By: Samuel Smith – The Christian Post; christianpost.com

A Messianic Jewish congregation of about 350 people in Israel has won a restraining order against members of an anti-evangelism organization that it says has for years harassed the congregation and even damaged its property. 

Pastor Israel Pochtar of Congregation Beit Hallel based in Ashdod, said in a statement that the congregation has faced “a targeted persecution campaign” lead by the Orthodox Jewish anti-missionary organization Yad Le’Achim.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/messianic-church-israel-wins-court-restraining-order-case-against-anti-evangelism-group.html

By: Lahav Harkov – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

July 1, the first day on which the coalition agreement allowed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring sovereignty to a vote, passed without any progress on that front, as was expected.

Jerusalem and Washington are expected to coordinate their decision on where and when Israel will extend its laws in the West Bank next week, a source with knowledge of the talks between the sides told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

July 1, the first day on which the coalition agreement allowed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring sovereignty to a vote, passed without any progress on that front, as was expected.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/annexation-decision-likely-to-be-made-next-week-633456

By: Marcy Oster – Jewish Telegraphic Agency; jta.org

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that helps North Americans immigrate to Israel, said it has received the highest number of applications since its founding nearly two decades ago.

In the first half of June, over 900 applications have been submitted to the group for making the move to Israel, or aliyah, compared to 399 in June 2019.

The organization, in conjunction with The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel and JNF-USA, has scheduled 14 group flights for North American Jews moving to Israel this summer. The organizations signed a contract with El Al Airlines to provide the flights.

By: Celia Jean – Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

“We are here to give a clear message: History will not forgive those who abandon the holy places at this time. We will not accept symbolic sovereignty.”

Around 2,500 people gathered at Joseph’s Tomb Monday night to pray for the success of the potential annexation of parts of the West Bank, as part of US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that he will apply sovereignty to parts of the West Bank as early as July 1.

The large crowd gathered, in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines, at Joseph’s Tomb located just outside the city of Nablus in the West Bank, on what also happened to be Joseph’s yahrzeit (the anniversary of his death).

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/josephs-tomb-2500-pray-overnight-for-success-of-sovereignty-plan-632444

By: Marcy Oster – Jewish Telegraphic Agency; jta.org

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli scientists have developed a self-disinfecting, reusable face mask as the demand for protective masks has risen dramatically since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The mask was developed at the Haifa-based Technion-Israel Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering by a team of scientists led by Professor Yair Ein-Eli.

By: Sue Surkes – The Times of Israel; timesofisrael.com

Research urges refraining from encouraging human population growth, calls for stopping urban sprawl into natural areas to save endangered species

Mountain gazelles are under serious threat from urbanization, poaching, collisions with cars, predation by feral dogs as well as natural predators, and division of their habitats by roads, railways and fences, including the security barrier between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, a report says.

The species is already listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and if this species as well as others are to be protected in the long term, radical steps should be taken, including banning new building or agriculture on land still in its natural state and reviewing subsidies that encourage population growth, says the study, published last week in Oryx—The International Journal of Conservation.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/mountain-gazelles-under-serious-threat-urgent-action-needed-study/

By: Jerusalem Post Staff – jpost.com

“We in the Muslim World League are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters to build understanding, respect, love and inter-religious harmony,” the sheikh said.

The Muslim World League, a Saudi Arabian government-funded NGO, is prepared to fight “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Jews from around the world to defeat antisemitism, head of the group Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa said on Tuesday.“

We in the Muslim World League are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters to build understanding, respect, love and interreligious harmony,” said al-Issa from Mecca in a virtual conference organized by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement and the American Sephardi Federation.

https://www.jpost.com/international/top-saudi-cleric-jews-muslims-need-to-join-forces-to-fight-antisemitism-630867

By: Deborah Fineblum – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

Applications for aliyah in the spring of the coronavirus are breaking records, as Jews in the Diaspora see Israel as a safe haven.

In a time of darkness, a time of pandemic, pandemonium and power struggles, a thin ray of light can be seen in the Jewish world.

The results are in: In May, the number of North Americans applying to make aliyah was double what it was last year at this time (814 vs. 424). In fact, last month was the biggest ever in the 19-year history of Nefesh B’Nefesh, the nonprofit that with the help of Israel’s government and the Jewish Agency for Israel has already shepherded some 60,000 North American Jews to new homes in Israel.

“We’ve seen small bumps, but nothing like this,” says Marc Rosenberg, Nefesh vice president for Diaspora partnerships. “What we saw this past month is absolutely remarkable. And while they may not be major numbers, they are major increases.”

https://www.jns.org/in-an-era-of-global-uncertainty-record-numbers-of-jews-seek-to-return-home/

By: Ben Sales – Jewish Telegraphic Agency; jta.org

Wonder of wonders: “Fiddler on the Roof” is returning to the big screen.

MGM will produce a remake of the iconic 1964 musical about the struggles and joys of Jewish life in the fictional Eastern European shtetl of Anatevka, according to Deadline.

The new film will bring some star power from Broadway: Director Thomas Kail served in the same role for “Hamilton” and has collaborated with its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda (famously a “Fiddler” fan), on other shows. Steven Levenson, who wrote the acclaimed musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” will pen the screenplay.

The remake will be carrying on a tradition of more than 50 years.

By: David Horovitz – The Times of Israel; timesofisrael.com

New law bars cooperation with Zionists, including ‘hardware and software,’ as crime against God. So, no computers, internet, cellphones; healthcare ravaged; and no BMW for Khamenei

Ahead of its annual al-Quds Day orgy of Israel-bashing on Friday, Iran’s parliament has unanimously passed legislation banning “any cooperation” with Israel — specifically including the use of Israeli computer hardware and software — as a crime against God.

In normal years, al-Quds day is marked across the Islamic Republic by orchestrated anti-Israel marches and speeches, the trampling and burning of Israeli flags, and other displays of hatred rather at odds with the regime’s frequent assurances to the international community that its friendly and peace-loving leaders have no interest whatsoever in acquiring nuclear weapons.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-has-banned-use-of-all-israel-tech-as-crime-against-god-good-luck-with-that/