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ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 565

Oren Smadga

L to R: Israel advocate Ben Cassato is interviewed on Channel 13 on April 11, 2024. (Screenshot via YouTube); Israeli-American NBA player Deni Avdija plays against the New York Knicks on March 30, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger); Rachel Edry from Ofakim is seen outside a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023 (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
April 21, 2025, 6:02 pm
NBA player, Oct. 7 folk hero to be honored on Independence Day; singer declines
Yardena Arazi, lamenting wartime division, says she won’t join ‘Rachel from Ofakim,’ Deni Avdija, and 10-year-old Israel advocate at state ceremony on Mount Herzl next week
By Jessica Steinberg and ToI Staff
Members of Israel's delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games pose for a group picture ahead of departure, at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on July 22, 2024. (Jorge Novominsky / AFP)
July 22, 2024, 2:14 pm
Israeli Olympic delegation departs for Paris Games with ‘a national mission’
French FM says Israelis are welcome at Games, pushing back on comments from far-left lawmaker; Israeli committee chief Yael Arad says athletes’ first victory ‘is that we’re here’
By Amy Spiro
Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga (left) and Sgt. First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, killed in a Hamas mortar attack in central Gaza on June 20, 2024. (Courtesy)
June 21, 2024, 10:17 am
Two IDF reservists killed, 3 seriously hurt in Hamas mortar attack in central Gaza
Omer Smadga dies on the birthday of his father, Olympic medalist and coach Oren Smadga; second fatality is Saadia Yaakov Derai, son of pundit and social activist Laly Derai
By Emanuel Fabian
Israel's bronze medal-winning mixed judo team arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, July 27, 2021 (Avshalom Sassoni/FLASH90)
August 2, 2021, 1:42 pm
Israel’s bronze medal-winning Olympic judokas fly home to a hero’s welcome
Eleven overjoyed team members express gratitude to those who turned out at airport to cheer them as they arrive from Tokyo
By Stuart Winer and ToI Staff
Screen capture from video of Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik winning the under 100 kilogram contest at the Hague Grand Prix in the Netherlands, November 18, 2018. (YouTube)
November 19, 2018, 11:10 am
Israeli judoka wins gold in the Netherlands
Peter Paltchik takes victory in up to 100 kilo category at The Hague Grand Prix; teammate Baruch Shmailov brings home silver
By Stuart Winer
Yarden Gerbi at Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv on August 15, 2016. (Roy Alima/Flash90)
August 16, 2016, 11:26 am
Every bronze medal has a touch of gray
Even as papers fete the returning Olympic ‘champs,’ coverage is suffused with reminders, subtle and less so, of the smallness and ethereality of it all
By Joshua Davidovich
Judoka Yarden Gerbi celebrates after winning a bronze medal on August 9, 2016, left, and Or Sasson celebrates after securing his bronze medal in judo on August 12. (Jack Guez, Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP)
August 14, 2016, 6:10 pm
After judo medals, Israel basks in success of new ‘national sport’
Hailed as national heroes, judokes are inspiring new generation of athletes. ‘Soccer may be more popular, but this is what we are good at,’ says sport chairman
By Aron Heller
Bronze medalist Or Sasson celebrates on the podium of the men's-over 100kg judo contest at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 12, 2016. (AFP/Jack Guez)
August 14, 2016, 1:18 pm
Bronze medal judoka: Muslim athletes often snub Israelis
Or Sasson says he wanted to show ‘respect’ to Egyptian rival Islam El Shehaby, who says Sasson is ‘not my friend’
By Stuart Winer and Dov Lieber
Egypt's Islam El Shehaby (blue) refuses to shake hands after defeat by Israel's Or Sasson in their men's over-100kg judo contest at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 12, 2016. (AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura)
August 14, 2016, 10:34 am
Full medal racket
Between Or Sasson’s judo bronze and an Egyptian opponent refusing to shake his hand, the Israeli press has what to make noise about Sunday morning
By Joshua Davidovich
Tommy Arshansky (blue) at the World Championships, 2011 (photo credit: screen capture BentzWatchJudo/Youtube)
July 20, 2013, 11:19 pm
Israeli judokas conquer Europe
Two gold, three bronze medals won by the blue-and-white teams in Russia and Germany
By Aaron Kalman
Tommy Arshansky (blue) at the World Championships, 2011 (photo credit: screen capture BentzWatchJudo/Youtube)
April 25, 2013, 8:55 pm
Israeli wins bronze at European judo championships
Tommy Arshansky secures team’s first medal on first day of the competition
By Aaron Kalman
Assaf Chen (blue) fights a Dutch opponent, 2011 (photo credit: screen capture BentzWatchJudo/Youtube)
February 3, 2013, 11:46 pm
Iranian judoka boycotts Israeli
Forfeit gives Assaf Chen the bronze medal; another Iranian refuses to mount podium after Ori Sasson wins gold in his category
By Aaron Kalman
File: Alice Schlesinger wearing the official Israeli Olympic uniform, July 8, 2012. (Noam Moskowitz/Flash90)
July 11, 2012, 6:40 am
Israel’s Olympic judokas power the country’s hopes for a medal
Alice Schlesinger and Arik Ze’evi are candidates for the podium in London 2012
By Ben Sales
Israel's entire Olympic delegation (photo credit: Aaron Kalman/Times of Israel)
July 8, 2012, 9:34 pm
Ahead of London Games, some already looking to maintain success in 2016
Full Israeli team gathers for first time, energized by dreams of medal podiums and repeat trips to the Olympics
By Aaron Kalman
Shimon Peres and Israel's Rhythmic Gymnastics team, January 2012 (photo credit: Mark Nayman/Flash90)
July 6, 2012, 10:56 am
Israel’s must-see athletes at the 2012 Games
Three weeks before the Olympics get underway, a guide to the top blue-and-white medal hopefuls
By Aaron Kalman
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