Israel

In a dramatic move, coalition whip Idit Silman announced Wednesday that she is quitting the coalition and will instead work to form a new government.

Israel’s Jewish population surpassed 7 million last year, as the number of Jews worldwide rose to 15.2 million, according to the Jewish Agency.

“We are not protesting against; we are protesting for Shabbos, Torah, and HaKadosh Baruch Hu,” were the often repeated words of HaGaon HaRav Simcha HaKohen Kook ztk”l, whose petirah was announced this past Tuesday afternoon. Rav Kook was the nephew and talmid of Rabbi Avaraham Yitzchak Kook, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine. Rav Kook also followed in his uncle’s footsteps, one of the founding fathers of modern religious Zionism. The brilliance of Rav Avraham Yitzchak and the depth of his knowledge were simply otherworldly, his devotion to Hashem was supernal, and his character traits were heavenly - always more concerned with helping others come closer to Hashem.

Last month, in a face-to-face meeting, the Head of Israel’s Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, was given a stark warning by the Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez (D), in response to Netanyahu forming an opposition collation with Israel’s more conservative bloc, notably Itmar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party.

The largest confrontation between Israel and Gaza since May 2021 concluded with a ceasefire brokered by Egypt. After a mere 54 hours, Israel managed to completely demolish the command structure of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and prove to the world at large that it will not allow her citizens to be the indiscriminate target of attack.

A Palestinian gunman suspected of killing an Israeli soldier in East Jerusalem earlier this month was shot dead on Wednesday evening, after opening fire at security guards near the entrance to the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.