The legal officials clarified that since Israel has declared a naval blockade, it must be consistently enforced without exceptions, and therefore the flotilla must not be allowed to pass. Security officials noted that the ships might contain ammunition that would aid Hamas, making it mandatory to inspect the contents before they are permitted to pass. For these reasons, it was decided that the new flotilla will be handled in a manner very similar to how the previous flotilla was managed.

Accordingly, once the flotilla reaches the maritime border of Gaza, IDF forces, led by the Israeli Navy, will operate according to international regulations and will warn the boats not to advance further. If they cooperate, they will be redirected to one of Israel's ports. If they refuse, the IDF will forcibly seize control of the boats and tow them to Israeli shores. Following their arrival in the country, the participants will undergo a legal procedure similar to what took place the last time. However, urgent discussions are being held in Israel on the question of whether to release them, especially regarding participants for whom this will be their second attempt to breach the blockade, such as Greta Thunberg.

It should be noted that based on intelligence information gathered in Israel, the flotilla is not only designed to assist Hamas propaganda but was also funded and organized by the organization, meaning the flotilla was intended to be a media gimmick from start to finish. Against this backdrop, alongside the operational preparation, there is an extensive and coordinated public relations effort by the Foreign Ministry, the IDF, the Israel Police, and the other agencies that are monitoring the flotilla and preparing to address it. This is intended to provide a real-time media response to any expected provocation from the participants. It should be noted that already, Israel's messages regarding the flotilla have garnered millions of views on social networks, whereas the participants' publications are receiving comparatively little and small attention.

Israel and Italy have offered the flotilla participants the option to unload the contents of the boats at legitimate ports in the Middle East, so that the contents could undergo a security inspection and then be transferred to the Gaza Strip through the conventional routes. Nonetheless, all the offers were rejected by them. Foreign Ministry Director General Eitan Bar Tal stated on Thursday in a response during a press conference for the foreign media, "The flotilla's refusals prove once again that its real purpose is not the transfer of humanitarian aid, but rather provocation and service to the terrorist organization Hamas. Israel reiterates: the entry of vessels into an active combat zone will not be permitted and the violation of the lawful naval siege will not be allowed."

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The OCHA office in Israel has systematically abused its humanitarian mandate to launch severe attacks against Israel, manipulate reporting on Gaza Strip developments, and disseminate misleading presentations to the international community that distort established facts and on-ground realities in Gaza.

Notable examples include OCHA director Tom Fletcher's false accusation that Israel would cause 14,000 infant deaths in Gaza within two days – a claim he subsequently retracted. Foreign Ministry sources indicate that OCHA staff routinely deliver skewed, agenda-driven reports that create defamatory portrayals of Israel unsupported by evidence – including inflated Gaza civilian casualty statistics that required later corrections and underreported humanitarian aid truck numbers that failed to reflect actual delivery volumes.

Most recently, Whittall, who maintains frequent access to Gaza, crossed acceptable boundaries by publicly asserting that Gaza contains "conditions created to kill." Whittall further declared, "What we are seeing is carnage. It is weaponized hunger. It is forced displacement. It's a death sentence for people just trying to survive.It appears to be the erasure of Palestinian life."

Foreign Ministry representatives emphasize that such inflammatory rhetoric against Israel represents both falsehood and distortion while violating UN behavioral standards that mandate staff neutrality and require unbiased professional conduct.

Whittall, who maintains residence in Jerusalem while splitting duties between Jerusalem and Gaza, will have to depart Israel within several weeks.

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Israel's Foreign Ministry has ignited a diplomatic firestorm by releasing a contentious video on its Persian-language social media platform. The post, which portrays Iran as a small dog ineffectually barking at a larger canine representing Israel, has sparked intense debate about the appropriateness of such provocative tactics in an already tense geopolitical climate.

In a move that has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Persian-language account shared a video on Friday that has quickly become the center of controversy. The video depicts Iran as a diminutive dog, barking incessantly but harmlessly at a much larger canine symbolizing Israel. This digital jab has prompted discussions about whether the potential humor outweighs the risks of further inflaming already strained relations.

The timing of this provocative post is particularly sensitive, coming amid ongoing speculation about Iran's potential retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July. Western nations have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to temper any Iranian response in the weeks following the high-profile killing.

Adding to the regional tension, just two weeks ago, Iran's proxy force Hezbollah attempted to mount its own significant response to the assassination of Fuad Shukr. Israel's military, however, managed to preempt and thwart most of these threats, some of which were reportedly aimed at the heart of Israel.

In recent days, Foreign Minister Israel Katz has been vocal about Iran's efforts to escalate violence against Israel, particularly through increased terror activities in the West Bank. Katz reiterated these concerns during his recent meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, underscoring the gravity with which Israel views these developments.

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Foreign Minister Israel Katz has rejected a request from his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, for an official visit to Israel. The decision comes in the wake of Oslo's controversial recognition of a Palestinian state and its stance on the Gaza War.

The rejection came after the Norwegian Foreign Ministry's initial attempts to coordinate the visit were met with silence from Israeli counterparts, effectively stalling the process. This lack of response ultimately forced Eide to make a direct appeal to Katz, which was subsequently turned down.

The Norwegian diplomatic overtures, despite the country's apparent hostility toward Israel in the aftermath of the war against the Hamas terror group, began during last week's NATO conference.

At the event, Eide sought out Katz during a reception. Upon locating him, the Norwegian minister approached, stating, "We have many issues to discuss." Witnesses reported that Katz's response was pointed, "There are also many things you have done to us."

This diplomatic cold shoulder from Israel comes against a backdrop of strained relations. Notably, Israel's ambassador to Norway has yet to return to his post after being recalled for consultations, having been recalled due to the recognition. Sources close to the matter indicate there are currently no plans for the ambassador's return.

Oslo recognized a Palestinian state at the end of May, cited as a result of "government policy." This decision, made while seemingly disregarding the Oct. 7 onslaught, triggered a series of punitive measures from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. However, the outright refusal to entertain high-level diplomatic visits appears to be the most severe step taken thus far.

In addition, Norway has yet also condemn Hamas for the massacre in which 1,200 Israelis were killed, mostly civilians. In addition, some 250 hostages were taken hostage. Of those, 120 remain held captive, with 43 dead.

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The government of the Maldives has announced its intention to prohibit Israelis from entering the Indian Ocean archipelago, renowned for its luxury resorts, as public anger in the predominantly Muslim nation escalates over the ongoing war in Gaza.

A statement from President Mohamed Muizzu's office revealed that the cabinet has decided to amend existing laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from gaining entry into the country. Additionally, a subcommittee will be established to oversee the implementation of this process.

In a Facebook post, the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote, "In light of the Maldives government's decision to ban the entry of citizens with Israeli passports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Israeli citizens avoid travel to the Maldives. The recommendation is also valid for Israeli citizens holding a foreign passport in addition to an Israeli passport. For Israeli citizens staying in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, since if they fall into distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to help."

Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli-Arab public figure, wrote on Instagram, "Do you understand they didn't ban entry for Palestinians after the October 7 massacre? To them if you raped, kidnapped, and massacred Israelis you are welcome to vacation there, but if your country defended itself against a terrorist organization you are not allowed entry. They didn't ban entry for citizens of Iran, North Korea, or Syria... only Israelis! This is the definition of apartheid by the way."

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 Last year, nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives, accounting for 0.6% of the total tourist arrivals in the island nation. However, in December, Israel issued a travel warning cautioning its citizens against visiting the Maldives, citing "heightened anti-Israel sentiment" and "public comments by officials" during the conflict with Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group.

The Republic of Maldives, a Sunni Muslim country without official diplomatic relations with Israel, recently condemned the Israeli actions in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. "Such deliberate aggression and genocidal acts targeted against civilians are in gross violation of international humanitarian law," the Maldives' Foreign Ministry stated last Tuesday.

Citizens in the Maldives have staged numerous demonstrations against Israel since the outbreak of the conflict with Hamas on October 7. As early as November, a bill was introduced in parliament proposing to prohibit Israeli passport holders from entering the country. President Muizzu is expected to appoint a special envoy tasked with assessing the humanitarian needs of Palestinians and launching a fundraising campaign to support relief efforts.

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An unusual bureaucratic tangle is preventing a Jewish family in Argentina from making aliyah. 

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For over a month, the Tarika family has been living out of boxes, with the Foreign Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority deflecting responsibility. 

The reason for the turmoil lies in the fact that Jonas Tarika's father, Alberto, immigrated to Israel with his family in 1974, but later returned to Argentina. His children, including Jonas, were all born and raised in Argentina. 

When Jonas and his wife, Orit, finally wanted to make aliyah, they made an appointment with the Israeli consulate in Buenos Aires, where he had to receive an Israeli passport and be defined as an immigrant under the Law of Return. 

That is when the trouble began: The clerk at the embassy told Jonas that she could not upload his data. The reason, she claimed, was that the system said that his father stayed in Israel between 1974 to 2015, although he returned years earlier, which is why Jonas could not be defined as an oleh chadash.

The fact that Jonas' parents and two brothers immigrated to Israel in 2022 made no difference, and it was impossible to issue Jonas a passport and allow him to make aliyah. 

The issue persists for about a month now. Having contacted the Foreign Ministry, Jonas was told there was no solution and he had to hope that somehow the matter would resolve itself on its own. 

While authorities agree that Jonas is entitled to make aliyah under the Law of Return, they have so far delayed and prevented him from arriving in Israel. 

After involvement on behalf of Israel Hayom, the authorities said that Jonas was granted all the necessary documents. Jonas told Israel Hayom, however, that while he was indeed contacted on the matter, his ability to make aliyah is being delayed by weeks. 

The Population and Immigration Authority said in a statement, "An examination of the request shows that this is a person entitled to making aliyah who applied for status at the Israeli consulate in Buenos Aires. The issue is being handled by the Foreign Ministry, and we will inform the embassy when there is an answer on his matter. He should be in contact with the Israeli embassy."

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Israel's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday criticized a tweet by Twitter CEO Elon Musk accusing Jewish billionaire George Soros of conspiring against humanity.Foreign Ministry Director of Digital Diplomacy David Saranga stopped short of accusing Musk of antisemitism, but said that his remark had "an antisemitic flavor." In a follow-up tweet to an original post comparing the 92-year-old American Holocaust survivor to the Marvel Comics villain Magneto, Musk accused Soros of conspiring against civilization itself. The phrase "The Jews" became one of the top trending topics on Twitter following Musk's tweet.

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"Musk's tweet immediately led to a flood of antisemitic conspiracy theories on Twitter," said Saranga. "Unfortunately Twitter does nothing to address this problem."

Soros is a major donor to left-wing and progressive causes. He founded Open Society Foundations in 1993, an NGO which has been accused by NGO Monitor of participating in anti-Israel activities. Soros has donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations.

In November, shortly after acquiring the social media company for $44 billion, Musk posted a picture of a World War II Wehrmacht soldier carrying three carrier pigeons in a cage during the Nazi invasion of France. Musk visited Israel in 2018, posting a video to Instagram and Twitter of himself lighting cocktails on fire in a Jerusalem bar.

"Learning how to pour flaming absinthe over a tower of glasses in Gatsby, a Jerusalem speakeasy. Everything's better with fire," Musk wrote on Instagram. He also posted a selfie from the ancient Judean desert fortress of Masada with the caption: "Paid respects to Masada earlier today. Live free or die."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov canceled his visit to Israel on Friday. The reasons behind the cancellation were unclear, with some reports citing "personal reasons" and others a strike by staffers of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

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Moscow is embroiled in a tense standoff with neighboring Ukraine amid fears that a Russian military buildup near Ukraine could signal plans by President Vladimir Putin to invade the ex-Soviet neighbor.

Lavrov was expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, as well as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett; topics of discussion would've included the nuclear negotiations between Iran and Western powers taking place in the Austrian capital of Vienna, as well as coordination between Moscow and Jerusalem concerning military activities in Syria.

 This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Israel will evacuate the families of Israeli diplomats stationed in Ethiopia due to the escalating civil war in the country, the Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.

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According to the ministry, the diplomats themselves will continue to work in the country, however, due to the unpredictability of the situation, most of their family members will be evacuated.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said they were keeping a close eye on the events and were in touch with the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and other countries who have missions in the African country.

"For the safety of the people, I will not go into more details," he said.

The ministry also issued a travel warning for Ethiopia. Already on Wednesday, it issued an advisory against non-essential travel after the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency. With the civil unrest disrupting communications, traffic and even flights, the ministry called on Israeli citizens staying in Ethiopia to leave immediately.

Meanwhile, lawmakers urged for the extraction of Ethiopian Jews. Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata called on the government to take immediate action.

Every additional day of stalling could come at a heavy price, she said.

Similarly, Labor Secretary-General Eran Hermoni said the "government must launch an emergency rescue operation to bring them [Ethiopian Jews] to Israel due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. The Israeli government cannot abandon our brethren in Ethiopia whose lives are in danger."

The war in Ethiopia erupted a year ago, with rebel forces from the northern region of Tigray now making their way to capital Addis Ababa, after successfully overtaking several key towns on the way. There were reports of massacres of Ethiopian soldiers and civilians by the rebels.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on the residents to arm themselves to defend their neighborhoods amid expected escalations.

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The International Crime Investigations Unit at the Israel Police's elite Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit is investigating an Israeli student employed by the Foreign Ministry on suspicion they unlawfully entered Iran.

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The investigation, carried out in cooperation with the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, revealed the suspect entered Iran for a short period of time before working for the ministry.

At a hearing on June 9, the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court ordered the suspect released on restrictive conditions.

Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the case was transferred to the State Attorney's Office for review and examination prior to the filing of an indictment. The details of the investigation have been placed under a gag order.

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