Cornell’s Jewish president clashes with students following on-campus debate about Israel
(JTA) — Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff and student protesters are trading accusations after an incident in which protesters surrounded the president’s car following an on-campus debate about Israel.
The protesters, from a group called Students for a Democratic Cornell, released a video appearing to show that President Michael Kotlikoff had backed up into one of them while a protester shouts that the car ran over his foot.
In response, Cornell released its own video depicting what it said was a “harassment and intimidation incident,” its enhanced version of which it said offered “complete footage of the parking lot interactions, instead of clips to support a narrative.” That video shows students surrounding the president’s car as he tries to exit his parking space. After he eventually departs, the students continue to mill around with no obvious indication of injury to any of them.
Kotlikoff said that despite being surrounded by protesters who banged on his car windows, he waited until his backup camera showed a clear path before maneuvering out of the spot.
“The behavior I experienced last night is not protest,” Kotlikoff said in his statement, released May 1st. “It is harassment and intimidation, with the direct motive of silencing speech. It has no place in an academic community, no place in a democracy, and can have no place at Cornell.”
Israel to commemorate Yoni Netanyahu at aviation heritage center
(JNS) — A national heritage center for aviation planned for construction north of Jerusalem will dedicate a wing to Lt. Col. Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed during “Operation Thunderbolt” to rescue 102 hostages in Uganda.
The Israeli Cabinet is expected to approve the proposal led by Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu next week, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the successful military operation.
The operation on July 4, 1976, commanded by Netanyahu—the brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the only IDF soldier killed during the rescue — has become an “international symbol of determination, bravery and mutual commitment,” Israel Hayom cited the proposal as saying.
Eliyahu told the outlet, “This is a historic initiative that connects pioneering spirit, heroism and sovereignty. The center will commemorate the story of the residents of Atarot and Israel’s fighters — foremost among them Yonatan Netanyahu — in a vivid and accessible way for future generations.”
The project is estimated to cost approximately three million shekels (~$1.03 million), allocated from the Ministry of Heritage budget for 2026.
El Al inaugurates world’s largest kosher airline food plant
(JNS) — Israeli flag carrier El Al announced on Wednesday that it has inaugurated the largest kosher airline catering plant in the world.
The 14,000-square-meter (about 150,000-square-feet) site at Ben-Gurion International Airport is nearly twice the size of the previous decades-old one, and will enable the production of about 50,000 meals a day, the airline said.
“The new facility will allow us to expand the variety of meals served onboard, further improve product quality and elevate the culinary standard for El Al passengers,” the airline said in a statement.
Israeli carriers, led by El Al, are operating the vast majority of flights to and from Tel Aviv with service from all but about a dozen international airlines suspended as a result of regional tensions caused by the war with Iran.
Israel, US condemn Belgium over planned prosecutions tied to Jewish circumcisions
(JTA) — A diplomatic spat erupted on May 6 after Belgian prosecutors moved to charge two Jewish men tied to ritual circumcisions, prompting Israeli and U.S. officials to accuse Belgium of targeting Jews for practicing their faith.
Gideon Saar, Israel’s minister of foreign affairs, lit into the country in a post on social media Wednesday morning, calling the indictments a “scarlet letter on Belgian society.”
“With this act Belgium joins a short and shameful list, together with Ireland, of countries that use criminal law to prosecute Jews for practicing Judaism,” Saar wrote, later calling circumcision a “cornerstone of Jewish faith” and urging the Belgian government to “act immediately and to find a solution.”
Saar’s condemnation was quickly joined by the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, who had previously called on Belgium to drop the “ridiculous and antisemitic” investigation of mohels in February.
“This is a shameful stain on Belgium,” White wrote in a post on social media. “The prosecution of these religious figures (mohels), one of whom is American, is WRONG and won’t be tolerated. Belgium will be thought of now as anti Semitic by world. Until this is resolved — there is no way around it.”
Medical cannabis overhaul in Israel sparks debate over smoking-based treatment
(JNS) — Israel’s Health Ministry on Sunday published recommendations from a professional committee calling for a sweeping overhaul of medical cannabis regulation in Israel, including a dramatic proposal to phase out the use and marketing of smoked cannabis within three years.
The committee, chaired by Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the ministry’s Mental Health Division, was tasked with reducing risks and improving safety in medical cannabis treatment.
According to data presented by the committee, around 140,000 Israelis currently hold medical cannabis licenses, compared to about 33,000 in 2019, with 62% consuming more than 30 grams per month.
The central recommendation is to end smoking as a mode of medical cannabis administration within three years and shift patients toward cannabis extracts (oils) and precision inhalers. At present, 87% of prescriptions and licenses are for smoked cannabis, a method the committee says is not medically optimal.
The report stated that smoking leads to inconsistent dosing and absorption and may encourage patterns that endanger public health. The committee further recommends that all new treatments begin only with oils or inhalers, while existing patients will be gradually transitioned away from smoking products during the interim period.
