Kan English

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visit Israel on Sunday for the first time since he became chancellor in May. At talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem the two leaders stressed the friendly bilateral ties, despite differences on some key issues. Jeremey Issacharoff served as Israel’s ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2022. We spoke to him about Chancellor Merz’s visit. (Photo: GPO)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Searches in Gaza City for body of last hostage Ran Gvili. Families Forum; No phase B until body returned. PM meets with German Chancellor Merz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The anti-Israel fervor in Ireland, which moved this week to erase Jewish history in Dublin, was blocked after the Dublin City Council delayed a decision to remove the name of former Israeli President and rename it Palestine Park. Dublin City Council Cieran Perry defended the attempt change the name of a park in the city named after Israel’s sixth President Chaim Herzog and called the pressure by Irish and Israeli leaders to block the move “disgraceful interference.” (photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interesting participation-driven art event is opening at the Neve Schechter’s Center for Contemporary Jewish Music and art in Neve Tzedek. It’s called Roll of Destiny and it’s where role play meets art and Jewish identity and culture. Reporter Arieh O’Sullivan spoke with curator of the event Bar Yerushalmi. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister names his military secretary Maj.Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad, Body returned from Gaza identified as Thai national Sudtisak Rinthalak, Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbatenko wins bronze at European championships in 100-meter breastrokeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of some 1,000 professors and academics have signed a letter calling on President Yitzhak Herzog to reject Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon related to his ongoing corruption trials. One of the signatories was Prof Avishai Braverman, the former president of Ben-Gurion university and a 2020 Israel Prize winner. He told KAN's Mark Weiss why he signed the letter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas to hand over body remains at 5pm.Israel: Rafah crossing will reopen to allow Gazans to leave. Israel to send rep to Lebanon talks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A first of its kind study by the NATAL Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center examines the collective social and economic costs of trauma in the aftermath of the October 7th attack and Gaza war. According to the study findings, the cumulative cost of psychological harm could reach some 500 billion shekels as reflected in the ripple effects of individual trauma on Israeli society. Dr. Yifat Reuveni, Head of Research at NATAL, spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Courtesy NATAL)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel readies to receive from Red Cross findings transferred from Gaza Strip. Two IDF soldiers lightly hurt in stabbing attack by Israeli settlement, attacker shot and killed. Rosh HaNikra cable car reopens after closure due to the warSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stormy Knesset committee discusses Haredi draft exemption bill. Minister Sofer vows to vote against. PM's graft trial continues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dublin City Council moving to remove the name of Israel's sixth president Chaim Herzog from a park and rename it "Free Palestine." Reporter Arieh O’Sullivan spoke with Malcolm Gafson, chairman of the Israel-Ireland Friendship league about the matter. (photo: Jacqueline Arzt/AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked President Isaac Herzog to pardon him in his ongoing corruption trial, a dramatic and unusual move bearing significant legal and political implications. Dr. Dana Blander, Research Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Associated Press) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Netanyahu submits request for pardon from corruption trial to President Herzog, Returned deceased hostage Dror Or laid to rest on his kibbutz Be'eri, IDF kills five terrorists trying to escape tunnel in RafahSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly 14 years, the Likud Party finally held internal elections for the Central Committee this week. The results show a shake up in the country’s largest democratic party with new blood moving in to the conservative party. Reporter Arieh O’Sullivan spoke with newly elected committee member Attorney Eran Ben-Ari on the changing face of the Likud. (photo: Avshalom Sassoni/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disruptions as High Court hears petitions on probe of Sde Teiman video leak affair. Slain hostage returned to Israel from Gaza this week to be laid to rest on Sunday. Israeli citizens arrested in thwarted Hamas arms smuggling plotSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Ciechanover, the Israeli biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has described the academic boycott of Israel as an existential threat. He told KAN that we are on a very dangerous slippery slope that threatens our future here. The boycott by European colleges against Israel has intensified in recent months and the Gaza ceasefire has neither stopped nor slowed its momentum, according to a report by Israel's Association of University Heads. The data indicates that the European academic institutions that severed ties with Israel or ended collaborations with researchers have not reversed the measures. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with former foreign ministry diplomat Emmanuel Nahshon, who today is in charge of combatting the academic boycott for Israeli universities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Body of slain hostage Dror Or of Kibbutz Be'eri returned to Israel from Gaza. IDF says four terrorists killed, two others apprehended during attempt to flee tunnel in in Rafah area. Israeli security forces launch counter-terror operation in northern SamariaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heavy rains cause floods. Police: JAG's phone doesn't link AG to Sde Taiyman affair. PM to meet with Katz and Zamir.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gila’s Way is a non-profit organization which implements, educates and presents programs regarding mental health awareness and suicide prevention in order to save lives. Rabbi Shalom Hammer, who has lived in Israel for more than 35 years, set up the organization following the tragic loss of his daughter Gila to suicide. He became a certified mental health instructor and now dedicates his life to promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention across the globe. Rabbi Hammer is the author of ten books, including the Gila Spreads Joy children’s book series, written in Gila’s memory. KAN's Mark Weis spoke to him about his work. (Photo: Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Jazeera report: Body of deceased hostage held by Islamic Jihad located in central Gaza Strip. IDF chief of staff says forces must be on alert in wake of assassination of Hezbollah military chief. Germany chancellor to visit IsraelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How have the past two years of war affected Israeli exporters. Liav Rozenberg, Global Units Executive at RH Group, spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal about challenges in the sector. (Photo: RH Group) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he had until Thursday to approve the 28-point plan, which calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join NATO. Trump’s proposal was a Russian trap. This according to Dr. Evgeni Klauber, a lecturer from Tel Aviv University and expert on Eastern European politics. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Washington was keen on weakening Zelensky now. (photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new exhibition at Yad Vashem has opened that puts hundreds of personal possessions and artifacts from Holocaust survivors, most never before seen by the public, on display for the first time. Entitled Living Memory, it offers a fresh and personal look at the lives of individuals whose stories were lost in the mass murder of six million Jews. Curator Eliad Moreh-Rosenberg told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that the exhibition’s aim was to pass on the memories to the next generation. (photo: Yad Vashem)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air Force strikes hit Hamas commanders amid reports ceasefire could fail, Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate for release of last 3 fallen hostages held in Gaza and for national commission of inquiry See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the ultra-Orthodox protest against attempts to draft them into the IDF or perform any kind of community service, internal divisions are emerging in the haredi world. Prof. Kimmy Caplan, from Bar Ilan University, Department of Jewish History, helps decipher the mindset of the haredi and told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that they are not alone in the concept that they are the sole guardians of Judaism but are dependent on government funding for their survival. (photo: Shlomi Cohen.flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hebrew language wasn’t just the effort of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda alone, but rather a widespread effort to revive the holy language beginning in the mid-19th century. Dr. Merav Reuveni, an historian from Bar Ilan University, has written a new book called “Hebrew: From Symbol to Reality,” which brings a strikingly fresh perspective on how the Hebrew language was revived. She spoke with reporter Arieh O’Sullivan about her new book and how the Hebrew language is still evolving. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam sent a public message to Israel on Thursday, telling Bloomberg that Beirut is ready to open negotiations and will seek American help to push talks forward. He said President Joseph Aoun has already proposed discussing border disputes and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas Israel still controls after the war with Hizbullah. Israel this week stepped up its attacks on Hizbullah targets, saying the group was trying to reassert its presence in southern Lebanon. Israel also accused the Beirut government of failing to carry out its commitments to disarm the Iranian -backed terror group. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Sarit Zehavi from the Alma research centre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France this week promoted Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish army captain wrongly convicted of treason in 1894, to the rank of brigadier general as an act of reparation in a notorious case of antisemitism that has caused outrage for generations. The move is seen as a symbolic step in the fight against antisemitism in modern France, at a time of growing alarm over hate crimes targeting Jews in the country in the context of the Gaza war. French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu signed the promotion into law on Monday, and it was published in the so-called Official Journal of new legislation on Tuesday. Parliament’s lower house unanimously approved the legislation in June, and the Senate backed it earlier this month. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Yael Perl-Ruiz , the great grand-daughter of Alfred Dreyfus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF reservist moderately hurt by terrorist fire in Nablus area. Searches resume in Gaza City for deceased hostages. In Thailand, body recovered of Israeli tourist caught in strong currentsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution is key to normalization with Israel at his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Asked at the White House meeting how the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia would affect the joint U.S.–Israel policy of preserving Israel's qualitative military edge, Trump said that both Israel and the Saudi kingdom are 'at a level where they should get top-of-the-line' jets. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke about the meeting with Dr Yossi Mann from Reichman and Bar Ilan universities. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF strikes Hamas base in Lebanon. DF kills 2 Hizbullah men. Degel HaTorah pushes draft dodging bill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas' declared refusal to disarm is the main sticking point toward advancing to the next phase of the US-brokered ceasefire framework, according to Res. Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. He told KAN reporter Naomi Segal that Israel may ultimately have to act. (Photo: Associated Press)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The High Court of Justice has ruled that Justice Minister Yariv Levin can choose the official to oversee the investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak affair, instead of the attorney general. Despite restrictions imposed by the court, the ruling was seen as precedent setting in the granting of authority to a political figure in a criminal proceeding. Dr. Guy Lurie, Research Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal about the significance of the decision. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel, Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confrontations during dismantling of illegal settler outpost. Funeral held for fallen hostage Meny Godard, who was returned to Israel from Gaza last week. Germany to resume arms exports to Israel next week See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High Court strikes down justice minister's pick to probe Sde Teiman video leak, but says he has authority to make the appointment. Searches resume in Gaza for three remaining deceased hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu says Hamas will be disarmed, easy way or hard waySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yishai Fleisher, the international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, praised the security forces for thwarting Palestinian terror. Regarding settler violence, Fleisher told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that vigilante violence, while condemned, didn’t happen in a bubble and they faced Islamic jihadism. He also said that this Shabbat tens of thousands of Jewish worshippers were expected to come to Hebron for the Hayei Sara Torah portion festival. (photo: Mendy Hechtman/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a massive illegal building project by the Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled areas “C” in the West Bank, including high-rise buildings overlooking Israeli communities and strategic sites, erected without permits or authorization. Regavim, a land-use watchdog movement, has petitioned authorities to halt this construction. Naomi Kahn the Director of International Division at Regavim, said that over one hundred thousand illegal structures were built in area C, including multi-story buildings in Walaja near Jerusalem. But, she told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that there has been a turning point and that demolitions are increasing. (photo: Regavim)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad says deceased hostage will be handed over at 8 p.m. Israeli security forces arrest some 40 members of Bethlehem-based Hamas terror network. Jewish extremists torch mosque in Palestinian villageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Trump in letter as Israeli President Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu. Defense minister Katz announces decision to close Army Radio. Residents of northern Israel feel Cyprus-centered earthquakeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Zionist Congress has finally elected a new leadership for the WZO after weeks of backroom dealings, boycotts and general political shenanigans that has damaged its legitimacy as the so-called "global Jewish parliament." Understanding the intrigues and dealings of this casba is difficult and reporter Arieh O'Sullivan spoke with Michael Starr, the Senior Diaspora Affairs reporter for The Jerusalem Post about the circus the election. (photo: WZO) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Hadar Goldin laid to rest after being returned from Gaza, Knesset passes first reading of Death Penalty for Terrorists bill, IDF bombs Hezbollah weapons depots in south Lebanon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting in the White House with US President Donald Trump was the first official visit to the United States by a Syrian president since its independence in 1946. The official state visit is part of al-Sharaa’s largely successful charm offensive to establish new ties with countries that had shunned the previous Assad’s government after its brutal crackdown on protesters in 2011 spiraled into a 14-year civil war. Syria is widely expected to officially join the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group and will likely push for a removal of sanctions imposed on his country. “Americanization in Syria is good,” said Middle East analyst Seth Frantzman. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that it would also offset heavy Turkish influence in Damascus. (photo: AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deceased hostage Lior Rudaeff, returned to Israel from Gaza last week, is laid to rest. Funeral for Lt Hadar Goldin, returned to Israel 11 years after falling in battle in Gaza, is to take place on Tuesday. US President Trump's special envoy Kushner meets Prime Minister Netanyahu in JerusalemSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past two years, the IDF has blocked independent entry into the Gaza Strip to cover the war. But foreign journalists have gone all the way to the High Court of Justice to change that and the government has about two weeks left to decide whether to allow journalists in for the first time since 2014. While lifting the ban is a risky move for Israel, the government should allow it. This according to Gil Hoffman, the executive director of the pro-Israel media watchdog HonestReporting. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that control of media narrative is impossible and open press access was preferable. (Nati Shohat/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas says it is handing over remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who fell in battle in Gaza in 2014. Israeli-American IDF soldier Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, who fell in battle in October 7th attack and who was returned to Israel last week, is laid to rest. Prime Minister Netanyahu's testimony in trial cancelled for "urgent diplomatic meetings"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current exhibition at the Zimbalista Gallery in Tel Aviv, “Blind, Bound, Bowed, Naked," presents a striking and contemporary look at Ofra Zimbalista’s work, exploring existence, human suffering, and compassion. At the heart of the exhibition stands the monumental installation “Game” (1994), created after the First Lebanon War, and which assumes additional layers of significance in these current times. Zimbalista's son, conductor and percussionist Chen Zimbalista, spoke with reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Courtesy Zimbalista Gallery)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deceased hostage returned by Hamas identified as Tanzanian national Joshua Loitu Mollel. Six deceased hostages remain Gaza. IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in LebanonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambassadors and diplomats from 15 European Union nations took part in a beach clean up at the Rishon Le’zion beach yesterday as part of a campaign run by the Tzalul environment association in Israel. Mor Gilboa, the CEO of Tzalul, said that they have organized dozens of beach clean ups along the Israeli Mediterranean coast and Eilat. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that their goal is to boost awareness against littering and pushing for legislation against disposable plastics on beaches. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Zionist Congress convened in Jerusalem to vote on resolutions, appoint the leaders of the national institutions and set the agenda for Zionist leadership. Reporter Mark Weizz spoke ahead of the opening event with Michael Jankelowitz, spokesperson for the international media at the conference.(photo: Yonatan Sindel/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hezbollah is engaged in a determined effort to recover its capabilities and Israel is determined not to allow it. Reserve Lt.-Col. Sarit Zehavi, president and founder of Alma Research and Education Center which focuses on the security challenges on the northern border, said that the Lebanese government is more interested that Israel do the dirty work and disarm Hizbullah since it is not willing to clash with them. The IDF is starting to see a process that the hundreds of airstrikes are not enough to stop Hizbullah rehabilitation efforts. Zehavi told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Israel was determined not to repeat past mistakes and allow Hizbullah to rearm itself. (photo: Mohammad Zaatari/AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas returns body of IDF St.-Sgt. Itay Chen, reports Hamas uncovering another of the seven deceased hostages still remaining in the Gaza Strip, Air India to resume flights to Israel on January 1, heat wave breaks 83-year-old records See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.