eastern Jerusalem

By Pesach Benson • December 8, 2025

Jerusalem, 8 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli police raided the Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency on Monday, raising an Israeli flag over the compound.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King confirmed to The Press Service of Israel that the raid was carried out because of several years of unpaid property taxes and to collect intelligence on who was operating the compound. An Israeli ban on UNRWA has been in force since January 2025.

“The police entered the compound for the first time to collect information about who is de facto controlling the place,” King told TPS-IL. “But for the past year, there has been activity. If it’s against the law, the law needs to be enforced.”

King added that the people holding the compound were not paying municipal property taxes. According to King, UNRWA owes the city millions of shekels in unpaid taxes. “So the municipality asked the police to find out who the city should collect the money from. UNRWA is not allowed to operate there, so who is running the place?”

King said raising the flag was an important symbol because the compound is located in a Jewish neighborhood and it sends a message to UNRWA.

“People need to remember that UNRWA was involved in the terror attack and massacres of October 7. UNRWA cars were used by Hamas, and UNRWA compounds, schools, clinics, and kindergartens in the Gaza Strip were used by Hamas to hide Israeli hostages and to bury Israeli bodies in the compounds. There’s no difference between UNRWA in Gaza and UNRWA in Jerusalem,” he told TPS-IL.

UNRWA has been under fire for years, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency’s staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Despite Israeli, U.S., and some European opposition, the U.N. General Assembly on Friday voted to extend UNRWA’s mandate for three more years.

Palestinian refugees are the only refugee population with its own dedicated UN agency. The rest of the world’s refugees fall under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • December 8, 2025

Jerusalem, 8 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel and Costa Rica signed a Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement on Monday, marking a significant milestone in economic cooperation between the two countries. The agreement, signed at the Ministry of Economy and Industry in Jerusalem, is expected to strengthen Israeli exports, expand bilateral trade, and contribute to lowering the cost of living in Israel.

“Costa Rica is a natural trade partner for Israel – an OECD country with a deep commitment to free and open trade,” said Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat. “The Free Trade Agreement is expected to strengthen the trend of growth in israeli exports, deepen business collaborations, and help reduce the cost of living in Israel by lowering import prices. The agreement reflects the policy we are leading: opening new markets, diversifying trade destinations, and strengthening the growth engines of the Israeli economy.”

The deal will immediately eliminate over 90% of tariffs, opening the Costa Rican market to Israeli industrial and agricultural products. At the same time, Israel will reduce import costs on a wide range of products from Costa Rica, including tropical fruits, nuts, vegetables, and medical equipment. Officials said these reductions are likely to benefit both producers and consumers in Israel.

Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica Manuel Tovar Rivera also emphasized the potential benefits of the agreement. “This agreement opens significant new avenues for both Costa Rica and Israel. It enhances access to high-quality Costa Rican goods and services while creating a mutually beneficial platform for collaboration in high-technology industries, premium agribusiness, and specialized services. We see this partnership as a catalyst for two-way investment, innovation, and expanded commercial opportunities that will strengthen the economic ties between our nations,” he said.

Under the agreement, Israeli exports to Costa Rica will benefit from zero tariffs on products including fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, plastic sheets, machinery, laboratory equipment, aluminum profiles, printing ink, olive oil, dates, grapefruit, citrus fruits, waffle cookies, and roasted grains. Conversely, Costa Rican exports to Israel, such as asparagus, nuts, mushrooms, cabbage, celery, dried pineapple, tropical fruits, coffee, cocoa, cane sugar, and medical and orthopedic equipment, will see tariffs eliminated or maintained under preferential conditions. Fresh pineapple, Costa Rica’s leading export to Israel, will continue to enjoy a general exemption from customs duties.

The FTA also includes modern trade provisions, such as using a Declaration of Origin instead of a Certificate of Origin, recognition of software as part of production, flexible cumulation rules, and measures adapted to global supply chains. It regulates trade in services for the first time between the two countries, allowing remote service provision, promoting secure digital trade, recognizing electronic signatures, and ensuring equal rights for Israeli suppliers.

Currently, annual Israeli exports to Costa Rica average around $32 million, but officials expect the new agreement to significantly expand trade across multiple sectors. Costa Rica already maintains trade agreements with 18 major trading partners, including the European Union, the United States, China, and South Korea, giving Israel a competitive position in line with these markets. Following the signing, a formal ratification process will begin before the agreement comes into force.

“The signing of the agreement is a significant achievement for Israeli industry. Upon its entry into force, Israeli exporters will enjoy preferential access to a market where customs rates are high – an advantage that strengthens their competitiveness. Israel and Costa Rica complement each other in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, and technology – a combination that creates real opportunities for expanding trade and deepening cooperation,” said Roy Fisher, Director of the Ministry of Economy and Industry’s Foreign Trade Division.

By Pesach Benson and Omer Novoselsky • December 8, 2025

Jerusalem, 8 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — For more than two decades, plastic waste carried from urban areas has quietly accumulated along the Dead Sea’s shrinking coastline, forming a striking visual and environmental record at the lowest point on Earth. A new study released Monday by the University of Haifa, in collaboration with Italian scientists, shows that flash floods, extreme salinity, and retreating water levels have combined to create a natural archive where plastic debris — including bags, toys, bottles, and even military equipment — remains trapped year after year, preserving a record of human activity in one of the world’s most extreme environments.

Dr. Akos Kalman, Prof. Beverly Goodman Tchernov, and Prof. Michael Lazar told The Press Service of Israel, “The Dead Sea is not only a geoheritage site under threat, but it also functions as an accelerated natural laboratory for the rest of the world. Because it is a closed basin, everything that enters stays, which lets us follow the entire pathway of plastic pollution: from large pieces to fragments and finally to microplastics that become part of the geological record. What we see happening here now is likely to occur in many other water bodies in the future.”

The Dead Sea, the world’s deepest hypersaline lake, has been losing water rapidly over recent decades. During winter, the Kidron Stream, which drains extensive urban areas in Jerusalem, carries sediments, debris, and plastics into the lake in short but powerful flash floods. Because of the water’s high salinity and density, most plastic materials float and collect along the shoreline, creating a series of coastal terraces that document the type and quantity of waste reaching the basin each year. Researchers have referred to these formations as “plastic rings,” highlighting both their striking visual impact and growing scientific value.

The study — published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Hazardous Materials — systematically examined terraces formed between 2000 and 2021 at the junction of the Kidron Stream and the Dead Sea. The team collected all visible plastic items on each terrace and recorded their weights, types, abrasion levels, and spatial distribution. Sediment samples were analyzed for microplastics, which were separated, filtered, photographed under a microscope, and chemically examined to determine polymer types and the effects of prolonged exposure to sun, heat, and erosion. Historical aerial photographs and satellite images were also reviewed to track changes in coastal geomorphology and the stream’s flow over time.

The analysis revealed a sharp increase in plastic input after 2000, with younger terraces containing hundreds of kilograms of waste. Projections indicate that by 2030, a single terrace could accumulate more than a ton of plastic. Exposure to intense sunlight and heat accelerates fragmentation, producing thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment each year. Researchers estimate that one kilogram of large visible plastic can generate roughly four thousand microplastic particles annually, many of which remain in the sediment and gradually integrate into the geological record.

Some waste becomes trapped in sinkholes and cracks forming along the retreating coastline, embedding plastic in sediment layers and potentially creating a permanent archive of human activity. “When we arrived at the site, we saw not only a dramatic retreat of the coastline but also enormous amounts of plastic floating on the water’s surface. It was a jarring moment that made it clear how deep and severe the phenomenon is,” the scientists said.

“Distinct plastic rings started forming around the Kidron outlet only about 25 years ago, after being completely absent before, and their growth since then is clear and steady. The amount of macroplastic entering the basin is so large that it provides the raw material for microplastic breakdown at a scale not documented elsewhere. What also surprised us is the sheer volume now accumulating and the fact that, despite growing public awareness, the problem continues to intensify rather than improve,” they told TPS-IL.

“Plastic pollution in the Dead Sea had not been fully recognized until now, and bringing attention to it is an essential first step. The most effective approach is prevention. This means identifying the exact sources and channels through which plastics enter the basin, increasing monitoring, and strengthening municipal waste collection, recycling, and public education. Regular surveys upstream can quickly reveal where the main leaks occur, and consistent enforcement of existing waste disposal laws would significantly reduce the flow of plastic before it reaches the Dead Sea,” they said.

Inaction, they stressed, is not an option. “Without responsible management and guardianship, it will be lost. If nothing is done, plastic will continue to build up across the channels that feed the basin, just as we have already seen at the Kidron and other outlets. It will keep breaking into microplastics and spreading along the shoreline and coastal zone. In the worst case, the Dead Sea could become a polluted and hazardous environment that is difficult to access and may even affect products derived from it,” the scientists warned TPS-IL.

The Dead Sea, one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, is a popular tourist destination. The water is about 9.6 times saltier than the ocean, creating its famous buoyancy, which allows people to float easily. The Dead Sea lies about 430 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point on Earth.

By Pesach Benson • December 8, 2025

Jerusalem, 8 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Defense Ministry said Monday that the number of wounded troops and security personnel requiring long-term care has climbed to 82,400, with a rapidly growing share suffering from psychological trauma. The ministry’s Rehabilitation Division reported that 31,000 of those under its care are coping with mental or post-traumatic injuries, warning that the caseload is expected to reach 100,000 within four years.

The figures were released ahead of the Day of Appreciation for the Wounded Men and Women of the IDF and Security Forces. Ceremonies on Monday night and Tuesday will honor injured personnel.

Attorney Idan Kliman, chairman of the IDF Disabled Organization, said the figures demand urgent national attention. “These numbers are not just numbers — but people, heroes, and entire families,” he said. “We must not leave any wounded behind, not even those whose injuries are not visible.”

According to the new figures, roughly 22,000 wounded were added to the system after the October 7 attacks and ensuing war, and 58% of that group is dealing with mental injury. The ministry said it now receives about 1,500 new applications each month from wounded seeking official recognition. In cooperation with the Finance Ministry, a public committee led by Prof. Mor Yosef has been established “to examine the expansion of the national response, support and treatment of the IDF wounded.”

The Rehabilitation Division’s budget has risen 53%, reaching NIS 8.3 billion (about $2.57 billion), with half of that dedicated to mental-health care. Over the past year, the number of psychological treatments provided doubled, the use of alternative therapies increased by 50%, and calls to the ministry’s “One Soul” emotional-support line surged by 80% to more than 20,500.

The ministry also published demographic data on those receiving rehabilitation: 9% are women; 26% were injured in the past two years; 49% were wounded during compulsory IDF service; 26% are reservists; 13% are career soldiers; and 9% are police officers. Some 68% of patients are over 40 years old, while 873 are confined to wheelchairs, including 132 injured since October 7. The division is also treating 1,061 amputees and 115 people coping with blindness. The oldest disabled veteran is a 98-year-old who fought in the pre-state Haganah. Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut was identified as the city with the highest number of wounded relative to its population.

Officials highlighted a range of expanded services, including the Matan Team, a mobile intervention unit that sends therapists to the homes of wounded soldiers during acute psychological distress. The team responded to 249 emergency calls over the past year, helping prevent hospitalization. Nature-based rehabilitation programs now serve more than twice as many wounded as last year, and over 30,000 individuals receive emotional therapy. Another 11,500 family members receive counseling and support.

To improve long-term prospects for wounded veterans, the ministry has launched employment initiatives, including a cyber-training program in which “100% of participants were absorbed into the workforce,” and a high-tech integration track known as “We Win With You.” The Customer Relations Division has also expanded, assigning personal contact officers to wounded individuals and coordinating with the IDF Casualties Division to support roughly 4,000 people through home visits and guidance.

Meanwhile, a specialized unit was created to assist the 30 Israelis who returned from captivity and their families.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of israeli police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

“Thank you, chancellor friedrich, it’s good to welcome you and your delegation to Jerusalem, not for the first time, but as you say, the first time as chancellor. We had the opportunity between these visits to speak many times on the phone, and I have to tell you, I speak to many world leaders, when I speak to friedrich merz, it’s an open, honest conversation. Even when we have disagreements. And often we have agreements. But these are open conversations between friends and people who respect each other.

I have to say that I took note not only of our differences, but also the forthright statements that you made about what Israel is doing for the rest of humanity. You said that during the Rising Lion operation, our 12-day war with Iran, you said it just now, in Ankara, quite forcefully, and I think these and other statements are very important because they reflect a deeper commitment which expresses the intertwined destinies of Israel and Germany.

We went through the greatest tragedy that any people suffered on German soil and committed by Germans. The generations that followed the Holocaust were understood that there was a special moral commitment to enable the Jewish state, the Jewish people to recover from this horror. And Germany was committed and remains committed to Israel’s security in many important ways.

What has happened since the rise of the Jewish state, is that we have been able to fend off our enemies, and in order to do that, we developed capacities that now enable us to reciprocate. Not only does Germany work in the defense of Israel, but Israel, the Jewish state, 80 years after the Holocaust, works for the defense of Germany. And that is a historical change that comes at the time of great international turbulence and change.

We discussed the ways that we can continue this defense cooperation in a changing world, but it’s not only cooperation in military matters. We discuss the cooperation in technological matters. Israel and Germany are two of the most advanced economies in the world. We have extraordinary people, extraordinarily gifted people, and in the field of high technology, high tech, deep tech, AI, quantum, all these things that are going to change the face of this planet and the future of humanity. These are things that we are ranked very high. But together, cooperating in this will rank even higher. There’s not much space to go. I think that working together, we can not only better the citizens of Israel and Germany, but I think we can better the world and our immediate neighborhood in the Middle East. We discuss that and we are ready to seize the future together.

This will help peace. We are at the point where we believe that peace opportunities are at hand. The Iran axis has been battered. It was the major engine of disruption in the negative sense of terrorism, of extremism, and fanaticism. It’s definitely been relegated to a back seat. So, now opportunities for peace are there. We tend to exploit them. I’m going to discuss them with President Trump when I meet him later on this month, but we discuss them as well.

We discuss, of course, how to bring an end to the Hamas rule in Gaza because that’s an essential part of ensuring a different future for Gaza and a different future for us, facing Gaza. We finished the first part, as you know. Phase one, we’re almost there. We have one more deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel, to return here. And then we very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult, or equally difficult. I wouldn’t say more difficult because nobody believed that with our combined action, Israel’s military action in Gaza City and President Trump’s effective diplomatic action in bringing the Arab and Muslim world to press Hamas to give up the hostages. Nobody believed that we would achieve it, but we did.

Now we have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza. And as I mentioned to the Chancellor, there is a third phase, and that is to de-radicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany. It was done in Japan. It’s done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too. But, of course, Hamas has to be dismantled. These are challenges in front of us, but we do not shirk from them. We think we have great opportunities. 

I think Israel, the people of Israel, the soldiers of Israel, have demonstrated amazing resilience and amazing courage. We have fought a seven-front war against maligned forces led by Iran that are openly committed to annihilate us, this, eight decades after the Holocaust, an openly declared attempt to annihilate the Jewish state. Imagine that you had an openly declared attempt to annihilate Germany, an openly declared attempt to annihilate France, or Austria, or any other country. Israel faced with that, obviously, mustered its resources and fought a just war with just means.

We are undergoing vilification on a stark scale. A stark scale for the last eight years, but not for the Jewish people. We’ve been maligned through centuries. In the Middle Ages, in Germany, and throughout medieval Europe, we were accused of poisoning the wells, of slaughtering Christian children to use their blood to bake Passover matza. We were carrying vermin. These were the accusations that were always, always preceded the actual annihilation that followed. And Jews were attacked. They suffered programs. They suffered expulsions. And they suffered wholesale massacres from a very large swathe from Spain to Ukraine. Enormous vilifications, enormous attacks culminating in the greatest massacre of them all, the Holocaust.

What has happened since we thought some thought – actually, I didn’t, but some thought – that antisemitism was gone. It’s not gone. That’s cyclical phenomena, attacking the Jews in ways that prepare their destruction, de-legitimize them, was transferred from the Jewish people to the Jewish state. They just took a respite. A few decades where antisemitism was not done in polite company. Now it’s done in every capital. And people carry the flags of Hamas. The flags of Hamas. These people who tortured women, raped them, then beheaded them, burned children alive, babies alive, took hostages, Holocaust survivors, babies. This is outrageous.

People demonstrate for them and accuse Israel of bogus war crimes because Israel has gone to a length that no army in history is done in the most difficult urban situation, urban warfare situation, asking the population to leave and Hamas shooting them to keep them there so the casualties can appear on the various international networks.

I understand the enormous effect this has on the public in Germany and Europe, and to some extent America. But I will tell you, as I told the chancellor, there’s one big difference. We may not be able to control that, but we have changed Jewish history in the sense that those who vilify us can no longer annihilate us. Because when they come to do that, as they did on October 7, we roll them back.

And as they try to put a noose of death around us, as Iran tried with its proxies, we roll them back. That’s the big difference. And I think this truth will emanate and I commend the chancellor for speaking the truth in a number of important occasions. But we still have a job to do to explain what it is we’re fighting, how we’re fighting it, and why we’re doing not only what we’re doing is not only for our defense, but for Germany’s defense and the defense of free societies everywhere. And I will say our non-radical Arab neighbors as well. In fact, they understand it better than most.

On the question of two states, now we have a different point of view, obviously, because the purpose of a Palestinian state is to destroy the one and only Jewish state. They already had a state in Gaza, a defective state, and it was used to try to destroy the one and only Jewish state. We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors. But we’re not going to create a state that will be committed to our destruction at our doorstep.

And as you know, it’s gigantic. It’s 50 kilometers wide, 70 kilometers wide at its widest point. And we are obviously going to take care of our security.

The one thing that we will always insist upon is that the sovereign power of security from the Jordan River, which is right here, to the Mediterranean Sea, which is right there, that will always be in Israel’s hands. And that means that Israel will control its destiny, continue to protect its security for our sake and for others as well. 

I have to say, Friedrich, I think we’re at the cusp of a new age because I think that we will achieve the expansion of peace. I think that we are at a new age because I think that the possibilities of technology with their risks, especially in AI, but with their positive benefits are enormous in every field, I mean, from agriculture to health to transportation. I think that we are together, we can lead this and become not a secondary power, but a primary power in the advance of humanity.

I look forward to our discussions, and I have to say that your wife was supposed to come here, bring her next time. It will be an opportunity, a moment to expand on these things.

So welcome, Friedrich, welcome, friend.”

prime minister Netanyahu, this afternoon, at the joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at the Prime Minister’s Office in jerusalem:

“Thank you, Chancellor Friedrich, it’s good to welcome you and your delegation to Jerusalem, not for the first time, but as you say, the first time as chancellor. We had the opportunity between these visits to speak many times on the phone, and I have to tell you, I speak to many world leaders, when I speak to Friedrich Merz, it’s an open, honest conversation. Even when we have disagreements. And often we have agreements. But these are open conversations between friends and people who respect each other.

I have to say that I took note not only of our differences, but also the forthright statements that you made about what Israel is doing for the rest of humanity. You said that during the Rising Lion operation, our 12-day war with Iran, you said it just now, in Ankara, quite forcefully, and I think these and other statements are very important because they reflect a deeper commitment which expresses the intertwined destinies of israel and Germany.

We went through the greatest tragedy that any people suffered on German soil and committed by Germans. The generations that followed the Holocaust were understood that there was a special moral commitment to enable the Jewish state, the Jewish people to recover from this horror. And Germany was committed and remains committed to Israel’s security in many important ways.

What has happened since the rise of the Jewish state, is that we have been able to fend off our enemies, and in order to do that, we developed capacities that now enable us to reciprocate. Not only does Germany work in the defense of Israel, but Israel, the Jewish state, 80 years after the Holocaust, works for the defense of Germany. And that is a historical change that comes at the time of great international turbulence and change.

We discussed the ways that we can continue this defense cooperation in a changing world, but it’s not only cooperation in military matters. We discuss the cooperation in technological matters. Israel and Germany are two of the most advanced economies in the world. We have extraordinary people, extraordinarily gifted people, and in the field of high technology, high tech, deep tech, AI, quantum, all these things that are going to change the face of this planet and the future of humanity. These are things that we are ranked very high. But together, cooperating in this will rank even higher. There’s not much space to go. I think that working together, we can not only better the citizens of Israel and Germany, but I think we can better the world and our immediate neighborhood in the Middle East. We discuss that and we are ready to seize the future together.

This will help peace. We are at the point where we believe that peace opportunities are at hand. The Iran axis has been battered. It was the major engine of disruption in the negative sense of terrorism, of extremism, and fanaticism. It’s definitely been relegated to a back seat. So, now opportunities for peace are there. We tend to exploit them. I’m going to discuss them with President Trump when I meet him later on this month, but we discuss them as well.

We discuss, of course, how to bring an end to the Hamas rule in Gaza because that’s an essential part of ensuring a different future for Gaza and a different future for us, facing Gaza. We finished the first part, as you know. Phase one, we’re almost there. We have one more deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel, to return here. And then we very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult, or equally difficult. I wouldn’t say more difficult because nobody believed that with our combined action, Israel’s military action in Gaza City and President Trump’s effective diplomatic action in bringing the Arab and Muslim world to press Hamas to give up the hostages. Nobody believed that we would achieve it, but we did.

Now we have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza. And as I mentioned to the Chancellor, there is a third phase, and that is to de-radicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany. It was done in Japan. It’s done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too. But, of course, Hamas has to be dismantled. These are challenges in front of us, but we do not shirk from them. We think we have great opportunities. 

I think Israel, the people of Israel, the soldiers of Israel, have demonstrated amazing resilience and amazing courage. We have fought a seven-front war against maligned forces led by Iran that are openly committed to annihilate us, this, eight decades after the Holocaust, an openly declared attempt to annihilate the Jewish state. Imagine that you had an openly declared attempt to annihilate Germany, an openly declared attempt to annihilate France, or Austria, or any other country. Israel faced with that, obviously, mustered its resources and fought a just war with just means.

We are undergoing vilification on a stark scale. A stark scale for the last eight years, but not for the Jewish people. We’ve been maligned through centuries. In the Middle Ages, in Germany, and throughout medieval Europe, we were accused of poisoning the wells, of slaughtering Christian children to use their blood to bake Passover matza. We were carrying vermin. These were the accusations that were always, always preceded the actual annihilation that followed. And Jews were attacked. They suffered programs. They suffered expulsions. And they suffered wholesale massacres from a very large swathe from Spain to Ukraine. Enormous vilifications, enormous attacks culminating in the greatest massacre of them all, the Holocaust.

What has happened since we thought some thought – actually, I didn’t, but some thought – that antisemitism was gone. It’s not gone. That’s cyclical phenomena, attacking the Jews in ways that prepare their destruction, de-legitimize them, was transferred from the Jewish people to the Jewish state. They just took a respite. A few decades where antisemitism was not done in polite company. Now it’s done in every capital. And people carry the flags of Hamas. The flags of Hamas. These people who tortured women, raped them, then beheaded them, burned children alive, babies alive, took hostages, Holocaust survivors, babies. This is outrageous.

People demonstrate for them and accuse Israel of bogus war crimes because Israel has gone to a length that no army in history is done in the most difficult urban situation, urban warfare situation, asking the population to leave and Hamas shooting them to keep them there so the casualties can appear on the various international networks.

I understand the enormous effect this has on the public in Germany and Europe, and to some extent America. But I will tell you, as I told the chancellor, there’s one big difference. We may not be able to control that, but we have changed Jewish history in the sense that those who vilify us can no longer annihilate us. Because when they come to do that, as they did on October 7, we roll them back.

And as they try to put a noose of death around us, as Iran tried with its proxies, we roll them back. That’s the big difference. And I think this truth will emanate and I commend the chancellor for speaking the truth in a number of important occasions. But we still have a job to do to explain what it is we’re fighting, how we’re fighting it, and why we’re doing not only what we’re doing is not only for our defense, but for Germany’s defense and the defense of free societies everywhere. And I will say our non-radical Arab neighbors as well. In fact, they understand it better than most.

On the question of two states, now we have a different point of view, obviously, because the purpose of a Palestinian state is to destroy the one and only Jewish state. They already had a state in Gaza, a defective state, and it was used to try to destroy the one and only Jewish state. We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors. But we’re not going to create a state that will be committed to our destruction at our doorstep.

And as you know, it’s gigantic. It’s 50 kilometers wide, 70 kilometers wide at its widest point. And we are obviously going to take care of our security.

The one thing that we will always insist upon is that the sovereign power of security from the Jordan River, which is right here, to the Mediterranean Sea, which is right there, that will always be in Israel’s hands. And that means that Israel will control its destiny, continue to protect its security for our sake and for others as well. 

I have to say, Friedrich, I think we’re at the cusp of a new age because I think that we will achieve the expansion of peace. I think that we are at a new age because I think that the possibilities of technology with their risks, especially in AI, but with their positive benefits are enormous in every field, I mean, from agriculture to health to transportation. I think that we are together, we can lead this and become not a secondary power, but a primary power in the advance of humanity.

I look forward to our discussions, and I have to say that your wife was supposed to come here, bring her next time. It will be an opportunity, a moment to expand on these things.

So welcome, Friedrich, welcome, friend.”

Video credit: Omer Miron (GPO)

By Pesach Benson • December 7, 2025

Jerusalem, 7 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and german chancellor Friedrich Merz held a joint press conference in jerusalem on Sunday, pledging to strengthen bilateral cooperation and advance regional stability. The leaders focused on Gaza, the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Germany’s role in supporting Israel’s security. The visit is Merz’s first to Israel since he was elected chancellor in May.

Netanyahu addressed the issue of a Palestinian state directly, saying, “There are differences of opinion. The goal of establishing a Palestinian state is to destroy the Jewish state. They had a state and they tried to destroy Israel from it.” He added that Israel remains open to peace but will not allow a Palestinian state alongside it.

“The Palestinian Authority is interested in peace without Israel. They do not want a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They want a Palestinian state instead of Israel. Everyone says, ‘Well, they will change.’ Well, we’ll see if they change,” Netanyahu insisted.

The prime minister outlined Israel’s phased approach to Gaza, noting that Phase B of the ceasefire is more challenging than the first phase, with Phase C aimed at deradicalizing the Strip. “We will achieve the disarmament of Hamas and demilitarize Gaza,” he said.

Netanyahu also highlighted the strategic importance of the German-Israeli relationship, saying, “Not only does Germany work to defend Israel, but israel, 80 years after the Holocaust, also works to defend Germany. We can continue this cooperation, which comes not only on a security basis but also on a technological one. We have extremely talented people in all the subjects that will change humanity.” The prime minister was referring to the deployment of Israel’s Arrow-3 air defense system in Germany on Wednesday.

Merz emphasized Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and condemned Hamas’s actions. “At Yad Vashem, Germany’s responsibility becomes tangible, and therefore we will always stand by Israel’s security and its right to exist. After the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, Germany stood by Israel. We mourned together and shared concerns for the fate of the kidnapped,” he said.

The chancellor also called for implementing the next stage of the peace plan facilitated by former U.S. President Donald Trump. “A peace agreement was concluded thanks to Trump, and we need to implement the second phase of the peace plan. Lasting peace is possible—the Palestinian state and a two-state solution can only be implemented through negotiations,” Merz said, adding that Hamas “cannot have a role in Gaza. It cannot pose a threat to Israel.”

Merz arrived in Israel on Saturday night and met with President Isaac Herzog at his official residence. Herzog described the two nations as “true friends” and welcomed Germany’s involvement in Gaza, particularly regarding the release of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili. “We also discussed ways to further deepen our vital partnership, in the hope of a better future,” Herzog said.

“We have become very close friends, and for me to see the Arrow-3 missiles being installed in Germany to defend Germany and Europe, Israeli-made products, is something very unique and moving and important,” Herzog added. Merz said the Gaza ceasefire is stabilizing and urged swift progress on the next phase.

Before departing for Israel, Merz spoke with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, calling for urgent reforms and a constructive post-war role, while reaffirming Germany’s support for the Trump administration’s peace plan. The leaders also plan to discuss humanitarian aid for Gaza, regional stability, and the safety of Jewish communities in Germany.

Merz’s itinerary also includes visits with relatives of victims of Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • December 7, 2025

Jerusalem, 7 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — For many adults recovering from cancer, finishing treatment does not mean the end of challenges. Subtle but disruptive changes in memory, attention, and mental processing—often called “chemobrain”—can make work, relationships, and everyday routines unexpectedly difficult. A new study offers hope that a remote, group-based cognitive rehabilitation program can help survivors regain confidence, improve daily functioning, and feel less alone in the process.

The intervention combines cognitive training exercises with occupational-therapy–based strategies and weekly group sessions conducted entirely online. In the pilot study, a small group of adults participated in six weekly meetings and engaged in personalized digital brain-training activities.

Participants reported noticeable improvements in their ability to manage everyday tasks, from organizing work projects to handling household responsibilities. Beyond cognitive gains, many said the group format helped them feel understood and supported, providing emotional validation and a sense of community that eased the isolation often experienced after cancer treatment.

The remote, online format allowed participants to join from home, making it easier to fit the program into their daily routines. Its digital, group-based design also makes the intervention scalable, offering the potential to reach a larger number of survivors without the logistical challenges of in-person programs.

“Cancer survivors often tell us they feel like they’ve ‘lost’ parts of themselves after treatment,” said Prof. Yafit Gilboa, the principal investigator of the study. “Our goal was to offer a practical, compassionate, and accessible way to help them regain control—to show them that their cognitive challenges are real, understandable, and, importantly, treatable. Seeing participants improve in the activities that matter most to them is exactly why we do this work.”

While improvements in objective cognitive tests were modest—common in research on cancer-related cognitive impairment—most participants reported meaningful gains in self-perceived cognitive functioning.

The program, known as CRAFT-G (Cognitive Retraining and Functional Treatment – Group version), was developed by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Based on these promising early results, the team concludes that the approach is both feasible and potentially effective. They recommend larger trials to further validate its benefits, and a new study is already underway focusing on breast cancer survivors.

The research, published in *Supportive Care in Cancer* under the title “Remote group intervention for adults with cancer-related cognitive impairment: a feasibility study,” highlights the potential of online, group-based interventions to help survivors manage the cognitive effects of cancer treatment and reclaim their daily lives.

By Pesach Benson • December 7, 2025

Jerusalem, 7 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Navigation apps may be quietly discouraging commuters from walking, but a new proof-of-concept study suggests that changing those built-in defaults could unlock surprising health gains—without adding a single minute to travel time. By adjusting walking distance thresholds in trip-planning models, researchers found that most commuters could incorporate an average of nine extra minutes of walking while still arriving at work at the same time.

The project was developed at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University as part of Prof. Jonathan Rabinowitz’s More Walking Project, in collaboration with the Israeli Smart Transportation Research Center (ISTRC). Rabinowitz, from the university’s Weisfeld School of Social Work, said the findings point to a simple but powerful behavioral shift. “This means you can leave home at the same time, get to work at the same time, and walk more along the way,” he said. Calling it “a simple shift with significant benefits,” he noted that the study builds on work in his Wellness Research Lab, which explores everyday strategies for improving well-being.

The research team analyzed potential commuting routes for more than 2,100 employees traveling to the university. Their models showed that raising the walking thresholds in navigation tools allowed commuters to fit moderate physical activity into their routines without sacrificing time. A brisk 20-minute daily walk has been associated with reducing the risk of early death by up to 25%, making integrated movement a practical option for people with demanding schedules.

Rabinowitz said the idea for the project grew out of his son’s recovery from an army injury. “We saw how impactful small, consistent steps could be. This led us to ask: What if our daily maps nudged us to walk just a bit more?” he said.

The study also tested a concept the team called Hacking the Map Apps for Active Transportation. Instead of relying on the common “less walking” default built into most navigation apps, the researchers examined what would happen if commuters selected a “more walking” option. The results challenged assumptions: increasing walking distance did not necessarily lengthen commutes, and in some cases, travel times even shortened due to more efficient transfers and street connections.

The findings also open the door for new digital tools that promote healthier commuting. Smart mobility platforms could introduce small incentives for choosing routes with more walking, while personal health apps and wearables could recommend commute-based walking as a practical way for users to meet daily activity goals. By aligning transit technology with wellness tracking, even small adjustments in routine travel could translate into meaningful, sustained health improvements.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed BMC Public Health, was led by the late Bar-Ilan researcher Dr. Yuval Hadas, graduate student Dan Katz, and Prof. Rabinowitz. It marks the first phase of a broader national initiative to promote active transportation. The ongoing stage now involves helping commuters use existing apps to increase walking and tracking how those changes affect behavior.

By Pesach Benson • December 7, 2025

Jerusalem, 7 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Costa Rica will open a diplomatic-status office for trade and investment innovation in Jerusalem in the first quarter of 2026, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced after meeting Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Tovar on Saturday night. The move comes as Israel and Costa Rica prepare to sign a free trade agreement this week, with Economy Minister Nir Barkat and Minister Tovar set to attend the ceremony.

Sa’ar welcomed the decision, calling the new office an essential tool for deepening cooperation in innovation and technology. He also thanked Costa Rica for adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of antisemitism and praised President Rodrigo Chavez Robles for his support of Israel.