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 "Were I to sum up the Basel Congress in a word it would be this: At Basel I founded the Jewish State..." – so said the founder of modern Zionism Theodor Herzl.  The World Zionist Organization is marking the 125th anniversary of the Basel Congress  with a series of events in Israel and the world.  The main event will be held in Basel, the site of the First Zionist Congress in 1897, in the hall where about 200 participants gathered at the invitation of Herzl, adopted the Basel Plan to establish a national home for the Jewish people in the land of Israel.  KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Yedidia Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, who will be  one of the main speakers at next week’s Basel anniversary gathering. (Photo:Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few days ago marked the 45 anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, well it turns out Elvis is alive and well and can be found at a truck stop in the Jerusalem foothills. I went there this past weekend and here’s what I found. (photo: Arieh O'Sullivan)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marathon talks underway at treasury to try to avoid teacher's strike on September 1. Meretz, Religious Zionism parties holding primaries ahead of upcoming Knesset election. Israel's national security advisor due to meet with American counterpart amid Israeli opposition to new Iran nuclear deal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shas spiritual leader, Rabbi Shalom Cohen, died Sunday night at the age of 91 at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, where he had been hospitalized this past week.    Rabbi Cohen, a native of Jerusalem, served for many years as the principal of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, which is considered to be the flagship yeshiva in the Sephardic-Haredi community.  Rabbi Cohen was appointed president of Shas’s Council of Torah Sages after Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s death eight years ago. Cohen was in and out of the hospital over the past year, and had been hospitalized in recent weeks for a leg infection. His condition deteriorated in recent days.    Massive crowds of mourners from all over the country attended  the funeral on Monday afternoon in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer is the head of the Haredi Israel division at the Tikvah Fund. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with  him about the legacy of Rabbi Shalom Cohen. (Photo: Aharon Krohn/Flash90)            See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Shalom Cohen being buried in Jerusalem. West Bank Palestinians fly from Ramon airport. Interest rate hike expected today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hizbullah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has warned that if his demands in the negotiations over the maritime border with Israel were not met,  the terror organization would escalate tensions.   “The issues of the maritime border, the Karish gas field and the issues of oil and gas—are unrelated to the nuclear agreement,” Nasrallah said with respect to the recent exchange of proposals between the world powers and Iran.  “If Lebanon gets what it wants, there will be quiet. If not, we will escalate.”  The dispute between Israel and Lebanon centers over demarcation of the maritime border in the Mediterranean sea. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Middle East strategic intelligence  analyst Avi Melamed and asked him how seriously we should take the Hizbullah threats. (Photo:Flash90)   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 workers killed in building site accident. Negotiations resume to avert school strike.8 shots hit settler bus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our weekly wrap on culture and lifestyle stories in Israel. On this program: "Dying Beauty," an upcoming photo exhibition focused on the Dead Sea; exploring Jewish culinary culture in the online exhibition "What's Cooking"; The Jerusalem Puppet Festival; Czech film week; and remembering Svika Pick (Photo: Asaf Amran)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor, says that giving funding to Palestinians was a core part of Europe’s political involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He said the Europeans were reluctant to admit they had been duped the Palestinian groups posing as human rights organizations and see their funding going to terrorism. (photo: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF chief of staff says Israel struck in third country during recent Gaza escalation. Palestinians say teen killed during clashes at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. Germany's president reportedly considering visit to try to resolve crisis with families of Israeli athletes murdered at 1972 Munich gamesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel and Turkey have agreed to restore full diplomatic relations, including reinstating ambassadors and consuls-general.   Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that “renewing relations with Turkey is an important asset for regional stability and important economic news for the citizens of Israel.” The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 over the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces during protests on the Gaza border against the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. A visit to Turkey by President Yitzhak Herzog in March, followed by visits by both foreign ministers, helped warm relations after more than a decade of tensions. KAN's Mark Weiss asked Alon Liel , the former head of Israel’s mission in Turkey, about the timing of today’s dramatic announcement. (Photo: Reuters and Gil Ya'ari/Flash 90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation reared its head once again in July owing to a surprisingly high 1.1% spike in the Consumer Price Index in July, putting Israel on track for the highest year-on-year rise in prices since 2008. The Central Bureau of Statistics published a host of other economic indicators indicating that at the current pace inflation could be as high as 5.2% in 2022, the fastest in well over a decade and almost double the 3% Bank of Israel forecast. Housing prices jumped by almost 18 percent in the last year. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Dr Gil Bufman, Bank Leumi’s Chief Economist, and asked him why prices are continuing to rise. (Photo: Getty Images)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following outcry, Palestinian leader Abbas issues clarification on Holocaust remarks. Military police to again question soldier who fatally shot comrade in friendly fire incident. Finance minister warns teachers against striking start of the school yearSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Population and Immigration Authority has  launched an operation  to encourage Filipinos to leave Israel.   The Population Authority is offering Filipinos residing in Israel without a permit $1,500 per family member at departure, and $300 per month for the following year, in addition to airfare. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Sharon Austria from United Children of Israel, a non profit of Filipino parents living in Israel, who said the community lives in constant fear of deportation. (Photo:Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF Chief of Staff, formally threw  his hat in the ring this week and announced that he would be running for Knesset in the upcoming election. Eisenkot will be running together with his former commander, Benny Gantz, who recently merged his party with Justice Minister Gideon Saar’s New Hope. The new three-way party has been formally named the National Unity party in English. Professor  Ofer Koenig, a research fellow  from the Israel Democracy Institute, pointed out that Eisenkot is the 14th IDF Chief of Staff to enter politics. He added that the next Knesset is expected to include five to six generals.  KAN's Mark Weiss asked Prof. Koenig how common it was for Israeli generals to go into politics. (Photo:Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare assemblage of “astragali”—animal knuckle bones used for gaming and divination—dating from the Hellenistic period some 2,300 years ago has been uncovered in the Maresha-Bet Guvrin National Park in southern Israel. The exceptionally large collection, the results of which were first published recently in the British archaeological journal Levant, was discovered by Dr. Ian Stern several years ago in underground caves beneath the ancient city of Maresha.  He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that many of the bones had Greek inscriptions on them and were likely used by the mosaic of cultures living side by side in the cosmopolitan city of that day.  (photo: Yoli Schwartz/IAA) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Czech Film Week 2022 kicked off this week in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa cinematheques. The highlight will be the award winning Czech film “Occupation,” which is being personally introduced by the director Michal Noheil. Robert Mikolas, the director of the Czech Center in Israel, notes that Czech cinematography is famous for its humor and there will be a number of well-known comedies. He said that Czech puppet theater was also in the country for the international puppet festival and joint Czech/Slovak exhibition of modern abstract art would be opening in Jerusalem. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF soldier killed in friendly fire incident. Education Minister says wage agreement not enough to address teacher shortage. Israeli economy experience 6.8 percent annualized growth in second quarterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shlomo Sand, Professor emeritus from Tel Aviv University History department, said that Salman Rushdie was particularly threatened as a traitor by the growing fanatical Islamic world since he had come from it. Sand told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Rushdie’s courage in the face of the fatwa against him inspired him and others to show courage when taking an unpopular stand. (photo: Evan Agostini/AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF seals Hamas Gaza tunnel. 17-year-old shot dead after attempted stabbing near Jerusalem. Tzvika Pik laid to rest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.