Is the wave of Muslim tourism that has recently been sweeping over Rachel’s Tomb an act of innocent faith or of deliberate provocation? The Palestinians, who in the past did view the site as that of the matriarch Rachel, now identify it with a Sufi saint, the first mu’azzin of Muhammad, and consequently as a mosque.
Macron shares details with atypical interviewers about his teenage romance with his married high-school teacher, who became his wife.
The measure was harshly criticized by the ultra-Orthodox community for whom plastic tableware provides a great convenience given the higher number of children per household and tradition to host guests. Israel Hayom speaks to experts about alternatives that might boost sustainability practices in the sector.
There was no shortage of historic events in 2022: the death of a beloved monarch; the overturning of Roe v. Wade; and the first World Cup held in the Middle East, just to name a few. Yet, they all pale in comparison to what unfolded in eastern Europe.
The People's Republic of China's envoy to Israel, Ambassador Cai Run, spoke with Israel Hayom on the official relations between the countries – which marked 30 years in 2022 – and the special bond between the two nations.
A Gaza resident who worked to defend political prisoners eventually became one himself after criticizing Hamas. "The dangers are well known to anyone who leaves," he says, recalling that one escapee said to him, "I am dead here in Gaza anyway, so what do I care?"
Irina Glazov immigrated to Israel in a daring escape from Ukraine, but her daughter Alisa was left behind, after she was captured by the Russian army although she was not a soldier. "She wrote to us, 'I'm sorry for staying alive."
They remember waking up to the sounds of explosions the night Russia invaded and the look of fear on their parents' faces. But between the friends leaving abroad, the sirens, and the power outages they maintain hope that the Ukrainian army – "the coolest and bravest in the world" – will soon gain victory and all of Ukraine will celebrate "and dance with joy."
Israel Hayom speaks with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko about life in the Ukrainian capital several months after the retreat of the Russian military. "Putin set out to break our spirit, but instead our people rose to protect our homeland," he says.
"When parents discover that their children have been brainwashed, it is already too late to do anything," warns one of the few who dares to go against the grain. Israel, she says, is next.