House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with Rep. Mike Lawler and former Congressman Lee Zeldin, visited Rockland County on Thursday in support of Lawler’s reelection bid. The high-profile visit included meetings with numerous local Jewish community leaders, underscoring the support Lawler enjoys among residents. The delegation’s first stop was in Monsey, where they met with the Viznitzer Rebbe. Speaker Johnson then proceeded to meet with the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel, HaRav Aron Teitelbaum Shlita, who made a special trip to Monsey from Kiryas Joel, greeting the Speaker at his vacation residence. The group then visited the Skvere Rebbe, where Chaskel Bennett, a member of Agudath Israel of America’s Board of Trustees, was also in attendance.

On the eve of arguably the most critical presidential election in modern US history both for the safety of the American Jewish community and for the future of the US-Israel relationship, and at a time when a major political gathering in New York City with numerous Jews in attendance is labeled a ‘Nazi Rally’, many in the Jewish community are anxious about the future. Support for President Trump is seeing a notable increase within Jewish communities, especially among frum Jews. For example, the Satmar Rebbe recently declared that “Trump is better for the Jews,” a rare endorsement signaling that traditional Chassidic support for Democratic candidates may be shifting. It is anticipated that other Chassidic groups will soon echo this sentiment.

CNN senior political data reporter Harry Enten on Wednesday pointed to several indicators that former President Donald Trump could defeat Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, calling a potential Trump victory an “obvious” possibility. In a segment with CNN anchor John Berman, Enten outlined data showing a challenging path for Democrats in the final days of the campaign. One major obstacle for Harris, according to Enten, is public dissatisfaction with the country’s direction. Drawing from an aggregate of polls, Enten noted that incumbents whose parties win reelection average around 42% satisfaction with the country’s trajectory, while those who lose average closer to 25%.

Declaring they would “rather die than enlist,” dozens of Charedi protesters gathered at multiple the Tel Hashomer military induction center to disrupt the drafting of yeshiva bochurim into the IDF. The protesters, affiliated with Peleg Yerushalmi, attempted to block buses by lying in the road, prompting security forces to intervene. The demonstration created frustration among parents of incoming soldiers, who were prevented from accompanying their children onto the base due to heightened security concerns. At least 10 protestors were arrested. The protest – and others held simultaneously in Yerushalayim, Haifa and Kiryat Ono – comes amid a contentious debate in the Knesset over Charedi enlistment.

Iran is preparing a “definitive and painful” response to Israel’s recent strike on its territory, expected to occur ahead of the U.S. presidential election on November 5, according to a senior Iranian source cited by CNN. The anonymous source, who reportedly has insight into Iranian government discussions, confirmed that Tehran intends to retaliate, saying: “The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Zionist regime’s aggression will be definitive and painful.” This anticipated move follows heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, stemming from Israel’s counterstrike in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack. While Israel has anticipated a reaction, Iran had previously appeared cautious about escalating the situation.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s glaring double standard in addressing hate crimes has reached a disturbing new low. Last Shabbos (the morning after Shmini Atzeres), a Jewish man on his way to shul was shot from behind in West Rogers Park, an attack that authorities describe as unprovoked and marked by the shooter’s shouts of “Allahu Akbar.” Yet, in his public statement, Mayor Johnson avoided any mention of the anti-Semitic nature of the attack. His response was disappointingly vague, calling the shooting merely a “tragic event” and declaring that “all Chicagoans deserve to feel safe,” without a single word acknowledging the apparent targeting of the Jewish victim. This isn’t just disappointing; it’s an insult.

The Biden administration has once again engaged in its brilliant diplomatic strategy to deter the Islamic Republic – ordering it not to attack Israel. Despite the fact that Iran is still actively attempting to assassinate Trump administration officials and has promised to repeat another October 7 style attack on Israel,  Biden administration officials retain their faith in diplomacy, Reuters reported. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation. They should not… If they do, we will support Israel in defending itself, but they should not.” The Biden adminsitrations’s faith in diplomatic tactics to restrain Iran is shared by liberal governments in Europe. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

An anonymous Israeli military official has disclosed that the target of an airstrike on a five-story building in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, on Tuesday, was a spotter operating from the building with binoculars. The airstrike has sparked scrutiny as the IDF maintains its intent was not to demolish the structure but to neutralize the spotter. The building’s collapse, resulting from the impact of the airstrike, led to dozens of casualties, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. However, Israeli officials caution against relying solely on casualty numbers provided by Gaza authorities, noting major discrepancies between Gaza’s reported tolls and Israeli intelligence assessments.

A Russian drone attack hit Kyiv’s Or Avner Chabad Jewish school early Tuesday morning, causing extensive structural damage just hours before the arrival of students. Kyiv’s Chief Rabbi, Yonatan Benyamin Markovitch, expressed relief over the timing, calling it a “tremendous miracle” that no one was in the building during the explosion. The Perlina school, part of Ukraine’s Or Avner Chabad network, sustained heavy damage to classrooms, the school’s vehicle, and student rest areas, though no injuries were reported on-site. Windows fortified with protective film prevented further internal destruction. However, some individuals in an adjacent building were wounded.

Ariane Tabatabai, a senior staffer in the office of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who was identified as the source behind the recent leak of classified documents detailing Israel’s military preparations for a potential strike on Iran, has been moved to a new role in the defense department where she will have less access to intelligence. Tabatabi was moved to the force and education department within Austin’s office, where she will have “significantly less access to intelligence and covert military programs,” according to former Defense Department officials interviewed by The Free Press. Tabatabi, who is an Iranian-American, was previously linked by an Iran International investigation to an Iranian-led influence network.