Poll: Smotrich gains strength, coalition soars to 66 seats

 

A Channel 14 poll published on Thursday evening presents an updated picture of the seat distribution and prime ministerial preferences, assuming elections were held today. The data shows a slight strengthening of the right-wing bloc, led by Likud, which now holds 66 seats.

According to the poll, the Likud Party receives 35 seats. The Joint List, following the merger of the Arab parties, stands at 13 seats, making it the second-largest party. Naftali Bennett’s party, Shas, and the Democrats each drop one seat compared to last week, with 10 seats each.

United Torah Judaism maintains its strength with 9 seats, while Yisrael Beytenu remains at 8 seats. Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party gains two seats, bringing it to 8. Otzma Yehudit receives 7 seats, the Religious Zionist Party rises by one seat to 5, and Yesh Atid increases to 5 seats, compared to 4 in the previous poll. Blue and White does not cross the electoral threshold.

In terms of blocs, the coalition bloc wins 66 seats, the opposition bloc stands at 41 seats, and the Arab parties earn 13 seats.

Regarding the prime ministerial race, Benjamin Netanyahu leads with 57%, gaining strength after his visit to Washington. Naftali Bennett follows with 19%, Gadi Eisenkot has 13%, Yair Lapid holds 5%, Avigdor Liberman has 4%, and Benny Gantz has 2%.

Only in Israel! Bus driver keeps his passengers waiting while he gets some Chulent!

 

הפרגוד: קו 404 הגיע לבני ברק בשעה 02:00 ולטענת הנוסע המצלם הנהג וויתר על המסלול כדי ללכת לאכול טשולנט. pic.twitter.com/oIIIxfkPH7

— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) February 13, 2026

The Parliament of the United Kingdom voted against opening an investigation into child rape scandals, saying it could harm the image of Muslim communities.

 

Overwhelming vote. Britain has fallen and it can't get up. https://t.co/mUmUrY3YB1

— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) February 13, 2026

Satmar Mamzarani's New York Opens Attacks Against Jews

 

Horrific attack. When are New Yorkers going to wake up and realize this is exactly what Mamdani wanted? https://t.co/6P1309YjFs

— Chaya’s Clan (@ChayasClan) February 13, 2026

FJJ -LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 Wool Coat 

VS Puffed Coat

The letter below was written to the FJJ (Flatbush Jewish Journal)  "Letters to the Editor "

It's from a Yeshivishe Lady who laments the fact that the "Oilom Ha'Torah" is no longer wearing Wool Coats and instead choose to wear Puffed Coats!

I'm not kidding! I did think that it must be a prank, but this back and forth in the Letters to the Editor responding to this crazed sicko has been going on for weeks! 

This week she responds holding on to her bizarre rant about puffed coats!

Now this may very well be a prank, but either way, this is a microcosm on what is the thought process of Chardeim and their "Mesorah"! 

Dear Editor

After reading the passionate responses to my letter about wool vs puffer coats, I want to apologize. Clearly, I did not do a good job explaining my position. I’m sorry. Hopefully I can clear things up. 

The most common response was that wool coats “aren’t warm enough.” Give me a break. Our parents and grandparents wore wool in far colder climates than ours, and they survived just fine. Is it less convenient to wear traditional coats in this harsh winter weather? Maybe. 

But sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to uphold a higher ideal

We’ve seen this play out before. 

The Haskalah did not begin overnight with open rejection of Shabbos, kashrus, or tsnius. It began with small “reasonable” adjustments to mesorah (like shortening the mechitzah), each one justified as harmless and practical. 

We are fortunate that so-called “radical” yiddin stood firm against these “reasonable” adjustments and kept true to their mesorah. If not for them, where would we be today?

 As I said before, “it’s just a coat” is never just a coat. When external standards erode in the name of convenience, standards of behavior soon follow. A person cannot remain firm internally when the externals change with the direction of the wind. Many of us have seen this happen to people we grew up with, or maybe even to ourselves. Pause for a moment and think. You’ll see that I’m right. Putting on a wool coat is a visible declaration that you are part of a mesorah that outlasts the immediate, here-and-now. The fact that it’s less convenient is even more of a reason to make the switch. 

When a man carries himself with this clarity and conviction, it radiates outward: it steadies his marriage, and it earns the respect of his children. I urge everyone to think this over before jumping on the attack bandwagon.

 Mesorah Defende

The harms of eating too much sugar

 I’d like to commend Rochelle Rothman for highlighting the harms of eating too much sugar.

 While mentioning weight gain, mood swings/irritability, fatigue/ low energy, cravings, high blood pressure, acne/premature wrinkling, joint pain, sleep troubles, digestive problems, brain fog and gum disease and cavities, there are several more health issues strongly associated with sugar consumption.

 1. 100 grams (3 oz.) reduces immune response by 50% for up to six hours, increasing the incidence of autoimmune diseases and cancer. It promotes tumor cell growth; cancer cells actually feed on sugar! 

2. Excess sugar is stored as fat, which often gets deposited in the abdominal area. That’s an indicator of insulin resistance, which leads to elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

 3. Also increased is the risk of stroke, aneurysm, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, thyroid issues, and more, including male hair loss. 

4. Mental health patients consumed 200% more sugar than others, studies show. When sugar was removed from prison diets, there was a 90% reduction in prisoner violence. Keep that in mind if you’d like to see your kids fighting less (or focusing better.

5. Sugar causes cellular aging, which leads to shorter lifespans. DNA repair is turned off, leading to inflammation, which is at the root of all chronic disease and aging.

 6. Alzheimer’s is sometimes called Type III diabetes; brain cells become insulin resistant and are starved of energy. Many such patients have seen remarkable improvement and even reversal of their conditions with a keto-type diet.

 7. Excess sugar disrupts cells that keep the colon and gut healthy, which is crucial for the optimal health of body and mind and disease prevention.

The new and much improved food pyramid recommends no added sugar for good reason. According to researchers, sugar is a toxin; no studies have ever shown any benefit whatsoever from consuming it.

 Artificial sweeteners are not the answer; they come with their own set of health risks, and in any case will not help with weight loss. 

What is very concerning is that sugar is highly addictive, and we are giving our children a lot of it – in school and elsewhere. Sugary and highly processed foods make up 80 to 90% of our kids’ (and sometimes even our) diets, displacing the nutrient rich whole foods needed for optimal health. (What’s the likelihood that they will be able to switch to a healthier diet if and when they develop health problems when they’ve become addicted to sugary and processed foods?) 

 We parents and mechanchim (and well meaning candymen) are putting them at unnecessary risk of the chronic diseases and mental health issues listed in Mrs. Rothman’s article  We can do better. 

Calling All High School Educators!

 The ZEI Fellowship is a professional learning experience designed to help teachers deepen their understanding of Israel and Zionism, gain meaningful classroom resources, and connect with a thoughtful community of educators.

✨ Applications are now open for the 2026 cohort.

What’s included:
✈️ Fully funded summer intensive in Israel (July 6–10)
📚 Engaging Zionism curriculum and classroom resources
🎓 Mentorship from experienced ZEI educators
👥 A network of passionate, like-minded teachers
🏆 Year-round professional development with Kadima Coaching
💸 $3,600 stipend

💪 Build confidence, add depth, and bring meaningful Israel education into your classroom.

🗓 Applications close March 1, 2026
Limited spots available for high school educators.

🔗 Apply here: https://bit.ly/4asuipA

Take out the popcorn: Fiery moments from Bondi hearing on Epstein files

 

Beautiful Sight of Charedie Whose Wife Died Dancing with his Daughters

 

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US to Expand Passport Revocations for Parents Who Owe Child Support

 

 Parents who owe a significant amount of child support soon could lose their ability to travel internationally as the Trump administration expands and steps up enforcement of a 30-year-old law that allows the federal government to revoke American passports until payments are made, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

While passport revocations for unpaid child support of more than $2,500 have been permitted under 1996 federal legislation, the State Department had in the past acted only when someone applied to renew their travel document or sought other consular services. In other words, enforcement depended on the person approaching the department for assistance.

Starting soon, however, the department will begin to revoke passports on its own initiative based on data shared with it by the Health and Human Services Department, according to the U.S. officials familiar with the plan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the change has not yet been publicly announced.

The number of people who could be affected was not immediately clear, but it is believed to be in the thousands. Because of the potentially large universe of those owing child support who currently hold passports, the State Department will make the change in tiers, the officials said.

The first group to be affected will be passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past-due child support, the officials said. One of the officials said fewer than 500 people meet that threshold and could avoid having their passport revoked if they enter into a payment plan with HHS after being notified of the pending revocation.

The official acknowledged, though, that if and when the threshold is lowered to a smaller past-due amount, the number of those affected will rise significantly. The official could not say when any further changes would take effect or estimate how many people might then lose their passports.

Since the Passport Denial Program began with the 1996 passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the initiative has taken in nearly $621 million in past-due child support payments, with nine collections of more than $300,000, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS did not respond to questions about how many people are in arrears, instead referring the AP to the State Department. The State Department did not immediately respond to a query about the move.