Feed aggregator

During a speech celebrating the passage of his tax-cut and spending plan, President Donald Trump came under fire for using the term “Shylock” while talking about certain bankers — a word widely recognized as antisemitic.

“Think of that: No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people,” Trump remarked while speaking at an event in Iowa late Thursday.

The term “Shylock” originates from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, where the character is a greedy Jewish moneylender. Over the centuries, the name became synonymous with predatory lending and has been broadly criticized as an antisemitic slur.

In response, the Anti-Defamation League condemned Trump’s comments in strong terms. “The term ‘Shylock’ evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous,” the ADL said. “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.”

Representative Dan Goldman of New York, who is Jewish and a member of the Democratic Party, reacted forcefully, stating, “This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.”

When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One about the term and whether he understood its implications, Trump claimed ignorance. “No, I’ve never heard it that way. To be Shylock is somebody that, say, a money lender at high rates,” he said. “I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A medical emergency in Sullivan County this morning underscored the critical work of Hatzolah’s volunteer responders and the trust they have earned across the community. On Friday morning, a woman flagged down a Hatzolah volunteer after another woman nearby began feeling faint. The volunteer quickly began medical care and called for additional assistance, including an ambulance and paramedics. While a paramedic was still responding from about a mile away, a bystander stopped Monticello Police Chief David Lindsay, who happened to be waiting at a traffic light, to complain about emergency vehicles using lights and sirens. “Why are these people always driving around with lights and sirens? It’s just noise for fun. Why are we allowing this?” the bystander asked, referring to Hatzolah. Chief Lindsay later described his calm response to the woman. “In my experience, Hatzolah responds to thousands of real emergencies in Sullivan County every year,” he said. “With the most up-to-date equipment and technology, I know they’re for real.” Lindsay followed the paramedic to the emergency scene out of concern, and said what he saw confirmed Hatzolah’s professionalism. “When I arrived,” he explained, “I saw a patient — a non-Jewish woman — being treated with the utmost dignity and professionalism by Hatzolah volunteers. This was clearly not a game. This was lifesaving work.” He added that if he encountered the same bystander again, he would share what he saw: “Hatzolah is out here saving lives, and they do it for everyone, not just their own.” Hatzolah noted that its members respond to people of all backgrounds, 24/7, whether on holidays, weekends, or in the middle of the night. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A gas station explosion early on Friday in southeastern Rome injured at least 25 people including nine police officers and a firefighter, local authorities and rescuers said. The explosion was heard across the Italian capital shortly after 8 a.m. and sent up a huge cloud of dark smoke and fire that was visible from several areas of the city. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said local police and firefighters rushed to the area after receiving a report of a gas leak. Two explosions followed after they arrived, he added. Elisabetta Accardo, Rome’s police spokeswoman, said 16 residents were injured, including two who were in “severe conditions” and hospitalized at Rome’s Casilino hospital. “Nine of the injured are from law enforcement corps — police and carabinieri — and one is a firefighter,” she added. “But luckily they are not in life-threatening conditions.” Fifteen firefighting teams were at the site trying to bring the fire under control. Rome prosecutors began a probe into the cause of the explosion, which could be related to a previous gas leak during the unloading phase of liquified petroleum gas at the station. A sports center located near the gas station was evacuated swiftly by police following the first explosion, with several children brought to safety. Police said they checked the surrounding area for people who were injured or trapped in nearby buildings. Barbara Belardinelli said she and her daughter were slightly injured when they heard the first explosion and left their home to investigate before the next explosion struck them. “As soon as we heard the second explosion, we were also hit by a ball of fire. I thought that a car near us exploded, metal fragments were flying in the air,” she said. “We felt the fire on the skin, the arm of my daughter is still red, it was horrible.” Other residents interviewed by local media said the explosion was so loud and violent it struck nearby buildings “like an earthquake,” breaking windows and ripping off shutters. Pope Leo XIV said he was praying for those affected by the explosion, which happened “in the heart of my Diocese.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was closely following the developments. (AP)

Bright orange signs declaring restricted access—written in both English and Spanish—have begun to line the dry landscape of the New Mexico borderlands, where patches of tall grass and yucca break up fields of onions and arid ranches, all beneath the shadow of a towering border wall. These warnings, posted by the U.S. military, signal the creation of newly designated military zones, the AP reports.

Thousands of such signs now mark territory in New Mexico and western Texas, warning that entry is forbidden under the command of military leadership. This marks a dramatic escalation in the military’s involvement in border control efforts, granting military installations near the southern border sweeping oversight powers. Soldiers now have the authority to detain individuals crossing illegally—sidestepping traditional legal limits on military enforcement—under the justification of the border emergency declared by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

Federal officials argue that these military-enforced zones are a crucial tool for closing security loopholes and combating human trafficking and violent drug cartels that operate across the border.

The expansion of military oversight has sparked significant legal battles and drawn harsh criticism from civil liberties groups, migrant advocates, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Many object to being denied access to public lands while the military roams freely.

Abbey Carpenter, a volunteer involved in search-and-rescue missions for missing migrants, worries that restricted access in these scorching deserts could be costing lives. “Maybe there are more deaths, but we don’t know,” she said.

Currently, two such zones create a protective barrier across 230 miles of the border, beginning in Fort Hancock, Texas, stretching through El Paso, and continuing westward into the vast ranchlands of New Mexico.

Just last week, the Department of Defense announced an additional 250-mile buffer zone in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and revealed plans to establish another in the area near Yuma, Arizona. Altogether, these zones would span nearly one-third of the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than 7,600 military personnel are stationed to monitor these regions, drastically increasing the government’s physical presence in the borderlands.

Locals in Luna County, New Mexico—a region known for its strong emphasis on individual freedoms—have expressed mixed reactions to the new military presence. While many residents back measures to halt illegal trafficking, others worry about federal overreach.

“We as a family have always been very supportive of the mission, and very supportive of border security,” said James Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer supervising workers harvesting onions, who earn $22 per crate. He noted that previous military deployments acted as extra “eyes and ears,” but this time, he said, the government is “trying to give some teeth.”

Outdoor access advocates, however, are uneasy. Ray Trejo, who works with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and sits on the Luna County Commission, fears the implications for local traditions like hunting. “I don’t want to go down there with my hunting rifle and all of a sudden somebody rolls up on me and says that I’m in a military zone,” he said. “I don’t know if these folks have been taught to deescalate situations.”

Trejo, a retired ESL teacher, said that criminalizing people entering military areas feels morally wrong in a community built around immigrant labor. “If the Army, Border Patrol, law enforcement in general are detaining people for reasons of transporting, of human smuggling, I don’t have a problem,” he said. “But people are coming into our country to work, stepping now all of a sudden into a military zone, and they have no idea.”

According to Army spokeswoman Nicole Wieman, officials are in discussions about allowing controlled recreational access and ensuring continued rights to grazing and mining on private leases.

So far, over 1,400 migrants have been prosecuted for entering these military zones without authorization. The charge carries a potential 18-month sentence for first-time offenders, on top of a separate illegal entry charge that can add another six months in jail. Afterward, most are transferred to Customs and Border Protection for processing and likely removal. There have been no confirmed arrests of U.S. citizens under the policy.

At a federal court session in Las Cruces, New Mexico, migrants in jail-issued clothing and chains appeared before a judge to face charges. One 29-year-old woman from Guatemala, speaking through a Spanish interpreter, pleaded guilty to illegal entry. With insufficient proof for the trespassing charge, the judge dismissed it but sentenced her to two weeks in jail ahead of probable deportation. “She sells pottery, she’s a very simple woman with a sixth-grade education,” her public defender told the court. “She told me she’s going back and she’s going to stay there.”

Apprehensions by Border Patrol agents at the southern border have fallen to a six-decade low this year. In June, arrests were down 30% compared to the previous month. On June 28, only 137 people were taken into custody, a stark contrast to the record-setting daily totals—over 10,000—in late 2023.

The earliest of the military zones, established in April and May, span west of El Paso across industrial sites and grazing fields, reaching the outskirts of the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico, with its population of 1,450. The village has historic significance as the site of a deadly 1916 raid by Pancho Villa’s troops.

Today, Columbus is better known as a cross-border transit point for children with U.S. citizenship who live in nearby Mexican communities but attend school on the American side.

Columbus Mayor Philip Skinner, a Republican, said the impact so far has been minimal. “We’re kind of not tuned in to this national politics,” Skinner said, noting that military activity hasn’t disrupted daily life in town.

Military command for the zones is split between Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona. The strategy effectively avoids violating the Posse Comitatus Act, a law that bars the military from taking on civilian law enforcement roles on domestic soil.

Russell Johnson, who both ranches and previously served as a Border Patrol agent, said he supports the new military-controlled zones along the U.S.-Mexico boundary where his ranch abuts federal land. “We have seen absolutely almost everything imaginable that can happen on the border, and most of it’s bad,” he said, recounting wild vehicle chases and the discovery of deceased migrants on his land.

Back in April, Johnson said five armored military vehicles were stationed near a break in the border wall where construction had been halted at the beginning of President Biden’s term. But in recent weeks, he noted, the activity has waned. “The only thing that’s really changed is the little extra signage,” he said. “We’re not seeing the military presence out here like we kind of anticipated.”

Legal challenges are mounting against the military’s new oversight powers, especially in cases like that of a Mexican national arrested for passing through remote federally controlled land. Defense attorneys are arguing that the creation of these zones without congressional approval constitutes “a matter of staggering and unpreceded political significance.” A court decision has yet to be rendered.

While legal rulings on the constitutionality of the zones remain pending, court outcomes in trespassing cases have been mixed, with both guilty verdicts and acquittals rendered in different trials.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, the chief federal prosecutor in New Mexico, secured guilty verdicts in June against two immigrants who re-entered military zones after previously being warned. “There’s not going to be an issue as to whether or not they were on notice,” he said at a press briefing.

Rebecca Sheff, an attorney with the ACLU, criticized the government’s strategy, calling the military zones an experiment in harsher immigration enforcement. “To the extent the federal government has aspirations to establish a much more hostile military presence along the border, this is a vehicle that they’re pushing on to potentially do so…And that’s very concerning,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Voting in the World Zionist Organization elections in the United Kingdom officially opens this Sunday, July 6, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue through Thursday, July 10, at 6:00 p.m.

Registered voters are expected to receive their personalized voting links via email before the voting period begins. Participants are urged to check their spam and promotions folders if the email is not found in their inbox. Anyone who registered but has not received the link is instructed to contact the campaign via email at hkelections@eretzhakodesh.org.

The voting campaign has been bolstered by a heartfelt call to action from one of the gedolei hador, Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, rosh yeshiva of Gateshead. In a public message dated Wednesday of Parshas Chukas, Rav Gurwicz wrote: “One who begins a mitzvah—we tell him: complete it,” he stated. “Anyone who registered to vote in the World Zionist Organization elections must now follow through and vote for the Eretz HaKodesh slate in the coming week. For a mitzvah is only truly attributed to the one who completes it.”

An election flyer includes a handwritten letter from Rav Gurwicz, urging those who took the initial step of registration to finalize the mitzvah by casting their vote. He writes that those who registered and are now eligible must vote during the upcoming week.

{Matzav.com}

Over the last several days, IDF troops operating under the Southern Command, with support from the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence, successfully neutralized over 100 members of Hamas. Among those killed were high-ranking operatives, including Hakam Issa, who served as Hamas’s Head of Combat Assistance; Mohammad Al-Sheikh, who led operations for the Khan Younis Brigade; Issa Abbas, a platoon commander in the Zaytoun Battalion; and Mohammad Jarousha, who commanded a platoon in the Tzabara Battalion.

As part of renewed military efforts, Division 98, which re-engaged in ground operations this week, joined forces with Division 162 to carry out strikes on Hamas operatives affiliated with the Gaza Brigade in northern Gaza.

The Israeli Air Force has so far conducted airstrikes on more than 7,500 terror-linked sites throughout Gaza. These targets have included storage locations for weapons, rocket launch positions, tunnel networks, and members of various terror groups within the coastal enclave.

The IDF now maintains tactical dominance over roughly 65% of Gaza. “IDF and Shin Bet forces continue to operate in Gaza in line with the goals of the war, aiming to protect Israeli citizens, particularly those living in the Gaza envelope,” a statement said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump ’s big tax cut bill will overhaul a common food assistance program for lower-income people by forcing states to pick up some of the costs and requiring more people to work to receive benefits. The changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are projected to squeeze some people out of the program, which has existed for decades in varying forms as part of the nation’s social safety net. Here’s a look at the food assistance program, by the numbers: Year: 2008 The federal aid program formerly known as food stamps was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, on Oct. 1, 2008. The program provides monthly payments for food purchases to low-income residents generally earning less than $1,632 monthly for individuals, or $3,380 monthly for a household of four. The nation’s first experiment with food stamps began in 1939. The modern version of the program dates to 1979, when a change in federal law eliminated a requirement that participants purchase food stamps. There currently is no cost to people participating in the program. Number: 42 million More than 42 million people nationwide received SNAP benefits in March, the latest month for which figures are available. That’s roughly one out of every eight people in the country. Participation is down from a peak average of 47.6 million people during the 2013 federal fiscal year. Often, more than one person in a household is eligible for food aid. As of March, more than 22 million households were enrolled in SNAP, receiving an average monthly household benefit of $350. The money can be spent on most groceries, but the Trump administration recently approved requests by six states — Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah — to exclude certain items, such as soda or candy. Dollars: $186 billion Legislation approved by Congress is projected to cut $186 billion in federal spending from SNAP over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. More than one-third of those savings come from expanded work requirements for SNAP participants, which the CBO assumes would force some people off the rolls. Another third comes by shifting costs to states, which administer SNAP. Yet another provision in the legislation would cap the annual inflationary growth in food benefits, saving the federal government tens of billions of dollars by 2034. Ages: 14 and 55-64 To receive SNAP benefits, current law says adults ages 18 through 54 who are physically and mentally able and don’t have dependents, need to work, volunteer or participate in training programs for at least 80 hours a month. Those who don’t do so are limited to just three months of benefits in a three-year period. The legislation expands work requirements for those ages 55 through 64 and for parents without children younger than 14. It also repeals work exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults aging out of foster care. States could continue to seek federal waivers from SNAP work requirements in areas with unemployment over 10%. But the bill eliminates a more flexible exemption for areas without sufficient jobs. Percentage: 6% The federal government currently splits the administrative costs of SNAP with states but covers the full cost of food benefits. Under the legislation, states would have to cover three-fourths of the administrative costs, starting in the 2027 federal fiscal year. Some states, for the first time, also would have to […]

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, assesses President Donald Trump’s first six months, applauds passing of ‘big, beautiful bill’ and more on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’

WATCH:

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday put on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a “declaration of dissent” with its policies, accusing them of “unlawfully undermining” the Trump administration’s agenda. In a letter made public Monday, the employees wrote that the agency is no longer living up to its mission to protect human health and the environment. The letter represented rare public criticism from agency employees who knew they could face blowback for speaking out against a weakening of funding and federal support for climate, environmental and health science. In a statement Thursday, the EPA said it has a “zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting” the Trump administration’s agenda. Employees were notified that they had been placed in a “temporary, non-duty, paid status” for the next two weeks, pending an “administrative investigation,” according to a copy of the email obtained by The Associated Press. “It is important that you understand that this is not a disciplinary action,” the email read. More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation, according to Jeremy Berg, a former editor-in-chief of Science magazine who is not an EPA employee but was among non-EPA scientists or academics to also sign. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health made a similar move in June, when nearly 100 employees signed a declaration that assailed Trump administration “policies that undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources, and harm the health of Americans and people across the globe.” An additional 250 of their colleagues endorsed the declaration without using their names. But no one at NIH has been placed on administrative leave for signing the declaration and there has been no known retribution against them, Jenna Norton, a lead organizer of the statement, told AP on Thursday. Norton oversees health disparity research at the agency’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, in his confirmation hearings, had pledged openness to views that might conflict with his own, saying dissent is the “essence of science.” Under Administrator Lee Zeldin, EPA has cut funding for environmental improvements in minority communities, vowed to roll back federal regulations that lower air pollution in national parks and tribal reservations, wants to undo a ban on a type of asbestos and proposed repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Zeldin began reorganizing the EPA’s research and development office as part of his push to slash its budget and gut its study of climate change and environmental justice. And he’s seeking to roll back pollution rules that an AP examination found were estimated to save 30,000 lives and $275 billion every year. The EPA responded to the employees’ letter earlier this week by saying policy decisions “are a result of a process where Administrator Zeldin is briefed on the latest research and science by EPA’s career professionals, and the vast majority who are consummate professionals who take pride in the work this agency does day in and day out.” (AP)

Robert Reffkin, Compass co-founder and CEO, joins CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ to discuss the impact of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s primary win on real estate, solutions to the city’s affordability crisis, and more.

WATCH:

Russia unleashed a ferocious wave of aerial attacks against Ukraine on Friday, launching a barrage of drones and missiles in what Ukrainian officials say was the most extensive assault since the war began nearly three years ago. The strikes came shortly after President Trump voiced frustration over his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was “disappointed.”

Ukraine’s air force reported that a staggering 539 drones and 11 missiles were fired at the capital, Kyiv, over a span of seven hours. The assault injured at least 23 people and caused widespread destruction across the city, with numerous residential buildings and infrastructure damaged.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected to speak with Trump later on Friday regarding the ongoing conflict, denounced the onslaught as “deliberately massive and cynical.”

“Notably, the first air raid alerts in our cities and regions yesterday began to blare almost simultaneously with media reports discussing a phone call between President Trump and Putin,” Zelensky posted on X.

“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” he added, urging the international community to ramp up efforts to pressure Moscow into changing its “dumb, destructive behavior.”

As the drone and missile attack raged, loud explosions lit up the night sky and echoed across Kyiv. Sirens wailed through the streets, prompting people to flee to safety, including into metro stations, as seen in videos widely shared online.

According to city officials, the strikes caused destruction in six of the city’s ten districts. Approximately 40 apartment buildings were hit, along with passenger rail infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, cafes, and vehicles.

“What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,” wrote Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on X.

“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” added Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. “One of the worst so far.”

Russian strikes on Kyiv have intensified significantly in recent weeks, with several of the attacks being among the deadliest in the entire conflict.

The latest barrage followed Trump’s statement that his conversation with Putin the day before had produced no movement toward peace.

“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there,” Trump told reporters. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”

“I didn’t make any progress with him at all,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

The man charged with killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband on June 14, and wounding a state senator and his wife, said Thursday that he’s looking forward to the facts coming out about what happened that day. During a court appearance, Vance Boelter waived his right to full hearings on whether he should remain jailed without bail, and on probable cause, where the judge would determine whether the government has enough evidence to proceed with prosecuting the case. Thursday’s hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. “Your honor, I’m looking forward to court, and looking forward to the facts about the 14th coming out,” Boelter told Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko. Boelter affirmed that he knowingly waived his rights to the full hearings he was entitled. “That gets us to court faster, where the truth can come out.” A date for Boelter’s next court appearance has not been set. The acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, told reporters afterward that the next step is for a grand jury to return an indictment, which is due by mid-July and could include additional charges. Boelter would then return to court for an arraignment, which is when he’d be expected to enter a plea. Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, was wearing a standard two-piece yellow jail uniform with a yellow T-shirt underneath and orange slippers when federal marshals escorted him into court on Thursday. He appeared clean-shaven, except for a goatee. That contrasted with the green padded suicide prevention suit that an unshaven Boelter wore when he was brought into court last Friday. That hearing was put on hold until Thursday at the request of his federal defender, Manny Atwal, who said her client had been unable to sleep while on suicide watch due to harsh jail conditions, making it difficult for them to communicate. Boelter complained that he’s still being held in a cell where the lights are never out, “and I don’t know if it’s day or night.” But Micko said the conditions at the Sherburne County Jail are not up to him. Asked to comment on Boelter’s remarks about wanting the truth to come out, Thompson told reporters, “I think that’s what everyone wants.” Boelter faces separate cases in federal and state court on charges of murder and attempted murder, but the feds are using their power to go first. “This isn’t just a murder case,” Thompson said. “This is a political assassination.” Authorities say Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot to death in their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park in the early hours of June 14 by a man disguised as a police officer who was driving a fake squad car. Boelter also allegedly shot and seriously wounded state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, earlier that morning at their home in nearby Champlin. The Hoffmans are recovering, but Hortman’s golden retriever, Gilbert, was seriously injured and had to be euthanized. Boelter surrendered near his home the night of June 15 after what authorities called the largest search in Minnesota history, a hunt of around 40 hours. Neither Boelter nor his lawyer have publicly commented on the charges themselves, which could carry the federal death penalty. Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views. But prosecutors have […]

Palestinian Arab terror factions are anticipated to issue a formal reply later today to the current ceasefire offer, a source told the Saudi-based Al-Arabiya news channel. According to that insider, there appears to be strong alignment among the various groups around a short-term 60-day pause in fighting, which would serve as a window for discussions on a permanent resolution and the complete pullout of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The individual emphasized that all factions involved have, in principle, given their backing to an initial two-month truce.

That timeframe, they said, would be used to conduct further negotiations aimed at forging a longer-lasting arrangement, which would include halting the war altogether and removing IDF forces entirely from the territory.

The source also pointed out that the factions are unified in their view that a ceasefire is necessary in order to stabilize the internal situation in Gaza.

Still, the final word on whether to approve the deal rests with Hamas leadership. The source indicated that Hamas appears inclined to accept the proposal, although certain technical details remain unresolved.

Separately, Hamas representatives told the Saudi Alsharq channel that the group has shown signs of willingness to compromise on key security matters, including an openness to halting arms smuggling and even allowing some of its leaders to leave the area temporarily under a broader ceasefire framework.

Though the most recent conversations haven’t specifically touched on disarmament or banishment of top commanders, the sources noted that there is “flexibility” on the matter of weapons.

The group might also agree to the temporary and symbolic removal of a limited number of commanders, so long as it serves the goal of securing a broad and lasting ceasefire agreement.

The report also noted that both Arab and Western mediators have been engaged in talks with Hamas as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

{Matzav.com Israel}

A young soldier serving in Israel’s Armored Corps, Sergeant Asaf Zamir, 19, from Dimona, lost his life in the southern Gaza Strip after being struck by an anti-tank missile.

The same attack that claimed Sergeant Zamir’s life also left two members of the 53rd Battalion of the 188th Brigade with critical injuries.

Both injured soldiers were transported to the hospital for emergency care. The total number of fallen Israeli soldiers since the outbreak of the war now stands at 883.

Earlier in the day, authorities released the identity of another soldier who was killed in a separate incident: Sergeant Yair Eliyahou, 19, of Ezer, located in the Be’er Tuvia regional council.

Sergeant Eliyahou died during a military engineering operation in northern Gaza when one armored engineering vehicle plunged into a subterranean pit or cavity and collided with a nearby vehicle. Eliyahou was inside the second vehicle and was fatally wounded by the collision.

Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed grief at the loss of the two soldiers, paying tribute to Sergeant Yair Eliyahou, who served in the northern brigade as a combat engineer, and to Sergeant Asaf Zamir, a tank crewman with Battalion 53. He acknowledged their ultimate sacrifice in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Katz extended sympathies to the mourning families, prayed for the swift healing of those injured, and praised the troops for their valor: “Brave fighters who are acting with courage to return the hostages and defeat the Hamas murderers.”

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu also offered words of comfort to the families of the fallen.

“On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send heartfelt condolences,” Netanyahu stated. “The entire nation mourns the loss of our soldiers who fought heroically in the battle to defeat Hamas and free our hostages.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

It is big and it is beautiful, President Donald Trump says. But for many Democratic leaders, the tax break and spending cut package passed by Trump’s Republican allies in Congress on Thursday represents the key to the Democratic Party’s resurgence. Even before the final vote, Democratic officials were finalizing ambitious plans for rallies, voter registration drives, attack ads, bus tours and even a multiday vigil, all intended to highlight the most controversial elements of Trump’s “big beautiful” bill: deep cuts to the nation’s safety net that will leave nearly 12 million more people without health coverage and millions of others without food assistance, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In political battlegrounds across Alaska and Iowa, Pennsylvania and California, Democrats have begun to use the bill against Republicans. Democrats are promising that the Republican president’s domestic policy achievement to date will be the defining issue of every major election between now and next fall’s midterms. “One thing is abundantly clear: Republicans own this mess and it’s an albatross around their necks heading into the midterms,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told The Associated Press. “This is the least popular legislation in modern history, and the more voters learn about it, the more they hate it. That’s a clear directive for Democrats — we’re going to make sure every single voter knows who is responsible.” Even with early public opinion on their side, however, it’s far from certain that the legislation will be the political winner Democrats hope. The Democratic brand remains deeply unpopular, the party has no clear leader, its message is muddled and core elements of the Democratic base are frustrated and drifting. Some of the bill’s provisions will not take effect until after the 2026 election, so voters may not have felt the full impact by the time they vote. At the same time, it’s unclear how many voters are paying attention to the Washington-based debate. The Democratic super political action committee Priorities USA warned this week that Democrats must work harder if they want their message to break through. “We can’t just assume that because we’re angry that the voters that we need to communicate with are angry. Everyone needs to step up and realize the enormous challenge that’s in front of us,” executive director Danielle Butterfield said. “We’re nowhere near a good starting place.” The bill provides for $4.5 trillion in tax breaks that were enacted in Trump’s first term and would have expired if Congress failed to act. New breaks will allow workers to deduct tips and overtime pay. There are $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamps and a major rollback of green energy investments. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade. Democrats’ challenge on display Privately, some Democrats conceded that Republicans were smart to pass the bill on the eve of a holiday weekend when fewer voters would be paying attention. As some Democrats in Washington predicted a political backlash across America, the response was somewhat muted Thursday at a Democratic event in Iowa, barely 10 miles from the State Fairgrounds where Trump later drew thousands for an evening rally. An audience of roughly 100 people listened as local Democratic officials railed against the legislation and called on voters to oust Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, the local […]

With the Knesset’s summer session ticking toward its final weeks and the High Court’s deadline looming, the IDF announced its readiness to begin issuing 54,000 draft notices to eligible chareidi men starting next Tuesday, July 8.

However, military officials have encountered a significant logistical obstacle: there are currently not enough prison facilities to detain those who refuse to enlist.

According to a report on i24NEWS by journalist Yinon Yitach, the IDF is now considering the urgent establishment of hundreds of new detention spaces to handle expected noncompliance. This plan, however, hinges on budgetary approval.

At present, the IDF’s military prison system can only house a few hundred detainees, far short of the projected number of draft evaders, which could reach into the tens of thousands at its peak.

“We won’t be able to carry out effective enforcement,” warned a senior defense official cited in the report.

As of now, the army has yet to decide whether to send out all the notices in one wave on July 8 or to spread their distribution gradually throughout the month of July, in accordance with legal requirements.

This development comes as political parties — particularly the chareidi factions — await the presentation of a consensus draft law by MK Yuli Edelstein. The pressure is on to find a workable solution before the court-imposed deadline and amid mounting tensions over the future of chareidi military exemptions.

{Matzav.com Israel}

PM Bibi Netanyahu wishes a happy Fourth of July to President Trump and the American people.

A massive explosion rocked a gas depot in Rome, Italy, leaving at least 10 people injured.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz announced that Israel is developing air and military strategies to thwart Iran’s attempts to revive its nuclear and missile programs.

IDF Spokesperson Col. Avichai Adraei has issued an evacuation order on Khan Yunis residents as the war efforts in Gaza continue.