In a new poll released Wednesday evening by Channel 12 News, Likud continues to gain strength, primarily at the expense of Shas, while Gantz’s Blue and White party fails to pass the electoral threshold. The survey also shows Naftali Bennett losing ground to Gadi Eizenkot. The current Netanyahu-led coalition would earn only 49 seats—far from a governing majority.
The poll paints a complex political picture with shifting dynamics between the right and center blocs, though no definitive winner emerges. Gadi Eizenkot appears to be a potential game-changer, with his possible alliances affecting the overall balance—yet still falling short of delivering a clear victory to either side.
If Eizenkot runs independently, the projected seat distribution is as follows:

Israir has been granted official approval to launch direct flights between Israel and New York, according to an announcement made Wednesday by Transportation Minister Miri Regev. This move makes Israir the third Israeli airline with direct service to the United States.
“This is an important step to strengthen competition, lower prices, improve service, and expand the public’s options,” Regev said in a statement welcoming the decision.
Regev highlighted that the Israel-U.S. route is gaining momentum, particularly in the wake of United Airlines restarting flights to Israel. She noted that there are now five airlines flying between the two nations—three based in Israel and two from the U.S.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid weighed in on Shas’s announcement that it would be leaving the government, declaring that the current administration no longer holds a parliamentary majority. “In the State of Israel, as of today, there is a minority government,” he stated.
Lapid warned that such a political reality undermines the government’s capacity to make critical national decisions. “A minority government cannot send soldiers into battle. A minority government cannot decide who will live and who will die. A minority government cannot decide the fate of Gaza, close deals with Syria, and Saudi Arabia,” he said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a high-level review and operational tour on Wednesday within the Gaza Strip. He was joined by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan, brigade leaders, and other senior IDF officials.
As part of his visit, Zamir met with commanders from the Givati Brigade, expressing gratitude for their efforts on the battlefield. He also surveyed military activity around the Beit Hanoun region, observing live combat operations underway.

On a quiet street in Bnei Brak, inside a simple stone building once home to one of the greatest Torah giants of the past century, a hidden treasure is drawing visitors into a living, breathing encounter with greatness. The “Beis Maran HaChazon Ish” Visitor Center—Chazon Ledoros—is a revolutionary initiative using cutting-edge technology to bring the legacy of the Chazon Ish zt”l to life for a new generation.

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzefas and a leading voice in the religious Zionist movement, voiced strong backing on Wednesday for the embattled Druze community in southern Syria, urging the Israeli government to step in and help protect them.
“The Torah teaches us that all humans are created in the image of God,” Rav Eliyahu said. “Disrespecting people and humiliating them contradicts the values of the Torah. Disrespecting their blood goes against the most basic values that God has instilled in us and the entire world.”

A Biden administration initiative to electrify the postal fleet has come under fire after only 250 electric mail trucks have been rolled out in over two years — despite billions in taxpayer money being allocated for the production of tens of thousands of vehicles. Furious Republican lawmakers are now branding the effort a costly failure.
The nearly $10 billion plan was intended to provide the U.S. Postal Service with more than 35,000 battery-powered trucks by September 2028. A portion of the funding — $3 billion — was pulled from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. However, the project’s slow pace has prompted lawmakers to seek a rollback of almost $1.3 billion that has yet to be spent.

In a dramatic move, the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah guiding the Shas party has ruled that Shas will withdraw from the Israeli government, but will not exit the governing coalition. The decision was made during an emergency meeting held earlier today at Shas headquarters in Har Chotzvim, Yerushalayim, and marks a turning point in the political standoff over the long-delayed draft law governing bnei yeshiva.

President Donald Trump is calling the latest wave of accusations surrounding Jeffrey Epstein a “hoax,” asserting that Democrats have scored another political win by duping even some of his previous supporters into believing what he considers to be baseless allegations.

Iran is “ready” to respond to any renewed military action against it and has the capabilities to deal “even bigger blows” to the United States and other militaries, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday.
The Islamic Republic “not only does not fear America—it instills fear in it,” Khamenei declared, speaking to the country’s judiciary officials in his second public appearance since the June 13-24 war with Israel.
“Although we consider the Zionist regime [Israel] a cancer and the U.S. a criminal due to its support of that regime, we did not seek war,” he said. “Yet whenever the enemy attacked, our response was forceful and firm.”