News Sparks: Israeli Minister Says Meron this Year Will Be ‘Completely Different’; Former Georgia Senator Isakson Dies at Age 76; and More News

Israel’s Religious Affairs Minister Says Meron this Year Will Be ‘Completely Different’

Israel’s Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana tweeted on Sunday that he has been tasked with overseeing the Lag B’omer celebrations for the coming year, and he pledged that they will be “completely different” than any other year due to the deadly stampeded that claimed the lives of 45 Kedoshim.

“The upcoming Meron event will be completely different from the events that have taken place so far,” he tweeted. “The safety of those celebrating the ceremony will be above all this time.”

Former Georgia Senator Isakson Dies at Age 76

Former Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson died on Sunday at the age of 76. Isakson served as Georgia’s Republican senator for 15 years, until resigning in 2019 citing health concerns. 

President Biden praised Isakson as a “colleague and friend” who “put country before party, and valued building consensus over political combat.”

Antisemitic Flyers sent to Homes in Greensboro, N.C.

Antisemitic flyers were spread outside homes in Greensboro, North Carolina, per local media reports and the Jewish community, with the later condemning the flyers as “a vile piece of antisemitic hatred.”

The flyers appear to be similar to flyers that were spread in Beverly Hills just a few weeks ago, and are filled with “antisemitic, blatantly false, and evil conspiracies about the Covid-19 virus and our nation’s efforts to combat its spread,” Jewish community leaders said in a statement. 

“Our hearts go out to all those who have received this disgraceful propaganda,” the statement read. “Hatred has no place in our community.

We, in the Jewish community and those who align with us, stand against it.”

Sen. Manchin’s ‘No’ on Build Back Better Act Kills Bill in Congress

Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Sunday he will vote against President Biden’s signature Build Back Better Act that was supposed to address climate and social issues, and Manchin appeared to disagree on the bill’s $1.9 Trillion price tag.  

“I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I've tried everything humanly possible. I can't get there,” Sen. Manchin said on Fox News Sunday. “This is a no on this legislation.”

The White House released a statement on Sunday rebutting the Senator’s refusal to vote for the bill, claiming Sen. Manchin submitted a written outline that was similar to what the President released. “Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word,” WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in statement.