As Israel approaches a critical Knesset election, attention remains split between a tense standoff with Iran and final preparations for what is expected to be a record-breaking vote. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of an imminent existential threat from Tehran even as US President Trump ruled out any strike for the day, while election officials brace for an unprecedented number of double-envelope ballots. Abroad, British Jewish communal bodies took a firm stand against the Green Party over a Zionism motion, and former President Obama waded into US politics with sharp criticism of Trump's Middle East record.

Security

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday there would be no strike against Iran "today", claiming satellite imagery showed Iranian authorities had made no attempt to clear nuclear facilities struck in previous operations, with the sites apparently still "covered by rocks". The US is continuing to monitor activity at Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site and three other locations previously targeted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel faces an imminent existential threat from Iran. The commander of US Central Command visited the Strait of Hormuz, and the State Department confirmed it had evacuated personnel from Riyadh amid escalation with Houthi forces. Separately, Sri Lanka rescued 40 Iranian sailors requiring medical treatment, as Tehran reportedly prepares for the possibility of wider confrontation. In Lebanon, the IDF fired an interceptor at a suspicious aerial target identified in an area where Israeli forces are operating in the south of the country; no sirens were sounded, in line with standard policy.

Politics

With Israelis voting in the Knesset election, officials are preparing for an unprecedented number of double-envelope ballots – up to 650,000 – reflecting extended reserve duty and wartime displacement, a record that could meaningfully affect the final seat allocation, particularly for parties near the electoral threshold. Police Commissioner Daniel Levy pledged to deploy "full strength" to protect the integrity of the vote, with 7.3 million Israelis eligible to cast ballots at 18,000 polling stations; his statement made no mention of his recent meeting with Netanyahu and Ben Gvir. Civil rights organisations have petitioned the High Court to bar armed activists from polling stations after right-wing parties announced plans to deploy 2,000 observers at Arab-majority sites. Analysts noted that both Netanyahu, who has warned of international sanctions, and his opponents, who have warned of economic collapse, are deploying fear-based messaging to sway undecided voters. Debate also continued over the contradiction between calls for unity and pledges by opposition leaders not to sit with Netanyahu, following a leaked phone call involving Likud MK Chili Tropper.

International

Former US President Barack Obama launched a pointed attack on Donald Trump at campaign rallies in Ohio and Michigan, blaming him for the cost-of-living crisis and defending the Iran nuclear deal he negotiated as having prevented Tehran from developing weapons without military action. He also mocked the White House's redesign as "Saddam Hussein's Cheesecake Factory", while endorsing Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate who opposes US military assistance to Israel. In Britain, the Board of Deputies of British Jews voted 118 to 1 to declare the Green Party a racist organisation after it passed a motion asserting that Zionism is racism, and said it would now treat any party cooperating with the Greens as failing to take antisemitism seriously. In Haringey, Green council leader Mark Blake accused critics of "weaponising antisemitism" after a local synagogue said his party's rhetoric had made Jewish residents feel unsafe. Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg separately pledged to "double down on British Jewish Zionist values" regardless of the outcome of Israel's election, while criticising the failure to crack down on settler violence. Elsewhere, Brazilians voted in a tightly contested runoff between incumbent Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, an Israel supporter seeking to extend a Trump-backed rightward shift across Latin America, while in Venezuela, opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to the country in a move that has strained her relationship with Washington.

Economy

An opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post questioned why Moody's rates France four notches above Israel, arguing that the gap in credit ratings carries real consequences for government borrowing costs, businesses and taxpayers, and deserves closer scrutiny grounded in evidence.

Other Developments

A 25-year-old electric scooter rider was killed after being struck by a bus on Route 4 near Or Akiva on Sunday evening; the bus driver, 50, was lightly injured and taken to Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre. The road was closed to northbound traffic between the Or Akiva and Paz Yam junctions while police investigated. Separately on Route 4, a 51-year-old motorcyclist was moderately injured near the Morasha interchange and taken to Sheba Medical Centre with back and limb injuries. Two German nationals were remanded for a further 24 hours by the Haifa Magistrate's Court after being caught photographing Damon Prison, a high-security facility on Mount Carmel holding security prisoners. A prosecutor who may seek the death penalty has been named to lead forthcoming trials linked to the Nova festival massacre. Footage also emerged of a violent arrest of a woman suffering post-traumatic stress three years ago in Ramat Gan, in which a female officer was heard making disparaging remarks after allegedly assaulting her; the resulting indictment was later dropped, though internal police complaints were closed without action. On a lighter note, Israel's national team won first place in an international shawarma competition, beating 17 countries with a 200kg entry in its first-ever participation.

Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post