May 18, 2023
The main headlines
FEATURED COLUMN
JONATHAN S. TOBINJNS
Joe Biden’s empty words about antisemitism
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, attend and give remark to guests of the Jewish community in celebration of Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 30, 2022. Credit: White House Photo.
BRIEFWhite House celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month
“Antisemitic incidents are at a record high. This is hard to believe,” Biden said at the event.
BRIEFBiden names 10 to US Holocaust Memorial Council
The nominees include a Wilmington Jewish leader that the president calls “my rabbi,” the CEO of the American Jewish Committee and a former U.S. ambassador to Spain.
On the Temple Mount are, from left, former Jewish Home Party MK Shulamit Mualem-Rafaeli and Likud MKs Dan Illouz, Ariel Kallner and Amit Halevi, May 18, 2023. Courtesy of Beyadenu.
NEWS
MKs visit Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day
DAVID ISAACJNS
“It is a great privilege to come here again for the first time as a member of the Knesset,” said Likud MK Dan Illouz.
NEWSNetanyahu on Jerusalem Day: ‘We have returned to our country’
Israel will continue to build up its “eternal capital” despite the constant threats of its enemies, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
COLUMNJerusalem forever, inside and out
RABBI YOSSY GOLDMAN
Did you know there is more than one Jerusalem?
An Israeli Air Force Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk seen over the Old City of Jerusalem, during Israel's 75th Independence Day, April 26, 2023. Photo by Flash90.
NEWS
Police on guard for Jerusalem flag march, decry misinformation
SHIMON SHERMANJNS
Thousands of officers are deployed along the route, as are drones and cameras.
BRIEFJerusalem Day flag march to test Gaza truce
BARUCH YEDID
The parade “will continue as planned, as usual, on its regular route,” Netanyahu confirmed.
COLUMNFive years on, US embassy in Jerusalem key to Mideast peace
DAVID FRIEDMAN
Some have said that the Abraham Accords were achieved despite moving our embassy to Jerusalem. No, the Abraham Accords were signed because of the move.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides attends a conference at Reichman University in Herzliya, Sept. 11, 2022. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
BRIEF
Nides: Riyadh-Tehran détente won’t hurt Saudi-Israel prospects
JNS
If the Saudis can “calm the Yemeni situation down, I think that’s great,” the U.S. envoy to Jerusalem said.
BRIEFIsraeli, US diplomats discuss Negev Forum in Washington
The meeting, hailed by both countries as “productive,” comes just days after the U.S. asked Israel on behalf of the other forum participants to change the framework’s name to something “less Israeli.”
NEWSIsrael’s intelligence minister: More Arab states want to make peace
ETGAR LEFKOVITS
“The dynamics are changing and regional peace is tangible,” Gila Gamliel tells lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Codex Sassoon sells for $33.5 million, a record for a book sold at auction, at Sotheby's in New York on May 17, 2023. Credit: Courtesy of Sotheby's.
BRIEF
Tel Aviv ANU–Museum of Jewish People buys Codex Sassoon for $38.1 million
MENACHEM WECKERJNS
The near-complete Hebrew Bible edged out a volume by Leonardo da Vinci as the most expensive sold at auction ever.
Deborah Lipstadt at her nomination hearing before U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Feb. 8, 2022. Source: Screenshot.
BRIEF
US antisemitism envoy slams Abbas comparison of Israel to Nazis
JNS
The Palestinian leader said during a “Nakba Day” event at the U.N. that the Jewish state lies like Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels
COLUMNThis is a case for the US antisemitism envoy
STEPHEN M. FLATOW
Deborah Lipstadt, where are you?
The Israeli national youth soccer team (in blue) during a European U21 championship playoff vs Ireland at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, Sept. 27, 2022. Credit: TPS.
BRIEF
Israelis aim for historic run at U-20 World Cup in Argentina
JNS
The soccer team made it to the finals of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship last year.
BRIEFNetanyahu greets Doha world champion judoka Inbar Lanir
Lanir is the third Israeli to take gold at the competition.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.
BRIEF
Post-Musk incident, Israeli foreign minister announces: ‘No tweets like this again’
JNS
Eli Cohen is now apparently directing Foreign Ministry staff to run all political tweets by him first.
Visitors walk by the water tower in the ruins of the former community of Homesh, Aug. 27, 2019. Photo by Hillel Maeir/Flash90.
BRIEF
Gallant opens door to Jewish return to evacuated part of Samaria
JNS
The Knesset in March repealed the disengagement law ban on Israelis living in the four communities.
BRIEFThousands visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; IDF forces come under attack
JOSH HASTEN
The delegation was the largest since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 • Israeli troops were shot at and returned fire, making several arrests and seizing weapons.
Israeli soldiers from Netzah Yehuda Battalion and family members attend a swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, on May 17, 2023. Photo by Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90
BRIEF
Foreign tourism on the rebound in Jerusalem
JNS
Last year saw double the number of international visitors to Israel’s capital city compared to the previous year.
BRIEFJerusalem will soon be Israel’s first million-denizen city
A total of 984,500 people call the capital home.
BRIEF2,000-year-old receipt uncovered on Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem
The inscription found in the City of David dates from the end of the Second Temple period.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
BRIEF
Israel signs $30m. defense deal with the Netherlands
JNS
Elbit will supply 20 PULS autonomous artillery rocket systems.
PODCAST
The West is blind to the jihad against Israel
“The Caroline Glick Show,” with Caroline Glick and guest Gershon Hacohen , Ep. 54
FEATURE
Iran is playing the long game against Israel, experts warn
YAAKOV LAPPINJNS
Israel's Iron Dome system intercepts rockets the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, on May 13, 2023. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.
BRIEF‘Not very productive,’ Hawley says of confidential Senate Iran briefing
America is in a “bar fight” with Iran and Russia, and the Biden administration "wants to quote Socrates," says Sen. John Kennedy.
Kansas Sen. Bob Dole (at left) and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (at right) with Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lukin, 1994. Credit: Courtesy of Rabbi Yosef Cunin.
NEWS
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman: ‘Fight for justice’ to retrieve stolen Chabad library from Russia
BRADLEY MARTINJNS
The former U.S. senator from Connecticut, who is featured in a new documentary, told JNS about efforts to repatriate some 12,000 religious volumes.
BRIEFChabad-Lubavitch rabbis from 40 countries convene for conference in Morocco
The conference aims to strengthen Jewish life in Muslim-majority countries, as well as those with small Jewish populations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Credit: Lev Radin/Shutterstock.
BRIEF
New York Mayor Eric Adams praises yeshivah learning
JNS
“We need to be duplicating what you are achieving,” he said.
BRIEFLA rabbinical school to move to Jewish population center
American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies will relocate to the Pico-Robertson neighborhood.
BRIEFOklahoma school-choice bill headed to governor’s desk
“Today is a great day for Oklahoma families,” said Jason Bedrick of Heritage Foundation.
Fake kosher symbols. Source: Screenshot.
BRIEF
Kashrut website warns about fake kosher symbols in India, China
DAVID SWINDLEJNS
“This kind of fraud is difficult to quell, especially in some of the foreign countries where they are coming from,” says Rabbi Sholom Tendler.
FEATURE
‘Cowless’ Remilk gets Health Ministry approval
JUDITH SEGALOFFJNS
Noga Sela Shalev (right), CEO of OurCrowd's food tech incubator Fresh Start, in the laboratory, May 15, 2023. Courtesy.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug manufacturer inspection, 2011. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
NEWS
Proposal to open FDA offices in Israel and UAE heads to Congress
ETGAR LEFKOVITSJNS
Israeli Health Ministry approval is still pending.
Images of Israeli and American flags projected onto the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem following the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Walter Russell Mead in ‘Wall Street Journal’: Israel ‘threatened but strong’
JNS
He argues that neither anti-Israel BDS activists calling for Washington to boycott Jerusalem nor the pro-Israel lobby will drive change.
Jordanian lawmaker Imad al-Adwan. Source: Twitter
BRIEF
Jordanian MP charged for smuggling weapons into Judea and Samaria
JNS
Imad al-Adwan faces a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.
COLUMNJordan’s incitement threatens relations with both the US and Israel
JASON SHVILI FLAME
The US should pressure Jordan’s King Abdullah II to persuade his people regarding the huge benefits peace with Israel brings to the kingdom and the Middle East.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrives for a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, May 14, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Ben-Gvir’s party again boycotts Knesset votes
JNS
The Otzma Yehudit MKs protested budget cuts to the Galilee and Negev regions.
Rabbi Leo Dee rehearses for Israel's Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, April 23, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Leo Dee in talks to become Israeli special envoy to Jewish world
JNS
The rabbi’s wife and two of his daughters were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
Thousands of Christian Evangelists march at "March of the Nations 2018 " event in center of Jerusalem, May 15, 2018. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
NEWS
March of Life honors Israel’s 75th anniversary with national events
ROLENE MARKS
Thousands participated in the “March of Nations” in Jerusalem, and additional marches took place in various cities across Israel.
An Israel Navy vessel sails near one of Israel's natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: IDF.
BRIEF
Nicosia seeks partner for plan to ship Cypriot, Israeli gas to Europe
JNS
The proposal includes a pipeline between the two countries’ offshore rigs.
Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system fires an interceptor at rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot on May 10, 2023. Photo by Flash90.
NEWS
Evaluating Israel’s ‘Operation Shield and Arrow’
JOE TRUZMAN
The Israeli defense establishment can be satisfied with its recent performance; however, Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups are fomenting chaos and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
BRIEFNetanyahu: Israel has changed the deterrence equation
The Israeli premier visits Ashkelon after a ceasefire deal ended five days of fighting with Iranian-sponsored Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
NEWSPolice clear rocket, interceptor fragments from over 100 sites in Israel’s south
YAAKOV LAPPIN
While Palestinian Islamic Jihad has stopped launching rockets, the hundreds it fired at Israel during the recent escalation still pose a danger, says police bomb disposal expert.
A 3D illustration of cancer cells. Credit: fusebulb/Shutterstock.
BRIEF
Beilinson Hospital receives Israel’s largest-ever donation for cancer research
JNS
The Samueli Integrative Cancer Pioneering Institute aims to “challenge the way we study cancer.”
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
BRIEF
Israeli minds feature at UAE cybersecurity conference
JNS
The Emirates seeks to double the digital economy's contribution to its non-oil GDP.
President of Tunisia Kais Saied. Credit: Houcemmzoughi via Wikimedia Commons.
BRIEF
Days after two Jews shot dead, Tunisian president compares Israel to Nazis
JNS
“Since the attack, the Jewish community of Djerba has not been visited or contacted by any members of the government,” said the Conference of European Rabbis.
BRIEFTwo charged for blasting ‘Heil Hitler’ on Austrian train
Excerpts from the Nazi leader's speeches were played over the intercom.
BRIEFNazi-linked jewels set record of $156 million at auction
The auction received criticism from Jewish groups in spite of the money going to a nonprofit.
FEATURE
What does Turkey’s election mean for Israel?
SHIMON SHERMANJNS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Source: Twitter/Turkish Presidency.
FEATURE
For RealityCheck CEO Daniel Pomerantz, Jewish identity is a work in progress
MIKE WAGENHEIMJNS
Daniel Pomerantz. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Beaumont Shapiro. Credit: Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
BRIEF
Inaugural Skirball rabbi-in-residence position a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’
DAVID SWINDLEJNS
Beaumont Shapiro told JNS that he will help the center “express Jewish values and Jewish life in everything we do.”
Ice-cream cone. Credit: Pixabay.
BRIEF
Shavuot events range from ‘Tootsie Roll Torahs’ to opera concerts
JNS
The two-day holiday commemorates and celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
FEATURERemains of the day: Cheese, in all its glorious forms
ETHEL G. HOFMAN
White, as in milk and milk products, symbolize the purity and sanctity of the Torah.
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The Wire
Latest releases from the Jewish World
Publish to the JNS Wire
Yad L’Olim achieves breakthrough in language accessibility for immigrants in the Israeli healthcare system
YAD L’OLIM
#EndJewHatred issues statement following recent protest at United Nations
END JEW HATRED
Jerusalem College of Technology dedicates entrepreneurship center in memory of industry innovation pioneer Chaim Schreiber
JERUSALEM COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
AMIT stands with Israel, debuting $70 million epicenter of education in monumental groundbreaking event despite incoming missile attacks
AMIT
Har Hazeitim emerges as focal point of Yom Hazikaron (Remembrance Day) in Israel
HAR HAZEITIM
Legal luminaries Roberta Kaplan and Audrey Strauss to be honored by American Friends of the Hebrew University
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY
Iran: Nucleus of online hate, international terrorism and human-rights abuses
THE FOCUS PROJECT
Over 150 female lay leaders convene at Orthodox Union’s Women’s Initiative Leadership Summit 2023
OU WOMEN’S INITIATIVE
Former Bed Bath & Beyond executive organizes ‘Big Blue Roundup’
SABAVI HOME
Recruiting singers for the 2023 North American Jewish Choral Festival
ZAMIR CHORAL FOUNDATION
Israelis under rocket fire utilize Jewish National Fund-USA fortified buildings
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
Shurat HaDin petitions Israeli government to assign smuggled weapons to civil defense in Judea and Samaria
SHURAT HADIN
Women’s mission to Israel showcases the power of female philanthropy
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
AMIT Mother in Israel campaign shines light on 24/7 empowerment program
AMIT
American Jewish University announces appointment of Mark Oppenheimer as vice president of open learning
AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY
World War II vets in Israel celebrate Victory Day
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
Series on Anne Frank story, Miep Gies continues to shine its light
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Mark Gaines elected president of American Technion Society
AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY
Celebrating Tripographer, a Jewish-female-founded startup, for Jewish American Heritage Month
TRIPOGRAPHER
Jews are woven into the fabric of US history
THE FOCUS PROJECT
As ‘EZ’ as one, two, tree
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
First-ever Rosenwald Schools historical interpretive marker to be dedicated in Palm Beach County
JEWISH AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Florida’s Sinai Residences celebrates dedication of Rachel and Max Javit Medical Simulation and Classroom Building at Ben-Gurion University
AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
Teach NYS leads historic interfaith coalition trip to Albany
TEACH NYS/TEACH COALITION
American philanthropists visiting Israel’s Gaza Envelope come under rocket attack
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
IHF calls on other states to follow Florida’s lead and enact legislation combating antisemitism
ISRAEL HERITAGE FOUNDATION
Jerusalem College of Technology’s International Program revamps curriculum
JERUSALEM COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Yeshiva University supports struggling local businesses with free consulting
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
Hundreds of Zionist philanthropists attend emotional Yom Hazikaron ceremony at Ammunition Hill
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
Israel celebrates 75 years of independence
THE FOCUS PROJECT
Hollywood veteran Hal Linden reflects on ‘Israel@75’
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
OU Women’s Initiative helps communities re-engage through challenge grant
WOMEN'S INITIATIVE
Nearing 4,000 marriages, JWed moves to subscription-only service
JWED
YIVO appoints academic advisor in Yiddish language, pedagogy and linguistics
YIVO INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH RESEARCH
Momentum celebrates eight women who helped change the face of Israel
MOMENTUM
American Jewish University to offer doctorate in education
AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY
American Friends of Hebrew University names senior fundraising executive Alison Freed as CDO
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY
AMIT student Reut Amichai tapped as torch-lighter for Israeli Independence Day
AMIT
Jewish pride and heroism: 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
THE FOCUS PROJECT
American professors prepare for bridge-building mission to Israel
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
Ben-Gurion University researcher and colleagues pen 10 simple rules for socially responsible science
AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
Orthodox Union’s SPIRIT program for the 60-plus crowd engages 7,500 participants weekly
OU’S DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS & PARTNERSHIPS
High-level Korean business delegation visits Israel in latest effort to boost ties
AIROVATION
Thousands of children in Portugal visit Holocaust Museum on Yom Hashoah
JEWISH COMMUNITY OF OPORTO
Teach NYS ads call on New York City Council members to pass tuition-loan program for special-needs students
TEACH NYS
Rare manuscripts handwritten by Maimonides on display at Yeshiva University Museum
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
AMIT children announces major gifts setting the pace for 2023
AMIT
Sharaka brings expanded Arab delegation to March of Living as part of Holocaust-education program
SHARAKA
High school students support children, safety and security in Sderot
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
Zekelman Holocaust Center hosts Yom Hashoah commemorative events
THE ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER
See more
BRIEF
Israel signs $30m. defense deal with the Netherlands
Elbit will supply 20 PULS autonomous artillery rocket systems.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
FEATURED COLUMN
JONATHAN S. TOBINJNS
Joe Biden’s empty words about antisemitism
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, attend and give remark to guests of the Jewish community in celebration of Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 30, 2022. Credit: White House Photo.
BRIEFWhite House celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month
“Antisemitic incidents are at a record high. This is hard to believe,” Biden said at the event.
BRIEFBiden names 10 to US Holocaust Memorial Council
The nominees include a Wilmington Jewish leader that the president calls “my rabbi,” the CEO of the American Jewish Committee and a former U.S. ambassador to Spain.
On the Temple Mount are, from left, former Jewish Home Party MK Shulamit Mualem-Rafaeli and Likud MKs Dan Illouz, Ariel Kallner and Amit Halevi, May 18, 2023. Courtesy of Beyadenu.
NEWS
MKs visit Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day
DAVID ISAACJNS
“It is a great privilege to come here again for the first time as a member of the Knesset,” said Likud MK Dan Illouz.
NEWSNetanyahu on Jerusalem Day: ‘We have returned to our country’
Israel will continue to build up its “eternal capital” despite the constant threats of its enemies, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
COLUMNJerusalem forever, inside and out
RABBI YOSSY GOLDMAN
Did you know there is more than one Jerusalem?
An Israeli Air Force Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk seen over the Old City of Jerusalem, during Israel's 75th Independence Day, April 26, 2023. Photo by Flash90.
NEWS
Police on guard for Jerusalem flag march, decry misinformation
SHIMON SHERMANJNS
Thousands of officers are deployed along the route, as are drones and cameras.
BRIEFJerusalem Day flag march to test Gaza truce
BARUCH YEDID
The parade “will continue as planned, as usual, on its regular route,” Netanyahu confirmed.
COLUMNFive years on, US embassy in Jerusalem key to Mideast peace
DAVID FRIEDMAN
Some have said that the Abraham Accords were achieved despite moving our embassy to Jerusalem. No, the Abraham Accords were signed because of the move.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides attends a conference at Reichman University in Herzliya, Sept. 11, 2022. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
BRIEF
Nides: Riyadh-Tehran détente won’t hurt Saudi-Israel prospects
JNS
If the Saudis can “calm the Yemeni situation down, I think that’s great,” the U.S. envoy to Jerusalem said.
BRIEFIsraeli, US diplomats discuss Negev Forum in Washington
The meeting, hailed by both countries as “productive,” comes just days after the U.S. asked Israel on behalf of the other forum participants to change the framework’s name to something “less Israeli.”
NEWSIsrael’s intelligence minister: More Arab states want to make peace
ETGAR LEFKOVITS
“The dynamics are changing and regional peace is tangible,” Gila Gamliel tells lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Codex Sassoon sells for $33.5 million, a record for a book sold at auction, at Sotheby's in New York on May 17, 2023. Credit: Courtesy of Sotheby's.
BRIEF
Tel Aviv ANU–Museum of Jewish People buys Codex Sassoon for $38.1 million
MENACHEM WECKERJNS
The near-complete Hebrew Bible edged out a volume by Leonardo da Vinci as the most expensive sold at auction ever.
Deborah Lipstadt at her nomination hearing before U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Feb. 8, 2022. Source: Screenshot.
BRIEF
US antisemitism envoy slams Abbas comparison of Israel to Nazis
JNS
The Palestinian leader said during a “Nakba Day” event at the U.N. that the Jewish state lies like Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels
COLUMNThis is a case for the US antisemitism envoy
STEPHEN M. FLATOW
Deborah Lipstadt, where are you?
The Israeli national youth soccer team (in blue) during a European U21 championship playoff vs Ireland at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, Sept. 27, 2022. Credit: TPS.
BRIEF
Israelis aim for historic run at U-20 World Cup in Argentina
JNS
The soccer team made it to the finals of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship last year.
BRIEFNetanyahu greets Doha world champion judoka Inbar Lanir
Lanir is the third Israeli to take gold at the competition.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.
BRIEF
Post-Musk incident, Israeli foreign minister announces: ‘No tweets like this again’
JNS
Eli Cohen is now apparently directing Foreign Ministry staff to run all political tweets by him first.
Visitors walk by the water tower in the ruins of the former community of Homesh, Aug. 27, 2019. Photo by Hillel Maeir/Flash90.
BRIEF
Gallant opens door to Jewish return to evacuated part of Samaria
JNS
The Knesset in March repealed the disengagement law ban on Israelis living in the four communities.
BRIEFThousands visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; IDF forces come under attack
JOSH HASTEN
The delegation was the largest since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 • Israeli troops were shot at and returned fire, making several arrests and seizing weapons.
Israeli soldiers from Netzah Yehuda Battalion and family members attend a swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, on May 17, 2023. Photo by Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90
BRIEF
Foreign tourism on the rebound in Jerusalem
JNS
Last year saw double the number of international visitors to Israel’s capital city compared to the previous year.
BRIEFJerusalem will soon be Israel’s first million-denizen city
A total of 984,500 people call the capital home.
BRIEF2,000-year-old receipt uncovered on Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem
The inscription found in the City of David dates from the end of the Second Temple period.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
BRIEF
Israel signs $30m. defense deal with the Netherlands
JNS
Elbit will supply 20 PULS autonomous artillery rocket systems.
PODCAST
The West is blind to the jihad against Israel
“The Caroline Glick Show,” with Caroline Glick and guest Gershon Hacohen , Ep. 54
FEATURE
Iran is playing the long game against Israel, experts warn
YAAKOV LAPPINJNS
Israel's Iron Dome system intercepts rockets the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, on May 13, 2023. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.
BRIEF‘Not very productive,’ Hawley says of confidential Senate Iran briefing
America is in a “bar fight” with Iran and Russia, and the Biden administration "wants to quote Socrates," says Sen. John Kennedy.
Kansas Sen. Bob Dole (at left) and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (at right) with Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lukin, 1994. Credit: Courtesy of Rabbi Yosef Cunin.
NEWS
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman: ‘Fight for justice’ to retrieve stolen Chabad library from Russia
BRADLEY MARTINJNS
The former U.S. senator from Connecticut, who is featured in a new documentary, told JNS about efforts to repatriate some 12,000 religious volumes.
BRIEFChabad-Lubavitch rabbis from 40 countries convene for conference in Morocco
The conference aims to strengthen Jewish life in Muslim-majority countries, as well as those with small Jewish populations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Credit: Lev Radin/Shutterstock.
BRIEF
New York Mayor Eric Adams praises yeshivah learning
JNS
“We need to be duplicating what you are achieving,” he said.
BRIEFLA rabbinical school to move to Jewish population center
American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies will relocate to the Pico-Robertson neighborhood.
BRIEFOklahoma school-choice bill headed to governor’s desk
“Today is a great day for Oklahoma families,” said Jason Bedrick of Heritage Foundation.
Fake kosher symbols. Source: Screenshot.
BRIEF
Kashrut website warns about fake kosher symbols in India, China
DAVID SWINDLEJNS
“This kind of fraud is difficult to quell, especially in some of the foreign countries where they are coming from,” says Rabbi Sholom Tendler.
FEATURE
‘Cowless’ Remilk gets Health Ministry approval
JUDITH SEGALOFFJNS
Noga Sela Shalev (right), CEO of OurCrowd's food tech incubator Fresh Start, in the laboratory, May 15, 2023. Courtesy.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug manufacturer inspection, 2011. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
NEWS
Proposal to open FDA offices in Israel and UAE heads to Congress
ETGAR LEFKOVITSJNS
Israeli Health Ministry approval is still pending.
Images of Israeli and American flags projected onto the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem following the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Walter Russell Mead in ‘Wall Street Journal’: Israel ‘threatened but strong’
JNS
He argues that neither anti-Israel BDS activists calling for Washington to boycott Jerusalem nor the pro-Israel lobby will drive change.
Jordanian lawmaker Imad al-Adwan. Source: Twitter
BRIEF
Jordanian MP charged for smuggling weapons into Judea and Samaria
JNS
Imad al-Adwan faces a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.
COLUMNJordan’s incitement threatens relations with both the US and Israel
JASON SHVILI FLAME
The US should pressure Jordan’s King Abdullah II to persuade his people regarding the huge benefits peace with Israel brings to the kingdom and the Middle East.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrives for a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, May 14, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Ben-Gvir’s party again boycotts Knesset votes
JNS
The Otzma Yehudit MKs protested budget cuts to the Galilee and Negev regions.
Rabbi Leo Dee rehearses for Israel's Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, April 23, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
BRIEF
Leo Dee in talks to become Israeli special envoy to Jewish world
JNS
The rabbi’s wife and two of his daughters were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
Thousands of Christian Evangelists march at "March of the Nations 2018 " event in center of Jerusalem, May 15, 2018. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
NEWS
March of Life honors Israel’s 75th anniversary with national events
ROLENE MARKS
Thousands participated in the “March of Nations” in Jerusalem, and additional marches took place in various cities across Israel.
An Israel Navy vessel sails near one of Israel's natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: IDF.
BRIEF
Nicosia seeks partner for plan to ship Cypriot, Israeli gas to Europe
JNS
The proposal includes a pipeline between the two countries’ offshore rigs.
Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system fires an interceptor at rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot on May 10, 2023. Photo by Flash90.
NEWS
Evaluating Israel’s ‘Operation Shield and Arrow’
JOE TRUZMAN
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BRIEF
Israel signs $30m. defense deal with the Netherlands
Elbit will supply 20 PULS autonomous artillery rocket systems.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
A model of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket system. Credit: Elbit.
JERUSALEM (JNS) – Israel on Wednesday inked its first-ever Dutch defense export deal, valued at $305 million. Under the five-year contract, the Israeli Defense Ministry will deliver 20 PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) autonomous artillery rocket systems made by Haifa-based Elbit Systems.
They will be integrated into the COMMIT (previously DMO) selected truck platform.
The signing ceremony. Credit: Netherlands Ministry of Defense.
“The Israeli defense establishment continues to be a source of national pride and international success for the State of Israel,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who approved the agreement. “The defense solutions developed by Israeli defense industries allow us to strengthen our ties with countries around the world as well as enhance Israel’s global position.
“I commend this important agreement signed together with the Dutch Ministry of Defense and am confident that our cooperation will continue to grow,” Gallant continued.
Elbit training center in Greece
Also on Wednesday, Israel delivered two training aircraft to Greece.
The M–346s are the first of 10 aircraft that Greece is purchasing from Elbit Systems.
An M–346 aircraft arrives at the Elbit flight training center in Kalamata, Greece, May 17, 2023. Credit: Israel Defense Ministry
The aircraft are equipped with integrated virtual avionics that simulate combat and flight scenarios and are expected to fly thousands of hours per year.
They landed at the new International Flight Training Center for the Hellenic Air Force in Kalamata, which was inaugurated on Wednesday by the Israeli Defense Ministry, the Hellenic Air Force and the Greek Defense Ministry.
The training center was established and is operated by Elbit, as part of the largest defense procurement agreement ever (about $1.7 billion) between Israel and Greece.
“We thank our colleagues at the Greek Ministry of Defense for the ongoing security and industrial cooperation and for their trust in the Israeli defense industries. This day is an important milestone for the International Flight Training Center, and we are proud to take part in this event together with our close partners,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Coles, head of the SIBAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate.
Israel, Montenegro sign deal
Israel and Montenegro on Monday signed a $22 million agreement for the latter’s acquisition of Elbit Systems-made weapons including mortar munition systems and training equipment.
As part of the contract, Elbit will supply 120 mm mortar munition systems that can be mounted on 4×4 armored vehicles and train Montenegrin soldiers at the Elbit-IMI Academy in Israel.
The headline is incorrect. Not 30M but 305M.
The M-346 is Italian, or so I thought.