HaGaon HaRav Ezriel Auerbach, 86, was appointed as the successor to the Peleg Yerushalmi movement a day after the petirah of the leader of the Peleg Yerushalmi movement, HaGaon HaRav Asher Deutsch, Z’tl. Rabbanin and askanim of the movement gathered at HaRav Auerbach’s Jerusalem home on Tuesday evening for a small ceremony to make the appointment official.

A disturbing new poll has revealed that a huge percentage of young voters believe the recent killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City was “acceptable”—a finding that should spark shock and concern about crumbling moral attitudes among younger generations. The Emerson College poll found that 41% of voters aged 18-29 said the killing was acceptable, compared to 40% who deemed it unacceptable. Within this group, 24% described the act as “somewhat acceptable,” while an alarming 17% labeled it as “completely acceptable.” These numbers stand in stark contrast to the views of older voters, 68% of whom condemned the murder as unacceptable.

Saudi Arabia is no longer insisting on a concrete plan for a Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel, according to reports emerging from ongoing discussions. Instead, Saudi officials now seek an end to the war in Gaza and a vague Israeli commitment toward a “pathway to a Palestinian state,” sources told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday evening. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has reportedly softened his position during recent talks with individuals close to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, including Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Syria’s new leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told The Times of London that he will not allow Syria to be used as a launchpad for attacks against Israel or any other state. However, Golani, who now prefers to be known by his birth name Ahmed al-Shara, warned Israel that it must end its airstrikes in Syria and withdraw from the buffer zone. “Israel’s justification was the presence of Hezbollah and Iranian militias so that justification is gone,” he said, reiterating the same message he conveyed in an interview with the opposition TV channel Syria.tv over the weekend. “We are committed to the 1974 agreement and we are prepared to return the UN [monitors],” he said. “We do not want any conflict whether with Israel or anyone else and we will not let Syria be used as a launchpad for attacks.

According to Reuters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly 8n Cairo for negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. Unnamed sources familiar with the matter suggest an agreement could be finalized within days. The development appears to be the reason behind the cancellation of Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony in his corruption trial today. The Prime Minister’s Office denied the report and stated, “Contrary to the Reuters report, Netanyahu is not on his way to Cairo. He may be in half an hour, a day, or a year. But right now, he is not there.” One this is for certain, a private jet that took off in Israel is about to land in Cairo.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued a statement on Tuesday morning clarifying Israel’s stance on the control of Gaza “the day after” – after the war ends. “In response to various reports – my position regarding Gaza is clear,” Katz stated. “After we defeat Hamas’s military and governing power in Gaza, Israel will control Gaza security with full freedom of action, just like in Yehuda and Shomron. We will not allow any terror activity from Gaza against Israeli citizens and yishuvim. We will not allow a return to the reality before October 7.” His statement came in response to a report by Channel 12 that the defense minister recently told a US official that Israel is not interested in controlling Gaza.

A highly anticipated concert featuring Jewish music star Benny Friedman has been abruptly canceled by its London venue, sparking outrage over the blatant antisemitism. The decision comes just one day after tickets for the show went on sale, leaving organizers and fans stunned. The Am Yisrael Chai Tour, organized in partnership with ACM Events, has toured globally. For years, London topped the list of cities requesting visits from Benny Friedman, prompting the team to schedule two UK concerts: one in London on January 6 and another in Manchester on January 7. Despite overwhelming demand, organizers encountered huge obstacles in securing a venue for the London concert, with multiple venues reportedly unwilling to host a Jewish event or align with pro-Israel sentiments.

White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said the White House’s assessment, in coordination with the FBI and state and local officials, is that the mysterious drones flying over the country are in fact “legal” and “lawful.” Kirby told Fox News anchor Bret Baier Monday on “Special Report” they’ve examined roughly 5,000 sightings and to date, their analysis is “lawful, legal, commercial hobbyist and even law enforcement aircraft activity,” is responsible for the sightings. “Some of it’s manned, some of it’s unmanned. We absolutely acknowledge that a lot of these are probably drones, but they’re flying legally.

The Knesset approved the first readings of the 2025 budget late Monday night amidst political turmoil, following the Otzma Yehudit party’s decision to vote against the coalition’s budget proposals. Otzma Yehudit is led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The 2025 budget, composed of multiple bills, faced separate votes. The first bill, setting the deficit ceiling at 4.3%, passed narrowly with 58-53 votes. The second bill, detailing the full 2025 budget, was approved 59-57. Voting on additional bills containing legislative amendments for the budget took place after press deadlines.

In his first news conference since winning the presidency, President-elect Donald Trump addressed pressing global issues on Monday, signaling his administration’s tough stance on international crises while offering glimpses of his foreign policy priorities. Trump fielded questions from reporters on topics ranging from ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza to the potential for preemptive military action against Iran. Regarding his recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Trump stressed his commitment to resolving the hostage crisis. “I’ll be very available on January 20,” he said, referring to the day he will assume the presidency.