Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening appointed a new Shin Bet chief, ignoring Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara’s directive on Wednesday banning him from being involved in the appointment. Netanyahu announced his intention to appoint Maj.-Gen. David Zini to the position, replacing Bar, who is scheduled to resign on June 15. “Zini has served in many operational and command positions in the IDF, including as a fighter in the Sayeret Matkal commando unit, commander of Battalion 51 in the Golani Brigade, commander of the Egoz unit, commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, founder of the Commando Brigade, and commander of the Training and Doctrine Command and commander of the General Staff Corps,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

Gedolei Eretz Yisroel have been preparing to embark on a fundraising mission to the United States following Shavuos on behalf of Keren Olam Hatorah, and are now set to arrive on Sunday, June 15. The trip comes amid drastic reductions in Israeli government financial aid for yeshivos and kollelim, a move that has left countless institutions scrambling to cover basic operational costs. The first stop on this year’s mission will be in Los Angeles — notably making this the first time the city is included in the tour, which last year began in New York and New Jersey. From Los Angeles, the delegation will travel to Lakewood, with their arrival slated for Tuesday, June 17.

House Republicans early Thursday took a major step forward on President Donald Trump’s agenda, approving a legislative package that combines tax breaks, spending cuts, border security funding and other priorities. House committees labored for months on the bill, which underwent late changes to win over holdouts in the Republican conference. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a nod to Trump himself. Republicans made one last round of revisions before the bill reached the House floor, boosting the state and local tax deduction to win over centrists and speeding up the work requirements in Medicaid to win over those who didn’t believe the bill did enough to curb spending.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released a statement on Thursday morning about the fatal terror attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Thursday evening which took the lives of a young couple, Yaron Lischinsky Hy”d, and Sarah Milgrim, H’yd. In the statement, Netanyahu said that he was updated on the details of the “horrifying antisemitic murder” by Israeli Ambassador to the US  Yechiel Leiter and US Attorney General Pam Bondi. The latter said that US President Donald Trump is involved in managing the event, and America will bring the murderer to justice. “Attorney General Bondi asked to convey her condolences to the families of the young couple who were due to become engaged soon,” the statement said.

Veteran journalist and Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn has accused former First Lady Jill Biden of “elder abuse” for supporting her husband, former President Joe Biden, in his 2024 re-election campaign despite concerns about his health and cognitive decline. Quinn, a well-connected D.C. insider, blasted Jill Biden for not discouraging her husband from seeking another term, particularly after his widely criticized performance in the June 2024 presidential debate against President Donald Trump. “I blame Jill Biden for this. Jill Biden is his wife. And if Jill Biden had stood up and gone to him and said, ‘Joe, you can’t do it’… He wouldn’t have run,” Quinn told journalist Tara Palmeri.

In a landmark decision that redefines the future of kosher finance in America, Newrez—one of the largest and most prominent mortgage companies in the United States—has officially adopted a Heter Iska, granting borrowers across the country access to Halachically compliant financing. This breakthrough not only places Newrez on the growing list of kosher-certified lenders but also signals a massive leap forward in aligning the U.S. financial system with Torah values—making it easier than ever for observant Jews to pursue business opportunities and homeownership without compromising on Halacha.

Hamas leader Mohamed Sinwar, whose elimination was confirmed by the IDF on Wednesday, was considered a top target by the Shin Bet and IDF due to his involvement in planning dozens of attacks against Israel and the IDF, his senior role in planning and executing the October 7 massacre, his hawkish stance in the war against Israel, and his staunch refusal to advance hostage release deals, Maariv reported on Wednesday. Sinwar, like other senior Hamas figures, resided in compounds where hostages were being held, using them as human shields. More and more released hostages have testified that they were held near senior Hamas officials, primarily the brothers, Mohamed and Yahya Sinwar.

Israel’s Supreme Court of Justice ruled in a verdict published on Wednesday evening that the government’s decision to terminate the tenure of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was made in an “improper and unlawful” process. In addition, the decision stated that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had a conflict of interest given the investigations into his aides as part of the Qatargate affair, and that the dismissal decision was made without a factual basis and without a proper hearing. The decision was reached despite the fact that the distrust between Bar and Netanyahu since the October 7 massacre was public knowledge, well before the launch of the Qatargate investigation. The decision has no practical bearing since Bar already announced his intention to end his term on June 15.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has decided that the babies of bnei yeshivos who are required to enlist will be pushed to the end of the line for acceptance into supervised daycare centers, and as a result, there is a high probability that they will not be accepted, Kan News reported on Tuesday evening. According to her decision, the “law requires” that the children of bnei yeshivos be placed at the end of the line for these daycare centers, where the number of places is very limited, because their fathers are “lawbreakers.” Baharav-Miara previously revoked daycare subsidies for children of bnei yeshivos.

Sam Sutton, a prominent Sephardic community leader and co-head of the Sephardic Community Federation, has won the special election to replace former State Senator Simcha Felder, who recently vacated his seat after winning a spot on the New York City Council. Sutton, running as the Democratic nominee, defeated longtime Republican district leader Carl (Nachman) Caller in a closely watched race that will shape the future of South Brooklyn’s representation in Albany. The district includes parts of Boro Park, Midwood, and Flatbush — neighborhoods with large Orthodox Jewish populations.