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January 16, 2022 at 8:58 pm
In a meeting held on Sunday night between opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu and his family and Netanyahu's lawyers, it was decided to move towards a plea bargain, Channel 12 News reported.
According to the report, sources close to Netanyahu expressed concern about the harsh public criticism being leveled at Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, and also over the fact that he may have an "opposition" within the State Attorney's Office that would thwart an agreement.
If Mandelblit succeeds in approving the deal before the end of his term at the end of the month, Netanyahu will probably go for the deal, which his lawyers have described as “excellent”.
A senior official in the State Attorney’s Office told Israel National News on Sund...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:57 pm
Critics are slamming the FBI as 'solely focused on destroying the domestic enemies of the Democratic Party'
The FBI is facing backlash on social media after an official said that the Texas temple hostage taker’s demands were "not specifically related to the Jewish community."
"The FBI is now an organization solely focused on destroying the domestic enemies of the Democratic Party," conservative talk radio show Jesse Kelly tweeted Sunday morning. "Any Republican Congress or Presidential candidate who doesn’t loudly proclaim his intention to massively reform or disband this organization should not be considered."
Kelly’s tweet came in response to the Associated Press reporting that FBI officials said "the Texas temple hostage taker's de...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:57 pm
There's almost always a song that's playing in our heads. "Shabbat Shira," as this past Shabbat has been designated, draws attention to the songs that accompany our lives. The soundtrack we play can strengthen or weaken us, elevate us or bring us down.This past Shabbat, as part of the Beshalach Torah portion, we read the "Song of the Sea." The children of Israel went out of Egypt, the sea split, and the Egyptian army drowned. Amidst these historic events, witnessed with their own eyes, the people burst out in an emotional song of thanks for what had just transpired, together with a prayer for the future. The song describes how the entire world was rattled by the Exodus from Egypt, and how the people were filled with newfound strength as they journeyed toward the Land of Isr...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:51 pm
In this week's Torah portion we receive one of the greatest gifts in human history: Shabbat. What's the secret of Shabbat that makes it such a precious gift?
Shabbat gave a framework to time. During the French revolution, the government decided to dispense with all religious associations and so the days of the week were set according to the number of fingers on our hands; a week would consist of ten days instead of seven. This arrangement was tried nowhere else except in France, and it did not last long. The seven day week was soon reinstituted with the victorious return of Shabbat.
The ancient Greeks mocked Jews for their Shabbat observance. The Greeks, who considered the Jews lazy because they did not work one-seventh of the time, failed to understand the function of Shab...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:39 pm
The leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union) is deeply grateful for the resolution of the crisis situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. We are grateful first to the Almighty who provided strength and courage to the hostages and wisdom and patience to the law enforcement officers who responded to the crisis. We are grateful to those law enforcement officers – from federal, state and local agencies – who performed their mission with excellence and saved the lives of all of the hostages. We are grateful to the national political leaders - at The White House, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice/FBI - who were in direct communication with us last night to share their solidarity and their de...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:35 pm
Israeli Prime Minister thanks governor for 'determined and professional action' of law enforcement
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday night about the hostage situation at a synagogue in the US state that ended with all four captives released and the gunman dead.
Bennett thanked Abbott "for the determined and professional action of the law enforcement forces in his country which brought the incident to a peaceful conclusion," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
According to the readout of the call, the prime minister said that Israelis were paying close attention to the events as they unfolded at Beth Israel, a Reform congregation located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex city of Colleyville.
Benn...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:31 pm
The bill will now be submitted to the Knesset, where it must pass three more votes before becoming law
The Israeli government gave initial approval Sunday to a bill that would ban Palestinians who marry Israelis from obtaining permits to live with their spouses in Israel, several months after an earlier ban expired following a dramatic coalition fight.
The bill, known as the "Citizenship Law," was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, allowing it to move quickly through the legislative process. The bill will now be submitted to Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where it must pass three more votes before becoming law.
Sunday's bill was submitted by opposition Knesset member Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) and was almost identical to the text sponsored by...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:27 pm
Four Sefer Torah fragments rescued from a shul that was on fire during Kristallnacht 83 years ago have finally been returned to the shul in eastern Germany, reported The Jewish Chronicle.
When a fire broke out in the shul in Gorlitz during Kristallnacht on Nov. 9, 1938, an unknown person shoved the Torah parchments into the hands of a young German policeman, the father of now-retired pastor Uwe Mader.
Mader kept the parchments hidden in his office under wallpaper and later locked them in a steel cupboard.
“I was very suspicious,” said Mader, who is now 80. “Politics in GDR times had not been very friendly to Jews. Therefore, it was clear that I had to maintain official secrecy.”
The shul in Gorlitz was the only shul in Saxony not destroyed during Kristallna...
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January 16, 2022 at 8:13 pm
The Torah commands us to declare the sanctity of Shabbos, a mitzvah we fulfill when we recite Kiddush before beginning the meal. Notwithstanding that this mitzvah appears very clear cut, it sometimes involves interesting shaylos.
We recite Kiddush before the seudah at night and also Shabbos morning. The Torah mitzvah of Kiddush is fulfilled at night and has two brachos, one is on the wine and the other is the special Kiddush bracha. The daytime Kiddush was instituted by Chazal to demonstrate the specialness of Shabbos meals – therefore, we drink a cup of wine immediately before the meals begin. (The pesukim that we recite before this Kiddush are a later minhag, presumably to emphasize that we are reciting Kiddush.)
One is forbidden to eat or drink before reciting Kiddush. The p...
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January 16, 2022 at 7:20 pm
Baltimore, MD – Jan. 16, 2022 – 7:20PM – The entrance to the Northern Parkway exit from 83N is completely shut down. The driving is treacherous, and it is advised that everyone stay off all the roads.
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January 16, 2022 at 3:17 pm
Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a multi-year, 500 million shekel ($160.9 million) development plan for the city of Beit Shemesh, according to an official statement.
The plan, presented by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Gideon Saar, includes 300 million shekels ($96.5 million) for public transportation, 82 million shekels ($26.4 million) for “public institutions and expanding infrastructure” and some 50 million shekels ($16.1 million) for “strengthening the municipality” with the goal of providing services to residents, the statement said. Other main goals are strengthening vocational training and welfare services, boosting personal security and public health, and culture and leisure activities.
“The city of Beit Shemesh...
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January 16, 2022 at 3:08 pm
The 'Red Line' right-wing protest movement has sent an open letter to the Rabbis of Israel, inviting them to join a night of protests slated for over 100 locations across Israel on Tuesday night.The letter reads:
To the honored Rabbis of Israel
Recently, a number of issues have come up on the public agenda that concern the roots of our existence as a state and a people.
These include, but are not limited to: surrender to the Islamic movement in the Negev, weakening of the Chief Rabbinate with numerous laws and reforms, including calls for the dismissal of Chief Rabbis by government officials, defamation of settlers and besiegement of towns, reducing the power of the people in several ways and legal persecution against leaders of the political right.
Along with the sense of lo...
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January 16, 2022 at 2:41 pm
As the region braces for a wintry mix Sunday, Baltimore County officials declared a snow emergency Sunday afternoon.
People cannot park on designated snow emergency routes during a snow emergency, and vehicles must have snow tires/chains or all-weather tires, according to Baltimore County Emergency Management.
"We encourage residents to run any errands quickly before the snow begins this afternoon," Baltimore County officials reported before 2 p.m. "Once the storm starts, stay off of the roads if possible."
Projected snow totals for Baltimore County call for about 2 to 4 inches with up to 6 inches possible, an increase from the earlier projection of 2 to 3 inches.
Baltimore County is under a winter weather advisory until 1 a.m. Monday, and people are advised to use ...
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January 16, 2022 at 1:35 pm
FBI identified suspect as Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen
The FBI on Sunday identified the British national who died at the scene after allegedly taking hostages at a Texas reform temple during an hours-long standoff this weekend.
Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen, was the "hostage taker" at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, near Fort Worth, Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno with the FBI Dallas Field Office confirmed in an email to Fox News Digital.
"The FBI’s Evidence Response Team (ERT) will continue processing evidence at the temple. At this time, there is no indication that other individuals are involved," FBI Dallas said in an emailed statement.
"The FBI’s North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force (NTJT...
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January 16, 2022 at 12:34 pm
The five-year plan aims to increase the number of visits to the site
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a $35m plan to improve the infrastructure of the Kotel in Jerusalem’s Old City.
The five-year plan aims to increase the number of visits to the site by improving accessibility to public transportation, developing new educational programs, and supporting existing development projects.
Funds for the plan, promoted by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, come from the budgets of the Prime Minister's Office and various ministries.
"The Western Wall is one of the holiest and most important sites for the Jewish people, and millions of visitors from all over the world regularly visit it," Bennett said in a statement issued by his office.
"The five-year plan we just appr...
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January 16, 2022 at 12:33 pm
The Russian outlet did not disclose when meeting between the two would take place or the issues on agenda
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi for talks in Moscow next week, state television channel Rossiya-1 reported Sunday.
Rossiya-1 did not disclose when the meeting between the two would take place or the issues that they would discuss.
However, the outlet did say, "The international situation is extremely tense and this conversation is especially important."
Russia is currently taking part in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.
Russia said Friday it was cautiously optimistic over "progress" made at negotiations, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying during ...
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January 16, 2022 at 12:31 pm
'Desert Falcon' is the latest to be conducted by the Israeli military and Middle East-based CENTCOM
The Israeli army and the US military's Central Command held a joint air exercise over the Negev desert in southern Israel last week, simulating airstrikes and combat.
The exercise, dubbed "Desert Falcon," is the latest to be conducted by the Israeli military and Middle East-based CENTCOM.
Previously, Israel’s military worked primarily with the US European Command, as Washington feared that Arab countries in the region would object to cooperation with CENTCOM if Israel did so as well.
According to Israel’s military, Israeli pilots from the 119th Squadron flying F-16 fighter jets and Gulfstream G550 intelligence-gathering aircraft flew alongside ...
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January 16, 2022 at 12:30 pm
Israel Magen Fund recently donated EpiPens to the Beit Shemesh Hatzalah team (Tzevet Hatzalah), ensuring that paramedic volunteers in each of the city’s neighborhoods are equipped and ready to save lives. EpiPens are expensive, one-time-use, life-saving medication, urgently administered to someone experiencing a severe allergic reaction. This, as part of an ongoing partnership between Israel Magen Fund and the Beit Shemesh Hatzalah team, where previous donations have included other emergency medical equipment. According to Israel Magen Fund co-founder David Rose, the fund, which supports Israel’s medical and military sectors through transparent, direct giving, is continuing to raise funds for the project, to ensure the widest possible distribution in Beit Shemesh, which has the...
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January 16, 2022 at 12:15 pm
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 16, 2022 - Due to pending inclement weather today, Sun., Jan. 16, both JCCs will close at 2pm.
