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With just 100 days remaining until the midterm elections, a new Decision Desk HQ forecast projects Democrats as the favorites to retake control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans remain slight favorites to hold the Senate in what is shaping up to be a closely contested election cycle.

Both parties are entering the final stretch facing significant political challenges that could reshape the landscape before voters head to the polls.

Republicans are grappling with renewed tensions involving Iran after hopes for a winding down of the conflict faded. The latest escalation has raised fears that the fighting could spread further, particularly as the Iran-backed Houthis threaten shipping through the Red Sea. The resulting increase in oil prices has added another layer of pressure to the Trump administration as economic concerns remain front and center for voters.

Democrats, meanwhile, are confronting growing internal divisions over the party’s future direction. Victories by democratic socialist and anti-establishment candidates in congressional primaries have fueled concerns among moderates that Republicans will portray the party as increasingly aligned with its progressive wing.

President Trump and Republican leaders have made that argument a central part of their campaign strategy, seeking to persuade voters that Democratic control of Congress would move the country too far to the left.

As a result, both parties enter the final 100 days with reasons for both optimism and concern.

“It’s a competitive situation in both the Senate and the House,” said Geoffrey Skelley, DDHQ’s chief elections analyst.

Democrats remain encouraged by the outlook in the House, where Republicans hold only a slim majority during a midterm election year—a political environment that has historically favored the party out of power. In the Senate, however, Democrats face a steeper climb, needing to flip several seats in states won by President Trump.

Decision Desk HQ currently projects Democrats winning a 225-210 House majority, giving them a 15-seat edge, while Republicans are forecast to maintain Senate control in a 50-50 chamber, with Vice President JD Vance casting any tie-breaking vote. As of late July, DDHQ gives Democrats a 60% chance of winning the House and Republicans a 60% chance of retaining the Senate.

The latest projection reflects a tightening House race compared to earlier this month, when the model suggested Democrats could gain as many as 25 seats.

Polling on the generic congressional ballot also indicates a narrowing advantage for Democrats.

According to DDHQ’s polling average, Democrats currently lead Republicans by four percentage points on the generic ballot. Recent surveys from YouGov/The Economist placed Democrats ahead by five points, while Morning Consult found a three-point advantage. Just a month ago, the Democratic lead averaged between six and seven points.

An Emerson College Polling survey offered a more favorable outlook for Democrats, giving them an 11-point lead on the generic ballot, although analysts caution it is too early to determine whether that represents a broader trend or simply an outlier.

Skelley said the Emerson findings “suggests a real range of opinions about what things are going to look like in the fall.”

Democrats hope dissatisfaction with President Trump and frustration over a Republican-controlled Congress will translate into electoral gains.

Much of that dissatisfaction has been driven by voter concerns about the economy, which continues to weigh on Trump’s approval ratings. Analysts expect economic issues to dominate the 2026 campaign, particularly as they intersect with developments in the conflict involving Iran.

“The big question is: will the Iranian conflict … will people being concerned about that ratcheting up, is that going to create reverberations in things like the generic ballot that signal ‘OK, Democrats’ advantage is growing again’?” Skelley said.

Earlier this year, Democrats’ lead on the generic ballot widened as tensions with Iran intensified and gasoline prices climbed. As energy costs eased during the spring, Republicans regained some ground in polling.

“The challenge for Republicans is the Iranian conflict is heating up again,” Skelley said, pointing to recent increases in gas prices as the conflict has escalated.

“This is politically very bad for the GOP. For them to try to make a case that Democrats are too extreme, it’s a lot easier to make that case if economic conditions are at least OK,” he said.

Polling conducted this month by The Economist/YouGov also highlighted voter skepticism about the conflict, with 57% saying the war was the wrong decision. While nearly 80% of self-identified MAGA Republicans supported the military campaign, only 51% of non-MAGA Republicans—a group representing roughly one-quarter of GOP respondents—expressed the same view.

Some Republican lawmakers have also voiced concern that Trump, who has dismissed affordability worries as a Democratic “hoax,” may be out of step with voters on economic issues.

“Given that President Trump was elected in part on the strength of how people viewed his handling of the economy during his first term … for polling to show sizable majorities disapproving of his handling of the economy or inflation or other things like that, it’s just very bad,” Skelley said.

Despite Republican concerns, Democrats face their own political hurdles.

Still searching for a clear national leader following their 2024 defeats and looking ahead to the 2028 presidential race, Democrats remain divided over whether the party should move toward the center or embrace its increasingly energized progressive base.

Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have scored several high-profile primary victories this cycle, while progressive challengers have defeated a number of longtime incumbents, signaling growing influence within the party.

President Trump has repeatedly attacked the democratic socialist movement, describing it as “communism” and “the biggest threat to our nation there is.”

Republicans “are going to be, from here until the fall, trying to sort of blanket the opposition with terms like ‘communists’ and ‘socialists,’” Skelley said.

One of the most closely watched races next month will take place in Michigan, where centrist Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens faces progressive challenger Abdul El-Sayed in a competitive Senate primary. The winner is expected to face presumed Republican nominee Mike Rogers in a race Cook Political Report rates as a toss-up, while DDHQ currently views it as leaning Democratic.

Some Democrats worry that if El-Sayed wins the Aug. 4 primary, Republicans could gain an advantage in the general election.

According to DDHQ, a Republican victory in Michigan would increase the party’s chances of holding the Senate to 86%.

“If Democrats are going to find a path to a majority, they cannot afford to lose Michigan,” Skelley said.

Even with Democrats positioned to make gains in the House, Skelley cautioned that the current political environment falls well short of the overwhelming Democratic momentum seen in 2018.

At this stage of the 2018 midterm campaign, Democrats held a seven- to eight-point lead on the generic congressional ballot—roughly double their current advantage, according to DDHQ.

With just over three months until Election Day, both parties are increasingly focused on a handful of closely contested races that are likely to determine control of Congress, making battleground states such as Michigan central to each side’s path to victory.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has approved the legal framework to allow an international security force to enter Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s proposed ceasefire and postwar plan, according to an Israeli official. The move comes just one day before Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu departs for Washington for high-level meetings with the president.

The Israeli official said Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet voted Sunday to authorize the legal mechanism needed for the deployment of the multinational force. Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for the United States on Monday and is expected to meet with President Trump on Tuesday.

According to the official, the mission—known as the International Stabilization Force—will consist of approximately 200 personnel drawn from what were described as “friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco.” The troops will operate only in areas outside direct Israeli control, and each participating country’s deployment will require Israel’s individual approval before entering Gaza.

The official did not indicate when the force is expected to begin operating inside the enclave.

Large portions of Gaza remain devastated following nearly two years of war that began after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.

Following the ceasefire agreement reached in October, President Trump unveiled a broader peace proposal for Gaza that called for a dramatic increase in humanitarian assistance, governance by Palestinian civilian technocrats, Hamas to surrender its weapons, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Implementation of that framework has largely stalled. The proposed civilian governing body, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, has yet to establish a presence inside the territory.

Israel currently maintains effective control over roughly 64% of Gaza, while nearly all of the enclave’s approximately two million residents remain concentrated in a narrow coastal area still controlled by Hamas. Many continue to live in temporary tents or damaged buildings under difficult humanitarian conditions.

Hamas has continued to reject demands that it disarm, while Israel has announced plans to increase the territory under its control to approximately 70% of Gaza as military operations and near-daily strikes continue.

Trump’s proposal also envisions the creation of a Board of Peace that would serve as the international body responsible for overseeing implementation of the overall peace plan, including supervision of the International Stabilization Force.

Earlier this month, an official with the Board of Peace said the organization is preparing a pilot humanitarian zone inside Gaza in an effort to advance the president’s broader plan for the territory.

Nickolay Mladenov, President Trump’s envoy to Gaza for the Board of Peace, praised Israel’s decision to approve the multinational deployment.

“It is a critical part of the agreed framework for stabilizing Gaza, supporting demilitarization, and enabling the transition to effective Palestinian transitional administration under the @NCAG,” he wrote on X, referring to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

The chairwoman of the New Jersey Republican Party says the more than 6,600 non-citizens recently identified on the state’s voter rolls represent only a fraction of the problem, arguing that the true number of improper registrations is likely much higher and that additional revelations are expected.

Speaking Sunday on 77 WABC’s “Cats Roundtable,” New Jersey GOP Chairwoman Christine Hanlon disputed the scope of the figures released by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill, insisting the problem extends well beyond what has been publicly acknowledged.

“They’re indicating it’s over 6,000, but I know it’s more than that,” Hanlon told host John Catsimatidis.

“So it’s more to come,” she added.

Last week, Sherrill disclosed that more than 6,000 non-citizens were mistakenly placed on New Jersey’s voter rolls and that roughly 400 of those individuals ultimately cast ballots in state elections between June 2023 and June 2024.

According to state officials, the improper registrations occurred during the administration of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s automatic voter registration system, which enrolls eligible residents when they apply for identification.

Reacting to the governor’s disclosure, Hanlon argued that Republicans have been raising concerns about election integrity for years.

“Wow. This is something we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Hanlon said Sunday of the egregious snafu.

“They admitted non-citizens were on the voting rolls.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, New Jersey officials and software vendor IDEMIA have each pointed to the other as being responsible for the breakdown. Sherrill’s administration has also retained the law firm CSG Law to conduct an independent review.

The governor attributed the registrations to what she described as a “serious software error” within the state’s motor vehicle system involving French technology company IDEMIA.

IDEMIA, however, has rejected that explanation, saying the state possessed information identifying those applicants as non-citizens but nevertheless proceeded to register them to vote.

Automatic voter registration through departments of motor vehicles is used in dozens of states across the country.

Hanlon argued that even a relatively small number of improper registrations could have significant consequences in close elections.

“Elections come down to a small number of votes. This type of issue cannot be dismissed or pushed aside,” Hanlon said.

According to Ballotpedia, more than a dozen New Jersey elections over the past decade have been decided by margins of 10 votes or fewer.

Hanlon called for a comprehensive investigation and broad policy reforms, rejecting suggestions that the issue was simply an isolated technical failure.

“Full investigations need to happen, and policy changes need to happen,” Hanlon said. “The governor of New Jersey is trying to say, ‘It’s this one glitch, one tiny thing. A software glitch during a short time that allowed this to happen.’ I know that’s not the whole story.

“We are pushing to expose the rest of the story and really push for policy changes,” she said. “It is bad policies that lead to these election-integrity issues.

“It’s the main focus for me. It’s the main focus for the RNC [Republican National Committee], and for so many of our Republicans across our state and across the country. We need election integrity.”

The controversy comes as congressional Republicans continue advancing legislation aimed at tightening election procedures, an effort strongly backed by President Trump.

In a recent primetime address, Trump asserted that nearly 250,000 non-citizens had been registered to vote across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Nevada, including as many as 35,152 in New Jersey alone.

Last week, the Republican-controlled House approved legislation that paired a voter identification requirement with a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks. Every Republican voted in favor of the bill, while all but 13 Democrats opposed it, arguing that the voter ID provision would make it more difficult for eligible Americans to cast ballots.

Trump has also made passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act one of his top legislative priorities for 2026. The proposal would require documentary proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections, though it has stalled in the Senate. Republican lawmakers are now pursuing a revised version in hopes of advancing the legislation.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has forcefully rejected reports suggesting he postponed a major military offensive against Iran because of dwindling U.S. missile stockpiles, insisting America has more than enough munitions to sustain any operation.

Reports published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, confirming an earlier account by The New York Times, said Trump decided against immediately expanding the military campaign against Iran while his administration pursues diplomatic efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and evaluates the implications of reduced inventories of key air defense weapons.

According to U.S. officials cited by the newspaper, the military had been prepared as of Friday to launch a large-scale series of strikes against Iran that could have continued for as long as two weeks. The operation was reportedly postponed to allow diplomatic initiatives to move forward and because senior officials were weighing how such an offensive could affect shrinking supplies of Patriot missiles and other interceptor systems.

Those officials emphasized that no final decision has been made and that Trump retains the option of authorizing the strikes if circumstances warrant, noting that the situation remains highly fluid.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has kept the White House informed about declining inventories of air defense interceptors. According to the officials, Caine believes the current stockpiles would not prevent renewed large-scale military action against Iran but could increase the risks associated with such an operation.

A spokesman for Caine declined to comment on the general’s confidential discussions with the president.

Other officials told the newspaper that Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), believes the United States can manage with current interceptor inventories because an expanded American air campaign would significantly reduce Iran’s ability to launch large-scale missile attacks. A CENTCOM spokesman declined to discuss Cooper’s operational planning.

Trump flatly rejected the suggestion that U.S. weapons supplies are becoming a limiting factor, telling The Wall Street Journal, “we have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need.”

Before Friday’s high-level meeting on whether to broaden military operations against Iran, Trump stressed that U.S. forces remained fully prepared while leaving the door open to a diplomatic resolution.

“Look, we’re locked and loaded,” Trump told reporters Friday afternoon, adding, “We’re ready to go, but we’re talking to them, so maybe there will be, maybe there won’t be a tipping point.”

In an interview with Axios published Thursday, Trump also signaled that he was seriously considering a far more expansive military campaign against Iran, declaring, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is departing Monday for a brief visit to Washington at the invitation of President Donald Trump, where discussions are expected to center on Iran and the broader Middle East. Ahead of the trip, Netanyahu reportedly warned members of Israel’s Security Cabinet that he is concerned the U.S. administration could increase pressure on Israel to relinquish territory in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip.

During his visit, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Trump as well as other senior officials in the administration for a series of working discussions.

The Prime Minister will also participate in the memorial service honoring the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime supporter of Israel.

Officials in both the Prime Minister’s Office and Jerusalem said the primary focus of the meetings will be the Iranian threat, along with the evolving security situation across multiple fronts in the Middle East.

According to reports, Netanyahu told Security Cabinet ministers that he fears Washington may seek to push Israel toward withdrawals from strategic areas in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. He reportedly emphasized that he has no intention of accepting such demands and plans to firmly oppose any pressure in that direction.

Speaking about the upcoming trip on Sunday, Netanyahu said: “I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump, and afterward attend the memorial service for a great friend of Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham. I must say that he was one of Israel’s greatest friends since the state’s establishment, and it is only fitting that we pay him this tribute. I will also speak with President Trump about all the issues on the agenda, including the situation in Iran.”

The planned meetings with top U.S. officials come as Israel and Washington continue to assess the next phase of Israel’s military operations and broader regional strategy, with reports indicating that differences remain over several key issues.

As part of the preparations for the visit, Netanyahu also held a conversation on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is widely viewed within Israel’s diplomatic establishment as one of the administration’s strongest supporters of Israel’s positions.

{Matzav.com}

Against the backdrop of increasing incitement against the Torah world and bnei yeshivah, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein delivered a stirring message of chizuk and guidance to avreichim, urging them to conduct themselves with dignity, refinement, and restraint during bein hazmanim, especially when confronted by those hostile to the chareidi community.

The remarks were delivered at the bais medrash of Kollel Beis Dovid in Cholon, where Rav Zilberstein, Rav of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, addressed dozens of avreichim learning in the kollel. In anticipation of bein hazmanim, he focused on several practical areas of hanhagah, including how a ben Torah should respond when encountering anti-chareidi hostility.

Opening his remarks, Rav Zilberstein said: “What should we speak about before bein hazmanim? What do we need to strengthen ourselves in? Listen, my dear ones… A ben Torah who learns here is recognizable when he walks down the street. The first thing is his refinement of character. Someone who learns here, baruch Hashem—and what is ‘here’? This is Slabodka. In Slabodka, we are taught and trained to speak with exceptional derech eretz. We don’t shout in the streets. It should never be seen or found that a ben yeshivah shouts like a donkey… We don’t shout.”

Rav Zilberstein continued by describing the proper response when a ben Torah is insulted or criticized.

“The second thing is that our tradition, as bnei yeshivah, is that when someone insults us, we forgive him immediately and say, ‘Thank you very much for your comment. I’ll take it to heart.’ That is how they taught us in Slabodka. That is how a ben yeshivah behaves.”

He stressed that every ben Torah serves as a public representative of the Torah world, particularly during bein hazmanim, when many are away from their regular learning schedule.

“When we go out into the streets during bein hazmanim, everyone who sees us should recognize that this is the seed whom Hashem has blessed. How? First of all, we don’t shout. We don’t eat in the street. We don’t eat ice cream or lick it… By licking, you spoil things… That too is not appropriate.”

Rav Zilberstein concluded with an impassioned appeal for bnei Torah to respond to provocation with humility and grace, emphasizing that such conduct creates the greatest possible Kiddush Hashem.

“And above all, if someone insults us, we respond by saying, ‘Please forgive me. Perhaps you’re right. We’ll try to do better next time.’ That is what is called a Kiddush Hashem—a truly extraordinary Kiddush Hashem.”

{Matzav.com}

The Lakewood community is mourning the heartbreaking petirah of Miriam Krepell a”h, who passed away a short time ago after an illness.

Miri was a daughter of Pinny and Malky Krepell of Hope Hill Lane in Lakewood, New Jersey.

She was a beloved talmidah at Bais Tova Elementary School and then at Shiras Devorah High School.

Throughout her illness, thousands of tefillos were recited on her behalf. May her neshamah merit a complete aliyah.

Information regarding the levayah will be published as soon as it becomes available.

Umacha Hashem dimah me’al kol ponim.

{Matzav.com}

[Photos below.] New photographs released today reveal the staggering destruction caused by the massive fire that tore through the bais medrash and guest complex adjacent to the tziyun of the Baal HaTanya in Haditch, Ukraine.

The shliach overseeing the holy site says only open nissim prevented a far greater disaster, and has announced plans for an emergency fundraising campaign to rebuild the complex, declaring, “Bayis sheini will be greater than the first.”

The heartbreaking images show the full extent of the devastation left behind by the blaze, which completely destroyed the central bais medrash and hospitality center serving the thousands of visitors who travel to the Baal HaTanya’s tziyun throughout the year.

Rav Shneur Zalman Deitch, the shliach and Rav of Haditch, shared additional details about the terrifying ordeal. He said it was nothing short of miraculous that no one was injured. At the time of the fire, a large group of guests from Kyiv was spending Shabbos at the site as part of one of the many seminars held there during the year. Before the flames engulfed the bais medrash, the visitors risked their own safety to rescue all four Sifrei Torah from the burning building.

Rav Deitch also described the overwhelming outpouring of support that has poured in from around the globe.

“We are receiving hundreds of phone calls of encouragement and support from every corner of the world,” he said. “In the coming days we will launch an emergency campaign to rebuild the terrible destruction and construct a new complex. It will take time, tremendous effort, and enormous financial resources, but b’ezras Hashem, ‘Gadol yihiyeh kevod habayis hazeh‘—the second house will be greater than the first. The complex that was destroyed was large and magnificent, capable of hosting hundreds of guests at one time. The one we now rebuild, with Hashem’s help and the support of Anash, will be even larger.”

Speaking immediately after Shabbos, Rav Deitch described the emotional toll of the tragedy.

“We are in total shock. The entire central building at the tziyun, into which we poured our hearts, our souls, and our entire lives, has been consumed by fire. The damage is simply beyond comprehension—it is deeply painful. But chassidim are not deterred by anything, and certainly as the Rebbe’s shliach and the one responsible for this holy place, I cannot give up. B’ezras Hashem, we will find the strength, rebuild everything from the ground up—no matter how much time or money it takes—and make it even larger and more beautiful than before. We thank the Ribbono Shel Olam that there were no physical injuries.”

Reb Meir Stambler, chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and one of the key figures who helped establish the Haditch complex over the years, said authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire while the Jewish community is already mobilizing to assist.

“We, at the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU), are awaiting the final results of the investigation and remain in close contact with the authorities. At the same time, we are preparing to provide replacement seforim and tashmishei kedushah, and we are confident that the Jewish community here and throughout the world will help restore the tremendous damage. I thank the fire services, the mayor of Haditch, and the regional governor for their dedicated efforts, for closely overseeing the firefighting operation, and for their assistance in the rehabilitation of this holy site.”

Ben Shapiro – The Right

Political commentator Amit Segal is raising the possibility that Israel’s chareidi parties could suffer an unprecedented setback in the next national election, warning that dramatically lower voter turnout in the chareidi community could significantly reduce their representation in the Knesset. At the same time, he says an entirely different scenario could actually strengthen the sector’s political influence.

In his weekly column in Yisroel Hayom, Segal argues that one of the principal reasons the right-wing bloc has consistently outperformed pre-election polls is the exceptionally high voter turnout among chareidi voters. “Take sky-high voter turnout, multiply it by the highest natural population growth in the Western world, and you’ve got two additional mandates,” he wrote.

Segal noted that the chareidi parties won the equivalent of 17.5 Knesset seats in the last election, ultimately receiving an 18th seat under Israel’s Bader-Ofer electoral allocation system. Current polling, however, generally gives them only 16 seats. Under normal circumstances, he wrote, many observers would expect that gap to disappear on Election Day, “unless the surprise works in the opposite direction this time.”

According to Segal, there are growing concerns within the chareidi political world that turnout could fall sharply. “Chareidi politicians, journalists and influencers are pointing to the possibility that voter turnout could collapse,” he wrote. He said many in the community are deeply disappointed with their elected representatives, “most of whom have been around since the previous millennium,” and believe they bear responsibility for the sanctions and arrests of yeshiva bochurim who refused military enlistment. Many voters, he wrote, feel their representatives “failed badly during the outgoing term.”

Segal also argued that the recent wave of legislation advanced by the chareidi parties should not be viewed merely as an aggressive political power play. “The legislative blitz that is described in the general media as greed and hubris on the part of the chareidim is more of a panicked race by Shas and United Torah Judaism to prove to their voters that they are, after all, doing something,” he wrote. He added that “This is also the reason why the mainstream Agudas Yisroel initiated the massive disruptions on Israel’s highways, in cooperation with the fanatical Jerusalem Faction.”

Despite those concerns, Segal outlined a second scenario that could produce the opposite result.

He suggested that the recent cooperation between Agudas Yisroel and Peleg Yerushalmi may actually point to the possibility that Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel will split and run on separate tickets in the next election.

To support that theory, Segal cited Yated Ne’eman editor Aryeh Zisman, who recently suggested that the latest political developments may signal an impending separation between the Litvishe Degel HaTorah and the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel.

Segal concluded that if Agudas Yisroel ultimately runs independently, it could clear the electoral threshold with the support of Peleg voters, many of whom traditionally boycott elections. In that case, he argued, “the mutual hatred will drive everyone to the polls, recreating the 1988 election.” He noted that when Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel ran separately that year, their combined vote total nearly doubled their previous joint strength, marking the emergence of a powerful independent chareidi political force. On the other hand, it is noted that the Peleg representation is very small.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Moshe Applebaum zt”l, author of the sefer Shiyarei Mitzvah and a member of the Ne’os Yosef kehillah in Bnei Brak, who passed away at the age of 87.

Rav Applebaum was widely known not only for his lifelong devotion to Torah and mitzvos, but also for the extraordinary personal miracle of welcoming twin children at the age of 72 after decades of waiting to be blessed with offspring.

Rav Applebaum, a native of Argentina, was born on January 8, 1939 (17 Teves 5699), to his parents, Reb and Mrs. Shmuel Applebaum. After settling in Eretz Yisroel, he spent many years as an expert sofer stam, earning a reputation for exceptional precision and dedication in writing sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos. Those who knew him described him as a sincere oveid Hashem whose entire life revolved around serving the Ribbono Shel Olam.

His life story inspired countless people throughout the Torah world. After many decades during which he and his wife were not blessed with children, they experienced a remarkable salvation when they welcomed twins at Bnei Brak’s Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center. Rav Applebaum was approximately 72 years old at the time, while his wife was about 54. The birth was considered an exceptionally rare event and brought tremendous joy.

Family members and acquaintances remembered Rav Applebaum as an extraordinary individual whose humility and simplicity defined his character. They recalled him as someone who devoted every day of his life to Torah study, faithfully attending the beis medrash morning and night, and whose tefillos were offered with remarkable concentration and purity. The late tzaddik Rav Alter Dovid Chaim Stern zt”l was once quoted as saying that Rav Applebaum was likely one of the hidden tzaddikim of the generation.

In addition to his work as a highly respected sofer stam, Rav Applebaum authored the sefer Shiyarei Mitzvah.

As a member of the Ne’os Yosef community in Bnei Brak, he maintained a close connection with Rav Yaakov Edelstein zt”l and later with his son, Rav Mordechai Shmuel Edelstein.

The levayah took place at the Ne’os Yosef beis medrash on Rechov Yoel in Bnei Brak. He was laid to rest at Yarkon Cemetery near Petach Tikvah.

The family is sitting shivah at 13 Radak Street in Bnei Brak.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie argued Sunday that President Donald Trump’s rhetoric has lost its impact, claiming both American voters and the Iranian regime have grown tired of what he described as repeated threats that are never carried out.

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Christie said there is little evidence that Trump’s strategy toward Iran is producing results and contended that Tehran no longer views the President’s warnings as credible.

“Look, there are no signs he’s winning in Iran. And the Iranians have learned as Many of us in this country have learned that the bluster is the bluster How many times does he threaten to bomb them out of civilization, bomb every power plant, bomb every bridge, and then he inevitably backs off? He thinks that this is a real estate deal, that if he blusters about someone else is looking at this property, and you have to offer right now, that somehow they’re going to do it. That doesn’t work in international diplomacy. It certainly doesn’t work with the Iranians.”

Christie went on to argue that Trump’s ability to command public attention has faded, saying the President can no longer rely on his personality or speaking style to divert attention from policy decisions.

“And I’ll say this, Martha, the problem for the president and for my party right now is that the show is over. He can no longer distract from bad decisions with his charisma and his speaking. And the best example of that is the two speeches in the last week, the speech on election integrity and the speech on Friday night at the Correspondents’ Dinner. No one is paying attention anymore. They are bored with the act. At times on Friday night, it seemed like he was even bored with the act. And the Iranians notice all of this, Martha, and they’re not going to take him seriously. And that has got to be incredibly frustrating to a president who all he cares about is that people take him seriously.”

WATCH:

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu sharply attacked New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Sunday, accusing him of fueling antisemitism and division by branding the Israeli leader a war criminal and demanding his arrest if he visits New York. Netanyahu dismissed the campaign against him as hateful and made clear he will travel to the city in September to address the United Nations General Assembly.

Speaking in an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu condemned Mamdani’s rhetoric, saying the Democratic politician is undermining the unity expected of a city leader.

“He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers — Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,” Netanyahu said. “But he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”

Netanyahu said he has every intention of appearing before the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this September, brushing aside Mamdani’s assertion that he is unwelcome in New York. Although Mamdani acknowledged last week that New York City lacks the legal authority to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, he urged the federal government to take action instead.

The Israeli prime minister has become a lightning rod for criticism over Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which began after the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel. Israel also joined the United States in launching military operations against Iran on February 28 and later expanded its campaign with a ground offensive in southern Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.

Netanyahu rejected the International Criminal Court’s allegations against him, calling the charges politically motivated and entirely without merit. He referred to misconduct allegations involving the court’s former chief prosecutor, who was removed from office Friday, and argued that the prosecution was intended to distract from those controversies. He described the ICC case as “bogus.”

City Hall did not immediately issue a response to Netanyahu’s remarks.

The Prime Minister also voiced concern that Israel’s longstanding bipartisan support in the United States is beginning to erode, particularly as progressive and far-left Democrats aligned with Mamdani’s wing of the party gain influence.

He further warned that antisemitism is becoming increasingly visible in the United States and across other Western nations, saying Jewish residents of New York are growing uneasy.

“Jews feel very uncomfortable. And I think it’s wrong. The whole thing is wrong,” he said.

Throughout his mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeatedly pledged to direct the New York City Police Department to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Last week, however, Mamdani acknowledged that the city has no legal authority to carry out such an arrest and instead urged federal officials to intervene.

“I want to be equally clear, Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he said in a video message.

Mamdani also said he understood the anger expressed by many New Yorkers over the conflict, adding that peaceful demonstrations are something the city would “always respect.”

The Hague-based International Criminal Court has accused Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the late Hamas leader of crimes against humanity. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 73,000 people have been killed during Israel’s military campaign, while approximately 1,200 people—most of them civilians—were murdered in Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.

President Donald Trump has publicly assured Netanyahu that he will not face arrest while visiting the United States.

In a social media post Monday, Trump declared that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington this week for meetings with President Trump and to attend funeral services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, whom the Israeli leader praised as an “extraordinary American patriot.”

Newly released personal diary entries from Dr. Anthony Fauci paint a striking portrait of the government’s top COVID-19 adviser during the pandemic, revealing that as the global death toll climbed, he became increasingly preoccupied with his soaring public profile and celebrity status.

The journals, made public by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), trace Fauci’s daily activities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including conversations with President Donald Trump, governors, foreign leaders, media engagements, and his own reflections on unfolding events.

Paul, who frequently sparred with Fauci over the federal pandemic response and the origins of COVID-19, released the diaries as part of the committee’s continuing investigation. Their publication comes just days before Fauci is expected to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under a subpoena issued by Paul.

One of the most striking patterns throughout the journals is Fauci’s repeated focus on the dramatic rise in his personal fame during the height of the pandemic, which officially claimed more than seven million lives worldwide, including approximately 1.2 million Americans.

On April 7, 2020, after summarizing the latest developments in the pandemic, Fauci noted: “Press still hot and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.”

Weeks later, on May 21, after recording pandemic statistics showing nearly 98,000 deaths worldwide and more than 27,000 in the United States, along with details from that day’s White House Coronavirus Task Force meetings, Fauci reflected on the extraordinary attention he was receiving. He wrote that his “national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable” and that it was “not hyperbole” to say he was “the most famous and talked about person in the country.”

Fauci also observed that Trump “seems to be enamored of me even though I am taking the spotlight away from him,” adding that the two had developed “a very unique and interesting relationship.” He further remarked that Secret Service personnel had become so accustomed to seeing him that they frequently allowed him into the White House without asking for identification.

As his prominence continued to grow, Fauci’s journal increasingly chronicled opportunities that extended well beyond medicine. About a month later, after noting that the United States had recorded what he described as a record 40,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, he wrote that he had received an invitation to appear on “Dancing with the Stars.”

The diaries also reveal Fauci’s mounting dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis. In an entry dated July 2, 2020, after expressing concern that the nation was heading toward an “exponential” increase in infections ahead of the Independence Day weekend, he wrote, “POTUS and his people have essentially dropped out and do not even recognize that an outbreak is ongoing.”

Fauci also expressed frustration that the White House was rejecting requests for him to appear on major television programs. Throughout multiple entries, he criticized communications officials for limiting his media appearances, questioned the administration’s messaging strategy, and lamented that news coverage increasingly portrayed him as being in conflict with President Trump.

The journals also show Fauci repeatedly responding to what he described as the “countless” media profiles written about him. He said White House officials believed those stories made it appear that he had become “a star that outshines” the president.

At the same time, Fauci maintained that several of the published profiles had been written without speaking to him directly and insisted he had “no desire to conflict with, embarrass or show up the POTUS.” He ultimately wrote that he decided to stop participating in profile interviews altogether.

Taken as a whole, the diaries provide an unusually candid glimpse into Fauci’s private thoughts during one of the most significant public health emergencies in modern American history, documenting not only high-level discussions within the government but also his evolving relationship with the Trump White House, his concerns over the pandemic, and the extraordinary public attention that accompanied his role.

Iran is warning that it will respond after a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea left one sailor dead and another wounded, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declaring that the attack “cannot go unanswered.”

According to Iranian officials, the strike caused an explosion aboard the vessel, killing one crew member and injuring another.

Araqchi delivered the warning during separate telephone conversations with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, later disclosing the discussions in a post on X.

In a statement released by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Lavrov expressed his condolences over the death of the Iranian sailor during the attack.

The Russian statement said Araqchi thanked officials in Russia’s Astrakhan region, where the ship had begun its voyage, for assisting the crew following the incident. It added that the Iranian foreign minister “and stressed the need to put an end to such adventures by the Kyiv regime.”

The Kremlin also said Araqchi briefed Lavrov on Iran’s ongoing diplomatic initiatives, informing him of “continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tension in the Middle East.”

The Lakewood community is in mourning following the heartbreaking petirah of 4-year-old Baily Sanders a”h, who succumbed after a tragic swimming pool accident earlier today.

Baily, the beloved daughter of Moshe and Rina Sanders, was pulled from a swimming pool and rushed in critical condition to Monmouth Medical Center.

Hatzolah paramedics worked tirelessly to save her, while medical teams at the hospital continued extensive lifesaving efforts, but she was niftar.

The levayah will take place tonight at 12:30 a.m. at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The family will be sitting shivah at 9 Rockbridge Road in The Woods development in Lakewood.

Baruch Dayan HaEmes.

{Matzav.com}

A Western New York school district has shelved plans to introduce a humanoid robot into a high school classroom after facing swift opposition from state education officials, teachers’ unions, and members of the local Seneca Nation community.

The Salamanca City Central School District, located on the Seneca Nation reservation in Cattaraugus County, announced Friday that it was putting the initiative on hold. In a Facebook post, district officials said they would use the time to address expanded student data privacy requirements with the state and continue discussions with community stakeholders.

The proposal called for the use of a Realbotix M-Series humanoid robot known as Sally, together with an AI teaching assistant called Optio, in 11th- and 12th-grade artificial intelligence and robotics courses that are part of a STEM program developed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

The district’s decision came just hours after State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent a letter to Superintendent Mark Beehler, writing that the Education Department “remains concerned about the effect that a humanoid robot may have within a high school classroom.”

The agreement, valued at $57,590 and approved by the school board in June, represented a discounted price from the robot’s standard retail cost of $95,000, according to Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel.

Under the original plan, Sally would have remained stationary inside the classroom and operated on a closed internal network without internet access, facial recognition capabilities, or recording functions. The robot would have been loaded in advance with the district’s curriculum.

Students would have accessed tutoring services by logging in with individual ID codes and interacting with an on-screen AI avatar during class and outside regular school hours.

The strongest public criticism came from New York State United Teachers, which sharply objected to introducing the technology into the classroom.

In a statement released July 23, NYSUT President Melinda Person declared that “a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,” referring to Realbotix’s acquisition in April 2024 of Simulacra, the parent company of RealDoll.

Realbotix has maintained that its educational technology division operates completely independently from its adult products business, with separate employees, payroll systems, offices, and technology. The company also told New York Focus that it expects to complete a Nasdaq transaction by September that will separate the two businesses at the ownership level.

Resistance also emerged from within the local community.

Sierra May Abrams, a substitute teacher and member of the Seneca Nation, told The Guardian that selecting a district where approximately 32% of students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native amounted to another experiment involving Native children, drawing parallels to the history of federal Indian boarding schools.

Salamanca City Central School District educates roughly 1,300 students, with about 79% classified as economically disadvantaged.

Before the project was paused, Superintendent Mark Beehler defended the pilot program, arguing that rural schools should have access to cutting-edge technology and that students should learn how to use artificial intelligence responsibly rather than avoid it altogether.

State Sen. George Borrello, whose Republican district includes Salamanca and neighboring communities in Western New York, also supported the proposal, saying it offered an opportunity to encourage greater student interest in STEM education across upstate New York.

The district’s decision is broadly consistent with the position taken by federal officials. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Newsmax on July 24 that schools should explore artificial intelligence in education while ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place, reflecting the goals of President Trump’s April 2025 executive order establishing a federal AI-in-education task force.

Kiguel said Realbotix “fully” respects the district’s decision to pause the project. At this time, no revised launch date has been announced.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu says the conflict with Iran can end in only one of two ways: the regime must either collapse or become so weakened that it is forced to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons, insisting there is no acceptable scenario in which Tehran retains its nuclear ambitions.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Iran’s leadership ultimately faces a choice between losing power or fundamentally changing its direction.

“I think when this regime is either toppled or it’s sufficiently weakened that it knows it has to end its nuclear program and has to change its course,” he said, adding that this is “really what President Trump is trying to achieve.”

Netanyahu emphasized that Iran’s nuclear effort must be dismantled regardless of whether negotiations produce a diplomatic breakthrough. “One way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program. And with a deal or without a deal, that has to come to an end,” he said.

The Prime Minister said joint Israeli-American operations have set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by several years, pointing to the elimination of “20 leading nuclear scientists” as well as strikes on key nuclear installations. Even so, he cautioned that Iran could eventually attempt to rebuild those capabilities.

He noted that Israeli and U.S. intelligence services remain in close coordination as he prepares for his upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu also delivered a blunt warning to Tehran against launching another assault on Israel, saying any future aggression would be met with overwhelming force. “If Iran attacks Israel, either directly or through proxies… our response, Israel’s response, will be very, very forceful.”

When asked about New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s criticism of him, Netanyahu said he still plans to speak before the United Nations General Assembly later this year.

He argued that Mamdani’s rhetoric has fueled hostility toward Israel and increased anxiety within New York’s Jewish community. “I do think that Jews feel very uncomfortable,” he said. “They feel frightened.”

Netanyahu further accused Mamdani of siding with Hamas rather than condemning the terrorist organization, saying he is “aligning himself with the criminals, with these murderers.”

Responding to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu rejected the accusations outright and charged that former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan pursued the case for political reasons.

“He pulled a con job on the international community with these bogus charges of war crimes on us,” Netanyahu said.

Turning to the northern front, Netanyahu said Israel has inflicted severe damage on Hezbollah by wiping out much of its military infrastructure near the Lebanese border and destroying the vast majority of its missile stockpile. “We weakened Hezbollah a lot,” he said, estimating that Israel had destroyed approximately 94 percent of the group’s rockets and missiles.

He said Israel is working together with the United States and Lebanon to keep Hezbollah away from the border, strip the terrorist group of its weapons, and create conditions that could eventually lead to peace. “I think it’s, on the whole, a positive development, and may lead to another peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country.”

Discussing the situation along the Lebanese border, Netanyahu said most Israelis support maintaining a security buffer to prevent future Hezbollah attacks and maintained that national unity is stronger than it may appear from political debates.

“There is a lot more unity in the country than appears,” he said.

Looking ahead to Israel’s next election, Netanyahu said that if voters return him to office, he hopes “to create a broad national government.”

Addressing Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu praised President Trump’s reported position that any civilian Saudi nuclear program must be tied to normalization with Israel, saying the President “was absolutely right in stating that condition,” while emphasizing that any Saudi nuclear initiative must remain strictly civilian.

Netanyahu also voiced optimism that additional Arab nations could join the Abraham Accords if Iran’s regional influence continues to erode, though he declined to identify the countries currently engaged in discussions with Israel. “There are now contacts with several Arab countries in the Middle East,” he said.

The Prime Minister also honored the late Senator Lindsey Graham, describing him as “such a great friend, such a champion of America and a patriot, and such a champion of the Israeli-American alliance.”

Asked about the rise of antisemitism in the United States and whether it threatens bipartisan backing for Israel, Netanyahu expressed concern that some Democratic lawmakers may be influenced by intimidation rather than conviction.

“I worry about it,” he said. “You don’t want legislators taking their position because of personal intimidation.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s Likud party continues to hold a slim advantage in the latest Kantar Institute survey, while Gadi Eisenkot remains within striking distance both in projected Knesset seats and in public support for prime minister. Meanwhile, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s joint political alliance has fallen to its weakest polling performance since its formation.

A new Kantar Institute poll conducted for Kan News indicates that if Israelis were to head to the polls today, Likud would emerge as the largest party with 22 seats. Eisenkot’s Yashar party follows just one seat behind with 21 mandates.

The survey also points to a significant decline for Bennett and Lapid’s Together Party, which slips to just 14 seats — its lowest showing in the polls to date. The Democrats are projected to secure 10 seats, while Otzma Yehudit and Yisrael Beytenu each receive nine. Shas and United Torah Judaism are each forecast to win eight seats. Hadash-Ta’al, Ra’am, and the Religious Zionist Party are each projected to capture five seats, while the new party headed by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel would enter the Knesset with four seats.

Based on the poll, parties aligned with Netanyahu would collectively command 52 seats. The bloc opposed to Netanyahu, excluding the Arab parties, would total 58 seats.

The survey also finds virtually no difference between Netanyahu and Eisenkot when Israelis are asked who is best suited to serve as prime minister. Netanyahu receives the backing of 39% of respondents, while Eisenkot follows closely behind with 38%.

The comparison between Netanyahu and Bennett is considerably less competitive. Netanyahu again earns the support of 39% of respondents, while Bennett trails with 31% who believe he is the right choice to return as prime minister.

The chairman of Israel’s Central Elections Committee has ordered Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party to immediately delete an artificial intelligence-generated campaign video from all of their social media accounts, ruling that the content could deceive voters by portraying fictional events as reality.

The case stemmed from a campaign video posted on Smotrich’s Facebook page that appeared to show Gadi Eisenkot shaking hands with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas before MK Mansour Abbas joined the meeting. Although the footage was created using artificial intelligence, it was presented in a highly realistic fashion, with only a small notice indicating that it had been edited using AI technology.

In his ruling, Judge Noam Sohlberg determined that the video depicts meetings and political relationships that never took place and could reasonably cause viewers to believe the scenes were authentic. He concluded that the video falsely suggests political cooperation between Eisenkot and Mansour Abbas where none exists, thereby violating election laws that prohibit misleading or unfair campaign propaganda.

Sohlberg also dismissed the argument that the AI disclosure adequately informed viewers. He ruled that Facebook users are unlikely to consistently notice the disclaimer because of the platform’s design and the manner in which content is displayed. As a result, he directed Smotrich and the Religious Zionism party to remove the video from every digital platform under their control.

Toronto police have launched a hate crime investigation after two branches of a Jewish-owned bakery were targeted in separate acts of vandalism Sunday morning, including one incident in which gunfire shattered a storefront window, prompting strong condemnation from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired near the intersection of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West, where bullets struck the front window of one bakery location. In a separate incident, another branch near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West sustained damage after its window was smashed. Investigators said there is no evidence that gunfire was involved in the second attack.

Police confirmed that no one was injured in either incident.

Toronto Police Duty Inspector Scott Bradbury said the department’s hate crime unit is working alongside the gun and gang task force to investigate the attacks.

“We understand that this is concerning for those who work and live in this area, especially members of the Jewish community, and we have all the resources available to thoroughly investigate this matter,” Bradbury said.

Authorities have not yet determined whether the two incidents are connected, but confirmed that both locations belong to the same Jewish-owned bakery chain. Police have increased patrols around the affected areas and are asking anyone with information or surveillance footage to contact investigators.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar strongly denounced the attacks, saying he was closely monitoring developments.

“I was following with concern the worrying news from Toronto of further attacks against Jewish businesses this morning,” Sa’ar said.

While expressing gratitude that no one was hurt, Sa’ar warned that the incidents reflect a broader pattern of hostility toward Canada’s Jewish community.

“While thankfully none were injured, this is the latest attack in a long and horrifying line of violence and intimidation against the Canadian Jewish community,” Sa’ar said.

Calling on Canadian authorities to take decisive action, Sa’ar concluded, “The Canadian government must confront this antisemitic, violent wave!”