Ben-Gurion’s Terminal One reopens to domestic flights AARON GLICK

View of the Departure hall in Terminal 1, at Ben-Gurion Airport. December 1, 2020. / (photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)

Airplanes take off from Ben Gurion Internationalo Airport on June 8, 2026. (credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)

IAF bases to host USAF refueling aircraft

Exclusive: Miss Israel Pageant Organizers Deny Claims by Titleholder Melanie Shiraz That 2026 Competition Is Rigged

Shiryn Ghermezian

Melanie Shiraz being crowned Miss Israel 2025. Photo: Simon Soong | Edgar Entertainment

Organizers of the Miss Israel competition said in a statement given exclusively to The Algemeiner late Wednesday that they reject all accusations by current Miss Israel Melanie Shiraz about this year’s pageant being rigged.

Shiraz was crowned Miss Israel in July 2025 at the competition held in Miami, Florida. Shiraz went on to represent Israel at the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, which was held in Thailand in November.

For the last two years, the Miss Israel competition was held in Miami. The Miss Israel franchise is owned by the Israeli company Miss Israel LLC while Edgar Entertainment LLC is in charge of general production for the Miss Israel competition.

“Edgar Entertainment and the Miss Israel franchise categorically reject allegations that the competition is illegitimate, that winners are predetermined, or that the process is manipulated. Such claims are false, unfounded, and damaging,” attorneys for Miss Israel LLC said in a statement given to The Algemeiner in response to Shiraz’s accusations. “We demand that Ms. Shiraz and any other individuals cease and desist from publishing, repeating, or promoting false, misleading, or defamatory statements concerning the franchise, its ownership, or its management. We further request the prompt retraction of any such statements. All legal rights and remedies are expressly reserved.”

“As always, Miss Universe Israel welcomes cooperation with Israeli governmental bodies, community institutions, and organizations that wish to work constructively with us to ensure that the competition continues to represent Israel and the Jewish people with integrity, dignity, and professionalism,” the statement added.

In an Instagram video published earlier on Wednesday, Shiraz claimed she has been “pressured, intimidated, and threatened for speaking out” in support of Israel by the “non-Israeli, non-Jewish directorship” of the Miss Israel organization. Speaking about the process currently used to select Israel’s next Miss Israel, she further said no nationwide search took place in the country and that Israeli women were “never given a genuine opportunity” to compete for the country’s crown. She alleged that, instead, non-Israeli Jews were encouraged to apply for the 2026 competition, represent the Jewish state, “and establish eligibility afterwards,” meaning apply for Israeli citizenship only after being crowned Miss Israel. She accused the competition of becoming “completely detached from Israel.”

Miss Universe is a private organization and each country that participates is represented by an independently owned national franchise, including Miss Israel LLC. Lawyers for Miss Israel LLC told The Algemeiner that it operates the Miss Israel competition “in accordance with Miss Universe guidelines” and that its owner has been an Israeli citizen “since most likely before Melanie was born.”

“Edgar Entertainment was engaged as a professional management and production company to oversee operations, logistics, and event execution. While the owner of Edgar Entertainment – Edgar Saakyan – is neither Jewish nor Israeli, personnel and contractors are retained based on their professional qualifications and expertise,” the lawyers added. “It would be unreasonable to suggest that every vendor, contractor, or employee associated with an Israeli organization must themselves be Jewish or Israeli.”

The Miss Israel franchise “establishes its own eligibility requirements within the framework permitted by Miss Universe,” the lawyers said, in response to Shiraz’s claims about the competition pushing for non-Israelis to apply. They explained in their statement that Miss Israel franchise owners decided in the last two years to open the competition to Jewish candidates outside of Israel so that the titleholder could represent Jewish identity from around the world.

“For the past two competition cycles, the franchise temporarily expanded eligibility to include women of Jewish identity worldwide as an expression of Jewish peoplehood and solidarity with the State of Israel, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks,” the statement continued, referring to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and its massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, across southern Israel. “This approach was consistent in spirit with the principles underlying Israel’s Law of Return and Aliyah.”

According to the statement, unlike the previous two cycles, “the official application for the current pageant cycle — which has been publicly available on our website since the conclusion of the last competition and remains available today — explicitly requires applicants to possess either an Israeli passport or a Teudat Zehut (Israeli national identity card).”

The Miss Israel organization “recognizes as equally Israeli both those born in Israel and those who have chosen to make aliyah,” the lawyers said, referring to the process of Jews immigrating to Israel. “We reject any attempt to classify individuals as ‘more’ or ‘less’ Israeli based on the circumstances of their citizenship or personal background.”

Shiraz made several other allegations in the Instagram video she posted on Wednesday.

When the reigning Miss Israel tried to raise funds for competition expenses she paid for out of pocket, “I was met with threats to pay tens of thousands of dollars in costs unrelated to my participation,” she claimed. She gave details about the expenses, and claimed Saakyan also threatened to strip her of her title because of her fundraising efforts, in her interview with The Jerusalem Post this week.

Shiraz additionally found fault with the fact that the Miss Israel pageant was held outside of Israel for the last two years and did not include a Hebrew-speaking component.

“Genuine Israeli representation should have been the first priority,” she noted, before saying she believes the “integrity of Israel’s representation is being compromised.” Shiraz said she expressed her concerns about the Miss Israel competition to organizers but was ignored. She also sent a complaint in February to the Miss Universe organization about “financial extortion” but said that she was ignored as well, she told The Jerusalem Post.

Shiraz additionally shared with The Jerusalem Post a recording of an Edger Entertainment meeting that reportedly features a producer explaining how the 2026 Miss Israel competition had a predetermined winner and was designed to “look like a pageant.”

Lawyers for Miss Israel LLC told The Algemeiner that Shiraz’s decision to secretly record the private conversations, which took place in Florida, may result in them taking legal action against her.

“Florida is a two-party consent jurisdiction for the recording of private oral communications, and unauthorized recordings may carry legal consequences,” the attorneys noted. “We are reviewing this matter with legal counsel and expressly reserve all rights.”

Update: This article has been edited to clarify that Shiraz argued the 2026 selection process for the next Miss Israel is rigged. She did not claim that the 2024 or 2025 competitions were predetermined.

Zamir visits wounded troops ahead of Shavuot, says IDF on high alert

JNS Staff

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits a wounded soldier, May 21, 2026. Credit: IDF.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited wounded soldiers at two rehabilitation centers on Thursday ahead of the Shavuot holiday, praising their resilience and emphasizing that the military remains on high alert across all fronts.

Accompanied by his wife, Orna Zamir, the IDF chief visited the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center and Rambam Health Care Campus, where he met with troops injured in combat and their families.

During the visits, Zamir toured hospital wards, spoke with wounded soldiers and their relatives, and thanked medical teams and personnel from the IDF Casualties Directorate and RAM-2 medical units for their work.

At Loewenstein, Zamir met with Lt. Col. A., commander of the 52nd Battalion, who was wounded in an explosive drone attack during fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. At Rambam, he visited Col. Meir Biderman, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, along with other wounded soldiers, including Staff Sgt. S., who was also seriously injured in Lebanon on Wednesday.

Addressing Biderman, Zamir said the 401st Brigade had repeatedly proven its determination on the battlefield. “All the troops are awaiting your speedy recovery, and now your mission is to regain your strength, rehabilitate and return at full capacity,” he said.

He told the wounded soldiers, “The strength and resilience you and your families demonstrate throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process from complex combat injuries inspire the entire nation of Israel.”

The IDF chief added, “Even during the holiday of Shavuot, the IDF remains on highest alert and continues to operate decisively across all sectors, with high readiness and full preparedness for any mission,” he said.

Zamir praised the families of wounded soldiers for their support throughout the recovery process.

“The path you walk alongside your loved ones is inspiring,” he said. “The IDF is committed to continuing to accompany, care for and strengthen all wounded and disabled IDF troops—this is our ethical and moral responsibility.”

The chief of staff noted that the military continues to operate in multiple arenas and is prepared for any development “on land, in the air and at sea” as Israelis celebrate Shavuot.

Israel’s Attorney General Calls to Cancel Netanyahu’s Mossad Chief Appointment

i24 News and Algemeiner Staff

Israeli Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara. Photo: Twitter

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told the High Court of Justice on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next Mossad chief must be canceled.

Baharav-Miara filed her position ahead of a Tuesday hearing on petitions challenging the appointment, telling the court that “substantial flaws” had been found both in the process conducted by the advisory committee and in the conclusions it drew. She said Netanyahu’s decision suffered from “extreme and blatant unreasonableness” and could not stand legally.

At the center of the dispute is the case of Ori Elmakayes, who was a 17-year-old minor when he was activated in 2022 by Division 210, without going through authorized intelligence channels. At the time, the division was commanded by Gofman. Elmakayes was arrested in May 2022 under espionage charges after two officers sent him classified information and told him to post it online as part of an “influence campaign,” despite not being authorized to do so. Gofman initiated this operation. Elmakayes was then held in full detention until July, spending an extended period under electronic monitoring and house arrest before the indictment against him was canceled in late 2023.

Baharav-Miara says Gofman’s involvement in leaking the classified information to the minor, “casts a heavy shadow on Gofman’s integrity and thus on his appointment to head the Mossad.” The attorney general also identified serious procedural failings in the advisory committee’s work. She notes that the majority members signed their opinion before committee chairman and former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis had written his dissent and before two members had reviewed several classified documents significant to the full picture. Grunis concluded that integrity flaws had been found and that it was not appropriate to appoint Gofman as Mossad chief.

The attorney general also says the committee failed to hear directly from Elmakayes or from a relevant senior military intelligence officer, instead relying in part on media interviews.

Netanyahu, who appointed Gofman to head the Mossad starting in early June, for a five-year term, submitted his own response to the court on this past Friday, arguing that the decision fell within his executive authority. The Prime Minister also said that his assessment of the matter was “dozens of times superior” to that of the court, adding that Gofman’s integrity was “found pure,” and describing him as the most qualified candidate.

Other coalition figures responded to the attorney general with sharp criticism, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir accused Baharav-Miara of fighting the state, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said her position was “one step too far” and vowed to advance legislation splitting the attorney general’s role in the Knesset’s summer session.

Middle Israel: Jesus-statue smasher is product of Jewish fundamentalism – opinion

AMOTZ ASA-EL

Here, the Israeli soldier damages the head of a statue of Jesus, in Debel, Lebanon, in this still image obtained from social media released on April 19. /  (photo credit: SOCIAL MEDIA VIA REUTERS)

The photo that showed a soldier axing a Jesus statue in southern Lebanon was appalling enough – religiously and politically – but even more mind-boggling was the villain’s frivolous attitude: post it on social media, so the whole world would see.

The world indeed saw, and lost no time responding, with intercontinental rebuke. Fortunately, the IDF summarily court-martialed the culprit and his photographer, sending them to a military prison and removing them from future combat service. Unfortunately, what they did represents a syndrome much larger than the two young idiots they evidently are.

And that syndrome is the very one with which Israel’s worst enemies are plagued. It’s called fundamentalism, and its bearers share ignorance of the outer world, impatience with history’s course, and an inability to tolerate the existence of other faiths.

The fundamentalist scourge reared its head in 2001 

Taliban soldiers load ammunition in a vehicle, following exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, near Torkham border, in Afghanistan, February 27, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)

Lebanon’s Christians are on our side