Israel Commemorates Holocaust Remembrance Day and Braces for Future Threats from Iran: Israel marked Holocaust Remembrance Day this week, whilst also bracing for renewed threats from Iran.
Meanwhile, former army chief and current Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s lead in the polls over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the rise.
Palestinian Woman Stabs Israeli in Gush Etzion, Is Shot by Soldiers: An Israeli man was hurt in a stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction south of Jerusalem in the West Bank on Monday evening, April 17, the military and medics said.
The Israel Defense Forces said the female Palestinian assailant was shot after carrying out the attack. She was taken to a hospital in Jerusalem, although her condition was not immediately clear. Footage from the scene showed the suspected attacker lying on the ground next to a knife.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said a 36-year-old man was treated in moderate condition after being stabbed by the Palestinian woman.
He was taken by MDA to the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, where medical officials there described his condition as moderate but stable.
At least 92 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year, most of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces, but some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under circumstances that are being investigated.
Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 19 people dead since the beginning of the year. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we pray for the quick and full recovery of the Israeli man who was stabbed during Monday’s attack. Let us all hope that no more innocent Israeli citizens will become victims of such violent attacks and that peace can be achieved eventually.”
The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.
Two Men Hurt in Terror Shooting in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah: Two Israeli men were shot and wounded in a terror attack in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood on Tuesday morning, April 18, police and medics said.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said its medics treated the two victims, aged 50 and 48, at the scene in moderate condition and took them to hospitals in the capital. The Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus medical centers said the pair were listed in stable condition.
Police said officers were at the scene, on Pierre Van Paassen Street, investigating the shooting and searching for the terrorist, who fled. The weapon apparently used in the attack, a makeshift “Carlo” submachine gun, was found by officers nearby, police said.
The victims were in a car when they came under fire and according to Hebrew-language media reports, they were heading to morning prayers at the Tomb of Simeon the Just, in Sheikh Jarrah.
The neighborhood, parts of which were historically known as Shimon Hatzadik, has become one of Jerusalem’s tensest in recent years.
“Large police forces of the Jerusalem District continue to carry out extensive searches in the area and in more distant areas,” police said in a statement several hours after the attack, adding that officers, special forces, a canine unit, and a police helicopter were participating in the manhunt for the terrorist. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we hope that the victims of this vile terrorist attack remain stable and are able to fully recuperate. We ask that the culprit will soon face justice for their crimes and that our people will be able to pray in their chosen places of worship without feeling that their lives are constantly threatened.”
3 Islamic Jihad Terrorists Planning Attack Arrested in Jenin
Three wanted Islamic Jihad terrorists who were planning to carry out a terrorist attack were arrested in Jenin Tuesday afternoon, April 18.
IDF forces from the Duvdevan Unit working in conjunction with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Border Police carried out the operation to apprehend the terrorists. During the operation, Israeli forces came under fire from terrorists.
Six Arabs were injured in the ensuing firefight, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry. No Israeli security personnel was injured during the operation.
The three Islamic Jihad terrorists taken into custody have been identified as Aa Kareem Ala Adin Ibrahim Ahmad, Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad Jaradat, and Amjad Muhammad Ahmad Jaradat. Furthermore, the forces confiscated a vehicle belonging to one of the wanted suspects.
The terrorist operatives were recently involved in extensive terrorist activity. The terrorist operatives were engaged in shooting attacks, explosive devices, and the promotion of additional terror attacks. (INN / VFI News)
“God, we thank You for protecting us from terrorists that wish to harm Your people. We are also grateful for our defense forces that were able to locate and apprehend these dangerous individuals that would otherwise wreak havoc in the Middle East.”
Iran Will Destroy Tel Aviv, Haifa at Slightest Israeli Action – Raisi: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi threatened to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa at the slightest provocation in a speech he delivered during the country’s National Army Day parade that also fell on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“The slightest mistake against our country will be responded with a harsh response and will be accompanied by the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv,” Raisi said according to an English language translation of his speech posted on his office’s web page.
“The enemies of the Islamic Revolution, especially the Zionist Regime, have received the message of the power of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he explained.
Raisi also called on United States forces to leave the Middle East stating: extra-regional forces, especially American forces, should leave the region as soon as possible because they threaten the security of the region and have not and will not provide security for the nations of the region.
He stressed that it was the forces of the Islamic Republic that provided stability to the region. He spoke amid rising tensions between Israel and the Islamic Republic, as the IDF has struck at Iranian-based targets and Tehran is believed to be behind the rocket fire by Hamas against Israel’s southern and northern border earlier this month. (JPost / VFI News)
“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” – Psalm 37:1-3
Holocaust Survivors Celebrate Life at the Millennium Center: Holocaust survivors are some of the bravest people you will ever meet; they have lived lives full of extraordinary hardship and trauma and yet chose to pioneer Israel to rebuild their lives and create new families. Unfortunately, after giving their hearts and souls to fight for Israel and populate it, they find themselves often forgotten and neglected by society, needing help, and in need of company in their old and vulnerable age. That is why Vision for Israel organizes celebration events full of fun to honor them and show that they are still seen. We fill the tables with food, elevate their joy with music and dancing and spend time showing them just how much we value them.
Surprising Guest: Iranian Crown Prince to Visit Israel:Renewing the relationship between the Iranian people and the people of Israel, Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) will host the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah, and the most senior Iranian personality to ever pay a public visit to Israel.
Minister Gamliel will host Pahlavi in Israel this week, with the aim of creating a bridge between Israel and the Iranian people and expressing joint opposition to the Ayatollah regime.
The heir to the throne promotes discourse on the human rights situation in Iran and supports a democratic Iranian leadership. The Crown Prince will be visiting Israel with the aim of expressing solidarity with the citizens of Israel in light of the attacks by terrorist organizations operating under the auspices of Iran, renewing the relationship between the nations and building an economic relationship with a focus on water technologies.
In addition, the Crown Prince will be honoring the victims of the Holocaust as part of Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day events, and denouncing the antisemitism and Holocaust denial of the Ayatollah regime.
Crown Prince Pahlavi said, “Millions of my compatriots still remember living alongside their Jewish-Iranian friends and neighbors before the Islamic Revolution tore the fabric of our society apart. They reject the regime’s murderous anti-Israel and antisemitic policies and long for cultural, scientific, and economic exchanges with Israel. A democratic Iran will seek to renew its ties with Israel and our Arab neighbors. In my opinion, that day is closer than ever.” (INN / VFI News)
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17
President Herzog Lands in Poland to Mark 80 Years Since the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising:President Isaac Herzog arrived in Poland on Wednesday morning, April 19, ahead of official state ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The main event will take place in the square by the 1948 Rapoport memorial to the heroes of the revolt, built on the site of the former ghetto from where Polish Jews were transported to the gas chambers.
The annual ceremony dates back 75 years and commemorates the Jewish armed resistance against the Nazis that began on April 19 and lasted almost a full month until the ghetto was burned to the ground on May 16. The Nazis dramatically symbolized their victory by blowing up Warsaw’s Great Synagogue.
This year, the event has been significantly expanded to include the presidents of Israel, Poland, and Germany. Herzog, along with his German and Polish counterparts, Frank–Walter Steinmeier and Andrzej Duda, respectively, will deliver speeches. Herzog will also hold bilateral meetings with Steinmeier and Duda.
The three leaders will then participate in a second ceremony at the Nozyk Synagogue, which was completed in 1902 and is the only synagogue in Warsaw to have survived World War II.
They will unveil a plaque to honor the president’s grandfather Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, who was chief rabbi of Ireland, Mandatory Palestine, and then the first chief rabbi of the State of Israel. He visited the Nozyk Synagogue in 1946, just one year after the war’s end. (JPost / VFI News)
“I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” – Lamentations 3:20
Judicial Reforms Negotiations Focus on Judicial Selection Committee: Teams from the coalition and opposition parties Yesh Atid and National Unity held their first marathon negotiating session over the content of the government’s judicial reform on Monday, April 17, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem.
The session, which lasted for approximately six hours, focused on Basic Law: The Judiciary and on the method of selecting judges, according to a statement by the President’s Office.
The talks were held in a “positive, professional and serious atmosphere,” and the sides were “committed to continuing the negotiation process in order to arrive at an agreement.”
The members of the negotiating teams, as well as the President’s Office, remained tight-lipped about the content of the meetings and the proposals that were laid on the table. The talks were held at the Waldorf Astoria instead of the President’s Residence, reportedly because the latter is being prepared for Independence Day events.
Yesh Atid and National Unity said in a joint statement after the meeting that “We will continue to do everything possible to arrive at constitutive legislation that will strengthen Israeli democracy and the State of Israel.”
A member of the Likud team, MK Hanoch Milwidsky, wrote on Twitter that the “optimism that I expressed after the previous discussion, believe it or not, still exists. There is a lot to work on, but there are also those to work with.” (JPost / VFI News)
ESA’s JUICE Mission to Jupiter with Israeli Tech Launches Successfully: The European Space Agency’s (ESA) JUICE mission launched successfully on Friday, April 14, from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana after its originally-planned launch on Thursday was postponed because of poor weather.
The JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission is the ESA’s biggest mission ever, and Israel’s participation is funded by the Israel Space Agency, which falls under the auspices of the Science and Technology Ministry. This is the first time that Israeli technology is traveling to another planet.
The probe was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on its 900-million-kilometer journey, first doing a flyby of Venus and then three flybys of Earth. This will help the probe build up momentum for a slingshot ride to Jupiter.
It is expected to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031, when it will begin its dedicated four-year mission: Circling the largest planet in the solar system nearly 100 times while studying its atmosphere as well as exploring three of its most important moons, Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Joining the JUICE mission is a major experiment led by Prof. Yohai Kaspi and Dr. Eli Galanti from Weizmann that will analyze Jupiter’s atmosphere. “What we’re doing is sending a radio beam from the spacecraft to Earth and when it goes through the atmosphere, it gets distorted which lets us get temperature readings,” Kaspi told Israeli media.
“We will build a 3D map of Jupiter’s temperature, which no one has ever done before,” he said, noting that the JUICE mission will be complementary to the data gleaned from Juno. (JPost / VFI News)
The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.
