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Israeli, Gazan children impacted by war commemorated in exhibit

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Israeli, Gazan children impacted by war commemorated in exhibit



A group of Israeli illustrators created a virtual exhibit and webinar in memory of the children lost in both Gaza and Israel during Israel’s war against Hamas. During Israel’s war against Hamas, a group of Israeli illustrators created a virtual illustrated exhibit and webinar in memory of the children lost in both Gaza and Israel.

The gallery was initiated by the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) and is hosted through the American Friends of the Parents Circle, which works to educate the American public about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The exhibit is intended to draw focus on the children living through war and to commemorate the innocent who lost their lives.

Remembering the children amid the Israel-Hamas war 

The illustrations used in the film were created in 2021, in memory of 68 Israeli and Palestinian children who lost their lives in the war that year. 

“Every illustration is in memory of a different child,” said Yuval Rahamim, co-CEO of the PCFF.

The video created is not intended to take a stance on the war, such as a ceasefire or hostage release. Instead, it is intended to shed light on the complexity of the situation and to remind people, from all sides, of the innocent children who are drawn into the conflict against their will. 

Kfir Bibas, 10 months old, who was taken hostage during the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, appears in this undated handout image, obtained by Reuters on November 29, 2023 (credit: Hostages and missing families forum/Handout via REUTERS)

Driven to extremes

“In wartime, we are driven to extremes. We view things as either black or white, but when doing so, we may easily forget to hold onto humanity,” said Rahamim. “Children remind us of our duty to remain humane because they are innocent. They are victims of war. We must ask ourselves if we should be justifying acts that are harming children for the sake of war.”

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The video exhibit was created to mark International Children’s Day on November 20.

Video for International Children’s Day by the Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace (CREDIT: Parents Circle-Families Forum).

It expresses the thoughts of both Palestinian and Israeli children who were participants in the 2023 joint PCFF summer camp that aims to bring the two groups together. 

“The artworks [made by adult artists]  illustrate the impact of the war on the young souls,” said Robi Damelin, spokesperson and director of international relations for the PCFF.

“This is the call to save all children and to spare them from the horrors of the war,” Damelin concluded.





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Biden delays deporting Lebanese citizens from US over Hezbollah-Israel conflict

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Biden delays deporting Lebanese citizens from US over Hezbollah-Israel conflict



The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

“Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel,” Biden said in the memo.

“While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States.”

Increased attacks since Oct.7

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a “support front” with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel’s military assault in Gaza.

Firefighters work to extinguish wildfires following a missile attack from Lebanon which fell on the Israeli-Syrian border, Valley of Tears, Golan Heights, on July 20, 2024. (credit: MICHAL GILADI/FLASH90)

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group and the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon.





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Preparing for war: Haifa mayor describes city’s infrastructure changes tensions in North escalate

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Preparing for war: Haifa mayor describes city’s infrastructure changes tensions in North escalate



Haifa mayor Yona Yahav spoke this past Monday with Lior Rosenfeld on Radio North 104.5FM about the escalation of the war in the North and his entry into political office amidst the security situation.

Yahav began, “I cannot speak on behalf of the North as I don’t know exactly what’s happening there. No one updates me, as if we are not the largest and most important city in the North. Tomorrow, the Home Front Command is coming to see us for the first time, and we will see what they have to say. We are doing everything to ensure that the city itself and our residents are safe and know what to do in case, God forbid, missiles fall on us. They are more accurate than those in 2006.”

Yahav also discussed the city’s preparations for a war in the North.

“We are now changing the entire method of building public structures,” Yahav said. “We are preparing them for prolonged stays. The minimum will be four consecutive days in shelters and such buildings, which require preparation. For example, installing toilets, which we don’t have today, and we have given instructions to build them in places close to where new houses are being built. This has been fully understood, and developers have begun to understand that the talk about evacuation and reconstruction has undergone drastic changes in light of the security situation. For example, road width needs to be maintained for the sake of evacuating residents on these roads. These are things that were not considered until now and must now be taken into account.”

Yonah Yahav (credit: ASLAN ABGANA)

Yahav’s plans for the success of Haifa’s future

Yahav then discussed his appeal to the transportation minister to stop the Highway 23 Carmel Tunnels’ toll charge.

“We called on the transportation minister to stop the discrimination. Haifa and the North are always discriminated against compared to central Israel, and there’s no reason for this. There are huge tunnels dug in Jerusalem that do not cost residents any money to pass through. There’s no reason why the tunnels dug in Haifa should include a toll. I speak on behalf of Haifa residents, and we are preparing to petition if we do not receive an answer.”

Regarding his entry into his mayoral role about three months ago, Yahav said, “I found a completely ruined city. They destroyed the municipality, and it’s very difficult to move things around. I don’t understand how residents sat idly by and kept quiet. We are trying to go to government offices to fix relations, to get funds, to move projects to bring in fees – and we are doing all this in a short time.

“The ministers are acting openly and with the goodwill to help. I am now waiting for the money on the table. The casino building in Bat Galim will be a luxurious hotel on the Bat Galim seashore. This neighborhood will undergo a complete transformation and will be the most beautiful neighborhood in the country. It will also be the only neighborhood facing a recognized beach. We came to make a change, and we will succeed.”

In conclusion, he touched on the issue of wild boars: “You won’t be able to follow them because soon you won’t see them anymore.”





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‘Psychological operation’: Turkey condemns FM Katz social media post depicting toddler Erdogan

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‘Psychological operation’: Turkey condemns FM Katz social media post depicting toddler Erdogan



Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement on Sunday condemning a social media post made by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in which Katz presented Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as a toddler on the lap of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Katz, in a Sunday post on X, wrote “Erdogan @RTErdogan finances and arms terrorist organizations of Hamas to carry out attacks and murder against Israelis. The General Security Service captured a squad of students from Bir Zeit who were employed by the Hamas headquarters in Turkey to carry out murder attacks in Israel, through training and weapons and tens of thousands of dollars provided to them.

“Erdogan turned Turkey into a state that supports terrorism and subjects Turkey to the Iranian axis of evil in the name of extreme ideology and blatant anti-Semitism.”

Katz’s comments were made in reference to a recently thwarted terror attack planned by the student Hamas cell in Bir Zeit University, north of Ramallah. The attempted attack, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said, was directed by Hamas’s base in Turkey. 

TURKEY’S PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Istanbul, earlier this month. Reports in the media suggested that this meeting was the result of a breakdown in relations between Hamas and Qatar. (credit: Turkish Presidential Press Office/Reuters)

Turkey condemns the social media post

The Turkish ministry responded “The Israeli Foreign Minister is trying to hide Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians behind a series of lies, slander and disrespect.

“Israel’s dirty propaganda targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan, and psychological operation attempts will not bear fruit.

“The members of the Netanyahu Government, who have killed nearly forty thousand Palestinians in Gaza and are now trying to start a regional war in order to stay in power, will be tried in international courts and held accountable for their crimes.

“Türkiye will continue to speak the truth and defend the right of the Palestinian people to live in justice and peace.”

The ministry cited data provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. 

Additionally, Turkey has repeatedly asserted that it does not categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization – despite its western allies acknowledging it as such and its proven attacks on Israeli civilians. 





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