News Digest — 4/23/24
Israelis Mark Passover Under Shadow Of War, Absence Of 133 Hostages Still In Gaza
The Jewish holiday of Passover began in Israel on Monday evening (22nd), with families around the country gathering for the festive Seder meal, celebrated this year under the cloud of war with Hamas and the 133 hostages still held by the Hamas terror group.
Jews traditionally read through the Haggadah on Passover, which recounts the story of the Israelites’ freedom from slavery and exodus from Egypt, a telling made more poignant amid the continued captivity of the hostages held in Gaza, more than six months since they were dragged off during the October 7 massacre.
Many Israelis and Jews around the world were encouraged to leave an empty chair at the table to symbolize the absence of the hostages, the 1,200 people killed in the terror onslaught, along with more than 260 soldiers who have fallen since.
Marking the holiday, some 500 members of the Kibbutz Be’eri community held a Passover Seder in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, in a cry to free their loved ones.
During the event, girls from the kibbutz, including 9-year-old Emily Hamd who was kidnapped on October 7 and released in a weeklong truce in November, took to the stage to sing, “Mah Nishtana” or the Four Questions, a song traditionally sung by the youngest member of the household that asks: “Why is this night different from every other night?”
On October 7, 100 Kibbutz Be’eri members were among those killed by Hamas terrorists and 30 were taken hostage to Gaza. Eleven of those hostages remain in Gaza, six were murdered in captivity and 13 others were released at the end of November. The kibbutz numbered some 1000 on October 6.
Speaking to Channel 12, Hand said she was remembering “everyone from Be’eri who was murdered and all the hostages who have not returned.”
Highlighting the mixed emotions and the yearning for normality, the girl said that despite all the sadness, for her it was still “fun” to be able to have a communal event to mark the holiday.
Her father Thomas, noted that “we have lost a lot of people,” and said that six months later the residents still faced tremendous uncertainty, not just about the fate of their loved ones, but also the future of the kibbutz.
The event, for Kibbutz Be’eri members only, included a clear call to the government to do everything possible to bring the hostages home and to return the deceased for burial.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot visited the families as well. Eisenkot, whose son Gal Meir was killed fighting in Gaza late last year, wrote in a Facebook post that his family Seder, in addition to the nation’s, was “incomplete,” in a reference to those abducted and killed during the war.
Netanyahu also recalled the hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7, in his message ahead of the Passover Holiday.
“As we gather around the Seder table to commemorate and celebrate our journey from slavery to freedom, our hearts are heavy with the plight of the 133 Israelis who remain in captivity in Hamas terror tunnels,” he wrote in a post on X, echoing a pre-Passover video he shared online Sunday (21st).
“Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ October 7 massacre,” he continued, “Tonight we think of those who cannot join their families at the Seder table. Their absence strengthens our resolve and reminds us of the urgency of our mission. We will not rest until each one is freed.”
He added that “the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas” has rejected proposals for a hostage release deal, and promised “increased military and diplomatic efforts to secure the freedom of our hostages.”
“Israel’s strength, both defensive and offensive, has been recently displayed. There is more to come. We will prevail,” he added.
Highlighting the situation, the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon fired a barrage of 35 rockets at northern Israel as families were sitting down to the festive meal, setting off warning sirens in the community of Ein Zeitim and the nearby city of Safed.
The IDF said there were no injuries in the attack and that troops shelled the launch sites.
Gallant To Soldiers On Holiday Duty: The Defense Establishment Stands Behind You
Hours before Passover Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday (22nd) toured military posts on the Gaza Strip border and spoke with commanders and soldiers from the 101st Paratroopers Brigade and Netzach Yehuda Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, who are spending their holiday on duty.
Later, the minister met with the commander of the IDF’s 162nd Division, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen, and discussed with him the division’s preparations for continuing the fight to dismantle Hamas’ brigades in the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Gallant said to the paratroopers: “We are now at Passover and half a year into the war, and this is your task, the task of the generation – in your generation as soldiers and ours as those who are navigating this battle, each at his own level. We trust you and rely on you because we have seen how you act – even on Oct. 7 when the soldiers came from everywhere, including here to Kissufim, and fought and unfortunately, some fell. You fought in Gaza and in Khan Yunis, and now in the battle of defense and in preparation for additional tasks. I am telling you – there will be more tasks. They might be in the south, here in this sector, or they might be in the north. Be prepared for all the activities. Take advantage of the time. You have a lot of experience, much more than anyone who was in your situation in the last decades. You fought and you went through the path of combat, at all places, and you saw what combat is, and always remember that the next task looks different.”
“Today you have the right to protect the freedom of the people of Israel in its land, that’s not a simple thing. For thousands of years, Jews did not have this ability, today we have the capability to defend ourselves with our own forces – it is incumbent upon you and we rely on you.”
The Defense Minister also spoke with Netzach Yehuda soldiers, who are fighting these days in the Beit Hanoun neighborhood in the north of the Gaza Strip and told them, “The entire defense establishment, the IDF and also the State of Israel support you, appreciate you and strengthen you in your action to protect the State of Israel. The place where you are, Beit Hanoun, is where you protect the city of Sderot from an attack, a raid, and of course rocket fire. This battalion entered very well into activity.”
“I want to tell you something else that comes against the background of you making headlines: Errors and malfunctions happen everywhere there is military activity and this must not happen, certainly not in things related to normative matters that should not be practiced, but if one soldier or two do something wrong that does not cast a shadow over the entire battalion. The battalion is a combat framework which is doing its job at a very high level. If an error happens with someone, we deal with it, no one in the world will teach us ethics and what norms are.”
“We are fighting against seven armies, or seven terrorist organizations at this time – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria, Iraq, Yemen, and also in Iran – we are fighting against all of them and withstanding the attacks, using all our forces. And we will do whatever is required to protect the citizens of this country, whatever is required. The Israel Defense Forces and the defense establishment stand behind you in performing your tasks. Know that you are endangering your lives in order to protect the citizens of Israel. And we will stick to our values, which are the values of a Jewish army in the spirit of everything that our tradition educates us on the one hand, and the orders and the laws of the State of Israel on the other hand.”
“We aspire to bring religious and haredi populations into the military system. I think there is a very great potential – there are many people who want to enlist.”
“There is a special reason why this battalion has succeeded and serves as a lighthouse to all the people who want to follow in your footsteps. And I think there are tens of thousands within the haredi population who want to serve in the IDF. We want you to continue to succeed and be symbolic as a battalion. Chag Sameach to you and your families, and may we be helped by God to have good news in this holiday and afterward.”
Arab Israeli Buys State’s Chametz for $150b
At the instruction of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the chief rabbis of Israel sold all of the chametz [leavened foods] owned by the state of Israel to an Arab Israeli businessman in accordance with the laws of Passover, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel announced on Sunday (21st).
Halachah, or Jewish religious law, forbids the eating or ownership of leavened products during the seven-day holiday, in keeping with the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
Passover began at sundown on Monday (22nd).
The sale has “halachic and legal validity and allows the citizens of Israel to properly observe the commandments of Passover without the fear of chametz remaining in their possession,” the Chief Rabbinate said.
Hussein Jabar, 64, from the Arab town of Abu Ghosh west of Israel’s capital, paid a deposit of
20,000 shekels ($5,300).
After the holiday, he will be offered the possibility of completing the transaction, which has an estimated total of $150 billion.
The ceremony took place at 11 a.m. at the Chief Rabbinate of Israel in Jerusalem. It felt very dignified. It made me proud and it was moving,” Jabar told JNS on Sunday night (21st) after signing the agreement.
“I put together a team of experts in the food and catering business from Abu Ghosh. We are about 10 people, and we designed a plan to raise the money. Hopefully, this year we will make it happen,” Jabar said.
Jabar took over the task some 28 years ago after the previous buyer, also from Abu Ghosh, was relieved of his duties when it was discovered his maternal grandmother may have been Jewish.
At Jerusalem’s Ramada Hotel, where he has worked for about 40 years, Jabar met Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, then Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, who suggested he take the job.
Jabar said on Sunday (21st), “My family is really happy for me. They love it. By doing this, I feel that I am creating a connection between the Jews and the Arabs in Israel, bridging the gap between both communities.
As Israel enters its seventh month of war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’ Oct.7 massacre of some 1,200 people, Jabar expressed a wish for quieter times. “I hope we will soon have peace and only good news for everyone. I wish the people of Israel a kosher and Happy Passover,” he told JNS.
As part of the ceremony, Smotrich authorized the chief rabbis, Rabbi David Lau and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, to carry out the transaction on behalf of the state.
“Since the holiday of Simchat Torah, when the terrible disaster happened to us, we have been praying for the success of the security forces,” said Yosef.
“We need to continue to pray for our soldiers, who give their lives and fight on the northern and southern borders and wherever they are.”
Lau said,” Our neighbors want to destroy us and make us forget the joy, but the entire nation of Israel has stood up to fight for its home, for our essence as the Jewish people – we are not ready to give up on that.”
Police Detain 13 Trying To Smuggle Goats Onto Temple Mount For Sacrificial Ritual
Hours before Passover began Monday (22nd) police detained 13 people suspected of attempting to smuggle goats onto the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to sacrifice the animals in honor of Passover, in line with ancient Jewish tradition.
The suspects, all of whom were between the ages of 13 and 21, were caught with goats in their possession, including one that was hidden inside a baby carriage and another inside a shopping bag, a police statement said.
The suspects were taken to the police station in Jerusalem to be investigated on suspicion of disturbing the public order, and the goats were confiscated and transferred for necessary veterinary treatment, the statement added.
According to the statement, in recent days publications have been encouraging certain Jewish elements to reach the Temple Mount and carry out the sacrifices.
In recent years, certain religious groups have increasingly sought to carry out sacrifices at the Jerusalem holy site, as performed on Passover in biblical times. The Returning to the Mount group makes a request each year to carry out the ritual, but is repeatedly denied by authorities as most Israeli security officials say that it would be seen as a major change to the religious site’s status quo and spark fierce backlash from across the region.
Mainstream Jewish leaders reject renewing the biblical ritual of sacrifice on the Temple Mount at this time.
For decades, Muslims have accused Israelis of planning to take over the Temple Mount and destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is built on the mount where the biblical Temples stood.
Israel dismisses the accusation and has vowed repeatedly to maintain the status quo, whereby Jews are allowed to visit there – under numerous restrictions and only during limited hours – but not to pray.
Congressmen Call House To Pass ‘Anti-Semitism Awareness Act’ Outside Columbia University Campus
Hours before the Jewish holiday of Passover was set to begin Monday (22nd), New York Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Anthony D’Esposito and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman joined actor Mike Rappaport and radio host Sid Rosenberg for a news conference outside of Columbia University to condemn the anti-Semitic protests on campus.
Lawler said every college and university president who refuses to take action should immediately “resign in disgrace” or be thrown out.
He added he’s never seen more disgraceful acts than what’s being seen on college campuses right now.
Following the news conference in a post on X, Lawler said the House must pass the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act and the Stop Anti-Semitism on College Campuses Act immediately to “strip universities and colleges of funding if they allow this hatred on campus.”
“Here’s the reality: hate is taught. It is taught in the schools of Gaza and unfortunately it is being taught here in the United States,” Lawler said. “Enough is enough. We have a responsibility to act and ensure our students are safe from the Hamas apologists in our own country.”
D’Esposito said “what’s being seen is not just an attack on Jews or an attack on Israel, it’s an attack on democracy.”
