HEADLINES
Poll reshuffles Israeli blocs as Likud slips
IDF soldier smashes Jesus statue, punished
First foreign leader lights Mount Herzl torch

The time is now 1:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, public opinion remains largely steady even as the latest poll shows small shifts within blocs. The Maariv survey conducted by Lazar Research and Panel4All tracks movement since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. At the outset, Likud held a six-seat lead over Bennett; since then, Likud has lost three seats while Bennett’s Bennett 2026 has gained three. This week, Likud dropped one seat and Otzma Yehudit gained one, leaving the overall balance between the blocs unchanged. The opposition again holds a 61-seat majority without the Arab parties, while the coalition sits at 49 seats. The poll notes that several parties remain below the electoral threshold: Religious Zionism at 2.8%, Blue and White at 1.7%, the Reservists at 2%, and Balad at 1.4%. The coverage emphasizes ongoing divisions within the political system, with only minor fluctuations within blocs.

Editor’s Note: Milei’s torch should push Israel to think about its extra nine million. The moment of truth came with Argentinian President Javier Milei lighting a torch on Mount Herzl, described as dramatic and warm, and noted as the first foreign leader to receive that honor. The writing highlights that Milei’s bond with Judaism is part of his public identity, but his story is not the same as a Buenos Aires-born descendant of Jews or other diaspora narratives. The piece suggests the ceremony raises a broader question: how should Israel speak to people who stand near the edge of the Jewish story, those who do not fit neatly into one box, as the Jewish world is understood today.

Disgrace in Debel: A single incident undermines Israel’s reputation for tolerance. Israelis take pride in a country seen as the region’s democracy, upholding freedom of religion and minority rights. That image was called into question by footage from Debel in southern Lebanon showing an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in a Christian village. The response was swift: the soldier who carried out the act and the one who filmed were removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention. Six soldiers who were present but did not intervene have been summoned, with further disciplinary measures under consideration. The military move aimed to reinforce the standards to which the public holds the army.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, authorities respond to threats and hate incidents abroad and in the United States. A North Carolina woman, Angelina Han Hicks, 18, was arrested on Wednesday on two counts of felony conspiracy for plotting to kill as many Jews as possible by driving through Congregation Beth Israel in Houston. The Houston congregation and a Jewish day school had closed amid threats, and the FBI Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force led a multi-state investigation following a tip. Hicks was charged as a juvenile, illustrating the ongoing danger faced by Jewish communities.

Tucker Carlson calls campaign to shame a country club for barring a Jewish toddler ‘repulsive.’ The piece recounts how Carlson branded the effort to publicize a Palm Beach country club’s ban on a Jewish four-year-old as a “repulsive” crusade against a private club’s choice to exclude. Catherine Rampell, whose anecdote about a family ban was central to the discussion, said Carlson misrepresented her story and used it to defend antisemitic and racist country clubs. The report notes Carlson also discussed Trump’s Iran policy with his brother Buckley in a separate segment, framing political debate around broader questions of national identity and policy.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-894051
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-894023
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-894017
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-894047
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-894044