Kan English

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reappeared on the campaign trail in western Turkey on Saturday after illness forced him to back out of election rallies for 3 days.  The polls  for the presidency and parliament - on May 14th will be his toughest challenge yet, after twenty years in power. His main rival for the presidency is Kemal Kilicdaroglu - a secular candidate backed by an alliance of six parties. Opinion polls give a slight lead to  Kilicdaroglu - a softly spoken former civil servant - but the election could well be a photo finish. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Gabi Mitchell, a Policy Fellow at the Mitvim Institute. (Photo:Reuters)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the suicide bombing at the iconic Tel Aviv bar Mike's Place. The attack, perpetrated by two radical British Moslems, killed three people and wounded 50 others. Among the injured was Jack Baxter, a US-based documentary filmmaker and freelance journalist who had arrived in Israel and partnered with director Joshua Faudem to make a documentary about the unique social ecosystem of the blues bar on the beach. Baxter is currently in Israel, for a special screening of the resulting 2004 film: Blues By the Beach.  It will take place this coming Friday, April 28th, at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. Baxter spoke earlier this week to KAN's Naomi Segal. (Photo: Screenshot) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right plans for Million Man March. Degel Hatorah urges boycott. President's office denies judicial talks deadline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right-wing politicians, parties, movements and activists are  holding what has been billed as a “million-man march” in Jerusalem Thursday evening in support of the  judicial overhaul.  The Religious Zionist Party has spent NIS 1.2 million and the Likud NIS 600,000 to help bankroll transportation, logistical and other costs, in addition to seven million shekels that were raised from the public. Prime Minister Netanyahu has given his support to the  demonstration, but will not attend, as opposed to many other ministers and MKs from the Religious Zionist Party, Otzma Yehudit and the Likud. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Avi Abelow, a resident of Efrat, who is taking part in the demonstration. (Photo:Erik Marmor/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Avital Gasith of the School of Zoology at Tel Aviv University has won the 2023 Israel Prize for environmental sciences and sustainability research – the first time ever the prestigious honor has been bestowed in this field.  The prize was awarded for his pioneering work in the protection of nature in Israel, especially waterways, and his active civic involvement in promoting conservation. Gasith spoke to KAN's Naomi Segal about the progress that has been made, the work that remains to be done, and first commented on his reaction to learning he was being awarded the Israel Prize.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the present view that Israel is a divided society, Professor of history and Zionist thinker Gil Troy says that we are actually a very united country with a thriving sense of mission. KAN English’s Arieh O’Sullivan interviewed Prof. Troy, author of the book Theodore Herzl: The Zionist Idea, for our Independence Day show. (photo: Hadas Parush/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some ministers met with protests, disruptions at Israel Memorial Day ceremonies. President Herzog appeals for unity at terror victims' memorial ceremony. One person moderately wounded in Palestinian drive-by shooting attack in West Bank on participants in Memorial Day run in memory of fallen soldiers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masa Israel Journey held an English-language Yom Hazikaron ceremony at Yad LaShiryon in Latrun on Monday evening, commemorating the  lives of fallen IDF soldiers and Jewish victims of terror, individuals originally from France, the United States, Russia Ukraine and Argentina. The memorial torch was lit by Tod Elan, whose son, Second Lieutenant Carmi Elan, an Israel Air Force pilot's course cadet, died in a training flight accident in 2008. He was 19 and a half years old. The flight instructor, Captain Matan Assa also died in the crash. Born in Los Angeles,  Carmi was three and a half years old when his family immigrated to Israel, first settling in Kfar Vradim in the north, and later moving to Herzliya. Carmi was kind and caring about others, his father says, free-spirited, with a passion for life and extreme sport  – especially kite-surfing. Tod Elan spoke earlier with KAN's Naomi Segal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anat Chen describes learning to live with and without her beloved younger brother, Lieutenant David Chen Cohen, whose nickname was Dudu. Dudu served in the Nahal and was killed by sniper fire during a battle in the Bethlehem area in 2000, as he tried to save a wounded comrade. He was 21 years old. Anat describes her brother as charismatic, caring and social, deeply connected to nature, especially the desert surrounding  Mitzpe Ramon, where the family lived for several years during his youth. She told KAN's Naomi Segal  about the significance of her brother's name, and how she has carried it on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syria claims IDF artillery shelled outpost near border, Israel drops leaflets warning Assad's soldiers not to cooperate with Hizbullah, Jordanian parliament member interrogated in Israel for attempting to smuggle weapons and gold to territoriesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF chief of staff Halevi appeals to all Israelis to show respect on upcoming Memorial Day, amid concern current social discord will mar the commemorations. Prime Minister Netanyahu cancels planned speech to US Jewish leaders amid plans by protesters to demonstrate at venue. Maale Adumim mayor tapped to serve as Israel's ambassador to Italy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF chief of staff says no substitute for "people's army." Culture Minister Zohar says politicians should be at the Memorial Day ceremonies, but do not necessarily have to speak at them. Israel's foreign minister in Turkmenistan to inaugurate embassy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel and Azerbaijan strengthening ties, security forces capture Arab teenage gunman who wounded two Israelis in Jerusalem, bitter discord between bereaved families and defense ministry prior to Memorial Day ceremoniesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. Likud MK Bismuth heckled in Holocaust memorial event .2 Jews shot and wounded near Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economists' forum, an early critic of the government's judiciary overhaul, and which signed hundreds of prominent economic figures onto a letter warning of the potential consequences of the legislation, has slammed as "extremely worrying and disconnected from reality" the dismissive response of the prime minister and finance minister to the Moody's ratings agency's downgrade of Israel's credit outlook.  The forum urged the government to shelve what it called the failed overhaul plan, and "come back to reality." KAN's Naomi Segal heard more from Barry Topf, a former member of the Bank of Israel monetary policy committee, and a member of the economists, forum. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum's Book of Names contains 4.8 million names of the 6 million dead that Yad Vashem researchers have identified, and blank pages symbolizing the victims’ names that have not yet been recovered. Yad Vashem started to catalog the names of Holocaust victims in the 1950s. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Dr. Alexander Avram, the director of Yad Vashem's Hall of Names, about the project. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel uncovers attempts by Iran's Quds Force to recruit Palestinians for terror activity against Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu's corruption trial resumes. Son of deposed Iranian Shah to attend official Holocaust remembrance commemorations during Israel visit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 murders in Arab sector in 48 hours. Moody's warns against judicial overhaul impact. PM visits Dee family in Efrat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A power struggle between Sudan's army and a notorious paramilitary force has rocked the country, with more than 50 civilians reported dead. Residents dodged gunfire in the capital, Khartoum, as rival forces battled over the presidential palace, state TV, and army headquarters. Twenty-five people, including 17 civilians, have died in the city, a doctors' organization said. The clashes erupted after tensions over a proposed transition to civilian rule. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke about the Sudan crisis with Avi Melamed, a strategic intelligence analyst and an expert on the Arab and Muslim world and founder and CEO of Inside the Middle East: Intelligence Perspectives. (Photo: Reuters)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pres Herzog optimistic over judicial overhaul talks. Hapoel Jerusalem fans attacked in Athens.  El Al probes why plane failed to respond to Austrian control tower.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.