Direct Threats to the Family of PM Bennett Resulted in Stepped-up Security for His Wife and Children: Two envelopes containing letters with direct threats plus a live pistol bullet were addressed to the Bennett’s. The first letter was delivered to the office of Gilat Bennett, the wife of the PM, the other was addressed to the oldest son of the family, Jonathan. Security agencies took it very seriously and stepped-up the security of all family members. Police are investigating the source of those threatening letters. It is important to mention that there is a constant protest against PM Bennett claiming that he betrayed and deceived his constituency when he decided to establish a government with left wing and Arab parties.
Earlier this week, a journalist at Channel 13 News criticized PM Bennett for using state budgets unlawfully for his private residence. PM Bennett has not moved to the official PM house in Jerusalem, because security forces said it needs renovations. Meanwhile, Bennett uses his private residence also as the PM official address. This causes extra expenses. In a response to the publication, the PM published all his expenses even comparing his own expenses to those for former PM Netanyahu and his family, claiming that it is now less than half the cost. PM Bennett also claimed that all expenses were duly authorized and were according to all regulations and procedures Nonetheless, the list of expenses resulted in a lot of criticism, especially the section of take-out food orders for the entire family. Bennett announced that the family will pay all their food expenses.
Leading Food Brand Recalls Tons of Chocolate and Candies Due to suspected Salmonella Contamination: Strauss-Elite, a leading food conglomerate had to recall tons of chocolate bars, candies and ice cream products from stores and supermarkets across the country, as the company’s factory in the Galilee was found to be contaminated with salmonella. Senior health officials announced that the factory will close for three months and will reopen only after all necessary measures are taken to ensure that such contamination will not repeat itself. Following the largest recall operation ever, the company opened a customer service hotline, and announced that it will compensate costumers for infected products.
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Ended this Friday, with Tens of Thousands of Palestinian Muslims Praying at the Mosque on the Temple Mount: The last month was markedly tense, especially because extremists, Muslim and Jews, were trying to spark violence in both communities. This morning (Friday), again, police broke into the square to disperse the crowds and prevent stone throwing towards the Western Wall. Police took all measures to calm the atmosphere. Israel security experts were afraid that the tenseion will inflame Hamas in Gaza and they will start shelling southern Israel which will push Israel to retaliate and so start another round of violence. Fortunately that did not happen. Millions of Muslims in Israel and around the world are now celebrating the holiday of Eid al Fitr.
Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom HaShoah): for 24 hours, life takes a slower pace, as Israel pauses to remember the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis. The formal opening ceremony was held on the eve of Yom HaShoah at the Yad Va Shem Museum in Jerusalem, attended by PM Bennett and President Isaac Herzog. PM Bennett spoke of the need for unity and conciliation between rival political factions in Israel and emphasized the unique and unprecedented nature of the holocaust, responding to attempts to compare it with other atrocities.
Ceremonies were held in schools, institutions of higher education and army bases. At the Knesset, Speaker of the house Micky Levi presided over the traditional candle lighting ceremony, alongside Barbell Bar, President of the German Bundestag. Later, the Knesset plenum held the traditional ceremony of “Unto Each Person There Is a Name”, as members of Knesset read the names of holocaust victims.
At 10am on Holocaust Memorial Day the country came to a 2-minute standstill, as the sirens that marks the day were heard. The closing ceremony was held at the museum of ghetto fighters in the kibbutz that carries the same name. The “March of the Living”, the largest international event that takes place in conjunction with the Israel Holocaust Memorial Day, drew, for the first time, a group of Arab influencers, as part of a non-profit initiative seeking to strengthen ties between Israel and the Arab world following the Abraham Accords.
In addition to formal ceremonies, thousands of “Living (room) Memory” events were held in private homes and community centers around the country, where holocaust survivors, their children and grandchildren shared personal testimonies and stories. Social media influencers created videos featuring holocaust survivors, reiterating the message that we must remember and not forget. In 2022, there are 161,000 holocaust survivors living in Israel, their average age is 85.5. Nearly 30% of the survivors receive an income supplement from the national security institute.
Israeli Astronaut, Eytan Sttibe Landed Safely After Fifteen Days in Space. Stibbe’s Trip was Part of the Space-X Journey.: Stibbe, who is an ex-pilot, and a businessman, paid around $55 million for the trip, during which he conducted scientific tests for academic researchers in Israel. Stibbe was a close friend of Ilan Ramon, who was the first Israeli astronaut. Ramon was one of the seven astronauts who died when the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated on re-entry in 2003. Most of Stibbe’s businesses are in Africa, mainly Angola, and the family allocates donations to many needy social projects in Israel.
Further Reading
Bennett: Here, here, here, here
Strauss Recall: Here, here, here