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A House amendment to end aid to Israel sharply divided the Democratic caucus on Wednesday with less than half of Democrats voting to continue annual military funding to the Jewish State.

Only 93 of the 212 Democratic lawmakers in the House voted to oppose the amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to end $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel.

The amendment failed 104-314, with 103 Democrats voting to end aid to Israel and 10 voting “present.” Massie was the lone Republican to vote in favor of the measure, with 215 Republicans opposed.

Debate on the amendment before the vote largely pitted Democrats against one another, with pro-Israel Democrats accusing their colleagues, who intended to vote in favor of the amendment, of endangering U.S. national security and the lives of Israeli civilians.

“This amendment would embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel and those who seek the death of Jews,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “It is a vote to weaken our ability to engage in the region and it’s a vote against American security, against American interests and against American safety.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and said that Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu had taken Israel “down an ugly path.”

“Israel does not need and quite honestly does not deserve more American money for weapons,” Castro said. “Do not reward a wrongdoer.”

Support for Israel has rapidly become one of the biggest fault lines in Democratic politics, as pro-Israel incumbents have lost a string of primary elections to anti-Israel challengers.

Democrats who voted in favor of the amendment to cut off Israel aid included 15 congressmen who are endorsed by AIPAC as “pro-Israel” candidates or thanked by the pro-Israel group on their endorsement page, including former House speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

One of those endorsees, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), said after the vote that he was rejecting AIPAC’s endorsement and returning its donations to his campaign.

“I expect groups like AIPAC will not support me in my future elections and frankly, I don’t want their support,” Ryan wrote. “Hardline stances that refuse to stand up to a corrupt and increasingly dangerous Netanyahu regime have no place in our politics.”

Two other AIPAC endorsees, Reps. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) and Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) voted “present” on the amendment.

Other pro-Israel groups that had endorsees who voted to cut off Israel aid included Democratic Majority for Israel and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. (JNS sought comment from AIPAC, DMFI and JDCA.)

Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, stated that the group “applauds House Republicans for unanimously defeating Thomas Massie’s reckless effort to strip all American aid to Israel from the State Department funding bill.”

Under the “strong leadership” of U.S. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), “America has Israel’s back,” Brooks stated. “Today, the GOP-led House of Representatives proved it.”

Brooks said that Massie is “a voice of one in the Republican Party” and a “lame duck outlier.”

“The Republican majority left no doubt about where our party stands: resolutely with the Jewish state,” he said. “The contrast could not be clearer. In today’s Democratic Party, vociferous hostility to Israel is not the fringe. It is their future.”

“Democrats’ primaries are sending it to Congress, their leaders are indulging it and their base is demanding it,” he added. “Today’s Democratic Party is being shaped in the image of the worst, most radicalized elements of its anti-Israel base, and the Squad’s Hamas caucus is leading the way. Today’s vote reaffirms the longstanding commitment of Republicans to stand unwaveringly with Israel through thick and thin.”

The vote divided Democratic leadership even after Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to colleagues on Tuesday explaining his reasons for voting “no” on the measure. Jeffries said in the letter that he would not whip the vote given the “strongly held views” among Democrats on Israel.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), both of whom are endorsed by AIPAC, voted in favor of the amendment, while Jeffries and the two other members of the Democratic leadership team, Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), voted to oppose it.

Massie argued in the debate that he was opposed to all foreign aid, not just aid to Israel, but his subsequent amendment to cut off aid to Jordan revealed the extent to which the Jewish state has become a particular focus of ire among House Democrats.

That amendment failed 421-6, with not a single Democrat voting to cut off military aid to the Arab kingdom. JNS

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yosef Rabinowitz zt”l, the longtime mara d’asra of Khal Zichron Aryeh Leib in Flatbush, Brooklyn, who was niftar after decades of distinguished harbotzas haTorah and tireless service to his kehillah.

Rav Rabinowitz served as the rov of Khal Zichron Aryeh Leib for more than 40 years, earning the deep respect and affection of generations of mispallelim through his dedication, warmth, and steadfast hanhogah.

Rav Rabinowitz pursued his formative years of learning at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, where he became one of the devoted talmidim of the legendary rosh yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l. The profound influence of his rebbi and the other illustrious rabbeim at Chaim Berlin remained with him throughout his life, shaping both his worldview and his approach to Torah, avodah, and communal leadership. Those who knew him often remarked that he carried the distinctive spirit and ideals of Chaim Berlin wherever he went, remaining deeply connected to the yeshivah and its enduring legacy.

When he assumed the rabbonus of Khal Zichron Aryeh Leib, Rav Rabinowitz devoted himself wholeheartedly to the spiritual growth and well-being of his kehillah. For more than four decades, he served not merely as the rov of the kehillah, but as its guiding heart and soul. He was available at all hours to answer shailos, offer counsel, provide chizuk during difficult times, and share in the simchos of his mispallelim. His door was always open, and countless individuals benefited from his chochmah and compassion.

His rabbonus was characterized by genuine personal concern for every member of the kehillah. Whether delivering shiurim or providing practical guidance, he approached every interaction with sincerity and humility.

Throughout his life, Rav Rabinowitz remained deeply committed to harbotzas haTorah. An outstanding talmid chochom himself, he encouraged his mispallelim to engage in serious Torah learning and inspired others through his own hasmadah and ahavas haTorah.

The levayah was held today in Flatbush, after which kevurah took place at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.

Rav Rabinowitz is survived by his devoted rebbetzin, together with a distinguished family of children and grandchildren who continue to walk in his path of Torah, yiras Shamayim, and dedication to Klal Yisroel.

A Gerer yeshiva bochur studying at Yeshivas Sfas Emes was arrested Wednesday at an Israeli military draft office and immediately sentenced to 20 days in military prison after being classified by the IDF as a draft evader, despite having reportedly appeared at the enlistment office three separate times in an effort to regularize his status.

The arrest has sparked outrage within the Gerer community, where officials insist the young man made every effort to comply with the military’s instructions and that bureaucratic delays at the draft offices ultimately led to his imprisonment.

According to sources in Ger, the bochur‘s original reporting date was Monday. He arrived that day, but mistakenly went to the draft office in Yerushalayim instead of the office in Haifa, where he had been instructed to report.

Personnel in Yerushalayim directed him to the Haifa office, but by the time he arrived there, the office was preparing to close. He was instructed to return the following day.

The bochur returned to the Haifa draft office on Tuesday as instructed. However, according to those close to him, his case was not processed, and he was again told to return on Wednesday.

When he appeared for the third consecutive day on Wednesday morning, military officials informed him that because two days had passed since his original reporting date on Monday, he was now officially classified as absent without authorization and therefore considered a draft evader.

He was immediately tried by military authorities and sentenced to 20 days in military prison.

Officials in Ger contend that the imprisonment resulted solely from delays and repeated runarounds at the draft offices, arguing that the young man consistently followed every instruction he was given and genuinely sought to resolve his status.

The case is the latest in a growing series of arrests involving bnei yeshiva in recent days and has intensified criticism within the Chareidi community regarding the military’s handling of draft matters.

Just one day earlier, another ben yeshiva—a grandson of the Ziditchov Rebbe—was arrested after reporting to a draft office to address his status and was likewise classified as a draft evader, an incident that generated widespread outrage throughout the Chareidi community.

Community leaders say the military and defense establishment continue to demonstrate a lack of sensitivity to the unique realities of the Chareidi public.

“When an ordinary yeshiva bochur is arrested, localized protests immediately break out,” community sources said. “But when the person arrested is the grandson of an Admor or a chassid from a well-known family, the situation changes entirely and the public reaction becomes much more intense.”

Many within the Chareidi community now fear that the recent arrests could trigger widespread demonstrations, particularly because several of those detained were young men who, according to their supporters, were acting in good faith to regularize their status but instead became caught in bureaucratic delays.

The latest arrest also comes just a day after the Knesset approved legislation temporarily freezing the arrest of yeshiva bochurim over draft-related issues. That law, however, has since been suspended by an interim order issued by Israel’s High Court of Justice, leaving thousands of bnei yeshiva in continued legal uncertainty.

Yerushalayim Affairs and Jewish Heritage Minister Meir Porush delivered a fiery address in the Knesset on Wednesday, launching a blistering attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Israel’s High Court of Justice during debate over legislation redefining the powers of the attorney general. In an emotional speech, Porush accused the legal establishment of waging a campaign against Torah learners, likened its actions to those of Haman in the Purim story, and vowed that the Chareidi community would no longer submit to what it views as judicial persecution.

Taking the podium during the heated Knesset debate on the Attorney General Law, which addresses legal opinions, government representation, and oversight, Porush sharply criticized both the attorney general’s conduct and recent High Court rulings concerning the military draft of yeshiva bochurim and the funding of Torah institutions.

Addressing Baharav-Miara directly, Porush accused her of pushing the country toward an irreparable national divide through her legal policies on matters of religion and state.

Recalling the bill’s preliminary reading more than six months ago during the Purim season, Porush drew on imagery from Megillas Esther to compare the current political struggle to the biblical confrontation between Mordechai and Haman.

“You, Attorney General, are leading the country toward civil war,” he declared. “You are leading the nation toward an irreparable rift. When this bill passed its preliminary reading—the same bill we are debating today—during Purim more than half a year ago, I said: In Megillas Esther it is written, ‘If you have begun to fall before him, you shall surely fall,’ and I added, ‘Attorney Miara—you shall surely fall.’ Many members of this Knesset answered me then with ‘Amen,’ and today, together with the government, we are bringing that ‘Amen’ to fruition.”

Porush escalated his rhetoric by directly comparing the actions of the Attorney General’s Office and the High Court to those of Haman, accusing them of attempting to destroy the Torah world through legal rulings and financial sanctions.

“Just moments earlier in the Megillah it says, ‘If Mordechai is of the seed of the Jews…’ And today I stand here and say to everyone who thinks they can persecute Torah students—whether in the Attorney General’s Office or in the High Court—you, intoxicated by your own power, are behaving like Haman. Other than hanging Torah learners on the gallows, you have already done almost everything. But power does not last forever. ‘If Mordechai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the seed of the Jews, you will not prevail against him, but you shall surely fall before him,’” Porush proclaimed from the Knesset podium.

The minister went on to review Jewish history, arguing that every empire, ruler, and regime that sought to eradicate Torah and its students ultimately disappeared, while the Jewish people endured.

“Jewish history is filled with empires, rulers, tyrants, and officials consumed by delusions of grandeur who tried to uproot the Torah, restrict those who study it, and impose a foreign culture upon us. Where are they today? Buried beneath the dust of history. And where are we? Growing stronger! ‘The Eternity of Israel does not lie,’” he said to applause from members of his faction.

Concluding his speech, Porush declared that the Chareidi public would no longer bow to judicial decisions that, in its view, undermine the Torah world. He argued that the legislation represents the beginning of restoring authority from unelected legal officials to Israel’s elected representatives.

“The legal bureaucracy, sitting in its ivory tower, has become accustomed to believing it is the true ruler of the State—that it can issue decrees, freeze funding, turn kollel avreichim into criminals, and expect us to bow our heads. Those days are over. Today we are restoring authority to the people and to their elected representatives, and just as importantly, we are placing a bright stop sign in front of this anti-Jewish campaign of persecution,” Porush concluded.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is openly questioning Sen. Mitch McConnell’s extended absence from Congress, saying she cannot understand how such a lengthy disappearance by an elected official is being treated as routine.

Speaking with a reporter outside the U.S. Capitol, Ocasio-Cortez expressed disbelief over McConnell’s continued absence from the Senate.

“I mean, this is — I don’t even know how this is legal. I really don’t even know how this is legal at this point. And it — I just find it shocking,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And how is everyone pretending this is normal? This is not normal. This is not normal, at all.”

The New York Democrat also referenced the extended absence of another Republican lawmaker, widely understood to be Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey, though she did not mention him by name.

“First of all, how is it that we have sitting elected members of Congress going missing for months at a time when, especially right now when the margin — margin in the Senate are razor-thin, the margins in the House are razor-thin,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Every single person’s absence here has country-altering implications.”

While acknowledging that lawmakers can face legitimate medical issues, she argued that there comes a point when prolonged absences become unacceptable.

“There’s a line here, and I think almost everyone can agree that it’s been crossed.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks come after weeks of questions surrounding McConnell’s health and whereabouts following his hospitalization on June 14.

McConnell, 84, has not cast a vote in the Senate for more than a month. On Sunday, he addressed the speculation by releasing a statement accompanied by a photograph of himself in the hospital with his wife.

In the statement, McConnell said his absence stemmed from injuries suffered in a fall, as well as a mild case of pneumonia.

“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet,” he wrote in a Sunday statement shared with The Hill.

Despite that explanation, questions have continued to circulate regarding his condition.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., fueled some of that speculation on Monday when he questioned how recently the hospital photograph had been taken, though he later walked back those comments.

McConnell’s prolonged hospitalization, combined with the recent death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has complicated President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, particularly efforts to advance a $1.5 trillion defense spending package.

As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, McConnell oversees legislation involving Pentagon funding. Without his vote, Republicans could face an uphill battle in passing the defense package unless they secure support from Democratic senators.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump threw his full support behind MyPillow founder Mike Lindell on Wednesday, issuing a glowing endorsement of his campaign for governor of Minnesota and urging voters to send the longtime ally to the governor’s mansion.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump praised Lindell while sharply criticizing outgoing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

“Mike Lindell, the “Pillow Man,” and one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots, is running to be GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA, replacing one of the worst and most incompetent governors in the history of the U.S.A.,” Trump wrote.

Lindell entered the gubernatorial race last December, becoming one of several Republican candidates seeking to succeed Walz. The Democratic governor, who had initially sought a third term, withdrew from the race in January after facing intense scrutiny over a massive fraud scandal in Minnesota.

According to prosecutors, as much as $9 billion was allegedly stolen by multiple organizations that claimed to provide meals for needy children and other services reimbursed through state agencies.

Trump has repeatedly clashed with Walz over the alleged fraud, as well as over immigration enforcement and the administration’s policies regarding the conflict with Iran.

In his endorsement, Trump said Lindell is the candidate capable of reversing the state’s decline.

“He can do it! Nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity,” Trump wrote. “He truly deserves everything he gets – He will MAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

Trump concluded his endorsement by declaring, “MIKE LINDELL HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. Good Luck Mike!!!”

Lindell’s campaign comes only months after a federal judge ruled that he had defamed Smartmatic by making false statements alleging that the company’s voting machines helped rig the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump has continued to maintain that the 2020 election was illegitimate, despite courts and election officials finding no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to change the outcome. He is expected to deliver a primetime address Thursday focused on election integrity.

Minnesota voters will head to the polls for the state’s primary election on Aug. 11. On the Democratic side, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is widely viewed as the leading contender heading into the November general election.

Last month, Lindell announced that retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Parish will be his running mate for lieutenant governor if he is elected. Parish, a former intelligence officer, withdrew his own gubernatorial campaign to join Lindell’s ticket.

{Matzav.com}