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Government funding provided to Israel’s Reform Movement has come under renewed scrutiny following Wednesday morning’s Women of the Wall gathering at the Kosel, with critics questioning why the Ministry of Settlements and National Missions continues to provide financial support to an organization whose legal arm has been at the forefront of efforts to alter the status quo at the site.

The debate intensified after members of Women of the Wall brought a Sefer Torah into the women’s section of the Kosel, an action that critics say violated the guidelines established by the rov of the Kosel and the holy sites.

According to publicly available government support records, the Reform Movement—officially known as the Reform Movement–Progressive Judaism in Israel—received more than 650,000 shekels from the Ministry of Settlements and National Missions during 2025. In 2024, the organization reportedly received nearly 900,000 shekels from the same ministry as part of broader government funding totaling several million shekels.

The published figures also indicate that government support from the ministry increased significantly after Minister Orit Strock assumed leadership of the office.

While the Reform Movement also receives funding from other government ministries, including the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, critics argue that the support provided by the Ministry of Settlements and National Missions is especially noteworthy because it is headed by Strock, a leading figure within the Religious Zionist camp.

Opponents contend that, given the ministry’s mission and priorities, it is appropriate to question whether organizations identified with the Reform Movement should be receiving funding from that office.

Critics also point to what they describe as the direct connection between the Reform Movement and the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the movement’s legal and public advocacy arm.

According to IRAC’s own website, the organization operates as part of the Reform Movement. In addition, its donation page instructs contributors to make checks payable to the Reform Movement and mail them to the movement’s headquarters on King David Street in Yerushalayim.

Critics argue that this demonstrates that even if IRAC does not appear independently in government funding records, its financial operations are conducted through the Reform Movement, which receives the government grants.

IRAC has long advocated for what it describes as equal prayer rights at the Kosel, including support for Women of the Wall services. The organization has also been involved in a wide range of legal and public campaigns on matters of religion and state, including opposition to the Basic Law: Torah Study, petitions against rabbanim and right-wing public officials, and previous legal efforts seeking to disqualify Dr. Michael Ben Ari from running for the Knesset.

Critics also noted that donations to the Reform Movement qualify for tax benefits under Section 46 of Israel’s Income Tax Ordinance—the same provision under which recognition was recently revoked from numerous Torah institutions and yeshivos.

Approximately two months ago, the advocacy organization B’Tzalmo formally appealed to Minister Strock, urging her to immediately halt government funding to the Reform Movement and its affiliated organizations.

The organization argued that public funds should not be directed to a movement it says is working against the sanctity of Jewish holy sites and against the values of the national camp. Its letter asserted that ministry funds were being provided to an organization actively seeking to dismantle the long-standing status quo at the Kosel and encourage public provocations there.

B’Tzalmo CEO Shai Glick sharply criticized the funding on Wednesday.

“The reality in which the Minister of Settlements and National Missions is funding the provocations at the Kosel is outrageous,” Glick said. “Women of the Wall and the fight against religion are not a national mission—quite the opposite. Minister Strock must immediately stop these absurd transfers of public funds that harm the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel, and the Land of Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Large crowds of Chareidi demonstrators gathered Wednesday outside military draft offices in Tel Hashomer and Yerushalayim, protesting the enlistment of bnei yeshiva as tensions over the draft crisis continued to escalate. Senior rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and community leaders were among those who joined the demonstrations.

The protests, held on Rosh Chodesh Av as a new round of military draft activity got underway, drew thousands of participants and became some of the largest anti-draft demonstrations seen in recent weeks.

The largest and most energetic gathering took place outside the IDF induction center at Tel Hashomer, where masses of protesters assembled to voice their opposition to the enlistment of yeshiva bochurim.

At the center of the demonstration, organizers positioned a large truck that served as an elevated platform for prominent rabbanim and roshei yeshiva, who addressed the crowd with speeches of encouragement and protest.

With temperatures soaring under the summer sun, several philanthropists financed the distribution of dozens of umbrellas to help shield demonstrators from the intense heat. The scene was striking, as hundreds of protesters stood beneath the umbrellas while police officers and security personnel remained exposed to the blazing sun as they monitored the demonstration.

Among those seen participating was the longtime mashamesh ba’kodesh of the Vasloi Rebbe, who joined the protest alongside numerous rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and other respected community figures.

At the same time, a separate demonstration took place outside the military draft office in Yerushalayim, organized by members of the Eidah HaChareidis and other Chareidi communities.

Although the Yerushalayim protest was smaller and quieter than the demonstration at Tel Hashomer, participants there also voiced strong opposition to the military draft and what they described as the ongoing decrees against the Torah world.

Israel Police deployed large numbers of officers to both locations in an effort to maintain order throughout the day.

According to police, confrontations broke out after demonstrators intermittently blocked roads leading to the draft offices. Authorities described the incidents as unlawful disturbances, and several tense exchanges occurred between protesters and police as officers worked to reopen the roads and restore traffic flow.

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בתל השומר (צילום: אבשלום ששוני – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

הפגנה מול לשכת הגיוס בירושלים (צילום: חיים גולדברג – פלאש 90)

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police will launch a large-scale nationwide traffic enforcement operation beginning Thursday morning, deploying hundreds of officers, patrol vehicles, motorcycles, and advanced enforcement technology across the country’s highways and city streets in an effort to reduce deadly crashes, strengthen road safety, and remove dangerous drivers during the busy summer travel season.

The nationwide operation, led by the Traffic Division in coordination with police districts throughout Israel, is part of the force’s ongoing campaign against fatal traffic accidents and serious driving offenses that endanger motorists and pedestrians alike.

Police said officers will be stationed at key locations from the Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south, conducting continuous enforcement operations throughout the day and into the late evening. The objective is to increase deterrence, improve compliance with traffic laws, and ultimately save lives.

Hundreds of police officers and volunteers from across Israel’s traffic enforcement units will participate in the operation. Those taking part include Traffic Division officers, members of the National Motorcycle Patrol Unit, Heavy Vehicle Enforcement Unit personnel, detectives from the Traffic Division’s Central Investigations Unit, Traffic Division headquarters staff, regional traffic officers, and civilian volunteers.

Authorities will deploy hundreds of marked and unmarked patrol cars and motorcycles while making extensive use of advanced enforcement technology. Equipment will include still cameras, tactical cameras, laser speed detection devices, “Bee” radar speed detection systems, and other digital tools designed to identify dangerous drivers and improve enforcement on Israel’s roads.

The operation was planned following an extensive review by the Traffic Division’s Research and Development Department, which analyzed accident statistics and identified the traffic violations most closely associated with serious and fatal crashes.

Based on that analysis, enforcement efforts will focus on high-risk highways and urban areas. Officers will prioritize violations such as excessive speeding, distracted driving—including cellphone use behind the wheel—lane departures, running red lights, and dangerous conduct by riders of motorcycles, scooters, and electric bicycles.

Alongside the highly visible police presence, undercover detectives from the Traffic Division’s Central Investigations Unit will conduct targeted operations against repeat and high-risk traffic offenders whom police consider an ongoing danger to the public.

Police said the timing of the operation is intentional, as the summer vacation period typically brings a sharp increase in traffic volume, family travel, and nighttime driving by younger and less experienced motorists. The warmer months also see significantly greater use of motorcycles, scooters, and other two-wheeled vehicles, increasing the risk of serious accidents involving vulnerable road users.

Traffic Division Commander Maj. Gen. Chaim Shmueli urged motorists to remember that the road is not a place for taking risks or cutting corners.

He said every driver makes a choice each time they get behind the wheel whether to be part of the solution or part of the problem, emphasizing that the responsibility for protecting lives ultimately rests with the driving public.

Shmueli called on motorists to exercise patience, respect fellow road users, and remember that at the end of every journey, families are waiting for their loved ones to return home safely. Israel Police also urged the public to obey traffic laws, stressing that effective enforcement plays a critical role in saving lives.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance alleged that individuals connected to elements within the Israeli government financed an organized campaign aimed at discrediting him over the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate with Iran. Speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Vance claimed the operation was designed to undermine both the negotiations and the eventual ceasefire initiative.

During the interview, Vance described what he called a coordinated effort operating behind the scenes.

He said there was a “very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign” that had attempted to derail negotiations and a ceasefire agreement.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2077450739207610427

To support his claims, Vance pointed to a recent TIME magazine investigation examining a digital media campaign overseen by Brad Parscale, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager. According to the report, Parscale’s firm, Clock Tower X, was retained by the global advertising agency Havas to conduct a messaging campaign on behalf of the State of Israel.

TIME reported that filings submitted under the Foreign Agents Registration Act showed Israel agreed to pay Clock Tower X $1.5 million each month. The campaign focused on producing online content geared primarily toward younger audiences while amplifying its message across social media and other digital platforms.

According to the magazine, three individuals familiar with the project described a network in which conservative social media influencers received suggested messaging through private group chats and were compensated based on the reach and engagement generated by their posts.

Parscale denied that any money from the Israeli contract was used to pay influencers and rejected accusations that he had attempted to interfere with or undermine President Donald Trump’s policies.

Vance, however, interpreted the report differently.

“It lists a bunch of people who have quite literally been paid by a former Trump campaign person who was himself paid by certain elements within the Israeli government,” Vance told Rogan. He alleged that those individuals were “attacking me viciously for quite literally trying to accomplish the negotiation objective that the president set for the country.”

When Rogan asked how those attacks had manifested themselves, Vance said they came through online criticism as well as information being leaked to members of the media.

“They’re attacking me obsessively, saying that we should not be negotiating with Iran. We should just keep the military campaign going indefinitely,” he said.

Vance also said some critics accused him of being influenced by Qatar and other foreign governments, while others alleged that he was taking “marching orders from Tucker Carlson.”

The vice president emphasized that he has no objection to Israeli officials expressing their views or attempting to persuade American policymakers. However, he said he opposes situations in which U.S. leaders allow outside influence to shape American policy decisions.

“When I open up the pages of Time Magazine and I see that there’s a literal foreign influence campaign being funded to tank the very deal that I was pursuing, and, oh, by the way, many of the people who were receiving that money were actually attacking me in completely dishonest ways, you know, my response to that is, well, go to hell,” Vance said.

“I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”

TIME also reported that some U.S. officials believed Israel’s effort to preserve support among younger conservatives conflicted with the Trump administration’s push to end the conflict with Iran. The publication quoted a senior U.S. intelligence official who claimed that American influencers were being paid by a foreign government in an effort to influence either the president or those closest to him.

Vice President JD Vance tells Joe Rogan that Jeffrey Epstein had clear connections to US and Israeli intelligence services.

"He clearly had connections to the highest levels of American intelligence, he clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.” pic.twitter.com/Ze7HVfh0zC

— Jon Michael Raasch (@JMRaasch) July 15, 2026

Parscale denied coordinating any such operation and maintained that his firm’s work for Israel did not direct or influence independent commentators or hosts affiliated with Salem Media.

Elsewhere in the interview, Vance also discussed convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, asserting that Epstein maintained ties to both American and Israeli intelligence services.

“He clearly had connections to the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,” Vance stated.

Vance said the Epstein case illustrated the importance of distinguishing between different factions within Israel’s government, adding that not all Israeli officials opposed the administration’s diplomatic efforts.

“There are a lot of elements within the Israeli government that actually do like our peace process,” he said.

He further alleged that Epstein’s relationships were primarily with left-leaning figures within Israel’s political establishment.

“I’ve always found that fascinating,” Vance said. “It wasn’t like he was super connected to the right of center of Israeli politics.”

{Matzav.com}

In a significant shakeup within Israel’s ruling Likud Party, Knesset Member Dan Illouz announced Wednesday that he is leaving the party after serving a single term in the Knesset, citing deep disagreements over its direction and its handling of the military draft exemption issue.

“I cannot ask the public to vote for a party that I myself can no longer vote for,” Illouz said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

Reflecting on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, Illouz argued that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should have made way for new leadership at the conclusion of his current term.

“The truth is that immediately after October 7, it was clear to everyone that Netanyahu should end his tenure after this term. Instead of standing before the public and asking for forgiveness, Likud is doing everything it can to evade responsibility. We are removing the word ‘massacre’ from legislation and preventing the establishment of a commission of inquiry. A Jewish identity means, first and foremost, taking responsibility.”

Illouz said the recent legislation concerning military service exemptions for yeshivah students was the decisive factor behind his decision to leave the party.

“The saga of the draft exemption is a disgrace that made it clear to me that my place is no longer in Likud.”

He sharply criticized the party’s approach, accusing it of capitulating to its Chareidi coalition partners.

“At a time when the IDF is warning that it is collapsing under the burden, and my fellow reservists are sacrificing their families and their experience of fatherhood, Likud chose ongoing surrender to the Chareidi parties and advanced political maneuvers to institutionalize draft evasion. Today, there is no difference between voting for Likud, Shas, or Goldknopf.”

Illouz concluded by pledging to continue serving the country despite his departure from the party.

“I will continue to work for the State of Israel from wherever I am, with integrity and determination.”

In recent months, Illouz had emerged as one of the most outspoken critics within Likud, particularly regarding efforts to formalize the status of yeshivah students. Over the past two days, he voted against both the Basic Law: Torah Study and the law freezing the arrest of draft evaders.

Commenting on those measures, Illouz argued that they represented “a severe blow, not to mention a spit in the face of the public we were elected to represent.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Iran is on the brink of defeat, signaling that the United States is prepared to intensify its military campaign unless Tehran agrees to negotiate. His remarks came as U.S. Central Command announced a second wave of strikes targeting Iranian military assets tied to threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Trump expressed confidence that the United States has gained the upper hand in its confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

“We’re doing really well with Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not happy right now.”

Trump argued that decisive action against Iran should have been taken decades ago rather than allowing the regime to grow stronger over the years.

“Should have been done 47 years ago. Should have been done at least during the 47-year period. And it wasn’t. Other presidents didn’t do what was right. They should have done it a long time ago. Would have been much easier.”

Trump:

Iran will be defeated very soon. pic.twitter.com/DW1RxEjynl

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 15, 2026

He also suggested that mounting U.S. pressure has left Tehran eager to negotiate, while making clear that military action remains on the table if diplomacy fails.

“They want to settle so badly. They don’t like what we’re doing. And they do want to settle. We’ll find out whether or not we settle with them or we just finish it off,” said Trump.

The president also took aim at President Barack Obama over the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, arguing that the deal strengthened the regime and contributed to the current crisis.

“He was very bad on Iran because he basically gave them the money. He made a – what a horrible deal. He went away from Israel and he went to Iran. And that’s part of the reason that we’re stuck with this whole situation,” Trump stated.

Trump’s latest comments followed an interview with Fox News a day earlier in which he warned that U.S. attacks would become increasingly severe if Iran refused to engage in meaningful negotiations.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, we’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night, we’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants, next week comes the bridges.”

He said the campaign would soon expand to include critical infrastructure unless Iranian leaders changed course.

“We’re going to knock out all their power plants, we’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” he added.

Trump emphasized that the military operation would continue for as long as he deemed necessary, saying Iran’s capabilities had already been significantly weakened. “Continue until I say it’s enough…the word the military likes to use is degrade. They’ve been degraded to a very low level.”

As Trump spoke, U.S. Central Command confirmed Wednesday evening that American forces had begun a second wave of operations against Iran. According to CENTCOM, the latest strikes are focused on Iranian military capabilities that have been used to threaten international shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways for global trade.

{Matzav.com}