President Donald Trump stated that Yemen’s Houthi rebels are now seeking peace after enduring more than a week of US airstrikes, which he described as “very, very strong.”
“The Houthis are looking to do something. They want to know, ‘How do we stop? How do we stop? How can we have peace?’ The Houthis want peace because they’re getting the hell knocked out of them,” Trump shared with reporters in the Oval Office.
“The Houthis are dying for peace. They don’t want this… They were knocking ships out of the ocean…. In the Suez Canal, they only have about 20% of the ships going through. They have to go through a different way, which takes weeks of travel, and that really affects commerce.”

Yitzchok Goldknopf, the head of the United Torah Judaism party, formally resigned from his role as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, citing the government’s failure to make progress on a bill that would exempt yeshiva students from mandatory military service.
This resignation is more symbolic than substantive, as Goldknopf retains his position as the minister for housing and construction, ensuring his continued presence in Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s cabinet.

On Friday afternoon, Israel’s Supreme Court announced that it would temporarily halt the government’s decision to end Ronen Bar’s tenure as the head of the ISA, pending a hearing on the issue.
This decision came after opposition parties in the Knesset filed an appeal earlier in the day, urging the court to block Bar’s dismissal.
“We hereby issue a temporary order suspending the validity of the decision until the provision of a different decision,” the ruling read.
With this order, the Supreme Court is effectively preventing Bar’s removal from office until a judge can make a final determination. A date for the hearing has not yet been set, but it is expected to take place before Bar’s dismissal becomes official.

There was a palpable sense of excitement in the halls of Torah learning with the announcement of the release of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch from the hospital after several days of hospitalization. The Rosh Yeshiva, who returned to his home last week, delivered a brief but impactful drasha at the Yeshiva of Slabodka in which he illuminated the reasons for the recent decrees that have befallen the Torah community.
In his shmuess, Rav Hirsch began with a poignant observation: “In truth, Hashem is punishing us severely, with a direct punishment on bnei Torah, who are deprived of the opportunity to learn. This is a punishment of reduced learning. It’s Hashem!” he stated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conveyed that his country remains committed to an agreement with the United States regarding the shared rights to its mineral resources. This came after Zelensky’s departure from the White House without finalizing the deal, following a tense confrontation with President Trump in the Oval Office last Friday. Trump had insisted on a portion of Ukraine’s abundant mineral deposits as compensation for the substantial military and civilian aid — totaling over $175 billion — that the United States has provided since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Israel’s Cabinet voted on Sunday to confirm Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir as the 24th chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu expressed high expectations for his tenure and anticipated significant achievements.
“Even when he served as my military secretary, I was impressed by Eyal Zamir’s dedication to the country and the IDF, as well as his offensive strategic approach,” Netanyahu stated, according to his office. He emphasized his full support for Zamir’s appointment, alongside Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

President Donald Trump addressed reporters in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, discussing various topics, including Israel and the likelihood of a ceasefire in the region being maintained.
When asked about a potential Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria, referencing a past comment he made about Israel’s geographic size, Trump chose not to respond directly. Instead, he remarked, “It certainly is a small country in terms of land.” He illustrated Israel’s limited size in comparison to surrounding nations by gesturing with his pen.
“It’s a pretty small piece of land, and it’s amazing that they’ve been able to do what they’ve been able to do when you think about it. There’s a lot of good, smart brainpower, but it is a very small piece of land,” he elaborated.

Karoline Leavitt delivered her first official White House press briefing Tuesday afternoon – becoming the youngest White House press secretary to take the podium.
Leavitt, 27, was met with sharp questions from journalists about President Donald Trump’s busy first week back in the White House. While it was her first time engaging with reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Leavitt already has experience serving as a fierce defender of Trump before the media.

Guatemalan social services were compelled to intervene and remove children from the Lev Tahor sect after it was revealed that the group’s leaders had coerced mothers into purposely withholding food from their children.
According to insiders familiar with the situation, the goal was to exert pressure on the authorities in hopes of gaining control over the food provided to the children. “The mothers were brainwashed and ordered their children to starve to death and not eat even fruit and vegetables,” said the source. “These children’s health, including their mental health, is really bad.”

By Jonathan S. Tobin
For most supporters of Israel, Jan. 20 and the beginning of President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration couldn’t come soon enough.