WHETHER OF his own making or not, controversy seems to follow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, most recently in the form of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visiting Netanyahu’s ongoing court trial on charges of corruption.
Ministers and media alike wondered what US President Donald Trump’s man on the spot was doing in court and why he was there.
But Huckabee is not the first head of a foreign diplomatic mission to sit in on a court hearing in Israel. In September 2023, German Ambassador Steffen Seibert was taken to task by both ministers and media for what was perceived as interference in Israeli domestic affairs.
Seibert had attended a High Court hearing on judicial reform. It wasn’t interference, though. Changes in a country’s policy that could have dire effects on democracy could also be an important factor in significant changes in foreign relations.
It’s quite possible that President Trump was planning to show up in Israel later this year, but before making a final decision, he wanted Huckabee to assess just how much hot water Netanyahu is in, and how much he can take.
Van Leer Prizes in the Humanities
■ APPROXIMATELY HALF an hour before meeting with recipients of the Van Leer Prizes in the Humanities, President Isaac Herzog issued a statement in which he warned of the dangers in the process employed in dismissing Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.
He likened the situation to a mountain train in which the brakes had failed, with everyone blaming and killing everyone else. The president praised the A-G for her courageous decisions and for giving her full backing to the government, the cabinet, the army, and other security forces while simultaneously acting with strength and integrity to preserve democracy.
While acknowledging the validity of criticism, Herzog alluded to the manner in which it is delivered and urged all sides to act responsibly.
His mood changed as he entered the hall where Prof. Shai Lavi, who heads the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, along with bright students from across the country, their teachers, parents, and, in some cases, siblings were waiting.
“Shalom geonim” (Hello geniuses), the president said as a smile of pleasure radiated his face.
Of all the events he hosts and attends throughout the year, he said, this was the one to which he really looked forward.
The Van Leer Prize for Research in the Humanities recognizes outstanding matriculation projects by high school students.
The purpose of the contest for the prizes is to encourage study and research in humanities subjects that appeal to each student, including fields such as literature, history, Bible, language, Jewish philosophy, Arabic literature and language, Islam, archaeology, art, cinema, and music. Each of these subjects has many subtopics from which to choose.
Herzog was particularly pleased that someone from Kiryat Shmona, one of the northern peripheral communities, was among the prize winners.
He asked each of the youngsters about themselves, where they live, and what they studied, and he was genuinely interested in listening to them. Some of them were initially a little reticent, but Herzog quickly won them over by interacting with them at eye level.
It was very obviously not a duty event but one that he thoroughly enjoyed.
During COVID and again since October 7, 2023, when many youngsters were confined to their homes or evacuated from their homes and unable to study in a classroom environment together with their peers, there were fears about how the next generation of adults would be impacted.
Gazing out at the geniuses of today, many of whom will be leaders of tomorrow, Herzog could relax in the knowledge that, to some extent, the country would be in safe hands.
President Herzog, wife, attend memorial for October 7 massacre
■ LATER IN the week, Herzog and his wife, Michal, participated in the inauguration of a memorial monument to the victims of the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. Kfar Aza suffered major losses in human life, abductions, and severe damage and destruction of property.
As he has done since the Hamas massacre of southern communities, Herzog yet again called for the immediate return of all the hostages. His support for the quest of the families of hostages has been constant.
It boggles the mind that Israel, which can penetrate Iran and other hostile countries, cannot get to the hostages who are so close at hand.
Similarities between Israeli Druze feelings towards Syria, Diaspora Jews feeling towards Israel
■ THERE IS a certain similarity between the mobilization of Israel’s Druze community on behalf of its brothers and sisters in Syria and that of Diaspora Jewry on behalf of Israel. The difference is in geography. Whereas Diaspora Jews are divided from Israel by oceans, seas, and land masses, Syrian Druze are just across the border from Israel.
It is gratifying that Israel has responded to the cry of its Druze citizens to aid Syrian Druze who are experiencing the same inhuman attacks as those experienced by Israel’s southern communities, but according to Sheikh Mowafak Tarif and other leading figures in the Druze community, it is not enough.
They have warned that unless Muslim extremist movements are defeated, they will continue to advance until they reach Jerusalem, and then it will be much more difficult to stop them.
Israeli Druze are great soldiers. Many have risen to high ranks in the IDF, and many have also fallen in battle. For them, identifying with Syrian Druze is more than a shared faith. Most Israeli Druze families have blood ties in Syria. It is not uncommon for Israeli Druze brides to cross into Syria and for families on both sides of the border to gather and wish the newlyweds well.
Israel owes it to its Druze citizens to give them all possible support.
Parents concerned over how to keep children busy, entertained
■ DURING THE long summer vacation, parents often worry about how to keep their children busy and entertained. This applies not only to young children who require constant supervision but also to older children who could drift into bad habits if bored and left to their own devices.
In view of the security situation, parents are doubly concerned about their children, no matter what age they are.
One of the possible means of getting them to do something that interests them is to enroll them in the Young Chef program of the Ort Dan Gourmet School, where professional chefs Shlomi Eldar, Eyal Finkelstein, and Ornit Ovadya will conduct culinary workshops and teach youngsters to prepare delectable dishes.
These include Mexican, Italian, French, Spanish, Argentinian, British, Turkish, Austrian, German, Hungarian, Czech, Dutch, and American favorite foods, as well as various Middle Eastern palate pleasers that have been incorporated into the Israeli kitchen.
Many of these items can be found listed on restaurant menus throughout the country, but the real British treats seldom seen in Israeli restaurants will be shepherd’s pie, bread pudding, and trifle.
The workshops are geared to children aged 9-14 and cost NIS 1980 each, or NIS 3600 for both, including meals.
If that seems to be a lot of money to spend on a child, think of how much a parent or grandparent might be spending on taking a child to lunch and a movie or the beach every day during the summer vacation period. It all adds up, and if the lunch is in one of the eateries in a shopping mall, there are bound to be additional purchases.
Workshops will be conducted from July 27-31 and August 3-7 from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be additional workshops via TikTok throughout August.
To register and for more information, call: 1-700-502-999.
WJC to strengthen collaboration fighting antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance
■ AT A meeting in Geneva this month, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) formally agreed to strengthen their collaboration in the fight against antisemitism and in the promotion of Holocaust remembrance across the OSCE region, comprising 57 participating states across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Building on years of partnership and shared commitment, the new framework outlines cooperation across several key areas, including addressing antisemitic hate crimes, supporting the security needs of Jewish communities, combating online hate, promoting intercommunal dialogue, and ensuring that education systems confront both historical and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism. The agreement also reaffirms the importance of safeguarding the memory of the Holocaust as a cornerstone of democratic resilience and mutual respect.
“This framework will help ensure that policymakers and government officials in North America, Europe, and Asia are equipped with the tools, training, and historical context needed to confront this metastasizing problem,” said WJC President Ronald S. Lauder. “We cannot allow ignorance or indifference to be the breeding ground for hate. The time to act is now, and with partners like ODIHR, we are taking that responsibility seriously.”
Dr. Leon Saltiel, the WJC’s representative in Geneva and director of diplomacy, added: “ODIHR and the World Jewish Congress have a long-standing partnership rooted in a shared commitment to human rights and remembrance. By formalizing this cooperation, we are reinforcing our collective capacity to respond to antisemitism in all its forms and to ensure that it is met with knowledge, vigilance, and solidarity.”
Yoga near Jerusalem's Old City
■ YOGA ENTHUSIASTS, late on Tuesday afternoon, gathered in Mamilla, a Jerusalem neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City, for the 11th International Day of Yoga.
The event was held under the joint auspices of the Jerusalem Municipality, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the Indian embassy.
Organized under the theme of “Yoga for One Earth One Health,” the event underscored yoga’s role in inspiring the journey from personal well-being to shared harmony, reflecting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of moving from Me to We.
The Yoga session was led by Jerusalem-based yoga instructors Maayan Shenhar and Maayan Rodan, accompanied by live sitar music performed by Israeli musician Tavor Ben Dor.
Indian Ambassador JP Singh was joined by Ambassador Sagi Karni, head of Israel’s Foreign Ministry Bureau for South Asia, and Liat Pitaro Amon, director of the municipality’s Sports Authority.
The event attracted over 200 yoga enthusiasts, including members of the diplomatic community and local residents.
In the lead-up to International Day of Yoga 2025, the embassy organized a series of pre-IDY events in various universities and cities, including Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Netanya, and Petah Tikva.
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