💧News of the Crisis💧July 24, 2025

Otzma Yehudit party continues to display its zealous viewpoint, so at odds with the Israeli majority. Here are two recent instances: Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu proudly stated today in an interview with a Haredi radio station: "The government is racing toward erasing Gaza." He added, "Thank God we are erasing this evil. We are erasing the population. All of Gaza will be Jewish."

Fellow party member, MK Limor Son Har-Melech requested yesterday, during a committee discussion in the Knesset not to use the term “fell” when referring to a killed IDF soldier. “They did not fall. Don’t use the term ‘fell,’” she said. “They ascended; they elevate us all, So ‘fell’ is not the right word,” she added.

The family of Daniel Edri, a reservist soldier suffering from PTSD who tragically took his own life, say Daniel received a post-mortem invitation from the Ministry of Defense for a medical committee to assess his condition. They claim he begged for assistance, even hospitalization, during his lifetime, but was refused. This invitation was a response to a request Edri made six months ago in the hopes of receiving official recognition of his medical condition

His mother and the family’s lawyer, Eliyosef Shahar, will attend the committee, declaring that “Daniel fell in battle — the invisible bullet didn’t miss.” They hope the committee will acknowledge the family's suffering and help support their recovery.

Instagram (under Meta) announced Tuesday it is rolling out a memorialization feature in Israel only, allowing users to designate a trusted memorial contact. That person, once authorized, can manage the deceased’s profile—such as approving follow requests, updating profile photos, and creating a tribute post—while locking down login access.

This initiative comes after advocacy by Israeli MK Erez Malul (Shas), who championed users’ post-mortem digital rights. The Postmortem Access to Digital Content Act, enacted by the Knesset in July 2024, originated as an amendment to the Inheritance Act, and mandates that digital content providers serving Israeli users—such as social media platforms and content storage services—must create and publish clear policies regarding the handling of a user's digital remains. Importantly, platforms must offer users the choice to grant posthumous access to their digital data or deny it.

In the wake of the October 7 tragedy and subsequent war, many bereaved families sought access to digital content—photos, posts, messages—that represent the primary legacy of young victims. By requiring platforms to clarify user options in advance, the law removes the previous necessity of court intervention or guesswork over a deceased person’s intention

This new Instagram memorial contact option aligns the network with Facebook’s equivalent feature, offering to preserve a digital legacy for loved ones.

Key features of Instagram’s Israel-only memorial option include a locked account: No one can log in after memorialization; a “Remembering” badge which appears on the profile and preserved content - existing posts remain visible. Also changes are restricted: Comments, photos, followers cannot be altered, though report capabilities remain.

At present, Instagram supports memorialization in Israel exclusively, with no confirmed plans yet to expand this feature globally.

A recent investigation by independent media outlet The Seventh Eye revealed that Israeli Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal was in direct contact with members of the TV ratings panel, raising serious concerns about manipulation. The ratings panel—composed of 700 representative households—determines viewership figures that influence advertising revenues across Israeli television.

At least two active panel members were found to be in communication with Magal, host of Channel 14’s “flagship” inflammatory program “The Patriots.” This is a severe breach of protocol, as the identities of panelists are kept secret specifically to prevent external influence and data tampering.

Israel’s Ratings Committee responded swiftly, removing the individuals from the panel and noting that no such breach had occurred since the committee's founding in the 1990s, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

This incident follows Channel 14’s ongoing campaign—led largely by Magal—alleging bias and suppression in rating data. Earlier this year, after a ratings drop, Magal claimed that “the truth will soon come out” and even invited viewers on Twitter and Telegram to contact him if they had a “People Meter” or insider knowledge.

Despite the committee’s demand that Magal retract his actions, he continued his public smear campaign. Channel 14 disavowed official involvement, blaming it on Magal’s “personal initiative.”

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