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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-01 at 13:01
Published 2 weeks, 5 days ago
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HEADLINES
Harris courts pro-Palestinian left for 2028 bid
Israel backs 1915 Armenian Genocide recognition
Israel forms six-member Oct 7 probe panel
The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, reports say Vice President Kamala Harris held a private call with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week and has been holding closed-door meetings with progressive figures, including pro-Palestinian activists, according to an Axios report. The discussions centered on the future of the Democratic Party and plans for further conversations. Harris has exchanged text messages with Mamdani in recent months, and the call followed wins by three Mamdani-backed candidates in New York City primary races. Analysts and party members have described the sequence as part of a broader shift that has unsettled some moderates. The conversations are described as an effort to repair and strengthen ties with left-wing members in hopes of laying groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, and to reconnect with members of the pro-Palestinian Uncommitted National Movement.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the government has unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar's proposal to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Officials say the move reflects a moral obligation Israel bears toward victims of the genocide; however, critics ask why such a recognition is being pursued now after decades of caution citing strategic and diplomatic concerns. The debate notes that Israeli public broadcasters once prepared a documentary on the killings, but pressure from government and security establishment after Turkey warned that airing it could jeopardize security ties reportedly kept it from airing. Separately, Noam Shapira was appointed Director of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Staff, a post that had been vacant since January 2023. The government exempted the appointment from the usual tender process, drawing criticism from other candidates who perceived the process as predetermined. Shapira, a former IDF commander in the Operations Directorate, has connections to a unit linked to an online influence operation during the October 7 period, according to reports. Shapira has defended his past actions and the appointment. Also, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth sent a letter to Shin Bet Director David Zini, seeking intervention against the High Court and noting a pending election dispute. Bismuth hinted that the court’s interim order to freeze the comptroller election amid concerns about a tampering with secret ballot rules could extend to influence in the Knesset elections, a suggestion critics call inflammatory given Netanyahu’s track record. Polling in recent months has shown the opposition bloc ahead by a margin, though observers caution that polls can be unreliable. Former Supreme Court justice Edna Arbel, who served as state attorney before joining the bench, died on Wednesday. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and retired in 2014, after a career spanning the Central District Prosecution, the Tel Aviv District Court, and a period as acting attorney-general. State Attorney Amit Aisman and the State Attorney’s Office expressed deep sorrow, crediting her with shaping Israel’s law enforcement system. The government told the High Court on Wednesday that legislation to establish an alternative framework for investigating the October 7 massacre is expected to pass its first Knesset reading on Monday, July 6. The bill would create a six-member panel with the support of 80 MKs, though revisions allow the panel to operate with as few as three members. The government also asked the court for another 30 days to submit a further update in petitions demanding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures and the ensuing war. The update was filed on the deadline set by the co
Harris courts pro-Palestinian left for 2028 bid
Israel backs 1915 Armenian Genocide recognition
Israel forms six-member Oct 7 probe panel
The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, reports say Vice President Kamala Harris held a private call with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week and has been holding closed-door meetings with progressive figures, including pro-Palestinian activists, according to an Axios report. The discussions centered on the future of the Democratic Party and plans for further conversations. Harris has exchanged text messages with Mamdani in recent months, and the call followed wins by three Mamdani-backed candidates in New York City primary races. Analysts and party members have described the sequence as part of a broader shift that has unsettled some moderates. The conversations are described as an effort to repair and strengthen ties with left-wing members in hopes of laying groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, and to reconnect with members of the pro-Palestinian Uncommitted National Movement.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the government has unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar's proposal to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Officials say the move reflects a moral obligation Israel bears toward victims of the genocide; however, critics ask why such a recognition is being pursued now after decades of caution citing strategic and diplomatic concerns. The debate notes that Israeli public broadcasters once prepared a documentary on the killings, but pressure from government and security establishment after Turkey warned that airing it could jeopardize security ties reportedly kept it from airing. Separately, Noam Shapira was appointed Director of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Staff, a post that had been vacant since January 2023. The government exempted the appointment from the usual tender process, drawing criticism from other candidates who perceived the process as predetermined. Shapira, a former IDF commander in the Operations Directorate, has connections to a unit linked to an online influence operation during the October 7 period, according to reports. Shapira has defended his past actions and the appointment. Also, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth sent a letter to Shin Bet Director David Zini, seeking intervention against the High Court and noting a pending election dispute. Bismuth hinted that the court’s interim order to freeze the comptroller election amid concerns about a tampering with secret ballot rules could extend to influence in the Knesset elections, a suggestion critics call inflammatory given Netanyahu’s track record. Polling in recent months has shown the opposition bloc ahead by a margin, though observers caution that polls can be unreliable. Former Supreme Court justice Edna Arbel, who served as state attorney before joining the bench, died on Wednesday. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and retired in 2014, after a career spanning the Central District Prosecution, the Tel Aviv District Court, and a period as acting attorney-general. State Attorney Amit Aisman and the State Attorney’s Office expressed deep sorrow, crediting her with shaping Israel’s law enforcement system. The government told the High Court on Wednesday that legislation to establish an alternative framework for investigating the October 7 massacre is expected to pass its first Knesset reading on Monday, July 6. The bill would create a six-member panel with the support of 80 MKs, though revisions allow the panel to operate with as few as three members. The government also asked the court for another 30 days to submit a further update in petitions demanding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures and the ensuing war. The update was filed on the deadline set by the co