Justice Minister Yariv Levin must cooperate with High Court of Justice President Isaac Amit on matters that require joint action by both parties, the court ruled on Sunday.&nbsp;These matters include appointing presidents and vice presidents to various courts, appointing associate judges, appointing a registrar to the High Court, and appointing judges or retired judges to serve on parole committees.<h3>'For once, I completely agree with the High Court's ruling'</h3>Levin responded to the ruling, saying, "For once, I completely agree with the High Court's ruling. The Justice Minister must certainly cooperate with the president of the High Court of Justice, should one exist."Advertisement<figure><img alt="Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin" src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/721276"></figure>Attorney Amit Bachar, head of the Israeli Bar Association, issued a statement siding with the court. "There are judges in Jerusalem," Bachar said, "there is no Justice Minister. Levin violates all his ministerial duties to the citizens of Israel, acting as if he had resigned and making himself irrelevant. The High Court did well to order Levin to cooperate with Amit."MK Efrat Rayten, chairwoman of the Democrats party, also made a statement against Levin, saying that "Levin's childish behavior and deliberate destruction of the judicial system at the expense of the public interest are illegal."<h3>High Court rules Justice Minister Yariv Levin must convene Judicial Selection Committee</h3>The High Court on June 1 ruled that Levin must convene the Judicial Selection Committee to select judges for the district courts, with priority given to the district courts in Be'er Sheva and Haifa.The decision was unanimously adopted by the three justices, Ofer Grosskopf, Alex Stein, and Gila Kanfi Steinitz.Levin has refused to convene the committee for approximately a year and a half due to a lack of a broad consensus on candidate selection, leading to a severe shortage of judges across "all tiers of the judicial branch," the High Court ruled.According to the High Court, the shortage "has severely impacted the court system's ability to ensure the law is enforced and to provide a high-quality, efficient service to the general public.""The court clarified that while the Minister is not obligated at this time to convene the committee for the purpose of filling the vacant seats on the Supreme Court, given the special legal arrangement regarding judicial appointments to this specific bench, there is significant difficulty in the fact that this bench has been operating with a partial roster for nearly three years," it said.Uri Sela contributed to this report.

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High Court rules that Justice Minister Yariv Levin must cooperate with Court President Amit

Verum has officially launched <a href="https://finance.verum.im/en">Verum Finance</a>, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their <a href="https://verum.im/">Verum Messenger</a> account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.What Verum Finance Offers• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT • Send money instantly anywhere in the world • Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical) • Full Apple Pay support • Exchange assets and withdraw funds quicklyOne of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport • End-to-end encryption and full control over your data • Lifetime free VPN • eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries • Reliable offline communication mode • Support for 12+ languages for users worldwideEverything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.Why Download Verum TodayWhile many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.This is more than just a messenger.It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.Download Links:→ App Store (iPhone / iPad):<a href="https://finance.verum.im/en"> Verum Finance</a> → App Store (Verum Messenger): <a href="https://verum.im/">Verum Messenger</a>

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Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Tomer Moskowitz, head of the Tzur Hadassah local council and close friend of Justice Noam Sohlberg, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, said on Sunday that the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protest outside of Sohlberg's house "wasn't a demonstration, it was a pogrom."Moskowitz, who spoke on Sunday with 103FM about the night of riots outside Sohlberg’s house, explained that he was praying in a nearby synagogue&nbsp; when he “heard loud shouting like a football game.”Over 60 suspects were detained after the riot outside the Judge’s house on Wednesday evening, which also ended with damage to the property.Advertisement"I went outside and realized that the rioters were already there and left. I immediately arrived at Solberg's house, and we stayed with them until twelve thirty at night," Moskowitz explained.He then recalled that Meira (Sohlberg's wife) locked the doors and the shutters. "If they had gone inside, I don't know how it would have ended. Dozens of people attacked the house and banged on the door hard. Anyone could feel their life in danger in a situation like this, and it could have ended completely differently," he said.<figure><img alt="Ultra orthodox jewish men protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, at the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg in Alon Shvut, June 3, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724209"></figure>Moskowitz also revealed that, even if after the event, Sohlberg was "in shock," the judge has "fully recovered and is already joking with his guests."<h3>No security for Supreme Court judges</h3>Moskowitz added that Sohlberg wasn’t assigned any security guards, and “there weren’t even security cameras in the house.” "We never felt the need to physically protect the house. Now the police need to do a threat assessment,” he said."Now the police need to do a threat assessment," he added.Senior Israel Police Superintendent Chaim Taieb told 103FM in a Thursday interview that the police are not treating the incident as a normal protest. According to him, it was a "serious criminal event with real intent to harm."Moskowitz also called out the people criticizing Sohlberg, with many of them being right-wing figures who are against the judge's decision to allow the Red Cross to visit terrorist security prisoners in Israeli prisons."Noam uses a very correct expression there - the government wants to be pulled out of the fire," he clarified. "The government has had two years to change the procedures it itself established.""They probably prefer the Red Cross to visit security detainees in order to reduce international pressure, but they don't want it to be recorded in their name. Noam is a conservative judge, and he told them that if they didn't change the law, the court wouldn't do the job for them," he added."A conservative judge is not a right-wing judge. Right-wing and left-wing are not traits that should characterize a judge at all. Judges are divided into activists and conservatives," he emphasized.<h3>How was the riot outside of Sohlsberg's house?</h3>The riots took place in opposition to Sohlberg’s order to increase arrests of draft evaders.Extremist protesters caused significant property damage by smashing windows, damaging his car, and attempting to break into Sohlberg's house before attempting to flee the scene.&nbsp;Justice Sohlberg's wife, Meira Sohlberg, spoke to reporters following the riot."It cannot be that Jews do this to one another. We are children of Holocaust survivors. Jews harming each other like this - how can it be? How can it be? Look at the destruction. A pogrom. What is this? A Kristallnacht. How is this possible? There are no words.”

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'This was not a demonstration, it was a pogrom,' says Council leader, Sohlberg's friend Moskowitz

The IDF will not give up on its mission to fully disarm Hamas, IDF Chief of the Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir announced during a visit to the Gaza Strip on Sunday."The multi-faceted reality continues to be the primary framework," Zamir explained. "The IDF is strengthening operational control on the ground and continues to erode Hamas's power. We will continue to act until we achieve the goal of disarming Hamas - this is a goal we are not giving up on."He also mentioned that the IDF was prepared for a return to combat and ready to do "whatever is necessary to complete the mission and ensure the security of the residents of the State of Israel."Advertisement"We are focused on thwarting threats as they arise and disrupting terrorist organizations, here in the Gaza Strip and in all areas of combat," he said. "The Yellow Line allows us security control and the ability to go on the offensive when necessary - we operate offensively against any attempt by Hamas to gain strength and against any violation of the agreement by it."At the start of a government meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also discussed the Gaza Strip, announcing that Israel currently holds 60% of its territory, and "will soon reach 70%."<figure><img alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/723905"></figure>"In the Gaza Strip, we are squeezing Hamas from all sides," he declared. "We are not allowing them to rearm or harm us, and we are also eliminating their senior commanders."Additionally, Zamir stated that he had approved new plans to launch further strikes against Hezbollah and take down terror organizations in the West Bank, adding that he was also going to attend a situation assessment on the topic of Iran later that day.<h3>IDF will clamp down on terror threats, Zamir says</h3>During his visit, Zamir also spoke about the terror attack which had occured earlier on Sunday, in which one person was killed, and at least five others were wounded."I send my condolences to the family of the deceased and wish a full recovery to the injured," he stated. "We will reach out to everyone and clamp down on anyone who threatens the security of our residents. We will continue to work to eradicate terrorism in all sectors and to strengthen the defense of our communities and citizens."

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IDF will continue its mission to disarm Hamas, military chief Zamir tells soldiers in Gaza Strip

The director general of an undisclosed government ministry and two other senior officials arrived at Lahav 433 for questioning in a case involving suspicion of fraud, breach of trust, abuse of office, and threats, Israel Police said on Sunday.No details on the names of the officials or their positions were given by the police.This is a developing story.Advertisement

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Lahav 433 to question government ministry director, two senior officials over fraud, police say

The government committee headed by Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef on Sunday issued its first report recommending radical changes to the handling of 50,000 emotional trauma cases of former IDF soldiers to the Defense and Finance Ministries.Mor Yosef, whose committee started operating in November 2025, said that such a committee should have been established at least a year earlier to deal with the skyrocketing numbers of physically wounded and emotionally traumatized, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases from the ongoing wars since October 2023.While in March 2025, the ministry estimated it would pass 100,000 total wounded soldiers around 2030, as the war has continued and the number of wounded soldiers in Lebanon has jumped, the new estimate for crossing that threshold has been moved forward to 2028.AdvertisementThe committee said that though the ministry had already made many changes to streamline approving financial benefits and emotional treatment for soldiers as compared to prior to October 7, the changes are nowhere near sufficient.Instead, the committee said that the ministry must establish a new, almost completely independent authority to handle the issue.<figure><img alt="Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef's goverment committee issued its first report recommending radical changes to the handling of 50,000 emotional trauma cases of former IDF soldiers to the Defense and Finance Ministries. June 7, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724603"></figure>According to Mor Yosef, the ministry, with around 25 subdivisions, cannot be counted on to move fast enough in handling the issue.But separating out this new authority, with its own budget, computer services, new resources, and authority to act without too many layers of still existing red tape, will improve the situation.In terms of budgets, the committee said that while the budget for this issue has already jumped from around NIS 5 billion to NIS 10 billion when comparing 2023 to 2026, another NIS two billion per year is probably necessary, along with a one-time investment of more than NIS 500 million in establishing the new authority.<h3>Proposed changes requirenew legal actions</h3>Many of the changes recommended by the committee require new legal actions.Given the upcoming elections and the low likelihood that the Knesset can act fast enough on some of these thorny issues, Mor Yosef recommended that the current government immediately pass new government regulations to authorize the changes on a more rapid basis.Unlike past wars, where emotional traumas usually made up around 15% of claims filed, since 2023, around 50% of newer post 2023 war claims filed include emotional trauma, like PTSD.This is out of around 25,000 claims filed relating to recent wars since 2023.One major change the committee recommended is financing a weekly emotional trauma visit, as opposed to only once every two to three weeks.While previous ministry announcements have talked about individualizing services from the ministry for each harmed soldier, including for PTSD, the new policy would invest in this more heavily, including putting new serious budgets behind it.In addition, the ministry would provide an IDF representative when a harmed soldier comes before the committee for approving or rejecting requests for recognition and benefits.In the past, many soldiers have complained that the committee treats them too much like litigants, instead of showing sensitivity to their sacrifices and traumatic experiences.Further, the committee said that special side clinics should be established within areas where medical centers receive PTSD patients, such that former soldiers can be exclusively around other former soldiers, with similar issues, and less around chronic emotionally traumatized patients who often come from different backgrounds and have different kinds of issues.Also, the ministry said that it would fund, negotiate, and organize the streamlining of carrying out more services for dealing with physical and emotional harm by digital processes and through the various large health insurance companies.Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities will also be used to move recognition and treatment processes along faster.Total claims of harm are now up to 87,000, with around 31,000 emotional trauma and PTSD claims.12,500 of the claimants from the current war, or around 50%, are above age 30.16,000 of the claimants, or around 64%, are reservists.2,000 of the claimants are women<h3>AI in mental-health operations</h3>In January of this year, the WT reported exclusively that the IDF and the ministry had made a major advance in using artificial intelligence to improve mental-health operations at medical centers, which handle soldiers with PTSD.While there is a full spectrum of treatments to handle symptoms - including group-based, individual, and occupational therapies - one focus is simply helping individuals calm down in the event of a negative episode.The new medical IDF AI unit developed procedures for medical professionals to use EEG machines working with AI to provide feedback on individualized “calming cues.”A soldier can now meet with a mental-health evaluator, including using an EEG and AI, and then have a discussion.There is research about whether exposure to a girlfriend or a beloved song during a rough episode has a better impact and improves stability and calmness, the unit's commander told the Post.AI can help figure out triggers for problems or for progress, he said.Yet another area where AI is assisting in mental health for soldiers is helping reduce professionals’ record-keeping time, so they can invest more time in meeting with patients sooner and more often.For example, without AI, mental-health professionals could spend a full hour analyzing a given set of records, during which they are not actually meeting with soldiers.

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Israel must overhaul trauma care for 50,000 former IDF soldiers, defense committee urges

Ronen Siman-Tov – artist, architect, and lecturer at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, born (1959) and based in Jerusalem – is to open his solo exhibition “The Dread of Isaac” at the Jerusalem Artists’ House on June 6.Siman-Tov presents a rich body of work, combining landscape, myth, politics, and the memory of his beloved Jerusalem, a city with which his family has been linked for four generations and, at the national level, for thousands of years.In his gray-pinkish, as he describes the colors used in his paintings, created on canvas, walls, paper, wooden panels, and sacks found at Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda market, the artist takes us through the ashes, with a deep belief in repair. “I am a believer,” he told me.AdvertisementAs a painter, Siman-Tov explores the tension between place, memory (personal and collective), biblical stories, and politics. As an architecture teacher, he helps students to understand how to build places that bind people to the building, site and landscape, and that form connections among people.Siman-Tov spoke to me about his artistic research, his memories of the First Lebanon War, which influenced his art; about his decision to cancel his previous exhibition, after almost two years of working on it, and what happened next that led him to create the works that viewers can see in his new show.<figure><img alt="‘The Sikra Thread.’" src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724188"></figure><h3>You are about to open your solo exhibition “The Dread of Isaac.” In your earlier paintings you often referred to biblical stories. Why did you focus on this particular theme, now?</h3>The exact name of the exhibition in Hebrew is different. I couldn’t translate it properly even if I wanted to, because the name in Hebrew is “Hapahad Yitzhak,” with the letter “hei” before the fear. It’s also “The Dread of Isaac,” the deep fear of Isaac, because we know that he was at the altar, and he was the sacrifice. But the Hebrew “Hapahad Yitzhak” [meaning, “the fear will laugh”] gives it another level.<h3>The laugh that comes from the meaning of the name Yitzhak? From the Hebrew verb ‘litzhok,’ to laugh?</h3>“Hapahad yitzhak” means the fear is going to laugh. “Pahad Yitzhak” is the best known Hebrew term for the event that was very devastating for Isaac [the Akeda, the Binding of Isaac]. But the Hebrew letter hei [the definite article, meaning “the”], added to this term, makes the fear also laugh. It’s a wordplay that doesn’t work in English.<h3>So it has a double meaning. And why did you want to focus on this subject?</h3>Well, it’s my story, and it’s the story of our nation, our history, of the Jewish people and the Israeli people. Most of my works speak about personal and collective experiences. It’s a work in process over the years.... In terms of the nation, it’s like a phoenix. It’s like something is burning and...<h3>And are we coming out of the ashes?</h3>Coming out of the ashes, and [then] we are burning again, and so on.<h3>Speaking of the ashes, this is one of the unique materials that you use in your work, together with oil paint. Why have you thought of implementing ashes into your paintings?</h3>I had planned an exhibition in 2021, a series about the Prophet Jonah. I had been working on it for about two years, and then one of the great, famous curators in Israel came to my studio, looked at my works, and said some very harsh words about some of them. Because he appreciated my work very much, he could say some very hard critical words.I decided to cancel the show, but then I didn’t know what to do. How would I start again? How to start with painting? What is painting? It brought me to the fundamental questions about what painting is and what are the basic tools or elements or things that are necessary to make a painting.So, then I went out of my studio, and I dug in the courtyard, and I brought some soil to my studio, and I had some burlap. And I painted with the soil and [did] some oil paintings, black oil painting. And this was the beginning of a sort of mourning for the exhibition that didn’t work out, didn’t exhibit.<figure><img alt="‘Open Tent.’" src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724189"></figure><h3>Can you identify what happened to you in this period that caused that artistic crisis? Was it the time of the pandemic or anything critical in your life?</h3>Yes, I guess, but it also triggered some other things that were very deep inside of me, connected with the time when I was a soldier in the First Lebanon War.<h3>Sounds like deep wounds. And have you found an answer about what painting is?</h3>No, I’m still searching for it, but it was a beginning of a new way of painting, of a new way of making art.<h3>You paint on canvas, wood panels, and walls, and you draw on paper and even on the sacks.</h3><figure><img alt="Painting in his studio." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724190"></figure>This was the first time that I started to paint on sacks. The sacks came from the market, not new. I was going to the market and talking with the people who sell spices and so forth. It was very interesting to investigate or to search for the roots of some of the sacks made around the world before they came to the market in Jerusalem.<h3>You were born in Jerusalem, and in your art, in the coming exhibition, but also in general, you are very much connected to it.</h3>My family story connects very deeply to Jerusalem through generations.<figure><img alt="‘The Rift.’" src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724191"></figure><h3>Which generation of ‘Yerushalmi’ (Jerusalemite) are you?</h3>Fourth. My grandfather and grandmother were living in Silwan village, in the Hinnom Valley. They moved to the Old City, and they had to move out again from their home in the Old City to Nahlaot. So this is the city of my parents, of my family.<h3>Being that rooted here, do you consider yourself a Jerusalem painter?</h3>I’m known as a Jerusalem painter. Whether I consider myself that way, I don’t know, maybe yes. I was born here. I’m very connected to this place. I paint Jerusalem my way. I painted [for example] a big cryptic [painting] about the Hinnom Valley. It’s 4 meters long, and it’s my way to look at the graves from the time of the Second Temple. For me, it’s a history of my family, but it’s also the history of our nation.<h3>So, always a personal and a collective experience.</h3>Yes, the same story, and I’m trying to look at it from the eyes of something that is hidden. And I’m trying to find out what it is. For me, it’s a riddle. And, it’s something spiritual to touch the subject of Jerusalem; it is something very deep and something very ancient.<figure><img alt="At a Jerusalem cafe." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724192"></figure>It’s something that goes deep into my roots and into this earth. But it’s also a very complicated and meaningful place for me.<h3>And you are showing Jerusalem also in the new exhibition. How many works are you presenting?</h3>Around 40, from the last eight or 10 years.<h3>What do you want people to take from this show?</h3>I don’t know. I hope that they will stop for a minute when they are gazing at the works.... It’s a very slow exhibition.<figure><img alt="‘Tower in the Water.’" src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724193"></figure><h3>What do you mean by that? By slow, do you mean intimate?</h3>Intimate and very silent, very introverted and not shouting.<h3>Could you tell me more about the colors that you’re using? They seem to be very reserved, if I may say this about colors.</h3>Yes, I tried to do it differently, but I come to the same palette every time, so I’m trying to make my palette more colorful, but the result is more gray-pinkish [smiles].<h3>You came to painting with a background in architecture. You studied it in Holland. Why there?</h3>After the First Lebanon War, after a lot of time in the army, I decided to study abroad because I thought that I had to take time out. I knew people who had already studied in Holland, so I just bought a ticket there, and I did my two degrees in architecture. I spent about seven years in Holland.<h3>Did you ever work as an architect afterward?</h3>Yes, I worked for some years in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. But at some point, I was thinking about what a medium could say about life and death. And architecture is a wonderful medium, but I thought that art connects more with metaphysical things.<h3>So then you decided to study art at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design?</h3>Yes, I got my MFA. When I graduated, I decided to focus on art, on painting.<h3>But you didn’t completely abandon architecture. You have been teaching it at Bezalel for many years.</h3>Yes, in the Orthodox branch (just for religious women) and in the regular Bezalel. I teach in a first-year architecture studio there, but it’s something that’s very open. How we make a place in this world and how we connect to a place. I mean, it’s questions that are closer to my questions in art rather than making buildings or structures.<h3>We are living in very unstable times, especially in Israel. After COVID, we had two-and-a-half years of war. Recently, we had another 40 days of war, and we don’t know whether there will be another war. So, in these unstable times, your way of teaching, of finding the place, sounds to me very relevant.</h3>Yes, how to find a place in the world, or how to make place, build the relationship with the place, and also the relationships between people in a place. Your question is very good, because in the COVID time, it was also a question about how you make place when you are isolated in your home and you can’t go out, but there are also different ways to define place-making in extreme times.It’s a very dynamic process of looking for place-making, or looking for a place. No matter which kind of crisis is coming up, we are asking the same questions, and we have to figure out, or try to find out the answers.<h3>Do you sketch before making a painting, or do you paint right away using the main medium?</h3>It depends. Sometimes I’m making sketches, studies, and sometimes I’m working right on the surface.<h3>Do you usually know what you want to achieve, or does it come with the process?</h3>No, I don’t know. It’s more like talking with myself, and my thoughts, and my feelings. It’s not a sketch to reframe or rephrase something that I’m obligated to do; it’s more like refreshing my feelings, my thoughts, and a process begins.So I’m not making a model to make a house. It’s not like that. I’m making sketches to understand what the atmosphere is; it’s more like feeling what I want to say, and how I connect myself with the world, and with my thoughts and my ideas.<h3>I’m listening to what you’re saying, and I think you leave the architect in you outside your art studio.</h3>Yes and no. I’m not an architect by practice, but I’m an architect; it’s part of my education, my expertise. I’m very satisfied with teaching architecture, but practicing architecture is less [interesting to me now].<h3>What is architecture by definition, in the way you teach it?</h3>Something very high; it’s very spiritual, it’s a connection between the building and the site and the landscape and the people. It’s a way to get people to connect with each other. That’s [what] architecture is for.<h3>Do you think your paintings can have a similar effect on people? Can it help people to connect to each other or even heal their wounds?</h3>I don’t know, at least I’m consistent with architecture and art, and painting. I don’t know if it can repair something, but I want to believe it can. I’m a believer. I believe that there is a repair to things; and also in my works that are very dark, sometimes you see a slight light coming up from the back page of the painting, so there is always something to look for and to hope for.I don’t know if I’m very optimistic, but I have some hassidic soul in this. My desire is to repair things.ronensimantov.co.il

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Painting through the ashes: Ronen Siman-Tov turns Jerusalem’s wounds into art - interview

Twice as many women in Israel have been murdered with firearms since October 7, according to the Michal Sela Forum's 2025 impact report.The forum was set up after Michal Sela was murdered by her husband in 2019, aiming to save the lives of the next Michal through prevention, prediction, and solutions.Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 22 out of 71 gun violence victims in Israel have been women, the forum found, marking an over 100% increase compared to the same period before the war, when nine women were murdered with firearms.AdvertisementWhile the majority of the murdered women come from within Arab society, six of the 22 female victims were Jewish, compared to just one in the period before the start of the war in Gaza.The data also showed a record number of domestic murders in 2025, with 31 women and three children being killed by family members.<figure><img alt="National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and committee head MK Zvika Fogel attend a National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament on March 24, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/714049"></figure>According to the breakdown published by the forum, the increase was not only in the number of murders committed but also in the methods used, noting that firearms were used in more than half (52%) of the murders, compared to less than a third in 2020, when the forum began monitoring.Lili Ben Ami, the forum’s director general, is set to present data this week at the Knesset National Security Committee meeting on the firearm licensing reform led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.Ben Ami accused the committee of "evading national responsibility in the face of data that should shake the government's table.<h3>Firearm licensing reforms</h3>Since October 7, there has been a series of changes to gun control legislation, led by Ben-Gvir.The relaxation of controls has led to the number of gun owners in Israel doubling, from 150,000 before the war to over 300,000 after it.Data on how many murders were carried out by licensed gun owners and how many were using stolen or illegal weapons is not available to the public."Weapons save lives - there is no doubt about that, especially after the massacre of civilians in their homes on 7.10.23," the forum's position paper states. "However, it is important to ensure that weapons do not fall into the wrong hands in a way that could endanger the lives of innocent people.”According to Ynet, Ben-Gvir refuted the idea that the licensing reforms had contributed to the increase in domestic murders with firearms, saying that only one of the 22 women murdered with guns since October 7 had been killed with a gun that was licensed through the reforms he led.“Thanks to the policy I led, terrorists today understand that on&nbsp;every street corner, there may be a citizen standing there who will prevent them from committing a massacre. A weapon in the right hands saves lives. Period. Go arm yourself,” Ynet quoted Ben-Gvir as saying.&nbsp;

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Twice as many women have been killed by domestic gun violence since October 7, new report finds

One person was killed, and at least five other people were wounded in an ongoing terror attack in the Sharon region on Sunday morning.The incident began at Kochav Yair, near Kalkilya, and continued on past Tsur Yitshak, Tzur Natan, and Selait. Terrorist infiltration sirens sounded in Tsur Yitshak and Tzur Natan as a result, warning residents to shelter in place.Israel Police killed one of the terrorists, identified as an Israeli Arab from Tayibe, and are conducting a manhunt alongside the IDF for the second. A Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) special unit has also been dispatched.AdvertisementIsrael Police said that it had found the terrorists' car, which had an Israeli license plate, and the weapon used in the attack.Security sources continue to scan the area for additional terrorists. Additionally, the IDF has placed a broad closure on Palestinian villages in the area, and is conducting raids in Tayibe.Police conduct manhunt after drive-by shooting attack at Kochav Yair gas station, June 7, 2026. (CREDIT: MAGEN DAVID ADOM)An approximately 35-year-old man was declared dead at the scene by first responders, Magen David Adom said on Sunday, adding that two people had been seriously wounded and three others moderately wounded in the attack.All five of the wounded were evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted a situational assessment. Police Commissioner Danny Levy and IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth arrived at the scene of the attack.Separately, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir is conducting an over-the-phone situational assessment with Bluth, Southern Command chief Major General Yaniv Asor, and Gaza Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Liron Battito.<h3>Ben-Gvir says Israel will enforce death penalty if terrorists are caught alive</h3>National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a Sunday post to X/Twitter that should the terrorists be caught alive, they "will be executed - this is the law, and we will demand its enforcement.""This is precisely why Jewish Strength enacted the 'Death Penalty for Terrorists' Law. Jewish blood is not forfeit. Whoever murders a Jew will see the hangman's noose," he wrote."It's time for us to face reality. A dangerous and extremist terror network is growing under our noses that wants to destroy the State of Israel," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a Sunday statement. "This morning's heinous attack in the heart of Sharon is a bloody wake-up call to the profound change that needs to happen among Israeli Arabs.""Hundreds of thousands of illegal weapons, including anti-tank missiles, machine guns, and explosive devices, alongside rampant crime and nationalist extremism, are an existential threat.""The equation is simple," Smotrich added. "Those who accept the state's sovereignty will live here in peace. Those who choose the path of terror bear responsibility for their own fate."Hamas praised the attack and Saturday's incident at the Efrat Junction in an afternoon statement, but did not take responsibility for either.&nbsp;It claimed that the two come "in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the continued crimes of Judaization, extrajudicial killings, settlement expansion, raids, and attacks targeting our people daily in the West Bank and Jerusalem."

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One killed, five wounded in Sharon terror attack as IDF, police continue hunt for escaped terrorist

Police arrested a 49-year-old man from Shfaram for waving a Palestinian flag during a Jewish-Arab protest in Haifa on Thursday.The protest set out on Thursday afternoon, initiated by “Partnership for Peace” and dozens of other organizations and parties, marking 59 years since the Six Day War and what organizers call “six decades of occupation and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people,” while calling “for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.” Protesters arrived in the city on dozens of buses organized in advance.The organizers said the annual protest is “a cry and a clear statement against the occupation and its crimes, especially over the past year. The occupation must be uprooted together with all its cruel crimes, mass killing, uprooting and expulsion, torture and false arrests, crimes that the Netanyahu Ben-Gvir government has brought to unprecedented dimensions.”AdvertisementAccording to them, “the criminal war led by the Netanyahu government in recent years on all fronts is a continuation of the colonialist mentality of occupation and settlement, a mentality that controls this government as it did its predecessors.”The protest, which began at Paris Square in Haifa’s lower city, ended with a rally featuring short political speeches at the municipal square at the Allenby/Persians junction. Speakers included Yousef Jabareen, head of the Hadash list for the Knesset; Jamal Zahalka, chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel; Fadwa Khader, a political leader from east Jerusalem; Eina Gertsman, a draft refuser; and journalist Israel Frey.<figure><img alt="JEWS AND Arabs take part in a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the West Bank and to mark the anniversary of the Six-Day War in Haifa, northern Israel, June 6, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724519"></figure>Among the protesters were also former Knesset deputy speaker Mohammad Barakeh, who recently ended his term as chairman of the Follow-Up Committee, and Reem Hazan, chairwoman of the Hadash party in Haifa.<h3>Hadash chairman attacks Netanyahu's government</h3>Jabareen sharply attacked the government, saying, “The plan of decisive victory and transfer has become the official work plan of the Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben-Gvir government.” He further added that “these plans, Smotrich’s plan, the plan of decisive victory and transfer, have gone from a drawer plan of delusional messianics to the official work plan of the Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben-Gvir government.”According to him, 59 years of occupation have been years of “military control over the Palestinian people,” land theft, settlement expansion, and settler violence. He argued that the occupation is no longer a temporary situation but a deliberate policy of the Israeli government over the years.Jabareen also attacked the government’s conduct in the war in Gaza and its policy in the West Bank. “In the far-right government, Netanyahu’s Kahanist government, Smotrich speaks openly about annexation, expulsion, transfer, and settlements throughout all areas of the West Bank, in Gaza, and also in Lebanon,” he said.He claimed that the alternative to the current policy is “ending the occupation, dismantling the settlements, and establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.” He called for the establishment of “a real democratic camp of Jews and Arabs,” and added that in the next elections Hadash, together with Arab society and “Jewish democratic forces,” would work to “send Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich home.”“There are two choices,” he concluded, “either occupation and apartheid, or a just peace and democracy. Yes to two states, yes to peace, yes to democracy.”<h3>Counterprotesters stand against Israel-Arab protest</h3>A handful of counterprotesters were also present at the site, carrying an Israeli flag dozens of meters long.“A protest like this does not do us any good,” Haifa city council member Tatiana John from the “Connected to Haifa Beitenu” faction told Walla, having arrived together with her fellow city council faction member, Artyom Kharchenko. “I do not want to see PLO flags in the State of Israel. We came to say that Haifa is in Israel. We brought our famous 20-meter-long flag, and of course, I would have liked to see more people with Zionist values, regardless of which party or religion they are from, coming and joining us in a blue and white protest like this.”“People are demonstrating here in favor of Israel’s enemies, and I do not understand it,” said Haifa resident Victoria Iashvili, who immigrated from Georgia and was among the protesters who sought to support council member John. “Across the way, there are city council members from the municipality protesting here, and they care more about our enemies than about Haifa residents. How is this possible, especially after what happened on October 7!”“I agree with our city council members Tatiana John and Artyom Kharchenko,” said Haifa distinguished citizen, attorney Vladimir Petrov, 77, who immigrated to Israel from Siberia. “The Palestinians are people too, but I am completely Israeli, and our country needs to be strong, even if that means Israel will be above the Palestinians.”

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Man arrested for waving Palestine flag at joint Jewish-Arab anti-government protest

In France, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced in Paris on Friday that it has opened a preliminary investigation against Israel. The probe follows allegations by Gaza aid flotilla activists of "torture and war crimes" against them.The investigation was initiated following a formal referral submitted to the prosecutor's office by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The move was prompted by a video published by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing the activists being brought to Ashdod Port.According to a report by the AFP&nbsp;cited in French media, the preliminary investigation will be conducted by the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH).AdvertisementThe video released by Ben-Gvir depicts the flotilla activists on their knees, hands bound and heads bowed, while he films them and declares, "Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of this house."The footage sparked a massive international backlash. French officials noted that this display largely drove Foreign Minister Barrot’s decision to immediately ban Ben-Gvir from entering France and to forward a detailed consular report to the prosecution.<figure><img alt="Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reacts as flotilla activists are detained by Israeli forces, in Ashdod Port, Israel, in this screen grab taken from a video released on May 20, 2026." src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/724523"></figure>The report included allegations of physical abuse, humiliation, and sexual violence against the 37 French nationals among the roughly 430 activists aboard the flotilla.<h3>Activists allege they were subject to beatings, humiliation, sexual abuse</h3>In France, officials have described the video as "visual proof of Israeli conduct," and media reports consistently highlight it as the primary catalyst for the widespread outcry and ensuing legal proceedings.The activists belonged to the "Global Sumud Flotilla," which departed from Turkey in May with roughly 50 vessels. The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli naval ships in international waters, and the participants were transferred to the Ketziot prison before being swiftly deported.One Israeli citizen on board was released by a court with the assistance of the Adalah Legal Center, which represents the activists in Israeli legal proceedings, and has since returned to Germany, where she resides.The activists allege they were subjected to beatings, humiliation, exposure to the cold, and sexual abuse. This week, Adalah submitted a formal demand to the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to investigate claims made by a German activist from a previous October 2025 flotilla, Anna Liedke.Liedke alleges she was assaulted by female guards at Givon Prison while male guards looked on and laughed during an invasive strip-search."During her transfer from the port to the Ketziot prison, our client, along with other participants, experienced physical and verbal violence from security forces and prison guards. This included prolonged shackling, the use of plastic zip-ties, blindfolding, shouting, threats, including threats of rape, and physical assaults," Adalah’s petition stated.Furthermore, Liedke claims that upon her arrival at Givon Prison, she experienced severe violence, followed by sexual assault. In her testimony to Adalah, she claimed she was taken for what was ostensibly a medical check, after which she and other female detainees were brought, one by one, into a small space separated from the rest of the hallway only by a curtain."Three female guards holding metal detectors were inside the space. Although the curtain was closed, masked and armed male guards could still be seen standing behind it and watching what was happening," she said. According to her account, the female guards ordered her to strip and subjected her to an invasive search.Israeli officials maintain that these claims are entirely false, intended to defame the State of Israel as part of the propaganda and provocation underpinning the entire flotilla initiative.Both the Israel Prison Service and the IDF have firmly rejected the allegations as groundless fabrications, reiterating that the activists were handled strictly according to standard procedures and the law.However, the video, from which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office distanced itself, and which drew immediate condemnation from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, is now being heavily utilized by the activists in their legal campaign against Israel.While the investigation remains in its initial, preliminary stage, its official launch represents another significant media and diplomatic blow for Israel in France.

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France launches 'war crimes' probe into Israel over flotilla treatment following Ben-Gvir video

Israeli singer Yishai Levi passed away at the age of 63 after being hospitalized in serious condition over the weekend.&nbsp;Levi's most recognizable songs include Rikud Romanti (2008), Ha'achat Sheli (2011), Od Hayom (2014), and Hafla With Ben Moshe (1989)."With unimaginable pain, we announce the passing of Yishai Levy tonight. We will provide an orderly update regarding the time and location of the funeral later today. There are no words right now," the family said in a statement.AdvertisementLevy is survived by his wife, four children, and grandchildren."I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of beloved singer Yishai Levy," Culture Minister Miki Zohar stated.<h3>A pioneer of Mizrahi music</h3>"Yishai was one of the pioneers of Mizrahi music in Israel and one of the greatest and most moving voices in Israeli music, an artist who managed to touch the hearts of entire generations and become an inseparable part of the soundtrack of the State of Israel.""I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and many fans," Zohar wrote. "May his memory be a blessing."This is a developing story.

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Israeli singer Yishai Levi passes away at 63 after being hospitalized in serious condition