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A new Channel 13 News poll released Tuesday night shows Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s Likud party running even with Gadi Eisenkot’s newly formed Yashar! party, while the anti-Netanyahu camp would hold a parliamentary advantage if elections were held today.

According to the survey, Likud and Yashar! would each capture 21 Knesset seats, placing the two parties in a statistical tie.

The Together party, headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, continues to lose ground and is projected to win 14 seats. The Democrats follow with 11 seats, while Yisrael Beytenu is forecast to receive 10. Shas and United Torah Judaism would each secure 8 seats.

The poll projects 7 seats for Otzma Yehudit, 6 for Hadash-Ta’al, and 5 apiece for the Religious Zionist Party and Ra’am. A joint list led by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel would narrowly clear the electoral threshold with 4 seats.

Meanwhile, both Blue and White and Balad are projected to fall below the threshold required to enter the Knesset.

Based on the poll’s seat distribution, the right-wing bloc would control 49 seats, while parties opposed to Netanyahu would command 60 seats without relying on support from the Arab parties.

The survey also measured public preferences for prime minister. In a direct matchup, Gadi Eisenkot leads Netanyahu by a margin of 47% to 35%. When matched against Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu trails by a narrower margin, with Bennett receiving 43% support compared to Netanyahu’s 40%.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced that he is ending a decades-long prohibition on direct commercial flights between the United States and Lebanon, ordering his administration to allow American airlines to resume service following talks at the White House with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Trump revealed the decision in a Truth Social post after meeting with Aoun, praising the Lebanese leader’s efforts to reshape his country and announcing that U.S. carriers will once again be permitted to fly directly to Lebanon.

“After meeting with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who has done a remarkable job working to transform his Country, I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all U.S. airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The President also applauded Aoun for what he described as a “remarkable job” advancing reforms in Lebanon and urged other nations to reopen direct commercial air service to the country.

Direct flights between the United States and Lebanon have been suspended since 1985, when the U.S. halted commercial service in the aftermath of the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and amid continuing security concerns during Lebanon’s civil war.

The decision followed discussions between Trump and Aoun centered on expanding cooperation between the two countries, maintaining American support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, and advancing implementation of a recently negotiated framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel that was brokered in Washington.

That agreement, however, is contingent on the complete disarmament of Hezbollah. The Iran-backed terrorist organization has rejected both the framework agreement and the broader peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s military issued a stark warning Tuesday that any American strike on its nuclear facilities would trigger a powerful military response against U.S. forces and their allies across the region, following President Donald Trump’s pledge to destroy any Iranian nuclear site under development.

The warning came from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the operational command of the country’s armed forces, which cautioned Washington against carrying out attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“It is made clear that should the invading and terrorist forces of that nation take such a step, it will be regarded as an escalation of conflict across the region,” the headquarters said in a statement carried by Iran’s IRNA news agency.

“In that event, all US assets, along with those of its allies and backers, will be subject to a decisive strike by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces,” the statement added.

The Iranian threat followed remarks by President Trump at the White House, where he vowed that the United States would strike any location where Iran attempts to revive its nuclear program.

“How about these people? They’re in this because of nuclear weapons, and they’re trying to possibly reconstitute a site? We’ll hit that site. Any site where they’re even thinking about nuclear – we’ll be hitting it very, very powerfully,” Trump said during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Trump’s comments came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence believes Iran secretly transferred thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges last autumn to a heavily fortified underground complex inside Pickaxe Mountain.

According to the report, Israel shared the intelligence assessment with the United States. The relocation is believed to have taken place after the June 2025 war, when Israeli and American forces carried out strikes against Iran’s three principal nuclear facilities.

{Matzav.com}

22The Dutch government will begin enforcing a ban on imports from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria on September 22, according to a senior Dutch diplomat, making the Netherlands the latest European Union member state to adopt such restrictions.

The official told Haaretz on Tuesday that the new policy is intended to bring the Netherlands’ trade practices into line with international legal positions that view Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria as unlawful.

Under the new rules, businesses and individuals will be prohibited from importing, buying, or selling products manufactured in Israeli communities throughout Judea and Samaria. The regulations also outlaw brokerage and intermediary services related to those goods and impose penalties on anyone attempting to evade the restrictions.

The diplomat said the measure was officially published Tuesday in the Dutch government’s official gazette. Israel’s embassy was informed of the decision before it was publicly announced. Additional diplomatic meetings are expected to take place in The Hague to discuss implementation and could pave the way for broader international sanctions.

The Netherlands now joins Spain and Belgium as the third European Union country to impose an import ban on products originating from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

According to Haaretz, Luxembourg is also expected to adopt similar restrictions in the near future. Because the country relies on the Port of Rotterdam for maritime shipping, its trade policy is closely linked to that of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Ireland has approved similar legislation as well, although it has not yet taken effect because it still requires formal approval from President Catherine Connolly.

The issue was recently discussed by the European Union’s foreign ministers, who considered imposing a bloc-wide ban on goods produced in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. However, the ministers were unable to reach a consensus on implementing such a measure.

Last year, nine EU member states urged the European Commission to draft proposals that would end trade between the European Union and Israeli communities located in Judea and Samaria.

That request was outlined in a letter sent to European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and signed by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

In their letter, the ministers cited a July 2024 advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which declared “Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and the settlements within them as illegal”. The opinion also said that countries should take steps to prevent trade and investment activities that help sustain that situation.

{Matzav.com}

A bipartisan group of Brooklyn elected officials is demanding that the New York City Department of Transportation immediately halt the implementation of a controversial bike network expansion in Brooklyn Community Board 14, arguing that the project was advanced without the legally required notice and public process.

In a sharply worded letter dated July 21, Councilmember Simcha Felder, Assemblymembers Simcha Eichenstein and Kalman Yeger, and Councilmember Inna Vernikov called on DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn to “cease and desist” from moving forward with the project south of Avenue H.

The lawmakers contend that the bike lane expansion is being carried out despite widespread opposition from residents and local officials and accuse the department of implementing the project “in the dead of night” without proper notification.

“We write as a group of bipartisan, duly elected New York City and New York State elected officials to demand that the Department of Transportation cease and desist the implementation of the Bike Network expansion within Brooklyn Community Board 14 (CB14), south of Avenue H,” the letter states.

The officials acknowledge that the proposal had previously received approval under two earlier mayoral administrations but argue that the current implementation violates Section 19-101.2 of the New York City Administrative Code because required notifications were not provided.

“Despite our and our constituents’ overwhelming opposition to this project, opposition assented to by two prior Mayoral administrations, we believe the Department’s implementation of this project in the dead of night—without proper notification—violates section 19-101.2 of the New York City Administrative Code,” they wrote.

According to the letter, none of the elected officials’ offices received advance notice before work on the project began. They also allege that the DOT failed to honor Community Board 14’s request to meet with the community within the timeframe required by law.

“Failure to follow the requirements of this section include but are not limited to the notification requirements to City & State elected officials. To the best of our knowledge our respective offices did not receive notification in advance of the implementation of this project. Additionally, upon information and belief, there was a Departmental failure to honor CB14’s request to meet with the community within the time prescribed by the Administrative Code,” the letter states.

The lawmakers argue that bypassing the required procedures undermines both the authority of local elected officials and the community board.

“Lawlessness is not how an agency is intended to operate. Continuing this project would be an attempt to usurp the rights of the Community Board, City Councilmembers, and State representatives that the Administrative Code establishes,” they wrote.

The letter concludes by urging the DOT to stop the project immediately, characterizing the agency’s actions as an attack on representative government.

“To wit, this is not governance but an attempt to undermine representative democracy. We demand the DOT end this project with all deliberate speed.”

Copies of the letter were also sent to the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the New York City Law Department.

The Department of Transportation has not yet publicly responded to the lawmakers’ allegations.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman is renewing his push to legalize marijuana nationwide, joining fellow Senate Democrats in reintroducing sweeping legislation that would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances and allow individual states to determine their own marijuana policies.

The Pennsylvania Democrat said the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would end what he called the federal government’s outdated prohibition on marijuana while establishing a national framework for regulating the industry, protecting consumers, supporting research, and addressing criminal justice issues tied to past drug enforcement.

Fetterman reiterated his longstanding support for legalization, saying he has “always been very pro-weed.”

“In a very libertarian slant — I’m not going to judge anyone for using it to knock the edge off of life,” Fetterman said. “I think your path to wellness should be without judgment or punishment — legal, safe, and regulated. I supported President Biden and President Trump when they took steps on the issue. But it is time for Congress to stop [messing] around and make weed legal. This bill is a good step forward.”

According to Fetterman, the legislation is designed to create a comprehensive federal regulatory system while leaving legalization decisions largely to the states. He said the proposal would improve public health and safety, encourage scientific research, expand workers’ protections, and invest in communities disproportionately affected by the nation’s decades-long War on Drugs.

Among its public health provisions, the bill would establish a Center for Cannabis Products to oversee the manufacturing, labeling, distribution, and sale of marijuana products. It would also direct the Food and Drug Administration to develop nationwide labeling standards covering product potency, dosage, serving sizes, manufacturing information, and usage instructions.

The legislation would also create new programs aimed at preventing underage marijuana use while increasing federal funding for treatment programs addressing opioid addiction, stimulant abuse, and other substance use disorders.

On the public safety front, the proposal would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act while preserving federal penalties for trafficking cannabis in violation of state law. It would also establish grants to help law enforcement combat illegal marijuana markets.

In addition, the measure would require the Department of Transportation to develop standards addressing cannabis-impaired driving, while directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to collect data, educate the public, and promote best practices related to impaired driving. States would also be encouraged to adopt open-container restrictions for cannabis.

The legislation would shift federal oversight of the marijuana industry to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. It would eliminate existing tax rules that prevent cannabis businesses from deducting ordinary business expenses and would impose a federal excise tax on cannabis products.

To promote competition, the bill would establish rules intended to prevent monopolistic practices while protecting independent growers, wholesalers, and retailers.

The proposal also places a strong emphasis on scientific research. It would require the Government Accountability Office to study the effects of marijuana legalization, while directing the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support additional cannabis research.

Veterans’ health is another major focus of the legislation. The Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to conduct clinical trials examining the impact of medical cannabis on veterans suffering from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The bill would also require the Bureau of Labor Statistics to publish demographic data about business owners and employees in the cannabis industry and would establish grants to expand marijuana research programs at colleges and universities, particularly historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions.

On criminal justice issues, the legislation would create an Opportunity Trust Fund financed through federal cannabis tax revenue to invest in communities most affected by the War on Drugs. It would also establish a Cannabis Justice Office within the Department of Justice.

Additional provisions would provide grants to reduce barriers to cannabis business licensing and employment, speed FDA review of cannabis-based medications developed by qualifying small businesses, and create housing and community development grants for neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by past drug enforcement.

The proposal also calls for the automatic expungement of federal convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses and would allow individuals currently serving federal prison sentences for nonviolent cannabis crimes to petition for resentencing.

The legislation would further prohibit discrimination against non-citizens under immigration law based solely on marijuana use or possession and would bar discrimination against cannabis users in the administration of federal benefits.

The measure also includes several labor-related provisions, including eliminating certain pre-employment and random marijuana drug testing for federal employees, strengthening workplace protections for employees in the cannabis industry, and creating grant programs to educate workers about their rights.

Fetterman said he intends to continue advocating for federal marijuana legalization and ensuring that adults who are legally permitted to use cannabis have safe and regulated access to it.

{Matzav.com}