Today is July 1, which is also Canada Day. Happy Canada Day. It is also Annexation Day, or Sovereignty Day, in Israel, as it is the day PM Netanyahu declared as the target date for annexation/sovereignty, with many amendments to that statement coming after the initial one.

So far the annexation has not happened today, nor has any declaration of sovereignty.

We shall see as the day progresses if that changes.

Basically, Annexation Day is going just about as well as the evacuation of Khan Al Ahmar that Netanyahu promised way back when and was then even granted the green light by the Supreme Court. And it will likely continue with that same status...

I support the extension of sovereignty (ie annexation), even if it is only partial and not on everything we would like. This is how you begin. How did the State of Israel begin? Because he, Ben Gurion, decide to accept the division of the land.

  -- Rav Chaim Drukman

There is a bit of a tizzy with UTJ and the revelation that they are not quite as right wing as they sold themselves during the recent elections.

MK Meir Porush (UTJ) has spoken up somewhat in defense of Gafni explaining that his opinions are based on the opinions of Rav Shach. He qualified it by giving some soft criticism saying nobody has the right to give up Eretz Ysisrael, he described himself as much more right wing than Gafni and other factions, and explained that UTJ is made up of a technical bloc of a few parties, so just because that is the opinion of Gafni does not make it the position held by them all (yet the coalition agreement they signed on has a clause included by Gafni - the other factions did not debate it and insist it be taken out).

Gafni shot back at Porush and blah blah blah.

That does not matter. Gafni is entitled to his opinion, and UTJ is entitled to its opinion. They have every right to take the position on annexation that it cannot be done alone, and that is fine.

The only issue is that they sold themselves as a right wing party protecting Eretz Yisrael, but very quickly changed their tune after the votes were counted. Just more lying politicians.

I am curious - Has there been any response from Yamina (or any of the factions) or from leaders like Rav Dovid Chai Cohen, regarding the revelation today that despite UTJ having campaigned as a Zionist right wing party to attract Dati Leumi and Chardal voters claiming to be right wing pro-Eretz Yisrael and being the party that cares about it, yet Gafni insisted on a change in the coalition clause regarding annexation so that Israel could not just annex Judea and Samaria if they so choose but must first get agreement of USA first?

Do any of the Chardal or Dati voters, and there were plenty, feel betrayed? Is there any word on moving forward and supporting them similarly in the future?

The position, on its own, is not bad, but it is centrist, not a right wing position as they were selling themselves....

As for the annexation of the West Bank, the Israelis will ultimately make those decisions. That’s an Israeli decision. And we will work closely with them to share with them our views of this in (a) private setting.

  -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo