| Erev Shabbat - Parashat Acharei Mot 5784 | 25 Nisan 5784 - May 4, 2024 | | 
"Mizrachi Chicago – you are amazing!"
That is what we heard from the representatives of the IDF families to whom we sent meals for Shabbat as part of this year's Raffle – Support IDF Families campaign.
So far, we have arranged for 355 meals to be sent, showing our care and concern for the IDF Families and creating personal connections with them.
We are continuing this effort, now in partnership with the Efrat Development Foundation. As before, each $60 donated will result In a Shabbat meal for an IDF family whose parent/spouse is on active IDF duty. Tax-deductible donations are to be sent directly to the Efrat Development Foundation by clicking here. | | | 
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| |  | Featuring Diverse Sources, Guiding Questions, and Relevant Halachic Topics | | |  Spilling Blood: For Good and For Bad | Acharei Mot 5784
Rav Doron Perez
Executive Chairman of Mizrachi World Movement
We read the same parasha every year – how does it not get repetitive? The Torah does not change, but hopefully we have changed – and if we have changed then the parasha will be different. This year, I have seen something in the parasha I have never noticed before:
Since we buried Daniel's blood-stained army uniform and other blood, the topic of blood has been on my mind and I noticed that most of Acharei Mot is about blood: the central piece of the service of the Kohen Gadol is about the sprinkling of the blood, and Chapter 17 is all about blood – the prohibition of eating blood, covering the blood, etc. I noticed that the term the Torah uses for murder of "spilling blood" is the same as the term used about the atonement of sprinkling blood in the Temple.
It seems that the only way blood is allowed to be spilled is through the service in the Temple. That is the only place we take blood, which so many spill recklessly and murderously outside, and 'spill' it as an atonement in the Beit HaMikdash.
May the blood which has been spilled in the Land be our atonement and the last of the blood being spilled – and may we merit that the only blood spilled will be in the Temple offered out of our love and connection to G-d. | |
Acharei Mot 5784
Rabbi Binyamin Zimmerman,
Head of Musmachim at World Mizrachi | | | HOLOCAUSTS AND HARVARDS Rabbi Stewart Weiss Come gather 'round, people, wherever you roam; and admit that the waters around you have grown…….The battle outside ragin' will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls; for the times they are a-changin'" (Bob Dylan, 1964).
Alas, times – no, history itself – is not really changing at all; it is just repeating itself. The week(s) ahead offer both tears and cheers as they lead us once again into the modern "Yom" holidays: Yom HaShoa, Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut (and later, Yom Yerushalayim). But the "Yoms" this year are of a very different nature. Yom Hashoa comes on the verge of what may very well be the beginnings, God forbid, of another Holocaust in the making; while Yom HaZikaron comes in the midst of an existential war that has brought us far too many fallen soldiers to memorialize, and placed Israel at its most perilous precipice since the State was founded.
We live in a dangerous world at a dangerous time, with equal parts ignorance and evil surrounding us. The well-orchestrated and well-financed protests on American campuses are eagerly populated by manic students who are more than willing to jump on what has become a trendy, totalitarian bandwagon, while muttering mindless mantras. It doesn't matter that they have no concept whatever of Middle East realities or complexities, "Palestine"for them is not actually a physical place at all – indeed, my experience with these confused kids is that they can't locate it on a map - it is more a concept and a cause that can be succinctly summed up in one sentence: People are suffering and the Jews are to blame.
Tragically, there is no shortage of un-Jewish Jews who have joined together with the anti-Semitic mob, helping to add credence to their crusade. This is a syndrome aptly described by the well-known Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl of logotherapy fame. Dr. Frankl describes how he witnessed Jews in the concentration camps taking little sticks and fashioning them into "SS" shapes, which they then placed on their shoulders in a bizarre imitation of their Nazi guards. This, he said, was an attempt of the prisoners to gain a false sense of empowerment by "joining" with their persecutors.
You will often hear "all-knowing" authorities claim that education is the only effective path to tolerance and mutual understanding. But that simplistic and naive philosophy - well-meaning as it may be - has been blown sky-high by the thousands of university students and educators whose minds have been irreparably infected, and who are adamantly opposed to uncensored intellectual debate, the primary wellspring of Truth. A former professor once told me, when I expressed to him my astonishment at the rabid anti-Semitism of seemingly-brilliant authors,"Never confuse intelligence with wisdom." And so, we have Gays for Gaza and Homosexuals for Hamas; the modern equivalent of Indians for Custer.
We have been there before, of course. The book-burnings in Berlin. The assembly of Polish "good neighbors" cheering as the Jews are evicted from their homes and marched openly down the main streets to the train stations. The cold-hearted response – or lack thereof – of police and security officials who are either too scared or too indifferent to step forward and stop the madness. It never begins with violence – though that is surely on the horizon; it starts when the authorities are unwilling or unable to confront the crowds and defend the marginalized and maligned. And so the Nazi menace took time before it morphed into mass-murder; the masses first had to be manipulated and the lynching had to be legalized before the actual killing could begin.
And do not imagine that this assault upon Israel and the Jews (this phrase can and should be said in one breath) will cease when and if the IDF pulls out of Gaza, or even in the event that a mutually-agreed settlement is made with the Palestinian Authority. Once the evil genie has been released, it will not easily be put back in the bottle.
Of course, there is a major difference between the previous century and ours. Now, we have a State, which has welcomed into its midst the majority of world Jewry and flourished in a region where others have failed. We have an army that - with all the flaws that were revealed on October 7th - still remains a courageous and consummate fighting force that is the pride of the nation. And we have a sense of destiny, a resolute, national will that we will – we must - survive, despite the challenges we face and the heavy price we may pay.
Over the course of Pesach, I had an inspirational encounter with a Holocaust survivor, now in her late '90's, who reinforced my faith and restored my sense of optimism. "During those dark days of the Shoa," she told me, "we had no hope, we had no heroes. In the camps, we were forced by our oppressors to look down, and even when we did occasionally dare to lift up our eyes, we saw no horizon." "But" - and here she smiled as she lifted her Hagada – "in every generation 'they rise up to destroy us' and somehow, 'God saves us from their hands.' We were saved then, and we shall be saved again."
There wasn't an ounce of doubt in her voice.
One of my favorite stories tells of the dramatic announcement by scientists that, despite the Biblical promise, the entire world would be engulfed by a massive flood in just 3 days' time. The media then allowed several clergy to issue a global proclamation. The priest addressed his congregants and told them that they should hurry and try to do all the things they longed to do in the short time still left to them. The imam spoke to his flock and urged them to make amends over the next 3 days with anyone they may have wronged. The rabbi then delivered his message to one and all: "People, we have exactly 72 hours to learn how to survive underwater."
Hirsh Glick, the Yiddish poet who survived Ghetto Vilna, said it best in "Zog Nit Keynmol," the "Partisan Song:"
Never say this is the final road for you,
though leaden skies may be concealing days of blue.
Because the hour we have hungered for is near;
beneath our feet the earth shall thunder: We are here!
Hang in there, Am Yisrael; rumors of our demise are highly exaggerated. | | 
An Everlasting Sanctuary Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon  Our parasha opens with the Kohen Gadol's work on Yom Kippur. Indeed, every Yom Kippur we recount his actions in detail, picturing his every move. We complete our reading by declaring how wonderful it was to see the Kohen Gadol emerge unscathed and radiant from the Holy of Holies.
Sadly, today we have no Mikdash, no Kohen Gadol, and no Divine Presence residing over that holy place. However, it is important not to focus on what we lack but to raise our perspective and see the broader process we are part of.
The process of geulah, redemption, which is leading to the building of the Third Temple and, b'ezrat Hashem, the return of the Kohen Gadol and the inspirational spiritual light that will shine upon Am Yisrael!
Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi Herzog (our current President's grandfather) worked to save Jews during the Holocaust and was even able, as Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine, to meet with US President Franklin Roosevelt and implore him to bomb the Nazi death camps. While he was in the States though, Truman threatened pre-State Israel (in fear they would attack Transjordan) and President Roosevelt tried to convince Rabbi Herzog to stay in America, because Israel was about to be destroyed. Rav Herzog replied: "Mr President, we experienced a first destruction and a second destruction but there will never be a third!"
Similarly, in Midrash Tanchuma (Noach), it says: "In the future I will build it, and I will never destroy it."
Why is this so significant for us today?
The first Beit HaMikdash stood for 410 years, and the second for 420. If we knew that the Third would last as least as long, we would be okay with that. People tend not to be too bothered about events destined to happen hundreds of years ahead.
Nevertheless, there is a deeper message here. We need to know that the Third Beit HaMikdash will stand for eternity! If you build a tent, it may remain standing for a few days, a hut, perhaps months or years, but a house will be stronger and last much longer.
All the more so our Holy Temple, which will therefore possess a level of spiritual power unmatched even by its two four-centuries-old predecessors.
Its cosmic impact will not only affect humanity till the end of time, but from the very moment it stands! If a building is destined to be an everlasting sanctuary, it must contain unparalleled and unlimited spiritual strength.
Let us think about this for a moment.
We are privileged to live in a time our ancestors never dreamed of. Yes, they were partners in the geulah processes of the First and Second Temples, but these centers were temporary, as was the human partnership, however sublime it was then.
We are privileged to be partners in the ongoing eternal building process. In that capacity, we are also privileged to witness every stage of this geulah, this cosmic spiritual engineering process that will last forever.
Hence, every moment of this partnership is significant. Every moment Jews are living in Eretz Yisrael... Every Jew who makes Aliyah... Every good deed, every word of Torah study, is an expression of our partnership in the final geulah!
I believe this message can help us somewhat conceptualize our future Beit HaMikdash. We do not know or understand the true profundity of what this eternal building or era means, but we can imagine, dream, pray and become excited about the possibilities.
We can be overjoyed to be part of the geulah gradually unfolding before our eyes, and yearn for that time, in the near future, G-d willing, when we will indeed merit seeing this "everlasting building."
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is the Nasi of World Mizrachi. He is the Founder and Chairman of Sulamot and La'Ofek, and serves as the Chief Rabbi of Gush Etzion, and Rosh Yeshivah of the Jerusalem College of Technology. | |  | | Chicago Mizrachi Pina Chama in Itamar
dedicated in honor of our
Chayalim Bodedim
Maintenance costs for the month of
Nissan 5784
have been sponsored
in memory of
Evelyn Zisook, A"H, Chava Shifra bas Meir
and
Clare Kornblau, A"H, Kayla Yacha bas Yehoshua Asher Zelig
by Rabbi Kenneth and Shelley Zisook and family
| | | To watch and view the picture gallery of the Mizrachi Chicago Pina Chama in Itamar Dedication and Hachnasat Sefer Torah in the Shomron (July 30, 2023)
CLICK HERE | | | World Jewish population still lower than 1939, CBS reports Data reported ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day shows there are 15.7 million Jews living today – fewer than before the outbreak of World War II, of whom 133,000 are Holocaust survivors ; 1,500 Holocaust survivors have been evacuated from their homes in the north and south of the country due to war Yaron Drukman  The number of Jews worldwide stands at approximately 15.7 million, with around 7.1 million, or about 45% of the world's Jews, living in Israel and approximately 6.3 million, or about 40% of the world's Jews, residing in the United States. These figures were released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Thursday ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be observed in Israel next week.
However, the current number of Jews across the globe is still lower than the Jewish population in 1939, before the outbreak of World War II. Additionally, data shows that approximately 133,000 Holocaust survivors and victims of antisemitic persecution are living in Israel.
Out of the 15.7 million Jews worldwide: 7.1 million Jews reside in Israel (45%), 6.3 million in the United States (40%), 440,000 in France (3%), 398,000 in Canada (2.5%), 312,000 in the UK (2%), 171,000 in Argentina (2%), 132,000 in Russia (1.1%), 125,000 in Germany (0.8%), and 117,000 in Australia (0.7%).
Furthermore, according to CBS data, in 1939, on the eve of World War II, the global Jewish population was 16.6 million, including 449,000 in Israel (3%). In 1948, on the eve of the establishment of the state, the global Jewish population stood at 11.5 million, including 650,000 in Israel (6%). By 2019, the global Jewish population had reached 14.8 million, with 6.8 million residing in Israel. If the current growth rate continues, the number of Jews worldwide will surpass the pre-Holocaust figure in a few years.
 Out of the 133,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel, 62% are women and 38% are men. Approximately 43% of the survivors were born during the years 1939-1945 and are currently aged 78-84. Another 36% of all survivors are aged 85-89, with the remaining being over 90 years old (approximately 20%).
The data also shows that 50.8% of all Holocaust survivors are widows or widowers, 36.8% are married, 10.4% are divorced, and only about 2% are single. Half of the Holocaust survivors are married to another survivor – 24,600 out of 49,300. Thus, approximately 12,300 families in Israel have both spouses as Holocaust survivors.
Of the Holocaust survivors living in Israel, 61.1% are European-born. Former Soviet Union-born survivors represent the largest group at 35.8%, followed by 10.8% born in Romania, and 4.9% born in Poland. Additionally, 16.5% of survivors were born in Morocco, and about 2.1% were born in Algeria, experiencing various restrictions during the Vichy regime. Another 10.9% are from Iraq, who experienced the Farhud pogroms. The remaining 6.6% are from Tunisia and Libya.
The CBS's data also revealed that 6.2% of the survivors made aliyah to Israel even before the establishment of the state. Some 30.5% of the survivors arrived in Israel during the large immigration wave following Israel's establishment (1948-1951). Another 29.8% arrived in the years 1952-1989, and approximately one-third (33.5%) arrived since the 1990s, during the latest wave of immigration from former Soviet Union countries.
Approximately 58.5% of Holocaust survivors from Germany and Austria immigrated to Israel before the establishment of the state. Most survivors from Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iraq, and Libya arrived during the large immigration wave (1948-1951). The majority of those born in Morocco and Tunisia arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, while most survivors from the former Soviet Union arrived starting in 1990.
 An estimated 95% of the survivors reside in urban settlements, with only about 5% residing in rural areas, similar to the rest of the Jewish and other populations in Israel. About one-third of the survivors live in major cities: approximately 9,000 in Haifa, 8,500 in Jerusalem, 5,400 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 5,000 in the cities of Ashdod and Netanya, and 4,000 in cities Be'er Sheva, Petah Tikva, and Rishon LeZion.
An estimated 10% of all Holocaust survivors reside in institutions, similar to their proportion of the elderly population among Jews and others standing at 9%.
According to data from Israel's Yahad system helping evacuees amid the war in Gaza, as of the end of February, approximately 1,500 Holocaust survivors were evacuated from their homes in the north and south of the country. Most of them (80%) were relocated to hotels in cities such as Eilat, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yafo, and Tiberias. ynetnews.com | | Ella, widow of Oct. 7 hero, gives birth to a son | 'A child who brings so much joy' Ella Haimi, widow of Tal Haimi, who fought in the Nir Yitzhak security squad on October 7 and was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas, gives birth to the couple's fourth child.  Ella Haimi, widow of murdered hostage Tal Haimi of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, has given birth to a son, the couple's fourth child.
Tal Haimi fought in Nir Yitzhak's security squad, to protect his home and his family. He was kidnapped by the Hamas terror group and later murdered in captivity.
After the birth, Ella Haimi said, "This was a birth with mixed feelings, with a child who brings so, so much joy with him."
Ella gave birth at Beilinson Hospital, with Professor Arnon Wiznitzer, one of the hospital's senior obstetricians and one who worked in the Gaza border area for years, attending her.
Idit Engel, a midwife at Beilinson, said, "I had the merit to be there and be part of such a moving and powerful moment tonight in the delivery room. Ella has superpowers, and she is a source of inspiration for me. I hope that this child brings her much happiness, after the difficult and terrible event that she experienced."
Prof. Wiznitzer added, "I have known Ella Haimi for many years. I accompanied her throughout her previous pregnancies and during the most moving moments, and for me this is the closing of a circle. Out of the darkness and sadness that Tal, of blessed memory, is not here, there is one light who was born yesterday - a light which will only continue to grow and become more powerful, and give hope." israelnationalnews.com | | Hamas indicates it will snub latest hostage deal offer, but says talks to continue Lebanon-based Osama Hamdan says mediators' latest proposal is 'negative,' warns Rafah op would collapse talks, as terror group said readying to submit amended outline of its own Jacob Magid  Hamas on Wednesday night appeared poised to reject the latest hostage deal proposal crafted by mediators and green-lit by Israel.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official based in Lebanon, told the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, "Our position on the current negotiating paper is negative."
Hamas's press office subsequently clarified, "The negative position does not mean negotiations have stopped. There is a back-and-forth issue."
The terror group was reportedly slated to submit on Thursday an amended proposal to the one crafted by Qatari, Egyptian and American brokers.
But it is unclear whether Israel will be prepared to demonstrate further flexibility after it already agreed to a proposal providing for the release of just 33 female, elderly and sick hostages in the first stage of the truce deal following Hamas's rejection of the previous proposal that envisioned the release of 40 of the most vulnerable hostages.
Hamas's opposition to the latest offer stems from its belief that the proposal doesn't go far enough in guaranteeing an end to the war, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel. Instead, it envisions the sides holding talks during the first, six-week phase on a permanent ceasefire.
 Israel has refused to commit to ending the war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that the IDF would launch a mass invasion of Rafah to dismantle Hamas's remaining battalions in Gaza's southernmost city regardless of whether or not there is a hostage deal, according to an Israeli official.
Hamdan warned that Hamas will walk away from the negotiations if Israel launches its long-pledged operation in Rafah.
For his part, Blinken continued voicing the Biden administration's stance that Hamas is the side preventing a hostage deal.
"Israel has made very important compromises in the proposal that's on the table, demonstrating its desire, willingness to get this agreement done," he said during a press conference while visiting the Ashdod Port, which last month Israel began using to more directly transport aid to Gaza.
"Now, as we've been saying, it's on Hamas. Hamas has to decide whether it will take this deal and actually advance the situation for the people that it purports to care about in Gaza. There is no time for delay," he said.
 Blinken also reiterated Washington's opposition to a major IDF ground invasion in Rafah, "absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed" — one that he said Israel has yet to provide.
"There are… better ways of dealing with the real ongoing challenge of Hamas that do not involve or require a major military operation in Rafah," he added.
While Israel's negotiating team approved the deal that Hamas appeared slated to reject, it is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government would've been willing to give a final sign-off.
Far-right coalition parties have repeatedly slammed the proposal as surrender to the terror group's demands and as an abandonment of the initial war goal of eliminating Hamas's governing capabilities in Gaza, and they have openly threatened to topple the government if it is approved.
They are demanding an imminent offensive in Rafah, which has been promised by the government for several months.
Earlier Wednesday, the Lebanese news outlet al-Akhbar published what it said is the text of the truce offer presented to Hamas late last week.
The first stage of the deal, to last 40 days, would involve a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of the Strip in order to allow the movement of humanitarian aid and the return of civilians to their homes.
 The deal would provide for 500 trucks, including 50 fuel trucks, to enter the Strip each day along with supplies designed to rehabilitate the Strip.
Israel would cease aerial surveillance of the Strip for eight hours each day and for 10 hours on days that hostages are released.
Hamas would release at least 33 living captives — female civilians and soldiers, children under the age of 19, the elderly, the sick, and the wounded in the first stage. On day seven of the deal, Hamas would provide the names of all other living hostages beyond the 33.
For every female civilian and child released, Israel would free 20 minors and female Palestinian prisoners. For every elderly, sick and injured hostage released, Israel would free 20 prisoners over 50 who are also sick and injured, as long as they are not serving a sentence of over 10 years.
For every female soldier released, Israel would free 20 prisoners serving a life sentence, and another 20 serving 10 years at most, who may be released to Gaza or abroad.
Hamas would provide a list of prisoners it wants to be released, containing up to 20 names; Israel would retain a veto on the names provided by Hamas.
 From the 16th day of the truce, the sides would begin indirect negotiations on an arrangement to restore sustainable calm to Gaza, the report said.
The second stage of the deal — to last 42 days — would involve completing agreed-upon arrangements for sustainable calm. And it will see the release of remaining Israeli male civilians and soldiers, in exchange for a certain number of Palestinian prisoners and the full withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza.
The third stage, which will last 42 days, will involve the exchange of dead bodies from both sides and the implementation of a five-year rehabilitation plan for Gaza, including a provision that Hamas must not rebuild its military infrastructure.
Israel has estimated that 129 of the hostages seized on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — following a November truce. Four hostages were released prior to that, and three were rescued alive by troops. The bodies of 12 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military. The IDF has also confirmed the deaths of 34 of those still in captivity.
In addition to the hostages seized on October 7, Hamas has also been holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively. timesofisrael.com | | | Here is a direct link to join the group - | | 
Here is a direct link to join the group - | | | Hamas officials say they will move to Jordan if removed from Qatar Jordanian security officials estimate Iran behind push for Hamas to return to the kingdom; Jordanian officials insist terror group won't be accepted back Smadar Perry  Senior Hamas officials announced Monday that they will move to Jordan, which has expelled them in the past, if they are forced to leave Qatar. The kingdom issued a statement shortly after saying any Palestinian who requests to move to Jordan will be required to prove they have severed ties with the terrorist group.
Jordanian senior officials rushed to recruit veteran diplomat Ziad Majali, son of one of the kingdom's important and influential families, to attack Hamas' deputy political head Mousa Abu Marzouk, who said: "If Qatar decides to remove us, we'll move to Jordan."
Abu Marzouk chose intentionally to be interviewed by the Iranian channel Al-Alam (The World) to clarify that "many senior officials and positions holders in Hamas are in possession of Jordanian passports or residency visas."
Qatar has hinted at its intention to remove senior Hamas officials from its soil and to close the offices and luxury apartments that have been at their disposal for a decade in the capital, Doha. A clear instruction to leave the life of luxury has not been conveyed to Hamas leadership, but it seems both sides are no longer satisfied with the cooperation, while Qatar also adds the United States is the one that has pressed its officials "to host" the organization's senior leaders and "supervise" their actions.
Meanwhile, Qatari channel Al-Jazeera has geared up to criticize Hamas' leadership and sharply condemn the organization's opponents.
 In 1999, Hamas' leadership was permanently expelled from Jordan. Senior Hamas member Khaled Mashal, political head of the terror group Ismail Haniyeh, and their senior aides were required to leave immediately, put on a plane and transferred, by prior coordination between the authorities, to Qatar. "We hold Jordanian passports. They tell us to move to Syria, Iraq or Turkey, but we intend to move to Jordan," Abu Marzouk said.
The statements reached the Jordanian Royal Palace and security and intelligence establishments, much to their dismay. Majali said in response: "Hamas behaves as if there's no state and no authority in Jordan that will decide and determine how to act and how to conduct itself."
He added that "Jordan has closed the book on Palestinian cells - and we do not intend to reopen it." Jordanian intelligence sources estimate that Abu Marzouk didn't hastily choose Jordan as the new target and that the Iranians were the ones behind the idea after trying and failing to bomb Jordan and faced the U.S.-headed coalition acting against them.
 "Many Jordanian Palestinians participate in demonstrations in support of Gaza residents, against Israel, every night," said senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who serves as Haniyeh's second-in-command.
A senior security source in Jordan reported many of those detained during these protests aren't released. "Some of the detainees from the demonstrations," the source said, "are exposed as doing Hamas' leadership's bidding or have received money to attend protests. We keep them in custody because the era of Palestinian organizations doing as they please in Jordan is over. We're an organized kingdom with policy priorities and won't allow anybody to interfere in our affairs."
Meanwhile, Abu Marzouk's higher-up Haniyeh backed him by saying: "The Jordanian people support the Palestinians and don't accept Hamas's expulsion from Jordan." Haniyeh also criticized senior Jordanian officials including the king, ministers, parliament members and senior security officials, for not sending him their condolence on the deaths of his three children and four grandchildren in the Gaza Strip.
ynetnews.com | | IDF recommends cancellation of Meron Lag Ba'omer event for security reasons The decision follows discussions held at the Northern Command and Home Front Command. The IDF recommended to the government that the Lag Ba'omer festivities at Mount Meron be canceled this year due to security reasons, the military said on Wednesday.
The recommendation follows discussions held at the Northern Command and Home Front Command.
The IDF stated, "In accordance with the latest operational assessment of the situation, the IDF has recommended to the relevant authorities the cancellation of the events on Mount Meron, which are expected to occur between May 25-26, 2024. There are no further changes in the directives for the home front."
Police address security considerations
Earlier in the week, Israel Police reiterated a similar position. Following a situation assessment to prepare for the holiday on Mount Meron, police stated that due to security considerations, it may not be possible to hold t he event with a large number of participants.
"We are preparing for every scenario," Police Chief Kobi Shabtai noted. The Home Front Command, together with the security officials and the political echelon, will make the final decision on how the event will be held in the coming days."
The IDF's recommendation comes amid heightened tensions in Israel's north, with Hezbollah firing numerous rockets at the region, including the Meron area last week.
In mid-March, for similar reasons, the IDF cancelled the annual pilgrimage to the Mount, marking the anniversary of Moses's death. jpost.com | | WATCH: Pres. Herzog to Diaspora Jews: We hear you, we support you President Herzog issues special message of support for Jewish communities around the world.  Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday issued an urgent message of support to Jewish communities around the world in light of the dramatic resurgence in antisemitism and following the hostilities and intimidation against Jewish students on campuses across the US in particular.
In his special broadcast, President Herzog said: "To our sisters and brothers, to our friends on campuses and in Jewish communities across the United States and all over the world, to those who stand by and defend the Jewish people and the state of Israel, to all people of good will: from Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel, I say to you: The people of Israel are with you. We hear you. We see the shameless hostility and threats. We feel the insult, the breach of faith and breach of friendship. We share the apprehension and concern."
"We see prominent academic institutions, halls of history, culture, and education contaminated by hatred and antisemitism fueled by arrogance and ignorance, and driven by moral failings and disinformation. We watch in horror as the atrocities of October 7th against Israel are celebrated and justified."
Herzog stressed, "We hear you. We recognize your heroic efforts. We are with you, and we are here for you."
"In the face of violence, harassment and intimidation, as masked cowards smash windows and barricade doors, as they assault the truth and manipulate history, together we stand strong. Together we will continue building a flourishing, life-affirming nation.
"As they chant for intifada and genocide, we will work – together– to free our hostages held by Hamas, and fight for civil liberties and our right to believe and belong, for the right to live proudly, peacefully and securely, as Jews, as Israelis – anywhere."
Noting the timing, the President added, "Next week the Jewish people will mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. We will speak of the dark times of the past, and we will remember the miracle of our rebirth: in our ancient homeland, the Jewish, democratic State of Israel, and throughout the Jewish world."
"Together, we shall overcome.
"In the face of this terrifying resurgence of antisemitism: Do not fear. Stand proud. Stand strong for your freedom. Israel stands with you. Israel cares for you. We care for you. We are here for you.
"We will know better times ahead. And together we will say: Am Yisrael Chai." israelnationalnews.com | | Saudi Arabia takes action against Israel defamers online Saudi Arabia has launched a wave of arrests of citizens who attacked Israel and identified with Hamas on social networks amid the Gaza war. Nitzan Kedar  Saudi Arabia initiated a wave of arrests of citizens who incited against Israel on social networks amid the Gaza war, according to Bloomberg.
According to the report, this marks another step by the kingdom, indicating readiness to agree to normalization between the states. However, such a normalization move will be contingent upon Israel's agreement to commit to promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Arrests for expressions on the internet are not rare in Saudi, but the current wave of arrests is exceptional, as it directs many efforts to prevent incitement against Israel.
A security official in the country noted that the Saudis are concerned about rebellions in their territory in the context of increased incitement against Israel while discussions on normalization are underway.
American officials claimed that the Saudi arrests are related to the discussions between Riyadh and Washington regarding a significant move involving a defense alliance and also the approval for Saudi Arabia to operate a civilian nuclear program - part of which includes normalization with Israel. israelnationalnews.com | | | | |
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