PM Netanyahu fired the director of the Ministry of Communications. Over the phone.

Some people don't like the move. Some think it is some sort of payback to Gilad Erdan, for not joining the government and only remaining an MK, as Erdan had appointed this fellow to this position. Others just say it was an inappropriate way of firing someone, let alone someone senior like that.

And then MK Yitzchak Herzog, Head of the Opposition, claims it is meddling in the media. Netanyahu is showing everyone a new boss is in town (despite him not really being all that new)..

Herzog says he is going to oppose the firing of the director in every way possible, so as to prevent Netanyahu from meddling with the media, from opening a war with the media, and from causing damage to the free and public media.

Interesting. When Netanyahu makes changes it is meddling and damaging to the free press. When the opposition makes changes, such as the Israel Hayom law, it is to protect the free press.

Netanyahu's dismissal of the director might have been inappropriate or poorly advised. I don't know. I would not say it is damaging to the freedom of the press.

Some of the high profile visitors planning to come to Israel this summer:

 - Art Garfunkel
 - Jon Bon Jovi
 - Dionne Warwick
 - The Backstreet Boys
 - the crazy Arabian weather. Today is already supposed to break 100 degrees Fahrenheit (close to 40 degrees Celcius) due to the heat wave that arrived from the Arabian desert...

The BDS movement isn't having much success this summer. Of the list above, the only one I wouldn't mind caving to the BDS is the Arabian weather.

I dont know what this is, but it is pretty funny. Looks like a clip from a show that someone slapped fake subtitles to, sort of like that Hitler clip everyone was dubbing...

This story is frightening that it could even happen.

Here's the story, as reported by Srugim (I also heard it talked about the other day on the radio):
A haredi woman, a graduate of a Beis Yaakov school, went to register for marriage and to prove her status as a Jew, for that purpose.

When asked for her papers, she explained that her older brother and sister had already married, and she did not understand why she was required to prove her Jewishness, when they already did. It turned out that her mother had been a convert many years prior, before she married her husband, and therefore the daughter was being required to bring the relevant paperwork (it still does not answer her question, if it had already been acceptable for her siblings, why was it not good enough for her?)

It turned out that the beis din that had done the conversion, so many years prior, had no authorization to perform conversions, and therefore the conversion is not recognized as valid by the Rabbanut.

Obviously, saying the conversion is invalid presents a problem not just for this young woman hoping to marry, but for all her siblings, as well as her married sisters children. According to the report, 50 people were directly affected by this decision.

The issue was checked and double-checked and triple-checked, but the decision stayed the same. She would have to undergo a new conversion to be able to marry in Israel.

The entire family then went to the beis din to immediately clarify their status, and if necessary to undergo conversions. The beis din then converted the entire family, of 50 people including grandma, kids, and grandkids.

The article does not say so, but they all would have had to get married [again] as well.

It is crazy that this can happen. The Rabbanut did not say the conversion was no good or fake, but the beis din was not authorized. Was it authorized originally, but no longer? Why were they all accepted until this third child wanted to marry? what changed? The Rabbanut sets its list of authorized batei din in order to ensure certain standards, so if this beis din was not on the list, and in a way that affected so many people, it better be because this beis din does not adhere to proper procedure and standards, rather than being petty power politics by the Rabbanut (something that is not unknown to happen). If they slipped through the system for so long, and her older siblings were able to marry despite what was now discovered, how many others have slipped through the system and are not really Jewish? Could she have married abroad as a Jew and then come to Israel unchecked? There are probably many more questions as well. This story is just mind-boggling.

The first action to be taken by Minister of Culture Miri Regev is going to be moving the ministry's offices to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
source: Ynet

I have no problem with that, and I would also have no problem with the office's remaining in Tel Aviv. Truth is, I don't really care much either way. Government offices don't need to be located in the capital city, but the capital city is definitely worthy of hosting any and every government ministry's offices.

That being said, I do think such a move is worthy, especially because the capital city in question is our Jerusalem. The move should not be criticized as a "nationalist", i.e. unworthy, decision. If we want the United States and other countries to recognize Jerusalem as our capital, to put "Jerusalem, Israel" on our passports, to move their embassies to Jerusalem, then we might do the same with our own offices. When we treat our capital city as our capital city, maybe eventually others will as well.

to think that Avigdor Lieberman, a former Foreign Minister, is unidentifiable to a European news agency.... it seems like the ultimate insult to a senior politician..

from the European Pressphoto Agency:

I love how they call him "Netanyoohee"

Probably the last thing you'd expect. Two avreichim who both learned
in the Mir, one of them by Rav Asher Arieli shlita, are now singing
rap and pop gaining thousands of views on youtube! But its not the
ordinary dirty hip hop that the world is used to hearing. They have
taken years of studying mussar and chasidus and have chosen to use the
modern medium of rap to inspire the hearts and enlighten the minds of
a musically driven generation. Both members are now kiruv rabbis - who
work for MEOR - who when not learning in kollel are working on shiurim
to help klal. Moshe Friedman the groups front man was became frum
while studying at Penn University now lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh. He works with Rick Fox the musical
genius. Separately they each made their journey to Yeshiva in Eretz
Yisrael at Machon Shlomo and Machon Yaakov and have been learning in
yeshivos for nearly a decade. On Lag Baomer they released
their debut single Flicker which has already gained tremendous fan
fair

the following letter to the editor was in the Yated Neeman (hattip to Yaakov Lederman)

Translation:
in the coming month parents of children can expect to receive a significant increase (on about the 20th of the month) , and the question will be what to spend the unexpected money on.
My advice to those unsure: if you do not need the money, don't lok for what to spend it on. Go to your nearest Gmach and deposit the money with them. This way it will be preserved for when you really need it, and until then you will accumulate merits that will help you in both this world, and the next world.

מי כעמך ישראל!!

That being said, first he says an increase is expected, then he asks what to do with the unexpected extra money.. is it expected or not?
Then, can the people he is referring to really not need the money? Aren't they in debt? Isn't that what we've been hearing the past two years - all these people cannot afford to buy food for their kids because of the cut in the child allowance.. was that not true? maybe the parents should be spending the extra money on the diapers, on the milk, and yogurt and cheese, some chicken, etc., that they supposedly haven't been able to afford.. is the idea suggested by the writer, as good as it is, really an option for the people he is referring to?
Then, putting it a gmach is definitely a mitzva and a chessed. if they do, they should make sure they put it in a reputable one. I don't know how they can protect themselves from falling prey to one of the swindlers running these gmachs - a number in recent years have gone belly up causing losses of millions to people.
Then, shouldn't they at least consider the option of putting it, if they actually have extra money, into an investment? They might decide to prefer the gmach, but shouldn't it at least be a consideration?