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An asteroid around the size of 38 Lubavitcher Rebbes is set to pass the Earth on Thursday, June 18, which is the anniversary of the Rebbe’s death, according to NASA’s asteroid tracker. 

The asteroid in question has been designated 2003 LN6, and is set to fly past the planet at a distance of a little over 1.4 million kilometers, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The relatively close – but safe – flyby will occur during the yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the famed leader of the hassidic Lubavitch sect and the founder of the global Chabad movement. 

The Asteroid Rebbe? How big is the asteroid heading for Earth?

Asteroid 2003 LN6 has an estimated diameter of as much as 67 meters, according to NASA’s calculations. 

But why count all of that when we can instead make a timely reference to one of the most influential Jewish religious leaders of the modern era?

Yes, I am referring to the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. 

While he is often referred to as a giant of Torah and Judaism, his physical size was far more realistic. 

According to records from the Rebbe’s 1941 arrival in the United States by way of the Portuguese ship SS Serpa Pinto to Ellis Island, the man himself stood at a height of five feet, nine inches. 

Now we normally like to do these calculations to appease the metrically-challenged readers, but this time we will do so for the metrically-inclined. Five foot nine inches is roughly 1.75 meters. 

Now the fun part, imagining how many Rebbes can we fit inside the diameter of an asteroid. The answer is approximately 38. 

Unfortunately, the result didn’t come out to any of the more significant Chabad numbers like 770. 

However, if one were to look at chapter 38 of the Tanya, the text that embodies the core of Chabad philosophy and authored by one of the previous Lubavitcher rebbes, we see the following quote: 

“[For] even the material body, and furthermore, even the very stones and earth which are absolutely inanimate – has within it light and vitality from God, so that it should not revert to naught and nothingness as it was.”

The interpretation of this is that even inanimate beings, such as asteroids, have a divine life force maintaining its existence. 

Scientifically, this pairs well with the fact that asteroids are essentially made of the same materials as Earth – both formed of the space dust and minerals from the birth of the Solar System. The origins of the Earth, and all life on it, are in a sense tied to the origins of asteroids. 

Adoneinu, moreinu, ve-asteroid: Will asteroid 2003 LN6 hit the Earth?

It should be noted that asteroid 2003 LN6’s orbit will take it closer to the Earth than what is normal for most asteroids. However, at a distance of over one million kilometers, it still won’t be close enough to cause any danger. 

For context, the Moon is much closer at around 387,000 kilometers. So while the words of the Rebbe may be close to the hearts of the untold masses of Jews around the world, the asteroid I am measuring using him will be far off. 

The Messiasteroid: How can the Earth be protected from asteroids?

Is the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Messiah? Does Chabad think that he was the Messiah?

Officially the answer to both is no, though there are some within the Chabad movement that hold this belief. Regardless, the idea of the Messiah as the redeemer who will save the world is an important one in many hassidic movements. 

But who will protect the world from asteroids?

We may not have a Messiah now, but we do have something else: scientists.

Those working in the field of planetary defense have been hard at work developing ways to monitor asteroids in space and predicting any that could pose a danger to the planet. Some methods have even been put forward to prevent a potential asteroid attack. One such method, that of kinetic deflection, was even put to the test with NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission. 

So while the Messiah may not be here yet to save the world, scientists can at least make sure the world is still around for when he does come.

Last year, I had the privilege of attending the biennial Friendship Circle gala. I’d long heard about the worldwide organization that supports individuals with special needs and their families. On a basic level, they do incredible work: they send volunteers to play and spend time with individuals with special needs, giving heroic parents a well-earned break, hosting joy-filled events, and building a supportive community where everyone belongs.

I was invited to the gala by my dear friend Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who, together with his wife Bassie, founded Friendship Circle in 1994 in Detroit, Michigan. I always knew that Friendship Circle was more than just a “hug fest,” although that love and thoughtfulness are essential parts of the magic. But what I witnessed there blew me away. I realized that Friendship Circle was, in fact, a revolution in how we understand human value.

Let’s be honest: when most people see someone with special needs, they may feel sympathetic, maybe inspired, but generally, their expectations are low. People acknowledge that everyone has a place in society, but do we truly believe that people with special needs have something meaningful to contribute?

Sure, people will gush over an art project or applaud a musical performance, but deep down, many still see these gestures as symbolic. “Let them just be happy,” some may think. “Let them live a peaceful life. That’ll be enough.” It’s a sentiment that sounds kind but writes off their potential.

Friendship Circle flips that on its head. They say, “You are a human being.” That fact means you have something to give. The world needs you, and without your contribution, we are all missing something.

It’s not just a feel-good slogan. They mean it. And what’s more, it’s true.

Friendship Circle reframes how we see people with special needs and, most importantly, how they see themselves. Their programs make participants feel unique and special, help them understand that it’s okay to be different, and show them that they belong.

The Rebbe: Term ‘disabled soldiers’ misses the point

The next day, I had lunch at Soul Café with Rabbi Shemtov and his friend, Dr. Stephen Shaya (now my friend too). We spoke about the philosophy behind Friendship Circle. “Where does this worldview come from?” he asked. A little later, he answered his own question.

The highlight of the dinner had been a video of the Rebbe speaking to a group of injured Israeli soldiers, men who had sacrificed their bodies in service of their people. The Rebbe honored their courage, but didn’t let the moment settle into pity. He challenged the very name of their group: “disabled soldiers.” That label, he said, missed the point entirely.

Instead, he urged that they should be called “exceptional soldiers,” people to whom God entrusted exceptional challenges because they have exceptional strengths. Not only were they not “done,” they were just getting started.

That viewpoint is the beating heart of Friendship Circle and, frankly, the way we should look at every human being.

We’re all born with purpose. And purpose is expressed through contribution. That’s not a luxury for the elite or the gifted. It’s not reserved for the successful or the brilliant. It’s a basic part of what it means to be human.

The Rebbe insisted that regardless of our perceived abilities, each of us has a unique mission, something only we can bring into the world. And the moment we lose sight of that, we shrink the very definition of humanity.

The Rebbe’s legacy

On Thursday, June 18, Jews around the world mark Gimmel Tammuz, the 32nd anniversary of the Rebbe’s passing.

On this day, many people study the Rebbe’s Torah teachings, visit his gravesite in Queens, or attend events at their local Chabad House. In addition, what better way to honor the Rebbe’s legacy than by adopting his revolutionary lens on human potential?

His belief was that every person is an indispensable piece of the puzzle and that the picture is incomplete without them. Their contribution might not land on the front page of the newspaper. It might not look revolutionary. But it’s theirs. It’s real. And the world needs it.

No, not every autistic child is a card-counting savant. Not every blind person can play piano at the age of three. But every human being has something to offer.

Sometimes, it takes time to discover. Sometimes, it takes a whole community to believe in you before you believe in it yourself.

That’s what Friendship Circle does. They don’t stop at love and hugs. They roll up their sleeves. They search, they support, and they help each person shine and then share that light with the world.

So the next time you see someone who looks or speaks differently, ask yourself:

When I look at a human being, what do I see?

To learn more about Friendship Circle, visit FriendshipCircle.org.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children as he voiced alarm at a “staggering” rise in violations against Palestinian children.

The world body’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict recorded 38,558 “grave violations” globally in 2025, affecting 24,174 children, the latter figure a record since CAAC’s mandate began in 1996.

The data showed 14,224 children killed or maimed, with a 34% rise over 2024 in the number killed to 6,266. It said the United Nations had verified the killing of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank.

The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign that has since killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

“Countries with the highest levels of violations in 2025 were the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia,” a senior UN official said in a briefing on the report.

SETTLER GROUPS IN FOCUS

Israel itself already features in the report’s so-called list of shame annexes for alleged violations, but the latest version for the first time highlights settlers as a potential future listing.

“I am appalled by the magnitude of grave violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, notably by the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas,” Guterres said in the report.

“I am deeply alarmed at the staggering rise in attacks carried out by Israeli settlers resulting in grave violations against Palestinian children,” Guterres added.

He said Israeli settler groups should be listed if the high number of violations is repeated in 2026.

The report said 9,465 grave violations were attributed to Israeli forces and 326 to Israeli settlers.

It defines grave violations as including the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

Israel’s UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

HAMAS REMAINS ON BLACKLIST

The report continues to blacklist Hamas’ armed wing and affiliated factions for killing and maiming children and for abductions, and attributes 2,806 violations to Palestinian armed groups.

The new report comes weeks after Guterres infuriated Israel by adding it to a separate UN blacklist of countries and parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel’s foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with him.

Guterres said he was alarmed by the high number of children detained by Israel and reports of severe physical violence and poor conditions during detention, saying these “may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Being blacklisted does not automatically trigger sanctions but causes reputational harm and requires negotiating action plans to secure delisting.

Israel Police, working in coordination with the Southern District Unit and the National Headquarters for Economic Counter Terrorism under the Defense Ministry, confiscated property on Wednesday linked to drone smuggling into the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year.

Officials said the operation marks the first time this type of enforcement has been used in the drone field.

As part of the move, Defense Minister Israel Katz imposed economic sanctions based on precise intelligence and evidentiary material collected and transferred by Israel Police, even though the vehicle owners, residents of Bedouin communities in the Negev, were not caught in the act.

Authorities said the measure is intended to target the financial infrastructure behind smuggling activity, disrupt ongoing operations, and strengthen deterrence against individuals and networks assisting terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.

“Anyone who smuggles weapons, equipment, or funds to terrorist organizations in Gaza is part of the terrorist network itself and will pay a heavy price,” Katz said in a statement.

New policy broader than terrorism alone

Katz added that he had decided to impose economic sanctions on those involved in drone smuggling into the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader policy aimed not only at terrorists but also at the economic and logistical systems that enable their activity.

Southern District Unit commander Chief Superintendent Shimon Portal added, “This is another significant enforcement tool in our fight against smuggling infrastructures.

“Alongside operational and intelligence activity on the ground, we are also working to damage the economic capability of those involved, thereby disrupting their activity, deterring additional actors, and preventing the strengthening of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

A democratic socialist who has sharply criticized Israel and pledged to defend Jews from antisemitism is in the lead in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for mayor in Washington, DC, poising the nation’s capital to elect a progressive leader.

Janeese Lewis George, a DC Council member, had received just over half of the 65% of votes that had been counted by Wednesday morning. Kenyan McDuffie, a moderate and former City Council member, was in a distant second place.

The election is DC’s first using ranked-choice voting, so it could take some time to reach a final tabulation, and the results could change. Still, the early results have ignited optimism among Lewis George’s supporters – and concern among her critics, who include Jewish leaders in the city and beyond.

Some Jewish leaders have criticized Lewis George, who has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, for vowing, if elected, not to attend “events focused on obfuscating the realities of occupation or promoting Zionism and apartheid” or join “political junkets to Israel.” She made those promises in response to a questionnaire from the Metro DC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which subsequently endorsed her.

The race set up a fight over the future of Washington, DC, where the vast majority of voters are Democrats, and the threat of US President Donald Trump’s interference in city affairs loomed large over the ballot box. The winner is heavily favored to win the general election in November and succeed Democratic Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, who is retiring after 12 years in office.

DC mayoral candidate compared to Zohran Mamdani

It has also fueled a national discourse about the growing viability of left-wing, pro-Palestinian leaders in local politics. Some have likened Lewis George to Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist elected mayor in New York City last year. A left-wing candidate is also poised to potentially become mayor of Los Angeles, while Chicago has had a progressive Democrat who is sharply critical of Israel since 2023.

The Wall Street Journal said ahead of the DC primary that the city was facing “a Mamdani moment” – a sharp critique from the paper’s conservative editorial board.

The leader of Our Revolution, a progressive group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, also embraced the comparison, telling USA Today that the success of left-wing candidates, including Lewis George and Mamdani, showed that voters want change.

Lewis George’s platform focuses largely on making DC more affordable. But controversy dogged her after her DSA questionnaire was published.

Ron Halber, head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, told The Washington Post that the questionnaire raised “a lot of concern about whether an administration of hers would be sensitive to the Jewish community or not.”

Lewis George said in the DSA questionnaire that she would continue to meet with people and organizations that do not share all her values and opinions. She referenced a meeting she attended that was hosted by the JCRC, saying she disagreed with the group’s “opposition to using the word ‘genocide’ to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza” as well as “their definition of anti-semitism that criminalizes dissent, and their attacks on activists,” but could also see areas of shared interest.

“I went to the event to advocate for an end to ICE collaboration, seek allies in that effort, and build on our shared goal of ending the inhumane treatment of our neighbors who are being taken by ICE,” she said.

Lewis George was endorsed by the Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, which says it promotes economic, social, and racial justice. The group said in its endorsement announcement that Lewis George would “fight for our communities and our Jewish values.”

Support for Palestinians, commitment against antisemitism do not conflict

After the blowback to the DSA questionnaire, Lewis George met privately with local rabbis and Jewish community leaders in March to hear their concerns, according to Jewish Insider. Shortly after, she said in a statement on her campaign website that her “support for Palestinian human rights” and her “commitment against antisemitism” were not in conflict.

She added, “To the Jewish community in DC: I will not be a mayor who includes or excludes you based on your opinions or feelings on matters here and across the world. I will always protect your freedom, safety, and sense of belonging.”

Lewis George also said she had visited synagogues since middle school and frequently worked with Jewish organizations as a council member, including securing security grants for synagogues and schools.

She went on to list her credentials as a supporter of Palestinians, saying that she was among the first Council members to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and meet with George Washington University students advocating for a ceasefire.

The DSA strongly opposes the Israeli government and requires candidates to share their views on Israel to secure an endorsement. While the party remains controversial in the Democratic establishment, Democrats nationwide have shifted their sympathies away from Israel since 2023, with 65% saying their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians in a February Gallup poll.

McDuffie criticized Lewis George’s answers to the DSA questionnaire and said there was “no place in this city for shutting out any community,” according to Washington Jewish Week. But he has largely avoided weighing in on questions about Israel, telling Jewish Insider that it was not the mayor’s role to craft foreign policy.

The Middle East receded into the background in the closing days of the mayoral race, which focused heavily on the high cost of living in the district and on fighting the Trump administration. Lewis George and McDuffie both argued they were better equipped to block interference from the federal government, as National Guard troops continue to patrol the streets amid Trump’s crackdown on immigration and tens of thousands of residents have lost their government jobs.

Meanwhile, Trump threatened at the Oval Office on Thursday to “take back” Washington and “run it on the federal basis” if Lewis George won.

The Tuesday primary used ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank up to five candidates. If no candidate reaches 50%, the last-place finisher is removed, and voters for that candidate have their votes distributed among their second choice candidates. The process continues until one candidate has a majority. This voting method means that a final tally of results can take days after polls close.

The haredi (ultra-Orthodox) world has long stood apart, wrapped in its own traditions and ways, but lately, the gap between its insular mindset and the broader society, which includes the National-Religious and a large part of the Yeshiva world, has grown alarmingly wide.

This divide isn’t just about religious practice or lifestyle choices; it’s about a dangerous attitude that echoes some of the very forces that led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash – the most sacred site in Judaism.

At the core of this problem is a mindset that demands exemption from the shared responsibilities of society, while simultaneously expecting to be supported by it, often at an excessive level.

This isn’t merely a political or economic issue; it’s a deep psychological and social fracture, one that reveals a troubling strain of baseless contempt, a kind of hatred that runs under the surface toward fellow citizens.

What’s most striking, and disturbing, is the audacity behind this attitude. It’s not just about asking for help; it’s about demanding special treatment, without offering much in return.

Belief of superiority in haredi society

This sense of entitlement is rooted in narcissism, a belief that they are somehow superior to the rest of society. It’s a psychological state where the self inflates to ridiculous proportions, creating a delusional bubble where reality is distorted.

People caught in this mindset genuinely believe they are better, holier, or more important than their neighbors, to an extent that can defy compassion.

This isn’t just arrogance. It’s a dangerous delusion of grandeur from some. Those who hold these beliefs have convinced themselves that their community’s way is not only right but inherently above the rules that bind everyone else.

This thinking fractures the social fabric because it undermines the principle that we all share responsibility for each other. When a group believes it can opt out of contributing to the common good while still drawing heavily from society’s resources, it breeds resentment and division. It’s a betrayal of the values that hold a nation together.

The behavior of some members of this community in public spaces only deepens the crisis. Their presence in street protests or confrontations often comes across as an embarrassment, not just to the broader society but to their own heritage.

It’s painful to think about the grandparents and great-grandparents who served the nation, who sacrificed for the collective good, seeing their descendants acting in ways that seem to reject those very ideals. The older generations understood the meaning of contributing to the nation’s welfare and respecting laws.

But the real question isn’t just about judgment or moral outrage. It’s about solutions: how do we address this behavior in a way that restores balance and fairness?

How do we reintegrate a community that seems to be isolated, entitled, and that threatens social cohesion? One idea that came from a young voice in this conversation was to arrest those causing disruption and then require them to perform support work for the army.

At first, this seemed like a joke, a laughable idea given the current realities. The likelihood that those resistant to contributing would suddenly jump at the chance to work is slim to none.

This highlights the core challenge: their resistance isn’t just about circumstance; it’s about attitude. Changing laws or policies won’t be enough if the underlying mindset remains unchallenged.

The sense of entitlement, narcissism, and delusions of superiority are psychological barriers that no simple punishment or incentive can easily break down. It’s a crisis calling for a more nuanced, multifaceted approach.

The most effective tool remains in the hands of the voters. The parties that represent these attitudes must face the consequences of their policies at the ballot box.

When a political faction thrives by promoting division, rejecting shared responsibility, and leaning heavily on welfare without contribution, the public must push back by voting them out.

Reducing welfare funds that enable these behaviors is another lever, though it must be handled carefully to avoid harming those genuinely in need.

This is not just a political fight; it’s a battle for the soul of the nation. It’s about reclaiming a shared sense of responsibility, rediscovering respect for the social contract that binds us all.

A society can’t thrive when parts of it live in denial of their duties, wrapped in illusions of grandeur while expecting others to carry the load.

As we are people who come from what would be called haredi societies, we know that the haredi community, like every other, must find a way to balance its traditions with its obligations to the broader society.

Addressing this problem requires honesty, courage, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. It means calling out harmful attitudes without demonizing entire communities. It means creating opportunities for dialogue and understanding but also setting firm boundaries about participation and contribution.

The haredi world stands at a crossroads. It can choose to embrace a path of integration and shared responsibility, honoring both its heritage and its place within the larger society. Or it can continue down a road of division and entitlement, risking further isolation and conflict. The choice will shape the future for the entire nation.

In the end, the solution is as much psychological as it is political. It calls for a reckoning with the narcissism and delusion that fuel this crisis, and a recommitment to the values that once united everyone.

Dr. Michael J. Salamon is a psychologist specializing in trauma and abuse and director of ADC Psychological Services in Netanya and Hewlett, NY.

Louis Libin is an expert in military strategies, wireless innovation, emergency communications, and cybersecurity.

Maccabi Tel Aviv walloped Hapoel Tel Aviv 96-75 late Tuesday night as Jaylen Hoard set the tone early on to help the yellow-and-blue score at will to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Israeli league championship series.

Game 2 will take place on Thursday night back at Yad Eliyahu with Hapoel Tel Aviv as the hosts as the Reds will look to even up the series while Maccabi will try and take a stranglehold lead and move to within one game of the league title.
Oded Katash’s squad came out strong as Hoard and Roman Sorkin both took the bull by the horns early on.

Chris Jones and Oz Blayzer kept Hapoel close, but Jimmy Clark scored while Hoard kept pouring in the points to give Maccabi a 49-34 advantage at halftime. Johnathan Motley, Tai Odiase and Yam Madar tried to chip away at the lead for Dimitrios Itoudis’s charges, but John DiBartolomeo, Oshae Brissett, Hoard, Clark and Iffe Lundberg wouldn’t have any of it as Maccabi went up by 20 points and kept filling the basket to take a 1-0 series lead.

Hoard ended up with 20 points, Brissett added 16 points while Diartolomeo and Clark each put in 15 points in the win as Motley scored 12 points for Hapoel in the loss.

Maccabi coach ‘happy’ with game 1 victory

Katash reflected on Maccabi’s series-opening victory.

“I’m really happy with how we played; we were focused and we were there from the first minute. The crowd was there for us and we came in with a very short rotation, but all the players were so committed. Now we have to be ready to go in just another couple of days. Of course, we want to end the season with a double and we worked hard for home-court advantage all season long and we enjoyed playing in this game, with a lot of credit to our fans.”

Hapoel bench boss Itoudis looked back at the loss.

“It was not us in this game and we have to change the mindset drastically and immediately. Maccabi scored more in second-chance points and in transition which says how much they outhustled us. However, this will make us more eager for the next game. Maccabi forced turnovers and there was just no positivity from this game. We need to see who we are and where we are, nothing worked.”

DiBartolomeo, the yellow-and-blue captain, spoke about the win.

“I liked how we started the game and the series, we dropped the later there against them but we came out and started on the right form. But it’s only one game and we have to make adjustments and be better for Game 2. A lot of credit goes to the coaches for the game plan and while we are missing some guys due to injuries everyone is stepping up. It feels great to win in front of our crowd and it’s a derby, but it’s only one game.”

Hapoel captain Bar Timor also commented on the defeat.

“We all saw what happened here today and it was a good lesson for the next game. We have to react and battle back now and ready ourselves for Game 2. I can’t really explain what occurred this time around but it’s a long series and we have time to make some corrections. We didn’t fight and we didn’t battle. We can’t look like this again.”

See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/en

One day after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s dramatic declaration that he had “ended” dependence on the Hebron municipality regarding Jewish settlement in the city, the Higher Planning Council in the Civil Administration on Wednesday approved a series of construction plans in the West Bank for the first time without seeking approval from the Palestinian Hebron municipality.

The cabinet decision that Smotrich has presented over the past day as a political and settlement achievement was given its first practical expression on the ground on Wednesday. According to the announcement published that day, a new building of about 1,000 square meters was approved for the Shavei Hebron yeshiva, near Beit Romano.

This is the first approval of its kind since the signing of the Hebron Agreement in 1997, under which restrictions related to the Jewish community were subject to approval by the Hebron municipality.

This is one of the clauses that has remained in force since the Oslo Accords and that right-wing figures have sharply criticized over the years.

In their view, the situation enabled the Hebron municipality to advance projects for the Jewish community in the city, despite its lack of cooperation.

The move comes a day after Smotrich announced at the dedication ceremony for the settlement of Doran that “we canceled the Hebron agreements,” and claimed that this was a “historic correction” and the end of a situation in which “authorities regarding the Jewish community in Hebron and the holy places were dependent on the terror municipality of Hebron.”

The minister linked the decision to the broader policy he is leading in the West Bank, settlement regularization, strengthening governance, and deepening Israeli sovereignty in practice.

Foreign Ministry denies Smotrich’s claims on Hebron Agreement

However, the Foreign Ministry was quick to clarify that the Hebron Agreement itself had not been canceled.

In an official statement, it said that several months ago, the political-security cabinet made a focused decision regarding planning and construction authorities for the Jewish community in Hebron and Jewish heritage sites in the city, following years of a complete lack of cooperation from the Hebron municipality on these issues.

The ministry emphasized that, beyond that, “no changes were made,” thereby distancing itself from any attempt to present the move as the cancellation of the entire Hebron Agreement. The construction approval granted on Wednesday is the first practical test of that cabinet decision.

In December, the Supreme Planning Council of the Civil Administration withdrew planning powers for the Cave of the Patriarchs from the Hebron Municipality after the municipality and the Islamic Waqf rejected a project to construct a roof over a section of the cave.

Settlement officials view the announcement as proof that the change is not remaining at the level of declarations. For Smotrich, it is another layer in the policy he calls “practical sovereignty,” the transfer of decision-making powers in certain areas from Palestinian hands to Israeli state institutions.

Planning Council approves 576 new housing units in settlements

Alongside the approval in Hebron, the Higher Planning Council approved 576 new housing units in the settlements.

In Mitzpe Jericho in Binyamin, a plan for 456 new housing units was approved for deposit, a move that settlement officials estimate will allow the community to expand and absorb several thousand more residents. In the El Matan neighborhood in Karnei Shomron, 120 housing units were approved for validity after lengthy procedures, the removal of objections, and long-running disputes.

In Smotrich’s circle, the construction approvals are presented as part of an overall policy that the minister has led in recent years to strengthen Israel’s presence in the West Bank and deepen what he defines as “practical sovereignty.”

From his perspective, the decision regarding Hebron goes beyond the planning process itself; it fits into a broader view of creating facts on the ground and expanding settlement.

“We continue to build the Land of Israel in practice and implement practical sovereignty in the settlements,” Smotrich said on Wednesday.

“Bringing thousands of new residents to Mitzpe Jericho and erecting a new building for the Shavei Hebron yeshiva in the City of the Patriarchs are both moving and important. This is a national move that anchors our hold on the land, strengthens Israel’s security, and establishes clear facts that prevent the establishment of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country. Thank you to the Civil Administration and the Settlement Administration for leading the processes.”

As the dispute over the meaning of Smotrich’s declaration about the “cancellation of the Hebron agreements” continues, the construction approval granted on Wednesday gives the minister the first practical achievement he wanted to highlight: the removal of the approval mechanism that had existed for nearly three decades and the transfer of decision-making authority to the State of Israel alone.

Smotrich calls this a “historic correction,” while in the political establishment, it is still presented as a targeted, limited change, not a cancellation of the Hebron Agreement as a whole.

Israeli flag removed at World Cup match while Palestinian flags remained nearby, Hebrew media reports

An Israeli flag was removed from a fan at a FIFA World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand while Palestinian flags nearby were reportedly left untouched, Hebrew media reported Wednesday.

The incident, filmed inside the stadium and circulated on social media, showed stewards asking a fan to hand over an Israeli flag during Iran’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Israel Hayom reported. The fan pointed to Palestinian flags being held a few rows away and accused the stewards of applying the rules unevenly.

“Why don’t you tell them to take down their flag?” the fan said, according to Israel Hayom. “This feels like antisemitism. When you take that flag down, I’ll take mine down.”

The stewards reportedly told the fan the Israeli flag had to be removed for safety reasons and said the order did not come from them personally. Israel Hayom reported that the fan eventually handed over the flag after being told he would receive it back later. In another part of the video, a steward reportedly told him flags of teams playing in the match were allowed, a rule that would not explain why Palestinian flags were left visible.

The video spread quickly on X, where Israeli and pro-Israel accounts accused FIFA and stadium staff of enforcing flag rules selectively. One Hebrew-language post sharing the video said the fan was told flags of countries not playing in the tournament were banned, while Palestinian flags were not removed. American sports writer Martin Lieberman also shared the clip and criticized FIFA over the “safety” explanation.

Walla Sport, part of The Jerusalem Post’s media group, separately reported that the Iran-New Zealand match became a political protest arena. According to Walla’s Idan Kvaler, Israeli flags were seen in the stands alongside Palestinian flags, Iranian flags, and the pre-revolutionary Iranian Lion and Sun flag, which FIFA had sought to block from stadiums.

‘Unusual combinations’ of flags

Sport5 also reported that images of Israeli flags appearing next to Iranian and Palestinian flags at the match went viral online, with many users expressing confusion over the unusual combination. The outlet reported that one woman seen holding an Israeli flag appeared to be wearing a shirt with the pre-revolutionary Iranian Lion and Sun symbol, suggesting she was likely an Iranian opponent of the regime.

The incident comes as FIFA faces growing scrutiny over political displays at World Cup venues. The Guardian reported this week that England fans were warned that some flags could be confiscated at Dallas Stadium, with FIFA sources citing safety and security reasons. The report said some Dutch and Japanese fans had already had flags removed at the same stadium, while similar restrictions had not been applied consistently at other venues.

FIFA rules generally permit small flags and banners if they meet size and fire-safety requirements, while banning materials deemed political, offensive, or discriminatory. The application of those rules has become a flashpoint at the 2026 World Cup, especially in matches involving Iran and amid international campaigns calling for Israel to be suspended from global soccer.

‘Kick Israel out of FIFA’

The World Cup has already seen anti-Israel activism. Reuters reported last week that protesters in Toronto unfurled a large “Kick Israel out of FIFA” banner near a World Cup logo ahead of Canada’s opening match, accusing FIFA of complicity over Israel’s participation in international soccer.

The flag dispute also follows broader US concern over antisemitism at the tournament. Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the US special envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism, said in April that foreign nationals accused of fostering antisemitism abroad could be barred from attending World Cup matches in the United States. Kaploun said at the time that entry to the US was “a privilege” and that individuals would be judged case by case.

FIFA has faced repeated pressure from Palestinian officials and activists to act against the Israel Football Association. Earlier this week, The Jerusalem Post reported that FIFA was considering a symbolic Israel-Palestine match to open an under-15 football festival in the US in September, an initiative meant to bring together players from all 211 FIFA member associations.

The reported removal of the Israeli flag is likely to deepen Israeli concerns that political symbols at World Cup stadiums are being handled inconsistently. 

Sentimental Value, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature in 2026 and which opens on Thursday at theaters around Israel, was one of my favorite movies this year. Had I been an Academy Awards voter, I would have picked it in all nine categories in which it received nominations, including Best Picture.

It’s a character-driven, complex story about the drama of an extremely dysfunctional show-business family. It is unquestionably the best-acted movie this year, and it also has incredibly funny moments.

It’s the most recent collaboration between Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier and actress Renate Reinsve, who previously worked together on The Worst Person in the World, the story of a confused young woman who tries on different identities as she moves through various relationships.

To say that the two work well together would be an understatement. Reinsve is one of the most interesting young actresses and was far more deserving of the Best Actress Oscar this year for her performance in Sentimental Value than the overwrought Jessie Buckley, who won for Hamnet.

Trier is a quirky, engaging director whose work combines elements of the styles of Francois Truffaut and Ingmar Bergman, leaning more heavily toward Truffaut. His debut feature, Reprise, about two young writers who become frenemies, which came out 20 years ago, was a treat, a literary story that was witty and engaging.

A story of two sisters’ complex relationship

Sentimental Value is about two sisters, Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), and their complex relationship with each other and with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard).

Nora is a celebrated actress who is having an affair with her married director. She suffers from stage fright and needs a great deal of reassurance before her performances. Agnes is a married historian who is devoted to her son, Erik (Oyvind Hesjedal Loven), and whose family doesn’t have much money.

While there are conflicts between the sisters, they are united in their disdain for Gustav, a once-celebrated movie director who has been having trouble getting movies made in recent years.

There is an interesting dynamic between the sisters that goes back to their childhood. When they were much younger, Gustav saw Agnes as a gifted actress and cast her in a movie that is considered his masterpiece. But when they grew up, Agnes abandoned acting, while Nora embraced it, hoping to draw their father’s attention. After their mother, a psychotherapist, divorced their father, he left Norway and barely kept in touch.

The movie opens with their mother’s death, and Gustav’s return to claim the house the girls grew up in, which is still in his name. This beautiful Oslo home functions like a character in the film, and parallels are drawn between the fates of the house and its residents, past and present, and the classic Ibsen role that Nora performs, the lead in A Doll’s House.

When he returns to Norway, Gustav tries to rebuild a relationship with his daughters. While Agnes is somewhat receptive, feeling he may make a decent grandfather, Nora rejects him. He tries to give her a screenplay he wrote for her to act in about his mother, a Norwegian resistance fighter who was arrested and tortured by the Nazis, and who killed herself after the war, in their home, when he was a child. Nora won’t even read it.

Frustrated, Gustav gives the screenplay to Rachel (Elle Fanning), a young American movie star he meets at a festival that is having a retrospective of his early work. She loves it, and he casts her, which leads to a Netflix deal and to translating the script into English.

But it’s clear that the earnest Rachel, who truly venerates Gustav and his work, is all wrong for this part, which was written with Nora in mind. At the same time, Agnes goes to the national archives to read a statement Gustav’s mother wrote about her wartime ordeal.

At first, it might seem as if the movie is going to move along a predictable track. After all, we’ve seen many movies where a father who abandoned his family comes back to seek forgiveness and redemption. But the story gains in complexity as it goes along, and you may find yourself feeling critical of characters you liked at first and feeling compassion toward some you didn’t.

The show-business background makes it all a little more fun than it would have been otherwise, but many people will relate to the characters’ struggles in finding a way to move forward and put some of their resentment and pain behind them.

The weakest parts of the story are the reenactments that accompany Agnes’s research into her grandmother’s death, but this is a quibble. It might have been more meaningful had we simply heard her words read aloud, rather than acted out in a documentary style that feels jarring compared to the rest of the film.

But it’s an important part of the storyline, for several reasons. It takes the movie out of the upper-class world the characters now inhabit and frames it in the context of a not-so-long-ago tragedy, showing how the protagonists are influenced by this trauma, the result of a young woman who took an incredibly brave stance against injustice and hatred.

It also makes Gustav’s decision to base the screenplay intended for his daughter on the moment that changed his childhood forever much more interesting.

Despite the drama, ‘Sentimental Value’ shines with dark humor

As dramatic as all this is, when I look back on the film, which I saw when it opened the Jerusalem Film Festival last year, among the parts I remember most vividly are several very funny scenes, most of them involving Gustav and his dark sense of humor.

While all the actors are good, Stellan Skarsgard is the standout, and he somehow makes us care for this narcissist who has caused so much pain. Skarsgard has been memorable in roles as varied as the tormented hero of the brooding Scandinavian drama Out Stealing Horses and one of Meryl Streep’s old boyfriends in the musical comedy Mamma Mia! But he has never been better than he is here.

Reinsve has the showiest role in the movie, and while she’s electrifying in the highly dramatic scenes, she’s also good in the quieter moments, especially in the scenes with her father and sister. Lilleaas has a part that could have been forgettable, but she makes Agnes so real that she elicits intense sympathy. Elle Fanning makes the American actress into a sympathetic counterpart to the two sisters rather than a clueless outsider.

In a time when so many movies feature cartoonish storylines, Sentimental Value is a gem, and it’s worth seeing on the big screen before it makes its streaming debut.

Deep skepticism regarding the US-Iran agreement is emerging among Hezbollah’s opponents in Lebanon in light of a letter that Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem published on Tuesday showing appreciation to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf.

The letter, which thanks Qalibaf for his efforts to “compel Israel to immediately and permanently halt military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon,” is being viewed as presumptive by Hezbollah’s opposition – as the group’s political rivals question Iran’s actual ability to enforce an Israeli withdrawal.

The “Strong Republic” bloc of the Lebanese Forces party – one of the largest and most influential Christian parties in Lebanon – stated that any agreement between the United States and Iran is strictly a bilateral matter between those two nations.

They argued that the ceasefire included in the understandings is regional in scope and does not practically alter the situation on the ground in Lebanon, noting that “the entity fighting in Lebanon is Israel, not the United States.”

They accused Tehran of providing Hezbollah with mere “lip service” to keep the organization fighting for Iranian interests.

Ceasefire doesn’t change situation in Lebanon, Israel may continue fighting

They further asserted that the solution is not simply a temporary ceasefire, but a definitive end to Lebanon’s cycle of wars. This, they argued, must be achieved by dismantling all armed groups operating outside state control, first and foremost Hezbollah.

Similarly, the Lebanese Kataeb Party, which views Hezbollah as a primary threat to Lebanese sovereignty, emphasized that Lebanon is not bound by any agreement affecting its affairs unless the Lebanese state itself is involved through its official institutions and the authorized delegation conducting negotiations in Washington.

The party called for securing an Israeli withdrawal, halting attacks, and implementing government decisions to consolidate all weapons under state authority and restore full security control to the state.

Meanwhile, a political source told the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are facing intense pressure to withdraw from their current negotiating track.

This pressure comes amid claims by certain factions that the US-Iranian agreement could inherently lead to a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Withdrawal planned to be completed before deal between Iran, US

However, Aoun and Salam are refusing to back down and insist on pursuing direct negotiations. They maintain that Lebanon has no other path to achieving a full, comprehensive, and stable peace except through direct talks.

From their perspective, the country must break free from Iranian influence, standing firm on the principle that the Lebanese government is the sole authority empowered to negotiate the nation’s future – not any foreign country or outside proxy.

The source added that the thank-you letter sent yesterday by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf is part of these coordinated pressures aimed at keeping Lebanon as a bargaining chip in Iran’s hands.

The source stated, “Official Lebanon completely rejects this, particularly since Lebanon has made significant strides in breaking free from Iranian dominance over its decision-making, and it has no intention of going backward.” The current goal, according to the source, is to solidify Lebanon’s right to self-determination and defend its sovereignty.

On the other side, a source within the “Shia Duo” (the political alliance between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement in Lebanon) told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah received a message from Iranian officials indicating that following the signing of the agreement this coming Friday, Israel is expected to begin a gradual withdrawal from the Lebanese territories under its control.

According to this message, the withdrawal is slated to be fully completed before the formal signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States – meaning within the designated 60-day window.

The left-wing Democrats Party announced on Wednesday that it had surpassed 75,000 members, setting a new membership record, and that it had decided on a date for its primaries to determine the party’s Knesset list ahead of the upcoming elections.

The Democrats Party is composed of the Labor and Meretz parties, which merged in 2024. The party leadership approved July 20, 2026, as the date for the primaries, pending final approval by the Central Elections Committee.

The party stated that it expects more than 50 candidates to run for places on the list as part of an “open and transparent democratic process, one of the largest and most significant in Israel’s political system.”

The deadline for submitting candidacies for the Democrats primaries has been set for June 25, while the party’s voter registry for the primaries will close on July 13.

The number of members in the Democrats Party recently surpassed the 75,000 mark. The party said that due to rising demand, registration and onboarding systems have been significantly expanded. It also noted that this was the highest membership figure recorded in the political camp since the late 1990s.

The moral and leading force in the next government

Democrats leader Yair Golan said on Wednesday that his party “will be the moral and leading force in the next government, and I call on anyone who truly wants change to join us now.”

A growing number of public figures have joined the party and announced plans to run in the primaries.

Social and political activist Yaya Fink said this week that he would run, along with former Meretz MK Michal Rozin.

Executive director of the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, Avi Dabush, will also run in the primaries.

Social activist and reservist Omri Ronen announced in February that he would join the Democrats Party, alongside several figures from the judicial reform and hostage deal protest movements.

Among those who have confirmed their candidacies are Moshe Radman, Moran Michel, Danny Elgarat, Hadas Ragolsky, Gaby Lasky, Ami Dror, Lee Hoffman, Kati Piasecki, Rotem Sivan, and Tomer Avital.

General elections are scheduled to take place no later than October 27.

Iran and the United States agreed in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Iran’s enriched nuclear material will not be removed from the country, with it being diluted inside Iran under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The MoU also states that, upon signing, “a mechanism will be agreed upon under which the United States will make available to Iran the funds and assets that have been frozen.”

Apparently, according to the leaked text, the agreement will not require significant steps before those funds are released.

This is mentioned in articles 8 to 14 of the memorandum, which establishes limits on US forces in the region and states that negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program will be conducted during the period following the signing of the agreement.

It also determines that the “US Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives,” and it will release the frozen or restricted Iranian funds.

What does the MoU say?

The first article of the MoU, as revealed on Tuesday, states that signing the agreement will stop “military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

Articles 2 and 3 establish an understanding between the US and Iran over each other’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while it gives a 60-day timeframe, which is extendable with mutual consent,” to make a final deal.

Articles 4 and 5 address the Strait of Hormuz issue, determining the immediate lift of the US blockade and an Iranian compromise to “make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge.”

Article 6 focuses on economic relief and the lifting of sanctions, and it states that the US will implement a $300 billion plan to support the reconstruction and economic development of Iran.

The agreement text also determines that the final resolution will be endorsed by a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.

Israeli defense officials fear Tehran will use the 60-day window to buy time and strengthen its position, with Iran expected to receive significant relief in economic sanctions and in fuel and oil trade, according to an N12 news site report.

Israeli intelligence assessments, as conveyed to the political echelon in recent days, indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, most likely does not want to reach a final agreement.

In other words, the negotiations being held by the Revolutionary Guards, as well as the approval of the framework agreement, stem from a desire to secure control of the Strait of Hormuz and to receive an economic boost from the United States.

Thus, Iran will aim to prolong the process and avoid rushing to reach a final agreement, the officials fear.

 “We should not expect anything else from a vengeful regime. It would be very surprising if Iran does not invest all its efforts and tricks to shorten its reach to nuclear weapons, under the auspices of the talks,” a senior defense official said to News 12, expressing their concern about what Tehran will do during this 60-day window.

Lack of transparency from Washington concerns government

Furthermore, Israel’s defense establishment is becoming increasingly concerned about a lack of transparency from the Trump administration regarding the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran set to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, sources told N12 News on Wednesday.

Officials are also concerned about how the interim period will unfold, with Iran expected to face significant economic sanctions and fuel and oil relief.

Israeli intelligence assessments suggest that Iran may seek to delay negotiations on the nuclear issue while using the time to shorten its breakout timeline toward a nuclear weapon. Conversely, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran will begin negotiations on the nuclear issue “on the very day we sign the MoU,” according to the report.

The US’s withholding of details in the agreement, reportedly out of concern that Israeli leaks could derail Friday’s signing, points to the extent of the current divergence between Washington and Jerusalem on Iran, N12 reported.

Iran to receive $300b. in cash after signing MoU

The sequence of events suggests that upon immediate signing of the MoU, Iran would receive sanctions relief and easing of fuel and energy trade restrictions.

I would also get an estimated cash inflow of over $300 billion, with more than half reportedly already committed, according to Reuters.

This would occur while Iran retains control of the Strait of Hormuz, and with discussions of Iran’s nuclear program to then begin. 

On May 17, 2025, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi sent a letter to the leaders of all 193 UN member states, asking them to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence.

“Only one of them replied,” Abdullahi said in an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post. “It was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We then reached the conclusion that Israel would recognize Somaliland.”

Somaliland, a self-governing territory of roughly six million people in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of Somalia’s central government. Although it has maintained its own government, security forces, elections, and state institutions for more than three decades, it remains unrecognized by most of the international community.

That changed on December 26, 2025, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would formally recognize Somaliland, making it the first UN member state to do so.

This week, Abdullahi arrived in Israel for an official visit, the first by a Somaliland president since recognition was granted. However, it was not his first trip to the country.

“I came discreetly in October 2025. At that time, we were exploring ways and means to secure recognition for Somaliland,” he said.

During that visit, Abdullahi met with Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who had been advancing behind-the-scenes contacts between the two sides.

Somaliland president visits Israel in first since official recognition 

The Somaliland leader is now seeking to expand cooperation with Israel across a broad range of sectors, including economic development, natural resources, agriculture, water management, and security.

Since Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, foreign media reports have repeatedly speculated that Israel could establish a military presence in the territory because of its strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, directly across from Yemen and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint through which ships traveling to Eilat must pass.

“We have not discussed that,” Abdullahi said. However, he added, “I cannot rule out the possibility that it could happen in the future. If our cooperation continues to deepen, our relationship could develop far beyond where it stands today.”

Israeli officials say practical cooperation between the two countries is already underway, particularly in water management.

“We identified many areas in which they need support, but we recognized water management as the most important because it is a field where meaningful change can be achieved relatively quickly,” Eynat Shlein, deputy director-general of MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Foreign Ministry, told the Post.

Even before the recent conflict with Iran, 25 water engineers from Somaliland traveled to Israel to participate in a national water-resource management training program.

“Another similar course has just begun with twenty-five additional water engineers. Together with Israel’s Water Authority, we are teaching them advanced Israeli methods, providing extensive professional guidance, and working with them on their own projects,” Shlein said.

She added that Somaliland has also requested Israeli assistance in the healthcare sector.

“We funded the arrival of children suffering from heart disease through the Save a Child’s Heart organization. There will be cooperation across many sectors—whether agriculture, energy, or education—with the goal of reflecting the importance of the relationship between our two countries.”

Economic cooperation is also attracting significant interest from the Israeli private sector.

Somaliland’s business ties in Israel 

During his visit, Abdullahi met with a large group of Israeli business leaders and investors.

“There was such strong interest that many businesspeople who wanted to attend could not be accommodated, and we had to limit participation to just 200 companies,” he said. “We have many opportunities to offer—mineral resources, natural gas, oil, fisheries, and livestock. There is a great deal that we can bring to the table.”

The president acknowledged that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland drew criticism from several countries, particularly in the Arab world, but said he remains confident that other nations will eventually follow Israel’s lead.

“We hope our relationship with Israel will continue to grow stronger, and I believe additional Arab countries will eventually follow.”

Asked about the prospects for US recognition, which is championed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R), Abdullahi expressed optimism.

“We hope the United States will recognize us in the future. We are holding discussions with American officials on the matter.”

He also revealed that he may travel to the United States before the end of the year.

“The entire world followed my visit to Israel; millions of people were watching,” the president said. “The very exposure Somaliland has received is a major achievement. Israel and Somaliland are close partners, and our relationship will continue and become even stronger.”

As for a future visit by Netanyahu to Somaliland, Abdullahi was equally confident.

“Netanyahu will come to Somaliland at the right time. In the meantime, our relations will continue to flourish.”

Only a quarter of Iranians believe that the country enjoys a sense of justice and equality, according to the results of a survey published on Tuesday by Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister Seyyed Mohammad Bathaei.

Sharing the findings with the Iranian press, Bathaei said that “based on the latest results, only about 25% of people have a sense of justice and equality. This number means that nearly 75% of people feel that they live in an environment where discrimination and inequality exist.

“Whether this feeling corresponds to reality or not is another matter; but what is important is that three-quarters of people have such a feeling and believe that discrimination and inequality have cast a shadow over their lives. This feeling should be taken into account by the country’s policymakers and managers.”

While the size and scope of the survey is unclear, Bathaei admitted that around 60% of Iranians are not hopeful that the social conditions will improve in the future, hinting that the January protests may have largely contributed to this feeling.

“Of course, it should be noted that some social and political events can quickly affect these indicators. Sometimes the occurrence of a national event increases social cohesion, strengthens national solidarity, and diminishes some of the dissatisfaction and disagreements,” he admitted. “Therefore, when analyzing these numbers, the time conditions in which the surveys were conducted must also be taken into account.”

Data reflects economic condition, not social order, Iranian minister claims

While confidence in a more just and equitable future was low, and the fact that general satisfaction rates in the country averaged 38%, Bathaei claimed that 76% of Iranians felt a sense of pride in their identity.

Bathaei suggested the data reflected dissatisfaction with the economic conditions in Iran rather than the Islamist social order, asserting that 80% would be against disrupting said order and 60% expressly took issue with the country’s economic condition.

Already heavily constrained by sanctions, Iran’s economy has deteriorated rapidly as a result of both government policies and environmental pressures. After Iran blockaded the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in March, prompting a US naval blockade, the country’s import and export capacity plummeted.

At the same time, the regime’s nearly three-month internet shutdown, followed by ongoing online restrictions, devastated many small businesses. Coupled with prolonged drought and a recent Moroccan locust infestation that has damaged the agricultural sector, these factors have left many Iranians facing severe economic hardship.

Tens of thousands killed in Iranian protests

Even before the latest war with Israel and the United States, the economic conditions in Iran led thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in January, where they were massacred by regime security forces.

Human rights organizations have estimated that tens of thousands were killed, in addition to those forcibly disappeared, though the regime has maintained “foreign-backed rioters” were behind the few thousand deaths it acknowledged.

The high cost of voicing opinions opposite to those adopted by the regime was unacknowledged by Bathaei, who told the media: “It is natural that in a society like Iran, there are differences in political, social, and economic views, and that people have different opinions on different issues.”

“The Interior Ministry’s duty is to provide the environment for the free and peaceful expression of these views,” he continued. “Just as those in favor of an issue have the right to express their opinions, opponents should also be able to express their views and arguments. All citizens have the right to express their opinions on important issues in their country.”

The January protests are not the first time the regime cracked down on signs of dissent, having murdered around 551 protesters during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom demonstrations, according to figures published by a UN fact-finding mission, and killing around 200 during the Green Movement protests of 2009.

This comes in addition to the regime’s execution of political dissidents, which has trended upward since the start of 2026, according to Amnesty International.

Following reports yesterday that Israel had not received a draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump announced that he had sent it to Israel during his press conference at the end of the G7 summit on Wednesday.

Earlier, Trump said that reports of a $300 billion fund slated for Iran are false in comments to the press on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

“We’re not putting up 10 cents. People can decide to do that, but that is up to them,” he said.

“We are not investing in it, and we do not have a fund,” he said, “That’s a false story that got picked up incorrectly.”

Trump added that he was not asking Gulf States to invest in Iran as well. 

“We are not investing ten cents.”@POTUS shuts down false narratives around the MOU with Iran. pic.twitter.com/9H5SOeXrc2

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 17, 2026

“We have a deal that’s a fair deal. It’s a good deal. We are not investing any money in Iran by the way, and that rumor got out there yesterday was ridiculous,” he said, adding that he would talk about this matter later.

This comes after reports that a $300 billion private fund designed to spur investment in Iran was outlined in the MoU, and that more than half of that sum has already been committed.

A source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters that the fund is designed to give both sides an economic incentive to conclude a final deal to end the war.

The new fund is a private investment vehicle, not a reconstruction or reparations program, and will not include any government money or grants, the source said, adding that companies based in the US, the Gulf Arab states, Asia, South America, and Africa have agreed to commit financing. 

Trump says will discuss with Gulf nations Iran’s ballistic missiles, terrorist proxies

Trump told reporters at the G7 meeting in France that the United States, in a parallel effort to the US-Iran deal, will discuss Iran’s ballistic missiles and terrorist proxies with Gulf nations.

At the press conference, Trump said that Syria’s leader would like to target Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy group, with “precision” inside Lebanon.

The president also said that Lebanon’s leader is expected to visit Washington in the coming weeks.

Trump touts new MoU at G7, claims he ‘never cared’ about regime change in Iran

Trump said that the MoU is “great for a lot of reasons, but number one, by far… is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

“If they do, all hell will rain down on them, and they’re not going to do that,” he added.

Trump also discussed regime change, claiming that he “never cared” about it.

“I guess you have regime change because… the first group, they’re all dead, the second group, they’re dead, and part of the third group is gone,” he added.

“We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people. I mean, they were nice to deal with… I think actually they’re smarter than the first and second group, but they’re not radicalized, and they’re looking to help their country,” he continued.

“I’ve watched regime changes for years – they never work,” he stated.

Will US-Iran deal survive a potential IDF strike on Beirut?

Trump asserted that the MoU would survive should Israel strike in Lebanon. 

“I consider that the minor war that Iran’s a big one, but we have that little pin prick out there that constantly rears its head, and that’s Hezbollah,” he said. 

“I’ll tell you what, Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed. You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah.

“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because, to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it. If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, it’ll do the job. Syria will do the job.”

He noted that he had spoken to Israeli leaders about strikes on Beirut, and that he “didn’t like” that the IDF bombed Beirut hours before the agreement was signed. 

Later, Trump said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had had a “small disagreement” about Lebanon.

“I say it’s possible to act a little more moderately. Maybe you don’t need to bring down a building every time a Hezbollah member walks into it,” he said.

Trump also called Netanyahu “a good man” who sometimes “gets a little too enthusiastic.”

Trump noted that the MoU was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if he did not like it.

“If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head. If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head.”

“We have our deal done with Iran, and it should be successful. It goes to the second stage, which I think will actually be easier,” Trump added.

Trump also compared his current pending MoU to then-president Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015.

.@POTUS: “The JCPOA done by Obama — he handed them $1.7B in cash… they tried to bribe their way out of it, and you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama and they said he’s a stupid son of a bitch.” pic.twitter.com/oAtfnuGEIm

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 17, 2026

“Obama handed [Iran] $1.7b. In cash… they tried to bribe their way out of it, and you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama, and they said he’s a stupid son of a b****,” Trump said.

Trump then thanked Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for his assistance in negotiating a deal.

“Working with Qatar and the people of Qatar was really a pleasure. They were tough. They were strong. You know, they are the closest to Iran physically. So with other countries, I noticed I had to travel about 45 minutes to get there. With you, you could walk right across the border,” he said.

So you were in a more dangerous position. But I just have to say to you, uh, you fought, and you helped us, and with great bravery. So I just want to compliment you on that, and uh, you’ll always be my friend.”

How many weddings do you have this month, and what are you going to wear?

Wedding season has begun in Israel, and for many young women, this is a recurring dilemma. Some will say we are making too much of it: “Just wear the same dress again.” That is reasonable advice in theory. 

But when you have a wedding almost every week, it is not always so simple. By the fourth wedding in the same month, even the sincerest environmental ideal begins to collide with social reality. 

And honestly, clothing is not only functional. A new outfit can give us confidence in social situations that do not always feel comfortable.

The point is not that everyone needs a new dress for every event. Re-wearing clothes should be part of the solution. But when the wedding season brings one event after another, it is understandable that women want more than one option.

The real problem is that the most affordable choices are often the least ethical ones.

In Israel, that price gap is difficult to ignore. A dress in a mainstream store can easily cost more than NIS 200, while local brands often charge NIS 500 or more. Meanwhile, ultra-fast-fashion platforms offer dresses for less than NIS 50.

That price gap helps explain why shoppers turn to retailers criticized for pollution, poor labor conditions, and constant overproduction. Fast fashion is built on producing clothing cheaply, at enormous scale and speed, to keep up with changing trends. 

Ultra-fast-fashion platforms push this model even further, making it easier than ever to treat clothing as disposable.

The price at checkout does not reflect the garment’s full cost. The rest is paid through polluted water, carbon emissions, textile waste, and poor labor conditions.

It is easy to blame the person clicking “buy.” Public debate treats fast fashion mainly as a failure of individual responsibility, telling consumers to buy less, shop ethically, and vote with their wallets. But it is harder to ask why the market makes that choice so attractive. 

When an ethical dress costs several times more than a similar one online, the market has already shaped the decision. Most consumers are not choosing between what is right and wrong, but between what reflects their values and what fits their budget.

The price we see is political

That is especially clear in Israel’s recent debate over personal imports. Orders worth up to $75 are currently exempt from value-added tax. Earlier this month, the Knesset voted to revoke a revised order that would have raised the threshold to $130. It was the second such decision. 

In February, the Knesset revoked an earlier order that sought to raise the exemption to $150.

The Knesset was right to reject the change. Yet the debate focused mainly on lowering prices, increasing competition, and protecting local retailers. It largely ignored the environmental and labor costs hidden behind ultra-cheap products.

The desire to reduce prices is understandable. Israelis face a genuine cost-of-living crisis, and affordable clothing is not a luxury. 

But making imports cheaper without asking how those prices are achieved is not a complete consumer policy. It allows companies to pass part of the cost on to workers, communities, and the environment.

Other countries have begun to place more responsibility on the fashion industry. California requires apparel and textile producers to fund the collection, repair, reuse, and recycling of apparel and textiles. 

In France, lawmakers have advanced proposals to impose environmental penalties on ultra-fast-fashion companies and restrict their advertising.

Israel should adopt a similar approach. Large producers and online platforms should help fund textile-waste management. They should also provide clearer information about their products’ environmental impact and durability. 

This could also strengthen responsible local businesses, which currently struggle to compete with imported clothing whose low prices do not reflect their full environmental and social costs.

The obvious objection is that regulation could make affordable clothing more expensive. That risk is real, and a blunt tax would punish consumers with the fewest alternatives. 

Policy should therefore target the business models that rely on extreme volumes and disposability, while supporting affordable alternatives such as repair services, clothing exchanges, and second-hand markets.

Governments intervene in markets to protect banks, agriculture, defense industries, and strategic companies. They should not remain passive when an industry leaves its costs to workers, communities, and the environment. 

Consumers cannot shop their way out of a market designed to reward overproduction. If the government wants Israelis to buy more responsibly, it must create a market in which the ethical choice is also a realistic one.

Until then, spare us the lecture at the next wedding.

The writer is a Law and Government student at Reichman University and a Fellow in the Argov Fellows Program in Leadership and Diplomacy.

A $300 billion private fund designed to trigger investment into Iran is outlined in the US-Iran framework agreement and more than half that sum has already been committed, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters.

The fund is designed to give both sides an economic incentive to conclude a final deal to end the war, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not yet been announced as Washington and Tehran prepare to sign on Friday.

The fund’s existence has been previously reported but Reuters is revealing for the first time that more than half of the amount has already been committed and that it will be comprised entirely of private-sector funds.

US and Iranian officials said on Sunday they had agreed on a framework to end their war, which began when US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28, halt the US blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route for global oil and gas.

The new fund is a private investment vehicle, not a reconstruction or reparations program and will not include any government money or grants, the source said, adding that companies based in the US, the Gulf Arab states, Asia, South America and Africa have agreed to commit financing.

Investments pledged span energy, logistics, manufacturing and transport, the source said.

Iran has sought reparations as a condition for peace

US President Donald Trump pushed back on Wednesday against any characterization of the fund as a US investment. “We’re not investing, we’re not putting up 10 cents,” he said, adding that he was not asking Gulf countries to invest either.

“I would say they won’t be doing it for a while until they find out the behavior. It’s a behavior thing, but we are not investing,” he said on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.

A White House spokeswoman had earlier pointed to a CBS interview with Vice President JD Vance in which he said Iran could gain access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by Gulf states if it complies with the agreement.

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran had originally sought $400 billion as compensation for war damages from the U.S. but Washington had said it would not provide it.

The idea for the fund, which is to be named the Reconstruction and Development Fund, then emerged.

The mechanism envisages regional countries contributing in various ways, the Iranian source said. These include securing loans, establishing credit lines or directly financing the reconstruction of sites damaged in the war, including facilities such as the Mobarakeh Steel complex, refineries, airports and, more broadly, infrastructure affected by the conflict.

Despite size, little foreign investment in Iran seen since Islamic revolution

Iran, one of the Middle East’s largest economies, has attracted almost no significant foreign direct investment in the past four decades, frozen out of global capital markets by successive waves of US and international sanctions.

The country has the world’s second-largest proven natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves.

It also has a young, educated population of more than 92 million people, a diversified industrial base and significant untapped potential in sectors ranging from petrochemicals and mining to tourism and agriculture.

The investment fund is entirely separate from a parallel negotiating track over the lifting of US sanctions and the release of Iranian sovereign assets frozen abroad, the source with knowledge of the deal said, describing the two as distinct financial mechanisms with different purposes and timelines.

The fund will not be created or become operational until a final and satisfactory deal is concluded. The memorandum of understanding, once signed, is intended to structure the process over the next 60 days.

“It’ll only be created once the final deal is signed,” the source said. “During these 60 days the fund administrators will work with Iranians and investors to plan and scope projects.”

Iran’s foreign ministry and Pakistan’s foreign ministry, which helped mediate the investment fund deal, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In Monday’s CBS interview, Vance said Iran could gain access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by Gulf states if it complies with an ⁠agreement with ​Washington, including dismantling its nuclear program, eliminating its stockpile of enriched material, and accepting a ​stringent inspection and enforcement regime.

The source would not say how the fund will be administered or by whom, noting that key details were still to be worked out.

The source named companies from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the US among those that had made commitments, but declined to provide a comprehensive list.

The 60-day memorandum is a framework, not a final agreement, and US and Iranian negotiators are expected to work across multiple tracks during that period covering nuclear, sanctions and regional security issues.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Mossad Director Roman Gofman held their first regular one-on-one working meeting on Wednesday night.

Gofman took over the spy agency from David Barnea on June 2.

The new Mossad chief’s prior role was as Netanyahu’s personal military secretary for around the last two years, such that both parties are already highly familiar with each other,

However, if Gofman’s old role was to serve close to Netanyahu’s side at almost all times, and to be a deliverer and vetter of information between the prime minister and others in the defense establishment, the Mossad chief’s new role involves managing a huge agency of thousands of op[eratives in Israel and across the globe.

The Jerusalem Post understands that Gofman has already taken strong stances in war cabinet meetings, including during the recent debates relating to war and peace with Iran and Lebanon.

As Mossad chief, Gofman will, in many ways, be the lead Israeli official managing the Iran file, certainly in time periods when there is no open war.

Gofman: committed to bringing down the Islamic regime

In his opening speech, he committed to bringing down the Islamic regime, though that was before US President Donald Trump cut a new deal with Iran, which will likely provide tens of billions or even hundreds of billions in funds to the regime in exchange for some concessions on the nuclear file in the coming months and years.

Both critics and supporters view Gofman as bright and daring, with critics afraid he will drift into unwise operations and supporters hoping he will achieve new goals that others thought were too hard to accomplish.

Despite acknowledging improvements in the quality of life for Christians in Egypt under the rule of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, converts to Christianity still face legal and social discrimination as of 2025, the US State Department informed Congress in a report published last week.

American estimates suggest that around 10% of Egypt’s population were Christian as of 2022, though the exact figures are difficult to gather, as noted by the report, because of difficulties converts face in having their faith recognized on official documentation.

In addition to Christian converts facing difficulties in having their chosen faith recognized, the US report warned that Egyptian authorities continued to enforce blasphemy laws, such as Article 98(f) of the penal code, disproportionately against Christians or those expressing minority religious views.

Egypt continues detention of anti-Islam Christian converts

Highlighting this is the ongoing detention of Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a Christian convert who left Islam and was arrested in July 2025 and held by Egyptian authorities on unknown charges.

First arrested in 2023 for allegedly posting videos desecrating the Quran, Abdelrazek fled to Russia after serving a year-long jail sentence in Egypt. Once deported from Russia following a failed asylum claim, he was detained in 2024 and released soon after.

In April 2025, he began making social media content about his conversion and legal efforts to change his religious status, and was arrested soon after.

Abelrazek appeared before an Egyptian court earlier this week and, according to his social media page now run by his loved ones, will appear before the courts again in September.

Last year, Egypt also arrested Christian author Augustine Samaan for charges of “defaming Islam” over online content he made accusing Islam of tolerating child marriage, and discussing the Islamic Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to Aisha Bint Abu Bakr in said context.

Egypt sees improvement in treatment of Christians

Despite the arrests and ongoing legal challenges for recognition, the State Department noted several improvements over the past year. Thousands of previously unlicensed churches were approved after submitting their applications, the State Department alleged there were no reports of sectarian violence targeting Christians, and authorities began rebuilding the evangelical church in Minya.

Though the report notes efforts were made to increase representation of Christians in the political and social sphere, the State Department reported that Christians remain underrepresented in senior positions across the public sector.

As it currently stands, there are only two Christians in Egypt’s 31-member cabinet, namely the minister of local development and the minister of parliamentary affairs. Of the 27 appointed governors, only one is Christian. Additionally, there are only 24 Christians in the 300-person senate, 17 of whom were elected and seven appointed.

Outside of government roles, Christians are reported to experience significant discrimination when seeking employment. Currently, no Christians are serving as presidents at any of Egypt’s 27 universities, and the discrimination is understood to be most significant in fields relating to national security, judiciary positions, or senior civil service roles.

Ending the “indoctrination” of Palestinian schoolchildren into glorifying the murder and murderers of Jews and Israelis is key to undermining the Palestinian Authority’s Pay-for-Slay program, panelists at a Monday StandWithUs event on the issue said.

“Go to the source,” former Jerusalem deputy mayor and special envoy for trade and innovation Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told The Jerusalem Post at the event, where she served as the moderator of the evening’s discussion.

“Why are people terrorists? Because they’re indoctrinated. These kids are taught in the Palestinian Authority school system, which is good enough for Hamas, that the best thing they can do with their lives is martyr themselves. Their heroes are shahids (martyrs).”

The former Jerusalem deputy mayor said that while she was working in the city hall, the educational system in east Jerusalem was something she took meaningful steps to address.

A 2024 Knesset report found that the majority of Arab schools in east Jerusalem still use the Palestinian curriculum, but Hassan-Nahoum says that figure has plummeted over the last decade.

“At the time when I went into city council in 2016, 93% of kids in Jerusalem in the Arab educational system were learning the same school books as the kids in Gaza,” she said, a reference to the large percentage of Gazan students that, prior to the October 7 massacres and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in 2023, attended UNRWA schools.

UNRWA schools in Gaza, east Jerusalem, and the West Bank use the Palestinian Authority curriculum and textbooks.

“The city of Jerusalem, along with some really incredible advisors, went about trying to incentivize Arab schools in east Jerusalem to leave the Palestinian Authority curriculum and adopt the Arab-Israeli curriculum,” Hassan-Nahoum said. “Arabic first language, Hebrew second language. So nobody was taking anybody’s cultural character away from them in their educational system. And I’m very pleased to say that in ten, twelve years, we managed to bring down from 93% of the kids studying the Palestinian Authority curriculum to 53% of the kids. Forty percent, we moved the needle.”

Sitting on the panel alongside moderator Hassan-Nahoum was Anne Herzberg, the legal advisor for NGO Monitor, a prominent research institute that analyzes and reports on the funding, activities, and reporting of international and local NGOs, with an emphasis on anti-Israel bias and actors.

Education: The root cause of the conflict

“First of all, we have to tackle the root cause of the conflict,” she said during the event. “That’s the number one thing that has to be tackled, the education system.”

Without first reforming the educational system, she added, Israel will not be able to make headway in defanging radicalism in Palestinian society.

In an interview with the Post at the event, she highlighted a narrative that is sympathetic to, or excuses, “Palestinian terrorism” being accepted abroad, beyond the Palestinian educational system, that is also serving as a pillar supporting the Pay-for-Slay program.

Because of this sympathy, she said, governments, the UN, and NGOs “don’t have the will to stop” outside money from ending up in the hands of terrorists.

“A lot of the propaganda and narratives have worked, unfortunately, on a lot of government officials,” she said. “They are afraid if they strengthen oversight, they think less aid will get to the people.”

This strategy, though, she said, is “hampering the solution-finding” that would actually resolve the conflict and improve the lives of people, not just in the West Bank and Gaza, but in other countries like Lebanon and Yemen.

“What they’re doing is they are overlooking the damage being done by allowing these areas to be controlled by these terrorist organizations, the long-term damage of that, we’ve seen,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work to come up with a solution, and they just don’t have either the time or the resources to come up with it.”

This lack of willingness to take steps to cut money off from terrorists, in turn, fuels further terror attacks, Sarri Singer told the Post. 

Singer was the final panelist in the discussion. She is the founder of the organization Strength to Strength and a survivor of a 2003 attack that took the lives of 17 other people.

“There’s incentivization of carrying out attacks. And families knowing that they will receive a monthly stipend for it, depending on how many people were killed and how many people were injured, is horrific to me,” she said. “The harder part is not the fact that the family of my terrorist receives this money and has received it for decades, but the fact that it incentivizes future attacks. That’s the hard part, is not only what I went through, but that somebody else is going to go through that same thing, because somebody is getting paid monthly stipends.”

An anonymous Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) officer whose identity was exposed by Likud MK Tally Gotliv petitioned the High Court of Justice on Wednesday against the Knesset’s decision to grant her immunity from criminal prosecution, arguing that the vote was legally flawed, politically predetermined, and dangerous to Israel’s security services.

The petition was filed hours after the Knesset plenum approved Gotliv’s immunity request, blocking for now the filing of an indictment approved by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara over Gotliv’s alleged disclosure and publication of confidential information in violation of the Shin Bet law.

The plenum approved both immunity arguments: 61-48 on Gotliv’s claim that her actions were part of her work as an MK, and 62-48 on her claim that the indictment was submitted in bad faith or through discrimination.

The petition asks the court to cancel the committee’s Monday recommendation to grant Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution, made after three hearings, as well as the plenum’s Wednesday decision approving it.

Gotliv tied Shin Bet agent to false conspiracy theories

The petitioner, whose identity is classified by law, served for more than two decades as a Shin Bet employee and officer, according to the petition. It said Gotliv repeatedly published his classified identity beginning in January 2024, while tying him to false conspiracy theories surrounding the October 7 massacre and anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler.

According to the petition, the security establishment and law enforcement authorities found that the publication endangered the petitioner and his family, harmed the operational freedom of Shin Bet employees, and damaged the protection of sensitive classified information held by Shin Bet personnel.

The petition said the Knesset’s decision sends a message to members of the security and intelligence services that their lives and the lives of their families “are abandoned” when exposure serves a political interest.

In a statement on behalf of the petitioner and his attorney, Idan Seger, they said the Knesset had turned immunity into a shelter for a security offense.

“In its decision to grant procedural immunity to someone who exposed the name of a service officer, the Knesset is signaling to all members of the secret security services that they should expect their lives to become fair game for a momentary political interest,” Seger said.

Gotliv has not denied exposing the officer’s identity. During the committee hearings, she argued that her actions were protected by parliamentary immunity and were carried out as part of her duty as an elected official. She also repeated claims of “betrayal” surrounding October 7, allegations that were rejected by security bodies and later by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Gotliv’s actions created a severe security risk, said AG

Baharav-Miara told the House Committee during its hearings that Gotliv’s actions created a severe security risk during wartime. She also presented committee members with a highly classified Shin Bet opinion. Channel 13 reported that MKs who viewed the opinion said it warned that Gotliv’s actions endangered the life of the officer and his family.

The House Committee approved Gotliv’s request on Monday after three days of hearings, with 11 coalition MKs voting in favor and three opposition MKs voting against. Opposition lawmakers accused committee chairman Ofir Katz of allowing the proceeding to become a political forum rather than a quasi-judicial immunity process.

Before the plenum vote, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein said he would not support Gotliv’s immunity, warning that the precedent could later protect lawmakers who expose Mossad or Shin Bet personnel for ideological reasons.

Gotliv, speaking before the vote, accused the attorney-general of trying to harm the right-wing government and “whitewash” the Shin Bet leadership’s role in the failures of October 7. Katz defended the committee process, saying it had held three long and thorough hearings and had heard both Gotliv’s position and the attorney-general’s position.

The decision drew sharp criticism from opposition figures.

Democratic chairman Yair Golan called the vote “a disgrace” and said the Knesset, which he said should symbolize the rule of law and public trust, had become “a city of refuge for associates and offenders.”

Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar faction, said a reality in which elected officials endanger Israel’s security and then use immunity as a refuge from the law was “a spit in the face” of security personnel, including coalition voters serving in the defense establishment.

Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, who joined Eisenkot’s party, also opposed the immunity decision, saying that the intentional exposure of the details of an operational Shin Bet officer, while endangering his life, was irresponsible and unlawful.

The petition asks the court to hear the case urgently, before the Knesset summer recess, arguing that otherwise the matter could become theoretical and the immunity decision could become a completed fact.

The Houthis are one of the Iranian-backed groups in the region that remain strong. While Hezbollah and Hamas have suffered blows, the Assad regime has fallen, and militias in Iraq are under pressure, the Houthis remain steadfast in Yemen. They have achieved this because they are secure in the mountains of northern Yemen.

Now, Al-Ain media in the UAE has provided an exclusive look at how the Houthis turned one governorate called Ibb into an armed camp.

This area was known as Yemen’s “green paradise” in the past. It is an agricultural area with around 4 million people living in mountainous highlands. It is located north of Taiz and south of the capital of Sana’a, making it an important area.

Al-Ain has excellent sources in Yemen, and this article reflects the importance of Al-Ain’s reporting on the country. The Houthis matter because they can threaten Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and Israel, as well as the Red Sea.

“Since seizing control of it 11 years ago, the Houthis have transformed Yemen’s Ibb province from a tourist capital of the country known as the ‘Green Paradise’ into a fortified military barracks,” Al-Ain notes.

The report notes that the province serves as a kind of fulcrum of balance point in Yemen, 190km. from Sana’a and 230km. from Aden. “It is considered the largest Houthi military reconnaissance center towards the Red and Arabian Seas and towards southern Yemen and Tihama.”

The report goes on to say that “the Houthi militias built an advanced defensive wall (in the form of an arc) on the borders of Ibb, starting from Al-Radhma district on the borders of Al-Bayda, Al-Dhali’ and Dhamar governorates, passing through Sabrah, Sayani and Mudhaykhirah, and up to the Al-Udayn areas on the borders of Taiz, Hodeidah  and Dhamar governorates.”

Houthis build over 14 military sites in area

The Houthis exploited these highlights to build defenses and fortifications to support the neighboring fronts in the governorates of Al-Dhali’ and Al-Bayda’.

“According to security and military sources in Al-Radhma, speaking to Al-Ain News, the Houthi militias have built more than 14 fixed and mobile sites in the district, most notably Al-Hadi Fort, Jabal Habwa, and “Al-Daam and Azal Forts,” the report says.

The report goes on to say that the Houthis have a reserve force in the region which includes the “18th Samad Reserve Brigade” and “Rapid Intervention Units,” a force equipped with vehicles, medium missile launchers, and drone launch platforms.

“In the districts of Al-Nadirah, Ba’dan, and Al-Sabrah (east of Ibb), the Houthi militias have built defensive positions, taking advantage of the main roads that connect the governorate with neighboring governorates to facilitate the movement of military forces and to secure supply lines and reinforcements when necessary.”

There are dozens of fixed fortifications which included machine guns, rockets, and other weapons and vehicles. “In the northwestern part of the governorate, where the three districts of Al-Udayn are located, especially the Al-Udayn branch, the Houthi militias are concentrated in about 10 main locations and overlap with the Shar’ab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz Governorate,” the report adds.

There are some 40 “strategic military sites for the Houthis throughout the Ibb Governorate, which has become a military base for providing logistical support and a center for launching operations on neighboring fronts.”

Report reveals Houthi leadership names

The Al-Ain report also reveals that local leadership includes a man named Abdul Wahid Salah, and the head of the supervisory office Yahya Nasser Al-Yousifi and Amin Ali Hassan Wajih Al-Din.

This would be important if the Yemen government and its backers ever launched an offensive here.

Al-Ain also noted that “on the security front, other leaders in the province are present, most notably the commander of the rescue units, Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Hayas, and the commander of the military police units, Abdul Salam Habib, who are stationed at checkpoints on the main roads of the province and the districts.”

The overall point of this report is to illustrate how the Houthis turned an agricultural region into a major military strongpoint. The Houthis have prepared for the future and expect to lead part of Yemen for the long term. Yemen was divided for many years between North and South Yemen during the post-colonial period and the Cold War.

Now it is divided between the Houthi-controlled area and the Yemen government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and the UAE almost clashed in December over the UAE’s support for an Aden-based Southern Transitional Council in Yemen.

Today, it is not clear if the Saudis, UAE, and others will be able to confront the Houthis in the future. Most countries are now wary of war. Also, Riyadh appears concerned about Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which could change the balance of power in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region.

“Finish the job.”

That’s the phrase heard over and over since October 7.

When you dissect what it truly entails, it would involve getting rid of Hamas and the conditions that created it and keep it thriving. Zooming out, it would involve doing the same about Hezbollah, the Houthis, and, of course, the Iranian regime behind all of them.

Asking how Israel has ended up where it is now, hands seemingly shackled, unable to continue what may be seen as defensive actions, leaves a simple question: Were the wars that raged since October 7, 2023, actually defensive?

They certainly had defensive features. The pager operation in Lebanon was certainly defensive. Striking nuclear facilities in Iran was too.

So hold onto that question. I’ll come back to it.

When I first worked at The Jerusalem Post, I would regularly work the night shift on the Breaking News Desk on Friday nights. Week after week in 2019, I wrote the same article.

“Red alert sirens sounded in Gaza border communities.”

“The Iron Dome intercepted X projectiles.”

“X landed in an open area.”

“MDA reports X in critical condition.”

“X killed.”

It went on. And the reason it went on so long, the same reason Israel built an enormous reinforced fence around Gaza, has a name. The term coined to describe it is “mowing the grass.”

The predictability was not the policy failing. The predictability was the policy. The deaths were in the template too, and they still read as routine. That is what a doctrine of management produces. You cut the threat back to a manageable height and you wait for it to grow again.

Basically no other country does this. It is enormously expensive and, truly, a little crazy. Say what you want about Donald Trump, and there is plenty to say, but even he, the closest thing Israel has to a friend in the world, looked at an endless, economy-cratering war and had no stomach for it. That was not weakness, per se. That was the one ally Israel actually leans on pricing a doctrine the rest of the world would find insane.

Because Israel only ever worked on one half of the problem.

Pre-October 7, there were no deep plans to engage countries diplomatically and drain the extremism from Palestinian society. No deep plans to work on resolving the terrorism emanating from the West Bank. The deeper you look, the more surface-level every Israeli strategy has been for decades.

Bandages on wounds, but never medication for the oozing infection underneath.

Take Iran. If Israel truly wanted to be rid of the head of the snake, it was never going to do it the way it deals with Gaza. You do not set a nuclear program back with a few strikes and wait for it to grow back. It needed strategy, real diplomatic strategy.

And the way to do it properly was sitting right there. The Iranian regime has spent decades making enemies. Terrorism in one country, drug trafficking in another, proxies and gangs funded in places most people would never trace back to Tehran. All of them, for their own reasons, would have wanted this finished. That is a coalition. And had Israel been engaged in real diplomacy, rather than the pseudo version it has run for years, it could have built that coalition and wielded it.

But a coalition like that needs something Israel has never wanted to do. You would have to go to countries it treats as permanent enemies, often for nothing more than their objection to policies, and ask them in. Israel does not do this. It keeps most of the world at arm’s length. You cannot build an alliance from there.

And building it is diplomatic work, the work Israel had spent years starving itself of the ability to do. In those same years its foreign ministry was reportedly so short of money it could not afford pens. The military instrument was fed for decades. The diplomatic one could not buy stationery.

So Israel did the thing it knows how to do. It struck the facilities, set the program back, and left hanging the question of when it would all have to happen again. The biggest war it could fight, fought as another lawn to mow. You could argue that is all the Israeli military knows how to do anymore. Cut the grass often enough and you forget you’re not meant to be a gardener.

Netanyahu will point to the Abraham Accords. But look at who signed them. States that already crush extremism inside their own borders. They were the willing. The accords did nothing about the unwilling, and they were never pointed at Gaza or the West Bank, where they might have done some good. Those same countries could have been the guarantors and the funders of a reshaped Palestinian reality, concessions traded for real, verified change. The objection is always the same. Israel cannot give concessions without a guarantee of security. True. But no one has ever tried to build the structure which would produce that guarantee.

And not all of what feeds this is Israel’s to fix, or Israel’s fault. Pay-for-slay is the Palestinian Authority‘s. The incitement is not written in Jerusalem. The Qatari money came in with everyone watching, year after year, alongside the weapons that kept reaching Gaza and the West Bank that keeps producing its lone wolves, often out of nothing more than the absence of anything to lose. Plenty of actors keep all of this running. The point is that none of it, not the parts Israel owns and not the parts it does not, was ever the target of a real strategy with real partners.

Did Netanyahu invent the doctrine? No. Mowing the grass predates him. The belief that there is no partner began to solidify across governments long before his longest tenure began.

But he is its longest-serving steward, and the one handed the most political capital, after the worst day in the country’s history, to finally break the cycle. He chose the bigger lawn. He did not build the trap, but he starved every way out of it, until force was the only tool left in the drawer. And when force is all you have built, of course the answer to every crisis is more of it.

There’s no partner, he said, for years. But you do not get a partner by waiting for one to appear. You build the conditions that produce one. The absence he kept describing was not something he found. It was something he kept.

So when we hear “finish the job,” chanted loudest by the people who most want it finished, it is worth asking what was ever built to finish it with.

Israel has a more competent foreign ministry now. It can buy its pens. But the rest is much the same. Building the coalition that could actually end this would mean going to the countries it treats as enemies and admitting it needs them. That takes humility. It takes wanting to solve the thing, rather than manage it for another decade.

After three painful years, that is what has to be admitted. Not that Israel must defend itself. It must. But that defending itself for good was never only a military job, and the part that is not, the leader still has little interest in doing.

According to the lead article in the June 12 issue of The Jerusalem Post, “Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft protesters shut down multiple highways and train routes, causing immense traffic in Israel for over two hours on Thursday (June 11). 

“Two people were injured in the protests: one 21-year-old haredi protester who was hit by a car on Highway 1, and one 93-year-old man whose reasons for being injured have yet to be released. One woman later turned herself in to Israel Police and confessed to running over protesters.”

The article went on to say that “footage on social media showed several haredi youths at different sites of protest getting into physical altercations with drivers and Israel Police officers. The windshield of Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s spokesperson was smashed in one such altercation.”

The protesting groups continued their actions this week as well, with concomitant damage to public property.

The entire country should be ashamed of these actions.

Why were these demonstrations taking place? What law is it that the elected government of Israel wants to legislate that causes presumably religious Jews to go on a rampage that disrupts the lives of people all over the country?

We all know the motivation: the leadership of a large segment of the religious community objects to allowing their young people to serve in the Israel Defense Forces in its effort to protect all of us from enemies bent on our destruction. I repeat, protecting all of us – including those who do not serve.

Last week, the stakes ramped up even further as Knesset legislation advanced to recognize full-time Torah study as “significant service to the state.” The bill stops short of explicitly and legally equating full-time Torah study to military service. However, critics and legal experts warn that it creates an implicit equivalence, sparking heavy debate over draft evasion during military manpower shortages.

Frankly, it is inconceivable to most of us living here that in the minds of some in the religious leadership in this country there is a belief that studying Torah is fully equivalent to serving in the army and, therefore, full-time adult yeshiva students should be treated the same as those who put their lives on the line in battle defending the State of Israel from its enemies.

People recognize the right of citizens to oppose the government’s decisions, a basic tenet of a democratic country; however, there is a big difference between disagreeing with the government’s decisions and acting out those disagreements by closing down the state’s transportation system.

I understand the motivation of some portion of the religious leadership resisting sending their kids into the IDF for fear that their religious principles will be damaged by the culture of the times. That’s fair, and the concern can be seen as valid. 

Yet I would submit that if this concern is so great that the community involved will not send its young people to the IDF under any circumstances, then perhaps it would simply be better for all concerned if they left Israel and went to a country where national service is not a requirement of citizenship.

For example, they could go to the US, which has large haredi communities in New York and New Jersey, as well as smaller enclaves across the country, and has no military service requirement. My guess is that the large yeshivas in places like Lakewood would welcome the influx of young adults with solid Torah credentials. 

Of course, if such a move occurred, the Israelis would need to find professional work as well, given the fact that full-time yeshiva study into adulthood is not a commonly accepted “profession” in the US.

“I” to “we”

Make no mistake, I am not recommending that the haredi community move to America, but rather that this community stops the protests that inconvenience the very people who are protecting them and making sure they can study in peace and without fear for their lives. 

In addition, they must begin to understand that their responsibility for the physical safety of Israel is no less important than what is being provided by the secular community that serves, and that Torah study is not equivalent to military service.

As a people bound by our covenant with the One above, it would be useful to look at politics, as well, through a covenantal prism. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote:

“Covenantal politics is about ‘We, the people,’ bound by a sense of shared belonging and collective responsibility; about strong local communities, active citizens and the devolution of responsibility. My firm belief is that the concept of covenant has the power to transform the world. It sees relationships in terms not of interests but of moral commitment. 

“It (i.e., covenantal politics) changes everything it touches, from marriage to friendship to economics and politics, by turning self-interested individuals into a community in pursuit of the common good. There is nothing inevitable about the division, fragmentation, extremism, isolation, the economics of inequality or the politics of anger that have been the mood of Britain and America in recent years. 

“They (i.e., politics) have been the legacy of the misplaced belief that societies can function without a moral bond. They cannot, or at least not for long. That is why we are where we are. But we can change. Societies have moved from ‘I’ to ‘We’ in the past. They did so in the19th century. They did so in the 20th century. They can do so in the future. And it begins with us.”

We desperately need religious leaders who are sufficiently unafraid of the judgment of their colleagues to help the community, on the issue of universal military service, move from “I” to “We.” To stand up and say, once and for all, for the good of the country and the future of our homeland, “we” are all in this together – and mean that in every way.

Doing so will create a unity of commitment and purpose for the good and welfare of the State and the people of Israel. Anything less is a path to self-destruction.

The writer, a 42-year resident of Jerusalem, is a former national president of the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, a past chairperson of the board of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and a board member of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM).

The extremist group Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed a new attack in Syria, with Syrian state media saying on Wednesday that “an improvised explosive device detonated yesterday against the vehicle of Salah Ahmad al-Saleh, head of the Justice Palace department in Babila, south of Damascus, leaving him injured in the Daf al-Shok area.”

The report noted that “ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted him.”

Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted on social media platform X/Twitter that “the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in Raqqa that happened yesterday.”

Zelin went on to add that “interestingly, they still note at the end a reference to a US military presence at the base even though the US completed its military withdrawal from Syria in April.”

ISIS attack amid Syria’s new stability

In addition, Zelin posted that “the Islamic State has also claimed responsibility for the attack on the oil tanker coming from Iraq near Manbij and the Head of Babila’s Palace of Justice in southern Damascus.”

The attack comes at an important time in Syria. The country is trying to stabilize itself after years of conflict. It is attracting investment and also working to rehabilitate energy facilities in central Syria.

For instance, it has a new development deal with US petroleum company ConocoPhillips.

Many of the key gas and oil facilities are in the Euphrates River valley and also in eastern Syria.

The Syrian government retook these areas in January from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The SDF is now integrating into the Syrian security forces. ISIS may be trying to exploit the changes on the ground to carry out attacks.

It should be recalled that ISIS used the chaos of the Syrian civil war to rise to power in the Euphrates River Valley. From there, they not only took Raqqa but also invaded Iraq in 2014 and carried out a genocide.

Reuters added that “the Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday ‌for an attack on a Syrian interior ministry camp in the city of Raqqa ⁠that killed one member of the security personnel a day earlier.” It noted that “Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Monday that one of its security ‌personnel ⁠had been killed as its forces thwarted an attack by two ⁠Islamic State militants on a command headquarters of the ⁠country’s internal security forces in Raqqa.”

The attack also comes amidst a wave of protests in Syria against the former regime. This has led to concerns that there could be revenge killings by people seeking “justice” for crimes carried out by the Assad regime.

It also comes as reports said the US had hinted that Syria could intervene in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Damascus has said it is not interested in intervening in Lebanon.

After a US watchdog report earlier this week said that the American fleet of F-35 stealth fighters has seen reduced readiness and usability as maintenance issues drag down mission-capable rates, Israeli sources said that their F-35s were faring better.

Multiple Israeli sources said that the Jewish state’s F-35s have remained more combat-ready than the report detailed for American F-35s, though none were willing to provide specific numbers they would stand behind.

One source suggested that Israeli maintenance standards may be higher.

Israel certainly has needed to use its F-35 aircraft more often in recent years than the US has.

The Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 is the Pentagon‘s most expensive weapons system, with the grand total of acquisition and sustainment costs expected to top $2 trillion.

Issues plague US F-35 flight capabilities

However, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), just as aircraft and maintenance costs have risen, persistent problems have limited how often the aircraft can fly.

According to the report, the American military has invested billions of dollars to improve readiness, but these efforts have failed to deliver results.

The GAO report said that the mission-capable rate for one mission fell from 67% to 44% between 2021 and 2025, while the full mission-capable rate dropped from 38% to 25%.

Next, the report flagged several problems that contributed to the decline, such as spare-part shortages and software issues.

Although the Pentagon is trying to reverse the trend by investing $13.7 billion in readiness, the lag time to see a practical impact could be measured in years, and the funds earmarked so far may be insufficient.

This could perpetuate current problems, such as overreliance on contractors for support, parts capacity constraints, and cost gaps in keeping the F-35 running throughout its life cycle.

In the past, there have even been instances in which F-35s crashed, leading to the grounding of both Israeli and US F-35s for months.

However, during Israel’s wars from 2023 to 2026, the F-35 has often been the lead fighter in multiple rounds versus Iran, and has also had a key role on other fronts.

Bruce Lion, a maverick in the San Joaquin Valley’s raisin industry, was charged Tuesday with three felony counts of making threats against his Pacific Palisades neighbor.

The 64-year-old Lion was arrested Saturday after allegedly hurling antisemitic insults at his Jewish neighbor.

Lion, a member of the family that owns one of the largest raisin enterprises in the region, is currently in a Los Angeles County jail on a $50,000 bond.

Charged with ‘intent to terrorize’

He is charged with one count of using threats or force because of someone’s beliefs and two counts of threatening “ to commit a crime with intent to terrorize.” Lion is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.

Lion’s neighbor, Rabbi Zushe Cunin, told the California Post that he has been targeted by Lion since March, when Lion moved into the $5.3 million mansion next door to his Chabad.

The rabbi accused Lion of interrupting a congregation at his home while shouting antisemitic statements in front of children, according to the Post.

“It was horrific,” Cunin told the Post. “I’ve never experienced it, especially in front of kids. Little children. In this country, to have to see this kind of hatred and antisemitism is just unacceptable.”

During the late 1990s, Lion, his father, Al Lion Jr., and brothers managed Lion Raisins, the family’s 120-year-old business based in Selma.

Although Bruce Lion is hailed by some in the raisin industry as a leader, Fresno County Superior Court records also reveal his troubled past. In 2019, he pleaded no contest to a charge of making criminal threats. That same year, he pleaded no contest to a charge of assault and battery.

Court records also show that in 2018, a relative accused him of punching him in the face while they were at work. Lion had been accused by Lion company officials of creating a hostile work environment, and he blamed the relative for it.

In a request for a civil restraining order, the relative wrote: “The above person ( Bruce Lion) is not mentally stable, and he has a gun.”

National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir has appointed six members of bereaved families from the Choosing Life Forum as official inspectors under the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, Ben-Gvir confirmed on Wednesday.

Among those appointed are Herzl Hajaj, father of Lt. Shir Hajaj, who was murdered in the Armon Hanatziv ramming attack, and Boaz Kokia, father of Sgt. Ron Kokia, who was murdered in a terrorist attack in Arad.

The official inspectors will play a central role in overseeing the conditions of the terrorists sentenced to death, and are granted supervisory powers regarding the implementation of the law.

“The Death Penalty for Terrorists Law is intended to restore deterrence to the State of Israel and make clear to every terrorist that anyone who chooses to murder Jews will pay the highest possible price,” Ben-Gvir stated.

“No one is more deserving than families who have paid the heaviest price in the fight against terrorism to be part of the oversight mechanism for implementing the law. This appointment reflects recognition of the pain of terror victims and their right to be partners in the struggle for justice and deterrence.”

Law will allow inspectors to be present at execution

The law will also allow inspectors to be present during the execution of death sentences as part of their oversight and monitoring role.

“For years, we fought against the favorable conditions enjoyed by the murderers of our loved ones in order to create deterrence and prevent the next murder. I would like to thank National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for the revolution he has led regarding terrorists imprisoned in Israel. For years, terrorists enjoyed conditions and benefits that were beyond reason, while the families of those murdered and injured were left to cope alone with the pain and loss. Minister Ben-Gvir led a profound change in this policy and restored the understanding that a terrorist’s place is in prison under minimal conditions, not at a summer camp funded by Israeli citizens,” Herzl Hajaj said on behalf of the families.

“Our appointment as official inspectors is a direct continuation of that same approach. It sends a clear message that the State of Israel stands with the victims, not with the murderers. For us, this is a mission carried out in the name of our loved ones who were murdered and on behalf of all Israeli citizens. We will work to ensure that the law is fully implemented, out of commitment to justice, deterrence, and the security of the state. Terrorists must know that anyone who chooses to murder Jews will bear full responsibility for their actions, and the State of Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect its citizens and ensure that justice is done.”

The Knesset plenum approved on Wednesday to grant Likud MK Tally Gotliv immunity after she was indicted for disclosing and publishing classified confidential information in violation of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) law by exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer. 

In the final vote, 61 lawmakers voted in favor, and 48 voted against.

The Knesset’s House Committee on Monday approved granting Gotliv immunity with eleven lawmakers, all from the coalition, voting in favor. Three opposition lawmakers voted against, after three full days of discussions on the matter. The Knesset plenum is required to hold a vote on Gotliv’s immunity to finalize the decision.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, who filed the indictment, had attended two of the lengthy debates last week. She had told the panel that Gotliv created a severe security risk by exposing the personal details of a Shin Bet agent during wartime.

Goltiv’s argument has centered around the claim that sharing the officer’s identity was warranted, and she has not denied doing so.

Immunity from criminal prosecution

Under the Knesset Members’ Immunity Law, Gotliv was able to request that the Knesset grant her immunity from criminal prosecution before the case proceeded to court.

Ahead of the final vote plenum vote on Wednesday, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein released a statement that he would not be voting in favor of Gotliv’s immunity. He argued that granting Gotliv immunity could set a precedent that would allow other lawmakers, including left-wing or Arab MKs, to receive immunity after violating the law as well.

“If Arab Knesset members had revealed the names of Mossad agents and Shin Bet officers, would we also stay silent? There are consequences to everything,” he said. 

אם חברי הכנסת הערבים היו חושפים שמות של סוכני מוסד ואנשי שב״כ? גם אז היינו שותקים?

זאת הסיבה שאצביע היום בעד הסרת החסינות לח״כ גוטליב >> pic.twitter.com/ybZLOVNJA8

— Yuli Edelstein 🇮🇱 יולי אדלשטיין (@YuliEdelstein) June 17, 2026

No other coalition MKs have spoken out openly about voting against Gotliv’s immunity. 

Coalition whip MK Ofir Katz opened the discussion, in which he expressed his support for Gotliv’s immunity and sharply criticized Baharav-Miara, arguing that she was attempting to interfere with the government’s work.

Baharav-Miara filed the indictment against Gotliv in May for publishing the identity of the partner of protest leader Shikma Bressler, who, according to the indictment, was a Shin Bet employee.

The attorney-general has argued that Gotliv’s actions do not allow her to qualify for parliamentary immunity and that she created a severe security risk through the exposure of the Shin Bet officer.

The attorney-general presented committee members last week with a top-secret document containing a professional opinion issued by the Shin Bet.

MKs who were shown the ultra-classified Shin Bet opinion said it stated that Gotliv endangered the life of an agent, as well as his children and family, according to a Channel 13 report.

Shin Bet agents’ lives at risk

The main part of the classified opinion detailed real examples of Shin Bet employees whose names were exposed, putting their lives at real and immediate risk, the report added.

Goltiv told the panel that she did the act knowingly, arguing that it was justified and that she should receive immunity as an MK. Gotliv also focused for multiple hours on renewing claims that treason had taken place during the October 7 attacks and presented various theories on the matter.

Her remarks involved a lengthy personal attack against Baharav-Miara. She also screened a video last week to the panel with clips that she presented as “evidence of betrayal” during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She made accusations of treason that she claimed took place during the attacks, presenting various theories to the panel and sparking outrage from opposition MKs.

The charge listed in the indictment against Gotliv is revealing and publishing confidential information under the Shin Bet law.

“Why are you indicting me? Because you do not know what to do with me. I acted under the authority of my immunity. I exposed [anti-judicial reform activist Shikma] Bressler’s partner,” Gotliv told last week’s panel.

Opposition coordinator Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari told the panel that “in all the hours Gotliv spoke, she did not once address the offense she is here for today.

“Not only did she take no responsibility, but she amplified the offense she committed. She provided no testimony or shred of evidence to support her claims,” Ben-Ari added.

Opposition lawmakers repeatedly spoke against committee chairperson Katz’s conduct during the debates and penned a letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud) about it. They objected to the fact that he continuously kicked out MKs for interrupting Gotliv, while he allowed Gotliv to interrupt the A-G as she presented her stance to the panel.

Lawmakers were not allowed to interrupt if they did not want to be removed from the panel, and the rules stipulated that only MKs who participated in all meetings on the matter would be eligible to vote. Attendance for at least half the duration of a meeting would be considered participation. As a result, some opposition lawmakers were unable to partake in the deciding vote.

Ahead of the first Knesset debate on Monday, Baharav-Miara wrote a letter to members of the panel, requesting that Gotliv’s immunity be denied.

She explained that the indictment against Gotliv was filed on the basis of “professional, objective, and good-faith discretion,” and that none of the grounds for parliamentary immunity applied in her case.

The Movement for Quality Government warned last week against the decision to grant Gotliv immunity, stating that parliamentary immunity was not being applied properly.

The organization noted that the Knesset committee “chose to protect an elected official who is accused of a serious offense, the disclosure and publication of classified information in violation of the Shin Bet Law, a publication which, according to reports, endangered the life of a Shin Bet official and his family.”

“Parliamentary immunity is intended to protect the work of the Knesset and the freedom of action of elected officials, and not to serve as a shield against criminal proceedings,” the group added.

It further stated that the Knesset should not be “turned into a safe haven for criminals,” and called on lawmakers to reject the immunity request in the upcoming final plenum vote.

The 11 MKs in favor of Gotliv’s immunity were all from the coalition: Katz, Nissim Vaturi, Amit Halevi, Moshe Saada, Avichay Boaron, and Miki Zohar (all Likud), Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party), Uriel Busso and Yosef Taieb (Shas), Yitzhak Goldknopf (UTJ), and Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit).

The three lawmakers who voted against were Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu), Naor Shiri, and Merav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid).

The indictment against Gotliv was filed in May, based on her publishing a January 24, 2024, screenshot from the website Edna Karnaval that included the full name of Bressler’s partner and claims tying him to alleged contacts with then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar before the October 7 massacre.

Karnaval is described by the indictment as having a “critical and blunt” style, especially toward public officials.

The screenshot, according to the indictment, included a headline alleging that Mossad chief David Barnea had received information from the US that they had intercepted calls between Bressler’s partner and Sinwar four days before October 7.

The article further claimed that Barnea had summoned Bressler to a meeting, and that the Prime Minister’s Office had later issued a denial of Gotliv’s earlier statements.

The indictment said that the post received in excess of 400,000 views, 1,000 comments, 1,000 likes, and 500 shares. It said that Gotliv’s X/Twitter account had over 65,000 followers at the start of the relevant period, and over 90,000 by the time the indictment was filed.

Prosecutors alleged that Gotliv published the name of the Shin Bet employee knowingly

Prosecutors alleged that Gotliv revealed and published the name of the Shin Bet employee and his relationship with Bressler “knowingly, deliberately, continuously, demonstratively, and repeatedly.”

The indictment said that the post remained available online from the time of publication until the indictment was filed, and that Gotliv did not remove it from her account.

The indictment further said that Gotliv stood by the publication, repeatedly published similar statements in which she again identified Bressler’s partner as a Shin Bet employee, and publicly stated that she had no intention of removing, or apologizing for, what she had written.

The Mossad denied the claim at the time, calling it a “recycled falsehood” and saying Barnea had “never met, spoken to, or invited Shikma Bressler to a meeting.”

Earlier in May, Defense Minister Israel Katz signed a certificate of confidentiality ahead of the indictment filing, clearing a procedural obstacle that had delayed the case.

Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report. 

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir announced on Wednesday that the pilot program to try out women serving in tank units will begin in November, despite opposition from about one-third of the hesder yeshivas that provide significant numbers of religious Zionist combat soldiers.

Zamir said that at most, the female tank pilot program will lead to a single company of tanks crewed by women, a relatively small number out of the multiple brigades of tanks, each of which is made up of multiple battalions, and each battalion made up of multiple companies.

He also warned that female tank soldiers must meet the general physical standards to serve in the unit. He added that past pilot programs in other areas had seen an unusual number of injured women during training processes, which he said should be avoided.

On June 11, 25 hesder yeshivas said they would ban their Orthodox religious Zionist male students from joining the tank corps in protest of the pilot program.

According to the IDF, the program is only a pilot, and it remains unclear whether it will lead to women serving permanently in the tank corps.

Female soldier tank program will have women-only units

Furthermore, the pilot program involves establishing women-only tank units, such that neither secular nor religious men would be serving with women within the same tank or unit, the primary concern of the religious Zionist institutions that are protesting.

From their perspective, it is a matter of modesty and could lead to problematic mingling between men and women in such a small, secluded space if men and women were to serve in the same tank or tank units.

Traditionally, religious Zionist hesder graduates serve in male-only units, and usually in units that are overwhelmingly only hesder students or at least men from Orthodox backgrounds.

The IDF appreciates the hesder program because virtually all of its students, though they serve less time than other Israeli societal sectors, serve in combat units, and many go on to become mid and high-level officers.

But the IDF was ordered by the High Court of Justice on April 13 that it was under a legal duty to implement, as far as possible, equal opportunity for women and men in access to combat roles, including beginning its long-delayed pilot integration of women into the tank corps by the November 2026 draft cycle.

IDF pushing to fill combat roles with women

Moreover, given that the government has failed to integrate haredim into the IDF both before and since October 7, 2023, and that the IDF has lost up to around 25,000 soldiers to physical or emotional harm in recent years, leaving a massive gap in human resources, the IDF has been pushing hard to fill combat roles with women.

One woman was recently accepted into the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal), and women have taken on relatively new ground-combat command roles as brigade and battalion commanders, and even as a missile boat commander.

Despite the IDF putting out a public response last week, noting the various ways it is still protecting hesder students from serving with women in tank units, the number of institutions barring their students nearly doubled on June 11 from an original 13.

That said, two-thirds of the hesder yeshivas have not yet pulled out.

Some may be waiting to see how the pilot program pans out and whether the IDF keeps its promise to maintain separate tank units for women, whereas artillery and infantry units now have mixed male and female units.