Israel Active

Aharon Karov, the most critically-injured soldier in Operation Cast Lead 16 years ago, has re-enlisted in the IDF as part of a team creating the Disabled Soldiers Department. Following Oct 7 2023 he helped create the "Continuing Life" initiative, to support the injured.

Many celebratory events went ahead despite the fires. Here are links to some of them.

So many events after Pesach in Israel’s capital, including Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day), albeit rehearsals and rescheduled events. New Ambassadors presenting credentials to President Herzog included from the USA, India, and Philippines.

Burger King falsely advertised its Hod Hasharon branch as kosher. An Israeli court’s “sentence” was to order the restaurant chain to distribute $128,000 in meal vouchers to religious and non-religious IDF combat soldiers. The vouchers will be redeemable only at the chain’s kosher branches.

Thanks to Colel Chabad, 123 boys who had lost at least one parent came to the Western Wall to celebrate their 13th birthday (Bar Mitzvah). each one was  danced to the Kotel, made the blessing on the Torah, and received tefillin and new clothing. Afterwards all enjoyed a banquet.

Arkansas is the first US State to ban the Jordan-invented term “West Bank” when referring to the territory recaptured by Israel during the 1967 six-day war. Judea and Samaria are its Biblical names – Judea being the area south of Jerusalem, and Samaria the area to its north.

To celebrate Israel’s birthday, Israel21c publicizes 73 weird, wacky and remarkable things about this tiny country in the Middle East you may not know, unless you’ve studied all these newsletters.

The newly formed IDF Hashmonaim Brigade of Haredi soldiers has embarked on their first-ever mission into Gaza. Before going in, they recited prayers and blew the Shofar just as the Children of Israel did prior to Biblical battles.

Eliya Cohen, who was freed from Hamas captivity earlier this year, returned to the roadside bomb shelter where he was abducted on Oct 7 2023, wrapping tefillin and reciting the Shema prayer at the very spot he was taken.

The IDF has begun limited deployment in Gaza of the Robdozer - the robotic version of Caterpillar’s D9 bulldozer. These are used to clear roads and buildings of Hamas booby traps, plus to build defensive barriers around temporary IDF camps.