USA President Donald Trump on 26 Jan. 2018 condemned the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust, in a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. "Tomorrow marks the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi death and concentration camp in Poland. We take this opportunity to recall the Nazis’ systematic persecution and brutal murder of six million Jewish people. In their death camps and under their inhuman rule, the Nazis also enslaved and killed millions of Slavs, Roma, people with disabilities, priests and religious leaders, and others who courageously opposed their brutal regime,” said Trump. "Our Nation is indebted to the Holocaust’s survivors. Despite the trauma they carry with them, they continue to educate us by sharing their experiences, strength and wisdom. Although they are aging and their numbers are slowly dwindling, their stories remain with us, giving us the strength to combat intolerance, including anti-Semitism and all other forms of bigotry and discrimination,” he continued. "Every generation must learn and apply the lessons of the Holocaust to prevent new horrors against humanity from occurring.” (Arutz-7) Pray that the battles raging on many fronts against anti-Semitic violence and abuse will be won - and that those who perpetrate such hatred will be severely penalized.

C4i distributes hot, nourishing lunches to poverty-stricken children.

Each day, hot meals are delivered to these needy children – satisfying their hunger, preserving their health, and restoring their smiles. Thus, these underprivileged children are guaranteed at least one nutritious meal a day to safeguard their continued health and advancement.

Since the program was launched, children that received hot lunches have seen a remarkable improvement in their academic and overall performance. A well-fed child is not only happier and more cooperative than a child fighting off hunger pains, but is better able to absorb and retain knowledge necessary for a successful education.

A warm atmosphere

The atmosphere at the Meir Panim free restaurants is relaxed and warm. Over time, camaraderie develops and the restaurants become a "second home” for many of the patrons. Troubled diners open up to the caring volunteers who are always ready to listen, encourage, and assist in any way possible.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin accused the Hamas terrorist organization this week of turning hospitals and other civilian buildings in the Gaza Strip into terror bases. Rivlin visited the headquarters of the Gaza Regional Division of the IDF on 21 Jan. 2018. He then toured the new neighborhood being built at Kibbutz Nirim. Rivlin received a briefing on the current challenges in the sector from high ranking military and security officials. "I am coming to you now from meetings with the security forces and from operational surveys," Rivlin said. "We fought for the houses, the kindergartens and the schools, the paths and the fields. It was a war for our existence and daily life." The president said that Israel remains at war with the Hamas terrorist organization which rules the Gaza Strip. "The mission of the State of Israel has not been completed. We are fighting a terrorist organization that is cruel, extremist, and murderous. It is a terrorist organization that devotes no thought to the future and well-being of Israel, the people of Gaza, and for whom "reconciliation" of one kind or another is only a step towards advancing the war.

"Hamas is cultivating terror bases in hospitals, mosques and schools, and continues to invest its energy in military armament, tunnel construction, and planning attacks against the State of Israel. We are not complacent. We know that the next battle, if imposed on us, will be different and harder than the previous one. But we are determined that when it comes, we will be ready and trained. We will surprise and not be surprised, and we will strike the enemy with a hard and cutting blow," added Rivlin. "The entire world must know and understand that the ones preventing the rehabilitation [of Gaza] is Hamas. Israel is the only entity in the region that transfers - regardless of the situation - the minimal needs to the residents so that they can maintain their well-being. Unfortunately, Hamas is exploiting the plight of Gaza's citizens and using the materials - which are sent to the Gaza Strip for the benefit of the lives of the residents - for terror purposes instead. (Arutz-7) [Comment]

At the behest of Fatah, Palestinians in Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria kept their shops closed on Tues. 23 Jan. 2018 to protest the USA vice president's trip to Israel. Palestinians took part in a general strike, protesting Pence's time in Israel, and his Knesset speech in support of USA President Donald Trump's Dec. 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Shops in Palestinian cities and in east Jerusalem were locked and shuttered, and the streets were nearly entirely empty. On 22 Jan. 2018, Pence's speech to Israel's Knesset was briefly disrupted, at the outset, by Arab Israeli parliament members who held up protest signs in Arabic and English, reading "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine." They were immediately ejected by ushers. Pence responded to the incident by saying with a smile: "It is deeply humbling for me to stand before this vibrant democracy." (J.Post) [Comment]

Pence rapped Iran as the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism, in his speech to Israel’s Knesset and used the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism” several times, saying it "respects no creed, stealing the lives of Jews, Christians and Muslims. Together with our allies we will continue to bring the full force of our might to drive radical Islamic terrorism from the face of the earth,” he said. During his speech, Pence waxed poetic about Israel and Jewish history. "As I stand in Abraham’s Promised Land, I believe that all who cherish freedom and seek a brighter future should cast their eyes here and marvel at what they behold. How unlikely is Israel’s birth; how more unlikely is her survival?” Pence said the Jewish people held on to the hope of returning to their homeland over a 2,000 year exile, "through the darkest and longest nights. Tomorrow, when I stand with my wife Karen at Yad Vashem to honor the six million Jewish martyrs of the Holocaust, we will marvel at the faith and resilience of your people, who just three years after walking in the shadow of death, rose up from the ashes to resurrect yourselves, to reclaim a Jewish future and rebuild the Jewish State.” Speaking on Israel’s upcoming 70th Independence Day, Pence said the Shehechiyanu ("who has granted us life”) blessing. Pence’s blessing was met with a standing ovation from nearly all of the MKs present, as were several other points in his speech. (J.Post) [Comment]