Archive for month: August, 2017

Israel Hits Gaza
Israeli jets attacked two Hamas outposts in Gaza overnight in response to a rocket fired from Gaza that fell in an open area in Israel yesterday. Palestinian sources claimed that three people were wounded in the attack. Hamas said, “This is crossing a dangerous line that Israel will bear the consequences of. We will not allow Gaza to be turned into a testing field for Israeli ammunition.”

Although the rocket was most likely fired by an extremist group other than Hamas, Israel holds Hamas responsible for any military activity in Gaza.

For further reading click here.

Injured Pilot Improves
The pilot severely injured this week in an Apache helicopter crash that killed Capt. Dudi Zohar showed his first signs of improvement when he moved his arms and legs at Soroka Medical Center, where he is being treated. Doctors performed life saving surgery on him after the crash.

For further reading click here.

Iraqis for Israel
Israel is apparently getting support from an unlikely source: Iraq. Thousands of messages from Iraqis have been hitting Israel’s social media outlets showing sympathy and support for Israel as a country who shares their bitter experience with, and fight against, terrorism.

To read more about this click here.

Inspirational Video
This music video of Israeli singing stars Moshe Peretz and Omer Adam singing a song called Modeh Ani will definitely inspire you. The song is based on the first prayer recited each morning in which we thank God for returning our souls to us for a new day. But even before the music starts the singers do something that will touch your soul and help you understand the deep bond between the Jewish People, God and the Land of Israel.

To watch the video click here.

Arab Stoners
Arabs hurled stones at Jewish vehicles near the Jewish town of Karmei Tzur, off Route 60 at the southern edge of the Gush Etzion bloc yesterday. One of the rocks smashed through the window of a bus and hit a one year old boy. The child was evacuated to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem and is listed in light condition.

In an unrelated incident, a Jewish man walking to a yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem was attacked by an Arab who struck him in the head several times. Police officers chased the attacker and arrested him.

For further reading click here.

African Diplomacy
Senegal and Guinea, both predominantly Muslim countries in West Africa, are sending their first ever ambassadors to Israel. They will, however, be non-resident ambassadors. Senegal’s Talla Fall, who also represents the country in Egypt, will work from Cairo, while Guinea’s Amara Camara will be based in Paris. Back in February Israel broke off all diplomatic relations with Senegal after it sponsored an anti Israel resolution in the UN Security Council. Relations were reinstated in June.

PM Netanyahu has visited Africa twice in the last 14 months and plans to attend a major Africa-Israel summit in Togo in October. Several African leaders have also visited Israel in recent months.

Under the motto “Israel is coming back to Africa and Africa is coming back to Israel,” Netanyahu has declared diplomatic outreach to Africa as one of his key foreign policy objectives, offering African states development aid, economic cooperation, and anti-terrorism know-how in the hopes of gaining African support in the UN and other international organizations. Earlier this week, Cape Verde announced it will no longer vote against Israel at the UN.

For further reading click here.

Apartment Tax
Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down a proposed law that would impose a special tax on owners of more than two apartments. The law was created by Finance Minister Moshe Kahalon in an attempt to increase the available housing supply by inducing owner investors to sell their apartments.

The court ruled that the bill was rushed through the Knesset, which didn’t allow for the proper legislative process. It said, “Since the members of the Knesset in the Finance Committee who wished to do so were not allowed to hold a proper discussion and formulate an informed position regarding the multi-apartment tax legislation, the principle of participation was severely undermined. Under these circumstances, there is no alternative but to determine there was a flaw in the very root of the process of legislation.”

Kahalon is already planning to push through a similar law.

For further reading click here.

Happy Valentines
Today is Tu B’av, the Jewish version of Valentine’s Day. According to the Talmud, on the 15th day (Tu) of the Hebrew month of Av (today), single Jewish women would gather in a designated field near Jerusalem and dance, while the single Jewish men would watch. Sort of like a huge singles mixer. But it was far from a superficial scene. The women would wear borrowed white garments, so as not to embarrass those who couldn’t afford the latest designer fashions. And they would sing these words from Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears G-d shall be praised.” The men and women would meet and well, the rest is history.

According to recently released statistics, Israel has one of the highest marriage rates among developed countries. At the same time, Jewish men and women in Israel are getting married at a later age than they did back in the 70’s. The average marriage age is 28 for men and 25 for women. That means that the number of singles in their 20’s has drastically increased. It has also lead to an increase in people who have remained unmarried into their upper 40’s, from 3% to 12%.

So take some time out today to celebrate the Jewish version of Valentines Day, in whatever way you deem appropriate.

For further reading click here.

Cause Israel
If you’d like to support Israel but don’t know how to do it, a new website can help. CauseIsrael.org helps you find the right way for you to support Israel by curating recommendations of thoroughly vetted nonprofits doing impactful work in Israel. The organizations span the range of causes and political leanings, so you’re sure to find the cause that fits your particular interest.

To check out the website click here.

Jews Visit Temple Mount
Over 1,000 Jews visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem yesterday on Tisha B’Av, the day of mourning over the destruction of the two holy Temples. According to an umbrella group of Temple organizations, a new daily record was set with 1,263 Jews visiting the holy site on Tuesday. This is the first time since the 1967 Six-Day War the number of Jewish visitors has surpassed 1,000. Thousands more were at the Western Wall.

Many rabbis consider visiting the Temple Mount to be a religious prohibition. Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, remarked that the visitors were “desecrating the site’s holiness. Particularly today, on Tisha B’AV, the day the Temple was destroyed, it is my obligation to once again mention visiting the Temple Mount is forbidden according to Halacha.”

For further reading click here.

Chief Rabbi Speaks
In an interview with Haredi newspaper Kikar Hashabbat on Tisha B’av (yesterday), Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau spoke out forcefully against the attacking or maligning of IDF soldiers by Haredi extremists.

He said, “The Ninth of Av is the day our Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The first Temple was destroyed because we distanced ourselves from the Creator of the world. The second Temple was destroyed because we distanced ourselves from each other, because of baseless hatred. Because we saw the humiliation of someone who came to a meal – scholars saw it and remained silent – and no one said a word.”

“Today we are trying to fix that. Certainly, we will not repeat the sins we did previously. We stand here, trying to increase love and friendship. All of these actions towards IDF soldiers, towards those who chose a different path than the ones who scream at them – no one has the right to scream at soldiers or to hurt them, their wives, their children, or their families. Such actions are severe and require all of us to stand and say together, ‘This is not the Torah’s way!’ We are permitted – we must – speak to each other, not yell at each other.”

For further reading click here.

Jerusalem of Old [Video]
This is a rare video of Jerusalem taken in 1918. In it you can see Jewish men and women praying at the Western Wall (kotel). You’ll notice that it is only a tiny fraction of the size of the wall that we know today. No, the wall didn’t get any bigger. It’s just that the houses that were built up against the length of of it were taken down after Israel liberated the area in 1967 and built an open plaza next to it to allow people to come and worship.

The Western Wall actually extends much further, through the Muslim quarter of the Old City, but it is currently only visible from an underground tunnel that you can visit and walk through.

The video also includes footage of the Old City, Rachel’s Tomb, Absolom’s Sepulcher and other interesting scenes.

To watch the video click here.