April 21: Majority of public continues to break with PM in backing end to war for hostages — poll

Mounted officer appears to whip photographer during stormy anti-gov’t protest in Tel Aviv

Mounted police officer appears to whip Haaretz photographer Itai Ron during anti-government protest in Tel Aviv on April 21, 2025. (Screen capture/X)

A mounted police officer appears to whip a photojournalist during a stormy anti-government protest in Tel Aviv tonight.

Several videos uploaded to social media show a policeman on horseback hitting Haaretz photographer Itai Ron with his riding crop, causing Ron to lurch backwards.

The incident occurs as masses of protesters demonstrate on Begin Road, after marching there from Habima Square earlier in the evening.

When marchers reached Begin Road, the police station commander declared the demonstration illegal and called for the “arrests of the protest leaders” through a megaphone.

Lawyers for detained anti-government protesters say that two demonstrators have been arrested so far by police, apparently after blocking the road to traffic.

A police horse also trampled on the foot of prominent activist Moshe Radman, who required treatment from a volunteer medic, organizers say.

Footage from tonight shows mounted officers bumping up against protesters who had already vacated the road and were standing on the sidewalk, in compliance with the police orders.

פרש מצליף בצלם הארץ איתי רון

תל אביב 21/04/2025

צילום: יאיר פלטי@itonaim @Haaretz pic.twitter.com/IJHzGb4oMi

— אלימות ישראל (@Alimut_Israel) April 21, 2025

Manhunt underway after stolen vehicle driven through spiked settlement entrance gate in non-terror incident

A suspected terrorist infiltration alert sounded earlier tonight in the West Bank settlement of Alei Zahav.

According to a military source, a vehicle breached the settlement’s borders via the entrance gate.

The vehicle that breached into Alei Zahav is listed as stolen, and the incident is being described by the military as criminal and not terror-related.

The suspect drove into the settlement on the opposite lane, hitting a spike barrier. He then fled the scene on foot.

IDF troops are searching for the suspect.

Majority of public continues to break with PM in backing end to war for hostages — poll

Visitors look on as a clock counts the time since hostages were taken on October 7, 2023, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, April 20, 2025. (Miriam Alster/ FLASH90)

A majority of the Israeli public continues to break with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in backing an end to the war in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages, a poll from the Kan public broadcaster shows.

Asked whether they back an agreement that includes the return of all hostages along with an end to the war in Gaza, 56% of the 602 respondents say they do, just 22% of them say they do not, and 22% say they don’t know.

While Hamas has expressed its support for such an exchange, Netanyahu reiterated on Saturday that he will not get behind it, as doing so would leave Hamas in power.

Former US senator Bob Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, convicted at bribery trial

Then-US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Democratic senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, right, and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, pose for a photo on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 20, 2022. (AP Photo/ Susan Walsh, File)

Nadine Menendez, the wife of former US senator Bob Menendez, has been convicted of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes in exchange for her husband doing favors for Egypt and for New Jersey businessmen.

Nadine Menendez, 58, was found guilty on all 15 counts she faced, including bribery, honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent. She had pleaded not guilty.

Menendez will be sentenced by US District Judge Sidney Stein in Manhattan on June 12.

Bob Menendez, a Democrat who represented New Jersey for 18-1/2 years, was sentenced in January to 11 years in prison.

“Nadine Menendez and (then-)senator Menendez were partners in crime,” acting Manhattan US Attorney Matthew Podolsky says in a statement after the verdict. “Together, Nadine Menendez and the senator placed their own interests and greed ahead of the interests of the citizens the senator was elected to serve.”

The once powerful chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had been convicted at trial last July for shepherding military aid to Egypt, providing assistance to Qatar, and interfering in local prosecutions of businessmen in exchange for bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz.

Menendez resigned from the Senate the next month.

Nadine Menendez was to be tried with her husband for her alleged role in his scheme, but her trial was postponed after her lawyers said she needed treatment for breast cancer.

Trump says he’ll be attending Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome

Pope Francis (R) listens to US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican on May 24, 2017. (Evan Vucci/Pool/AFP)

US President Donald Trump writes on Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump will be attending Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome later this week.

This will be Trump’s first trip abroad since returning to the White House.

“We look forward to being there!” Trump writes.

Pope Francis spent final day working, despite doctors’ orders

After spending more than five weeks in the hospital for a bout of double pneumonia, doctors told Pope Francis he needed two months’ rest — but the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics kept working right to the end.

On Easter Sunday, the day before his death at the age of 88, Francis made his first prolonged public appearance since February, entering St. Peter’s Square in a white pope-mobile to greet cheering crowds.

And for only the second time since leaving the hospital on March 23, the pope also met on Sunday with foreign leaders, welcoming US Vice President JD Vance to his residence for a brief encounter.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance wrote on X. “May God rest his soul.”

In his last public appearance on Sunday, Francis said only a few words, wishing a happy Easter in a raspy voice to about 35,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

In a traditional Easter message, read by an aide, Francis reiterated his frequent call for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the enclave “deplorable.”

The pope also called on Hamas to release its remaining hostages and condemned what he said was a “worrisome” trend of antisemitism in the world.

Zelensky seeks ‘clear answer’ from Russia on truce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia needs to give a “clear answer” about whether it will accept a ceasefire on striking civilian targets, a proposal that Russia said it would “analyze.”

“Ukraine maintains its proposal not to strike at least civilian infrastructure. And we expect a clear answer from Moscow. We are ready for any conversation on how to ensure this,” Zelensky says in his evening address.

Pope died of a stroke and heart failure, Vatican doctor says

Pope Francis died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in a death certificate released on Monday for the 88-year-old pontiff.

The certificate, which was published by the Vatican, said the pope had fallen into a coma prior to his death early on Monday.

Shin Bet chief reportedly provides court with classified info on Netanyahu’s alleged misconduct

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar included classified details of several scandals involving the Prime Minister’s Office and alleged misconduct by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, in the classified affidavit he filed with the High Court of Justice, alongside the publicly-available affidavit he also filed, Kan news reports.

Bar provided the court with classified details regarding the Qatargate investigation; the leaking of classified documents by Netanyahu’s aide to the German Bild newspaper; Netanyahu’s alleged requests of Bar to use the agency to act against anti-government protesters; and Netanyahu’s alleged request that Bar help him postpone testifying in his criminal trial.

The classified affidavit also included details of discussions between security officials and political officials “over the struggle against Hamas.”

Both affidavits were filed in the framework of High Court petitions against the government’s decision to fire Bar on Netanyahu’s recommendation, on the basis that the prime minister had lost faith in Bar’s ability to do the job.

Bar alleged in his public affidavit that Netanyahu fired him because he was insufficiently loyal to the prime minister, approved criminal investigations into Netanyahu’s aides, and thwarted what Bar described as illegitimate requests by the premier to act against the protest movement against the coalition’s judicial overhaul agenda in 2023.

Air Force said to hold drill earlier today simulating another Iranian missile attack

As tensions rise over Iran’s nuclear program, the Israeli Air Force conducted drills earlier today simulating missile and rocket attacks on its bases — the same ones targeted in previous Iranian strikes in April and October 2024, according to a Kan news report.

The exercise aims to boost readiness in case US-Iran nuclear talks collapse, Kan says.

Israeli officials were reportedly caught off guard by a New York Times report last week revealing a halted Israeli-American plan to strike Iran, allegedly blocked by US President Donald Trump.

In Jerusalem, the leak is seen as a US pressure tactic to push Tehran toward a nuclear deal.

Following a second round of talks, Oman confirmed that both sides agreed to move forward toward a “fair, lasting, and binding agreement,” ensuring Iran remains free of nuclear weapons while retaining peaceful nuclear energy capabilities.

White House said to begin finding new defense secretary, given latest Hegseth scandal

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks on the South Lawn of the White House before President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The White House has begun the process of looking for a new defense secretary, given the latest scandal surrounding Pete Hegseth, NPR reports, citing an unnamed US official.

The White House and US President Donald Trump have publicly come out in defense of Hegseth following a report that he shared details of a March attack on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis before it took place in a message group that included his wife, his brother, and his personal lawyer.

Settlers torch property of Bedouin family; IDF only arrests Palestinian who came to repel attackers

Property belonging to Palestinians that was torched by settlers on April 21, 2025. (Courtesy)

Around 15 settlers torched property belonging to a Bedouin family on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Sinjil, near Ramallah earlier this evening, a local Palestinian and an Israeli security official told The Times of Israel.

Several members of the Bedouin family were assaulted during the incident, including one who needed to be hospitalized after being repeatedly struck in the head, the Palestinian source says.

While no Israelis were arrested in the latest incident of settler violence, a Palestinian who arrived at the scene in order to try and push back the attackers was detained by the IDF for allegedly throwing stones, an Israeli security official says.

The attack reportedly occurred after Israeli authorities evacuated an illegal outpost erected nearby by settlers in Area B of the West Bank.

The IDF did not respond to a request for comment.

🎥 آثار حرق مستوطنين منشأةً زراعيةً في بلدة سنجل شمال رام الله. pic.twitter.com/CdRZDWklxY

— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) April 21, 2025

Anti-Israel protesters chain themselves to Columbia University gate

Anti-Israel protesters at a gate to Columbia University, April 21, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Two dozen protesters block a gate into Columbia University to protest against the detention of two non-citizen anti-Israel protest leaders by the federal government.

Some of the demonstrators attached to the gate with bicycle locks wrapped around their waists. The protest is on the sidewalk, on public property, but causes security to close the entrance.

The protesters clap and sing, “I ain’t gonna study war no more.”

Many of the protesters wear keffiyehs and face masks. Some wear attire identifying them as Jewish such as watermelon-patterned yarmulkes and shirts from the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace.

A protest leader says the group is there “to make it clear that we can see what is going on and are not ignoring it. Columbia wants us to ignore the way they’re supporting Israel.”

Huckabee says pressure should be placed on Hamas, not Israel, to restore Gaza aid

After a senior World Health Organization urged him to pressure Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responds that the pressure should be directed at Hamas to sign onto a hostage deal that would include the resumption of assistance into the Strip.

Israel has closed Gaza to aid since the end of the first phase of the ceasefire deal on March 1, saying Hamas has been diverting it from civilians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to enter the second phase of the deal, which envisions the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire, arguing that it would leave Hamas in power. Backed by the US, the Israeli premier has instead sought to advance another interim ceasefire deal that would see the release of additional hostages while allowing Israel to subsequently resume fighting against Hamas. The terror group has refused such offers to date, leading to the resumption of intensive IDF operations throughout Gaza and an ongoing impasse in hostage talks.

“What I would like to suggest is that we work together on putting the pressure where it really belongs — on Hamas — to give us the opportunity to open up those humanitarian channels,” Huckabee says in a video statement.

“We call upon Hamas to sign an agreement so that humanitarian aid can flow into Gaza to the people who desperately need it,” the US envoy continues.

“When that happens and hostages are released — which is an urgent matter for all of us — then we hope that that humanitarian aid will flow and flow freely, knowing that it will be done without Hamas being able to confiscate and abuse their own people by not allowing those resources to get to the people who desperately need it,” he adds.

A @WHO official called upon me to put pressure on Israel to bring more humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. How about we put the pressure where it really belongs – on Hamas. pic.twitter.com/5AAv5Q63DD

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) April 21, 2025

Ben Gvir’s office says he’s slated to meet with government officials while in the US

Responding to Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s affidavit claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded his personal loyalty, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir insists that the senior security official be ousted “as quickly as possible.”

In a video message recorded in the United States Ben, Gvir says that in his meetings with Americans, “the issue of the Deep State comes up again and again.”

“The Americans would not leave [in place] for a single moment an FBI chief who would act against… the policy of the elected government,” Ben Gvir declares.

“We must oust Ronen Bar as quickly as possible!”

His spokesperson says Ben Gvir is expected to meet with representatives of Jewish communities, public figures, and American government officials.

The names of the government officials have not been not disclosed.

Trump: We had very good meetings on Iran; we need a little time

US President Donald Trump, left, stands with the Easter bunny during the the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Referencing the second round of nuclear talks with Iran over the weekend, US President Donald Trump tells reports, “We had very good meetings actually on Iran.”

Asked what will happen next, Trump responds, “The next step is we need a little time.”

Trump says they’ve had very good meetings on Ukraine and Iran, and will be updating us in the next 3 days. He says “ask the Houthis how Hegseth is doing.” No one asked him about trade deals! pic.twitter.com/IwItt7CW9k

— JKash 🍊MAGA Queen (@JKash000) April 21, 2025

Opposition leaders say Netanyahu’s conduct, as described by Bar, endangers Israel

The leaders of the Knesset’s Jewish opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of placing Israel in existential danger, after Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar alleges that the premier demanded his personal loyalty.

In a court filing, Bar said that it has been made clear to him that he needed to obey Netanyahu and not the Supreme Court in the event of a constitutional crisis.

In a formal statement to the court regarding petitions against the government’s decision to fire Bar, the Shin Bet head insisted he had been fired because of his refusal to meet those expectations of loyalty owing to decisions he made regarding investigations into the prime minister’s aides; his refusal to help Netanyahu avoid testifying in his criminal trial; and the political fallout from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

In a joint statement, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman, and The Democrats head Yair Golan stated that Netanyahu’s conduct, as described by Bar, “puts our future and existence in danger and harms the security of the state.”

The statement added that the four had agreed on an unspecified “series of joint actions on the issue” and would demand an emergency Knesset plenum session focused on Bar’s allegations.

The Yesh Atid, National Unity and Yisrael Beytenu parties have largely refused to cooperate with the majority-Arab Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al parties, which are also part of the opposition bloc.

Sparring with pro-hostage deal hecklers, Netanyahu says they want to ‘give up’ in fight against Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial ceremony for Etzel fighters who fell in the 1948 Battle of Jaffa, April 21, 2025. (Screenshot/GPO)

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for Etzel fighters who fell in the 1948 Battle of Jaffa, a smiling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu draws parallels between the Jewish underground forces and the current fight against Hamas and other Iranian proxies.

“None of them said, ‘Let’s give up,’ like they’re saying,” says Netanyahu, pointing to nearby protesters. “They said, ‘Let’s fight. Let’s win. Let’s defeat the enemy.”

“Just as the liberation of Jaffa ended in total victory,” says Netanyahu, “we today are also committed to total victory.”

He says Israel didn’t go into Gaza on the ground before October 7, 2023, because there wasn’t domestic or international legitimacy for such an operation.

“We haven’t given up on dealing with the Iranian threat,” Netanyahu adds. “Don’t believe what you’re hearing.”

The prime minister also offers a message of unity, amid ongoing protests against his handling of the war and the hostage talks: “Only when we fight together as true brothers do we win together.”

“There will not be a war between brothers, there will not be a civil war, not here in Israel.”

Qatari emir’s mother didn’t respond to Sara Netanyahu’s letter on Gaza hostages after aides warned her PM would exploit it

Barbara Bush (R), wife former president George Bush (4R), Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Mesnad (2R) wife of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (C), and Qatar's First Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem bin Jabr Al-Thani (L) attend the inauguration of a new building at the Texas A&M University in Doha 19 March 2007. AFP PHOTO/KHALED MOUFTAH (Photo by KHALED MOUFTAH / AFP)

Last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara sent the mother of Qatari Emir Tamim, Moza bint Nasser, a letter ahead of the Ramadan holy month urging her to act to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza.

While Moza considered responding to the letter, she decided against it at the last minute after receiving counsel from advisers who warned her that the Israeli premier would exploit it for political purposes as he has done in the past, the Kan public broadcaster reveals, citing anonymous Gulf sources.

Netanyahu and Trump said set to speak today about Gaza hostage crisis, Iran nuclear talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are expected to speak by phone today, the Walla news site reports.

The two leaders will discuss the currently stuck Gaza hostage talks and the nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, Walla says.

After several attempts by the US and Egypt to convince Israel and Hamas to agree to a bridging proposal failed, the US is determined to try again this week and the matter will be discussed when Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani arrives in Washington tomorrow for meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff, Walla says.

This will be the first call between Netanyahu and Trump since the Israeli premier visited the White House two weeks ago.

Netanyahu claims Oct. 7 onslaught could have been avoided had Bar woken him up beforehand

Calling it “full of lies,” the Prime Minister’s Office releases a detailed attack on Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s affidavit to the High Court of Justice earlier today.

The PMO blames Bar for not waking up the prime minister or the defense minister before dawn on October 7, 2023. “If he had done so, the massacre would have been avoided,” says the PMO, adding that Bar only called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary at 6:13 a.m., 3 hours after Bar allegedly had intelligence about the impending attack.

“Bar confirms the determination of all government ministers that he failed miserably on October 7,” says Netanyahu’s office. “This reason alone requires his termination.”

Bar also said two days before the Hamas attack that the “renewal of understandings between Israel and Hamas based on the principle of quiet in exchange for concessions reveals the potential for preserving stability in the Gaza Strip.”

Bar told the High Court today that he had been fired due to expectations from Netanyahu that he be loyal to the premier, and said it was made clear to him that he needed to obey Netanyahu and not the Supreme Court in the event of a constitutional crisis.

Netanyahu’s office also notes that Bar said in his affidavit that the premier announced in November 2024 that he wanted to fire him. “This contradicts the claim of the attorney general that Bar’s dismissal came in February because of the opening of the investigation into the Qatar affair. The firing was not meant to prevent the investigation, but rather the investigation was meant to prevent the firing.”

The Shin Bet is investigating two of Netanyahu’s aides on suspicion of being on Qatar’s payroll while working for the prime minister.

The PMO also denies that Netanyahu tried to postpone his corruption trial, as Bar claims. The statement further argues that Bar has failed to prevent incitement and occasional violence directed at Netanyahu.

Society for Protection of Nature says it called on state four years ago to regulate shark areas

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel responds to reports that a shark has injured a swimmer near the Orot Rabin power plant in central Hadera, saying it called on the state four years ago to regulate human activity around the sharks that visit the warm waters of the station from October to May.

The group’s statement says, “Every winter, a unique phenomenon occurs in Israel in which sharks and rays gather at the outlet of the warm waters of the power stations. In the case of such a fascinating and public-attracting phenomenon, it would be appropriate to take conservation and safety measures for the public, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area.”

Fishermen, vessels, divers, surfers, snorkelers and regular civilians have been approaching the waters, threatening a shark breed that is in danger of extinction and is not accustomed to being so close to so many people, the nature protection group says.

The organization says it presented state authorities with a professional review of the situation four years ago

It recommended closing to fishing the waters frequented by the sharks, limiting motorized vessel access and defining a safe viewing area that allows the sharks to move freely and humans to view them safely.

Trump stands behind Hegseth after attack plans shared in second Signal chat, White House says

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) speaks as, L-R, US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio look on during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

US President Donald Trump stands behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt says, after reports that he shared details of a March attack on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis in a message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

The revelations that Hegseth used the unclassified messaging system Signal to share highly sensitive security details for the second time come at a delicate moment for him, with senior officials ousted from the Pentagon last week as part of an internal leak investigation.

“The president absolutely has confidence in Secretary Hegseth. I spoke to him about it this morning, and he stands behind him,” Leavitt tells reporters on Monday.

In the second chat, Hegseth shared details of the attack similar to those revealed last month by The Atlantic magazine after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included in a separate chat on the Signal app by mistake, Reuters reported on Sunday.

The second chat included about a dozen people and was created during Hegseth’s confirmation process to discuss administrative issues rather than detailed military planning. Among them was Hegseth’s brother, who is a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Pentagon.

Leavitt says Hegseth shared no classified information on either Signal chat.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Hegseth says, “I have spoken to the president, and we are going to continue fighting on the same page all the way.”

The latest revelation comes days after Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth’s leading advisers, was escorted from the Pentagon after being identified during an investigation into leaks at the Department of Defense.

Caldwell played a critical role for Hegseth and was named as the Pentagon’s point person by the secretary in the first Signal chat.

“We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended,” Caldwell posts on X. “Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.”

Following Caldwell’s departure, less-senior officials Darin Selnick, who recently became Hegseth’s deputy chief of staff, and Colin Carroll, who was chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, were put on administrative leave and fired on Friday.

Gaza’s Christians ‘heartbroken’ over pope who phoned them nightly throughout war

Members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community say they are “heartbroken” over the death of Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave and spoke to them on the phone almost every evening throughout the war.

Across the wider Middle East, Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, praised Francis’ constant engagement with them as a source of solace at a time when their communities faced wars, disasters, hardship and persecution.

“We lost a saint who taught us every day how to be brave, how to keep patient and stay strong. We lost a man who fought every day in every direction to protect this small herd of his,” George Antone, 44, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, tells Reuters.

Francis called the church hours after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, Antone says — the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine throughout the war. He would make sure to speak not only to the priest but to everyone else in the room, Antone says.

حبيب القلب والناس، أبانا الودود، الخلوق والإنسان؛ لم ينس فلسطين ولم ينس رعاياه في غزة، هاتفهم كل يوم حين تركهم العالم. pic.twitter.com/aNEK12JKmw

— Hamzé Attar (@hamzattar) April 21, 2025

“We are heartbroken because of the death of Pope Francis, but we know that he is leaving behind a church that cares for us and that knows us by name – every single one of us,” Antone said, referring to the Christians of Gaza who number in the hundreds.

“He used to tell each one: I am with you, don’t be afraid.”

Rest in peace, Pope Francis. The Christians of Gaza will miss you deeply—your love, your phone calls, your unwavering solidarity.pic.twitter.com/eGaw4YMl48

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 21, 2025

Francis phoned a final time on Saturday night, the pastor of the Holy Family parish, Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, tells the Vatican News Service.

“He said he was praying for us, he blessed us, and he thanked us for our prayers,” Romanelli says.

The next day, in his last public statement on Easter, Francis appealed for peace in Gaza, telling the warring parties to “call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”

Former hostage Eli Sharabi tapped to light torch at state Independence Day ceremony

Released hostage Eli Sharabi meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March 5, 2025. (White House/X)

Former hostage Eli Sharabi has been selected as another one of the torch lighters at the official state Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl.

Despite having lost roughly 30 kilograms (66 pounds) during his horrific 490 days in captivity, Sharabi has quickly joined the campaign for the release of the remaining hostages, giving a harrowing interview with Channel 12’s “Uvda” investigative program late last month about his time in Hamas’s Gaza tunnels.

Sharabi then met with US President Donald Trump along with other hostages, as well as with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and has addressed the UN Security Council.

Diver missing after being attacked by shark off coast of Hadera

A diver is attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera on April 21, 2025. (Screen capture/X)

A diver is missing after he was attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera, police and paramedics say.

Authorities are conducting a search on the Hadera Stream beach, according to Magen David Adom emergency services. Police have closed the beach until further notice.

Israel’s Channel 12 reports that the shark also attacked a rescue diver searching for the man.

Graphic video:

דיווחים דרמטיים על צוללן שננשך ככה"נ על ידי כריש בחוף הים בחדרה. בנתיים הבחור לא נמצא. חיפושים כעת בחוף. ואווו pic.twitter.com/DfbABlFuj1

— שלמה ⛈️ מזג אוויר (@MezgAvirIL) April 21, 2025

The Hadera municipality’s Coastal Department says it is conducting searches by jet ski to locate the swimmer and will continue to update with further developments. Footage uploaded to social media also shows helicopters scanning the waters for the missing man.

The incident took place in an area of the beach where swimming was already prohibited.

Police search for a swimmer who was reportedly attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera, on April 21, 2025. (Israel Police)

Police search for a swimmer who was reportedly attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera, on April 21, 2025. (Israel Police)Dusky and sandbar sharks, which frequent the area during the period November to May, are not known to attack humans.

Over the past few days, fish die-offs in the Hadera Stream and the Alexander Stream nearby have attracted sharks to the shores of Hadera and Beit Yannai. The sharks eat dead, sick and wounded fish as they enter the sea, helping to keep natural waters clean.

US Jewish groups mourn pope’s death

The American Jewish Committee and Union for Reform Judaism mourn the death of Pope Francis.

AJC highlights Francis’s ties with Jewish communities, and his visits to Israel, the Great Synagogue in Rome, and Auschwitz. The group’s representatives met Francis regularly.

“Francis also repeatedly condemned antisemitism and characterized it as both a sin against God and unchristian,” AJC says.

The group touches on controversy surrounding Francis’s response to the war in Gaza.

“While Israel’s defensive fight for survival after the horrific massacre by Hamas on October 7, 2023, yielded both papal empathy and criticism, significant Jewish disappointments with this and other matters were navigated in the spirit of six decades of the post-Nostra Aetate relationship,” the statement says, referring to a 1965 church declaration regarding the church’s relationship with Judaism and other religions.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union for Reform Judaism, who met Francis in 2017, applauds Francis’s work countering issues such as climate change and laws against homosexuality.

Jacobs also lauds Francis’s interfaith work.

“The relationship between the Catholic and Jewish communities flourished under Pope Francis’ guidance. He honored the shared heritage of our faiths and took meaningful steps to heal historical wounds, reinforcing a path toward mutual respect and collaboration,” Jacobs says. “We especially appreciated Pope Francis’s consistent calls for dialogue and mutual respect between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Israeli expats heckle Ben Gvir as he lands in Florida to kick off 1st trip to US as minister

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is heckled upon landing at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by members of the Unxeptable group of Israeli expats in the United States.

Ben Gvir waves at the protesters as they yell at him for ignoring the hostages in Gaza. The minister has voted against both hostage deals since the start of the war and has boasted of having pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into scuttling additional hostage deals, arguing that they would have prevented Israel from defeating Hamas.

Ben Gvir is kicking off his first visit to the US as a minister.

UnXeptable activists welcomed Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Insecurity, when he landed in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The former terrorist boasts about sabotaging Gaza ceasefire deals which would save our hostages. We will pursue him to the end of the Earth, to Miami,… pic.twitter.com/TWHxLIUySL

— UnXeptable (@UnxeptableD) April 21, 2025

Pope died in his apartment at the Saint Martha residence – Vatican

Pope Francis died at home in his apartment at the Saint Martha residence in the Vatican, the Holy See’s press service says.

His cause of death will “probably” be shared with the public on Monday night following the official declaration of his death, scheduled for 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), the press service adds.

“The transfer of the body of the Holy Father to the Vatican Basilica for the homage of all the faithful could take place on Wednesday morning,” the Vatican says.

IDF says it arrested 20 suspects in overnight West Bank counterterror op

The IDF says it carried out a series of counterterrorism operations overnight across the West Bank, arresting 20 wanted suspects.

As part of an ongoing counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank, IDF troops discovered and destroyed a cache of explosive devices in the Nur Shams refugee camp, according to a military statement.

Meanwhile, in the refugee camp of Al-Arroub north of Hebron, security forces say they arrested six suspects accused of throwing stones.

The IDF says the suspects have been transferred for further questioning.

Sa’ar tells Huckabee Israel couldn’t have asked for a better US ambassador

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on April 21, 2025. (Mordechai Gordon/Foreign Ministry)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets new US Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, according to Sa’ar’s office.

They also discuss other “strategic issues” and strengthening bilateral ties, according to the Israeli readout.

Sa’ar thanks Huckabee for his decades of support, and says that Israel couldn’t have asked for a better US ambassador.

Israel warns its citizens abroad about global ‘Day of Rage’ protests in solidarity with Palestinians

The National Security Council warns that an international “Day of Rage” will be held tomorrow in support of Palestinians, and that demonstrations could result in violence against Israelis.

In addition, says the NSC in a statement, “terror supporters and lone wolves could integrate into protests in order to carry out attacks.”

The NSC urges Israelis abroad to notify local security forces in case of distress, not display Israeli symbols, and avoid protests.

Hamas last week called for protests across the globe over the weekend, but, despite the NSC warning, major calls for protests tomorrow have not appeared on social media at this stage.

IDF says explosions heard across central Israel part of military drill

The IDF says that the ongoing sounds of explosions heard across central Israel are being caused by a military drill at an army base in the area.

“There is no fear of a security incident,” the IDF adds.

The military did not issue a warning to the public ahead of the drill.

Trump says ‘Rest in Peace’ after Pope Francis death

Pope Francis (R) exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican on May 24, 2017 (AFP PHOTO / POOL / Alessandra Tarantino)

US President Donald Trump paid his respects Monday to Pope Francis, writing “Rest in Peace” in a short post on his Truth Social platform.

“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump said.

Putin ratifies strategic partnership treaty with Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a signing ceremony for a partnership treaty to deepen their ties after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, Russian state news agency RIA reports.

Putin inked the 20-year strategic partnership pact with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, in January.

Released hostage Emily Damari among Yom Haatzma’ut torch lighters, singer Yardena Arazi refuses honor

Released hostage Emily Damari speaks on a large screen during the Premier League match between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2025 (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

This year’s torch lighters at the official ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl for Yom Haatzma’ut include released hostage Emily Damari; October 7 heroine Rachel from Ofakim who held off Hamas terrorists for hours; and judoka Oren Smadga, winner of a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics, whose son Omer Smadga was killed in battle in Gaza in June 2024.

Singer Yardena Arazi says she was asked to light a torch but turned down the offer, saying that “the torchlight ceremony is a state ceremony, but this is not a state-like period.”

Singer Zehava Ben, known for popularizing Middle Eastern music, along with musician Micha Shitrit, who founded the band Natasha’s Friends with Arkady Duchin and put together the Hebrew word project Avoda Ivrit, and American conservative commentator Ben Shapiro are also among the lighters this year.

Two IDF officers were selected, including Lt. Col. Fayez Fares from the Druze town of Hurfeish, who arrived with his troops independently at Kibbutz Re’im on the morning of October 7, where they fought against dozens of terrorists and rescued civilians.

Also selected is Alon Elharar, a senior logistics officer in the Northern Command and a mother of three from Ramot Naftali. She was evacuated from her home in the north amid Hezbollah’s attacks at the start of the war and has been serving in the reserves since October 7. Her son, Sgt. Amitay Alon, 19, was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on the Golani Brigade’s training base on October 13, 2024.

Elharar continues to serve in the reserves.

Deni Avdija, an Israeli basketball player who was ninth in the 2020 NBA draft and is now playing in Oregon for the Portland Trail Blazers, will also light a torch, as well as Ben Carasso, a 10-year-old Israeli who, with his mother, began a public relations tour for Israel after October 7, speaking around the world in English about his experience as a child living through war.

Others chosen to be torch lighters include 90-year-old Blanca Got, who has been knitting olive green clothing items for IDF soldiers since October 7, and Shai Graucher, whose project “Together We Will Win” supports those deeply affected by the war and the October 7 Hamas attack. Graucher organizes vacations for bereaved families, circumcision and naming events for new babies, and birthday parties for children orphaned by the war.

Another torch lighter is Chici Algnanin, 84, a new immigrant from the US who was born in Tehran and who turned her Herzliya apartment into cooking central for soldiers, a project now joined by dozens of volunteers.

Also set to light a torch is historian, researcher and lecturer Levana Zamir, who was born in Cairo in 1938, and researches Jewish life in Arab and Islamic lands, deepening the connections between the communities.

World Jewish Congress mourns death of Pope Francis: ‘A true moral leader’

Pope Francis during an audience with Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, in the Vatican on October 19, 2023. (Handout/Vatican Media/AFP)

The World Jewish Congress pays tribute to Pope Francis after his death, with president Ronald Lauder calling him “a true moral leader, a man of deep faith and humanity, and a steadfast friend to the Jewish people.”

“From his early years in Argentina to his papacy, Pope Francis was deeply committed to fostering interfaith dialogue and ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust remained a guiding lesson for future generations,” Lauder says. “Under his leadership, the relationship between the Holy See and the World Jewish Congress flourished.”

Lauder recalls several highlights in WJC’s relationship with Pope Francis, including its opening of an office near St. Peter’s Basilica in 2023 to promote Catholic-Jewish relations.

“While there were moments of difficulty, particularly in recent months, I remain deeply appreciative of his warmth, humility and unwavering dedication to meaningful engagement between faith communities,” Lauder says.

Huckabee presents credentials to Herzog, warns Iran wants to destroy Israel, US

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee (2l) at the ceremony where he presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on April 21, 2025. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

After presenting his letter of credence to President Isaac Herzog, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee says that Iran wants to destroy both Israel and the US.

“It has always been their desire that Israel would be the opening act and then it would be America’s turn to face destruction,” he says. “Or to put in another simple way, Israel is the appetizer and the United States is the entree.”

The Trump administration completed the second round of nuclear talks with Iran on Saturday.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister, says that his appointment by US President Donald Trump is “a calling from God himself.”

“That mission is to stand with the people of Israel for peace and prosperity,” he says, saying support for Israel is a “divine position.”

Comparing Huckabee to the biblical Abraham, Herzog says his appointment as envoy “is a shining reflection of the president’s love, friendship and support for the State of Israel.”

Turning to the Iran threat, Herzog says that Tehran “continues to pursue its radical vision of regional dominance and destabilization — on its own and via its proxies — whilst pursuing nuclear arms and openly calling for the destruction of Israel.”

“I know you, Mike, share both our heartbreak and our absolute resolve to see every last hostage freed from the Hamas dungeons and returned to their loved ones,” says Herzog. “Immediately. Every last one.”

In court filing, Bar denies Shin Bet withheld Oct. 7 warning from PM, calls accusations ‘incitement’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) meets with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar (R) and his deputy for a working meeting, April 18, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar strongly rejects allegations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others that the agency had advance warning of the October 7 Hamas attack and failed to alert the premier and other security services, and provides precise details of the steps he took during the evening of October 6 and the early hours of October 7.

Writing in a formal statement to the High Court of Justice regarding his dismissal by the government, Bar acknowledges failures by the Shin Bet but says the claims he failed to update the prime minister were part of “institutional incitement” against him and the Shin Bet.

As a prelude, Bar points out that the Shin Bet “strongly warned” the government that the societal divisions that erupted around the coalition’s judicial overhaul agenda in 2023 were being seen by Israel’s enemies as an opportune moment to attack, and that the agency recommended carrying out a series of “targeted attacks” to “prevent the collapse of the balance of deterrence.”

Bar also says he warned Netanyahu in July 2023 of the severity of the security situation and of a “war alert,” which he says was an irregular and unprecedented comment from a Shin Bet chief.

On the night of October 6, Bar says, after receiving “unusual but not unambiguous indications” the commander of the IDF’s Gaza Division and its intelligence unit, and the IDF’s Southern Command, were alerted by telephone of the unusual activity that had been identified at 11 p.m.

At 3:03 a.m. on October 7, all security agencies were issued an alert about “unusual preparations and the possibility of offensive intentions by Hamas,” although he said that the level of this alert was wrong and a represented a failure of the Shin Bet.

Bar says he went to the Shin Bet headquarters at 4:30 a.m., and at 5:15 gave instructions for the prime minister’s military secretary to be updated about the events.

“It is with pain that I emphasize that no one evaluated that an attack like this would erupt and certainly not on that morning,” writes Bar.

“However, the attack was ‘not coordinated by us,’ our teams were not ‘sent in order to save Shin Bet personnel,’ and on that night nothing was ‘hidden from the security establishment or the prime minister,'” insists Bar.

Netanyahu’s office slams ‘false’ statement submitted by Bar to court

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the District Court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the corruption trial against him, April 21, 2025. (Moti Kimchi/POOL)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office calls the statement submitted by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to the High Court of Justice today a “false affidavit.”

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office says Bar’s submission “will be refuted in detail in the near future.”

“Stay tuned for more,” it says.

Bar told the High Court that he was fired not due to professional considerations, but rather due to expectations from Netanyahu that he be loyal to the premier and obey him over the court in the event of a constitutional crisis.

Abbas mourns Pope Francis as a ‘faithful friend of the Palestinian people’

Pope Francis prays at Israel's security barrier on his way to a Mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Sunday, May 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, file)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died at 88, calling him a “faithful friend of the Palestinian people,” the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

“Today, we lost a faithful friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights,” Abbas says, noting that Pope Francis “recognized the Palestinian state and authorized the Palestinian flag to be raised in the Vatican.”

In statement to court on his firing, Bar says Netanyahu required personal loyalty; expected him to obey PM, not High Court, in event of constitutional crisis

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Kobi Gideon/ GPO)

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar tells the High Court of Justice that he was fired not due to professional considerations, but rather due to expectations from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he be loyal to the premier and obey him over the High Court, in the event of a constitutional crisis.

In a formal statement to the court relating to petitions against the government’s decision to fire him, the Shin Bet head lists several decisions he made regarding Netanyahu’s affairs that contravened the premier’s expectation of loyalty.

Bar also alleges that “it was made clear to me” that in the event of a constitutional crisis, he must obey the prime minister and not the orders of the Supreme Court.

Those decisions, Bar says, included his authorization of an investigation of the classified documents scandal in the Prime Minister’s Office; his refusal to tell the Jerusalem District Court that Netanyahu couldn’t testify due to security considerations; the Shin Bet’s assertion that the political leadership was in part responsible for the October 7 Hamas attack; the agency’s position that there should be a state commission of inquiry into the catastrophe; and Bar’s authorization of an investigation into the Qatargate scandal.

Bar also asserts that Netanyahu wanted to him to use the Shin Bet’s authority to track those involved in anti-government protests and hand over details of protest leaders, but that Bar refused to do so.

He adds that Netanyahu made such requests after formal work meetings had ended and after his military secretary and the stenographer had left the room, in order that they not be recorded.

Mass for pope to be held Wednesday in Jerusalem’s Church of Holy Sepulchre

File: Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa leads the Easter Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem, April 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

A mass for Pope Francis will be held Wednesday morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem says.

In a message, the Patriarchate announces a “mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre” on Wednesday at 1230 GMT “presided over by His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa and members of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries.”

IDF says it killed Islamic Jihad terrorist who took part in Oct. 7

The IDF says it eliminated a terrorist who took part in the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel as part of a series of airstrikes in Gaza.

The terrorist, identified by the IDF as Ahmad Mansour, was a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket unit and one of the thousands of terrorists who infiltrated southern Israel from Gaza on October 7.

In the last 72 hours, the Israeli Air Force struck over 200 targets throughout the Strip, including terrorist cells, weapon depots, and structures used for terrorist activity, the IDF says.

The IDF does not specify where in Gaza Mansour was killed.

European rabbinical group expresses sorrow over death of Pope Francis

Pope Francis sits flanked by Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, right, during his visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), conveys his deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, who died this morning a month after he was discharged from the hospital where he battled pneumonia.

According to a CER statement, Goldschmidt, who met with the pope several times, recalls “Francis’s unwavering dedication to promoting peace and goodwill worldwide.” The rabbi also praises the pope’s efforts to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations.

European Jewish Congress sends condolences upon death of Pope Francis

Pope Francis, flanked by Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, right, during his first visit to a synagogue as pope on January 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

The European Jewish Congress sends condolences to Catholics in Europe and around the world upon the passing of Pope Francis.

“Pope Francis was a steadfast advocate for interfaith dialogue and mutual respect between religions,” the representative organization of European Jewry says in a statement. “His unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and fostering a spirit of brotherhood between Christians and Jews will be remembered with gratitude and admiration.”

“We have fond and enduring memories of our audiences with the late Pope and his deep commitment to fostering dialogue with Jewish communities and fierce opposition to antisemitism,” adds EJC Vice-President Raya Kalenova.

Ben Gvir departs for first official trip to US as minister

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir speaks during an Israel Police Independence Day ceremony at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, April 20, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir begins his official US visit with an overnight flight to Florida. Images on social media show the far-right leader surrounded by bodyguards as he made his way through Ben Gurion Airport, before boarding his business class El Al flight to Fort Lauderdale.

Ben Gvir’s office told Israeli media his US visit would include stops in Miami, New York and Washington. At one point, he was reportedly expected to meet with his counterpart in the Trump administration, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but that meeting is no longer happening, according to a report in Haaretz.

Representatives for the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federations of North America and umbrella group Conference of Presidents all told JTA they were not meeting with Ben Gvir, with the latter three noting that no meeting request had been made.

Ben Gvir had been boycotted by the Biden administration.

Shabtai, a Jewish society based at Yale University whose founders include Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, is hosting Ben Gvir twice: once near Yale’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, on the evening of April 23, and again the following afternoon on New York’s Upper East Side.

A fundraiser with Ben Gvir set to be held at Brooklyn’s Jewish Children’s Museum was abruptly canceled Friday.

Rothman says he received a ‘suspicious envelope,’ accuses Shin Bet of not doing job

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman leads a vote during a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, on March 26, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman announces that he has received a “suspicious envelope” and accuses the Shin Bet security service of falling down on the job.

“I have been walking around with security at the highest threat level in the country for over a year,” he posts on X. “Yesterday I received another suspicious envelope in a series, after many coalition members and their families have already received two rounds (this is my second round as well).”

Earlier this month, police announced that they were investigating several threatening letters that were sent to elected officials and their families. According to Channel 12, these included Likud MK Shalom Danino and United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Roth.

“The Shin Bet, which is supposed to ensure, among other things, that the democratic process is not harmed and that government officials and their families are not threatened in their homes and at work, is busy persecuting hilltop youths and threatening police officers who do not cooperate with its persecution,” Rothman declares.

Rothman, the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, then turns to Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who Sunday evening called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt incitement against Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar before it leads to “political murder.”

“And Yair Lapid, the man who screamed at the top of his lungs ‘you will get war,’ talked about barricading himself with an M-16 to fight his brothers, and pours out poison and incitement in unimaginable quantities, dares to warn about the discourse? About the style? About the incitement?”

Asked during an interview on Kan if he would continue living in Israel even if it becomes more right wing and “messianic,” Lapid last November joked that he would “barricade myself on the roof with an M-16.” The following month, during a protest in Tel Aviv, Lapid yelled: “Do you want war? You will get war. You will lose, we will not surrender.”

Herzog mourns death of Pope Francis, who ‘saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world’

Pope Francis places a prayer between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on May 26, 2014. (AFP/Thomas Coex)

President Isaac Herzog offers his condolences to Christians around the globe and in Israel “on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis.”

In a statement, Herzog calls Frances “a man of deep faith and boundless compassion,” and praises his dedication to the poor and to the cause of peace.

“He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path toward greater understanding and mutual respect,” says Herzog, despite growing frustration among Jewish leaders over the pope’s statements on Israel and his use of problematic New Testament verses.

“I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered,” says Herzog. “May his memory continue to inspire acts of kindness, unity, and hope.”

Iran says Israel trying to ‘undermine’ nuclear talks with US

This picture shows newspaper front page headlines at a kiosk in Tehran on April 19, 2025, featuring the Iran-US talks on the Iranian nuclear program set to begin in Rome (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran accused Israel of seeking to “undermine” ongoing talks with the United States on its nuclear program, a key point of tension with the West.

“A kind of coalition is forming… to undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei tells reporters, saying Israel was behind the effort.

Incoming US envoy Huckabee to present his credentials to Herzog

US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, places a note on behalf of US President Donald Trump at the Western Wall, in the Old City of Jerusalem, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will present his credentials to President Isaac Herzog today at 12:30 p.m.

The two will give statements to the press afterward.

Herzog will also receive letters of credence from the incoming ambassadors of India, Canada, Belarus, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Angola.

Pope Francis has died, Vatican says

Pope Francis stands on the main balcony of St. Peter's basilica during the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing to the city and the world as part of Easter celebrations, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Pope Francis has died aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican says in a statement.

“This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” says Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement.

Iranian foreign minister to visit China ahead of nuclear talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a news conference following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool Photo via AP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit China on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says, ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington due on Saturday in Oman.

In a trip to Moscow last week, Araghchi told state TV that Tehran always closely consults with its friends, Russia and China, over the nuclear issue.

Israir gets initial okay to operate flights to New York

An Israir flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, August 25, 2024. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Israir receives initial authorization to operate long-haul services to the US and is set to become the third Israeli airline to offer nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York.

Israir says it was granted a two-year temporary carrier permit by the US Transportation Department (DOT). The airline expects to receive final approval to operate flights to the US by June after obtaining additional regulatory permits.

The move comes after local rival Arkia debuted flights to New York earlier this year, breaking an effective monopoly held by flagship carrier El Al on the route.

Israir says it plans to launch the Tel Aviv-New York route by Passover 2026. The route will be served by an Airbus 330 aircraft with the Israeli airline’s flight and maintenance teams.

Smotrich slammed for willingness to ‘sacrifice’ hostages

Demonstrators protest for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, April 16, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Politicians, mostly from the opposition, slam Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for declaring that “returning the hostages is not the most important thing.”

“Smotrich raises the hostages as human sacrifices on the altar of messianic delusions,” declares The Democrats chief Yair Golan, calling Smotrich “the true face of the Netanyahu government — a government in which neglect and the sacrifice of lives is not a failure, but a policy.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman says that until October 7, Smotrich “claimed that Hamas was an asset,” adding: “One who was wrong then, it’s better to keep quiet now.”

“The return of all hostages is not a matter of debate – it is a moral and national obligation,” Liberman posts on X.

Yesh Atid lawmaker Yorai Lahav Hertzanu declares that he and Smotrich “are not part of the same nation.”

Smotrich’s statement is also condemned by MK Moshe Gafni of the coalition’s United Torah Judaism party, who calls the return of the hostages “the most important issue.”

Man shot dead in central town of Tira

A 24-year-old man was shot and killed in the central town of Tira early this morning, police say.

The victim, named as Sabri Mazen Mardi, was shot by an unknown assailant and pronounced dead by paramedics who arrived at the scene.

Police say they are investigating the killing but have not made any arrests.

According to Ynet, the man was killed a month before his wedding day.

The vast majority of Arab sector murder cases are unsolved by law enforcement, with many community leaders criticizing police for not doing enough to deter violent crime in Arab locales.

With Mardi’s murder, a total of 77 Arab Israelis have been killed in violent criminal incidents since the start of the year, a similar pace to 2024 and 2023.

👆♦️ הנרצח בטירה הוא סאברי מאזן מרדני מהעיר טירה. pic.twitter.com/C9Q9ZMSsSO

— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) April 21, 2025

‘Shame’: Hostages’ families fume as Smotrich says bringing captives back not the most important thing

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting of his Religious Zionist party, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 17, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

Hostages’ families fume at Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after he says that bringing the captives home is not the most important thing.

“The families have no words this morning except shame,” the Hostage Families Forum says in a statement.

“The minister is at least revealing the hard truth to the public, this government has deliberately decided to give up on the hostages,” the statement says. “Smotrich — history will remember how you closed your heart to your brothers and sisters in captivity and chose not to save them.”

Smotrich: We have to say the truth, returning the hostages is not the most important thing

Families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza protest for their release near the Israeli border with Gaza, April 20, 2025. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that bringing the hostages back from Gaza is not the most important goal of the government.

Speaking in an interview on Radio Galey Israel, the far-right minister says: “We have to say the truth, returning the hostages is not the most important thing.

“It is obviously a very important goal, but if you want to destroy Hamas so that there can’t be another October 7th, you need to understand that there can’t be a situation where Hamas remains in Gaza.”

The terror group, which is still holding 59 hostages, says it will return them in exchange for Israel ending the war and withdrawing from the Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he is not willing to end the war until Hamas, which rules Gaza, is completely overthrown.

IDF to test warning sirens in northern town of Hurfeish

The IDF says it will test warning sirens in the northern town of Hurfeish.

The test will take place at 11:05 am, the IDF says, noting that in the event of a real event, a second siren will sound.

Mayor arrested on suspicion of sexual assault

Police arrested a serving mayor in the northern Sharon region this morning on suspicion of sexual assault, a law enforcement spokesman says.

The suspect is said to have “attacked and sexually assaulted several women,” police say, noting that some of his victims had been working for him at the time.

The arrest comes after months of undercover investigation into the public servant by police detectives in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit.

Police say that investigators “detained others” this morning in the context of the probe, but do not elaborate.

Officers plan to bring the unnamed mayor to the Haifa Magistrate’s Court for a request to extend his detention.

China warns countries against striking trade deals with US at its expense

China warns countries against striking a broader economic deal with the United States at its expense, ratcheting up its rhetoric in a spiraling trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.

China respects all parties resolving economic and trade differences with the United States through consultation on an equal footing, but it will firmly oppose any party striking a deal at China’s expense, its Commerce Ministry says.

Beijing “will take countermeasures in a resolute and reciprocal manner” if any country seeks such deals, a ministry spokesperson says, addressing a news report that the Trump administration is preparing to pressure other countries to limit trade with China in exchange for tariff exemptions from the United States.

The “United States has abused tariffs on all trading partners under the banner of so-called ‘equivalence,’ while also forcing all parties to start so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ negotiations with them,” the spokesperson says.

China is determined and capable of safeguarding its own rights and interests, and is willing to strengthen solidarity with all parties, the ministry says.

The Trump administration is preparing to pressure nations seeking tariff reductions or exemptions from the US to curb trade with China, including imposing monetary sanctions, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump threatens to cut another $1 billion in Harvard funding, WSJ reports

FILE - Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

US President Donald Trump is threatening to cut another $1 billion in funding for Harvard University, this time targeting health research, the Wall Street Journal reports, as the administration’s row with elite schools escalates.

The Trump administration has withheld government funding from Harvard, Columbia and other universities in response to their tolerance of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in what the administration has labeled a failure to control antisemitism on campus.

Harvard pushed back last week, rejecting demands for control of its student body, faculty and curriculum, saying that would cede control of the university to the government.

Within hours of Harvard taking its stand, the administration announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school and the next day threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status.

The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reports the plans to pull an additional $1 billion in research funds arose after administration officials thought a long list of demands they sent Harvard on April 11 was a confidential starting point for negotiations, and officials were surprised when Harvard released the letter to the public.

Trump officials had been planning to treat Harvard more leniently than Columbia but now want to increase the pressure on Harvard, the Journal reports.

US airstrikes kill 12 people in Yemen’s capital, Houthi rebels say

US airstrikes targeting Yemen’s capital killed 12 people and wounded 30 others, the Houthi rebels say.

The deaths mark the latest in America’s intensified campaign of strikes targeting the rebels. The US military’s Central Command declines to answer questions about the strike or discuss civilian casualties from its campaign.

The Houthis describe the strike as hitting the Farwa neighborhood market in Sanaa’s Shuub district. That area has been targeted before by the Americans.

Footage aired by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel shows damage to vehicles and buildings in the area, with screaming onlookers holding what appeared to be a dead child. Others wail on stretchers heading into a hospital

Strikes overnight into Monday also hit other areas of the country, including Yemen’s Amran, Hodeida, Marib and Saada governorates.

The strikes come after US airstrikes hit the Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen last week, killing at least 74 people and wounding 171 others.

The strikes follow the resumption of negotiations in Rome between the US and Iran over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, which Washington has linked to its attacks in Yemen.