A new public opinion poll released following a high-profile interview on Kan 11 indicates notable shifts across Israel’s political landscape, including the first-ever Knesset entry of a party widely identified with opposition to the chareidi community.
The changes come in the wake of an interview given by Eli Feldstein on Kan 11’s investigative program hosted by Omri Asenheim, which appears to have influenced voter sentiment across multiple blocs.
According to a special survey conducted by Kan News in cooperation with the Kantar Institute, Likud, led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has weakened, losing two seats compared to the previous poll. Parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid also each dropped by two seats, while the Democrats party headed by Yair Golan lost one mandate.
Kan News reported that the most dramatic development was recorded in the center-right segment of the political map. For the first time since its establishment, the reservists’ party led by Yoaz Hendel crossed the electoral threshold and entered the Knesset with four seats, largely at the expense of centrist parties. At the same time, Benny Gantz continued to lose ground and fell further below the threshold required to enter the Knesset.
Under the poll’s breakdown, Likud stands at 25 seats, down from 27 in the previous survey. Bennett’s party dropped to 20 seats from 22. Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, strengthened slightly, gaining one seat to reach a total of 10 mandates. Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, and the Democrats party each received nine seats.
Yesh Atid, led by Lapid, fell to eight seats, down from 10. Hadash–Ta’al and Ra’am each secured five mandates, while Hendel’s party entered the Knesset with four seats. Blue and White, Religious Zionism, and Balad did not cross the electoral threshold.
In the overall bloc calculation, the Netanyahu-led coalition stands at 51 seats, short of a Knesset majority.
The poll also examined public attitudes following Feldstein’s interview. A relative plurality of respondents said they were more inclined to believe Feldstein’s version of events than that of Prime Minister Netanyahu, though a large portion of the public remains undecided. According to the survey, 36 percent said they believe Feldstein, 24 percent said they believe Netanyahu, and 40 percent said they are unsure whom to believe.
Public skepticism was also evident regarding the establishment of a government commission of inquiry. A majority of respondents said they do not believe the commission being formed by the government will conduct a thorough, optimal, and objective investigation into the events that led to the October 7 massacre. Fifty-three percent expressed distrust in the commission’s ability to do so, 29 percent said they believe it will, and 18 percent said they do not know.
{Matzav.com}
Security personnel at Ben Gurion Airport once again intercepted a passenger who had been caught last week attempting to board a flight with concealed ammunition and a firearm, Israeli media reported.
According to the report, airport security staff recognized the individual upon his arrival at Terminal 3 on Sunday. The man was stopped for questioning immediately after entering the terminal. During the inquiry, security officials learned that he had arrived at the airport without a flight ticket and was attempting to purchase one on site. Following the questioning, he was escorted out of the terminal and barred from continuing further at the airport.
The incident comes just days after the same passenger was detained during a routine security screening prior to a flight. As previously reported, security officers discovered handgun bullets hidden inside the man’s walking cane. A subsequent, more thorough inspection of his luggage led to the discovery of a handgun frame concealed in his suitcase.
Once the items were found, the security screening was halted immediately and the passenger was transferred to questioning by security authorities. He was not permitted to board the flight.
{Matzav.com}
Hamas is moving toward selecting a new leader, with a decision expected in the coming days or weeks, according to a report by the Saudi outlet Asharq that cited sources close to the terror group’s senior leadership.
The report said the vote will be conducted by Hamas’s general Shura council, a body of roughly 50 members drawn from the organization’s three regional politburos: Gaza, the West Bank, and the Palestinian diaspora. Hamas traditionally holds leadership elections every four years. While the most recent vote took place in March 2021, the next round — initially planned for early 2025 — was postponed due to the war in Gaza.
According to Asharq, the two leading contenders are Khaled Mashaal, a former head of Hamas, and Khalil al-Hayya, who currently leads the group’s politburo in Gaza.
Sources cited in the report said that while leadership elections are imminent, they have “ruled out holding general elections before the war comes to a complete end.”
The same sources described a sharp contrast between the candidates’ policy outlooks, particularly regarding Israel’s presence in Gaza. Hayya, who is viewed as closely aligned with Iran, was said to favor continuing “armed conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip until the war ends and the Israeli army withdraws from the Strip entirely.” Mashaal, by contrast, is described as supporting “negotiated compromises to end the occupation of Gaza.”
Mashaal is also said to advocate “trying to move Hamas away from Iran” and “closer to the moderate Arab states,” according to the Asharq report.
Despite those differences, the sources assessed that Hayya is the frontrunner, citing his backing from senior Hamas figures in both Gaza and the West Bank, including Zaher Jabarin, the group’s West Bank politburo chief.
The leadership shakeup follows a series of assassinations that decimated Hamas’s top ranks. Ismail Haniyeh, who was elected leader in 2021, was killed by Israel in Tehran in July 2024. His successor, Yahya Sinwar, was later killed by Israeli forces in Rafah in October of the same year.
Since then, the organization has been overseen by an interim leadership council led by general Shura council head Muhammad Ismail Darwish. The provisional body also includes Hayya, Mashaal, Jabarin, and Gaza politburo member Nizar Awadallah.
Observers quoted by Asharq said Hamas’s push to proceed with elections now reflects both the current ceasefire with Israel and growing friction within the interim leadership over key questions, including “the fate of the movement’s rule in Gaza and regional alliances.”
Under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire framework, Hamas is required to relinquish control of Gaza to international forces. However, senior Hamas figures — including both Hayya and Mashaal — have said such forces should function only as a buffer between Israel and Gaza, rather than replacing Hamas’s authority outright.
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] As diplomatic talks over ending the Russia-Ukraine war unfolded at Mar-a-Lago, a brief and unscripted exchange involving food and the press drew attention before the formal discussions began.
Moments before sitting down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Donald Trump paused the proceedings on Sunday to address a reporter in the room, joking about whether offering lunch could be considered an improper inducement.
“Would you like to have food, or would you consider that a bribe?” Trump asked. “And therefore you could not write honestly, or therefore you have to write a bad story.”
The exchange took place as Trump was seated alongside senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A Fox News broadcast captured the moment as Trump, smiling, pressed the reporter further.
“Would you like something to eat at this time? Yes or no? You can speak,” Trump said.
“Yes sir,” the reporter replied.
The answer prompted visible reactions around the table. Hegseth broke into a wide grin, while Trump gestured to communications adviser Margo Martin “to take him outside and tell them to serve him a little lunch.” Cameras also caught Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, appearing amused, while White House adviser Stephen Miller looked on stone-faced as the scene played out.
As members of the press were escorted from the room, Trump continued the banter. “That should guarantee good stories, but it won’t. They’ll only get worse,” he said. Turning back toward Zelensky, seated across from him, Trump made a passing remark referencing a hamburger.
The lighthearted moment came against the backdrop of serious negotiations. Trump and Zelensky were meeting to discuss pathways toward ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking to reporters outside Mar-a-Lago earlier Sunday, Trump said there was “nothing more important” to him than bringing the conflict to a close, and he bristled at what he described as a “dumb question” regarding security guarantees.
The talks followed Zelensky’s release this week of a 20-point peace proposal that includes security assurances and a plan to transform disputed territories into a demilitarized free economic zone.
Ahead of Zelensky’s arrival, Trump also held a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump told reporters he intended to speak with Putin again after concluding his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, describing the discussions as “pretty complex, but not that complex.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
The Yerushalayim District Court has ruled that the Hamas terror organization must pay close to one billion shekels in damages to hundreds of people harmed in the October 7 massacre, issuing the decision after Hamas failed to submit a defense.
The default judgment was delivered by Eran Shila following petitions filed by hundreds of plaintiffs — including survivors of the attack and heirs of those murdered — who were represented by attorney David Simana. The court acted after Hamas did not respond to the lawsuit.
The claims were brought under Israel’s Terror Victims Compensation Law, which took effect in 2024 and authorizes punitive damages against perpetrators of terror attacks and those deemed responsible. While the ruling targets Hamas, enforcement is expected to be challenging. Separate proceedings against the Palestinian Authority are continuing; that authority did file a defense, and the present ruling does not address those pending claims.
According to the lawsuits, the plaintiffs include people wounded in the October 7, 2023 assault as well as dependents and heirs of victims who were killed. Many live in kibbutzim and communities near the Gaza border. The filings assert that all plaintiffs suffered physical and/or psychological harm as a direct result of the attack.
Under the law cited by the plaintiffs, punitive damages are set at 10 million shekels for heirs when a terror attack results in death, and 5 million shekels for victims who sustained permanent disabilities.
One survivor who was at Zikim Beach during the attack described the impact of the ruling, saying: “On October 7 we were at Zikim Beach. We arrived the day before to fish. We saw them with our own eyes. I tried to help others. Since that day I have been traumatized. Saying post-trauma minimizes the reality. I am not post. Illnesses erupted in me because of the event. The decision is very important for our rehabilitation. I want to thank the court and the law office that accompanied and continue to accompany us and are doing sacred work. It is time that the victims receive what we deserve. Hopefully we will get a new horizon. I sincerely hope we receive the money for our rehabilitation now and not in 20 years. The state must step in and ensure this.”
The mother of a young man who was murdered while returning home from the Nova music festival also reacted to the verdict. “I am in total shock from the ruling. I did not expect it. It is unprecedented. The judge sees the families and the victims. For me, this ruling is about being seen, when in our country responsibility was not taken and a state commission of inquiry was not established. It was important for us to be recognized. We raised our children here, and our son did not move to Tel Aviv but grew up here. My son knew this area as paradise. We never imagined October 7, or that our paradise would turn into hell in seconds. My son and his friends who were murdered trusted this area so much. What is happening now is closure.”
In some of the cases, plaintiffs are additionally represented by attorney Maayan Yohai of the Yohai Atzofi law firm.
Attorney David Simana welcomed the outcome, saying: “I welcome the court’s decision, which gives justice to the victims and their families. We are aware of the difficulties in collecting the compensation awarded from Hamas, but we will examine all options available to us. It is important to emphasize that this is only a partial ruling.”
He added: “I hope that in the proceedings against the Palestinian Authority, after more than 5 billion shekels have already been seized for the benefit of about 2,000 of our clients, the court will accept our arguments, recognize the Palestinian Authority’s responsibility for the events of October 7, and order it to compensate the victims. My team and I will continue to act on behalf of our clients and stand up for their rights in all the lawsuits being conducted in their name, in Israel and in the United States.”
{Matzav.com}An aggressive and unusually early flu season is sweeping across New York, pushing hospitals and emergency rooms toward levels not seen in years and raising concerns that the worst may still be ahead.
During the week ending December 20, hospitals across New York State recorded 3,666 inpatient admissions tied to influenza, a sharp rise from 2,251 hospitalizations the prior week. Health officials note that most patients requiring hospitalization have preexisting medical conditions, and there is no indication at this point that the circulating strain is inherently more severe than in previous seasons.
Emergency departments, particularly in New York City, are already under significant pressure. City hospitals logged 9,857 emergency room visits for flu-like illness during that same week, marking the highest level reported in at least a decade. Laboratory data underscores the scope of the outbreak: 32,239 confirmed flu cases were identified in the city alone, with children accounting for more than half of those infections.
Statewide figures paint an even starker picture. According to the New York State Department of Health, 71,123 positive flu cases were recorded in the week ending December 20 — the largest single-week total since flu tracking began in 2004. That figure represents a 38 percent increase from the previous week and brings the total number of reported flu cases this season to 189,312.
Health officials say the spike began weeks earlier than is typical and continues to climb as the flu season approaches its usual January peak. While expanded testing may be identifying more cases than in past years, the surge is nonetheless unprecedented in scale.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said the numbers represent the highest weekly flu totals ever documented, cautioning that broader testing alone does not fully explain the dramatic rise.
Virologists report that the dominant strain circulating this season is H3N2, which contains mutations that may allow it to partially evade immune defenses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early findings suggest that while this year’s flu vaccine may be less effective at preventing infection altogether, it still significantly reduces the risk of severe illness and hospitalization.
Public health experts are urging residents to get vaccinated, monitor symptoms closely, and stay home when sick, warning that case numbers could continue to increase in the coming weeks as flu activity intensifies statewide.
{Matzav.com}
