There are very few diplomatic events in which both the president and the prime minister are present. The key exception is the American Independence Day reception, which is always attended by both, as well as by cabinet ministers and members of the Knesset.
Both the president and the prime minister occasionally and individually attend national day receptions hosted by heads of diplomatic missions of other countries – usually just before or just after paying official visits to those countries.
However, Shimon Peres, Israel’s most prominent Francophile, was a permanent fixture at Bastille Day receptions as foreign minister, defense minister, prime minister, and president.
Neither President Isaac Herzog nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was present last week at the residence of Japanese Ambassador Arai Yusuke, who hosted a reception in honor of the birthday of Emperor Naruhito, but former president Reuven Rivlin, former prime minister Ehud Olmert, and current Chief of State Protocol Gil Haskel were there.
It was the day that the first contingent of deceased hostages were brought home from Gaza, and, as a mark of respect, the Japanese reception was relatively low-key. However, it was felt that high-ranking Israeli officialdom should be represented. Present incumbents were not available, so their predecessors stepped in to fill the breach.
Speeches were the briefest ever. Members of the Japanese Embassy have frequently visited Hostages Square, and the ambassador conveyed the condolences of his government to the families on the demise of the hostages whose remains had been returned to Israel that day. He also spoke of Japan’s lasting and deepening ties with Israel and of the potential for joint ventures in technology, given that so many Japanese companies have invested, or are represented, in Israel.
The ambassador added that in the eight months that he has been in Israel, he has learned to appreciate the diversity and dynamics of Israel’s cultural landscape. He also noted the great appreciation that Israelis have for Japan.
On introducing Rivlin, Haskel said that the day was “one of the most tragic” that Israel has known.
Rivlin went further, saying that it was a very sad day – the saddest in Israel’s history, but explained that he and Olmert had come to the reception to pay their respects to the government of Japan in appreciation of Japan’s friendship in good times and bad.
“We look forward to good days for both our peoples,” he said.
Olmert did not speak, but before and after the formalities, he responded favorably to the requests of several guests who wanted selfies with him.
Because Japan is famous for its martial arts, a pair of Israeli judokas gave a judo demonstration.
The reception was also used to promote Expo 2025, which opens in Osaka on April 12, and will remain on view till October 13. The theme is Designing Future Society for our Lives.
Banning Al Jazeera
■ IN MAY last year, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi banned Al Jazeera from Israel on the grounds that it was promoting incitement.
Since then, some of the staff of the larger foreign television agencies have been detained by Israeli authorities, because their feeds were shown on Al Jazeera. The Foreign Press Association in Israel has repeatedly voiced concern about the restrictions imposed on Al Jazeera, as they constitute a violation of freedom of the press. Yet, in an ironic twist, Israeli journalists reporting last Saturday on the release of hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al Sayed were relating what they saw relayed by Al Jazeera on their television screens.
Avera Mengistu, free after a decade under Gaza
■ AMONG THE people who were happiest about the release of Avera Mengistu after more than a decade in captivity was entertainer Kobi Oz, who throughout that period has mentioned Mengistu wherever he and his band were performing.
Though born in Israel, Oz is of Tunisian parentage. Like most immigrants from North Africa and other parts of the Middle East, his parents were treated as inferior by the Ashkenazi community, and to some extent people whose surnames betray their North African and other Middle Eastern origins are still treated that way.
Speaking of this last Friday on his weekly radio program, Oz, whose real surname is Uzan, said that this discrimination was the reason that it was incumbent on all people of North African and other Middle Eastern backgrounds to extend a helping hand to Israelis of Ethiopian background, to ensure that other non-Ashkenazi communities will not be subjected to the indignities and humiliations that dark-skinned immigrants from Asia as well as Africa have suffered, the worst of which was the questioning of their Jewish identities, which led to the breakup of families in which some siblings were permitted to immigrate and others were kept waiting for literally decades.
This is particularly poignant in this the 40th anniversary year of Operation Moses, in which thousands of Ethiopian Jews were airlifted in a covert operation from Sudan to Israel. Hundreds of their brothers and sisters are still waiting in hope to be reunited with them.
Terror financing
■ IT’S COMMON knowledge that areas severely damaged or destroyed by Hamas or Hezbollah during the past 16 months will not be rebuilt by Israel alone, because the state lacks the financial resources to do so. Much of the cost will be borne by Diaspora Jewry.
Aware of this, a delegation of the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Housing Development Fund came to the central Arava, where it met members of the regional council and toured projects supported by JNF-USA. These initiatives have played a crucial role in attracting young families to the central Arava region and enhancing the area’s quality of life. The delegation visited several key projects, including five community expansions, the regional medical clinic in Sapir, the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training, the Search and Rescue Center, and the Arava Center for Excellence, Swimming and Leisure. The group also toured the site of Ir Ovot, a small kibbutz for which enlargement is planned in order to develop it into the eighth settlement in the Central Arava Regional Council.
The council was represented by Naomi Bak of the Economic Development Company, along with Noa Zar and Amit Baram from the resource development team. The delegation was accompanied by Tania Pons Allon, the JNF-USA representative in the Arava, and Alon Badihi, the organization’s project manager.
Israeli survivors
■ WHILE AMERICANS travel to Israel, a delegation of 15 Israeli survivors of Operation Swords of Iron arrived in Los Angeles this week. The delegation was brought to California with the aim of providing its participants with support and space to reflect and rebuild both physical and emotional resilience. The visit is supported by the Beit Halochem office in Los Angeles and the local Jewish community in the South Bay, under the leadership of Rabbi Yossi Mintz.
The delegation comprises veterans from the Beit Halochem Center in Beersheba. It includes soldiers and police and Border Police officers who were wounded when fending off Hamas perpetrators of the October 7, 2023, attacks, as well as those who fought terrorists in the October 2024 attack on the Beersheba Central Bus Station.
Mintz, who initiated the visit following his own visit to Israel, stated: “Seeing the sacrifice of the brave men and women who are putting everything at risk to defend Israel and the people of Israel, we want to do our part by supporting these soldiers... and giving them 10 days of relaxation, fun, and rejuvenation in California. We hope this trip will reinvigorate the soldiers on their difficult journey ahead while inspiring our own community.”
Among the participants in the delegation is Bat Mishael, a police officer who was on duty at the Supernova music festival. She fought bravely alongside her comrades for nearly 12 hours under heavy fire without supplies, striving to rescue as many civilians as possible.
Another police officer, Evyatar Edri, from Ofakim, played a critical role in the rescue of his parents, who were taken hostage by terrorists in their home. His mother, Rachel, a true heroine, stayed alive by resourcefully offering cookies and food to the terrorists, earning her the nickname “Rachel Cookies.” Together with Evyatar, she has become a symbol of inspiration, resourcefulness, and determination.
Ron Dahan, a special ops soldier on October 7, was at Nahal Oz, where he was shot by a terrorist. Determined not to be defeated, he bandaged himself with a tourniquet and kept fighting for two more hours until evacuation was possible. After six months of rehabilitation, he returned to combat, completed a commanders course, and was honorably discharged from the IDF.
Sahar Atedgy, a resilient fighter, miraculously survived when terrorists infiltrated the Urim base where she served. During the assault, the terrorists tried to breach the war room where she and others were taking shelter. The terrorists threw grenades and fired at her and fellow soldiers hiding under a table at point-blank range. Six of her comrades were killed, and Atedgy, along with one officer, held hands as they endured bleeding wounds for four hours until they were rescued. Remarkably, she returned to military service just two months after her wounding.
Liron Yablonka was wounded during combat in Gaza when hit by an anti-tank missile in Rafah. He suffered burns on his face and hands. His journey is marked by determination, courage, and the continual struggle to heal. Every rehabilitation session serves as a vital source of encouragement, in the belief that he will conquer this, too.
Additional wounded men and women will be joining the delegation, each carrying a unique story of battle, perseverance, and rebirth. Every step of this journey represents a significant milestone in their recovery.
Yuval Cohen, who is the managing director of Beit Halochem Beersheba, is an IDF disabled veteran who was wounded as a Givati combat soldier during his service. On October 7, Cohen was with his family in a bomb shelter at Kibbutz Erez. Fortunately, they managed to escape the terrorists during that harrowing day.
Cohen, who heads the delegation, described his fellow participants as “heroes who, through their valor and sacrifice, saved countless civilians.”
Moshe Shemma, director of the IDF Disabled Veterans Fund, added: “I feel immense pride in enabling the wounded to travel as a united delegation, to receive the heartfelt embrace and support of the community, and to share their stories. It is our greatest privilege to be able to give them the feeling that they are valued and to provide the means for them to embark on a rehabilitation journey that strengthens their spirit and fosters a sense of belonging and unity.”
Funding fertility
■ JUST AS the families of returned hostages, and those of hostages who died or were murdered, have vowed to continue the campaign to bring home all the hostages, people who have undergone other traumatic experiences of their own likewise dedicate themselves to others still waiting for a miracle. The people they help may be waiting for an organ donor to save them from a life-threatening illness or may be in need of a specific fertility treatment that is beyond their financial means.
Ilan and Efrat Turgeman, who have been married for almost 15 years, planned to start a family immediately after their marriage. But they soon discovered that there were problems in conceiving, which impeded their plans.
After 14 rounds of IVF, countless unfulfilled dreams, tears, and prayers, they were blessed with the one treatment that worked – an egg donation. It’s called a donation – but it doesn’t come free. Fortunately, they were in the position to pay, and their treatment was under the supervision of the Puah Institute and Rabbi Moshe Amar. The Puah Institute not only helps infertile couples to conceive, but also persuades women planning abortions to keep their babies.
The Turgemans now have two precious young daughters who mean so much to them, but they know of 22 other couples who are waiting to experience the happiness that has come their way, and they are eager to help them on that same joyous journey to parenthood.
The treatment costs the equivalent of $13,000 per couple. In today’s economy, $13,000 doesn’t seem to be much, but to anyone who does not have that sum, and who would have to wait a long time to accumulate it, $13,000 is a fortune. The Turgemans have initiated a crowdfunding drive on behalf of these couples, saying that every donation counts, no matter how small – because they all add up.
Unfortunately, the treatments are not covered by Israel’s health insurance organizations, which is why funds have to be raised.
All 22 couples have been married for more than a decade and are still waiting for a dream to come true. They’ve exhausted every other option at their disposal.
The Turgemans are affiliated with One Heart, a Brooklyn, New York-based umbrella organization which operates on the principle that Jews around the world have one heart and are happy to help ease the burden when other Jews are in need. One Heart partners with trusted charity organizations from across Israel. These organizations forward cases of people in need to One Heart, which launches a global fundraising campaign.
The organization, which has raised funds for urgent surgeries, yeshivot, IDF soldiers, evacuees, and numerous other causes, believes that funding is the platform that connects Jews around the world.
Visiting Bezalel Academy
■ CELEBRITY RESTAURATEUR and entrepreneur Ruti Brodo paid a special visit to Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, where she critiqued student presentations from Bezalel’s Visual Communication Department, where students are competing to design products for Herzl 16, the popular bar-restaurant owned by Brodo’s R2M Group. The winning designs will be incorporated into the restaurant’s branding.
This unique collaboration with Brodo and Herzl 16 is part of the Illustration in Real Life course led by Bezalel lecturer Anat Warshavsky. The course focuses on developing a personal illustrative language while working with real clients, allowing students to experience a genuine branding process that integrates design elements in line with the restaurant’s vision.
As part of the creative process, students received a detailed briefing from the restaurant’s team outlining its design needs and guidelines. The final projects will be evaluated based on creativity, innovation, and brand alignment.
At the celebratory presentation event led by Brodo, representatives of the R2M network, and the restaurant’s team, students showcased their work and received immediate professional feedback. The winners will be announced after a joint adjudicating panel, composed of Bezalel faculty, Brodo, and the restaurant’s management, who will select the top three designs.
For the outstanding students, this is not only an opportunity for professional recognition but also a chance to see their creations come to life within the restaurant. Additionally, a gallery exhibition at the department will showcase the best works, offering a unique glimpse into the collaboration between academia and the restaurant industry.
This collaboration presents students with a real-world challenge and a rare opportunity to bridge academic creativity with professional work.
“Meeting the talented and multilayered students alongside Herzl 16, which is itself a complex and layered space, created an interesting and fascinating project that brought forth a variety of interpretations and perspectives from each student about the restaurant,” said Brodo. “Some works were precise and clear, while others were subtle and suggestive. It was a great pleasure—an enriching and exceptional experience.”
“Through this course, our students gain experience working with a real client,” said Warshavsky. “This year, in collaboration with Ruti Brodo, R2M, and Herzl 16, each student was tasked with developing a unique illustrative language while considering the client’s values, needs, products, and target audiences.
“One of the course’s goals is to find the unique perspective of each student and provide unexpected and innovative solutions for the client.”
Granit stands out
■ MANY SUCCESSFUL figures in Israel’s restaurant business have expanded to other cities and even other countries, in addition to which most have become television personalities, judges of cooking contests, columnists, and cookbook authors.
Among them are Assaf Granit, Moshe Segev, Moshe Roth, Eyal Shani, Yisrael Aharoni, Haim Cohen, Meir Adoni, Yossi Shitrit, Erez Komorowski, Shaul Ben Aderet, and Tom Aviv.
Granit stands out because he has been awarded a coveted Michlin star. People who cultivated his Machneyuda restaurant in Jerusalem’s colorful Mahaneh Yehuda market in the early days of his career knew him well. These days, it’s a little harder to get hold of him, as he is invested in several projects, including television, a boutique hotel, restaurants in Israel and abroad, and as a presenter of items that are not under the umbrella of the hospitality and food industries.
Anyone desirous of getting up close to him should make it their business to be in Haifa on the evening of Thursday, March 6, where Granit will be speaking at the HOT Cinema in the Ofer Mall at 7 p.m. The entrance fee is somewhat steep, at NIS 100 per head, without a film to follow the lecture. That’s the price the public pays for someone else’s fame.
But to be honest, Granit is an all-round success story, and he’s going to share anecdotes about how he got to where he is. So maybe it’s worth NIS 100.
Netta Barzilai: Fashion model
■ EUROVISION SONG Contest 2018 winner Netta Barzilai, who is also a composer and instrumentalist as well as a singer, is now a fashion model as well, giving inspiration to over-endowed women who know that regardless of what diets they might try, they will never be slim.
Barzilai, who herself falls into that category, has designed a capsule collection for Golf in sizes 36 to 50, and is also modeling her designs, lives according to the slogan “The more there is of me, the more there is to love.”
Realizing that there is little likelihood that she will shed the excess that nature gave her, she has made the most of it, and is proving that big girls are also beautiful, and that there’s no need for them to camouflage their natural attributes.
Social equality
■ OPEN UNIVERSITY CEO Meir Bing was the only senior Israeli official invited to speak at the UN Committee on Social Equality and Resilience, as part of his role leading a university committed to promoting first-generation students in higher education.
In his address, he highlighted Israel’s ability to manage crises and strengthen social resilience – an approach he advanced during his tenure as CEO of the Social Equality Ministry. He discussed the impact of the war on social resilience, while also showcasing Israel’s efforts to reduce social disparities even during wartime. Notably, 15 years ago, only 10% of students in Israel were from minority groups, a figure that has since doubled and is expected to continue growing.
Additionally, he shared information on initiatives implemented during his time at the ministry to narrow the wage gap between women from minority communities and women in the general population. These programs successfully reduced the gap by 4% annually over the past five years.
He also highlighted collaborations with local governments in minority communities, providing training on missile threat preparedness during wartime, as well as financial literacy programs and workforce integration initiatives.
A tear-filled day
■ IF LAST Thursday was a tear-filled day for Israelis with the return of the remains of some of the deceased hostages to their families for burial in hallowed ground in Israel, this Wednesday is an even sadder day for the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was home to Shiri Bibas and her infant children Ariel and Kfir, whose photographs in happy times are spread throughout the Internet, along with her wedding photo with her husband, Yarden Bibas, who was also kidnapped but recently returned.
Yarden can be considered a modern-day version of the biblical Job. In addition to losing his wife and children as well as his in-laws Yossi and Margit Silberman, who were murdered on October 7, he also endured the physical and psychological torture by Hamas, whose sadism knows no bounds, and today must attend the funerals of his wife and children.
Following his release from captivity, the vision before his eyes will always be that of a desperate Shiri clutching their little ones. This photograph taken from a Hamas bodycam became one of the main hostage symbols, with the redheaded little boys claimed as the children of the nation. Although few people really expected them to survive, the nation clung to hope, and wept on learning that this hope had been in vain.
A concerted effort is needed to help all the hostages to overcome the traumas of their suffering, but Yarden Bibas needs a warmer embrace than any of the others. While it’s true that Israel will not have victory until all the hostages are returned, real victory will come only after they successfully rebuild their lives and once again become productive citizens. They need all the help and affection they can get.
Shiri Bibas was known as a wonderful mother who was also very good and affectionate with other people’s children. She was an alumnus of Beersheba’s Kaye Academic College of Education, from which she graduated as a kindergarten teacher. The directorate of the college and its whole community of more than 2,000 students and faculty published a notice of mourning for Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas.
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