removed from the building’s entrance, the background music played in the mall was changed, and advertisements containing images of women were taken down at the management’s instruction.

“At the outset, I emphasize that this is a grave, improper, and unlawful directive, one that the municipality will not ignore. This instruction directly harms human dignity, gender equality, and the fabric of public life in the State of Israel in general, and in Arad in particular, which is a secular and liberal city,” wrote attorney Haim Shiman, the municipality’s legal adviser.

The transfer of the Arad mall into the hands of the Gerer chasidim is seen as another chapter in the city’s ongoing religious transformation. This follows the recent allocation of extensive construction areas for charedi neighborhoods, as reported several weeks ago in Maariv, as well as the transfer of public buildings to leaders of the chasidic community.

These developments sparked considerable anger among residents outside the community, and reactions on social media quickly followed. “Arad, the writing is on the wall,” an anonymous resident wrote on Facebook.Another resident posted a drawing depicting a sign that read: “This road leads to an area under charedi control. Entry for soldiers is forbidden and endangers your lives.” The post was captioned: “Coming very soon to Arad, courtesy of the bulldozer backing them.”

One anonymous commenter wrote: “The demand to remove images of women is illegal. Any business that cooperates with the greed-driven demands of this draft-dodging sect and removes such images automatically loses me as a customer.”

Former mayor Nisan Ben Hamo harshly criticized the current leadership: “The mayor sold us out to Gur, that’s a fact. We must save our city. He formed a coalition with them over the heads of the secular residents, handed them all the key positions, and now he complains?

According to Ben Hamo, residents have begun protest actions: “We are fighting. There have already been demonstrations and other protests. For two years now, residents have been struggling. The mayor was not even an Arad resident, he moved here just three months before the elections to meet eligibility rules. Today, residents are extremely angry.”

Former deputy mayor Maxim Okanin expressed a more conciliatory view: “Arad is a city of diverse communities, and that is part of its strength. Property rights are fundamental, but Israeli law is clear: there is no place for the exclusion of women or harm to public rights in a commercial space open to all.”

“The challenge in Arad is not to defeat one another, but to learn to live together : to recognize, respect, speak a shared language, and avoid coercion from any side. The city’s future success lies in maintaining the balance between individual rights and the shared public sphere. Live and let live, Arad must remain a home for everyone.”

Mayor Yair Maayan responded firmly to the developments at the mall: “The municipality views with severity any attempt by the mall’s new owners to alter its character and exclude women from the public space.” According to him, the municipality sent a warning letter to the mall’s management demanding that all measures taken be revoked. “If the violations do not cease, the municipality will act to close the mall immediately.”

Some residents expressed pessimism regarding the city’s future. Local resident Shlomi Tabachnik said: “We are heading toward disaster, and it’s not just Arad, it’s the whole country. I heard the mayor threatened to close the mall. That’s a joke. It’s all talk. What is he actually capable of doing? He has two seats on the city council; they have five. One word from Gur and he’s out of office. By issuing such a statement, he is effectively admitting that the situation is improper. But that’s not all. He brought students to the city, and today several female students traveling by bus were spat on. Arad is in terrible shape.”

Trump raising global tariffs to 15% after Supreme Court defeat

 

President Trump said Saturday he’s going to bump his newly imposed global tariff to 15%, in the wake of the Supreme Court decision blocking his sweeping import taxes on international trading partners.

The increase was “based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social.

“During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!” he wrote.

Trump announced 10% global tariffs Friday after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision that the president had exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, which allows presidents to regulate commerce during national emergencies, to impose tariffs to address trade imbalances and halt fentanyl smuggling.

Trump had previously said he was “ashamed” of three conservative Supreme Court justices who ruled against him, and now plans to rely on a different legal provision known as Section 122, under the Trade Act of 1974.

The legal avenue is fast, but it’s also temporary.

Trump’s executive order cited Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows for tariffs up to 15 % for a maximum of 150 days to address “large and serious” trade deficits.

The president is “already on shaky ground,” claimed Andrew Hale, a trade expert at the think tank Advancing American Freedom, which is affiliated with former Vice President Mike Pence.

He said the law only applies when there are “large and serious US balance of payments deficits under a fixed rate system,” but the world “abandoned the fixed rate exchange rate system in the 1970s.”

Trump also said he would use other authorities to reimpose tariffs, but these take more time and require official investigations before taking effect.

“Pritzus And Hefkeirus”: Chareidim Launch Campaign To Prevent Major Purim Event In Yerushalayim

DIN: Kill Joys!! These celebrations are no where close to the Chareide neighborhoods, it's taking place on Jaffa Street where Chardeieim generally never walk by! What's ironic Chardeim have no problem causing “Pritzus And Hefkeirus” when they keep closing and blocking traffic 7 days a week! this is just another one of their power grabs which hopefully will not happen!

 A fierce backlash is brewing in Yerushalayim after city officials announced large-scale Purim celebrations slated to take place along Jaffa Street, drawing opposition from residents of nearby chareidi neighborhoods who say the events threaten the kedusha of the city on one of the holiest days of the year.

Flyers circulating throughout Yerushalayim on Friday warned of a planned transformation of central streets into scenes of “pritzus and hefkeirus,” accusing the municipality of approving mass mixed gatherings, outdoor bars, and public performances in close proximity to long-established Torahdik neighborhoods.

While tens of thousands of frum families will be gathering for seudos and fulfilling the mitzvos of Purim, critics say the city’s program would create a starkly different atmosphere just steps away. According to the announcement, bars are expected to extend operations into public areas along Jaffa Street, with large stages and entertainment venues set up in the heart of the city.

Residents of adjacent neighborhoods say tensions have been building for years, describing previous Purim celebrations as chaotic, with intoxicated revelers spilling into quiet residential streets. They argue that what was once limited has now escalated into a far more expansive municipal production.

Of particular concern is the reported plan for pedestrian access routes to funnel thousands of attendees through narrow streets bordering chareidi areas. Community leaders warn that this could bring large crowds through “the quiet and holy streets of Yerushalayim shel Maalah,” disrupting families and undermining the kedusha of the day.

“We cannot remain silent,” organizers declared. “How can we watch as the holy is swallowed? We will not allow the transformation of Yerushalayim — especially the areas surrounding chareidi neighborhoods — into centers of tumah, rachmana litzlan.”

Sources familiar with the developing response say emergency meetings of rabbanim and community askanim are expected in the coming days to determine next steps.

Municipal officials have not yet publicly responded to the growing protest, but the issue appears poised to ignite a confrontation between city planners and the chareidi community.

HUGE BLOW TO TRUMP: Supreme Court Rules President’s Sweeping Tariffs Are Unconstitutional

 The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.

The decision centers on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country.

It’s the first major piece of Trump’s broad agenda to come squarely before the nation’s highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.

Judea, Samaria Jewish Population Grew at Twice Israel’s Overall Rate in 2025

 The Jewish population in Judea and Samaria grew in 2025 at twice the rate of Israel’s overall population, according to a report compiled by former lawmaker Ya’akov Katz and first shared with JNS on Friday.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, 541,085 Jews lived in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley, amounting to some 5.32% of the total population of the Jewish state, according to the West Bank Jewish Population Stats Report.

The population grew by 2.2% last year, exactly double the 1.1% growth rate of the nation’s overall population.

That figure, culled from Interior Ministry statistics, does not include the some 340,000 Jews living in the eastern part of Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim despite it being part of Israel’s capital, the report noted.

Despite that, it showed a slight slowdown in growth in Judea and Samaria, which Katz attributed to the aging population.

Bet El, in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria, for example, had the country’s highest birth rate in 1986, when most of its residents were of childbearing age. Four decades later, many residents there and across Judea and Samaria are in their 60s and 70s, moderating growth.

The Jewish population in Judea and Samaria has grown 13.8% since 2021, when 475,481 Jews lived in the region liberated during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Some of the fastest-growing communities over the past year were Avigail and Asael in the South Hebron Hills in Judea, which recorded growth of 720% and 644.8%, respectively, Shacharit in Samaria (600%), Givat HaRoeh in Binyamin (169.4%) and Beit Hogla in the Jordan Valley (111.6%).

The largest localities were the Haredi cities of Modi’in Illit (in Samaria) and Beitar Illit (in Judea), with 92,339 and 74,760 residents, respectively, followed by the Judean Desert city of Ma’ale Adumim outside Jerusalem (40,800); Giv’at Ze’ev, also near the capital (25,630); and the Samaria city of Ariel (22,273).

Zera Shimshon Parshat Teruma

 

Beauty influencer loses 140,000 followers after her followers see her real face on a glitch!

 This is what her followers on tiktok thought she looked like

This is what she really looks like

Did the digital mask just slip?

A Chinese livestreamer allegedly lost thousands of followers after a beauty filter malfunction revealed her true visage, per social media posts going viral.

However, as of yet, her so-called loss of face — and viewership — has yet to be independently verified.

Jeffrey Epstein files that led to ex-Prince Andrew’s arrest include confidential government briefs

 The former Prince Andrew is accused of betraying the UK by sharing confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein and his pals — and files that were recently released by the US Justice Department culminated in his arrest Thursday.

In one of the emails from October 2010, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded official reports to Epstein, sharing the details of his visits to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam with the disgraced financier.

On Christmas Eve 2010, he also messaged Epstein and sent him a confidential briefing about investment opportunities in Afghanistan, where the UK government was funding reconstruction in Helmand Province, the emails released by the DOJ show.

Karlin-Stoliner Rebbe to followers: 'Have we completely lost our minds?'

 The leader of the Karlin-Stolin hasidic sect responded Tuesday night to Sunday's events in Bnei Brak, strongly condemning the riots and the damage to property.

"We all heard with shock what happened two days ago in Bnei Brak," the Karlin-Stoliner Rebbe told his hasidim (followers). "To our embarrassment, the riots have become something of a norm, and this is a terrible thing."

The Rebbe acknowledged the difficulties faced by the haredi community but clarified that these challenges do not justify violence.

"It’s true that we are in a very difficult situation, many are struggling during this tough period and don't know how it will resolve," he said. "But none of this justifies behaving in such a reckless manner."

Stressing that such behavior violates halakha (Jewish law), he added, "Throughout all generations, we have gone through hardships and difficult times, and we never found any justification to act against clear halakha. It is forbidden to cause harm, it is forbidden to burn. We have the Torah, and we have halakha before everything else. It is forbidden to harm others or damage property - whether it’s trash cans or other items. How did we deteriorate to this point? Who allowed this?"

"What justification is there for blocking roads and closing the way for many people who need to reach their destination, including cases of saving a life? What has happened to us? Does this help anyone? It only harms and hurts our own community."

The Karlin-Stoliner Rebbe added, "What should shock us all is that tefillin (phylacteries) and a prayer book were burned. Dear G-d in Heaven! If this had happened anywhere else, the entire Jewish world would have been shaken and appalled. How did we reach this terrible situation where tefillin and sacred prayer books were burned with our own hands? Where is our Jewish feeling? Have we completely lost our minds?'

At the end of his words, the Rebbe called for an end to the deterioration and urged for soul-searching.