The IDF’s Maccabees
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir lit the 8th Chanukah candle with soldiers from the Hasmonean Brigade, the IDF’s first ultra-Orthodox combat unit. Zamir stated, “You are the Maccabees of our time – defending the people of Israel while maintaining a Haredi way of life”.
No mobile phones in school
Israel will ban mobile phone use by children on elementary school grounds starting on Feb. 2. Phones were banned in classrooms in 2019. Now students cannot use devices during breaks or before lessons. Phones will be allowed only with staff approval for educational purposes.
Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities
The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine has established the Robert I. Schattner Center for Oral Health for People with Disabilities. The center will provide quality dental care for people with physical, cognitive, and complex medical conditions.
1,000 Christian pastors support Israel
The first ever Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem brought more than 1000 pastors to stand with Israel and combat antisemitism in Jerusalem. The gathering aimed to make what's heard in America's pulpits stronger than today's propaganda. Their main aim is reach global youth.
Ties with Bolivia restored
The new Bolivia’s center-right government of President Rodrigo Paz has restored diplomatic relations with Israel that were severed by the previous socialist government following the Hamas invasion. Travel visa restrictions have also been lifted.
Israel joins Society of Foreign Consuls
The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York, celebrating its 100th year, stated that it is “thrilled” to welcome Israel as a new member and offered the Jewish state “heartfelt congratulations.” Ofir Akunis, consul general of Israel in NY, said it was an important diplomatic achievement.
Look whose hands are shaking
A warm chance encounter took place at the World Travel Markets fair in London. Pakistan’s Advisor & National Coordinator on Tourism to the Pakistan Prime Minister, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, greeted Israeli Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov, at the Pakistani booth.
Christmas festivities return to Bethlehem
Though anti-Israel BBC reports from Bethlehem are expected, the residents are much more positive this year and hotels in the city were at 70% occupancy. Less than 10% of Bethlehem (under the Palestinian Authority) are Christians (2017 census) compared to 86% in 1950.
Druze, Arab enlistment rising
Druze conscription has climbed to around 85% since 7 Oct 2023, with Bedouin service remaining high and Arab Christian enlistment tripling in the past year. They now realize that Israel’s existential enemies do not distinguish between Israeli Jews, Bedouin, Christians, or foreign workers.
The first World Jewish-Zionist Youth Congress
Some 300 Jewish teenagers from Israel and the Diaspora convened in Budapest - birthplace of Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl - for the first World Jewish-Zionist Youth Congress. a state-backed initiative linking Israel’s Ministry of Education with international partners. They wrote a Global Jewish-Zionist Youth Charter and elected a council to connect young Jewish leaders.