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A new public opinion poll released over the weekend indicates that a majority of Israelis would prefer the next government be formed without the participation of the chareidi parties. The survey also found that former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is viewed as the country’s most credible political leader, while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received significantly lower marks for trustworthiness.

The survey, conducted by Mano Geva in cooperation with the Midgam Institute and iPanel for Channel 12 News, measured public perceptions of Israel’s leading political figures as well as voter preferences regarding the composition of the next governing coalition.

According to the findings, 54% of respondents rated Eisenkot’s credibility as good overall, while only 29% gave him a negative rating. The results place the former IDF chief at the top of the political field in terms of perceived reliability, a potentially significant advantage as Israel moves closer to elections.

Netanyahu, by contrast, received considerably weaker ratings. Sixty percent of those surveyed said the prime minister’s credibility is poor, while only 38% gave him a positive rating. The findings reflect continuing public skepticism amid Israel’s prolonged political and legal battles.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also received mixed reviews. Fifty-three percent of respondents rated his credibility negatively, compared to 41% who viewed him favorably. The poll comes as Bennett recently attended the prestigious Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, while his political party, Beyachad, continues to decline in public opinion surveys.

The survey also examined potential coalition scenarios following the next election.

A majority of respondents—53%—said they oppose the formation of a government that depends on the support or outside backing of the Ra’am party, led by Mansour Abbas. Only 31% expressed support for such an arrangement, suggesting continued public resistance to relying on the Arab party in a governing coalition.

Perhaps the most striking finding concerned the role of the chareidi parties. According to the poll, 61% of Israelis said they would prefer that the next government not include chareidi parties, while only 27% favored including them in the governing coalition.

The results reflect heightened public tensions surrounding the chareidi parties in the wake of ongoing disputes over military conscription, government funding, and legislation affecting the chareidi community.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is pushing a dramatic overhaul of Likud’s candidate selection process ahead of the next election, seeking to secure broad authority to shape the party’s Knesset list through reserved slots and a selection committee—a move that has triggered growing resistance from incumbent lawmakers who fear for their political futures.

The Likud Constitution Committee, headed by Minister Chaim Katz, is scheduled to convene Sunday evening to make a final decision on how the party’s Knesset slate will be chosen and to approve the rules governing the upcoming primaries.

Netanyahu has already canceled his participation in the committee’s meetings three separate times, reportedly to postpone the sensitive discussions while the Knesset remained in session. According to party insiders, the delays were intended to prevent internal tensions from spilling over into coalition politics during the legislature’s final week before the election campaign.

If approved by the committee, the proposal will move to the Likud Convention, where approximately 5,000 delegates will cast secret ballots at 15 polling stations across the country to decide whether to adopt the changes. The vote comes despite an unusual warning from the party’s internal comptroller, attorney Shay Galili, who cautioned that canceling or significantly limiting the primary system could expose the party to serious legal challenges.

Two competing proposals are currently under discussion, both of which would significantly strengthen Netanyahu’s control over the composition of the party’s list.

Under Netanyahu’s preferred plan, the prime minister would receive the authority to reserve between 10 and 11 personal slots on the list, including four positions within the top ten. The goal, according to sources, is to reshape the parliamentary faction by replacing some current lawmakers with candidates viewed as stronger public representatives and closer to Netanyahu.

A second proposal, backed by several cabinet ministers, would establish a hybrid system. Under that model, a special selection committee would determine the placement of approximately 20 incumbent ministers and MKs, while primaries would be held only for district representatives. The practical effect would be that the first 30 positions on the Likud list would largely be determined in advance.

To ease opposition within the party, officials are also considering placing representatives from three districts—the Negev, Shfelah, and Dan/Tel Aviv regions—within the top 30 positions. Another proposal would amend party rules to allow incumbent MKs to compete in district slots that are currently reserved exclusively for new candidates.

Although both plans would benefit Netanyahu politically, they have alarmed many sitting Likud lawmakers. Unlike a traditional primary, in which incumbents compete for numerous realistic positions, both proposals would sharply reduce the number of available spots. Those not selected through Netanyahu’s reserved appointments or by the proposed committee would be forced to compete for the limited district positions.

According to party sources, Netanyahu’s broader objective is to substantially reshape the Likud faction by replacing several current ministers and MKs in an effort to improve the party’s public image and present a refreshed slate to voters.

Against the backdrop of concerns over the next election, Netanyahu is reportedly seeking to replace outspoken figures such as Tally Gotliv, Dudi Amsalem, Idit Silman, May Golan, and Shlomo Karhi with candidates viewed as more broadly representative.

At the same time, he hopes to bring prominent new figures into the party’s top ranks, including Local Government Center chairman Chaim Bibas. Another name reportedly being considered for a reserved slot is Tally Guaily, the mother of fallen hostage Ran Guaily, z”l.

One senior party source described the emerging structure by saying, “There is a display window, there is a store, and there is a warehouse.”

Creating a selection committee would also provide Netanyahu with a political advantage by allowing the committee—not the prime minister personally—to make many of the controversial decisions regarding candidate placement. If the proposal is adopted, Kiryat Motzkin Mayor Tzvika Brot is expected to chair the committee, alongside several influential Likud mayors, including Chaim Bibas, Ronen Plot, Beni Biton, Yaakov Peretz, and Shay Hajaj.

Among those posing the greatest challenge to Netanyahu’s plans is MK Tally Gotliv, whose popularity among the party’s grassroots members has made efforts to sideline her particularly difficult.

“If I weren’t here, you wouldn’t be in the Knesset,” Gotliv declared. “Everyone would vote for Ben Gvir.”

Although efforts to push her aside continue, senior party officials acknowledge that her strong support among Likud activists could make such a move difficult.

Gotliv has also escalated her opposition by warning that she may not seek reelection on the Likud ticket if the party abandons traditional primaries.

“If there are no primaries, I’ll consider not running with Likud,” Gotliv told Walla. “Likud is a party of voters. It’s a democratic party. The smart, right-wing voters are the ones who decide. The fact that some people are afraid of receiving a low ranking in the primaries is not a reason to cancel the primaries.”

Pressure inside the party continues to mount. Roughly 60 candidates—including 43 sitting ministers and MKs—are expected to compete for only about 20 realistic positions on the next Likud slate.

In an effort to ease concerns among incumbents, Netanyahu has reportedly promised an expanded version of the so-called Norwegian Law, under which ministers resign their Knesset seats, allowing additional Likud candidates lower on the list to enter parliament. However, that proposal would only take effect if Likud succeeds in forming the next government.

Meanwhile, political maneuvering is also intensifying across the broader political landscape. Coalition and opposition parties remain deadlocked over election procedures, including disputes over relocating polling stations away from nursing homes.

In the opposition, MK Chili Tropper is expected to join Gadi Eisenkot’s emerging political list, although Eisenkot has indicated he intends to accept only a limited number of candidates. Benny Gantz’s camp, meanwhile, continues to face uncertainty, with associates reportedly saying they are “selling an option, not a party,” as current polls show the faction failing to clear the electoral threshold.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the Republican Party’s most influential voices on national security and one of Israel’s staunchest allies in Congress, died tonight after a brief illness, his office announced. He was 71.

According to a statement released by his office, Graham passed away on Motzoei Shabbos “from a brief and sudden illness.”

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement continued.

A Republican from South Carolina, Graham had served in the U.S. Senate since 2003 after four terms in the House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, he served in the U.S. Air Force and later in the Air Force Reserve, while also practicing law and serving in the South Carolina legislature.

Over more than two decades in the Senate, he became one of the chamber’s most recognizable figures, chairing several major committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee and, most recently, the Senate Budget Committee.

Graham was in the midst of campaigning for a fifth six-year Senate term and had recently secured the Republican nomination for reelection.

Throughout his career, Graham emerged as one of Congress’ strongest defenders of Israel. He was a frequent visitor to the Jewish state, consistently advocated for robust American military assistance, backed sanctions against Iran, and repeatedly argued that Israel had both the right and obligation to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations.

Following the October 7 massacre, Graham became one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters on Capitol Hill, urging decisive military action against Hamas and pressing the Biden administration—and later the Trump administration—to maintain unwavering support for Israel’s security.

Although he was at times a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Graham later became one of Trump’s closest political allies in the Senate. The two developed a strong working relationship, particularly on judicial appointments, immigration, foreign policy, and defense issues.

Emergency responders were dispatched to Graham’s Capitol Hill residence tonight after receiving a report of a person in cardiac arrest, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News. Photographs reviewed by NBC News showed paramedics removing an individual from the home on a stretcher before transporting the person by ambulance. Police and fire department vehicles also responded to the scene.

Just one day before his death, Graham had returned from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his continued involvement in U.S. foreign policy and support for Ukraine.

A large-scale search operation is underway in Beit Shemesh after a local resident disappeared on Shabbos morning, prompting growing concern among family members and emergency responders.

ZAKA’s emergency hotline received a report shortly before midnight on Motzoei Shabbos that the man, a resident of Beit Shemesh, had last been seen on Shabbos morning in the Ramat Beit Shemesh D neighborhood and had not returned.

Immediately after receiving the report, ZAKA’s Missing Persons Unit in Beit Shemesh established a field command center to coordinate an extensive search effort throughout the area.

Searches are being conducted in close cooperation with emergency services and security agencies, with volunteers working to locate the missing man as quickly and safely as possible. Members of ZAKA’s Missing Persons Unit are combing the area using advanced technological equipment while gathering and analyzing information from every available source.

Avremi Kapp, commander of ZAKA Beit Shemesh, said, “Immediately upon receiving the report, we established a command center in the field and began directing the search operation from there. Volunteers from ZAKA’s Missing Persons Unit are searching the area, gathering information, and utilizing every resource at their disposal to locate the missing individual as quickly as possible. We hope to share good news soon.”

Authorities have not yet released additional details regarding the circumstances surrounding the disappearance as search efforts continue.

{Matzav.com}

A dispute over a café that recently began operating on Shabbos escalated into violent confrontations in Yerushalayim on Shabbos, as protesters blocked roads, police intervened to restore order, and a minor was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

The latest unrest highlights the growing tensions between the city’s chareidi and secular communities over the public character of Shabbos.

The controversy centers on Café “Basimta,” located in a neighborhood with both chareidi and secular residents. After the café began opening on Shabbos several weeks ago, local chareidi residents launched protests, arguing that the move constitutes a public desecration of Shabbos. The dispute has since evolved into a broader political and ideological battle over the city’s identity.

The demonstrations first began about a month ago, when area residents discovered that the café was operating on Shabbos. Videos of the protests quickly spread on social media, along with the café’s exact location, drawing increasing attention and prompting repeated police deployments to prevent physical confrontations.

On Shabbos, Yerushalayim City Council member Tzachi Brim joined the protest together with a number of young demonstrators.

According to Yerushalayim District Police, protesters placed objects in the roadway, blocked traffic, and endangered public safety by refusing to clear the streets.

Police officers on the scene ordered the demonstrators to disperse and reopen the roads. When they refused, Border Police officers and members of the Lev Habirah police station moved in to clear the area and restore traffic.

The confrontation intensified during the evacuation of the protesters when, according to police, one of the demonstrators—a minor—allegedly assaulted a police officer. He was arrested at the scene and taken in for questioning.

Police emphasized that while they are committed to protecting the right to lawful protest and freedom of expression, they will continue taking firm action against anyone who disrupts public order or assaults officers carrying out their duties.

The dispute has also moved beyond the streets into City Hall, where chareidi and secular council members have taken opposing positions. Chareidi representatives are exploring legal and regulatory avenues to shut down the café and preserve the city’s Shabbos character, while secular officials argue that the business is exercising its legal right to operate and that residents are entitled to freedom of choice.

The controversy comes amid broader tensions in Yerushalayim over Shabbos observance. Last week, sharply worded posters appeared throughout the city criticizing the chareidi parties for supporting Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s media reform plan, linking the issue to the broader struggle over the city’s public character.

Tensions reached another peak this past Shabbos, when long lines of customers formed outside the café. Many patrons said they were intentionally visiting the establishment as a statement in support of personal freedom, while chareidi demonstrators gathered nearby to protest the public desecration of Shabbos.

Police deployed large forces to separate the two groups, preventing protesters from reaching the entrance to the café. Although shouting matches broke out and emotions ran high, authorities succeeded in preventing major physical clashes.

The unrest follows other recent Shabbos-related demonstrations in Yerushalayim, including protests near Bar-Ilan Street over light rail construction work that led to confrontations between demonstrators and police.

Meanwhile, chareidi city council members continue examining legal options to close the café, while secular activists are organizing efforts to defend its right to remain open. Police say they will maintain an increased presence in the coming weeks in an effort to prevent further violence.

{Matzav.com}

A heated debate over Israel’s draft law, the arrests of bnei Torah, and the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study erupted on the “Black Kippahs” program, with lawmakers, journalists, and legal experts clashing over the future of military service and the changing demographics of Israeli society.

Likud MK Osher Shekalim launched a blistering attack on Israel’s judicial system and the opposition, arguing that the recent arrests of draft evaders have only discouraged enlistment.

“The moment these arrests began, all motivation to enlist disappeared,” Shekalim said. “This is purely political. The attorney general is a full-fledged political player who identified a weak point and is trying to create chaos in order to bring down the government. The Left has no interest whatsoever in drafting chareidim. MK Shiri is simply lying and misleading the public.”

Attorney Hadad, who represents draft evaders, echoed that criticism and argued that the military itself has failed to live up to its commitments.

“The army isn’t really interested in chareidim and does not keep its promises,” he said. “The only real solution is to establish a professional army.”

During the discussion, journalist Israel Izikovich presented demographic data showing that, over the past three years, the majority of Jewish children entering first grade have come from the religious and chareidi sectors. He argued that within less than a decade, they will constitute the majority of Israel’s military-age population.

“We’re entering a new era,” Izikovich said. “You are becoming the minority, while we are becoming the majority. The army will have no choice but to change and adapt itself to us.”

His remarks drew a sharp response from MK Naor Shiri of Yesh Atid, who dismissed the argument and criticized the coalition’s approach.

“This is complete fantasy,” Shiri said. “As if, before these arrests, thousands of chareidim were lining up outside the induction center just waiting for someone to let them in. Why should we serve if you don’t?”

Shiri concluded with a stark warning about Israel’s future if current trends continue.

“Sorry for the lack of optimism, but the country you’re describing simply has no future in 20 years,” he said. “There won’t be an army, there won’t be an economy, and the country will once again fall apart. The Jewish people have already experienced destruction twice in history—so good luck with the third one.”