The Trump administration on Tuesday slammed the “extremely unhelpful” sanctions imposed on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. “They should focus on the real culprit, which is Hamas,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. “We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community,” she continued. “If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting special envoy Witkoff’s negotiations and backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation when it comes to food and aid.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a statement slamming the move.

Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, a senior official in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, declared on Wednesday morning in a discussion in the Knesset’s Subcommittee on Human Resources in the IDF that beginning on June 30, approximately 54,000 conscription orders will be sent to bnei yeshivos. “During the month of July, 54,000 summons for initial conscription will be issued, spread over the coming year until June 2026, in addition to the 24,000 orders that have already been sent,” Tayeb said. Tayeb also revealed that IDF policy has been changed in order to significantly shorten the process of declaring draft dodgers and enable the military police to carry out increased enforcement measures.

President Donald Trump held a tense 40-minute phone conversation with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday night, telling him that the “war in Gaza has run its course” and demanding that Israel refrain from attacking Iran, Channel 12 News reported. The report, based on unnamed sources, said that Trump demanded that Netanyahu make efforts to end the war in Gaza, emphasizing that the end of the war would help the US in its negotiations with Iran and in promoting normalization with Saudi Arabia. Regarding the US talks with Iran, Netanyahu told Trump that Iran “is deceiving you” and that the negotiations should be halted as they are futile.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong rebuke on Tuesday against the move by five allied nations—Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway—to sanction Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Rubio urged these governments to reconsider their decision immediately.
“The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said in a public statement.

In a fiery new recording, Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, sharply denounced the proposed draft law being promoted by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and his associate, former minister Ariel Attias. Rav Maya stated emphatically that he cannot and will not support any legislation that includes draft quotas, conscription targets, or punitive measures against bnei yeshivah. “Nothing—nothing—will change my mind,” he declared.

Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. Representative, veteran Navy helicopter pilot, and former federal prosecutor, has secured the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey, emerging victorious in a six-way primary contest held Tuesday.
At 53 years old, Sherrill—who serves the 11th Congressional District and is a mother of four—entered the race as a clear frontrunner. Her early advantage in polling was largely attributed to her distinguished background, including her service in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Associated Press projected Sherrill as the winner at 8:39 p.m. ET, with her pulling in 34.6% of the vote at the time.

President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the war in Gaza to a close and made clear that any Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities is currently off the table, according to a Channel 12 report citing unnamed sources.
In what was described as a rare and direct message from Trump to Netanyahu during a phone call yesterday, the president conveyed that he expects not just a temporary ceasefire or a hostage agreement through the ongoing Witkoff-mediated negotiations, but a definitive end to the fighting in Gaza, the report says.

With the New York City Democratic mayoral primary just two weeks away on June 24, 2025, the race is in full swing, and the Jewish community—particularly the frum (Orthodox) segment—is emerging as a key player. Early voting begins June 14, and with Jews, including liberal Jews, comprising approximately 16% of eligible voters in this Democrat-only primary, according to a recent poll, community organizations are making their voices heard on who should lead the city next. The Candidates in Focus Here’s a look at the key contenders and the concerns surrounding them: NOTE: Many people do not realize that this is just the PRIMARY. Mayor Eric Adams is not running in this election, as he is running as an Independent in the general election.

A report was received on Monday at the Israel Police hotline about a suspicious person working as a security guard in a mall in the city of Harish in northern Israel. Police officers, who arrived at the site immediately after receiving the report, detained the security guard and, upon inspection, discovered that he was a resident of the Palestinian Authority who had illegally entered Israel. The suspect, a 34-year-old resident of Umm al-Rihan, a village near Jenin, was transferred for questioning at the police station and was later imprisoned. The police have opened an investigation against the employer on suspicion of employing an illegal alien as well as employing someone without security credentials as a security guard. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)