Tens of thousands of right-wing supporters attended a rally protesting against the overreach of the Supreme Court and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara on Thursday. The protest was held outside the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem. Participants carried signs stating, among others, “A Jewish state wins over the Deep State” and “No to the rule of the Supreme Court!” and “The people are sovereign.” At one point, the crowd chanted again and again, “Gali will not decide!” referring to the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara.

Afghans who worked for the U.S. during its war against the Taliban urged President Donald Trump Thursday to exempt them from a travel ban that could lead to them being deported to Afghanistan, where they say they will face persecution. Their appeal came hours after Trump announced a U.S. entry ban on citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. It affects thousands of Afghans who fled Taliban rule and had been approved for resettlement through a U.S. program assisting people at risk due to their work with the American government, media organizations, and humanitarian groups. But Trump suspended that program in January, leaving Afghans stranded in several locations, including Pakistan and Qatar.

A three-judge appeals panel rejected Apple’s request to pause an April 30 order banning the company from charging a fee on in-app iPhone transactions processed outside its once-exclusive payment system in a two-page decision issued late Thursday. The setback threatens to divert billions of dollars in revenue away from Apple while it tried to overturn the order reining in its commissions from e-commerce within iPhone apps. Apple sought to put the order on hold after it was issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in a stinging rebuke that also held the Cupertino, California, company in civil contempt of court and recommended opening a criminal investigation into whether one of its executives had committed perjury while testifying in her Oakland, California, courtroom.

President Donald Trump is tapping an Air Force fighter pilot with extensive experience as a senior commander in the Middle East to be the next head of U.S. European Command. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, currently the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would also take over as the supreme allied commander, Europe, if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. NATO’s North Atlantic Council in a statement Thursday said it approved Grynkewich’s nomination as SACEUR. The U.S. military’s presence in Europe is under scrutiny, as the Trump administration eyes cuts in the force even as the region continues to grapple with Russia’s war on Ukraine and the wider effects of the Israel-Hamas war. U.S.

In Beitar, the Chasunah of the grandson of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe took place last night. The Choson is the youngest son of his eldest son, the Rav Aharon Kahn. The Rebbe stayed until 3:00 AM, unlike at other weddings of his grandchildren. PHOTOS FOR YWN BY SHUKI LERER

QUESTION:  Is butter considered a type of cheese? Must it be gevinas Yisroel? ANSWER: Butter is not subject to the rule of Gevinas Akum. The manufacture of cheese involves the coagulation of milk protein, called casein. Casein can be coagulated by using non-kosher enzymes derived from the stomach flesh of neveilah animals (animals which did not undergo kosher slaughter), which would render the finished product non-kosher. Therefore, Chazal decreed that special onsite supervision is necessary, to ensure that kosher enzymes are used (Avodah Zarah 35b, Shulchan Aruch – Yoreh Deah 115:2). Butter, however, is made by separating cream (fat) from milk and concentrating it into a solid through the churning process – not through coagulation.

Amid the looming coalition crisis over the lack of a Chareidi draft bill, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced on Thursday evening that “the IDF will issue over 50,000 draft notices to yeshiva students in the upcoming month of Tammuz and will soon present an enforcement plan against draft dodgers.” “This was presented by army officials at a meeting with the Attorney General today with the participation of the head of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate.” According to the Attorney General’s letter, this concerns approximately 54,000 orders (referred to as “the pool”) that will be sent during the upcoming month of July, with reporting dates staggered throughout the recruitment year, according to a plan to be determined by the army.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. In an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump likened the war in Ukraine — which Russia invaded in early 2022 — to a fight between two young children who hated each other. “Sometimes you’re better off letting them a fight for a while and then pulling them apart,” Trump said. He added that he had relayed that analogy to Russian President Vladimir Putin in their phone conversation on Wednesday. Asked about Trump’s comments as the two leaders sat next to each other, Merz stressed that both he and Trump agreed “on this war and how terrible this war is going on,” pointing to the U.S.

In a turn of events nearly everyone knew was going to happen, Elon Musk launched a blistering attack on President Trump Thursday, declaring all-out war with a savage message on X: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” Musk didn’t hold back, calling out what he called “ingratitude” as their once-close alliance descends into chaos. This dramatic public spat marks a shocking rupture between two of the biggest personalities in American politics and tech. The feud centers around Trump’s signature “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” a massive tax-and-spending package projected to add trillions to the U.S. national debt over the next decade.

President Donald Trump intensified his assertions that officials using an autopen undermined the actions of his predecessor, Joe Biden, even suggesting Thursday that “essentially whoever used the autopen was president.” “I happen to think I know” who was using a tool that allows for auto signatures, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, while saying it was the “biggest scandal” in years. The Justice Department under Democratic and Republican administrations has recognized the use of an autopen to sign legislation and issue pardons for decades. Trump presented no evidence that Biden was unaware of the actions taken in his name, and the president’s absolute pardon power is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.