JERUSALEM (AP) _ Ivri Lider is Israel’s newest freelance ambassador. The openly gay musician is one of a new breed of unofficial envoys trying to improve Israel’s international image — a battle the government has been waging for decades. Lider recently returned from a trip to the U.S., funded by a pro-Israel nonprofit group, where he performed concerts and spoke … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — An 86-year-old former teacher who risked her life to save more than 300 Jewish children from the Nazis in Belgium was granted honorary Israeli citizenship Wednesday at an emotional ceremony in which she was reunited with dozens of the people she rescued. “What I did was merely my duty. Disobeying the laws of the time was just the … Read More
PALMACHIM AIR FORCE BASE, Israel — The Israeli air force unveiled its newest unmanned aircraft Wednesday, saying the plane can fly longer, faster and higher than any other surveillance aircraft. The drone, called the Heron, already saw combat during last summer’s war in Lebanon, where Israeli officials said a prototype performed well, seeking out Hezbollah arms and directing airstrikes. The … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) – Toto Tamuz wants to be an Israeli citizen and he’s going to withhold his soccer talents from the country’s national team until he becomes one. Tamuz, who was raised in Israel and speaks fluent Hebrew, is the son of illegal Nigerian immigrants. But he has become famous for his soccer skills, which have made him the top … Read More
RAMLE, Israel (AP) -Plenette Pierson of the WNBA champion Detroit Shock is used to playing in front of thousands of fans back home in the U.S. This winter, the 6-foot-3 forward is showing off her skills in front of nearly empty stands in small-town Israel – and loving it. Pierson is among the growing number of WNBA stars who moonlight … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) _ Late on a Friday night, inside a dark, trendy club, a crowd of young men and women gaze at Ivri Lider and sing along as he performs his hit love song, “Zachiti Le’ehov – I Was Blessed To Have Loved,” an ode to the end of his romance with a longtime boyfriend. Outside, Jerusalem stands still, as … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli court convicted former Justice Minister Haim Ramon on Wednesday of forcibly kissing a young female soldier, a stunning censure of a top official that could reshape the Israeli Cabinet. Ramon, who faces up to three years in prison, joined a growing list of politicians who have fallen from grace — including Israel’s president, who … Read More
TZEELIM MILITARY BASE, Israel — Under the cover of thick smoke, a Muslim call to prayer sounding in the background, the masked Israeli commandos stormed a concrete building and “killed” two soldiers posing as Hezbollah guerrillas. Monday’s drill was accompanied by simulated helicopter, tank and rocket fire, but it was the setting that really made it realistic — a mock … Read More