Out of 1,542 IDF sexual assault complaints, just 31 indictments filed

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-691641

As the Israeli military continues to grapple with cases of sexual assault, data shown to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee revealed that despite thousands of complaints. only 31 indictments were filed in 2020.

The IDF released figures of sexual assault for 2020 in February of last year. A total of 1,542 complaints were made, including 26 cases of rape, 391 obscene acts, and 92 cases of distributing photos and videos.

In comparison, there were 1,239 complaints filed in 2019, and 514 complaints filed in 2012.

Military Police launch probe after soldier reports rape, then dies by suicide

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/military-police-launch-probe-after-soldier-reports-rape-then-dies-by-suicide/

The Military Police on Tuesday confirmed it had opened an investigation into the suicide of a female soldier a day after a failed attempt to kill herself and several days after she reported being raped, the Haaretz daily reported.

Ten days before the soldier died in April of this year, she told an officer at her base that she was raped at a party during the Purim holiday, and complained about her mental condition, the report said.

Despite the complaint, she was not taken to be examined at a hospital, nor did representatives of the military chief’s gender affairs adviser unit — who were notified of the incident — meet with the soldier, the report said.

Soldier Kills Herself After Reporting She Was Raped. Now Israeli Army Probes Suspicions of Negligence

 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-07-12/ty-article/.highlight/a-soldier-killed-herself-after-reporting-her-rape-the-army-did-little-to-help-her/00000181-eef2-daef-a79b-fef6754c0000?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=Marketing&utm_campaign=the_best_of_haaretz&utm_content=095c741dfb

Despite reporting the rape on the night it happened, the soldier was not taken to get treatment, her complaint was not passed on, and her access to a weapon was not limited

The Myth of Average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty

Former Oath Keeper: ‘We came very, very close to having a civil war kick off on Jan. 6’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3557330-former-oath-keeper-we-came-very-very-close-to-having-a-civil-war-kick-off-on-jan-6/

Former Oath Keepers spokesperson Jason Van Tatenhove on Wednesday said American came “very, very close” to a civil war when pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results.

Van Tatenhove, who testified Tuesday to the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol, told CNN’s Brianna Keilar that far-right militias like the Oath Keepers and other rioters had a “military mindset” on Jan. 6.

Trump’s Lawyers Think Mark Meadows Is Going Down

 https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mark-meadows-jan6-trump-cheney-1382261/

Trump’s inner circle increasingly views Meadows as a likely fall guy for the former president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Members of Trump’s legal team are actively planning certain strategies around Meadows’ downfall — including possible criminal charges. Trump has himself begun the process of distancing himself from some of his onetime senior aide’s alleged actions around Jan. 6.

Anderson Cooper struggles after seeing Uvalde surveillance video

Leaving Kollel is dangerous

 Tanis (21a) Ilfa and R. Johanan studied together the Torah and they found themselves in great want and they said one to another, Let us go and engage in commerce so that of us may be fulfilled the verse, Howbeit there shall be no need among you. They went and sat down under a ruinous wall and while they were having their meal two ministering angels came and R. Johanan overheard one saying to the other, Let us throw this wall upon these people and kill them, because they forsake life eternal and occupy themselves with life temporal. The other angel replied: Leave them alone because one of them has still much to achieve.

Yad Moshe Hebrew being reprinted

 After many months of waiting my printer just said he will be able to reprint my sefer

Not clear when it will be available again in the stores. The English version is still available from Amazon in paperback.

Steamed bread – mezonot or hamotzi?

 https://dinonline.org/2018/11/02/steamed-bread-mezonot-or-hamotzi/

There’s a certain type of bread roll made in Asian cuisines called Bao, also known as steamed buns or baozi. They can either be stuffed with something, usually meat or sliced and used like a sandwich.

I’ve asked my Ashkenazi chavruta, who then asked another Rav about this and they could not come up with a reason why it could be considered mezonot. And when dining in kosher restaurants that serve such items at least one has told people it’s mezonot and others have said it’s hamotzi and one should wash.

Top Rabbi Says Rumors Are False, He DOES Oppose Rabbi Melamed’s “Peninei Halacha” Seforim

 https://vinnews.com/2022/02/07/top-rabbi-says-rumors-are-false-he-does-oppose-rabbi-melameds-peninei-halacha-seforim/

In a video, Rabbi Ariel clarified that the letter that he signed last week was in fact referring to Rabbi Melamed, and contrary to the rumors, he is against not only the new writings of the Rabbi but also the Peninei Halacha series.

In the video Rabbi Ariel said, “My position is that even with new issues that arise [in halacha], there is an established tradition in Klal Yisrael, which is accepted from generation to generation. And one must follow those who use the ‘Derech Hamelech’ of accepted psak.”

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed: Understanding the 'Heter' of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356288

Before Pesach, an evening of study and a siyyum of the books ‘Peninei Halakha’ took place in Efrat. I was privileged to have Rabbi Riskin shlita, the rabbi of the city for decades and the founder of Ohr Torah Stone participate in the evening, wishing to strengthen my halakhic position,

Israel might be about to recognise virtual weddings instead of civil marriage

 https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/israel-might-be-about-to-recognise-virtual-weddings-instead-of-civil-marriage/

A district court in Lod, an Israeli city, ruled Friday that Israel’s Interior Ministry is required to recognise the marriages of couples who use a virtual wedding service provided by Utah County in Utah.

If the decision stands, it would mean that couples who do not want to or cannot have an Orthodox Jewish wedding could get the benefits of marriage without leaving Israel, as they are currently required to do.

Those include LGBT+ couples, interfaith couples, and couples in which one partner is not recognised by one of the established religious authorities and couples who are committed to non-Orthodox Judaism.

Israeli court recognizes online civil marriages as valid

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/07/11/israeli-court-recognizes-online-civil-marriages-as-valid/

MK Avi Maoz, head the Noam faction – an extremist faction known for its hardline anti-LGBTQ, anti-Reform positions – slammed the ruling, telling Kan 11 News that the court is "ignoring policy that has been in effect for decades. It's unthinkable that judges in Israel undermine the Jewish state and carry out a quiet coup to make Israel a people's state. God willing, this will be rectified soon," he said, alluding to the Nov. 1 general elections.

The concept of "a people's state" negates Israel's character as a Jewish state, stresses the need for absolute equality for all ethnic groups and denominations and advocates said equality be expressed by all state symbols, institutions and laws, in a way meant to create a unified national identity for all Israeli citizens.