The Movement for Quality Government in Israel is urging the defense minister, IDF chief of staff, and attorney general to immediately begin issuing conscription orders to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, following last week’s High Court ruling that the state must draft such men. In a letter, the movement wrote, “You have the urgent obligation to begin equitable conscription in accordance with the Law for Security Service, specifically for 63,000 haredi yeshiva students for whom recruitment procedures have not yet been taken, or whose service was [previously] postponed.” The letter notes that despite the High Court ruling, no conscription orders have been sent to the 63,000 yeshiva bochurim who are obligated to enlist.

Two newt national polls suggests that former President Trump’s advantage over President Biden in their potential 2024 election rematch is growing following Biden’s widely criticized debate performance last week. Released on Wednesday by the New York Times and Siena College, the survey highlights mounting concerns that 81-year-old Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, may struggle to effectively govern the nation. Biden is currently navigating one of the toughest phases of his campaign for a second term in the White House. His hesitant delivery and stumbling responses during the debate with Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, have triggered widespread anxiety within the Democratic Party.

A preliminary investigation by the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate into the October 7 Hamas invasion and slaughter in southern Israel has found that there were sufficient indications of the imminent attack to have prevented the catastrophe. The findings, presented to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, suggest that warning signs were ignored, and that the tragedy could have been averted. Sources familiar with the probe told Channel 12 that there were signs ahead of the attack that should have “lit up all the red lights” and that “we’ve mobilized various fronts in the past on less than this.” The investigation found that the IDF Gaza Division had assessments from 2018 until October 7 that could have been used to prevent the attack.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took a victory lap on social media after a tense exchange with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos last year resurfaced on Tuesday. The interview, which aired on “Good Morning America” in August, showed Haley asserting that President Biden would not finish his term and that Kamala Harris would become the next president. Stephanopoulos pushed back, asking Haley for evidence to support her claim, but she cited the decline in Biden’s mental acuity and the need for a new generation of leaders. Haley also called for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.

The Hezbollah terror group announced today that a senior commander, Muhammad Nimah Nasser, also known as Abu Nimah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. According to a statement from Hezbollah, Nasser was from the town of Haddatha and was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term the group uses to refer to Israeli strikes. The strike occurred in the coastal city of Tyre. Nasser was a commander of Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division in southern Lebanon. It is rare for Hezbollah to refer to its senior operatives killed in Israeli strikes as commanders, showing that Nasser’s death is a significant loss for the group.

The Israeli who was murdered by a terrorist in a stabbing attack in a mall in Karmiel on Wednesday was identified by the IDF as Aleksandr Yakiminsky, H”yd, 19, from Nahariya. Yakiminsky, z’l, who was in uniform but off-duty at the time of the attack, served in the 71st Battalion of the 188th Brigade. Another soldier from the same battalion, also in uniform, was seriously wounded in the attack. Yakiminsky died a hero – after being stabbed in the neck, he managed to chase the terrorist, shooting and neutralizing him. He then collapsed on the floor. Paramedics who arrived at the scene performed CPR and tried to save his life. He was evacuated to the hospital where doctors fought to save his life. Sadly, his death was pronounced a couple of hours later.

President Joe Biden has privately acknowledged to a close confidant that he may not be able to recover his campaign if he cannot persuade the public in the coming days that he is capable of leading, following a disappointing debate performance last week. While the president remains committed to his re-election campaign, a key ally, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, emphasized the urgency of his upcoming appearances. Biden has critical engagements ahead, including an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. “He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place by the end of the weekend,” the ally stated, referring to Biden’s stumbling and incoherent debate presentation.

Anas Saleh, the pro-Hamas activist who ordered “Zionists” to identify themselves on the New York subway and told them “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist. This is your chance to get out,” was arraigned in New York Tuesday morning, and the Manhattan DA is now officially prosecuting him, with his next court date scheduled for August 12. At least one woman told authorities she left the train out of fear she would be attacked. His lawyer is one Moira Meltzer-Cohen, who shamefully used her Jewishness to try and get the case thrown out by the judge, who thankfully didn’t bite.

In an article discussing the topic of the day – US President Joe Biden’s fitness to be president – White House aides and administration officials spoke to the New York Times about their interactions with the president in the last few weeks. Most agreed that Biden has moments of sharpness but also has increasing moments of confusion and disorientation. In the article, entitled Biden’s Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome, some White House officials rejected doubt about Biden’s ability to lead by providing the example of the night Iran attacked Israel, April 13, when he very forcefully ordered Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to carry out a large-scale retaliatory attack against Iran.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to meet US President Joe Biden during the prime minister’s trip to Washington later this month to address Congress, a White House official said. According to a CNN report, the details of the meeting are still being finalized. In response to a query by the Times of Israel, a White House official stated: “The President has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for three decades. They will likely see each other when the prime minister is here over the course of that week, but we have nothing to announce at this time.” Netanyahu’s speech to Congress is scheduled for July 24. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)