I want the hostages home. You want the hostages home.
We all do.
We’ve carried their names in our mouths for over 600 days. Hung their faces on our walls, chanted their return in our streets, and prayed for their survival in synagogues and schools around the world.
The decision comes at a time when Irish budget carrier Ryanair has announced the suspension of all its flights to and from Israel until August, citing security concerns. Wizz Air views this as an opportunity to fill the void left by other carriers and plans to triple its passenger traffic from Israel.
The airline intends to expand its existing European routes from Tel Aviv and introduce new destinations, including potential flights to India and Morocco. Additionally, Wizz Air will employ Israeli staff, such as flight attendants and pilots, contributing to local job creation.
Minister Regev stipulated that Wizz Air must also operate domestic flights between Tel Aviv and Eilat as part of the agreement. The formal signing of the deal is anticipated in July.
Wizz Air’s fleet comprises 230 aircraft, and its entry into the Israeli market is expected to intensify competition and lead to significant fare reductions for travelers.
The late Satmar Rebbe R' Yoel Teitelbaum z"l then stole this very "Uganda" idea that he mocked and established an Uganda in Monroe, New York! In the very country that he screamed for decades, was the "treifene medina" and discouraged his followers from emigrating there!
But now it's kosher, and Herzl z"l is laughing in his grave in Yerushalayim Ir Ha'koidesh! Now Israel the land that Satmar mentions in every single tefilla, including Bentching and Al Hamechye is the "treifene medina" the very country that has the most Torah learned than anywhere in the entire world!
Go figure!
In a rare and pointed address, Satmar Rebbe Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum didn’t mince words: the days of Williamsburg as the heart of the chassidic community may be coming to a close.
Citing skyrocketing rent and what he described as a deteriorating spiritual atmosphere, the Rebbe urged families to begin thinking seriously about relocating to communities more suited to raising children in accordance with Torah values
“The prices are out of control, the influences from the street are creeping in, and it’s becoming harder and harder to live a Yiddishe life the way we want for our kinder.”
The comments were not offhand. Sources close to the Rebbe say he has been expressing concern for past year, but this was the first time he addressed the issue publicly and unequivocally.
“The gashmius (materialism) is choking the ruchnius (spiritual life),” he said. “When a young couple can’t even dream of affording a one-bedroom in the neighborhood they grew up in, and when the streets no longer reflect the kedushah (holiness) we expect — it’s time to consider alternatives.”
While he did not name specific communities, many in attendance took it as a tacit endorsement of established and growing chassidic enclaves like Kiryas Joel, Bloomingburg, and parts of Rockland and Orange counties, where housing remains more affordable and community infrastructure is built around Torah life.
According to the latest revised Witkoff plan released Thursday morning, the terrorist group Hamas would release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies, to be returned in two phases over the course of a week.
Currently, 58 hostages are believed to be held in Gaza: 20 are confirmed alive, 35 have been declared dead, and three are in critical condition with their status officially unconfirmed.
As you may recall, President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday night: “We’re on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered later today. The president is going to review it. I have some very good feelings about getting to… a temporary ceasefire and a long-term, peaceful resolution of that conflict,”
Just before Witkoff’s remarks, Hamas issued a statement claiming it had agreed to his outline, which included the release of 10 live hostages in two stages. However, Israel swiftly rejected the claim, stating, “This is unacceptable—both to us and to the American administration.”
One has to ask: is anyone verifying these proposals before they’re leaked to the media?
It was also reported that, in exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel would agree to a 60-day ceasefire. During this period, negotiations would take place aimed at ending the war. If no agreement is reached by the end of the 60 days, Israel would have the option to resume military operations or continue negotiations in exchange for the release of more hostages.
Additionally, the distribution of humanitarian aid will revert to the control of the United Nations, rather than being managed by the American company currently operating the distribution centers. This means Hamas would be getting a new lease on life, being able to resume its raids on the UN humanitarian aid facilities, sell the stolen food and medicine on the black market, and fund its recruitment efforts with the profits.
The IDF will withdraw from all the areas captured during Operation Might and Sword, which began on March 17.
Oh, and the number of terrorists with Jewish blood on their hands to be released in the exchange has now been disclosed. Israel will in exchange release 125 terrorists serving life sentences, and an additional 1,111 Gazan terrorists captured after October 7th will be released. Furthermore, Israel will also release the bodies of 180 dead Gazans.
At the end of the deal, Hamas will release detailed medical records on the remaining hostages they are still holding.
This is an atrocious deal, reversing all of Israel’s gains over the past two and a half months of fighting and reviving the fast-declining Hamas.
An online survey in Hebrew by blogger Abu Ali Express indicate that 69% of the 28,500 votes oppose the deal (77% oppose it when you exclude those without an opinion).
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the new proposal has been formally presented to the involved parties.
In recent days, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Mossad Director Dedi Barnea held discussions with Steve Witkoff regarding the potential ceasefire deal in Gaza. One can only hope the plan will be buried deep beneath the ruins of Gaza where it belongs.
by David Israel JP
Mike Tyson once famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get a punch in the face." I admire the simple, yet profound, wisdom in that brief statement. This life lesson, which awaits anyone who hasn’t yet encountered it, seems to be unfolding before our eyes in the case of President Trump.
Dealing with unpredictable figures like Putin and the Ayatollah differs significantly from engaging with those who regard the lives and happiness of their subjects as worthy or valuable. These extremists think and act in ways that starkly contrast with rational individuals who pursue win-win outcomes in negotiations. Instead, they adopt an all-or-nothing approach, indifferent to the cost in their own people’s lives as long as their objectives are met.
This observation extends beyond the two mentioned earlier. It is a characteristic commonly seen in dictators who govern with minimal support from their citizens. The only effective way to negotiate with them is to apply pressure and threats that target them directly, rather than solely affecting their country’s population. They show little concern for their citizens, focusing solely on their own interests, which should be the primary target President Trump aims for when dealing with these tyrants.
President Trump has voiced strong confidence that reason would guide his dealings with Putin, but he has been proven wrong. He struggles to understand irrational actors, having been shaped by a Western democracy where leaders are held accountable through fair elections and must meet voter expectations to secure re-election, a rational system.
Dictators, however, operate with a completely different mindset, employing deceptive negotiation tactics that appear to involve compromise but conceal a hidden agenda that undermines any agreement they sign. For them, it is an all-or-nothing approach. History stands as my evidence.
Musk confirmed his departure on X, his social media platform, stating, "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."
A White House official, who requested anonymity, confirmed Musk's exit to The Associated Press.
Musk’s departure closely follows his public critique of President Trump's signature legislative initiative, dubbed the "big beautiful bill." Speaking to CBS, Musk characterized the legislation, which combines tax cuts with enhanced immigration enforcement, as a "massive spending bill" that escalates the federal deficit and "undermines the work" of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
"I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful," Musk remarked, "But I don't know if it could be both."
President Trump, in response to the criticism, defended his agenda by acknowledging the complexities of legislative negotiation. "I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it," he stated, hinting at potential future modifications.
Musk was named by Trump as one of the leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency soon after Trump was elected to a second term in office in November. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy was to have led the department together with Musk, but he stepped away from that role hours after Trump took office in January.
Reports last month indicated that Trump had informed his Cabinet and people close to him that Musk would resign from the government soon.
The report came soon after Musk announced that he intends to launch an investigation into the sources of wealth of American congress members who have accumulated vast fortunes, despite an average annual salary of only $174,000.
"I had faith that God was by my side, watching over me and would get me out of there," Megidish said, adding that she repeatedly sought signs from above: "I would ask a question, like if I’m supposed to get out of here, let there be a boom. And then there was a boom. There were all sorts of signs."
On another occasion, she asked God to see a butterfly as a sign from heaven. "Suddenly, one of the captors pulled out a toy shaped like a very colorful butterfly. I started smiling, even though I had stitches in my face—I felt He was with me."
During her third Shabbat in captivity, IDF bombings struck the house where she was held. "The ceiling collapsed, the house was engulfed in flames. I didn’t even feel that I was injured." Only later did she realize she had a skull fracture. Megidish recalled that the doctors who treated her in captivity stitched her face without anesthesia. "It was pain you can’t describe," she recounted.
At the moment of her rescue, Megidish was asleep. "There’s gunfire outside, and when I realize something is happening, I go behind the fridge and crouch down. I shout in Hebrew, I don’t know why, but it was like I felt, I don’t know, that this was a rescue."
Standing before her was a soldier who looked like a local, with no identifying marks. "I was conflicted—thinking it could have been another kidnapping, at that level. It could have happened." As they began to drive away, Megidish heard the soldier speaking in Hebrew. "I remember exchanging glances with him, and I saw how excited he was."
The Israeli military revealed it had secretly deployed a new laser interception system during last year’s conflict with Hezbollah, successfully downing dozens of explosive-laden drones over northern Israel.
The system, a compact version of Rafael’s “Iron Beam,” was rushed into use amid a wave of more than 300 drone attacks. The Defense Ministry said the system delivered “particularly high interception achievements,” protecting both civilians and strategic assets.
The full-scale Iron Beam is expected to be handed over to the IDF later this year.
“Whoever blesses the Jews is blessed, and whoever curses them is cursed” - Genesis 12:3
THE OUTTAKES ARE THE BEST!!!🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/D254VBRkN8
— il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) May 27, 2025
Fired Federal Attorney who wrongfully sent Jan 6 prisoners to prison cries about losing job. pic.twitter.com/xm9SipscLM
— SonnyBoy🇺🇸 (@gotrice2024) May 27, 2025
Worshippers who noticed her hunched over a Sefer Tehilim alerted emergency services, but Magen David Adom teams were forced to pronounce her dead at the scene after finding no signs of life.
Noem travelled to Israel and met with Netanyahu on Trump’s behalf, where the two spoke about Israel’s security and visited the border with Gaza. She also offered the US’s condolences for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, the two Israeli embassy workers who were shot in a terrorist attack in DC last week.
The meeting was part of Noem’s larger jaunt to Italy, Bahrain and Poland, where she also spoke to world leaders about advancing US security interests.
While in Israel, “the Secretary and Prime Minister had a candid conversation where the Secretary reiterated POTUS’s desire to bring peace to the region and for Iran to never have a nuclear weapon,” a readout of the meeting read.
Trump has been adamant on Iran not acquiring a nuclear weapon and has made it his foreign policy mission to enforce the message that the US will not stop until Tehran abandons the idea.
While the contents of the conversation weren’t entirely clear, Israel has reportedly been considering striking Iran’s nuclear facilities if the US-Iran talks don’t work out.
However, Trump has warned Netanyahu that he would rather achieve the goal diplomatically, instead of the “more severe and negative option,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week.
“President Trump specifically sent me here to have a conversation with the prime minister about how those negotiations are going and how important it is that we stay united and let this process play out,” Noem told “Fox & Friends” Monday about her conversation with Netanyahu.
“It was a very candid conversation.”
Trump pulled out of the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, but has made clear that he will ensure Iran doesn’t achieve nuclear capability under his watch. The president has directed his administration to hold talks with Tehran about stopping their nuclear program — and has threatened to bomb their atomic sites.
“Well, we could actually blow ’em up. Blow ’em up, or just de-nuke ’em,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt on May 7 about Iran’s nuclear sites. “But there are only two alternatives, blow ’em up nicely or blow ’em up viciously.”
Noem also held a candle lighting ceremony and tree planting for Milgrim and Lischinsky alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
In Italy, Noem spoke to Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi about the US and Italy working together to combat “transnational crime, including efforts to disrupt human trafficking, smuggling networks, and organized criminal activity,” the readout said.
Noem also went to Bahrain, where she met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and spoke to US Coast Guard personnel, and Poland, where she met with President Andrzej Duda about US bilateral relations.
This marks the most severe rebuke yet from Germany, delivered in concert with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as international pressure mounts on Israel regarding its military operations in Gaza.
long a staunch supporter of Israel following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Germany's shift aligns with a broader European re-evaluation of Israel policy. This comes as Britain, France, and Canada have also threatened "concrete actions" over the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Minister Wadephul stressed that Germany's historic support for Israel, rooted in the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust and known as the "Staatsraeson," must not be "instrumentalized" by the current conflict. He described the situation in Gaza, marked by "massive air strikes and shortages of food and medicines," as "unbearable."
Chancellor Merz, speaking earlier in Finland, also criticized the air strikes on Gaza, stating they were "no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and 'no longer comprehensible.'"
Wadephul reiterated this sentiment, stating, "Our committed fight against anti-Semitism and our full support for the right to exist and the security of the state of Israel must not be instrumentalised for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip."
He added, "We are now at a point where we have to think very carefully about what further steps to take," and affirmed, "Where we see dangers of harm, we will of course intervene and certainly not supply weapons so that there will be further harm."
Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns, stating, "When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend."
For over 40 years, a Spanish company—Fernandez y Roche, based in Seville, Spain—has supplied tens of thousands of black hats annually to yeshiva bochurim, avreichim, and balabatim in communities across America. These hats, worn daily by bnei Torah from the age of bar mitzvah and onward, are not merely a garment, but a statement of identity and dignity.
But that longstanding partnership is now at risk. Due to newly imposed trade tariffs by the U.S. government on European goods, including imported felt hats, Fernandez y Roche has been hit with a 10% import fee, with a looming possibility of an additional 50% tariff.
Abraham Mazuecos, Managing Director of the 140-year-old hatmaker, expressed deep concern. “Our margins are very tight,” he said, “and we expect demand to decline as a result.” The company currently supplies approximately 30,000 hats annually to the Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey—making up around half of its exports in this sector. The other half goes to kehillos in Eretz Yisroel.
For many, this isn’t just a business disruption—it could soon become a practical challenge. The typical black felt hat, often replaced every few years due to wear or changing styles, can cost up to $380. And while hat manufacturers exist in the United States, Mazuecos pointed out that many are geared toward producing cowboy hats and similar styles, not the refined, traditional designs worn by bnei Torah.
“There simply isn’t a local replacement that fits the expectations of our clientele,” he explained.
What’s more, the impact may be felt not only on an individual level, but within the infrastructure of the frum clothing market as a whole. Many local retailers, especially those who serve yeshiva communities and rely on steady imports of these hats, are watching the situation closely. If tariffs continue to rise and supply is interrupted, it could force stores to seek inferior alternatives—or raise prices significantly.
With a July 9 deadline looming for trade negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union, there is still some hope that a resolution will be reached. But should talks fail, this cherished accessory—so central to the levush of a ben Torah—may become harder to access and more costly to replace.
A member of the Belz Hasidic community, Moses found himself placed under excommunication by the group’s grand rabbi after he criticized a decision to use money raised for the poor to fund the construction of a new synagogue.
“I began to wonder how people considered righteous could do such harmful things,” Moses, now 52, told The Times of Israel in a phone interview.
That moment marked the start of Moses’s departure from the Haredi world, a life-altering choice being made by a growing number of ultra-Orthodox Israelis, according to a comprehensive study published earlier this year by Out for Change, which provides help to those leaving the ultra-Orthodox community.
The study found that rather than marking a complete break, a stereotype enforced by pop culture portrayals, leaving the ultra-Orthodox world is a complicated process that can preserve some aspects of the former lives of ex-Haredim, from faith to their relationships with their parents.
At the time of his shunning, Moses was already married with five children, all of whom left the ultra-Orthodox world with him. Yet while he now describes himself as completely secular, getting there took over two decades, while his wife and three daughters still maintain some level of religiosity.
“Only recently I started to travel on Shabbat,” he said.
Based on publicly available Central Bureau of Statistics data, Out for Change found that many former members of the Haredi community maintain some level of religious observance, albeit a less stringent one.
Fewer than one in five former Haredim describe themselves as completely secular, according to the study, which was published in February.
“Past qualitative research on the topic has shown that the choice to leave Haredi society behind often is not an issue of faith, but rather of seeking a different lifestyle or quality of life,” said Adar Anisman, head of research at Out for Change and one of the authors of the report.
Still, even the first step out of the cloistered ultra-Orthodox community can be a shock. For Moses, whose father Menachem Eliezer Moses served as an MK for United Torah Judaism from 2009 until 2019, leaving the confines of Haredi life was like stepping into an entirely new world.
“I didn’t even know how the human body functions — I believed that prayer alone was enough to recover from illness,” he recalled.
