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The Knesset on Monday night approved in its first reading legislation to establish a national state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, the ensuing Iron Swords war, and the events leading up to the attack. The measure passed with the backing of the coalition and the chareidi parties, while the opposition boycotted the vote and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was absent.

The bill, sponsored by MK Ariel Kallner, was approved by a vote of 59-0, with no votes against and no abstentions after opposition factions declined to participate. The legislation will now return to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for preparation ahead of its second and third readings.

Under the proposal, the commission would consist of six members selected with the support of at least 80 members of Knesset. If such broad agreement cannot be reached, an alternate mechanism would take effect, allowing the coalition and opposition to each appoint three members.

The legislation also calls for released hostages and members of bereaved families to participate as observers on the commission. In addition, its hearings would generally be open to the public and broadcast to ensure transparency.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized both the bill and the coalition’s approach, announcing that opposition parties would boycott the vote.

“The opposition will not be part of a sham whose entire purpose is to whitewash and prevent an investigation into the greatest disaster to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Lapid declared.

He added that, “In the first month of the next government, we will establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre.”

{Matzav.com}

A newly released poll suggests New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s re-election race against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is becoming increasingly competitive, as the two traded pointed attacks Monday during Hochul’s visit to Long Island.

Hochul made appearances in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, where she dismissed a Blakeman campaign mailer that linked her and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to high taxes, soaring utility costs, and crime.

“That’s interesting — because it’s not based on fact,” she claimed while announcing a new $100 million grant program in Freeport to fund law enforcement technology.

Rather than accepting blame for rising costs, Hochul pointed the finger at Republicans in Washington, arguing that support for President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran and his tariff policies had increased financial pressures on New Yorkers.

She also accused the Trump administration of playing politics by withholding federal disaster assistance for New York following the severe February blizzards.

“They think it’s hurting me, but it’s backfiring,” Hochul insisted.

The governor’s comments came as a new survey showed Blakeman closing the gap in the gubernatorial contest.

According to the poll, conducted by co/efficient on behalf of the Coalition to Protect Nassau Taxpayers, Hochul leads Blakeman by just six percentage points among likely general election voters, receiving 47% support compared with Blakeman’s 41%, while 12% remain undecided.

The polling firm earned credibility during the 2022 governor’s race by accurately projecting that Hochul’s contest against then-Rep. Lee Zeldin would be far closer than most public polls suggested. Hochul ultimately won by six percentage points, matching co/efficient’s September 2022 forecast.

The latest results differ significantly from several other public polls that have shown Hochul holding a double-digit lead, with some placing her advantage as high as 20 points.

The survey also suggested that concerns about socialism could become a significant issue in the race. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned about socialism, while 45% said they were not.

Despite those findings, Hochul rejected the notion that New York is moving toward socialism and portrayed herself as a pragmatic leader willing to work with officials across the political spectrum, including both President Trump and Mamdani.

“We are not becoming a socialist state because of an election of a number of individuals in New York City,” Hochul insisted during an interview on 103.9 Long Island News Radio before her visit.

“My job is continue to work with whomever the voters want me to work with,” she told host Jay Oliver, referring to Mamdani and the slate of Democratic Socialists of America candidates who won several contests in last month’s Democratic primaries.

Hochul concluded her Long Island trip in Suffolk County, where she signed legislation authorizing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to acquire the former Lawrence Aviation property, a move intended to help preserve the Setauket–Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail.

Blakeman quickly fired back after Hochul’s visit.

“You can stage all the photo ops you want, Kathy. New Yorkers know you created this mess — and I actually made our neighborhoods safer,” Blakeman snipped in a statement.

His campaign also defended the mailer that prompted Hochul’s criticism.

“Every New Yorker needs to know that the Hochul-Mamdani team is the reason their taxes and utility bills are soaring, while Bruce Blakeman has the plan to slash income taxes and cut utility bills in half,” campaign spokeswoman Madison Spanodemos said.

The poll also underscored Hochul’s political challenges beyond the head-to-head matchup, finding that only 32% of likely voters hold a favorable opinion of the governor.

“Hochul is deeply disliked across the state,” said co/efficient pollster Ryan Munce.

{Matzav.com}

A potentially deadly incident unfolded Monday evening when Border Police officers, backed by IDF troops, rescued ten Israeli civilians who became trapped inside the Palestinian city of Qalqilya after entering the area in an effort to recover a stolen motorcycle.

According to police, the group entered Area A—where Israeli citizens are prohibited from entering—after receiving information that a motorcycle stolen from the city of Elad had been taken into Qalqilya.

Authorities said the situation quickly deteriorated once local residents realized the group was Israeli. Dozens of Arabs reportedly converged on the scene, attempting to isolate the four vehicles carrying the civilians and surround them. Security forces were immediately dispatched after receiving reports of the unfolding confrontation.

Border Police officers and IDF soldiers arrived and used riot-control measures to push back the crowd while creating a protective corridor around the stranded Israelis. The forces successfully evacuated all ten civilians from the city without injury and transferred them to security officials for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.

During the operation, Border Police officers also succeeded in locating the stolen motorcycle and returned it to its owner.

Following the rescue, Israel’s defense establishment once again stressed that Israeli citizens are strictly forbidden by law from entering Area A, warning that doing so places their lives in immediate danger.

{Matzav.com}