Pesach Benson, Author at J-Wire

New stool test may make painful colonoscopies less necessary

Pesach Benson — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:46:56 +0000

Israeli scientists have developed a new way to monitor inflammatory bowel disease using a simple stool test, a breakthrough that could reduce the need for repeated colonoscopies for millions of patients worldwide, Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced. Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects an estimated 6 to 8 million people globally. The condition includes Crohn’s […]

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Medical cannabis overhaul sparks debate in Israel over smoking-based treatment

Pesach Benson — Mon, 04 May 2026 07:40:01 +0000

Israel’s Health Ministry on Sunday published recommendations from a professional committee calling for a sweeping overhaul of medical cannabis regulation in Israel, including a dramatic proposal to phase out the use and marketing of smoked cannabis within three years. The committee, chaired by Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the ministry’s Mental Health Division, was tasked […]

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Israeli study suggests oral health begins in the womb

Pesach Benson — Sun, 03 May 2026 00:01:39 +0000

New Israeli research suggests mothers may shape their children’s oral health long before the first tooth appears, potentially offering new ways to prevent gum disease by influencing early immune development. Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that maternal antibodies do more than protect newborns in early life; they help program long-term immune responses […]

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Israeli navy intercepts Gaza-bound flotilla

Pesach Benson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:10:25 +0000

Israeli naval forces intercepted a large Gaza-bound activist flotilla Wednesday night in the eastern Mediterranean, stopping dozens of vessels seeking to challenge Israel’s maritime blockade of the Hamas-controlled Strip. The convoy, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, (GSF) consisted of more than 50 boats carrying around 1,000 participants, including around 15 from Australia. Online tracking […]

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Israel’s High Court gives government deadline to outline October 7 probe

Pesach Benson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:12:22 +0000

Israel’s High Court of Justice gave the government two months to decide how it will investigate the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, declining for now to compel the immediate creation of a state commission of inquiry. In its ruling on Monday, the panel of seven justices set a July 1 deadline for […]

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Netanyahu cancels Lag B’Omer pilgrimage over Hezbollah threats

Pesach Benson — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:36:58 +0000

Israel will sharply scale back one of its largest annual religious gatherings this year, as security concerns along the northern border continue despite a declared ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the cancellation of the mass Lag B’Omer pilgrimage at Mount Meron, a site in northern Israel that typically draws […]

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Family reunification push brings 240 Bnei Menashe immigrants to Israel

Pesach Benson — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:47:40 +0000

A first group of immigrants from the Bnei Menashe community in northeastern India arrived in Israel on Thursday night, marking the launch of a new government-backed effort to bring the entire community to the country over the coming years. The 240 new arrivals landed at Ben Gurion Airport as part of Operation “Wings of Dawn,” […]

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Israel honours distinguished soldiers on Independence Day

Pesach Benson — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:49:26 +0000

President Isaac Herzog paid tribute to 120 outstanding Israel Defence Forces soldiers at a special Independence Day ceremony on Wednesday, highlighting what he described as an exceptional generation shaped by prolonged conflict. “We all grew up on stories of heroism, but this generation surpasses them all,” Herzog said, addressing the honorees, whose names and faces […]

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Israel marks Memorial Day with 249 soldiers and civilians killed over past year

Pesach Benson — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:34:28 +0000

Israel prepares to mark Memorial Day on Monday night, coinciding with newly released figures showing 249 soldiers and civilians killed over the past year and tens of thousands of fallen security personnel and civilians since the country’s founding. Ahead of the commemoration, the Ministry of Defence and the National Insurance Institute released updated figures detailing […]

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Young Jews more optimistic and engaged despite rising global antisemitism: survey

Pesach Benson — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:42:28 +0000

A new global survey of Jewish communities suggests a striking generational divide and highlights how rising antisemitism and perceptions of Israel are increasingly shaping Jewish life far beyond Israel itself. The findings, published in The Jewish Agency for Israel’s “One People Report,” are based on responses from 1,428 Jewish participants in Israel and 18 countries […]

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