Channel 14 News journalist Yinon Magal posted a video on Wednesday of an 81-year-old “atheist” putting on tefillin for the first time in his life. The power of a mitzvah is seen at the end of the video when the Jews breaks into tears after donning the tefillin and reciting Shema, also for the first time in his life. The spark of the pintele Yid is inside even the most distant of our brothers. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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Prices on kosher meat products are expected to skyrocket next week due to a “drastic” price hike by a large wholesaler. In a message sent to stores, Springfield Wholesale Meat Distributor wrote: “Regretably, we have been informed by Solomon’s of a drastic price increase on domestic beef that will be implemented beginning this week.” This will result in significantly higher prices on meats with shipping dates on and beyond Monday, July 24th. The email included a list of meats and their respective wholesale price increases, which can be seen below. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A survey published on Monday by the Israel Democracy Institute shows that the majority of the Israeli public opposes the anarchist anti-government protests. Less than a quarter (23%) reported that they participated in a protest compared to 77% who report that they did not participate, and many of those participating in the protests are aged 55 or over. A majority of the public (70%) supports allowing protests in front of ministers’ homes but a majority of 69% opposes the blocking of major highways and 57% opposes the blocking of any roads. One of the survey questions addressed the subject of a possible civil war, chalilah, in Israel. “Recently there have been estimates that Israel is on the brink of a civil war due to deep political disagreements between different parts of society.

In a shocking display of bigotry, far-right commentator Nick Fuentes launched a venomous diatribe against Jewish people during his appearance at an America First Foundation rally on Sunday. Fuentes, known for his neo-Nazi views, spared no measure of hatred as he took aim at various targets while spewing his Christian nationalist rhetoric. Footage of Fuentes’ incendiary remarks quickly circulated on Twitter, showcasing the most inflammatory statements he made. The self-proclaimed white supremacist began by airing his grievances with fellow right-wing figures before delving into a distorted interpretation of the Talmud, often weaponized by white supremacists and anti-Semites. Fuentes selectively quoted lines, such as “If a gentile hits a Jew, he must be killed.

The Israel Medical Association (IMA) announced on Tuesday that doctors and nurses are engaging in a “warning strike” on Wednesday against the government. During the two-hour strike, which will take place from 8:30-10:30 a.m., medical staff will cancel any non-urgent procedures and refuse to work in hospitals and medical clinics. Dr. Idit Matot, the Director of the Anesthesia, Pain, and Intensive Care at Ichilov Hospital at Tel Aviv, and one of the leaders of the anarchist protests told Channel 12 News: “I prefer to die because I took action rather than die slowly by having my rights trampled every day.” She continued by claiming that the judicial reform will lead to discriminatory practices in medical care but did not provide any examples or evidence of her claims.

In a meeting at the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Joe Biden assured Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog of the unwavering friendship and support between the United States and Israel. Stressing the strength of the bilateral relationship, Biden reaffirmed America’s firm and ironclad commitment to Israel, a sentiment he also conveyed in a phone call with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the day before. During the meeting, President Biden underscored the United States’ dedication to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He acknowledged his administration’s role in facilitating the opening of Saudi Arabian airspace to Israeli flights and expressed the need for continued efforts in that regard.

As anarchists engaged in another “Day of Disruption” on Tuesday, ostensibly protesting against the government’s judicial reform plan, not surprisingly, some of the protests took an anti-religious slant. Anarchists protested outside the Rabbinical Courts in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Rechovot – despite the fact that Rabbinical Courts are judicial courts and their protest is supposedly against “changes to the judicial system.” The protest in Tel Aviv became violent, with protesters blocking the entrance and banging on the doors, and trying to break in by shoving the security guards. They caused damage to the building by trying to dislodge the doors and windows. Fortunately, those inside locked the doors before anyone could come in.

For the second time, Israel’s Supreme Court or High Court of Justice, with a composition of three judges, deleted Magen David Adom’s vexatious petition to have United Hatzalah’s emergency number of 1221 canceled in an attempt to shut down the emergency organization’s dispatching service. The ruling which was issued on Monday afternoon, marks the second time that MDA has petitioned the High Court in an effort to cancel the younger EMS organization’s number and attempt to bar it from providing service to the residents of Israel. Back in 2010, following the recommendation of the inter-ministerial committee for assigning abbreviated numbers to emergency hotlines, an abbreviated number was assigned to United Hatzalah allowing its dispatch center to operate more effectively.

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has received a letter informing him that he is a target of the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying he received the target letter on Sunday night. Such a letter can precede an indictment; Trump got one ahead of being charged last month in a separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents. Trump wrote he received the “HORRIFYING NEWS” after having just returned from a Turning Point USA event in Florida where he won a straw poll (which consisted almost exclusively of his supporters) with 85.7% of the vote.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Joe Biden challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, after he floated a bizarre and borderline anti-Semitic theory that the Covid-19 virus was engineered not to adversely affect Ashkenazi Jews. “The claims made on that tape is false. It is vile. They put our fellow Americans in danger,” Jean-Pierre said. RFK Jr.’s comments were revealed by the New York Post, who shared video of him outlining the conspiracy theory. “COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” the Post quoted Kennedy as saying. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people.