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In a dramatic political announcement, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to the next Knesset, signaling the end of his parliamentary career amid longstanding ideological disagreements with Religious Zionism Party chairman and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, particularly over the military draft issue.

Sofer, a member of the Religious Zionism Party, made the announcement in a public statement, thanking his political partners while alluding to the tensions that have marked recent months within the government and coalition.

“I have decided not to present my candidacy for the next Knesset. I thank Religious Zionism Party chairman Betzalel Smotrich for years of trust and joint work, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his leadership and guidance during this complex and challenging period.

“The State of Israel must continue strengthening its security and building a firm and unshakable iron wall, but one that is also founded upon spirit, values, and unity. It is our duty to foster a spirit of unity among the people of Israel. The bereavement and wounds of war will leave scars that will not heal quickly. They will remind all of us, every day, of the magnitude of our responsibility and our commitment to the proper path.”

Addressing the Israeli public directly, Sofer also called for a more respectful political discourse.

“The citizens of Israel have a duty to demand a dialogue of unity, solidarity, and genuine partnership in the sacred and critical mission of defending the security of the State.”

Reflecting on his tenure as Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Sofer said he would remain in office through the end of the current government’s term while expressing gratitude for the opportunity to help facilitate large-scale immigration during a difficult period.

“I had the privilege, during a difficult and challenging period, to lead the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and contribute my part in the aliyah of tens of thousands who chose to make Israel their home דווקא during this time, an endeavor that filled me with great hope and optimism. I will continue contributing to the State of Israel and Israeli society in other ways. Thank you to my voters, the many activists, my partners along the way, and my dedicated staff, alongside whom I will continue working faithfully until the completion of this term, and a special thank you to my wife and family, who stood by my side throughout the journey.”

Responding to the announcement, Smotrich said he respected Sofer’s decision while praising his longtime colleague for his years of public service.

“I received with sorrow the decision of my friend and longtime political partner, Minister Ofir Sofer, not to run for the next Knesset. Ofir represents an important voice among the people of Israel and within the Religious Zionist community. Throughout the years, we worked together on important initiatives for the people of Israel, the Land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel, all with his pleasant and unique political style.”

Smotrich added that he is confident Sofer will continue serving the Jewish people in another capacity.

The announcement follows months of public disagreements between Sofer and members of his own party over the draft law. Sofer had repeatedly voiced opposition to the legislation and previously warned of its political consequences.

In recordings published several months ago, Sofer was heard saying, “If the law is advanced, despite the reservists and against their will, the right will collapse. It will pay an electoral price for it. Certainly in the overall numbers, and even if you look at more specific constituencies.”

{Matzav.com}

Tensions flared at the Kosel on Wednesday morning as members of the trouble-making Women of the Wall group arrived on Rosh Chodesh Av, prompting confrontations and renewed criticism from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which accused the activists of turning the site into a venue for protest.

According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the group “turned the Western Wall plaza into a protest site – the likes of which have not been seen in hundreds of years, and acted in violation of the regulations and instructions from the court, when they brought the Torah scroll into the Western Wall plaza.”

Foundation officials expressed sorrow over what they described as a growing atmosphere of confrontation at the Kosel, saying the tensions reached a new level on Rosh Chodesh. They appealed to all parties to refrain from transforming the Kosel plaza into a site of demonstrations. The Foundation emphasized that the Kosel “is not a place for whistles and shouting, nor is it a place for provocations or for desecrating its sanctity.”

The Foundation also noted the significance of the day, pointing out that Rosh Chodesh Av marks the yahrtzeit of Aharon HaKohen, renowned for his love of peace and pursuit of harmony. “On Rosh Chodesh Av, which marks the anniversary of the passing of Aaron the High Priest, who loved and pursued peace, we call on everyone to give the Western Wall the proper respect and preserve its sanctity in accordance with Jewish tradition,” the Foundation said.

Women of the Wall, for its part, claimed its members were confronted by opponents during the gathering. The organization alleged that “male and female rioters surrounded the women, whistled, screamed, cursed, and pushed into them. Police distanced some of them.”

{Matzav.com}

Britain’s Labour government is reportedly preparing to scale back proposed immigration reforms after mounting opposition within the party over plans that would delay permanent residency for more than 1.6 million migrants who entered the country during the surge in migration known as the “Boriswave.”

According to reports, immigration changes championed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could be shelved for those migrants following pressure on incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham from Labour’s left-wing backbench lawmakers.

As part of an effort to reduce the long-term financial burden associated with mass migration, Mahmood had proposed doubling the waiting period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five years to ten years.

However, applying the new rules to migrants already living in Britain has reportedly met fierce resistance from within Labour. Nearly 80 Labour MPs argued that preventing those migrants from obtaining permanent residency under the current timetable would be “anathema to who we are, what we stand for and how we should do politics.”

The Times of London reported that negotiations between Mahmood and Labour’s left-wing faction could result in a compromise that preserves the existing five-year pathway to permanent residency for Boriswave migrants while delaying their eligibility for certain welfare benefits.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, sharply criticized the reported retreat in comments provided to Breitbart London.

“This is appalling, if entirely predictable. Whatever Ms Mahmood’s intentions may be, it is obvious that Labour’s far-left backbenchers will have none of it. This would hand settlement to 1.6 million people, each of whom could in turn bring in more dependants.

“The Prime Minister-in-waiting should stop hiding. Will Mr Burnham show more backbone than his predecessor-to-be and kill this anti-Britain plan now?”

Under current law, migrants who obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain become eligible for a range of government benefits, including Universal Credit, housing assistance, state pensions, housing subsidies, and access to National Health Service hospital and general practitioner care.

The issue has intensified scrutiny of the sharp rise in immigration that occurred under former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Critics argue that, despite promises to reduce immigration after Brexit, Johnson’s policies instead produced record-breaking levels of migration into Britain.

A report published in April by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party estimated that migrants who arrived during the Boriswave between 2020 and 2024 would ultimately cost British families an average of approximately £20,000 each over their lifetimes, for a total projected cost of £622.5 billion by the year 2085.

Reform UK has pledged that, if it comes to power, it would eliminate Indefinite Leave to Remain altogether. The party instead proposes replacing permanent residency with a five-year work visa modeled after the American system, under which migrants would not qualify for welfare benefits.

The party has also vowed to launch a nationwide inquiry into those it says were responsible for allowing record levels of immigration despite promising the opposite, including Boris Johnson and former Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf condemned the Boriswave as the greatest act of “vandalism” ever inflicted on the British public and warned that unless the policy is reversed, it could “bankrupt” Britain.

{Matzav.com}

Joe Biden is set to release a new memoir this fall reflecting on his four years in the White House, with the book scheduled to hit shelves just two weeks after the midterm elections, when Democrats will be trying to win back control of Congress.

Publisher Little, Brown and Company confirmed to The Associated Press that the memoir will be published on November 17. Reports have indicated that Biden received a $10 million advance for the book.

Titled Promise Me, America, the memoir will center on Biden’s single term as president and the major events and decisions that defined his administration.

The release comes as Democrats remain divided over Biden’s political legacy, particularly following his unsuccessful effort to seek another term in the White House. His presidency has also remained under scrutiny amid ongoing questions about his mental acuity while in office and allegations regarding the use of an autopen for official documents.

According to the Associated Press, Democratic leaders are hoping this fall’s campaign remains focused on President Donald Trump’s record rather than Biden’s tenure. The report noted that Biden has largely faded from public view after his bid to return to the White House ended and support within his own party evaporated.

In a video released Wednesday alongside the announcement, Biden described the themes of the book.

“‘Promise Me, America’ is about the challenges we faced as a nation. It’s about the decisions I made and why I made them,” Biden said. “Most of all, it’s about my faith in the promise of America.”

The title recalls Biden’s 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad, which chronicled the illness and passing of his son, Beau Biden.

A spokesperson for Little, Brown said the 83-year-old Biden plans to promote the memoir with a nationwide book tour and will also participate in media interviews surrounding its release.

{Matzav.com}

More than a year after a sweeping workforce reduction tied to the Department of Government Efficiency, the Social Security Administration is still grappling with the loss of nearly 8,000 employees, even as agency leadership points to gains in technology and customer service.

The agency, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to approximately 75 million Americans each month, has seen its workforce shrink by about 14% since the DOGE-directed cost-cutting initiative began, according to a report published Wednesday by The Washington Post.

Current and former employees say the staffing losses continue to place significant pressure on daily operations, despite ongoing recruitment efforts and a broad modernization campaign.

Since taking over the agency, Commissioner Frank Bisignano has prioritized updating Social Security’s systems by increasing automation and encouraging greater use of online services.

Bisignano has said the technological improvements are expected to save the equivalent of 2,500 full-time work hours, while the agency has begun hiring for roughly 1,000 new positions.

Even so, employees and union representatives say the departure of approximately 7,800 workers has left offices across the country struggling to keep up with demand.

“The look on everybody’s face is they’re beat down, they are demoralized, they’re tired,” Chris Delaney, a claims specialist and local union president representing Social Security workers in Hudson, New York, said.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, which represents employees in field offices, the vast majority of the agency’s roughly 1,200 local offices lost at least one-tenth of their staff during the workforce reductions.

To compensate for staffing shortages, the agency has reassigned thousands of employees to help answer calls on its national 800-number. Internal figures show that as of July 6, about 1,500 field office employees had been assigned to phone duty, while approximately 2,500 workers had been reassigned across the agency.

Officials say those staffing changes, along with upgrades to the telephone system, have significantly improved response times. Agency data show that the average wait to reach a representative dropped from 11 minutes a year ago to five minutes in May. However, callers who opt for a callback are recorded as having no wait time, and the agency no longer publicly reports the average length of time required for callbacks.

“I’d like to make this more complicated, but it’s not. It’s putting people where the work is,” Bisignano told lawmakers during a congressional hearing last month. “It’s building technology in a modern-day fashion.”

Employees, however, say the improvements in phone service have come at the expense of other critical functions.

Agency data indicate that as of July 6, only 64.6% of appointments for initial benefit claims were scheduled within 30 days, down from 78.1% during the same period last year. In some parts of the country, that figure recently fell below 45%.

Union officials argue that shifting field office staff to phone duty reduces the time available to meet with beneficiaries in person and slows the processing of claims.

“It’s extremely disruptive to the workloads,” Jeremy Maske, a union president representing frontline employees in Iowa and Nebraska, said. “If you’re assigned to the 800 number once a week, that’s taking a fifth of your time to answer those phones.”

Bisignano has highlighted other areas where he says the agency has made progress, including shorter wait times for customers with appointments, smaller claims backlogs, and faster processing of disability benefit applications.

The Social Security Administration is also testing a nationwide appointment scheduling system that would replace the current local office scheduling process. At the same time, officials have expanded online services, including the ability to request replacement Social Security cards electronically, while pledging to keep field offices open and continue offering assistance in person, by phone, and online.

Advocates for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and low-income Americans warn that reducing staff while relying more heavily on automation could create additional obstacles for beneficiaries with complicated cases.

“You can’t lose that many people in that haphazard of a manner without an impact on services,” Devin O’Connor, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said. “The question is where or when the harm will be felt.”

{Matzav.com}