![Israel must continue to be able to deter Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stressed on Wednesday, speaking amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy. "We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations. And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow," the minister told a gathering of nearly 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported. A deal to end more than a year of fighting on the northern border must be durable, Sa'ar said, saying Jerusalem “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time." He added that a ceasefire would be an "opportunity" for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty after the Israeli military severely degraded the Iranian-backed group in recent months. He called for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be strengthened and urged the international community to invest more in the economically devastated country, which is drowning in debt following years of mismanagement and corruption. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized on Wednesday the necessity for Jerusalem to be able to act against any Hezbollah threats that may arise after a ceasefire deal is implemented. “The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [IDF’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” Katz said. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein remained in Beirut for a second day on Wednesday to discuss "technical details" of an American ceasefire proposal with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement. President Joe Biden's point man in the Land of the Cedars announced he would travel to Israel on Wednesday night, speaking after he made "additional progress" in a second meeting with Berri. Hochstein was scheduled to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer shortly after his arrival, followed by a tête-à-tête with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day. “The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein said. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.” The Biden envoy added that he will work with the incoming Trump administration on ceasefire efforts, saying that he has kept the president-elect's transition team informed of progress. Hochstein described as "very productive" his meetings with Lebanese officials on Tuesday. “We have a real opportunity to end the conflict, and now is the moment to decide. We are committed to doing everything we can to work with Lebanon and Israel to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesday. Hochstein also met on Tuesday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and he was scheduled to meet with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun. Mikati emphasized that Lebanon’s primary objectives are achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding its sovereignty. He highlighted the need to implement international resolutions and bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the country. Lebanon delivered its written response to the latest U.S. proposal on Monday. According to Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, the response included “comments” that were “presented in a positive atmosphere.” He did not provide details on the nature of the comments, saying only that they “affirm the precise adherence to [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” according to Reuters. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Wednesday that the terrorist group had "read the ceasefire proposal. "We have our comments, and Nabih Berri has comments, and ours and the Lebanese government's comments are, Inshallah ['God willing'], identical," Qassem said. "We have decided not to discuss these ceasefire proposals or our comments in the media. All I will say is that Israeli is trying to obtain through negotiations what it couldn't through war." The terrorist leader vowed to “continue our efforts on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or not. “We are confronting a savage enemy, and we will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We are facing Israeli human monsters supported by American human monsters,” threatened Qassem. Disarm and retreat Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, but was never enforced. The Litani lies some 20 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Its enforcement, along with Israeli freedom of operation in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of a ceasefire agreement, are the key sticking points in the current negotiations. Netanyahu emphasized during a speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to “return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023. “We will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north, to systematically carry out operations—not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” he said. Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel. More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain internally displaced due to the ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon. Seventy-six people in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks since the start of the war, including 31 soldiers and six foreign citizens, according to the latest data provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, updated on Sunday. In addition, 729 people have been wounded, including 497 civilians and 232 soldiers. Of these, 29 civilians and 37 soldiers were severely injured; 63 civilians and 38 soldiers were moderately injured and 405 civilians and 157 soldiers were lightly injured. Hezbollah’s leadership has been left in tatters following a series of targeted killings by Israel, including that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Sept. 27. This was preceded by Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices that killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400 members of the terrorist group. Israel has been waging a devastating aerial campaign against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including its stronghold of Dahieh south of Beirut. According to Israeli estimates, the terrorist group has lost most of its arsenal to the ongoing strikes. Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in late October that Hezbollah had lost an estimated 80%-plus of its long-range rockets since the start of the war. Israel also continues to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist group still holds 101 hostages in the Strip, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Many of the captives are believed to be dead. Brazil summit Meanwhile, G20 leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a summit put out a joint statement on Monday calling for “comprehensive” ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders of the world’s biggest economies called for U.S. proposals to end fighting in Gaza and free the hostages, and one for Lebanon “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” The 13-point U.S. proposal presented to Lebanese officials on Nov. 14 includes a 60-day truce, during which Lebanon would redeploy its troops along the border. The proposal also calls for Moscow to prevent Hezbollah from resupplying itself via Syrian land routes. Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, with the border area then being under control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, overseen by the United States and Britain. Israeli officials are emphasizing, however, that the Israel Defense Forces must retain freedom of operation in Lebanon to thwart attempts by Hezbollah to violate the agreement and rearm and reestablish itself. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom on Saturday that the IDF will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from across the northern border, regardless of any diplomatic arrangements. However, a source close to Hezbollah told The Washington Post that the group’s “condition for progress remains clear: Israel must be prohibited from conducting operations within Lebanese territory.” Berri emphasized at the time that any ceasefire agreement must not include the ability for Israel to attack by land, sea or air, Channel 12 reported. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose of an agreement?” he remarked. Another sticking point is Lebanon’s objection to the United Kingdom and Germany monitoring the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Beirut reportedly favors the United States and France. If the ceasefire efforts fail, there are plans in the works to expand ground operations in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told the Post. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the proposal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a visit to his Florida estate earlier this month, as well as with senior Biden administration officials in Washington. Dermer also traveled to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terrorist group’s forces and recovering from the war.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gideon-Saar-1320x880-2-218x150.jpg "Sa’ar: Israel must be free to act against Hezbollah truce violations")
After years of meticulous planning and construction, the much-anticipated National Library of Israel is finally set to open its doors. The transformation of a triangular plot of land in Jerusalem, situated between the Knesset and the Israel Museum, into this remarkable institution has been a long journey.
To make space for the new National Library of Israel (NLI), large trees were carefully uprooted and transported on flatbed trucks to a new home at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.
The monumental construction process involved excavating down an impressive five stories below ground level before colossal cranes rose to erect the six remaining stories above ground. Passersby could marvel at the skillful artisans as they meticulously cut Jerusalem stone into intricate patterns and shapes, a testament to the craftsmanship that went into this architectural marvel. Even during the challenges posed by COVID-related closures, the construction of the NLI building pressed on. It was captivating to observe the development of its multiple roof layers over the years.
The National Library has a rich history that spans well over a century. Its origins can be traced back to Joseph Chazanovitz (1844–1919), who first conceived the idea of amassing works from all languages and literatures authored by Jewish writers. His collection in 1892 laid the foundation for the B’nai Brith Library, which ultimately led to the establishment of a National Library, a decision made at the 1905 World Zionist Congress.
In 1920, plans were drawn up for the Hebrew University and the B’nai Brith collection to be the basis for a university library. The David Wolfson Library at Hebrew University Mount Scopus was inaugurated in 1930. However, in 1948, access to the Mount Scopus campus was denied, resulting in the relocation of most of the library’s vast collection, comprising a million items, to various locations and storerooms in Jerusalem. Since 1960, the National Library has found its home on the Hebrew University Campus in Givat Ram.
The library was officially recognized as an independent entity in 2007 following the passage of the National Library Law creating the National Library of the State of Israel.
In 2014, the momentous project was unveiled with the announced construction of the new NLI building, representing an investment of 860 million shekels ($225 million). The cornerstone ceremony, a historic event, took place on April 5, 2016. Distinguished dignitaries present included Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as politicians and Christian religious leaders. Prominent figures from the Rothschild and Gottesman families, alongside other generous donors and select library employees, were also in attendance.
The new edifice is full of light, shape and texture, encompassing a generous 46,000-square-meter (495,000-square-foot) space. Its design, reminiscent of an open book, is a creation of the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. Originally slated for completion in 2021, this architectural masterpiece aims to make available knowledge and culture, inviting all to explore its treasures as it opens its doors to the public.
“Throughout the decades, one thing has been clear: This is a dynamic institution intended not simply to house books but to have them used by people. Our users are central to our purpose and we are gratified to present them with a space that will both allow them to read and research in comfort, and will conserve and preserve the material they need for centuries to come,” Oren Weinberg, CEO of the National Library of Israel, told JNS.
The NLI offers two entrances, one opposite the Knesset, featuring a seating area and lecture space off the main lobby. All signage is provided in Hebrew, Arabic and English. Valuable materials in these languages and others have been carefully cataloged and stored for safekeeping. A recent acquisition in March was the Space Diary of Jewish NASA astronaut Jeff Hoffman.
Inside the library, visitors will discover three reading rooms, one of which can accommodate up to 600 researchers. The collections encompass more than just books and journals; music and more are included in the wealth of knowledge it houses.
The NLI theater, with a seating capacity of 480, will have a blackout curtain, though it may not be suitable for all performances. Additionally, a Steinway piano is set to be donated, enhancing the cultural experiences on offer within the library’s walls.
The heart of the NLI is its vast collection, featuring millions of books, collections and photographs, which have been transferred from the Givat Ram Campus to the new NLI site. From an ancient Codex, a thousand-year-old Torah manuscript known as the Damascus Crown, to millions of digitized items, with cutting-edge interactive technology designed to engage visitors of all ages and interests, all will be easy to access.
The library’s facilities are designed to host school groups and families, with a restaurant, a cafe and a bookstore complementing the open stacks of books on various levels. Textiles adorning the walls have been chosen to absorb sound, creating a conducive environment for reading and research. The library’s open spaces have been thoughtfully designed with ample glass to allow the entry of natural light, while a skylight in the roof illuminates a small landscaped area near the theater.
Outside the library, the grounds have been carefully landscaped and feature a sculpture by Micha Ullman. The stone pieces have been strategically placed so that the sun casts the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in their shadows. Importantly, the NLI grounds are not enclosed by fences; they are open to welcome everyone, fostering a sense of accessibility and community.
The ceremonial official NLI opening, featuring dignitaries and donors, is planned for Oct. 17, 2023. However, one major donor, David Gottesman, who played a significant role in making this dream a reality, passed away last year on September 28, 2022, at the age of 96.
“You could even say that it took 131 years” to complete the project, NLI chairman Sallai Meridor told journalists on a preview tour. A street party is scheduled for the public in late October or the beginning of November, offering an opportunity for all to explore the wonders within the library’s walls. As emphasized during the tour, the National Library of Israel is not just for books; it is for people.
Entry is free, with a nominal fee for the visitor’s center and galleries. “This is more than just a building. It is the physical expression of the Library’s mission to house and share its contents and collections with the public,” stated Naomi Schacter, the library’s director of international relations.