Israeli Foreign Ministry revisits scenes of terror attacks for Yom Hazikaron
(JNS) — Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Apr 21 highlighted the civilians killed in terrorist attacks across the Jewish state in a social media post marking Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Hostile Acts (Yom Hazikaron).
“These quiet places may look still but they carry an unbearable grief,” the MFA wrote, sharing a video revisiting the scenes of terror attacks.
“On Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, these places hold the last moments of those taken by terror. Lives interrupted. Families shattered. Today, an entire nation mourns,” it added.
The clip showed the scenes of the 2001 Sbarro bombing that took the lives of 17 people; the December 2015 Jaffa Gate stabbing that left two dead; Kibbutz Be’eri, where Hamas terrorists butchered more than 100 people during their Oct. 7, 2023, massacre; and Beit Shemesh, the site of an Iranian missile strike that killed nine, including several children, on March 1, 2026.
“On Israel’s Memorial Day, we remember our fallen soldiers and civilian victims murdered by terrorism. Behind every number is a life. May their memory be a blessing,” the video concluded.
Yom Hazikaron on Apr 20 with a nationwide one-minute siren, followed on Apr 21 by a two-minute siren ahead of memorial ceremonies.
A total of 174 Israel Defense Forces soldiers have been killed during their military service since last Yom Hazikaron, according to figures released by the Israeli Defense Ministry.
Israel jails soldiers who smashed Jesus statue in Lebanon, installs a new one
(JTA) — An Israeli soldier who bludgeoned a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon and another soldier who photographed the act have both been dismissed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention, the Israeli military said on Apr 20.
“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
The military also announced it had replaced the damaged statue with a new one “in full coordination with the local community of Debel in southern Lebanon.” The town is a Christian enclave within a region that is a Hezbollah stronghold.
Photos of the incident, which depicted the soldier striking an overturned Jesus statue, were quickly condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF as they spread on Apr 19.
By the next day, a letter condemning the act had drawn over 80 signatures by prominent Jewish leaders, including former Israeli cabinet minister Michael Melchior; American antisemitism activist Shabbos Kestenbaum; and Orthodox rabbis in Israel and the United States.
“This act is a chillul Hashem — a desecration of God’s name,” the letter said. “It is an affront to the ancient Christian communities of the Middle East and to Christians all over the world. It is a vile betrayal of the Jewish values upon which the State of Israel was founded.”
Trump, in absentia, becomes first non-Israeli to receive Israel’s top civilian honor
(JTA) — Donald Trump officially became the first non-Israeli to receive the Israel’s top civilian prize on Apr 22 — but he wasn’t on hand to receive his honor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Trump would get the Israel Prize after meeting with him at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, in December.
“We decided to break a convention, or create a new one, and that is to award the Israel Prize, which in almost our 80 years we’ve never awarded to a non-Israeli, and we’re going to award it this year to President Trump,” Netanyahu said at the time. He added, “It’s going to be awarded to President Donald J. Trump for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people.”
Israel’s education minister, who oversees the prize, extended the invitation officially in early February. But even though Trump indicated at one point that he could attend the award ceremony, held annually on Independence Day, he was absent on Apr 22 when it took place.
Trump has delighted in his support from Israelis, many of whom have viewed him as unusually willing to go to bat for Israeli interests. A video played at the ceremony in Jerusalem showed him meeting with Netanyahu, speaking to the Israeli parliament last year and announcing the historic normalization deals with Arab countries negotiated during his first administration.
Israeli population hits 10.244 million
(JNS) — Israel’s population has reached 10.244 million as the country marks its 78th Independence Day, according to data released on Apr 19 by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Of the total population, 7.97 million are Jews and others (76%), 2.15 million are Arabs (21%) and 296,000 are foreign residents (2.9%), according to the figures.
Israel’s population has grown by 146,000 since its last Independence Day, registering an increase of 1.4%, the Bureau noted.
During this period, about 177,000 babies were born, some 21,000 immigrants arrived, roughly 48,000 people died and the net balance of Israelis staying abroad stands at approximately 45,000.
At the time of the state’s founding, Israel’s population was 806,000. Today, it is more than 12.5 times larger, according to the CBS data.
More than 3.5 million immigrants have arrived in Israel since the establishment of the state in 1948, about 1.68 million (47.8%) of them since 1990.
Israeli demographics remain young among Western countries, with about 27% of its population aged 0–14 and 13% aged 65 and older.
As of the end of 2024, about 45% of the world’s Jewish population lives in Israel, and about 81% of Jews in Israel are native-born (“sabras” in Hebrew), according to the Bureau.
Friends of Zion launches Israeli billboard campaign honoring Trump
(JNS) — The Friends of Zion Heritage Center has launched a nationwide billboard campaign across Israel featuring the message “The Deliverer” alongside an image of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The campaign, initiated by Friends of Zion founder Mike Evans, is being rolled out ahead of Israel’s 78th Independence Day amid a ceasefire and ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, Friends of Zion said in a press release on Apr 21.
Billboards have been placed at major intersections and central routes in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, according to the organization. The initiative is intended to express appreciation for Trump’s support of Israel, particularly during the current conflict with Iran, it said.
Evans, an evangelical leader known for his longstanding support for Israel, said Trump has demonstrated unusual resolve in backing the Jewish state.
“No American president has stood by the State of Israel with the courage demonstrated by President Trump, even at significant personal and political risk,” Evans said. “He chose principle over caution. President Trump continues to act with determination despite intense pressures, including during the current election period.”
Evans returned to Israel this week, marking his third visit since the outbreak of the war with Iran.
