Rav Yitzchok Berkovits on the WZO Elections: “It Is Not About Us Becoming Zionists”

 https://matzav.com/rav-yitzchok-berkovits-on-the-wzo-elections-it-is-not-about-us-becoming-zionists/

Rav Yitzchok Berkovits, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Aish HaTorah and rosh kollel of the Jerusalem Kollel, has issued a strong statement regarding the current World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections, emphasizing the critical importance of participation for the Torah community.

“The election is not about us becoming Zionists,” Rav Berkovits clarified. “They are to prevent the Reform from siphoning off money and using it to bring Reform to Eretz Yisroel. They openly say it is about undoing all the accomplishments of [Eretz HaKodesh].”

Stand Up and Be Counted

 https://mishpacha.com/stand-up-and-be-counted-2/

Can you imagine what they would do with another $5 billion?

The leftist groups running in this election are more left and more liberal than ever before — and they’re busy gathering many tens of thousands of votes to advance their agenda.

A group of Torah askanim met recently to assess this situation, and discussions with gedolim in Eretz Yisrael (who live with the results of Reform and left-wing influences) and in the United States led to encouragement of the plan to create a Torah slate to run in these elections, in order to try to limit the influence of the liberal Jewish community. Although the Torah community has traditionally not involved itself in the WZO, circumstances and situations are now different. Today it’s become an eis la’asos — a timely obligation to stand up for Torah values.

To that end, Eretz HaKodesh, an American initiative to protect and uphold true Torah values in Eretz Yisrael, was created, putting together a slate of delegates that represent the yeshivah, chassidic, Sephardic, and Israeli Torah communities of the United States.

Eretz HaKodesh has the backing of numerous rabbanim, including Rav Elya Brudny, who explained the position of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America at the recent Agudah national convention. Rav Asher Weiss of Jerusalem expressed in a video how important he felt it was for every Torah Jew to vote in this election. Both videos can be seen on their websites.

Massive Asifa Held in BMG Against Voting in World Zionist Organization Election

 https://lakewoodalerts.com/massive-asifa-held-in-bmg-against-voting-in-world-zionist-organization-election/

The WZO elections, held every five years, play a pivotal role in determining how billions of dollars are allocated across Eretz Yisroel. The Eretz Hakodesh party was formed with the goal of securing representation in the World Zionist Congress and redirecting funds to support Torah institutions and yeshivos. The initiative has received backing from many gedolim and was endorsed in the previous election by Harav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l.

However, not all gedolei torah agree with this approach. The speakers at the Asifa strongly opposed any participation in the election, arguing that any affiliation with the Zionist movement—even for the purpose of supporting yeshivos—is treif. They expressed deep concerns about the potential risks of engaging with a system they believe to be inherently opposed to Torah values.

Praying to Angels and the Dead

 Igros Moshe (OC V 43.6 p146) Question: The practice of praying at the graves of our ancestors and tzadikim at times of trouble is this prohibited as darash el ha meisim (making requests from the dead)?. There are those who are against this while others such as the Bach say it is not prohibited Answer  We find that there are piyutim and selichos in which the angels are requested to –pray for us.  It seems that this is a major unresolved dispute. The ones who composed the piyutim were also great Torah scholars and we see that they accepted this as a valid practice. In contrast many others of our great rabbis prohibited this practice  The Chasam Sofer cites the Maharal as protesting the practice of selichos directed to angels while the Chasam Sofer himself said those selichos with the congregation or said tachanan while the tzibor was saying the disputed section  Some omit the section of Shalom Aleichen asking the angels for a blessing (Berchuni l’shalom). A possible explanation for those great rabbis that permit this  which includes Rishonim that since the angels were appointed by G-d to plead for us. Even though G-d obviously is more  aware of any defense an angel might make than any angel. It could be that in addition to the defense they were to also pray for us as messenger from G-d.  It is not prohibited to ask the angels to pray. In contrast those who prohibit say one should not ask angels to pray even for that which G-d gave them permission to do, rather all prayers are only to G-d. In sum everyone agrees that it is prohibited to ask angels to do something as free agents for us. The dispute is concerning those things that G-d appointed  angels to do. In contrast to ask a live person to pray and bless us is something proper and desirable not only the prophets in Biblical times but also to Torah scholars in each generation in every location to pray for the sake of the sick and other needs. In contrast regarding the dead, it is not relevant to ask hin to pray but his soul in Heaven can pray for the living. The question is that those who prohibit praying to angels do they also prohibit asking the dead? Even those that permit asking angels it is only for things that they were appointed to take care of which does not apply to souls so it might be a problem even for those that permit asking angels. It is possible that souls are a lesser problem  The souls after death no longer have an obligation for mitzvos and thus have no requirement to pray and so it would be prohibited for us to ask them to pray and bless us.But it would be permitted for their sons to pay to G-d to answer them in the great merit of the tzadikim who even in death are pained by the suffering of their children and others (Berachos 18b). But to ask them to pray would be forbidden as it would be to pray to angels since they were not appointed by G-d. But angels are already aware of the suffering of man and thus it would be permitted to ask them to pray to G-d for us to remove the suffering. But maybe the angels don’t feel the pain as strongly as the souls of the dead. In sum there is an unresolved dispute. . 

The rise of ultra-Orthodox feminism: a movement against all odds

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1ppj0631e

Once deemed impossible, Haredi women have organized to challenge exclusion from political parties; while no women have entered the Knesset yet, their activism is reshaping political discourse

"The first step I took was to check whether there was a halachic issue with electing women," Shoshan said at the book launch. "When I learned that this was a cultural, not a halachic issue, we turned to a learned rabbi, who published a Torah booklet clarifying that there is no halachic obstacle to electing women to the Knesset. However, the rabbi refused to attach his name to the booklet."

Netanyahu’s English saves his coalition? Rabbis drop draft ultimatum in private call

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-847292

The call with Hirsch, conducted in English due to his American background, was described as long and substantive. Netanyahu’s own advisers reportedly had difficulty following the conversation, leaving the prime minister to speak directly and privately with the rabbi. The follow-up call with the Belz Rebbe lasted approximately 20 minutes.

According to sources familiar with the details, Netanyahu urged the rabbis to avoid issuing public threats or setting deadlines. He emphasized that the coalition was working to reach a draft law compromise and warned that ultimatums could derail those efforts.

At a meeting, the urgent need to formalize the legal status of yeshiva students to allow them to continue their Torah studies without disruption was emphasized, according to the rabbis' offices.

Five things to look for in Canada's election

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07zxy98g45o

Canada's general election campaign is underway, a 36-day sprint taking place in unprecedented circumstances.

Voters will consider which party should govern the country just as the US - its neighbour and largest economic partner - launches a trade war and President Donald Trump muses about making Canada the 51st US state.

Domestic issues like housing and immigration will still be important, of course, but for the first time in decades, Canadians will also be grappling with fundamental questions about the country's future when they head to the ballot box on 28 April.

Putin commissioned a ‘beautiful portrait’ of Trump, U.S. envoy says

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/22/putin-commissioned-beautiful-portrait-trump-us-envoy-says/

When Vladimir Putin heard Donald Trump had been shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania last year, the Russian president said he went to his local church, met with his priest and prayed, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Putin, according to Witkoff’s conversation with the man, prayed not because Trump was a U.S. presidential candidate at the time, but because he “had a friendship with him, and he was praying for his friend.”

Witkoff said Putin shared the anecdote with him during Witkoff’s second visit to Russia in mid-March, which, he added, got “personal.” Witkoff said Putin gave him a “beautiful portrait” of Trump that Putin had commissioned by a “leading” Russian artist, and asked that Witkoff bring the painting back to the White House.

Trump Russia Envoy Echoes Kremlin’s Views on Ukraine Ahead of Peace Talks

 https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trump-russia-envoy-echoes-kremlins-views-on-ukraine-ahead-of-peace-talks-eed41457?mod=hp_lead_pos5

On the eve of talks in Saudi Arabia, President Trump’s chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff, echoed some of the Kremlin’s main talking points on the Ukraine war, while advocating for future U.S.-Russian relations based on shared business interests.

Trump Adviser Draws Ire for Saying He Takes Putin 'at His Word'

 https://www.newsweek.com/steve-witkoff-ire-takes-vladimir-putin-word-2049307

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff drew ire online for his comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin—chiefly that he would "take him at his word" as talks for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine continue in their ongoing war.

"I just don't see that he [Putin] wants to take all of Europe...I take him at his word in this sense, and I believe the Europeans are beginning to come to that belief, too," he said.

When pressed on Putin's characterization as a tyrant or "someone whose political opponents often die," Witkoff countered that he's "never, ever seen a situation where there isn't two sides to a story, it's just never as black and white as people want to portray, so there are grievances on both sides."

Yaroslav Trofimov, the Wall Street Journal's chief foreign affairs correspondent, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: "It's clear from this that the only difference between Steve Witkoff's and Vladmir Putin's views on the war in Ukraine is that Putin actually knows the names of all the five Ukrainian regions he wants to keep."

Former State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller wrote on X on Sunday: "In summary, Witkoff doesn't know the names of all the Ukrainian provinces occupied by Russia, but somehow knows the people there want to join Russia...and believes Putin doesn't want the rest of Ukraine despite him repeatedly saying he does. Ok."

Trump’s new debacle: Losing migrant case, trailing Biden deportations

Missed Social Security checks no big deal to Trump commerce secretary as attacks on agency escalate

Republicans Take Stand Against Reported Trump Admin Plan

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-warned-top-republicans-over-possible-nato-move-2048065

The top two Republican lawmakers overseeing the Pentagon in Congress issued a rare joint statement Wednesday, voicing concern over a potential shake-up in U.S. military leadership by the Trump administration.

The pair issued a joint-statement on Wednesday, referencing media reports suggesting the administration is considering changes such as relinquishing the U.S. role as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe and cancelling plans to modernize U.S. Forces Japan to try and meet its goals.

Trump exaggerates trade deficits, his 2024 vote total, Ukraine aid, border crossings and fentanyl deaths

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/21/politics/fact-check-trump-oval-office-remarks/index.html

President Donald Trump made at least nine false claims in his Friday remarks to reporters in the Oval Office – including a series of wildly exaggerated statistics on a variety of topics.

Trump used inaccurate figures for the number of votes he received in the 2024 presidential election, US aid to Ukraine, the number of migrants who entered the US during the Biden administration, the US trade deficits with China and Canada, and annual US fentanyl deaths.

He also wrongly declared, again, that Honda announced it is building a new factory in Indiana. He repeated his years-old baseless claim that NATO would no longer have existed if not for his first presidency. He told his familiar unsubstantiated story about large numbers of migrants having come from jails in “the Congo” and elsewhere. And he once more discussed Canada’s dairy tariffs without mentioning a critical fact about them.