IRAN SAYS SOMEBODY IN IRAN SHOT A FEW ROCKETS .

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

 IRAN SAYS SOMEBODY IN IRAN SHOT A FEW ROCKETS AT US.COWARDS WON:T EVEN SAY ISRAEL SNUCK UP AND NAILED THEM.

Elam (IRAN IN THE BIBLE) passed into the hands of the Persians" (A.H. Sayce).
Jeremiah 49:35-39
35-Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36-And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37-For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38-And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39-But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 32:24
24-There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

EZEK 38:4-13
4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5  Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6  Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7  Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8  After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9  Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10  Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11  And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12  To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13  Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
EZEK 39:11-21
11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY) and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(CEMETARY OF THE HORDE)
12  And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
13  Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; (ALL AVAILABLE ISRAELS WILL BURY THE RUSSIA,MUSLIM HORDE) and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, (NUCLEAR PROFFESIONALS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.(SO BY THE SOUNDS OF IT AFTER 7 MONTHS THE NUKED RUSSIA,MUSLIM HOARDES BONES WILL STILL BE FULL OF RADIATION, SO VISITERS TO ISRAEL WILL JUST PUT A SIGN BY THE BONES.NOT TOUCH THEM.OR THEY WOULD STILL GET RADIATION POISONING FROM ISRAEL NUKING THEM 7 MONTHS EARLIER.SO THE SIGN GOES BY THE BONES.THE NUCLEAR PROFFESIONALS WILL PICK UP AND TAKE THE BONES TO THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIAL SITE.
15  And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.(VALLEY OF GOGS HORDES)
16  And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah.(MEANING CITY OF THE HOARDE) Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17  And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(RUSSIA,ISLAMIC HORDE)
18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20  Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21  And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

THIS IS SO REDICULAS, ITS THE HAMAS MUSLIM COCKROACHES THAT CAPTURED, RAPED BABIES IN FRONT OF PARENTS. THEN RAPED WIVES INFRONT OF HUSBANDS. THEN THE DEATH CULT WORSHIPPERS SHOT OR CHOPPED THE HEADS OFF ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS. AND AROUND THE WORLD ALL THE COCKROACH MUSLIM SUPPORTERS (WHICH ARE ALL DEMON POSSESSED), BLAME ISRAEL FOR THE HOSTAGES NOT BEING RELEASED. WHEN ISRAEL IS KILLING ALL THE HAMAS MUSLIM PEDOPHILE DEATH CULT WORSHIPPERS. BUT ISRAEL GETS THE BLAME FOR KILLING KIDS. THIS IS JUST COMPLETELY BACKWARDS. HAMAS TORTURES AND GENOCIDES ISRAELIS. ISRAEL TRYS TO GET RID OF THESE DEATH CULTISTS. AND THE WORLD SUCK HOLES UP TO NOT ONLY THE HOSTAGE TAKERS MUSLIMS. BUT THEY SUCK UP FOR THE DEATH CULTISTS THAT SAY DEATH TO THE BIG SATAN AMERICA. AND DEATH TO THE LITTLE SATAN ISRAEL. AND THIS IS DEMON POSSESSED PROTESTERS IN AMERICAN CITIES ESPECIALLY NEW YORK AND DEARBORN MICHIGAN. GOD OVIOUSLY LET THIS ISRAELI SLAUGHTER ON OCT 7 HAPPEN. TO EXPOSE ALL THE ANTI-SEMITES AND ISRAEL AND GOD HATERS AROUND THE WORLD.

Iran’s Khamenei tells troops to ‘learn enemy’s tactics’ after tit-for-tat attacks-Supreme leader says it’s not size or success of April 13 strike that matters, but rather show of determination to act-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 3:40 pm-APR 21,24

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told the country’s armed forces to “learn the enemy’s tactics” while praising them for launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, almost all of which failed to reach their targets.“How many missiles were launched and how many of them hit their target is not the primary question, what really matters is that Iran demonstrated its will-power during that operation,” Khamenei said on Sunday during a meeting with brass from Iran’s various armed forces, according to state media.Tehran openly targeted Israel for the first time on April 13 with more than 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and armed drones in what it said was retaliation for Israel’s suspected deadly bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.The Israel Defense Forces said 99 percent of the incoming munitions were intercepted by air defense systems that operated in cooperation with the US, British, French and Jordanian forces across the region. A handful of missiles that made it through the defensive shield caused only minor damage on an airbase. A young girl from Israel’s Bedouin community was seriously injured by shrapnel from one intercepted missile.Khamenei thanked the officers for carrying out the attack, saying they had raised Iran’s profile in the international community.He also urged them to “ceaselessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy’s tactics.”Israel’s retaliatory strike early Friday reportedly destroyed a Russian-made S-300 air defense radar system meant to protect the covert Natanz nuclear site in central Iran.Tehran has played down the incident, describing it as a failed assault using three “toy” quadcopters. It has said it had no plans for retaliation, a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.An image aired by an Iranian opposition news outlet Sunday appeared to show significant damage to the radar system outside Isfahan.According to a report in The New York Times, the strike used a high-tech munition able to elude Iran’s air defenses, and had been used to send Tehran a message showing Israel’s capabilities.Israel has not officially commented on the strike, in line with its strategy of ambiguity regarding actions abroad, meant to give those it attacks maneuverability to avoid pressure to retaliate.The clash between Israel and Iran came against the background of the ongoing war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip that began with its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.The next day, Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking along Israel’s northern border in what has become near-daily rocket attacks on towns and communities in the area.Israel has responded with strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, and allegedly, related targets in Syria, which is also an ally of Iran and Hezbollah and hosts their forces on its territory.

Sister of Hamas chief indicted for praising Oct. 7 attack, ties to terror group-Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh, one of three Israeli sisters of the exiled Hamas politburo chief, faces nearly 20 years in prison-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 3:40 pm-APR 21,24

A sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was indicted in an Israeli court Sunday for supporting the terror group and cheering on its October 7 attack on southern Israel.Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh, 57, was charged in Beersheba’s Magistrate’s Court with identifying with a proscribed terrorist organization and incitement to terrorism, three weeks after she was arrested during a raid on the Israeli town of Tel Sheva, where she lives.Haniyeh stands accused of having sent two WhatsApp messages to dozens of her contacts, including Haniyeh himself, “praising, encouraging and supporting” Hamas’s actions on October 7 when it slaughtered some 1,200 Israelis and perpetrated mass atrocities in southern Israel.Three messages sent to WhatsApp groups on October 9 and October 10 asked members to pass around a prayer that would help “destroy the enemy.” The messages included a prayer beseeching God to ” count them in number and kill them and do not leave any one of them.”Haniyeh was hit with three counts of incitement to terrorism, which carries a five-year prison sentence, and two counts of identifying with a terrorist organization, which carries with it a three-year prison sentence were she to be convicted.The State Attorney’s Office requested that the court order Haniyeh to be held in detention until the end of the legal proceedings against her.Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, lives in exile in Doha, Qatar. His three sisters live in Tel Sheva and were married to Arab Israelis.Two are now widowed and have fallen foul of Israeli authorities in the past by making illegal trips into Gaza in 2013 via Egypt. They were both given eight-month suspended sentences for the visits in 2015.Later that year, Israel denied Haniyeh’s request that his sisters be permitted to attend his son’s wedding in Gaza.The three sisters all have Israeli citizenship and according to a 2006 report from the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, some of their children have served in the Israeli Defense Forces.Police arrested Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh on April 1 in a joint raid with the Shin Bet that was dubbed “Early Dawn.”Police said that during a raid on the suspect’s home officers found documents, media, telephones and other evidence linking her to “serious security offenses.”Police also said they found hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash at the premises.Southern District commander Superintendent Amir Cohen vowed at the time that his forces “will use all the means and tools at its disposal, everywhere, in order to create deterrence at the same time as thwarting terrorist attacks, with the aim of ensuring the safety and security of the citizens of Israel,” according to the police’s statement.Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

Satellite image appears to show damaged Iranian radar allegedly struck by Israel-Surrounding Russian-made S-300 air defense missile launchers largely unscathed in attack that reportedly targeted embattlements guarding secret Natanz nuclear site-By ToI Staff Today, 12:54 pm-APR 21,24

An image aired by an Iranian opposition news outlet Sunday appeared to show significant damage to a radar system near a secretive Iranian nuclear site, after an alleged Israeli strike last week.The destroyed remains of what was reported to be an anti-aircraft mobile radar station could be seen in the satellite image published by Iran International, with the ground around it charred black.Satellite images of the site captured before the alleged attack early Friday showed the same “flap-lid” radar intact and surrounded by an array of four Russian-made S-300 mobile anti-aircraft missile launchers and other vehicles related to the air defense system.Imagery taken Friday, hours after the attack, showed the missile launchers removed from the air defense system at the Eighth Shekari Air Base in Isfahan.In the photo released Sunday, at least three of the missile launchers had apparently been returned.Aside from the radar, all the other vehicles at the air defense site appeared to be largely unscathed, showing the pinpoint nature of the strike, which officials had indicated was intended as a limited retaliation to Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones on Israel days earlier.Analysis of satellite imagery obtained by Iran International confirms media reports that a central part of the S-300 air defense system at an Iranian air base in Isfahan was hit by a presumed Israeli attack early Friday.???? @FardadFarahzad via @SkyWatchApps pic.twitter.com/s8ViDTqcFh — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 21, 2024-The New York Times reported on Saturday that Israel used a high-tech missile that was able to evade Iran’s radar systems to attack the site, in a move meant to send a message of deterrence by displaying Israel’s offensive abilities.It cited two Iranian officials as saying that the S-300 system was hit in the attack. The air defense post was reported to be part of an array defending the nearby top-secret Natanz nuclear site, some 100 kilometers away.The Iranian officials told the newspaper that Iran had not detected intrusions into its airspace from drones, missiles or aircraft.Umbra synthetic aperture radar imagery acquired 0648Z 19APR2024 showed evidence of damage to the Iranian S-300PMU2 strategic surface-to-air missile battery in Isfahan since 15APR2024. A probable damaged 30N6E target engagement radar was visible in imagery still on the radar… pic.twitter.com/eqMFTanPOH— Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) April 19, 2024-Two unnamed Western officials cited by the newspaper said the missile aimed to show Tehran that Israel is able to dodge and neutralize its defenses, in a move meant to force Iran to rethink launching another direct attack on Israel.Despite the reports, Iran continued to insist that only several small drones were launched and that they had not caused any damage.Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in New York to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East, likened the strike on Friday to child’s play.Speaking to NBC News through a translator, Amir-Abdollahian said the drones had taken off from inside Iran and flew for a few hundred meters before being downed.“What happened last night was no attack,” said Amir-Abdollahian. “It was the flight of two or three quad-copters, which are at the level of toys that our children use in Iran.”However, the reports that Israel had fired at least one missile appear to correlate with debris found in Iraq in the morning after residents of Baghdad reported hearing sounds of explosions.Images showed what appeared to be parts of a two-stage standoff air-to-surface missile near Latifiya, southwest of Baghdad, which would have fallen away after the missile launch, although this remained unconfirmed.???? ????????⚡: UN-EXPLODED ISRAELI MISSILE IN IRAQ-The Popular Mobilization Forces found the remains of an Israeli missile in the Latifiya area on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.#Iran #Israel #IranAttackIsrael #Isfahanpic.twitter.com/wqfuUO9pbD— UnCover (@uncoovr) April 19, 2024-Israel has several types of these munitions available for its air force, raising the possibility it was fired as part of the attack.Also, around the time of the incident in Iran, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement saying Israel carried out a missile strike targeting a southern air defense unit and causing damage. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor of unclear funding, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces.That area of Syria is directly west of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away and east of Israel, and could provide an indication of the route taken by Israeli jets.The deeply fortified underground Natanz enrichment site has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks, but the reported strike on the S-300 radar would appear to be the first direct Israeli military attack in an area thought to contain much of Iran’s nuclear production capability.The alleged Israeli strike came after Jerusalem indicated it would retaliate for Iran’s decision to launch over 300 missiles and armed drones at Israel overnight April 13-14, an unprecedented volley which itself came in reaction to an alleged Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, including a top officer.After an international coalition helped Israel down nearly all of the projectiles launched by Iran last week, Jerusalem was heavily pressured to show restraint and avoid retaliatory measures that could further escalate tensions and send the region hurtling toward all-out war.Iran’s insistence that the strike was carried out by drones and caused no damage appeared to be part of an effort to play down its severity, with a senior Iranian official casting doubt on whether Israel had been behind the attack and saying there were no plans to hit the country back.Israel has not officially commented on the strike, in line with its strategy of ambiguity regarding actions abroad, meant to give those it attacks maneuverability to avoid pressure to retaliate.Agencies contributed to this report.

Shin Bet denies telling British tabloid only 40 hostages in Gaza still alive-Daily Mail claims intel shows majority of captives dead, but security agency says numbers ‘based on writer’s opinion’; Israel has said 34 of remaining 129 abductees no longer alive-By ToI Staff Today, 2:55 pm-APR 21,24

The Shin Bet security service denied a British report Sunday that claimed fewer than a third of the hostages remaining in Gaza are still alive.The British Daily Mail tabloid reported early Sunday that all but 40 of the 129 hostages taken from Israel on October 7 were dead, citing anonymous sources and “intelligence gathered by Shin Bet.”“The publication in question is not true and does not represent the opinion of the Shin Bet,” the security agency responded later in the day. “The numbers mentioned in the article are based on the writer’s opinion only and are not based on information from the Shin Bet.”The report claimed that Israel had been able to gather more information about the situation of the hostages since entering Gaza.“‘[Intelligence] is much easier to access than before October 7 when we had limited access to Gaza and we didn’t have a lot of possibilities of sources,” it quoted an anonymous source saying.The IDF has officially confirmed the deaths of 34 of those kidnapped on October 7 and still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. However, privately Israeli and US officials have said the number of dead may be much higher.Hamas-led terrorists kidnapped 253 people on October 7 during a brutal onslaught into southern Israel in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed.Israel responded with a military offensive to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza, destroy the terror group and free the hostages.
Freed Israeli hostages pictured in Egypt after their release from Hamas captivity in Gaza, November 29, 2023 (Screenshot)-A truce deal in November saw the release of 105 hostages, and a handful of others were freed by the military or let go separately. The bodies of 12 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.It is believed that 129 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including those killed, along with two civilians held since 2014 and 2015, and the remains of two soldiers killed in the Strip almost a decade ago.Among those still held are children who were as young as nine months when kidnapped, elderly men and sick and infirm hostages.Several attempts at a hostage release deal brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar have failed to reach any breakthrough, with the sides at loggerheads over demands to end the war, withdraw troops, and the identity and number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas demands be released in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.Families of the hostages and other advocates have pressed the government to do more to reach a deal, warning that time is running out for those still in captivity.Those who have been released have described “hellish” conditions, with abductees dealing with the constant fear of rape, torture or death at the hands of their captors, or by starvation or Israeli bombing raids.Agencies contributed to this report.

Israel to summon ambassadors of 6 countries that voted for Palestinian UN membership-Foreign Ministry spokesperson says ‘a strong protest’ will be lodged with envoys of France, Japan, South Korea, Malta, Slovenia and Ecuador-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 9:07 am-APR 21,24

Israel will summon ambassadors of countries that voted for full Palestinian UN membership at the Security Council on Thursday to lodge protests with them, a foreign ministry spokesman said Saturday.Twelve countries backed a resolution recommending full Palestinian membership at the world body Thursday and two — Britain and Switzerland — abstained, with the US wielding its veto to torpedo the measure.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said the ministry would summon ambassadors of France, Japan, South Korea, Malta, Slovenia, and Ecuador on Sunday, “and a strong protest will be presented to them.”“An identical protest will be presented to additional countries,” he said in a post on X.“The unambiguous message that will be delivered to the ambassadors: A political gesture to the Palestinians and a call to recognize a Palestinian state – six months after the October 7 massacre – is a prize for terrorism,” Marmorstein said, referring to the devastating attack on Israel by the Palestinian terror group Hamas.Some 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage during the onslaught, which touched off an ongoing war to eliminate the terror group in Gaza.Foreign countries involved in mediation efforts around the war have sought to parlay the indirect talks into negotiations aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.“Israel will not agree to the establishment of a terror state that will endanger its citizens,” Marmorstein wrote. “It will also be clarified to the ambassadors that instead of making political gestures that reward the Hamas terrorist organization, the countries should apply pressure on Hamas to immediately release the 133 women and men being held hostage.”The draft resolution voted on Thursday called for recommending to the General Assembly “that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations” in place of its current “non-member observer state” status, which it has held since 2012.The US had sought to convince the Palestinian Authority to shelve the measure, and then turned to other members to either oppose or abstain after Ramallah rebuffed Washington’s request, a US official told The Times of Israel.France, Japan, South Korea, and Slovenia all voted in favor of the resolution submitted by Algeria, even though none of them have individually recognized a Palestinian state.The US official speculated that those countries voted the way they did even though they didn’t practically support the measure because they knew there wouldn’t be any consequences for doing so, given Washington’s pledged veto.Sierra Leone, Russia, Mozambique, Malta, Guyana, Ecuador, China, and Algeria also voted in favor of the resolution; each have already recognized a Palestinian state.Following the US’s use of its veto, the Palestinian Authority said it would “reconsider” its relationship with Washington.The US has long opposed Palestinian efforts to unilaterally secure statehood status at the UN, arguing that the goal should be achieved through direct negotiations with Israel.

Hate was too high before Oct. 7, and now it's even worse' What would New York’s expanded definition of hate crimes mean for Jewish communities?-Gov. Kathy Hochul aims to add 31 offenses to list of potential hate crimes, including arson, but critics say small-scale offenders won’t be aware of the change or deterred by it-By Luke Tress Today, 7:09 am-APR 21,24

New York Jewish Week — Last month, antisemitic graffiti was found on bathroom walls at Queens College, including the message “Hitler, please come back.” In response, the NYPD alerted its Hate Crimes Task Force, although graffiti and a range of other crimes are not among the 66 offenses that can be considered hate crimes.Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to change that.In January, during her State of the State address, Hochul said she aimed to add another 31 offenses to the list of potential hate crimes, citing increases in antisemitism and Islamophobia. On Monday, the governor, a centrist Democrat, said passing the hate crimes legislation was part of an agreement she had reached with legislative leaders in negotiations over the state budget. The legislation passed the State Assembly on Thursday and now heads to the State Senate.“The rising tide of hate is abhorrent and unacceptable, and I’m committed to doing everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said in January. “We will never rest until all New Yorkers feel safe, regardless of who they are, who they love or how they worship.”The expansion of the hate crimes law comes as Jewish organizations and lawmakers have demanded action amid a reported spike in antisemitism following the October 7 massacres, in which thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel and brutally murdered 1,200 people and abducted 253 to the Gaza Strip.While many Jewish groups applaud the proposed expanded hate crime laws, some fear that they encourage sending even more people to prison. And one criminal justice professor questioned whether adding offenses to the list will actually deter some would-be perpetrators of minor offenses.“Essentially for hate crimes, we’re making the penalties more severe, and there’s been a whole lot of hate lately, so I think this is a good thing,” said Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, a Jewish Democrat who has pushed for the expansion. “The numbers were way too high before October 7, but since October 7, the problem’s gotten so much worse.”Law enforcement agencies and watchdogs have reported that since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, antisemitism has spiked in New York and across the country. According to NYPD data, between the start of October and April 1, there were 253 antisemitic incidents reported to police, nearly double the number during the same period last year. An Anti-Defamation League audit released on Tuesday said antisemitic incidents more than doubled nationwide year over year, also increasing in New York.In November, Dinowitz and a group of other lawmakers sponsored bills in the State Senate and Assembly that would have made severe criminal offenses like gang assault, rape and murder prosecutable as hate crimes. They also included lesser offenses like graffiti and “jostling,” a crime similar to pickpocketing.“Hate crimes harm not just the victim, but the larger community. It is important that this statute is amended to more effectively remediate such crimes’ pervasive harm,” the legislation says.Designating an offense as a hate crime leads to a steeper punishment. Arson as a hate crime could result in a 15-year imprisonment, as opposed to 10 years for regular arson, according to Frank Pezzella, a professor at New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Dinowitz said the legislation would “essentially raise the crime one notch,” making a class D felony into a class C felony, for example.The crimes are considered more serious, Pezzella said, because they threaten a larger community beyond their immediate targets. Whether something is a hate crime depends on proving the perpetrator’s motivation, which can be “a very high bar” to prove in court, Pezzella said.“It’s not just the primary victims we’re concerned about, it’s a message to secondary victims and how it undermines the ideals of society and inclusiveness,” he said. “That’s why hate crimes are dealt with a lot more severely than their ordinary crime counterparts.”Despite Hochul’s support of the bill in January, the bill stalled, and did not come before the Senate or Assembly until Thursday’s budget proceedings.But now a version of the legislation is due to pass with the state budget, Dinowitz said. The $237 billion budget is more than two weeks past its April 1 deadline and awaiting approval from the legislature. Hochul’s office said the legislature would vote on the bill in the coming days before coming to the governor for her signature.According to the budget deal, 23 crimes will be added under hate crimes, including gang assault, aggravated murder and sexual abuse — though graffiti is still off the list. The budget also includes $35 million for the state’s Securing Communities Against Hate Grant, which protects houses of worship and religious schools.Dinowitz said some crimes, such as graffiti, had been dropped from the legislation in order to secure a “broad consensus.”“I don’t think there’s any real opposition. I think there are some people on principle who don’t want to put more people in jail,” Dinowitz said.Among those people are some progressive Jewish activists who say the bill will contribute to mass incarceration. Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), a progressive group based in New York City, said it was tracking the bill along with allied non-Jewish groups. Sophie Ellman-Golan, a spokesperson for JFREJ, said the offenses in the legislation are already crimes, and feels that the bill would only enhance existing punishments in a harmful way.“Something like this can be a way for politicians to put a Band-Aid on and say, ‘Look how seriously we take hate violence,’” Ellman-Golan said, arguing that education was a more effective preventative measure. “A higher sentence is not materially going to undue what has been done. It simply causes further harm.”But major Jewish groups in the city, including the UJA-Federation, Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), backed Hochul’s January announcement. UJA’s CEO, Eric Goldstein, called the hate crimes expansion “a critical tool for law enforcement and the courts.”JCRC-NY’s CEO, Mark Treyger, said he supports the bill as a means to “hold bad actors accountable.” He urged a “comprehensive approach” to reducing hate crimes, that included legal penalties as well as other measures such as mental health care.“When we say there’s no room for hate, we have to mean it with more than just tweets and Facebook posts. We have to see that language codified into law,” Treyger said.Richard Priem, the interim CEO of the Community Security Service, which coordinates security for synagogues and other Jewish institutions, said his group was not involved in legislative advocacy and could not comment on the specifics of the bill, but that the group generally supported cracking down on antisemitic incidents. Because “not every antisemitic incident is also a crime,” Priem said, it can be more difficult for law enforcement to take action.“If legislation is passed that makes more expressions that are perceived as antisemitic an offense, that is a good thing,” he said. “There’s a stronger impetus for law enforcement to respond to it, which is making us safer.”Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has stepped up prosecution of hate crimes after coming under fire for his handling of a 2021 attack on a Jewish man, also vocally supported Hochul’s January announcement.“Hate and bias-motivated crimes are continuing to infiltrate our communities, leaving New Yorkers vulnerable and threatening public safety as a whole,” Bragg said in January, adding that the legislation is part of “creating a more robust legal framework and giving us the tools necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Yorkers.”Pezzella said he was “surprised” that certain crimes, such as arson, are not already on the hate crimes list. But he questioned whether the expanded definition would actually dissuade those who would commit more minor hate offenses. He said most hate crimes are done by “thrill seekers,” mainly young people who may not understand the significance of tagging a synagogue with graffiti, for example. Most offenders are not “looking at how the law has changed,” he said.“Who’s doing graffiti?” he said. “It’s not 35-year-old adults, it’s probably kids. If they don’t know, then essentially that type of intervention may or may not work.”He believes hate incidents are vastly underreported, something Jewish organizations have also said. Pezzella added that even minor incidents that don’t amount to a crime, such as verbal harassment, should be reported to law enforcement so officers can recognize patterns and keep an eye out during patrols because “hate incidents are precursors to hate crimes.”Pezzella said law enforcement had a central role to play in combating hate crimes, but also called for more education and public awareness campaigns.“We need to get at the would-be offenders, people who think that it’s OK to tag a synagogue,” he said. “They need to know that the vast majority of the public doesn’t tolerate this kind of offense.”

IDF wraps up 50-hour operation inside West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp-Military says 10 soldiers hurt, 14 Palestinian gunmen killed in raid * WSJ: Biden, US officials had ‘mounting alarm’ as scale of unprecedented Iranian assault on Israel became clear-By Emanuel Fabian-APR 21,24

The IDF says it has wrapped up a 50-hour-long operation in the West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp, adjacent to Tulkarem.Amid the raid, troops killed 14 gunmen in clashes, detained 15 wanted Palestinians, discovered and destroyed dozens of explosives, and captured weapons, according to the military.Nine soldiers and one Border Police officer were hurt during the clashes. They were listed in good and moderate condition.Palestinian media initially reported that the commander of a local Palestinian Islamic Jihad wing in Tulkarem was killed amid the raid, although reports now say that Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja’a, did not actually die. He is purportedly seen in footage at the funerals of other gunmen.

24min ago-Hamas in Lebanon claims responsibility for Upper Galilee rocket barrage-By Emanuel Fabian-APR 21,24

Hamas’s Lebanon branch claims responsibility for a rocket barrage earlier today on the Upper Galilee.In a statement, the terror group says it launched 20 Grad rockets from Lebanon at an Israeli army base near the town of Shomera.There were no reports of injuries in the attack.

24min ago-Gantz: Those who harm Israel’s security should not sit in government-By Sam Sokol-APR 21,24

In what appears to be a dig at several of his coalition colleagues, National Unity Minister Benny Gantz states that “ministers who harm the security of the state should not sit in the cabinet.”Speaking with reporters in the Knesset ahead of the start of the Passover holiday tomorrow evening, the war cabinet member and former IDF chief of staff insists that “critical discussions to advance the goals of the war must take place, even on Shabbat and holidays.”Just as soldiers do not get a break on the battlefield, neither should the country’s leaders, he states, calling on his fellow politicians to “set a personal example, and certainly not engage in division or attempts to pass laws and decisions that harm our security and political interests.”Israel’s focus should be on partnership and not on “favoring a sector or a group,” he continues, adding that “the freedom we gained as a people in the Exodus was only lost during periods of division between us.”While Israel has had achievements on the battlefield, both in the south and along the Lebanon border, it is important to be honest with the public and admit that “we have not yet completed our goals,” he says, adding that Israel is approaching a “decision point” as to how to proceed militarily in the north.“I appeal from here to the evacuees, who will also celebrate the Seder night outside their homes, and I promise – we see you, we recognize the enormous difficulty and your great courage. We will work to bring you home safely, even before the start of the next school year,” he states.In what appears to be a threat aimed at Hamas’s top leadership in Qatar, Gantz states that “Hamas terrorists, brutal murderers, should know that they are not immune anywhere — not in tunnels, not in luxury hotels.”Turning to the day-after in Gaza, Gantz asserts that “the regional coalition led by the United States that has proven itself against Iran, must be part of our action plan for a strategic reversal in the Middle East, and part of the day after in the Gaza Strip.”

The outposts are home to some 25,000 Israelis-Smotrich said pushing to start legalization process for 68 illegal West Bank outposts-Far-right lawmaker who has authority within Defense Ministry reportedly orders government bodies to lay groundwork for hooking up wildcat ‘young settlements’ to water, power grids-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 1:33 am-APR 21,24

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, is pushing to begin the process of legalizing 68 illegal outposts in the West Bank in what would be one of the most dramatic expansions for the settlement movement in decades, Channel 12 News reported on Saturday night.According to the report, Smotrich, who in his Defense Ministry role has broad authority over civilian issues in the West Bank, has sent instructions to several ministries telling them to begin preparations for providing a variety of public services to such outposts after they are legalized.Yesha, the umbrella organization for settlement municipal authorities, welcomed the move, saying it would “right the injustice” of the lack of such services for thousands of residents of these outposts. Labor MK Gilad Kariv, by contrast, accused Smotrich of destroying Israel’s international legitimacy with the reported step.The coalition agreement between the far-right, staunchly pro-settlement Religious Zionism party, which Smotrich heads, and the Likud party requires the government to legalize the so-called young settlement outposts and to hook them up to their own electricity and water supply.“Young settlements” is a euphemism for some 70 illegal outposts in the West Bank, now home to around 25,000 people, which were established in the 1990s and early 2000s with the assistance of different ministries but without formal approval from the government, meaning they are illegal under Israeli law.In February 2023, the government approved the legalization of nine illegal outposts, which eventually became 10, and at the same time made arrangements that Smotrich said at the time would facilitate the legalization of the rest.Since illegal outposts cannot legally benefit from the public services provided to legal population centers, obtaining such services can be difficult for their residents, who often need to route electricity and water supply from adjacent, legal settlements.According to Channel 12, Smotrich has sent letters to several ministries in recent weeks with instructions that would put these outposts on the same legal footing as regular settlements.The minister’s letter also instructs these ministries to initiate preparations for educational institutions, paved roads, state-funded medical clinics, and other services.Neither Smotrich’s office nor the Prime Minister’s Office responded to a request for comment.The head of the Yesha organization, Shlomo Neeman, described the step as a “strategic process” for long-established outposts set up “at the bidding” of the state.“This is important progress on the way to righting the injustice for thousands of residents who have been living in these settlements for years without proper infrastructure,” said Neeman.“Especially these days, this is an important answer to those who don’t want to see us here,” he added, thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich “for leading the process.”Kariv condemned the move, however, saying that Smotrich was “pouring his jerrycan of gasoline on Israel’s international legitimacy at a time when [the US] Congress is dealing with approving an unprecedented aid package for Israel.”

IDF says unaware of US plans to sanction unit, insists it follows international law-Opposition leaders dismayed at reported unprecedented step against Netzah Yehuda Battalion, linked to previous controversial incidents in West Bank-By Emanuel Fabian-and Sam Sokol-Today, 4:59 pm-APR 21,24

The Israeli military said Sunday that it was unaware of reports that the United States intended to sanction its Netzah Yehuda Battalion, a unit previously involved in a series of controversial and violent incidents in the West Bank.“If a decision is made on the matter, it will be reviewed,” the IDF said, in its first remarks on the issue.The IDF’s statement came a day after the Axios website reported that, in an unprecedented step, the Biden administration was to announce sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda Battalion for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.The battalion, which is part of the Kfir Brigade and largely made up of ultra-Orthodox troops, is currently deployed to the Gaza Strip front, following months in the north.Previously, it was stationed permanently in the West Bank, where it was at the center of several controversies connected to right-wing extremism and violence against Palestinians, notably including the 2022 death of Omar As’ad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American who had been detained, handcuffed, blindfolded, and later abandoned in near-freezing conditions by soldiers of the battalion.Israel moved the unit out of the West Bank in December 2022 — though it denied it did so due to soldiers’ behavior — and it was stationed on the Syrian border until the outbreak of the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Amid the war in Gaza, Netzah Yehuda troops have participated in several pinpoint operations in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun.The IDF said in its statement that the troops are “now participating in the war in the Gaza Strip, with courage and professionalism, while adhering to the values ​​and spirit of the IDF and the principles of international law.”“Over the past few years, the battalion’s troops have been at the core of operational activities around the clock, to safeguard the security of the citizens of the State of Israel, alongside being a leading battalion in the integration of ultra-Orthodox troops in the IDF,” the statement continued.Regarding the controversial incidents, the army said that “the IDF is working and will continue to work to investigate every unusual event in a focused manner and in accordance with the law.”Netzah Yehuda was created so that ultra-Orthodox and other religious soldiers could serve without feeling they were compromising their beliefs. The soldiers do not interact with female troops to the same extent as other servicemen and are given additional time for prayer and religious study.Members of the unit have been involved in multiple controversial and violent incidents and have also been convicted in the past of torturing and abusing Palestinian prisoners and detainees.Opposition leaders expressed dismay on Sunday at the reported intention of the US to impose sanctions on Netzah Yehuda.Opposition and Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid claimed that “the source of the problem is not at the military level but at the political level.”The world, he said in a post on the X social media site, “knows and understands” that far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is responsible for the Israel Police, “does not want the police to enforce the law in the West Bank” and allied far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich “is not opposed to Jewish terrorism and extreme settler riots.”Centrist war cabinet minister and former IDF chief Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law.Gadi Eisenkot, also a former IDF chief and a war cabinet minister, said imposing sanctions on any army unit is “fundamentally wrong.”“We will work together to prevent the decision, because if there are complaints, they should be addressed to the political and military leadership and not to the commanders on the tactical level,” Eisenkot said.The reported decision to impose sanctions also drew sharp condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it “the height of absurdity and a moral low.”Describing the Axios report as “extremely grave,” Ben Gvir said that he “expects Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to submit to American dictates” and that the members of Netzah Yehuda “must be fully supported.”Ben Gvir subsequently wrote to Netanyahu, demanding that the prime minister respond to the American move by convening the security cabinet to discuss imposing “immediate sanctions” on the Palestinian Authority.Citing unnamed American sources, the Axios report said the sanctions would bar the transfer of US weapons to the unit and prevent its soldiers from training with US forces or taking part in any activities with US funding, under the Leahy Laws.Authored by then-senator Patrick Leahy in the late 1990s, the laws prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice.Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the US has issued three rounds of sanctions against settler individuals for violence against Palestinians, prompting harsh pushback from Finance Minister Smotrich, who has pledged to “fight with all our might” and not “let up” until all Western sanctions are lifted.The latest round was issued on Friday and included the leader of the far-right group Lehava, Benzi Gopstein, who is a close ally of Ben Gvir.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

How can we celebrate freedom as they wait to be liberated?' For many Israelis this Passover, celebrating the Festival of Freedom feels impossible-The first major holiday since the devastating Oct. 7 massacre will be marked by some with an empty seat at the seder table in honor of the many hostages still held in Gaza-By Deborah Danan Today, 4:21 pm-APR 21,24

JTA — This year, Noam Safir and her family will order takeout for the Passover seder because her mother Moshit has no energy to cook a festive meal as she has done in past years.Moshit is the daughter of the oldest Israeli hostage held by Hamas — Shlomo Mansour, 86.Mansour was one of 253 people abducted to the Gaza Strip on October 7 when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel and butchered 1,200 people, the vast majority of them civilians, amid horrifying acts of brutality. There remain 129 hostages in captivity, though not all are believed to be alive.“It’s going to be less of a celebration and more of marking the holiday,” Safir, 20, told reporters in a video call this week.It’s a sentiment that is widely shared this year by families of the hostages and the millions of Jews in Israel and around the world who have mounted a sweeping advocacy campaign pressing for their release. The Passover holiday begins on Monday, when Jews are traditionally read through the Haggadah, which recounts the story of the Israelites’ freedom from slavery and exodus from Egypt.“I don’t even want to be a part of it,” Rachel Goldberg, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, remains a hostage in Gaza, told The Times of Israel on Friday. “There’s something perverse about even going through the motions of celebrating a holiday of freedom from captivity when our only son is not free and is in the worst form of captivity that any of us can imagine. It feels completely inappropriate.”For Mai Albini-Peri, 29, from Jerusalem, whose grandfather Chaim Peri was also kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the October 7 massacre, the Passover rituals feel almost impossible to carry out. “How can we celebrate such a holiday while [these] people are still without their freedom, still waiting to be liberated?” he asked.On October 7, Peri hid his wife in their safe room and went out to fight the invading terrorists. “My grandpa sacrificed his freedom to save his wife,” Albini-Peri said. He went on to note that his grandfather, who marked his 80th birthday last week in captivity, was a peace activist who drove sick children from Gaza to Israeli hospitals. “He dedicated his life to liberating oppressed people wherever,” he said.Safir said her family will leave an empty seat at the seder table for Mansour. Jews in other parts of the world, including London and Los Angeles, have been asked to do the same in honor of the hostages still in captivity.New liturgy for a new era-Some families will be using a Haggadah sold by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and produced by the print shop at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 90 residents were murdered and 20 taken hostage on October 7. The Haggadah features an essay by Goldberg-Polin and her husband, Jon, that adds a fifth question to the holiday’s traditional four: “Why are our loved ones not sitting at the table with us?”In Israel, the head of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, Rabbi David Stav, said it was “impossible to celebrate this holiday without calling out to the heavens that the captives should be taken out from the darkness in which they are being held in and into the light of freedom.”Stav added, “That empty chair should be used as a teaching moment for our children to ask an additional ‘fifth question’ so that they can understand what makes this year different and what they might be able to do to help bring the hostages home.” Tzohar also recommended dedicating the symbolic fifth cup of wine at Seder, traditionally known as Elijah’s Cup, to the hostages and to say an additional prayer composed by the group in light of the war.Daily reminders of freedom – and captivity-But not all of the hostage families are incorporating a new ritual this year.“We don’t need physical symbols because we’re living it every day,” said Talya Dancyg, 18, whose grandfather Alex Dancyg was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The elder Dancyg was the one who would lead the seder every year. “Usually my grandpa is the one who takes the show, telling the jokes and the stories. This year it won’t be like that.”“It’s called [the seder night] but it won’t have any seder,” she added, referencing the Hebrew word for order. She did add, however, that her family would be taking time at the seder to acknowledge how their own lives were saved on October 7. “My family was saved from Nir Oz,” she said. “We get to say thank God for giving our lives back.”Dancyg, who lived with her grandfather growing up, spoke of the close bond she shared with him. “I talked with him about everything. I talked with him about love and he would respond like a 16-year-old boy.”It’s not only hostage families whose experience of Passover has been altered. For Israelis, the festival is the first major Jewish holiday since October 7, which was itself the festival of Simchat Torah, and many Israelis are feeling unease, especially amid a recent flare-up of tensions with Iran that included the launch of 300 drones and missiles at Israel.The first night of Passover, when much of the country pauses for families to gather, has seen terror attacks in the past, such as when a hotel hosting a seder in Netanya was bombed in 2002, killing 30, the deadliest single attack of the Second Intifada. Israeli officials believe Hamas initially planned what became the October 7 attack for Passover last year but delayed after security was elevated.The Netanya bombing targeted extended families who had gathered at the hotel, in keeping with Israeli tradition. But for many of the roughly 118,000 Israelis who are evacuated from their homes because of the war, this year a joint seder won’t be possible, with members of the same family scattered in different hotels all over the country.In one of the larger hotel chains along the Tel Aviv boardwalk, evacuees are particularly disgruntled after being told that their seder will be held in a separate room from the tourists from overseas. Evacuees were also told they couldn’t use the hotel’s pool over the busy holiday period. “It’s as if we’re outcasts,” one woman, Shula, who declined to give her last name, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.‘The Empty Seder Table’ with 133 chairs and place settings representing the absence of hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants from Israel and held in Celebrating together-Among the organizations in Israel that are hoping to alleviate the challenges posed by Passover for evacuees is Colel Chabad, which has more than 25,000 people registered for its communal seders all over the country. Another is the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which is distributing close to 19,000 debit cards amounting to a total of more than NIS 18 million  ($4.8 million) for evacuated families to use towards purchasing food items for the holiday.“’All who are hungry, come and eat’ is something recited at every Passover seder around the world,” IFCJ President Yael Eckstein told JTA. “With so many evacuees not in their own homes, and so many suffering from loss or the unknown fate of their loved ones, this will be a Passover like none Israel has ever experienced before. Our commitment is to continue to help feed and provide for those who need it, how and where they need it.”Medical aid group Yad Sarah is assisting evacuees, the wounded and the elderly holding non-traditional seders by providing at-home hospitalization supplies and accessible transportation to seder destinations on Passover eve.Other efforts are underway to ensure that Israelis are able to observe and celebrate the holiday, wherever they are. With a larger-than-normal number of soldiers on active duty, army bases will be hosting more seders than usual. (Israel’s top court rejected a request to allow soldiers to eat chametz, leavened food that is barred on Passover, on their bases.) And in a particularly heart-rending effort this week, a top government minister implored the United Nations to ensure that Israeli hostages in Gaza can access the ritual foods — grape juice and matzah — needed to fulfill the most basic commandments on Passover.In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, thousands gathered this week for a “Unity and Freedom Rally” ahead of Passover.-Eli Bibas, father of Yarden Bibas and grandfather to the youngest hostages held by Hamas, 4-year-old Ariel and 1-year-old Kfir, said that from his perspective, “Passover was not a holiday” this year.A day earlier, new video footage emerged of a bloodied Yarden being taken by his captors through the streets of Gaza on October 7 as an angry mob surrounded him. The older Bibas said the footage was “devastating” to watch, especially as the family’s hopes dimmed that a deal for the release of additional hostages might be reached before Passover.Yet he told JTA that he had made a painful calculation about the seder night, one that Jews in dire circumstances have made many times throughout history.“Nevertheless, because we have other grandchildren, we’ll sit at the table and celebrate — that’s the wrong word — we’ll spend the holiday together as a family, albeit a broken one,” he said.