Latest news with #Knesset
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jerusalem Unity Prize awarded in memory of three kidnapped, murdered teens
The three boys, Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaer, and Naftali Frankel, were hitchhiking and entered a car whose passengers resembled Orthodox Jews. But in fact, they were Palestinian terrorists. For the 11th year in a row, the recipients of the Jerusalem Unity Prize—established in memory of the three yeshiva students murdered by terrorists in the summer of 2014—were announced on Wednesday during a ceremony at the President's Residence. The three boys, Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaer, and Naftali Frankel, were hitchhiking and entered a car whose passengers resembled Orthodox Jews. But in fact, they were Palestinian terrorists. Until the bodies of the boys were recovered many days later, their fate remained unknown, but the nation reached out to their parents in a spectacular display of solidarity and concern. In light of this, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, together with the boys' parents—Iris and Uri Yifrach, Bat-Galim and Ofir Shaer, and Racheli and Avi Frankel—launched a joint initiative: an annual Unity Prize to commemorate the profound sense of national unity that emerged during their time of tragedy and to honor the memory of their sons. The annual event, which led to the passing of a Unity Day law in the Knesset, is a reminder that togetherness and hope were so tangible during the 18 days from the time when the boys were kidnapped to when their bodies were found. A similar sense of unity and solidarity has marked the cohesive aspects of Israeli society since October 7, 2023. Jerusalem Unity Prizes are substantial awards given to individuals, organizations, and initiatives in Israel and throughout the Jewish world whose actions are advancing mutual respect among members of Jewish communities in times of crisis and also in daily life. Since its inception, Unity Day has evolved into a global movement involving schools, youth organizations, synagogue congregations, and Jewish communities at large in activities, dialogue, and inspiration. At the ceremony on Wednesday, it was also linked to the hostages in Gaza and to the soldiers who are fighting in the north and the south. All speakers at the event referred to them and to families bereaved since October 7. It was also noted that Wednesday marked the 600th day of the war and the captivity of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. Prizes were awarded in the categories of educational institutions, local institutions, local authorities, national public organizations, international institutions, and national private Initiatives. Winners were Amal Januh-Jat High School, which promotes Druze educational leadership, dialogue, advocacy, service, and tolerance through student initiatives; Amutat Kahan, which conducts in-depth methods of informal education to make the broader Israeli society aware of the Ethiopian Jewish heritage and to treat Ethiopians respectfully and as equals. Prizes were also awarded to Migal HaEmek, where municipal leadership has succeeded in creating bridges between all strata of society, including different age groups, and Shira Banki's Way, in memory of Shira Banki, who was murdered when she went to support her friends in a Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem. This year's parade, which will be held next week, will also honor her memory. Her father, Uri Banki, said that he and his wife, Orit, will continue to work to promote tolerance. Other winners were MASA, which connects young Jews from different countries through journeys to Israel; and Hanoch and Efrat Daum, who have dedicated themselves to helping reservists who are losing out on income because there is no one to run their businesses. All speakers made the point that the Jerusalem Unity Prize was born out of pain. President Herzog drew a parallel with the pain that is being experienced by the hostages and their families, who he said are all living in hell. Yet, at the same time, most nations have a will to build a better society through partnership. The president urged some of the more negative factors in society to stop pointing fingers of blame, and to refrain from calling anyone a traitor or an enemy. He was convinced that all the rifts in the nation could be healed if the sides sat down at the same table and discussed their differences in a reasonable manner. Herzog also implied that it was time for the national leadership to listen to the voice of the public. Economy and Industry Minister Barkat said that it was essential for the varied sectors of the public to find a common denominator and to refrain from cynicism during public discourse: 'It's not a matter of right or left, but a straight path,' he said in reference to unity and to bringing home the hostages." Education Minister Yoav Kisch said that the enemy does not differentiate between right and left, religious and secular, or the periphery and the metropolis: 'To them, we are all the same.' In a period of crisis, he added, it behoves the people of Israel to be united and forget their differences. Speaking on behalf of the three families who initiated the prize, Bat-Galim Shaer, Gil-ad's mother, said that unity is not just a ceremony, a slogan, or a one-day event. Unity is something that should be practised year-round. Shaer said that it had not been planned for Unity Day to coincide with the 600th day of the war. Still, she stressed that a new month in Jewish tradition is a time for unconditional love, mutual respect and healing.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘600 days that we fight for our lives': Israel marks a milestone of pain and prayer
Hostage families and Knesset members joined Christian supporters of Israel worldwide to mark 600 days since the October 7, 2023 attacks and pray for the 58 hostages still held captive. Six hundred days since his son, Itay Chen, was abducted by Hamas forces, Ruby Chen's message to the crowd at the Knesset auditorium was personal, not political. 'I'm standing here as a father,' Chen said. For more stories from The Media Line go to He explained that his family had chosen not to hold a shiva—the traditional Jewish week of mourning—despite being told by Israeli intelligence that Itay was killed on the day he was abducted from his tank on the Gaza border. 'Not because we don't believe in the Jewish faith—on the contrary. It's because we still have hope that he could come back,' Chen said. Until he and his wife know with absolute certainty that their son is dead, they refuse to give up hope. Chen made these comments as part of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, an annual interfaith gathering founded in 2017 to foster global prayer and diplomatic solidarity with Israel. Addressing the crowd, he emphasized that the goals of dismantling Hamas and returning all the hostages 'don't always coexist.' 'It is unfortunate that after 600 days, I am still standing here, wishing to see my son back, as well as 57 other hostages,' he said. The event was marked by the weight of war, grief, and a resolute hope for the return of the hostages—shared by worshipers from dozens of countries. Albert Veksler, director of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, highlighted the importance of holding the gathering inside the Israeli Knesset. 'We are not just praying generically for peace,' he said. 'We are praying for names. For the return of captives. For justice to prevail.' Addressing hostage families and parliamentarians, Veksler described the moment as 'prophetic'—a call for faith-based solidarity to become a voice for the voiceless. The session was sponsored by MK Matan Kahana, who opened by reflecting on his own experience in the security cabinet before the war. 'We sanctify life. They sanctify death and murder,' he said of Hamas. 'We didn't believe them. And now we understand—they really mean what they are saying.' MK Moshe Turpaz of the centrist Yesh Atid party, who returned to active military duty on the morning of October 7, 2023, addressed the crowd with solemn urgency: 'Six hundred days since this war began. Six hundred days that our brothers and sisters are still in Gaza. Six hundred days that we fight for our lives.' Fellow party member MK Tatiana Mazarsky spoke of the deep ache shared by Israeli families as the hostages' captivity drags on. 'No joy can be complete while our brothers remain in captivity … held underground, without food and water, 600 days already,' she said. 'Every single day counts. Every hour could save a life.' MK Simon Davidson, also of Yesh Atid, expressed deep appreciation for the global supporters present. 'We need your support. We need your prayers. And we need you speaking on behalf of Israel, on behalf of our soldiers, on behalf of the right—and not the evil—in the world,' he said. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, acting in his capacity as head of Israel's legislature, formally welcomed the international delegation and emphasized the moral clarity of their stance. 'When the nations of the world stand with Jerusalem, they are standing with truth, with justice, and with the values that sustain free societies,' he said. Also present were MK Ohad Tal of the Religious Zionism party and MK Amit Halevi of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, both of whom used their remarks to underscore the historic nature of the Jewish return to sovereignty. Tal referred to the 'miracle of Jewish revival' while Halevi called Jerusalem 'the eternal capital of a people who never left it in their prayers or their tears.' One of the final speakers was Eduard Heger, former prime minister of Slovakia, who used the platform to deliver a public act of repentance. 'Please forgive us,' he said. 'In 1941, Slovakia issued a Jewish Codex that stripped our Jewish citizens of their rights. Eighty years later, as Prime Minister, I led an official apology.' Turning to the room of lawmakers and believers from dozens of nations, he called on his fellow attendees to interrogate their own countries' histories. 'If there is a sin against Israel, follow the path of reconciliation,' he urged. Among the many Christians attending was Dale Ditto, a financial adviser and attorney from Kentucky, who has participated in the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast since its founding in 2017. He told The Media Line that people often ask whether he is afraid to travel to Israel. 'But when I come to Jerusalem, I feel peace,' he said. 'We worship the same God,' Ditto said of Jews and Christians. 'We want his will to be done on earth. I think my being here will have an effect around the world.' Former MK Rabbi Yehudah Glick described the gathering as 'very significant.' 'To know that we have so much friendship and so many supporters of Israel is something that gives us strength,' he told The Media Line. Glick, who chairs the Shalom Jerusalem Foundation and also leads the Amitsim organization for young widows and orphans, called the global Christian movement toward Israel 'the second greatest miracle of our era' after the establishment of the state of Israel. 'These people are not just coming here. They're going back home and becoming ambassadors—political ambassadors, spiritual ambassadors, educational ambassadors,' he said. He added that God should be praised daily for the friendship between Christians and Jews. 'It's a miracle that must not be taken for granted,' he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A-G working to 'bring about downfall' of Israeli government, says Sa'ar
Sa'ar claimed that a 'senior' official in the justice ministry had told him that Baharav-Miara had decided to 'go all the way' in her opposition to the government. Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara is working 'persistently and openly' to 'paralyze the government's executive capabilities and bring about its downfall,' Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Tuesday. Sa'ar's comments came in response to an opinion issued by the attorney-general on Monday, according to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is legally barred from appointing a new Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head due to a conflict of interests. Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had decided to appoint Maj.-Gen. David Zini to the position, despite a High Court ruling a day earlier that the 'Qatargate' investigation put him in a conflict of interest with regards to firing the outgoing Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar. Sa'ar's accusations were noteworthy, as he was responsible for Baharav-Miara's appointment to the position in his position as Justice Minister in the previous government. Sa'ar claimed that a 'senior' official in the Justice Ministry had told him that Baharav-Miara had decided to 'go all the way' in her opposition to the government. 'The reasoning presented by Baharav-Miara and [Deputy Attorney-General Gil] Limon is a supposed 'conflict of interests' involving the prime minister due to the Qatargate affair, despite the fact that the prime minister is not a suspect in the case,' Sa'ar wrote on X/Twitter. 'The very claim of a conflict of interests due to an investigation into people close to the prime minister is, in itself, far-reaching. In any case, any novice legal scholar knows that this alleged conflict of interest could have been 'neutralized' through much more proportionate measures instead of completely disqualifying the prime minister's involvement 'in any way' in the appointment of the head of the security agency he is legally mandated to oversee,' the foreign minister continued. 'For example, the attorney-general could have ruled that the new Shin Bet chief would not be involved in the investigation at all. 'The proposal to transfer the appointment authority to another minister makes a mockery of the explicit provisions of the law, which Baharav-Miara and Limon have ignored,' Sa'ar continued. In response to the A-G's opinion that it was 'doubtful' whether Zini could be appointed to the position, Sa'ar wrote, 'What remains of the legal provisions and the prime minister's responsibility in a key security domain when fundamental powers are stripped from him so casually by those who are supposed to provide him with legal counsel?" 'The Knesset was elected by the people. The government serves by virtue of the Knesset's confidence. The continued weakening of these institutions turns Israel into a caricature of a democratic regime. An attorney-general who persistently and openly works to paralyze the government's executive capabilities and bring about its downfall does not function as a legal adviser. By now, she is far more deserving of another distinguished title for her actual role: Leader of the Opposition.' The foreign minister's comments came alongside those of other ministers, some of whom, including Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Development of the Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, called on Netanyahu to ignore the High Court if it struck down Zini's appointment.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of MKs across the aisle sign letter of support for Jewish diaspora communities
The letter, signed by 67 Members of Knesset from both sides of the aisle, expressed "unshakable solidarity" with the diaspora community. Some 67 Members of Knesset from the coalition and opposition signed a letter initiated by Likud MK Dan Illouz on Thursday expressing solidarity with the Jewish diaspora, in the wake of the 'deeply troubling' peak of antisemitic incidents worldwide. The letter, which was made out to 'our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora— With love, with pain, and with unshakable solidarity,' included signatories from all of the Knesset's Jewish parties, including the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties in the coalition and four opposition parties. 'On the 23rd of Iyar, 5785 (May 21, 2025), two people—Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lishinsky—were murdered in a shooting outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, simply because the killer wanted to murder Jews,' the letter began. 'This was not an attack on soldiers. It wasn't a protest against policy. It was a vile act of antisemitism—pure and simple. And tragically, this wasn't an isolated incident. It's part of a deeply troubling global trend: Since October 7, antisemitism has been spreading at an alarming pace—on campuses, in the streets, across social media, and throughout the public sphere,' the MKs continued. 'Yet in the darkness, your light has shone brightly. You stood with us during our hardest moments. You marched, you gave, you fought for the truth. You reminded us that Am Yisrael is one people—united. For that—we thank you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your determination. Thank you for your love. Because of you, we were not alone. And now—you won't be alone either,' the MKs continued. They continued, 'We, Ministers and Members of Knesset from across the political spectrum, speak to you with one clear voice: We are with you. We see you. We hear you. We feel your pain. And we will not be silent. The bond between the Jewish Diaspora and the State of Israel does not depend on circumstance. It is eternal. We are one family—bound by destiny, rooted in history, and entrusted with the mission of building a future of strength and dignity—together. From Jerusalem to Washington, from Tel Aviv to Toronto—we stand as one. And we say, with pride and with love: Am Yisrael Chai,' the MKs concluded. Illouz, who is originally from Montreal, said to the Post, 'When Jews are targeted simply for being Jewish, our response must be united and unequivocal. This was not just a crime—it was part of a global wave of hate that demands moral clarity. We want every Jewish community to know: you are not alone. Israel sees you, stands with you, and will always fight antisemitism wherever it appears. Am Yisrael is one family—and we stand together.' According to a report by the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel that was published in January, in 2024 antisemitic incidents in the US rose by 288% compared to 2022, and in Canada by 562%
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Families of hostages protest Netanyahu and demand end to conflict after 600 days
Marking the 600th day of the Israel-Gaza war, thousands of family members of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza have held protests across the country, blocking traffic and calling for a deal securing the release of their loved ones from captivity and an end to the conflict. '600 days we are without our loved ones, 600 days that Hamas is holding them captive, and the bloody Israeli government is abandoning them to maintain the integrity of their coalition,' the families said in a statement read by Keith Siegel, a former hostage, at a rally in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. 'Our families have become the victims of cheap politics at the hands of the prime minister,' they said. 'Instead of ending the war and bringing everyone home, he chose [finance minister Bezalel] Smotrich and [national security minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir, who prefer to occupy the Gaza Strip than to save the hostages.' The families of the hostages accused the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of 'sentencing them to death' and called for his resignation. ''After such a long time, the government needs to be sent home to bring the hostages back home,' they said. Anat Angrest, whose son Matan Angrest was kidnapped by Hamas, said: 'I want to turn here to every mother and father: imagine standing next to me, giving everything for the state and the homeland, but being abandoned and forgotten. It can unfortunately happen to every one of us.' In a speech given at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Arbel Yehoud, a freed hostage, said: ''The Israeli government stands before a single choice: saving lives or abandoning them.' The October Council – made up of 1,500 families of Israelis who were killed or captured in the October 7 massacre – protested on Wednesday morning outside the residence of the Knesset speaker, Amir Ohana, in Tel Aviv. The protesters demanded earlier elections and the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. The October Council submitted a bill proposal to Ohana, calling for a dissolution of the current Knesset. The proposal states that 'the government has turned its back on the families' and accused the cabinet of 'outright announcing that it will not investigate the greatest disaster the State of Israel has ever known'. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum sent a letter to the head of the Israeli hostage negotiating team, Ron Dermer, demanding his resignation and saying that since his appointment to the position not a single hostage had returned due to his efforts. A total of 251 people were taken hostage and about 1,200 killed by Hamas in its cross-border attacks on 7 October 2023. Since then, Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians. - The Guardian Read More Israeli government hits back as international pressure over Gaza mounts
