Free Republic

Republican Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum on Sunday for telling state residents “don’t wait until Monday to celebrate Native American heritage” in an official statement. Noem only referred to October 11 as Native Americans’ Day, and omitted any reference to the date’s long national significance as Columbus Day.“The second Monday in October has been recognized as a federal holiday since 1968. In 1990, South Dakota was the first state to do things a little differently than the rest of the nation,” Noem said. “In South Dakota, we recognize Monday,...

Forensic institute completes identification of the 45 who died in Meron disaster.....

At least 45 people were crushed to death and more than 150 people hurt, including many in critical condition, in a stampede after midnight Thursday at a mass gathering to celebrate the Lag B’Omer holiday at Mount Meron, medics said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident “a terrible disaster,” promised a thorough investigation, and said that Sunday would be declared a day of national mourning.Army Radio reported that children were among the dead and injured.The event is believed to be the worst peacetime tragedy in modern Israeli history, with a death toll higher than the 44 who lost their...

Lag Ba’Omer celebrations overlapped with political protest in northern Samaria on Wednesday night. Residents of the Israeli town of Avnei Hefetz and neighboring towns lit their traditional Lag Ba’Omer bonfires in the middle of the street this year in protest of discriminatory policies regarding travel in the region. The main road to Avnei Hefetz has been opened to Palestinian Authority traffic, as have many other roads that for years were Israeli-only due to terror concerns. However, PA-only roads have not been opened to Israelis. “If the security situation is so good, why don’t they open roads for Jews?” one resident...

Motivated by the power of faith, 250,000 people arrive at Mount Meron for Lag Baomer celebrations Some 250,000 people, each for their own reason, came from across the country to Mount Meron on Monday, for the famous Hilula celebrations. By the early afternoon, buses began leaving from Jerusalem every few minutes, and it seemed that the ultra-Orthodox public was setting out on a giant and organized trip. Signs in Afula showed where men and women could go shopping. Buses from the northern city set out in convoys of 15 at a time. In the past, when the access roads were...