Israeli actress Netta Garti, now studying film at 46, reflects on trauma after Oct 7, refusing to sleep near Gaza-set filming sites; She calls lack of answers 'trapping trauma,' discusses Fauda’s impact, and describes women holding home anxiety while loved ones serve Smadar Shiloni https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2024/06/18/BkESliZ18A/BkESliZ18A_0_57_1050_592_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjew4gygfe Sat, 23 May 2026 13:09:54 +03:00 Long ago, in the mid-1990s, at a Monica Sex concert in the town of Aseret, a 14-year-old girl stood by the stage watching the handsome guitarist Peter Roth. Suddenly, in line with the rural setting’s reputation, a huge green praying mantis landed on Roth’s microphone. The stunned guitarist burst out laughing, and so did the 14-year-old girl (“I looked like I was six”), and their eyes met. Years passed before Netta Garti and Peter Roth met again — a meeting that would turn into a relationship and later parents to two children, Leny, 18, and Arik, 13. Even today, every few weeks Garti likes to go to Monica Sex concerts, stand in the crowd on the guitarist’s side of the stage, and look at him through the eyes of a fan. “It's an incredible gift,” she says. “It resets something, brings you back to a very primal place of appreciation. It’s like going back in time — you’re not thinking about anything at home or what needs to be done, you press a button and I go back to being a 15-year-old girl listening to Monica Sex. He feels something similar when he comes to see me in the theatre. Seeing your partner at their peak is very good for a relationship — I recommend it.” But while at concerts Garti easily slips into the perspective of an excited fan, in her professional life as an actress reality can sometimes feel too intense. During filming of the new season of Fauda (currently airing on yes and coming to Netflix in August), parts of which were shot near Beit Kama in the Gaza border region, the production asked cast and crew to sleep in a nearby kibbutz to save travel time. “The kibbutzim were still not populated, and I asked the crew if they were managing to sleep at night,” she recalls. “They said there were such strong booms that they didn’t sleep at all. I told the producer I would just drive back and forth — if I want to film 12 hours awake, I need to sleep at home and not inside a trigger.” “Everyone was inside a trigger and we still are. Something in me wasn’t ready yet to process the trauma — it was too early to contain it. In order to process trauma you need to understand it deeply, and personally I feel that the lack of clear explanations, the lack of a commission of inquiry, not knowing exactly what happened to us — that healing hasn’t happened. There’s a kind of demon there that feels like there is no logical order in the mind, and when you don’t know what really happened, it traps the trauma. You can’t process it or break it down. That is part of why we are still stuck there. I haven’t managed to get out of it.” Will Fauda help with processing it or reinforce it? “In my view, Fauda being on Netflix is one of the most effective ways to bring understanding and bridge gaps — to explain what we are going through through the heart and the soul, not through logic or rational analysis.” But this season is also dominated, at least so far, by a theme of revenge. “True, but there is also trauma there, and for foreign audiences who are not necessarily sympathetic to us, it can create a deeper understanding. Because it’s the personal story of characters the audience has known for four seasons, and suddenly they experience their break. When you watch television you open emotionally and connect — it doesn’t pass you by like news or current affairs.” The relationship between Gali and Doron, played by Garti and Lior Raz, has gone through ups and downs over the previous seasons. It is not easy being the wife of Doron Kavillio, a covert operative who sometimes lives more in his work than in his life. Their story is one of ongoing erosion, as Gali tries to maintain a stable home and push Doron to retire, while he remains trapped in the world of operations. In season two their relationship collapses, in season four there is some reconnection, and in the current season — set two years after October 7 — they are reunited again, but Doron is quickly pulled back into action, leaving Gali behind once more. As Garti sees it, the role of the woman who stays at home has taken on a broader collective meaning. “I’m more on the other side — Peter wasn’t in reserve duty — but Leny enlisted and I experience it through friends as well. The feeling is that you stay at home holding the anxiety and the normality. This is no longer just a story about that one woman — it is a story about women in Israel, about the weight that remains at home. Those who did not go to fight are left carrying unbearable anxiety about the fate of loved ones, and also trying to maintain sanity and the life we used to know. At the premiere, I felt we are carrying so much baggage that it is impossible to separate what happens on screen from what you are living.” “So this is part of the processing?” “More than anything, I think examining what we went through is critical for everyone. It’s not about right, left, center, religious or secular — it crosses all categories of society. I can only speak from what I feel and understand, and for me personally I need to understand. Families of the fallen especially need to understand how it happened in order to begin rebuilding this trauma. You cannot repair fractures without understanding where they came from. I struggle to see how a society can rise from something without shape or order.” And Leny is now in the army. Where is she stationed? “She’s close to home, she comes back every day, everything is fine, I can breathe. But it’s always a milestone at this age. And it’s amazing — her entire environment, people her age, are very patriotic. I didn’t feel that at their age, we were in completely different times. But COVID, the ongoing war, the trauma — it probably creates that sense of commitment. They understand on their own skin what it means to live here.” When Garti regained some of her free time, she knew exactly how she wanted to fill it. At 46, she now walks daily to Tel Aviv University, where she has been studying film for two years. You might think that 25 years on film, television and theatre sets would teach you everything you need to know about the profession, but Garti wanted to expand. She first entered Israeli culture with a charming role in Turn Left at the End of the World, continued with an extensive theatre career at Beit Lessin and the Cameri Theatre, is still identified in public as “Cookie” from The Arbitrator, and recently also starred in Tom Nesher’s Ophir-winning film Come Closer, based on her brother Ari Nesher. Now she studies video editing, cinematography, film history, and tries to communicate with students in their twenties who dream of cinema. “It’s very funny,” she admits. “Studying with such young people is like learning a new language — especially things connected to technology.” TikTok? “No, no, it’s cinema — we watch Godard,” she laughs. “But yes, things my acting experience doesn’t necessarily prepare you for. I’ve never opened editing software, never held a camera. They mostly see me sitting at the computer almost breaking the screen from frustration because I don’t know how to do the simplest thing. Then they come over and in a second say, ‘you move this like this and cut it like that.’ And at the same time I read their scripts and give them feedback.” You’re an outsider. “I will always be an outsider because I’m the age of their parents, but I’ve always felt a bit like that in different places in life. On the outside I cover it in different ways, but inside I know how to feel like an outsider and live with it. I’ve reached an age where I accept it. I don’t fight that part of me anymore.” Do they like having a celebrity in class? “They are very kind and accepting, but it takes time to build trust — especially from their side, for them to believe I’m serious and not losing it. It took a while, but once they saw I show up every day and do the work, they understood I wasn’t losing it — this is really what I want to do. I’m still an actress, and that is something I still dream about, it still beats strongly in me. But my creative side also wants to grow. I want to write, I have aspirations to direct. A director needs to know how to shoot, lenses, editing, lighting. I’m from the old school that believes that.” But you come from the field, you know how it really works, and they are still in the innocent fantasy. “But it’s nice to be in the fantasy. Sometimes I also catch that hope that everything is still open. As an artist you need that space of innocence and dreaming. And you never really know — a short film you make in school can suddenly go out into the world. For me it comes from a need for knowledge. Many of my friends my age are going through a kind of awakening, a need to grow, curiosity that suddenly takes over. It’s not as unusual as it sounds.” message r1ppshaymx Self-taught fashion designer Renana Gitit turned her own wedding dress into a bridal business, offering boho-style gowns at accessible prices in Pardes Hanna, where she says a growing food and nightlife scene has transformed local life Assi Haim https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/rJ6sW11iJfx/rJ6sW11iJfx_1_132_1601_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/r1ppshaymx Sat, 23 May 2026 08:31:43 +03:00 What do they do about the overdraft, how much do they pay for their home and what dream did they fulfill in the shadow of war? People from across Israel speak candidly about real life, before and during the war. This time: Renana Gitit Oren from Pardes Hanna-Karkur. Gitit? “That's the name I was born with, and at 18 I added Renana. I never liked how it sounded. It comes from some singer my father liked. That name has been the nightmare of my life.” The apartment? “I've been in Pardes Hanna for 13 years, and in this apartment for three. A four-room apartment I bought new for 1.5 million shekels, but today it's already worth 2.5 million shekels. Pardes Hanna has an image of private homes, but it's developing like crazy and building upward, and I bought an apartment too.” Where are you from? “I was born in Moshav Mishmar HaYarden near Rosh Pina. After traveling around the world a bit, I got married and moved to Pardes Hanna with a one-year-old son, and I was in the middle of a divorce process. That was also when I started sewing wedding dresses. I'm a fashion designer, and there were always clients who wanted me to sew for them but I didn't want to, until I looked for a dress for my own wedding. I didn't want something fluffy and banquet-hall sweet, but something that suited a daytime wedding, and I couldn't find it. So even though I said I'd never make a wedding dress, I decided to do it. Then came the first client, whose dress I burned with an iron right before the wedding. But she didn't notice — I added some design element to fix it. After that I sold another 15 wedding dresses and decided to open a bridal salon. I realized I wanted to move closer to central Israel because it's hard for brides to get to Rosh Pina, and I also wanted good education for my son, so we moved to Pardes Hanna.” Pardes Hanna? “What is Pardes Hanna? A month ago I saw a woman running down the road after a large colorful parrot that had crossed the street. Chaos started, people stopped and began searching for the parrot in the middle of the road. I told myself, ‘This is Pardes Hanna.’ Or in the building WhatsApp group someone will ask, ‘Does anyone have cow’s milk?’ They’ll specify cow’s milk because most people don’t drink it. Cow’s milk is the unusual thing here. Wellness matters to people here. I do Gyrotonic, a holistic exercise method that combines principles from yoga, dance and pilates. In the last three years there’s been a huge boom in great culinary places here. Places that are fun to sit in, bars, people going out. Everywhere is packed. I used to miss that and travel to Tel Aviv, and now it’s really happening here.” Fashion designer? “I never studied it formally. I didn’t finish high school and I was restless. I wanted to discover the world, but from a young age I knew this was what I wanted. I grew up on a moshav in the periphery and it was incredibly boring. I was drawn to anything related to clothes. I used to cut up my clothes and my friends’ clothes and sew them back together. That was my dream, and I really wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it happen and buy a home from this work. At one point I traveled to Jerusalem once a week to study sewing and taught myself. I used to cut up every garment that came my way and walk around in half-sewn clothes. My first recognition came from a fair I took part in.” A fair? “I worked for a year with autistic people in Karmi'el, and at the same time I had a room at home and started sewing different things. Every dress was one of a kind, and honestly that’s still the case today. Because I was far from Tel Aviv, I lacked a lot of things, but it forced me to improvise. I bought lots of fabrics from Delta and made vintage-style dresses with pieces of lace and different fabrics. Then there was a designers’ fair. A reporter there liked my work and wrote about me, and stores started reaching out. Within months there was more demand than I could sew. Because every dress is different, it was very problematic. To this day I both enjoy and suffer from that lack of commerciality. The dresses can’t be recreated, but that’s also my brand, ‘Toora.’” Toora? “It was very successful, and that’s how I worked until my wedding, when I opened the bridal salon and something changed in me. I felt this was exactly what I loved — creating one design and working with a bride, which requires creativity and pushing the designs even further. The women who come to me are getting married in nature settings, or having unusual weddings. It’s more boho chic. I try to keep prices accessible, around 8,000-10,000 shekels, because there are wedding dresses that cost 30,000 shekels. I have nearly 200 designs in my studio, and someone can come wanting a certain design, but I can’t make it smaller because what’s there is what’s there. Which means every bride is a new story. It’s not the most commercial approach, but I feel that’s also my strength.” Grow bigger? “I don’t want to grow bigger. I’d actually like to work less and enjoy more because I also handle the business management side. That’s a different brain from being a designer. When I’m too deep in business mode, I don’t enjoy it, and I remind myself to return to the channel of creativity and art.” Financial situation? “Okay, but the overall economic situation isn’t simple, and even if you make a good living you don’t become rich here. I’m happy I have the option to make a living doing what I love.” Leisure? “I’m a foodie and I love sitting in restaurants, but honestly what I love most is being at home. That’s the ultimate luxury.” message b1lmvw01zx She allegedly accused Victoria Beckham of leaking stories to the press, Serena Williams reportedly grew tired of the constant drama and George Clooney stayed loyal to the king; as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s celebrity circle continues to shrink, insiders are pointing the finger at Meghan Inbal Hananel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/HkTgruFJGg/HkTgruFJGg_0_240_2000_1126_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/b1lmvw01zx Fri, 22 May 2026 23:17:15 +03:00 Eight years ago, on May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married, much to the displeasure of Prince William, Kate Middleton and other critics. The perceived disparity began even then: while the wedding day of the Prince and Princess of Wales was declared a public holiday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding day was treated as an ordinary workday, albeit a more festive one. The royal wedding took place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Then-Prince Charles escorted Markle down the aisle, Prince William served as Harry’s best man, and the couple carefully selected the royal children who would accompany them during the ceremony. One of them was, of course, Princess Charlotte, and the drama surrounding the dress Middleton chose for her continues to make headlines years later. About 600 guests attended the wedding, most of them described as close friends of the royal couple — and, in fact, they are the reason we are gathered here today. Among the famous guests were George and Amal Clooney, Victoria and David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams and, naturally, Markle’s former co-stars from “Suits.” Now, around the time of the Sussexes’ wedding anniversary, insiders say many of those friends have cut ties with them — and, according to the reports, the main reason is none other than Markle herself. 'Harry and Meghan have fallen out with so many powerful people' Six years and five months have passed since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back from royal duties and embarking on an independent path. Immediately after the bombshell announcement was posted on social media, Markle boarded a flight to Canada while Harry remained in Britain and absorbed the backlash. A few months later, the couple settled in Los Angeles, where they attempted to begin a new chapter in their lives, explaining that they wanted privacy and the ability to live quietly and peacefully. Since then, however, the pair have given interviews to Oprah Winfrey, released documentary series, published books and seemingly done everything possible to ensure they would not have even a shred of privacy left. Their dream of becoming Hollywood power players, critics say, also failed. “Harry and Meghan have fallen out with so many powerful players in the entertainment industry that it feels like they’ve burned every possible bridge,” journalist Alison Boshoff said. “At the same time, Harry and Meghan never think the estrangement is their fault. They don’t understand it. They never think they’re the problem.” Immediately after leaving royal life, Harry and Meghan received overwhelming support from Hollywood celebrities. Winfrey was the first to give them a platform. In the sensational interview they gave her in March 2021, the couple spoke about the allegedly terrible treatment they received from the palace. “I didn’t do any research about the royal family or the palace. I went into this naively,” the duchess said tearfully. Markle said she had initially been warmly welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II, but added that things became more difficult leading up to the wedding. “I did everything they told me to do, and they promised they would protect me,” Markle said. “Things really started to worsen when I realized not only was I not being protected, but they were willing to lie to protect other family members. They were unwilling to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.” During the same interview, Markle accused the royal family of racism and shared that she had experienced suicidal thoughts, while Harry sat beside her nodding in agreement. 'Everyone avoids them like fire. No one wants to spend time with Meghan' Questions have long been raised about how the friendship between Oprah and Meghan began. Now, insiders claim there was never really a friendship at all. In fact, Markle reportedly met Winfrey for the first time at the wedding itself. According to sources, Winfrey acted strategically. Once Harry and Meghan’s relationship became serious, Oprah allegedly began making efforts to get close to Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland. “She did everything she needed to do to secure an exclusive interview with Meghan and Harry,” insiders claimed. And indeed, Winfrey landed an interview beyond anything she had imagined. “Meghan tried to maintain the relationship with Oprah and visited her home several times,” one source said. “But they’re nowhere near as close as they used to be. Not at all.” Paula Froelich, a journalist and broadcaster said to be close to Winfrey’s circle, shed more light on the matter. “The truth is Oprah has been hovering around the Sussexes for quite a while,” Froelich said. “She can’t let them drift too far away because if something happens — one of the three big things: divorce, death or drama — she’ll want the first interview. But she’s not really their friend, not even close.” Beyond the desire to secure the first interview, Froelich claimed that “no one wants a long-term partnership with the Sussex brand or the people behind it. Everyone avoids them like fire. No one wants to spend time with Meghan.” “There are many reasons for the distance from Meghan,” Froelich added, referencing recent rumors that Markle may launch her own fashion line. “She could literally sell clothes while using celebrities’ names.” She pointed to Markle wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Mama” during a February visit to Australia. The shirt is sold through OneOff — dubbed “the Spotify of fashion” — a platform Markle reportedly promotes in exchange for commissions on sales. “I can already imagine how it will look,” Froelich said. “Meghan could genuinely market clothes under bizarre headlines like, ‘Here’s what to wear to visit Oprah Winfrey.’ That could absolutely happen.” 'Oprah likes people only when they have something to offer' “Oprah’s image was damaged by her connection to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, especially Meghan,” Froelich concluded. “The 2021 interview was so soft and accommodating that since then she’s been perceived as a sycophantic, unprofessional interviewer.” Since that interview, the growing distance between the two women has reportedly become visible. In September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Winfrey was asked about the future of family relations between the Sussexes and the royal family. “I think in all families, when everyone gathers for a common ceremony such as burying the dead, there’s an opportunity for reconciliation,” Winfrey said. “I hope that will happen in the royal family as well.” Another source close to Winfrey summarized the situation more bluntly: “At the end of the day, Oprah likes people only when they have something to offer. That’s the truth.” 'We all remember how Diana’s story ended' One of the celebrities who rushed to Markle’s defense during the palace drama was actor George Clooney, who spoke to Who magazine about what he described as the excessive persecution of Markle, comparing her to Princess Diana. “Everyone is chasing Meghan endlessly and for no reason,” Clooney said. “They’re treating her exactly the way they treated Princess Diana.” Clooney added a warning: “We all remember how Diana’s story ended, in a fatal car crash caused by the media. There’s no doubt history is repeating itself.” Now, some speculate Clooney may regret those comments. Other famous friends of Markle joined Clooney in defending her at the time. “To stand up against the worldwide bullying directed at her is not easy,” one source said. “Meghan sits quietly and doesn’t respond to all the lies and terrible stories about her. We’re very worried about her and about what this is doing to her and her children. It’s not right to treat anyone this way.” Rumors suggest that, as with Oprah, Harry and Meghan had no prior relationship with the Clooneys before the wedding. “Just like with Oprah, there was simply outreach from the Sussexes,” one insider claimed. Another source cast doubt on that version, saying: “As far as I know, Amal and Meghan knew each other through a private members club at Soho House, but they weren’t especially close.” Unlike Winfrey, however, Amal’s relationship with Markle reportedly became more involved. In 2018, shortly after the wedding, the Sussexes enjoyed a secret three-day vacation at George and Amal’s estate in Italy. In February 2019, Amal and Markle were photographed together at the duchess’s baby shower in New York. George and Amal reportedly flew Markle on their private jet, while Serena Williams covered the hotel and other luxuries. “Gifts like these are completely normal from Harry and Meghan’s perspective,” a source claimed. “Everyone is aware that financial concerns trouble them, and those problems only grew after Netflix and Spotify distanced themselves from them. They demand huge resources be invested in them, believe it’s a privilege to be in their company and are convinced they deserve private flights.” Another source summarized Markle in a single sentence: “She’s the stingiest woman there is.” 'The Clooneys want nothing to do with Harry and Meghan' That friendship also reportedly ended. A source close to the Sussexes said: “The Clooneys want nothing to do with Harry and Meghan.” Harry and Meghan, notably, have never been invited to the Clooneys’ glamorous events or their annual charity fundraiser, despite the Sussexes viewing themselves as prominent humanitarians. “George and Amal were never truly Meghan’s friends,” one source said. “They have nothing in common with her. They support the real royal family.” Indeed, George Clooney has long been a supporter of the King’s Trust, formerly Prince’s Trust. Earlier this month, George and Amal attended the organization’s 50th anniversary event. “I’m grateful to the king for all the incredible work the trust does for young people around the world,” Amal said. “Your Majesty, after watching your recent trip to the United States, I think I can speak for everyone here tonight when I say we are so proud that you are our king,” she added. British actor Idris Elba — or, as many like to call him, the Sexiest Man Alive of 2018 — also reportedly distanced himself from Harry and Meghan out of loyalty to King Charles III. “Idris launched his career thanks to a £1,500 grant from Charles’ trust early on, which enabled him to join the National Youth Theatre,” one insider said. Elba has also worked with the king on a documentary about the charity, expected to be released on Netflix later this year. “Idris once called Harry a ‘good friend,’ but he hasn’t seen them in six years,” a source said. 'Meghan thinks the Beckhams are beneath her' The Sussexes also managed to fall out with Victoria and David Beckham, despite once being very close to them. “The Beckhams were thrilled to attend Harry and Meghan’s wedding,” one insider said. “Harry and David first met in 2012 while supporting England’s bid to host the World Cup.” According to the source, the growing distance between Harry and David stemmed from Markle’s dismissive attitude. “Meghan thinks the Beckhams are beneath her,” the insider claimed. If that were not enough, “Meghan accused Victoria of leaking stories about her to the press,” a claim that reportedly infuriated David. It is worth noting that Victoria helped the Sussexes decorate Frogmore Cottage in 2019. Over the years, David remained close to Harry’s older brother, Prince William, and grew even closer to King Charles — relationships that, according to rumors, Markle did not appreciate. Some speculate this may have led the Sussexes to recommend their attorney — who represented them in disputes with the royal family — to Brooklyn Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria. “This isn’t about repairing their reputation, but correcting the situation and fighting misinformation,” a source close to Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham insisted. Regarding the decision to hire the attorney who had represented Harry and Meghan, the source said it was merely coincidence. “There’s no connection to Harry and Meghan. It’s a respected law firm with many clients,” the source said. Not everyone was convinced — apparently including Victoria and David Beckham themselves. Even Serena Williams, once one of Markle’s closest friends, has reportedly taken a step back. “Serena is still on good terms with her and Harry, but she’s simply exhausted by all the drama surrounding them,” a source said. Then there is Jessica Mulroney, Markle’s stylist and once her closest friend, whose relationship with the duchess also fell apart. In 2020, Mulroney was accused of racism after allegedly behaving aggressively and threatening to damage the career of blogger Sasha Exeter. “I’m so used to being transparent on this platform, but today I’m opening up about something that has haunted me,” Exeter wrote at the time. “I felt it was complete hypocrisy after fighting for racial equality and using my voice here, while allowing a white woman to silence me behind closed doors. I know I’m taking a risk and opening myself up to criticism, bullying and consequences that may affect my work, but I have to speak my truth. I would bleed to death if my daughter ever had to face such ignorance.” Throughout the controversy, Mulroney reportedly remained supportive of Meghan, though the duchess may have forgotten that. “Mulroney quickly called Meghan to warn her and update her immediately after the incident,” one source said, adding that the conversation between the two women was cold and tense. “Meghan is horrified she got dragged into this mess,” another source claimed. “She keeps saying Jessica isn’t racist, but the way she handled the issue was heartbreaking.” The source added that “Meghan can no longer continue being her friend.” Even Markle’s supposedly “good friends” from the hit series “Suits” have distanced themselves. Patrick J. Adams, who played Markle’s on-screen love interest Mike Ross, said he “was never really in touch with her.” Gina Torres, who played Jessica Pearson, similarly said Markle was never part of the cast’s WhatsApp group and never shared her phone number. The only cast member still reportedly close to the duchess is Abigail Spencer. And who has remained in contact? The surprising answer is Elton John, largely because of his loyalty to the late Princess Diana, who was one of his closest friends. “He’s only in touch with Harry and tries to have as little contact with Meghan as possible,” one source said. In the end, Meghan may continue projecting a warm and welcoming image to the world, but behind the smiles and carefully polished messaging lies a reality that raises more than a few questions. When the Beckhams, the Clooneys, the “Suits” cast and other famous names all seem to find their way out of the couple’s inner circle, it is difficult not to wonder whether the moment will come when Prince Harry wakes up — or perhaps when Duchess Meghan realizes something simply is not working. Either way, the circle of people who remain close to the Sussexes for the long term appears to be growing smaller and smaller. message rkqzsskygx Mitzpe Ramon has developed a thriving underground cultural scene with bars, libraries, indie music venues and desert parties; artists and festivals draw crowds, turning the sleepy desert town into a creative safe haven in Negev Amir Kaminer https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/yk14760755/yk14760755_0_53_472_266_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rkqzsskygx Fri, 22 May 2026 09:30:02 +03:00 In the late 1990s, singer Eviatar Banai moved to Mitzpe Ramon after traveling through India, the Himalayas and Tel Aviv’s decadence, hoping the desert quiet would offer him rest and inspiration. There, with his band, he created his second and acclaimed album Shir Tiyul (Travel Song). Years later, he wrote on Instagram: “For a year we lived together in Mitzpe Ramon. A group of people who wanted to dismantle the world and rebuild it.” A quarter of a century has passed since that album. Since then, many winds of music have swept through the desert, and the once sleepy southern town has changed its face. In recent years, a fascinating cultural and culinary scene has flourished there: festivals, concerts, a cinematheque, arts schools, galleries and a range of independent initiatives. “There are always several things happening in Mitzpe at the same time,” says Noa Bar, the town librarian. “The culture is very diverse, just like the population.” The Desert Reggae Coalition holds a reggae festival every few months. Another notable initiative is Shton, an event in which about 60 artists gather for one day in the artists’ quarter and create a festival that combines high-level art with genuine passion. “The diversity is what keeps Mitzpe sane,” says Ran Livne, a producer and musician. One reason for the town’s recent boom is that it has become a kind of protected and safe haven, where people have found refuge during turbulent times, from COVID-19 to wars with Iran. During Operation Roaring Lion, only one siren was heard there, and waves of civilians fled south in search of calm and shelter. According to Uria Reich, one of the driving forces behind the town’s cultural life: “What’s special is that we are very far from everything else. Extreme periphery. The past years have been marked by trauma, and because Mitzpe Ramon is small, remote and very safe, it has created creative activity.” But Mitzpe’s cultural bloom is not only tied to crises. “There are three real music scenes in Israel where things are constantly bubbling: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Mitzpe, where only 6,000 people live,” declares Livne, who together with sound producer Itamar Kashri founded Frequency South. Together they run a studio and produce festivals such as Desert Rock, which will take place at the end of the month. “Part of the magic here is that the culture is usually guerrilla and underground.” On a recent Thursday night visit through Mitzpe Ramon, mainly in the artists’ quarter (Spice Route area), it was hard not to be impressed. The offering would not be out of place in much larger cities. Haberech: The bar that became an institution Haberech, run by Uria Reich and Dan Levi, is the town’s central institution. Reich, who originally came to Mitzpe to dance, opened the place 11 years ago. It started as a local bar and gradually grew into a cultural hub. Its audience is diverse, stylish and lively, ranging from mustached gay men to religious women in head coverings, from longtime residents to Tel Aviv hipsters. At Haberech, you can also eat and drink well, including creative cocktails and vegan dishes. On weekends, there are special menus. On the night of the visit, chef Itai Be’eri hosted a Thai pop-up. The menu featured dishes from Thailand’s Isaan region: spicy papaya salad, crispy meat salad, excellent spring rolls stuffed with vegetables and noodles, banana-coconut pudding and pad thai. Be’eri learned these flavors from Kamok and Bunlat, a married couple who worked on his father’s farm in Paran in the Arabah. “I loved Kamok’s food so much that when I came back from school I would go straight to her house,” he says. “That’s where the best food in the world was waiting for me.” Be’eri lived in Mitzpe for several years and worked there as a metalworker. He eventually returned to his childhood region in the Arabah, but still comes back occasionally to visit friends and share his food. “Something special happens in Mitzpe. A different energy flows here,” he says. Desert Wine Bar: Negev wines and sunset shows “I feel exposed,” says Dvori, a singer-songwriter and music student at the local music school, during her performance at Desert Wine Bar. She introduces her next song: “I wrote it at the beginning of my pregnancy, while I was in Vietnam.” The performance is tip-based, and as is common today, the audience can contribute via Bit in appreciation. Desert Wine Bar is a pleasant venue run by a charming couple—Gabriel Tene, who immigrated alone from Costa Rica at 19, and his partner Hadari—along with Yinon Biton. “Our concept is Negev wines. All the wines you see on the shelves are from the desert, including the olive oil,” Gabriel says proudly. The wine bar has gradually become a cultural center. “Every Friday we have a sunset performance. People sit on the terrace and watch music against the sunset,” Hadari says. “Word about us spreads, and not only people from Mitzpe come to perform. Because of demand, we now also host shows on Thursday evenings. We look for artists who fit our vibe—jazz musicians or acoustic singers who sound good with a glass of wine. We prefer things that don’t bring people down. No crying or too much noise. Sometimes we also hold tastings and lectures.” HaSifriya: The beating heart of Mitzpe At the entrance to HaSifriya (The Library), a space devoted to books and reading, a notice board is packed with activity announcements: story hour, master classes, children’s events, performances, used book sales, film screenings and discussions with directors. “The Library is the beating heart of Mitzpe,” declares librarian Noa Bar. “It’s also a place where people come to read and where students study. It’s quiet and pleasant here. The Library serves as a meeting point for all the diverse communities in Mitzpe. It is neutral, in the best sense of the word—there is room for everyone. There are no political matters here. There is an energy in the Library that is hard to put into words. It allows everyone to be who they are. Something very alive.” So it is no surprise that artists are happy to perform there. On the day of the visit, veteran singer-songwriter Amir Lev performed. His story-driven songs sound especially fitting among the bookshelves—a perfect backdrop. The Library is managed by Ronen Stern, a former musician who used to be a gothic club-goer in Tel Aviv’s legendary Penguin Club in the 1980s, “back when Rami Fortis still had long hair,” and today wears a large kippah. Stern prefers action over words, so Livne describes it in his place: “The Library is a well-maintained cultural space. It’s beautiful here,” and indeed it is. Aquariums scattered throughout the Library add to its character and charm. Rehem: An Israeli indie club During the war with Iran, it was hard to squeeze into Rehem (Womb), next to Haberech, because it was so packed. On the current visit, two performances were held: Omri Sharif, a talented 19-year-old singer from Kibbutz Gesher HaZiv in the Western Galilee, whose “songs are like paintings,” as her partner describes them. “My music is what comes out of my body and soul,” she says. “Alternative indie rock, influenced by Sonic Youth. First time performing in Mitzpe. Expanding boundaries.” Next was Omer Haliva, a promising 27-year-old singer-songwriter with strong personal charisma. Haliva, son of chefs, is also a sous-chef at the much-talked-about restaurant BOTZ, recently opened in Mitzpe Ramon. “Four and a half years ago, I moved here to work on my first album,” he says. “I make Israeli indie—not Mizrahi, not hip-hop, not mainstream. Mitzpe Ramon is very much not mainstream. Something about the desert, the silence, the detachment from norms and from the center creates a different rhythm, and it produces different music.” “You feel loneliness here. Real, intense loneliness, and it’s a recurring theme in my songs and experience. The loneliness is not necessarily about romantic relationships. You are alone, and you have to deal with it. I’d rather live in the desert completely disconnected than in the chaos of Tel Aviv. I lived there, and I don’t like it much.” Forest party: bonfires and tents The night journey ends at a party in one of the groves outside town. It is a spontaneous, almost familial, community gathering. We drive along desert paths until we reach the meeting point. Moonlight and strings of colored lights illuminate the darkness. Despite the desert cold, families and groups sleep in tents. A few arrive in caravans. Bonfires help keep warm. Music overpowers the sounds of animals in the surrounding wilderness. A power outage interrupts the performance of the band Bnei Esrim (Twenty-Year-Olds) after just two songs, but the crowd waits for it to be fixed. “The band describes themselves as hippies. They are young and beautiful,” say two women. “Don’t judge the crowd based on meeting us. We’re the only grandmothers here.” The grandmothers soon leave, but the rest of the crowd continues dancing into the weekend. Festival: Desert Rock At the end of the month, the Desert Rock festival will take place for the fifth time, founded by music figures Ran Livne and Itamar Kashri. The upcoming edition will be held at Khan Shitim in the southern Negev, about 40 minutes south of Mitzpe Ramon. The duo promises “28 hours of local rock and roll from Israel’s contemporary indie scene: hard rock alongside folk, alternative culture outside of time and space.” The festival has grown each year, with attendees aged from 6 to 60, including families. This year’s lineup includes 28 artists and bands such as HaZeevot, GayaGaya, Shen and Matate Hashmed. There will also be workshops and art events. Accommodation is camping, with additional options for rooms and glamping tents. message h1o3lzhkmg Running a major musical can cost up to $800,000 a week, while only three of 46 new post-pandemic productions have recouped, pushing producers toward star-led plays, London tryouts and pricier tickets for tourists Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/B16j2HxJfg/B16j2HxJfg_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/h1o3lzhkmg Fri, 22 May 2026 01:58:34 +03:00 Something strange is happening on Broadway. Manhattan’s theater district remains the place where dreams are written, composed and staged every night. During the latest season, the industry shattered revenue records with more than $1.89 billion in ticket sales. Attendance reached 14.66 million, nearly matching pre-pandemic peak levels. Audiences came to see major brands like “Hamilton,” “Chicago” and “The Lion King,” alongside plays starring George Clooney, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson. Crowds have largely returned, ticket prices have risen and box offices are full. Yet Broadway’s economic model, especially for new musicals, is no longer working. The average ticket price jumped to a record $129, significantly higher than London’s West End average of roughly $81. Good seats easily pass the $200 mark, while premium seats for sought-after productions can climb to $1,500. But strong box office numbers do not necessarily mean profit. Of the 18 commercial musicals that opened last season, not one has yet recouped its investment. Behind the red velvet curtains, makeup and smiles operates an astonishingly expensive financial machine where even record-breaking sales do not guarantee survival. Many fear the industry is now facing one of the worst economic crises in its history. To understand it, one must dive into the numbers, the history and the rules of the game — including how tourists can survive New York theater prices without selling a kidney on Amazon before the show. Running a musical can cost $800,000 a week On the surface, everything looks fine. Around Times Square, it feels like stepping into a loud parallel universe: blinding neon lights, crowds of tourists packed onto sidewalks, tourists fresh from shopping at Uniqlo and giant billboards promising the cultural experience of a lifetime. Most people do not follow theater gossip the way they follow Hollywood drama, understandably so. How much can one talk about glamorous productions most people will never see without a 12-hour flight to New York? Yet for many visitors, the theater district becomes an essential stop almost immediately after landing. The term “Broadway” has become a kind of open brand, but in reality it is a strict geographic and technical definition set by the Broadway League — the association of theater owners and producers — together with the Tony Awards organization, the theater equivalent of the Oscars. To qualify as an official Broadway production, a show must perform in one of 41 professional theaters with at least 500 seats located in Midtown Manhattan’s theater district or Lincoln Center. These productions are eligible for Tony Awards. Below Broadway sits the world of Off-Broadway, with theaters containing between 100 and 499 seats, and below that Off-Off-Broadway, consisting of smaller, more experimental indie venues less interested in pleasing busloads of tourists. Some swear that is where the real magic happens. Economic control of the 41 theaters is far from decentralized — an important detail for discounted ticket lotteries discussed later. Theater owners charge productions fixed rent plus a percentage of gross ticket sales, usually between 6% and 7%. Even before rent, the weekly operating cost of a major musical now ranges between $650,000 and $800,000. It is a brutal starting point for any new production. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, 46 new musicals have opened on Broadway, collectively raising around $800 million from investors. Only three have recouped and turned a profit: “MJ the Musical,” “& Juliet” — the modern, feminist and, it must be admitted, highly entertaining spin on Romeo and Juliet using Max Martin’s pop hits — and “Six,” essentially a pop concert about Henry VIII’s six wives. All three productions acknowledged they survived largely thanks to federal aid and tax incentives worth tens of millions of dollars following the pandemic, assistance that is no longer available to new productions. The past season illustrated just how risky Broadway has become. Lavish productions like “Tammy Faye,” “Boop!” and “Smash” each cost more than $20 million and closed within less than four months, leaving investors empty-handed. Even familiar brands collapsed. The $26 million revival of “Cabaret,” which transformed the theater into a Berlin nightclub, shut down at a massive loss. “Gypsy,” with a $19.5 million budget, failed to recoup, and even Tony-winning “Sunset Boulevard” could not recover its $15 million investment. Legendary composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber put it bluntly: “Broadway is not a business anymore. The statistics are terrible. I am very worried. I look at the economics of this, and I just don’t see how it can sustain.” Hollywood stars are Broadway’s safest bet Shorter dramatic plays featuring Hollywood stars have become Broadway’s hottest commercial success over the past year. They are relatively cheap, do not require costly orchestras and rely on limited runs that create a sense of exclusivity and urgency. George Clooney shattered box office records with “Good Night, and Good Luck,” while Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal did the same with “Othello.” Adrien Brody, Tessa Thompson and Tony nominee Daniel Radcliffe continue drawing audiences willing to pay steep prices to see movie stars up close. The neighboring Metropolitan Opera has fallen into a similar financial crisis, forcing it to withdraw $120 million from its endowment fund, suffer a credit downgrade and cancel a major Saudi deal. Management responded with layoffs, salary cuts for executives and reducing the number of productions next season to the lowest level since 1980. Despite acclaimed productions and rising attendance, revenues remain weak. London has become Broadway’s testing lab Broadway is unusual because it operates in a deeply commercial environment fueled by tourism, sky-high ticket prices and an industry dependent on keeping theaters full. Compared with London, the difference is striking. Productions running simultaneously in both cities, such as “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” or “Stranger Things,” often cost more than twice as much in New York. The reasons go beyond greed. In the United States, producers bear the cost of private health insurance for workers, unlike Britain’s public healthcare system. Construction materials, sets and labor are also more expensive in New York. Above all, Broadway operates under unusually powerful unions by American standards. These unions often inflate production costs through minimum staffing rules. The musicians’ union, for example, requires producers to hire a fixed number of musicians based on theater size rather than artistic need, meaning productions may pay full salaries to musicians who barely perform. Large theaters are required to employ at least 18 or 19 musicians even if the show itself only needs five. Meanwhile, the actors’ union requires productions to employ backup performers known as swings on full salaries. These protections safeguard artists’ livelihoods but also drive weekly operating costs to enormous levels, costs that are ultimately passed directly to audiences through ticket prices. The result is a serious problem in New York theater’s production pipeline. Producers are increasingly hesitant to develop new musicals from scratch in New York and instead prefer London as a cheaper testing ground. Productions that prove successful in the West End later arrive on Broadway with built-in prestige, publicity and stronger odds of survival. Much like the music industry, Britain has become a seal of quality and creativity before crossing the Atlantic into America’s commercial machine. That is why many of Broadway’s current hits either originated in Britain or underwent major development there first. The Jewish brothers who reshaped Broadway But Broadway cannot survive on plays alone. Musicals are its growth engine. They can run for years or even decades, like “The Lion King,” “Wicked” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” They attract most of the tourist audience, which often prefers visually dazzling musical spectacles over heavy Shakespearean dialogue. As cringe-worthy as some melodramatic songs may occasionally feel, they are essential not just for storytelling but for the industry itself. Musicals employ more musicians, dancers, actors and technicians, while generating massive revenue through touring productions, merchandise and licensing rights for schools and theaters worldwide. If their economic model fails, the entire system loses its anchor. Broadway’s concentrated industry structure was shaped in part by the Shubert brothers, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who began operating theaters in upstate New York before expanding into Manhattan in the early 20th century. They fought the old theater monopoly and built a theater empire. To this day, the Shubert Organization remains Broadway’s largest theater owner. Alongside them stood Jewish entrepreneurs such as Oscar Hammerstein I, the Prussian-born impresario who helped transform Times Square into a theater hub, and his grandson Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote “The Sound of Music” with fellow Jewish creator Richard Rodgers. Jewish influence on Broadway extends far beyond real estate and business. Much of Broadway’s language was written by Jewish creators or children of Jewish families, from George Gershwin and Irving Berlin to Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers and the creators of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Even productions now seen as quintessentially American, such as “West Side Story” and “The Sound of Music,” emerged from the same tradition of immigration, assimilation, social anxiety and extraordinary commercial talent. The hidden gold mine: theater bars Beyond theater owners and creators, Jews also came to dominate one of Broadway’s biggest hidden profit engines: theater bars and drink stands. Theater corporations earn millions of dollars each night selling alcohol to captive intermission audiences. Among those who recognized this gold mine early was Lenny Lowengrub, husband of Israeli artist and designer Ilana Goor. Lowengrub founded the Theatre Refreshment Company, which still controls exclusive beverage concessions in all 17 Shubert Organization theaters. The wine may be mediocre, the cocktails outrageously expensive and painfully sweet, but the business model is marketing science at its finest. Each production features its own themed drink menu designed to tempt audiences into opening their wallets. “Harry Potter” offers color-changing potions, “Beetlejuice” serves the “Daylight Come Rum” cocktail and “Death Becomes Her” features an “immortality potion.” Disney saved Times Square For those bars to thrive, however, Times Square first had to undergo a dramatic transformation. During the 1970s and 1980s, the theater district became associated with poverty, crime, drugs, adult movie theaters and strip clubs. Tourists and locals alike avoided the area after dark and Broadway itself was dying. The unlikely savior was Disney. Following the success of “Beauty and the Beast,” the company realized it needed a permanent Broadway home. It found one in the historic but neglected New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street. After investing tens of millions of dollars into renovations, Disney launched “The Lion King” there in 1997, changing New York’s economic history. The production not only shattered box office records but also poured enormous capital into restoring abandoned theaters and revitalizing the surrounding streets. The “Disney effect” cleaned up the neighborhood, transformed it into a safe family entertainment district and drove local real estate prices to the levels seen today. How tourists can survive expensive Broadway: the full guide Lotteries: tickets for the price of lunch Most productions offer daily lotteries for discounted tickets, usually priced around $35 to $50. Lotteries are generally limited to two tickets per person and are managed through several major platforms based on theater ownership. TodayTix also runs its own lottery system for many in-demand productions alongside regular discounted ticket sales. Telecharge handles many Shubert theater lotteries. It is worth registering between midnight and 10 a.m. because there are often two separate drawing rounds. Lucky Seat allows users to enter for multiple future dates. Broadway Direct manages lotteries for major hits including “The Lion King,” “Wicked” and “Aladdin.” Theatr is a resale marketplace where sellers are only allowed to list tickets at face value or lower. Once selected, winners typically receive between one and three hours to claim and pay for their tickets. Some productions send tickets by email immediately, while others require in-person pickup with identification to prevent scalping. Broadway insiders claim you improve your odds by requesting a single ticket rather than a pair. When the system is left with one unsold seat, it will skip people requesting two tickets and award it directly to solo applicants. Legitimate discount websites include BroadwayBox and Playbill Discounts. Prices are not always the absolute cheapest, but they provide a reliable way to buy ahead without lottery stress. Rush tickets: for early risers Rush tickets are sold at prices similar to lotteries from the moment theater box offices open in the morning. Popular productions may require lining up very early in person. Many productions reserve specific seats for students, so if you know one, bring them along. Telecharge also offers digital Rush tickets online beginning at 11 a.m. If the site freezes or claims tickets are unavailable, keep refreshing — eventually something usually appears. One important detail: if you buy a Rush ticket online, you will be blocked from purchasing another Rush ticket for three days, though regular lotteries remain available. TKTS booths The famous TKTS booth beneath Times Square’s red steps sells same-day tickets — or next-day matinee tickets — at discounts of up to 50%. The big secret: free seat upgrades at intermission It may sound like classic Israeli chutzpah, but on Broadway it is entirely acceptable. If you bought a poor seat and notice better empty seats during intermission, you can quietly move. Just use common sense. If you purchased a balcony ticket, do not attempt sneaking into front-row orchestra VIP seating worth hundreds of dollars. Don’t expect refunds. Broadway is far less flexible than it was immediately after the pandemic. In most cases, if you miss the show, your money is gone unless the production’s specific policy says otherwise. Late arrivals and phones: this is America. Shows start on time. Latecomers are only seated during designated breaks. Phones ringing or recording during performances will quickly attract an usher with a flashlight. There is no formal dress code, but theaters are heavily air-conditioned even during summer, so bringing a light sweater is recommended. Food and drinks from home: officially, most theaters ban outside food and drinks in order to push audiences toward their expensive concessions. In reality, security guards are unlikely to care if you “accidentally” forgot a water bottle, small snack or miniature whiskey bottle in your bag. Terms every Broadway visitor should know Before buying tickets, it is worth checking seat views on sites like A View From My Seat or SeatPlan, which feature real audience photos rather than generic seating charts. Be careful with ticket sites that appear official but are not. The safest approach is to begin at the production’s official website and follow links to authorized sellers such as Telecharge, Broadway Direct, SeatGeek or Ticketmaster. The exact same ticket may appear on Google through resellers at double the price before fees. Do not rely on Mondays — on Broadway, that is typically the “dark day,” when most productions do not perform. “Previews” are performances before the official opening night and before critics publish reviews. Tickets are sometimes cheaper, but the production may still change significantly. “Standing Room” tickets, available at some theaters, provide standing spots behind orchestra seating at very low prices. Understanding seating sections also matters: orchestra: the main lower section closest to the stage; mezzanine: the first elevated section, often offering the best overall view; balcony: the upper and cheaper level; “nosebleeds”: extremely high and distant seats; family circle: an especially high upper level in larger theaters A “matinée” is an afternoon performance, usually on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday around 2 p.m. Prices are not always cheaper than evening shows, but the atmosphere is calmer and audiences tend to be older, making it an easy way to fit theater into a busy New York itinerary. message syb200wqjgx Doron Avidan, 35, a wedding DJ and entrepreneur, says he is determined to marry this year and start a family; he seeks a partner who values communication and honesty, and dreams of children and a family life Sivan Kanety Avitan https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/B1zgKLuJzx/B1zgKLuJzx_0_0_1349_760_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/syb200wqjgx Thu, 21 May 2026 09:10:16 +03:00 “I’m very sensitive and a hopeless romantic,” says Doron Avidan, 35, from Ramat Gan. “I’ll pick you up from home, I don’t mind distance, I’ll get out of the car and open the door for you, spoil you with gifts, kind words and romantic gestures. I’m also old school, less into texting and more into phone calls because deep conversations are the sexiest thing in the world. “I used to believe a lot in looks, but today I believe you can fall in love through good communication. I like talking on the phone and some women are put off or surprised by that because they don’t even save the number. For me it’s a kind of filter because the conversation, especially the energy, says everything,” he says. Avidan is a wedding DJ and chair of the nonprofit “Our Generation” (Hador Shelanu), which brings joy to children, supports soldiers and helps families in need. He describes himself as a social entrepreneur and people person. In his free time he works out, reads, focuses on personal development, spends time with family and watches sunsets at the sea. He wraps tefillin daily and on Fridays goes to synagogue with his father. He feels he has achieved everything he dreamed of except love, which he longs for. “The dream is to stand under the chuppah this year, God willing, with the love of my life,” he says. “I have a dream that my mother, who is a midwife, will deliver my child, her first grandchild. I’m someone who is built for relationships and I don’t believe in games, so maybe I come across as wanting too much, and that’s fine. “I’m very goal-oriented. I won’t date someone who is too young or not ready for marriage because I’ve already met women who said they are not looking for something serious, and I walked away. I’ve learned to ease the pressure and be more relaxed, and I believe things will work out. If I went out with someone and it didn’t work, at least I gained a friend. “I believe you need to be present in the situation, be patient and get to know your partner before deciding to move forward, because sometimes the dates you expect nothing from go the best places. I see people celebrating love all the time at work, so I know it’s possible.” Is it mentally difficult working at weddings while being single and wanting to marry? “I have a mission, which is to make people happy on their wedding day, so it’s not difficult, but it definitely increases the longing. I look at venues and think, ‘I could get married here,’ or I suddenly find myself debating between a Thursday night wedding and a Friday afternoon one. I have close friends who are married with children and I see the happiness in their eyes. There is nothing I want more than children, but first I want to meet my soulmate, get married and enjoy life with her. “I chose to be a DJ only at weddings and not in clubs because I want a structured life that fits family living, and my profession may change in the future. Still, some women don’t want to date me because I’m a DJ and work at night. What, don’t pilots and doctors work nights too?” Does that anger or hurt you? “No, because I don’t have an ego and I don’t take it personally. I’ve learned to see my work as something great, and if it doesn’t suit someone, that’s completely fine. I run my own business and decide my events, dates and hours. A DJ can take his kids to kindergarten in the morning, pick them up later, have lunch with them, keep the house in order and be with his partner every day until the evening. “I’m a morning person and even after events I wake up at nine every day because I want to use every moment of life. I’m also looking for someone like me, with joy and passion for life, someone light, cool and with good energy. “A smile is the most beautiful thing in the world and the first thing I look at. I want her to do what makes her happy, and I’d love her to have ambitions. I will support her. I don’t really have a checklist, but it’s important to me that she is traditional, preferably likes sports and does not smoke.” Do you meet women at weddings? “Let’s break a myth: a DJ does not meet single women at weddings. He is there to work, is on the booth and does not drink alcohol. It’s not a party where he goes around talking to girls. I met my ex on dating apps, but I prefer a personal approach: to come up, compliment and simply say, ‘I saw you from the side and you interest me, I’d love to grab coffee.’ If she’s interested, we set something up.” “I’m not here to play games. I came to really get to know someone, and if she plays games, I won’t chase her like I used to, because I know what she’s missing. A man should pursue, but there must also be mutual desire. In this interview, it’s better if she initiates contact, I’ll take it from there.” What is your flaw? “I open my heart quickly.” What is love to you? “A deep emotional connection with friendship and good communication.” Do you believe in love at first sight? “Yes. When there is a real spark in a glance you feel it in your stomach and the sky is the limit. But I also believe in love that grows slowly.” When did your heart break last? “Eight years ago, after a long relationship, we each went our separate ways.” What did you learn about yourself in relationships? “That I love giving and investing fully from the heart.” Most important ingredient in a relationship? “Listening and mutual respect.” What offends you? “Disrespect.” In your fantasy, what does your ideal partner look like? “She is smiling, full of joy for life, ambitious, sensitive and romantic. We wake up, brush our teeth in front of the mirror, drink coffee together and go to work. In the evening, we cook at home or eat out and walk along the promenade with a glass of wine.” Deal breakers? “Dishonesty and lack of communication.” Would you date a smoker? “Preferably not.” Age range? “26 to 35.” Divorced or with children? “Less suitable right now, I want to have children together.” Worst date? “I picked her up and from the moment she got in the car she didn’t put the phone down. I felt like I was on a date with a screen.” Perfect date? “I pick her up, a first hug with a bit of awkwardness at the start. Good music in the car, laughs, flowing conversation where we lose track of time. A nice restaurant, drinks or shots, dessert at the end, and the feeling we don’t want the night to end.” Should a man pay on a first date? “Yes, absolutely.” Favorite place? “The sea. There is no substitute for a sunset by the ocean. It’s nature’s greatest gift.” What makes you laugh? “Life itself.” When did you cry last? “At my sister’s wedding. I was very moved.” How close are you to your family? “Very close, almost like friends. I make sure to meet them often.” What were you in a past life? “A record. It takes two minutes to understand me, but once you connect you don’t want to skip the track.” Last series you binged? “Formula 1.” Music you listen to? “Aviad Banai, Israeli music and classical music.” Something no one knows about you? “I like silence in the middle of chaos.” How would friends describe you? “A man with joy for life, a big heart and humor.” Friday night? “Family Shabbat dinner.” Where can someone approach you? “In person, also on Instagram or by phone.” Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “With a family: a wife, three children, a house with a pool in a moshav, and a dog running wildly on the grass.” message rjhvoeo1gl A new Hebrew translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh highlights striking parallels with the Bible, from the flood story to wisdom sayings in Ecclesiastes; scholars say the similarities reflect shared myths and cultural traditions across the ancient Near East Itzchak Tessler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/03/B111AEa40be/B111AEa40be_0_0_961_541_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rjhvoeo1gl Thu, 21 May 2026 03:05:15 +03:00 Many parallels can be drawn between the Epic of Gilgamesh, the ancient Mesopotamian epic, and stories from the Bible. A closer look reveals that the similarities between the two — including the flood narrative — are not only thematic, but also appear in proverbs and sayings of wisdom. A new Hebrew translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh was recently published by Carmelit Publishing House by Yoram (Yuri) Cohen, professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University, and Nathan Wasserman, professor in the Institute of Archaeology and the Ancient Near East at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The new translation offers an opportunity to examine the parallels between the Mesopotamian work and the Bible. Prof. Cohen notes that several sayings from Ecclesiastes also appear in similar form in the Epic of Gilgamesh. In Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes it is written: “Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life ... Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” In the Epic of Gilgamesh it is written: “Let your clothes be clean, your head washed, your body bathed with water. Look upon the child who holds your hand, and delight in your wife’s embrace. This is the fate of humanity.” “That shows that in the ancient Near East there was shared wisdom and shared mythology,” says Prof. Cohen. According to him, the Bible cannot be understood in isolation and drew extensively from Mesopotamian culture. He cites another section from the Epic of Gilgamesh containing wisdom sayings: “One alone is only one, but two are two. Even if weak, the two together... how could one alone prosper? Two are enduring... and a triple cord, can it be broken?” Cohen notes that the passage clearly echoes Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if either of them falls, one can help the other up... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” From the flood to the serpent More than 4,500 years have passed since the death of Gilgamesh, who was king of the Sumerian city of Uruk. Unlike the Bible, which was copied and translated repeatedly through the generations, the stories of Gilgamesh — written in cuneiform script and the Akkadian language — were almost unknown to the world. They disappeared together with Babylonian civilization in the early centuries BCE, much like ancient Egyptian culture. Everything began to change in 1866, when a young English genius named George Smith read on an Assyrian monument the name of Jehu, king of Israel, who paid tribute to Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria. Smith became an authority on cuneiform and in 1872 discovered on a clay tablet from ancient Nineveh a story about a flood that nearly destroyed the world, and about a man who built a watertight ark carrying animals aboard it until birds he released showed him the flood had ended and dry land had reappeared. The text, however, was not from the Bible. It later turned out to be Tablet XI from a much larger epic cycle, parts of which were dated to the era when, according to Jewish tradition, biblical figures such as Adam, Noah and Abraham lived. According to the Bible, Abraham was born in the Sumerian city of Ur, only dozens of kilometers from Uruk, the city ruled by Gilgamesh. For those unfamiliar with the story: Gilgamesh is part man and part god, ruling his city’s inhabitants with an iron fist. The people pray to the gods for salvation, and the gods create Enkidu, who first fights Gilgamesh and later becomes his closest companion. The two journey to the Cedar Forest in Lebanon to battle the monster Humbaba and bring cedar wood back to Babylon. After further adventures, Enkidu dies. A grieving Gilgamesh sets out on a quest for eternal life, during which he meets Utnapishtim — the Mesopotamian counterpart of Noah — who tells him the story of the flood. The similarities between the Epic of Gilgamesh and biblical stories are difficult to ignore. In both, humanity is created from the earth by a higher power. Enkidu lives naked among wild animals, similar to Adam in Genesis. The story of Gilgamesh and the serpent that steals from him the plant of youth also recalls, to some extent, the biblical story of the serpent, Adam and Eve and the fruit of knowledge. “Ever since Tablet XI of the epic was deciphered in 1872 by George Smith, the epic has been linked to the Bible,” explains Prof. Cohen. “Tablet XI recounts the flood story. The Babylonian flood myth resembles the Genesis story so closely that the connection between the two sources is beyond doubt. The hero who survives the flood, the description of the vessel, the preparations for the voyage, the duration of the flood, the birds sent out to search for land, the vessel coming to rest on a mountain and the offering afterward — all are central narrative elements in both the Babylonian and biblical flood stories. But the Babylonian story is much older than the Genesis account. The flood myth already existed in Babylon as an independent work in the 19th century BCE.” According to Jewish tradition, the flood occurred in the 21st century BCE, while the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah and its writing took place about 800 years later. So when was the Epic of Gilgamesh written? Prof. Wasserman says: “Around the 18th century BCE, ancient stories about Gilgamesh began to be written down and woven together into a single work, but it took much longer before the text received a stable and fixed version. That happened around 1,000 BCE. A brilliant scribe named Sin-leqi-unninni revised the work and established its final form in 12 tablets. That is the epic that was copied and placed in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. When the British discovered the ancient capital, the entire contents of the library were sent to the British Museum, where George Smith rediscovered the epic.” Making the text accessible to Hebrew readers The Warsaw-based Stybel Publishing House released the first Hebrew translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh in 1924 by poet Saul Tchernichovsky, which can still be read through the Ben-Yehuda Project. There was just one problem: Tchernichovsky did not know Akkadian and translated the work from a German version, using elevated language heavily influenced by the Bible. In the 1990s, Jacob Klein, professor of Assyriology and Bible at Bar-Ilan University, joined poet Shifra Shifman Shmuelevitz, known by her pen name “Sh. Shifra,” to produce a new translation of the epic, published alongside other Akkadian works in the volume In Those Distant Days. Asked why another updated translation was needed, Prof. Cohen replies: “Over the past 50 years, excavations throughout Iraq uncovered many new texts, some of them essential for understanding the work. In addition, we wanted to change the linguistic register and make the translation more accessible, bringing this ancient work to readers in everyday Hebrew.” Prof. Wasserman adds: “The epic was written as a literary work from the start, but we decided to avoid trying to imitate an ancient or biblical style of Hebrew. We wanted contemporary Hebrew — beautiful Hebrew — though I assume that in another 30 years new scholars will translate it again.” When they began working on the project five years ago, artificial intelligence was not yet available to help with translation. “The Bible contains around 9,000 Hebrew words, while Akkadian has around 22,000,” says Prof. Wasserman. “But Hebrew continued to live on, while Akkadian became an extinct language and only began to be studied and translated about 150 years ago. The difficulty lies in unique words. Even if you ask AI to translate Shakespearean English from the 16th century, it may succeed 80% of the time. But if we want to translate the Epic of Gilgamesh at a level of 99.3%, we need to do it ourselves.” “We had to edit the ancient Akkadian text,” adds Prof. Cohen, “to reconstruct and translate it at the same time. This is nothing like translating a modern text. It was the national epic of Mesopotamia and survives in many copies. It was an important work taught in schools for scribes and officials across the ancient Near East. Proof of that is that fragments of the Epic of Gilgamesh were found both at Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley and at Ugarit in Syria.” message s19ztqo1fx The 82-year-old music legend tries to keep a low profile outside a Los Angeles supermarket, but even a mask, black outfit and shopping cart couldn’t dim her star power Pplus https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/rkAQJVo1Mg/rkAQJVo1Mg_0_0_680_383_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/s19ztqo1fx Wed, 20 May 2026 17:52:34 +03:00 While most of us are used to seeing Diana Ross on massive stages, sparkling in sequins and Hollywood glamour, this time the music legend swapped the spotlight for a simple shopping cart. The iconic 82-year-old singer and actress was spotted running routine errands outside a Bristol Farms supermarket in Los Angeles, while trying to keep an especially low profile. Ross hid her face behind a mask and dressed almost entirely in black. But when you are one of the most recognizable figures in music, the paparazzi will always spot you. According to footage from the scene, Diana appeared completely focused on the task at hand: loading shopping bags, pushing the cart to her car and getting on with her day without too much attention. Still, somehow even a quick supermarket run looks much more glamorous when Diana Ross is the one doing it. And judging by the modest number of bags, it seems Diana Ross also knows a thing or two about 2026 grocery prices. Apparently there really “ain’t no mountain high enough” — except perhaps the checkout bill. message bjpicgq1ge Dr. Susan Michael has been elected chair of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem Board of Trustees, succeeding Germany’s Rev. Ingolf Ellssel The Media Line https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/BkEheQ5kMe/BkEheQ5kMe_1_201_855_482_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/bjpicgq1ge Wed, 20 May 2026 00:53:30 +03:00 The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) announced the election of Dr. Susan Michael as chairwoman of its International Board of Trustees, placing a longtime Evangelical pro-Israel advocate at the head of one of the world’s largest Christian organizations supporting Israel. The Jerusalem-based organization said Michael succeeds Rev. Ingolf Ellssel of Germany, who served as chairman for the past 15 years. ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler said Michael brings decades of experience with the organization, where she has been active since its founding 46 years ago. “We are so pleased that Dr. Susan Michael was just chosen as the new Chairperson of our International Board of Trustees,” Bühler said. “She has achieved so many accomplishments over her years as ICEJ USA National Director, rising in stature and influence as a key pro-Israel Christian leader in America and beyond.” Bühler added that Michael’s involvement with the ministry dates back to “our inception in 1980.” Michael currently serves as president of the Christian Embassy’s USA Branch. The organization said she has become a prominent Evangelical voice supporting Israel and combating antisemitism in the United States and internationally. The leadership announcement comes as ICEJ USA expands its advocacy and outreach efforts. In a video address to the ICEJ International Leadership Conference in Prague last week, Michael said the American branch has spent recent years restructuring and broadening its national engagement. She highlighted the development of American Christian Leaders for Israel, or ACLI, which unites pastors, ministry leaders, and pro-Israel organizations across the United States into what she described as a “network of networks.” Last year, the National Religious Broadcasters recognized ACLI as its primary advocacy partner on Israel-related issues. Earlier this year, Michael was elected to the NRB Board of Directors. Michael also helped organize the third Israel Advocacy Day in Washington last week alongside the Israel Allies Foundation and Eagles’ Wings ministry. According to the organization, the event brought more than 500 rabbis, pastors, and Jewish and Christian leaders to Washington in support of Israel. “At a time of rising antisemitism and growing challenges facing Israel, the role of building strong relationships between Christians and Jews has never been more important,” Michael said. The story is reprinted with permission from The Media Line. message b1szzm5ygl Bra-as-top trend returns on Milan and Paris runways, from Versace to Prada and Jil Sander, as fashion reclaims lingerie amid rising conservatism Itay Yaacov https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/HkDmmwddkzg/HkDmmwddkzg_0_128_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/b1szzm5ygl Tue, 19 May 2026 20:30:15 +03:00 One of this summer’s most popular fashion trends is one that returns every few seasons, filtered to the wider public through social media influencers, fashion campaigns and celebrities who treat a decorated bra as a legitimate outerwear item. Against a backdrop of growing conservatism and modesty trends in Israel and worldwide, fashion houses are once again putting one of the most charged, intimate and provocative items in women’s wardrobes back in the spotlight: the bra. In recent fashion weeks in Milan and Paris, a clear return of bras worn as outerwear was evident. Dario Vitale’s debut collection for Versace featured several strong looks, with models wearing embellished bras styled with colorful striped trousers in a nod to the early 1990s, the brand’s golden era, or paired casually with low-rise skirts and knits tied loosely around the waist. At Prada and Jil Sander, more refined and elegant versions of the trend appeared. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons presented a colorful bra collection with a sophisticated edge, worn under outer layers or as standalone pieces. In some designs, inverted cups stripped the bra of its functionality in favor of an aesthetic statement about femininity and form, arguably among the strongest pieces in the collection. At Jil Sander, new creative director Simone Bellotti highlighted sequined bras in rounded necklines with a direct and unapologetic approach. Also on the runway, Hermès showed leather harnesses worn like sculptural bras; McQueen placed bras under military-inspired Napoleon jackets; Balmain opted for khaki bras in an urban nomadic aesthetic; Fendi concealed bras under sheer tulle shirts; and Sarah Burton at Givenchy designed sculptural leather bras paired with sensual leather skirts. Perhaps bourgeois clients of the house will embrace this public display of sex appeal. Who knows. As noted, the bra as visible fashion is not a new idea. In the 1940s and 1950s, the bullet bra became a symbol of the Hollywood feminine ideal, worn by stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. In the 1980s and 1990s, it took on a more subversive and sexual meaning thanks to Jean Paul Gaultier’s cone bra created for Madonna’s iconic “Blond Ambition” tour. The current comeback arrives in a particularly charged social and political moment marked by increasing restrictions on women’s bodies and freedoms worldwide, from abortion bans to renewed religious regulations. Yes, also in Israel. Instead of burning bras, fashion now suggests making them a deliberate, visible and provocative presence in public space, a kind of visual statement of resistance. For those not interested in going out in just a bra, it can be styled as a solid fabric version peeking out under a blazer paired with high-waisted tailored trousers. Another option is a corset-like top with thin straps, a hybrid between a bra and an elegant tank top. For a more casual look, a sports bra can be worn under a semi-sheer shirt or a slightly unbuttoned blouse. If anyone comments, you can always say you just came from the beach. message hjtnrqpjfe Bulgaria’s DARA won Eurovision 2026 and the fashion contest, while Noam Bettan kept it elegant, Australia went full Disney princess and Denmark brought sex appeal Itay Yaacov https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/17/rJuY001wJzg/rJuY001wJzg_40_77_2120_1193_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjtnrqpjfe Sun, 17 May 2026 17:43:40 +03:00 Armed with hair resembling porcupine quills, a pink turtleneck top with furry sleeves and tiny hot pants, Bulgaria’s DARA took first place Saturday night at Eurovision 2026 — “Bangaranga”-style. Her Y2K fashion style was one of the evening’s most refreshing, and she looked as though she had been pulled from a dance-pop video from the early 2000s. DARA stood out against all the familiar Eurovision clichés: tight clothing, excessive costumes and quite a few designs in a futuristic language combining flowing fabrics and stage pyrotechnics. Eurovision marked 70 years Saturday night since the musical event was created to unite Europe after World War II. The celebrations were not reflected throughout the final, except for a performance held after the songs were presented, featuring past Eurovision stars performing familiar hits. Among the moments of nostalgia and camp, Lordi, Ruslana, Alexander Rybak and the character Verka Serduchka — the stage name of Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko, Ukraine’s 2007 Eurovision representative — took the stage. While protests against Israel were held outside the arena in Vienna and boos could be heard from the audience inside, the Eurovision 2026 scoreboard delivered a surprise: Israeli representative Noam Bettan ended the night in second place with 343 points. Bettan delivered a confident, powerful performance, wearing a black leather suit and a sensual satin shirt designed by Or Yair Bitton for the Highlight Studio brand. Styling was by Tomer Almoznino, who was also responsible for the dancers’ costume styling; their outfits were designed by Shir Amar. Bettan joined countries such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, which made do with clothing that did not include too many design or costume elements. His performance projected a contemporary masculine style to the audience, something that could not be said for many of the outfits worn by other delegations that did not reach the top. We gathered the standout style moments from the Eurovision final in the photos of the article. message r1e0lzv1mg She may be called an actress or a model, but Megan Fox made much of her fame on 'sexiest women' lists and barely-there looks; despite the bad taste, her commitment to pushing boundaries is hard to ignore Erez Amiran https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/14/B1cJN1WXkzl/B1cJN1WXkzl_964_473_1513_852_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/r1e0lzv1mg Sun, 17 May 2026 15:39:51 +03:00 Megan Fox — something of an actress and something of a model, best known as a fixture on every “sexiest women in the world” list — celebrated her 40th birthday. The past year has not been easy for her. It included a breakup with ex Machine Gun Kelly while she was in the late stages of pregnancy, a process that took her under the social media radar and led her to delete all the photos from her Instagram account. But a star like Fox was never going to let life keep her down. In March, she broke her social media fast and returned to Instagram with a series of daring photos, exactly the way she likes it and knows how to do it: a tight black knit, platform sandals, a tiny thong and a caption announcing, “I’m alive and well.” In addition to the new photos, she also has a baby daughter — her fourth child, after three sons — a new film called “Subservience,” soul-searching interviews about feeling like a victim of fame, a poetry book titled “Pretty Boys Are Poisonous” and, as noted, a milestone birthday for a woman who, at 40, manages to look exactly as she did at 20. There is no doubt: She has had work done, she has been enhanced, and she is not at all ashamed of it. Her journey to fame As someone whose main cinematic fame comes from her appearance in the “Transformers” film series, Fox never staked her career on grand acting abilities. She has other assets to build on, and she does so perfectly. She was married to Brian Austin Green — forever David from “Beverly Hills, 90210” — and later had a relationship with musician Machine Gun Kelly, with whom she got engaged in a ceremony involving mutual blood-drinking, canceled the wedding plans, returned to his arms, became pregnant, found signs that he was cheating on her, split from him again, gave birth to their daughter and ultimately blocked him from her life in every sense other than co-parenting — and, no less importantly, removed him from the list of people she follows on Instagram. Beyond that, she identifies as bisexual, was crowned the “Pamela Anderson of the 21st century” and has won the Golden Raspberry Award for worst actress three times — two of them for two different films in the same year. And despite all that, Fox manages to use her dubious image as a source of power. She is both spectacularly trashy and a fashion icon. How does she dress? With endless variations on the concept of “partial nudity.” In fact, Fox is so committed to the provocative look that one might think her contract with the world includes a clause stating that she may wear whatever she wants, as long as the outfit leaves 90% of her skin exposed. She wraps herself in as little fabric as possible and always manages to look as though the slightest breeze would leave her completely naked. It never actually happens, but the potential is there. And that “almost” is what makes her, on the one hand, one of the women considered among the sexiest in the world and, on the other, a model of fashion admiration. Fox manages to remain relevant and talked-about because she knows how to embody the guilty pleasure in a world that supposedly values refined elegance but secretly wants a peek into forbidden realms. She took all of those explosive ingredients and brewed from them a stylish persona precisely because she does not care about being controversial, and because she knows how to maximize the wow effect that comes with her fashion choices. Her Instagram account features exactly seven photos, all posted after “the great deletion.” In them, she is dressed in a little black and a lot of body, collecting likes as though they are about to go out of style. In earlier photos from red carpets, she wears not much more, though hints of dresses, suits and even coats can be found there — because Fox specializes in the art of the naked look even when she is dressed from head to toe. Among her unforgettable looks is a dress — sheer, of course — by Jean Paul Gaultier, with thin red and orange stripes, accessorized with a pair of nipple covers that ignited a lively online debate over whether they were hers or not. Last October, at a festive screening of one of her early films that has since become a cult favorite, “Jennifer’s Body” — currently making a guest appearance on Netflix — Fox chose a nude-colored corset dress by Karine Gasparian that looked as though it was “bleeding,” thanks to thousands of red beads and a matching red beaded choker. At a GQ magazine event in Los Angeles in 2023, she appeared in a black lace dress with surprising cutouts and a pregnant belly. In another dress, black and sheer with a huge round neckline, she was seen a few months earlier at an event launching the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — the magazine in which she appeared at the time in an item somewhere between a swimsuit and a beach cover-up, made of coins and chains. She accompanied all that exposed goodness with an interview in which she actually told readers she was insecure, not truly satisfied with her body and still learning to love herself a little more each day. What lies ahead Fox is a beautiful, sexy woman, and there is no question she knows how to “wear nudity” in a way few others can. Still, beyond those important qualities, there is a sense that she may have exhausted the new things she has to offer the world, both in media terms and cinematically. On her 50th birthday, will we still remember who Megan Fox is? Applause or a hail of tomatoes? Applause, accompanied by whistles of encouragement and cheers. We know how to appreciate people who go to their own edge and then a little beyond it. Bad taste, zero class? Probably. But daring has its advantages, too. message skz11nliygl Spanish broadcaster RTVE aired an anti-Israel protest message during Eurovision, saying 'human rights are not a competition' and calling for 'peace and justice for Palestine'; Spain is not competing, so EBU sanctions are unlikely Ran Boker, Vienna https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/16/Skttar81fg/Skttar81fg_18_0_1249_703_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/skz11nliygl Sat, 16 May 2026 23:40:02 +03:00 Spanish broadcaster RTVE aired a protest message against Israel during Eurovision. "Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest final taking place tonight, RTVE reminds that it has decided not to participate in this edition of the competition," the broadcaster wrote on its X account. "The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition, but human rights are not. There is no room for indifference. Peace and Justice for Palestine." The message appeared in white text on a black background on the Spanish channel’s screen. The broadcaster decided not to participate in this year’s contest in protest of Israel’s participation. When a participating country makes a similar move, Israel can file an official complaint with the European Broadcasting Union. But because Spain is not competing this year, the EBU is not expected to impose sanctions. message s11zj1ijfe Britons may complain about taxpayer money funding the monarchy, but Prince William’s reported £7 million annual tax bill could ease some criticism; so just how rich are King Charles and the future king, and what do the royals spend their millions on? Inbal Hananel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/HJEbA8xJGx/HJEbA8xJGx_0_114_2171_1223_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/s11zj1ijfe Sat, 16 May 2026 15:28:49 +03:00 “The next king of England, Prince William, pays about £7 million in taxes a year,” the Daily Mail reported earlier this week. The specific figure raised eyebrows across Britain and prompted us to take a closer look: Are Britons outraged for no reason, with the royals actually paying taxes like ordinary citizens? And while we’re on the subject of money, we also examined the bank accounts of Britain’s blue bloods, and what they spend their fortunes on. The British royal family is known mainly for its desperate attempts to keep dirty laundry inside palace walls. And not just dirty laundry, the royals have long tried to conceal medical conditions, distance relatives who could damage the family image (such as Queen Elizabeth II’s cousins, who were diagnosed with autism), and, above all, prevent their many scandals from becoming public. None of those efforts, of course, has been particularly successful. Another issue the royals can no longer keep secret is their finances and the state of each family member’s bank account. The heir tops the list: Prince William is estimated to be worth £1.5 billion Prince William’s personal fortune is estimated at £1.5 billion — nearly 7 billion shekels — according to The Times magazine. The heir to the throne saw his wealth surge after inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall from his father, boosting his personal income by an estimated £24 million a year. It should be noted that William is not required to publicly disclose income generated by the Duchy of Cornwall, nor is he obligated to pay taxes on it. Fun fact: In 2023, Prince William met with children in the Manchester town of Moss Side. One child boldly asked the future king directly: “How much money do you have in your bank account?” A visibly embarrassed William chuckled and replied: “I genuinely don’t know.” So what exactly is this little-discussed duchy? The Duchy of Cornwall was created in 1337 for Prince Edward and was the first duchy established in England. The title is always held by the heir apparent to the British throne. If the heir dies before ascending to the throne, the duchy does not automatically pass to his eldest son but instead reverts to the monarch. Traditionally, the Duke of Cornwall is entitled to receive assets and income tied to the duchy’s lands and estates. As mentioned, the Duchy of Cornwall is exempt from taxation, but in 2003, then-Prince Charles voluntarily chose to pay taxes on its income after the duchy boosted his personal fortune by nearly £10 million that year. £900 million without a salary: King Charles III As head of the British royal family, many might expect King Charles III to top the list, but that is not the case. Charles is indeed one of the wealthiest people in Britain, just not the wealthiest royal. According to The Times, Charles’ personal fortune is estimated at £900 million. Unlike prime ministers and other public officials, the king does not receive a salary, raising the obvious question: Where does the money come from? Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles inherited the Duchy of Lancaster, valued at an estimated £647 million. He also inherited a large portion of the late queen’s personal fortune, which The Sunday Times estimated at £370 million, along with a vast stamp collection, stock portfolios, artwork and jewelry. In addition, Charles receives annual income from his estates, which generated £27 million between 2023 and 2024. The king also receives the largest share of funding connected to the Crown Estate, a vast collection of assets that includes retail and hospitality businesses, luxury properties in London and more than 191,000 acres of land and estates. Profits from the Crown Estate are managed by the British Treasury, with a percentage transferred to the royal family through a lump-sum payment known as the Sovereign Grant. As of 2025, the royal family receives 12% of those profits, according to the BBC. In 2025, King Charles reportedly received more than £130 million through the Sovereign Grant, an increase of roughly £45 million. The jump was attributed largely to profits from Crown Estate wind farm deals. And there are expenses too: The grant helps cover the royal family’s official costs, including palace maintenance, staff salaries and funding for official travel and events. The rest of the royal family trails far behind on the rich list. Princess Anne, King Charles’ sister, is estimated to be worth £50 million. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — who famously stepped back from royal duties in pursuit of financial independence — are estimated at £44 million. Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, are believed to have a fortune of about £10 million, while Catherine, Princess of Wales, has a comparatively modest estimated net worth of £7.3 million. 53% of the public believes the royal family offers value for money For years, the British public has remained divided over the monarchy and whether it still has a place in the 21st century. A poll published in April by YouGov found that 59% of Britons believe the monarchy is good for Britain, while 53% said they think the royal family provides good value for money. Still, 33% argued the monarchy delivers poor returns relative to the public investment. There is also a significant generational divide. While roughly 70% of Britons over age 65 believe the royal family offers reasonable value, only 34% of young adults ages 18 to 24 agree. Overall, support for the monarchy remains relatively stable, with 45% preferring a monarchy over an elected head of state. More than 70% of respondents expressed favorable views of William and Kate as future king and queen. Returning to the Daily Mail’s revelation that William pays £7 million in taxes annually, questions naturally arise about how the heir to the throne balances the books amid ski vacations, elite school tuition, soccer matches and the upkeep of seven residences. A royal expert explained that most of William’s income comes from the Duchy of Cornwall, which generates around £24 million annually. That money funds the prince’s charitable and private activities, including royal residences, while some expenses — such as Catherine’s wardrobe — can reportedly be deducted for tax purposes. What William and Kate spend their money on Beyond the obligations that come with royal titles, the Prince and Princess of Wales enjoy a lavish lifestyle that includes luxury vacations and fine dining. Earlier this year, the couple took a quiet getaway to the upscale French ski resort of Courchevel. They were spotted dining at an exclusive mountaintop restaurant where even the simplest toast costs £74. Courchevel is known for its Michelin-starred restaurants, designer boutiques and celebrity guests such as George and Amal Clooney and the Beckham family. Last August, William and Kate vacationed with their children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, on the Greek island of Kefalonia, where they spent time aboard the £20 million yacht Lady Beatrice. Another luxury trip came in 2019, when the royal couple spent two weeks on the Caribbean island of Mustique, staying in a villa that reportedly cost £27,000 a week. The property featured an infinity pool and sweeping ocean views. And then there’s air travel: In 2012, it was reported that William and Kate spent more than £60,000 on flights from Los Angeles to London. Not all expenses are pure luxury, depending on how you look at it. William and Kate pay tuition for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who attend the elite Lambrook School in Berkshire, at a cost of £10,669 per term. Tuition for Prince Louis reportedly costs £9,804. George’s school fees are expected to rise sharply in the coming months when he begins attending Eton College, where tuition is about £21,000. Prince William is also known for his impressive motorcycle collection, which has made headlines more than once. On one occasion, he was seen riding through London on a Ducati Hypermotard worth around £14,000 and capable of reaching speeds of 200 kph. William also owns another Ducati motorcycle worth £20,000, which he was last seen riding the night before his 2011 wedding. And not everything has to be extravagant: Like many ordinary people, William also owns a modest Mii2 YOO2 scooter worth £4,442, which he reportedly uses around Windsor Castle. Like many men, William is also passionate about soccer. He is an avid Aston Villa supporter and reportedly holds a VIP season ticket worth around £5,000. If the future king cannot attend a match in person, he is known to watch games in pubs — and to buy drinks for his friends. Then there is his love of polo. While it is unclear whether William owns a horse himself, reports in 2021 said the Prince and Princess of Wales bought their children a pony. A trained pony suitable for children typically costs around £5,000. As befits a prince, William is also known for collecting luxury watches. He has been photographed wearing an Omega Seamaster Professional valued at £5,600, which, according to reports, was a gift from his late mother, Princess Diana. William continued the tradition by giving Catherine a Cartier Ballon Bleu watch worth £5,900 as an anniversary present. One of the most famous and emotional gestures, of course, was when William proposed to Kate using Princess Diana’s iconic 12-carat sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring, now estimated to be worth about £399,000. Reports say William later added platinum beads to the ring, and it was resized by jeweler G. Collins and Sons in 2011. Over the years, William has also given Kate a range of luxury jewelry, from sentimental family heirlooms to earrings reportedly worth about £100,000. Among the standout gifts are a garnet-and-pearl promise ring and a set of eternity bands estimated to be worth about half a million pounds. And while the rest of us debate whether to buy another cheap shirt because “we deserve it,” the royals continue moving millions between palaces, inheritances, jewelry, land holdings and vast sums tied, in part, to British taxpayers. And yes, it turns out that even if you are destined to become king of England, you still have to pay taxes, just with a few more estates and Cartier watches along the way. message bjawzmsjzx Israel Ben-Zioni, a Tel Aviv resident in the late 1950s, secretly burglarized elite friends’ homes, stealing cash and jewels; He was caught in 1958 with tools and gloves, later confessing to 154 break-ins and sentenced to 10 years prison Oded Kramer, Itzik Sasho https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/rk5Q00ugyzl/rk5Q00ugyzl_0_0_2729_1537_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/bjawzmsjzx Sat, 16 May 2026 00:57:35 +03:00 In the late 1950s, as Israel was taking its first steps out of the austerity period, a wealthy and ostentatious class began to emerge in Tel Aviv, informally known as “the glittering circle.” One of its well-known members was Israel Ben-Zioni, an artist, writer, cartographer and social figure who lived an openly luxurious lifestyle. But behind the bourgeois facade lay a dark secret: Ben-Zioni was revealed to be a serial burglar who robbed his wealthy friends to fund his lifestyle in a case that shook the country. The night of May 13, 1958, was especially hot in Tel Aviv. At the time, the city was suffering from a wave of burglaries that embarrassed police, who were on high alert. The drama began when a concerned resident called police and reported suspicious noises coming from beneath his home on Keren Kayemet Boulevard, now Ben-Gurion Boulevard. Police units were quickly dispatched. In the darkness, officers spotted a 42-year-old man in a courtyard. He did not look like a typical criminal; on the contrary, he was dressed very elegantly. When he noticed the officers, he quickly threw an object over a fence, but suspicion had already been raised. Despite the heat, he was wearing gloves. A quick search found a flashlight in his pocket, and the thrown object was soon identified as a screwdriver. Faced with the evidence, the mysterious man broke down on the spot and admitted he had planned to break into the apartment of a doctor on the first floor. But the climax was still ahead: when officers asked him to enter the police vehicle for further questioning, he politely refused, noting there was no need since he had arrived in his own car — a luxury light-blue Willys Aero. In a desperate attempt to avoid arrest, he even offered officers a bribe of 1,000 lira. The attempt failed, and he was driven to the station in his luxury car, with a police officer seated beside him. Thus, the legend of the “shining burglar” was born. Later investigations revealed the scale of the phenomenon. The burglar was none other than Israel Ben-Zioni, who lived with his wife in a luxurious apartment on Jabotinsky Street in north Tel Aviv, was a regular at high-society parties and drove a new car. He confessed to no fewer than 154 burglaries across Tel Aviv and central Israel, most of them in the homes of members of the “glittering circle.” In court, Ben-Zioni put on an extraordinary performance. He arrived in strange clothing, interrupted judges and made bizarre claims in an attempt to avoid punishment. He claimed insanity, declared himself a “one-man underground” and even insisted he was a prophet who committed crimes to warn the public. His method was especially cynical: he would use invitations to parties and social gatherings in wealthy homes to conduct advance “scouting visits,” identifying where hosts hid cash and diamonds. When investigators asked why a man with such a fine apartment and an eye-catching car would need to break into homes at all, Ben-Zioni replied that he had no choice, claiming he had built a luxurious house in Tel Aviv and was “forced to get the money.” At the early stages of the case, a gag order was placed on his name, fueling journalists’ imagination and leading to nicknames such as “the burglar painter” and “the gentleman burglar,” until “the shining burglar” became a brand of its own. He was charged with stealing 100,000 lira, a sum equivalent to about 1.5 million shekels today. Despite his theatrical courtroom performance, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. To the frustration of his victims, they never recovered their money. Ben-Zioni had previously registered all his assets under his wife’s name, and at the time the law did not allow authorities to seize a spouse’s property. Behind bars, he used his time to develop his writing talent and published two books. In 1965, after his sentence was reduced by a third, he was released. But it appeared crime still called him: shortly after his release, he was caught again attempting to break into an apartment in Tel Aviv and was sent back to prison for another three years. message sycvplb1fg Noam Bettan took the stage at Eurovision jury rehearsal in Vienna, earning applause amid Palestinian flags, Israeli fans praised Ran Boker, Vienna https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/15/H179FDxSyze/H179FDxSyze_0_246_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sycvplb1fg Fri, 15 May 2026 23:22:24 +03:00 Noam Bettan took the stage at the jury rehearsal in Vienna, which will determine half of the final score, and received loud applause from the audience in the arena. A few Palestinian flags were also waved in protest. Israeli fans present at the venue told ynet that the performance was excellent, and the dancers accompanying him also delivered a strong showing. Bettan, who has maintained consistency and continues to deliver impressive performances, received warm applause from the crowd, though a few Palestinian flags were waved in protest against Israel’s participation. Israeli fans in the audience said Bettan’s performance was excellent. “It was a great performance,” fan Tamir Rahamim told ynet. “There was only applause from the crowd.” Bettan has one more rehearsal scheduled before the grand final, which will take place on Saturday at 10 p.m. Israel time. message ryewijq1ml In an article for the New Statesman, Harry spoke out against rising antisemitism in Britain, warning that 'standing by and doing nothing allows hatred and extremism to flourish' Inbal Hananel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/01/26/H1rDHiNIWl/H1rDHiNIWl_0_48_1024_577_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/ryewijq1ml Thu, 14 May 2026 23:04:56 +03:00 Prince Harry has warned of a “deeply troubling” rise in antisemitism in the United Kingdom, saying it has already led to “lethal violence” against the Jewish community. In an opinion article for the New Statesman, the Duke of Sussex wrote that while protest against the actions of a state can be legitimate, anger must be directed clearly and responsibly. “Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith,” he wrote. His comments come after a series of attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in recent months, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, on April 29. Pro-Palestinian marches in Britain have also faced renewed scrutiny, with the government saying antisemitic activity has occurred during some protests as people seek to sow division. In the article, titled “My fears for a divided kingdom,” Harry wrote: “We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home — just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterized.” “Hatred directed at people for who they are, or what they believe, is not protest. It is prejudice,” he added. Harry said he felt compelled to speak out because silence allows “hate and extremism to flourish unchecked.” The prince referred repeatedly to the actions of a “state,” but did not name Israel. “We cannot ignore a difficult truth: when states act without accountability, and in ways that raise serious questions under international humanitarian law — criticism is both legitimate, necessary and essential in any democracy,” he wrote. But he said those who protest or speak out against such actions must be clear that responsibility “falls squarely on the state — not an entire people.” Harry argued that polarized public debate has deepened confusion and helped fuel division. The duke also referred to lessons from his own “past mistakes,” an apparent reference to the 2005 incident in which he wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party when he was 20. He apologized at the time, calling it “a poor choice of costume.” Calling for unity, Harry concluded by urging people to confront both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred. “When anger is turned towards communities, whether Jewish, Muslim, or any other, it ceases to be a call for justice and becomes something far more corrosive,” he wrote. message sjyfn211jzl The 'Euphoria' star shared an ultra-romantic Instagram Story with Scooter Braun featuring kisses, intimate dancing and a scuba-diving date, and the internet immediately lost it pplus https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/SJf5PG3byGl/SJf5PG3byGl_21_0_1186_667_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sjyfn211jzl Wed, 13 May 2026 12:07:53 +03:00 At the very moment her character on “Euphoria” is going through one of the series’ darkest and most controversial storylines, Sydney Sweeney appears more in love than ever in real life. The 28-year-old actress shared a steamy, affection-filled Instagram Story featuring her and her 44-year-old boyfriend, Scooter Braun, during their vacation in Australia, and the footage was so over-the-top romantic it could make even the algorithm blush. The short clip opens with a sunset stroll on the beach, as Braun showers Sweeney with kisses while she smiles nonstop. The two are later seen cuddling at a lavish villa, kissing in front of the camera and then moving into a couples dance that quickly becomes far more intimate, with Braun dipping Sweeney backward as she bursts into laughter. Naturally, the “madly in love and insanely rich” portion followed: a helicopter ride over the water, a hazy selfie against a tropical blue backdrop and a shared dive through coral reefs after changing into wetsuits. The couple’s vacation comes as Sweeney herself is at the center of a separate storm surrounding the new storyline for her “Euphoria” character, Cassie. Online, many viewers have criticized series creator Sam Levinson over the extreme direction taken with the character, including a storyline involving fetish-oriented content that Cassie allegedly uploads to OnlyFans. At least off-screen, though, Sweeney seems determined to leave the drama behind and enjoy life with Braun, no matter what anyone else thinks. message rj6qzvxyfg A Scandinavian Harry Styles, Greece’s furry elf, Israel’s leather suit, a dark knight, a singer aiming for super-sexy and a lockdown flashback: 11 Eurovision 2026 looks you won’t forget Itay Yaacov https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/11/rJ159MkJGe/rJ159MkJGe_301_499_2407_1355_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rj6qzvxyfg Tue, 12 May 2026 13:16:57 +03:00 As every year, the parade of outfits worn by the national delegations appearing at Eurovision resembles a collection of graduate projects from fashion design departments. A futuristic look? There will always be one, or three, who want to make a statement on the subject. Memories of grandma’s sewing machine? Theatrical outfits? Dark knights and furry elves? At least one or two, usually from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. None of these are absent from Eurovision 2026, which gets underway Tuesday evening in Vienna, Austria’s capital. Photos and videos from rehearsals held over the past week revealed what is happening on the stage at Vienna’s Stadthalle. As part of the effort to capture viewers’ attention in three minutes, the stage has collapsed under the weight of too many gimmicks. The representatives of Italy and France, for example, looked as though they had emerged from two different weddings. France’s Munroe chose a light-colored dress with a silhouette that recalls a combination of futuristic cabaret and a Gothic bride, while Italian singer Sal Da Vinci takes the idea of romance to the extreme, with a stage that turns into a scene from a Neapolitan soap opera filled with tulle, grooms and ballroom dancing. They join the bizarre performance by Armenia’s Simon, wearing a jacket covered in yellow sticky notes, while the British representative Look Mum No Computer — the stage name of Sam Battle — takes the stage in a pink overall surrounded by dancers with computer screens for heads and a set that looks like a cross between an escape room, a synthesizer lab and an episode of “Black Mirror.” It is hard to ignore the feeling that Eurovision costume designers long ago stopped trying to look “fashionable” in the classic sense, and instead are trying to create a moment that will be seared into memory and TikTok. Here are 11 more looks you will not get out of your head this week. Moldova Satoshi and the infectious song “Viva Moldova” will open the first semifinal Tuesday night. On stage, he jumps around in a baseball shirt with the number 373 in an attempt to recreate the successful style featured in the song’s official video, where he wears contemporary street fashion and is surrounded by dancers in traditional-inspired clothing. The tension between the two styles created a colorful and exciting video, which cannot be said of the Moldovan representative’s casual stage look, which gets lost. Israel Noam Bettan’s black leather suit symbolizes sensual and soft masculinity, yet with a slightly rough edge — the kind one might want to rest a head on, or simply brush up against the leather. The suit, designed by Or Yair Bitton, allows Bettan to move comfortably and gives him a contemporary, fashionable look. The dancers are another story. San Marino This is the time to put on sunglasses. Yes, you are not mistaken: It is Boy George, representing San Marino this year together with singer Senhit, in a dazzling matching look for the song “Superstar.” He wears a silver mirrored-ball hat and a harness in the same color scheme over a black knit, while she went for the look of a silver squid in a dress that creates movement on stage. The final result looks like late-’90s clubwear, the kind that could once be scavenged at London’s Camden Market. Austria Host country Austria chose Cosmo with the song “Tanzschein” and a futuristic zoo as accompaniment. The general concept is interesting, but how did the singer end up on stage in a kind of silver, futuristic torso corset that looks like leftovers from Hailey Bieber’s Met Gala look? Lithuania Another greeting from the future comes from Lion Ceccah, who will perform the song “Sólo Quiero Más” wearing a black pantsuit with a sharply shouldered jacket and silver body makeup. Ceccah comes from Lithuania’s drag and performance scene, and uses makeup and fashion to blur the boundaries of gender and identity. According to reports from rehearsals in Vienna, he paints his head and hands silver to look like a creature somewhere between human and machine. Some reporters even compared him to Blue Man Group, only in silver instead of blue. Greece And how can a year go by without a furry elf on stage? In an era in which Eurovision has become an algorithmic machine that produces TikTok moments, Akylas is a precise example of the spirit of the times. In his song “Perto,” he appears on stage in a leopard-print outfit with orange fur leg warmers, an aesthetic that recalls a video game character flickering on the screen behind him. The result is an almost avatar-like figure. Norway Norway’s Jonas Lovv will perform the song “Ya Ya Ya” in the second semifinal, set for Thursday. According to betting sites, he is expected to finish the final somewhere respectably in the middle — 19th out of 35 — but in the fashion arena, as far as we are concerned, he is one of the winners. Armed with a ticklish mustache, Lovv is a kind of Scandinavian Harry Styles. He took the stage in a glittering black overall that exposes his chest, alongside a boy band in red pantsuits. The result is contemporary and fashionable. The question is whether that will be enough to climb high in the standings. Georgia It is doubtful that Georgian singer Bzikebi and the song “On Replay” will make it through the first semifinal. He is expected to finish second to last, according to the betting tables, and rightly so. The irritating song is only a preview of the disconnected Power Rangers costumes worn by Bzikebi and his escorts on stage, in a look that somewhat reminded us of the yellow worn by Lithuania’s representatives to Eurovision 2021 and the costumes of Subwoolfer, the group that represented Norway at Eurovision a year later. Sweden Felicia, with the song “My System,” gave us flashbacks to the COVID lockdowns. The Swedish representative’s neo-Gothic style is not innovative, but it is cohesive. Still, we struggle to understand how she can sing with a lace mask covering half her face. Germany Over the past week, Eurovision fashion columns reported that Germany was under pressure after the suitcase belonging to its representative, Sarah Engels, went missing. In retrospect, it is a shame it did not really disappear somewhere on the baggage carousels at Vienna’s airport. Germany is trying to recreate Cyprus’ success at Eurovision 2018 with Eleni Foureira’s song “Fuego,” which finished second, with the clothing also trying to refer to the same hypersexual style. Engels appears on stage with the song “Fire” wearing a gold bodysuit inspired by burning flames, but there is nothing new or exciting about it. Even the “electrifying” performance in rehearsals did not help her climb high in the betting tables, and she is expected to finish Eurovision near the bottom. Serbia More of this year’s bizarre leftovers: the band Lavina, with the song “Kraj Mene” and a look of dark Gothic knights wearing animalistic fur and futuristic robes. Escaping to fantasy realms in the current reality is not necessarily a bad thing, but we would prefer our fantasy wrapped in a little more escapism. message hjx8fxykgl As Noam Bettan prepares to perform 'Michelle' in Vienna, Israel enters a tough first Eurovision semifinal packed with favorites, live-show surprises and rivals that could reshape the race for the final Omer Tessel, Aya Chajut https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/11/ByJmdy1yGe/ByJmdy1yGe_0_0_850_479_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjx8fxykgl Mon, 11 May 2026 23:04:01 +03:00 On Tuesday night, Noam Bettan will take the Eurovision stage in Vienna, hoping to secure Israel a place in the final. As the delegation makes its last preparations, attention now shifts to the first semifinal and the rivals standing in Israel’s way. Finland: ‘Liekinheitin’ The Nordic country, now exactly two decades after its first and only Eurovision victory, arrives this year as one of the strongest favorites to win. The duet titled “Liekinheitin,” Finnish for “flamethrower,” by violinist Linda Lampenius, also known as Linda Brava, and singer Pete Parkkonen, is a dramatic, fiery song with one violin front and center. The song, which has led the betting tables for weeks, sounds like it was written to win. Placed seventh in the running order, it marks a strong, significant moment in the first semifinal, the one in which Israel is competing, and one expected to be tougher and more tense than the second. Moldova: ‘Viva, Moldova!’ After years in which it became synonymous with some of the contest’s most colorful and unhinged moments, Moldova is back this year with a song competing for the title of the night’s most bizarre number. It is a rhythmic dance-folk track with three lead singers and plenty of energy, somewhere between a self-aware wink and an over-the-top love letter to the homeland, just as the title suggests. At times, it sounds like Eurovision’s version of a new national anthem. With its emphasis on fun, it is no wonder this is the song opening the festive broadcast. It is the closest thing to last year’s “Espresso Macchiato,” only instead of a love song to coffee, we get a love song to a country. Greece: ‘Ferto’ Greece continues its ethnic-modern line this year with singer Akylas and the song “Ferto,” Greek for “bring it.” It is a fast, electronic track mixing contemporary beats with the Greek lyra, a traditional string instrument heard here in its electric version. The result is intense, a little strange and highly addictive. Akylas brings some eccentricity of his own, but what is really worth noting in the Greek song is its resemblance to Anna Zak’s new Israeli song “Yeled Shamenet.” While Zak rejects the gestures of a suitor who opens his wallet instead of his heart, “Seychelles? I don’t want it. Chanel? I don’t want it,” Akylas says the exact opposite: “Real estate, bring it. Tuna sashimi, bring it. Gold watch, designer glasses, I’m telling you, bring it!” Alongside Finland, Greece is also one of the leading contenders near the top of the betting tables. And if the fight for victory does come down to the two of them, we may see a non-English-language song win. Maybe it is time Israel also returned to its roots. Italy: ‘Per sempre sì’ With a nostalgic Italian ballad, singer Sal Da Vinci’s “Per sempre sì,” or “Forever yes,” delivers a simple but effective love story, even if it is more classic romance than Eurovision spectacle. This is the kind of song that may not explode on first listen but slips under the radar and gains strength as the contest progresses, a privilege reserved for countries that qualify automatically for the final, though Italy will present its song in the first semifinal. With familiar Italian charm and a precise performance, Italy once again fields a solid contender that could surprise, not necessarily by winning, but certainly by finishing high on the scoreboard. Eurovision 2026 opens with two semifinals on May 12 and May 14, ahead of the grand final on May 16. message rkdgiw11gx Erika Kirk, now CEO of Turning Point USA after her husband’s assassination, used her Hillsdale College commencement address to urge graduates to embrace family, faith, responsibility and patriotism — while protesters outside accused the conservative group of promoting extremism Noa Hershkovitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/11/r1eG0zk1Ml/r1eG0zk1Ml_1_158_1129_636_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rkdgiw11gx Mon, 11 May 2026 20:38:45 +03:00 Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, delivered the commencement address at Hillsdale College on Saturday, urging graduates to embrace faith, family, responsibility and patriotism as they leave college. Kirk, who became CEO of Turning Point USA after her husband was assassinated in September, spoke at the conservative Michigan college where Charlie Kirk had taken numerous online courses. She also accepted an honorary doctorate of public service on behalf of both herself and her late husband. Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Kirk had been announced as Hillsdale’s keynote speaker in March. At the time, she said she was honored to speak at a school her husband admired deeply. “Charlie loved Hillsdale deeply and was often a grateful student of its online courses, learning from Dr. Larry Arnn and the remarkable faculty, who are so committed to truth and the pursuit of wisdom,” she said in a March press release. “Hillsdale represents something rare in our time — a steadfast devotion to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation. I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.” During Saturday’s address, Kirk recalled her husband’s devotion to Hillsdale’s coursework — even during their honeymoon. “He was like, ‘I know, I’m almost done, I have to finish just a few more lectures from Dr. Arnn. I have a few more certificates I have to get for my online courses at Hillsdale, we’re almost there; I can’t skip them,’ I said baby, you do what you got to do, I’m here for it,” Kirk said. She told graduates that life after college would no longer be arranged for them by professors, schedules and assignments, but would demand deliberate choices of their own. “You now find yourself at the threshold of a life that will no longer be structured for you but entrusted to you,” she said. Kirk encouraged the graduates to keep learning, build strong relationships and contribute to their communities. She also urged them not to delay marriage and family while pursuing career ambitions, saying young people should think seriously about commitment early in life. She said Charlie Kirk had encouraged young people to marry “not recklessly, but young,” and to have children even before they felt fully financially prepared. “Charlie also used to say — have more children than you can afford,” she said. Kirk also spoke directly to men and women in the graduating class, outlining what she described as their responsibilities in family life. “To the men, you are called to provide, you are called to lead, to anchor your families in strength and consistency,” Kirk said. “To the women, you are called to nurture, to build, to shape lives with wisdom and endurance.” She told graduates that their beliefs would be challenged beyond campus. “The world you are entering will not always affirm what you know to be true,” Kirk said. Near the end of the speech, Kirk called on graduates to value the United States despite its flaws, describing it as the greatest country in the world and urging them to love it. The event also drew opposition. A group of protesters gathered in Hillsdale before the ceremony, organized by Hope in Action. In a Facebook post, the group accused Turning Point USA of being “a national right-wing political machine organizing young people into MAGA politics, anti-trans rhetoric, anti-DEI backlash, and culture-war extremism.” Allison Bader of Hope in Action said the protest was meant to push back against the group’s influence. “We are here to make sure it is clear that we are not going to accept blatant racism, homophobia, and sexism in our communities any longer, and they have been continuously perpetuating Turning Point USA and Project 2025, and we want to put an end to that,” Bader said. Her daughter, Norah Bader, said she came to demonstrate that students have a right to speak out. “Just to prove that the students have a voice, have a right, have the freedom to do as we please and believe what we want,” she said. “And our education needs to be as free and open as it should be.” Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn presented Kirk with an honorary doctorate of public service during the ceremony. Arnn had announced at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in September that both Charlie and Erika Kirk would receive honorary degrees at the spring commencement. Arnn said he had known Charlie Kirk since 2013 and Erika Kirk since 2022, and praised their commitment to civic life and education. message sy1fgo1yge A New York Times investigation found that Israel’s campaign to stay in Eurovision and rally votes for its singers was broader, more organized and began earlier than previously known — triggering boycotts, diplomatic pressure and a crisis inside the world’s biggest music competition ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/04/SyeWcMI0Zl/SyeWcMI0Zl_0_159_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sy1fgo1yge Mon, 11 May 2026 18:27:08 +03:00 Senior Israeli diplomats spent last fall and winter pressing officials and public broadcasters across Europe on an unlikely subject: Eurovision. As calls grew to ban Israel from the contest over the war in Gaza, and as several broadcasters threatened to boycott, Israel worked urgently to keep its place in the world’s biggest music competition. According to a New York Times investigation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government treated Eurovision as a soft-power tool, using diplomatic outreach, advertising and coordinated messaging to push back against Israel’s growing isolation and rally support for its contestants. The effort came at a moment of intense international pressure. A United Nations commission had accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel strongly denied. Several countries were recognizing Palestinian statehood, a move Israel had long opposed. Yet inside Israeli diplomacy, Eurovision became a surprisingly important front: a chance to show that ordinary Europeans still supported Israel, even as public opinion and political leaders across the continent grew more critical. The controversy has now pushed Eurovision into one of the deepest crises in its 70-year history. This year’s contest opens Tuesday in Vienna, with Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia boycotting over Israel’s participation. The European Broadcasting Union, the nonprofit body that runs Eurovision, is facing financial strain, internal dissent and questions over whether its voting system can withstand organized political campaigning. Eurovision has long insisted that politics play no role in the event. But the Israel dispute has tested that principle more severely than almost any previous controversy. What was designed as a celebration of music, camp, glitter, national pride and pyrotechnic spectacle has become a proxy fight over Gaza, human rights and Israel’s standing in the world. Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973. Its singers compete under the Israeli flag, though the acts are officially entered by Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan. Governments are not supposed to intervene in the vote, and Eurovision is formally a contest between broadcasters and performers — not states. But Israeli government involvement appears to have begun years earlier. Doron Medalie, a former Eurovision songwriter for Israel, said the government quietly promoted Israel’s acts as far back as 2018, spending more than $100,000 on social media that year. Israel went on to win the contest. That victory appears to have convinced Israeli leaders that Eurovision was worth the investment. By the 2024 contest in Malmö, Sweden, the first Eurovision after the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israeli officials saw the event as a way to demonstrate public support abroad. European public opinion had largely turned against the war, and some music groups were already demanding that Israel be removed from the competition. In Malmö, Israeli government advertising related to Eurovision totaled more than $800,000, according to records obtained by the Israeli media watchdog The Seventh Eye and provided to The Times. Most of the money came from the Foreign Ministry. One line item from Netanyahu’s hasbara office — a government body focused on overseas messaging — was marked for “vote promotion.” Kan said it had no prior knowledge of the government advertising campaigns and, to its knowledge, Eurovision rules had not been violated. Israel’s 2024 contestant, Eden Golan, finished second in the public vote and won the popular vote in several countries where pro-Palestinian sentiment was strong. In Israel, the result was treated as a political and emotional boost. “The world, it seems, is not against us,” Ynet wrote at the time. The unusual voting patterns drew little immediate scrutiny. Eurovision was already consumed by other tensions: large pro-Palestinian protests in Malmo, onstage gestures by some artists and the expulsion of Dutch rapper Joost Klein over an unrelated incident involving a camerawoman. But Slovenia’s broadcaster noticed the results and asked Eurovision organizers to release more voting data. It said it never received a response. A year later, in Basel, Switzerland, Israel is showing stunned broadcasters and fans again. Israeli singer Yuval Raphael finished second overall and won the popular vote, once again performing strongly in countries where polls showed Israel was deeply unpopular. This time, the vote triggered a wider backlash. Journalists at Finland’s public broadcaster Yle found that the Israeli government had bought online advertisements in several languages urging people to vote for Raphael up to the maximum 20 times. Netanyahu himself posted a graphic on social media encouraging people to cast 20 votes for her. Pro-Israel groups across Europe circulated similar graphics. Israel’s deputy ambassador to Austria, Ilay Levi Judkovsky, told The Times that he had contacted a diaspora group to help rally support for Raphael. Medalie defended the strategy, arguing that Israel spends heavily on security and should be able to fund promotion for Eurovision as well. “Everybody is jealous and triggered because Israel is achieving great results,” he said. There is no evidence that Israel used bots or covert tactics to manipulate the vote. But Eurovision’s voting structure makes the public vote vulnerable to highly organized campaigns. In some countries, only a few hundred people voting repeatedly could be enough to swing the popular vote, which can then affect the final ranking. Eurovision director Martin Green acknowledged that Israel’s 2025 campaign had been excessive, but said it did not affect the result. “We are very, very happy that the result is true and fair and analyzed,” he said. Still, the organizers did not commission a full outside investigation. Green said Eurovision’s governing body received only “top-line” voting data, not a full analysis. Full vote totals remain closely guarded, even from the broadcasters that participate in the contest. “The Israeli government has co-opted Eurovision,” said Stefan Jon Hafstein, the chairman of the board for Iceland’s public broadcaster. The handling of the issue angered several members. At a July meeting in London, Spain called for a debate on Israel’s participation and changes to the voting system, arguing that the contest was susceptible to manipulation. Instead of launching a formal investigation, Eurovision hired Petr Dvorak, a veteran Czech broadcasting executive, to interview members about Israel’s participation. Dvorak found deep divisions. Some broadcasters felt Israel was using Eurovision as a national promotional tool. Others wanted the 2026 contest postponed or canceled. Some argued that Kan should not be punished for actions taken by the Israeli government. “Sometimes, they just felt that Israel as a state is sometimes using this event as some sort of promotional tool,” Dvorak recalled. Broadcasters were later given only a summary of Dvorak’s findings, not the full report, deepening frustration among members who believed Eurovision was avoiding the central questions. By the end of September, five broadcasters — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia — were openly discussing a boycott. At a meeting in Croatia that month, Eurovision officials tried to reassure members, but their presentations only added to the confusion. One presentation said Israel’s campaign had not affected the 2025 outcome. Another coached broadcasters on using social media to gain more votes. To some attendees, the message sounded contradictory: online campaigns could influence voting, but Israel’s had not. The dispute also exposed the financial and political risks for Eurovision. If Israel remained, several countries might boycott. If Israel was expelled, Israel’s allies could walk away. Documents showed that countries including Germany and Estonia opposed banning Israel. Organizers estimated that either scenario could cost Eurovision hundreds of thousands of dollars in participation fees. The situation grew so tense that Austria’s national broadcasting chief raised the possibility of Austria withdrawing in support of Israel, according to a person familiar with the discussion. That would have left the 2026 contest, scheduled for Vienna, without a host. A spokesman for Austria’s broadcaster said “it has always been clear” that Vienna would host. In late September, Eurovision acknowledged in a letter to members that it had “never faced a divisive situation like this before” and announced an emergency vote on Israel’s participation. Privately, its lawyers advised that organizers could legally exclude Israel if they chose to do so. But the vote never happened. Eurovision canceled it after the Gaza cease-fire and pushed the issue into December. During the delay, Israeli diplomats stepped up their campaign. Israeli embassies contacted broadcasters in at least three countries, and in another country, the Israeli government contacted the foreign ministry to discuss Eurovision. The Israeli outreach surprised some European officials. When an Israeli diplomat sought to discuss Eurovision with Iceland’s national broadcaster, Stefan Eiriksson, the broadcaster’s chief, questioned why the embassy was involved at all. “I am a little bit surprised why this is a matter that the embassy is looking into,” he wrote. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also raised the boycott issue in meetings with world leaders last year. “Israel’s voice should be heard everywhere,” he said. “We should participate, we should raise our flag high, and we should bring the best performers to Eurovision.” The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond to detailed requests for comment. A spokesman for Netanyahu’s office said he would review questions and consider responding, but did not provide a response. When broadcasters finally gathered in Geneva in December, Eurovision avoided a direct vote on Israel. Instead, members voted on rule changes: limiting each viewer to 10 votes and discouraging disproportionate promotion campaigns. The structure of the vote had a crucial effect. By approving the rule changes, broadcasters effectively allowed Israel to remain in the contest — without ever directly voting on Israel itself. Delphine Ernotte Cunci, the broadcasting union’s president, acknowledged that the arrangement “might appear to be rather bizarre,” but said not voting directly was “the most democratic solution possible.” Some broadcasters were unconvinced. Frederik Delaplace of Belgium’s VRT said Eurovision was “hiding behind guidelines” instead of confronting the human rights issue. The rule changes were passed by secret ballot. Israel remained in the contest. The five dissenting broadcasters moved ahead with their boycott. Green said the new rules addressed “a perception issue,” not a proven problem. But the controversy has not gone away. Ahead of this year’s contest, other countries are already testing the new system by mobilizing diaspora communities. Israel’s entrant, Noam Bettan, has also become the subject of renewed scrutiny after a team behind him circulated promotional posts urging people to vote for him 10 times. This time, Eurovision reacted quickly, formally warning Kan and asking that the posts be removed. Green said that “a direct call to action to vote 10 times for one artist or song” violated both the rules and the spirit of the contest. He has continued to insist that such campaigns cannot determine the outcome. The dispute has left Eurovision in a precarious position. The contest depends on the participation fees of its member broadcasters and on sponsors drawn to its image as a rare, joyful pan-European event. But the Israel controversy has made that image harder to sustain. Financial projections reviewed by The Times estimated last year that the boycotts could cost the broadcasting union hundreds of thousands of dollars. Green said Eurovision’s finances were robust, but acknowledged that finding sponsors had become harder. “It’s certainly one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced,” Green said of the Israel controversy. For supporters of Israel’s participation, excluding Kan would punish a broadcaster for the actions of a government and politicize a contest that claims to be open to all eligible members. For critics, allowing Israel to compete while its government promotes its singers and conducts a war in Gaza has already politicized the event. That contradiction has become increasingly difficult for Eurovision to manage. The contest’s claim to political neutrality has survived Cold War tensions, Balkan conflicts, disputes over LGBTQ rights and Russia’s eventual exclusion after the invasion of Ukraine. But the Gaza war has forced Eurovision into an unusually exposed position: trying to remain neutral while one of its participants is at the center of a global human rights crisis, and while that country’s government is accused of using the event to repair its image. For Israel, Eurovision has proved that a pop competition can still offer something rare: a global stage on which national image, public sympathy and political legitimacy are all up for grabs. For Eurovision, the same realization may be a threat to its future. What began as a dispute over one country’s participation has become a broader test of whether the world’s biggest song contest can still separate music from politics — or whether that line has already collapsed. message ry9wpvc0zg Talent agents say creators were asked to remove posts about hostages, IDF soldiers and the war before brand work; L’Oréal Israel denies issuing such instructions Bar Zaga https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/07/HkshI79Rbx/HkshI79Rbx_0_123_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/ry9wpvc0zg Sun, 10 May 2026 19:55:21 +03:00 L’Oréal Israel denied allegations that Israeli influencers were asked to remove posts about the war, Israeli soldiers, released hostages and their families from their Instagram feeds before being approved for campaigns and events with brands owned by the global cosmetics giant. The claims surfaced after Lancôme, a L’Oréal-owned skin care and beauty brand, launched a new beauty category in Israel last week with a high-profile event attended by Israeli celebrities and influencers, including Miri Bohadana, Adi Himelbloy, Lea Schenirer, Yael Goldman, Lea Yanai and Shiraz Tal. L’Oréal is one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies, with brands including Garnier, Vichy, Maybelline, YSL Beauty, L’Oréal Paris and CeraVe. In Israel’s entertainment industry, talent agencies say local influencers and celebrities who work with major international companies often need approval from the company’s global offices before appearing in campaigns or events. Industry figures told ynet’s sister publication Pplus that since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, L’Oréal has been especially sensitive to content connected to the war, IDF soldiers, released hostages and their families, with material Israelis often view as advocacy treated by the company as “political.” Humanz, an Israeli influencer marketing platform, manages L’Oréal’s influencer activity in Israel, including events and social media campaigns, in coordination with local talent agencies. Entertainment industry sources said representatives for the brand asked that Israeli influencers’ Instagram feeds be “without politics,” meaning free of advocacy content that many had posted at the beginning of the war, including photos of released hostages, explanatory videos and content related to the IDF. According to the sources, the request applied ahead of last week’s Lancôme event and to previous events and campaigns over the past 2 1/2 years. Those seeking approval from L’Oréal, they said, were expected to present a feed clean of war-related content or risk being excluded. “They don’t want to see uniforms in the feed, no politics,” one talent agent said. Another added: “If you want to submit talent to the client, they ask that the feed be clean of army or war content. In some cases, you can archive the post and restore it after the brand approves them.” A review of Instagram feeds belonging to some attendees at the Lancôme event, as well as influencers involved in the brand’s ongoing activity in Israel, showed that content related to the war or released hostages had largely disappeared. The feed of Dancing With the Stars judge and dancer Lea Yanai, whose sister Moran Stella Yanai was released from Hamas captivity after 54 days, appeared to show no remaining trace of war-related posts. Similar changes were visible on the feed of Lea Schenirer, who had frequently attended Friday gatherings at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and posted content supporting hostage families. One talent manager said some clients refused to remove such content. “I have talents who didn’t agree to take this content down from their feed,” the manager said. “I also wouldn’t want them to take it down, but I have to reflect the situation to them.” Another agent told Pplus that she passed L’Oréal’s request to several clients, some of whom refused outright. “There are those who didn’t post such content in the first place and had no problem participating in the event or campaigns, and there are those who had to remove posts,” the agent said. “At the end of the day, this is their livelihood.” Another industry source said posts about released hostages, IDF soldiers and the Oct. 7 attack had been removed because of the brand’s condition. “If you want to be part of an event like this or work with the brand, the talent is not allowed to do advocacy or express an opinion,” the person said. “That is the brand’s condition. It’s insane.” L’Oréal Israel denied setting such requirements. “L’Oréal has never made demands of this kind of its partners, including content creators,” the company said. “If any such instructions were conveyed to content creators, they were not requested by L’Oréal and were made without our knowledge or consent.” The company said it does not take positions on political issues in any country where it operates and “fully supports the freedom of expression of content creators.” L’Oréal said its relationships with influencers are governed only by its global values charter for working with influencers and content creators, which applies in all countries where the group operates and is publicly available on the company’s global website. “We view content creators as meaningful partners who play an important role in conveying our vision and creating a connection with our consumers, including during these days,” the company said. Humanz said it works with major global corporations and conducts monitoring and analysis of content creators’ profiles to ensure professional standards, but said that process is not meant to interfere with creators’ personal content or values. “In any case, in accordance with the professional standards under which we operate, we will examine whether any mistake was made in our judgment and, if necessary, clarify our procedures so that such a mistake, if it occurred, will not happen again,” Humanz said. “We view content creators as partners and fully support their personal voice.” L’Oréal’s global group had not responded by publication time. No response was received from Schenirer. The Liat & Roberto agency, which represents Yanai, also did not respond. message hypfxaac11g As Eurovision week opens in Vienna, Israel’s Noam Bettan will walk the turquoise carpet under unusually tight Israeli and Austrian security amid fears of attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets Ran Boker https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/10/S111oUnnpC11x/S111oUnnpC11x_0_0_3000_2000_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hypfxaac11g Sun, 10 May 2026 13:00:03 +03:00 Fears of an attack on Israel’s Eurovision delegation in Vienna, or terror attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, have led to the creation of a larger security operation than in previous years. The Israeli delegation is being secured by the Shin Bet, but Ynet has learned, and can now report with the censor’s approval, that this year the operation is also being coordinated with the Mossad and, according to sources familiar with the details, with elite units in Austria’s security establishment. For security purposes, the Shin Bet will also use technologies this year that have not been used before. The turquoise carpet event, which officially opens Eurovision week, will take place today. Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, is expected to take the stage in the afternoon, accompanied by Austrian and Israeli security personnel. In Israel, officials remember well the hostility the delegation encountered at last year’s equivalent event, when a protester made a throat-slitting gesture toward Yuval Raphael. Austrian police are preparing for the sensitive event and are ready for demonstrations or provocations that could arise at the venue. As for the competition itself, Bettan, who was given a brief rest, will return to rehearsals tomorrow ahead of the first semifinal, in which he is competing on Tuesday (which will be broadcast live on Kan at 10 p.m.). A highly significant event will take place tomorrow: the jury rehearsal, where the contestants’ scores will already be determined. The juries carry considerable weight in this year’s semifinal, accounting for 50% of the total score. message h1zxsasczl Young people are embracing analog objects and low-quality photos as an escape from constant connection, endless scrolling and digital burnout Raanan Shaked https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/27/BJJWR11pabe/BJJWR11pabe_0_0_1920_1080_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/h1zxsasczl Sat, 09 May 2026 14:07:01 +03:00 I remembered that somewhere deep in the closet should be my Walkman player. Yellow. Big. Indestructible. You could drop it from the fourth floor and it would be fine, protected by rubber padding on all sides, including the buttons. It was built to play cassettes forever. Its maker, Sony, really accounted for every possible scenario, every danger, every potential malfunction, except one: That the cassette itself would become extinct. And that the CD would be gone after it. And that the devices holding all the music ever created via streaming would also fail. Damned mobile phones. No one has patience for them anymore. An entire generation is saying goodbye. A generation labeled Gen Z, born sometime between 1997 and 2012 into a world of constant connection, links, documentation, selfies and notifications, now wants, at least occasionally, to take a step back. They are turning to the 1990s out of nostalgia for the last analog era in human history, which they can only imagine: a time of "Sex and the city", "Friends", "Will and Grace", extreme female body standards embodied by Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham, clean fashion stripped of logos now nostalgically labeled “Y2K aesthetics,” and above all a time when you could end a phone call definitively by snapping your phone shut. That is far more satisfying than a casual swipe on a screen. Gen Z’s documented nostalgia for the 1990s goes beyond typical cycles in pop culture. Studies show this is the most nostalgic generation ever. A quick scroll reveals TikTok trends like “Mom, what did you do in the ’90s?”, the return of brands such as Fila, New Balance and Nike’s retro lines, the resurgence of low-rise and baggy jeans, crop tops, platform shoes, everything Jennifer Aniston would wore on “Friends,” everything Elaine Benes wore effortlessly and therefore made iconic. You see them crowding Urban Outfitters stores in major Western cities, lining up with items identical to what their parents once bought in the same places in the ’90s. They are buying vinyl records and film cameras because “it’s really hard to take poor-quality photos with a phone, and that’s the goal,” as fashion journalist Shelly Gross puts it. She says she is raising two children, ages 20 and 23, who have fallen deep into the time warp. “My son just came back from Amsterdam with a Walkman and two cassettes,” she says. “It’s expensive and we’re paying for it. We kept some vinyl but not cassettes. Buying cassettes now is insane. He also has a Casio watch. It fits a broader trend of returning to analog watches. In Israel, anyone who served in the army knows the advantages of an analog watch, but later they develop taste.” Yes, the Israeli version of the global trend is different, but the idea is the same: people who were not even planned in the ’90s, a decade that focused on the next rave, the next music video, the next short film, are nostalgic for a world they never knew but believe they would have loved. Unrecorded outings without selfies, smoky clubs, tight American Apparel clothes and overly loose jeans, unexpected knocks on the door from friends inviting you out, and above all the ability to live without constantly documenting yourself living. “I think about my past in the ’90s and there is no evidence, and that is something worth missing,” Gross says. Are you nostalgic for the ’90s? “I don’t miss being in my 20s, but I do miss the rent prices of the ’90s. I’m glad I was there and stuck there, because I’m like a stopped clock and now the world meets me again.” The world that never experienced it firsthand imagines the ’90s as calmer, more spontaneous, less connected. And there is some truth to that. The internet existed, but it was less intrusive, and life moved more slowly. Even connecting online required waiting for the modem to finish its distinctive screeching sound. Today’s life does not wait. Constant connection, endless stimulation, no pauses. You blink and you miss it. Infinite scrolling leaves no room for reflection. People born not long ago find themselves trying to step back and understand where, if anywhere, there is still space to be themselves. “Everyone has basically the same iPhone model, but when I was a kid there were Motorola and Sony Ericsson, and there was more of a connection,” says Mia Druckman, 26, editor, presenter on Kan 88 and Reshet Gimmel and a DJ in her free time. “I used to put stickers on my phone and felt unique. Today we have to look harder to find something that makes a difference.” She misses “things I grew up with, even the Tumblr era of 2010, and the early blog aesthetics, when people were real bloggers, not influencers.” She also misses “the lively color in music my parents listened to, which I returned to. Eurodance, Ace of Base, ‘Happy Nation,’ and TikTok edits of ’90s shows and characters bring us back there. ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Gossip Girl,’ ‘The Sopranos,’ these are cultural staples you have to watch.” Yes, this is a generation that absorbs the ’90s through TikTok and YouTube Reels, in bite-sized fragments of songs and film scenes, 20 seconds at a time. But that is enough to fuel obsession. After Olivia Rodrigo appeared at the White House in a Chanel suit inspired by “Clueless”; after cassette sales in the United States surged more than 200% in a single quarter in 2025, and Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish released new albums on cassette; after the series “Love Story” revived ’90s aesthetics of minimalism, straight hair and clean styling in the spirit of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy; and after “Trainspotting,” a distilled essence of the ’90s, returned to theaters and became a West End musical, it is clear the world is trying to return to the womb, to a fictional innocence of less control and less documentation. And that womb, for Gen Z, Gen Alpha or even remnants of millennials, was active mainly in the ’90s. “Every person misses their childhood,” says Mordi Alon, former journalist, founder of the Glory publishing house and, trying to explain why someone would “pay hundreds of dollars for a Supergol” soccer trading cards. Alon now makes a living, in large part, by identifying Israeli nostalgia for the ’90s. Not only from Gen Z but also from those who grew up then. “People in their 40s are collecting what we once had and threw away. Just yesterday I was sorting through a pile of Supergol cards. I used to see them in flea markets and ignore them. Today I know they can sell for 2,000 to 3,000 shekels per album.” What else is in demand from the ’90s? “Almost anything electronic: Game Boy, Pokémon, which started in 1995, and of course Pogs. Some Pogs sell for $300 to $400. One of the rarest is from ‘The Comedy Store’ series, with a mad professor and a machine and a caption that says ‘a machine that enlarges your penis.’ Parents protested and the manufacturer censored it, so first editions are now worth hundreds of dollars.” He adds that cassette tapes are also making a comeback. “A cassette of Mashina’s (Israeli pop rock band) first album can sell for 1,000 shekels. A year ago I wouldn’t have paid ten.” Accordingly, he also sells relics like “Chabura Zevel” cards and “Zbeng” comic series by Uri Fink. “A Zbeng notebook goes for 300 to 400 dollars even if it’s scribbled in. These objects tell a story about the ’90s more than TikTok videos ever could.” One of the most sought-after items is the “Bombers 97” football sticker album, which promised a prize of a quad bike for completion, except one card was never found. “People come to me in tears offering 10,000 shekels. I tell them: it doesn’t exist.” But even Alon knows that today’s collectors are not digging through flea markets. They are “keyboard collectors,” searching online catalogs and Facebook groups. It is ironic: a generation using smartphones to romanticize a less connected era, then buying it online. Some try to bridge the gap. Yoav Maor, 37, a creative director at an advertising agency, bought a “dumb” Nokia phone to avoid constant distraction. “I realized checking WhatsApp and social media was an endless loop,” he says. “I wanted to be more present.” He also keeps a rotary desk phone in his office and listens mainly to Israeli ’90s music. He wears New Balance sneakers “like my father used to.” He calls it “regression” but says, “I want to renew myself through the old.” Football fans are also searching for original 1990s team shirts. Designer Yaron Shilon says demand is growing. “In the ’80s anything with a shirt was authentic. In the ’90s brands like Diadora flooded the market. Now small details determine authenticity and prices can reach thousands of shekels.” So how does nostalgia for a place you never experienced arise? Looking at today’s world, it is not hard to imagine why people feel earlier decades were better. The present is fast, saturated, exhausting. Even a brief exposure to today’s music culture or reality TV personalities raises the question of whether things were more genuine in the era of rock bands, clubs and pre-digital fame. Music editor Eran Litvin says younger audiences light up when discussing the ’90s. “Rock was thriving then. Today hip-hop and pop dominate. People miss what they don’t have. When older albums are reissued on vinyl, like Eifo HaYeled or HaMakhshot, young listeners go crazy.” He adds: “It’s about longing for what you weren’t part of. The cycle of nostalgia is shrinking. The ’90s are the distant edge, but now people are already nostalgic for 2016. Sociologists may describe this as cultural stagnation and corporate recycling of past ideas, but it may also reflect a longing for authenticity. The ’90s themselves were not purely innocent. They included homophobia, racism, sexism and Harvey Weinstein-era power structures that existed before widespread accountability mechanisms. In Israel, the nostalgic version of the decade arguably lasted only a few years between the Gulf War and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. So the longing is not for the real ’90s but for a curated mythology: a simpler time without constant documentation or digital overwhelm. As Shelly Gross puts it, “’90s fashion is basically normcore. Jeans, a black T-shirt and black shoes work in any decade.” It is likely the ’90s will keep returning. They produced objects designed to last. Eventually I found my old yellow Walkman in the closet. Slightly scratched but still working. Two AA batteries, an old cassette, press play, and it still runs. I would take it jogging if I could find simple foam headphones and if it could, of course, receive calls. message r1ocgqv0bg 'Catwalk: The Art of Fashion Shows' at V&A Dundee traces runway history from 19th-century salons to global spectacles, featuring McQueen robot dress, Chanel rocket, holograms and supermodels, redefining fashion as cultural performance Itai Yaakov https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/20/ry00laijtXaZx/ry00laijtXaZx_236_5_2447_1378_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/r1ocgqv0bg Sat, 09 May 2026 04:27:32 +03:00 The exhibition “Catwalk: The Art of Fashion Shows”, which opened last month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee, Scotland, is dedicated to the fashion show itself – a field that has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past century. From intimate salon presentations in Paris to large-scale spectacles broadcast simultaneously to millions worldwide, the runway has evolved from a sales tool into a cultural stage combining choreography, performance and media. The exhibition, previously shown at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany before its UK debut, brings together landmark works from major fashion houses including Prada, Balenciaga, Dior and others. It examines the runway as a cultural arena for presenting clothing and shaping identity. Visitors encounter defining moments in fashion history, including Alexander McQueen’s iconic Spring-Summer 1999 show, where two robotic arms splattered paint onto Shalom Harlow’s white dress in what appeared to be an erotic encounter between human and machine. Other unforgettable presentations include Fendi’s show on the Great Wall of China and Chanel’s simulated rocket launch. From mannequins to models Fashion shows trace their origins to the second half of the 19th century with British-French designer Charles Frederick Worth, considered the father of haute couture. Worth was the first to present seasonal collections on live models rather than mannequins, transforming how clothes were designed and sold. In the early 20th century, Paul Poiret turned shows into theatrical events with music, sets and narrative staging. He also pioneered “trunk shows,” taking models on tour to cities such as Berlin, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Bucharest. By the mid-20th century, especially after World War II, runway shows became central to the fashion industry – a key tool for setting trends, defining brand identity, and attracting buyers and press. Over time, presentations moved from intimate Paris ateliers to global Fashion Weeks, and from salon-like gatherings to high-production spectacles generating viral images and strong brand narratives. The modern Fashion Week system began in New York in 1943 with “Press Week,” organized by publicist Eleanor Lambert during World War II when journalists could not travel to Paris. The format later expanded globally: Paris as the couture capital, Milan emerging in the 1950s–60s, and London launching its official Fashion Week in 1984. Israel held its first Fashion Week in 1965, and since 2011 it has operated independently on an annual basis. Fashion as culture, memory and architecture The exhibition revisits iconic shows through film, photography, original garments, props and archival material, aiming to recreate the runway experience from its earliest days to today. According to curator Kirsty Hassard, fashion shows are "moments of revelation – they bring together a multitude of disciplines, including hair and makeup, set design, graphics, lighting, photography, music and many more.” She added: “The exhibition explores the dreams and motivations behind these shows, and shows how designers shaped not only what we wear, but how we see ourselves.” Another key work is Hussein Chalayan’s “After words” (2000), widely regarded as one of the most important fashion shows ever staged. In it, furniture was transformed into garments, blurring the line between objects and clothing, while also addressing themes of displacement and identity. Chalayan’s work reflected his own background, being Turkish decent while born in Cyprus, and explored ideas of home, exile and geopolitical trauma – presenting fashion not only as clothing, but as a medium for storytelling and collective memory. message byief69011g At the age of 16, actress Lir Katz lost her home, then her father, and in recent years, a lot of  her friends left. Now the actress who conquered the screen is starring in Habima Theater's 'The Post Office Girl' and tells why she agreed to audition the day before the wedding and about the Iranian friend who watched the ceremony on Zoom Yoav Birenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/04/HkgQv8xIAbx/HkgQv8xIAbx_0_90_1601_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/byief69011g Fri, 08 May 2026 06:05:09 +03:00 During the wars against Iran, between air raid sirens and runs to shelters, Lir Katz worried about her friend, the American actress of Persian origin Arienne Mandi. The two worked together on Tatami, a film by Guy Nattiv and Iranian director Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and have stayed close ever since. “During filming we became best friends, like sisters,” Katz says. “She’s originally from Los Angeles but she has family in Iran. During both wars she checked in on me and asked what was happening with me and my family during the missile barrages, and I asked about her family, who had to flee Tehran.” Did you talk politics too? “We don’t deal with politics, mostly with our day-to-day lives. That’s what brings us closer. Even during filming we felt we had a strong connection and we cherish that. She was supposed to come to my wedding and I really wanted her to be there, but she couldn’t because of the war. She watched the wedding on Zoom.” Are you still in touch with the Iranian director? “Only through Instagram. She’s a very special and powerful woman, who was an actress in Iran and had to flee because of her views. It was very nice to see on set the great connection she had with Guy Nattiv.” In the film, Katz plays an Israeli judo athlete who is supposed to face an Iranian competitor at a championship. Following fears of the encounter and the handshake, representatives of the Iranian regime forbid the athlete from showing up to the match, resulting in a technical loss and disqualification from the competition, a domineering political move that reminds her where the state ends and she begins. “You never know what will happen in the future,” Katz says cautiously. “The world is unpredictable and maybe things will change and we’ll manage to bridge between countries. Even while filming in Georgia we kept a very low profile so the production wouldn’t be shut down for any reason. I assume not everyone supported this collaboration, but this is a historic and very meaningful move.” Do you still believe there will be peace here? “Some days yes and some days not at all. I pray I can continue living here and that life here will be good.” Katz, 33, grew up in Tel Aviv and was born into theatre. She was even named after King Lear, the Shakespeare character, during a production directed by Yigal Ezrati, a close friend of her mother and head of the Arab-Hebrew Theatre in Jaffa. Already at 12 she acted in Parashat HaShavua, written by Ari Folman and directed by Rani Blair, and later appeared in the film Flood, also by Nattiv, and in stage productions including Endlessly Mourning by Hanoch Levin and All My Sons at the Beersheba Theatre. But you probably recognize her from the series Shababnikim and Dismissed. “Dismissed was an amazing experience and a major breakthrough in my career,” she says. “Suddenly people started recognizing me.” The series was successful thanks to its fresh cast and its treatment of the absurdities of women’s military basic training. Moments of “zero context” that kept increasing, such as soldiers fined for wearing crop tops or tank tops during uniform checks. “It’s absurd and very frightening,” Katz says. “They finished their service and are free to do what they want. Most of the world wears crop tops. Even soldiers who grilled on Shabbat and were put on trial are part of the religiousization process we and the army are going through. People ask themselves how to keep living here, and I ask myself too, but not from a place of giving up or walking away.” “I love living here so much. And the whole world, not just Israel, is going in a very extreme direction. My partner Andres and I will need to have children at some point, so these are questions we ask ourselves. As a citizen I want to do everything I can to fight for values, justice and humanity. Look at what happened in Hungary. It’s very encouraging and gives wind in the sails and hope for a better future. I want to see what happens in the next elections. They will be significant.” Are you thinking about leaving? “I have many friends who left. All these years, with all the madness here, the chaos, instability and existential fear, it’s scary. On the other hand, there is no other place I want to live except Israel.” In Dismissed your character kisses Alona Sa’ar. How did that go down with conservative Israeli audiences? “I had no problem kissing Alona. I’m very liberal, but there’s no doubt the country is going in a very conservative and harmful direction. On the other hand, the responses I got from the LGBTQ+ community were amazing. There was a lot of support for showing it in prime time.” You also starred in Shababnikim, about ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are less commonly found on military bases. “Maybe that will be resolved one day and they will enlist. There is a huge rift in society and our most important job is to bring people closer and heal the wounds. There is fear and confusion here and uncertainty about where we and our culture are heading.” Where is culture heading? “If freedom of expression is taken away from us, that will be the end of us. There are many talented and intelligent people here who raise their voices and that must not be harmed. Space must be given in theatre and television for people to express themselves. One of the things Dismissed did was give a group of unknown girls a chance to break through.” She met her partner Andres Gurevich, born in Argentina, seven years ago. “He’s an artist, a painter and head of arts at the ‘Muzot’ school. I met him when I was living in New York and he came to visit. We fell in love and I came to Israel both to be with him and to work on my artist visa, thinking I would return to the US,” she says. “He’s my lottery win.” She moved to New York straight after the army to study dance, and a few months later her father Ofer was diagnosed with cancer. “I moved in September and in March we found out my father had melanoma,” she says. “It had already spread throughout his body. Six months later he passed away. I remember the phone call when he told me he was sick. I immediately wanted to return to Israel, but he told me, ‘Lir, it won’t change anything. I want you to stay there and fulfill what you want to do. Your dreams matter.’” “I visited Israel twice to be with him and my mother and sisters were by his side. In the last month it was pretty clear the end was near, although I was in denial. I didn’t get to see him in his final moments, but I remember that a week before he died he called me and out of nowhere said he loved me very much. I told him, ‘Dad, I believe you’ll get through this.’” “When my mother called to tell me, I heard her crying and understood what had happened. I was completely shattered. On the flight to Israel I tried to calm myself, ‘No, I’m just visiting, nothing happened.’ After five weeks I went back to New York for another four years. I miss him very much. He is always with me.” Did you talk to him about the possibility of dying? “I did, but I didn’t allow him to express it. I fought him on the phone that the end was not near. I tried to give him hope and told him he had to stay alive for his family. He tried everything but the disease is terrifying. He was very young, 56.” “I only began processing that my father is no longer with me when I returned to Israel at 26. Day-to-day life in New York was without him anyway, but living in Tel Aviv and seeing all the places we used to go together or sitting at Friday dinners with the family without him was very hard.” “Since COVID, October 7 and the Iran wars, I’m glad my father is not alive to deal with the consequences, but he didn’t see what I did. The saddest thing is that he doesn’t see my partner. I think they could have been good friends.” These days she is performing in the lead role in The Post Office Girl at Habima Theatre, adapted and directed by Hanan Snir based on Stefan Zweig’s book. Katz plays a young woman from a poor background who is invited to stay at a luxury Swiss hotel and adopts a false identity as a wealthy heiress, until everything turns against her. She auditioned for the role the day before her wedding, after Snir, who had been working on the adaptation for eight years, had almost given up finding the right actress. “At the end of the first audition, which was two days before my wedding, Hanan asked if I could come the next day for a reading to see if I fit,” she says. “I told him it was the day before my wedding. My partner and I were producing the wedding ourselves so I had a lot to do, but how can I say no? I came and the whole cast congratulated me. A few days later they told me I got the role and it was a wonderful wedding gift.” It is well known that actors in Israel do not get rich from acting, yet you choose not to use your fame to become an influencer. Why not do everything? “I’m good like this. I love acting more than anything. I grew up in a home where we had everything and lacked nothing. When I was 16 there was a stock market crash and we lost everything. My father also made some wrong decisions. Suddenly my life changed completely. On a day-to-day level my parents protected me and my sisters and gave us everything we needed and more, but our place of living changed, we lost our home and the bubble burst. All the stability we had collapsed.” How much were they able to shield you from it? “We had a good family, good friends and my father got himself together quickly, but it was a destabilizing crisis. It came with all the teenage drama. I was very angry about it. Actually I was angry at everything, at the whole world. But I quickly discovered it was a huge gift, a very big lesson, and I developed immense compassion and endless love for my parents. Even today I think it gave me the ability to see the world more broadly. After a few months of adjustment I said thank you for it. I felt that if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had the understanding of hardship, and that is an important part of life’s journey.” message sjptwsqcwe Newspaper defends Saher Alghorra, rejecting claims of staged scenes and Hamas links as 'baseless'; The win has reignited scrutiny over his past images, with people questioning context and credibility of his work Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/05/HkXf96MwCbl/HkXf96MwCbl_0_50_1200_676_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sjptwsqcwe Fri, 08 May 2026 03:16:57 +03:00 The New York Times publicly defended Saher Alghorra, its Gaza photojournalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography, after critics alleged that he staged scenes and had ties to Hamas. The newspaper called the accusations “baseless.” Alghorra received the prestigious award for a series documenting destruction, displacement and hunger in the Gaza Strip during the war with Israel. The Pulitzer committee praised the “sensitive and compelling series” portraying the human toll of the conflict. In a statement supporting him, Meaghan Looram, the Times’ director of photography, said Alghorra “is not merely documenting this war, he is also living through it himself” describing his work as courageous, immediate and essential visual reporting carried out under extreme danger. She said he had “become a true visual correspondent,” producing images and video from the ground despite the risks and hardships of living through the conflict. Alghorra’s recognition came alongside remarks at the Pulitzer ceremony highlighting the dangers faced by journalists in Gaza, where international media access remains heavily restricted. Times executive editor Joe Kahn said Alghorra’s work represented “the culmination of a yearslong effort that intimately captures the emotional toll of that war,” noting he was unable to attend due to the conditions that made his reporting possible. Gaia Tripoli, deputy international photography editor, said Alghorra, who has never left Gaza, documented the war while also enduring displacement, shortages and personal danger. She described scenes he captured of hunger, strikes and hostage-related events, adding that he “possessed all the essential qualities of a great photojournalist.” Mona Boshnaq, his editor, read a statement from Alghorra saying he was proud of the recognition but pained that he could not be present, and recalling the deaths of more than 200 journalists in Gaza during the war. Despite the praise received by the colleagues, there are media, watchdogs and commentators who have questioned aspects of his reporting and imagery. The organization HonestReporting, which ultimately monitors the news for bias, inaccuracy and other breaches of journalistic standards towards Israel, argued that Alghorra’s work reflects a broader pattern in international journalism that it says amplifies Hamas-aligned narratives. It cited previous controversies, including a widely circulated 2025 image of a malnourished Palestinian child, later accompanied by clarification that the child had preexisting medical conditions affecting his appearance. Critics also questioned access and context in some of his most widely shared photographs, including images of starvation, displacement and Hamas activity. They argued that editorial selection can shape a narrative while omitting wider context such as medical conditions or the role of armed groups. In response, the New York Times reiterated on X that Alghorra “has documented hundreds of starving and malnourished children in Gaza” and that allegations against his work are “baseless.” The Pulitzer jury, the paper said, described his photography as “a distinguished example of breaking news photography.” The debate intensified following the publication of Pulitzer-related remarks and accompanying criticism, with detractors alleging that some images lacked context or relied on selective framing. Supporters of Alghorra and the Times rejected those claims, pointing to the difficulty and danger of reporting from Gaza during active conflict. At the Pulitzer ceremony, editors and colleagues emphasized the conditions under which Alghorra worked, describing him as living through displacement, shortages and repeated risk while continuing to report from the field. The competing narratives underscore the broader disputes over war coverage, journalistic access and interpretation of visual reporting from Gaza, where verification and context remain heavily contested amid ongoing fighting. message b1cexefc11e Melanie Shiraz says Rama Duwaji’s tone changed after she introduced herself as Miss Israel, ending what began as a friendly exchange at a Brooklyn cafe ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/06/rk0MqduA11e/rk0MqduA11e_0_148_936_527_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/b1cexefc11e Wed, 06 May 2026 20:01:53 +03:00 Miss Israel Melanie Shiraz said she had a tense encounter with Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at a Brooklyn cafe, claiming Duwaji ended the exchange after learning Shiraz was Israeli. Shiraz said the encounter took place Sunday at a cafe in Williamsburg, where Duwaji was seated next to her. Shiraz, 27, said she was in New York for an event at the Israeli Consulate. “She sat right next to me. What are the odds?” Shiraz said. According to Shiraz, the exchange began warmly. She said the two spoke briefly about political issues and began recording a video together. But Shiraz said the tone changed after she introduced herself as Miss Israel. “I told her I was Miss Israel, and her tone changed,” Shiraz said. “I had told her I’m Miss Israel, and then she didn’t want to engage with me anymore. Shocker,” she said. Shiraz said Duwaji initially agreed to a photo or video, then asked not to appear once Shiraz identified herself. “She was polite but clearly changed her tone,” Shiraz said. “As soon as I did, she said, ‘Sorry’ and asked if it was a video and said she didn’t want to anymore.” Shiraz said she tried to continue the conversation by raising Duwaji’s past public positions on Israel and stressing the need for dialogue. “I told her what I think about the stuff she has said online, and that I believe that it’s important to engage in dialogue in which you don’t dehumanize the other side,” Shiraz said. “And she politely brushed me off and then refused to engage anymore.” Duwaji has faced scrutiny over past social media activity related to Israel and the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. She previously apologized for harmful posts, saying she understood the hurt she caused and was “truly sorry.” Shiraz said she found it difficult to reconcile that apology with Duwaji’s refusal to speak with her. “She has publicly addressed comments she made that were sympathetic to October 7 and dehumanizing of Israelis, yet she couldn’t allow herself to engage with me,” Shiraz said. Duwaji has not publicly responded to Shiraz’s claims. Mamdani has previously said his wife is a private person with no formal role in his campaign or City Hall. message syi11fbwcze Palestinian photographer helped document the famine and destruction in Gaza and won the Pulitzer Prize for News Photography, alongside notable wins from leading US media outlets; among the winners: investigations into Trump, Meta and Jeffrey Epstein affair  ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/05/HJZzqpfwCZg/HJZzqpfwCZg_0_0_1200_676_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/syi11fbwcze Tue, 05 May 2026 13:34:20 +03:00 News photography in Gaza has taken center stage in the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes in journalism announced early Tuesday morning. The breaking news photography prize was awarded to photographer Saher Alghorra for a series of photos for The New York Times documenting destruction and hunger in the Gaza Strip during the war with Israel. The judges described the work as “haunting and sensitive,” illustrating the scale of harm to the civilian population. In the breaking news category, the Minnesota Star Tribune staff won for its coverage of a shooting at a Catholic school in which two children were killed and 17 others were wounded. The board highlighted the reporting’s combination of speed, accuracy and human sensitivity. In the investigative reporting category, The New York Times won for a series of articles on U.S. President Donald Trump that exposed the use of political power for financial gain and benefits for family members and associates. Reuters stood out with two wins: one in beat reporting, for revelations about Meta’s conduct, including exposing users - among them children - to scams and AI-driven manipulation; and another in national reporting, for an investigation into the expansion of presidential powers in the United States and their use against political rivals. The Associated Press won the international reporting prize for a broad investigation into advanced surveillance technologies — from their development in Silicon Valley, to their use in China, to applications in the United States, specifically their use by U.S. Border Patrol. In the public service category, considered the most prestigious award, The Washington Post won for extensive coverage of changes in the U.S. government initiated by the Trump administration, including “the chaotic overhaul of federal agencies,” and their impact on citizens. A special citation was also awarded to Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown for her ongoing work exposing the Jeffrey Epstein case, which began in 2017, including documenting harm to young women and denouncing the system that enabled it. message h1uba3ecbg Noam Bettan’s first Eurovision rehearsal in Vienna for 'Michelle' reveals giant 'diamond' prop; strong vocals praised in semi-final Ran Boker https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/03/H13qd24Abe/H13qd24Abe_0_168_852_480_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/h1uba3ecbg Sun, 03 May 2026 16:45:40 +03:00 Israel’s Eurovision representative Noam Bettan took to the stage in Vienna for his first rehearsal with the song “Michelle,” unveiling the centerpiece of his staging: a massive prop dubbed “the Diamond” by the Israeli delegation. He opens the performance from inside it alongside one of the dancers. The Israeli delegation described Sunday’s rehearsal as “a major success,” also reporting enthusiastic reactions in the arena to Bettan’s vocal performance. Bettan began the song from what the delegation called a “huge and spectacular stage prop” — the “Diamond” — said to be the largest prop in this year’s Eurovision production, housing both the singer and a dancer. Incorporating internal mirrors, the Diamond creates a visual effect that multiplies the “Michelle” figures, echoing the music video’s imagery of dozens of dancers. The main part of the number takes place on the main stage, with the Diamond remaining in the background, continuing to enhance the visual impact. Beyond the striking staging, Bettan demonstrated exceptional vocal ability already in the first rehearsal, drawing strong reactions from those present in the hall. The Israeli delegation’s second rehearsal is scheduled for Wednesday. Bettan was drawn to perform “Michelle” in the second half of the first semi-final, set to take place in Vienna next Tuesday (May 12). Production has announced that Israel will perform as song number 10. Qualifiers from the first semi-final will advance to the grand final on May 16. message rycf752611g Host and actress shares crisis with husband Assaf Zamir, couples therapy that helped them recover and being named Israel’s most trusted influencer Ifat Manhardt https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/26/HJfCqyPjT11e/HJfCqyPjT11e_1338_95_1663_937_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rycf752611g Sat, 02 May 2026 06:53:17 +03:00 It was 11 p.m. when the siren warning of another Iranian missile launch sounded across Tel Aviv. Maya Wertheimer was in the shower. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and ran to the safe room, where her husband, Asaf Zamir, and their two children, Asia, 6, and Noah-Eitan, 18 months, were already waiting. To her surprise, two strangers were there with them. “Asafi and I live on the ground floor,” she recalls of the incident, which took place before the ceasefire. “A lot of times, when we see people running and looking for shelter, we invite them into ours. That night, Asaf had gone out to take out the trash when the alert started. He saw a couple running in panic and invited them in. When I realized they were there, we just whispered to each other, ‘Hi, hi,’ because the kids were asleep. So there you are, standing naked in a towel next to strangers in total silence for 10 minutes.” How did the children react to the situation? “Noah is still a baby, not at an age where he can understand, but when Asia asks questions, we try to soften reality as much as possible. One day during the war, there was a particularly loud boom and she asked, ‘What was that?’ Asaf said, ‘One of the neighbors slammed the door like crazy,’ and I continued his story, ‘How can they slam doors like that?’ “When a siren starts, I act like Maria von Trapp from ‘The Sound of Music.’ I studied at Nissan Nativ acting school for three years, and it all came down to this moment: looking at my children and saying, almost singing, ‘Kids, we need to go into the safe room now.’” But Wertheimer has not always managed to stay calm during wartime. During Operation Rising Lion, she experienced anxiety that led to a deep crisis with her husband. “It was like an earthquake in our relationship,” she revealed in January on a podcast. What exactly happened? “I’m usually not someone who panics in stressful situations, but in those moments I felt we were in real danger, like a lioness protecting her cubs. I told Asaf I wasn’t willing to stay in Tel Aviv and that I wanted us to move to my parents’ house in Caesarea. Asaf said, ‘You can do whatever you want, but I’m not leaving.’” Because as deputy and acting mayor of Tel Aviv, he couldn’t leave the city? “Of course. Asaf feels an enormous sense of responsibility. This is his mission. He and the municipality do incredible work: opening and organizing shelters, arranging mattresses, and turning schools into housing for so many families. For him, it was, ‘I’m here for the residents.’ But I felt like he was looking at his partner, the mother of his children, and my anxiety was simply invisible to him. In that moment, he didn’t pause to see me, to contain me. It broke him that I was asking that of him.” Why didn’t you just go with the children without him? “That’s exactly what we did, and that’s what led to the crisis. We were apart for eight days, and it was awful. Neither of us knew how it would end. It was a crazy crisis.” What helped the couple get through that difficult period was couples therapy, which they had begun four years earlier. “A lot happened,” she says, explaining what led them to seek professional help at the time. “I was probably depressed after Asia was born. Then we moved to New York because of Asaf’s job,” she says, referring to his 2021 appointment as Israel’s consul general in New York. “And my father got sick." "Assaf and I have been together for more than a decade, and think about how much has changed in 10 years. I always say: How is it that we change our clothes, our phones, our cars, but changing who we are isn’t considered legitimate? Sometimes, Asaf would tell me, ‘This isn’t how I knew you.’ True. Because we change and grow, and the wisdom is knowing how to grow and develop together.” How did therapy help you in the current crisis? “It really helped us see the other person and understand what our difficulty was, i.e., this feeling of, ‘How come my best friend, my love, my partner, doesn't see me?’ Therapy helps us understand that our relationship is rooted in love, even if we sometimes express love differently and see things in different ways. “And indeed, in the recent war (Operation Roaring Lion), the moment the first alert sounded, Asafi immediately said, ‘My love, what do you need from me? I’m here.’ And I immediately said, ‘My love, I don’t need anything. I can be with the kids. I know you need to be at work.’” Between 50 and 100 weddings It is hard to define Wertheimer’s profession. On Wikipedia, for example, she is described as an actress, model, social media personality and TV host. When asked to choose one word, she immediately says, “comedian,” adding: “From a young age, I learned that humor was my way of communicating with the world.” In recent years, Wertheimer’s energetic screen presence has been hard to miss, whether in campaigns for BuyMe (digital gift card platform) and Yad2 (ads website for buying and selling second-hand products), in the comedy-drama “Shababnikim,” which recently arrived on Netflix, or on the hit reality show “New Love,” which she has hosted since 2022 and whose fifth season ended last month. She can also be seen in another comedic role, in the new children’s series "Or v. Paz" airing on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. for cable communication companies "HOT" and "yes" viewers, based on Dana Elazar-Halevi’s popular book series. Wertheimer helps people find love not only on screen but also off it. During the Iron Swords war, she launched a matchmaking initiative on her Instagram page, connecting wounded soldiers and fighters with potential partners. It was a huge success. “I know dozens of weddings came out of it,” she says. “I don’t know the exact number, but I assume between 50 and 100.” Were you invited? Did you go? “I got a lot of invitations, and of course it moved me very much, but I didn’t go. Beyond the fact that it would have filled my schedule, and as you know, I’m fine financially, it would have bankrupted me,” she says with a laugh. This might be the place to note that Wertheimer is also a descendant of one of Israel’s wealthiest families. She was born and raised in Kfar Vradim, the eldest daughter of billionaire Eitan Wertheimer and the granddaughter of industrialist Stef Wertheimer. You’ve said before that your parents also raised you fairly strictly. “I was raised in a very German-Jewish way. My parents were afraid we would grow up spoiled and without an appreciation for money, so by 14 we had to work, by 16 we had to pay for our driver’s licenses, and right after the army we had to leave home and move into a shared apartment. I saw all my friends’ parents wanting them to stay at home, and I was being kicked out at 20 and a half. It was really insulting. It felt like, what, they don’t love me? It’s clear to me that I’ll behave completely differently with my children.” You recently said in an Instagram video that you grew up in a home where “no one takes care of you or feels sorry for you,” and that it initially affected your relationship with Asaf. “It’s not that they didn’t take care of us, but there was no room for victimhood. In my early 20s, I took myself to the hospital with appendicitis because my mother said, ‘It’s all in your head.’ Asaf, by contrast, grew up in a home where a temperature of 97 degrees meant you were sick and immediately got soup, care and ‘my sweetie’ and ‘my darling.’ At the beginning of our relationship, when Asaf was sick, I would say, ‘You’re fine,’ and he thought I didn’t love him. But to me, that’s what people who love you do when you’re sick. Today, in any case, when someone in our house is sick, I definitely use his love language.” If during the Iron Swords war, Wertheimer played matchmaker, in the current Roaring Lion war, she helped people looking for homes with safe rooms. Again, she did so through her Instagram account, which currently has 641,000 followers. Last month, in a survey conducted by the TV program she ranked No. 1 on the list of Israel’s most trusted influencers. She says she did not exactly celebrate the title. “As part of that survey, they also published a negative list of those who were ‘least trustworthy,’ and that really bothered me,” she says. Still, do you understand why you received the honor? “Look, I really believe in integrity, honesty and sincerity. I’ve always viewed my online activity as a marathon, not a series of sprints. I believe that if one woman buys something I recommended and it isn’t good, she’ll be upset with me and probably never buy anything I recommend again.” You can also afford to turn down a lot of collaborations. It’s much easier for you to say no. “True. Although I do take money for collaborations, a lot of money. But I definitely turn down many of them, do fewer things and also earn much less than the other women on the list. Not only because of my background, but also because Instagram isn’t my main job.” message hkpijkl0wx Queralt Castillo Cerezuela, a Greece-based reporter for Spanish media outlets, denied entry after officials said she backed boycott groups, accused Israel of 'genocide' and called for the end of 'the Zionist regime' Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/30/SyYMFOlCWg/SyYMFOlCWg_43_2_1067_601_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hkpijkl0wx Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:15:39 +03:00 Israel has barred Spanish journalist Queralt Castillo Cerezuela from entering the country, after the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said her public activity included support for the BDS movement, accusations that Israel is committing “genocide” and calls for the end of “the Zionist regime.” The move followed a recommendation by ministry director-general Avi Cohen-Scali to the Population and Immigration Authority to prevent Castillo Cerezuela from entering Israel in the future, the ministry said. As a result of the recommendation, Castillo Cerezuela was also denied eligibility for a press card from Israel’s Government Press Office, preventing her from working as a journalist in Israel. The ministry said Castillo Cerezuela, a Spanish citizen currently based in Greece, retweeted content from boycott groups, including the Madrid branch of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, expressed support for BDS, accused Israel of committing “genocide” and voiced hope for the end of “the Zionist regime.” The recommendation was made under Amendment No. 40 to Israel’s Entry into Israel Law and in accordance with an interministerial agreement on such referrals, the ministry said. Castillo Cerezuela works as a journalist in Greece and specializes in international politics, human rights and migration. In recent years, she has reported for the Spanish outlets Diari ARA, in Catalan, since 2022, and elDiario.es, in Spanish, since 2023. She has also worked with La Marea, El Salto and Condé Nast. Based in Athens, she mainly covers Greece and the Balkans, including refugee issues, European policy and regional political developments. Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said the decision reflects a broader policy of denying entry or activity in Israel to those he described as hostile to the country. “The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism is implementing in practice a policy under which haters of Israel will not be allowed entry or activity in its territory,” Chikli said. “Spain is a powerhouse of antisemitism. We will continue to fight antisemitism and BDS supporters.” Cohen-Scali said Castillo Cerezuela’s conduct went beyond legitimate criticism of Israel. “Her activity exceeds legitimate expression of opinion and criticism of the State of Israel and is characterized by inciting calls against Israel’s actions and the dissemination of content with antisemitic, anti-Zionist and anti-Israel characteristics,” he said. “We will continue to act to keep the enemies of the Jewish people away from the State of Israel.” message hjfcdpr6be International Writers' Festival director Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler says South Africa's J.M. Coetzee refused her invitation in a sharply worded message accusing Israel of genocide, while eight other international writers are set to attend Aya Chajut https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/28/SyzwoSRpZg/SyzwoSRpZg_0_85_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjfcdpr6be Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:52:15 +03:00 The 14th International Writers Festival at Mishkenot Sha’ananim is set to take place May 25-28 in Jerusalem, bringing leading literary figures to Israel amid continued criticism of the country over the war in Gaza. Festival director Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler said she again faced difficulties and sharp responses from international writers while organizing this year’s event, including from South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee, one of the most acclaimed figures in contemporary English literature. “Coetzee wrote me an especially harsh response, saying he was refusing my invitation because, in his words, over the past two years the State of Israel has been conducting a campaign of genocide in Gaza that is disproportionate to the ‘murderous provocations’ that took place on October 7 — a genocide that, he said, received enthusiastic support from most of the Israeli public,” Fermentto-Tzaisler told ynet, recalling the message she received from Coetzee, who has also twice won the prestigious Booker Prize. “He added that for this reason it is impossible for any part of Israeli society — including the intellectual and artistic communities — to claim it does not share in the guilt for the atrocities in Gaza," she also said. “He ended by saying that the process of cleansing Israel’s name and reestablishing it in the international community would take many years, ‘if it is interested in that at all.’ I was shocked, of course — and eventually sent him an email in response.” In the message she drafted to Coetzee, whose full name is John Maxwell Coetzee, Fermentto-Tzaisler wrote: “Mr. Coetzee, I would like to share with you some of what I have experienced since October 7 as a Jewish-Israeli woman, as a writer and as the director of a writers festival, living in Tel Aviv. First, I wish to set the record straight. I believe the term ‘murderous provocation’ is not appropriate for the events of October 7. Hamas terrorists planned this massacre for more than five years. They trained, raised funds, gathered intelligence and prepared large numbers of personnel for their genocidal mission — to kill Jews. I emphasize the word ‘Jews’ because when the terrorists entered the Gaza envelope communities — an area recognized under international law, contrary to the widespread mistaken perception that it is occupied territory — they shouted in Arabic, ‘Itbah al-Yahud’ — 'slaughter the Jews'. They did not say ‘slaughter the Israelis,’ nor even ‘the Zionists.’ “Even if one sets aside the murder, rape and abductions, October 7 was not an uprising of the oppressed. It was an expression of a jihadist ideology that sees the very presence of Jews in the Land of Israel and Palestine as intolerable, and something to be fought with absolute and uncompromising violence. Alongside all this, since October 7 a bloody and unbearable war has been taking place in Gaza. But Israel went to war in Gaza in order to dismantle Hamas, so that it would not commit such crimes again.” She continued: “As a South African writer who fought apartheid, I would have expected — or perhaps dreamed — that you would extend a hand to me, that you would say to me, ‘Fight, my daughter. Do not stop fighting.’ Writers and literature have a role, and it is not to remain silent or disappear. But instead, in your email, you chose to push me deeper into the abyss in which I already find myself. And you ended your letter by saying that forgiveness, repair and healing are nowhere on the horizon. You left me in despair. We do not know each other, but I do not believe despair was ever your way — not as a writer and not as a person who cares about the world and about human beings. And I am sorry that this is the fate you and the international community designate for me, and for people like me.” While Coetzee declined the invitation, eight other international writers confirmed they would attend the festival, which is supported by the Jerusalem Foundation, and will take part in panels and events. They include Erri De Luca, Nell Zink, Joseph Finder, Dara Horn, Steve J. Zipperstein, Benjamin Resnick, Marcelo Birmajer and Eva Illouz. “In the past, as a guest in Israel, I felt the deep noise of a conflict in the making, the suspended danger to civilian lives,” De Luca said. “My impression today is that Israel is facing a war that may have a chance of being the last. I am coming to share this moment with the Israeli public — and to speak about all the other matters, because literature is all the other matters.” Among the Israeli writers and creators participating are Zeruya Shalev, Ayelet Gundar-Goshen and Yannets Levi, who will launch a new book. The festival will also include a tribute to poet Dan Pagis marking 40 years since his death, an original production created in cooperation with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Mishkenot Sha’ananim Center for Culture and Spirit. The Mishkenot Sha’ananim festival will close with an event honoring released hostage Eli Sharabi, who will speak with Roni Kuban about his book “Hostage.” message byoi0pppbx Sources close to the couple say the singer, 32, proposed in a traditional, romantic way and that the actress, 37, immediately accepted, while showing off a custom-made ring to friends as their relationship continues to grow more serious ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/03/04/HyEpnKHFbx/HyEpnKHFbx_0_55_853_481_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/byoi0pppbx Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:11:27 +03:00 After months of speculation, Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz are engaged, People magazine reported, citing sources close to the couple. Rumors of an engagement began last week after Kravitz, 37, was photographed wearing a large ring on her finger. According to People, the actress and Styles, 32, have shared the news with a close circle of friends. A source told People that Kravitz has been showing the ring to friends. The Daily Mail reported that the ring was custom-made, estimated at 12 carats and worth about $1 million. Friends of the couple said Kravitz immediately accepted Styles’ proposal because she is “head over heels in love” with him, and that Styles proposed in a traditional, romantic way. They added that the feeling is mutual: “He would jump off a cliff for her. He is completely in love with her.” Kravitz was previously married to actor Karl Glusman. The two divorced in 2020 after a year and a half of marriage. She later dated actor Channing Tatum, to whom she was engaged for two years before they split in 2024. Styles has previously been linked to Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, Kendall Jenner and Taylor Swift. Shortly after news of the engagement broke, Tatum shared a brief, melancholy poem by John Roedel about the heart and mind turning against each other after a painful breakup. Styles and Kravitz became a couple last summer but have not publicly confirmed the relationship. They have been seen walking arm in arm and kissing in cities including Rome and London. Soon after they were first linked, the couple met for lunch with Kravitz’s father, musician Lenny Kravitz, in what appeared to be a sign the relationship was serious. “Lenny is very protective of Zoë, but he enjoyed meeting Harry,” a source said. “He thought Harry was polite, humble and genuinely interested in getting to know the family. Lenny wants Zoë to be with someone who respects her, and he believes Harry treats her properly.” The source added that the group laughed often during the meal and appeared to share the same sense of humor. Page Six also reported that Styles has been telling friends he wants to become a father. message r1bwrt26zg From the Torah to the Greeks, from Hippocrates to modern herbalists — the ritual use of plant oils is not medicine; it is something older, deeper and far more powerful: intentional healing of the whole self Eden Abohasira https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/27/rk4UJqh611x/rk4UJqh611x_0_0_1290_683_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/r1bwrt26zg Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:36:42 +03:00 Anointing oils are plant-infused oils applied to the body with focused intention, prayer or ceremony. They are not a wellness trend. They are a thread that runs through every major civilisation on earth: through Jewish scripture and Sephardic folk tradition, through the pharmacopeias of ancient Greece and Egypt, through Indigenous ritual practices across every continent. At the heart of every one of these traditions is a truth that modern medicine has largely forgotten: the body cannot be separated from the spirit, and healing that ignores the soul heals nothing at all. This is not a medical argument. It is a cultural and philosophical one, backed by thousands of years of history, for why herbal anointing rituals matter, what Judaism has to teach us about intentional healing and why the most important ingredient in any sacred oil is neither the plant nor the oil. It is the person holding it. Shemen HaMishcha: The Sacred Oil of Judaism The Hebrew Bible is saturated with oil. Olive oil, shemen zayit, appears in the Torah not merely as food or fuel for the Temple menorah, but as the physical medium through which divine blessing is transmitted to human beings. To anoint, in Judaism, is to consecrate: to mark someone as set apart, elevated, touched by the sacred. In Exodus 30:22–33, God gives Moses a precise recipe for the shemen HaMishcha, the holy anointing oil, blended from myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia and olive oil. It was used to anoint the Ark of the Covenant, the altar and every sacred vessel in the Tabernacle. Samuel anointed David with oil; Elijah anointed Elisha. In each case, the act was understood as the physical enactment of an invisible spiritual truth: that a human being had been chosen, prepared and transformed. The very word Mashiach, Messiah, means "the anointed one." Oil was the conductor. The body was the instrument. Intention was the electricity. This tradition flowed forward into Sephardic Jewish folk practice across the Ottoman Empire, North Africa and the Middle East, where women maintained a living tradition of plant-based ritual care for generations. In Kabbalistic thought, oil carries unique spiritual significance: it does not mix with other substances, it rises, it burns cleanly and it produces light. For the Kabbalists, this made oil the perfect symbol for the divine soul within the human body, something pure, elevated and capable of illuminating darkness when properly kindled. To anoint was to draw divine light downward into the physical form, to open the body as a vessel for sacred flow. My Great Uncle Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, the revered Moroccan Kabbalist who lived until 1984, embodied this tradition in his lifetime. He was famous for blessing olive oil and dispensing it to the sick and suffering as a vehicle for divine healing. Thousands came to receive it from communities across Israel, North Africa and beyond. They did not come for medicine. They came for intention, prayer and connection to something beyond themselves. The oil was the vessel. The blessing was the point. "Oil was the conductor. The body was the instrument. Intention was the electricity." What the philosophers and herbalists knew The Jewish tradition is not alone in this understanding. Across the ancient world, philosophers and healers arrived at the same conclusion independently: that the power of a plant is inseparable from the inner state of the person using it. Hippocrates of Kos prescribed aromatic oil baths and plant-infused massages as central to healing, but insisted that recovery required the participation of the patient's own spirit. His concept of physis, the vital force within every living thing, held that the physician's role was not to overpower illness but to awaken the body's own healing intelligence. The oils were catalysts. The patient's consciousness was the medicine. Avicenna Ibn Sina, the eleventh-century Persian polymath whose Canon of Medicine shaped medical tradition for six centuries, described aromatic plant preparations as "movements of the soul." He argued that the mind, spirit and body formed one unified system, and that the aromatic intelligence of plants could shift a person's inner climate and create the conditions in which healing becomes possible. The plants, in his understanding, did not heal. They invited the person to heal themselves. Hildegard of Bingen, the twelfth-century German abbess and herbalist, understood every herb as a carrier of viriditas, the greening, vitalising force of divine creation. Every healing she practiced was understood as a collaboration between the healer, the plant, the patient and God. Prayer was not separate from the medicine. Prayer was part of the formula. Not medicine. Intentional. That is the point. It must be said clearly: herbal anointing oils are not pharmaceuticals. They are not treatments for disease. If you are unwell, please see a doctor. Medical care and sacred ritual are not in competition. They address entirely different dimensions of the human being. When you anoint yourself with an oil prepared with intention and prayer, you connect yourself to every healer, every grandmother who has ever done the same. You are saying: my body is sacred. My healing matters. I am worthy of ceremony. What an anointing oil can do, what it has always done across every tradition, is serve as a physical anchor for intention. The oil gives intention to the body. It makes the invisible tangible. It gives a spiritual act a sensory form the nervous system can recognise and respond to. And in that act, in that deep, intentional moment of self-recognition, the mind, the soul and the body finally arrive in the same place at the same time. That is what ignites the power of the plant. Not magic or chemistry alone. The wholeness of your own presence. When you warm oil between your palms, place your hands on your body, slow your breath and ask sincerely what you are holding and what is ready to be released, something real is happening. You are turning your full attention toward a part of yourself that modern life has taught you to ignore. You are creating a moment of presence. You are performing an act of self-recognition. The most powerful healing force is not a drug. It is the moment a human being turns toward themselves, fully and lovingly, and says: I am here, and I am willing to be made whole. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns. Eden Abohasira is the great-niece of the Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira. Raised in New York, she left a career in criminal justice and made aliyah to Israel in 2019, where she began a journey inward toward healing, spirituality and the ancient wisdom of plants. She crafts sacred anointing oils under her brand Nectar & Nurture. Follow her on Instagram. message sk8ldpjawe Less than a month before the Eurovision 2026 semifinal, Slovenia, Ireland and Spain say they will not broadcast the contest over Israel’s participation; Slovenia will air Palestinian films instead, while Ireland’s May schedule omits the event Ran Boker https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/03/06/HJrhN100YZl/HJrhN100YZl_0_0_1537_865_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sk8ldpjawe Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:31:46 +03:00 The boycott campaign against Israel at Eurovision continues: Slovenia announced it will air Palestinian films instead of the European song contest, while Ireland’s public broadcaster, which had already confirmed it would not broadcast the competition, took a formal step by publishing its May schedule without Eurovision. Spain will also stop broadcasting the contest this year, for the first time since 1961. The three countries had already announced they would not participate in the contest because of Israel’s participation. Now, in effect, they are also preventing their citizens from watching it through their public broadcasters A representative of Slovenia’s public broadcaster officially confirmed the decision to boycott the broadcast as well. “We will broadcast a series of films including Palestinian films,” she said in recent days. These countries were among the leaders of the failed effort to boycott Israel from the competition. The move collapsed after the European Broadcasting Union put new rules, including Israel’s participation in Eurovision, to a vote. They were approved by a majority. Less than a month remains before the first semifinal, in which Israel will take part on May 12. Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, will perform song No. 10, “Michelle,” which is currently ranked sixth in the betting odds. message sk00mtukpwx Andy Halmay, 98, plans June release marking 50 years since Entebbe rescue, recalling decades-old project inspired by the 1976 hostage operation ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2017/09/10/8026459/8026459_0_40_1300_732_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sk00mtukpwx Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:17:27 +03:00 A Canadian-American filmmaker is marking the 50th anniversary of the Entebbe rescue with a personal tribute decades in the making. Andy Halmay, a 98-year-old actor, writer and producer currently in Toronto, said he plans to release a recorded piece in June reflecting on the 1976 Israeli military operation that freed 102 hostages in Uganda. The release is timed ahead of July 4, which will mark both the United States’ 250th anniversary and five decades since the raid. Halmay, who lived in Hollywood at the time of the operation, recalled staying up through the night following the developments on television. “I said to myself, I must make a film about this story,” he said. In the days after the rescue, major Hollywood producers quickly announced competing film projects. Halmay said he felt he could not compete with large studios but still wanted to contribute his perspective. He wrote a short piece titled “That Little Bitty Country Showed Us How,” aiming to capture the story from an American viewpoint. He initially hoped to record it with actor Henry Fonda, but plans were delayed due to Fonda’s health. Fonda died in 1982, and the project remained unfinished for decades. Only recently, Halmay said, did he realize that 50 years had passed since the operation. He expressed concern that younger generations, including Israeli soldiers currently serving in Gaza and southern Lebanon, may be less familiar with the Entebbe mission. He said he believes Israel should formally mark July 4 as a day commemorating the rescue. With that in mind, Halmay decided to record the piece himself using his own voice and plans to distribute it digitally. He described the work as both a historical reflection and a personal statement shaped by his long career in entertainment and advertising. Over the years, Halmay worked across theater, radio, television and film, as well as in advertising on Madison Avenue, where he won several awards for creative work. He also wrote and produced music released on major labels and collaborated with well-known figures including Jackie Gleason, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Leslie Nielsen and John Huston. His Entebbe piece combines narrative and poetic elements, portraying the rescue as a decisive response to terrorism and a defining moment of resolve. “I wanted to get my feelings to the public,” Halmay said, describing the project as a long-delayed effort to honor what he called "the greatest military feat in history". message