-- Former Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzchak Yosef, regarding the recent news that the IDF will start enforcing the existing laws and search for people who have not reported for duty

I dont think this is as big a threat as he thinks it is...

As Amit Segal pointed out, it is ironic and crazy that he will immediately fly to Qatar and meet with the sponsors of Hamas who took and held him hostage.

It is not strange that he is going to meet with Trump, and since Trump seems to not be coming to Israel on this trip Alexander will fly to him instead. Meeting the Emir of Qatar is strange. Perhaps it is simply because he is going to Qatar to meet Trump so that makes meeting the Emir inevitable and maybe unavoidable.

That being said, I hope he takes the opportunity to tell them what he went through, describe the conditions of his captivity, and plead with them to pressure Hamas to release the rest of the hostages.

People have been somewhat perturbed by the fact that Idan Alexander is getting a separate deal, even prioritized, because he holds American citizenship.

Personally I think we should celebrate the release and any and every hostage regardless of the reason he or she is being released. If his American citizenship helped him in this case right now, good for him for his family finding a way to utilize it. 

I am happy he is being freed and I hope the rest are sent or brought home soon, for whatever reason can be established.

Netanyahu made two statements in direct opposition to the desires and even demands of his coalition partners.

In a meeting to the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee about the upcoming Draft Law, Netanyahu said that within two years we will draft 10500 Haredim, for the first time ever. This is the number of Haredim the IDF is able to absorb. There will also be serious personal and institutional sanctions if they dont meet the quotas. We will take care that anyone going in to the IDF as Haredi can leave the IDF as a Haredi. I greatly respect those who learn Torah, but the time has come for the Haredim to give back more.

The other thing PM Netanyahu said is, "I know there are those who have dreams of resettling Gaza with Jewish settlements - I dont want to disappoint you [but it isnt going to happen]". Netanyahu has said this several times before since the war began, but only closer to the beginning of the war, not since he adopted the newer strategy of raining hell on Gaza and conquering the land to hold it..Going back to war with this new official strategy (even though it looks like it still isnt yet being employed) raised hopes in some that this is our chance...

I dont know what's going on that Netanyahu suddenly seems to be openly trying to upset his coalition partners... reports are speculating that he will soon dismantle the government and call for elections and that is why he is setting some strong positions to campaign on. I dont know if that is true or not - I thought he should have done so long ago.

 

Feldman fell in the battle of Sultan Yacoub, alongside Zachary Baumel and Yehuda Katz. Baumel's remains were recovered in 2019 and brought back for Jewish burial, and now Feldman joins Baumel in restful peace at a grave in Israel his family can visit. 

Hopefully they will soon locate and recover the remains of Yehuda Katz as well.

This was surely a complicated mission. Kudos to all involved, from Prime Minister Netanyahu who had to approve the mission to the Mossad and IDF operatives who had to plan it and carry it out safely.

Such an operation is important for the Feldmans, including Tzvi himself, and for the morale of the entire nation.

There are reports that the remains of four bodies were brought back, one of which was identified as Zvi Feldman's remains, and the others are still being tested for identification. Hopefully the reports are true and the remains will be positively identified and other painful chapters of our history will be closed.

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Last week another neighborhood in Bet Shemesh suffered a full day with no power for the same cause - a private kablan digging ground with a tractor ripped up a power line.

Do these kablanim who cause widespread damage get fined or punished in some way? Aren't they supposed to be checking infrastructure plans of the city to be aware of where major infrastructure lines have been laid - power cables, phone/internet lines, water and sewage, etc..? I know mistakes happen but I hope these contractors get some significant punishment or fine, or maybe even a license stripped, after causing such widespread damage.

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he's way too Christian for me but he strongly supports Israel

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