Blinken: Arab countries want Israel ties * Top union chief vs PM * UK Labour’s Muslim woes * Flower festival in death’s shadow * Rob Reiner takes on Christian nationalism

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Saturday, February 17, 2024 Live updates [LIVE: Blinken: Israel has extraordinary opportunity, ‘virtually every Arab country’ wants ties]( By ToI Staff But top US diplomat says Palestinian state must advance * Union chief says PM should resign, may join anti-government protests * Haniyeh blames Israel for lack of truce progress [‘You’re abandoning them in Gaza’: Protesters to rally for hostages, demand elections]( By ToI Staff Relatives of many held in Gaza to ‘scream through powerful loudspeakers’; anti-government demonstrations to be held nationwide after police refuse permit for Kaplan Street [Special forces searching Khan Younis hospital detain over 100 terror suspects, IDF says]( By ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian Top Ops Jeffrey L. Rubenstein [From blood libel to genocide libel]( These two false accusations leveled against Jews are driven by the same psychological mechanisms: guilt, doubt and hatred Sam Lehman-Wilzig [Redeeming hostages: What does Judaism really say?]( There is a striking difference between Talmudic and Biblical responses to the painful dilemma of freeing captives [Biden says doesn’t expect Israel to launch Rafah operation as hostage talks continue]( By Jacob Magid US president insists ‘there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the hostages out’; Herzog reportedly meets with Qatari PM on negotiations for return of Israelis held by Hamas [FM: We’ll coordinate with Egypt on Rafah and displaced Gazans; no plans to push them out]( By Reuters and ToI Staff [Recognizing Palestine ‘not a taboo for France,’ says Macron]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Israel reveals 12 UNRWA staffers it says took part in Oct. 7, says 30 more assisted]( By Emanuel Fabian Defense minister says 1,500 workers for agency have active ties to terror groups; states UNRWA has ‘lost legitimacy and can no longer function as a UN body’ [Riots at Rafah Crossing after Gaza teen trying to grab aid is shot dead by Hamas]( By ToI Staff [US envoy: Israel hasn’t provided ‘specific evidence’ Hamas is stealing aid shipments]( By Reuters and Jacob Magid Analysis Robert Philpot [UK’s Labour faces Muslim bloc in revolt, anti-Israel challenger in special election]( The party’s support for Israel in the Gaza war is causing pushback from within, and has some voters eyeing radical anti-Zionist George Galloway – but does this pose a true threat? [ICJ rejects South African request for urgent measures to limit Israeli action in Rafah]( By Agencies and ToI Staff But top UN court notes Jerusalem remains bound to comply with existing measures — namely the need to protect civilians from harm and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza [South Israel was filled with blood, death. Brilliant red flowers now bloom among ashes]( By Melanie Lidman Vered Libstein founded the festival celebrating the blossoms 19 years ago; her husband, son and mother were all murdered on Oct. 7; ‘Life is stronger than everything,’ she says [Hezbollah says Israel will pay ‘in blood’ for civilian deaths during air strikes]( By Reuters and ToI Staff Nasrallah says terror group will expand its operations; warns it has precision-guided missiles that can ‘reach from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat’ [Israel reportedly behind rare pair of recent strikes on Iran civilian infrastructure]( By ToI Staff [Iran unveils new air defense weaponry amid rising regional tensions]( By Reuters [In documentary ‘God and Country,’ Rob Reiner shines a light on Christian nationalism]( By Stephen Silver Released on Feb. 16, the film exposes a movement that, says Reiner, believes God ordained it to make the US a white Christian nation – and will use violence to achieve that goal [Freed hostage Aviva Siegel recounts Hamas’s sexual abuse, violence toward captives]( By ToI Staff Siegel, whose husband Keith is still captive in Gaza, says terrorists dressed young female hostages as ‘dolls,’ watched them bathe; world ‘missed lesson of the Holocaust’ [Free speech rights weaponized to silence students on US campuses after Oct. 7]( By Cathryn J. Prince Universities struggle to revise school policies as the First Amendment is invoked to censor students through unprecedented use of no-contact orders [House committee subpoenas Harvard over antisemitism investigation]( By Reuters and ToI Staff [Israeli and Palestinian based in Germany launch fundraiser to build toilets for Gazans]( By Gianluca Pacchiani Tom Kellner and Seba Abu Daqa met through an online peace group and decided to team up to address one of the Strip’s most pressing needs amid the war — adequate sanitation [Hundreds rally for Navalny in Tel Aviv, Haifa as Israeli officials stay silent on death]( By ToI Staff and Agencies Kremlin critic’s death, widely blamed on Putin, sparks protests among Russian diaspora; rallies also held in Jerusalem, Netanya, Karmiel; rights group says 100 detained in Russia [Navalny’s team confirms Kremlin critic’s death, says his mother is searching for body]( By Emma Burrows [Western leaders accuse Kremlin of responsibility for Navalny’s death]( By ToI Staff and Reuters [Those We Have Lost]( [Those We Have Lost]( [Civilians and soldiers who have fallen since Oct. 7]( [Read Here]( [This designer closed his NY Fashion Week runway show with Israel’s national anthem]( By julia GERGELY Kobi Halperin’s first standalone show was inspired by Shabbat and had the theme of ‘hope.’ Its moving finale has been viewed more than 160,000 times on Instagram ToI Event [ToI Presents: English screening of Israel’s Oscar pick ‘7 Blessings’ plus discussion]( By ToI Staff Join us on Feb. 28 in Jerusalem for an English-subtitled showing of award-winning drama and a conversation between screenwriter/lead actress and ToI’s Jessica Steinberg [Those We Are Missing]( [The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown]( [Read Here]( More Headlines [Trump ordered to pay $355 million for lying about his wealth in NY civil fraud case]( By Michael R. Sisak, Jake Offenhartz and Jennifer Peltz [US sanctions against Houthis over Red Sea attacks take effect]( By ToI Staff, Jacob Magid and Agencies [North Carolina gubernatorial candidate accused of Holocaust denial touts Israel support]( By GARY D. ROBERTSON [California judge under investigation for alleged antisemitism, ethical violations]( By Olga R. Rodriguez [Zelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weapons after withdrawal from Avdiivka]( By Geir Moulson and Kerstin Sopke [Ukraine withdraws from key town of Avdiivka to avoid encirclement, military chief says]( By AFP [The daily edition]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]( [Unsubscribe]( from this List © 2024 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved