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My Test on the Flight to and from Israel
Not sure what to do, I turned to Hashem, the Kol Yachol, and begged for another place. Baruch Hashem, at the very last second, someone agreed to switch seats with me. On the return flight from Israel, I davened that I wouldn’t be placed next to an inappropriate seat and wouldn’t face the same nisayon. I even paid an extra $50 to upgrade to a seat with more legroom, which also had an empty seat beside it. My original ticket had already cost £1,000, so I hoped this would help if I needed to ask someone to switch. I boarded the plane early to allow time to make any changes. But when I arrived at my seat, oy vey! there was again the same problem, dressed in a very untzniusdig manner. She was next to her husband, so I hoped that at worst, maybe I could ask him to switch with her. I tried every possible seat on the plane. Finally, someone sitting at the back agreed to move to the front. I was relieved and grateful to Hashem but just a minute later, she came back saying she couldn’t sit there due to the crying baby. So I was back to square one. Left with no other choice, I turned to the husband and pleaded with him to switch seats with his wife. He responded harshly, mocking me, saying I should have just bought two seats and stopped bothering everyone. People around me laughed, which made the nisayon even more painful. But I stood firm. I explained that it wasn’t personal it was about my principles. I couldn’t sit here, especially in such circumstances. I had even asked the flight attendants for help, but they said it was against the law for them to help me to change seats. Eventually, the head stewardess came over and told me plainly: I had 30 seconds to sit down or get off the plane. I began walking toward the exit, heart heavy, feeling as though my entire body was collapsing. The laughter behind me stung, and the decision weighed heavily especially knowing my wife and family were expecting me back home. It was a morning flight, so I couldn’t even call my wife to ask her for approval to go off the plane. Just as I was standing by the door, the woman with the baby ran over. She said her husband had agreed to switch with her. Although they were upset at first, once I explained my position and even offered them money or a small gift to show good will, they understood. I emphasized that it was never personal, just about upholding my values. I told them, “If I break my principles here, how could anyone trust me in business?” At the end of the flight, the husband turned to me and said something I’ll never forget: Live your values before you’re tested. Build your inner strength in times of calm, so you’re ready in times of trial. Thank you for your daily Jewish Blast. SBS |
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| British News |
| Reeves boosts NHS and housing as some budgets squeezed |
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Rachel Reeves has announced an extra £29bn per year for the NHS in England, along with funding boosts for defence and housing, as she set out the government’s spending plans until the end of the decade. The chancellor also promised more money for artificial intelligence and transport projects, saying “renewing Britain” was at the heart of her plans. But the Spending Review also saw some departments squeezed in day-to-day spending, including the Foreign Office and the environment department. Reeves said the review would deliver security, economic growth and “an NHS fit for the future”, but Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said it was a “spend now, tax later review”. He predicted “a cruel summer of speculation” ahead of the autumn Budget, when he said the chancellor would announce tax rises. Ahead of the chancellor’s announcement in the Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told his cabinet the day marked “the end of the first phase of this government, as we move to a new phase that delivers on the promise of change for working people”. The government will hope that, following a bumpy first year, increased spending in health and investment in longer-term projects will reassure voters, but many departments will still have to grapple with frugal day-to-day spending allocations. |
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| World News |
| Hundreds arrested as calm returns to Los Angeles |
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An uneasy calm has descended over Los Angeles after the first night of a curfew lifted on Wednesday, as cities across the US brace for more protests. In Los Angeles, nearly 400 people have so far been arrested, including 330 undocumented migrants and 157 people arrested for assault and obstruction, including one for the attempted murder of a police officer. Federal prosecutors have so far charged two men for throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers in two separate incidents. A total of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed to help quell the unrest. Speaking alongside 30 regional mayors at a news conference on Wednesday, LA Mayor Karen Bass blamed the protests on US President Donald Trump’s immigration raids, which she said “provoked” residents by causing “fear” and “panic”. |
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| US begins evacuating Mideast embassies, army bases as Iran nuclear talks come to a head |
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The United States is drawing down the presence of people who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East due to the potential for regional unrest, the US State Department and military said Wednesday as tensions with neighboring Iran rose amid deteriorating nuclear talks. “President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq,” a State Department official told The Times of Israel. Trump later confirmed that some US personnel are being moved out of the Middle East “because it could be a dangerous place.” “We’ll see what happens… We’ve given notice… Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters before attending “Les Miserables” at the Kennedy Center in Washignton. Earlier Wednesday, two US officials told The Associated Press that the State Department was preparing to order the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad due to the potential for regional unrest. The department also authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, giving them an option on whether to leave the country. In addition, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a US official said. Another US official said that it was mostly relevant to family members located in Bahrain — where the bulk of them are based. Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. |
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| Israel News |
| Knesset Dissolution Bid Fails 61-53 |
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The Israeli opposition’s attempt to dissolve the Knesset was defeated late Tuesday night, with 61 Members of Knesset voting against the bill and only 53 in favor. The failed vote came after a series of last-minute negotiations and a tentative agreement on the principles of a new Draft Law proposal. The breakthrough followed intense discussions with MK Yuli Edelstein, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Despite earlier opposition pressure to bring the dissolution bill to a vote, chareidi parties ultimately stood against it after receiving clear instructions from leading Gedolei Yisroel. Edelstein confirmed that an agreement had been reached, stating, “I am pleased to announce that after lengthy discussions, we have reached agreements on the principles that will form the basis of the Draft Law proposal. As I have said all along, only a genuine bill will come out of the committee I chair. This is historic news, and we are on the way to a real correction in Israeli society and to strengthening the security of the State of Israel.” Following these developments, Gedolei Yisroel Rabbi Dov Lando, leader of the Degel HaTorah faction within UTJ, instructed party representatives to delay the decision by one week and to oppose any overnight dissolution vote. A similar message was conveyed from the United States by Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Nevertheless, within UTJ ranks as MKs Yaakov Tessler and Eliyahu Roth reportedly voted in favor of the dissolution motion — following the guidance of their rabbinic leadership. The rest of the party voted against the motion in order to delay by one week and allow further efforts to reach a consensus on the draft issue. The proposed Draft Law, however, has sparked alarm throughout the Torah world, as its implications for yeshivah students are far-reaching and severe. Under the plan, any 18-year-old bochur who does not enlist in the IDF will face major restrictions. He will be unable to obtain a driver’s license or passport, and travel abroad will require special approval from an exceptions committee. Additionally, he will lose valuable tax credit points, making it financially punitive for him to work. The sanctions escalate further if the state fails to meet its chareidi enlistment targets. Within six months, subsidies for daycare and discounts on public transportation will be revoked. After a year, National Insurance support and eligibility for subsidised housing programs such as “Mechir Lamishtaken” will be withdrawn. Even purchasing a second-hand apartment will become difficult. By the two-year mark, after-school care discounts will also end, and purchase tax rates will rise, putting even greater financial strain on families. The most alarming clause in the proposal is a collective punishment mechanism: even if a bochur himself is learning diligently and fulfilling his obligations, if the yeshivah system as a whole fails to meet government-determined enlistment quotas, the yeshivah will face budget cuts — up to total defunding if the 75% enlistment threshold is not met. Observers within the chareidi world are calling this a “total punitive system” that brands yeshivah students as criminals and tightens restrictions on their daily lives, even when they are fully committed to Torah learning. The coming week will be critical, as efforts continue to reach an acceptable resolution before the next Knesset session. The future of thousands of yeshivah bochurim — and the funding of the Torah world — hangs in the balance. |
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| Confirming ‘understandings reached,’ Shas and UTJ say ‘another few days’ needed to finalize Haredi enlistment bill |
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After meeting with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein, Shas and Degel HaTorah parties confirm “understandings have been reached regarding the principles for the law preserving the status of yeshiva students.” A joint statement from the parties says that “another few days are required to complete the final version [of the legislation],” and therefore their rabbinical leaders told lawmakers to hold off on voting to disband the Knesset for another week. UTJ and Shas also urge opposition parties to delay the preliminary vote on disbanding the Knesset by a week, though they are rebuffed. |
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| Gaza aid group: Hamas operatives killed 5 of our local staffers in attack on bus |
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The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says Hamas operatives attacked a bus carrying its local Gazan staffers, killing at least five, injuring others and potentially taking some hostage. The bus was ferrying the staffers to one of GHF’s aid distribution sites near southern Gaza’s Khan Younis at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday when it came under attack, a GHF statement says. The statement notes that GHF is still working to gather the facts on what unfolded and a spokesperson doesn’t immediately provide any corroborating evidence. “This attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,” GHF says, adding that the attack will not deter the organization’s efforts to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza. |
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