Freed Israeli hostage says captors sexually abused, tortured him
(JNS) — Recently released Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski has revealed for the first time that he was sexually abused and tortured by his captors in the Gaza Strip.
The 21-year-old was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He was taken captive and held for over two years before gaining freedom last month.
In excerpts of an interview with Israel’s Channel 13 News, Braslavski said that his captors stripped him naked and tied him up.
“They stripped me of all my clothes — underwear, everything. They tied me up from my … while I was completely naked. I was torn apart, dying, with no food,” he said.
“I prayed to God, ‘Please, save me, get me out of this already.’ And you just say to yourself, ‘What the f***?’”
He continued: “It was sexual violence — and its main purpose was to humiliate me. The goal was to crush my dignity. And that’s exactly what he did.”
“Yes. It’s hard for me to talk about that part specifically. I don’t like to talk about it,” he continued.
“It’s something even the Nazis didn’t do. During Hitler’s time, they wouldn’t have done things like this. You just pray for it to stop. And while I was there — every day, every beating — I’d say to myself, ‘I survived another day in hell. Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up to another hell. And another. And another. It doesn’t end.’”
He added: “I came back from meeting the devil.”
Netanyahu, Singapore FM highlight strong bilateral ties
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at his office in Jerusalem on Thursday, touting the two countries’ strong diplomatic relations.
“We have our historic friendship with Singapore. I think it’s been consistent over so many decades. It’s a pleasure to see the foreign minister here, but it’s not the first time that we meet. And it continues this remarkable partnership. Two small states with gigantic capabilities. And it’s very, very good to see you here to advance our common goals of prosperity, peace and security,” the premier said, according to his office.
Balakrishnan thanked Netanyahu for his hospitality and noted the “special, unique” bilateral ties.
“It’s always an occasion to be open and candid in a way which very few countries share, which reflects this special, unique relationship which we have. It also reflects our commitment to the future of peace and hope,” the minister said.
Balakrishnan also held a discussion with his counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, during his visit to Israel’s capital.
Sa’ar described the talks at the Foreign Ministry as “an honest discussion on the situation in the Middle East, Israel’s diplomatic and security challenges and the relations between our countries.”
The Israeli minister thanked Singapore for not recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in September, calling it a “responsible decision” and stressing that “the only path now is the Trump plan.
Israeli tourist arrested in Thailand after ammunition found in luggage
(JNS) — An Israeli tourist was arrested at a Thai airport on Thursday after security officers discovered a magazine containing 29 bullets in his luggage.
The 26-year-old, whose name was not released, was apprehended after the 5.56 mm rounds were detected during a baggage scan at Phuket International Airport where he was preparing to board a domestic flight.
He was charged with illegal possession of ammunition, which carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison and a fine of $62-$620, according to Thai media.
The incident come a day after a young Israeli couple was arrested on the Thai island of Koh Phangan after being filmed having sex in broad daylight at a popular waterfall, prompting outrage among locals and tourists.
“The majority of Israeli tourists are good tourists who love traveling to Thailand,” Israeli Ambassador to Bangkok Alona Fisher-Kamm said on Nov. 4. “Only a small minority behave inappropriately or break the law, and we fully support Thai authorities taking legal action as they would with any other nationality.”
Thailand is a top destination for young Israeli tourists.
Israel to grant new immigrants two-year income tax exemption
(JNS) — New Jewish immigrants and citizens moving back to Israel in 2026 will pay no income tax during their first two years in the country, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Nov. 6.
The tax reform for olim, which is part of next year’s state budget and was first announced during a ceremony at the Jerusalem headquarters of Nefesh B’Nefesh Thursday, seeks to attract immigrants and returning residents from Western nations amid a global surge of antisemitism.
“This is a Zionist and economic revolution,” Smotrich declared, speaking alongside Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer.
“Zionism has always relied on three pillars — settlement, security and aliyah,” he added. “These past two years, we invested heavily in security, and the State of Israel is now in a different place. The year 2026 will be a year of revolution in aliyah not as a slogan, but as a practical work plan.”
Sofer called immigration “of Zionist, social and economic importance to the State of Israel,” emphasizing that aliyah “strengthens our social fabric, brings high-quality human capital and directly contributes to growth, innovation and economic development.”
Under the tax reform, new immigrants who make the Jewish state their home and Israelis who return after living abroad for 10 or more years will be charged a zero-percent income tax rate in 2026 and 2027.
Yesh Atid quits World Zionist Organization, citing corruption and political cronyism
(JTA) — In an unprecedented rebuke, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid announced Wednesday that his centrist Yesh Atid party is withdrawing from the World Zionist Organization, accusing the 127-year-old quasi-governmental institution of being mired in corruption and political patronage.
Saying that corruption was pushing Diaspora Jews away from Israel, he also said he would push to nationalize Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund, which controls over 13% of Israel’s land.
The move derailed weeks of delicate coalition talks at the World Zionist Congress, a global gathering in Jerusalem that happens once every five years, where delegates from around the world had been negotiating a power-sharing deal between Israel’s political parties and major Diaspora Jewish groups.
Under a draft agreement, Yesh Atid lawmaker Meir Cohen was expected to chair the KKL-JNF, but those plans collapsed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, Yair, was reportedly offered a senior position at the WZO — a step that Lapid blasted as emblematic of nepotism and “a system to arrange jobs for the Netanyahu family.”
Lapid said his party would refuse all positions and funding tied to the Zionist institutions.
“We wanted to clean the National Institutions of the culture of corruption and political appointments — but it’s not possible. There’s no way to do it, and no one to do it with,” he said in a video statement.
