Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled the military can begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for mandatory service. The historic ruling effectively puts an end to a longstanding system that granted ultra-Orthodox men exemptions from military service while still requiring mandatory enlistment for the country’s secular Jewish majority.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government relies on two ultra-Orthodox…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, June 23, that Israel’s “intense fighting” in Gaza will wind down, and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) could soon shift its focus to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu said though the war is far from over, he is willing and ready to consider deals to get more hostages…

The Biden and Trump campaigns are marking the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. And more than one thousand people are dead while making the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid dangerous high temperatures.  These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, June 24, 2024. Biden, Trump campaigns mark 2nd anniversary…

The Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari commented during a broadcast interview with Israel’s Channel 13 on Wednesday, June 19. His statement appeared to show a rift between the army and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his goal to destroy Hamas. Hagari said the idea “to make Hamas vanish” is like “throwing sand…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., does not plan to attend a speech given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to be delivered in July to a joint meeting of Congress. Warren told The Hill on Tuesday, June 18, that “Benjamin Netanyahu has created a humanitarian disaster.” Added: This comes as Netanyahu makes claims of the…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation of delayed weapon deliveries led to the cancellation of a meeting at the White House. Netanyahu accused Washington of withholding arms from Israel, therefore not sending enough aid to the country. The U.S. ambassador to Israel confirmed that weapons are being delivered, calming Netanyahu’s concerns. The Biden administration refutes…

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Iran is expanding its activity at the subterranean Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant by installing hundreds of new centrifuges. This move could potentially triple Iran’s production of enriched uranium, which could be quickly refined to weapons-grade material. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran already possesses…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded his war cabinet as the Israeli army announces a ‘tactical pause’ in Rafah. And Maryland’s governor is set to pardon more than 175,000 marijuana convictions. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, June 17, 2024. Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet as IDF announces ‘tactical pause’ in Rafah Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues to urge top Israeli officials to accept and implement a plan for post-war Gaza, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, June 10, and opposition leader Yair Lapid in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, June 11. This comes as he also pushes for more international pressure on Hamas to agree…

A key member of Israel’s war cabinet has resigned. Benny Gantz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s biggest political rival, has stepped down after Netanyahu failed to meet the deadline Gantz gave him to come up with a post-war plan to replace Hamas in Gaza by June 8.   In a speech on Sunday, June 9, the retired army…