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A Jewish public school teacher and pro-Palestinian advocate in Philadelphia has admitted to fabricating Palestinian, Tunisian, and Black heritage to her colleagues for years, in a case that some online commenters are dubbing “the Palestinian Rachel Dolezal.”

Hannah Gann posted confessions and apologies to social media this week, following confrontations from local pro-Palestinian groups she had worked with. In her apologies, she identified herself as “a white woman with significant privilege and wealth” who has “no Palestinian or Tunisian heritage.”

A Jewish Telegraphic Agency request for comment to Gann was not immediately returned.

Two local activist groups Gann had been involved with, Philly Educators for Palestine and Racial Justice Organizing Committee, said in their own statement that Gann was also “of Jewish heritage and [part of] an Israeli settler family.” They further accused Gann of falsely claiming to be Black at various points, until they confronted her about her background days ago.

Comparisons to Dolezal, a white woman who posed as Black for years, taught Africana college courses and held a leadership role with a local NAACP branch before being exposed in 2015, spread over the Internet on Wednesday.

Gann says she ‘outright lied’ to everyone about her background

“I hid the truth or outright lied about my background to everyone in my life,” Gann, a teacher at West Philadelphia’s The Workshop School, said in her own Instagram video message on Monday. “I hid my family’s background from everyone in Philly and also hid from the people in my own family what I was doing.”

Neither of Gann’s visible social media apologies mentioned Jewish heritage. But the Philadelphia Inquirer, citing internal documents from the activist groups, reported that she had identified herself in college as a “Jewish woman with family in the occupied West Bank.” 

Gann had also told colleagues her grandfather was born in Palestine, when he was reportedly born in Baltimore, according to documents cited by the Inquirer. Fellow activists accused her of having darkened her skin using makeup and fake tan and adopting a Black American accent after returning from a stint in the Peace Corps in Rwanda.

As with Dolezal, commenters accused Gann of posing as a member of a marginalized group of color to gain clout.

“When marginalization becomes a form of social currency some people will always do this,” one account under the name “regretmaxxing” wrote in Gann’s comments.

Gann had made the pro-Palestinian cause central to her identity over the years, including a teach-in at her school in 2024 to protest “scholasticide” in Gaza, the Inquirer reported. That year she also told a local media outlet that the right-wing group Accuracy in Media had displayed her name on a truck calling her “Philadelphia’s Leading Antisemite.” 

Accuracy in Media, which has targeted activists in other states using similar methods, confirmed to JTA that they had also done so to Gann. 

Gann remains a firm supporter of Palestinians

“Hannah Gann remains one of Philadelphia’s leading antisemites,” the group’s founder, Adam Guillette, said in a statement, linking to a video of his group’s truck displaying the message outside the school where Gann worked.

Delivering testimony to the Philadelphia Board of Education in December 2025, Gann, wearing a keffiyeh, urged them to “treat Islamophobia, anti-Black and anti-Palestinian racism just as seriously as you treat allegations of antisemitism.” 

“Why are Jewish staff members’ experiences immediately assumed to indicate systemic failures, while Black, brown and Muslim students’ testimonies are treated as isolated incidents?” she continued, shortly before a board member cut off her mic.

A fellow teacher of Gann’s said on Instagram that Gann had told her, following a trip to Israel in 2023, that she had both Jewish and Palestinian people in her family, later claiming that her grandfather had been an anti-Zionist Jew born in Mandatory Palestine who left over disagreements with the direction of Israel. 

“We will no longer work with Hannah, and she will no longer be welcome in any of our organizing spaces,” the pro-Palestinian groups said in their own statement.

A biography of Gann still visible on the West Philly Participatory Defense Hub, a different local organizing group, describes her as having “loved ones directly impacted by the criminal (in)justice system” and notes that she is a member of The First Unitarian Church.

In her apology, which she posted on Yom Kippur, Gann argued that her advocacy was genuine even though her persona was not. 

“The fact that I lied about who I was does not mean anyone else who speaks up for Palestine is lying and does not erase the urgency of listening to voices on the ground,” she said. She added that she would be “deleting anything posted by Zionists.”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use his upcoming address to the United Nations General Assembly to declare Qatar an enemy state, in a post on X/Twitter on Wednesday.

Bennet accused Doha of supporting Hamas and contributing to the conditions that led to the October 7 massacre.

He said Netanyahu’s UN address would provide an opportunity to highlight what he described as Qatar’s role in supporting Hamas and its military wing.

Netanyahu must use his UN address to declare Qatar an enemy state – and expose its true face to the world.
**
We’re approaching the third anniversary of the October 7th massacre.

This is an opportunity to deliver historic justice for the 1,200 Israelis murdered, the wounded, and…

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) September 23, 2026

“Qatar is an enemy – and it’s time the world recognizes this and holds it accountable,” the post read.

Bennett accused Qatar of funding Hamas, celebrating the October 7 attack, hosting Hamas leaders and supporting what he described as radical Islamist terrorism. He also accused Qatar of spreading antisemitic propaganda internationally, including on US university campuses.

Bennett says he would send proof of Qatar’s involvement in October 7

Bennett said he would send the UN secretary-general and the ambassadors of the members of the UN Security Council a document he called the “Qatar File,” which he described as a comprehensive record of evidence of Qatar’s alleged involvement in the October 7 massacre.

The former prime minister also called on Netanyahu to remove Qatar from any role in Gaza, arguing that “Qatar funds radical Islamist terror and actively works to destroy the State of Israel.”

“Netanyahu and I are political opponents, but when Israel’s security is on the line, Israelis rise above politics and unite,” Bennett wrote.

Bennett said that declaring Qatar an enemy state would receive support across Israel’s political spectrum and described the move as a step toward preventing another massacre.

He concluded by saying that Israel should “declare Qatar an enemy state, drive them out of Gaza, and defeat Hamas,” and accused Netanyahu of undermining Israel’s national security by not defining Qatar as an enemy.

“Every day Netanyahu refuses to define Qatar as an enemy – and allows them to rule Gaza – is another day that Hamas is rearming and preparing for the next massacre,” Bennet added

The IDF failed in its mission to defend the Paga Outpost, officially known as Magen Be’eri, during the October 7 massacre and did not prevent the area from falling into enemy hands, the military’s probe, released on Thursday, found.

The probe found that the failures at Paga Outpost reflected the systemic failures in preparedness for the attack in terms of combat equipment, the operational readiness of combat positions, and the infrastructure required for fighting.

The Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) at the location was not adequately prepared for the mission. However, the operational reality faced by the soldiers was that acts of individual heroism and noteworthy actions took place at both the junior officer and soldier level, both in the company sector and at the outpost.

In total, 22 soldiers, including officers, were murdered during the massacre at the Paga Outpost, with an additional 18 wounded in action. Furthermore, terrorists succeeded in taking two soldiers as hostages and dragged them to the Gaza Strip.

Main conclusions and investigations of the storming of Paga Outpost

The probe drew seven main conclusions from the investigation into the storming of the Paga Outpost, the IDF’s failure to defend it, and the terrorists’ success in infiltrating the nearby Kibbutz Be’eri.

Firstly, the battle at the Paga Outpost was part of a broader attack, in which hundreds of terrorists entered through a myriad of infiltration routes and succeeded in surprising the IDF soldiers stationed at the outpost.

This brings us to the second point. Up until the infiltration and subsequent massacre began, the soldiers primarily dealt with local disturbances near the perimeter border fence. This affected their mental state and motivation, as well as the system of training and drills that they undertook.

Notably, their training did not include a scenario of a simultaneous surprise attack across the Israel-Gaza border. This included not running drills or scenarios to prepare for a raid on either the outpost or Kibbutz Be’eri, the main location that the outpost is meant to defend.

Thirdly, when the massacre began, the IBCT was not sufficiently prepared to defend the outpost; it lacked equipment, operational readiness, and infrastructure. This is despite the fact that Paga Outpost was designed and constructed to be a combat outpost comprising all necessary infrastructure and components.

Fourthly, the terrorists’ infiltration, along with mitigating the sector’s force multipliers, including intelligence collection capabilities and defensive firepower, enabled terrorists to both penetrate Paga Outpost and infiltrate Kibbutz Be’eri.

Fifthly, the terrorist infiltrators attacked the sector’s intelligence collection capabilities and the tank platoon poised to aid the outpost in its defense of the area. Subsequently, the terrorists succeeded in destroying a significant portion of the sector’s defensive components.

Sixthly, Israel Air Force soldiers attacked the area of the Paga Outpost during the raid, but most of the IAF strikes were ineffective due to gaps in coordination with the ground forces.

Lastly, the commanders fell during battle, which affected the decisions that were made and the manner in which the battle was managed. This was exacerbated by the fact that the company commander was unable to reach the command center.

The IDF soldiers who fell defending Paga Outpost included: Capt. Dekel Suissa, St.-Sgt. Tomer Barak, Sgt. Ido Bienenstock, Sgt. Habib Kayan, Sgt. Itamar Cohen, Sgt. Lior Azizov, St-Sgt. Idan Raz, St.-Sgt. Shalev Barnes, St.-Sgt. Itai Glisko, St.-Sgt. Yakir Levi, St.-Sgt. Dolev Amoyal, Sgt. Roi Peri, St.-Sgt. Itamar Ben Yehuda, and St.-Sgt. Chaim Meir Eden.

IDF kills terror cell leader responsible for Paga Outpost attack in Dec. 2024

In December 2024, the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), conducted a joint operation to kill Fahmi Salami, commander of Hamas’s Nukhba Brigade in its Zeitoun Battalion.

Salami was the commander of the terror cell that attacked the Paga Outpost.

In 2025, Israeli media reported that approximately 150 terrorists were involved in the attack on the Paga Outpost, with dozens being killed by the IDF on October 7.

What happened in Paga Outpost during the October 7 massacre?

The IDF, as part of its probe, published a timeline of the events at Paga Outpost during October 7, 2023.

At 5:30 a.m. on October 7, a group from the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion carried out its “dawn alert” exercise, according to standing orders and the situational assessment known at the time.

Between 5:30 and 6 a.m., the deputy commander of the company positioned at the outpost gave his daily briefing to the forces carrying out operational missions. The briefings were attended by armored personnel carrier-based reconnaissance soldiers, an alert response force, and a command post force.

At the conclusion of the briefing, the commander traveled to the IBCT at Sakhaf Valley to check its state of readiness. Additionally, the mortar platoon sergeant briefed the forces positioned in the outpost’s mortar compound.

The infiltration and subsequent massacre began at 6:29 a.m.

Phase I: Beginning of the terror attack and activity of the forces in the sector (6:29 a.m. until 6:55 a.m.)

At 6:29 a.m., sirens sounded throughout the sector, and all soldiers present at the outpost, including those from mortar platoons, entered protected areas throughout the outpost. Commanders designated the fortified dining hall as the company assembly point.

At 6:30, the tank commanded by Sakhaf Valley’s IBCT commander ordered another tank to move along the perimeter fence toward a specific position. The IBCT commander’s tank mobilized to another position along the fence.

At 6:31, the deputy commander of the Paga company ordered the Sakhaf Valley’s IBCT to board the Namer Armored Personnel Carriers and tanks. The deputy company commander’s command outpost moved from the command post vehicle to a Namer APC. This vehicle remained at the Sakhaf outpost, where the tracker was apparently waiting for the forces to arrive. After several minutes, when the tracker had not arrived at the command post Namer, the soldiers went out to search for him, but were not successful.

By 6:32, the deputy commander of the Paga company ordered the IBCT tank’s commander to move to the same position it had previously moved to, this time with added cover from a Namer APC, and to open fire at any armed individual who crossed a certain point.

At the same time, the mortar platoon’s sergeant ordered his soldiers to prepare combat equipment, board the APCs, and prepare the APCs for mortar fire, after receiving reports over the radio that the terror attack was a “complex event.”

The platoon sergeant ordered the reconnaissance vehicle force to close the guard post and arrive at the fortified dining hall.

At 6:33 a.m., the alert response force that was stationed near the ANZAC memorial in the Be’eri forest traveled to Paga to take shelter in a protected area. The guard at the rear gate moved to shelter in the concrete cylinder near his position and took shelter in a pillbox after several minutes.

At 6:41 a.m., the deputy commander of the Paga company ordered the IBCT tank commander to open fire at terrorists attempting to cross the fence. Several terrorists were successfully hit in this defensive action.

However, anti-tank missiles were fired at the other tank mobilized to the perimeter fence after it identified four terrorists crossing the fence and received authorization to open fire.

Approximately two minutes later, the IBCT commander’s tank was hit by an enemy drone that was launched with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warhead attached to it. As a result, the tank suffered a mechanical malfunction and became stuck in position. The IBCT commander requested an immediate evacuation.

At 6:45 a.m., a tank commanded by St.-Sgt. Shay Levinson closed in on enemy positions and killed 10 terrorists whom Levinson had identified crossing the fence both on foot and in vehicles.

At the same time, the mortar platoon sergeant requested that the battalion command post provide targets to strike with mortar fire.

By 6:49, terrorists had begun firing towards the walls of the outpost from Sakhif Hill.

At 6:50, the IBCT commander’s tank reported that the malfunction made it difficult to move and required towing. He also requested the deputy commander of the Paga company to send troops to secure his position.

The deputy battalion commander, who was acting as sector commander at the time, came on the radio at 6:51 a.m. and authorized the mortar platoon to fire shells into the Gaza Strip in response to the terror infiltration. At the same time, a soldier secured in the pillbox position at the Paga Outpost’s guard position noticed terrorists firing from Sakhif Hill. The soldier, who did not have radio communications, left the position, ran to the outpost, and entered the dining hall.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, he passed the information to the soldiers stationed there, and in turn it was passed to the outpost commander.

At this stage, soldiers who were in the dining hall were already carrying combat equipment, while others were equipping themselves. The platoon commander issued orders to reinforce the positions and other openings in the outpost.

At 6:52, the deputy company commander updated the outpost commander about terrorists mounted in vehicles who were approaching the outpost and ordered soldiers to reinforce combat positions in order to prevent an infiltration, while maintaining reserve forces for a counterattack on the terrorists. The outpost commander acted accordingly and reinforced defensive positions.

Phase II: Enemy infiltration into the outpost and managing the battles (6:55 a.m. until 8:34 a.m.)

At 6:55 a.m., events worsened as nine terrorists succeeded in infiltrating the outpost through the APC guard post, alongside attacks from terrorist fire coming from Sakhif Hill.

The deputy commander of the Paga company informed the IBCT tank commander that he was unable to come assist, and could only evacuate him after fighting with terrorists ended.

By this point, the tank continued to engage and kill infiltrating terrorists until it ran out of ammunition, despite being mechanically disabled from maneuvering.

At 6:56, the other tank, which had charged terrorists near the perimeter fence, was hit by an anti-tank missile. All crew members, except the driver, were seriously wounded.

At this point, the tank stopped, and terrorists abducted the tank’s commander. The driver then requested urgent evacuation, and despite not being sure of his exact location, said that he left the “Burma Axis” to move away from the border.

At 6:57 a.m., approximately nine terrorists infiltrated the outpost and split into three squads.

One terror squad attacked the mortar compound from the west, the second opened fire from the northeast, and the third attacked the entrance to the outpost and mortar compound.

Approximately 10 terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at the mortar platoon, who acted quickly to kill four of the terrorists. However, one soldier fell during the encounter, and several others were wounded, including the platoon sergeant.

At the same time, the tank driver reported that he had successfully left the site of the anti-tank missile attack, telling others that the entire crew had been hit, and that he was moving southeast, but found it difficult to orient himself amid the chaos.

After the encounter with the terrorists, the mortar team moved to Paga Outpost through the rear entrance to the gathering point for wounded soldiers, while evacuating the wounded platoon sergeant.

Meanwhile, the battle between the terrorists and mortar platoon continued, during which another two soldiers were murdered. Two other soldiers extricated themselves and took shelter under an APC.

Additionally, two other soldiers fell during this encounter, one at the scene, and another who was seriously wounded and died several months later.

By 7 a.m., the soldiers who had gathered at the company assembly point received orders from the platoon commander, who had taken command of the outpost. The soldiers went to reinforce positions in order to defend the outpost.

One squad, under the command of the platoon commander, covered the western side and the entrance to the mortar platoon’s position. The second squad, commanded by the platoon sergeant, headed southwest.

Several soldiers were wounded in encounters with terrorists and evacuated to the dining hall.

At 7.01, soldiers requested urgent reinforcements over the company radio. At the same time, a tank was hit by anti-tank fire from the terrorists, who infiltrated the outpost’s perimeter in an additional position.

The deputy commander of the Paga company instructed that wounded soldiers be evacuated to the assembly point in the dining hall.

At 7:12, an APC arrived at the outpost. By this stage, the tracker who remained at the Sakhaf outpost was hit by an infiltrating terrorist. They were later declared as having fallen in combat, with their remains taken into the Gaza Strip by terrorists.

At 7:13, soldiers positioned at the outpost engaged terrorists moving on foot towards the northern side of Paga. By this stage, soldiers had formed pairs to provide cover to the bunker entrance, guard post, and southwestern corner of the outpost, respectively.

During a situational assessment, the outpost commander informed the Paga company’s deputy commander about an encounter with terrorists, noting that some soliders were missing certain key items of combat equipment.

At 7:15, the APC arrived at Paga Outpost, and terrorists who had reached the mortar platoon’s compound withdrew northwards on foot. By 7:21, the APC had completed a patrol around the outpost and mortar compound, including locating, firing at, and killing terrorists.

Several calls took place between commanders and soliders operating at the outpost between 7:34 and 7:56 a.m., during which reports and updates of the situation on the ground were communicated, and immediate assistance and evacuation of wounded soldiers were both requested.

At 7:43, the Israel Air Force sent an aircraft to conduct a disruption strike on the northern side of the outpost, aiming to hold back further attempts at terror infiltration.

At 7:49, soldiers identified a terrorist inside the pillbox at the rear guard post. The Paga company’s deputy commander ordered that soldiers fire a shoulder-launched missile towards the terrorist. The outpost commander and two soldiers mobilized to retrieve the missile and moved to a firing position northwest of the outpost; however, terrorists opened fire on them, and one of the soldiers was killed while en route.

At 8:26 a.m., the IBCT commander’s tank again requested reinforcements over the radio. The Paga company’s deputy commander once again said this would not be possible due to infiltrating terrorists, and said that he would attempt to open protective fire to prevent terrorists from coming closer to the damaged tank, despite the APC also being under attack at the time.

Phase III: Gathering wounded soldiers and continuing the fight against infiltrating terrorists (8:34 a.m. until 10:21 a.m.)

At 8:34, the outpost commander ordered a soldier to bring forces closer towards the company assembly point.

By 8:57, the APC had moved to the mortar compound and managed to evacuate two wounded soldiers into the vehicle.

At 9:19, the Paga company’s deputy commander discussed with the outpost commander a plan to evacuate wounded soldiers into the dining hall using APCs.

The plan they formulated had two stages. First, two APC drivers would transfer into two APCs parked in the compound. Second, soldiers in the outpost would board the two APCs near the outpost’s front guard post.

From 9:23 to 9:27 a.m., the APC commander explained the plan to the outpost commander and emphasized that he would lead the operation and bear overall responsibility. The APC commander also requested that the outpost commander remain available via radio communications and be prepared to act.

At 9:34 a.m., soldiers positioned at he company assembly point began evacuating wounded soldiers on stretchers towards the dining hall entrance.

A few minutes later, the APC entered the armored vehicle in reverse, near two other parked APCs. During this movement, the soldiers identified a terrorist approaching, before they succeeded in attaching an explosive charge to the APC’s rear door before fleeing.

The APC’s firing slut was malfunctioning, so soldiers were unable to open fire at the terrorist. The charge then exploded, and caused a malfunction in the APC’s rear entrance door.

A decision was made to evacuate from the armored vehicle compound following this incident, with the APC moving toward a point south of the outpost.

At 9:41, the APC commander updated the outpost commander that the plan had failed, and that an alternative plan was under consideration. At this stage, soldiers at the outpost returned inside with wounded to the dining hall, where initial medical treatments were underway.

At 10:11 a.m., the APC left the covering position towards the north. Several minutes later, the APC soldiers spotted and identified approximately 20 terrorists near Sakhif Hill and opened fire at them.

At 10:21, the deputy company commander ordered the APC to move east toward orchards after the heavy machine gun ammunition ran out. The APC moved eastwards and stopped after several hundred meters.

Phase IV: Fighting at the outpost (10:25 a.m. until 4:20 p.m.)

At 10:25 a.m., the outpost commander ordered all soldiers to gather at the company assembly point, understanding that the outpost force was at an operational disadvantage. Terrorists opened fire at soldiers who left the command post on their way to the assembly point.

At 10:27, a combat helicopter arrived in the sector and opened fire to disrupt terrorist activity.

At approximately 10:35, the outpost commander and his pair partner provided cover for soldiers moving toward the assembly point. They encountered several terrorists at the guard post.

During this encounter, the outpost commander was wounded in his hand, but continued to close in on terror infiltrators. The two soldiers killed several terrorists during the encounter before falling in combat later.

At 11 a.m., terrorists attempted to infiltrate the outpost via the mortar platoon’s entrance. Soldiers manning a covering position withdrew towards the western pillbox.

Between 11:30 and 11:35 a.m., an IAF unmanned aerial vehicle attacked near the dining hall and other parts of the outpost, killing several terorists. This successfully disrupted the terrorists’ attack on the company assembly point.

At 11:45, another exchange of fire took place, during which at least one terrorist was killed. At this time, six soldiers formed a unified force under the command of the platoon sergeant, who spoke with the company commander. The commander, who was at Sa’ad Junction at the time, updated the sergeant on the operational situation and said that the force was under heavy fire from all directions.

In light of the situation, the platoon sergeant decided to break contact with the outpost.

At 11:50, the unified force began moving in a secured formation through the exit opening in the wall toward the front guard post. During its movement, the force identified and killed a terrorist. Afterwards, the company commander instructed the sergeant to link up with the APC outsie the outpost.

From noon until 12:15 p.m., the sergeant’s force succeeded in linking up with the APC commander. At the same time, soliders in the dining hall dragged tables and other equipment to block openings and engaged in prolonged fighting with terrorists who attempted to infiltrate, including by throwing grenades and shooting at soldiers.

At 1 p.m., terrorists set fire to both sides of the dining hall. Soldiers inside began to suffer from smoke inhalation, suffocation, and clouded consciousness as a result.

At 1:10 p.m., a soldier exited the western opening of the dining hall and killed two terrorists.

By 1:13, five soldiers decided to leave the dining hall and fight terrorists outside. Two of the soldiers went toward the kitchen while three went toward the lounge area of the outpost. All five fell in close combat against a large number of terrorists who were positioned at the dining hall exits.

At 1:19 p.m., a combat helicopter opened fire at the terrorists’ pickup truck which was moving through the outpost, but were unable to hit it. The pickup truck broke out of the outpost and fled.

Phase V: Arrival of rescue forces and reinforcements (4:20 p.m. until the evening of October 7)

At 4:20 p.m., a rescue force, including counterterrorism soldiers from the IDF’s “Lotar” unit, and officers from the Golani Brigade arrived at the outpost.

These reinforcements cleared the outpost, linked up with soldiers within, and evacuated both the wounded and the fallen.

No terrorists remained in the compound when the rescue forces arrived.

The rescue force returned for a second time to collect the remains of the fallen during the evening, at which time a soldier was killed by an anti-tank missile that hit the rescue vehicle.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the United States is not winning the war with Iran, while approval of US President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign affairs has fallen to a new low, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS and released Tuesday.

The poll found that 64% of Americans said the US was not winning the war, compared with 36% who believed it was.

Trump’s handling of the conflict received approval from 26% of respondents. His broader handling of foreign affairs received 29% approval and 71% disapproval, the lowest foreign policy approval rating recorded for Trump in a CNN poll across either of his presidential terms.

The decline was particularly pronounced among Republicans.

Sixty percent of Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the situation in Iran, down 13 percentage points from 73% in March, according to the poll.

Republican support for Trump’s handling of Iran drops

CNN reported that Democrats and independents had already registered lower levels of approval, meaning the more recent decline was driven largely by changing views among Republicans.

The poll was released as Trump attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Iran and the ongoing war featured prominently in his foreign policy agenda.

Trump addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, saying Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and raising the prospect of either reaching an agreement with Tehran or further military action.

US, Iran hold indirect contacts at UNGA

The polling comes as Washington and Tehran have resumed indirect contact after months without talks.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The contacts were the first between the two sides since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July.

Trump described the meeting between US officials and Iran’s mediators as “very productive” and said he believed there was momentum toward an agreement.

Iran, meanwhile, communicated conditions through Qatar that included an end to the war on all fronts and an end to what Tehran described as US “acts of aggression.”

US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington on Wednesday for a three-day visit that will test relations between the superpowers as tensions simmer over trade, technology, Taiwan and Tehran.

Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly three years was not expected to deliver major breakthroughs, but Washington and Beijing could extend their 11-month trade truce.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said they had reached a deal on an extension as Trump greeted Xi personally at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after the Chinese leader’s arrival, underscoring the visit’s importance.

China’s embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.

At the arrival ceremony, the leaders and their wives shook hands, spoke for a few minutes, and stood for pictures as a military band played, cannons blasted, and a B-1 military bomber flew overhead.

The welcome marked the first time in 11 years that a US president has greeted a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events. The last such reception was for Pope Francis in 2015 during Barack Obama’s presidency.

Positive signals on trade could soothe markets

A trade deal, even a limited one, could soothe global markets shaken by a 2025 tariff war that led to triple-digit levies between the world’s two biggest economies. Bessent told Fox News’ “Special Report” that the deal would extend the truce through January 10. It had been set to expire on November 10.

Deep differences remain. The two countries are at odds on issues including export controls on rare-earth minerals and computer chips, China’s ties with Iran and US support for Taiwan.

The meeting comes at a difficult moment for Trump, who faces falling approval numbers as public discontent with his war on Iran grows. Xi, while also facing challenges at home, arrives in a seemingly stronger position, with his country’s trade engine roaring. Some Republicans regard Beijing as an existential threat and are wary of Trump’s friendly outreach to China’s ruling Communist Party.

People familiar with the plans said Xi was likely to forcefully raise Beijing’s claim to Taiwan, a topic Washington would prefer to avoid, while Trump was likely to maintain firm US export controls despite Xi’s objections. It was unclear whether Beijing would help Trump break a stalemate in the conflict with Iran.

But talks set for Thursday could nonetheless yield deals to lower tariffs in specific sectors, cooperate on drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue. Trump is expected to seek the release of some Americans and others detained in China, according to the people.

The two countries could also agree to talk more on AI, where they are in fierce competition despite growing dangers.

The leaders themselves may not feel they need to compromise, analysts said.

“The president very much believes that over time the US economy is going to grow, the US will get stronger,” said Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now with Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I think when Xi Jinping sits down with Donald Trump, he very much believes the US is in hurtling decline, and that time is on China’s side.”

State dinner with AI chiefs

Additional fanfare during the trip is due to include a state dinner with tech luminaries, a White House military ceremony including jet flyovers, and a visit to the National Archives where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.

The state dinner on Thursday is expected to bring together chiefs of companies important in both markets like Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

Despite their deep disagreements, both countries pressed ahead with the summit, which, analysts said, seeks to project stability between the world’s biggest factory and its biggest consumer.

As in their prior two meetings since 2025, the leaders are planning a highly scripted public spectacle. Instead of a joint press conference or statement at the end, the countries are expected to issue dueling announcements highlighting what each side hopes to convey to a domestic audience.

For Trump, the trip caps a week of diplomacy that began with a two-day stay in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Nearly seven months of war with Iran have spiked energy prices in the US, and the president’s Republican Party faces tough prospects in November’s congressional elections.

Xi has overseen a surge in China’s foreign trade but faces weak household spending and a property market downturn. Sweeping corruption ​and discipline crackdowns in the military have helped cement Xi’s power but also raised questions about the People’s Liberation Army’s readiness.

Another meeting between Trump and Xi is seen as likely this year, potentially at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or the Group of 20 meetings in the US in December.

Nine years ago this week, Chrissie Hynde, the leader of the world-famous rock band The Pretenders, took to the stage at Tel Aviv’s Menorah Mivtahim Arena, waving a giant Israeli flag, as the appreciative crowd in the sold-out venue roared its approval.

Imagine a similar scene taking place today, because that’s what one would have to do, as the actuality of it happening – with Hynde or with anyone else of her stature – is virtually unfathomable in the post-October 7 massacre demonization of Israel that has taken place globally.

Israel has virtually – at best – been shunned by the international artistic community; at worst, exercised by the Mark Ruffalos and Javier Bardems of the world, it has become the stomping ground for accusations and half-truths bordering on rabid antisemitism.

More nuanced, and perhaps even more worrisome, is the black hole that British pop superstar Ed Sheeran fell into for trying to diffuse the whole Macklemore “Free Palestine” cancellation scandal that made headlines worldwide.

Sheeran attempted to express understanding and empathy for both sides in the conflict, saying: “What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.”

Even though he then implied that Israel was responsible for the “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate” situation in Gaza, Sheeran was vilified by the pro-Palestinian community.

That’s why when an artist shows full frontal support for Israel – in words and actions – it’s vital to point it out. American comedian and actor Michael Rappaport and British 1980s pop singer Boy George have unabashedly stood by Israel since the October 7 massacre. Rappaport has visited and performed in the country numerous times, and he’ll be returning next week to headline the biannual Comedy for Koby comedy series throughout the country.

The non-Jewish George this year released a song – “We Will Dance Again” – in which he eulogized the victims of the Supernova music festival, criticized those who claim Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and declared: “I stand with the Jews.” On Tuesday, he announced that he’ll be coming to Israel in November to perform in Tel Aviv.

Rappaport, George, along with a paltry few others, have bucked the trend and put their consciences ahead of their careers by not hiding their heads in the sand. Which raised the disturbing question: Why haven’t more artists – Jewish and gentile – done the same?

Where are Bob Dylan, Paul Simon? 

Where has Bob Dylan been the last three years, or Paul Simon, two of the most influential Jewish artists of the 20th century? They know very well that Israel doesn’t deliberately kill Palestinian children or commit genocide. They easily could have showed up with an acoustic guitar and given a morale boost to the country, much like Leonard Cohen did during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

On the contrary, Simon’s only public expression since October 7, 2023, was to sign a petition calling for the release from prison of Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life sentences for the murders of Israelis. Dylan has been silent.

Likewise, why hasn’t Madonna – who has visited Israel numerous times – made a quick visit to Tel Aviv and shown the world that even if Israel may have made mistakes over the last three years, it still is a country that doesn’t deserve to be demonized for defending itself?

Why hasn’t U2 frontman Bono – who so eloquently eulogized the victims of the Supernova music festival from a US stage and who has appeared in Israel – made a symbolic visit?

Easier to stay silent than to address Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Sometimes, as Ed Sheeran learned, it’s easier to say nothing than to wade into the minefields of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – which makes those who do jump in and stand with good vs evil all the more admirable.

In November, when he performs at the same arena that Hynde did nine years ago, George will undoubtedly reenact the flag-waving scene, and the crowd will once again shake the rafters in pride.

He deserves all the credit in the world for his willingness to ride against the tide by standing with Israel – not only in spirit, but with his glittery shoes on the ground in Tel Aviv.

But it raises the glaring question: Where is everyone else? The answer, it seems, is blowing in the morally subjective wind.

Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday in an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

“Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,” said Zelensky in his speech.

“These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die.”

Zelensky did not provide more details about the return. Ukraine captured the two North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk region in January last year.

They were the first North Korean soldiers to be apprehended alive since the country entered the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024.

Zelensky said at the time that he would hand them over to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he could facilitate their exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.

Human rights groups, however, urged him to repatriate them to South Korea citing the risks of punishments the soldiers faced.

South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers had expressed their desire to defect to South Korea.

South Korea’s unification and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Zelensky criticizes North Korea’s military support for Russia

Zelensky in his speech also criticized North Korea for sending its troops to fight for Russia.

“This is madness too. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un uses them like currency. And he gets something in return,” he said.

North Korea has sent around 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers since 2024 to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates.

Most of them have been deployed in the Russian region of Kursk, where they helped Moscow’s forces repel a Ukrainian incursion.

The country has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday he discussed ways of keeping tension in check at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

Sybiha said on X that the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York was a follow-up to a telephone conversation the two held in July. 

In more ‌than 4-1/2 years of conflict with ​Russia, Ukraine has faced barrages of Iranian-designed ​drones. Kyiv has over that time developed technology to counter drone threats and ‌offered its assistance to Middle Eastern ​countries facing strikes by Tehran.

“Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even in challenging circumstances,” Sybiha wrote.

“Our conversation focused on mutual steps to prevent further aggravation of tensions between our countries. We agreed to keep existing channels of communication open.”

Conversation focused on ‘various tracks’ of peace efforts

Sybiha said the two ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and Europe “as well as various tracks of ongoing peace efforts.”

“I reiterated Ukraine’s position in support of a sooner restoration of peace and stability in both our regions.”

The two men spoke in July after a Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian ship which killed one sailor and injured another.

Iran denounced the attack and threatened retaliation. Sybiha said then that he asked Araghchi to refrain from any escalatory steps and to end any support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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.

The breach is one of the highest-profile incidents of AI agents accessing external systems outside the United States, following several recent breaches globally by rogue AI agents that have alarmed governments and companies.

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.

“Evidence currently available is that there is no broader compromise to the … network. Nonetheless, this situation is obviously unacceptable,” Albanese said during a media briefing in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

Investigations continue, and Australia had voiced its “extreme concern about this incident” to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Albanese said, adding that he was deeply disappointed by the company’s delay in notifying the government.

“It took until September 10 before there was any notification at all,” Albanese said, adding that the investigation would also examine why government systems had failed to detect the breach in the first place.

He also warned that three other government websites “may be impacted” by the OpenAI agent’s activity.

“The question is, when it was trying to harvest data, did it go into these other sites? So we’re not confirming that that occurred,” he said.

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.

‘AI models attempted to look up answers’

“Our review found no evidence of patient records being accessed. The information accessed included aggregate health statistics and internal file names,” OpenAI said in a statement.

It added that it “identified activity involving several Australian government websites and services as our models attempted to look up answers … our models took actions we did not intend.”

The Australian breach is the latest in a series of recent incidents in which OpenAI has disclosed hacks or unauthorized activity involving its AI agents well after they occurred.

In some cases this was because the activity was only detected belatedly, and in others because the company initially elected not to disclose it.

A separate high-profile incident, a mid-July intrusion into open-source AI repository Hugging Face, was only detected about a week after it took place, according to timelines released by OpenAI and independent investigators.

This helped ignite global debate about the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI models.

Rivals Anthropic, Google’s GOOGL.O Gemini, and Meta META.O have also disclosed incidents of their agents accessing external systems.

Some of America’s top AI executives, including Altman, have called for a slowdown of industry development, citing, among other factors, the threat of devastating cyberattacks by out-of-control agents.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed issues ranging from the war in Ukraine to the Middle East and ways to improve bilateral ties at a meeting on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

A ministry statement said the two men had held a “detailed exchange” during their talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

It said Lavrov had pointed to “coordination” between Ukraine’s leaders and their “European backers” as well as Ukrainian attacks on targets beyond its borders.

“A thorough examination was made of Kyiv’s destructive actions and deliberate strikes on civilians and trans-border infrastructure sites, which is leading to the destabilization of world energy markets,” it said.

Russia, the statement said, was committed to achieving the aims of its “special military operation” in Ukraine, which included a resolution of the conflict by taking into account what Moscow describes as the “root causes” of its invasion.

Russia wants to remove ‘irritants’ between US, Russia

The ministry said Lavrov stressed the “need to quickly improve bilateral relations” with a prospect for closer economic cooperation.

“This, of course, implies an honest dialog about eliminating ‘irritants’ and bringing the functioning of the diplomatic missions of the two countries back to normal,” the statement said, “including the return of Russian property in the US that was effectively confiscated.”

A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander was killed during clashes with gunmen in southeastern Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan Province on Wednesday, Iranian media reported.

Brig.-Gen. Hossein Zarifi, commander of the IRGC’s Shahid Sajjad Operational Headquarters in Saravan, was killed during the fighting, the IRGC Ground Forces’ Quds Regional Headquarters confirmed in a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The clash took place in the Jihadabad area of Saravan, near Iran’s border with Pakistan.

A joint force consisting of the IRGC, the Intelligence Ministry, and police raided a location where an armed cell was believed to be operating.

Iranian authorities claimed the cell was planning an attack and that they located it based on intelligence.

Five members of the cell were killed during the ensuing exchange of fire, while others were arrested, according to Maariv.

The identity and affiliation of the gunmen remained unclear.

Iranian authorities described those involved as “terrorists” but did not identify a specific organization, and no group had claimed responsibility for the clash.

IRGC confirms Zarifi’s death

The IRGC said Zarifi was killed while taking part in the operation alongside his forces.

In its statement, the IRGC praised Zarifi for fighting on the front lines and invoked former IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani while discussing the role of commanders in combat.

The IRGC said Zarifi’s death would not create a vacuum in the ranks of its forces and that operations to defend Iran’s borders would continue.

Zarifi had served for more than a decade in Sistan and Baluchestan, according to Maariv.

His funeral is scheduled to take place in Saravan on Friday, according to the IRGC statement carried by Tasnim.

Recent clashes in Sistan and Baluchestan

Sistan and Baluchestan Province is majority Sunni in population and is often the site of anti-regime militant attacks, particularly from Balochi separatist movements.

The province borders both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and militant groups operate across the border areas.

Wednesday’s clash comes less than two weeks after another deadly security operation in Saravan. On September 12, a joint operation involving the IRGC, Intelligence Ministry, and law enforcement targeted an armed cell that Iranian authorities said was planning an assassination.

Four alleged militants were killed in the operation, along with three Iranian intelligence and security personnel, according to the IRGC. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also found at the group’s hideout, the IRGC said.

The September 12 operation followed another security operation in Sistan and Baluchestan in late August, when the IRGC said one member of an armed cell was killed and six others were arrested.

That operation was also conducted jointly by the IRGC, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, and provincial police, The Jerusalem Post previously reported.

Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its record-breaking deployment, which included its participation in the Iran war, according to a letter from Active Navy Secretary Hung Cao obtained by multiple US media outlets on Wednesday.  

Cao noted that the number is of attempts among the crew on the USS Abraham Lincoln itself, sailors from its carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons, a total of between 6,000 and 7,000 service members. 

One US military official told CNN that the number of attempted suicides was “incredibly high.” 

“The strain of combat ops is much higher than normal deployments. No port calls, constant alerts, etc.,” the official said. 

However, CNN wrote that the rate of suicide attempts was roughly consistent with that of the entire active-duty Navy in 2024, the most recent year for which the data is available.

The letter emphasized that no service members had killed themselves during the deployment of the strike group.

Cao also said that mental health resources were present on board the Lincoln, including “five chaplains, one embedded integrated prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians, and one expeditionary facility dog,” according to Newsweek. 

US denies claims of low morale among Lincoln’s crew

The letter came in response to a letter from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who called attention to the conditions aboard the aircraft carrier in August. 

Since then, reports have emerged of declining mental health and morale among the Lincoln’s crew, which US President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Central Command Commander Brad Cooper all denied. 

The Lincoln has since been replaced by the USS George Washington and is on its way home to the US. 

A Massachusetts man was sentenced to nine years and 11 months in federal prison for making antisemitic threats against US Rep. Randy Fine and his two children, the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Wednesday.

Edwin Guerrero, 26, was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine after pleading guilty in March to making interstate threats to injure another person.

Between August 10 and August 15, 2024, Guerrero used social media to make a series of antisemitic posts and threats targeting Fine, who at the time served in the Florida House of Representatives, according to court documents cited by the Justice Department.

The threats targeted both Fine and his two minor sons. In one post, sent from an IP address in Spain, Guerrero suggested he was traveling to Brevard County and attached an image of an individual appearing to hold a firearm.

Other posts contained violent threats against Fine and his sons, including references to the children as Jewish, according to the Justice Department. Some were accompanied by an image of a deceased man with significant head trauma.

Court finds threats were motivated by hate

Investigators determined that Guerrero was in Spain when the threats were made. After returning to the United States, he admitted during an interview with authorities that he had used his social media account to send the messages, according to the Justice Department.

A subsequent search of Guerrero’s phone found a search history containing antisemitic and anti-Israel content.

During sentencing, US District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe found that Guerrero’s threats against Fine and his children were motivated by hate. The judge emphasized the seriousness of threats against Jews and the need to deter threats against elected officials and members of protected classes.

Fine told the court that Guerrero’s threats involving his children had “made my blood run cold,” according to the Justice Department.

“My boys are now victims of a crime,” Fine said during the sentencing hearing. “I was afraid for me, and I was afraid for my boys.”

Fine says son returned home to police protection

Fine addressed the sentencing in a post on X/Twitter on Wednesday, saying he had “never thought” his sons would become victims of a violent federal felony.

Fine said his son David returned home from his first day of junior high on August 14, 2024, to police officers who had arrived to protect him following the threats.

Fine described Guerrero as a “Muslim terrorist” in the post and said Guerrero had threatened to kill him and his sons.

“Threats against any elected official are unacceptable,” Fine wrote, thanking the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the US Attorney’s Office, and the federal judge involved in the case.

Fine added that the sentence should send a message to those who threaten elected officials or their families.

US Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe separately said threats against public officials or people targeted because of their political or religious beliefs would not be tolerated.

The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the case, and Assistant US Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones prosecuted it.

The IDF announced on Wednesday that troops from the 228th Brigade, under the command of the 210th Division, completed their mission in the security zone in Syria and will be replaced by soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, while also announcing that the 98th Division Headquarters will operate in the West Bank.

According to the military, during the three-month-long deployment, the soldiers conducted targeted operations, questioned dozens of suspects, apprehended several operatives, dismantled terrorist infrastructure, and located numerous weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), mortar shells, and Kalashnikov rifles.

The announcement came as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa demanded the Israeli withdrawal from the security zone, claiming that while “the world was encouraged by our [Syria’s new rulers’] return, Israel kept attacking Syria.”

“There have been 500 airstrikes, more than 1200 incursions, and 300 detentions. This is at odds with the global orientation we are seeing. It is reminiscent of an era that we thought was long gone. We are committed to the 1974 agreement; we call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the line of the 8 of December of 2024,” he stated.

Defense Minister Israel Katz responded to Sharaa’s comments on the Golan Heights, saying: “My clear response to the Syrian president, who made boastful declarations from the UN podium, is this: The Golan, under Israeli sovereignty, is an inseparable part of the State of Israel.”

98th Division moves to the West Bank

According to the military, the decision to move the 98th Division Headquarters to the West Bank was taken with the objective of strengthening defensive and offensive capabilities by the military in the region.

The division will assume command of the Judea and Etzion Regional Brigades, according to orders issued by the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, following the recent terror attacks in the area.

The latest attack in the area happened on Wednesday, when IDF reservist Neria Leiter, an American citizen and son of Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, was seriously wounded in a car-ramming terrorist attack at Maccabim (Bell) checkpoint on Route 443 near Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut.

Another incident was reported earlier on Wednesday, when two Palestinians reportedly attempted to run over the owner of a farm in the Hebron Hills.

The farm owner began shooting at them in accordance with the “suspect arrest procedure,” wounding one of the individuals in the leg, according to reports.

James Genn and Miriam Sela-Eitam contributed to this report.

New Zealand’s cyber security agency said China was the country’s most persistent and capable state-backed cyber threat, as foreign actors targeted government agencies and organizations in sectors including health, education and information technology.

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), part of the New Zealand intelligence community, said it had identified activity suspected to originate from foreign state actors that put sensitive New Zealand information at risk.

It linked suspected state-sponsored cyber activity to actors from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to its annual Cyber Threat Report released on Thursday.

“Of these nations, the People’s Republic of China is the most persistent and capable state actor undertaking cyber activity in New Zealand,” the report said.

The assessment is the latest warning from a Western-aligned intelligence agency over alleged Chinese cyber espionage, which Beijing has routinely denied. It follows a report from New Zealand’s security agency in August that said that China was the only country New Zealand had detected conducting espionage “at ​scale.”

Chinese state-backed actors accounted for 86 nationally significant cyber attacks

The Cyber Security report said 86 of 369 cyber incidents deemed to be of potential national significance in the year to June 2026 had suspected links to state-sponsored actors. The incidents included activity targeting government agencies, health and education organizations, and IT managed-service providers.

The agency warned that geopolitical competition was increasingly playing out in the South Pacific, where it was aware of state-backed cyber espionage targeting governments and infrastructure.

New Zealand has close family, cultural, political and economic ties across the Pacific, and such activity could affect citizens, businesses and civic institutions, it said.

State-backed actors were likely to target organizations that operate infrastructure or networks, provide essential public services, or hold information that could offer a strategic advantage, the NCSC said.

It warned that cyber espionage can be difficult to detect, with actors conducting reconnaissance and positioning access in systems over months or years before using it for intelligence gathering or disruption.

Long-running intrusions could lead to the compromise of operational technology and the loss of corporate and personal data, it said.

Iraq and Turkey have agreed to a framework that will involve Turkish forces handing over a key Turkish military base in Iraq. “Within the framework of the progress achieved by Iraq through security steps, the Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Baashiqa – Zeliqan camp to the Iraqi Federal Government, in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timetable,” Iraq’s Prime Minister’s Office said on September 23.

This is an important step and comes amid many developments in Iraq. Iraq is also trying to rein in Iranian-backed militias. It says this will happen by June of 2027. In addition, the Yazidi YBS armed group has agreed to disarm. The Kurdish Peshmerga also announced a unification of forces this week. As such, Iraq is moving to consolidate federal control over many areas. This will essentially change the landscape of Iraq.

Many of these bases and issues are remnants of the ISIS war. When ISIS invaded Iraq, the Iraqi state collapsed in many parts of Iraq. This was especially true in Sunni areas, as well as in the Nineveh Plains and Sinjar. ISIS carried out a genocide against Yazidis. As a result, the Iranian-backed militias were empowered to fight ISIS. The Kurdish Peshmerga also stepped forward to take up hundreds of miles of the front line. Turkey expanded its role in Iraq.

Turkey claimed to be expanding its role because it was fighting the PKK

Turkey claimed to be expanding its role because it was fighting the PKK. However, the Bashiqa Turkish base was something else. It helped support the Peshmerga from the heights overlooking the town of Bashiqa. It was also working with some Sunni Arab forces. Turkey was also keen to monitor what was happening in Sinjar. Ankara feared that PKK-linked groups in Syria and Sinjar might exploit the vacuum in power. It was also wary of PKK-linked elements at Makhmour camp, a Kurdish displaced persons’ camp near Makhmour.

According to the Iraqi prime minister’s office, “the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, met in New York on 23 September 2026.” The report says that “the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the security field, during negotiations in which the Iraqi and Turkish authorities discussed the strategic relations between the two countries from all aspects; and in this context, they agreed to extend the full authority of the Iraqi state in Sinjar, and to end the presence of prohibited foreign armed elements.”

The result is also a deal for the Bashiqa camp. This camp had several positions near it. The Jerusalem Post covered this frontline near Bashiqa in 2015-2016. The Turkish forces provided fire support against ISIS. The camp was modern and well maintained. “The two sides also agreed to expand the volume of bilateral trade and investment, the immediate implementation of the signed agreements, and the acceleration of joint strategic projects, especially the Development Road project,” the report says.

The meeting will lead to more Iraqi authority in Sinjar. This is a result of YBS saying it will hand over its weapons and integrate with the Iraqi state. Turkey will be pleased. Turkey is involved in a peace process with the PKK. It wants to see all the PKK-linked groups disarmed as part of this process.

This will be important for the Kurdistan Region

Turkey also has numerous bases in the mountains of the Kurdistan region. Bashiqa camp is not in the mountains. It is on land between Erbil and Dohuk, overlooking the Nineveh Plains. Ankara has numerous posts in the mountains near the border, above the city of Dohuk. This is where Turkey was fighting the PKK for several decades.

Rudaw also reported on the handover. This will be important for the Kurdistan Region. The Turkish forces were controversial in several ways. Iranian-backed militias opposed them and conditioned their disarmament on the Turkish forces leaving. Rudaw says “Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed their mutual commitment to pull back Turkish troops from a base in northeast Mosul established in 2015, a joint statement shared by Zaidi’s office said Wednesday, citing the fulfillment of ‘security measures’ that include ending the presence of proscribed ‘foreign armed elements.’”

The deal also comes as US forces of the anti-ISIS coalition are leaving Iraq. As such, many changes are afoot. Iraq is re-asserting its authority. 

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar acknowledged that Israel currently finds itself in a diplomatic minority at the United Nations but rejected the characterization that there is a broad international “consensus” against Israel.

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post during the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sa’ar said Israel had been in a minority position at the UN for decades.

“We were in the minority a year ago. We were in the minority two years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, and forty years ago,” Sa’ar said.

The opening day of this year’s General Assembly highlighted Sa’ar’s point, as a series of world leaders devoted significant portions of their speeches to criticism of Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank.

“We need to ask ourselves whether we should base our policy regarding our existential interests on the international consensus, or, even if it is not a total international consensus, on the majority view within the international system, or according to our own existential interests,” Sa’ar said.

According to Sa’ar, Israel’s past concessions have not translated into lasting diplomatic credit.

‘We have reached a point where we cannot make concessions’

He cited the Oslo Accords, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority and Israel’s 2005 unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as examples of far-reaching Israeli steps that, in his view, did not produce the expected diplomatic benefits.

“Ultimately we receive no accumulated credit in the international system for these actions,” he said.

Sa’ar said Israel had reached a point where it could no longer continue making concessions simply because of international pressure.

“We have reached a point where we cannot make concessions,” he said.

The comments come as several countries continue to promote Palestinian statehood at the UN. A joint statement issued on Tuesday by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed support for a “sovereign, viable, and independent Palestinian State” and called for implementation of a two-state framework.

One of the world leaders who criticized Israel was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Sa’ar said he did not currently define Turkey as an “enemy state,” stressing that the term is an official designation with practical consequences.

“I do not define Turkey as an enemy state,” he said. “But I cannot ignore the fact that Turkey under Erdogan’s leadership is pursuing a policy hostile toward Israel in the diplomatic arena, including moves in the economic and legal spheres.”

Sa’ar said relations between Israel and Turkey had unfortunately been moving in a negative direction for decades and had intensified during Erdogan’s years in power.

He also pointed to Turkey’s relationship with Hamas as a significant element in Israel’s concerns.

Israel and Turkey have exchanged increasingly sharp accusations in recent months. In July, Sa’ar condemned comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding Israel, calling them a “clear call for genocide.”

Sa’ar was similarly critical of Jordanian statements at the General Assembly.

King Abdullah II used his UNGA address to accuse Israel of changing realities in Gaza and the West Bank, including through settlement expansion, land seizures and what he described as de facto annexation.

Israel was ‘not particularly impressed’ by ‘Jordanian moralizing’

The Jordanian king also criticized Israeli actions in Syria, describing what he called Israel’s regional “appetite” as a threat and saying Syria was a warning sign.

Sa’ar said Israel was “not particularly impressed” by what he called Jordanian moralizing on the Palestinian issue.

“I just want to remind you that, when it comes to international law and Palestinian rights, Jordan is perhaps one of the last countries that should be lecturing others,” he said.

He referred specifically to Jordan’s 1988 decision to sever the legal and administrative ties that had granted West Bank residents Jordanian citizenship, arguing that the move deprived many people of citizenship and associated rights.

Sa’ar characterized the decision as contrary to international law and said it should be considered when evaluating Jordanian criticism of Israel on international-law issues.

Sa’ar also criticized what he described as a bloc of countries that has increasingly coordinated its diplomatic messaging against Israel.

He acknowledged that some of these countries initially came together around goals Israel could support, including ending the Gaza war and securing the release of the hostages.

“But if you look at it, that same bloc frequently issues joint statements systematically criticizing Israel,” he said.

Doug Warren, 56, was attending Kol Nidre services at the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on the eve of Yom Kippur on Sunday. Prayers were just about to begin when he heard the gunshots.

“The rabbi had just started to call us into the sanctuary. We were stepping inside, and we heard this loud bang, and we all stopped,” Warren, a member of the congregation, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “It sounded like someone was banging the window or the door.”

It was a 29-year-old former Canadian soldier exchanging gunfire with a police officer stationed outside the synagogue. The shooter, Sean Ward, 29, of Quinte West, Ontario, died from his wounds on Tuesday. The officer, Const. Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the force, remains in the hospital in critical condition.

Little is known of Ward, who served in the Canadian military from 2017 to 2022, and was never deployed.

“We knew this was going to happen,” Warren, a member of Sons of Jacob and a resident of Belleville. told JTA. “We’ve been saying as Jews that we’re very concerned with the rise of antisemitism. What did you think was going to happen? People weren’t taking it seriously.”

Congregation extremely grateful to ‘hero,’ police officer Smith

As the gunfire continued, congregants scrambled to find safety. “Some people suggested we should go to the basement, others said we should go out the back door,” he recalls. “At the same time, you’re just frozen because you don’t know what’s going on or what to do. Eventually the shots stopped.”

Warren said the congregation is extremely grateful to Smith, who was stationed outside the synagogue in an unmarked vehicle. “This guy’s a hero. I can tell you the gunman was coming for us inside, and he was trying to take out our armed protection first,” he said. “We’re praying for [Smith’s] recovery.” 

Once police arrived at Sons of Jacob, they instructed everyone to wait inside until the area was clear. Congregants were then taken to the Belleville police station, where they were offered donuts and coffee, which Warren said they politely declined on account of fasting for Yom Kippur.

Richard Marceau, General Counsel and Senior Vice President of The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, echoed Warren’s concerns. “I wish I could say that I was surprised or shocked, but I was not,” says Marceau. “Unfortunately, in 2026 in Canada, we’ve come to expect this type of thing. It just tells us that the promise of Canada has been broken.”

The Belleville shooting came two days after the arrest of 19-year-old Alexander Parfitt after posting online threats to shoot up a synagogue in Southern Ontario. 

Marceau said that Canadian politicians have not sufficiently addressed the threat of antisemitism. “There has been an all-level failure in the political sector and in law enforcement,” he said. “It is a failure to understand the threats that Jews are facing.”

Rising antisemitic discourse endangers Canadian Jews

According to Marceau, anti-Israel and anti-Zionist discourse have also contributed to rising antisemitism and endangered Canadian Jews. “Anti-Zionism is driving violence against Canadians, and the double standard against Israel is playing a role,” Marceau said. “Politicians need a clear plan, not just to talk about extremist ideologies, organizations and foreign state actors. There needs to be a meeting of all levels of government to ensure that the extremist networks are disrupted.”

Anti-Israel sentiment was a point of contention Sunday evening. Canadian Jewish politician and leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Avi Lewis posted on X shortly after 8 p.m. that on Yom Kippur he was “reflecting on the fact that we have not done our part to stop an ongoing genocide being committed in our name.”

About an hour earlier, Ward opened fire outside Sons of Jacob. It was not clear whether Lewis knew the shooting had occurred when he had posted. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Canadian Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather responded to Lewis’ post, stating that “holding Canadian Jews and Jews across the world collectively responsible for events over which they have no control is despicable.”

Lewis said in a post the following day that the attack “is yet another reminder of the work that remains to create a Canada that is truly safe for people of all faiths, including Jewish people – to worship, to come together, to live without fear.” In a press conference, he rejected claims that he was collectively blaming Jews for Israel’s actions.

Despite the events Warren witnessed on Sunday evening, he remains assured in the resilience of his local Jewish community. Unable to access their synagogue, Warren says the Sons of Jacob congregation gathered at a Best Western hotel on Monday evening for services. 

“We want to keep going, but we know it’s not going to be easy. We might get emotional when we first get back inside the synagogue, and we’ll just have to work through that,” he says. “This will not stop us.” 

Rabbi Albert S. Axelrad, a Reform rabbi, community leader, and political activist who headed Brandeis University’s Hillel Foundation for 34 years, died on Sept. 18. He was 87. 

Starting in 1965, Axelrad sought to ensure that students and faculty from all Jewish streams received the logistical support and resources needed to live the fullest of Jewish lives at Brandeis, the only nonsectarian, Jewish-sponsored college or university in the United States.

“Al didn’t just preach pluralism. He lived pluralism,” said Rabbi Peretz Rodman, who first met Axelrad as an undergraduate and later joined his Hillel staff while a graduate student. “For example, there hadn’t been much of an Orthodox presence on campus until the mid-1970s, when he hired an Orthodox rabbi and provided space for that minyan.” 

Although dedicated to egalitarian prayer that offers equal roles for men and women, Axelrad often attended Orthodox and other non-egalitarian services, Rodman said. “He would quip that he davened in an egalitarian minyan before praying with the Orthodox minyan, so he’d be ‘yotzei’” — having fulfilled his own religious requirements as a liberal Jew. 

Axelrad’s commitment to egalitarian prayer led him to cofound the non-denominational Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts. A lay-led, independent congregation that drew on aspects of the counterculture, it served as a model of egalitarianism for what became known as the havurah movement. 

A native Brooklynite, Axelrad attended the Yeshivah of Flatbush and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Columbia University. In 1965 he received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Soon afterward, he moved to Massachusetts to become the Hillel director and chaplain at Brandeis.

His first years at Brandeis coincided with the movement opposing the war in Vietnam, and Axelrad, a member of the Jewish Peace Fellowship, counseled students who were weighing whether to become conscientious objectors. He also advocated for divesting from South Africa as a means to end apartheid.

Israel and Jews remained at the center of Axelrad’s activism

But Israel and Jews remained at the center of Axelrad’s activism. He was an early supporter of the “two-state solution” through Breira, the first national Jewish organization to advocate for an independent Palestinian state, and passionate about the struggle of Jews locked beyond the Iron Curtain and punished for practicing Judaism. 

He made activism to free Soviet Jews central to Jewish life at Brandeis and traveled to the Soviet Union twice to meet Jewish refuseniks. His 1985 book “Refusenik: Voices of Struggle and Hope” chronicles his first visit. In 1984 he wrote “Meditations of a Maverick Rabbi,” in which he explained, among other things, why he performed interfaith marriages.

Axelrad is credited with creating, in the 1970s, the first bar- and bat-mitzvah training programs for Jewish adults who missed out on the ceremony in their youth. These programs became a mainstay in many American synagogues. Other Hillels adopted the annual Jewish Arts Festival he introduced. 

After retiring from Brandeis in 1999, Axelrad became the founding director of the Center for Spiritual Life and an adjunct professor of religion at Emerson College in Boston.

Upon learning of Axelrad’s death, hundreds of former Brandeis students — many of them now rabbis themselves — took to social media to recall Axelrad’s pluralistic, the-door-is-always-open style of leadership and the effect he had on their lives. Many called him a bridge-builder and a “mensch.” 

Rabbi Bob Carroll, who worked closely with Axelrad as a student board member of Brandeis Hillel and, later, as its president while an undergraduate, said he owed Axelrad “a huge debt of gratitude. 

“Probably more than anyone else in my life, when I waver over whether I should have the courage to speak out about something demanding moral courage or sacrifice, to risk my own position or reputation, it is his example and memory that I see in my mind’s eye,” said Carroll, an Orthodox rabbi.

“I haven’t always lived up to his standard. But because of him I at least knew what I should have had the guts to do, or to say. And I was a better human being and a better Jew because of him. Even when our paths diverged.”

Rabbah Riqi Kosovske, the rabbi of the Beit Ahavah Reform synagogue in Northampton, Massachusetts, said Axelrad had a “huge impact” on her life from the moment she became a Brandeis undergraduate. 

“One of my earliest memories was singing in the student circle with him at 12:15 p.m. every day at the daily vigil when he was on the hunger strike for divestment [from South Africa], and I would cry watching him as I worried and cared so much for him and was so inspired by him,” she said. “I am grateful for his kindness and the impact he had on me.”

‘He would look you in the eye. He was fully present’

Rabbi Ron Kronish was a sophomore when Axelrad began his position at Brandeis. Kronish, who became the student head of Hillel during his senior year, described Axelrad as “a great listener. He would look you in the eye. He was fully present.”

Kronish, who later became a Reform rabbi and an interfaith activist in the United States and Israel, said Axelrad always looked at life through a Jewish lens and that his opposition to the Vietnam War and his involvement in civil rights “came out of his understanding of what it means to be Jewish.”

Larry Sternberg called Axelrad “a consummate mensch — kind, gentle, caring — a good listener, a strong ally and a principled leader.” He first met Axelrad in 1973, when he began his graduate work at Brandeis. Sternberg later served on the faculty at Brandeis and as executive director of the university’s Hillel from 2004-2013.

“He acted on his passions and beliefs, reflecting a commitment to rabbinic activism. At times I found him infuriating,” Sternberg said, “but that never resulted in tension between us. Our bond was strong because Al knew that disagreeing did not diminish our respect for one another. While many rabbis aspire to inspire others, Al was the real deal.” 

Axelrad is survived by four children and several grandchildren. Berta Axelrad, his wife of 63 years, died in December 2024.

 A New York judge sentenced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a former production assistant in 2006, following the ex-movie mogul’s conviction at a retrial last year.

Weinstein, 74, was convicted in June 2025 of first-degree criminal sexual act for assaulting Miriam Haley at his Manhattan apartment, the culmination of a six-year legal saga that saw his 2020 conviction overturned by New York’s highest court. Weinstein has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Wednesday praised Haley for her testimony and said he was moved by her courage.

A Weinstein spokesman said in a statement that Weinstein maintains his innocence and strongly disagrees with the sentence imposed by Judge Curtis Farber.

Weinstein was first convicted in New York in 2020 of assaulting Haley and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. New York’s highest court overturned that conviction in 2024, finding that he had not received a fair trial. At his 2025 retrial, jurors convicted him of a charge related to Haley, acquitted him of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola, and deadlocked on a rape charge involving Mann.

Weinstein faces separate California sentence after New York conviction

A third trial on Mann’s allegation ended in another mistrial in May. Prosecutors dropped the charge the following month after Mann said she did not want to testify in a fourth trial.

Weinstein, who co-founded the Miramax studio, was separately convicted in California in 2022 of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to 16 years. A California appeals court in June upheld those convictions but ordered him resentenced because the trial judge had considered his since-overturned New York convictions as an aggravating factor.

Weinstein’s original conviction was a milestone for the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men.

More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of misconduct. He has denied the allegations.

Somaliland and Israel should develop a military partnership that could include an Israeli presence in Somaliland in order to strengthen cooperation against Houthi terrorists, Ahmed Dirie, chairperson of the executive committee of the Israel and Somaliland Friendship Association and head of a visiting delegation, told The Jerusalem Post.

Dirie said he envisioned a relationship in which Israel and Somaliland would assist one another against common threats, arguing that Somaliland’s position in the Horn of Africa and near the Bab al-Mandab Strait gives it particular strategic importance.

Asked whether Somaliland would be open to an Israeli military presence in the country, Dirie responded, “That’s right.”

“Somaliland has a very strategic point in Bab al-Mandab,” he said. “We have a problem there at the moment, and that problem, the only one who can solve it is Somaliland.”

“If they get help from the Israelis, they can beat the Houthis and make it safe,” he continued. “And we can operate in that area easily because of the location they have in Somaliland.”

Dirie’s comments come after months of speculation over whether Israel could eventually establish a military base in Somaliland.

In June, Somaliland Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali, speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, told Reuters that there was no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no negotiations underway to establish a base.

He did, however, confirm that Israel was training Somaliland military and police personnel.

Speaking to the Post that same month, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi similarly said an Israeli military presence had not been discussed, but left the door open to such an arrangement in the future.

“I cannot rule out the possibility that it could happen in the future,” Abdullahi said. “If our cooperation continues to deepen, our relationship could develop far beyond where it stands today.”

Earlier this month, Abdullahi told Israel Today that an Israeli and American military presence could have a deterrent effect in the region. Jewish News Syndicate reported on Tuesday that Abdullahi said he hoped the two countries would begin cooperating in the security sector before the end of the year.

Still, Abdullahi also told the Post earlier this month that Somaliland currently has no conflict with the Houthis and that his government had not discussed allowing Israel to use Somaliland territory or airspace for operations against the group.

Dirie calls for mutual military cooperation

Asked whether he envisioned something resembling a mutual-defense arrangement, under which Israel and Somaliland would assist one another if either came under attack, Dirie said, “That’s right. That’s what we need.”

“If anybody was attacked, they have to help each other,” he said.

Dirie repeatedly emphasized military cooperation as central to his vision for the developing relationship. He also described the Houthis as a direct threat to Somaliland.

“The Houthis want to attack Somaliland, and they want to attack Israel. They have to face this together,” he said.

Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in December 2025. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited the African country the following month, vowing to “vigorously advance relations” between the two countries.

In May, Dr. Mohamed Hagi presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog, becoming Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel. Somaliland opened its embassy in Jerusalem the following month.

Dirie said the next chapter in relations should involve “cooperation on everything: business cooperation, military cooperation, peace cooperation, as in protecting each other.”

“Israel and Somaliland are facing the same enemy at the moment,” he said.

Din Moriel, an Israeli member of the delegation, was more explicit about what an Israeli military presence could offer strategically.

“Obviously, them sitting in Bab al-Mandab, in the waterway, it’s right in front of the Houthis,” Moriel said. “So, having a military base there, having military presence there, and being able to use force whenever needed, without sending our airplanes so far across the world, would be very much of a help to Israel.”

Somaliland prepared to contribute up to 2,000 troops to Gaza force

Dirie also referred to Somaliland’s willingness to contribute soldiers to an international stabilization force in Gaza.

Abdullahi, speaking on the sidelines of the MEAD conference in Washington earlier this month, said Somaliland was prepared to provide as many as 2,000 troops if requested, while stressing that the country had not yet been asked to contribute forces.

A demonstration was held on Wednesday in Jerusalem’s Paris Square on behalf of the campaign to find Haymanot Kasau.

The demonstration, led by the Kasau family, was initiated as a call for the transfer of the investigation of Haymanot’s disappearance to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

The protest follows the Jerusalem Municipality’s refusal to permit the abducted girl’s family to erect a protest tent.

The Kasau family repeatedly sought approval to establish a tent outside the Supreme Court, near the Knesset, and opposite the Prime Minister’s residence. 

They are seeking to raise awareness of the disappearance of their daughter, Haymanot Kasau, who went missing on February 25, 2024, at the age of nine, from the Safed absorption center where she lived with her family. She has not been found since.

It has been 941 days since Haymanot’s disappearance. 

‘Investigation is being handled as an afterthought,’ campaign claims

Tesfaye Kasau, father of Haymanot, addressed Lahav 433, the Shin Bet, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“About ten days ago, we sat at Lahav 433 and asked question after question, and not a single one received an answer. Those who are supposed to provide answers, those responsible for investigating, didn’t answer and simply didn’t seem to know.

“Do they have suspects? Do they have a direction for the investigation? Is the investigation focused inside Israel or abroad? Were all checks performed, such as phone geolocations and polygraphs for everyone at the absorption center on that terrible night?

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. How can this be? How is it that the investigation into the abduction of a girl who has already turned 11 is being conducted like this? How can it be that those who are supposed to protect us act as if there is time? As if Haymanot doesn’t need us to save her, as if Haymanot isn’t important.”

He lambasted the government for failing to handle the investigation, asking once again for it to be handed over to the Shin Bet, before asking the people of Israel to “stay with us and continue to support us so that we succeed in our struggle for a proper, equal investigation.”

An earlier statement released on behalf of the campaign said, “The investigation is being handled as an afterthought, having already passed through four different hands without a single lead – which is why the demonstration aims to press the ongoing demand to transfer the case to the Shin Bet.”

Haymanot’s parents, Tesfaya and Benchi Kasau, have led a public campaign calling for increased efforts to locate her, including protests outside Lahav 433 offices and a march in Tel Aviv.

Shelly Shem Tov, mother of freed Hamas hostage, grateful and ashamed

Shelly Shem Tov, mother of released hostage Omer Shem Tov, came to speak at the demonstration for Haymanot.

She related to the family by recalling the fears and emotions from when her son was in captivity.

“When the hostages were in captivity, we felt the embrace of the Israeli public; we felt that we were not alone. Now I stand here and look at you, a small group of people, and every single one of you is so meaningful to Haymanot’s family. Because feeling alone, feeling abandoned, is simply terrible. I want to thank each and every one of you for not leaving Haymanot’s family alone.”

She continued, saying, “On the other hand, I feel ashamed because I feel that I too had somewhat forgotten Haymanot and her family. And the same goes for the people of Israel. I am certain it is not out of bad intentions, but because there isn’t the sheer force of numbers needed to shake up those who need to be shaken up. I want to say that being a mother whose child is not with her is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

“Haymanot is not where she ought to be – at home with her family and friends. Haymanot disappeared out of the blue. And because this family doesn’t have the words to scream in Hebrew so they can be heard, they lack that strength.

“I appeal to everyone who stood with us during our struggle: come and make this family feel they are not alone. The public needs to be here.”

US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with annihilation so many times over the last year that it would be stunning if anyone in Iran still took his rhetoric seriously.

Or, as The Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial on Wednesday, those threats “would be more credible if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and we hadn’t heard it several times by now.”

Yet we, and the IRGC, have heard them. And then, in nearly the next breath or at the next photo opportunity, we have heard Trump talk about negotiations and, essentially, peace in our time with Iran.

We heard it again on Tuesday at the UN. On the one hand, Trump threatened to obliterate Iran and “drive them into hell, leaving it no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness for generations.” A few hours later, however, he said the US had held “very good” talks with the Iranians.

Might the tough talk simply be a negotiating ploy? Of course. But Trump is not the only one who knows all the negotiating tricks. So do the Iranians.

According to various reports, those fruitful talks between US and Iranian officials produced a proposal under which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade.

The Iranian negotiating ploy is reminiscent of the famous Hasidic tale in which a poor man, complaining to his rabbi that his house is unbearably crowded, is instructed to bring more and more animals inside. When he is finally told to remove them, the same house suddenly feels spacious.

That, in essence, is what Iran is attempting to do.

A war never meant to be about the Strait of Hormuz

This war was never meant to be about the Strait of Hormuz. Or, at least, it did not start that way. The Iranians made the strait an issue by mining it and firing at ships and oil tankers passing through. The US retaliated by imposing a blockade on Iran – a blockade that is currently strangling the Iranian economy.

Now the Iranians are proposing that Washington lift the blockade in exchange for Tehran ending a crisis it created. A senior Iranian official reportedly said that Hormuz could reopen within seven days if Washington reduced military pressure and lifted the blockade.

Sounds tempting, no?

Especially since reopening the strait would allow much more oil onto the world market, lowering gasoline prices at American pumps just weeks before the midterm elections in November.

But such an agreement would solve the crisis Iran manufactured, not the underlying crisis that led to the war.

The central issue is not the Strait of Hormuz. It is Iran’s surviving enriched uranium, its nuclear program and its ballistic-missile capabilities.

If Washington lifts the blockade to reopen the strait, what leverage will remain to compel Iran to surrender its enriched uranium and accept limits on its nuclear and ballistic-missile programs?

Very little, which is precisely the problem.

With the blockade, the US essentially has its foot on the neck of the Iranian economy. If continuously applied, that pressure could lead to the best possible outcome from both an Israeli and American perspective: regime change.

Only will abandon nuclear project with regime change

According to Israeli intelligence assessments, Iran will truly abandon its nuclear project only if its fundamentalist regime changes. As long as that regime remains in power, it will continue striving for nuclear capabilities, which it sees as its ultimate guarantee of survival.

The danger for Israel, therefore, is clear: The US may prioritize reopening the Strait of Hormuz, partly because of domestic electoral considerations, over addressing Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Iran is offering to stop doing something international law never entitled it to do in the first place, and demanding sanctions and blockade relief in return. The immediate economic incentive to accept will be enormous, but a deal focused narrowly on Hormuz would reward Tehran for manufacturing the crisis.

Trump said in his UN speech that he did not care about the midterm elections and that they were not a factor in his decision-making.

“When it comes to Iran, it doesn’t even enter my mind,” he said.

That should be reassuring. The problem is that so many of Trump’s previous threats against Iran have proved hollow that the skepticism surrounding those threats inevitably carries over to statements such as this one as well.

What the Iranians do not realize, Trump said, is that he is not running in the midterm elections. “I’ll be here for two and a half years.”

And therein lies a core issue.

To get the Iranians to show flexibility, Trump must show that his position will not fluctuate before or after the elections. He must convince Tehran that the pressure will remain regardless of oil prices, polling numbers, or the date on the electoral calendar.

But even that is not enough.

The American political system – not merely the Trump administration – must persuade the Iranians that preventing them from acquiring nuclear weapons is a lasting American policy rather than the preference of one president.

That is a much more difficult task.

The Iranians are betting first that Trump will avoid drastic measures just before the midterm elections because he does not want to disrupt the oil market and send gasoline prices soaring.

Their second and more consequential wager is that, even if Trump holds firm now, they need only endure another two years. After that, a new administration could enter office with different priorities and a far more conciliatory approach toward Tehran.

This belief that American pressure can always be waited out is central to Iran’s strategy. It is also why lifting the blockade now would be particularly damaging.

It will be difficult for the regime to outlast Trump if the blockade remains in place and the economy continues to crumble. It will be considerably easier if the blockade is lifted, sanctions are eased, and Iran is given the economic oxygen needed to stabilize the regime and rebuild its military capabilities.

Following the June 2025 12-Day War, Israel changed its objective regarding Iran. The goal shifted from “merely” damaging and setting back Iran’s nuclear and missile programs to establishing the conditions for the eventual fall of the regime – something that Israeli intelligence assessments said would take between one and three years if military and economic pressure was sustained.

That assessment has not necessarily changed. It might, however, if the blockade is lifted, Iran receives sanctions relief, and the regime is allowed to rescue its economy.

Trump’s credibility will not be restored by threatening Iran with annihilation yet again. It will be restored by demonstrating that the US will not exchange long-term strategic leverage for temporary calm and cheaper gasoline.

The jury, however, is still out.

The Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland has rejected the asylum application of Iranian refugee and Jewish conversion candidate Behnam Vali Heydarian, also known as Ben Vali, putting him at risk of deportation to Georgia and potentially Iran, Vali told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

Vali previously spoke with the Post in August, describing the violent transnational aggression he said Iran had directed against him while he was in Georgia. A convert to Christianity at the time and a prominent figure in the refugee community, Vali drew the regime’s attention after initially being targeted for distributing Bibles in Iran and later for his pro-Israel advocacy following the October 7 attacks.

After being assaulted multiple times, Vali said he was threatened over his continued pro-Israel advocacy, had his bank accounts repeatedly frozen without warning, and was threatened with deportation by a person he believed was a member of Georgia’s security services.

‘He was an active, hardworking, kind, and responsible person’

Mikheil Grishashvili, a Jewish community leader and representative of the Peace Synagogue in Georgia, told the Post that Vali has been an active member of the community since 2023.

“He was an active, hardworking, kind, and responsible person, and he very quickly became part of our community,” Grishashvili said, adding that Vali became increasingly involved in Judaism.

Returning to Iran would likely lead to Vali’s execution

Aware that returning to Iran would likely lead to his execution due to his open support for Israel, his conversion and his proselytizing, Vali fled to Switzerland, where he had been granted a business visa.

Though Vali entered Switzerland legally, the country rejected his asylum application, stating that he had entered the country illegally and fled from a “safe” country, despite evidence he provided demonstrating what he described as a clear and present threat in Georgia. Offers from Swiss nationals to provide Vali with employment and housing, so he would not burden the system, also went unanswered.

“We appealed the reapplication, arguing that based on my individual risks and the problems I faced, they had to assess, analyze, and examine my individual case and circumstances. But they didn’t,” Vali said. “The final answer was that the State Secretariat for Migration had already done its job and that Georgia is a safe country. You can go back to the safe country and stay there. That’s it. That was the final hope that we had.”

Vali said that the entry ban now in place, preventing him from returning to Switzerland, would stop him from seeking refuge throughout the European Union. He said he has also been attempting to contact Israeli authorities, hoping his pro-Israel advocacy and position as a student of Judaism would encourage some protection, but did not receive a response. 

Shareholders of The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the paper’s parent company Wednesday morning, arguing the paper has failed to follow its own editorial standards.

The suit, filed by the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA) and the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) in New York County Supreme Court, requests the Times board of directors to release internal records.

The company has refused to produce the records for four months, the majority of which pertain to the paper’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

Requests were first made by the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), representing NCPPR, on May 29 following the May 11 Nicholas Kristof column titled “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” but the NYT has not complied.

Lawsuit alleges that board failed to establish adequate oversight 

The new lawsuit, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, notes that the Times’ reputation for independent journalism is “its most valuable” asset and alleges that the board failed to establish adequate oversight mechanisms to ensure compliance with the company’s own editorial standards.

It cites examples of corrections and disputed reporting, including the October 2023 Al-Ahli hospital explosion coverage, claims about Gaza war reporting errors, and concerns raised by a purported newsroom whistleblower who said internal reporting channels did not resolve her complaints.

The whistleblower, who is not named in the suit but who is said to be a Jewish former New York Times newsroom employee with about a decade’s tenure, said that that in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, staffers spent weeks searching for evidence that Hamas did not use the tunnels beneath al-Shifa Hospital, even after the Israeli military released its own footage of the tunnels in November 2023.

Whistleblower claimed she raised concerns internally 

On November 20, 2023, the head of the video department reportedly referred to the tunnels as “alleged tunnels” in the desk’s morning meeting.

The whistleblower claimed she raised concerns internally about what she believed were violations of the Times’ own editorial standards through internal channels, including EthicsPoint, the Standards desk, Employee Relations, and Human Resources, on at least 15 occasions beginning in 2019.

The filing says the whistleblower’s records include allegations that complaints about newsroom standards were not properly escalated, concerns about bias in coverage were not addressed, and senior leadership was aware of some complaints but did not take corrective action.

According to the filing, the whistleblower alleged that the internal complaint system failed to address her concerns and instead turned against her.

The petitioners argue they are not seeking to direct editorial decisions, but want records showing whether the board monitors compliance with the Times’ own standards and manages reputational risks.

Canadian New Democratic Party Leader Avi Lewis is facing widespread criticism following a social media post published on Monday at the start of Yom Kippur, with critics alleging that he stated that Jewish people failed to do their part to “stop an ongoing genocide” in Gaza.

Lewis posted on X on Sunday, “Tonight Yom Kippur begins, the most somber moment of the Jewish calendar. It’s a time of atonement – a time to grieve those who have been lost, a time to acknowledge and take responsibility for harms we have caused, individually and collectively. For Jewish people, the personal has always been political and the political always personal. This year I’m reflecting on the fact that we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name. There are many other fronts where I have to do the work of repair. But nothing on this scale.”

Tonight Yom Kippur begins, the most sombre moment of the Jewish calendar. It’s a time of atonement – a time to grieve those who have been lost, a time to acknowledge and take responsibility for harms we have caused, individually and collectively. For Jewish people, the personal…

— Avi Lewis (@avilewis) September 21, 2026

Later that evening, news broke that a gunman had opened fire outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, during Erev Yom Kippur services. Constable Jeff Smith was injured during the exchange of gunfire while protecting the community as congregants took cover inside.

Following the shooting, Lewis published a second post on X, stating, “The shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville is deeply upsetting and has traumatized a community that gathered to pray. It is yet another reminder of the work that remains to create a Canada that is truly safe for people of all faiths, including Jewish people – to worship, to come together, to live without fear. Today, I am sending love and solidarity to the Jewish community in Belleville and across the country on this Yom Kippur, the most solemn and holiest day of the year.”

The shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville is deeply upsetting, and has traumatized a community that gathered to pray.

It is yet another reminder of the work that remains to create a Canada that is truly safe for people of all faiths, including Jewish people – to worship, to…

— Avi Lewis (@avilewis) September 21, 2026

The initial remarks drew immediate backlash from federal politicians, advocacy groups, and commentators, who argued that attributing collective responsibility to Jewish people for the actions of the Israeli government violates standard definitions of antisemitism and endangers communities.

‘Holding Jews responsible is despicable,’ says Liberal MP

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather condemned the remarks on X, writing that “holding Canadian Jews and Jews across the world collectively responsible for events over which they have no control is despicable.”

Fellow Liberal MP Ben Carr similarly criticized the post when speaking to CPAC reporters, calling the comments “irresponsible” for a political leader, and warning that “it’s dangerous and it’s the type of narrative that is actually contributing to the type of threats that we’re seeing levied against the Jewish community.”

Advocacy organizations also weighed in heavily on the controversy. The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) issued strong rebukes, pointing out in a post on X that “libels have consequences,” and emphasizing that “when Jewish people are collectively portrayed as complicit in atrocities, that rhetoric can become a justification for targeting Jews here at home.”

Mike Fegelman, executive director of HonestReporting Canada, criticized the post online as well, writing that “the criticism of @avilewis is entirely warranted. His Yom Kippur message is a near-perfect example of the hypocrisy at the heart of the anti-Zionist movement,” and noting that “he is invoking Jews collectively, on Yom Kippur, and assigning them a responsibility to atone for the conduct of a foreign government.”

In The Globe and Mail, columnist Robyn Urback published an op-ed arguing that “Avi Lewis’s foolish statement on Jewish people should be disqualifying,” emphasizing that assigning collective responsibility to a religious group during their most solemn holiday crosses a dangerous line where portraying Jewish communities collectively as complicit serves as a justification for targeting them at home.

Lewis defends his remarks on Jews

Addressing the controversy during a press conference on Monday, Lewis defended his remarks and rejected accusations that he was blaming Jewish people for Israel’s military actions. When asked by a reporter to respond to criticism regarding his post on Gaza, Lewis stated: “Yeah, I did not blame Jews for the actions of the Israeli government. That’s simply untrue. Holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel is antisemitic. I’ve never done it. I think it’s dangerous, and that’s absolutely not what I did.”

Lewis added, “I spoke as a Jewish Canadian from a place of profound sadness on the day of atonement and a day of the deepest and most solemn reflection in our calendar and said what many, many Jews feel and many Jews have said, that we have not done enough as Jewish people among a family of faiths and communities around the world. Humanity has not done enough to stop an ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

Lewis also noted, “I just read today as part of my own reflections three Kol Nidre sermons from rabbis over the last couple of years about the failure of humanity and of Jewish people of the Jewish faith to stop an ongoing genocide.”

Concluding his remarks on the controversy during the press conference, Lewis stated: “I come from a religious tradition which has a diversity of views which has debate at the center of our practice and our culture as Jews. I’m not going to police how other people reflect on Yom Kippur. And I think it’s pretty ugly to see these partisan points being used to score partisan points like that. I won’t be doing that. This was a personal reflection that I know is shared by many people. And just one more time, holding Jewish people collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel is not something I would ever do. It’s antisemitic, and it is wrong.”

The NDP did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the United States would uphold its commitments under its defense agreement with Saudi Arabia when asked about a military campaign by the Houthis.

Rubio also addressed the diplomatic exchanges between the United States and Iran, as indirect contacts took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“We understand the Strait issue,” Rubio told reporters, adding that the United States would continue to defend and keep open strategic waterways. He said President Donald Trump has a number of options available, including military options.

A deal with Iran would require “hard work over a period of time,” Rubio said, while reiterating that Trump also retains military options.

Rubio described Tuesday’s discussions between US and Iranian officials as largely an exchange of ideas and messages. His comments referred to meetings involving US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who met with mediators to discuss a possible agreement to end the Iran conflict.

Trump says US, Iran moving toward settlement as Tehran links Hormuz reopening to deal

US President Trump said Tuesday at the United Nations that US officials had held a “very good” three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation.

He said Washington and Tehran were moving toward a settlement, while a senior Iranian official said Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if the US eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.

Iranian officials later said Tehran was reviewing the US response to its proposal to end hostilities, but that significant differences remained between the two sides as diplomatic efforts continued, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran were among the issues discussed during Tuesday’s indirect talks with Washington, the official said.

دیروز در حاشیه نشست مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل متحد، در ادامه گفتگوهایی که توسط کشورهای میانجی بین ایران و آمریکا در جریان بوده است، دور دیگری از تبادل و تبیین پیام از طریق میانجی قطری بین ایران و آمريکا صورت گرفت.

در این فرآیند که حدود دو ساعت به طول انجامید مواضع و شروط ایران برای…

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) September 23, 2026

دیروز در حاشیه نشست مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل متحد، در ادامه گفتگوهایی که توسط کشورهای میانجی بین ایران و آمریکا در جریان بوده است، دور دیگری از تبادل و تبیین پیام از طریق میانجی قطری بین ایران و آمريکا صورت گرفت.

در این فرآیند که حدود دو ساعت به طول انجامید، مواضع و شروط ایران برای…

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) September 23, 2026

Iran says it clarified conditions for resuming diplomacy with US during Qatar-mediated talks

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on X that another round of “message exchanges and clarifications” took place between Iran and the US through Qatari mediators on Tuesday.

Baghaei said Iran had clarified its conditions for resuming diplomacy during the two-hour exchange, including an understanding on ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz between the two coastal countries.

Iran’s stated conditions also include the lifting of US sanctions, including the naval blockade, an end to the war, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to bar the Joint List (formed from Arab parties Ta’al, Hadash, and Balad) from competing in the October 27 election, hours after it voted to disqualify Ra’am, MK Ofer Cassif and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh.

Ra’am, the United Arab List led by MK Mansour Abbas, may appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, which is set to hear election-disqualification cases next week. Unlike the disqualification of an individual candidate, a decision barring an entire party list does not automatically go to the court for approval.

The vote followed three requests filed by the Likud, Otzma Yehudit and the Choosing Life forum of bereaved families and victims of terrorism.

The applicants alleged that Ra’am supported armed struggle by a terrorist organization and rejected Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, two of the three grounds for disqualification under Section 7A of Basic Law: The Knesset.

They cited alleged connections between Ra’am, the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, and charitable organizations that the applicants claimed had transferred assistance to bodies linked to Hamas. They also cited statements by Abbas that they argued showed the party presented different positions to Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking audiences.

Ra’am denies allegations of supporting terrorism

Ra’am denied the allegations, arguing that the petitions failed to provide clear and convincing evidence connecting the party to support for terrorism or any other prohibited objective.

Adalah attorney Suhad Bishara, representing Ra’am, told the committee that the applicants had not presented evidence capable of establishing the unequivocal factual record required for disqualification. She also pointed to Abbas’s condemnation of the October 7 massacre and his efforts on behalf of hostages held in Gaza.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman opposed barring Ra’am, finding that the evidence did not establish any of the statutory grounds required to exclude it from the election.

The Supreme Court has interpreted Section 7A narrowly, requiring clear, convincing and unequivocal evidence that a prohibited objective is central to a party’s activity. The evidence must demonstrate that the objective is a dominant feature of the list’s conduct rather than a marginal or isolated one.

In 2019, the committee voted to disqualify a joint Ra’am-Balad slate, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision and allowed it to compete.

Wednesday’s decision marked the third disqualification approved by the committee during its first day of hearings. The decisions concerning Cassif and Abu Shehadeh involve individual candidates and therefore require Supreme Court approval before taking effect.

Ra’am Chairman Mansour Abbas responds to disqualification decision

Abbas released a statement in response to the Central Election Committee’s decision, saying, “The Elections Committee’s decision to disqualify Ra’am is a political, improper, and anti-democratic decision made contrary to the position of the Attorney General, based on false accusations and fabrications. We will refute these claims in the High Court of Justice, as we have done in the past.”

He accused Netanyahu and his allies of maneuvering to prevent the formation of “the next change government” by disqualifying the Ra’am party. 

Abbas said that the disqualification is an attack on coexistence between Arabs and Jews in Israel, as well as free democratic participation of both Jews and Arabs.

Joint List calls ban ‘attempt by Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, to steal election, disenfranchise over a million Arab Israelis’

The Joint List also denounced the CEC’s decision, saying that it is a “political, racist, and anti-democratic decision, and we expect the Supreme Court to reject it outright.”

“It bears stating the obvious: this is an attempt to disqualify the political representation of over a million voters, who constitute 20% of the country’s citizens,” the party added.

“This constitutes a severe violation of the fundamental right to vote and be elected, and is a direct continuation of the long-standing delegitimization campaign waged by Netanyahu and right-wing elements against the Arab public. Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir know that their only path to remaining in power is by disqualifying Arab representation and suppressing the Arab vote; this is how they seek to pave the way for another term,” it said.

“It is deeply regrettable to see that those who purport to replace Netanyahu are once again falling into the racist trap set by Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, lending a hand to this political campaign. In doing so, they contribute to the ongoing racist persecution of the entire Arab public, the deepening of racism, and the perpetuation of the rule of Netanyahu and his political partners,” the Joint List said.

“The Joint List is the only party that has made the struggle for democracy for all, true equality, justice, and a comprehensive peace its central mission, and it is the only alternative to the racist policies of Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir,” it continued.

“The Joint List, together with democratic Jewish forces, will continue to fight against political disqualification, continue to fight racism, continue to fight Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, and will prevail,” it concluded.

Hadash, Communist party ‘fundamentally reject’ decision

Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel (CPI), also issued a joint statement condemning the decision.

“The Central Election Committee’s sweeping approval of petitions from the fascist right to disqualify slates representing the Arab public and Jewish democratic forces is a blatant trampling of the most basic rules of the democratic game,” they wrote. 

We fundamentally reject the very fact that a political committee, composed of representatives from currently serving Knesset factions, grants its members the right to persecute and silence voices that depart from the consensus and oppose occupation, racism, and Jewish supremacy.”

They emphasized that they stood with Abu Shehadeh and his “right to express his views as a leader in Arab society,” pointing out a lack of justification behind his disqualification.

The indirect talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which many have viewed as a sign of Tehran’s willingness to reengage in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, are only a “half-truth” of what is really taking place, INSS Iran expert Beni Sabti told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

For the first time since the Memorandum of Understanding failed in July, Araghchi and the American envoys communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Sabti said that the talks and promises to open Hormuz meant little when Iran was continuing to attack ships and attempting to assert control over Hormuz.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Tehran was willing to reopen the strait provided Washington openly committed to resolving the conflict diplomatically. However, only a day after the statement, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a cargo vessel was struck, resulting in two casualties.

Hassan Qashqavi, spokesperson for parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, also confirmed on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had no intention of abandoning its attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz. Parliament adopted provisions allowing the regime authorities to seize 20% of a vessel’s cargo, or its value, from ships violating Iran’s rules for passage through the strait.

‘This is the Iranian way’

“They talk, and they attack, and this is the Iranian way, the terrorist organization way. It is exactly what Hamas did during the war. There were negotiations, but there were also attacks and war. They want all their conditions to be met, and then there will be negotiations or an opening of the straits. They want all of the frozen money released, all the wars, especially by Israel against their proxies and against themselves, to stop, and other conditions,” Sabti said. “These seven points cannot be fulfilled, and they know that. So they come for negotiations, but not with 100% desire and will, goodwill, or a true heart. It’s just kind of a theater, a lie that they bring.”

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi admitted on Tuesday that he viewed negotiations as another strategy of the war, insisting that “If the country’s interests require it, negotiations can be part of the battle while we remain prepared for combat…One war is fought with weapons; in negotiations, the war is fought with words, arguments and diplomatic methods.”

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Mohebbi also claimed that Iran had tightened its conditions to end the conflict and had refused Washington’s multiple attempts to return to the negotiating table.

The stark difference between Mohebbi’s narrative and what is being portrayed in New York is where the half-truth lies, Sabti explained. Those in New York were “not the relevant people to talk to” as the IRGC is firmly in control of Iran.

‘This is the problem of the West’

“This is the problem of the West: They think the entire Iranian regime is one entity and that it is all the same. If you talk to the president or the foreign minister, it’s like talking to the whole regime, because this is the way it is in the Western world,” he said, adding that those in the IRGC were profiting from Western naivety and using diplomats to “buy a little more time.”

With reports indicating that Saudi Arabia is restarting operations at its East-West Pipeline, potentially allowing 7 million bpd of oil to return to the global market, and frustration growing with the Houthis, Iran’s strategy of holding the strait hostage is slowly failing, he claimed.

With the Iranian economy suffering after years of sanctions that have intensified since Operation Economic Outcast, IRGC officials running the country are also hoping for some relief as a gesture of goodwill from the West, regardless of whether they have any real intention of following through, Sabti concluded. 

Firefighting teams are responding to an active fire that broke out in a residential building in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Mea She’arim neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Police officers and medical personnel are on standby at the scene to provide immediate aid, though firefighters have ruled out there being any trapped residents in the building.

Firefighters rescued several Torah scrolls from the burning structure. The scrolls sustained significant damage in the fire.

“Firefighters acted decisively to tackle the intense fire in the temporary structure and conducted rapid searches that ruled out the presence of trapped people,” said Incident Commander Deputy Chief Shai Nehemia. “During the operation, crews rescued several Torah scrolls from the flames. We are currently focusing our efforts on final extinguishment, and the incident is nearing containment.”

This is a developing story. 

A coalition of progressive Jewish leaders and Michigan Democrats sent a letter to former Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday urging her to press Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on his positions regarding Jewish safety and Israel during their joint campaign appearance on Tuesday. The group, known as Nonnegotiable Michigan, represents rabbis, cantors, and community leaders across the state.

In their letter, the coalition acknowledged Harris’s record on combating antisemitism, noting that she has consistently stood by the community. However, the leaders expressed deep concern regarding El-Sayed’s candidacy, stating that he “has had every opportunity to meet our request to support our basic needs” but “has declined even to respond.” The coalition outlined five core principles candidates must address to guarantee Jewish safety, including for Zionists, protecting identity rights, upholding Jewish sovereignty in Israel, welcoming full political participation, and providing an affirmative vision for the Middle East.

El-Sayed has been criticized for blaming Israel for local issues in Michigan

The letter criticized past remarks by El-Sayed, pointing out that he has called Israelis “bloodthirsty,” referred to American support for Israel as “purchased loyalty,” blamed Israel for local issues in Michigan, and rejected Israel as a Jewish state. Emphasizing that support cannot be taken for granted, the coalition wrote in their open letter that “every constituency must occasionally remind its party that support is earned, not owed,” describing the campaign as “a good faith effort to make our needs unmistakably clear, and to invite any candidate seeking public office — now or in the future — to engage, listen, learn, and grow.”

Building on their message from the letter, coalition leaders expanded on these themes during a subsequent press conference. Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom captured the widespread unease felt by families, stating that “we have been greatly concerned in the midst of this campaign and the language that we hear being used,” expressing concern “when language comes out that is using antisemitic dog whistles, things that have concerned us greatly over the years it worries my community.” Moskowitz added that his congregants felt “homeless right now and not sure where they can turn,” and that his community is a Zionist congregation and said, therefore, “we want our candidates who are running for office that we want to support to understand that and appreciate our concerns and what matters to us as a Jewish community.”

Echoing these concerns, Cantor Regina Hayut of Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor noted during the event that she and many others have been feeling politically homeless, stating, “I’ve been a lifelong Democrat, and I’ve never felt alienated from my party until recently. And I feel like if I just walk away, then I’m giving up so much that I care about.” Hayut added that Israel is still a place for Jews to call a “safe homeland” and that “the rhetoric that’s out there has been demonizing an entire people not just in Israel but here in the United States and here in Michigan.”

Looking beyond the immediate election cycle, Joan Lowenstein, president of the Ann Arbor Jewish Federation, emphasized the deep ancestral connection to Israel, stating, “Both of these places are my home, and I have always been part of trying to convince people that the Jewish connection to Israel is not a political one. It’s our ancestral home, and it’s the center of 3,000 years of Jewish history.” 

‘You can’t untangle Judaism from Zionism’

David Kramer, a prominent Democratic fundraiser and community leader, underscored the political and moral imperative for leaders to act, stating that “You can’t untangle Judaism from Zionism,” and that “Jewish people and Zionism are one and the same, you can’t untangle them, and I think some of the efforts by particular candidates, the senate candidate being one of them, to imply that the Jews should be protected but Zionists are on their own is deeply troubling.”

Harris and El-Sayed held a roundtable discussion in Detroit on Tuesday, focused on maternal health, reproductive freedom, and black maternal mortality alongside healthcare experts and reproductive rights advocates. The recorded public roundtable focused entirely on healthcare and maternal mortality, with neither Harris nor other speakers addressing the letter or the controversies surrounding El-Sayed’s past statements on Israel.

Harris’s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. 

US President Donald Trump shared a Newsmax article about a recent Channel 13 election poll projecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc to win 54 seats in the upcoming elections, in a Wednesday post to Truth Social.

According to the poll, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar led with 22 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud fell to a low of 18.

Despite this, the Netanyahu bloc strengthened to 54 seats, compared with 52 for the change bloc.

In August, Trump told FOX News that he “may endorse somebody” in the upcoming Israeli election, though he conceded it would be “most appropriate for me to stay out of it.”

Trump’s comments to FOX followed reports across Israeli media that figures close to Netanyahu’s main political rivals, including Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett, have in recent months conveyed messages to Trump’s associates through acquaintances, donors, and political allies, asking him to remain neutral in the election.

The comments also follow an Axios report noting that Trump questioned the prime minister on the Likud’s position in the polls during the latter’s late July visit to Washington.

Israel’s elections are slated for October 27. 

Where does Netanyahu’s bloc actually stand in recent polling? 

Five election polls published last week, however, showed a divided political landscape, with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar holding a slight advantage over Likud at the party level, but with no clear outcome between the blocs.

A KAN News poll showed Eisenkot’s party leading with 24 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud dropped to 20. According to KAN, the balance between the blocs remained inconclusive, with 52 seats on each side, leaving neither with a majority to form a government.

Yashar continued to lead in the Channel 12 poll with 23 seats, down two from the previous survey. Netanyahu’s Likud also weakened, losing one seat to reach 20. As such, the bloc opposed to Netanyahu fell by two seats to 66, including 54 seats for Zionist parties and 12 for Arab parties.

While other polls left the political system deadlocked or showed a slight advantage for the bloc opposed to Netanyahu, the Channel 14 poll presented a different picture, with 64 seats for the right-wing bloc.

Channel 16 polling showed the Netanyahu bloc at 52 seats, compared with 53 for the opposition.

Eisenkot leads polling average, Netanyahu close behind

Across the five polls, Eisenkot’s Yashar averaged 22.2 seats, ahead of Likud’s 21.2.

The bloc picture remained inconclusive. The Netanyahu bloc, including People of Israel, averaged 54.4 seats, compared with 51 for the Zionist opposition parties.

Maariv contributed to this report.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced Israel’s alleged possession of nuclear weapons while International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are sent to monitor Iran’s nuclear program during his Wednesday address at the UN General Assembly.

“The topic of this gathering is mutual trust. That cannot be achieved with words alone, but by abandoning double standards. Atomic and nuclear weapons are in the hands of the ‘Israeli regime,’ but the [IAEA] inspectors are requested to come to Iran,” Pezeshkian said.

“Israel has the bombs, has the weapons of mass destruction. Not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). During their shameful lives, they have not allowed a single inspection, but they are rewarded with all the means necessary to bomb any capital of the region at will,” he said.

“Our regional issues must be resolved in the region; no relationship with a foreign power can become the tool of threatening countries in the region,” he added.

“For our country, peaceful nuclear technology is part of our progress…”Iran does not accept nuclear technology to be at the disposal of a handful…We will not bow our head, and we say it clearly. No nuclear weapons, and no limitations to our peaceful nuclear development,” the Iranian president said.

“Israel has murdered savagely over 70,000 civilians in Gaza, while Iran, behind the table of negotiation, was being bombed,” he added.

“Palestine remains an open wound on the conscience of the international community, and Gaza remains a visible symbol of the failure of international mechanisms to prevent civilian suffering…For decades, resolutions have been adopted, and occupation has continued. Lasting peace in West Asia is impossible without justice for Palestine. As long as occupation, aggression, and injustice persist in the world, resistance will continue. If it’s weakened in one form, it will reemerge in others,” he said.

“Gaza, despite relentless killing and widespread destruction, has strengthened the people’s will of resistance. This is human nature,” he stated.

Pezeshkian also addressed US President Donald Trump’s Tuesday address, during which the American leader attacked Iran and the Islamic Republic’s regime.

“I had prepared a speech to present to you yesterday, when the US president described us as terrorists. We have been victims of terrorism. I come from an Iran where our supreme leader was assassinated without any legal reasons, where they bombed a school. The children perished under bombs with weapons used by Israel and the US; they had committed no crimes,” Pezeshkian said.

“The words of the US president yesterday show that those who are experts in international law, dialogue, diplomacy, and basic human standards know that everything uttered against our country goes against the charter of the UN… Trump must understand that Iran is ready for the way of dialogue and negotiation, without accepting the language of war,” he added.

“Those who are terrorists, and train, and protect terrorists, described us as terrorists. We are defending ourselves; we are not terrorists,” he claimed.

“We responded, but we didn’t target civilians…The day I became president, they assassinated [Hamas leader] Ismail Haniyeh. They target any neighborhood, any province, in any place,” he said.

“Are we the sources of instability? We only seek to live independently…”We don’t want anything. We have received our response. We need strength, because a people that is not capable of defending itself will be trampled on,” he claimed.

“For the past 200 years, Iran has never attacked any territory. We have defended ourselves, but never attacked…”We do not seek power to attack or commit aggression; we seek energy for progress, not to threaten…The people of Iran have been in the last seven months in support of our homeland,” Pezeshkian said.

“Iran must be powerful, so to avoid being threatened, to avoid its future being threatened…Our defensive systems are being built so that the bombing of Iranian cities doesn’t go unanswered. We do not seek anyone’s approval for our defense,” he said.

“We don’t see our neighbors as security rivals. We want strong neighbors. But we can not let some gain access to our waterways and then use it to attack us,” Pezeshkian said in reference to militarization of the Strait of Hormuz, including US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s ongoing blockade.

Syria’s Sharaa insists Golan will remain Syrian territory

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa also addressed the UNGA on Wednesday morning.

Sharaa, in his address, stated that the Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory, and attempts to achieve any other outcome “will be thwarted.”

He also called on partners to “abide by international law.”

“When land is usurped, when sanctity is violated, people suffer, and people pay the price,” Sharaa said.

With seven states, we started to destroy chemical weapons and worked with the IAEA to combat chemical and nuclear weapons, the president said.

“Syria went from being a crisis to an opportunity for many countries,” he stated.

“We have consolidated our values and the rule of law. Any attempts that violate our sovereignty will be stopped. [The] Golan [Heights] will remain Syrian territory,” the president said. “Any other attempts will be thwarted.”

Sharaa’s family fled the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He was born in Riyadh to two Syrian parents and chose the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani [from the Golan] to highlight his heritage during his time as leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

“I ask our partners to abide by international law…The world is encouraged by our return, but Israel keeps attacking Syria,” he continued.

“We will continue to serve our people; we will continue to serve god. God will always reward you for your actions… There have been 500 airstrikes, more than 1200 incursions, and 300 detentions. This is at odds with the orientation that we are seeing at a global level. It is reminiscent of an era that we thought was long gone. We are committed to the 1974 agreement; we call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the line of the 8 of December of 2024,” he stated.

Romanian president insists Iran will not possess nuclear weapon, must allow IAEA access, comply with NPT

Meanwhile, Romanian President Nicusor Dan addressed Iran’s nuclear weapons program, demanding that the Islamic Republic cease its attempts to produce a bomb.

“Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon. Iran must comply with the NPT, and must restore access to the IAEA,” Dan said.

“Romania will continue to provide maritime security and unrestricted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea,” Dan added.

Tobias Holcman and Idan Kweller contributed to this report.

Thousands of primary school-aged children in Iran have been unable to receive an education due to financial hardship, Iran’s Education Ministry confirmed to Iranian media on Tuesday.

Rezvan Hakimzadeh, deputy minister of primary education, confirmed that 140,562 students were identified as not attending school last year, with the majority located in Sistan and Baluchestan, Tehran, Razavi Khorasan and Khuzestan provinces. Of those children, 54,445 were in the first grade of primary school.

The minister confirmed that nearly 42,000 of the students were found to have left Iran with their families, while 18,000 were not required to enroll due to disabilities. Thousands of others were found to be out of school due to family financial hardship, child labor, a lack of adequate guardianship, or enrollment in unlicensed education centers.

There were also 86 cases in which a primary school-aged child was not attending school because they had married. Primary school in Iran is for children aged six to 12 years, while Iranian law generally requires girls to be 13 and boys to be 15 to marry, although a judge’s approval can allow for marriage at a younger age.

The start of the school year in Iran has also drawn greater attention to the country’s population crisis. According to the Astan Quds Razavi foundation-affiliated Iranian media site Quds Online, only 1.154 million six-year-old children began primary school in Iran this year, a decrease of around 76,000 from last year.

Iran’s challenged demography

Iran’s declining birth rates, delays in marriage and childbearing, economic pressures, and lifestyle changes have all impacted the country’s demography.

Alireza Sajedi, head of Iran’s Population Monitoring Center of the National Organization for Civil Registration, also complained to the site that the number of births fell from around 1.116 million in 2021 to fewer than 980,000 in 2024.

The population decline could eventually lead schools to reduce both classroom sizes and the number of classes in cities, but in rural areas, it may no longer be viable to keep schools open, Quds Online warned.

Gaza-based journalists who worked amid what photojournalist Motaz Azaiza has described as a “Hamas-controlled media environment” were given prominent platforms in Westminster, researcher Emma Schubart of the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) revealed to The Jerusalem Post exclusively on Tuesday.

Schubart’s discovery follows comments made by Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza in a September 3 podcast interview with journalist Ahmed Biqui.

During this conversation, Azaiza mentioned the existence of a Hamas-administered WhatsApp group called Smart, which, he said, included “every journalist working in Gaza.” The group’s icon displayed a Hamas flag and was administered by “the director of media for the Rafah Border Crossing,” who has been identified as Wael Abu Mohsen.

According to Azaiza, the group coordinated media messaging and organized campaigns against journalists whose reporting departed from the sanctioned line.

“It was never a spontaneous thing,” he added.

Gazan photographers ‘accustomed to lowering cameras’ to criticism of Hamas

Azaiza added that photographers in Gaza had “become accustomed to lowering their cameras” when civilians criticized Hamas.

HJS reported that several journalists who operated within this Hamas-controlled media environment were subsequently welcomed into Westminster and presented to British parliamentarians as authoritative witnesses to the war. Other journalists from this environment have been involved more indirectly with the British government.

For example, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh was hosted in Parliament in September last year.

MPs host Hamas-linked journalists

Hansard [the official report of all Parliamentary debates] records Labour MP Yuan Yang saying on September 10, 2025, that she had “co-hosted an event in Parliament for Wael al-Dahdouh” the previous evening.

During that visit, Dahdouh also met with Labour MP Afzal Khan for Manchester Rusholem (formerly Manchester Gorton), who posted publicly that he had met Dahdouh, calling the meeting “an honor.”

While neither the Post nor HJS has independently verified the membership of the group, Azaiza said it included every journalist working in Gaza at the time.

Then there is Azaiza himself, who on May 15, 2024, addressed a Nakba Day gathering at Westminster Central Hall, yards from Parliament, sharing the event with Sir Alan Duncan, the former Conservative Foreign Office minister.

Additionally, Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Brendan O’Hara co-organized a cross-party panel in a House of Commons committee room in mid-July 2025 with Oxfam GB and the Council for Arab-British Understanding.

Gaza journalist Abubaker Abed spoke alongside Oxfam’s then-CEO. Abed addressed MPs and journalists who were in attendance on conditions in Gaza and called for an end to UK arms support for Israel.

Finally, Al Jazeera and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) held a sold-out Westminster screening of the documentary Gaza in October 2024, followed by a panel. Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent Youmna El Sayed appeared as a panellist, with MPs and peers attending.

“One of Gaza’s most famous ‘journalists’ has described, in his own words, how Hamas controlled the media environment,” Schubart said.

Schubart noted that this is of great importance to every international outlet that has relied on Gaza-based journalists yet still claims that their reporting is editorially independent of Hamas.

“The question is straightforward: Why were British politicians giving a parliamentary platform to journalism produced under Hamas control?”

Schubart has personally written to the Speaker of the House on these findings. The letter was viewed by the Post.

The Central Elections Committee voted 31 to 4 on Wednesday to bar Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh from running in the October 27 election, accepting an Otzma Yehudit petition alleging that he supported armed struggle against Israel by a terrorist organization.

The decision is not final. Under Basic Law: The Knesset, the disqualification of an individual candidate requires Supreme Court approval before taking effect. The court is set to hear the election disqualification cases next week.

Abu Shehadeh, who is third on the Joint List slate, said he would challenge the decision, calling it an attempt to silence Arab society’s political voice and exclude it from the political arena.

In an exceptional move, committee chairman and Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg joined the vote in favor of disqualification, departing from a two-decade practice under which committee chairmen have abstained to preserve their neutrality.

Sohlberg said Abu Shehadeh had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the statements at the center of the case.

Sohlberg: Disqualification must remain a last resort

“If there is a case in which the application is clear, this is the case,” Sohlberg said. The last committee chairman to participate in such a vote was Supreme Court justice Mishael Cheshin in 2003.

Sohlberg’s vote followed a warning at the beginning of the proceedings that disqualification must remain a last resort because it denies an entire constituency the ability to support its chosen candidate.

Section 7A of Basic Law: The Knesset allows a candidate or list to be barred for rejecting Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, inciting racism, or supporting armed struggle against Israel by an enemy state or terrorist organization.

The Supreme Court has interpreted those grounds narrowly. Disqualification requires clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence that the prohibited position lies at the heart of a candidate’s political activity, generally demonstrated through a sustained pattern rather than an isolated statement.

The Otzma Yehudit petition centered on an Arabic-language article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas massacre.

In the article, Abu Shehadeh described the attack as an “important historic event” in military, political, and strategic terms. He wrote that if “small and besieged Gaza” could surprise Israel on that scale, others could do so more effectively.

Otzma Yehudit argued that the article praised Hamas’s attack and encouraged others to learn from it. Party chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir told the committee that Abu Shehadeh’s subsequent explanations were implausible, given what was already known about the killings and abductions.

The attorney-general’s position was unusually severe compared with her responses to the other disqualification requests.

In their written submission, Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman said the evidence, particularly the October 8 article, apparently indicated that Abu Shehadeh had expressed support for a terrorist organization’s armed struggle against Israel. They initially stopped short of expressly recommending disqualification, noting that previous cases involved extensive, long-term evidence of systematic conduct.

During Wednesday’s hearing, however, the attorney-general’s office said Abu Shehadeh’s explanations remained unsatisfactory and that there was a basis for the request. His failure to condemn the attack in the article was not a neutral omission, the office argued.

Abu Shehadeh: ‘I oppose armed struggle’

Participating remotely, Abu Shehadeh said he had written the article on October 7, before he understood the full scale of the atrocities, and acknowledged that it should not have been published in that form.

“I have never called for violence or terrorism,” he told the committee. “I oppose armed struggle.”

Abu Shehadeh said his description of the attack as historically important meant that events after October 7 would not resemble those before it. He argued that the article analyzed Israel’s intelligence failure and called for an end to the military path in favor of a diplomatic process led by the Palestinian Authority and Arab states.

He also condemned the Hamas massacre and cited other writings in which he opposed armed struggle and harm to civilians.

Adalah, which represents Abu Shehadeh, said the decision rested on a false portrayal of his political record. The organization said his three decades of public activity, together with repeated condemnations of harm to Jewish and Palestinian civilians, demonstrated a commitment to nonviolent political action.

Adalah general director and attorney Hassan Jabareen argued that the article contained no direct call for violence and that its central conclusion favored a political solution.

He also accused the attorney-general of applying an expansive interpretation to a single Arabic-language article while finding that broader records cited in petitions against Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party (RZP) did not reach the evidentiary threshold for disqualification on grounds of racist incitement.

The disqualification nevertheless attracted support from coalition and opposition representatives.

Democrats chairman Yair Golan said genuine democratic partnership required “redlines,” while stressing that his party opposed the blanket exclusion of Arab parties and would also support barring Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The plenum of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) is primarily a political body composed of representatives of factions in the outgoing Knesset. Its decisions have frequently been overturned by the Supreme Court, including previous decisions barring Balad and its candidates.

The combination of Sohlberg’s vote and the attorney-general’s position distinguishes Abu Shehadeh’s case from the other challenges heard this week.

The Supreme Court will decide whether the exceptionally grave timing and language of the October 8 article can satisfy a legal test that has generally required a broader and more sustained body of evidence.

The CEC separately voted Wednesday to disqualify Hadash MK Ofer Cassif.

It also considered requests involving Ra’am, the Joint List, and Balad. Challenges against Otzma Yehudit, the Religious Zionist Party-Zehut list and The Democrats are scheduled for Thursday.

The Israeli navy is moving toward becoming a semi-autonomous force and may eventually become nearly fully autonomous, the IDF said.

It has been reported that the Israeli navy has operated autonomous sea vehicles in recent years, though it is unclear when swarms at sea will be ready to roll out.

Elbit Systems has already been among the Israeli companies developing such technologies, including its publicized 12-meter Seagull autonomous surface vessel, designed to patrol offshore infrastructure for up to four days. It also “incorporates mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), maritime security (MS), electronic warfare (EW) and other advanced systems and technologies.”

Other countries like France, Singapore, and the Netherlands are also shifting their navies toward more autonomous operations.

Despite those navies’ progress, Israel’s navy said it is even more advanced in using robots and autonomy.

The need for robots and autonomous operations is clear, given that ships can spend weeks or longer at sea.

Even the most resilient sailors have trouble with this amount of time at sea, and an overwhelming portion of the population is just incapable of doing it at all.

Israel faces growing naval threats from Turkey, Iran, Houthis

In addition, Israel faces growing naval threats from Turkey, and possibly from Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, and others.

The navy said this means it will need more ships in the future to secure Israel’s maritime national security interests.

However, the navy does not believe the country or the military will grant it additional staffing power for more ships, so the only stable way to expand Israel’s naval fleet sufficiently will involve fewer human soldiers per ship, and eventually zero or close to zero.

At one stage, Israeli soldiers can focus solely on maintenance and safety issues with robots and autonomous systems operating most other systems.

Robots are a double-edged sword

At a later stage, robots may be able to undertake all or much of the maintenance work.

But robots are a double-edged sword.

Enemy forces are also expected to use robots and autonomous systems against Israel.

This will create a number of challenges: land-to-sea and sea-to-sea.

In addition, the IDF is aware that China, Russia, and other countries have explored cutting underwater cables, which foreign reports have confirmed going back to at least 2023 in the Baltic Sea, near Britain, Norway, and at other locations.

Israel is working on and will need to expand its defense of these underwater cables going forward.

The Netherlands will join the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest after boycotting the event this year over Israel’s participation, Dutch public broadcaster NPO said on Wednesday.

NPO took over from the original public broadcaster AVROTROS, which formally announced in August that they would not participate in the contest, stating that the event could “no longer be considered neutral” while a participating country, referring to Israel, remains involved in a large-scale military conflict, NL Time reported Wednesday.

In August, AVROTROS director-general Taco Zimmerman stated that the contest was meant to unite people and countries involved in international conflicts, undermining the contest’s “neutrality” character, saying, “The Eurovision Song Contest was originally created to bring people and countries together.” It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the contest, undermining its neutral character.”

The broadcaster noted that it had returned responsibility for Dutch participation in Eurovision to the NPO. This organization oversees the overall Dutch public broadcasting system.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had initially set a September 15 deadline for countries to confirm their participation. NPO requested additional time to evaluate its options after taking over responsibility for the Netherlands’ Eurovision entry and was granted an extension until the end of September.

Countries weigh Eurovision return as Bulgaria prepares to host 2027 event

The Netherlands was among five countries, together with Ireland, Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia, that withdrew from the 2026 Eurovision contest in Vienna. Ireland’s broadcaster RTÉ has since said it will also skip and not broadcast the 2027 contest, while Spain and Iceland are still reviewing whether they will participate, according to Eurovoix.

The contest’s final semi-final rounds ad grand final will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria May 11-15, 2027 hosted by Bulgarian National Television (BNT) alongside the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Reuters and Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.