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A new national survey suggests that public skepticism surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic remains widespread, with nearly half of Americans saying they believe it is at least somewhat likely the virus was connected to a secret effort by global elites to reduce the world’s population.

The Rasmussen Reports poll was released Wednesday as renewed attention has focused on the origins of COVID-19 following the recent release of declassified documents by former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard concerning Dr. Anthony Fauci’s actions during the pandemic.

According to the survey, 45% of American adults said they consider it at least somewhat likely that COVID-19 was part of a global population control agenda. Of that group, 24% described the theory as “very likely.” Another 45% rejected the idea, including 30% who said it was “not at all likely,” while 10% said they were unsure.

The poll also reflected continued divisions over the COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said the vaccines were necessary and effective in slowing the spread of the virus. By contrast, 39% said they more closely agreed with the view that the vaccines were promoted primarily to enrich large pharmaceutical companies, while 13% remained undecided.

Views on the pandemic’s origins closely tracked opinions about the vaccines. Among respondents who said it was “very likely” that COVID-19 was part of a global population control effort, 66% also believed the vaccines were promoted mainly to benefit major drug manufacturers.

Political affiliation played a significant role in how respondents answered the survey. Among Republicans, 59% said they believe it is at least somewhat likely the pandemic was tied to a secret global population control plan. That compared with 44% of independents and 34% of Democrats.

The partisan divide was equally evident on the vaccine question. Sixty-five percent of Democrats said the vaccines were necessary and effective, compared with 42% of independents and 35% of Republicans. Meanwhile, 54% of Republicans, 40% of independents, and 26% of Democrats said they believe the vaccines were promoted to generate profits for pharmaceutical companies.

Age also appeared to influence attitudes. Rasmussen found that a majority of Americans under 40 believe it is at least somewhat likely the pandemic was connected to a population control scheme, including nearly two-thirds of men under 40. Respondents aged 65 and older were the most likely to view the vaccines as necessary and effective.

The survey also found differences among demographic groups. Fifty-six percent of Black respondents, 51% of respondents identifying with other minority groups, 47% of white respondents, and 41% of Hispanic respondents said the vaccines were necessary and effective.

At the same time, Rasmussen reported that Black and Hispanic respondents were the most likely demographic groups to believe the pandemic was part of a secret global population control effort.

Educational attainment and income also appeared to influence responses. Americans with college degrees and those earning more than $50,000 per year were less likely than other respondents to believe COVID-19 was intentionally orchestrated as part of a population control agenda.

The poll was conducted on June 24-25 and June 28 among 1,259 U.S. adults. Rasmussen Reports said the survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Ministry of Education has authorized a special arrangement allowing observant Jewish students to take the country’s mandatory matriculation examinations on Shabbos without personally writing their answers, providing a rare accommodation for the nation’s Jewish community.

Under the approved policy, designated school secretaries will record students’ responses during the examinations, enabling religiously observant students to avoid violating Shabbos while still completing the required tests.

The announcement was confirmed by the Tehran Jewish Committee, which credited months of advocacy with Iranian education officials. In a public statement, the committee said: “With efforts and monitoring by the head of the committee’s Science and Education Council, Ilan Mishalian, with the Ministry of Education, all Jewish students in all cities of our homeland Iran, may receive assistance from a secretary during exams on Shabbos.”

The committee explained that the nationwide examination schedule cannot be changed because of logistical constraints affecting the country’s education system. It noted that the accommodation is not new and has been available in previous years. The statement also emphasized that the service will be provided free of charge and that students do not need authorization from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Instead, they are only required to notify their school administration in advance.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s parliament speaker declared Wednesday that international nuclear inspectors will not be allowed to enter the country’s bombed nuclear facilities under any circumstances, directly contradicting recent statements by President Donald Trump that Iran had agreed to permit inspections as part of its understanding with the United States.

Speaking after leading the Iranian delegation in negotiations, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed reports that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be granted access to sites damaged in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.

“Claims regarding inspector access to bombed sites are false,” Ghalibaf said, according to Iranian media.

He emphasized that Iranian law explicitly prohibits such inspections, stating, “We ourselves passed a law in parliament, the Supreme National Security Council passed it too; we made it law that under no circumstances do we allow access to sites that have been bombarded and damaged.”

Trump has previously stated that Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to examine its nuclear facilities as part of the agreement reached between Washington and Tehran. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has likewise told members of Congress that inspections would be included in the arrangement.

Despite those statements, Iran has continued to withhold information from the IAEA regarding the location and condition of its nuclear materials. Tehran has also refused to allow inspectors to assess the facilities that were struck during the recent military campaign.

Efforts to restore international monitoring have also broken down. An agreement reached last September between Iran and the IAEA to resume inspections and verify uranium inventories was later abandoned after Tehran declared it void in response to Britain, France, and Germany initiating the reimposition of United Nations sanctions that had previously been lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi recently said that he believes most of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains at the Isfahan nuclear complex, despite that facility having been targeted in last month’s strikes.

Grossi also said the agency continues to seek access to the nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordow, where additional nuclear material is believed to be located.

{Matzav.com}

An advance contingent of Israel’s humanitarian aid mission arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday, launching the country’s emergency response to the devastating earthquake and beginning coordination with local officials ahead of full-scale recovery operations.

The initial delegation was dispatched from Israel and includes representatives from both the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IDF. The civilian effort is headed by Israel’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Yoed Magen, while Brigadier General Elad Edri, Chief of Staff of the Home Front Command, is leading the military component of the mission.

Soon after touching down, members of the advance team met with Venezuelan government officials, emergency responders, and other key partners to evaluate the disaster’s impact. The meetings focused on assessing conditions on the ground, determining the most urgent needs, coordinating joint operations, and finalizing logistical preparations before field activities begin.

Additional members of the Israeli delegation are expected to arrive over the coming days, expanding the mission as recovery efforts intensify.

After the planning phase is completed, Israeli specialists will work side by side with local authorities, providing professional expertise drawn from Israel’s extensive experience responding to earthquakes, natural disasters, and humanitarian emergencies around the world.

{Matzav.com}

A surprising phone call from an inmate at Shikma Prison has intensified the debate over incitement in Israel’s Arab education system after the prisoner, a Bedouin Arab convicted of murdering a family member, told Knesset Education Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot that anti-Jewish indoctrination in school laid the foundation for both violent crime and nationalist extremism.

According to Sukkot, the inmate reached out to commend the lawmaker for visiting Arab schools and examining what is being taught there in an effort to combat violence and incitement. During the conversation, the prisoner told Sukkot, “You are saving the education in the Arab sector.”

The inmate said he attended a Ministry of Education-recognized school in Kuseife, where he claims students were repeatedly exposed to anti-Jewish messages and encouraged to view violence against Jews favorably. Describing what he experienced, he said, “Crime starts with criminal acts, but the motive starts with nationalism and develops later. Just like during Operation Guardian of the Walls, everyone who participated (in the riots) had a criminal background.”

He went on to describe an educational environment in which Jews were portrayed as enemies who had stolen Arab land. “I grew up in a way where if I would commit a crime against an Arab, I was hated, and if I would do something against a Jew, I would be admired. That’s how I was educated in the Israeli education system in Kuseife.”

The prisoner further argued that organized crime within the Arab sector is driven not only by financial motives but also by ideological ones. “Even the criminal [acts] are nationalist. The reason the criminal organizations do protection rackets is that it all starts with education that the Jew is an infidel.”

He also claimed that his teachers instilled hatred toward Jews from an early age. “The teachers from the north and the territories would teach us to hate the country, that the Jews came to take our land. It all comes from the teacher’s conduct, and it reflects on society. When you don’t recognize the state’s authority and are educated that crime against Jews is acceptable, you grow up to be a criminal like me.”

Near the conclusion of the conversation, the inmate expressed concern that the cycle would continue unless the education system changes, telling Sukkot, “Our DNA is infected. Even if I were released from prison, my children would do the same thing if they were not educated differently.”

Following the conversation, Sukkot said the prisoner’s account highlights what he believes is a critical national security issue. “This testimony must set off a red light for anyone who cares about the State of Israel’s future. We got clear proof that you can not fight crime and terrorism without dealing with the root – the education system. When children are educated on hate, incitement, and delegitimization of Jews and the State of Israel, the results will be violence, crime, and terrorism. Whoever thinks it’s possible to fight crime using only the police and enforcement lives in a misconception and should wake up before it’s too late.”

Sukkot pledged to continue investigating educational materials used in Arab schools and said the committee would press for significant changes. “The Education Committee, led by me, will continue to expose these materials and ensure that the education system educates on coexistence, respect for the law, and allegiance to the state, and not on incitement and violence, and whoever’s not interested won’t get a shekel from the state.”

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to legislation that would significantly tighten regulation and enforcement of loudspeaker systems used at mosques, marking a major step forward for a proposal championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Knesset National Security Committee Chairman MK Tzvika Foghel.

The bill passed its preliminary reading by a vote of 50-36. Despite recent threats to withhold support over the ongoing dispute surrounding the conscription law and Basic Law: Torah Study, Shas backed the measure. The opposition also contributed votes, with Yisrael Beytenu supporting the proposal.

Under the legislation, no public address system could be installed or operated without first obtaining an official permit. Authorities would evaluate permit applications based on several factors, including the system’s volume, available noise-reduction measures, the mosque’s location, its distance from nearby homes, and the expected impact on local residents.

The proposal also grants police expanded enforcement authority. Officers would be empowered to order the immediate cessation of unauthorized or non-compliant broadcasts, and if those orders are ignored, they could confiscate the loudspeaker equipment.

Violators would face substantial financial penalties. Installing or operating a public address system without the required permit could result in fines of up to 50,000 shekels, while operating a system in violation of permit conditions would carry fines of up to 10,000 shekels.

Unlike previous attempts to regulate mosque loudspeakers—which primarily sought to restrict the hours during which they could be used and contained broad exemptions with relatively weak enforcement—the current proposal establishes a comprehensive licensing system, assigns direct responsibility to the operator, significantly expands enforcement powers, and strengthens penalties. It also creates a mechanism directing revenue collected from fines toward public projects.

According to the bill’s explanatory notes, “Noise is a public health hazard, and although enforcement campaigns have been conducted in the past, there is currently no law that provides sufficient tools to address the phenomenon. Therefore, a clear regulatory framework is proposed, including a default prohibition, an explicit permit mechanism, the appointment of a person responsible for operation, and significant fines. The bill seeks to restore peace and quiet and improve residents’ quality of life through effective and clear enforcement.”

Ben-Gvir welcomed the bill’s advancement, saying, “In many places, the muezzin’s call constitutes unreasonable noise that harms residents’ quality of life and health. This is a phenomenon that cannot be accepted. During my tenure, the Israel Police began addressing this intolerable problem for the first time, and now we are providing it with additional dramatic tools to eradicate the phenomenon. I thank Minister Idit Silman for her cooperation, Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz, and the members of Otzma Yehudit, who remain faithful to our election promises and are working hard to fulfill them one by one.”

Foghel also defended the legislation, arguing that its purpose is not to interfere with religious practice but to address excessive noise affecting nearby communities. “The muezzin broadcast at excessive volume is not a religious issue; it is a matter of harm to public health and quality of life. It is unacceptable for residents to continue suffering from systematic violations of the law. That is why I submitted this bill—to enable firm, clear, and decisive action against this phenomenon.”

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has signed legislation requiring certain employers to pay annual fees for workers and their dependents who receive Medicaid benefits, a measure supporters say will help offset rising healthcare costs but critics argue unfairly penalizes businesses and could discourage hiring.

The new law applies to employers with at least 50 employees who are enrolled in New Jersey’s Medicaid program, NJ FamilyCare. Companies will be assessed a fee for each qualifying employee and each covered dependent. Businesses with 50 to 249 affected employees will pay $325 per person annually, those with 250 to 499 affected employees will pay $525 per person, and employers with 500 or more affected employees will pay $725 per person. Certain employees and dependents with developmental, intellectual, or permanent physical disabilities are exempt from the assessment.

The Sherrill administration has argued that the measure is intended to help finance New Jersey’s Medicaid program at a time when federal policy changes are expected to increase pressure on state healthcare spending. Administration officials have projected that the new employer assessment will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue over the coming fiscal years.

Supporters of the law contend that large employers whose workers rely on publicly funded healthcare should contribute more toward the cost of those benefits, rather than shifting the financial burden to taxpayers.

Business groups and Republican lawmakers, however, have sharply criticized the measure, warning that it effectively creates a new tax on employers. Opponents argue the law could discourage companies from hiring lower-income workers or individuals whose families receive Medicaid benefits, while increasing the cost of doing business in New Jersey.

Legal challenges are widely expected. Opponents are anticipated to argue that the law unlawfully targets employers based on employees’ participation in a government healthcare program and could violate constitutional and employment law protections. No lawsuits had been filed immediately following the bill’s enactment, but litigation is expected in the coming weeks.

{Matzav.com}

The massive levayah for Rav Amos Guetta zt”l of Netanya concluded after approximately six hours on Wednesday, as thousands of mourners accompanied him on his final journey to kevurah.

The mitah departed from Laniado Hospital in the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood and was taken through the rav’s bais medrash on Bar Yochai Street in Netanya, where the aveilim recited Kaddish. From there, the funeral procession continued to the cemetery in the Shikun Vatikim neighborhood.

In an extraordinary display of respect, thousands of mourners walked the entire route on foot despite the intense summer heat. The procession was led by ambulances from Magen David Adom and Hatzalah Sharon carrying the aron, while the Sanzer Rebbe accompanied the aron for part of the journey after departing from Laniado Hospital.

Many of the rav’s talmidim traveled by motorcycle before joining the procession on foot, walking for hours while reciting Tehillim. The enormous turnout brought large sections of Netanya to a standstill, causing severe traffic congestion and forcing the closure of Highway 2, Israel’s Coastal Highway, for several hours.

Meanwhile, thousands of additional mourners gathered at the cemetery, where rabbonim from Netanya began delivering hespeidim even before the aron arrived.

Shortly after 6:00 p.m., the aron reached the cemetery, where Rav Guetta was laid to rest in a newly acquired burial plot.

It was also learned that the rav’s talmidim and followers purchased 30 adjacent burial plots surrounding his kever with plans to construct a large ohel over his resting place.

Meanwhile, earlier, a court extended the detention of the suspect accused of murdering Rav Guetta by eight days as the investigation into the fatal stabbing continues.

הלווית רבי עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית רבי עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם

הלווית רבי עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם

הלווית רבי עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית רבי עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם

 

הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם

פתרון לא צפוי: מסלול לימודים מהבית למקצוע מוצלח במיוחד למגזר החרדי

שימי פרקש כתבה מקדמת

23:58

הלוויה מצמררת בירושלים: אם לשבעה נפטרה, והיא בת ארבעים

בשיתוף קופת העיר

14:07

רפורמת ענק ברישוי כלי ירייה: בדקו אם אתם זכאים

מקודם

08:48

הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם

לא ציפינו: רוכשי דירות שנתקלו בסירוב מהבנק, קיבלו פתרון יוצא דופן

תוכן מקודם

02:11

זה קורה לכל אחד: חסך במסלול הלכה ארוך, וכעת חייב כסף? כך עושים את זה ללא קנסות

תוכן מקודם

03:04

הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה זצ”לצילום: באדיבות המצלם הלווית הרב עמוס גואטה 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A 15-year-old boy died Wednesday evening after drowning off the coast near Palmachim Beach in central Israel, following a large-scale search and rescue operation after he disappeared in the water. He was one of three teenage boys who were swept away while swimming at an unguarded beach.

The incident began at approximately 5:15 p.m., when Magen David Adom’s emergency dispatch center received reports that three boys, all about 15 years old, had been caught in the sea at a beach that is not designated for swimming and is not staffed by lifeguards. Emergency medical teams and rescue forces were immediately dispatched to the scene.

When first responders arrived, they found that two of the teenagers had managed to make it safely back to shore, either on their own or with the assistance of a passerby. Both were evaluated by medical personnel and found to be in good condition, requiring neither treatment nor hospitalization.

The third boy, however, had disappeared beneath the water, prompting an extensive search operation. Rescue teams searched the area using multiple resources, including a helicopter scanning the coastline from above, marine police units, rescue divers, and additional emergency personnel combing both the shoreline and nearby waters.

After an intensive search, rescuers located the missing teenager and brought him ashore unconscious, without a pulse or breathing. He was rushed to Wolfson Medical Center in critical condition while emergency crews performed advanced resuscitation efforts. Doctors later pronounced him dead at the hospital.

Magen David Adom senior EMT Haggai Netani and senior motorcycle unit EMT Yair Hirsch described the rescue efforts.

“We received a report about three teenagers who had been swept away at the beach, with one of them missing. When we arrived, we were taken to the two teenagers, who were fully conscious. They told us that a passerby had helped rescue them. We examined them and determined that they did not require medical treatment. After the divers completed their search, the rescue teams brought us the missing teenager. He was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. Using a specialized four-wheel-drive ambulance, we transferred him to a mobile intensive care unit and immediately began advanced resuscitation efforts, including chest compressions and assisted ventilation. While continuing treatment, we evacuated him to the hospital in critical condition.”

Following the tragedy, emergency officials again urged the public to avoid swimming at beaches that are not officially designated and supervised by lifeguards. They warned that such beaches often contain powerful rip currents, sudden drop-offs, and hidden underwater hazards that can quickly become deadly, particularly for young swimmers unfamiliar with the dangers of the sea.

{Matzav.com}

The man accused of fatally stabbing Rav Amos Guetta zt”l in Netanya on Wednesday has admitted to carrying out the attack, authorities said. Investigators expect that he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation in the coming days as the investigation continues.

During questioning, an investigator asked the suspect, “Why did you do it?” In response, the suspect pointed upward. When the investigator followed up by asking, “What, G-d?” the suspect nodded in the affirmative.

Later in the interrogation, the suspect was asked, “What did you do to the rav?” He responded by looking at the investigator and mimicking a stabbing motion before demonstrating how he had slashed at the rav’s neck with a knife.

The deadly attack took place during Shacharis at Rav Guetta’s bais medrash. According to reports, the suspect—who had been one of the rav’s followers—became involved in an altercation with individuals close to Rav Guetta after insisting on approaching him. The confrontation escalated suddenly when the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the rav four times.

The gabbai of the yeshivah was also wounded while attempting to restrain the attacker and stop the assault. The suspect fled immediately afterward but was captured in central Netanya following a police manhunt that lasted several hours.

A 23-month-old boy died after being left inside a vehicle for several hours outside a daycare center in Plantation, Florida, in what authorities believe was a tragic case of a parent unintentionally forgetting to drop off a child.

Emergency responders from the police and fire departments were called to the scene, where the toddler was pronounced dead.

Misaskim’s services were not needed for this incident.

According to the owner of the daycare center, the child’s father arrived in the afternoon to pick up his son, only to discover that the boy had never been taken out of the back seat that morning and had remained inside the vehicle throughout the day.

The daycare owner, who said she has known the family for approximately six years, described them as “a loving family” and noted that all three of their children attend the facility. She said she and the father immediately called emergency services after discovering the toddler.

In a statement, the daycare expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy and said it would provide support to both the grieving family and the daycare community. Police said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

According to the nonprofit organization Kids and Car Safety, an average of about 40 children die each year in the United States after being left inside hot vehicles. The organization says that roughly half of those deaths result from a parent or caregiver unintentionally forgetting that a child was still in the car.

{Matzav.com}

In a significant victory for the chareidi parties, the Knesset on Wednesday approved the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study in its first reading by a vote of 63-53. The legislation will now move to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where it will be prepared for its second and third readings.

The vote exposed divisions within the governing coalition. Likud MKs Yuli Edelstein and Dan Illouz opposed the bill, as did Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon. By contrast, Likud MK Eliyahu Revivo and Religious Zionism MK Michal Waldiger voted in favor. MK Avi Maoz and MK Ahmad Tibi were absent from the vote.

Leaders of the chareidi parties welcomed the bill’s advancement, describing it as an important symbolic achievement. MK Moshe Gafni declared, “The State of the Jewish people is restoring the honor of Torah to its proper place.”

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri also praised the vote, stating, “Approval of the Basic Law: Torah Study in its first reading is the beginning of a historic correction and recognition by the State of Israel of the supreme value of Torah and the status of Torah scholars, who carry on their shoulders the spiritual existence of the Jewish people.”

Opposition leaders sharply condemned the legislation and vowed to overturn it if they return to power. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Beyachad party, said, “With the establishment of the new government we will repeal the Basic Law of Torah Disgrace.”

Bennett argued that “Draft evasion is the opposite of unity because draft evasion tears the nation apart from within and prevents victory. The IDF desperately needs 20,000 soldiers, and today Bibi-Deri-Smotrich’s coalition once again said that political interests are more important than security.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman also denounced the bill, saying, “In order to preserve the bloc, Netanyahu is prepared to dismantle the IDF and Israeli society as a whole. The ‘Basic Law of Chillul Hashem’ will forever remain a mark of shame on the October 7 massacre coalition.”

MK Gadi Eisenkot joined the criticism, accusing the coalition of putting politics ahead of national security. “They prefer the survival of the government over the strength of the IDF.”

The current version of the legislation, revised following recommendations by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, declares Torah study to be a foundational value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel. Much of the committee’s deliberations centered on whether the proposal establishes a meaningful constitutional principle and what effect it could have on future judicial decisions.

Despite celebrating the bill’s passage, representatives of the chareidi parties have acknowledged that the revised language is largely declarative and does not, by itself, provide a legal framework governing the status of yeshivah students.

During committee discussions, Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky argued that the legislation has no direct connection to the yeshivah world. She stated, “The Basic Law does not address the yeshiva world, or the chareidi sector.”

According to Sompolinsky, “In its current wording, it is not directed at all toward those whose ‘Torah is their occupation’—that is, those who study Torah in yeshiva continuously as a way of life. That reference has been removed from the Basic Law.” She added that “Only a vague and general reference to Torah study as an important value remains, which must be balanced against other fundamental values, which we do not know.”

Concluding her remarks, Sompolinsky said, “There is nothing new in the Basic Law, and therefore it does not change the existing situation, nor will it assist or alter the public debate over the military draft of yeshiva students.” Her assessment echoed concerns voiced within the Torah world that, in its present form, the legislation does not provide the legal protections many had hoped it would.

{Matzav.com}

Newly released emergency dispatch records indicate that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was discovered unconscious at his Washington, D.C., residence last month and may have suffered a cardiac emergency before being transported to a nearby hospital.

According to a District of Columbia Fire and EMS dispatch call made public on Wednesday, emergency crews were dispatched to McConnell’s home shortly before 9 a.m. on June 14. The call directed an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance to the scene and reported that there was “CPR in progress” for a “cardiac arrest.”

The emergency radio traffic was first reported by Punchbowl News.

Representatives for the former Senate Republican leader declined to comment on the newly disclosed dispatch communications.

On the day of the incident, a spokesman for McConnell confirmed only that the Kentucky senator “was admitted to the hospital this morning” and was “receiving excellent care.”

The following day, spokesman David Popp said McConnell was “working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) likewise said McConnell remained “dialed in” on Senate Republican legislative priorities and noted that the two had spoken by telephone.

McConnell, 84, has experienced a series of health issues in recent years, including several falls that resulted in a concussion and broken rib, as well as multiple public episodes in which he appeared to freeze momentarily while speaking, reportedly due to light-headedness.

The Senate is currently in recess and is scheduled to reconvene on July 13.

{Matzav.com}