Just one month after the inauguration of the 21st Knesset, parliamentarians voted to disband the government and send the country into national elections for the second time in six months.

The Knesset vote came after a tension-filled last-minute effort by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to formulate a majority ruling coalition of at least 61 Knesset members before the midnight deadline between Wednesday and Thursday. But that effort came up short. Netanyahu’s political nemesis, Avigdor Lieberman, refused to bring his five-member Yisrael Beiteinu Party into the government, despite recommending Netanyahu as prime minister, leaving the coalition just one Knesset member shy of a clear majority.

When it became clear that Netanyahu would not form a government, he told the media, “We are heading to new elections. I did everything possible to create a governing coalition, but it is clear that from the beginning Lieberman never planned to join my government.”

Lieberman claimed that his refusal centered on a proposed law that would increase the number of haredi conscripts drafted into the military. Lieberman’s secular Russian party wanted the proposed law to pass, while two religious parties who were critical to the formation of Netanyahu’s government wanted to reduce the numbers.

Lieberman told the Knesset that his party “refuses to join a halachic government,” implying that the religious parties would run the country based on Jewish law.

In the run-up to the fateful vote, Netanyahu feverishly attempted to devise compromises, as well as woo opposition members into the government to gain a parliamentary majority.

The most dramatic moment of the night took place at around 7 p.m. when the prime minister offered Knesset member Avi Gabay, chairman of the Labor Party, the deal of a lifetime. He offered the Labor Party control of the finance ministry, plus three other ministries, if they would join his government. Knowing that Labor would not support him if he continued pursuing legislation granting him immunity from prosecution and laws curtailing the power of the supreme court (bills that Likud had already been preparing for this Knesset term), Netanyahu promised to shelve both of those agenda items. Gabay and Labor’s six mandates would provide the prime minister and Likud with a comfortable 66-seat majority.

While Gabay seemed to take the offer seriously, four Labor MKs rejected immediately. Itzik Shmuly told JNS that he immediately objected to the deal “because at the end of the day, I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror. Yes, Netanyahu said no law for immunity, but he did say he would require our support for immunity via the Knesset House Committee. I cannot accept giving the prime minister immunity in return for ministries and power.”

At around 7:45 p.m. after meeting with the Knesset members in his party, Gabay announced that he refused the prime minister’s offer.

Another dramatic turn came when Likud offered Druze member of Blue and White Gadeer Mree (the first Druze woman yet in the Israeli Knesset) a position in the government, alongside changes to the Jewish Nation-State Law that the Druze community finds offensive. She turned down the offer.

There were rumors throughout the evening that the haredi parties could cave and give in on the enlistment legislation because of their concern that they would lose votes in the new election. In addition, the haredim do anything to avoid elections revolving around religion and state issues that generate significant negativity towards their community. And sure enough, at around 11 p.m., the word got out that the leading rabbi in the ultra-Orthodox community instructed the haredi MKs to do whatever they could to prevent new elections. But those efforts were to no avail, as they simply could not accept the legislation Lieberman was demanding as a condition for entry into the government.

At approximately 11 p.m., the prime minister’s motorcade pulled up to the Knesset, and as he entered the building, Netanyahu told the media: “We are heading to new elections.”

And that is exactly what happened.

As the clock struck 12, the secretary of the Knesset called out the names of each Knesset member in alphabetical order, and the MK replied either “in favor” or “against.” In a wild twist, 45 Knesset members from the parties that did not support Netanyahu and should have been anxious to support new elections voted against the law. They argued that new elections prevented the president from giving Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party that tied the Likud with 35 MKs, with the mandate to try to form a government following Netanyahu’s failure to do so.

But 74 MKs—the 60 seats from parties supporting Netanyahu, Lieberman’s five MKs and the 10 Arab MKs—voted in favor of the law.

And that is how, at the end of an immensely intense day and exactly one month after it was inaugurated, the 21st Knesset came to an end.

(JNS)

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Netanyahu is considering making changes to the transitional government which will be in place until the September elections.

Channel 13 News reported that in internal talks with his advisers, the possibility of appointing Russian speaking Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) as minister of Immigration and Absorption Minister was raised – in the context of Netanyahu’s battle against Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman.

Netanyahu is also considering dismissing Bennett and Shaked, and transferring the senior positions to members of his party.

Read more at Arutz Sheva.

{Matzav.com}

The number of hate crimes reported to the New York Police Department this year is nearly double the number reported in 2018 during the same period – and most incidents are antisemitic.

Anti-Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that 59 percent of the complaints were antisemitic hate crimes, to 103 from 50 reported incidents in the same period last year.

Council Speaker Corey Johnson told The Wall Street Journal, “We have an anti-Semitism crisis in New York. It’s a national problem, but New York accounts for way too many incidents.”

Read more at JPOST.

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In a commencement speech on Thursday to Yeshiva University graduating students, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman slammed the Obama administration’s treatment of Israel compared to that of the current one.

“Should Israel still negotiate with the Palestinians even though Israel did not steal their land? Of course, it should, precisely because we are not suggesting, as our predecessor did—that Israel return to the bargaining table as a thief returning to the scene of a crime,” he said. “Precisely for that reason, there is a basis for discussion.”

Friedman said “the overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not consumed by hatred nor are unwilling to live in peace. Many are well-educated, many of them want what everyone wants—peace, security, good schools, and a better and more dignified way of life. We need to help them get there—not by perpetual handouts that create a culture of dependency and corruption.”

The ambassador announced that he will be part of next month’s economic summit in Bahrain as part of the Trump administration’s rollout of the Mideast peace plan.

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt is a YU alum.

(JNS)

{Matzav.com}

As the summer months are beginning to roll in, resident anti Semites in Sullivan County in upstate New York are revving up the hate in preparation for the influx of Orthodox Jews who make their way to their bungalows starting around Shavuos time.

A Facebook group called “UNCENSORED SULLIVAN COUNTY NEW YORK NEWS and POLITICS” had a post up this week which read:

“Measles Migration in full swing its a parking lot on 17!! Minivans carrying measels to a bungalow near you!! [sic]

Some of the comments were equally nasty, with one man responding that, “I am not saying they are all bad. But the majority I’ve come in contact with ruin it for the rest of them.”

The Har Habayis is scheduled to open for Jewish worshipers on Sunday on the occasion of Yom Yerushalayim, despite the tension it will cause with the Palestinians and Jordanian people.

Har Habayis activists praised the police for their actions for the Har Habayis, and called upon Jews to ascend the Har Habayis on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the liberation of Yerushalayim in the 1967 Six Day War.

The Israel Police had initially announced that the Har Habayis would be closed to Jews on Yom Yerushalayim, citing “security reasons”.

Nearly all poskim agree that there are severe halachic issues with ascending Har Habayis.

Read more at Arutz Sheva.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bashed US foreign policy during a private meeting with Bronx community leaders, prompting two military veterans to storm out.

Anthony Vitaliano — an Army veteran who worked in the NYPD for 38 years, and commanded the Bronx’s homicide detectives — was sitting next to Ocasio-Cortez when she slammed the US foreign policy and suggested President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were autocrats, according to a person at the meeting.

“I was revolted,” said the attendee, who didn’t want his name published. “She knocks the country, she knocks the president. And that’s not what America is about,” said Silvio Mazzella, a Vietnam War vet and treasurer of Community Board 11.

He, Mazzella and Vitaliano said they all walked out in disgust before the end of the session.

Read more at NY POST.

{Matzav.com}

https://www.charidy.com/shmily

Written and composed:
Sheya Bernstein – Tuli Brull – Moishy Klein – Shuky Klein

Music Produced:
Moishy Klein

Video Produced:
Chaim Moskowitz

Performed:
Schneur Spira, Tuli Brull and Moishy Klein

Guitars:
Hershy kestenbaum

Background vocals:
Moishy Klein

Awareness. Acceptance. Assistance.

Expanding Mental Health Intervention @ 1225

In the early hours of Monday morning, Ches Iyar, May 13, 2019, the world lost a beautiful neshama. Shmily a”h was known for being kind, generous and selfless, but sadly Shmily is no longer with us.

Shmily was a regular at 1225, a haven for teenagers —mostly from Chassidishe backgrounds—with three nights for boys and one night for girls, who need someplace to go when being at home just doesn’t feel comfortable.

1225 was started in response to a persistent crisis in our community. Through different events of hashgachah, the Jewish Heritage Center of Queens and Long Island (JHC) was introduced to a group of teenage boys who hailed from Chassidishe homes that were in tremendous emotional and spiritual pain. The JHC hired Rabbi Ozer Babad to work with these boys. After a year and a half of organizing shabbatons, summer getaways and restaurant outings for this group and many of their friends, the JHC, with Rabbi Babad, rented a space at 1225 39th Street to start a program for them. Over time, this special place came to be called “1225.”

In order to make 1225 suitable for the teens, a construction project was undertaken. Shmily was involved from the get-go. Shmily, an electrician by trade, brought his talent to the forefront. Though he had a full-time job during the day, after his long shift he would come to 1225, eat a quick dinner and then work late into the night volunteering his time to do the electrical work. That was Shmily. Selfless. Giving of himself to benefit those around him.

Many of the parties at 1225—Super bowl parties or events for other occasions—were organized by Shmily. He was an essential part of 1225, known by many, friends with all. Shmily had very warm feelings toward 1225.

In one of his last communications to Rabbi Babad, Shmily said that 1225 “is my home.” Just as it was for Shmily, for so many others 1225 is their home away from home.

Project Shmily

1225 is providing so much, a place to be accepted, chill and call home. There are GED classes, job placement, shabbatonim, career placement, trips, Kumzitses, torah learning and so much more… However, there is a lot more that is needed. In particular, mental illness is an area that is under-addressed in our community. Therefore 1225 is undertaking to start Project Shmily. Project Shmily will strive to accomplish three “A”s: Awareness, Acceptance, and Assistance,
Awareness:

There are a lot of stigmas about mental illness in our community. However, the truth is that mental illness is common and treatable. 1225 will provide a safe place for teens to learn about mental illness through a clear lens, without misconceptions or shame.

Acceptance:
Through group meetings and group therapy, the teens will work on processing and understanding mental illness and its ramifications. With this foundation, they will be open to exploring pathways to healing and recovery.

Assistance
1225 will provide an in-house therapist, and create a referral system to outside therapists, rehabs and other professionals, to coordinate an appropriate treatment plan for each individual and situation. A mentor program will be implemented as well.

As we all know, treatment for mental health issues is not cheap. Many therapists are not covered by insurance, and sometimes further costly interventions, such as rehab, are required. To get Project Shmily off the ground, 1225 aims to raise $300,000, the operating budget for the first year of the program. We are asking you to choose to be a part of this campaign. Your tzedakah can help save young people’s lives. While this program has been in the planning stages for some time, after Shmily’s untimely petirah, 1225 decided to undertake it in his name and through this program, he will have chiyus.

May Shmily’s neshama have an aliyah, yehi zichro baruch

A 65,000-ton cruise ship blared an urgent horn as it beelined toward a busy Venetian dock, sending panicked onlookers running for safety.

Video showed the moment the 2,100-passenger MSC Opera bumped a nearby river boat early Sunday morning before slamming into the wharf in the San Basilio Terminal on the Giudecca Canal. A deep thud, then the sound of shattering glass could be heard as the vessel scrapped along the quay, and passersby shouted instructions to flee the rogue cruise ship.

Port authorities told Agence France-Presse four tourists sustained minor injuries.

MSC Cruises said in a statement to The Washington Post that the ship experienced “a technical issue” as it moved toward the dock for mooring.

The cruise company would not elaborate on the possible cause of the collision.

“The investigations to understand the exact causes of the events are currently in progress,” the statement read. “Regarding these, the company is working closely with the local maritime and other authorities.

“The ship has in the meantime received authorization to move to be moored at the Marittima terminal, as planned,” the statement continued. “She is now moored there and has begun passenger operations.”

As the boat’s massive bow began to move toward people on the dock, witnesses said many people ran screaming, according to AFP.

One man said he wasn’t sure what to do but recalled that he “got away quickly, jumping to get on shore,” he said, according to the news agency.

MSC Opera experienced technical problems in 2011, when the ship lost power in the Baltic, leaving hundreds of passengers without light and working toilets, BBC News reported at the time. The passengers were flown home, according to BBC News.

(c) 2019, The Washington Post · Lindsey Bever 

{Matzav.com}

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Wednesday barring anti-Semitism and other religious discrimination in the Sunshine State’s public schools.

The Florida state legislature unanimously passed the legislation in both chambers in April.

The law adopts the U.S. State Department definition of anti-Semitism and mandates that discrimination against Jewish people be considered similar to acts of racial discrimination in Florida’s public-education institutions.

“The bill sends a strong signal that Florida will not tolerate anti-Semitism, a cancer that continues to grow and threaten the fabric of society well beyond the Jewish community,” said the American Jewish Committee in a statement.

The political arm for the Israeli-American Council also applauded the law.

“Data indisputably shows that Jews are the most likely of all minority groups to be victimized by incidents of hate, and that anti-Semitism is continuing to rise at an alarming rate,” said IAC for Action’s director of policy and government affairs, Joseph Sabag, in a statement. “We are pleased to see that Jewish and Israeli Americans are not left to contend with incidents of anti-Semitic hatred alone.”

Jews are the most targeted for hate crimes among religious groups annually, according to the FBI.

(JNS)

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli military said its aircraft struck Syrian army targets on Sunday after rockets were fired at the Golan Heights, and Syria’s state media said three soldiers were killed in the second such flare-up in a week.

Syrian television reported big explosions near Damascus before dawn and said air defenses had “confronted the enemy.”

The Israeli military said it struck Syrian artillery and aerial defense batteries in retaliation for Saturday’s firing of two rockets at the Golan Heights.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said it was still unclear who had fired the rockets but the Syrian army was held responsible for any attack launched from Syrian territory.

“We will not tolerate any firing into our territory and we will respond with great force to any aggression against us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

On Monday, Israel’s military said it attacked a Syrian anti-aircraft position that had fired on one of its warplanes, and Syrian state media said a soldier had been killed in the incident.

In recent years, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria against its regional arch foe Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group, which it calls the biggest threat to its borders.

Iran and Hezbollah are fighting on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war, and Israel says they are trying to turn Syria into a new front against Israelis.

Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel later annexed the captured territory in a move unrecognized by much of the international community, except for the United States. President Donald Trump announced US-recognition for Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in March.

The White House said on Wednesday that national security adviser John Bolton and his Israeli and Russian counterparts will meet in Jerusalem this month to discuss regional security issues. Russia intervened militarily in the Syrian war on Assad’s behalf in 2015, turning the tide of the war.

Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

{Matzav.com}

US military vessels in the Gulf are within range of Iranian missiles, a top military aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, warning any clash between the two countries would push oil prices above $100 a barrel.

Iran and the United States have been drawn into starker confrontation in the past month, a year after Washington pulled out of a deal between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions.

Washington re-imposed sanctions last year and ratcheted them up in May, ordering all countries to halt imports of Iranian oil. In recent weeks it has also hinted at military confrontation, saying it was sending extra forces to the Middle East to respond to an Iranian threat.

Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military aide to Khamenei, said: “The Americans are fully aware that their military forces (in the region) are within the Iran’s missile range and all US and foreigners’ navy in the Persian Gulf are within the range of land-to-sea missiles of the Revolutionary Guards.”

“The first bullet fired in the Persian Gulf will push oil prices above $100. This would be unbearable to America, Europe and the US allies like Japan and South Korea,” Rahim Safavi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

US President Donald Trump has condemned the nuclear deal, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, as flawed for not being permanent and for not covering Iran’s ballistic missile program and role in conflicts around the Middle East.

Trump said last week he was hopeful Iran would come to the negotiating table to reach a new deal.

Dismissing any negotiations with Washington on Iran’s missile program, Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Baqeri was quoted as saying by Fars on Sunday: “Iranian nation with not retreat an iota from Iran’s defensive capabilities.”

President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday suggested Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed it respect, but said Tehran would not be pressured into negotiations.

Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

{Matzav.com}

The joy and electricity in the room was palpable as a new sefer edition of a highly sought after series made its debut.

The celebratory event took place in the court of the Minkatcher Rebbe shlit’a where the author, Rabbi Wolf Zicherman, the Rosh Hakuhal of Minkatch proudly presented a copy of the 4th edition of “Oitzer Paluois Hatorah.”

The Bamidbar edition, with more than 1,000 pages chock full of rich and compelling thoughts on the weekly parsha, is finally available in the sefarim stores.   Many have attested to relying on this series as their weekly Shabbos preparation and its release was anticipated by many.

How appropriate that such a memorable event took place on Pesach Sheini , with a gathering of elite Bnei Torah including the friends and family of the Rebbe and his Rosh Hakuhal , the Belzer Dayan, The Gerer Rosh Yeshiva , Muder Rav and many other chashuva personalities.

As soon as the Rebbe made his royal presence and greeted the honorary guests R’ Wolf solicited a psak din whether the bracha of Shehecheyanu is in place.

The Rebbe paskened:

“Since the bracha is recited in an event of immense joy, how fitting would it be recite it on such a joyous occasion.  Is there a bigger joy than the joy of Torah??”

Immediately upon hearing the Rebbe’s reply, R’ Wolf grasped the sefer to his chest and with great intensity and an otherworldly glow, he recited the bracha of Shehecheyanu.  After the echo of a resounding “amen” subsided, the Belzer Dayan remarked:

“I hope you had us all in mind!”

To which the Rebbe agreed:

“All those currently assembled must be experiencing the immense joy right along with you.”

The Rebbe then proceeded to immerse himself in the new sefer, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.   How appropriate to note that the section he opened the sefer to was Behaloischa which has a direct connection to Pesach Sheini…

A l’chaim was distributed amidst a heated discussion regarding the recital of the bracha of Shehecheyanu in the event of the completion of a mashechta with the many talmidei chachamim in attendance contributing their thoughts on the matter.

The inspiring and eventful celebration ended with the happy rendition of “Siman Toiv, Umazel Toiv” complete with unabashed requests for the celebration of the next edition of Sefer Devarim….

Israel heavily relied on US intelligence during the 2006 Lebanon War, and made repeated requests for help in locating Hezbollah operatives for targeted assassinations, according to the latest classified documents leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The two documents released on Wednesday revealed that even though the National Security Agency was legally prohibited from sharing surveillance data for targeted killings, Israeli pressure led to the creation of a new framework to facilitate intelligence-sharing between the two countries.

It said the 2006 war pushed ISNU to its “technical and resource limits,” and Israeli officials turned to their American counterparts at the NSA for information on Hezbollah targets, information on captured Israeli soldiers, specifically if Iran had a role in the kidnappings, and any relevant geolocational data.

Read more at Times of Israel.

{Matzav.com}

NYC-area airline passengers left more than $131,000 in loose change and cash at TSA screening stations, NY DAILY NEWS reports.

Airline passengers crossing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints left nearly $1 million in loose change and cash at screening stations this past fiscal year, and more than $131,000 of that cash came from the New York City area, according to a TSA report.

JFK topped the list of airports nationwide where travelers leave cold, hard cash — forgetting a total of $72,392.74 on screening tables. Los Angeles International Airport was a close second with $71,748.83. The TSA collected some $41,026.07 in loose cash at Newark International Airport, and $17,906.62 at LaGuardia Airport. In all, the TSA recovered $960,105.49 in unclaimed cash.

Read more at NY DAILY NEWS.

{Matzav.com}