Alina Dain Sharon, JNS.org By the time Israel Defense Forces Captain Ziv Shilon realized an explosive device had detonated near him while on patrol near the Gaza border, his left hand was torn off and his right hand was still hanging on by just a few pieces of skin. Ten surgeries and months of rehabilitation later, his left hand has been replaced by a hook prosthesis and his right hand is paralyzed. That’s not going to stop him, he insists. Despite his injury, Shilon plans to enroll in law school and to …More

Egyptian police have blocked the border between Egypt and the Gaza strip, after Islamists kidnapped seven members of the force. [Forward] Morocco’s King Mohammed VI is funding the restoration of his country’s Jewish burial sites. [IJN] The London Jewish Cultural Center in Golders Green will host the country’s largest Jewish food festival, Gefiltefest. [Times] South Africa’s chief rabbi, Warren Goldstein, defends Israel amongst his country’s widespread support for the anti-Israel …More

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said reinforcing Israel's edge and bolstering security relationships with neighbors like Egypt were both US priorities. Hagel, speaking Thursday to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy's annual Soref Symposium, described his recent visit to Israel and the region, his first since assuming the defense secretary post in February. "Beyond rocket and missile defense cooperation, DoD has been working for more than a year to increase Israel’s ability to confront and …More

Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Gisha are calling for an end to Israel’s fishing restrictions off of the Gaza Strip. According to the B’Tselem, the recently reinstated three mile rule preventing fisherman to only a small section of sea damages the marine environment and equals “harsh damage to fishermen who have done nothing wrong." Last year, as part of a ceasefire agreement that ended Operation Pillar of Defense, the Israeli government committed to doubling the area allowed for …More

Jewish groups are requesting the Great Neck Synagogue cancel its scheduled speaking engagement with an anti-Muslim blogger. [JPost] New York State government has interceded in the sales of Jewish cemetery plots on the black market. [Forward] American Jewish leaders have written letters to Netanyahu, encouraging him to make political sacrifices in the name of peace. [Jewish Press] As Yom Hashoah approaches, different theaters and exhibits in Israel pay tribute to Holocaust survivors and victims. [Times of …More

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said normalization of relations with Israel will not take place until Israel fulfills its part of the agreement. Turkey and Israel agreed to normalize ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for Israel's 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara ship as it attempted to break a maritime blockade of Gaza. In the phone call, Netanyahu agreed to compensate the families of nine Turks killed in the ensuing violence when Israeli naval commandos boarded the ship. Erdogan …More

Israeli and Palestinian authorities have approved coordination of the project and the moving of the patients from Gaza and the West Bank into Israel for treatment. “It is such a move of God to reach out in love and compassion to children, who are in a state of hopelessness. Isn’t it like God to team up a Church and a Jewish hospital to show love to the enemies of Israel during this time?” said Karen Dunham, director of Living Bread International Church, according to the Christian News Wire. …More

The ceasefire that ended Israel’s November operation in Gaza has been broken, with Palestinian terrorists firing a long-range Grad rocket into southern Israel. The rocket struck the industrial zone of Ashkelon Tuesday morning, causing some damage but no injuries. The al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah Party, has claimed responsibility for the attack, which it allegedly launched in response to the death of Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat on February 23. The belief that Jaradat was …More

The recent violence between Gaza and Israel did not discourage 30 farmers from the Gaza strip from joining with their Israeli peers last week. Farmers from both sides of the border took advantage of a chance to learn from one another about agricultural techniques and produce exports at an agricultural expo held by the Ashkelon Regional Council. Uri Madar, a representative of the agriculture department of the Regional Council, pointed out the two groups of farmers had much in common. "There are various parasites …More

The Hamas government in Gaza has forbidden local journalists from working with Israeli media outlets. The weekly Cabinet meeting in Gaza decided to ban Palestinian journalists from working "with all Zionist media and journalists,” which it declared "hostile," it announced in a statement, the French news agency AFP reported. The Cabinet has forbidden the local journalists from working for Israeli media and television stations. It is the first time the Hamas government has required such action, according to …More

2nd Lt. Nira Lee grew up in Tempe, Arizona, completed her undergraduate degree at American University in Washington, DC, and moved to Israel in May 2010. She joined the IDF in October 2010. Nira currently serves in COGAT as the assistant foreign liaison officer to international organizations in the Gaza Strip. She agreed to answer a few questions about her work. IDF Blog: First of all, what is COGAT? Nira Lee: COGAT stands for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. It’s the unit of …More

A cosmetic company in Gaza has launched a new perfume named M-75, after the new long-range missile designed by Hamas with Iranian assistance. The missiles, which can reach up to 75 kilometers (42 miles) were fired in the direction of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv during Operation Pillar of Defense in November. According to the Palestinian Islamist daily Al-Resalah, the owner of a Gazan cosmetic enterprise, Shadi Adwan, decided to name the new perfume scent in order to pay tribute to the “victory in the Gaza …More