When four young Israeli soldiers were released in Gaza last month, Jewish activists on behalf of all the hostages held by Hamas indulged in something that looked like hope. The four women appeared outwardly healthy, and made defiant gestures in front of their captors. Videos of their reunions with family were joyous, and even their […]
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Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Yuval Shoham were childhood friends, having grown up together in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood, where both their families were involved in the egalitarian prayer community Hakhel. When Hersh, a 23-year-old American-Israeli, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, Yuval was among the soldiers tasked with finding him, shouting […]
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The Israeli army substantially loosened its rules of engagement in the weeks immediately following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to a new investigation by the New York Times. A seven-member reporting team, interviewing more than 100 people including senior military officials, documented that the Israel Defense Forces suspended or relaxed rules meant to limit […]
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A multi-front war, in which Israel is facing both Hezbollah and Iran, could have severe implications for the country’s economy, according to a report from Reichman University’s Aaron Institute for Economic Policy published late last month. A full-blown war with Hezbollah would also have significant implications, the report said. The report laid out two possible […]
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The mental toll the war has taken on Israelis has led to a significant increase in the likelihood of purchasing short-term anti-anxiety medication, a new study based on 19 years of data revealed. During times of heightened national security tensions in Israel, people are more likely to purchase the medications, researchers from the Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi (KSM), […]
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I cannot believe that it is almost Oct. 7. Yet, in some ways, every day feels like Oct. 7, as time has stood still. Last year, which also somehow seems a lifetime away, I sat in shul as we recited the “Unetaneh Tokef” piyut on Rosh Hashanah. Grateful that my loved ones were all well, […]
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“Hello, everyone. Today I’m going to introduce you to Muhammed Bakr. He is a person with special needs. His dream was to fly a kite like other children and play with them. So now, we made his dream come true and got him a kite. Alas, his father has been killed, and he himself has […]
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In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning, April 14, Iran launched an unprecedented volley of drones and missiles at Israel. Not like the relatively clumsy rockets of Hamas, these were precise and dangerous. And unlike the usual rocket fire, centered on the North and the South, these came from Iran, through Iraq, and into Jordan […]
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The ethics council of Norway’s $1.6 trillion wealth fund says it is investigating whether companies in which it holds shares fall outside its permitted investment guidelines due to the war in Gaza. The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, which owns 1.5% of the world’s listed shares across 8,800 companies, operates under ethical rules set by […]
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Last week, soldiers and reservists excitedly prepared for the start of a unique surfing course for those who have been recently released from combat, opened by the municipality of Kfar Saba. Aside from surfing lessons, the course also includes dialogue sessions with a psychotherapist. “There is a huge investment here by the municipality of Kfar […]
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