Herzog Calls For Hostages’ Release, Appeals For Jewish Unity Ahead Of Independence Day
President Isaac Herzog issued a heartfelt address Monday (28th) ahead of Memorial Day and the country’s 77th Independence Day, reflecting on the deep pain since the October 7 Hamas attacks and calling for Global action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
In a message directed to Jewish communities around the world, Herzog spoke of the burden Israel has carried since the attacks, noting that the country is “being attacked from seven different frontiers by a terrible empire of evil emanating from Tehran.” He emphasized that 59 Israeli hostages remain in captivity and urged the international community and “all people of sanity and humanity” to demand their immediate release.
“We are reflecting indeed because a huge burden of pain and agony has been given to us since October 7,” Herzog said. “We call for the release of all of them, until the last one.”
The president also reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to supporting Jewish communities abroad, acknowledging the challenges they face amid rising anti-Semitism. He extended a message of fraternity, love, and “ahavat Yisrael”–-love for the people of Israel–saying, “We care and understand the challenges that are facing Jewish communities abroad.”
From the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, Herzog concluded his address with a call for unity and resilience, expressing hope for the safe return of the hostages and a future of greater regional change and peace. “May we go together from strength to strength,” he said, wishing the Jewish people a “Happy Independence Day.”
Israel’s 77th Independence Day begins Wednesday evening (April 30th) and ends Thursday evening (May 1st).
IDF Chief Of Staff Zamir On Mount Herzl: We Have “Moral Obligation To Return Our Hostages”
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told a memorial ceremony on Monday (28th) honoring Israel’s fallen soldiers, held at the Hall of Remembrance on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem: “It is our duty in the IDF to serve as a compass, to guide the way, and to act at all times, tirelessly and with a sense of integrity, for the sake of unity, cohesion and victory. We are fighting to build a secure, free and prosperous future for the nation. Our moral duty is to bring our hostages home — this is the essence of the Israel Defense Forces put to the test.”
The event was attended by the heads of Israel’s defense establishment, including Mossad Chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, Police Commissioner Danny Levy, Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, and Fire and Rescue Commissioner Eyal Caspi. Before the ceremony began, Zamir and Police Commissioner Levy visited gravesites on Mount Herzl. During the event, videos were shown featuring speeches by Barnea, Bar and Yaakobi, set against the backdrop of memorials honoring their respective organizations’ fallen.
Zamir addressed the challenging circumstances facing the country, inducing recent letters by reservists calling for the release of the hostages and the end of the war. “In the midst of a complex and challenging period, when emotions run high, it is our duty in the IDF to serve as a compass. To show the way and act continuously, tirelessly, and with a sense of integrity, for unity, cohesion and victory. The Israel Defense Forces will continue to be the army of the people, and in this lies our strength. In times of storm, the IDF will be a stable anchor, a secure base, and a source of trust for all of us.”
Zamir added that “the state was not simply handed to us; that the struggle for our right to exist here did not begin yesterday and will not end soon. On October 7th, Simchat Torah, 2023, we all felt this more than ever. We were thrust into a war, which began with a barbaric massacre, carried out by a despicable and ruthless enemy. An enemy who does not distinguish between women and men, between adults and children, between soldiers and civilians”
Police Commissioner Danny Levy also spoke at the ceremony, reflecting on the recent conflict: “In the Gaza War, we stood as a fortified wall, together with all the security forces. They fought on various fronts with determination and courage, putting their bodies on the line to protect the citizens of this country. . Seventy-one police officers and fighters -–heroes—fell in this difficult war.”
Levy added: “We are committed to continuing to carry the torch of remembrance and ensuring that their sacrifice was not in vain. This is our mission, this is our calling. I wish to embrace the bereaved families, pray for the speedy recovery of all the wounded and hope for the swift return of the hostages to their homes. Together with the entire Israel Police, I salute the fallen of Israel’s defense forces.”
On Tuesday (29th) at 8:00 p.m., a one-minute nationwide memorial siren will mark the beginning of Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers. Immediately following the siren, remembrance ceremonies will begin across the country. The central ceremony will take place at the western Wall in Jerusalem. On Wednesday (30th) at 11:00 a.m., another siren will sound, after which memorial ceremonies will begin at military cemeteries and memorial sites. Shortly after the siren at 11:02 a.m., a flyover of fighter jets in a missing-man formation will pass over the military cemetery and the National Hall of Remembrance on Mount Herzl.
Israeli Official Says Netanyahu Set Gaza War Deadline
A senior security official revealed Monday (28th) in closed-door discussions that prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is mapping out the conclusion of the Gaza war by October.
The Official emphasized this represents a “final deadline,” and should conditions mature and objectives be achieved, the military campaign could conclude earlier. According to the source, the underlying rationale is to prevent the conflict from extending beyond two years.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to reject ceasefire proposals that would allow Hamas to maintain an armed presence in Gaza. A diplomatic official told reporters on Monday (28th), “The reason we didn’t launch an intensive campaign after the ceasefire ended but instead took gradual steps stems from our desire to give negotiations for the hostages’ release a chance. We’re still trying to maximize efforts to secure a hostage release deal, but our patience isn’t unlimited.”
The official noted that Qatar has exerted a negative influence on negotiations recently. Addressing new proposals, the source said, “Certain Arab countries are suggesting ideas like a five-year war pause. There’s absolutely no chance we’ll agree to a hudna [long-term ceasefire] with Hamas that would permit them to rearm, recover, and resume their war against Israel with greater intensity.”
IDF Conducts First Use Of ‘Bar’ Rocket In The Gaza Strip
Israeli forces have carried out the first operational use of the “Bar” rocket, developed by Elbit Systems, against Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, the military said Monday (28th).
According to the IDF, the system features a navigation mechanism adapted to challenging combat environments and is capable of striking targets “within a very short time.”
The forces using the rocket are artillery troops from the 282nd Artillery Brigade, operating under the 36th Division. They have been active in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, following intensive activity in various arenas.
So far the troops have fired more than 5,000 shells at terror targets along the “Morag” Corridor, which divides the southern Gaza Strip between Rafah and Khan Younis, providing close support to maneuvering ground forces.
During their operations, the troops destroyed weapon storage facilities and launch-compounds belonging to terror organizations in Gaza, and terrorists were eliminated under the direction of the brigade’s Fire Control Center.
Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has also been using old armored personnel carriers (APCs) packed with tons of explosives to preemptively trigger and neutralize explosive devices in combat zones before troops enter. These APCs, developed within the military, are remotely detonated and can generate an explosive effect equivalent to that of four to five large “JDAM” bombs. During the war, the IDF upgraded the development and also used it against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Security Over Judea And Samaria ‘Only Solution,’ Says JNS Panel
Politicians, intellectuals and activists agreed on Sunday (27th) that applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria is the only viable path to securing Jewish rights and safety in the Land of Israel.
At the inaugural Jewish News Syndicate International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, panelists said the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 — which left 1,200 people dead — signaled the dangers of allowing a Palestinian state to be established in Israel’s biblical heartland. Such a development, they warned, would expose Jewish communities to even greater threats.
Knesset Member Ohad Tal argued that by refraining from imposing sovereignty, Israel was inviting further violence.
“Palestinians don’t engage in terrorism because they lack hope, but because they believe they can drive the Jews into the sea,” Tal said. “Applying sovereignty deprives them of that hope and is the only relevant solution.”
Longtime activist Nadia Matar, co-chair of the Sovereignty Movement, echoed the sentiment.
“October 7 was a watershed moment,” she said. “The massacre and the support it received from Arabs in Gaza, Judea and Samaria proved we cannot live under illusions. Granting citizenship or residency to populations that glorify terror would be national suicide.”
Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, pointed to Gaza as a cautionary example, describing it as a de facto Palestinian state under Hamas rule —with catastrophic results.
Several speakers emphasized the geographical vulnerability of central Israel to attacks launched from Judea and Samaria.
Yigal Dilmoni, co-founder of American Friends of Judea and Samaria, noted that Kibbutz Be’eri, near Gaza, suffered a massacre despite being three kilometers from the border. Meanwhile, the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba lies only a short distance from Qalqilya, a major Arab city in Samaria.
No reasonable person in Israel thinks we can solve this by creating another terrorist state in the mountains of Judea and Samaria,” Dilmoni said. “Sovereignty is the only path forward.”
Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh expressed frustration at the theoretical nature of the debate.
“While we sit here talking about plans to apply Israeli sovereignty, the Palestinian Authority is already creating facts on the ground,” he said, pointing out that the PA operates with 45,000 security forces, a court system, a central bank, and functioning municipalities.”
Ancient Jerusalem Stone Capital To Be Unveiled For Israeli Independence Day
A one-of-a-kind stone capital, a type never found anywhere in the world, decorated with an eight-branched lamp over 1,500 years old, will be revealed to the public for the first time at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, in honor of this year’s Israeli Independence Day.
Made of limestone, the capital was unearthed in 2020 during Israel Antiquities Authority excavations conducted prior to constructing the new Jerusalem city entrance, and financed by the Netivei Israel – National transport Infrastructure Company.
Since then, experts of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have subjected it to a range of scientific and historical investigations.
The capital – a rare architectural artifact that has no archaeological parallels, was discovered in a Byzantine period building (6th-7th Century CE) resting upside-down on one room’s flooring.
The researchers believe it was placed into this structure in what is termed “secondary use” – changing its primary purpose, and that originally, it served to decorate an even earlier structure.
“It seems this capital stood atop a column in a magnificent building or on a street, in a late Roman period settlement here (2nd-4th century CE),” said Dr. Uzi Ad and Anna Elrich, excavation managers on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“From its local context and finds this settlement was apparently populated by descendants of Roman army retirees. If so, what was a capital with a menorah decoration on it doing here of all places – a distinct Jewish symbol? This is a true conundrum.”
In the classical periods, architectural capitals standing on top of columns were intended to support the beams which held up ceilings.
Usually they featured a plant decoration, and occasionally with different symbols – in this case, it features the menorah, based on the Temple candelabrum.
In its upper section, each of the capital’s sides is decorated with an eight-branched candelabrum, and each side of its lower section is decorated with eight leaves – while a vertical element is incised above the upper part of each side’s middle leaf, appearing as the foot of the candelabrum.
According to Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who specializes in ancient architectural decoration, “Corinthian capitals with smooth leaves were common throughout our region from the late Second Temple through Byzantine periods – the capital discovered at Motza exhibits truly distinctive features.”
“Despite being skillfully crafted, it appears to be the work of an artisan less familiar with architectural conventions prevalent in urban public structures. Most significantly, the upper section—traditionally adorned with a floral motif—instead features what resembles an eight-branched menorah.”
“This is particularly intriguing because seven-branched menorahs typically appear on capitals from synagogues of the late Roman and Byzantine periods, such as those found at Capernaum and Caesarea. The absence of any evidence suggesting a synagogue at this site raises questions about the capital’s original purpose and content. It’s possible the craftsman intended to carve a conventional flower design but due to his limited familiarity with standard models, created something that bears a resemblance to a symmetrical eight-branched lamp.”
Dr. Yuval Baruch, Deputy Director of Archaeology at the Israel Antiquities Authority and a researcher of the menorah symbol, said that “The stone capital from Motza in the Jerusalem hills, decorated with the eight-branched menorah design, is unique, and a rare kind of discovery.”
“Especially due to its findspot, its importance should not be underestimated. A few decades after the Second Temple’s destruction, the menorah became the distinct symbol of the Jewish people, both in the diaspora and in the Land of Israel. Finding objects decorated with menorahs, certainly on heavy stone objects, is a clear indication of the existence of a Jewish settlement.”
“Now, let us consider that historical texts supported by archaeological research shows that the Jewish settlement in Judea – and especially in the Jerusalem hills, suffered a great blow as a result of the Bar Kokhba revolt in the 2nd century CE – in fact, it can be considered eliminated in this region. Based on this reality, it is reasonable to surmise that this capital was brought from a destroyed site elsewhere merely to serve as useful building material here, in secondary usage.”
