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Impatient drivers honk along partially closed streets in Jerusalem. A stream of people dressed in white crosses the road toward the Armon Hanatziv promenade. Prayers blaring from loudspeakers can be heard hundreds of meters away. Sigd, the most important holiday for Ethiopian Jews, began less than an hour ago.

Festive clothing is already visible at the Yitzhak Navon Station. On bus No. 78 heading toward the promenade, nearly half the passengers are either dressed in white or carry their ceremonial clothes in bags. Some speak Hebrew, others Amharic. Yet the bus is only half full.

An hour after the prayer grounds open, around 500 people have already gathered on the promenade. After several rainy days, the morning is sunny. A light breeze carries the faint scent of incense.

Women raise their hands toward the sky, while some bow to the ground. A soft, rhythmic ringing accompanies the prayers. Occasionally, a loud ululation, known as ililta, rises above the crowd. The high-pitched, trilling cry, produced by rapidly moving the tongue back and forth, is part of Ethiopian cultural traditions. It swells quickly, briefly drowning out the amplified prayers, then fades.

The sea of white worn by the tightly packed worshippers ends in a splash of brightly colored ceremonial umbrellas. They glitter in the sunlight above the heads of the kessim, the spiritual leaders of the Beta Israel Ethiopian Jewish community. The kessim lead the prayers from a raised platform. Beyond them: the Temple Mount.

Ben-Dor researches Ethiopian Jewish traditions

One woman stands out in the morning crowd: among those wearing traditional festive clothing, there are no other visitors of non-Ethiopian origin. She is Shoshana Ben-Dor, a researcher of Ethiopian Jewish religious traditions and former Israel director of the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ).

Ben-Dor, however, has no intention of giving an interview before arranging her netela properly. The conversation is repeatedly interrupted as passersby approach her, embrace her, wish her Chag Sameach and ask to take photographs together.

Ben-Dor has studied Sigd since the 1980s. She recalls how the ceremonies were initially held on Mount Zion before moving to the Armon Hanatziv promenade when the original site could no longer accommodate the growing crowds.

Sigd is observed 50 days after Yom Kippur. In Ethiopia, Jews traditionally climbed a mountain, fasted and prayed for their return to Jerusalem. But Ben-Dor disagrees with descriptions that reduce the holiday to that prayer alone.

“It is much, much more,” she says.

Sigd celebrates renewal of covenant between Jewish people and God

The central meaning of Sigd, she explains, is the renewal of the covenant between the Jewish people and God. The kessim recite passages from Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Nehemiah. The prayers are conducted in Ge’ez, the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopian Jews.

Ben-Dor learned Ge’ez herself and spent years translating the prayers. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, she ran an educational tent at the celebrations where visitors could learn what the prayers meant. Today, she says, many participants do not understand the language in which the kessim pray.

She believes these traditions should be familiar not only to Ethiopian Jews but to Jews from other communities as well.

“I absolutely believe that this is a holiday that should be observed by all,” she says.

The idea is not new. In 2007, hundreds of Ethiopian Jews signed a petition calling for Sigd to be included in the wider Jewish religious calendar. The following year, Sigd was officially recognized as a national holiday. Nearly two decades later, the holiday remains predominantly a celebration of the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Ben-Dor gives an example: Recently, during a class on North African Jewish liturgical poetry, one participant asked why Ethiopian Jews needed a separate holiday and why they could not simply be like everyone else,

She recalls that Jews from Morocco and other North African countries once faced similar demands to abandon their customs in favor of those of the Ashkenazi majority.

“It’s very sad,” Ben-Dor says of the recent encounter.

She believes Sigd could become a holiday bringing together Jews of different backgrounds. She would like to see more coverage in schools and the media, and more people from other Jewish communities taking part in the celebrations.

“Jews returned to Israel from the whole world,” she says. “All of us come together, and we can contribute to creating a combination of the new and the old.”

Non-Ethiopian Israelis are more often seen watching than participating. Many film the ceremony on their phones or cameras, while others have come with friends. A few ultra-Orthodox men walk briskly across the grounds without stopping at the prayer area.

Among the visitors is a group of schoolgirls accompanied by a high school teacher who asks not to be named. The girls are not from the Ethiopian Jewish community, and the visit is the teacher’s personal initiative.

Her students are studying sociology and working on a school project about culture. Rather than limiting their studies to the classroom, she wants them to experience Sigd firsthand.

“To actually come and see it and be part of it,” she explains.

Afterward, the students will have to answer questions about what they have observed.

A few steps from the worshippers, another side of the celebration unfolds. Friends embrace, kiss, and exchange holiday greetings. Young women take photographs, teenagers scroll through their phones, and children play among the adults.

One young couple stays in the corner of the prayer area. A man of Ethiopian descent shows his companion, dressed in ordinary clothes, how to move her hands during the prayers. She watches him and repeats the movements.

Sigd about tradition as well as religion

For Yitzhak, a young father born in Israel, Sigd is above all about togetherness and remembering the journey his family made to reach the country: “I’m not the most religious person, but I honor my roots,” he says. “We’ll continue celebrating at home.”

Near the entrance to the prayer grounds stand displays bearing the photograph of Haymanot Kasau. Her face also appears on stickers worn by many of those attending, particularly teenagers and children.

Haymanot was nine years old when she disappeared on February 25, 2024, near an absorption center in Safed, where her family was living after immigrating from Ethiopia. More than two and a half years later, she remains missing. Her parents have repeatedly complained that the authorities have not done enough to find their daughter. 

During the ceremony, the kessim raise a large poster bearing Haymanot’s photograph from the prayer platform. Below them, small stickers showing the same face can be seen among the white garments. Haymanot’s disappearance has become another cause uniting the Ethiopian Jewish community, even as her case has faded from public attention beyond it.

On the return journey, bus No. 78 is no longer half empty. The vehicle is packed with passengers, still dressed in their white festive clothes.

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Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas ordered the newly opened Cafe Omsiat to close for one week after controversy over its Halloween-themed event last week, according to Palestinian and Arab media reports.

According to the independent Palestinian SWA News Agency, Daghlas established an investigative committee to look into the cafe and ordered its temporary closure to preserve public peace.

After photos of party-goers in costumes circulated on social media, activists and prominent Palestinian figures called for punitive measures against the cafe.

Ma’an News Agency published an article on Monday by Dr. Ahmad Rafiq Awad, a founding figure in Palestinian radio and television and a member of the Council of Palestinian Culture, in which he called the event “reprehensible” and argued that it ran counter to Palestinian social and cultural values.

“We simply do not celebrate ghosts, nor their return, nor play with them, nor even acknowledge or respect them. Halloween has no connection to us, not in the slightest. Nothing in our history, culture, traditions, or lives makes this occasion part of our collective memory or consciousness,” he said.

Palestinian leader complains about Black Friday, Valentine’s Day

Awad also complained that occasions such as Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, and other similar celebrations were increasingly making their way into Palestinian life.

“The problem is not a mask worn by a young man or woman, nor a party held inside a restaurant, but rather the meaning behind these scenes, and the growing distance between us and our reality, our identity, and our big questions,” he wrote.

Although he acknowledged that young Palestinians should not be expected to live in perpetual sadness over the current state of Palestinian affairs, Awad argued that the celebration highlighted a growing disconnect between the Palestinian public and the realities of the ongoing conflict.

The Nablus Municipality did not respond to The Jerusalem Post’s request for comment.

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The Israeli Social Platform, a nonprofit that develops education, employment, and welfare programs, has opened applications for a school-based program aimed at identifying and supporting girls at risk of dropping out of state-religious schools.

The organization told The Jerusalem Post that a specific aim is to prevent those girls from gravitating toward hilltop youth.

Called Merhavia, the initiative seeks to identify girls who are becoming disconnected from school while they are still enrolled, and provide support before they leave. The organization describes it as a partnership with the Education Ministry, working within girls’ schools in the state-religious education system.

In a conversation with the Post last week, representatives of the organization described the students it hopes to reach as “invisible girls” – girls whose difficulties can go unnoticed even as their connection to school weakens. 

The written call, published on November 2, describes a broader effort to prevent both actual dropout and “hidden dropout”: emotional, social or academic disengagement from school.

Intervention begins inside school

The intervention would begin inside the schools, known as ulpanot. Participating institutions would assess all their students using a dedicated screening tool, while teachers and administrators would receive training to recognize girls at risk and support their continued place in the school community.

The program envisages identifying approximately 25 to 30 girls for targeted assistance in each participating school. Individual plans would be developed and monitored, alongside small-group sessions addressing emotional, social and educational needs.

Groups would consist of six to 10 girls and meet for 12 to 16 sessions. Possible activities include therapeutic art, photography-based work, dog training, and groups developing social skills. Anxiety, substance use, violence, and social exclusion are among the issues the proposed interventions could address.

Support would also extend to families. Parents would be offered up to 10 individual guidance sessions, with parent support groups established where needed and where families are willing to participate. Girls could also be referred to individual treatment or activities in the community.

Schools joining the program must commit to accommodating students at risk of dropping out, dedicate time to staff training, and incorporate the approach into their work over the longer term. Each school would appoint a coordinator and establish an internal steering committee involving its principal and counselor.

Application open to middle, high schools

Applications are open to schools serving grades seven through 12 or nine through 12, with at least two classes per grade and a diverse student population. The deadline is November 15. 

The Israeli Social Platform, formerly Yedidut Toronto, is a Jerusalem-based nonprofit led by CEO Shaltiel Sebban. It works with government bodies, local authorities and philanthropic partners on programs spanning education, employment and social support.

Selected schools are due to be notified by November 24, with agreements and the start of implementation scheduled by December 8, according to the published timetable.

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The US midterm elections have barely ended, and already the obituaries for the US-Israel relationship are being written. Democratic Party gains have prompted warnings that Israel is losing America, that bipartisan support is finished, and that the alliance is approaching its expiration date.

Such predictions confuse political change with strategic collapse. Nevertheless, dismissing every warning would be equally irresponsible. Israel faces a different American political landscape, and its response must combine confidence about the relationship’s foundations with urgency about strengthening them.

Much of the discussion in Israel and the Jewish world focuses on a handful of far-left Democrats, including politicians associated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Their hostility deserves scrutiny, particularly when it moves far beyond criticism of an Israeli government into opposition to Jewish sovereignty itself.

Nevertheless, treating these figures as representative of every Democratic voter or legislator gives them influence beyond their numbers and obscures the allies Israel still has.

Democrats are not a single ideological bloc. The party includes moderates who regard Israel as an important American partner and understand that intelligence sharing, technological cooperation and commercial ties benefit their constituents.

Alongside the broad Republican Party constituency for the alliance, these Democrats remain essential partners. The task now is to identify areas where that support can produce durable achievements, rather than declare the entire party beyond reach.

Democratic control of Congress changes the calculations, bringing new committee leadership, oversight priorities and potential disputes over funding.

It does not automatically erase the interests connecting the countries. Nor should every disagreement over arms transfers, military operations or diplomatic strategy be treated as evidence that a politician rejects the alliance.

Israel needs the judgment to distinguish difficult friends from determined opponents.

There remains substantial work that can be accomplished during President Donald Trump’s final two years. The greater uncertainty concerns what follows. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a longstanding record of support for Israel, while Vice President JD Vance approaches foreign policy through a more explicitly restrained conception of American interests.

Many in Jerusalem would find Rubio’s approach more reassuring, but neither the Republican nomination nor the next administration’s policies should be treated as settled.

‘One of our most important alliances’

Vance himself has called the relationship “one of our most important alliances in the world,” while stressing the need to explain its benefits to Americans increasingly skeptical of it.

Israel should take both parts seriously. His support matters, and so does his warning that inherited loyalties will not sustain public consent indefinitely.

The case for cooperation must be made afresh to each generation.

The Democratic contest will bring its own uncertainty. Progressives will interpret midterm electoral gains as evidence that their agenda can win beyond traditionally liberal strongholds, while moderates will argue that national victory requires a broader coalition.

Neither interpretation should be accepted without examining individual races and candidates. What Israel cannot afford is a strategy resting on the assumption that the most familiar or sympathetic contender will prevail.

The practical conclusion is nonetheless clear. Israel should use the next two years to make the relationship more resilient to changes in leadership.

That begins with consistently demonstrating what Americans gain. Intelligence cooperation helps identify threats; joint defense development strengthens military capabilities; investment and trade support employment; and Israeli research contributes to advances in medicine, agriculture, water management and cybersecurity.

These benefits need recognizable American examples, not merely enthusiastic declarations from Jerusalem.

The familiar metaphor of Israel as an unsinkable American aircraft carrier captures its strategic geography and historic alliance, but the modern relationship extends far beyond that image.

Israel is also a research partner, a source of operational experience and a contributor to technologies with civilian and military applications. Its strongest argument in Washington is that cooperation advances American security and prosperity while serving as a reliable regional partner.

That argument must acquire institutional weight. Friends of the relationship should pursue bipartisan legislation supporting joint research, industrial cooperation and long-term defense planning.

Both governments should expand cooperation agreements, while universities, hospitals and companies establish joint centers with practical missions and measurable results.

No agreement, legislation, or MoU can bind every future administration, but partnerships with tangible achievements and constituencies in both countries become harder to discard.

Military assistance also deserves a serious discussion.

Greater Israeli economic and defense independence would strengthen the country and weaken the portrayal of it as an American dependent. The goal should be a negotiated transition toward greater self-reliance, alongside deeper joint development, procurement, and strategic cooperation.

Israel and America will never be equal in population, economic scale, or global reach. A successful partnership does not require symmetry, but it does require both sides to see enduring value.

Shared democratic commitments and strategic interests remain powerful foundations, although neither should be taken for granted.

Moderates in both parties must defend those foundations, and Israel must help them with disciplined diplomacy and demonstrable contributions.

The next two years should be spent building a relationship capable of surviving the next 20, whoever occupies the White House next.

The writer is an international strategic communications and campaigns advisor, a former senior Israeli government adviser who has worked with eight cabinet ministers, as a former advisor to the Negev Forum, and has been involved in Israeli diplomacy, politics, and every election campaign for the past two decades. www.ashleyperrystrategies.com

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The Defense Ministry on Monday officially recognized the passengers of the flydubai attempted hijacking as victims of hostile actions under Israeli law, a month and a half after the incident took place. 

The decision was made after the ministry received confirmation from investigative authorities, including the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Mossad, that the hijacking was indeed an attempted terror attack.

With the ministry’s official recognition, the National Insurance Institute will contact the victims to provide further assistance, including psychological and financial support based on their eligibility.

On September 30, during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with an axe, seriously injuring him in the head.

The aircraft began descending rapidly, and passengers realized they could be heading toward a crash. Tali Mans, who heard shouting from the cockpit, called for help.

The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, and several passengers, including Yaniv Hayun, Asaf Rajwan, Or Fardilov, and Zvika Mans, rushed toward the co-pilot, overpowered him, and restrained him using headphone cables.

Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist aboard the flight, treated the injured captain and tried to stop the bleeding.

Two pilots employed by the airline who were traveling on the aircraft as passengers took over in the cockpit and successfully landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Recognizing incident as ‘hostile act’ took over a month

As Walla previously reported, despite the official reception the passengers received upon their return to Israel, more than a month passed before the incident was officially recognized as a hostile act for the purpose of granting benefits.

Some of the passengers required psychological treatment and financial assistance, but without approval from the Defense Ministry’s designated authority, they were unable to receive the assistance available to victims of terrorist attacks.

Upon their arrival in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with several of the passengers who had overpowered and subdued the copilot. Netanyahu told Hayun, “You are a hero. You deserve a worldwide medal of honor.”

President Isaac Herzog also held a reception for the passengers who helped thwart the attempted terrorist attack and presented them with awards for bravery.

However, while the passengers received recognition from senior Israeli officials, the formal process of recognizing them as victims of terrorism was delayed. This was despite Defense Minister Israel Katz having described the attempt to crash the plane as a jihadist terrorist attack on the day of the incident.

Following Walla’s report, the Defense Ministry stated at the time that its designated authority was in continuous contact with the National Insurance Institute’s Department for Victims of Hostile Actions and that decisions would be made after receiving relevant information from the authorized investigative bodies.

Now that the passengers have been officially recognized as victims of terrorist attacks, the formal obstacle preventing them from proceeding with the process of obtaining benefits and assistance from the National Insurance Institute has been removed.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the leaders of the opposition bloc to join him in a single unified government in a video released on Monday, saying that it was “the need of the hour.”

Netanyahu said any Zionist party could join him in the government and that he was not removing anyone from consideration, while also saying that he, as the head of the single largest party, should lead this unified government.

“This government needs to include all the parties in the national camp, which also includes the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties,” Netanyahu said.

ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו: אז מה צריך לקרות עכשיו? ״עכשיו? אחדות לפני יומיים קראתי להקמת ממשלת אחדות וזהו צורך השעה. אתה יודע למה זה צורך השעה? למה? קודם כל כי אי אפשר להקים ממשלה עם תומכי חמאס עם ממשלה שתלויה בתומכי חמאס. אתה לא יכול להילחם באיראן ושאר גורותיה באסלאם הקיצוני אם יש לך תומכי האסלאם הקיצוני שאתה תלוי בהם בתוך הממשלה. ולכן ממשלת האחדות זה פשוט צורך הכרחי. הממשלה הזאת צריכה לכלול את כל מפלגות המחנה הלאומי. זה כולל גם את המפלגות החרדיות. זה צריך לכלול את כל שאר המפלגות הציוניות. אני לא פוסל אף אחד. ואף אחד לא צריך לפסול. די, די להחרמות, אנחנו צריכים לאחד כוחות לקראת האתגרים הגדולים שלפנינו. ומי צריך להוביל ממשלה כזאת? מי שצריך להוביל את הממשלה הזאת באופן טבעי זה המפלגה הגדולה ביותר. והליכוד בהנהגתי קיבל את מרב הקולות. ברבע מיליון יותר קולות מהמפלגה הבאה בתור. לעשות מה שצריך ממשלת אחדות.״

— גיא עזריאל Guy Azriel | Diplomatic Correspondent (@GuyAz) November 9, 2026

He claimed that the parties need to join forces in order to face the “major challenges” standing in the country’s path.

“You cannot form a government with Hamas supporters,” he said.

Netanyahu says Israeli government will not survive if made with ‘the Islamists’

Netanyahu had previously called for a unity government on Saturday for the first time since the elections, saying that “this is the time for unity. This is the will of the people; this is the need of the hour. A government that relies on supporters of terror will not fight terror.”

Netanyahu also said that Israel “would not survive” a government formed by the opposition along with “the Islamists,” adding that such a government would “destroy Israel from within.”

Asher Smith contributed to this report.

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Around 250 Palestinian couples married in a mass wedding ceremony in the Gaza Strip on Friday as part of an initiative organized by the United Arab Emirates’ humanitarian mission, Operation Gallant Knight 3, which has links to Mohammed Dahlan, the exiled former Fatah official and leader of the Democratic Reform Faction, according to official announcements.

Mass wedding ceremonies have provided an opportunity for Palestinian couples to marry despite the financial hardship and displacement caused by the war, which have made it increasingly difficult for many to afford traditional wedding celebrations. The ceremonies have also become a platform for political messaging, with speakers using the events to address the state of the war, Palestinian governance, and the future of the territory.

“One way to honor your sacrifices is to reform the institutions of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to restore our people’s right to choose their leadership through the ballot box. Our people deserve leadership that listens to their voices and institutions that safeguard their rights and act as guardians of their future,” Dahlan said in a recorded address broadcast at the event.

“Your joy is the joy of us all. I pray that the days ahead will be kinder and more beautiful for you. We renew our commitment to remain by your side and do everything in our power to heal your wounds and rebuild Gaza, making it as it was, and even more beautiful. We will continue working until our people enjoy freedom and dignity in an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

“…To our brothers and sisters getting married tonight, their families, and those who will marry in the future: we promise to stand with you as long as we have breath in our bodies. We will not leave Gaza alone to face Israeli aggression, nor abandon it as some leaders have failed to fulfill their responsibilities toward Gaza and the West Bank.”

Dahlan’s political standing in Gaza

Dahlan, who lives in the UAE and serves as a senior security and political adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has sought to build his political standing in the Gaza Strip, where he was born, despite having a more limited political presence in the West Bank.

His name recognition among Palestinians remains significant. Some 55% of Palestinians said they had “heard a lot” about Dahlan, while only 9% said it was their first time hearing of him, according to an October poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR).

In an August poll by the same organization, Dahlan was identified as the preferred successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by 15% of respondents, behind Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti (39%) and only slightly behind Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya (16%).

The October poll also highlighted regional differences in support for Dahlan’s political camp. A joint Hamas-Dahlan electoral list received 30% support in Gaza, compared with just 7% in the West Bank.

UAE humanitarian aid and Gaza’s future

Dimitri Diliani, spokesperson for Fatah’s Democratic Reform Faction, told The Jerusalem Post that Emirati humanitarian aid helps families remain in Gaza by sustaining access to food, water, medical care, shelter, and education, despite what he described as “the obstructionist policies of the State of Israel.”

In a statement marking the third anniversary of Operation Gallant Knight 3, which coincided with Friday’s wedding, Diliani said the organization had delivered more than 136,000 metric tons of assistance over the past three years.

“Our national priority is to ensure our people can remain in their homeland. Assistance that keeps families fed, children learning, and patients receiving treatment serves that priority,” Diliani said. “These young couples deserve to establish homes and raise their children in safety in Gaza.”

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The US Secret Service detained an individual Monday after a vehicle crashed into a sign at the northern end of Lafayette Square, directly across from the White House.

According to eyewitness reports, the driver exited the vehicle and became involved in a physical confrontation with Secret Service agents and National Guard personnel.

The incident prompted a security lockdown in the White House area, with members of the press ordered indoors.

The individual was subsequently taken into custody and was heard shouting “Oh my God” as officers escorted him away from the park.

The circumstances surrounding the crash and the driver’s motives remain unclear. Authorities have not yet released the individual’s identity.

We’re in security lockdown at White House, apparently while there’s an incident at Lafayette Square Park. USSS officer asked us to stay inside the building. @SecretService

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 9, 2026

Reporters were told to stay in the briefing room.

This is a developing story.

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US President Donald Trump cast doubt on the results of the recent midterm elections in a Monday post on Truth Social, despite having previously accepted the massive Democratic victory.

“Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest,” Trump wrote in his post, questioning how pre-election polls could have been so wrong.

“Some early voting ‘dumps’ were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people went to vote,” Trump claimed. “It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!”

Last week, Trump told The New York Times that he was “absolutely willing” to accept the election results.

However, last month he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that he would accept the results “if they’re honest elections.”

Trump congratulates Democrats on midterm election victory

After the initial midterm election results were first released on Tuesday, Trump congratulated the Democrats on their victory, saying they had done a “good job.”

“They’ve been fighting me for a long time,” he said. “I don’t like to consider this a defeat; I wasn’t on the ballot.”

Trump told Fox News at the time that he was “a little bit surprised” about the election results. “I thought that I could transfer those people into candidates.”

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Comedian Russell Brand, once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and a Hollywood star, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years on Monday after he was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more around two decades ago.

Brand – the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, who in recent years moved away from the mainstream – was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more between 2004 and 2009. He had denied all the charges.

The 51-year-old stood in the dock at London’s Southwark Crown Court as Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him, describing Brand as a predator who believed “fame meant you could act how you liked, when you liked.”

Earlier, one of Brand’s victims, whom Brand raped in 2009, said in a statement read by prosecutors that the trauma of the attack was “something I carry with me every day and it often feels never-ending.”

Brand’s lawyer Ian Winter said Brand – who has spoken at length about his recovery from drink and drug addiction and his newfound Christian faith – was “a fundamentally different person today and has been for a very long time.”

Russell Brand faces further rape investigations

London’s Metropolitan Police has said Brand is under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then-16-year-old girl, and the head of the force said on Friday that he “wouldn’t be surprised if many more came forward.”

Brand, who starred in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek” and “Arthur,” had denied ever having non-consensual sex. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault.

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