By Marley Fischer ‘26
The Dead Sea, one of Israel’s most famous historical sights, brings over 800,000 tourists a year to float and relax in its salty waters. Yet over the past years, its water levels and overall width have been shrinking as the sea dries up.
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By Rachel Max ‘24
Following the deaths of two Israeli settlers at the hands of a Palestinian gunman this year, the Palestinian town of Huwara in the northern West Bank erupted into violence when a large group of Israeli settlers created what has been referred to as one of, if not the worst, outbursts of settler violence in decades. By Arielle Karni ‘26
In recent years, the number of violent antisemitic attacks against Jewish communities in Europe has spiked, usually in response to violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Many of these attacks are carried out in the name of Islamist extremist groups who deny Israel’s right to exist. Rachel Max ‘24
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry in Israel has rebranded itself as the Diaspora Affairs and Combat Antisemitism Ministry, a name that reflects its pivot to combating both antisemitism and efforts at delegitimization of Israel. By Daniel Shapiro ’23
After months of proclaimed neutrality, Israel has taken a stand against Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Prime Minister Naftali Bennet is reportedly communicating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to help mediate an end to the conflict, while Israel has been sending supplies and defense gear to support Ukrainian refugees and soldiers. By Rachel Max ‘24
Israeli spyware developer the NSO Group has recently faced allegations that the Israeli Police have been abusing one of their programs, named Pegasus, to spy on citizens. Thus far, these claims have been denied, and very little concrete evidence has been put forth, yet were serious enough to warrant an internal investigation. By Rachel Max ‘24
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett indicated that he is not planning on implementing the 2016 plan for the Kotel plaza expansion due to opposition from right-wing members of his party, leaving Israel’s Rabbinical Assembly sorely disappointed. By Daniel Shapiro’23
Israel has announced they will be rolling out a fourth dose of the vaccine, available immediately to those ages 60 and older, in response to the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. By Rachel Max ‘24
In a huge step towards equality for the LGBTQ+ community in Israel, the country has made it legal for same-sex couples, transgender people and single men to have children through surrogacy. By Rachel Max ‘24
Recent concerns point to Iran possibly reneging on its nuclear production promises. Iran has been promising to hold discussions for months, yet since Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi was elected in June, the discussion of reinstating the deal has been on hold. In 2015, Iran entered a deal with the World Powers that prohibited them from producing any form of nuclear weaponry and permitted international inspectors to ensure they were keeping their end of the bargain. |