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Featured Column

Jonathan S. TobinJNSFebruary 8, 2023

Kyiv is still trying to drag Jerusalem into its war

Israel’s foreign minister shouldn’t pay Ukraine’s price for a photo op with Zelenskyy.

Israelis carry placards and flags during a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Jerusalem, Oct. 22, 2022. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

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Jewish organizations see American Bar Association antisemitism definition as a mixed bag

Menachem WeckerJNSFebruary 8, 2023

The American Bar Association, a law-school accreditor, voted to pass on the IHRA definition.

Credit: DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock.

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Proliferation of antisemitism draws Santa Barbara’s Jewish community closer together

Faygie HoltJNSFebruary 8, 2023

UCSB student leader urges people to show up when Jews tell them “something is antisemitic, even if you don’t understand, or may disagree.”

Last Sunday, more than 200 people gathered in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a “Walk to Remember” commemorating Holocaust victims and to address the importance of condemning antisemitism. Source: Courtesy of Santa Barbara Hillel.

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Barcelona boycotts Israel

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The Spanish city’s mayor cited ‘repeated violations of human rights.’

Barcelona's skyline seen in 2016 from atop one of its most famous landmarks--the church La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí. Credit: Menachem Wecker/JNS.

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Iran shows off ballistic missile bearing Hebrew words ‘Death to Israel’

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

This came a day after Iran revealed an underground air force base called "Eagle 44," which is large enough to hold fighter jets.

IRGC missile has 'death to Israel' written in Hebrew (Twitter)

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Jewish group criticizes Canada for financing ‘pay for slay’

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

“With a per capita GDP of roughly $3,500 and an average unemployment rate of 25 percent, the P.A. simply could not afford to pay for the salaries of terrorists without international assistance," said the Abraham Global Peace Initiative.

Palestinian flags flew as family and friends greeted Karim Younis, released after 40 years for murdering an IDF soldier, at Ar'ara, Jan. 5, 2023. Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90.

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Netanyahu hails ‘highest order’ aid mission in quake-struck Turkey

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

IDF Home Front Command personnel have saved four people from collapsed buildings and are currently trying to save two more.

An IDF search and rescue team looks for survivors in Turkey, Feb. 8, 2023. Source: Twitter.

Members of an Israel Defense Forces delegation search for survivors in earthquake-ravaged Turkey, Feb. 7, 2023. Credit: Israeli Foreign Ministry.

briefIDF delegation lands in earthquake-stricken Turkey to set up field hospital

Members of the Knesset Honor Guard, the Israeli Defense Forces Home Front Command, firefighters, police and Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical services participate in an emergency drill simulating an earthquake near Ashkelon on Dec. 19, 2019. Photo by Yaniv Nadav/Flash90.

newsIsraeli government scrambles to improve earthquake preparedness

Shimon Sherman

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Lapid extends political backing to planned strike over judicial reforms

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

“On Monday, we will head to Jerusalem to defend and fight for our country,” said the Israeli opposition leader.

Outgoing Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid holds a press conference in Tel Aviv, Dec. 22, 2022. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

Featured ColumnThe anti-Bibi resistance wants Americans to thwart Israeli democracy

Jonathan S. Tobin

featureWhat drives the left to incite civil war?

Caroline Glick

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Florida budget framework increases Jewish day school security funding 25%

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

Gov. Ron DeSantis has long been a ‘steadfast friend of the Jewish people’ and Israel defender, a spokesman told JNS.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at Florida International University. Photo: Hunter Crenian/Shutterstock

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Netanyahu: Israel cannot count on the PA to fight terrorism

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The Israeli prime minister stresses the need to maintain security control in Judea and Samaria, which necessitates having boots on the ground.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to IDF soldiers in the elite Duvdevan commando unit, Feb. 7, 2023. Credit: Kobi Gideon/GPO.

A school play performed in April 2016 at the UNRWA Nuseirat School in Gaza, in which students hold an Israeli hostage at gunpoint. Credit: Center for Near East Policy Research.

feature$50 million in new US funding for UNRWA an obstacle to peace: legal analysts

Bradley Martin

ColumnThe significance of the IDF’s latest operation in Jericho

Yoni Ben Menachem

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Politicians, activists, locals hail approval of new Hanun village as Zionist response to Gaza terror

Shimon ShermanJNSFebruary 8, 2023

But the Finance Ministry would have preferred to invest in the nearby city of Netivot.

The site where Hanun will be built. Credit: Sdot Negev Regional Council.

A new neighborhood under construction in Maale Hever, Judea and Samaria, on Dec. 28, 2022. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90.

featureIf you build it, they will come

Judith Segaloff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken give a press statement after their meeting at the Prime Minister Office in Jerusalem, Jan. 30, 2023. Photo by Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/POOL.

briefNetanyahu rejects Biden admin call to ‘pause’ Judea and Samaria construction

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American Jewish, pro-Israel groups continue to push for changes at Morningstar

Mike WagenheimJNSFebruary 8, 2023

The investment firm, under fire for potential BDS practices, shares previously unpublished information and risk assessment judgments with JNS.

At Morningstar, Inc. in Chicago, August 20, 2019. Source: Facebook.

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‘You have been heard,’ NUS leader tells Jewish students

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

Eradicating antisemitism in the student movement could have an ‘immeasurable impact,’ the National Union of Students (U.K.) leader said.

Chloe Field, NUS vice president for higher education. Source: LinkedIn.

briefJoe Rogan under fire for Jews ‘into money’ rant

briefKanye West’s lawyers finally able to quit

newsRepentance, professional-basketball style

Alan Zeitlin

Publish your Column!

Jerome M. Marcus

An Orwellian assertion about judicial reform in Israel

A.J. Caschetta

Roger Waters: The Leni Riefenstahl of rock and roll

Mitchell Bard

Burns’ CIA resumes war on Israel

Victor Rosenthal

The Forward brings back the Jenin massacre that never happened

Charles O. Kaufman

Amid the noise and hate, Israel is happy

Sarah N. Stern

A group of prominent NGOs have betrayed Iran’s brave dissidents

Shuki Friedman

The Israeli majority wants dialogue on judicial reform

Uri Pilichowski

We don’t have to ask ‘will you hide me?’ anymore

Thane Rosenbaum

Of documents, balloons and laptops

Gilead Ini

In the Forward, callousness to civilian terror victims, and the facts

Rabbi Yossy Goldman

The Ten Commandments… or else!

Farley Weiss

House Republicans have struck a blow against antisemitism

Morton A. Klein and Elizabeth Berney

Israel’s judicial reforms: Good for democracy and the rule of law

Leon Saltiel

Antisemitism is on the rise, even though governments have pledged to fight it

Matthew Schultz

Jewish Journal

The assimilation plot of ‘You People’

James Sinkinson

In short, Israel’s judicial reform is not undemocratic

Joseph Frager

Israel’s illegal guns problem

Arlene Kushner

The onus is not on Israel

Benjamin Kerstein

‘Then they came for me’?

Yoni Ben Menachem

Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

The Iranian response will come

Shmuley Boteach

Why Netanyahu triumphs while Trump founders

Yonina Pritzker

On Tu B’Shevat, let’s celebrate homeland and heartland

Simcha Chesner

The old-new antisemitism

Jerold S. Auerbach

Brothers at war, again?

Martin Sherman

Conspicuous by their… presence

David Bedein

Why we desperately need Israeli judicial reform

Ayoob Kara

Relations between Israel and Azerbaijan are expanding despite Iranian terror

Karen Lehrman Bloch

Jewish Journal

The new ‘Good Germans’

Yoram Ettinger

Blinken continues to misread the Middle East

Dror Eydar

The real lesson of Tu Bishvat

Rafael Medoff

Jewish Journal

Neve Yaakov’s American roots

Dr. Eric R. Mandel

Is Hezbollah trying to provoke a confrontation with Israel?

Aaron Goren and Walter Holzberg

Antisemitism propagated by American Muslims for Palestine at Rutgers University

Rabbi Steven Pruzansky

Deep concerns about American Jewish leadership

Paul Schneider

South Africans expose the ‘Israeli apartheid’ fallacy

Eric Levine

Blinken’s statements on the two-state solution make the world a more dangerous place

Mitchell Bard

To the media, not even an attack on a synagogue is terror

Daniel S. Mariaschin

We are not in competition to win a victimization sweepstakes

Clifford D. May

Soldiers of misfortune

Ariel Behar

Jenin, Jerusalem and intentional false equivalence

Fiamma Nirenstein

The Russia-Iran axis may prompt the West to see Israel with new eyes

Joel Fishman

The ‘two-state solution’: Partition or politicide?

Martin Oliner

The Netanyahu government must stop coddling Qatar

Publish to the JNS Wire

Critically acclaimed psychological thriller Altered Minds, starring celebrated Academy Award-nominated actor Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans), available now on most top streaming platforms

Rowish Productions

Orthodox Union teaches laws of kosher to Houston Jewish community

Orthodox Union

When mobility is a mitzvah

Orthodox Union

Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer, OU Israel leadership meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog

Orthodox Union

#EndJewHatred condemns antisemitic flyers found around UC Santa Barbara

End Jew Hatred

New video series discovers hidden lessons for our future from Israel’s archaeological past

Ohr Torah Stone

Israel Heritage Foundation hosts rabbis and community leaders with MK Simcha Rothman

Israel Heritage Foundation

#EndJewHatred celebrates successful rally outside New York Supreme Court

End Jew Hatred

Actor Josh Gad shares personal story of grandfather’s Holocaust survival for nonprofit If You Heard What I Heard

If You Heard What I Heard

Herzog College wins International Teacher Training Tender

Herzog College

#EndJewHatred celebrates victory in recent Ottawa-Carleton District School Board vote

End Jew Hatred

Sabotaging Hitler’s war machine

Amsterdam Publishers

OU Kosher hosts conference to show appreciation for mashgichim in Israel

Orthodox Union

2023 Palm Beach Scopus Award Gala raises over $1 million for The Hebrew University Center for Computational Medicine

American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU)

NJ Department of Education’s Office of Career Readiness appoints Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce founder to its Statewide Advisory Committee

Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce

JScreen announces the fourth annual Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week (JGSAW) Feb. 5-11

JScreen

Orthodox Union tehillim and chizzuk calls, initiated as a response to COVID isolation, still thriving almost three years later

Orthodox Union

#EndJewHatred releases statement following rally at Brooklyn Criminal Courthouse

End Jew Hatred

GE Appliances (GEA) completes transition of refrigerators to OU Kosher/CRC Hisachdus certification

Orthodox Union

American Friends of the Hebrew University announces Cohort II of its Leadership Empowerment and Development Program (LEAD)

American Friends of the Hebrew University

Program to analyze, connect and map security footage from multiple cameras wins 7th annual JCT Men’s Hackathon

Jerusalem College of Technology

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board needs to deal with antisemitism

End Jew Hatred

Israel drops money laundering case against businessman Beny Steinmetz

Agnes and Beny Steinmetz Foundation

Mission to Poland available for students attending Israeli universities

Jeff Seidel Student Centers

American Society of the University of Haifa names seasoned Jewish leader Naomi Reinharz as new CEO

American Society of the University of Haifa

Hillel of San Diego announces long-awaited opening of Jewish center at UC San Diego

Hillel of San Diego

Florida legislators, Jewish community leaders join Orthodox Union’s Teach Florida at annual event to celebrate $60 million in 2022 funding for Jewish day school families

Teach Florida

Orthodox Union’s NCSY Aspire: Yarchei Kallah draws record attendance at week-long event

Orthodox Union

Orthodox Union leadership, synagogue delegates unanimously elect Mitchel Aeder as 18th OU president

Orthodox Union

Rabbi Sacks Book Prize open for submissions

Yeshiva University

ADI’s second annual ‘Race for Inclusion’ draws hundreds, raises thousands

ADI

Jewish National Fund-USA’s Boruchin Center now accepting Letters of Inquiry

Jewish National Fund-USA

Magen Chicago out in the cold for safety

MAGEN Chicago

A Graffiti Pop-Up Museum to celebrate the building of a more inclusive society

Beit Issie Shapiro

‘A Brighter Tomorrow:’ How the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Student Union presidents conference is changing the lives of Jewish public school youth

Orthodox Union

Orthodox Union’s Maury Litwack and Rabbi Simon Taylor discuss best practices for nonprofit fundraising at Jewish networking event

Orthodox Union

Mayor Eric Adams, Rev. Al Sharpton, Robert F. Smith, Robert F. Smith, Rev. Conrad Tillard, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Elisha Wiesel join together to host ’15 Days of Light,’ celebrating Hanukkah and Kwanzaa

World Values Network

Chabad lights up the city that never stops

Chabad-Lubavitch of Tel Aviv

Largest-ever endowment of its type ensures continuity and vibrancy of Philadelphia’s Jewish community

Jewish National Fund-USA

Sesame Place San Diego to host Hanukkah celebration with menorah lighting, storytime, games, kosher food

Sesame Place San Diego

Women of all ages, backgrounds and abilities gather to bake challah at Chabad of Baka in Jerusalem

Chabad of Baka

Orthodox Union’s Torah Initiative hosts siyum marking six years of studying Mishnah Yomi

Orthodox Union

Orthodox Union holds urgent meeting on antisemitism in New York City with DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Sen. Schumer, Gov. Hochul, Mayor Adams

Orthodox Union

Joint initiative established to assist Olim with disabilities prior to their Aliyah as well as throughout their integration process

Nefesh B'Nefesh

National antisemitism has local roots

PR Ninjas

Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit celebrates traditional family values

Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit

Great Neck delegation raises Hanukkah Menorah over Shiloh Valley

The Heartland Initiative

StandWithUs ‘Festival of Lights’ gala 2022: ‘Standing Together Against Antisemitism’

StandWithUs

Specially trained Birthright Israel trip staff ready to lead and engage at home

The iCenter for Israel Education

MAGEN Chicago holds successful personal safety seminar

MAGEN Chicago

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Israel’s national security minister seeks fivefold increase in gun permits

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

Meanwhile, former spy Jonathan Pollard has appealed to Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for help in acquiring a handgun license.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the scene of a deadly Palestinian terrorist attack in Jerusalem, Jan. 27, 2023. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.

Otzma Yehudit Chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir at the launch of the party's election campaign in Jerusalem, Feb. 15, 2020. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

briefUN data points to rise in illegal building demolitions under Ben-Gvir

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 7, 144 structures were destroyed in eastern Jerusalem and Area C of Judea and Samaria.

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90 Ukrainian Jewish refugees come home to Israel

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The group arrived on a chartered flight made possible by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer (center) and IFCJ President Yael Eckstein (right) welcome Ukrainian olim at Ben-Gurion Airport, Feb. 8, 2023. Photo by Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/IFCJ.

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‘Everyone was excited’: Ancient gold bead uncovered in Jerusalem

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The artifact is one of only a few made from pure gold ever found in Israel and dates to at least 1,600 years ago.

This rare gold bead, dating back at least 1,600 years, was uncovered in dirt taken from a Roman structure in Jerusalem's Emek Tzurim National Park. Credit: Ari Levy, Israel Antiquities Authority.

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As storm batters Israel, Chabad program brings warmth to Holocaust survivors

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

Over 200 volunteers brave winter conditions to deliver portable heaters, blankets and prepared meals to 300 elderly and Shoah survivors in Jerusalem.

Over 200 volunteers brave stormy winter conditions to deliver portable heaters, blankets and prepared meals to 300 elderly and Holocaust survivors living in Jerusalem, as part of the Colel Chabad’s “Get Chessed” youth program, Feb. 7, 2023. Credit: Eli Mandelbaum.

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Netanyahu, Modi vow to deepen Israel-India strategic partnership

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The two premiers spoke by phone for the second time in a month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a farewell ceremony in Modi's honor at Ben-Gurion Airport, July 4, 2017. Photo by Haim Zach/GPO.

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‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,’ new to Netflix, offers no glimpse of character’s ‘Jewish soul’

Menachem WeckerJNSFebruary 7, 2023

An exhibition in Philadelphia in 2015 focused on the art of the books’ Jewish writer and illustrator Bernard Waber.

The 2015 exhibit “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and Friends: The Art of Bernard Waber” at Philadelphia’s National Museum of American Jewish History. Credit: Menachem Wecker.

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No mention of Iran and Palestinian antisemitism in Germany’s strategy to fight Jew-hatred

Benjamin WeinthalJNSFebruary 7, 2023

But German security sources accuse Tehran's Revolutionary Guard Corps of contracting terrorism against synagogues and spying on the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

An anti-Israel demonstration in Iran. Photo by Ali Khara/Fars News Agency.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff serves as keynote speaker during the lighting of the National Menorah near the South Lawn of the White House, Nov. 28, 2021. Photo by Dmitriy Shapiro.

briefWhite House anti-bias working group meets on antisemitism

Public servants from across the federal government assemble to fight Jew-hatred.

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Israeli show ‘Chanshi’ explores complexity of American immigration to Israel

Alan ZeitlinJNSFebruary 7, 2023

Actress Aleeza Chanowitz as Chanshi. Source: Facebook.

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Holocaust survivor to be guest in first lady’s State of the Union box

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

Ruth Cohen, 92, volunteers at the Holocaust Museum and met the vice president and her husband last year.

Ruth Cohen. Source: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum/Facebook.

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Republican senators introduce bill to sanction ICC, citing ‘attacks’ on Israel

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

“The ICC has no legitimate jurisdiction over the United States or any country that does not recognize the ICC’s authority,” says Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.

The judges and guests of the International Criminal Court at the opening of the ICC judicial year on Jan. 18, 2019, in The Hague. Credit: International Criminal Court.

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Boycotts not protected speech in US, new research argues

Menachem WeckerJNSFebruary 6, 2023

The Supreme Court is mulling whether to hear a BDS case; however it rules could present a mixed bag for advocates and opponents.

U.S. Supreme Court building. Photo by Brandon Bourdages/Shutterstock.

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Minor earthquake rattles Jerusalem

JNSFebruary 8, 2023

The 3.5 magnitude tremor comes on the backdrop of devastating quakes that killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria.

A view of the Old City of Jerusalem, Dec. 17, 2019. Photo by Moshe Shai/Flash90.

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Elderly Jewish couple missing after earthquakes rock Turkey

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

Saul and Fortuna Cenudioglu were last seen in the southern city of Antakya.

Earthquake damage in Antakya, aka Antioch, February 2023. Source: Twitter.

The Israel Defense Forces dispatches a 150-strong search-and-rescue team to earthquake-stricken southeastern Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023. Credit: IDF.

newsIsrael sends search-and-rescue delegation to Turkey

Yaakov Lappin

‘The minute we’ll land, we’ll go straight to work,’ an IDF spokesman said. An advance team arrived Monday evening to identify urgent needs.

An emergency response team prepares to depart Ben-Gurion Airport for Turkey with 25 medical and rescue personnel, Feb. 7, 2023. Credit: United Hatzalah of Israel.

briefUnited Hatzalah emergency response team departs for Turkey

The relief mission will assist in rescue operations and provide medical assistance following Monday's earthquakes.

Searching for earthquake survivors in Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023. Source: Twitter.

briefJewish Federations, JDC raise money for Turkey

Both are working with overseas partners to distribute earthquake relief funds.

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Israeli forces attacked during Nablus raid; Palestinian gunman said killed

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

Nine Palestinians were arrested overnight Tuesday across Judea and Samaria on suspicion of terrorist activity, with Israeli forces coming under attack in multiple towns and cities, according to the IDF.

Israeli forces conduct widescale counter-terror operations across Judea and Samaria, Feb. 6, 2023. Credit: Israel Defense Forces.

Palestinian terrorists parade in the Jenin refugee camp in Samaria, June 19, 2022. Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90.

briefTwo terrorists wounded in Jenin ‘work accident’

According to a preliminary IDF investigation, a remotely-detonated car bomb being prepared for an attack in Israel was activated unintentionally.

Featured ColumnYoni Ben Menachem

The US fears a third intifada

It is very doubtful the Biden administration can prevent a major outbreak of violence in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria ahead of Ramadan.

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‘I tell IDF soldiers: You’re doing one of the most incredible things done in the last 2,000 years’

Yaakov LappinJNSFebruary 6, 2023

Capt. Rabbi Joshua Gerstein, chaplain of the IDF Artillery Corps’ 282 Fire Brigade, talks Zionism, history and the immensity of service in the military of a Jewish state.

U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (left) lights a Hanukkah menorah, together with IDF chaplain Cpt. Rabbi Joshua Gerstein (center) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi at IDF military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Dec. 17, 2020. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Office.

briefIDF resumes search for soldier missing since 1997

Guy Hever disappeared after leaving his base on the Golan Heights.

Soldiers participate in the Givati Brigade Association’s Lone Soldiers Day, Feb. 5, 2023. Credit: Givati Brigade Association.

briefGathering of elite IDF soldiers shows they’re far from ‘lone’

Troops from 27 countries participate in the Givati Brigade Association’s Lone Soldiers Day, addressing the unique challenges they face.

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Israeli court sets new hearing over order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

The government must present its plan to evacuate the Bedouin village built illegally on state-owned land by April 2.

The illegal Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, on Highway 1 between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Photo by Josh Hasten.

Israeli authorities destroy illegal Arab construction in eastern Jerusalem, Jan. 30, 2023. Source: Twitter.

briefUS pressure leads Netanyahu to delay demolition of illegal Jerusalem building, report says

The structure in the Silwan neighborhood has been slated for demolition for years.

Israeli MKs tour northern Jerusalem and Atarot, where there are plans to build a new Jewish neighborhood, Feb. 5, 2023. Credit: Courtesy.

briefIsraeli MKs tour northern Jerusalem amid push to build new Jewish community

“As much as terrorism tries to hit us and take our heads down, we will multiply and we will increase,” says Likud lawmaker Boaz Bismuth.

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Judicial reform opponents call for nationwide strike on Monday

JNSFebruary 7, 2023

The labor action is timed to coincide with the first vote on the government's program in the Knesset.

Thousands of Israelis rally in Tel Aviv against the government's proposed judicial reforms, Jan. 21, 2023. Photo by Gili Yaari/Flash90.

Israeli high-tech workers protest against Justice Minister Yariv Levin's proposed judicial reforms, in Tel Aviv, on Feb. 7, 2023. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

briefWiz to transfer funds out of Israel due to judicial overhaul

Israel Hayom

The Israeli cybersecurity giant is the third company to withdraw holdings from Israel over Justice Minister Yariv Levin's judicial reform plan, after Papaya Global and Disruptive Technologies Venture Capital.

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Jewish law sheds light on status of Hunter Biden laptop

Menachem WeckerJNSFebruary 6, 2023

There is a whole section of the Talmud devoted to that sort of thing.

Abandoned laptop. Credit: stocksolutions/Shutterstock.

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Bruce Springsteen has a special connection with his Jewish fans

Howard BlasJNSFebruary 6, 2023

As the E Street Band opens a U.S. and European tour following a long absence, Jewish "Spring-Nuts" share what it's like to be faithful to God and the Boss.

Bruce Springsteen performs in Rio de Janeiro, Sept. 21, 2013. Photo by Antonio Scorza/Shutterstock.

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Netanyahu leads Tu Bishvat tree-planting ceremony in honor of Jerusalem terror victims

JNSFebruary 6, 2023

The Israeli prime minister planted an olive tree close to the synagogue where a Palestinian terrorist killed seven people last month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a tree-planting ceremony in honor of Tu Bishvat in the Neve Ya'akov neighborhood of Jerusalem, Feb. 6, 2023. Credit: Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO.

"Tu Bishvat" by Mark Podwal. Acrylic and colored pencil. Credit: Mark Podwal

featureTu Bishvat painting celebrates JNF turning Israel green

Menachem Wecker

Mark Podwal often synthesizes the historical and contemporary in his artwork.

feature

Kosovo’s tiny Jewish community aims to punch above its size

Avi KumarJNSFebruary 6, 2023

Fifteen years after the country declared independence, its Jews are optimistic about their future in one of the world’s newest states.

The old Jewish cemetery overlooking Pristina, Kosovo. Credit: OPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock.

Podcast

Rain, prisoners and the manna

Yishai FleisherJNSFebruary 5, 2023

The Yishai Fleisher Israel Podcast, Ep. 5, with guests Malkah Fleisher, Maurice Hirsch, Ben Bresky and Rav Mike Feuer

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Ukraine submits demands to Jerusalem ahead of FM Cohen’s trip to Kiyv

JNSFebruary 6, 2023

The demands include a clear statement condemning Russia's invasion of the European nation and in support of its territorial integrity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference in Jerusalem, Jan. 24, 2020. Credit: Office of the President of Ukraine.

Then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett holds a press conference at the Knesset, announcing he will not be running in the next election, June 29, 2022. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.

briefFormer Israeli PM: Putin said he would not kill Zelenskyy

Naftali Bennett adds that U.S. President Joe Biden asked him “to promise me that you’ll update me on any action you take in Iran.”

brief

Israel captures terror cell behind attempted mass shooting near Jericho

JNSFebruary 6, 2023

Israeli forces came under fire during the arrest operation in the Aqbat Jaber refugee camp, and several Palestinian gunmen were killed in the ensuing exchange.

Israeli forces conduct a counterterror operation near Jenin, Dec. 1, 2022. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

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Finalization of normalization pact text means peace with Sudan within reach, experts say

Andrew JoseJNSFebruary 6, 2023

Israeli FM Eli Cohen says a new reality is near wherein the “‘Three Nos’ will become the ‘Three Yeses’: yes to negotiations, yes to recognition and yes to peace between the states and between the peoples.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets in Khartoum with General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, leader of Sudan’s transitional government, Feb. 2, 2023. Source: Twitter/Sudan Transitional Sovereign Council.

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The PA ending security coordination with Israel ‘almost a set ritual’

Yaakov LappinJNSFebruary 5, 2023

The main concern is that Palestinian Authority security personnel will interpret it as a green light to take part in terrorism, a former defense official says.

Palestinian Authority police in Ramallah. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Israel Defense Forces troops conduct counter-terrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, Jan. 23, 2023. Credit: IDF.

briefIsraeli forces arrest senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist

The suspect was identified by Palestinian media as alleged PIJ spokesman Khader Adnan.

brief

Rocket alert sirens activated in Israeli towns along border with Gaza

JNSFebruary 5, 2023

The Israel Defense Forces said that the alarms were set off by heavy gunfire within the Palestinian enclave.

Israelis rush to a bomb shelter in Ramle during a conflict with Hamas, May 15, 2021. Credit: Yossi Aloni/Flash90.

An Iron Dome air-defense battery set up in the southern Israeli city of Sderot fires an intercepting missile on Aug. 9, 2018. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

briefIsrael downs UAV over Gaza, IDF investigating

The Israeli military did not conduct retaliatory strikes against Hamas assets.

brief

Netanyahu slams ‘explicit threat’ by protest leader to murder him

JNSFebruary 5, 2023

Former IAF pilot Ze'ev Raz wrote, “If a prime minister rises and assumes dictatorial powers, he is a dead man, it’s that simple.”

A rally in Tel Aviv against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government, Jan. 21, 2023. Photo by Gili Yaari.

Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid Party activists protest in Tel Aviv against Benjamin Netanyahu's incoming government, Dec. 9, 2022. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

briefLapid vows to defeat ‘terror-supporting’ Netanyahu government

Israeli opposition head speaks amid uproar over protest leader's call to assassinate the prime minister.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaks at the Haaretz Democracy Conference in Jaffa, Nov. 9, 2021. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

briefEhud Barak compares judicial-reform compromise to appeasement of Nazis

The former Israeli prime minister posted an image of President Isaac Herzog’s head superimposed on the body of former British leader Neville Chamberlain, who signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler.

Featured Column

Ruthie BlumJNSFebruary 5, 2023

The Israeli left’s violent rhetoric and phony ‘apologies’

It’s hard to believe that the anti-government propagandists could sink any lower, but they managed this week to outdo themselves.

A protester in Tel Aviv waves a placard comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the late Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Gili Yaari /Flash90.

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Economists’ warnings about judicial reform are overblown, analysts tell JNS

David IsaacJNSFebruary 5, 2023

The roaring debate in Israel over Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s reforms has nothing to do with economics, the balance of powers or democracy, says Kohelet Policy Forum researcher.

Israeli students and teachers protest against planned judicial reforms, in Tel Aviv, on Feb. 5, 2022. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

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Beilinson confab debates pros and cons of AI for healthcare industry

JNSFebruary 6, 2023

Legal and ethical implications and liability issues among the subjects discussed.

Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva hosts the Medical AI Roadmap Conference. Credit: Koko/Beilinson Hospital.

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Azrieli Foundation donates $3.75 million to boost engineering education in Jerusalem

JNSFebruary 6, 2023

The funds will be used to create the Azrieli Center for Excellence in Engineering Education in the Israeli capital.

Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

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Exclusive: Birthright Israel Foundation leader says he’s stepping down at year’s end

Mike WagenheimJNSFebruary 5, 2023

Izzy Tapoohi tells JNS that “there is no position that I have held either in business or in the nonprofit world that is so impactful, that is so rewarding.”

A Birthright Israel trip in 2022/Birthright

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Turkey foils ISIS plot to bomb embassies, attack synagogues and churches

JNSFebruary 5, 2023

Authorities busted a cell of 15 terrorists who may have received instructions from ISIS-K.

The flag of the jihadist terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). Source: Wikimedia Commons.

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Israeli envoy to Zambia mugged despite bodyguards

JNSFebruary 5, 2023

Ambassador Ofra Farhi was crossing a street in Lusaka when a motorist drove up alongside her, grabbed her bag, and dragged her off her feet.

Ambassador Ofra Farhi presents her credentials to Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo, October 2021. Source: Twitter.

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MDA signs deal with US group to provide medevac hospital services in Israel

JNSFebruary 5, 2023

Hatzolah Air will partner with Magen David Adom to provide medical evacuation flights out of Tiberius and Be’er Sheva.

A Hatzolah Air Medivac Helicopter drills with a Magen David Adom ambulance in Israel. Courtesy of MDA.

Volunteers test patients for short- and near-sightedness. Photo by Elisa Hartstein.

featureMeet the Israeli doctor helping thousands in Ethiopia receive eye care

Andrew Jose

Dr. Morris Hartstein: There are fewer than 300 ophthalmologists for a population of 120 million people.