[96953] Coalition Crisis Under the Shadow of the Draft Law Ultimatum; The Fifth Round of Negotiations with Lebanon and Trump's Statements on Iran

Political Drama: Coalition Crisis and the Haredi Ultimatum

A severe shake-up was recorded in the political system after the meeting of coalition leaders, convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was completely canceled. The cancellation followed a sweeping boycott by the leaders of the Haredi parties – Aryeh Deri (Shas), Yitzhak Goldknopf, and Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) – who made it clear that they would not participate in a "show for the cameras." Deri even complained that he found out about the meeting through the media.

In the background of the boycott is a tough ultimatum presented by Gafni and Deri to Netanyahu: the immediate advancement of the "Basic Law: Torah Study" and a law that would prevent the arrest of Haredi draft evaders, warning that if a majority in the Knesset is not guaranteed for them, they will support the dissolution of the house as early as next week. On the other hand, MK Dan Illouz (Likud) sharply attacked the looming surrender and called on the government to say "no" to these demands.

Meanwhile, ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, the Attorney General, and the Police Commissioner agreed that no arrests of draft evaders would be carried out on Election Day to ensure freedom of voting. At the same time, the Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee, MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe, demanded increased preparedness to deal with foreign interference and the misleading use of artificial intelligence. In the party arena, the "Naor Narkis clause" in the constitution of "The Democrats" party was revealed, granting Chairman Yair Golan the authority to move candidates on the Knesset list. Additionally, it was reported that Netanyahu is considering reserving spots in the Likud's top ten for Moshe Kahlon, Gideon Sa'ar, and Haim Bibas.

Another storm erupted following the presentation of the plan of "Byachad" party chairman Naftali Bennett, "New Agreement", which includes evacuating illegal outposts and defining Areas A and B as a Palestinian autonomy. This plan drew sharp attacks from right-wing figures, including Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Minister Amichai Chikli, and Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz, who called the move "the establishment of a terror state."

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The Northern Arena: Diplomatic Negotiations Amidst Exchanges of Fire and Complaints of Ceasefire Violations

In diplomatic quarters, the fifth round of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon opened in Washington, with the first day of discussions lasting about 8 hours. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the US is conducting contacts with the Lebanese government as a sovereign entity separate from Iran's influence. On the other hand, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah representatives expressed resolute opposition to "testing zones" proposed in the Washington declaration, and the deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, Mahmoud Qamati, clarified that the organization would not agree to any understanding that leaves IDF forces on the country's soil.

In the operational arena, Naftali Bennett caused a stir when he claimed that the IDF is limited in its activity in Lebanon and the fighters' hands are tied. The offices of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the Chief of Staff rejected the claims and clarified that the freedom of action to thwart threats remains complete. In southern Lebanon, several severe incidents were recorded: in the Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa area, IDF forces opened fire on suspects near a bulldozer, an event in which two people were killed and two were injured, who according to Lebanese sources were civilians engaged in opening a road. Another incident was reported in the village of Haddatha, where a person was killed by IDF tank fire. Hezbollah was quick to accuse Israel of a blatant violation of the ceasefire, while residents in Beirut reported unusual Israeli drone activity over the capital.

At the same time, former senior Hezbollah official, Wafiq Safa, revealed in an interview that the organization's late Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, experienced a deep mental collapse following the pager attack, stopped eating and drinking, and almost died of grief even before he was assassinated. On the Israeli side, under the guidance of the Home Front Command, all nature reserves and national parks on the northern border were reopened, including the Banias, Hurshat Tal, Tel Dan, and Nahal Senir.

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US and Iran: War of Versions over the Nuclear Deal and the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump created a diplomatic storm when he declared that Iran had agreed "fully and absolutely" to tight nuclear supervision "forever and ever" as a condition for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, and that the unfrozen funds would be transferred to an escrow account under US control for humanitarian needs only. On the other hand, Tehran strongly denied his words; Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that there is no intention of allowing IAEA inspectors to visit the damaged facilities, and that the missile program is not subject to bargaining. When Trump was asked about the timing of the inspectors' visits, he replied laconically: "In due course, there is no rush."

At the same time, Trump rejected the Gulf states' criticism of the emerging agreement, noting that "they need to be educated, even if they are my friends." He even presented an unusual figure according to which yesterday set a historical record in oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz with 19 million barrels. On the other hand, a Reuters poll indicated a decline in Trump's popularity (only 34% approval) and revealed that 52% of the American public believe that a war with Iran does not justify its costs.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian landed for an official visit to Pakistan and called for the establishment of a new regional security architecture while "extending a hand" to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Additionally, Iran and Oman held contacts in Muscat and issued a joint statement emphasizing their sovereign rights in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Current Security, Law, and Police

• Changes of Command in the IDF: Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram assumed his position as Head of the Operations Division (Head of Operations) replacing Brig. Gen. Israel Shomer, who was dismissed due to suspicion of illicit relations. Hiram entered the role amidst a command chaos caused by injuries and terminations of roles of senior officers in the division.


• The Fight Against Terrorism: The IDF and the ISA (Shin Bet) completed the elimination of 2,555 terrorists who actively participated in the October 7 massacre. The security forces continued extensive arrest activities in Judea and Samaria, including in the Al-Fawwar refugee camp in Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm.


• Netanyahu's Testimony and Proceedings in His Office: On the 96th day of his testimony, Netanyahu sharply attacked the police and the state attorney's office, claiming they biased investigations in order to create a false presentation and a legal trap against him. Meanwhile, the Civil Service Commission held a hearing for Tzachi Braverman, the former Chief of Staff, ahead of a possible suspension due to the indictment against him.


• Appointment in the National Public Diplomacy Directorate: Lt. Col. (Res.) Noam Shapira (44), a graduate of Sayeret Matkal, was appointed as the head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, a position that had remained vacant for three years.


• The Bnei Brak Storm and Discrimination Against Protesters: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is demanding the dismissal of the Bnei Brak station commander, Chief Superintendent Yuval Shavit, who was documented tearing the pants of a young Haredi man during a Haredi protest that blocked Route 6. At the same time, the "Honenu" organization complained to the Police Commissioner about significant compensation discrimination to the detriment of right-wing protesters compared to left-wing protesters who underwent strip searches.

Domestic Events, Crime, and Violence

• Assassination in the Western Galilee: Rahib Idris (67) was shot to death on Route 70 near the Kabul junction. A burning vehicle was found nearby. The police's main suspicion is that the background to the murder is that the deceased's relative is a state witness.


• Youth Violence: A stormy debate was held in the Knesset Committee following the murder of the youth Yemano Zalka, of blessed memory, on Independence Day. Zalka's family cried out against the helplessness of the enforcement and judicial systems in dealing with youths armed with knives. Meanwhile, a severe violent incident was recorded in Petah Tikva, in which a youth was brutally attacked by a group of minors.


• Khat Smuggling in Europe: A worrying wave of arrests of young Israeli women lured by easy money: two Haredi young women (20) were arrested in Prague with 96 kg of khat, and two others (23, 24) were arrested in Krakow, Poland, in possession of 50 kg of the plant, which is defined in Europe as an illegal drug.


• The Attack in Canada: The investigation continues into the shooting in the Jewish neighborhood in Montreal, in which a police officer was killed and an Israeli citizen (Michael Mizrachi) was critically injured. The police are examining a 100-page manifesto of the shooter, who is identified as a supporter of the "incel" culture (misogyny and anti-capitalism), which weakens the suspicion of an antisemitic motive.

Economy, Consumerism, Sports, and Technology

• Plunge in Agricultural Produce Prices: An unusual combination of record agricultural yield and a slowdown in consumption led to rock-bottom prices for fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and watermelons) to levels of 1.9 to 2.9 shekels per kilogram in retail chains.


• The Real Estate Market: The Gindi company is considering purchasing hundreds of housing units from contractors who have run into cash flow difficulties. On the other hand, question marks arose regarding CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) and Globes data, indicating that 2,000 apartments "disappeared" from official calculations.


• Preventive Consumerism: The Harel company launched "marpet", a new health insurance service for dogs and cats offering direct payment to the veterinarian and vaccine coverage, first of its kind in Israel. Meanwhile, ahead of the entry of regulations in August, tobacco importers have begun marketing cigarette packs with deterrent warning images.


• Online Shopping Celebrations: Amazon's annual Prime Day event opened for four days of deals with free shipping to Israel. Meanwhile, deal channels report significant discounts on audio products, including Baseus wireless headphones and aluminum headphone stands at KSP.


• Controversial Launch: Valve announced the launch of the Steam Machine, a Linux-based living room PC, at a particularly high starting price of $1,049, which aroused much consumer skepticism compared to competing consoles.


• World Cup 2026: The France national team defeated Iraq 3-0 thanks to a brace by Kylian Mbappé and a debut goal by Ousmane Dembélé, in a match that was delayed by two hours due to a lightning storm. Meanwhile, Norway secured its place in the Round of 32 after a 3-2 victory over Senegal (a brace for Erling Haaland against a brace for Ismaïla Sarr).