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A 9-year-old boy died on Thursday after contracting encephalitis as a result of Naegleria Fowleri, also known as the ‘brain-eating amoeba,’ the Health Ministry announced. 

The ministry first announced that the boy had been hospitalized with swelling in his brain and was subsequently sedated and ventilated in intensive care at Rambam Medical Center on September 6. 

A sample was sent to the Health Ministry laboratory, which confirmed the cause as the amoeba the night before. 

According to the ministry, an investigation found that the boy had been swimming at Kursi Beach in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) about a week before his hospitalization. 

The microscopic amoeba is found in fresh and warm water sources and may cause an infection of the central nervous system if water containing the amoeba enters through the nose and the amoeba reaches the brain.

The ministry emphasized that the infection, while having a high mortality rate, is extremely rare and that it cannot be contracted from drinking the water or from another person.

There have been fewer than 500 cases worldwide, two of which were diagnosed in the US last year, and three of which were diagnosed in Israel in recent years.

Health Ministry advises public take care to mitigate risk while bathing in fresh, warm water

To reduce risk while bathing in fresh, warm water, it is recommended to avoid getting water in the nose as much as possible, especially when jumping, diving, or otherwise submerging one’s head in the water.

The Health Ministry recommends closing one’s nose or using a nose plug. 

Additionally, avoid digging or stirring the bottom in shallow water, where the amoeba may gather in higher concentrations.

If symptoms, including fever, pain, significant headaches, nausea, or vomiting, especially combined with neck stiffness, confusion, unusual drowsiness, or a change in consciousness, appear, the public is urged to seek immediate medical attention and mention their water exposure.

Due to the amoeba’s presence in warm water, swimming sports events have been postponed until the water temperature drops below 24 degrees, at which point the proliferation of the amoeba decreases significantly. 

I was wrong about Israel’s third bloc. I also wanted it to succeed.

I wanted a political force strong enough to make the moderate parties of the Center-Right and Center-Left form a broad unity government. Enough seats to force politicians who could find endless reasons to avoid each other to discover reasons to sit together.

After the October 7 massacre and the war, I thought that was possible. I wrote columns explaining why.

The polling has forced me to reconsider. The independent camp I expected has failed to take shape. We are back to Bibi or no Bibi.

Wanting a broad government seems to me a perfectly reasonable position. Forecasting the emergence of a bloc that could force one into existence required evidence. I gave the possibility more weight than the campaign has justified, and I have to ask how much wanting that outcome influenced my judgment.

In August, I wrote about conversations around me in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem: at the kiddush after going to the synagogue, in the supermarket, at the park. People who had voted the same way for years were reconsidering their choices. They remained on the Right. Some were moving further Right. Their attachment to particular politicians had weakened.

My own thinking had changed, too. For years, I had argued that persuading haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men to serve in the military would achieve more than coercion. During the war, I came to support financial consequences for avoiding service. I knew how far I had moved on a question I had written about repeatedly.

I thought enough changes like these could produce a new political alignment. In that August column, I wrote: “Israel is going through the same thing with the lights on and pollsters in the room, failing to measure it.”

I was confident enough to suggest that the pollsters were missing something. Their numbers have since given me reason to question my own reading.

There was a leap in the argument. Dissatisfied voters still have to agree on where to go. Two reservists can agree about the unfairness of the burden they carry and disagree completely about who should be prime minister. A voter can lose faith in one right-wing politician and choose another who intends to join the same coalition. Changed loyalties can move seats around inside an existing camp.

The third bloc I imagined also had to do something quite demanding with those seats. It had to remain together, make a broad government a condition of its support, and leave the larger parties dependent on that support. Each step could fail. Even a respectable election result would have been only the beginning.

Those promising unity struggled to unite

Instead, some of the people promising unity struggled to unite with one another.

On September 4, Gilad Erdan withdrew his Unity party from the election, citing insufficient support and unsuccessful efforts to join forces with other parties. An N12 poll had put a potential combination of Unity and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White at 2.6%, below the 3.25% threshold for entering the Knesset.

Erdan said voters were primarily looking for an answer to “the question of who will be prime minister.” That was a fairly direct assessment from someone whose political offer had depended on voters giving a different question priority.

The negotiations also exposed a familiar problem. Asked by Walla why he insisted on leading a merged list, Gantz answered: “Because I need to lead this path.”

A project that asks parties across the political spectrum to compromise needs leaders capable of doing so themselves. The order of names on a list is a useful place to start. Those failed talks give us reason to examine the politicians’ decisions alongside the voters’ choices.

Some new lists remain. In the September 18 Maariv poll conducted by Lazar Research, Yoaz Hendel, and Yaron Zelekha’s joint list received four seats, as did Ofer Winter’s People of Israel. Both were narrowly above the electoral threshold. Winter’s seats were counted in the Netanyahu camp.

Four seats can matter enormously in a parliament of 120, where a majority requires 61. Those lists may yet affect who can form a government. The substantial independent camp I expected has nevertheless failed to emerge.

I also underestimated what the Netanyahu question would mean after October 7.

I had expected the scale of the catastrophe and the demands of the war to create pressure for a broad government. They could also make the choice of prime minister feel more consequential. A voter who holds Netanyahu responsible has a powerful reason to insist on his departure. A voter who trusts him most on security has a powerful reason to insist that he stay. The same war can deepen both convictions.

Mere calls for unity can not resolve disagreement

Calling for unity does very little to resolve that disagreement. Any party seeking to force a broad government has to explain whether it would serve under Netanyahu, what conditions it would set, and what it would do if those conditions were rejected. The answer could cost precisely the voters it was trying to bring together.

That is a harder problem than getting people to agree that the country needs unity. I gave too much weight to the apparent demand for a broad government, and too little to the compromises people would have to accept to produce one.

The election is still ahead. Polls can change, and small parties can cross the threshold or fall below it. But the weak numbers and failed attempts to build a common political vehicle are evidence I have to take seriously now. A columnist cannot keep extending the deadline for his own argument until it comes true.

I still want a broad government of the moderate Center-Right and Center-Left. I think it would give Israel a better chance of making decisions on military service, rebuilding, and responsibility for October 7 that could survive beyond one coalition.

The route I expected to get us there has failed in this campaign. A third bloc may have another chance in another election.

I would need to see leaders able to work together, voters prepared to accept the necessary compromises, and a credible way to turn their votes into a broad government. I owe readers that evidence before making the prediction again.

IDF reservist Neria Leiter was seriously wounded Wednesday when a Palestinian attacker rammed a vehicle into him at a checkpoint near Beit Horon on Route 443.

After hours of surgery at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, doctors said his condition had stabilized, but his life remained in danger. His family has asked the public to pray for Neria Dov ben Chana.

His father, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, flew home from New York. At the hospital on Thursday, he spoke about a previous journey through grief. In November 2023, his eldest son, Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed fighting in Gaza.

“He died instantly,” Yechiel said. This time, he said, the family could gather at Neria’s bedside while doctors worked to save him, and they could pray together and ask others to join them. “His life is still in danger,” he told reporters.

There are many ways to describe this family. Yechiel Leiter left the United States for Israel at 18, making a deliberate choice about where to build his life. His children grew up here and made their own choices about service.

Neria returned to reserve duty after his brother’s death

Moshe served for years, became a father of six, and was studying medicine when war called him back. After Moshe’s death, Neria returned to reserve duty.

Their father has spoken about other sons and sons-in-law who served on the front lines, of a son in a support role, and of another son who has Down syndrome, living through the war with the family. Each has a life beyond this accounting of service.

Neria described the decision to go back in a post this year. “As a bereaved brother,” he wrote, returning to the reserves “was not simple at all.” Losing Moshe had torn at him.

He also had opinions and criticisms about how the war and the country were being run. The question he posed, in translation, was: “What do I need to do? What is in my control?”

He could not sit at home while his friends reported for one reserve stint after another. His team included religious and secular men, husbands and fathers, alongside single men, from Israel’s center and its periphery. By then, the rounds of duty were too numerous to count. His closing words were about the privilege of defending home.

Israel’s reservists carry an enormous weight for their country

Read the whole account, and its honesty becomes clear. A person can believe in his duty and feel the strain of carrying it.

He can disagree with those making the decisions and still answer the call. No country should mistake that resolve for an inexhaustible supply of time, health, or courage.

Israel has needed its reservists across multiple fronts since the October 7 massacre. Their families have lived with repeated departures, interrupted work, and the fear that accompanies every call.

The Leiter family’s name is known because Yechiel represents Israel in Washington. Countless families whose names never reach a newspaper have carried comparable burdens. They, too, deserve to be seen while they are serving and long after they return.

‘Choosing life’ means caring for the soldiers who protect it

Yechiel wrote after the attack that he believes prayer and national unity can bring miracles. “Neria needs a miracle,” he said, adding: “They choose death – we choose life.”

A father whose son is fighting for his life is entitled to speak with that force. For the rest of us, choosing life must also mean tending to those who protect it: giving wounded service members and their families sustained care, making repeated reserve service bearable, examining attacks seriously, and sharing the demands of defense as fairly as possible.

That requires support for families and employers long after the headlines have moved on. Officials must hear reservists who voice criticism, even when those same reservists continue to serve.

At Shaare Zedek, Yechiel’s daughter gave birth after visiting her brother. A new life began in one part of the hospital while doctors worked to save Neria in another. Nothing about that proximity tells us how Neria’s story will end. For now, the only ending to seek is his recovery.

The family has asked us to pray. We join that prayer. We should also listen to what Neria wrote when he was well enough to explain why he kept going – and make sure Israel lives up to the people who do.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with leaders from several Latin American countries following his address to the United Nations General Assembly, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, and Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira, the Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday.

The meetings focused on strengthening ties between Israel and Latin America, including the potential expansion of the Isaac Accords, an initiative launched last November to promote political, economic, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin American countries, modeled after the Abraham Accords.

Netanyahu emphasized the importance of closer cooperation with Latin American nations, describing them as key partners in addressing security challenges posed by Iran and affiliated groups operating across the region. He said these networks continue to threaten countries throughout the continent.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today, with Argentinian President Javier Milei @JMilei on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The Prime Minister thanked President Milei for his steadfast and unconditional support for the State of Israel, and congratulated him on… pic.twitter.com/jR2bhiXoEQ

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 24, 2026

During the meeting, Netanyahu praised Milei’s economic reforms in Argentina, calling him “one of the great leaders of our time” and saying his transformation of the country’s economy was “masterful” despite political opposition. Netanyahu also highlighted Milei’s support for Israel, saying, “you stand up for the truth” and that the two countries share “a common heritage of justice and speaking the truth.”

Milei thanked Netanyahu for his remarks, calling it “an honor” to receive praise from “one of the greatest leaders of all history of the world.” The Argentine president reiterated his close personal ties with Netanyahu and his support for Israel during their meeting.

MDA hosts Latin American delegation to share emergency response expertise

The diplomatic outreach comes as Israel seeks to deepen ties with Latin America through a range of initiatives, including cooperation in emergency medicine. Last week, Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service hosted a delegation of 21 senior executives and managers from emergency medical organizations in Latin America and Spain for a professional workshop.

As part of the Foreign Ministry’s 545 Project, representatives from Spain, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Chile, and Honduras visited Israel to learn from MDA’s emergency response operations. The delegation toured MDA facilities in Ramle and Jerusalem, visited communities in southern Israel, and examined Israel’s emergency medical systems.

The growing engagement comes as several Latin American countries have taken steps to strengthen ties with Israel. The Dominican Republic recently became the seventh Latin American nation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, joining Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay.

Other countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile, have expanded cooperation with Israel in areas including security, trade, technology, and efforts to combat antisemitism and Iran-linked threats. The trend has been driven by shifting political dynamics in the region and shared concerns over terrorism, organized crime, and regional security challenges.

Scheduling challenges limited Netanyahu’s UN diplomatic agenda

The initial plan for Netanyahu’s UN visit included a broader diplomatic schedule, including a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump. However, the two leaders’ schedules did not align, preventing the meeting from taking place.

A planned meeting with entrepreneur Elon Musk was also canceled, while logistical challenges related to potential travel to Texas and heightened security concerns in New York further limited the prime minister’s movements.

Netanyahu’s stay in New York was ultimately reduced to roughly six hours, leaving limited time for additional engagements. Beyond his meetings with Latin American leaders, he also met with the prime ministers of Ethiopia, Greece, Slovenia, and Papua New Guinea, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Anna Barsky, Lee Smith, Combat Antisemtism Movement, and Milla Wolman contributed to this report. 

Prominent academics, legal experts, and historians are among more than 6,000 signatories of an open letter released earlier this month rejecting as a “blood libel” the accusation that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

The letter, which launched with more than 5,000 signatories and later surpassed 6,000, argues that the accusation of genocide is contradicted by Israel’s actual conduct in the war and has been weaponized as a pretext to exclude and attack Jews around the world.

The letter was released by Creative Community for Peace in partnership with its authors: Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, and Binghamton University historian Jonathan Karp.

Open letter: ‘We must unite in repudiating the lie of genocide’

“There is a vigorous debate within the Jewish community over aspects of how this war was fought, and that is a sign of moral health. So is our pain over every innocent life lost. But we must unite in repudiating the lie of genocide,” the letter states.

It goes on to address the “unprecedented combat conditions” in Gaza, including Hamas’s use of “hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, thousands of boobytrapped homes [and] the conflating of combatants with ‘journalists’ and ‘human rights workers.’”

It also addresses the civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio, which it says is “considered low for asymmetrical urban warfare.”

Taking the Gaza Health Ministry’s current death toll, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, alongside INSS’s May estimate of more than 23,000 terrorists killed, the implied civilian-to-combatant ratio would be roughly 2:1.

The letter also cites “the absence of mass starvation despite repeated claims of imminent catastrophe” and “the warnings given to civilians before attack,” and asserts that “All these factors were erased in the eagerness to indict Israel for genocide.”

Meanwhile, the letter argues that Israel went to war after October 7 to break what it calls an “Iranian-led siege of terror enclaves” on its borders, while noting that anti-Zionists were already leveling accusations of genocide against Israel the following day.

Letter: In ‘bitter irony,’ Israel is only country to face ‘sustained war of attempted genocide’

“The bitter irony is that Israel, home to half the world’s Jews, is the only country to face a sustained war of attempted genocide – from its inception in 1948 until today,” the letter states.

Prominent scholars who signed the letter include Harvard professor and public intellectual Steven Pinker. Other Harvard-affiliated signatories include Harvard Law professor Jesse Fried and visiting scholar Anat Alon-Beck, a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University.

Other notable scholars who signed on include historian Niall Ferguson, Israeli historian Benny Morris, Holocaust historian and former US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, Tel Aviv University professor emerita and former Yad Vashem chief historian Dina Porat, historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore, UCLA professor Judea Pearl, and Brandeis University professor emeritus Jonathan Sarna.

The signatories also include John Spencer, chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.

Prominent legal figures include former Canadian justice minister and attorney general Irwin Cotler, Cornell Law professor Robert Hockett, Jeffrey Mausner, a former prosecutor with the US Justice Department’s Nazi War Crimes Unit, and Eugene Kontorovich, a professor of law at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School and director of its Center for the Middle East and International Law.

“The genocide libel is a case study in the longstanding – and intensified post-October 7th – historical, moral, legal and normative inversions of fact, law and history,” Cotler said in a statement cited by CCFP.

Political signatories include former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, Iraqi-born former UK cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi, and former US secretary of veterans affairs Robert Wilkie, among others.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart met on Thursday, and Moscow said both agreed that only a diplomatic settlement could end tension in the Middle East sparked by the US-Israeli war against Iran.

“Current regional and international issues were discussed with emphasis on the situation around Iran,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement after Lavrov and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“It was stressed that there is no alternative to a diplomatic settlement of the crisis provoked by the illegal actions of the United States and Israel.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic cooperation partnership in 2025, which provides for a deepening of bilateral ties and closer defense cooperation, but includes no mutual defense clause.

Each side has provided the other with military know-how and equipment.

Tehran and Moscow push back against US pressure

Pezeshkian thanked Vladimir Putin earlier this month for Moscow’s position on the Iran war and said together, Moscow and Tehran can resist what he called US “unilateralism.”

Pezeshkian said in an interview published on Thursday that it was up to the US to choose when the Iran war would end, when asked if the conflict could end by the end of the year.

France will send troops and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, which is key for energy transport, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

Macron also said a US ban on diesel exports, which the White House has denied is under consideration, would be “catastrophic,” both globally and for the US economy.

Macron was speaking in a wide-ranging primetime television interview on the international situation, in which he also warned about possible Russian attacks on French soil.

Facing growing pressure at home over high energy prices, Macron sought to assure the French that France had adequate gas and oil supplies as winter approaches. He said Paris was actively working to ensure flows were not disrupted.

Crude oil prices have surged recently as the main alternative route for Saudi oil exports through Yanbu has come under missile attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

“We are going to send military resources, that is to say, soldiers, radar systems and defense systems, to protect this site – not to get us involved in any conflicts, but to protect this site,” Macron told TF1 and France 2 TV.

Russian threat in the region

Macron dismissed a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the US Central Intelligence Agency had warned European governments about the threat of potential drone attacks from the Mediterranean.

“I can deny it. The CIA did not inform French services,” he said.

Still, Macron said Russia is multiplying hostile and criminal acts against European countries, and France could face strikes similar to the failed attack in Leipzig. Germany said Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack in August on the Leipzig airport.

Macron gathered French party chiefs at the Elysee last week to brief them on the growing threat from Russia. He later said he had ordered his government to draw up a plan to protect critical infrastructure against drone and cyber attacks.

Macron said Moscow was seeking to intimidate Europe and break the continent’s resolve in supporting Ukraine.

Russia says European allegations of hybrid attacks are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.

Yet Macron’s position on Russia was weakened this week after France shocked other EU members by getting Russian-Uzbek metals tycoon Alisher Usmanov exempted from EU sanctions, citing national security concerns. That prompted Azerbaijan to pardon a French national jailed for espionage.

Pop singer Pink is facing more calls – including from Spanish Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem – for her removal as an ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations agency that provides aid to children and mothers.

Pink criticized Macklemore for the pro-Palestinian comments and imagery in his opening set on Ed Sheeran’s tour. The rapper was removed from the tour after venues objected to his participation.

Macklemore has announced his own “Free Palestine” tour beginning with three dates in Dublin, Paris and London starting Oct. 26, with additional dates, including in the US, to be announced. “All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement,” he said. Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti–Zionist group, is one of the causes listed on the tour flier.

The petition reads, “As individuals who care deeply about the welfare of children around the world, we must hold UNICEF Ambassadors to the highest standards of neutrality and compassion.” It was started by the group Swifties Against Genocide and has received more than 192,000 signatures. Bardem, who has been vocal in his support of Palestinians, shared the petition on his Instagram account earlier this week. 

“Palestinian children, like all children affected by genocide, deserve ambassadors who unequivocally extend support and empathy towards their plight,” the petition reads.

UNICEF did not return the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s request for comment.

Pink cites work as UNICEF ambassador in post on Macklemore comments

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore-Hart, cited her work as a UNICEF ambassador in a lengthy Instagram post earlier this month about Macklemore’s comments.

“I’ve spent a decade as a UNICEF ambassador for kids who didn’t choose the country or the war they were born into, and I have grieved every one of them, on both sides of that fence,” Pink wrote at the time.

She added that Macklemore used “violent images from a war on the screens, dedicated a song to the movement of his choice, and then took the mic to tell all of the Jews in the stadium that it wasn’t about them.”

Macklemore told the crowd during his speech: “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.”

“You don’t get to decide that for us,” Pink responded in her post.

That comment, and not Macklemore’s use of the phrase “Free Palestine,” was what motivated Pink to weigh in, she said.

She first weighed in by sharing a post by the account StopAntisemitism, which accused Macklemore of ambushing fans with “anti-Israel propaganda.” After receiving backlash for the repost, Pink issued a statement of her own, saying that people assumed her exact beliefs based on her Jewishness.

“I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” she wrote. “And this week a whole lot of people decided what I believe without asking me, without checking a single thing I’ve ever said or done, because a repost and the word ‘Jew’ were apparently enough to fill in the rest.”

In her post, Pink wrote that she does not “speak for Israel, or for any government,” and that “Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations.” She lamented the use of the word “‘Zionist,’ spat like it’s a slur.” 

She also wrote that she did not call for Macklemore to be dropped from the tour, which some critics did. 

“I have never asked for another artist to be silenced, and I’m not asking now,” she wrote. “I don’t need anyone fired, and I don’t need a refund. What I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, ‘that scared me, and it scared people I love,’ without being told our fear is just propaganda, and without being told I’m somehow cool with genocide because I noticed?”

Petition gains thousands of signatures to oust Pink

The petition calling for Pink’s ouster was published the same day that she posted her statement, and has since gained nearly 200,000 signatures. Her comments, the petition writes, have “fueled ongoing conflict and struggles for visibility and empathy,” and removing her “would reaffirm UNICEF’s commitment to impartiality and its dedication to all children, irrespective of nationality or heritage.”

Bardem and his wife, actress Penelope Cruz, faced threats of a boycott in 2014 after they joined an open letter condemning Israel for its conduct in its war that year with Hamas. Bardem particularly stirred outrage with a separate statement at the time in which he said: “I cannot understand this barbarism, even more brutal and incomprehensible considering all of the horrible things the Jewish people have gone through in the past.” He and Cruz soon walked back their comments.

Pink was first named a US national ambassador for UNICEF in 2015. That year, she traveled to Haiti and met with children and health center patients who were dealing with the aftermath of the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake. UNICEF’s website also says that Pink is passionate about ending global malnutrition and that she has used QR codes in her merchandise booths that link to UNICEF donation pages.

UN officials have previously defended the right of UNICEF ambassadors to express political views in their personal capacity.

The Pakistani government called for UNICEF to drop Indian actor Priyanka Chopra as one of its ambassadors in 2019, saying that her “support for war” and for India’s government amid heightened conflict in the disputed region of Kashmir made a “mockery” of the role.

“When UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors speak in their personal capacity, they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them,” Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said at the time, adding that their “personal views or actions do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF.” 

UNICEF has, however, removed an ambassador over political conduct. In 1987, it terminated its association with goodwill ambassador Boris Becker after the tennis player declined to commit to not returning to apartheid-era South Africa.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett was escorted from Motis’ restaurant in Bnei Brak on Thursday evening after a disturbance broke out during his visit. An object was thrown toward Bennett but did not hit him, and the suspect who allegedly threw it was arrested by police.

Bennett’s B’yachad party issued an official statement following the incident:

“Former prime minister and chairman of the B’Yachad party Naftali Bennett arrived in Bnei Brak tonight.

“He held a ‘parliament’ with several yeshiva students, and the conversation was conducted in a good and substantive manner. After about half an hour, a group of political activists arrived at the scene.

“Two objects that were thrown toward Bennett struck the head of one of his female staff members. She was treated at the scene by a Magen David Adom team and was released without requiring additional medical treatment. Later, Bennett spoke with her and heard that she was feeling well.

“Security forces who were at the scene arrested the suspect in the attack. Bennett thanked the security and rescue forces for their swift response. Bennett will continue holding meetings throughout the country as part of the campaign to repair the State of Israel.”

Police statement claimed no one was hit by thrown object

According to a police statement, during a visit by a “public figure” to a restaurant in Bnei Brak, a passerby who walked by the location threw an object that did not hit the individual. Officers from the Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan police station, who were at the scene, immediately arrested the suspect, who was taken for questioning at the station. 

הפרגוד: בנט חולץ ממסעדת מוטיס’ בבני ברק לאחר שקיצונים הגיעו למקום ואיימו לפגוע בו pic.twitter.com/s8TPIGURh6

— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) September 24, 2026

Videos circulated on social media showed a crowd gathering outside the restaurant and a disturbance developing during Bennett’s visit. According to reports from the scene, extremists who arrived at the restaurant issued threats toward Bennett, and police escorted him from the area.

Among those present at the scene was right-wing activist Mordechai David, who was filmed arriving at the location and engaging in a verbal confrontation with Bennett and those around him. Footage showed large groups of people gathering near the former prime minister while police worked to manage the situation.

During the exchange, Bennett told David: “I suggest you get drafted quickly because from the moment I become prime minister, you won’t receive a single shekel from the state.”

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the UK would not tolerate intimidation, threats, or hostile activity linked to Iran on British soil, Sky News reported Thursday.

Miliband and Araghchi met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to the British Foreign Office.

The two officials discussed regional developments, including the war in the Middle East, as well as efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Miliband urged Iran to pursue “de-escalation and diplomacy instead of prolonging the war,” according to a statement from the British government.

The British foreign secretary also stressed the importance of fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that continued disruption to the key shipping route could affect global security and economic stability.

UK raises concerns over Iran-linked groups, cyber operations

During the meeting, Miliband reiterated Britain’s commitment to confronting threats from Iran-linked groups operating in the UK, including those targeting the British Jewish community.

“The Foreign Secretary made clear that Britain will not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil and set out the measures the government has taken in response,” the statement said.

The warning came after Britain’s National Cyber Security Center said Iranian state-linked cyber actors had used a spyware tool known as “CHOSEN BRICK” to steal emails, messages, and other sensitive information through spear-phishing campaigns on platforms including WhatsApp and Telegram.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that he had met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei approximately a month ago for several hours and that Khamenei was “completely” healthy and was giving directions to the Iranian leadership in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, aired on Thursday evening. 

“The implementation of the policies is in the hands of the administration and the government, but the consultations and the directions come from there [Khamenei],” Pezeshkian said. 

Khamenei has not been seen publicly since the start of the war, when he succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader following Ali Khamenei’s assassination. 

Pezeshkian previously claimed he met with Mojtaba Khamenei in August on Iranian state television, saying the two spoke for seven hours on issues facing Iran, including affordability, unemployment, sanctions, unity, and wartime resilience.

Iran willing to move forward with peace agreement, never wanted nuclear weapon, Pezeshkian claims

Pezeshkian said in the Thursday interview that Iran was still “willing and still wish[es] to move forward” with the peace agreement signed by Iran and the US, which failed in July. 

“We do not seek war. Rather, whenever they attack us, we are forced to defend ourselves. We never started a war. But if they wish to keep fighting with us, we will respond strongly, resolutely,” Pezeshkian said. 

Iran is also willing to dilute its highly enriched uranium and has never wanted a nuclear weapon, according to Pezeshkian. 

“Our martyred esteemed supreme leader, he had announced several times that from a religious decree, it is unholy, it is religiously illegal to have weapons of mass destruction,” Pezeshkian said. 

When asked why the nuclear material had not been inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and was stored beneath Pickaxe Mountain, Pezeshkian blamed US military activity as the reason the UN watchdog has not been able to conduct an investigation since 2025. 

For more than nine months, UC Berkeley has failed to honor a legal settlement with an Israeli dance scholar who was denied a teaching position due to her nationality. 

In response to a J. inquiry, a university spokesperson said the delay was caused by “internal miscommunication.” The university now promises that the scholar, Yael Nativ, will receive the job offer she was guaranteed in the December 2025 settlement “no later than the week of Sept. 28.”

“We deeply regret this unfortunate delay and look forward to welcoming Dr. Nativ back to our campus,” UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof said in a statement. 

Nativ said she received an apology for the delay and the promise of an imminent job offer in a Sept. 21 email from a university administrator. 

“It’s always a surprise when I get emails from them because the correspondence was so little to none,” Nativ said. “I’m so tired of this case.”

UC Berkeley professor cites student anger in decision not to rehire Nativ

Nativ, a sociologist specializing in Israeli dance, taught in UC Berkeley’s dance department during spring 2022 as a visiting professor through the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies. Her course focused on contemporary dance in Israel through social, political, and cultural perspectives.

The institute invited Nativ to reapply for another year of teaching. But after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, SanSan Kwan, chair of the dance department, informed Nativ that she would not be rehired. In November 2023, Kwan told Nativ in a WhatsApp message: “My dept cannot host you for a class next fall. Things are very hot right now, and many of our grad students are angry. I would be putting the dept and you in a terrible position if you taught here.”

The university’s civil rights office investigated the matter and concluded that Nativ was discriminated against based on her Israeli identity. 

Nativ sued the university, with representation from the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, in August 2025. When the two sides settled the lawsuit in December 2025, the university acknowledged its wrongdoing and committed to apologizing to Nativ and inviting her back to campus. 

UC Berkeley apology followed by delay in job offer

UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons apologized to Nativ over Zoom on Feb. 3, but no job offer arrived. 

The lapse was publicized by Malcolm Feeley, a retired UC Berkeley Law professor, who wrote about Nativ’s case in a Sept. 16 article in the Jewish Review of Books.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. This is justice delayed in the extreme,” Feeley said in an interview. “It takes a concerted effort of badgering to get [the university] to move an inch.”

In a statement to J. following the publication of Feeley’s article, Mogulof said the university hadn’t sent Nativ a job offer due to a misunderstanding among administrators about who was responsible for doing so. 

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ben Hermalin will personally ensure the offer will come within the next two weeks, according to Mogulof. 

Nativ went on to work as a research fellow at Ben-Gurion University in Israel after she left Berkeley. She said her main goal since the lawsuit has been to hold UC Berkeley accountable, not to land a job. 

“It wasn’t urgent for me to go [back to campus]. It’s more about making a point, getting my justice,” she said. “But if they invite, I will consider.”

This story was first reported by J. The Jewish News of Northern California and is reprinted with permission.

The rapturous reception for the documentary film NAZA, whose name comes from the Hebrew acronym applied to the collateral damage estimates carried out by all law-abiding militaries, has once again brought allegations of cruel and arbitrary slaughter of civilians to Israel’s door.

There is a noble assumption at the heart of conflict journalism: that unflinching reporting of the horrors of war protects civilians and holds military power to account.

But conflict has changed, the information battlefield has changed, and now the way civilian casualties are being reported is actually creating a strategic incentive to produce them.

This is a phenomenon called civilian casualty harvesting: the deliberate exploitation of civilian deaths and suffering as a military and political resource. It is related to human shielding, but it is not the same thing. It is a cynical and grotesque abuse of conflict reporting.

Human shielding describes the use of civilians to protect military infrastructure. International humanitarian law prohibits it. The International Committee of the Red Cross defines human shielding as using the presence or movement of civilians to render military objectives immune from attack or to shield or impede military operations.

Civilian casualty harvesting begins where human shielding ends.

Its purpose is not merely to make an enemy reluctant to shoot. It is to create a situation in which either decision benefits the exploiting belligerent.

Do not attack the military target, and the combatants survive.

Attack it, and civilians die, and their deaths become ammunition in another theater of war: phone screens, newspaper front pages, cinema, TV, international institutions, and Western public opinion.

The civilian has become strategically valuable precisely because he can die.

The NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence has described the strategic logic of human shielding in Gaza in strikingly similar terms:

“By engaging in these acts, Hamas employs a win-win scenario:

“If indeed the IDF uses kinetic power, and the number of civilian casualties surges, Hamas can use that as a weapon in the lawfare it conducts. It would be able to accuse the IDF (and Israel) of committing war crimes, which in turn could result in the imposition of a wide array of sanctions.

“On the other hand, if the IDF limits its use of military power in Gaza to avoid collateral damage, Hamas will be less vulnerable to Israeli attacks, and thereby able to protect its assets while continuing to fight.”

Cynical use of civilian casualties

The horrific innovation Hamas has perfected is the cynical use of civilian casualties to manipulate the global information environment.

A civilian death can now travel around the world before anyone knows what was targeted, whether combatants were present, what precautions were taken, who the dead were, or sometimes even what caused the explosion.

The image arrives first, context limps along after, and journalism, with its noble instincts drawing it toward human suffering, is allowing itself to be recruited into this twisted harvesting of death.

At CAMERA, much of our work consists of restoring context missing from reporting on conflict in the Middle East. Where were the combatants? What was the objective? Why is only violence from one side active, while the other is painted in passive and reactionary terms? This phenomenon is not restricted to any one outlet.

Hamas has learned that its strategy will not be questioned, and that the catastrophic suffering it causes to its own people will be uncritically amplified by Western journalists, driving public and institutional antipathy against Israel. It has identified an incentive structure.

If hiding among civilians makes you safer, you hide among civilians.

If preventing civilians from leaving makes enemy attacks politically more costly, preventing them from leaving becomes useful.

And if civilian deaths reliably generate international condemnation of your opponent, while scrutiny of your own role in placing civilians at risk disappears from the story, then civilian death has acquired strategic value.

This is where journalists and media outlets need to examine their own conduct. The failure is tiny and yet catastrophic. The simple fact is that by refusing to clearly label the original human shielding strategy, they have created an unending appetite for civilian death. Hamas has no reason to protect civilians in Gaza when putting them deliberately in harm’s way is so successful in achieving their war objective to isolate Israel on the world stage.

The journalist didn’t kill the civilian. The image didn’t kill the civilian. But an incentive doesn’t require direct responsibility; it requires participation and, darker still, complicity.

The war in Gaza has provided us with a stark case study in the harvesting of death for propaganda purposes, but it is by no means only an issue relating to Israelis and Palestinians. Western Europe arguably stands closer to the brink of war than it has since the 1930s. Iranian proxies across the Middle East hold huge populations captive. And in the digital era, the journalist, once the observer holding power to account, is now an active part of the battlefield.

Pressuring major outlets to acknowledge civilian casualty harvesting is not a hasbara (public diplomacy) issue. It is a reaction to the changed nature of conflict reporting in the era of the digital war. It is a campaign to prevent any civilian population from finding itself in the clutches of an authoritarian organization or government that realizes that civilians’ brutal deaths are more valuable to the war effort than their lives.

Crucially, acknowledgement would not ask journalists not to report on civilian deaths. The noble purpose remains the same. Report the deaths, but report clearly who caused them. If the BBC, for example, employed a simple formulation every time civilians died in Gaza because of Hamas strategy, “Hamas routinely embeds in civilian areas for strategic reasons,” it could, in nine words, strike a hammer blow to the incentive structure. If Hamas were being held to account for this horrific tactic, how long would the tactic remain useful?

The idea that being careful about context somehow diminishes compassion is backward and must be abandoned. The truth is more protective than ever. The media must fully commit to it, not just for the sake of Palestinians in Gaza, but for all of us.

The writer is a UK media researcher at CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis. She previously founded Scotland Against Antisemitism.

What if, on October 7, 2023, Gazans had gone to the neighboring Israeli kibbutzim to pick olives with Israeli civilians instead of killing and kidnapping?

It may sound impossible today. But I have learned that things that appear impossible can become possible when people choose to see one another as human beings before seeing one another as enemies.

I remember 2014.

I was suffering from a heart condition, and after doctors in Egypt, Ramallah, and Hebron were unable to resolve the problem, I received a referral for treatment in Israel.

Before entering through the Erez crossing, I was thinking deeply. It was going to be the first time I would meet Israelis face to face.

As a child, I had only seen Israelis from the other side of the border. I saw the soldiers. I saw Palestinian youths throwing stones. I sometimes went to the border, but I never threw a stone myself.

I remember standing there and thinking: Who are the people behind that border? And who are we on this side?

Then something unexpected happened.

As I crossed the checkpoint, Israeli soldiers helped me carry my bag to the other side.

I remained silent.

I eventually arrived at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

Suddenly, I saw an Israel I had never experienced before.

There were civilians everywhere. Buses, trains, and trams. Flower sellers, falafel shops, apartment buildings, parks, and children playing on sidewalks. I saw mothers with their children and ordinary people simply living their lives.

It was my first real encounter with Israeli civilian society.

At Ichilov, I met a heart surgeon who looked at my medical records from Egypt, Ramallah, and Hebron. He told me that I needed further examinations and joked that I looked strong and had beautiful hair.

I laughed.

Over the next 11 days, I met dozens of Israeli patients, families, doctors, and nurses.

When they learned that I was from Gaza, I encountered compassion.

We talked about ordinary life.

We talked about olive-picking seasons.

We talked about the years when workers from Gaza traveled to Israel for work and returned to their families. We talked about the social and economic connections that had once existed between people on both sides.

Then, on the 12th day, the surgical team came to me. They told me that I needed urgent surgery.

I asked about the chances of success.

The answer I remember was: “God is there.”

I entered the operating room.

I lost a great deal of blood.

After I woke up, I learned that an Israeli man from Tel Aviv, who was accompanying another patient, had donated blood.

That blood helped save my life.

At that moment, I did not think about politics. I did not think about borders. I did not think about Hamas or Fatah or any political faction.

I thought about one human being giving something from his own body so that I could live.

The blood did not ask me about my identity.

It was simply human blood.

Hoping for peace in unexpected places

Since then, one question has remained with me: If a Palestinian and an Israeli can meet inside a hospital, and one can help save the other’s life, why can they not meet somewhere else? Why not in an olive field?

This is why I return to the question that may sound shocking: What if Gazans had gone to the neighboring kibbutzim on October 7 to pick olives with Israeli civilians?

What if that day had been a day of meeting instead of killing and kidnapping?

What if Palestinians had carried baskets for olives instead of weapons?

What if Israelis and Palestinians had sat together under the same olive tree?

I know many people will say that such a thing is impossible. But I believe that imagining a different future is sometimes the first step toward changing reality.

I am not speaking on behalf of Hamas, Fatah, or any political faction.

I am speaking about civilians.

About Gazans who want to live.

About Israelis who want to live.

And about a question we should be willing to ask openly: Do Palestinian and Israeli civilians want to continue dying, or do they want a chance to live?

The loudest voices are not necessarily the only voices.

There are Palestinians who want life, even when expressing that desire is difficult.

There are Israelis who want peace, even while living with fear, trauma, and grief.

I am one of the Palestinians who wants to see the voices of life and peace heard more clearly.

A few weeks ago, in Cyprus, I met Israeli civilians from the kibbutzim and Palestinian civilians from Gaza.

It was not a political meeting. It was a human meeting.

We talked about pain. Some of us cried.

We discovered that tears do not need translation.

The pain was shared, even though our experiences were different.

That is why I ask: Could such a meeting one day happen in Kibbutz Re’im?

Could it happen between the people of Re’im and the people of Jabalya?

Could Palestinians who have also suffered from Hamas and from war sit with Israelis who suffered on October 7, under the same olive tree?

I believe it can happen.

Not necessarily tomorrow. Not easily. Perhaps not for years.

But history is full of things people once considered impossible that became possible when ordinary people decided to break the cycle of fear.

For me, the olive harvest is not only about olives. It is about an opportunity.

An opportunity for a Palestinian to extend his hand to an Israeli – not to fight him, but to carry an olive basket together.

The photograph we took in Cyprus may be only a small photograph.

But I keep asking: Could the next photograph be taken in Kibbutz Re’im and Jabalya?

Perhaps peace sometimes begins in a place we do not expect.

A hospital.

A drop of blood.

An olive tree.

And two people who decide to meet as human beings.

The writer is a Palestinian peace activist and founder of the “We Want to Live” movement, which advocates for civilian life and alternatives to factional politics in Gaza.

Our friends’ WhatsApp group began debating Netanyahu’s UN speech before he had opened his mouth.

Someone shared a link to watch without translation or commentary. Someone else suggested watching together. One friend wondered what there was to look forward to. Victory, achievements, Iran. She could already imagine it.

Another said she loved hearing him address the world. She admired his speechwriters and enjoyed the references. She also made clear that enjoying the performance said very little about whether she believed him.

Once he started, even the skeptics gave him credit.

“He’s a master at speaking,” one message read. A friend agreed, then added that he was ruining things at home. There was room in the conversation for both reactions.

When he finished, the friend who had been looking forward to the speech was annoyed. Why didn’t he talk this way to Israelis, she asked. In Hebrew. Explain his vision. Talk about our right to live here. Say these things to us.

“Come and say this here too. At home.”

I agreed with her. I still do.

Netanyahu was very good on Thursday evening. His English is impeccable, his confidence extraordinary. He knows when to pause, when to make a joke, and when to let a personal story do the work. He is smart, and he assumes his audience can follow an argument about history even while he simplifies the politics.

I enjoyed parts of it. I suspect quite a few Israelis who have no intention of voting for him did, too. Hearing someone defend your country well can feel good, especially after listening to it being attacked.

Bible diplomacy shapes Netanyahu’s message 

The biblical references worked. Call it Bible diplomacy. He told Syria’s president that Jews had been on the Golan “since the days of Moses.” He brought biblical figures into his explanation of who we are and why we are here. For a Christian listener familiar with those names, there is an obvious point of connection. For a Jewish listener, there is the satisfaction of hearing our history spoken about confidently. 

I initially wondered whether he had used the Bible more heavily than usual. Reading the previous two speeches made me reconsider. In 2024, the choice Moses put before the Israelites, between blessing and curse, organized much of the address. Even Thursday’s closing reference to the eternity of Israel appeared two years ago. 

What caught my attention in the comparison was how much more specific he had previously been about peace.

In 2024, he spent time on what an agreement with Saudi Arabia could achieve, including trade and regional infrastructure. Last year, he spoke about negotiations with Syria and invited Lebanon to direct talks. He described opportunities to expand the Abraham Accords. 

You could be skeptical of those prospects and still know what he was proposing.

This year, I came away with a much clearer sense of whom he was answering than of what diplomatic initiative he wanted to advance. There were plenty of arguments against Israel’s critics and relatively little about the agreements he hoped to reach. 

I wouldn’t judge the speech by whether it produced a breaking-news alert. Answering accusations is part of a prime minister’s job. Some of the people watching needed to hear Israel’s case again.

Personal stories of Yoni Netanyahu, the Leiter family frame vision for Israel’s future

But Israelis needed something from it, too. After three years of war, a list of achievements leaves a fairly obvious question: Where are we going?

The story about his brother Yoni, and the passage about the Leiter family, were among the moments that gave the speech a human weight. He spoke about people who had paid for the country’s survival. That makes an explanation of what comes next all the more necessary. 

Then there was this description of Israel: “one nation fighting for one future, left and right, young and old, religious and secular.” 

I liked that sentence. I would like to hear more of it in Israel, followed by an explanation of what it asks of him.

People who oppose Netanyahu also serve, raise children here, and worry about the country. They should be able to hear their prime minister explain his plans without feeling that the conversation is intended for somebody else. He has the ability to reach some of them. The messages in our group suggested as much.

Of course, a UN address serves a different purpose from a domestic interview. And of course Israelis can watch him speak in New York. We were doing exactly that.

Domestic audience looks for a message of unity, belonging

The frustration was with how much effort he was making to explain Israel to everyone else. My friends wanted some of that attention. They wanted to hear a future they could believe in, to feel proud of their country, and to feel included when its leader said: “we.”

I share that feeling. I would like him to explain which opportunities he thinks the military achievements have created, what he is prepared to do to pursue them, and what he expects the rest of us to carry. I would like to hear him answer the follow-up questions, too.

A serious conversation with the Israeli public would include people who disagree with him. Some would remain unconvinced. That is part of the job. He manages to stand before a hostile international audience and make his case; surely he can make more time for questions from home.

We have an offer, Mr. Prime Minister. At The Jerusalem Post, we’ve been trying to interview you for three years, with about as much luck as many of our colleagues in the Israeli media. It’s not too late. We can even do it in English.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, saying he used the platform to “repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.”

“No lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant,” Mamdani said. 

This comes days after Mamdani called for the ICC to honor Netanyahu’s arrest warrant in an interview with CNN. 

In July, Mamdani said he was investigating the possibility of arresting Netanyahu based on the ICC’s warrant, concluding after a few days that he could not legally do so but still warning that Netanyahu was “not welcome” in New York City.

Netanyahu criticizes Mamdani, says he cannot silence the truth

During his address to the UNGA, Netanyahu addressed Mamdani directly, calling him antisemitic and saying that many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. 

“Shame on you for spitting in the face of the truth, Mr. Mamdani,” Netanyahu said. 

“It’s no wonder if we consider that you [Mamdani] praised criminals convicted of supporting Hamas; you count as friends people like Hassan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11. Some friends you have. You invite into your home a Palestinian journalist who filmed Hamas terrorists beating and torturing Israeli hostages and later admitted that he refused to publish the videos in order to protect the terrorists. Your wife likes a post praising the Oct. 7 massacre, and another saying Tel Aviv shouldn’t exist,” Netanyahu added.

“Mr. Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here; you tried to silence me. You can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth. And here’s the simple truth. Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide. And that’s exactly what Mr. Mamdani’s Hamas buddies would have done to us had we not stopped them,” he said.  

Miriam Sela-Eitam contributed to this report.

Israel’s national team forward Saied Abu Farchi was sent off for his goal celebration during Israel’s 3-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Austria on Thursday after using the corner flag to simulate a gun.

Abu Farchi headed home in the 55th minute at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz to equalize after Romano Schmid had given Austria the lead from the penalty spot before halftime.

The 20-year-old then ran toward the corner, grabbed the flag and made a gesture resembling firing a gun during his celebration.

🇮🇱🇦🇹⚽️ FLASH

Polémique : le joueur israélien Abu Farkhi a célébré son but en saisissant le poteau de corner et en mimant des tirs.

Cette célébration lui a valu un deuxième carton jaune, synonyme de carton rouge et d’expulsion.

(via L’Équipe) pic.twitter.com/noItOSXyn7

— Impact (@ImpactMediaFR) September 24, 2026

The referee had already booked Abu Farchi four minutes earlier and showed him a second yellow card for the celebration, resulting in a red card that left Israel with 10 players.

Austria regained the lead in the 90th minute through Phillipp Mwene, who finished after a cross from Paul Wanner. Sasa Kalajdzic added a third goal in stoppage time with a close-range finish.

International pressure grows over Israel’s football participation

The incident came amid growing pressure from some groups calling for Israel’s national team to be excluded from international competitions over the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Israel Football Association (IFA) recently engaged in a social media dispute with Republic of Ireland national team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson over Ireland’s decision to call for boycotts of upcoming matches against Israel.

We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach. We’re not playing with…

— ISRAEL FA (@ISRAELFA) September 21, 2026

In a post on X, the IFA wrote: “We have contributed to the world and humanity… Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach.”

“We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity,” the IFA added. “We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”

Hallgrímsson said last week that he had spoken individually with players about facing Israel and that “none of us feel comfortable playing in these games.”

Israel-Ireland games to be held behind closed doors amid boycott calls

On Monday, Reuters reported that more than 160 Irish sports figures had signed an open letter urging the Ireland national football team to boycott its two upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel, according to the Irish Sport for Palestine Group.

The matches, scheduled for September 27 and October 4 in Serbia, will be played at neutral venues and behind closed doors.

Aaron Glick contributed to this report.

Iranian airlines were barred from neighboring countries, including the UAE and Oman, on Thursday in response to new US sanctions, the first major impact of a shift in US policy to target companies in third countries that do business with Iran.

The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East’s biggest travel hub, said that as a result of the new US policy, it was suspending all flights by Iranian airlines until further notice.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that flights had also been shut down to Oman, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and to the Iraqi capital Baghdad. It said authorities were working to reroute flights to another Iraqi airport in Najaf, a major Shi’ite Muslim pilgrimage site.

Washington had announced it would put sanctions on any global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23, with the aim of grounding Iran’s entire civil fleet worldwide.

Other countries in the Gulf region also appeared to have restricted flights.

Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport listed scheduled arrivals and departures on Thursday to and from countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Iraq, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey. But no flights appeared to be listed to or from the nearby Gulf states, with which Iran has long had some of its most important business and travel ties.

Iran has suggested that enforcement of a US-mandated air blockade would lead to potential escalation. On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official threatened to make airports “unusable” in any regional country that abides by the US ban.

Houthis continue to fire ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia

Separately on Thursday, authorities in Saudi Arabia said they had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi terrorists. The Houthis said they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets. An escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has emerged this month as the combat zone in the wider Middle East war.

With the US-Israeli war against Iran largely stalemated for months on the battlefield, Washington has announced a shift in tactics to extend the reach of its financial sanctions by targeting companies from third countries that do business with Iranian firms, a practice known as “secondary sanctions.”

Trump referred to the new strategy last month as “economic D-Day,” comparing it to the assault on Nazi-controlled France in World War Two by the United States and its allies.

A flight ban, if sustained, could deepen Iran’s isolation and worsen an economic crisis in the country, which is already facing a US blockade of its ports at sea.

“We are living in an open-air prison,” a retired teacher in Tehran told Reuters by text message on condition her name not be used.

Israeli weapons are top-notch, and it has the right to self-defense, Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Latvia currently faces the threat of drones spilling into its territory.

This visit, against the backdrop of the upcoming elections in both Israel and Latvia, carries considerable weight. According to Israeli defense sources, Melnis stated during the visit that Latvia is open not only to dialogue, but also to action.

During the visit, Melnis met with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Director-General Amir Baram, and top Israeli defense industry companies such as Rafael, Elbit, and Israel Aerospace Industries.

Melnis told the Post that Latvia is looking into “loitering systems and air defense systems” among other defense products.

Latvia looks to buy Iron Dome system

One system Latvia is exploring is Iron Dome, which is effective against drones and could be used to defend against drones from Russia. Meanwhile, Latvia has opted for a mutual, collective European air defense structure.

Latvia is also exploring the possibility of implementing anti-ballistic missile systems.

There have been reports that Israeli systems, other than the Arrow, can shoot down certain kinds of ballistic missiles –  and that they’re cheaper than the Arrow. If it exists, this affordable alternative may appeal to smaller countries like Latvia.

Melnis said they had “initiated those discussions, but we need to move fast. There is strong intent, and it would be very positive to get certain” air defense systems.

“We hope we will get these systems soon,” he noted. “Israeli systems are battle-proven. [They are] very high-end systems that have shown reliability during three years of war. Israeli companies provide systems for defending Israel, but also have the capacity to produce for different foreign partners. Israel has developed a really strong military industry.”

Melnis was asked if “moving fast” meant three to five years, which is markedly shorter than the 10 years most defense systems take to develop. He responded: “I hope it will take much less time than three years from the decision to the delivery. I hope for a much shorter time.”

Next, he was asked whether he’d met with Israeli officials to obtain cyberdefense products, as cyberattacks are worsening worldwide. According to Melnis, obtaining cyberdefense products was not on the list of goals for this specific visit, “but our experts are looking at different additional new technologies to improve cyber capabilities.”

Melnis focused on discussing purchases of “loitering munitions [kamikaze drones], artillery, and radar systems.” He said that some of Israel’s products have yet to be matched. Because of this, Melnis said he would send additional Latvian military experts to learn more.

Moreover, he said he wanted to “learn from Israel’s experience about how to protect borders, including from drones, missiles, proxy forces, and in cyberspace.”

He affirmed that “Israeli advice and guidance, based on its battle experience, was very unique.”

Melnis said he told Katz that the only two countries that have wide-ranging battlefield experience are Israel and Ukraine. He added that Israel’s experience in this arena went back decades, beyond the last three years of war.

In addition, Melnis said the visit has “a political perspective. Our president and other officials have visited Israel. This deepens our political cooperation. We strongly support Israel’s right to self-defense.”

He added: “We condemn Iranian attacks on Israel and support Israel’s defense of its country and its people. Iran is an enemy not just for Israel, but also for the region, and for our friends in Ukraine, where Iran is supporting Russia.”

Despite the NAZA film harming Israel’s reputation across the globe, Melnis said that he wanted to “show solidarity – it is an honor to be here.” He noted that he has not yet seen the film.

While the EU is boycotting Israel’s settlements, Latvia wants to expand economic cooperation and friendship with Israel. Melnis’s visit follows two previous visits to Israel by the head of Latvia’s Procurement Department.

In recent years, according to foreign sources, Latvia has purchased Israeli arms and cyberware in several deals. These include Rafael’s Spike missiles, worth around 200 million euros; Elbit’s UT30 turret system; and several contracts reportedly worth more than 600,000 euros, intended to buy Cellebrite’s phone-hacking equipment and software.

Israel has received vastly disproportionate and unusually persistent media coverage compared with larger countries, states accused of widespread human rights abuses, and countries experiencing deadlier conflicts, according to an independent analysis of global media coverage published last month.

The analysis found that, in contrast to typical media trends, where the coverage volume of stories spikes and then rapidly decays over time, coverage of Israel remained persistently elevated, with no comparable decay. Further, it found that the floor of media coverage of Israel, in years when the country experiences no major conflict or war, is analogous to the level other small countries reach only “in the single worst week of [their] history.”

“The size of the spotlight, its persistence, and its tone are facts. They can be measured,” independent researcher and technology entrepreneur Jeremy Musighi, the author of the analysis, wrote.

Musighi analyzed nearly 14.7 million news articles published between 2017 and August 2026 using the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT), a massive open database that monitors global news coverage across 65 languages. He also used GDELT’s television database to measure broadcast coverage. With these, he examined how often countries around the world were mentioned or appeared as the primary subject of international media coverage over time, excluding each country’s domestic press from the data.

Israel media coverage shows unusual persistence

The analysis explains that at the heart of the anomalous attention paid to Israel, beyond the sheer volume of media coverage, was its persistence.

“Coverage volume is half the phenomenon. The other half is time,” Musighi wrote. “News attention is a decay function. A story erupts, peaks, and dies.”

To measure the persistence of major stories, Musighi examined television coverage of significant events from 2020 onward.

When the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021, the fall of the city at its peak consumed 27% of the US cable news airtime measured in the analysis. Three months later, coverage of Afghanistan had fallen to just 2% of its peak. A year after the event, “it barely registered.”

Sudan followed a similar pattern after war began there in April 2023, despite subsequent famine declarations and a US determination that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias had committed genocide. The same pattern held following the exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in September of that year, which the European Parliament called ethnic cleansing.

Further, according to the analysis, Ethiopia’s Tigray war, in which African Union mediator Olusegun Obasanjo estimated around 600,000 people were killed, never reached even 0.03% of US cable news airtime.

Israel followed a markedly different pattern, averaging 5.65% of the US cable news airtime measured in the analysis for a year after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, higher than Ukraine received in the year following Russia’s invasion.

A year after the attack, coverage remained 27 times its prewar baseline.

In print, coverage likewise showed no sustained decay, peaking at 3.8% in 2024 and remaining at 3.6% through August 2026.

The analysis also found that the volume of coverage dedicated to Israel was similarly disproportionate.

It used 2019, a relatively quiet year in terms of fatalities in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as a baseline year.

That year, according to the UN’s OCHA, Israeli forces killed 135 Palestinians, while Palestinians killed ten Israelis. OCHA’s tally notes that of the 108 Palestinians killed in Gaza that year, 44 were members of armed groups.

The analysis, using data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, cited a lower figure of 83 conflict deaths and compared the toll to “a month or two of homicides in Chicago.”

According to the Chicago Police Department, 492 criminal homicides took place in the city that year.

Still, in 2019, the analysis found that even without a major conflict for Israel to be engaged in, one of every 112 international news articles was primarily about Israel. Israel also ranked seventh in the world in terms of coverage and first in the world in coverage per capita, as it did in every year studied except 2022.

In these per capita terms, it found on average that, over the last decade, “the world wrote about Israel 71x Brazil, 86x China, [and] 283x India.”

Following the start of the war, in 2024, “One in every 26 of the world’s articles mentioned Israel,” while the world published “more than twice as many stories about Israel as about all 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa combined.”

That year, Israel’s per capita news coverage was more than six times higher than Ukraine’s.

GDELT data shows unusually negative tone toward Israel

The analysis also found that coverage of Israel was unusually negative in tone. Using GDELT’s document-tone scores, which measure the balance of positive and negative language in an article, Musighi found that even in relatively quiet 2019, coverage of Israel averaged -2.3 on a scale of -10 to 10, placing it in a similar range to countries including Iran, Syria and Iraq.

The metric, however, measures the language used in an article, rather than whether the coverage itself is biased against Israel.

In 2024, coverage of Israel by Western outlets averaged -4.4, with 78% of articles scoring negative, placing it in a more negative register than the same outlets applied to Russia, Iran or Syria that year.

Israel’s wartime register, Musighi wrote, was “darker than that of Iran, where dissidents are hanged to death by the regime from cranes in densely-populated city centers.”

In response to the findings of disproportionate persistence and volume in coverage of Israel, Musighi argues that “only one class of explanation survives.”

He traces the pattern back to a decades-old anti-Israel influence campaign, which he says was first spearheaded by the Soviet Union to turn international opinion against Israel and the United States, and was later taken up and sustained by other state actors, international institutions, and activist networks.

“The spotlight is not a response to events,” he wrote. “The spotlight is the operation.”

Twenty people previously included in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ’s) database of journalists and media workers killed in the Israel-Gaza war were removed after CPJ determined they had engaged in combat, the organization said on Thursday.

CPJ said the review examined its documentation of journalists and media workers killed between October 2023 and August 2026. The organization launched the process after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published obituaries identifying as combatants people whom CPJ had previously listed as journalists, an issue that prompted CPJ to begin reviewing its Gaza casualty database in June.

According to CPJ’s updated casualty records, 20 people were removed after new research established that they had engaged in combat. Three names were removed after CPJ determined that the individuals were not journalists or media workers, with one person appearing in both categories. CPJ reinstated six people after determining that their deaths were work-related.

Among those reinstated was Assaad Shamlakh. CPJ also reclassified Ahmed Abu Mhadi from “journalist” to “media worker,” rather than removing him from the database. Nine other people were similarly moved from the journalist category to that of media worker, while three were reclassified in the opposite direction.

Review ‘applies existing standards’ to new information

CPJ said the review did not change its methodology or its definition of a journalist or media worker. Instead, it said researchers applied its existing standards to newly obtained information. Researchers examined published work, social media posts, photographs, videos and other material and, when new evidence emerged, sought to speak with at least two additional sources who had known the person killed. CPJ said it succeeded in doing so in 220 of the 229 cases reviewed.

The organization commissioned an external audit following the first phase of the review. The auditor found no evidence that CPJ had removed or retained individuals in violation of its stated criteria, but recommended that CPJ provide greater clarity about how it determines whether a person was engaged in combat. The audit also noted several areas in which CPJ’s documentation or methodology required clarification.

CPJ maintains that affiliation with a militant organization is not, by itself, sufficient for exclusion if a person was working as a civilian journalist and was not directly participating in hostilities. Under its longstanding policy, however, people found to have been engaged in combat are excluded from its casualty data.

The review follows months of scrutiny over classifications of Gaza-based journalists and media workers. CPJ’s annual report earlier this year said a record 129 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, with the organization attributing most of those deaths to Israel, figures the IDF disputed.

Questions over militant affiliations have also affected other international press organizations. In August, Reporters Without Borders removed Gaza-based individuals from its media casualty records after information emerged linking them to terrorist organizations. Recent reporting has separately examined the broader question of journalists operating within Gaza’s Hamas-controlled media environment.

Media watchdog criticizes CPJ’s conclusions

HonestReporting, a media watchdog that has investigated alleged links between Gaza-based media workers and terrorist organizations, sharply criticized CPJ’s conclusions in a statement provided directly for this report.

“Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are no longer even bothering to hide how their operatives have posed as journalists. And why would they when the CPJ has been such a willing participant in the charade?

The CPJ removed almost two dozen terrorists HonestReporting had already identified, yet reinstated PIJ operative Assaad Shamlakh, left on terrorists like Hamas’ Ahmed Abu Mhadi and nearly 60 employees of terrorist-affiliated media remain on its list.

Gaza’s media ecosystem has been contaminated by proximity to Hamas and its allies. This is something CPJ simply refuses to admit despite being shown, repeatedly, to be complicit in helping the system to perpetuate while placing the blame on Israel.

It’s time the CPJ properly examined the flaws in its own methodology, as no such self-examination or reflection appear in this audit.”

CPJ, for its part, said its determinations were based on whether individuals met its definitions rather than on their views or affiliations. The organization said its review and external audit supported the way those standards had been applied.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the genocide claim against Israel was “the lie of the century, while adding that the Iranian regime’s toppling was “only a matter of time,” during his Thursday address to the United Nations General Assembly.

One of the main topics in Netanyahu’s speech was the different fronts that the country is fighting, with the prime minister explaining that Israel is also fighting on the information front against countries that push for antisemitic narratives and spread lies “such as the genocide claim.”

“What genocidal regime gives millions of polio vaccines to the enemy population? What genocidal regime enables the distribution of two million tons of food to Gaza, a ton per person?” Netanyahu asked the assembly, adding that a majority of the fighting was done in the social media sphere.

Netanyahu also said that there were several countries in the region actively financing information campaigns against Israel, with Qatar being the first one to hold these sorts of policies and Turkey being the last one.

“Years ago, Qatar started financing universities and the toxic media outlet Al Jazeera. They did the same in Europe, by the way. And their goal was clear. Brainwash young minds to hate Israel, America, and the West. This is the same Qatar that holds the Hamas butchers of October 7,” he said.

“Now the last country to become an antisemitic spreader of lies is Turkey. [Turkish President Recep Tayip] Erdogan is a tyrant who also hosts the Hamas terror chiefs,” he added.

Netanyahu also explained that the Turkish leader has “murdered thousands of Kurdish civilians, denies the Armenian genocide, has jailed thousands of journalists, and in fact, he holds the world record for this, and illegally occupies northern Cyprus and regularly trespasses into Greece, a NATO member.”

He said that it was no surprise that now Erdogan was “attempting to trespass into Syria, and that’s not surprising. Because he called for Israel’s destruction almost every single day. He says he is going to be the ruler of Jerusalem. No sir, you won’t.”

Netanyahu calls out Mamdani for links to Hamas, Hasan Piker

During his speech, Netanyahu also called out to recently elected New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani for his policy, saying that Jews are worried about the state of the city and the safety. “Many tell me that this is not the New York that we know, and that they can’t believe how fast it changed,” he pointed out.

“It’s no wonder if we consider that you [Mamdani] praised criminals convicted of supporting Hamas; you count as friends people like Hassan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11. Some friends you have. You invite into your home a Palestinian journalist who filmed Hamas terrorists beating and torturing Israeli hostages and later admitted that he refused to publish the videos in order to protect the terrorists. Your wife likes a post praising the Oct. 7 massacre, and another saying Tel Aviv shouldn’t exist,” Netanyahu added.

“Mr. Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here; you tried to silence me. Well, you can silence me, you can’t silence the truth,” the Prime Minister continued, and said: “And here is the simple truth: Israel didn’t commit genocide; Israel prevented genocide. And that’s exactly what Mr. Mamdani’s Hamas buddies would have done if we hadn’t stopped them; they would have killed every last one of us.”

Netanyahu refers to West Bank violence, recounts latest attacks against Israelis

In another moment of his speech, Netanyahu recounted the recent rise in West Bank violence, saying that the settler population can’t be represented by 150 youngsters who “throw rocks and burn down olive trees.”

“I can’t stand for vigilantes, and that’s why we are looking for them with the Shin Bet,” he continued, adding that there is no comparison between settler violence and the terror attack perpetrated by Palestinians against Israeli civilians in the West Bank. 

“Three days ago, an Israeli-French citizen was shot by a Hamas terrorist in a lake in Judea and Samaria. Two days ago, a reservist was run over by a terrorist while in Judea and Samaria,” he recounted, then explaining that the victim of the car ramming was Neria Leiter, an American citizen who serves as an IDF reservist and is the son of Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

“In a recent post, before he was attacked, Neria wrote this: We have no country; it is a privilege to defend it. To Neira, and to all the heroes of Israel, I pledge: Your sacrifice won’t be in vain. We will continue to fight and to win, because we have no other choice,” Netanyahu said.

Starlink, beepers, and people leaving during his entrance

During the speech, Netanyahu also used prompts to explain his points, starting by showing a beeper when recounting how the IDF destroyed the Hezbollah threat with the beeper operation, and also a Starlink antenna receptor when speaking about the Iranian people rising up against the regime.

While talking about Iran, Netanyahu also recalled how the protests seen against Israel in Gaza and the West Bank were not seen when Iran repressed protesters in the streets. “But I have news for you. In Iran, the power of the people will overcome the people in power,” he said.

During Netanyahu’s address, several delegations walked out and booed the Prime Minister when he was called to the podium. Although several delegations left the plenum, 120 remained in their seats, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, which told Walla. 

Additionally, Iran’s delegation left a photograph of arch-terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani on the bench.

Bennett, Golan, Sa’ar react to Netanyahu’s speech

Former prime minister and B’Yachad party leader Naftali Bennett said that Netanyahu missed his “historic opportunity to declare Qatar an enemy and expose its involvement in the October 7 massacre to the entire world.”

“In doing so, he whitewashes and legitimizes Qatar. Every moment Netanyahu refuses to call the Qatari enemy by its name harms our national security, damages Israel’s standing in the world, and dishonors the memory of those murdered in the massacre,” Bennett added.

“Qatar is an enemy with the blood of our people on its hands. They funded [Hamas’s] Nukhba forces, celebrated the massacre, have hosted and continue to host Hamas leaders, and even at this very moment, continue to spread antisemitic propaganda worldwide calling for Israel’s destruction,” he continued.

“Netanyahu speaks about Hamas, but he is trying to hide the truth. Without Qatar, there is no Hamas. Netanyahu is handing Qatar the keys to Gaza, which is why he has been unable to defeat Hamas for three years now,” the former prime minister said.

“We will declare Qatar an enemy, oust it from Israel and Gaza, and defeat Hamas,” Bennett concluded.

לנתניהו היתה הזדמנות היסטורית להכריז על קטאר כאויב ולחשוף בפני כל העולם את המעורבות שלה בטבח השבעה באוקטובר.

נתניהו החמיץ את ההזדמנות, ובכך הוא
מלבין ומכשיר את קטאר.
כל רגע שבו נתניהו מסרב לקרוא לאויב הקטארי בשמו פוגע בבטחון הלאומי שלנו,
פוגע במעמד ישראל בעולם, ופוגע בזכרם של…

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) September 24, 2026

Netanyahu’s speech “presented our truth in the house of lies that is the UN,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said.

“Israel’s prime minister must be equipped with the abilities and skills to fight for Israel’s cause and to be a player on the international stage. The candidates seeking to replace Netanyahu in these elections do not have these abilities that Netanyahu has,” Sa’ar added.

“I was surprised to hear that Netanyahu is accusing Qatar of spreading lies and hosting Hamas leaders on October 7. Apparently the speech did not align with Yonatan Urich,” Democrats party head Yair Golan said.

Danon, allied nations presidents meet with Netanyahu on the sidelines

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, welcomed Netanyahu and his wife Sara before the PM took the stage.

ברוכים הבאים לאו״ם ראש הממשלה נתניהו ורעייתו שרה!

בקרוב ראש הממשלה @netanyahu ימסור את נאומו בפני העצרת הכללית. pic.twitter.com/Mbvb7xxPii

— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) September 24, 2026

Protests were reported outside the UN Headquarters against Netanyahu’s presence at the gathering of world leaders.

Additional footage of an anti-Israel protest in New York held ahead of Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly. https://t.co/AxXpo4ngvQ pic.twitter.com/dzkU6cjhe6

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 24, 2026

Several protesters were arrested by the New York Police Department for causing disruptions outside UN HQ.

Among those arrested was anti-Zionist movie star Susan Sarandon, Walla learned.

BREAKING:
Protesters who say Israel is committing genocide are being arrested including @OsseChi who shared a few words with me as he was in handcuffs. pic.twitter.com/wUEMSus2ad

— Henry Rosoff (@HenryRosoff) September 24, 2026

Before his speech, Netanyahu met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Netanyahu “emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between the countries for regional stability and welcomed Greece’s selection of Israeli defense systems,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Netanyahu and Mitsotakis discussed “regional developments, energy cooperation, and the advancement of another tripartite summit with Cyprus,” the PMO added.

Netanyahu also met with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša on the UNGA sidelines, the PMO confirmed.

He thanked Janša for the opening of the Israeli embassy in Ljubljana and his “steadfast support for Israel, which has led to a turnaround in bilateral relations,” the PMO said.

The two leaders “discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation between the two countries in various fields,” and Netanyahu invited Janša to visit Israel, the PMO noted.

Wayne Rooney, the former English soccer star, revealed that his maternal grandmother was a Polish Jew during a family visit to Auschwitz.

Speaking in his Disney+ documentary, The Real Rooneys, Rooney explained that he “recently found out my mum’s mum, my nan, her family was Polish Jews.”

“Technically, if that’s true, you’re actually Jewish,” a producer called from off camera. Judaism is passed down maternally, and given Rooney’s heritage comes from his “mum’s mum,” the former soccer player is considered Jewish by Halacha (Jewish law).

“I’m Catholic, but I’ve always asked questions like, ‘Why aren’t we Jewish?’” Rooney responded.

He explained that his mother told him that his great-grandmother had fled Poland for Liverpool, adding that they thought her original surname was Greenburg.

The Rooneys visit Auschwitz at their 10-year-old’s request

The announcement came during a family trip to Poland, where the family aimed to learn more about World War II for their son’s school project. 

“Kit really wanted to go,” Rooney’s wife, Coleen, told the Guardian when asked whose idea the trip had been.

Rooney added, “It’s really important to learn about history, good and bad. Sometimes with your kids, you only want to tell them the good stuff, and I don’t think that’s good for them.”  

“I’ve watched a lot of documentaries on it, and you just wouldn’t think human beings could do that to other human beings. It’s crazy,” he told his taxi driver on the way to the concentration camp.

Although his sons hadn’t been to Auschwitz before, Rooney himself had visited with his England teammates during the 2012 Euros, which were held in Poland and Ukraine.

Jewish organizations respond to Rooney’s announcement

Rooney could usurp Nick Blackman, the Blackburn Rovers player who is officially recognized as the first English-born Jewish player in the UK’s Premier League.

Blackman debuted in 2009 while Rooney, who has subsequently discovered his Jewish heritage, debuted for Everton in 2002.

Blackman played for Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv towards the twilight of his career.

However, Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), a UK-based charity dedicated to exposing and countering anti-Jewish hate, felt that Rooney’s newfound history had bigger implications. In a statement on X/Twitter, CAA commented that “this news is a reminder that the idea that Jewish people are not sporty is a myth laced with antisemitic tropes about Jewish physical weakness.”

Wayne Rooney has revealed he has Polish-Jewish ancestry in a new documentary.

This news is a reminder that the idea that Jewish people are not sporty is a myth laced with antisemitic topes about Jewish physical weakness.

In fact, before the Second World War, Jewish people were…

— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) September 24, 2026

“In fact, before the Second World War, Jewish people were at the pinnacle of European sport across a range of disciplines, including football,” it added.

“It is taking time to rebuild that culture from the ashes of the Holocaust, and educate about how Jewish people and people with Jewish heritage have contributed, and continue to contribute to the world of sport.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir on Thursday called the arrival of Israel’s sixth submarine, the INS Drakon, a major step in strengthening the IDF’s capabilities during a ceremony at Haifa’s naval base.

“Even these days, our eyes are open toward what is happening in Iran and among its proxies. The Iranian regime is hurt and wounded, but has not learned to change its intentions,” Zamir said at the ceremony.

“With the integration of the INS Drakon into the Navy, the Navy reaches improved maritime readiness and new heights in its capabilities and operational strength: more covert, farther-reaching, deeper and more lethal.”

Zamir added that Israel’s recent military achievements were “unprecedented,” citing operations against senior figures, strengthened defensive readiness, improved deterrence and expanded operational capabilities.

Herzog: ‘INS Drakon’ is a new chapter for Israel’s Navy

President Isaac Herzog said the vessel represented a glimpse into the future of the Navy, and added that the submarine fleet would expand Israel’s operational capabilities.

“Today, as we receive the INS Drakon into the ranks of the Navy, we look for a moment into the future,” Herzog said.

“The Drakon submarine joining the Navy today, like the additional submarines that will arrive after it, together reflect the bright future of the Navy. A future that means innovation, a future that means broader operational capabilities, a future that means immense power available to the State of Israel, more than ever before.

“Power that we will be able to use, and will not hesitate to use when necessary, even thousands of kilometers from Israel’s borders.”

Herzog said that in recent years, the Navy sailors and many others involved in the project had worked at the Kiel naval base in Germany.

“Over the past two years, Israeli Navy soldiers and many others connected to this enormous project worked at the Kiel port on German soil. Another almost unimaginable symbol,” he said.

“Eighty-one years since the terrible Holocaust, the nation-state of the Jewish people is building together with Germany the crown jewel of global defense engineering. At the same time, the State of Israel is not only importing security equipment from Germany, but is also exporting advanced defense systems to it, thereby contributing to the defense of all of Europe.”

Herzog thanked Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Ministry of Defense Director General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, Navy commanders and soldiers, and representatives of the German government and Thyssenkrupp for their roles in bringing the submarine into service.

Addressing the submarine crews, Herzog praised their work and said the arrival of the Drakon marked a new chapter in Israel’s naval capabilities.

“Above all, I want to thank you, the submarine fighters under the command of Cmdr. O. Two years of training and long weeks at sea have brought you here as heralds of a new chapter in Israel’s maritime strength,” he said.

“We hold in our hearts, with appreciation and pride, the memory of the 69 members of the Dakar crew, and send a comforting embrace to their families.”

He told the Drakon’s crew that the human element remained the decisive factor despite the submarine’s advanced technology.

“Today, when the Drakon submarine is entrusted to you, the fighters of the submarine flotilla, among the finest sons and daughters of Israeli society in all its diversity, we remember one clear principle: the person determines. The person operating the machine, whether it is the most advanced and expensive machine, is the one who will always bring victory and the ability to complete the mission in full,” Herzog said.

Herzog also referred to the legacy of the INS Dakar submarine, which disappeared in 1968 and whose crew of 69 sailors were lost.

“Even at this ceremony, especially at this ceremony, we remember well the painful journey of the Dakar submarine, whose name not only serves as inspiration for the Drakon submarine, but also represents the immense courage and strength of spirit that characterized its crew,” Herzog said.

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the United Nations General Assembly, perhaps for the last time as Israel’s prime minister, he will be standing in a house he was taught, 42 years ago, to see two ways.

Israelis vote on October 27, and current polls leave his bloc short of a majority. The audience he first courted there in 1984 may therefore be about to hear a valedictory from a man constitutionally incapable of delivering one.

When Netanyahu arrived in New York as Israel’s ambassador, he received two descriptions of the institution that would become his great international stage.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Netanyahu later recalled, told him he would be serving in a “house of many lies,” but that even in darkness a single candle could be seen.

A veteran Latin American diplomat offered another: “The house of immortal life.” At the UN, he explained, no resolution ever truly died.

Netanyahu would spend four decades making a politics out of both.

He cast himself as the man who saw through lies others missed, then turned that claim into an argument that Israel could not afford to do without him. 

In a 1988 interview, he described the method: establish “irrefutable facts,” couple them with “powerful arguments,” use rhetoric, and score “visible victories.” Begin with what is true, cast uncertainty in its most threatening form, and turn danger into an argument for his own necessity.

The pitch came with props: a PLO calendar in 1986, a cartoon bomb and red marker in 2012, 44 seconds of silence in 2015. In 2024, he held up placards labeled “The Blessing” and “The Curse” and closed with Deuteronomy: “Be strong and of good courage.” 

But the chapter is also about succession. Moses prepares Israel for Joshua; authority passes, and the people continue without him.

Succession was the political problem this politics could not solve. Under Netanyahu, Likud produced no heir. Rivals were diminished, sent abroad, or denied authority; loyalty became safer than stature. 

From 2019 to 2022, five elections revolved around a man his party could not replace. His case rested on singularity: only he understood America, only he understood Iran, only he could be trusted with the danger.

Political survival stopped being a talent and became a theory of government.

Even defeat proved temporary. He lost power in 1999 and returned a decade later; lost it again in 2021 and was back 18 months later. Defeat became an intermission.

The October 7 massacre shattered Netanyahu’s central promise: only he could keep Israelis safe. 

A real danger

Since 2009, his governments had treated Hamas as containable, allowed Qatari money to help sustain its rule in Gaza, and found Hamas’s rivalry with the Palestinian Authority strategically useful. 

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) later identified the “policy of quiet” and Qatari money among the reasons for Hamas’s military build-up. Netanyahu neither resigned nor accepted responsibility.

The disaster should have destroyed the argument for his indispensability. Instead, its scale became another reason he could not leave.

War supplied the postponement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir left the government over the January 2025 ceasefire and returned when fighting resumed. 

Netanyahu resisted a state commission of inquiry into October 7; his criminal trial was repeatedly interrupted by security emergencies. 

Motive is beside the point. Emergency made accountability itself appear irresponsible: resignation premature, inquiry untimely, elections dangerous.

The crisis did not pass.

Iran was the danger Netanyahu returned to most insistently at the UN, the supreme test of his claim to indispensability. Israeli and American strikes badly damaged the nuclear program. 

But the campaign widened into a regional war with no plausible end in sight, spreading across the Gulf and into the Red Sea while leaving the nuclear question unresolved. 

Iran has been weakened, but at the price of a conflict whose political end-state no one has yet been able to define.

The catastrophe of October 7 became a reason Netanyahu could not leave in wartime; military gains against Iran became proof that only he could deliver them. 

When opposite outcomes produce the same conclusion, the claim can no longer be tested against events. It has become a rationale for his continued rule.

The argument now hangs over Tel Aviv. A Likud billboard places New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, beside Iran’s supreme leader, Turkey’s president, and Hezbollah’s chief. 

“They want Netanyahu to lose,” it says. “Don’t let them win.” Their hostility becomes his qualification for office.

At home, Netanyahu remains on trial for corruption. Abroad, an International Criminal Court warrant seeks his arrest for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, which he denies. Washington will not execute it; New York is safe. 

Elsewhere, his map has narrowed. For a politician famous for bringing maps to the General Assembly, international law has become an itinerary.

Last September, representatives from dozens of countries walked out as Netanyahu approached the microphone. He spoke to rows of empty chairs. An adversarial audience still grants a speaker the dignity of an adversary.

Even contempt is a form of attention. An empty chair is not.

He will not call this a farewell. Finality is the one verdict Netanyahu has never accepted. Indictment becomes persecution; isolation, vindication; catastrophe, another mandate to stay. 

The two descriptions have converged. In the house of lies, every judgment against him can be dismissed as false. In the house of immortal life, every verdict can be treated as temporary.

Much of his audience has already walked out. Netanyahu’s last confidence trick is to persuade enough Israelis that they cannot afford to.

The dangers are real. The lie is that they require Netanyahu.

The writer is a senior fellow for Mitvim: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.

Several civilians crossed into the barrier separating the Gaza Strip from Israel on Thursday, the IDF said.

The civilians were then stopped by the military and returned to Israel, with no one managing to cross into Gaza itself, the IDF added. 

“The area adjacent to the barrier is designated as a closed military zone; entry is strictly prohibited,” the IDF emphasized in its statement.

The military didn’t comment on why the civilians attempted to enter Gaza or whether they belonged to a particular movement, with the latest civilian attempts to cross into the area being led primarily by far-right groups demanding the Israeli re-settlement of Gaza.

Far-right Nahala group agrees to stop march at Gaza border

Back in July, the Nahala movement organized a march to Gaza that ended inside the Israeli border, after an agreement was reached between organizers and the IDF.

According to a report by Walla, approximately 10,000 people participated in the march, which started at the Zikim beach and ended with a lookout over the settlement of Elei Sinai and the northern border of the Gaza Strip.

In a statement announcing the march, the group said it would call for “the immediate establishment of the settlements of Nissanit, Dugit and Elei Sinai.”

“We call on the public to continue to come in droves and take part in this historic process,” the movement said. “With God’s help, we will soon be able to establish the first settlements in the Gaza Strip – the heavens are marking the border!”

In February, a similar march (which ended with a border crossing) was led by deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Limor Son Har-Melech, together with dozens of activists from the movement.

According to the IDF, the activists were apprehended and returned to Israeli territory, where they were transferred to the police.

Lara Sukster contributed to this report.

OpenAI tried to hack into government or university websites four other times without being prompted, in addition to the Australian government data breach, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Australia said on Wednesday that an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorized access to files, in what could be the first known instance of an AI agent hacking a government website.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to the medical statistics portal of a government agency responsible for non-sensitive health data and statistics, including public medical spending.

The New York Times reported that OpenAI hacked into university and government websites in May and June of this year. Researchers said that the AI was prompted to do mundane data collection, but struggled to get the information it needed and instead hacked into websites.

This differs from the Hugging Face attack in July, when OpenAI systems were told to run a series of cybersecurity tests to demonstrate their hacking abilities. NYT reported that research lab Transluce identified three other incidents in which artificial intelligence went rogue.

In the first instance, OpenAI systems tried to hack into the University of New Mexico’s digital library on May 25 and 26, the NYT reported. The attempt was unsuccessful.

In the next instance, OpenAI tried to hack Data USA, a public repository of American educational and employment data, on May 28. The attempt was also unsuccessful.

The NYT reported that the Australian government website hack was on June 18. Albanese announced the incident on Wednesday.

The Australian prime minister claimed that OpenAI did not disclose the incident until September 10.

The fourth incident was an attack on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website on June 20 and 21. OpenAI did not obtain any private information, the NYT reported, citing Australian officials.

These OpenAI incidents follow a surge of similar cases in which other AI models, such as Meta, Anthropic, and Google, hacked into systems without human knowledge.

The incidents come amid a debate over whether AI companies must slow the pace of their models’ advancement.

Conrad Stosz, the head of governance at Transluce, told the NYT that the incidents “add further evidence to the idea that agents need to be dealt with carefully.”

He added that the Australian hacks were “the first instance of an agent autonomously choosing to hack into a government.”

An OpenAI spokesperson told the NYT that it was in contact with the Australian government and had reached out to the University of New Mexico and DataUSA.

“In our broader review, we’re continuing to prioritize the most serious incidents while expanding our work to lower-severity activity, including agents spamming websites.”

The incident comes after OpenAI and Anthropic, in separate submissions to a parliamentary inquiry this month, urged Australia to reconsider a ban on the use of the country’s creative content to train their models.

Web data procured by Transluce suggests that OpenAI agents have been trying to hack websites as early as March and as late as last week, the NYT reported. Transluce researchers told the NYT that in the reported incidents, the agents appear to be involved in data retrieval training.

Israeli officials believe that it’s only a matter of time until the resumption of strikes against Iran, according to a report by Saudi state-owned news outlet Al Hadath on Thursday.

The official told the outlet that the Israeli intelligence has detected an attempt by Iran to revive and activate its nuclear program in anticipation of a strike, following reports in Israel about the regime transferring its remaining nuclear project to Jabal al-Fas, near the Natanz nuclear facility.

The report also cited the official saying that Israel is “defensively and offensively prepared for the possibility of renewed war on Iran and on other fronts as well, at any time.”

“We will move to strike nuclear facilities and any site belonging to them again if Tehran crosses any of the red lines, whether with or without the participation of the US,” the official added.

The official also warned that the current economic sanctions taken against Iranian-linked entities are generating pressure in Tehran, causing internal division and domestic pressure. “These factors could push it [the Iranian regime] toward military responses in the region, including against Israel.”

He then insisted that the only way to have a non-nuclear Iran is through a regime change in the country.

Elections don’t constitute a decisive variable against Iran

The official also revealed that the elections in Israel, which will be held on October 27, aren’t a factor that could influence the decision-making about striking Iran.

He also said that the current sanctions by the Trump administration are having better effects than expected, with current estimates suggesting that a regime collapse could happen sooner than anticipated.

Finally, the official warned Al Hadath that Israel doesn’t see much value in the current negotiations between Americans and Iranians, despite the continuation of contacts and mediations, due to Tehran’s procrastination and its bets on political developments in the United States and Israel that could stop an attack from happening.

Iran, US meet on sidelines of UNGA

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July.

“Steve and Jared had a very productive meeting today with mediators of Iran, merely mediators. Let’s see what happens with that,” US President Donald Trump said. “They’ve been mediated for a while, but I think there’s a lot of momentum for them to make a deal. It’s what we’re hearing from everybody.”

The Al Hadath report mentioned that no agreement was reached during this meeting, as disagreements continued over several issues, most notably the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to the lack of trust between them.

Reuters contributed to this report.

While world leaders gather at the United Nations for their annual diplomatic ritual, the two biggest power brokers in global politics will sit down in a different venue on Thursday: the White House.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet for the second time this year, hoping to keep the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship steady as both leaders grapple with a host of domestic and global issues.

The split-screen moment highlights an existential question for the UN: does the world body, established after the calamity of two world wars, still matter?

While UN delegates discuss “multilateralism” and hold panels on the world’s conflicts, Trump and Xi – what the US president calls the “G2” – will talk AI, trade, and defense.

“It’s pretty notable that Xi Jinping is coming to Washington in the same week as the General Assembly, but does not feel bothered to come up to New York,” said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group.

“I think a lot of people will say, ‘Where is the real center of decision-making?'”

Xi rarely travels to New York for the General Assembly.

The questions about the UN’s role are hardly new, but have acquired fresh urgency as the organization struggles with deep financial problems, divisions among major powers and limited influence over conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East.

Those concerns have gained new relevance since Trump’s return to office last year. The US leader has pulled the US out of dozens of UN agencies and slashed Washington’s budgetary contributions to the organization, pushing it to the brink of bankruptcy.

In his speech on Tuesday, Trump accused the UN of “imposing the far-left agenda of globalist bureaucrats who nobody ever elected.”

UN facing deepening financial woes

The UN has a persistent budget shortfall, forcing it to cut the budget of its Secretariat by 9.2% for 2026. It laid off thousands of staff, sent peacekeepers home, and cut back on humanitarian and human rights work.

The United States, which has for years withheld much of its dues, is part of that problem.

The Trump administration last week paid $725 million for the regular budget, preserving its vote at the assembly, but still owes $1.3 billion to the regular budget and $2.9 billion for peacekeeping operations, the UN said.

The organization’s problems extend beyond money, however.

Gridlock has long defined the UN Security Council, where five veto powers, including China, Russia and the US, rarely agree on anything substantive.

“There are two main challenges that the UN faces today: the first is its dire financial situation,” said Eugene Chen, a former UN official.

“This is linked to a second, broader, challenge – the fact that member states no longer agree on what the form or function of the UN ought to be at a time of mounting global challenges,” he said.

Outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a reform task force last year, known as UN80, which seeks to cut costs, remove duplication, move jobs to locations cheaper than New York and Geneva and improve efficiency.

It includes a 21% reduction in posts at the Secretariat and a review of more than 600 series of mandated Secretary-General’s reports, aiming to reduce reporting by about 700,000 words in 2026.

Trump decries ‘craven hypocrites’ of UNHCR

Unlike in 2025, Trump did not use his Tuesday speech to complain about escalators or teleprompters and largely stuck to a script that focused on defending his record in the war with Iran and on the US economy.

Still, he inveighed against the “craven hypocrites” of the UN’s Human Rights Council who “want America to open our borders to gangs and criminals from the world’s most dangerous places,” and zeroed in on UNESCO, saying “these globalists are actively destroying the greatest cultures and most extraordinary heritage in history.”

The UN has defended culture and education agency UNESCO’s work as “unanimously acclaimed by major specialized organizations,” and the Human Rights Council as playing “a very important role in the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide.”

Xi has sought to capitalize on Trump’s often bellicose rhetoric by presenting China as a reliable partner on the global stage, especially for developing nations, and by using the UN as a platform to advance that message.

Over 1,000 meetings planned over UNGA week

For all the criticism of the UN, its annual meeting remains a forum for high-volume diplomacy. This week, member states planned more than 1,000 bilateral meetings, according to UN data.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ‌and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines on Tuesday, the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July.

The European Union’s foreign policy ‌chief Kaja Kallas told reporters the UN remained relevant, but she too criticized the organization for being “paralyzed when it comes to preventing or ending conflicts.”

Ukrainian ​leader Volodymyr Zelensky used the venue to hold talks with Trump on ending the war with ‌Russia, including a potential ceasefire on energy-related targets.

He was asked by a journalist whether years of meetings at the UN have brought any concrete results. He answered in English: “Today it helps us to meet. Maybe it’s not too much, but it’s something.”

To his family, Lt. Col. Mahmoud Khairaldeen was a gentle man who always had time to listen, offer advice, and help those around him. To the Israeli public, he was known only as “Lt. Col. M.” Eight years after he was killed during a covert operation in the Gaza Strip, the man behind the initials is finally being remembered for more than the secrecy that surrounded his life and death: for the quiet devotion he showed to his family, his community and the country he served.

A center in Isfiya was opened in his memory to support young entrepreneurs in starting their own businesses, marking a major first for Israel’s Druze community. The center honors not only the sacrifices made by Khairaldeen, but also the extensive work he did to help young Druze gain admission to the military boarding school he once attended.

Khairaldeen had a long military career in the Paratroopers Brigade and later in Military Intelligence’s Special Operations Division. However, his commitment to his community extended well beyond his military service. In 2009, he established a nonprofit to support young members of his community, and partnered with Aharai!, a program designed to help teenagers build the resilience and skills needed to succeed in the military once they turn 18.

“He had a gentle smile that was truly defining, and even today that smile continues to guide our steps, even giving us strength, purpose, and comfort in everything we do. Mahmoud was not only an extraordinary officer and commander; he was deeply dedicated to education, leadership, and empowering youth,” Khairaldeen’s brother Mamduch told The Jerusalem Post. “We believe in quiet leadership, leading through actions, building bridges between communities, and ensuring that the next generation has every opportunity to realize their full potential. For us, honoring his memory means carrying forward what he lived by, investing in people, driving positive social change.”

Lieutenant M foundation facilitates community support

With the generous support of Prof. Meriam Adelson, the center opened an “accelerator” only weeks ago to help advance young Druze in the high-tech industry.

Mamduch explained that his family first opened the Lieutenant M Foundation to carry on Khairaldeen’s memory. They are now working on several projects, including a commemoration and heritage center with an educational space designed to share Khairaldeen’s story, values and devotion to Israel, as well as a community and parenting support center focused on empowering parents with the tools they need to nurture their children’s development.

Mamduch said the foundation was working in close partnership with the Association for the Advancement of the Druze Soldier, also known as the Druze Veterans Association, a nonprofit founded by Koftan Halabi to support and empower IDF Druze soldiers and veterans in Israel.

“Koftan Halabi chose to dedicate this inspiring venture to the memory of my brother Mahmoud. We, as his family, deeply appreciate this meaningful tribute and are proud to partner with the foundation and support this innovation,” Mamduch said. “It truly reflects everything Mahmoud stood for: empowering the next generation and opening doors for young talent by connecting peripheral communities directly to Israel’s high-tech ecosystem and providing young entrepreneurs with mentorship and professional tools. This innovation turns military leadership and resilience into real-world innovation.”

A knife-wielding man chased a yeshiva student home while shouting antisemitic expletives in an incident captured on surveillance footage on Wednesday.

Security footage posted online by the Crown Heights Shmira Patrol (CHSP) shows a man pursuing an individual down a residential street and onto a flight of steps outside a home at approximately 2:33 AM on Wednesday.

Knife-wielding man arrested after chasing a Bochur while shouting “Heil [expletive] Hitler.” pic.twitter.com/YNBunmiAD2

— Crown Heights Shmira (@CHSPshmira) September 23, 2026

During the pursuit visible in the video, the suspect yells toward the student, “Now I know where you live,” before screaming, “Heil f***ing Hitler!” while holding an object appearing to be a knife. The assailant continues shouting racial and antisemitic slurs as the student moves toward the safety of the doorway.

NYPD located the suspect shortly after the attack

According to a report by COLlive, a Crown Heights based local news outlet, the suspect allegedly slashed the tires of bicycles parked on the property before fleeing the area. Crown Heights Shmira and the NYPD were immediately called, and responders soon located the suspect nearby. He took off again, jumping over fences on private properties and managing to evade responders temporarily.

Multiple Shmira volunteers reportedly continued canvassing the surrounding streets and yards, and a short time later the suspect was located again. He was taken into custody by officers from the NYPD’s 77th Precinct. The NYPD Hate Crimes Division is investigating the incident.

The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment and confirmation of the report by publication time.

The IDF has cut its forces in southern Lebanon from eight brigades down to six, Army Radio reported on Thursday.

According to Army Radio, the IDF has recently pulled four brigades out of Lebanon, replacing them with only two. It has also released many reservist soldiers.

The four brigades that exited Lebanon were the Commando Brigade, the Golani Brigade, and two reservist brigades: the 55th Paratrooper Reservist Brigade and the 4th Armored Reservist Brigade.

In their stead, the 188th Armored Brigade and the Ground Forces Training School Brigade entered Lebanon and have taken positions across the border, Army Radio reported.

A military source told Army Radio that the reduction in forces was intended to ease the burden on the IDF’s manpower and specifically allow reservists to return home as conditions allow.

Former IDF commander warns against pulling out of Lebanon

Earlier this month, IDF Col. (res.) Oren Zini, former commander of the Tze’elim Training Base, warned against any future agreement that would force the IDF to withdraw from its positions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon before completing its missions in an interview with 103FM.

“If we do not maintain our hold in these areas, the enemy will escape with its forces and munitions, and we won’t be taken seriously,” he said.

“We saw what happened when we left the security zone [in southern Lebanon]. Not everyone will like hearing this, but that year 2000 effort under Ehud Barak looked like one big retreat. I was there. We left equipment and weapons behind, and pulled out at the drop of a hat.”

103FM contributed to this report.

Lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives have introduced a resolution urging the US government to back Israel’s right to statehood and take measures to prevent Hamas from eliminating the Jewish state on Tuesday.

House Resolution 372, introduced by Rep. Gina Johnsen and sponsored by Rep. Joseph Fox and Rep. Tim Kelly, is officially described as “A resolution to urge the United States government to take action to support Israel’s right to statehood and prevent Hamas and other groups from succeeding in their efforts to eliminate the only Jewish state, and to call on the Governor to review department policies to ensure they are not antisemitic.”

The resolution traces the historical context behind the measure, noting that “The Jewish people are native to the Land of Israel. However, throughout history and across the reign of multiple kingdoms, the Jewish people were persecuted and expelled from the Land of Israel, forced to live as minority diaspora communities in other lands.”

The text highlights that “This genocide provided new urgency to re-establish a Jewish homeland for the Jewish people, where they would not be a vulnerable minority, where they could freely practice their faith, and where something like the Holocaust could never happen again.”

Resolution labels threats to Israel’s existence as antisemitism

The measure further points out that once Israel was established, “other countries and terrorist entities continued to attack Israel, reject its right to exist, and call for its destruction,” while adding that the events of October 7 “demonstrate that Israel continues to face existential threats to this day.” 

The resolution emphasizes that “The State of Israel has a right to exist, and denying this is a form of antisemitism.”

The resolution stated that “When public officials use antisemitic rhetoric, it has harmful effects on the Jewish community and our broader society. The espousal or endorsement of such beliefs is anti democratic and contrary to the founding principles of our nation and the state of Michigan, and the use of such harmful language can be a precursor to further human rights abuses.”

The text formally requests that the state governor conduct a comprehensive review of department policies and administrative guidelines to ensure they remain entirely free from antisemitism.

Following its formal introduction on the House floor, the measure was referred directly to the House Committee on Government Operations for further review and committee consideration on Tuesday.

The Beersheba District Court increased Guy Haddad’s sentence from five-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half years in prison for stealing five vehicles from Kibbutz Be’eri days after the October 7 massacre, ruling that the original punishment did not reflect the exceptional severity of the crimes.

In a decision handed down Wednesday and publicized Thursday, Judges Gilat Shalev, Itay Bresler-Gonen and Fani Gilat Cohen accepted the state’s appeal against the sentence, while rejecting Haddad’s appeal.

Haddad, the owner of a towing company, was convicted by the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court of conspiracy to commit a felony and five counts of vehicle theft following a full trial.

The court found that Haddad and another man used their work as volunteers at a logistics center established near Sde Yoav to help soldiers and residents of the Gaza border communities. That role gave them access to areas closed by the military after the Hamas attack.

On October 18 and 19, 2023, they entered Be’eri under the pretense of removing residents’ vehicles, loaded five vehicles onto tow trucks, and took them from the kibbutz. Some were later transferred to Palestinian Authority territory and could not be returned to their owners, according to the judgment. Fictitious sale documents were used for at least one vehicle.

NIS 25,000 fine and NIS 5,000 to each affected owner

The Magistrate’s Court sentenced Haddad to five-and-a-half years in prison, a suspended sentence and a NIS 25,000 fine. It also disqualified his driver’s license and ordered him to pay NIS 5,000 to each of the five vehicle owners.

Haddad argued on appeal that the evidence did not prove he had planned the thefts, that testimony against him was unreliable, and that he had received inadequate legal representation at trial. He also challenged the severity of his sentence.

The District Court rejected those arguments, saying that the trial court examined the evidence in detail and that there was no basis to overturn its factual findings or its assessment of the witnesses.

That evidence included testimony from the man who acted with Haddad, other volunteers, military and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) personnel, communications records and video footage. The judges said it established that Haddad had initiated and directed the thefts rather than merely carrying out towing work authorized by others.

The court also rejected Haddad’s claim that failures by his previous lawyer had undermined the trial. His former attorney told the appellate court that no additional witnesses whom the defense had wanted to call were left unheard, and the judges found no indication that different representation would have changed the result.

The prosecution argued that the original prison term was too lenient because Haddad had exploited both the access and the trust given to him as a volunteer.

The case was distinguished because it happened directly after Oct. 7

The District Court agreed, distinguishing the case from an ordinary vehicle theft, as the offenses were committed while Israel was still reeling from the October 7 attack, residents had been evacuated, and volunteers and security forces were working across the Gaza border area, the judges wrote.

They said the thefts harmed not only the vehicle owners but also the public trust on which emergency volunteer work depends. The court also pointed to the planning involved, the five vehicles taken over two days, and the fact that some could not be recovered.

The judges added two years to Haddad’s sentence, with credit for time already spent in custody. The suspended sentence, fine, license disqualification and compensation orders remain unchanged.

Jonathan Karlinsky, an Israeli-Ukrainian hassid who was arrested while crossing the Ukraine-Romania border after Rosh Hashanah and drafted into the Ukrainian army, has been located at a detention facility near Odessa, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) announced on Thursday.

Karlinsky is currently awaiting transfer to a military base near the city of Kharkiv, where he is expected to serve as an army medic, several dozen kilometers away from the front lines where combat is actively taking place between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

After his location was ascertained, local rabbis, including those from Chabad, were able to assist in ensuring Karlinsky received kosher food, a prayer book, and the Arba Minim (Four Species) used on Sukkot.

Karlinsky also sent a video to his family in which he said he was in good condition and being treated fairly.

According to his family, “We tried to secure his release, but it wasn’t feasible. His medical expertise, combined with the Ukrainian army’s growing shortage of medical personnel, meant the army needed him immediately and could not let him go. Furthermore, he had previously served in the Ukrainian army – before becoming religious and immigrating to Israel – so, from their perspective, he belongs to them.”

Ukraine-Russia war is existential, FJCU chairman says

Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the FJCU, said that Ukraine was unable to provide exemptions to any potential soldiers due to the ongoing war with Russia.

“Ukraine is engaged in a very difficult war against an aggressive enemy that has been striking people, buildings, schools, hospitals, and more for nearly five years,” he said. “People are being killed every day, resulting in a severe shortage of manpower. Every Ukrainian citizen is needed here, so obtaining exemptions is impossible.”

Stambler drew a comparison to Israel’s wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, calling it an existential war.

At the same time, Stambler added, “Ukraine is doing everything it can, and we are deeply grateful for its consideration of the needs of all religions and every individual soldier. Karlinsky stated that, for religious reasons, he did not wish to carry a weapon; the authorities accommodated this request and assigned him to a medical role. Perhaps later on, we will be able to integrate him into the Ukrainian military rabbinate.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. It was a potentially momentous occasion. Nearby, according to reports, Iranian mediators headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in a meeting room and sending someone back and forth to speak to an American delegation.

Pezeshkian was aware that this was a chance to stand on the world stage and make Iran’s position clear. Channeling a well-known line from the series Game of Thrones, he said Iran would not “bend the knee.” It’s not clear whether he is a fan of the show and borrowed the phrase or whether it is a Persian saying.

Iran’s president knows that the US-Iran war is not popular in the United States. It is not popular in Iran either. He is aware that Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Ghalibaf has supported talks with the US, but he also knows there are others in the Iranian leadership who want war.

While the United Nations is relatively friendly territory for Iran, Pezeshkian was also entering a lions’ den because – similar to the Irish commander Michael Collins entering into talks with the United Kingdom in 1921 – he risked becoming the fall guy back home.

Pezeshkian’s told the UN General Assembly US President Trump is ‘a bully’

“It must be understood by [US] President [Donald] Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations but without the language of force,” Pezeshkian said.

His speech was interpreted by commentators as demonstrating defiance.

“Masoud Pezeshkian turned the tables on Donald Trump, describing the US as the true bully and terrorist in the Middle East while insisting that Iran had always shown a commitment to the negotiating table,” The Guardian reported.

Trump had used bellicose language as he stood at the UN podium on Tuesday, threatening that Iran could be annihilated if it didn’t make a deal.

In response, Pezeshkian said: “The resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access.”

“The US president described us as terrorists,” he said. “We have been the victims of terrorism.”

Pezeshkian held up a photo of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, along with photos of children killed during the war as the result of a strike on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.

“Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed on our country,” he said. “And we defended ourselves with utmost strength.”

Defending Iran on the international stage while being attacked at home

Pezeshkian faced online pushback from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Iran, while his supporters depicted him as holding up a shield and being shot in the back with arrows. He was considered to be defending Iran while being attacked at home.

Pezeshkian is not the first one to be put in this position. As noted, the Irish leader Collins was also attacked for defending his country and bringing home an agreement. He was subsequently killed in the Irish Civil War and accused of having let the British continue to control Northern Ireland.

Similarly, German officials were accused by Nazi forerunners of stabbing their country in the back in the 1920s.

In another analogy, Cherokee Treaty Party leaders were hunted down and murdered in 1839, four years after they agreed to a deal that caused the Cherokee to be forced westward by the US government.

At the UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian sought to be as defiant as possible to avoid being perceived by the IRGC generals as selling out Iran.

Michigan Democratic Party senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed evaded an audience member’s direct request to unequivocally condemn the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a University of Michigan town hall event titled “Students vs. Billionaires” on Wednesday, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. 

The event was part of a statewide campus tour organized by More Perfect University to engage voters across Michigan.

Abdul can’t even condemn the IRGC, a group that murdered an estimated 40,000 Iranian civilians in the last year alone.

Abdul can’t condemn Hamas, the IRGC, the Houthis, or the enemies of America.

We deserve better. pic.twitter.com/sgPzbpkpUD

— Democrats For Mike Rogers (@DemsForMike) September 24, 2026

During the speaking event an attendee wearing a Michigan Persians sweatshirt confronted El-Sayed regarding his past silence on the regime’s violent suppression of dissidents and protesters. The attendee specifically pointed to leaked audio from earlier in the year where El-Sayed allegedly stated he did not want to comment on the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei because “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today.”

“My cousin was hunted in the streets of Iran by the IRGC because her hijab wasn’t on right,” the audience member stated at the event. “My uncle was sentenced to die, received 50 lashings by Ali Khamenei’s government.”

The questioner pressed El-Sayed to break his silence, asking if he regretted that silence and if he would denounce the IRGC. “I haven’t heard anything from you about the protesters, Abdul,” the audience member said. “That silence had a gaping hole in our community and I want to ask if you regret that silence, I want to ask if you renounce the people that held vigils, that supported this terrorist for all that he’s done. I wanted to ask if you stand unequivocally against the IRGC, against the Islamic Republic of Iran that has killed 50,000 protesters, Abdul, I haven’t heard anything from you about the protesters, Abdul, please.”

El-Sayed redirected the discussion to US military intervention in the Middle East

Responding to the inquiry during the town hall event, El-Sayed avoided condemning the IRGC directly and instead shifted the discussion toward foreign policy and military intervention, telling the crowd that “for too long and too often, when we think about our role in the world, we have turned ourselves into the world’s policeman.”

El-Sayed addressed the risks of foreign entanglements and regime change initiatives rather than addressing the audience member’s demand to oppose the Iranian military branch. “One can disagree with the governance of a foreign country, one can stand in solidarity with freedom and democracy movements, but my worry is one when one decides that we are going to go in and take out the leadership of a foreign government,” he said.

While stating that he stands with freedom and democracy movements, El-Sayed argued that foreign intervention often serves corporate interests regarding natural resources rather than supporting democratic outcomes. “I will always stand for and with democratic movements, always,” El-Sayed said. “But I also don’t believe that we were in the right to go to war to topple the government of Iran. It was not our responsibility to do it.”

As El-Sayed continued explaining his position on foreign leadership and military action, the audience member interrupted from the floor to point out that the candidate still had not directly answered the question regarding the IRGC, shouting, “You still haven’t said it though, we’re dying, the IRGC, do you stand with us?”

In response, El-Sayed reiterated his stance against foreign regime change efforts, telling the crowd that “the US has no, we should not be in the business of regime change,” while adding that “once you start putting our resources toward regime change in foreign countries, more often than not the regimes that we seek to change are the ones in which there is a natural resource interest and it becomes a ploy for the interest of our corporations and that’s what I worry about.”