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Music is a language we all understand – even when we don’t have words. 

The Raanana Jazz Festival, which opened last week, is much more than a cultural event – it is a celebration of regional cooperation, of dialogue between countries, and of cross-border connections forged through sounds, instruments, and a love for music.

During the festival, artists from Israel and across the region were hosted: Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Georgia, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and more – who brought with them the rhythm, spirit, and unique tradition of each country, and met on one shared stage.

The Ministry for Regional Cooperation is proud to take part in such an initiative – which proves time and again how strong human connection can be when allowed to play.

By TPS-IL • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Two years after Iran-backed Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, residents of Sderot — one of the hardest-hit communities — launched its first-ever film festival dedicated to Iranian cinema.

The two-day event, which opened on Monday, has already drawn criticism from the Iranian news agency Fars, which accused “Zionists” of taking Iranian films “hostage.”

Dana Sameach, the Israeli founder of the festival, and Younes Sadaghiani, an Iranian-born political analyst hosted by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told The Press Service of Israel that the festival is about cultural connection, not political confrontation.

“We wanted to do this festival for two reasons: first, to show that from the area of the worst catastrophe in the history of Israel, there is not only grief but culture, with people who know how to reach out their hand in peace and hope for a better future. Second, we wanted to honor Farsi culture. There are many Israelis of Farsi origin, and we want to honor the culture of the Iranian people,” Sameach explained.

Sadaghiani emphasized that Persians and Israelis are not enemies.

“I think the Persian culture and Israeli culture are very, very similar. So when people say they want to make us enemies, we are not enemies. Persians and Israelis are not enemies. It’s the Islamic Republic that is the issue, so we need to get rid of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic is not Iran,” he told TPS-IL.

They shared with TPS-IL a report from the Fars website claiming Israel “is attempting to take another Iranian film hostage.” It was referring to the possibility that a film by Asghar Farhadi, one of the most prominent Iranian directors, will be screened at the festival’s closing ceremony.

The report also accused Israel of “killing more than a thousand Iranians during the sacred twelve days of war,” referencing the 12-day air confrontation between israel and Iran last June.

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.

The festival includes not only award-winning Iranian films but also Persian music, food, talks, and cultural performances. The program has received full encouragement from Sderot’s municipality, Sameach said, and hundreds are expected to attend.

Sameach added she hopes the festival, titled “Nowruz,” which means “new day” in Farsi, will signal a new dawn in relations with the Iranian people and grow into a yearly cultural tradition in a city still rebuilding from October 7.

Jerusalem, 29 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — For the first time, Iranians will be able to watch Israel’s Iranian Film and Culture Festival live online. Held November 24-25 at the Sderot Cinematheque under the banner “Nowruz” (“new day”), the festival aims to bridge hearts through film, music, and lectures.

Initiated by cultural researcher Dana Samah, the program includes screenings of Reading Lolita and Asghar Farhadi’s The Agent, Persian-inspired music, and recognition of cultural ambassadors like singer Rita Jahan-Farouz.

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi called the festival “a language of human connection” in a tense political climate.

(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

President Herzog: “The world must understand the evil that carried out here the most brutal crimes against humanity, is the same evil that kills Jews and hurts Jews all over the world, and we must defeat it.”

President Isaac Herzog today (Wednesday, 8 October 2025), addressed the memorial ceremony held on the site of the Nova Festival where more than 370 Israelis and other nationalities were murdered by terrorists from Gaza, and more than 150 taken hostage into Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Addressing the memorial, led by the families of the victims, the President praised the courage and resilience of the survivors and the families. He stressed the importance of efforts to bring the hostages home, and speaking in English, called on the international community to recognize that the same brutal hatred was targeting Jews around the world.

President Herzog: “We gather here in memory and in sorrow, remembering our loved ones who came to celebrate nature and love and music, and who were barbarically assassinated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Two years have passed since that dark day when Israel’s soul was torn apart and Hamas terrorists unleashed unspeakable evil upon innocent women, men and children. People from 36 nationalities who were brutally massacred and taken captive. We shall remember them for eternity. From that darkness rose the courage of our soldiers, the heroism of our citizens. We will not rest. We will not be silent until all 48 hostages are back home.

The last two years have also seen a terrible wave of antisemitism across the world. From here, from the ground soaked with our children’s blood, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish communities everywhere.

The world must understand the evil that carried out here the most brutal crimes against humanity, is the same evil that kills Jews and hurts Jews all over the world, and we must defeat it.

I thank our friends from around the world for their messages of solidarity and condolences, and I extend special thanks to President Donald Trump for his tireless efforts to bring our hostages back home, to bring about real change and a new direction in the Middle East.”

Jerusalem, 5 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Jerusalem District of the Israel Police continues its preparations as part of operational readiness for the holiday period, including the weekdays of Sukkot and in particular in preparation for the Birkat HaKohanim (blessing of the priests) events expected to take place on Thursday (October 9) and Sunday (October 12), at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

The Sukkot holiday begins Monday nigh and will last for eight days.

Thousands of Israel Police and volunteers will be deployed throughout Jerusalem in the coming days, with an emphasis on the Old City area and traffic routes in the area, with the aim of responding to any scenario and maintaining public order, security, and safety.

As part of the police activity, crowd control will be carried out, with the aim of safely and securely directing the public expected to arrive at the Western Wall Plaza, while maintaining public peace and security.

Jerusalem, 8 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A Hamas terrorist involved in the October 7 massacre at the Nova Music Festival was killed in an Israeli airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday.

Arafat Dhiab was a member of Hamas’ Al-Furqan battalion who simultaneously commanded a Hamas police station and advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians.

Dhiab was killed on May 31.

Ahead of the spring festivals and the summer holidays, the National Security Council (NSC) is publicizing its assessment of threats by terrorists to Israelis abroad. This is done in order to increase awareness among the Israeli public of the terrorist threats it faces in various places around the world.

The document consolidates the major trends in activity by terrorist factions around the world that have an impact on the threat level against Israelis abroad.

The full list of travel alerts in all countries and recommended precautions for Israelis to take in countries with the various threat levels is updated regularly and is accessible to the public on the NSC’s travel alert website and at the call center which is staffed 24/7 (+972-2-666-7444).

The Main Trends:

Iran is the main instigator of global terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, both directly and through its proxies. It continues to use terrorism as a key policy instrument, in response to and in revenge for the harm inflicted on high-ranking Iranian officials and senior Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in the Swords of Iron war.

Over the past year, many Iran-led terrorist plots were exposed and thwarted. These include attempted attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions abroad (Sweden and Belgium), and ongoing attempts by Iranian terrorist entities to create ties with Israeli citizens in Israel and abroad (under the guise of business contacts/impersonation), with the goal of harming or kidnapping them.

 This is usually done through the internet by creating fraudulent contact through email, social media and the like. The NSC’s website has detailed guidelines to avoid falling for this scheme.

Hamas also continues its activity to attack Jews and Israelis abroad, against the backdrop of their dire situation in the Gaza Strip and the resumed fighting in Gaza, which we expect will increase their attempts. In this context, since the beginning of the war, several attacks against Israeli targets around the world were thwarted, and Hamas infrastructure—with plans to carry out attacks on Israeli targets—was exposed in various countries, including Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria and Sweden. Our assessment is that the organization will continue its attempts to carry out attacks against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad.

In the past few months, we have identified an increase in terrorist activity by Global Jihad and other radical Islamist organizations (the Islamic State [Da’esh], al-Qaeda, al-Shabab and others), mostly, but not exclusively, in Europe.

With the collapse of the ceasefire and resumed fighting in Gaza, we are expecting to see an increase in attempted attacks against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad carried out by local initiatives or lone-wolf attackers.

Several examples of this: A terrorist who was influenced by Da’esh’s extremist Islamic ideology rammed a vehicle into New Year Eve party goers in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring 57. Two additional vehicular ramming attacks took place in Germany, a stabbing attack was carried out in Austria, and many thwarted attacks in Germany, Sweden and Türkiye have been reported.

There have been several attempts to harm Jews and Israelis in Australia, including setting fire to a kindergarten, setting fire to a synagogue and an attempted attack on Jewish targets, which was foiled. Throughout 2024, several shootings at synagogues and Jewish schools were recorded in Montreal and Toronto, Canada, as well as incidents in which Molotov cocktails were hurled at these targets.

Most of the Global Jihad infrastructure and activity continues to be focused in Africa (and more specifically the Horn of Africa, the Sahel region and some Central African countries), in the Middle East and in Asia (mostly Afghanistan, southern Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Kashmir region in India and parts of Indonesia).

The Sinai Peninsula continues to be under threat of terrorism as a destination for Israeli tourists (albeit in a more limited scope compared to previous years) primarily along the coast. It should be noted that a level-4 travel alert has been issued for the peninsula, denoting a high threat level and a prohibition to travel to the area.

In addition to the increased terrorism threats, we have seen a surge in hate crimes and antisemitic incidents against Jews and Israelis around the world. Since the beginning of the Swords of Iron war, there have been hundreds of violent attacks against Israelis/Jews around the world, both in organized, planned attacks and in local/lone-wolf initiatives, including mob violence such as the riot attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans in Amsterdam (November 7, 2024).

Unusual security operations in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), Jerusalem (and the Temple Mount) and Israel, alongside the possibility of the war expanding to other fronts, could have an impact, like they have had in the past, on the motivation of lone-wolfs and independent infrastructure to carry out attacks.

The bottom line is that the various terrorist entities (Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Global Jihad) are still high motivated and active in advancing attacks against Israelis and Jews around the world. The backdrop of the hate-filled general feeling towards Israelis and Jews in many countries because of the war continues to fuel motivation among terrorists to carry out attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad.

In light of all this, the National Security Council (NSC) reiterates its recommendation to the Israeli public to act responsibly while traveling abroad, check the NSC travel alerts website prior to purchasing flight tickets and act in accordance with the guidelines in the travel warning and the threat level in the country they are visiting. As the past year has proven, these warnings are factually based and reflect concrete and valid potential threats.

You can see all the travel warnings and recommended precautions to take while traveling abroad on the NSC website (https://nsc.gov.il), and you can call the NSC with any questions you may have (+972-2-666-7444).

Travel Threat Levels:

No Warning (Level 1): We recommend taking basic precautionary measures

Potential threat (Level 2): We recommend taking increased precautionary measures

Moderate threat level (Level 3): We recommend avoiding unnecessary travel to this destination

High threat level (Level 4): Travel to this country is prohibited. Those who are already there must leave immediately.

Mixed threat level: These countries have various threat levels in different areas. The recommendations should be read closely.

The amended indictment, filed by Adv. Tehila Nidam from the Southern District Attorney’s Office, in which the defendants confessed, states that on 8.10.23, the three traveled to the area of the “Nova” party, where at least 347 civilians and 17 police officers were murdered the day before.

Since it was a closed military zone, Yaakovov claimed he lived in a nearby moshav, thereby enabling their entry into the compound. Upon arriving in the area, the defendants began to patrol the site with the aim of locating and stealing property. Among other things, they entered an abandoned caravan, abandoned vehicles, and attempted to open car trunks. During their actions, they took, among other things, a laptop, credit cards, identity cards, and other property belonging to victims murdered at the party, as well as property of people who fled the scene.

Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court Judge Shosh Shitrit convicted the defendants based on their confession of offenses including entering a military area, obstructing a police officer, breaking into a vehicle with intent to commit theft, attempted vehicle break-in, and theft. In addition, Ruham was also convicted of possession of a drug for personal use, after drugs were found in his home.

In the sentencing arguments, Adv. Nidam argued that the defendants’ actions contradict every basic social norm in human society, and that they demonstrate a crossing of moral boundaries, a breakdown of values, a trampling of human compassion, and a willingness to exploit the distress of others for personal gain. She further stated that their actions harmed the dignity of the “Nova” party participants, disgraced and desecrated the memory of the murdered, while bodies were still present in the nearby killing zones.

In the verdict, Judge Shitrit stated: “The immense joy of life that was abruptly cut short at the ‘Nova’ festival on October 7, 2023, has become a tragic symbol of national loss. Alongside the unimaginable horrors of murder, abuse, and abduction, another incomprehensible phenomenon was revealed – internal looting by the country’s citizens.” She further stated that “the defendants’ behavior reflects shallow and unforgivable extreme opportunism, which operated under the cover of the chaos of a murderous terror attack, and demonstrates how a national crisis can serve as a platform for normative disintegration.” And furthermore, “looting in the circumstances described in the indictment is not merely a criminal property offense; it is a complete betrayal of human dignity and basic social solidarity.”

In light of the foregoing, Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court Judge Shosh Shitrit sentenced Liran Yaakovov to 36 months imprisonment, and a suspended sentence; Natanel Aviv to 38 months imprisonment; and Oz Hai Rahum to 40 months imprisonment. In addition, each of the defendants was fined NIS 18,000.

Jerusalem, 13 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Tens of thousands are expected to attend the “Chayei Sarah” (Life of Sarah) Shabbat in Hebron – Yitzhak Hall will be opened for Jewish prayer. Chayei Sarah is the weekly Tora portion to be read this Shabbat. It tells the story of the death of the matriarch Sarah and how the patriarch Abraham bought the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron for the family’s burial site.

The Ministry of Religious Services and the Cave of the Patriarchs Administration are in peak preparation: buses, accommodation, and increased security for the thousands of pilgrims who will visit the City of the Patriarchs – Hebron.

During the Shabbat, central prayers, Torah lessons and festive events will be held in the presence of the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Bar Shlita, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita and other rabbis, and with the participation of ministers, members of Knesset and public figures.