Orthodox Jews Mourn Revered Rabbi
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews have been plunged into mourning after Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a leading authority on Jewish Law, died Friday at the age of 94.
Israel
Amid global energy squeeze, Biden looks to Iran but not Israel
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown the global energy market into a state of turmoil, forcing the U.S. and Europe to look for substitutes for Russian oil and gas. In that process, the Biden administration has turned to Iran as a potential supplier — just two months after effectively killing an Israeli pipeline project that would have supplied natural gas to Europe.
US ambassador to Israel calls settlement growth ‘infuriating,’ backs a divided Jerusalem
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides joined Americans for Peace Now (APN) in a webinar on Tuesday to discuss his new job and what his vision is for the region. “I’m center-left,” he said. “I’m left generally, but I put in the ‘center’ just to make myself feel better.”
US adds $800m in military aid to Ukraine, including drones, anti-tank weapons
The US will send an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for Washington’s further help in staving off the Russian invasion in an address to a joint session of Congress.
Bennett played key role in mediating Russia-Ukraine talks
The Financial Times reports that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett played a central role in advancing talks between Ukraine and Russia.
On Moldovan border, Christian groups help Ukrainians flee to Israel
It is one of history’s ironies that the northern Moldovan town of Otaci, emptied of its Jews during World War II, is now an entry point for fleeing Ukrainians who are on their way to Israel.
Russia blocks a dozen news sites
Russia blocked access to over a dozen news sites, including two Israeli sites, Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor announced Wednesday.
Iran has 3,000 ballistic missiles, many that can reach Israel – US general
Iran has more than 3,000 ballistic missiles, many of which can reach the State of Israel, commander of the United States Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said on Tuesday.
Russia says it received US guarantees on Iran nuclear deal
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow had received guarantees from the US on its ability to trade with Tehran as part of ongoing talks to salvage the Iran nuclear deal.
Israel decimated Iranian drone fleet in February airstrike inside Iran
A UAV attack in the middle of February reportedly caused major damage to Iran’s drone fleet, prompting Iran to fire missiles this week at a site in Iraq that it claims was an Israeli intelligence base.
US warns China on aligning with Russia, says Beijing willing to bolster Putin
Face to face, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser warned a top Chinese official on Monday about China’s support for Russia in the Ukrainian invasion, even as the Kremlin denied reports it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war.
Israeli government websites crash after ‘massive’ cyberattack, officials say
Israeli government websites were downed for over an hour due to a major cyberattack on Monday evening, officials said.
Israel, UAE Push for US Security Guarantees in Any New Iran Deal: Report
Israel and the United Arab Emirates are pressing the United States to provide security guarantees as part of any new nuclear agreement with Iran, amid concerns that an accord will increase Tehran’s belligerence, Bloomberg reported Monday.
Israeli NGO mints silver coin to fund third temple for the nations
The Mikdash (Temple) Educational Center in conjunction with Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the former spokesman for the Sanhedrin, has minted a silver coin to promote a practical effort to establish the third temple.
Turkey agrees to return ancient evidence of Hezekiah’s tunnel to Israel
Israeli officials say Turkey has agreed to return to Israel the Siloam Inscription, a 2,700-year-old Hebrew text which concretely supports the Biblical account of a tunnel constructed to carry water from the Pool of Siloam to the City of David during the reign of King Hezekiah, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Family Holocaust Survivor Rescues Ukrainians
The family of a Jewish woman rescued from the Holocaust is now helping Ukrainian descendants of the person that saved her life.
US Approves $4.8 Billion in Israeli Military Aid in Omnibus Spending Package
The US Senate approved $4.8 billion in military aid to Israel as part of its $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package.
Iran Attacks US Consulate in Kurdistan, Claims Target Was Mossad Base
Overnight Sunday, Iran launched some 12 ballistic missiles that landed near the US consulate building in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region of Iraq. According to one US official, there were no reports of casualties. However, An Iraqi official in Baghdad initially reported that several missiles had hit the consulate building. Eventually, a high official in Kurdistan’s foreign media office confirmed the American version that the missiles did not hit the consulate, but some landed around the consulate compound.
Putin said to be conducting internal purge of military generals, intel personnel
Russian President Vladimir Putin is conducting purges of military generals and intelligence personnel, including arrests of FSB (Federal Security Service) officers, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, which cited Ukrainian officials and media reports.
Zelensky: Jerusalem is ‘constructive place’ to hold Russia-Ukraine talks
Jerusalem is a constructive place to hold ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Saturday as he gave a positive boost to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s efforts to mediate an end to the war.