INTERNACIONAL
Israel’s Gaza offensive sparks fierce clash over Ultra-Orthodox military draft
IDF troops in Gaza
The IDF says it recently operated and concluded the encirclement of Tel al-Sultan in Gaza . (IDF Video.)
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As Israel mobilizes an additional 60,000 reservists for its Gaza City offensive, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a showdown over mandatory military service for the Ultra-Orthodox community, a debate sharpened by the strain on reservists pulled from their families for months at a time.
During Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion reached an agreement with the Ultra-Orthodox community to exempt full-time Bible students from the army. The arrangement, known as «Torato manuto» — literally «his Torah is his occupation» — originally applied to only a few hundred students.
Today, that community makes up roughly 15% of Israel’s population of 10 million, a share projected to grow to about a third by 2050 due to high birth rates.
ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU HOLDS ON TO POWER, ATTEMPT TO DISSOLVE GOVERNMENT FALLS SHORT
The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, conducted a field tour in the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
When the Knesset broke for its summer recess at the end of July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition was on the verge of collapse over the conscription issue, even as the war against Hamas in Gaza intensified.
Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein told Fox News Digital that the ideal outcome would see full-time Torah students continue their studies, while those who are not engaged in religious learning would enlist in the IDF.
«The army needs them, Israel needs them, and it’s manageable — we can do it. What makes it difficult is the lack of an oversight mechanism that the Haredim would agree to,» Edelstein said.
In July, Netanyahu’s Likud party removed Edelstein as chair of the influential Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after he publicly accused Haredi lawmakers of refusing to engage in compromise on legislation the body was ready to advance.
The shake-up came a week after the Ultra-Orthodox parties United Torah Judaism and Shas withdrew from the coalition in protest over the failure to pass legislation exempting Haredi men from military service. However, they stopped short of joining opposition no-confidence motions that could topple the government.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boys sit in front of mounted police officers during a demonstration against the draft into the Israeli army on June 27, 2024, in Bnei Brak, Israel. (Itai Ron/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
ISRAEL WARNS OF IMMINENT ATTACK ON GAZA CITY, URGES RESIDENTS TO FLEE
The Knesset reconvenes for its winter session next month, giving Netanyahu a little over a month to broker a deal.
«We insisted that anyone who joins the army as a Haredi should leave as a Haredi, and we insisted that the army build the infrastructure to make that possible. We really understand the sensitivity,» Edelstein told Fox News Digital.
«The rabbis, for now, are not in favor of Haredim joining the army — not all of them, of course — but we are trying to work with them as well,» he added.
Ido Keren is the founder of «Katef Le Katef» («Shoulder to Shoulder»), an organization of young military reservists from across Israel’s political spectrum that advocates for universal conscription, both as a security necessity and a matter of equality.»
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish group gathers to protest against conscription in front of the Tel HaShomer military branch in Tel Aviv, Israel on Aug. 6, 2024. (Matan Golan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«The IDF chief of staff has said there is a shortage of 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers, and these gaps must be filled,» Keren told Fox News Digital. «While 64,000 Haredim are eligible for enlistment, they are not joining. During this time, reservists continue to serve without pause.
«It is not logical that entire groups in Israeli society serve and pay taxes,» he continued, «while another group does not serve, does not pay taxes, and gets a free ride thanks to others. The Jewish state is built on values of mutual responsibility and unity.»
Israeli army reservists protest against a bill that would grant exemptions to Ultra-Orthodox Jews from serving in the army, outside the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on December 26, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)
Keren argued that the solution lies in enforcing a universal draft law backed by economic, rather than criminal, sanctions. Cutting public budgets for those who refuse to serve, he said, would push Haredim to enlist and enter the workforce, enabling them to contribute to Israeli society.
A former lawmaker from the Ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, Moshe Roth, told Fox News Digital that the roots of the debate go back to Israel’s founding. «From the establishment of the state, it was understood that, as the people of the book, it is vital for the country’s spiritual and national existence that a portion of the population devote themselves to Torah study,» he said.
Roth noted that about 20 years ago, Israel’s High Court deemed the status quo arrangement illegal for violating the principle of equality. Since then, the Knesset has repeatedly tried — and failed — to pass legislation addressing the Haredi draft.
Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu visit the Tel Nof Airbase on June 16, 2025, accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. (GPO)
«It has become politically charged and weaponized. Many parties use it as a tool to win votes, which has made passing a law extremely difficult. Even when the Knesset succeeds, the High Court often rules that it falls short,» Roth said. «Since Oct. 7, the issue has grown even more sensitive.»
According to Roth, the IDF resisted drafting Haredim due to cultural reasons. «The army is progressive, and the yeshiva students would change its character and deter women from being integrated. It will change the situation dramatically; the military is not too keen about that,» he said.
ISRAEL SET TO LAUNCH GAZA CITY OFFENSIVE: HIGH STAKES, HIGH COSTS AHEAD
During a tour of the Gaza Strip late last month IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called for enlistment from all sectors.
«Israel’s security requires the full partnership of all parts of the nation. This is a civic duty and a national imperative. I call on everyone to enlist and contribute their share equally; this is the call of the hour,» Zamir said.
Netzach Yehuda soldiers reading from a torah scroll during the battalion training. Netzach Yehuda is a Haredi battalion of the Kfir brigade in the IDF. (Hillel Maeir/TPS-IL)
In the interim, the IDF is making strides to accommodate religious soldiers. In January, dozens of Ultra-Orthodox recruits joined the military’s new Hasmonean Brigade. The Netzah Yehuda Battalion, formerly Nahal Haredi, enables Haredi men to serve as combat soldiers while observing strict religious practices.
In June, the IDF announced it would issue more than 50,000 draft orders to Ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and increase enforcement against draft evasion.
«We are attempting to change a situation that has existed for 77 years,» Likud’s Edelstein told Fox News Digital. «It’s a big and difficult shift, a scary change, but it’s necessary.»
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«We have no choice — both for military and social reasons,» he said.
israel,conflicts,faith
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FIRST ON FOX – A former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer who is backed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared his candidacy in the state’s 4th Congressional District, as he challenges Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year’s GOP primary.
«I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again,» Ed Gallrein said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital.
And pointing to Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president during his second term in the White House, Gallrein emphasized, «This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress – he needs backup. I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for.»
The campaign launch comes four days after Trump took to social media to praise Gallrein, urge him to run, and blast Massie.
MAVERICK HOUSE REPUBLICAN CASHES IN ON TRUMP’S ATTACKS
Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, arrives for a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump argued that Massie was a «Third Rate Congressman,» a «Weak and Pathetic RINO,» and a «totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly.»
And the president applauded Gallrein, calling him a «Brave Combat Veteran» and a «very successful Businessman» who, if elected to Congress, would «fight tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.»
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Trump’s social media post included a photo of himself and Gallrein holding red MAGA hats in the Oval Office.
Gallrein served three decades in uniform, rising to the rank of Captain. According to his campaign bio, he served multiple times on SEAL Team SIX, deploying to Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and earned four Bronze Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations.
Ed Gallrein, left, seen with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, on Tuesday launched a congressional bid to primary challenge Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Gallrein’s campaign launch comes four days after Trump backed him and urged him to run. (Ed Gallrein congressional campaign)
His campaign release also highlighted that «Gallrein’s roots run deep in Kentucky.» He was born and raised in the state. And his family, which has farmed for over a century, built Kentucky’s largest dairy farm and Gallrein Grain Farms, one of the state’s largest grain operations.
Massie took aim at Gallrein following Trump’s social media endorsement, calling him a «failed candidate and establishment hack,» as he pointed to Gallrein’s unsuccessful run last year for the state Senate.
MASSIE FIRES BACK AFTER JOHNSON CALLS HIS EPSTEIN RECORDS PUSH ‘MEANINGLESS’
«After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein,» Massie said in a statement to Politico. «Ed’s been begging them to pick him for over three months now.»
Trump started targeting Massie for ouster earlier this year over the seven-term lawmaker’s opposition to the «One Big Beautiful Bill,» which passed the GOP-controlled Congress early in the summer nearly entirely along party lines. The sweeping GOP megalaw is the president’s major legislative achievement since returning to the White House.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) during a news conference with alleged victims of disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein outside the U.S. Capitol on September 3, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Massie is also leading the push, along with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, in forcing a House floor vote to urge the release of the Justice Department’s files on the late convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a move the White House and House GOP leaders have aimed to counter. Massie is on the verge of reaching the needed 218 signatures to force the vote.
Two top Trump political advisers — 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and pollster Tony Fabrizio — in June launched a super PAC that aims to defeat Massie. Nearly $2 million has been spent already to run TV ads targeting Massie.
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But Massie has used the attacks from Trump and his allies to boost fundraising, hauling in more than $750,000 the past three months, which was the best fundraising quarter of his congressional career.
Massie’s district, in the northeastern part of the state, includes Louisville’s eastern suburbs and Cincinnati’s Kentucky suburbs.
donald trump,republicans elections,elections,midterm elections,house of representatives,congress,kentucky,campaigning
INTERNACIONAL
La Unión Europea acordó adelantar al 2028 la desconexión de las importaciones de hidrocarburos rusos
Los países de la Unión Europea respaldaron el lunes, con la oposición de Eslovaquia y Hungría, la propuesta de la Comisión Europea para adelantar a 2028 la desconexión de la UE de las importaciones de hidrocarburos rusos, normativa que aún tendrá que negociarse con el Parlamento Europeo, que quiere acelerar un año más.
«Se trata de una decisión muy importante“, dijo tras el acuerdo entre los ministros de Energía de los Veintisiete el comisario europeo de Energía y Vivienda, Dan Jørgensen, quien aseguró que el Ejecutivo ayudará en la transición “a todos los Estados miembros, incluidos aquellos que no apoyan la legislación”.
Los Estados miembros, con amplio apoyo y algunas reservas específicas, secundaron la propuesta de la Comisión Europea que, presionada por Estados Unidos, planteó que la UE acabe con los contratos de gas ruso a corto plazo en 2027, y un año después con los acuerdos a largo plazo, tanto por gasoducto como por barco.
El Consejo plantea que las modificaciones de los contratos solo se permitan por razones operativas sin aumentar volúmenes, con algunas flexibilidades para los países sin acceso al mar, y propone simplificar las obligaciones aduaneras con un sistema de autorización previa y exenciones para determinados orígenes.
Las capitales deben negociar ahora con el Parlamento Europeo, que quiere adelantar un año el calendario, con la intención de cerrar el texto antes de fin de año.
Desde la invasión de Ucrania, la UE ha prohibido las compras a Rusia de carbón y de casi todo el petróleo, pero no del gas. No obstante, antes de la guerra la Unión compraba a Moscú el 45% del gas que consumía y ha rebajado ese volumen hasta niveles que actualmente rondan el 13%.
El nuevo paso supone la ruptura total y más rápida de lo previsto, lo que genera inquietud. Grecia apoyó “completamente” la desconexión, pero pidió “medidas para corregir las perturbaciones del mercado”.
En cambio, Eslovaquia, uno de los mayores aliados de Rusia en la UE, votó en contra, argumentando que comprometería su seguridad energética. Lo mismo hizo Hungría, que sostuvo que el petróleo que podría recibir a través de Croacia no sería suficiente y dejaría a Budapest sujeta al “monopolio” de una sola vía de suministro y un tránsito con tasas elevadas, según dijo el titular húngaro Péter Szijjártó.
La posición de Hungría recibió críticas de otros socios, como Croacia, que garantizó que tiene “plena capacidad” de abastecer a Budapest, y Letonia, que cuestionó si hace falta otra “tragedia” para acabar con la dependencia energética de Moscú. Polonia agregó: “No estamos aquí para hablar de matemáticas ni números, aunque sean importantes, sino de valores”.
Otros países, como la presidencia danesa de turno del Consejo, celebraron que el bloque comunitario vaya a “dejar de financiar la máquina de guerra de Rusia” y subrayaron que “la energía que consumimos tiene que alejarse de los combustibles fósiles”.
El acuerdo es “el principio de una transición” hacia una economía descarbonizada, afirmó el ministro de Clima y Energía de Dinamarca, Lars Aagaard. En la misma línea se posicionó España, a través del secretario de Estado de Energía, Joan Groizard, quien destacó que “la energía no puede ser un arma de guerra” y mostró su apoyo al texto porque es “de alcance europeo” y contiene medidas “jurídicamente solventes”.
Groizard agregó que no basta con sustituir la dependencia energética de Rusia por otra: «No se puede dejar que un tercer país esté en disposición de chantajear a Europa en términos energéticos“.
La presidencia danesa señaló que la solución a la dependencia energética llegará a largo plazo con energía renovable autogenerada en la UE, y Jørgensen respaldó esa postura, asegurando que trabajan “muy, muy duro con los Estados miembros para ayudarles de forma que no haya ningún problema de seguridad de suministro ni subidas de precio”.
(Con información de EFE)
Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe,COPENHAGEN
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A Texas election review has identified thousands of illegal immigrants on the state’s voter rolls, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said Monday.
Nelson said a crosscheck of state voter records found that more than 2,700 possible illegal immigrants were registered on the voter rolls, leading to an eligibility review across the 254 counties.
The data came from a full comparison of Texas’s 18 million registered voters against federal citizenship records in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
«Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,» Nelson said. «The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.»
TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKS CITIZENSHIP FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT VOTERS
A voter wearing a protective mask and gloves signs a document at a drive-thru mail ballot hand delivery center in Austin, Texas. (Sergio Flores/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The investigation showed after running the SAVE crosscheck, that state officials could identify 2,724 potential noncitizens whose voter files have been sent to local counties to be further investigated.
This process falls under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code, which requires counties to verify each voter’s eligibility and remove confirmed noncitizens from the rolls.
Nelson said the review is part of an effort to maintain an accurate voter list and to safeguard election integrity ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
«Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected,» Nelson said. «We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible – just as they do with any other data set we provide.»
Each flagged voter will receive a notice from their county registrar giving them 30 days to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. If a voter does not respond, their registration will be canceled, though it can be reinstated immediately once proof of citizenship is provided.
Nelson’s statement said confirmed noncitizens who voted in previous Texas elections will be referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further review and potential prosecution.
The announcement comes amid growing national scrutiny of voter rolls as several states – including Georgia, Arizona, and Florida – have conducted similar audits of voter eligibility.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott said that since Senate Bill 1 was signed into law, Texas has removed more than one million ineligible or outdated registrations from the state’s voter rolls, calling the effort essential to safeguard Texans’ right to vote.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS POTENTIALLY COUNTED IN US CENSUS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN REDISTRICTING BATTLE
Texas has confirmed noncitizens who voted in previous elections will be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for further review and potential prosecution. (Getty Images)
«These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state,» Abbott said. «The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have an ongoing legal requirement to review the voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, and refer any potential illegal voting to the Attorney General’s Office and local authorities for investigation and prosecution. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting.»
Abbott has called the initiative proof that Texas is «leading the nation in election integrity.»
A breakdown of the information was released by the Secretary of State’s office showing Harris County with the largest number of potential noncitizens at 362, followed by Dallas County (277), Bexar County (201), and El Paso County (165).
Smaller counties, including Andrews, Llano, and Cooke, reported fewer than ten flagged registrations.
In total, all 254 Texas counties were included in the SAVE database review. Counties began sending verification notices this week as part of the 30-day review process.
In June, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced that she had referred to the Office of Attorney General to investigate the names of 33 potential noncitizens who voted in the November 2024 General Election.
The statement released by Nelson said the referral came within weeks of Texas gaining access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database.
«Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer. Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more,» Secretary Nelson said.
The crosscheck was made possible after the Trump Administration granted states direct and free access to the federal SAVE database for the first time.
The tool allows election officials to confirm voter citizenship against immigration and naturalization records.
The statement also said Texas was among the first states to join a pilot program with DHS, USCIS, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve the database’s functionality.
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«We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,» Secretary Nelson said.
County registrars are expected to complete their investigations by early December, with official removals and potential referrals to follow.
The Secretary of State’s office said the review will continue with periodic checks against federal databases to ensure accuracy.
«The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections,» Nelson said.
elections,voting,illegal immigrants,texas,democrats,republicans
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