Jewish Press of Pinellas County

Just a nosh…


 

 

Americans caught in Fruit Roll-Ups caper

At least two American couples have been caught by Israeli customs attempting to smuggle a total of more than 650 pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel, as the country experiences a dire shortage of the snack due to a TikTok craze.

A video posted on May 2, by Mako, an Israeli news website, appears to show a customs official at Ben Gurion International Airport sifting through at least three open suitcases each filled with hundreds of the colorful, sugary treats. An American-accented voice off screen, in a mix of Hebrew and English, explains he brought the snacks across the ocean for his family in Israel. When the customs official asks if the man packed clothes for himself, he responds that he has clothes in Israel.

Why did he fill two checked bags with Fruit Roll-Ups? “It has something to do with ice cream,” the man’s voice says. The man was almost certainly referring to a viral TikTok trend, ongoing since at least March, in which users of the video social network wrap the sweet, sticky roll-up around a small scoop of ice cream, which then freezes over and becomes hard and crunchy.

Israeli military apologizes for death of Palestinian journalist

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces apologized for the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one year after she was killed while on assignment covering clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin.

“I think it’s an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry of the death of the late Shireen Abu Akleh,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s chief spokesman, in an appearance May 11 on CNN. “She was a journalist, a very established journalist. In Israel we are a democracy and in a democracy we see high value in journalism and in a free press. And we want journalists to feel safe in Israel, especially in war time. And even if they criticize us, we want them to feel safe.”

At first, the IDF said it was likely not responsible for her death. But following multiple investigations by third parties indicating that Israeli forces likely killed Abu Akleh, the military acknowledged after its own probe that “there is a high probability” that an Israeli soldier fired the bullet. Israel maintains that her death was an accident.

Abu Akleh was an American citizen.

Synagogue shooting trial to begin May 30

The trial of the accused shooter in the Pittsburgh synagogue attack is slated to begin May 30. Jury selection for the federal trial began last month and is expected to end by May 26. The defendant, Robert Bowers, is accused of killing 11 worshippers from three congregations who were praying together on Oct. 27, 2018. He faces the death penalty.

Most observers expect the defendant to be convicted, which would result in another phase of the trial focused on sentencing during which victims’ family members and other community leaders would testify. Some relatives of the massacre’s victims have pushed for Bowers to be executed, while leaders of two of the three congregations have previously advocated against the death penalty.

In the lead-up to the trial, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, has tracked an “uptick in hate speech” online, according to the Associated Press.

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