During the meeting with Dr. Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and his deputy, Dr. Aviram Bellaishe, Boulos emphasized that his position toward Israel had been misunderstood.

A Lebanese-born lawyer and businessman, Boulos served as Trump's liaison to Arab and Muslim voters during the presidential campaign. Days after Trump's electoral victory, Boulos was wrongly associated with supporting a Palestinian state roadmap.

In his discussion with the Israeli researchers, Boulos stressed that he considers Israel's security a critical and central issue. He voiced complete support for Trump's Gaza evacuation and reconstruction plan, asserting his firm belief that Hamas must be removed from the territory. "The atrocities and terrorism of October 7 must be eradicated," Boulos emphasized.

On the subject of Lebanon, Trump's senior advisor stated that the Lebanese government must prove itself by dismantling Hezbollah's military arsenal. Boulos indicated that Hezbollah's currently weakened position is insufficient, insisting that the complete elimination of its military capabilities should be the ultimate goal. He further highlighted the importance of preventing Iran from re-establishing influence in Syria or elsewhere in the region.

Following the meeting, Diker told Israel Hayom that "Massad Boulos has been presented inaccurately. His approach to Israel and the Abraham Accords was very positive. He welcomed our viewpoint as Israelis and made it clear that he strongly supports Israel as a native society in the greater Middle East."

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i24NEWS announced on Thursday  that it would air a new show "dealing with the latest news of the Jewish world."

The show, "Jewish World Weekly" will run every week as a one-hour program starting this coming Sunday on the international news channel, with a particular focus on the various developments in areas relating to the American-Jewish community.

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"It will cover the latest developments on such issues as anti-Semitism, Jewish-community building, the work of dedicated Jewish organizations, cultural Jewish events & trends, Judaism, debates over Jewish issues, profiles of Jewish newsmakers, etc," the channel said.

The broadcast will be on Sundays at 16:00 IST (9 A.M. US EST) and 00:00 (midnight) (5 PM US EST).  Its anchor and editor is Calev Ben-David, who will also continue to anchor i24NEWS's prime-time news program "The Rundown".

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Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric, who won his country's election on Sunday with close to 56% of the vote, on Monday called for the people to join him in "building bridges."

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However, the progressive Boric's anti-Israel positions are causing worry in the Chilean Jewish community.

Like many politicians on the Latin American Left, Boric, 36 – who on March 22 will be sworn in as Chile's youngest-ever president – holds clear positions about the foreign policy he intends to lead.

Two years ago, the local Jewish community presented him with a traditional Rosh Hashana gift of honey, and Boric responded by tweeting: "The Jewish community gave me honey to emphasize its commitment to a more accepting, supportive and respectful society."

"I thank you for the step, but you can start by demanding that Israel return the Palestinian territory it occupies illegally," his tweet continued.

Boric has a long history of left-wing activity, going back to his student days, when he was a leader of the country's stormy "social justice" protests that erupted in 2011 and again in October 2019, demanding that the country's economy be strengthened and restored to a welfare state model.

When asked during a TV interview about his previous remarks against Israel (Boric has accused Israel of committing genocide), Boric said he still believed that to be true.

La Comunidad Judía en Chile me envía un tarrito de miel por el año nuevo judio, reafirmando su compromiso cn "una sociedad más inclusiva, solidaria y respetuosa". Agradezco el gesto pero podrían partir por pedirle a Israel que devuelva el territorio palestino ilegalmente ocupado. pic.twitter.com/rtb1dt8QRP

— Gabriel Boric Font (@gabrielboric) October 2, 2019

"All the countries that violate international law, such as Israel, China, or Turkey, should respect international norms. It doesn't matter how much power that country has, we need our foreign policy to defend human rights with all its might, regardless of the government," Boric told the interviewer.

Chile is home to some half a million Palestinian immigrants, most of whom are Christian. The country's Jewish population, in comparison, numbers only tens of thousands.

President of the Chilean community in Israel Gabriel Colodro told Israel Hayom that "Boric has voted for every bill against Israel, called Israel a murderous state on public television, and consistently supports boycott of Israel."

However, Colodro said, he is Chile's president-elect, a fact that should not only be respected, but appreciated. "He will be judged by his actions, not his declarations," Colodro said.

"His remarks and the agreements he has made have an antisemitic nature, but it's not important what he has said, but what he will do. There is concern for the Jewish community [in Chile], but we wish him success," Colodro said.

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While Yevarkan told Israel Hayom that a new town for Ethiopian-Israelis would be the "fulfillment of a dream," many members of the community said it would take them "many steps backward."

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Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, also an immigrant from Ethiopia, said, "The project for an Ethiopian-only town is foolishness, and this thinking will lead to separatism and segregation for Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. It won't happen on my watch!"

Tamano-Shata said that if Yevarkan supported the idea of an Ethiopian-only community, he should not be trying to fight segregated schools.

"He is actually calling for Ethiopian-Israelis to be separated from the rest of the population," the aliyah and integration minister said.

In a Facebook post directed at Yevarkan, Tamano-Shata wrote: "You are making a mistake, a big mistake. Our forefathers' dream was never to build a separate community for Ethiopian Jews in Israel, and certainly not to live in separate communities, but rather to return to Zion and reunite with the rest of the Tribes of Israel."

"Sadly, there are already neighborhoods that have turned into 'Ethiopian communities' … this idea puts the community back years," Tamano-Shata wrote.

After coming into blistering criticism, Yevarkan told Israel Hayom that he wanted to clarify that "a community of this kind would provide a housing solution for young couples. The town would be founded based on having a majority Ethiopian-Israeli population, and on the heritage and culture of the Beta Israel people and the Jewish people, with the rich cultural life, concern for each other, love for people and the Land of Israel on which we were raised.

"The values that characterize the Beta Israel community can be a model for the rest of Israeli society. There is no better place for these values to flourish than one of empowerment. Anyone who is not Ethiopian-Israeli and wants to be part of the town will be welcome," Yevarkan said.

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