Senior Hamas delegation seen in Saudi Arabia ahead of expected rapprochement talks

Senior undercover Border Police officer relieved of duty after failed raid

Illustrative: Border Police troops clash with Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jenin, on January 18, 2018. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

The commander of a company in Border Police’s undercover West Bank unit has been dismissed from his role and unit following a failed operation last week.

On April 10, the company attempted to detain a wanted Palestinian in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Police say the company commander “did not carry out the instructions… and acted unprofessionally” which led to the suspect being able to flee.

The commander will be immediately dismissed from his role and unit. It was unclear if he would continue to serve in another police unit.

The deputy commander of the company will be moved to another position within the unit.

In response to dire financial plight of survivors, Shas offers discount burial plots

Shas leader Aryeh Deri during a Shas party meeting at the Knesset on January 23, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Shas leader Aryeh Dei causes an outcry when he responds to a report on the dire financial situation of many Holocaust survivors by offering them discounted burial plots.

In a tweet, Deri announces legislation proposed by his party that will give the survivors a steep discount on the purchase of plots.

“On Holocaust Memorial Day, Shas looks out for the honor and welfare of the Holocaust survivors,” he writes. “That’s the least we can do for those who are still with us.”

Following an outcry from the public, with many noting that survivors should be assisted while still alive, Deri deletes the tweet.

Survey: 35% of young US Republicans have never heard of Netanyahu

In this March 25, 2019, photo, then-US president Donald Trump (left) smiles at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after signing a proclamation recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Bad news for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who prides himself on being an influential international statesman: A growing number of Americans have never heard of him, including many young Republicans.

The Pew Research Center poll published yesterday looks at US confidence in major world leaders and found that “sizable shares of the US public have not heard of several world leaders.”

That includes Netanyahu.

“Americans see Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, more negatively than positively: 42% have no confidence in him, while 32% have confidence,” the poll finds.

However, his standing among Republicans was significantly higher. “Republicans are 32 percentage points more likely than Democrats to have confidence in Netanyahu (49% vs. 17%). ”

But if trends continue then Netanyahu won’t enjoy that advantage for long with the Republicans, with whom he has traditionally had closer ties.

“Younger Republicans – those ages 18 to 49 – are less positive about Netanyahu than their older counterparts. But this is largely because 35% of younger Republicans say they have never heard of the Israeli leader,” the report says. “Still, only three-in-ten Republicans in this age group have confidence in Netanyahu, far less than the 66% among Republicans ages 50 and older.”

On visit to Azerbaijan, FM Cohen hails economic ties

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets with Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov in Baku on April 18, 2023. (Shlomi Amsalem/GPO)

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets with Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov to kick off his visit to Baku.

According to the Israeli readout, the two speak about “regional security in the context of Azerbaijan’s geographic location,” a very thinly veiled reference to Iran, Azerbaijan’s southern neighbor.

Cohen is expected to sign agreements tomorrow on cooperation in the fields of environmental protection, education and investments.

“The state visit in Azerbaijan will bring about a strengthening of ties between the countries, and to the signing of agreements and deals between Israeli companies and local companies,” says Cohen in a statement.

Ex-PM Bennett says Israel needs a centrist government for next 10-20 years

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett (R) briefs reporters at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy alongside TWI scholar David Makovsky on April 18, 2023. (Screen capture/Zoom)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says Israel needs to be run by a centrist government for the next 10 to 20 years in order to restore internal stability.

In a briefing with reporters in Washington, Bennett speculates that the polarizing conduct of the current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lead Israelis to believe that such a hardline composition of right-wing lawmakers should not be entrusted to run the country, similar to the conclusion drawn by many Israelis regarding more left-wing governments after the Second Intifada.

Bennett led Israel’s most diverse unity government, which spanned from his since-defunct Yamina party on the right to the Meretz party to the left alongside the Islamist Ra’am party.

His coalition fell apart in 2022 after just one year due to internal divisions. Despite its short-lived nature, Bennett says he still believes that the makeup of his government can be a model moving forward.

“My opinions are right of center, and I have not changed my opinions, but I have become a huge believer in the need for moderacy in the way we govern Israel. I’m a radical moderate. I believe that Israel for the next decade or two needs centrist governments that can focus on on the 70 percent of the issues that Israelis agree upon, while setting aside the 30% of issues that are in ideological conflict,” he says, highlighting a talking point he on which he leaned heavily while leading the previous government, which refused to launch diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

“I think [this] is the only way forward for the next 10 to 20 years. We have to pull ourselves out of this ongoing polarization and toxic dialogue, and I believe Israel can succeed by doing that,” Bennett says.

The stance represents a remarkable change for Bennett, who before becoming prime minister was one of Netanyahu’s fiercest critics from the right, leading the national religious Jewish Home party and pushing for the annexation of large parts of the West Bank.

Commenting on the ongoing protests in Israel against the government’s effort to overhaul the judiciary, Bennett says, “I see that our enemies believe that the protests are a sign of weakness. They are misinterpreting what Israel is about. This is a sign of strength, democracy in Israel will prevail, and Israel will come out stronger for all of this.”

US AG Garland hails America as a place of refuge for Jews fleeing Holocaust

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks, April 17, 2023, at the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

US Attorney General Merrick Garland hails the role the US played as a refuge for Jews who fled antisemitism and the Holocaust.

Speaking on Holocaust Remembrance Day at the 30th Annual Federal Inter-Agency Holocaust Remembrance Program, Garland, who is Jewish, said his service was a tribute to the country that took in his family.

“Each of us came to the Department for different reasons. For me, it was to repay the debt my family owes to this country for our very lives,” Garland says.

“Before World War I, America gave my family refuge from religious persecution that allowed them to survive the Holocaust when World War II came.”

“My grandmother was one of five children born in what is now Belarus. Three made it to the United States, including my grandmother. Two did not make it. They were killed in the Holocaust,” he says. “If not for America, there is little doubt that the same would have happened to her.”

Garland also highlighted efforts to combat rising antisemitism in the US.

“Indeed, hate crimes against Jews comprised the majority of religion-related hate incidents reported in 2021,” he notes. “The Justice Department is doing everything in our power to combat the rise in hate-fueled acts and threats of violence.”

“We do this because we all know what happens when hate is allowed to take root. We do this to ensure that a tragedy like the Holocaust never happens again,” he says.

Palestinian arrested at West Bank crossing for trying to snatch gun from guard

Illustrative: Palestinian women cross the Qalandiya checkpoint, outside of the West Bank city of Ramallah, on April 15, 2022. (Flash90)

Police say a Palestinian man in his 40s has been arrested at the Qalandiya crossing near Jerusalem after allegedly attempting to snatch a gun from a security guard.

According to a police statement, the suspect, who did not have an entry permit to Israel, was detained for questioning upon trying to pass through the checkpoint.

“At a certain point, the suspect, who was assisted by crutches when walking, attacked the civilian security guard and tried to forcefully grab the weapon he had in his possession, without success,” police say.

Police forces and civilian guards managed to arrest him without gunfire, police add.

El Al pilot apologizes for preflight message tying judicial overhaul to Holocaust

Israeli airline El Al planes parked at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, Israel, on March 16, 2018. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

An El Al pilot apologizes after he caused an outcry by delivering a preflight message likening the government’s attempt to radically reshape the justice system to the events in Nazi Germany that preceded the Holocaust.

The incident occurred on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, drawing angry public reactions and condemnation from the national carrier, which said the message doesn’t reflect its values and promised a thorough probe.

“Things like the Holocaust are potentially carried out in a dictatorship, and we are fighting in Israel to remain a democratic country,” the captain said in Hebrew and English at the end of boarding for flight LY7 from Tel Aviv to New York.

However, Hebrew media reports that toward the end of the flight, he apologized to passengers.

“As the son of a survivor of the Buchenwald death camp, I’m aware of the importance of the day,” he says. “On this day we all unite and stand together with the memory of the Holocaust and the victims.”

“I would like to make it clear that I had no intention of hurting any passenger with what I said. I apologize from the bottom of my heart to those who were hurt by my words,” the pilot says.

A minor security breach: Toddler crawls through White House fence

US Secret Service uniformed division police officers carry a young child who crawled through the White House fence on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. T (AP Photo/Nancy Benac)

A toddler earns the title of one of the tiniest White House intruders after he squeezed through the metal fencing on the north side of the executive mansion.

US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, who are responsible for security at the White House, walked across the North Lawn to retrieve the tot and reunite him with his parents on Pennsylvania Avenue. Access to the complex was briefly restricted while officers conducted the reunification. Officers briefly questioned the parents before allowing them to continue on their way.

It may be the first successful intrusion onto the complex since the White House fence was doubled in height to roughly 13 feet (3.96 meters) in recent years after a series of security breaches. While taller, the new fence has an additional inch of space between pickets, for a total of 5½ inches (12.7 centimeters) between posts.

Older children have sometimes become stuck in the iconic barrier, which has also been the scene of demonstrations, with protesters chaining themselves to the fence.

The Secret Service did not immediately have comment on the incident.

Patriots owner Kraft joined by rapper Meek Mill for March of the Living

New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, front center, participates in the annual 'March of the Living', a trek between two former Nazi-run death camps, in Oswiecim, Poland, Tuesday, April 18, 2023 to mourn victims of the Holocaust and celebrate the existence of the Jewish state. (AP Photo/Michal Dyjuk)

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft leads a delegation that includes rapper Meek Mill on a march in Poland to honor victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

The 3-kilometer “March of the Living” is an annual commemoration that covers the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex, the largest Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

The event is being attended by Kraft as part of his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, which he started in 2019 to address hate against Jews. Kraft lit the first torch at the outset of the march, a Patriots team spokesman says.

Kraft was one of several celebrities who helped advocate on behalf of Mill, who was released from prison in 2018 after initially being sentenced to two to four years in jail for probation violations in decade-old gun and drug convictions.

Meek Mill in Poland with Robert Kraft 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/TM9sTPEC4G

— Wave Check🌊 (@thewavecheckk) April 18, 2023

Kraft has since joined Mill, rap mogul Jay Z and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin in the Reform Alliance, a group that lobbies for changes to state probation and parole laws.

Senior Hamas delegation seen in Saudi Arabia ahead of expected rapprochement talks

Hamas leaders including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal are seen making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on April 18, 2023. (Screencapture/Twitter: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A senior delegation representing the Palestinian terror group Hamas has been filmed in Saudi Arabia.

Video seen on social media shows Hamas leaders, including Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh and the head of the group abroad, Khaled Mashaal, wearing white terrycloth garments symbolic of the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage as they circle Islam’s holiest site in Mecca

The arrival comes several days after Arabic media reported that the delegation would travel to the kingdom, representing a major development as Israel’s hopes of forging official ties with Riyadh appear to dwindle further.

For many years, Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Hamas has been cold and tense, and the kingdom even arrested many people with ties to the jihadist group, which rules the Gaza Strip and openly seeks Israel’s destruction.

Senior members of Hamas, including Ismail Haniyeh, Mousa Marzook, Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Meshaal appear to have arrived in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/hE3NocISOx

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) April 18, 2023

But following its landmark rapprochement with Iran, Riyadh appeared set to host a high-level delegation that will try to mend Hamas’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has been frosty since 2007, when the terror group overthrew the Palestinian Authority and took over Gaza in a bloody coup. Saudi leaders had blamed Hamas for the failure of attempts at reconciliation between it and the PA’s Fatah party.

IDF to keep drafting Haredi youth despite government plans for early exemptions

Ultra-Orthodox protesters block roads in Jerusalem as part of anti-draft protests, on October 17, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Israel Defense Forces vows to continue to send enlistment letters to ultra-Orthodox males who turn 18, despite intentions by the government to give Haredim an earlier exemption from army service.

A new service model was revealed by the IDF, which would possibly see all soldiers serve for 24 months, with essential roles being conscripted to stay on for longer — up to 36 months — with a significant pay raise during the additional months.

The IDF says drafting Israelis from all societies is of utmost importance, and will continue to provide special draft routes for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

A senior IDF officer said earlier this week that lowering the final exemption age, enabling Haredim to enter the workforce at a younger age instead of draft dodging by remaining in yeshiva, is acceptable, provided there is “appreciation” for soldiers.

An expert told The Times of Israel yesterday that the government plans are still likely to be rejected by the High Court.

Tel Aviv police chief gets security boost after death threats

Chief of police's Tel Aviv district, Amichai Eshed, is greeted by protesters during a rally against the government's judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on March 11, 2023. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)

Security is bolstered to the highest level for Tel Aviv Police District Commander Amichai Eshed after he receives death threats, Hebrew media reports.

Eshed is deluged with death threats, including one that warned he would “end up like Eichman.”

The threats come after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara halted the firing of Eshed from his position, questioning the legality of a decision that was widely seen as politically motivated.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had announced that Eshed would be transferred to head the police’s Training Department based on a recommendation by Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai. The move was considered a stinging dismissal of Eshed, who was believed to harbor ambitions to lead the police force, with Hebrew media indicating Ben Gvir had been grumbling about his ostensibly mild response to anti-government protests.

Bereaved parent group reiterates call to keep politicians away from Memorial Day events

Israeli soldiers put flowers and candles on graves of fallen soldiers in Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on May 3, 2022, ahead of Israeli Memorial Day, May 4, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Eli Ben-Shem, chairman of Yad Labanim, the largest bereaved family organization in Israel, reiterates his call to keep politicians away from Memorial Day events, warning there will be “disturbances.”

Speaking to Channel 12, Ben-Shem, whose son was one of 73 soldiers killed in the 1997 helicopter disaster, says bereaved families are bitterly divided over the government’s judicial overhaul attempts that critics say will undermine Israel’s democracy.

“The bereaved families are divided — families whose children were killed in the same tank, in the same battle, who used to spend Shabbatot together, are not talking to each other today. It’s terrible. There’s a deep rift. There’s a deep rift in the Israeli people. … There are lots of families who don’t want politicians [to come to the cemeteries and Memorial Day events next Tuesday,]” he says.

He singles out several politicians who had not served in the military, particularly far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was not drafted for mandatory military service by the IDF because of his extremist activities.

“There are six politicians who didn’t serve in the IDF, which the families absolutely do not want to come… 100 families have told me they won’t let Ben Gvir into the cemetery. They’ll throw eggs at him,” Ben-Shem says.

Parents have already petitioned to bar Ben Gvir, who is scheduled to speak at a ceremony in Beersheba.

“In Ra’anana, Kiryat Gat, Rehovot, families will cause disturbances [if those non-IDF-serving politicians come]… What you saw with MK Bismuth is a small taste of what’s going to happen on Memorial Day,” he says referring to Likud MK Boaz Bismuth was forced to leave a Holocaust memorial ceremony at a Tel Aviv synagogue after being jeered by the crowd.

Ben Shem says he has relayed his concerns to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and organizers.

Deri returns to security cabinet meetings as observer

Shas chief Aryeh Deri leads a faction meeting, at the Knesset on February 13, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Shas leader Aryeh Deri attends a security cabinet meeting after skipping the previous two discussions in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Deri as a special observer after he was forced by the Supreme Court to fire Deri from his roles as interior and health minister due to his corruption convictions.

But Deri apparently became fed up and stopped showing up after three meetings.

IDF condemns serious incident as Golani company deserts to protest new commander

In an unusual incident in the army, an entire company of troops in the Golani Brigade left their base in apparent anger over being given a new commander.

The Israel Defense Forces condemns the mass desertion, saying it is “a serious incident that is not consistent with IDF values ​​and what is expected of IDF soldiers.”

According to reports, the company was given a new commander who originally was in the Paratroopers Brigade, which angered the troops.

An image circulating on social media shows a pile of firearms the soldiers left behind after they were told about their new company commander.

פלוגה בגדוד 51 של חטיבת גולני פתחו באירוע נפקדות, השאירו את הנשקים ביחידה ועזבו אותה במחאה על הדחת מפקדם והחלפתו במ״פ מהצנחנים.

מדובר בפלוגת לוחמים בגולני תחת פיקודה של חטיבה 7. הלוחמים הניחו את נשקם ויצאו הביתה כי מפקד הפלוגה העובר מתפקידו.
לפי גורם בצה״ל בשעות אלה מתקיים… pic.twitter.com/n0RQSg3eRs

— 🇮🇱 נועם אמיר (@noamamir74) April 18, 2023

The soldiers are expected to face disciplinary action once they are brought back to base.

Saudi foreign minister makes first official visit to Syria in more than a decade

Saudi Minster of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan is escorted by the Syrian Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam upon his arrival at Damascus airport Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat arrives in the Syrian capital, the first official visit by an official from the kingdom in more than a decade, the Syrian government says.

The visit by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Damascus follows that of his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mikdad, to Riyadh last week. Syrian state news agency SANA reports that after his arrival, the Saudi top diplomat was received by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A statement published by Saudi state media says that bin Farhan’s visit came “within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness and interest to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would end all its repercussions and preserve Syria’s unity, security, stability, and Arab identity and restore it to its Arab surroundings.”

The kingdom cut off diplomatic relations with Damascus in 2012, after the outbreak of Syria’s civil war. Syria and Saudi Arabia said last week they were moving toward restoring consular services and resuming flights between the two countries.

Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Assad’s brutal crackdown on protesters in a 2011 uprising that descended into civil war. The breakdown in relations culminated with Syria being ousted from the Arab League.

Tiberias residents warned to boil water before drinking

A view of Tiberias from the Swiss forest, which was planted above the city to stem rain runoff. (Shmuel Bar-Am)

The Health Ministry warns residents of the northern town of Tiberias to boil their water before drinking.

The ministry says the warning comes after “irregularities” were found in the water supply.

Residents are told to boil all water to be used for drinking, cooking, preparing medicines and brushing teeth.

After controversy, Yaron Felus chosen as next Central Bureau of Statistics chief

Yaron Felus. (Courtesy/Survey of Israel)

Prof. Yaron Felus is appointed the new head and chief statistician of Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.

Felus, 55, was selected unanimously among 13 candidates by a search committee set up by the Prime Minister’s Office. The permanent position of chief statistician has been empty for over a year as the government has sought to update the requirements of the job.

The appointment comes after reports in March that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had frozen all personnel hiring at the CBS after an attempt to place a confidant at the head of the organization failed. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine the independence of the key government bureau because it produced facts that were uncomfortable for the government.

Felus, who holds BSc in Computer Engineering from Ben Gurion University and MSc in Science, has in recent years served as the CEO of tech incubator Visint Labs. He also has a PhD in geo-information and worked as a researcher and as an adviser with the US National Intelligence Agency and NASA.

The CBS is an autonomous and independent body within the Prime Minister’s Office. Its responsibilities include determining the country’s consumer price index, unemployment figures and growth rates — metrics, published quarterly, essential to measuring the success or failure of public policy.

Man says he was assaulted after protesting Likud MK at Holocaust event

A man tells Channel 12 that he was assaulted after protesting the presence of Likud MK Boaz Bismuth at a Holocaust Memorial day event.

The channel posts a photo of Gil Melamed with blood running down his face from a wound over his left eye.

At an event at a Tel Aviv synagogue honoring the Greek Jews killed in the Holocaust, Melamed was one of several participants who heckled Bismuth, forcing him to leave.

In footage on social media, people could be heard shouting “shame” toward Bismuth as he attempted to speak, while others demanded that the protesters stop.

Melamed said he was one of those shouting “shame,” but he said it was directed at organizers who called on Bismuth to speak despite a demand not to have politicians involved.

אין כבוד: מפגינים נגד הרפורמה ביזו אירוע זיכרון לשואה שמתקיים בבית כנסת בת"א – כאשר ח"כ בועז ביסמוט עלה לנאום. המשתתפים המזועזעים הוציאו את הכורזים וביקשו לכבד את המעמד pic.twitter.com/byz4oFkzFE

— Moti Kastel מוטי קסטל (@KastelMoti) April 17, 2023

Bismuth left the synagogue as the dispute between members of the crowd heated up.

There have been calls for politicians to stay away from memorial events amid mounting public anger over the judicial overhaul attempts by the government and fears the events could be exploited for political purposes.

Knesset to discuss Israel-Poland deal on resumption of youth trips

Jewish students visit the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp after the March of the Living annual observance, in Oswiecim, Poland, April 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen, who heads a special committee to deal with Holocaust survivor welfare, announces she will convene a meeting to discuss the recent deal between Israel and Poland on the resumption of school trips to Nazi former death camps.

The deal has drawn widespread criticism with many saying it ignores Polish complicity in the Holocaust and aggrandizes efforts by Poles to save Jews.

“This injustice needs to be corrected. It is not too late to do so,” says Cohen, adding that she will summon those involved in signing the agreement.

The deal was drawn up and signed by the foreign ministers of both countries last month but still needs to be ratified by the Israeli and Polish parliaments.

WATCH: Thousands take part in March of the Living at Auschwitz

At Auschwitz, Holocaust survivors and companions enter the 'Arbeit Macht Frei' gate during the March of the Living, April 18, 2023. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)

Thousands of people are taking part in the March of the Living at the Auschwitz death camp in Poland.

This year marks the 35th March of the Living, with a focus on the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and a theme of Holocaust-era heroism.

Attending the 3-kilometer march through the former Nazi camp were dozens of dignitaries and VIPs, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau, United States Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and his predecessor, David Friedman.

Palestinians say 6 injured in IDF Jenin raid

The Palestinian Health Ministry says six people have been injured during an IDF raid in Jenin.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that troops are operating in the refugee camp, but doesn’t give any further details.

Videos on social media show heavy exchanges of fire.

Palestinian reports say troops arrested three people.

Heavy confrontations in Jenin between Palestinian Resistance and the israeli occupation forces

israeli military sends helicopters to aid their troops coming under heavy fire from the Resistance pic.twitter.com/NwhpwkfcaD

— Hussein (@EyesOnSouth) April 18, 2023

Sudanese army, rival forces agree to 24-hour ceasefire

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows damaged aircraft, including one on fire, at Khartoum International Airport in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 17, 2023. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

The Sudanese army and rival forces they have been battling since the weekend agreed to a temporary, 24-hour ceasefire, Arab media reports say.

The fighting since Saturday has plunged the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other areas of the country into chaos. Millions of Sudanese in the capital and in other major cities have been hiding in their homes, caught in the crossfire as the two forces battle for control, with each general so far insisting he will crush the other.

Satellite channels Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera cite the top military officer Shams El Din Kabbashi as saying that the military would comply with the ceasefire. Earlier, CNN Arabic also said in a report, citing the head of the country’s military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, that the military would be party to the daylong truce.

Lawyer says US reporter held in Russia retains ‘fighting spirit’

(L-R) Lawyers Maria Korchagina and Tatiana Nozhkina talk to the media outside the Moscow City Court after a hearing to consider an appeal on the arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, held on espionage charges, in Moscow on April 18, 2023. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)

Detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich has retained his “fighting spirit,” his lawyer tells AFP after the Wall Street Journal reporter was denied bail in Russia.

“He has a fighting spirit. He’s working out and he knows that people are supporting him,” Maria Korchagina, one of his lawyers, says after the hearing.

IDF says forces are carrying out raid in Jenin refugee camp

The IDF says its forces are conducting an operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.

The terse statement gives no further details but promises updates later.

Hebrew media reports say that a special forces unit is conducting a raid in an effort to detain two wanted Palestinians who are planning an attack and there are exchanges of fire with local gunmen.

🚨Breaking news: Israeli forces operating in Jenin RC

pic.twitter.com/fX6JEzLHId

— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) April 18, 2023

Gallant condemns call to bar politicians from Memorial Day events

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) speaks with Rabbi Leo Dee at his family home in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, April 13, 2023. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemns calls to bar politicians from Memorial Day events amid public anger over the judicial overhaul attempts by the government.

“The demand to remove the elected officials from the cemeteries is like a demand to lower the Israeli flag,” Gallant says at a meeting with officials organizing ceremonies.

“We as a society must not lose one of the main social assets we have, which constitutes a bridge of unity for the IDF and the security organizations in general and the bereaved family in particular,” he says.

His comments come a day after the Kibbutz Movement said it canceled the scheduled appearance of Gallant and National Unity MK Alon Schuster at a memorial event for its fallen members later this week, following pressure from bereaved families.

A general call was issued last month by thousands of bereaved military families for ministers to stay away from Memorial Day events amid concerns the events could be exploited for political purposes.

Russia upholds detention of US reporter Evan Gershkovich

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A Russian judge upholds the detention of jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested on spying charges as part of a sweeping Kremlin crackdown on dissent amid the war in Ukraine.

He and the US government vehemently deny the allegations.

Dozens of journalists crowd into the courtroom to catch a glimpse of Gershkovich, who looks calm as he stood inside a glass cage to appeal his detention, his first public appearance since his arrest.

The Wall Street Journal reporter is the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying allegations and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and elicited outrage in the West.

Son of Iran’s last shah pays condolence call to Dee family, visits Western Wall

Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah of Iran, (L) meets with Leo Dee (R) during a condolence call in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on April 18, 2023 (Screen capture Srugim; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran, pays a condolence call to the Dee family in West Bank settlement of Efrat.

Pahlavi, who is on his first visit to Israel, meets with Leo Dee, whose wife and two of his children were killed in a shooting attack two weeks ago.

Dee thanked Pahlavi for coming to visit him and the former royal signs a book of Psalms for the Dee family.

Lucy Dee, 48, and her daughters Maia Dee, 20, and Rina Dee, 15, were killed after Palestinian terrorists opened fire at their car as they drove through the northern Jordan Valley on April 7. The daughters were declared dead at the scene, and Lucy was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but died three days later.

Pahlavi is being hosted by Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel during the visit.

He later also visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

“So said Cyrus, the king of Persia, ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of the heavens delivered to me, and He commanded me to build Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.’” – Hebrew Bible, Ezra 1:2

2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great liberated the Jewish people from… pic.twitter.com/HIVOj5RvoZ

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) April 18, 2023

Police confirm deadly shooting in north was underworld hit

Police at the scene of an a suspected criminal shooting in northern Israel on April 18, 2023 (Israel Police)

Police say that a deadly shooting incident at a gas station in northern Israel was motivated by “a dispute between criminals.”

Police say officers are at the scene and carrying out searches for the suspects who opened fire on a car at a gas station near the entrance to Kibbutz Yifat.

Police say the victim is a resident of the nearby Arab town of Iksal.

According to the Abraham Initiatives, which tracks violence in the Arab community, the victim was identified as Ibrahim Abed Elhadi, the 52nd Arab killed in crime-related incidents in Israel since the beginning of the year.

Holocaust survivors rally against overhaul, Ben Gvir’s planned national guard

Several Holocaust survivors hold a demonstration near the President’s Residence against the government’s judicial overhaul legislation and the plan to form a national guard answering to far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

In the rally, held as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, the survivors hold up banners saying: “Do not dare do anything that resembles what was done to our people — no to a militia in Israel.”

Another banner says: “No to Ben Gvir’s militia.”

Rally organizers issue a statement saying: “The victims of the Holocaust are crying from the earth, no to this regime coup. Anyone who endured the Holocaust and their descendants must cry out over what’s happening today in the State of Israel. This is an outrage.”

מספר ניצולי שואה הפגינו היום מול בית הנשיא נגד ההפיכה המשפטית.
"נספי השואה צועקים מן האדמה לא להפיכה המשטרית הזאת. כל אלה שעברו את השואה וצאצאיהם צריכים לזעוק על מה שקורה היום במדינת ישראל, זו שערורייה".

צילום: מרגו pic.twitter.com/IRmhOqTg2k

— Hadar Gil-Ad | הדר גיל-עד (@HadarGil) April 18, 2023

Detained US reporter makes first public Russian court appearance

US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his arrest at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia on April 18, 2023. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)

US reporter Evan Gershkovich appears at a court hearing partly open to the press for the first time since his arrest for espionage.

Gershkovich wears a checked shirt with his arms crossed and smiles during the hearing in Moscow — an appeal against his pretrial detention.

Thousands gather at Auschwitz museum ahead of March of the Living commemoration

People gather at the Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi death camp on Polish soil, ahead of the annual March of the Living, April 18, 2023. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)

OŚWIĘCIM, Poland — On Israel’s national Holocaust Remembrance Day, several thousand people, most of them Jewish, are gathered at the museum of the Auschwitz-Birkenau former death camp that the Nazis built near the town.

Belonging to dozens of delegations from multiple countries and Jewish communities and youth movements, the crowd of about 9,000 people is here to attend the 35th March of the Living – an annual commemorative march that follows the three-kilometer route from the camp’s infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate to the Birkenau site, which housed the camp’s two main gas chambers.

This year’s theme is Jewish heroism, an acknowledgment of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which is marked Wednesday. The largest act of armed resistance by Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, the uprising is to many a powerful sign of defiance.

As in previous years, the march features seven torchbearers – six for each million Jews murdered and another one celebrating the birth of the State of Israel. Two of the bearers are US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and his immediate predecessor, David Friedman. They jointly will bear a torch for the security of the State of Israel.

To Mark Wilf, an American businessman and chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, tells The Times of Israel that the participation of Nides, a Democrat, and Friedman, a Republican, is “a powerful sign of bipartisan unity on Israel and the significance of commemorating the genocide.” Wilf, too, is among the torch bearers, representing the Jewish Agency.

Haim Taib, an Israeli businessman descended from Tunisian Holocaust survivors, will also bear a torch to commemorate, for the first time as part of the March of the Living’s official program, the Holocaust in North Africa.

Other high-profile participants include Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Ahmed Al Mansoori, a former member of the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council, who founded the Gulf country’s first Holocaust exhibition in one of his art galleries in Dubai.

President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to attend a commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in the Polish capital tomorrow.

Man shot dead near entrance to kibbutz in north; incident likely not terror-related

A man in his 40s is shot dead at a gas station near the entrance to Kibbutz Yifat in northern Israel, in a likely criminal underworld hit.

The victim is treated by Magen David Adom medics at the scene, and they eventually pronounce him dead.

Police forces arrive and open an investigation.

El Al pilot likens overhaul to Holocaust: ‘We’re fighting to remain a democracy’

An El Al pilot causes controversy by delivering a preflight message likening the government’s attempt to radically reshape the justice system to the events in Nazi Germany that preceded the Holocaust.

“Things like [the] Holocaust are potentially carried [out] in a dictatorship, and we are fighting in Israel to remain a democratic country,” the captain says in Hebrew and English at the end of boarding for the flight from Tel Aviv to New York, on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

האזינו לדברי הקברניט בטיסת אל על דורון גינצבורג שדיבר על ההגנה על הדמוקרטיה
(קרדיט עמית סגל והמוקד) pic.twitter.com/LbWQhunCkY

— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) April 18, 2023

Following criticism from passengers and others, the airline comments that it “condemns political statements of any kind by any of its staff during their work, and definitely in its planes, which can’t be a stage for such activity.”

“The company instructs to avoid this, especially on such a sensitive and significant day for the nation of Israel,” El Al says, adding that the “irregular” incident doesn’t reflect the company’s values and will be thoroughly probed.

Echoing Holocaust survivor, Herzog urges Israelis to ‘come together to protect our nation’

President Isaac Herzog attends a Holocaust memorial day ceremony held at the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 18, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

President Isaac Herzog speaks at the Knesset’s Holocaust remembrance ceremony and encourages Israelis to work toward unity, amid a four-month social and political battle over the government’s intention to radically remake the judiciary.

Recalling a speech made by a Holocaust survivor at yesterday’s official state ceremony, Herzog reiterates his long-running call for national cohesion.

She “called on all of us to come together and unite to protect our nation and our homeland, because we have no other country,” Herzog says, adding: “Let’s listen to her.”

Speaking about the Knesset ceremony, during which names of Jews killed during the Holocaust are read, Herzog says that the fact that “the name of every Jew who went up in flames is read out loud, 80 years later, in Jerusalem, in the legislature of the democratic state of the Jewish nation, is the great victory.”

Midwives Association sends delegation to Poland for Holocaust Remembrance Day

A delegation of the Israel Midwives Association visits Poland to mark Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 18, 2023. (Courtesy/Israel Midwives Association)

A delegation of the Israel Midwives Association is currently in Poland to mark Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is the fourth time the organization has sent a group to visit Holocaust-related sites and commemorate the midwives who cared for women in one of the darkest periods in the history of the Jewish people.

During the Holocaust, Jewish midwives risked their own lives to secretly deliver babies in ghettos and concentration camps in harsh, unsanitary conditions. They had only their knowledge and experience, but no supplies or instruments at their disposal. Without doctors available and little to no food, the midwives were responsible for keeping mothers and newborns alive as best as possible.

The Israel Midwives Association is a professional organization representing 1,400 midwives working in Israel’s public hospitals and the community. Midwives in Israel must receive certification from the Health Ministry following the completion of five and a half years of study and practicum.

At Knesset ceremony, Elkin, other MKs speak of relatives killed by Nazis

Minister of Housing and Construction Ze'ev Elkin attends a conference in Modi'in, December 5, 2021. (Tomer Neuberg/ Flash90)

Among the politicians and prominent leaders sharing family Holocaust stories at the Knesset memorial ceremony, National Unity MK Ze’ev Elkin reveals that much of his family was killed during the period.

“My parents were born after the Holocaust, but a large part of their families were killed during the Holocaust and throughout the Soviet Union,” Elkin says, then reads a partial list of 10 of their names.

The lawmaker was himself born in Soviet Ukraine, before immigrating to Israel.

‘You intend to destroy Israel’: Smotrich says he got threatening letter with Nazi symbols

Nazi symbols on a threat letter received by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 18, 2023. (Courtesy: Bezalel Smotrich's office)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s office says he has received a threatening letter bearing Nazi symbols, as the country marks Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Smotrich’s office publishes images of the English-language letter, which accuses the far-right minister of “keeping the historical cycles alive: victim becomes victimizer.”

“Are you ready for when the wheel takes another turn?” the sender asks, calling him a “mother-fucking idiot” and concluding: “You intend to destroy Israel.”

Smotrich’s office says a special unit under the Prime Minister’s Office tasked with the security of government ministers has opened an investigation.

A threatening letter received by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 18, 2023. (Courtesy: Bezalel Smotrich’s office)

Netanyahu shares story of his wife’s relatives killed in Holocaust

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notes that a large portion of his wife’s family was killed in the Holocaust, during his speech at the Knesset’s memorial ceremony.

Netanyahu says that his father-in-law, Shmuel Ben Artzi, immigrated to Israel, but the family he left behind in Poland “included dozens, all of them killed.”

“This included his twin sister,” the prime minister adds of Ben Artzi. “For his whole life, if the name Yehudit came up, he burst into tears.”

Netanyahu also lights a memorial candle during the event, alongside many others.

ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו הדליק נר זיכרון במשכן הכנסת, לזכר הנספים בשואה. pic.twitter.com/uNYpCN3wJr

— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb) April 18, 2023

Ukraine’s Zelensky on Holocaust Remembrance Day: ‘Only victory of life stops evil’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Warsaw, Poland, April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issues a statement in honor of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Today we commemorate millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust. And we remember: it is only the victory of life that stops evil,” tweets Zelensky, who is Jewish.

“Wherever hatred rears its head, life must prevail — by law and force. We value everyone who preserves the memory of the Holocaust and protects life.”

After terror attack, security cabinet said set to convene later today

The high-level security cabinet will convene later today, Hebrew media reports, after two Israelis were injured in a Palestinian shooting terror attack in East Jerusalem this morning.

The ministers will convene as Israel has been going through an extended period of security tensions, with many deadly terror attacks taking place in recent weeks and many others thwarted.

Jerusalem mayor condemns terror shooting during Holocaust memorial ceremony

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion speaks in Jerusalem, July 10, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

During a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion reacts to the Palestinian terror attack in the city this morning, in which two Jewish men were shot and injured while heading to prayers.

“The terror attack this morning occurred several blocks from here and was directed against Jews, who were shot purely because they were Jews,” Lion says at the ceremony at Safra Square.

“On this sacred day, we shall remember the heroism of our brothers and sisters, and we shall never stand helpless in the face of those who seek to harm us.”

Iran threatens to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa, as Israel marks Holocaust memorial day

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the crowd during an annual demonstration in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, November 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran’s president threatens to flatten the Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa, even as the Jewish state is solemnly marking Holocaust memorial day and a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Islamic Republic the modern equivalent of Nazi Germany.

While marking Iran’s annual Army Day, Ebrahim Raisi speaks as fighter jets and helicopters fly overhead in Tehran, and as Iranian submarines sail across its waters during a ceremony carried live by state television.

The day celebrates Iran’s regular military, not its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, whose expeditionary forces operate across the wider Middle East and aid Iranian-allied terror groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The Guard also routinely has tense encounters with the US Navy.

“Enemies, particularly the Zionist regime, have received the message that any tiny action against [our] country will prompt a harsh answer from the armed forces, which will accompany the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv,” Raisi says.

Saudi top diplomat heads to Syria for first visit since civil war

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat is due to arrive in Damascus today on the first visit by a Saudi official since the start of Syria’s civil war, Syria’s information ministry says.

“Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is arriving at Damascus international airport today on an official visit to Syria,” the ministry says in a statement.

Israel unites in grief over Holocaust victims as ceremonies held nationwide

People stand still on the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv as a two-minute siren is sounded across Israel to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 18, 2023 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Holocaust memorial day events are being held across the country, after a two-minute siren sounded nationwide at 10 a.m.

The annual wreath-laying ceremony is being held at Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, attended by President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Supreme Court President Esther Hayut, alongside Holocaust survivors.

The ceremony features wreath-laying in honor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943.

At 11 a.m., the annual Holocaust victim name-reading ceremony will begin at Yad Vashem, under the title “Unto Every Person There is A Name.” A parallel event will be held at the Knesset, with survivors and their family members lighting six memorial candles.

At 1 p.m., the main state memorial ceremony will begin at Yad Vashem’s Hall of Remembrance.